Another Assassination Attempt

Earlier, before the letter had been spread.

"Oh..." Jaime entered the small council chamber only to see one pile of Pycelle's ashes to one side and pieces of Petyr Baelish to the other. "You've already started to reform the court, it seems."

"One of the servants will deal with the mess... more importantly, since you're here, I want you to deliver this letter to Varys who should be by the ravens."

Aerion grabbed the letter and raised it upwards.

"It must be quite important for you to entrust it to me." Jaime walked up to Aerion's chair and received the letter. "May I ask what it entails?"

"An ultimatum to the Realm." Aerion smiled. "It should pressure the lords of the Realm to declare whom they serve, separating loyalists from the sea of rebels as a result."

"And if my father is one of the lords who side with you?"

That thought made Aerion chuckle. "Should I turn a blind eye and spare him? Why... would I?"

"What has he done to deserve that honour?"

"He is the wisest lord in all of the Seven Kingdoms, Your Grace." Jaime bent the knee, resulting in Aerion rolling his eyes to the side. "With my father, Lord Tywin, by your side, governing the Seven Kingdoms will be an easier task. Think about it... without him, who is to rule the westerlands?"

"If you weren't so stubborn about being a Kingsguard, I'd consider you for that role." Aerion answered. "It is true that Lord Tywin is a most capable lord. He even made my rather incapable grandfather appear to be a good king until he was inevitably driven back to Casterly Rock."

"But... what has he done for me?" Aerion clenched his left fist. "I'm sure you already know the answer to that."

"However... I never mentioned letting his intellect go to waste." He stood up from his chair and looked down on Jaime. "His fate is to be an undead servant."

"Then spare his free will, at the very least..."

"And why would I do that?" Aerion frowned.

"Because... I ask this of you, Aerion. I've been by your side since you could walk, acting as both a sword and shield against all who would attempt to threaten you... and never did I ask for anything. Not even once..."

'And this will be the one thing that you ask for... of all things, why this?'

Aerion sighed.

"I cannot accept. Ask for something else if you wish." Aerion walked past Jaime, who grabbed his arm just as he was getting out of arm's length.

'...'

"You..." Aerion's frown grew deeper.

"I beg of you... spare my father from that cruel fate."

"No... and that will be the end of the matter." Aerion moved forward but Jaime's grip grew stronger which led to him turning around.

"Why are you so bloody stubborn?"

"Let my father atone for his deeds... as himself... not as a mindless servant. I only ask of this... "

"... Let go," Aerion commanded with a colder tone. His violet eyes flashed with the shade of wrath that so many fallen men had witnessed.

"Do not push me."

Jaime lowered his head and let go, ending the struggle.

"Now are you going to complete your duty or must I choose someone else for this task?"

"I will do it."

"Good... then stop looking so pitiful. It's unbecoming of you, Ser Jaime."

Aerion decided to move on from the small council chamber, although what had occurred in that room did not leave his mind in the slightest. A pleading Jaime... now that was something he had never seen before. This matter unsettled him greatly, more than ever before.

"I've been looking around for you..." Viserys remarked as he crossed Aerion outside of the small council chamber. "Who would've thought that an Emperor would be so difficult to find?"

"Eh... you look troubled. What happened in there?"

"Do not concern yourself with matters unrelated to you." Aerion walked past Viserys without a second glance.

"Someone is in a bad mood..." Viserys chuckled helplessly once Aerion was further away. "Oh... Ser Jaime? What happened in there, I wonder?"

"... Nothing. Nothing at all."

"It seems to me that there was a conflict between you two... am I correct?"

Jaime gave no answer, proceeding ahead after a long stare.

'Everyone is so cold today... I almost forgot that Aerion took King's Landing today.' Viserys sighed.

