Chapter 13: Shadows and Alliances at King's Landing

"You met with the Tyrells?" Rhaenys asked, attempting to sound casual. They waited by the docks, a ship with a falcon on its sails looming ever closer. Three members of the Kingsguard accompanied them, along with a detachment of Goldcloaks.

"I have." How many servants had she managed to buy off in the day she'd been in King's Landing?

"Anything of interest to the Crown?" Rhaenys wore a golden tiara, studded with amethysts that matched her eyes, along with a violet dress.

"All of it, as I'm sure you're aware," he replied, his eyes locked on the ship that carried the Lord of the Vale.

"It would be... prudent for us to have a discussion regarding certain matters. Just to make sure we are on the same page, you see." 

"Perhaps it would be better if you told me your views and I'll make sure to adjust."

"Even if you disagreed with me?"

"Many roads lead to Valyria." He shrugged. "I'm adaptable."

She stared up at him for a few moments before giving a firm nod. "Aegon has invited you for a drink before the welcoming feast."

"His Grace honors me, I'd be happy to attend such a gathering."

"You misunderstand, brother. It will be just the two of you."

"Then I'd be happy for the chance to get to know His Grace better."

"I do believe Aegon shares those sentiments," she said, flexing the fingers of her right hand.

Jae looked down at her palm. She wishes she had a dagger in her hand. He found her eyes, waiting for her to elaborate.

Rhaenys balled her hands into a fist and put them behind her back. "He's been waiting to meet you for a long time, that's all."

Jae looked ahead to find the Arryn ship had already docked and the representatives of the Vale began to disembark, led by their liege Lord.

Lord Arryn was a man well on in his years and it showed. Grey hair, weathered face and he seemed to be missing some teeth. One could be forgiven for forgetting all about it, however, if they saw his near-black eyes. This one had come ready to brawl. Behind him, the Lords of the Vale looked much the same, the Falcon banner flapping proudly above their heads.

"My Lords, welcome to King's Landing," Jaehaerys spoke up. He had agreed with Rhaenys that he should do most of the talking. "His Grace King Aegon also extends his welcome. I trust your journey was smooth?"

"The seas were kind, Your Grace, thank you," Lord Arryn replied. "If I may say so, you look remarkably like your Uncle Eddard did at your age."

Jae bowed his head. "That is kind of you to say, my Lord. We have prepared chambers for you and your party. If you will follow me, we'll get you settled in. I am sure you are weary after such a journey."

They seemed relieved at his words, no doubt itching to lie down for a little while. Goldcloaks brought forth horses for the entire party and they rode back to the Keep.

"If I may ask, Your Grace, when is the coronation to take place?" Lord Arryn asked as they rode.

"The day after tomorrow, my Lord. The Tullys and the Starks are set to arrive tomorrow."

"Ah, old Ned." Arryn sighed and shook his head. "It will be good to see him again."

Rhaenys looked like she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying something unpleasant. Jae wanted to pet her head, call her a good girl, and see if that made her reach for the dagger she probably had hidden somewhere on her person.

"I'm sure he feels the same way, my Lord." Jae smiled, not knowing what else to say.

"And when will we get the chance to address the King regarding our grievances?" Lord Waynwood spoke up from behind them.

He wasn't much for subtlety if Jae recalled correctly. The rest of the Lords shifted in their saddles, eyes on Jaehaerys, waiting for his reaction.

"There will be a council held the day after the Coronation in two days," Jaehaerys replied, worried Rhaenys might resort to some inflammatory rhetoric if given half the chance. "The Lords of the Realm will get the chance to voice their concerns then."

"You must forgive Lord Waynwood, Your Grace," Lord Arryn said. "But you know better than most that our people have suffered terribly these past fifteen years."

"King Aegon has come to assume his throne now, my Lord. I assure you that suffering will become a thing of the past," Rhaenys spoke up.

Of course, his sister would make that claim. It would have been much more convincing if Jaehaerys had said it since he liked to believe he'd won a measure of trust from the Lords of the Vale over the years.

