185
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299 AC
Storms End
Stannis Baratheon
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"To Stannis Baratheon from Eragon Targaryen, first I would like to thank you for pulling out all your men and things you owned from Dragonstone before we arrived, that was very kind of you." Clenching the letter I almost decide to cast it into the fire but I push aside the thought after seeing how much is left to the letter. "Secondly I am writing this to inform you of something you likely already know, We have sent a portion of our fleet to cut off any escape from the sea you might have planned." Looking up I see Ser Davos nod gravely as we just learned of this a few days ago.
It was odd, the Dornish had sieged us from all sides except the sea as if to bait us to leave by sea. But I suppose the Dornish were never famous for their fleets and have never had a one capable of doing battle on the sea.
"Storms End was given to the first Baratheon by House Targaryen, Your founder fought the Storm King and won the honor but he would have never even been allowed near the castle without Rhaenys and her dragon burning their way through the Stormlands. Storms End will also be taken from your House by House Targaryen, either as a fortress to be given to someone else or as a ruin to be a lesson just as Harrenhal once was but has seemed to have been forgotten." A gasp from my wife is heard throughout the room but I ignore her as I grit my teeth in frustration. "But as a Father, I implore you to send your Daughter out on a ship with a few men to board the flagship Balerion which is a swan ship built of all ebony wood with black sails and the red Targaryen dragon sigil on those sails. Your Daughter will be raised in the Red Keep and allowed to marry anyone she so pleases so long as she takes the name and her children also take the name of whomever she weds. If you do not send her there is a very good chance she will be just another corpse buried under the ancient stone of Storms End when I burn it to the ground." Setting down the letter I bring a hand to my face and massage my brow as I feel a tension in my head that almost wants to snap.
"Those Dragon spawn want to steal my Daughter?!" My Wife sounds aghast but deep down we both know she has never really loved our child ever since she was cursed.
Meeting eyes with Ser Davos once more I can almost see him begging to take the opportunity to save Shireen. He has spent quite a lot of time with my Daughter and has become almost like an Uncle to her, more of an uncle than either of her blood uncles ever where. I do not know if I can trust the words of Eragon but I do know I can trust Ser Davos, he would do everything he could to keep Shireen alive.
"What do you think?" I ask the ex smuggler and he practically gleams with hope as he sits forward.
"I think if you decide to send off your Daughter I will volunteer to be the one to take her." I nod feeling a little of the tension leave my head, now I just need to decide if I will accept the offer or call the bluff of the Dragon King.
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299 AC
Kingslanding
Eragon Targaryen
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"Aegon." I smile wide seeing my nephew who I was not expecting to arrive with my Mother and children but am happy to see nonetheless.
"Eragon." He also smiles as I wrap him in a strong embrace. "So this is the Red Keep." I hear him muse as he looks over my shoulder and I pull back from the hug.
"Ugly old thing." He chuckles lightly at my words as he catches Rhaenys who went to embrace him next.
"It has a certain appeal." His words low and carrying something with them that I quickly pick up on.
Meeting eyes with him he smirks before looking around at the gathered Lords and Ladies and other court members who came out to see my children. Many of them were confused about who he was when he stepped out carrying my Son but after calling out his name they have quickly turned a more critical eye over my Nephew.
"Perhaps a tour around the place is in order after I visit with my little ones." I speak low and he nods before hugging Visenya while her white wolf tries to wiggle its way in between them for its own hug.
"Here you go." As if I was not having a conversation with my Nephew with some not-so-subtle 'schemes' being sowed in I am quickly handed Rhaegar my youngest.
""My boy."" I whisper next to his ear and he squirms for a moment before Danny manages to escape our Mother and begins laying a hundred kisses on our son's brow.
""MY boy."" Danny takes him from me with a daring look in her eyes almost pleading with me to deny her our child.
"Fine, take him." I chuckle seeing her act like a broody Mother hen but am quickly distracted with another of my 'brood' being handed off to me. ""My sweet Jaehaerys."" My biggest child only a bump bigger than Viserra is placed in my arms and I can't help but smile wide.
Jadewing the growing menace is watching everything with a harsh look in his bronze eyes as he overlooks everything from the Wheelhouse roof. A hiss escapes his mouth as he overlooks the gathered court members and they all look uncomfortable as he flaps his wings. The bond of my oldest Son seems keen to scare off all of the people he does not know and likely just wants peace and quiet.
