92
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207 AC
Lhorulu River
Aerion Targaryen
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"Let's gather around the Campfire and sing our camp-" A boot nearly collides with my head but I swiftly duck under it and turn to my Daughter in exasperation.
"Please stop." She narrows her eyes with a snarl almost visible as her lips twitch upwards.
"Come on, you used to love sing-along songs." I frown at her and strum the handmade guitar as a small piece of my heart is broken off at her denial of family fun.
"Your voice feels like daggers being jammed into my ears." She gives no quarter as she ruthlessly denies me once more.
"He actually won the musical award he hosted... and it was not because he cheated." Rhaegar tries to pacify and assist me at the same time.
My Son who actually enjoys music seems eager and almost combative against Visenyas denial.
"It could help pass the time till we are actually tired." Tessarion chimes in and nods toward me with a sly smile.
He wants the sea shanties.
"...maybe I can find a nice and lonely cliff." Visenya looks around before both her eyes roll back into her skull with a single blink and we all ignore her knowing she is warging.
"Spoilsport." I snort at my own flesh and blood as I turn back to the small fire with a decent-sized fish cooking away above it. "What do we do with a drunken sailor?" I ask while half-singing the question and quickly both of my Sons sit forward with a smile on their faces.
That's more like it.
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207 AC
Myr
Visenya Targaryen
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Crawling through a small hole in a wall I poke my head into the large meeting room and instinctively I smell the pungent scents in the air. The worst part of warging a rat is not even being a rat but instead how powerful their noses are... it's sickening.
"All but one of the dragons have landed and their riders are soon to receive the best treatment we have to offer." A sickly skinny man who has a high-pitched voice reports to a familiar face sitting on a homemade throne covered in gold as if it was melted and poured over it.
"Good, there can be nothing out of line, we need this meeting to go well." Aegor nods once before looking down at his hand which seems bandaged. "How is she?" He asks as he lifts his hand looking closer at the bandaged hand.
"The assassin is remaining silent as a grave and has not given up any information... but the coin led back to a family who has deep ties with Volantis Tigers." Aegor noticeably grits his teeth as his wounded hand clenches tightly.
"I am sure Aerion will be heading to deal with the 'oldest' Daughter of Valyria soon enough... if this attempt has anything to do with Volantis they will soon be too busy to send more knives for my neck." I slip back a bit deeper into the hole when a guard walks into the room and I can't help but wonder what is exactly going on.
I would not put it past Father to be doing some cloak and daggers using his Essos assassin network he captured when he went to Qarth. It seems in line with what his goals are, to have Aegor angry at someone that is not the soon-to-be Lord of Lys.
Brynden and Aegor according to my Father do not like each other all that much, something about them being cats and dogs.
"-I will change this bandage then I will head out to the greeting room to welcome my guest, you are dismissed." I slip further back into the hole before scampering away knowing I need to get the rat away before warging out just so it won't run out and be spotted.
Not many people know about wargs but those who do would find it odd to see a single rat with its head sticking halfway out of a wall looking around.
----
Slipping into my favorite Sea Hawk who I used to carry the rat into the palace I nudge my father's hand as he runs it down the hawk's neck. He quickly turns to look down at my bird and I blink 'my' left eye twice and he smiles and nods once before looking away.
My old-time bond partner of mine feels immensely more comfortable than the random rat I picked up when he camped out last night. I preen and ruffle my own feathers as some wind blows from in front of me and I feel comfort through the bond as Bird Brain approves of my action.
Nipping at my father's arm lightly I jump back and take to the sky as he turns with an aggrieved look and I can't help but make an odd noise as I am currently incapable of laughing as I want to.
...I am sure it sounds horrid to people who have no idea what is going on with my bird.
Flapping both wings I rapidly ascend before pulling back from the connection knowing Bird Brain will be fine without me in this current situation and I am eager to stretch my other wings at this moment.
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207 AC
Myr
Rhaegar Targaryen
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"That little shit..." Father curses as he rubs his arm and I shake my head feeling thankful no one was paying attention to him or the bird as Moonfyre blew silver flames into the air as if she knew a distraction was needed.
"I still say we fry the bird up at the earliest convenience." Tessarion looks upward as the sea hawk flies upward toward the sky and away from the danger that lurks on the ground.
"If she keeps playing with it like that then I approve." Father grunts before all three of us step forward in unison as the escort finishes arriving with their large welcoming banners of both solid gold banners and Aegor's personal banners.