~

While Aerion walked around the Royal Apartments and neared the Nursery, old memories began to resurface. Memories of the beginning... when he had first awakened Pyromancy after erupting with pure, unbridled rage. Such rage should not have come from a child... and yet it did. The direct source of all this rage was the Mountain and Amory Loch, both of whom had died during that very same day. However, behind them were the claws of the old yet ever so ruthless Lion of House Lannister. Once Aerion had become aware of this, he swore that he would avenge his fallen siblings.

This was not the first time that his desire for vengeance clashed with Jaime's desire to protect his father. However, it was the very first time Aerion felt a growing distance between them as a result of the matter. If he were to go too far, his decision would most certainly lead to consequences... some that cannot be mended.

His endless sea of thoughts led him to a garden that he had once been so familiar with. It was once his favourite place to rest during more innocent days. He had been so unaware of the raging rebellion around him, believing that it would pass and nothing would change. Oh, how ignorant he had been...

Aerion laid his head against the field of beautiful flowers and looked upwards to the clear blue sky. He fell into a daze shortly after leaving a few souls for protection, letting go of all that troubled him like the passing wind blowing away ash.

~

'There he is...'

After walking past several corridors, a rather tall boy clad in splendid clothing entered the garden with a dagger at the ready. He looked upon the dormant silver-haired Emperor clad in dark, heavy and imposing armour with hesitation. However, despite his fear of the man before him, he kept moving closer... one step at a time.

'I'll kill him... and end this.'

His steel-like eyes focused on Aerion's neck once he closed the distance. It seemed almost too easy... how could there not be a single guard within the garden? Artos did not pay much mind to this, having his eyes focused on the enemy and nothing else. This was the dragonspawn who had threatened his and his father's legitimacy for so long... but that was not all. He crushed his father in battle and left a humiliating Targaryen mark on his face, emptied the Crown's treasury and even took his sister prisoner for over a year. In his view, Aerion Targaryen was the most malicious villain of them all.

'I'll end this here...'

Artos drew his dagger and held it atop Aerion's neck, ready to deal one killing blow. The dagger slowly descended but stopped a couple of inches away. He could not go further... no matter how much he wanted to.

In the end, he had the desire but lacked the stomach to complete it.

"What are you doing, you fool!?"

'Huh...'

Artos turned around to see his sister running towards him. In the confusion, he found himself being tackled and falling onto the ground with the dagger being tossed across the field.

His sister was the least of his worries... as he would soon find out when several emerald shadows began to emerge from Aerion's body.

~

"... Ser Jaime, when can I start using a sword?"

'A dream... of the past?'

Aerion stood up and looked down at a child version of himself who had clear violet eyes glimmering like the shimmering sea. His hair was rather long yet combed in an organised manner. He looked so cheerful, free and loveable that Aerion just wanted to shield him from the world.

Jaime chuckled. "You are far too young to think about swinging a sword. A few more years, perhaps... and I'll show you how to duel with a wooden sword."

"A wooden sword?" Aerion pouted. "I can lift one already."

"Patience is a virtue, my prince. It will be easier for you to learn when you are more grown. For now, you should remain focused on your studies."

"Studies... ah, do I really need to?"

"Yes, of course. The strongest knights are all well-educated so you should take it more seriously if you want to compete with them."

"... Really?"

Jaime nodded. "More importantly, you are the first son of Rhaegar Targaryen, the future King. That means that you, too, will one day be King after him. All Kings have to be wise and learned for the good of the people who they rule over."

"King... huh... what if I don't want to be King?"

'What if I don't want to be King...' Aerion lightly chuckled at that thought.

"Then perhaps your younger brother will take the Iron Throne."

"Aegon... what if he doesn't want to be King, either?"

"... Sometimes you don't have a choice in the matter," Jaime stated as he wondered how to go about the question. "For the good of everyone around you... sometimes you have to make decisions that you don't want to make."

'...'

"Have you ever had to do that, Ser Jaime?" The little Aerion innocently asked.

"... Ah, yes. I have-"

...

The dream burned away as Aerion was shaken awake by Jocelyn and the sound of Artos being beaten to a pulp by several towering souls.

'What now?'

