Duty

Following that, Aerion called for Aegon to clear everything up. At first… he thought it would be quite difficult. But, after a few drinks, he realised that it would be a rather simple affair. At worst, he would have to use the power of Necromancy to make Aegon act according to his wishes.

"So… about Visenya."

"Go on."

Aerion blinked, followed by his eyes opening with greater clarity. He spoke his following words with an undaunting determination in his voice.

"I think it would be best if you set her aside."

"..." Aegon paused for a long moment, followed by a deep frown. The look in his deep purple eyes was hard to decipher… fury, thoughtfulness, regret? Even Aerion found it hard to tell.

"Is she… happier with you?"

"I wouldn't be saying that if she wasn't."

Aerion took a sip of his wine, although his eyes never left Aegon. An awkward silence swept through the room as neither said anything. They just stared into each other, waiting for the other to act—Aerion half-expected Aegon to draw Blackfyre against him.

"If you truly married Visenya solely out of duty, then allow me to relinquish you from that duty." Aerion broke the silence, subtly explaining his reasoning. "As her brother and a lover yourself, you should understand her wishes. Even if you object… she will take it upon herself to visit me. Would you prefer that, Aegon?"

"... You can't help yourself?"

Aerion's eyes narrowed. "Love is a most powerful thing."

Aegon sighed, looking away from Aerion.

"I never thought Visenya was the type of woman to fall in love. I suppose you did something I could not… or perhaps I did not try as much as I should have. Well, it does not matter now. If you promise to be good to her, I will have no quarrels and give her hand to you."

Aerion's eyes widened slightly as he looked upon Aegon with respect.

'It's not so simple to admit that.'

"Thank you for understanding." Aerion nodded, smiling toward Aegon. "While perfectly capable, I truly did not wish to take away your will."

"That would have made matter so much more simple for you... and yet you chose the more difficult path." Aegon remarked. "Enjoy yourself."

Aegon seemed almost sarcastic in his final say as he left.

'Was Visenya that unbearable for him?'

~

In King's Landing, Aerion met with Visenya where he informed her of what had occurred. Aegon had agreed to set aside Visenya and could now dedicate himself solely to Rhaenys, his true love. He would no longer have to endure Visenya's presence while she found her own happiness. It was a win for all sides, in truth.

"You said you were part vampire while your wives were not... which was the reason why you couldn't produce a healthy offspring?" Visenya inquired, frowning a little as she looked at Aerion.

"That is part of the equation, yes." Aerion nodded. "Even though I am living, I still have the blessing of fire and ice within my blood. Nothing short of a miracle would grant me a healthy offspring."

"But being a vampire would increase the likelihood of said miracle occurring?" Visenya questioned. "Among the many other benefits such as youth, greater physical prowess and enhanced senses? You insult your wives by not turning them."

"... I did not wish for my children to bear the same curse."

"What curse? You are comfortable enough with who you are. Feasting on a little blood is a small price to pay for all the advantages, as I see it."

"It's not that simple."

"It seems to me that you will be needing new wives soon if you continue to be so stubborn. Time will go by and they will be too old for you." Visenya replied. "Or would you prefer them as living corpses?"

"It's not quite so simple... ordinary vampires can't stay under the sun or they will eventually burn. Even though Targaryens have a natural resistance to fire, it's uncertain if you'll be able to walk under the sun as freely as I do." Aerion explained. "So, knowing this, are you still as adamant about becoming one?"

"Certainly." Visenya nodded. "If we are to marry, you will turn me into one... no other way about it. Don't think that I need your pity, either. I will stomach feasting on others as well as you do, if not better. As for the sun... that is a matter that will need some adapting to and nothing more."

'Headstrong as usual.' Aerion thought, sighing. 'So be it.'

"... Very well, I will discuss this matter with Bellona."

...

Later, in Aerion's chamber.

"At last, someone talked sense into you." Bellona smiled, turning to Visenya. "You Targaryens make such brilliant vampires... it is a waste to not make use of your affinity to fire."

"Get on with it," Visenya replied. "You talk too much."

"On that, we are of the same mind." Aerion chuckled.

"Be careful with what you ask for... I may just steal your future wife with this kiss." Bellona stepped forward.

"Kiss?" Visenya frowned.

"That is the least painful method, my dear dragon queen."

