Chapter 19: The Game of Kings

Gods, how he enjoyed the change in behavior from the servants and nobles on the way back to his chambers. They passed him when he made his way to the Throne Room. They parted when he made his way back. King's Landing is my home and I'm not fucking going anywhere.

He even spotted Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell exchanging looks from the corner of his eye. Best not let myself grow too confident, though. That way laid only disaster. He had Tywin Lannister to deal with, not Jon Connington. He'll come back with a fury unmatched. He had to prepare for it, not gloat about his minor success. Surviving isn't the same as winning.

He wanted to retreat to his chambers and get back to his internal game of cyvasse when a servant appeared in his path. Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell stepped forth, hands on their blades, scaring the life out of the man. Jae felt a shiver of pleasure at their protectiveness.

"His Grace, King Aegon asks you to join him in the Small Council chambers, Your Grace," he said, his voice wavering, eyes glued to Ser Arthur and the legendary blade he feared.

"Thank you, we will be there shortly. I only have to make one stop first." The servant nodded and scurried away while Jae and his knights walked back to his chambers. Jae went inside just to grab Dark Sister but found Daenerys waiting for him with Rhaenys.

Daenerys in her violet dress seemed to be glowing, but there was a hard quality to her presence, and it pointed like a dagger in Rhaenys' direction. His sister, on the other hand, had her eyes on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Dany." Jae nodded carefully. "Rhaenys."

"I still grew up with him, you know. I still thought of him as my brother all these years." She looked up. "You made me betray my family today."

"Maybe," Jae allowed. "But you also saved me."

"You didn't need me!" she accused. "You would've been declared innocent because Stark escaped anyway!"

Jae regarded her for a few moments. He returned to the door, opened it, and told Ser Arthur, "I'm going to need a little time."

The knight nodded and took his place, guarding the entrance. Jae closed the door behind him and gestured for the two Princesses to sit down at the table. Rhaenys did so reluctantly, while Daenerys kept her eyes on Jae's sister the entire time, as though Rhaenys' entire presence offended her beliefs.

"I thought you told me you wanted to rule the realm and rule it well," Jae said, the amethysts in Rhaenys' tiara glinting in the sun.

"I did," she replied.

"And you think what Doran has done, it has the makings of a reign to sing of?"

Rhaenys' eyes turned fierce. "Our father insulted my mother. He insulted all of Dorne. And ten thousand Dornishment died on the Trident because of it."

"That's true." Jae saw no reason to pretend otherwise. "And in return, Doran has insulted all of Westeros."

"If it wasn't for that damn Spider, nobody would ever have—"

"Are you sure that's an argument you want to make, niece?" Daenerys asked, her hackles up.

"And remember," Jae continued, "you can go right back to Oberyn and trying to control Aegon. Only now you have to contend with Tywin Lannister as well."

Daenerys put a hand on Rhaenys' shoulder. "You know you'll be irrelevant before the year is out. They'll never forget you helped save Jae, family or not."

Rhaenys jerked free from Dany's grasp. "And what's the alternative? Working with you, so you can kill my mother and my uncles and Arianne and Aegon?"

"I won't harm Arianne or your mother, I can promise you that."

Her nails clawed the surface of the table. "What about Oberyn and Doran. What about Aegon?"

Jae could make no promises there. Someone would have to die, so he merely stared at her. 

"That's what I thought." She stood up. "If Tywin Lannister wins, they'll survive, even if they won't have any power. I helped you in there, but that's the last favor you get from me." She stared at him for a moment, as though unsure, then walked out of his chambers and slammed the door behind her.

Jae and Dany watched her go, then turned to one another. In spite of the failure, Jae felt a smile creep upon his face. "Dany, you were absolutely brilliant."

Daenerys stared at the door. "I really thought she'd come to our side." 

"She's in an impossible position," Jae said.

"True enough." Dany drummed her fingers on the table. "Still, we played Tywin for a fool today. No small accomplishment, huh?"

Her smile shone in the room and Jae felt a wave of affection for his aunt hit him, for this beautiful woman who was the only person in the capital he could rely on. "I'd say so, yes." He stood up and grabbed Dark Sister from where it leaned against the wall. "I have to go talk to him now."

Dany stood. "Good luck then, nephew." She came closer, stood on her tiptoes, and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Jae speed-walked to the Small Council chambers, convinced Tywin Lannister had summoned him in Aegon's name. He didn't think he'd find the entire Royal family arrayed before him, with the exception of Rhaenys.

Aegon, Oberyn, Arianne, and Queen Elia stood in the Small Council chamber and all of them jumped when he walked in. Prince Llewyn stood behind Aegon, glaring at his two white brothers.

