Chapter 7 - The Rogue Prince

129 AC

The First Day Of The Eighth Moon

Harrenhall

I was surrounded by a bunch of idiots. The river lords present were bickering like children, and I wanted nothing more than to cut their heads off with Dark Sister.

"Quiet!" I shouted, and they stopped.

"My nephews are winning one battle after another while you lot are squabbling!" I said furiously.

The war was not going in our favor; that much was clear.

Jaehaerys Targaryen, my brothers second youngest son and named after my grandsire, was the cause of all this.

When the ravens came from King's Landing, it was he who killed the Gold Cloaks loyal to me, thereby ruining my plan to incite a revolt and retake the capital.

"We will not spill blood until they make their move, Daemon," my niece told me, and I could not help but rue her decision.

The swiftness and brutality with which Jaehaerys took action was more than enough for the lords to fear him.

He killed all three of Rhaenyra's bastards, and I was grateful for that fact, but it did not take away from the effect he singlehandedly had on the morale of the lords who supported Rhaenyra.

"Only the Riverlands and the Iron Islands remain as holdouts of the Blacks," I said, gritting my teeth.

The bitch in the Vale died after Jaehaerys kicked her out of the Moon Door, but not before taking my daughter hostage.

We lost four dragonriders with nothing to show for it.

"The lords who have betrayed my wife, the queen, will pay for their deeds," I said.

I had close to thirty thousand men-at-arms present, and now I would be on the attack and make that cunt Otto pay for his actions.

"The fate of House Bracken will be that of the rest of the lords who go against the one true queen," I said as I looked at the shudders of the lords present other than that of Lord Samwell Blackwood and his sister Lady Alysanne Blackwood who were overjoyed by my actions against House Bracken.

I had put every member of House Bracken to death after the news came of Rhaenys' demise, and I had to make sure the lords would not entertain thoughts of betraying Rhaenyra.

"My prince, how should we proceed with the war ?", said the heir to Riverrun Ser Elmo Tully.

"We are surrounded by our foes," he continued.

"The North, the Westerlands, the Stormlands, the Vale, and the Reach are all against us," another Riverlord said.

I looked at the map of Westeros spread out before me. The Riverlands were surrounded by each kingdom save for Dorne. That was the reason why everyone preyed on them.

His words were true, and my blood boiled, but this was not the end. I would make everyone remember why I was to be feared.

"The borders of the Riverlands are secure from the north and the east," I said, and before any of the lords could interrupt, I continued.

"The North is vast, and it will take time for Stark to gather his men. The Vale, on the other hand, will not face the same issue," I said.

"My nephew burned down most of the Knights of the Vale, and thus the traitorous houses there will need some time to muster a force to attack us. Given that they have alienated most of the Vale due to their actions, I doubt they will do much of anything," I said.

"We will invade the Reach," I said as the eyes of the lords present widened.

"What about the approaching Lannister army, my prince?" Lord Piper asked.

The coward was scared for his family and his lands.

"That is what the cunt Hightower wants us to do—to shift our forces to the border of the Westerlands," I said.

"I will be more than enough to deal with the Lannisters while the lot of you will enter the Reach," I said.

"Most of the northern Reach lords are laying siege to Goldengrove, with Lord Rowan holding out. Thus, we will face no resistance," I said.

"After I deal with the Lannisters, I will turn my attention to the forces of the Greens at Goldengrove," I continued.

"Let our enemies bask in the glow of their recent victories, for they will not be prepared for our attack," I declared.

"The pompous lion is bringing close to fifteen thousand men. Once I destroy his force, the Westerlands will suffer at the hands of the ironborn, effectively knocking them out of the war," I said, noticing the grins forming on the faces of the riverlords.

"The Tyrells will bend the knee as well once they see us at their gates. Most of the lords in the Reach have already bent the knee under the threat of dragonfire, and they will bend the knee to the queen once they see Caraxes," I said with a smile on my face.

Then the discussions ended, and I made my way towards my solar where I saw Mysaria waiting for me.

"You look tense. Are you scared?" she asked, and I laughed.

"In all the time that you have known me, when was I ever scared?" I said as I sat down.

Then she handed me a letter.

"From the Sea Snake," she said as I opened it and read through the contents.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Rhaenyra is still in mourning and refuses to attend any of the meetings," I said.

"The queen lost her three sons, and she just got to know about it," she said with a hint of pity.

"I do have to give it to my nephew," I said.

"Otto could not have planned all this by himself. Even though he acts as if he is ruthless, he is not," I said.

"The boy has balls," Mysaria said.

"He is not a boy, Mysaria," I said. "I never thought what a thorn in my side he would become."

"Do you have any news regarding my daughter?" I asked her.

"Princess Rhaena is a hostage in the Red Keep," she said.

"They would not harm her, as she is a valuable piece," she said, and I clicked my tongue.

"If they hurt her, then I will go and burn them all," I said with rage.

"What of the promise you made to the queen?", she asked me.

"A son for a son," I said. "I intend to do just that. I will kill Alicent's sons and present their heads to Rhaenyra."

"But will you be able to defeat all four of them on dragonback?" she asked me.

"I will not be alone. We have two more dragonriders at Dragonstone, and they will play a huge part in this war," I said.