Bellona bit her lip and hypnotised Visenya, leaving her still. Then she pressed her lips against Visenya's, exchanging their blood and granting her the blessing of vampirism. Aerion watched... admittedly, rather aroused by the sight but he focused on the task at hand.

"Is it done?" Visenya inquired, wiping her mouth.

"Yes, it is. The effects will take a while longer to fully become apparent... but there's certainly no turning back now. You are a vampire from this day forward."

"Good."

~

As despised as she was for her cruel nature, Helia Malitheos did carry out Aerion's will and upheld his laws. The mistreatment of slaves led to the masters in question suffering terrible punishments... some worse than death. The same was for slaves who broke their contracts. Those who did have the pleasure of dying were reborn as her undead. As the years went on, Slaver's Bay had become one of the most stable of the Holy Valyrian Empire's regions and generated quite the fortune for House Targaryen.

When Jaime Lannister left his ship and set foot on the port of Meereen, he was welcomed by an entourage of undead that resembled Soul Knights.

"Ser Jaime Lannister, Sword of the Emperor and Knight of the Realm." The undead in front acknowledged with a smile. "Our lady welcomes you to Meereen with open arms. Although... to what does she owe the pleasure?"

"Take me to her, if you will." Jaime Lannister replied rather bluntly. "I mean no offence... but I don't believe a simple man like you needs to know."

"As you wish."

Meereen was a city built on the backs of slaves... but it was grand, Jaime Lannister had to admit that much. As he made his way through the streets, he saw chainless slaves who seemed to work no harder than the smallfolk of the Seven Kingdoms. They were well sheltered, fed and rewarded further in some cases... in truth, the majority looked better off than quite a number of smallfolk he had seen in his time.

Aerion's vision of slavery had been executed almost flawlessly by the lady Helia.

In time, he reached the Great Pyramid and made his way up to the thirty-second floor, where the hall was situated. There, Helia Malitheos sat with an amused expression on her beautiful face. Jaime Lannister keenly observed her every movement... wondering if she, too, had broken free. All the while, she had precisely twenty guards to the side of the hall.

"It has been too long, Ser Jaime." Helia Malitheos smiled. "I've missed you."

"Aerion would be impressed by your efforts." Jaime Lannister remarked. "You carried out his will rather well."

"Would he, now?" Helia placed her right index finger on her lips. "As I recall, he never rewarded me with much of anything. Nor paid many compliments to my abilities... even though I am superior to all of his subjects combined. Even in beauty, all of his wives pale in comparison to me."

'Her self-confidence has not waned, that much is for certain.' Jaime thought.

"... And what kind of reward would a woman like you seek, exactly?"

"Let's not pretend as if he is present." Helia Malitheos frowned, standing up from her throne. "If he was, you would have never come here. You doubt my loyalty... don't you?"

"For the right reasons... last I recall, you did not choose to serve him."

"True, I did not."

As she walked down the stairs of her throne, Jaime Lannister braced his hand to draw Brightroar.

"What if... he is dead? Who do your loyalties lie with?"

"The House Targaryen." Jaime Lannister replied, frowning. "But... he is not dead."

"How can you be so certain, Ser Jaime?"

"He's the toughest man that has ever lived. Even if he did die, he would find a way to return to life. That is... why I do not worry for his safety."

"Your faith in his abilities is almost cute." Helia chuckled. "That man, Aerion Targaryen, gave my life greater meaning. Even if it was to be a slave to his whims... he gave me something to do. For that, I am eternally grateful."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed! If his undead have grown willful, I will put them all in place... one by one, all in his honour. And when he returns, I can only ask of one thing; to retain my free will. Is that not a fair price?"

Jaime Lannister nodded, acting like he was certain. "So long as you would continue to serve him, I don't think he would mind."

"... Then, we are in agreement."

She walked past him, grinning slightly as lightning sparked through her fingertips.

SLASH.

As swift as lightning, Jaime Lannister drew Brightroar and cut straight through her shoulder, leaving Helia without an arm. She had been quick enough to avoid being decapitated, however, and proceeded to unleash a storm of lightning towards Jaime Lannister.

"Argh..."

Jaime Lannister grit his teeth, trying to endure the pain from the lightning and proceed onwards. However, Helia only bolstered the strength of her lightning in response... causing him to kneel on the ground.

"As if I would ever allow him to enslave me again!"

Helia frowned deeply, her emerald eyes glowing with a tone of fury. "Now, now... I killed your other brothers, didn't I? Ser Oswell, Ser Barristan and Ser Arthur... do you remember?"