"And, if I may ask—" Lord Arryn's voice had become like a bowstring pulled taut. "—why did this suffering had to happen at all?"

"The Royal Family has sent many messages to the capital, demanding Lord Connington change his policies over the years. Unfortunately, most were ignored."

"A Lord Regent? Ignoring the demands of the Royal family? What was he thinking?" Arryn cried in outrage.

"Unfortunately, we will never know," Rhaenys lamented.

Yes, because he's dead and can't defend himself. Jaehaerys had stumbled across another reason why Connington had committed suicide. Gods know how many crimes will be pinned on him.

Jon Connington was gone, but Jae doubted House Connington would ever recover from the revilement they had coming their way. The Martells have well and truly fucked them.

"Well, I look forward to addressing the King," Arryn said, his voice a touch warmer.

Is this what honorable men look like? Gullible idiots who take you at your word? He supposed he shouldn't complain. Explaining why the Martells did not intercede in Connington's affairs had long been one of his greatest concerns. If some chose to believe the story, all the better for it.

They reached the courtyard of the Red Keep and the Lords of the Vale were swiftly taken to their chambers. Rhaenys stood with him, watching them leave.

"Uncle Oberyn was right, you really are good at this."

"Nice job with the Connington story. Won't float for long, though."

Rhaenys turned to him. "Come let us take a walk."

Jaime and Ser Arthur followed them as they made their way to the Godswood. The roses and the trees bloomed all around them, filling their nostrils with earthy smells, and the light of the setting sun bathed the garden in golden light.

"You know we'll have to work together when it comes to Aegon?"

Did Rhaenys reveal that Aegon wouldn't be the driving force behind progress intentionally or by accident? "That question implies a great many things, as I'm sure you know." His eyes took in the greenery around them.

Rhaenys sighed. "Aegon—he resents a great many things. His reason demands he makes peace but his emotions..."

"Demand retribution?" Jae had long known that most of Westerosi political problems could be explained if one considered that most of Westerosi Lords were little more than spoiled brats, unable to put affairs of the state ahead of their own petty grievances. Minor Lords could get away with it, sometimes, but Kings never could.

"Something like that." Rhaenys bit her lip. "He's going to need our help to make the right decisions."

"Assuming he will listen, of course." Jae dropped the bait, praying to the Gods she took it.

"I can't be sure." She looked away, her eyes distant. "These days he doesn't seem to listen to anyone outside his little circle of would-be warriors."

Jaehaerys wanted to dance. Circle of would-be warriors, is it? He assumed she must be referring to the gaggle of knights who'd come with him from Dorne. Jae would have to pick them apart and find someone useful. The liberal views of the Dornish presented a problem, though. If Jae threatened a knight of the Vale with revealing the existence of his bastard, the knight would become as submissive as a puppy. The same tactic wouldn't work on a Dornishman. He had to find something uglier. All his spies had been digging for a while. It was time they produced some results.

"And what do these little legends whisper in his ear?" he asked.

Rhaenys looked back at him, a tired look in her eyes. "The glories of war."

Well, that just won't do. "Mmm, I assume my Uncle is at the top of their list?"

"Yes."

"Do they understand the strategic implications of moving against the Tullys?"

It was their only option. One cannot invade the North or the Vale and hope to live. It's why Jae could never understand Rickard Stark's insistence on allying with the Tullys – it seemed as though he wanted to be dragged into every war in Westeros.

Rhaenys picked a rose and held it to her nose. "That's not what you should be concerned about. Aegon's not crazy, he won't start a war just for war's sake. But there are other, smaller matters on which he might listen to them."

Ser Daemon Sand, Ser Cletus Yronwood, Ser Gerris Drinkwater, Ser Willam Wells. These were the knights that came with Aegon. But which one of them is competent? Jae could find and create a puppet easily enough, but in this situation, the puppet had to have some brains of his own if he were to do Jae's bidding. Gods, I don't have enough time. He had wanted to place spies in Sunspear for a long time but could never manage it. He didn't have associates he trusted enough to send to Dorne to find spies for him and none of the Dornishmen he could flip came to the capital. Fuck!

