Prologue 9

"Your Gace!"

Those who were seated stood up, and those who were already standing and talking on the sides closed in on the fifty-feet long Painted Table, which was the map of Westeros without any detailed borders.

"At ease." Azaerys lightly said, not in the least shy, uncomfortable, or restless at being seen as their King, and Oberyn Martell, who was meeting him for the first time, could not help but be impressed.

And the next command that he heard, sent him into a fit of chuckles.

"Only ladies are allowed to sit. Men will stand."

"Yes, Your Grace." The Knights smiled, and Viserys, who was about to sit back in his chair, straightened up again.

Oberyn did not mind the command, and seeing all the boys and men standing, the younger ladies grinned for no real reason.

"The King already favours the ladies over men." Oberyn teasingly commented.

"Quite the contrary, Prince. I am doing men the favour here." Azaerys smiled as he walked over to the wall with picked out the torch that was not lit. If you stand, you will be able to have a better look at the map.

When he glanced at Arthur, he did the same with the unlit torch closest to him.

Following his lead, the rest got to work too, and though they were curious what the Prince was up to, they did not ask the questions.

Azaerys lit up the torch in his hand and then approached the Painted Table. He searched and quickly found a hidden latch, which he opened, revealing the compartment that none of them knew existed under the table.

"There's another one on that side." He said to Arthur, who quickly found it, and then threw his ignited torch inside.

Azaerys then proceeded to light up the entire rack of candles and asked the Knights to move it inside the table as well.

A few gasps were heard when the table warmed up and glowed, creating a very magical scene for the attendees of this meeting.

Even the ladies who were sitting, stood up to take a look at it.

Viserys gasped in shock and excitedly looked at the map of Westeros which seemed to have come alive. And seeing the land in the light of the Flames excited his blood.

"Ser Darry, bring the pieces and mark the table with our allies."

"Yes, Your Grace." The Old Man picked up the chest in the corner of the room, and then one by one, started placing pieces on the map, to the best of his memory.

Oberyn and Ser Gerold helped him out with it, and Azaerys waited for them to finish.

A smile formed on his lips when he proceeded to start planting the pieces of his enemies, and Rhaella's heart ached when he placed the Enemy King in the King's Landing.

Clearly, the enemies were too many and too powerful now.

However, when he started removing certain pieces on the board, including those of the Tyrell and the Velaryon Families, who were the biggest allies of the Targaryens, they all frowned.

"These houses are not our allies anymore. They don't care who sits on the Iron Throne as long as their House stays in power. We trusted them, but never again."

"We understand the Tyrells, Your Grace, they played a game of waiting, but House Velaryon has always stood with the Targaryens. Even now."

"Times have changed, Ser Willem. Where are the Velaryons?" He smiled. "Why is the Velaryon Fleet not at the Dragonstone to protect us as Stannis Baratheon prepares to create a new Royal Fleet to conquer our Fortress?"

"We received the ravens. They have promised to hold them for as long as possible." The old man frowned.

"Pay attention to their words, Ser Willem. As long as possible."

The man turned silent, recalling how one house after the other had betrayed the Targaryens.

Velaryons were likely going to be just like Tyrells and will keep up their appearances. When the time for battle would come, they would surrender.

Oberyn smiled when Azaerys' eyes looked his way.

"Your only ally is Dorne, Your Grace."

"I am grateful for that." He nodded and then looked at the map. "However, we have lost the war. Dorne does not need to fall together with us."

Everyone was stunned at his words, and Oberyn frowned as well.

"What do you mean, Your Grace?"

Azaerys glanced at him and then looked around the table before setting his eyes on the map.

They all saw a smile form on his lips, which soon turned into a grin.

"Let the people of the Seven Kingdoms suffer and bear the consequences of their choice. They banded together to overthrow my Grandfather, called him a Mad King, and mad he was. However, the one they have chosen is no different. Robert is but a puppet to his Mentor and to Tywin Lannister, who has arranged for Cersei to become the Queen. The Old Lion finally succeeded in his ambition." He narrowed his eyes.

"You want to wait?" The Dornish Prince understood his words and asked.

"Yes."