Helia stepped away as she stopped channelling Electromancy.

'Of course... I remember.' A flash of anger crossed Jaime's beautiful cat-green eyes as he remained on his knees. "... After killing me, what would you do?"

"Oh, I have plenty of things to do. First, I will ruin his grand Valyrian project. Then I will take very good care of Aerion's wives and family... oh, I'll make them all suffer. If he does return, he will have nothing left, hahaha."

"What is the worst he can do after that... burn my soul, make me his slave again? Hahahaha, that would not even be a tenth of the amount of suffering that I would have caused him! From old uncle Doran to his little sweethearts Nymeria and Daemon."

"..." Jaime Lannister clenched his fists, looking up at Helia with a rather defeated expression. "What will you do after that?"

"Oh, after that... I may as well destroy whatever he holds dear. Throw that ugly Iron Throne to the sea, burn Sunspear to the ground and slaughter the people he cares so much about. Then I will bring destruction to the rest of the world, city by city..."

While her attention was on herself, Jaime Lannister used that opportunity to grasp Brightroar once again and storm forwards to cut Helia once more.

"You think you can deceive me?!"

Helia's right fingertips cracked with lightning once more as she struck Jaime. However, Jaime Lannister did not fall to his knees this time. He battled through the pain, stepping forward... step by step.

"You... will... die... here..."

"What is this... light?" Helia frowned as Jaime Lannister was engulfed in a golden aura, beginning to step back.

Her twenty undead drew their weapons and charged forwards to cut Jaime apart. In response, he grasped Brightroar with both hands and the golden light covered its entire blade. It extended as he swung the blade around him, turning half of them into nothing.

"What in the blazes... is this magic?"

Jaime Lannister did not reply, swiftly cutting a path through all of Helia's undead guards. There was a look of unrelenting determination in his eyes, a determination that would not be denied even if the world toppled over him.

"I won't allow you to take my life... I will not die!"

BOOOOM.

Helia, as Jaime approached with his golden blade, unleashed all of the magic vitality coursing through her body.

"FOR... MY... EMPEROR!"

SLAAAAAAAASH.

With one downward thrust, Jaime Lannister cut through the wave and directly through Helia's head... but he did not stop. He forced his blade downwards, cutting her in half.

BOOOOOM.

The hall exploded in the aftermath, leaving Helia as two scorched parts and Jaime Lannister as a dying man. He collapsed to the ground, having endured lightning that would have scorched any man thousands of times over. The hall shook... as its pillars had been destroyed.

'Is this... how it ends?'

Jaime Lannister wondered, finding it difficult to look through his blurry eyes. He tried to stand but his legs failed him.

...

"No matter where you find yourself in the future, you must always remember your identity. You are Aerion Targaryen, the last living son of Rhaegar Targaryen and the rightful King... promise to me that you will remember this and not let any other man or woman tell you otherwise."

"Good. And now, for the second promise... I wish to be your Kingsguard until the very end. Is that acceptable?"

...

Jaime Lannister recalled his exact words as he clutched Brightroar.

...

"I admire you more than Ser Arthur. Yes, he is the Sword of the Morning... but you risked everything to protect me. Your reputation, House and life were all at stake. For now, in the eyes of the Usurper's supporters, you have lost two because of me."

"And I will return both to you. The day will come when you will be the golden lion of House Lannister once more. This, I promise."

...

He recalled his happiest days... from the first time he held his little prince during guard duty, to Aerion accepting him as his Kingsguard after the Sack, to him being named Lord Commander of the Kingsguard over Ser Arthur, to Aerion taking the Iron Throne for himself. All of the battles, trials and conquests he had fought by his side, acting as both his sword and shield.

In the end, Aerion had even opened his eyes to his love to the hateful Cersei, drawing him away and allowing him to love someone who truly loved him back.

He had given his entire life to his oath... the oath that he had sworn to Aerion. In his service, all of the shame for his Kingslaying had been washed away, replaced by only a radiant light of glory. He had the honour of being the Sword of the Emperor and the Knight of the Realm... the highest honours that any knight would ever dream of.

'I... was the sword and shield... to the greatest man that ever lived.'

Jaime Lannister thought with an overwhelming sense of pride, shedding a regretful tear as his duty came to an end.

And, as the ceiling collapsed on top of him... so did his life.