58
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112 AC
Kingslanding
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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"I see, it seems you have had a very eventful time down in the Stepstones, I am glad to see you came out in good health." I nod and wonder how long he intends to keep Rhaenyra and me locked up in here talking to him, we have some lost time to make up for.
"It was very eventful, hopefully with the way I left things it will be much calmer going forward and the shipping lanes can remain clear of any hindrance for trade." To be honest I expect something to go wrong but I don't see anything happening that can't be squashed and settled quickly.
The three daughters are broken up and Lys is brought under me which alone will cause huge changes to the area. With the plans to settle the Disputed Lands, I am confident one of the other two daughters will act up though. That or Volantis will get itchy or maybe even an overconfident Khal thinking he can gain glory in the newly settled lands.
All of that can be solved with dragons though, those are the kind of problems I like.
"I have been curious, what are your plans with Lys beyond having the new 'Lord' rule it with him being sworn to you? I have not heard much other than that..." He trails off and I know he is worried about how that can change the power balance of Westeros if House Martell claims a Free City.
What is done is done but I think I have a good plan in motion so I am not worried about it in the long run. A bumpy ride is ahead that much is certain but it will be smooth riding for future generations if I can make things work now. Now is the perfect time to do what I want and I have ample time to smooth things out before I pass on... hopefully.
"Lys won't be becoming a part of Dorne, Lord Rogare will act like any Lord in Westeros but is sworn to me as a person and not my House. He or his Heir will then swear to Rhaenyra and my first born who will also be her Heir. This way Lys will be sworn to the Iron Throne smoothing out any problems that can occur down the line." It will work much the same way with any other places I 'happen' to claim with my giant dragon.
"I see." He remains neutral but I can tell from the corners of his lips rising up he is happy about this news.
It would be hard not to, his House is gaining a Free City and did not have to get their hands dirty at all. But it is necessary in the long run, if Dorne got too strong eventually there would be a civil war. The current plan for House Martell to act similar to how House Velaryon has in recent years with dragons is the best plan for the future. It may give some courage to other Houses to get dragons themselves but I will be educating the future of House Targaryen in the form of my own kids to nip that in the bud as soon as they can.
Three Houses with dragons are good enough to marry in between each other and keep the dragons safe and the blood strong. Eventually, some Targaryens or other people with Dragon blood will marry out and the blood will spread. But new laws will be made to prevent an egg from going to the child unless they take the name of their Dragon blood donor and not the House they are born into. A lot of thought needs to go into this further but I think it will be fine over time so long as the foundation gets hammered in well enough.
And I am going to be pouring that foundation myself so if it goes to shit everyone can just blame me anyway.
"That is a generous gift you plan to give our unborn child, I am sure they will appreciate it." Rhaenyra squeezes my leg under the table as she has been doing every so often during my recount of the events I have gone through recently. "Father, is there anything else you wished to discuss with my Husband?" A bit of annoyance slipping into her voice, I am left unsure if it is because of the suddenness of this meeting or the fact it interrupted our reunion.
"Not at the moment, I need to plan to make further contact with the new 'Lord of Lys' and some other things need to be prepared." He seems amused by his daughter's annoyance as his smile grows more noticeable. "I am sure you both want to discuss things together so I will busy myself with other matters." Rhaenyra practically leaps up and loops her arm under my armpit to pull me up from my chair.
Without another word, she leads me out of the room with quick steps and I give the King a wry smile with a shrug and he nods as we approach the door. I am glad he did not jump on me with random accusations of me trying to play Conqueror or something along those lines. He would not have been wrong but it would have been annoying to actually justify my actions. Seems he is just happy things are not blowing up in his own face and the shipping lanes will no longer be a problem he hears about
The added benefit of his grandkid one day being King directly over Lys and the first Free City House Targaryen has ruled likely buttered him up most of all.
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112 AC
Kingslanding
Aemma Arryn
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"If you wanted to spend the rest of the day together I would have understood, you could have visited tomorrow." I sigh looking at my daughter who dragged her husband into my room after remembering my request to see him upon his return.
I worried for him, after he became my good son I have been thinking of him as the family he now is. With my Daughter maybe carrying his babe already that further reinforces that belief inside of me. Seeing how he is loving on Visenya as if she was his Kin also is a nice sight, it is as if he really is my son. The son I could never have from my own womb but always wanted to have, it is nice to at least think he is that for me.