"How long?" He frowned.

"Until my Dragons are big enough to conquer Westeros." He said, forcing the people in the room to go very quiet.

"Dragons are gone, Your Grace." Ser Willem felt a little unwell as he reminded him.

"No, they will be back. I will have my own Dragon." It was Viserys who spoke, and Azaerys gently smiled his way.

"You will." He nodded and then looked around the room. "I don't intend to rely on any Westerosi Force to claim my rights. And I don't want to see your people die in vain when things can be achieved without wasting too many lives." He said to the Dornish Prince. "My force will be dragons, larger and deadlier than any that the Westeros has ever seen."

"Dragons aren't dead?" Oberyn frowned, hoping that Azaerys was not mad like his Grandfather and was not talking nonsense.

"They are not dead. They are just asleep." He smiled.

"Where are they?" Allyria, the younger sister of Ashara, expectantly asked.

"You will see them later this year, Allyria."

"You promise?" The little girl excitedly asked.

"I promise." He nodded and then looked at Oberyn Martell. "When you will visit us again, you will find us with our dragons, Prince Oberyn."

The man raised his brow at him in question.

"You want me to return to Dorne?"

"You must." Azaerys nodded. "My House will call you when the time comes, but for now, you must stay in Dorne. I have already discussed things with your brother. And I am sure he asked you to come back in his letter?"

"He did." Oberyn nodded his head.

Azaerys nodded his head as well and sighed.

"But first, you must help me with something."

"What?"

"We need to make Robert believe that the Targaryens are dead." He meaningfully said.

"I understand." The Martell nodded, and then the two started discussing how they would make it happen.

Once they decided on a plan, there was only one question on all their minds.

"Where are we going, Your Grace?" Ser Gerold Hightower asked.

"Not all Free Cities are safe for Targaryens, and we should stay away from the Dothraki Sea. We can head to Pentos or Braavos," suggested Ser Willem.

"Too close to the Seven Kingdoms." Azaerys shook his head. "I am taking my family to Asshai, and from there, we will head deeper into the Shadow Lands, to a town called Siren."

To say that his words shocked them was an understatement. They were utterly dismayed at his plan.

"That's a dark place." Oberyn frowned. "Shadow Lands is not a healthy place for children. And the people there practice arts that are... questionable." He furrowed his brows at all that he had heard about Asshai.

How was that place safe?

"The Shadow Lands are the perfect place to hide the dragons and to let them grow. And that's the only place where the assassins would think twice before coming after us. For us, it is the safest place." Azaerys informed them. "As for anything else, you don't have to worry about it at all. They practice their arts, and we have our own arts."

Oberyn hesitated as a question popped up in his mind, and in the end, decided not to raise it.

"When do you want to leave?" He asked.

"We will stay at the Dragonstone for another four moons."

The people in the room nodded their heads as it was long enough to make preparations, and just within the window they had before the new Royal Fleet would make its way here.

Now that Azaerys had spoken, they would not trust house Velaryon to hold them any longer than that.

As soon as it would become clear that there would be a war at the sea, the Velaryons would likely give way.

"And how will I find you in that place? I have never heard of the Town called Siren." The Prince asked.

"You will not find us. I will find you when you come to Asshai, and you will be brought to me." Azaerys mysteriously said, and Oberyn accepted his words, now even more sure that those rumours about the Evil Charmer were not entirely untrue.

"You haven't given my brother an answer yet." He changed the subject and then turned to look towards his sister.

Azaerys' eyes found little Rhaenys, who was currently fascinated by the lit-up table, sitting comfortably in Elia's lap.

"The Princesses of the House Targaryen will no longer wed outside the Family." He declared and met the Dornishman's eyes. "No matter how loyal and close that house is to us."

"Who will she marry then?"

"It's her choice. She can marry Aegon, Rhaemon, Viserys, or even me."

"That's a very limited choice?" He playfully asked.

"Are there people more handsome than the Dragonlords, Prince Oberyn? You are a man of peculiar tastes, so tell me. Besides, it's more of a choice than setting up a betrothal that she is not old enough to understand and accept."

The man laughed at his words and ended up shaking his head.