"When will you depart?" she asked me, closing the distance between us.

"On the morrow," I said.

"Spend the night with me," she whispered, sealing her lips with mine as the sun set. Her hands roamed my body, igniting a fire within me, and we succumbed to our desires, making the most of our time together before the dawn.

 -----

129 AC

Eight Day Of The Eight Moon

Red Fork

I flew on Caraxes, the moonlight shining over us as I saw hundreds of campfires lit below. Close to fifteen thousand men, the cream of the crop of the Westerlands, and tonight they would all die. The clouds were dark, and in the night sky, they could not see me or my dragon.

The wind blew through my hair as I relished the feast set before me. The Lannisters were going to pay for their treachery.

Surveying their camp, I noted the strategic vulnerabilities. They were building bridges to help their horses and carriages cross the river. If we were to destroy those bridges and push their forces into the river, they would be swept away. The pitch-dark night was truly a blessing.

I planned my attack with precision. The camp was poorly defended from the air, and their troops were clustered near the river, making them easy targets. Caraxes and I would strike swiftly and decisively, targeting the bridges first to sever their escape route. Then, with their forces in disarray, we would unleash dragonfire upon them, creating chaos and panic.

I descended silently, the element of surprise on my side, ready to execute my plan and bring ruin to the Lannister army.

"Dracarys!" I shouted as Caraxes unleashed a torrent of red-hot flames, scorching the sleeping men below. We targeted the bridges first, ensuring their escape routes were cut off, as the soldiers awoke in panic. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as I watched them scramble in vain.

Caraxes and I swooped low, engulfing the camp in flames. Men screamed in terror as they were incinerated where they stood. The hastily assembled bridges collapsed into the river, taking men and horses with them. Those who tried to cross were swept away by the strong currents, their cries for help drowned out by the roar of the river and the crackling of the inferno.

We then turned our attention to the largest tent in the camp, where the Lannister nobility must be residing. I directed Caraxes towards it, and with another command of "Dracarys," the tent and its occupants were consumed by dragonfire. The nobility didn't even have a chance to flee as the flames devoured them, their screams echoing into the night.

Chaos reigned in the camp as horses, driven mad by the fire and noise, stampeded through the men, crushing anyone in their path. The men tried to regroup, but it was futile. I created a field of fire around the camp, cutting off any hope of retreat to the other side. The soldiers were trapped, surrounded by an inferno, their faces reflecting pure terror.

Caraxes made pass after pass, our flames turning the night into day. The river, once a barrier, now became a deadly trap. Men who attempted to escape by jumping into the water found themselves caught in the strong current, their bodies dragged under and dashed against rocks.

A few archers managed to nock their arrows and fire at us, but their efforts were in vain. The arrows glanced off Caraxes' scales harmlessly. We turned our wrath upon them, incinerating their positions and turning their feeble resistance to ash.

As the camp burned, I could see the full extent of the carnage we had wrought. Bodies littered the ground, some charred beyond recognition, others trampled by the panicked horses. The air was thick with the smell of burnt flesh and the cries of the dying. Blood mingled with ash, creating a gruesome tableau of death and destruction.

The fire raged on, an unstoppable force that consumed everything in its path. Tents, supplies, and weapons all became fuel for the inferno. The men who tried to form a last line of defense were quickly overwhelmed by the heat and flames. Their desperate shouts for orders were lost in the cacophony of destruction.

The river, now lit by the glow of the fire, was filled with bodies. Some floated lifelessly downstream, while others struggled against the current, only to be pulled under and drowned. The current was merciless, and those who had hoped to escape through the water found only death.

Caraxes and I continued our relentless assault. The ground beneath us was scorched and blackened, the once orderly camp reduced to a hellish landscape. The fire created shadows that danced across the scene of devastation, a macabre display of the power we wielded.

In the center of the camp, where the nobility's tent once stood, there was now only a smoldering ruin. Any semblance of command or order had been obliterated. The men, leaderless and demoralized, were easy prey for the flames. They scattered in every direction, only to be met by walls of fire that Caraxes and I had strategically placed.

The night wore on, and the screams began to die down, replaced by the steady roar of the flames. The once formidable Lannister force was now nothing more than a memory, their strength broken and their bodies turned to ash. The ground was littered with the remains of the once-proud soldiers, their armor melted and fused to their charred flesh.

As dawn approached, the fire began to die down, having consumed all that it could. The camp was now a wasteland, a testament to the destructive power of dragonfire. Caraxes and I hovered above the destruction, surveying the ruins of what was once a mighty army.

The few survivors, those who had somehow escaped the worst of the flames, were left to wander through the ruins, their minds broken by the horror they had witnessed. They would carry the tale of this night back to their lords, spreading fear and despair.

With our task complete, I guided Caraxes away from the smoldering remains of the camp. The Lannisters had paid for their treachery, and the Riverlands were safe for now. But the war was far from over, and there were still many battles to be fought.

I looked ahead to the challenges that lay before us, I knew that I would do whatever it took to secure Rhaenyra's claim to the throne. The Lannisters' fate would serve as a warning to all who dared to oppose us. This war was far from over, and I would ensure that our enemies learned to fear The Rogue Prince.