"Don't tempt me Mother, I just might drag him off... there is a lot of stuff he missed that I want to talk to him about." I snort and look away from Daeron blowing against Visenyas stomach making loud noises and having her giggle like a fool.
My eyes land on my Daughter who is obviously wanting to do more than 'talk' with her Husband after their long separation. But her fond smile as she watches Daeron with Visenya also shows she wants to continue to watch this. Likely imagining this as how he will be with their own babe, I look forward to seeing it myself. The joyful feeling of having a grandchild is something I have been wanting for a while now, and I could not be happier with who is the Father.
Daeron lifts Visenya from the foot of the bed where he was making her giggle so much she went red in the face, he then turns to head toward me. Holding Visenya to his chest and she has her head stuffed under his chin with her face pressed against his neck. I can already smell the dragon coming off from him and I know Visenya enjoys the smell even if most do not. I have come around to the smell recently with the frequent visits to show Visenya her dragon.
"Here is your Mother." He whispers to her before passing her off to me, her head turns wildly as she tries to keep her eyes on him.
"She likes you." I mutter and he brings a hand to her head with a finger swirling her short wispy silver hair.
"It is hard not to like me." He chuckles when Rhaenyra snorts from behind him and I can't help but smile at their small interaction.
"Many hate you, lots would smile hearing of your death." My Daughter mercilessly stabs at his feelings but it seems to miss as he nods in agreement.
"They just wish they had what I have, too bad for them." He quickly picks my daughter up and spins her around, when he places her down his hands slide down to her stomach and he smiles at her. "I should not spin you, I do not want to be thrown up on..." She pinches his arm with an aggrieved look on her face.
"You did this to me, I have been unable to find anyone who has something to help with the sickness I keep feeling." I know what she is feeling, each time I felt it I wanted to just fall out and sleep it off but I couldn't.
"You have not taken anything have you?" He asks suddenly and Rhaenyra purses her lips before shaking her head.
"No, I have been eating smaller meals fearing them just making it worse if I ate too much." He nods before dropping his hands to his side. "The Maester was planning to give me something for the pain when I told him my sickness was not leaving. He changed his mind when I told him I thought I was with a babe though."
"Did he?" An odd tone to his voice and Rhaenyra seems to ignore the shift in his posture as she nods.
"He told me the first time I visited him that it would pass and to come back if it didn't, then I went back and he wanted to give me something. But he seemed surprised when I brought up being pregnant... almost like he did not even think about it happening. I would expect him to be able to pick up on the signs if a healer woman could, but he seemed to not be able to see it." I turn away from them when Visenya starts to get fussy but before I do I notice Daeron frowning.
With his own experience in 'healing' and studying he did I am sure he is angry about the Grand Maester being unable to notice what his wife is going through. I am certain he will take care of his wife myself, after being treated by him myself I am confident Rhaenyra will have a safe pregnancy.
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112 AC
Kingslanding
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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Soaking in the second tub of water to really get rid of the smell of Dragon I still can't get my mind off the odd feeling I had earlier. The Grand Maester not picking up on the early symptoms of pregnancy strikes me as odd. Rhaenyra found out from some stranger who practices 'healing' and was the one to bring it up to the man herself.
The whole thing feels odd to me.
My mind jumps to all the deaths in the birthing beds and babies passing before they become a year old. House Targaryen is plagued with early deaths as babies or simply dying on the birthing bed. This is not the world I know from books with things being much different such as Visenya being a girl. But that does not change how I have always doubted the Maesters... they are pretty shifty and I never liked them.
I just might need to visit the Grand Maester myself, get to the bottom of my off-put feeling, and have a nice talk with him.
Rhaenyra enters the tub with me making the water level rise and spill over the sides but we both ignore it as she sits in my lap. Both of us shiver feeling our skin brushing against each other and she turns her head around to press her lips against mine. My hand would normally drift to her breasts but this time they go low, not for the treasure beneath but to hover over where her womb is. What is inside of her is mine and hers alone, I am confident after I first pressed my hand against her that she is truly pregnant. Happiness and excitement threaten to overwhelm me but I carefully hold it together.
If I think the Grand Maester is up to something he has no business doing... well he might just find his heart ripping to shreds in his chest.