"I take my words back. She would not need more choices. It's already hard enough."

Azerys chucked and shrugged.

"What about a Prince marrying outside the Family? Or the King?" The man asked again. "My brother did not just propose one union. He gave you options."

"Depends on how important the union is, and if creating a new Vassal House is feasible. I do not want to commit the same mistakes that my ancestors did." He calmly said.

"What mistakes?"

"The Blood of the Dragon must stay within the Dragon Houses. If any Prince or the child of a Dragonlord ever marries outside the Family, to a girl who does not have the Blood of the Dragon, their children will be given a new Family name. They will not bear the family names of their parents."

"How sound would this decision prove when you have to rule the Kingdoms?" The man questioned. "Would you not be alienated? The people of Westeros and their Faiths would cause a lot of problems for you and your legacy."

"Dragons and sheep are not equal, Prince Overyn. And never will be." He coldly smiled. "If the sheep want to survive, they must stay obedient, and the day they start thinking too highly of themselves, we shall give them Fire and Blood."

There was silence in the room after his words and Viserys' body trembled in excitement at his words.

"Never again will a Dragon House be confined or forced to accept the faith that contradicts our Valyrian Customs and Traditions. We have our own Gods. And our Gods can only be followed by people with our Blood. We will never force people to accept our Faith, and we never accept theirs."

Rhaella had mixed feelings in her heart at his words. She was happy at his decision but also realised the issues that the ruler would have to face.

Elia and Lyanna were clearly looking very uncomfortable at his words. And it was because they were not the Blood of the Dragon, and what Azaerys was saying, meant that their Children were not Targaryens in his eyes.

"Your Brothers, they are Targaryens." Oberyn meaningfully commented.

"Yes, and they will help me create more Dragon Houses." He smiled.

"Why do you need more Dragon Houses?" He frowned, but then his eyes glinted as a thought crossed his mind.

"I have decided to redefine the borders of Westeros. The Dorne will be a Kingdom again, and so will the North and Vale. And each Kingdom will be ruled by a Dragon King, and all the Dragon Kings will be answerable to the Emperor, the Targaryen."

"Kings? The Iron Throne will not hold the absolute Power?" He frowned.

"The Targaryen Throne will hold the absolute Power, but the Kingdoms will enjoy more freedom than they do now. Each new King will be approved by the Emperor, and without his approval, no King will be allowed to wear the crown of their Kingdom."

"How would that work? Unless your house always stays the strongest, the other houses will eventually rise in rebellion. That's the nature. People are ambitious, Your Grace. Many don't care about their Blood as much as you do."

"I know, Prince Oberyn, but these are not the things that you will understand right now. When the time comes, you will see everything with your own eyes."

"Is that so?" He smiled. "I can't wait. However, there's something that disturbs me a lot."

"Yes?"

"You want to take away Dorne from us?" Oberyn narrowed his eyes.

"It's your home. Why would I take it away from you?" He said and then glanced at the little girl, who was sitting next to her Uncle and was listening to everything very attentively. "I have decided to accept your brother's proposal and take Arianne as one of my wives. Our Children will be the King and Queen of Dorne." He informed everyone, and the girl's eyes widened in surprise before a smile bloomed on her face.

"They will ride Dragons?" She expectantly asked.

"Yes, they will."

It truly was a lot to take in for everyone, and Oberyn, personally, had no objection to what Azaerys was proposing.

The new House will be the union of Martell and Targaryen Houses, and if the future that Azaerys was painting was to come true, and they would manage to find Dragons again, it was truly a great favour.

"I will speak to my brother." He said, and the Young King nodded his head.

"Your Blood would have still been Magical if not for your Rhyonish Ancestors' carelessness and unhealthy lifestyles. But you are still Serpents, not sheep. I will not be showing this favour to everyone, so, tell your brother to choose the blessings and glory because the other option is Fire and Blood."

"Is that a threat, Your Grace?"

"No. It's a warning to the people who can be considered family." He smiled at Elia. "And a Family should never make things difficult for their Lord," he told Oberyn.

"I will remember to deliver your words to Doran." The Prince promised.

"Good. I will be expecting an answer by the end of this moon."