50

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187 AC

Kingslanding

Daeron Targaryen

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"By the gods, I hope I have not made a horrible mistake..." Reading the message from one of the Master of Whispers latest deliveries, I am feeling a bit of regret.

Aerion seems to have gone ahead with the plan to have as many kids as possible. Our sister Mya Rivers from Melissa Blackwood has been spotted with him and shared his chambers with him at Claw Isle. I have no doubt Daenerys already knows about this so hopefully she approves, if she doesn't and this causes a rift I will have kicked the wall myself causing that mess.

I just hope he is going about it smart, but I do not want to reach out and have the message intercepted or put him on edge or something. I may even stir the pot even more and cause my younger brother to jump headfirst into a lifestyle like our father. I never saw him going that path and taking a lover on top of his wife does not make him our Father but I still worry for him.

He used to be such an oddity, running around Dragonstone when I still was Prince of Dragonstone, he would do strange things. Crafting instruments and writing songs to be played with them, a legendary talent that will be remembered for ages to come. Then his training and helping my boys exercise and grow into fine young disciplined men, it made my heart feel warm. But it did not fit a child so young and I always thought he would remain such an oddity even into his adult years.

Making him Lord of Harrenhal proved he was capable of surprising the whole world with his skills. I get more letters from people wanting me to help them approach him than people trying to meet me, me the King being an intermediary. His reach is far and wide and only gave him a more legendary glow off his achievements.

I fear I may have corrupted him with my words, the demon who tempted him to fall low with the rest of us. If he falls to a debauched life I fear I will have had a heavy hand in that, both his King and older brother and I requested of him something I should not have. I thought I was right when I got the word his twins hatched two eggs, but now seeing the results of my tempting whispers...

I just pray Mya fits in well with the two of them and there is enough love between them to keep things steady. If Mya has his babes and they hatch eggs, I would dread for them to become like Alicent and Rhaenyra. To see a Dance of dragons with my own eyes is the last thing I want, I fear it in truth. So I need to do what I can for them, to help ease any harsh feelings between them and smooth the road.

Speaking of roads I need to remember to request Aerion to pass along the plans for his Drago road. Many people have gotten word of it and want one of their own blazed to the King's road and the other various roads the Good King had built.

But as far as Aerion goes, if he sends a request to have a child legitimized I need to immediately accept. I should also look into getting some keeps set aside for the possibility of Lording any sons born of Aerion and Mya. Daughters can marry a grandchild of my own, to bring the dragons back to the crown's blood, or if they want to marry a loyal Lord I would approve as well.

I feel like things are still on the right path, I just need to make sure I do my part to help him and keep my eyes out on his back for unseen problems. It helps that many Lords come to me for problems they have against him, I play the part of a concerned king. I hear them talk about their fears of his growing power and I act of the same mind, fearing for my crown. But in reality, I am proud of his growth, he made good on his promise to strengthen our House to a height that is once again untouchable. That is the real problem these Lords of the Riverlands have, they see him growing like a weed amongst them and they fear that.

House Tully has been oddly silent since the last time I told them that a Prince would not be beneath them. They wanted so desperately to keep Harrenhal as part of the Riverlands and to have Aerion sworn as their bannerman. It escapes me how they thought they could in any way command a Prince and a dragon rider.

But enough of that for now, I will keep a close eye and nothing more, I do not want to stir the pot and anger one of the dragons. Gods know Daenerys can have a furious side to her when she wanted to as a young child. I imagine it still lurks beneath the surface even as a young mother, I pray for my brother and his safety.

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187 AC

Myr

Aegor Rivers

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I watch the men of the Golden Company start to train and I nod with a sense of pride welling up inside of me. The only thing that can ruin this is the dull ache of that damn horse hoofprint on my chest that throbs at moments of genuine happiness.

"I will kill that damn horse." I growl as I set my hand on my breastplate and focus on shoving the pain down.