He opened his eyes and stood up, moving Jocelyn to the side. Clearly, the soul guards he had left behind showed little mercy to Artos but showed no intent to kill. This was because the ultimate judgement would be left for him to decide.

'This brat...'

Aerion picked up the dagger that had been hurled earlier and observed it for a moment.

"You've grown quite bold... but not bold enough to face me directly. How disappointing."

"Dis... disappointing...?" Artos questioned as the souls moved to the side and dispersed.

"I did not expect the Usurper's son to be such a coward. Hmph... then again, he himself has dispatched quite a number of assassins after me over the years."

Aerion threw the dagger only half a meter away from his boots, embedding it deep into the grass.

"Tell me, Artos, are you a coward?"

"... Tch... I'm not!"

"Aerion..." Jocelyn tried to interrupt but Aerion moved her to the side.

'So he's not going to approach.'

"I don't believe you." Aerion scratched his hair and laughed. "You know... I wouldn't want us to be enemies. Together, we could mend the broken relations between House Targaryen and Baratheon. This, of course, is impossible if you continue trying to kill me."

Aerion walked forward which made Artos pick up the dagger and raise his guard. "Don't come any closer!"

"Hmph... if I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead." Aerion flashed forwards and disarmed Artos with ease. He then threw him onto the ground and put his knee on his neck. Not hard enough to be fatal, but not soft enough for him to escape.

"Would you like a little lesson regarding the history of our two houses?"

"Shut up... I don't need a bloody history lesson!"

"Ah... I'll go right ahead anyway. Before Aegon The Conqueror swept up the Seven Kingdoms with his two sister-wives and three dragons, the Stormlands were ruled by House Durrandon. Originally, the Storm King offered his only child and successor, the maiden Argella Durrandon, to Lord Aegon at that time. He also offered a few lands... but those lands were already taken by Harren the Black."

"Honestly, who did that arrogant fool think he was offering dowry lands he did not even own? Aegon countered the offer, seeing no need in a third wife, by offering his bastard half-brother, Orys... Baratheon. Heh, you once called me dragonspawn... but do you know where the name 'Baratheon' originated from?"

"No... not really..."

"I find it quite amusing myself... Baratheon is, in fact, a Valyrian surname!"

"Worry not, I won't hold you for too much longer." Aerion stated as he looked down at the struggling Artos.

"Let me go already..."

"If you promise to sit quietly, I might."

"Fine, I will."

Aerion let go and stood up.

"Orys, in the end, did marry Argella Durrandon and took on both the sigil and words of House Durrandon. The House, however, would be called Baratheon after Orys himself. Orys and Aegon were childhood friends and trusted each other deeply... which led to Orys becoming the first Hand of the King."

"By all accounts, our Houses should have an unbreakable bond... but the bonds of ancestors can easily be forgotten by those of the present. In the end, this ancient bond meant nothing as our fathers fought each other at the Trident."

"Naturally, one emerged victorious while the other was vanquished." Aerion sighed. 'My father was a fool...'

"If you look at the bigger picture, we are both victims of this conflict... and this festering hatred that came from it will not end unless we both put an effort to end it. This should not be done through the act of killing, which would only grow this hatred, but through forgiveness and understanding."

Artos sat silently and listened rather carefully which was quite a change from his earlier reluctance.

"I don't expect you to like me... but the least you could do is not go around swinging weapons in my direction like a rabid dog." Aerion shrugged. "If you can't manage that, I'll be forced to have you imprisoned for acts of treason."

Aerion bent one knee and pat his shoulder. "You have the potential to be great, Artos of House Baratheon. Don't waste it by being my enemy."

"You speak of forgiveness and understanding... but can you do that?" Artos inquired.

Aerion had wondered that himself.

"Perhaps..."

"Then how can you expect me to do that if you can't do it yourself for certain?"

Aerion stood up and turned around, deciding to leave the garden.

"You are not wrong... it would, indeed, be quite hypocritical of me."