"Broth—" Aegon stopped himself. A confession if ever I saw one. Oberyn looked to be seething as he'd been since the day of the coronation, while Elia seemed on the verge of tears. Arianne seemed to know what would come and had made her peace with it. "Prince Jaehaerys, thank you for joining us."

"My pleasure, Your Grace."

"We asked you to join us here today to let you know we did not want the trial. Lord Tywin had forced it and as I'm sure you can understand, we had no choice," Oberyn said, approaching a level of diplomatic talk Jae did not think him capable of.

He could've said many things and pointed out many ways they could have given themselves a choice. Aegon's position allowed him to execute a thousand different plots to get rid of Tywin Lannister. If he's all-powerful, why isn't he here, then?

"I understand." If he could convince them to work with him, if his show in the Throne Room drove home the point that Lord Tywin wasn't infallible, he would take it.

"We do not want a war between us, Jaehaerys," Elia said.

"Neither do I," Jae agreed. "But if you think I will accept the present situation, you're mad."

"And what solution do you propose?" Oberyn asked. "Our options are limited."

Jae's eyes came to rest on the Prince of Dorne. He lied, of course. They had many options, but most of them meant Aegon would not keep his Throne. Jae doubted the Dornish would accept such a turn of events. The plot might've begun as a bid to keep their hold on the Throne, but recent events had changed its nature. They're only trying to survive. Dorne had long been despised by the rest of the kingdoms. Having so desperately clung to their independence, they broke every rule set forth by Gods and men to preserve it. Might be they expected to be feared and respected for their ability to resist Targaryens in spite of dragonfire. They found only despisal instead.

It took decades and five Blackfyre rebellions for the other six Kingdoms to forget about Rhaenys and her fate, to forget the Young Dragon had been murdered under a flag of truce. And now the Dornish have committed their greatest crime yet. They made the nobles of Westeros kneel to a common-born impostor, Jae thought, watching Oberyn. He knows the price of confession.

"What options would that be?" Jae asked.

"The North, the Vale, and the Riverlands already believe this drivel about Aegon not being Rhaegar's son. Stannis Baratheon does too, though he has little chance to speak of it... To get rid of Tywin Lannister means surrendering the Throne to rebels!" Oberyn exclaimed, clenching his fists.

It would not be as simple as that. Jae expected the Riverlands to be divided, if not naturally then by Tywin Lannister's hand. The North stood behind him, to be sure, but the Vale remained a gaping question. Who knows what that crazy wife of Arryn's will do. All of which left Stannis Baratheon, a hostage in King's Landing. Ser Steffon, who'd been allowed to return home since Tywin believed the boy would never endanger his father, was by all accounts well-liked by the people and nobles of the Stormlands. The matter of his competency, however, remained to be seen. He can swing a sword but can he wield an army?

Men love to count their allies as though they're little more than pieces on a board. But every one of those pieces has pieces under him. Fathers have ambitious sons under them with different outlooks on the world, younger brothers aching for a chance at kinslaying. And all of them have neighbors they'd love to see die. Some regions seem stable during peacetime only to fall apart when the horns of war sound. If there is treachery to be found, war will surely uncover it.

All the kingdoms that had suffered under the Regency hated Connington out loud and their own liege Lords quietly. Lord Stannis enjoyed respect in the Stormlands, but none of the nobles forgot how many of their sons died due to his stubbornness during the doomed Siege of Storm's End. The same could be said of every other Lord Paramount who'd fought in the rebellion. Dying in vain is not good for morale. They followed them to war once, who knows if they will follow again.

But Jae had, for the first time, considered a far grimmer reality. I cannot work with the Martells. If they had come to him and revealed the truth, it would have been easy to make sure no one found out about it. He would have supported Aegon and the peace would've been maintained. Perhaps I'd have to fuck Aegon's wife to ensure his offspring had Targaryen blood, but that would be no great chore, I imagine.

But now, to work with them meant losing all face with the Lords of the Realm. He'd set Eddard Stark free, everyone knew. Why would I do that if I thought Aegon had a legitimate claim to the Throne?

No, to support Aegon now meant losing support from all over the realm. They would still rebel, they just wouldn't be led by a Targaryen any longer.

Taking the Throne and marrying anyone with Martell blood would have the same effect. They'd say he rewarded the Martells with a Queen for their treachery. It can't be done. Honor would not permit it. He found the notion ridiculous, but even he knew better than to dismiss its power to influence the minds of men.

War is the only way to peace. Always has been.

"You will surrender the Throne, one way or another," Jae said, surprising them with his change of tone. "There is no escaping your actions, but you might find redemption. Help me take care of Tywin Lannister and I will pardon you for your actions. Refuse, and we shall have a war."

Oberyn shot up from his seat. "You realize our little life debt will not help you then."

"I never expected it to." Jae waved his hand in dismissal.

"And what stops Aegon from ordering your arrest this very moment? You are a hostage, are you not? Perhaps it's time you start being treated like one." Oberyn's hand went to his sword.