I won't let the pain ruin my day, we have passed two thousand men today and I am going to celebrate, the pain can be damned I want to get my cock wet. I am the founder of what will be known as the greatest sellsword company the world has ever seen. Being the captain-general of the Golden Company will be an honor only comparable with being a King. I will see to it with all my willpower that it will be done.

Knights pour in as our name grows, old names coming out from the darkness, I am not a fool that believes they are who they claim but it matters not. if they claim to be a Mudd or a Greystark or even from House Hoare with a 'legitimate' claim to Harrenhal. Poor fuckers have never seen a dragon and that's why they have enough balls to claim that, but it matters not. I only need their arms to carve out a name for my Golden Company to keep growing.

We already passed the other Sellsword companies that are made up of Westerosi in number. The company of the Rose and others like it are less than a thousand at their best, but we will go far beyond that. A real army for whoever has the coin and we will have an ironclad pact that will never be broken.

Daemon was a fool to sit out on this, playing around at being a Lord of a keep smaller than some landed knights. I spit on that, he should be the damn King, it is what are father dreamed for him. But he is scared of the dragons and the monster of Harrenhal, a freak of nature if I had to give him a fitting name. He is not wrong to be wary but he is wrong to fear, the Dothraki did not expect to be burned from the sky. If they did and they prepared themselves it could have been much different.

Dorne took down a dragon almost twice the size of Moonfyre and Drogon, it can be done once more. My new friends in Myr even let me know that their walls will be remounting Scorpions on these walls like the days when dragons roamed the skies. The Myrish are known for their crossbows and their scorpions are also a step above the rest. I have half a mind to have some made for the Golden Company on the off chance we will need them.

I am not fool enough to take a contract against Aerion but if he just so happened to show himself...

After all, he has done to me it would be fitting to knock him out of the sky to fall to the ground like the rest of us. He had his damn demon of a horse near cave in my chest and he stole the woman I wanted to wife. I only wanted Shiera to piss off Bryden but then Aerion made it personal by taking her away from both of us. Bryden also learned his lesson and keeps his new interest a secret from me so I can not steal her away from him.

Whatever, it matters not in the end, when he marries the woman he loves I will come in and take her for myself.

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187 AC

Raventree hall

Melissa Blackwood

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I pack my clothes with a small smile as I imagine the surprise on my daughter's faces when I arrive at Harrenhal. I have not seen them for a while and the trip is a short one so I plan to ride over and visit with them for a few days. I need to get on these backs about something that has been concerning me as of late.

Neither has written to me about their... future.

They talk about the things they have been up to at Harrenhal and that is all well and good but I am concerned. They both were given lands near the Blackwater Rush just like their brother but all my Kids have ignored their lands. None of them have sought marriages as well and though Brynden seems to have caught someone in his eyes, my daughters are silent.

Bastards they may be but they have as much noble blood as any other Lord, if not more. They also were legitimatized and that alone gives their hand value to secure a good marriage. Yet if they keep waiting around I fear they will waste away and no one will even want them. I need to see about helping them along to find someone to be happy with, even if it's no one grand. I just want my children to be happy and I fear I may have lacked in their upbringing and caused them to stay away from marriage.

I myself was a mistress, of a King but still a mistress and I am sure that is something they never have gotten out of their minds. I just need to confront them about it to put my mind at rest and help them move forward. Regardless of whatever titles or names people call them, they deserve to be happy, that's all I want for them.

They can not just hide away in their brother's castle with his dragons scaring off any would-be suitors. They have to step out and find someone instead of shying away from the idea for whatever reason they have in their mind.

I finish packing my clothes and toss a few books in for the road and nod before stepping back and looking around my room. I see nothing else I want to bring and look out the window, the wheelhouse is still being prepared so I have some more time. I suppose I could take a stroll through the garden before I have to sit for hours and hours. I would prefer to just ride a horse over but that was tossed out when word got around the castle and the wheelhouse was dragged out for me.

I suppose I should be happy about the 'concern' but I also know it's to show off a little bit and to look more important. I sigh as I head for the door to inform a servant to carry my things down to the wheelhouse before I head to stretch my legs.