"What is he like, the King? What is the nature of his character?" Jae asked He had enough of vague answers and flimsy promises. He stopped in place and turned to face Rhaenys.

Rhaenys kept her eyes on the rose, gently tearing off a petal. "He's idealistic. You should've heard him growing up. He wouldn't shut up about how he would reunite the realm and usher in a golden age. There was no one happier when stories began to filter through about your exploits at Court. He said the two of you would do it together."

Rhaenys dropped the petal and Jae watched it float to the ground. "So what changed?"

"I—I don't know. Maybe someone was whispering in his ear. Maybe he became afraid. But no one has been sure of what he plans to do ever since." She tore off another petal.

Jae didn't know what to make of it. It certainly didn't explain why Martells held off Aegon's arrival to the capital for so long. There was so much Rhaenys was keeping from him.

"And what do you want, sister?" he asked.

Rhaenys pushed a strand of hair from her eyes and looked to him. "What do you mean?"

"What are your goals?" 

She threw her rose into the undergrowth. "I want us to rule this country together and rule it well. I want Aegon's reign to be one to sing of."

"And if it turns out Aegon doesn't agree with us on anything, what do we do then?"

Rhaenys rolled a golden ring around her finger. She smiled up at him and shrugged. "I don't know."

Jae felt the corners of his lips arch upward. "Glad I'm not the only one. Thank you for telling me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go." He made to leave.

"What will you do?" she asked after him.

He put on a charming smile, looked over his shoulder, and said, "Why, share a cup of wine with the King, what else?"

He walked out of the Godswood, Ser Jaime behind him. Even he knew better than to say anything. He'd undoubtedly heard much and had a good idea of what went through Jae's head. Since the evening feast would start in less than an hour, Jaehaerys went to his chambers, put on his finest clothes, picked out his present and proceeded to make his way to the King's chambers.

Ser Barristan waited outside and, after announcing Jaehaerys, allowed him in The King's chambers were as expansive as Jae's own. Candles burned through the room, bathing it in a warm glow, and Jae found the King sitting at the table, his favorite knights arrayed around him. The door to the balcony was at their backs, the flames on the candle leaning with the evening breeze carried inside from the sea.

Aegon stood and his knights stood with him. Jae observed them for the looks in their eyes. "Brother!" Aegon said. "How good of you to come. These men were just leaving, but I'm sure you'll get a chance to meet them another time."

They didn't seem to know they were leaving until Aegon said it, but nodded to him and made their way out. Jae took care to note three of them nodded to him on their way out and one did not. Ser Gerris Drinkwater.

"Come, come, take a seat, Jaehaerys," Aegon said. "May I call you Jaehaerys? I'm ashamed to admit I never asked."

"Of course, I would be honored." Jae took a seat. Interestingly enough, Aegon did not point out a seat on the opposite side of the table, but the one right next to him. Jae placed the package on the table.

"Come, no need for such formal talk, though I can't say I'm surprised by the way I behaved yesterday."

"It was no—"

"No, no – no need to excuse it. I know it was unacceptable and I'd like to apologize." Aegon poured them both a measure of wine.

Jaehaerys bowed his head in acceptance. He felt saying it out loud would be pushing his luck.

"Rhaenys tells me you've welcomed the Baratheons to the capital with aplomb. How was he? Stannis, I mean?" he asked, eyes curious.

"I won't lie to you, Aegon, they've all come to see what you'll do about the injustices they suffered under Connington." The entire affair could be a ploy by Aegon to learn Jae's mind, but there was no harm in exposing the views of others.

Aegon nodded. He looked as if he expected that very answer. "I suppose that's fair. Connington wasn't the wisest of men."

"Certainly not." Jae sipped his wine.

"And what do you think should be my next course of action?" Aegon asked.

But Jae had no intention of laying his cards on the table so easily even if he saw how this version of Aegon could inspire countless men to flock to him. It could be a ruse.