But Ser Oswell and Ser Arthur mirrored his movements and they all knew what that meant. "I wonder what the people of the Realm will say, when they hear the greatest knight alive, a Dornishman no less, died to save me from captivity?" A shadow fell over Jae's eyes. "Nothing will unite the Realm against you faster."

"You betray us, Arthur?" Oberyn asked.

"It is you who betrayed me, Oberyn," Arthur said, his voice hollow behind the helm.

"When Aegon was brought to Dorne, we believed your tales of sickness, never thinking you only wanted to keep us away. Keep us from paying attention," Ser Oswell said with a voice of a man who'd served a lie for fifteen years.

"When you postponed his return to King's Landing," Ser Arthur continued where Oswell left off. "And this boy spent all his days locked in his chambers screaming at you, we still did not question it."

"Nor when we saw he looked nothing like his father, nothing like any of his family for all of his Valyrian looks."

Jae got the feeling the two had been itching for an opportunity to say these things.

"But when Lord Arryn and Lord Stark leveled their accusations against you..."

"We knew them to be true," Ser Arthur finished. "And we will not take part in your treason any longer."

"So perhaps, it is why we shouldn't arrest you all that is the real question," Ser Oswell said, his sword sliding halfway out of its sheath.

"Because of me." A voice came from behind them. Tywin Lannister walked into the room, a dozen Lannister guards behind him.

Jae got his first glimpse of Dawn when both men drew their swords and readied themselves for a fight. He did not touch Dark Sister. He and Tywin played a game of cyvasse and both knew that you do not capture a dragon, no matter how satisfying it might feel if it means losing the game.

"Stand down, Sers," he said, watching Tywin walk around the desk and take his place beside Aegon with a polite smile.

"I warned you, Your Grace," he said, his eyes on Jae the entire time. "This man cannot be reasoned with. He will do anything to steal your Throne."

"Amusing that such an accusation should come from you, my Lord Hand."

"You might think yourself safe, Your Grace. But the threat from the North shan't always be there to protect you," Tywin's confidence aroused all sorts of suspicions in Jaehaerys.

"Out!" Aegon erupted all of a sudden. "All of you! Out!"

Jae did not move even as all got to their feet. Aegon did not mean him. He nodded to Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell and they left along with everyone else. Lord Tywin remained in place for a few moments, staring down at Aegon, before he raised his chin and walked out as well.

When the Small Council chamber emptied, Aegon walked over to the corner and poured two cups of wine, offering one to Jae. He moved around the table and accepted it gladly.

Aegon raised his glass and said, "To power-hungry families and the thousands they murder."

Jae watched him down the cup in one go, taking but a small sip himself.

"Aegon Targaryen, Sixth of His Name." Aegon smiled. "A quaint little story. I loved it growing up. Now I don't even know my real name and they won't tell me."

"It's not your fault they lied to you," Jae said.

"No," Aegon agreed. "It is not. But what I do next will be." He poured himself another cup, walked back to his chair, and sat down, gesturing for Jae to do the same. "And what should I do? Escape King's Landing and run away to Essos? I doubt I could pull it off. I'm as much of a prisoner as Lord Arryn and even you couldn't get him out. Stay here then? Help you? I suppose it's possible, but once you take your Throne there will be no place for me and I doubt any of your allies would suffer my presence. More likely have me executed, methinks."

"That wouldn't happen."

Aegon snorted. "You believe that because it's in your best interest to convince me to believe it. But deep down, you know it's true." He nodded to himself. "Which leaves the last option: acting out this charade to the fullest. I am a King, anything lesser just won't measure up."

Yes, Jaehaerys could see it. Trapped in a corner, Aegon decided he might as well fight his way out.

"So I say this to you, dear brother of mine. I think you're a good man and I think you might make a great King... But so might I. So since I've been raised my entire life to be a King and since I've been crowned a King, I've decided to be a King." He put his glass down and pushed it away. "You will fight your war and I will fight mine. I can't execute you because you set Stark free, but I imagine you won't allow this impasse to last long. So I want you to know, the moment you walk out of these chambers, I shall do my utmost to find a way to kill you. I say this to you not out of any malice, nor because I think you deserve it, but because I refuse to let my entire life be little more than a stage play conducted by others, with me having no say in it. I hope you can forgive me for that."

Jae stared at him, his respect for Aegon increasing tenfold. They should have told me, he lamented for the last time. I would have made him the greatest King to sit on the Throne since Aegon the Dragon.

"I can," Jae said. "And for what it's worth, I am sorry as well. I wish you luck in the wars to come." Jae stood up and held out his hand.

Aegon took it and the two young men, who should have shaped the histories for the better, shook hands and went on their way, to play their little game and see who'd be dead by the end of it.