Chapter 20: Year Of the Red Spring I. 120 AC

A/N: Taking a break until tuesday, maybe.

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[High tide, Driftmark]

I stood among Targaryens and Velaryons just at the coast of Driftmark. In front of everyone was a coffin of stone, a face carved on top of it, resembling the deceased Laenor Velaryon. Nobody said anything, only Vaemond Velaryon was speaking his words using High Valyrian, while a pregnant Laena was sobbing uncontrollably, staring at her brother's coffin.

Besides her was a sealord of Braavos, he goes by the name of Irreo Antaryon, and besides him, a little girl, maybe on her 5th nameday, who I'm assuming is the bride-to-be of Aegon.

Isn't she too young to be married to him?

I could only shake my head, the sobbing of Laena Velaryon seemed to disturb her, as she was holding her father tightly.

I turned my gaze towards the sky. Dragons circled around as if they were seagulls. Among the dragons, one of the most eye-catching is Sunfyre, with golden gleaming skin that reflects the sun. He flew around the island, his eyes ever vigilant.

There were a couple of dragons that didn't fly around, all of them are amongst the bigger ones. Mine and Helaena's are one of them, and Vhagar, the biggest of them all, stood on top of High Tide with her old yet decrepit look, watching the funeral silently.

When the coffins were pushed towards the sea, Laena could not contain her tears anymore. She shrieked and sobbed, not willing to let go of her dear brother. Her husband seems to hold her down, afraid that she might fall off to the sea, Lord Corlys did the same, holding his daughter's hand ever gently.

I took the initiative to do something. I took out my horn, enhanced with runes, and I blew on it. The sound was inherently different from that that I used on calling Vermithor, it had a thick bass sound, like a normal trumpet, it was supposed to trigger a reaction to dragons.

All of a sudden, the dragons above and the dragons below let out a wailing roar, seemingly paying respect to the dead man. Everyone's looking at me, staring at my horn, then at my clothing.

Queen Alicent seemed to glare at me, as Helaena came to Driftmark with the usual runic bronze plate that I used.

Lord Corlys nodded at me, seemingly thanking in silence for the gesture, but suddenly, Laena screamed, not of sorrow, but out of pain.

She had gone to labor.

—

High Tide was filled with screams of pain of Laena Velaryon. Midwives were coming in and out of the room that Laena was giving birth in, all of their clothes were bloodied. The atmosphere was tense in the castle, even the older women seemed to notice that the birth process was much more violent than usual, and Corlys prepared for the worst.

7 hours of grueling birth process, but it is finally done. A baby boy came out of Laena's womb, and she named him Laenor Antaryon, after her brother. She was bedridden after that, and a fever started to kick in, her face pale and sweaty.

Meanwhile, the other family still stayed at Driftmark, and we were congratulating the sealord one by one.

"Congratulations." I said to the sealord. "May he live a long life."

"Thank you." he nodded. "And you are the lord of Runestone, yes?"

"I am." I nodded. "Do you want anything from me?"

"Our family traded with Gulltown for decades, so we know the lords of the area." he whispered to me, and I just nodded.

As I moved away from the queue, I stood beside the window of the castle. I watched as the tides slammed against the rock on the shore, violently pulling back to the sea again.

"What was that from earlier?" a voice came from behind me. I didn't turn, instead, the man walked to the front of me, leaned against the wall, it was Daemon.

"What?" I asked.

"The horn," he pointed out. "I've never seen those dragons act like that before."

"It's just a horn to call dragons. I used it to call Vermithor." I answered casually. "And what of you?"

"What about it?"

"You've actually done it." I said.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Daemon said nonchalantly.

I sighed at his words. "Father, you don't have to pretend in front of me. I know you did it."

Daemon went quiet for a while, before continuing. "He's tainting the bloodline of Targaryens."

"Is it his fault now?" I raised my brow. "Not Rhaenyra's?"

"Their marriage is beyond saving." Daemon said. "It's better this way."

"So you would marry her." I pointed out.

"Yes." Daemon nodded.

Wow, he admitted it. "Well, just don't go and marry her the day after her husband dies. Wait a few months or so."

Daemon raised his brow to me, but he didn't say anything.

"The tides are high tonight." another voice sounded. Both of us turned, it was Corlys Velaryon, watching the scenery outside.

"Lord Corlys." I nodded.

"Lord Maegor." he said. "I understand that it is improper of me to ask this from you when my daughter is getting weaker on the bed, and I just attended my son's funeral… but I am killing two birds with one stone today. I am sorry about the tense atmosphere of High Tide, it has been a long day."

"I understand Lord Corlys, any parents shouldn't bury their children." I said. "What do you need from me?"

"The war on the stepstones is active again." he said, making me raise my brow. "The kingdom of the three daughters have allied with Dorne, and our position in the area has been threatened."

"So you need me to go there? To fight?"

"Yes." Corlys turned to Daemon. "You, and your father Daemon."

I turned to the windows again. "And what will I get in return?"

"Excuse me?" Corlys frowned.

"What will I get in return, Lord Corlys?" I repeated. "The war on the stepstones is not my war. I recommend that you ask the king to support you."

"The king will not support us," said Corlys. "You and your dragons are our only hope."

"So you want my dragons." I hummed. "What of you father, are you going?"

"I was the king of the stepstones." said Daemon. "So yes."

I sighed at the answer. "I want gold, Lord Corlys, pay me, then I will go."

Lord Corlys frowned. "Are you a sellsword, Lord Maegor?"

"I'm a lord in need of gold to develop my lands, Lord Corlys." I countered.

Lord Corlys thought for a while, before speaking. "Fine, name your price."

"250.000 Golden Dragons." I said, making Lord Corlys widen his eyes. "If you give me that, I will win you the war."

"You are brave, lad." said Corlys with a sneer. "You will only give me an empty promise."

"You can give me half of it now, and half of it when I win the war." I said. "It's either that, or no deal at all."

Corlys scoffed at my words. He turned toward Daemon, who was smirking, and then towards me. "Like father, like son. Fine, we will depart on the next moon, be ready."

Oh wow, I didn't think he would agree.

—

When the sun rose, we were woken up by the sudden scream of a midwife. Everyone rushed outside, seemingly trying to know what was going on.

When everyone arrived at the scene, they saw Laena, lying lifeless on the ground in the middle of the corridor, with her crotch seemingly bleeding.

When Princess Rhaenys saw the sight, she wailed, in one week, she had lost two children, one from murder, one from complications of childbirth.

It seems that Laena was trying to reach for the outside, maybe she wanted to see Vhagar, to ride her one last time, just like what I have read.

Lord Corlys sat on the ground, his back leaning against the cold stone wall, seemingly in shock. I feel kinda bad now for demanding that much money from him, but oh well, a deal's a deal.

Her husband could only stand there in silence. He carried her body to her room, where he sat vigilantly. The servants quickly took away her daughter, who I know now was named Rhaela Antaryon, so that she could not see the sight of her mother's dead body.

To be honest, even I think this is too much of a tragedy in one week. The gods have yet to show mercy to the Valeryons today.

But of course, unsurprisingly, the tragedies continued.