Chapter 41

The speaker stepped up to the podium and raised his voice to announce the result. "This year's champion is Kaelarys Baelaeron!"

Kaelarys, hearing the speaker's words, opened his hands in the air as if to catch the cheers of the crowd. He turned slowly in all directions to take in the applause from all corners of the arena. His opponent, Tegar Chaeryon, lay defeated on the ground, while the crowd continued to loudly celebrate Kaelarys' victory.

Kaelarys turned toward the gates through which he had entered the arena, taking one last look at Tegar as he lay on the ground. He had hit him with his hilt a few minutes into the fight and knocked him out, something Tegar will surely feel the next time he wakes up.

As he walked toward the exit, the cheers of the crowd still rang in his ears, and even as the gates closed behind him, he could still hear them, but dampened. While the raised podium for the highest nobility was acoustically isolated with runes, the rest of the arena wasn't, making it very pleasant once you got away from all the loud noises, especially after a fight.

Accompanied by Feyd, who had watched the fight from the "sidelines" rather than from the upper stand, he climbed the stairs, already looking forward to his meal.

"Fuck those stairs" he cursed while walking.

He was starting to get sick of it and had already made many plans for when he got back to Azorath. Maybe an elevator, he thought. They were easy to build into the walls and very convenient, and with a little magic, he could do it.

Or a water elevator, like in Minecraft. He shook his head at his absurd thoughts, ignoring the looks he got from Feyd.

---

A few hours later, he found himself at the evening party, but this time it was his name that was being celebrated and to whom the glasses were raised. But to be honest, this was done more for the sake of tradition than actually everyone loving and adoring him, it was a political event after all.

He had spent the last few hours engaged in political small talk, a skill he had honed out of duty and self-preservation, though he had never truly enjoyed it. Formulating your sentence so as not to offend the other party, following proper etiquette, and certainly not excessive drinking. Too many rules for him.

The sly smiles, the affectionate words to butter him up when many did not even mean it. Some certainly did, like friends, lovers, family, and allied houses, but beyond that, just proper courtesy.

He sat with some friends he had made over the years. They were all around his age more or less, something that made the conversations a bit more... interesting.

"You know, just because we're friends doesn't mean I like the way you stare at my cousin," Aemithor Targaryen said, looking at Auleys Belaerys, who ignored him and let his gaze continue to wander across the dance floor where said cousin was dancing with a young man Kaelarys knew to be Jaelon Maegaron of House Maegaron.

"We two disagree on that one," Auleys replied with his trademark charming smile, his eyes never leaving the dance floor." "And Daenora as well, by the looks of it" 

Aemithor turned to the dance floor and saw his cousin Daenora raising her glass of wine in their direction, giving Auleys a seductive look while playing with one strand of her silver hair.

"First of all, you're disgusting. And secondly, you're married," Aemithor replied, not liking the situation at all.

"And you think that will stop him?" Vaemir asked with an amused look.

And Kaelarys knew that wouldn't stop him. He is married, but Auleys has been married for over a year, and although the union has resulted in a child, they have only fulfilled their duty. They tried, but nothing more ever came of it. One of the many reasons why it didn't matter to Auleys whether he was married or not.

Life as the son of such a high-ranking house is often more of a burden than a joy. Arranged marriages were very popular and for most a means of gaining more power and building strong alliances. Most families have done this for thousands of years and the tradition has survived to this day.

Rarely are you lucky enough to be married to someone you value and share the same interests with.

Kaelarys was one of the lucky few, and though his parents had spared him and his sister, he already knew that his father had plans for his other sisters, and Kaelarys would be damned if he didn't have a say in it.

Even if he can understand why he's doing it.

"Yes, it should. Not to mention that she's engaged herself," Aemithor answered dryly.

"Listen to him, Aemithor. It's a hopeless endeavor. You know yourself that once he sets his mind to something, he behaves like a defiant young dragon that nothing and no one can tame." Kaelarys reminded him, finding the conversation very amusing as well.

"Easy for you to say, Kael, when it's not your cousin he's staring at. You'd do the same if it was Lysandra." Aemithor remarked.

Kaelarys just snickered," You're right, I would. But Auleys, on the other hand, knows that's the most foolish thing he could do," and slapped Auleys on the shoulder." "Isn't that right, my friend?"

Auleys looked uncertainly at the hand on his shoulder before meeting Kaelarys' eyes. "No thanks, I love my life and have no interest in ending it prematurely."

"See?" Kaelarys replied proudly to Aemithor and took a sip of the refreshing wine.

Aemithor rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "Fine, have it your way then. If Daenora's willing to entertain your advances, then who am I to stop you two from causing the next scandal?"

Auleys chuckled, clearly pleased with himself. "Aemithor, you're too kind. But don't worry, I'll make sure it's a scandal worth talking about. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lady waiting."

With that, he stood up and made his way toward Daenora, who was watching him with an intrigued smile.

As Auleys approached her, the rest of the group couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Aemithor shook his head, "He's incorrigible."

No one contradicted him, but everyone agreed that he was right. Auleys came from one of the most powerful houses of Freeholds and thus the world. Not to mention that he was a dragonrider and very impulsive due to his status and young age.

In itself, there was nothing wrong with his drive and bravado, but at certain moments like this, it wouldn't have been wrong to think more about the consequences.

Not that Kaelarys had anything to say on the subject. He himself has a thing for hot cousins.

Thinking about that, he shifted in his seat to see if he could find Lysandra and/or his sister - soon to be his wife - in the crowd. He had last seen them talking to some friends of theirs, sitting near the musician from Yi Ti, listening to him playing the harp. 

Lo and behold, they were still there, happily chatting away about either the food, some of their husbands, lovers, courting prospects, or whatever new dress they just purchased. Not to mention any ongoing drama they happened to catch.

Most of the things noble ladies of the Peninsula just talk about.

Looking at his friends and seeing them conversing just as cheerfully, he excused himself and made a beeline for his two beauties, wanting to spend more time with them.

Both of them, like all Valyrian women of their kind, looked absolutely stunning, more like nymphs from legends than mere mortal women. 

And his sister, wearing the crown given to her as the 790th Queen of Beauties, looked even more regal than she already was.

Yes, it was good to be Kaelarys Baelaeron.

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More or less a short chapter, but meh, I'm just glad I managed a chaper tbh.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you because some people want more slice of life and some more progress happening. There will be the wedding chapter soon, and from there more kingdom building of Azorath, and then we will slowly but surely get closer to the Doom and what he and his family will do and stuff etc etc.

Also, I have decided how I want to continue this and will be incorporating some theories I have read/heard over the years since I first watched/read Got/Asoiaf. I don't know how you'll like them, but they're theories because no one has a definite answer to them either way, so I'm just going to do what I think is cool or better, not what most people think is THE theory.

Anyway, bye

Yours,

Jasonenrick!