""Let's go introduce you to your Sister."" I turn away from the territorial dragon and head toward Lady Arryn who is standing now with Helaena by the staircase up into the castle.
I can't wait to have all of my children in one room together.
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"Follow me." I step out of the room with all of my napping children and nod down the hall after closing the door behind me. "Let's go look at the skulls." I have not gotten the biggest of them moved yet but soon enough they will all be back in the throne room like they should have always been.
But for now, the lower floor where the Usurper kept them is a perfect place to talk in secret.
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"I am almost certain a Great Council is the best way to handle the current problems ongoing in Westeros." I speak up the words that have been bouncing around in my mind for weeks now. "You would have my vote against Viserys as I will not be participating since my ambition lies on the other side of the Narrow Sea." It is cruel of me to scheme against my elder Brother but if he can not trust me enough to enter the capital as Aegon has then he will not have my support.
Instead of my Brother coming to the Red Keep to eagerly take the crown he has longed for it was my Nephew who managed to arrive first. I know Aegon will accept the crown as his Sisters have told me as much, but I do not get the feeling he craves for it like Viserys does. That alone makes me feel more comfortable than handing it over to someone who raises an army against their own kin when they don't trust them.
Too much of our Father is in Viserys, I can even remember Mother telling me as much when I was younger. Though I doubt she meant it how I am now perceiving it, Viserys is very untrusting, and if that is how he plans to rule then it's best if he simply does not rule at all.
"I knew I didn't sell my Sisters off to you for nothing." Aegon boisterously claps me on the back in a humorous way that I can't help but smile along as he bounces on his heels past me and toward a massive skull. "Don't tell them I said that... I appreciate having both of my balls." Shaking my head I speed up to keep up with my Nephew as he approaches Balerion's massive skull.
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299 AC
Kingslanding
Daenerys Targaryen
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"He is such a cute babe." I coo over my baby boy who remains still as he rests with his face against my shoulder.
"So far I have yet to see anyone who has called any of the babes anything but cute." Rhaenys sighs as she passes Daeron back to my Mother.
"They are wise, saying anything else might end up with them losing a tongue." Shaena humorously retorts as she watches Jaehaerys closely as he plays on the floor on his stomach with Viserra also playing on her stomach before him.
"You think they are scheming away in the dungeons like the villain in a bad play?" Visenya suddenly changes the topic as she adjusts herself in her chair with Shaera resting on her abundant chest, the little red-haired babe having taken a quick liking to the Wolf Queen.
"Likely making plans for Viserys to trip on a step and break his back so he can no longer walk and can't sit the throne or something." Rhaenys is dismissive of Viserys at any chance she gets, not that I blame her when he was nothing but rude to her during our stay in Sunspear.
"Surely it won't come to violence." Mother tries to be the voice of reason when even she knows Viserys is acting foolishly and debates riding out to meet his army and talk some sense into him.
Sense that is lost on him, he could have a crown and a throne but instead, he would rather 'take' it from people who wanted him to have it. Now he finds himself coming upon a fork in the road and Viserys will have to pick which direction he wants to go carefully or getting crippled might actually be an outcome.
"Let's hope." I respond when no one else speaks up with a few pitying looks being cast in her direction.
Mother should have beaten Viserys as a child and made him more obedient... not that I can ever see myself beating Rhaegar but if he ever gets as unruly as his Uncle then he will soon find a few red hand marks across his ass.
I will just make Eragon be the one who puts them there so he is blamed for the pain.
"Vhagar was able to lift me off the ground for close to an hour today in riding practice. A few more weeks and we are going to risk taking a short flight, My handsome mount is eager to fly along with me on his back." Visenya shifts the topic once more but this time with a smile on her face.
"Meraxes can likely lift me off the ground and into the sky as well but she is a little troublemaker who can't leave the sky long enough for me to mount her. She would rather just fly around without landing and it is getting hard to even get her down with food." Rhaenys huffs and pretends none of us know about her taking that risky flight she took where she almost fell off.
I guess it would be best if everyone forgot about it, no one wants to be remembered for falling off their dragon just like their namesake.
Mothers in the future would be too scared to name their Daughters Rhaenys if they knew both of the Rhaenys in our family have fallen from their mount. Even if the one survived with no damage other than a bruised butt and pride, it would practically curse the name such as the name Maegor is cursed.