"I wouldn't presume to tell what you should do, Aegon. I have a certain amount of influence among certain members of the Court and a well of creativity to manage those among whom I don't. Both are at your disposal, to serve you as you see fit."

"Presuming I know what I'm doing, of course."

"That implies you think I do," Jae said with a grin.

He all but continued and told Aegon how the two of them, boys who had yet to see their seventeenth nameday, were the only ones who could steer the centuries-old dynasty they represented. He held back. That would be too familiar, too presumptuous.

Thus, he was surprised by what Aegon said next. "The two of us, huh? Two clueless guys trying to take on the weight of legends and monsters."

"Sounds like the stuff songs are made of," Jae said, hoping beyond hope Aegon would stir.

When Rhaenys told him Aegon dreamed they'd usher in a golden age together, she inadvertently hit upon Jae's greatest dreams as well. As a lonely boy in King's Landing, fighting off all the sharks who wanted to take a pound of flesh, he dreamt of it. He and Aegon, riding forth to battle together to put an end to all who sought to get in the way of prosperity. Side by side, navigating the games of King's Landing to fool to wicked and the foolish into doing exactly what they wanted. He dreamt it still! But he just couldn't... couldn't be the one to take the first step. A thousand suspicions screamed he should be wary and only his dream whispered he should take the leap of faith.

Aegon nodded. "I wish—" He stopped himself, a look Jae couldn't recognize coming over his face. He knew he'd lost him, though. "We shall have to do our best, I suppose." But his voice was sad, tired. There was a wistful look in his eyes as he stared at him and Jae couldn't fathom why.

"Our best will be enough, I think," Jae said. "Our father's the one who did the hard part when he won the war." Jae bit his tongue too late, thinking he had reminded Aegon that he didn't have a father because Jae had been born.

But Aegon did not grow angry. He merely nodded, even more downtrodden. "Our father—yes. We shall have to do him proud." He went to take another sip of wine but stopped himself and pushed the cup away instead. His eyes found the present Jae had placed on the table and he said, "What's that?"

Jae had nearly forgotten. "Oh, it's a little present I commissioned for you." He slid the package to Aegon who quickly went about unwrapping it. When his eyes found the crown inside, he went still.

"It's made from Valyrian steel and has the insignia of the three major religions of Westeros. I had hoped it would become a sign of a King who ruled over a people, one and all," Jae said, wringing his hands.

Aegon looked moved by it, choking up for a moment. "It—It is magnificent, thank you."

Jae nodded, relieved. It went far better than he feared. Aegon carefully placed the crown back on the table and said, "It is getting late. I think we should head down to the feast."

Jae nodded. "I shall wait outside and we can go together?"

Aegon agreed and Jae went to stand outside with Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime, both of whom kept silent, staring at the opposite wall. These knights made for such dull company, even Jaime when he had no choice but to pretend to be like them.

Aegon emerged from his chambers a few minutes later and together they all made their way to the Throne Room once more. The rest of the Royal Family waited for them and even Arianne deigned to make an appearance this time. Rhaenys quickly paired her with Jae while Ser Arthur was asked to escort Daenerys.

"Met your brother, I see," Arianne murmured as they walked down the middle of the Throne Room.

Jae could only nod. The nobles filled the Throne Room to the brim, and the eyes of the four Great Lords followed them as they advanced to the dais. Lord Tywin and his little pack of lions looked quite menacing, the two golden beauties by his side most of all.

"No need to look so grim, you'll figure him out eventually," Arianne said.

"I don't have time to play your little games right now," he said.

"So grumpy." She giggled. "I suppose I should sneak into your room after the feast and help you relax," she whispered as they parted, each headed for their end of the dais.

It turned into another long feast, but at least Aegon did not have them on the edge of their seats with his comments. With Baratheons, Lannisters, Tyrells, and Arryns present, Jae doubted his lapses would have been forgotten as quickly.

By the time it ended, finding Arianne naked in his bed seemed more an enticing prospect than a complication.