Plenty of Targaryen banners as well, as there should be if he plans to rule from here with our house's backing.
A few moments later I come to a stop as well as Father and Tessarion as a large-bellied man steps forward with a sheen of sweat covering his face as he holds up both hands.
"Emperor Aerion Targaryen, Myr greets you with open arms and a proper welcome has been prepared at Lord Bittersteel's palace." They likely had things prepared at the actual palace but we decided to walk through the city from the farthest gate away from Aegor's palace.
Keeping them on their toes by not taking the path they likely assumed, it would have been easy to assume we would land at the palace after all. But by doing this we have hopefully tossed things up even if only slightly as they obviously prepared for this at least minimally.
We can also judge the city's current state, to see how pacified it is under 'Lord Aegor'.
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207 AC
Myr
Aerion Targaryen
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"Myr is yours... your Grace." Aegor obviously has no idea how to properly greet me with my recent change of titles but has at least made a passable attempt.
He also has publicly handed over the city, which is exactly what I wanted at the minimum from this initial meeting. From here I can fully control the negotiations even without the threat of Visenya being ready to rain down fire as she circles above on her dragon.
...I am going to get her back for her little surprise attack.
"You have done House Targaryen a service in speeding up the conquest by capturing this city, this is something I am grateful for." I will toss him a political bone as well since I am going to be optimistic going into this.
I am ready for shit to hit the fan, but if it doesn't then I will be very pleased.
"It was an honor, your Grace." I am sure it was, from the reports I got he has made quite a pretty penny during his time thus far ruling over this city.
Which is fair seeing how he got to it first and managed to fully capture it and bring it to heel. I am not so greedy to snap at the scraps he has managed to accumulate when I already know full well he is going to have an uphill battle ahead of him. Keeping peace in the disputed lands with the other soon-to-be-conquered free cities... it's going to be a trial.
And he already pissed off some of his Myrish natives... he will stumble before he walks.
"I have a proper feast prepared inside and plenty of fine wine for a hopefully promising discussion." He speaks up a bit eagerly and I almost roll my eyes as his 'allies' almost lean forward as if hanging on the edge of their seats to see how this will go.
He practically has publicly asked me if our meeting will benefit him and by extension his friends... maybe that small bone was a bit too big when he is not accustomed to these kinds of things.
"We will see." I easily leave a way out for myself but also smile somewhat kindly to give him and his buddies some hope.
Let's see how this goes.
----
"This is... not as much as I thought." Aegor looks over the numbers with confusion on his face, passing the sheets of parchment over to his paymaster he looks up at me.
"I have no reason to pinch pennies." I am beyond rich, but I won't let him think he can walk on me as far as taxes go. "But that does not mean I will not pinch should a single coin not reach my pocket that is supposed to." I lock eyes with his paymaster who visibly gulps and nods once. "I will be fair and just as a good Emperor should be... but piss me off and I will scalp you both economically and maybe physically." His paymaster leans over and points out something to Aegor and Aegor's eyes widen.
"You won't reach deep into my pockets but you will leave a fishing hook in there to pull out whatever you want when you want..." He narrows his eyes at the parchment. "This gives you free reign to do as you want with my coffers should I 'commit treason'... is that not a little vague?" I nod while smiling softly.
"It is." He cringes a bit at my honesty, I have no reason to lie and I am being open with my dealing with him. "I will be honest and truthful, I have no hunger for your gold." He relaxes a bit seemingly taking me at my word, which is wise as my word is gold in these kinds of meetings.
I prefer the direct and efficient way of fucking someone over, under handed stuff is more Gwenys and Shiera.
"Two-thirds of my men and my word that peace will be kept in the Disputed lands as the map will be drawn by your hand." Aegor states some of my main terms, some of the bigger ones at least.
"One-third will go to Tyrosh and the other will go to Lys, Daemon will take his wife's city using your men and his ships with my dragon's support. Lys will fall shortly after either by invitation and appointment of Brynden as Lord or it will end by the rest of your men and dragon support along with a few ships I have sent to be waiting on the southern coast." I watch closely at the mention of Brynden but he does not even flinch which I nod internally at.
His acting has gotten better or he is over their old spat... which could be said about me as well since he used to hate me but I see none of it.
I think the promise of Myr and founding his own 'House' is helping settle old grievances.
"Sounds fair, so long as we also have dragon support should we get attacked with a lesser force defending the city." So he wants me to promise him direct dragon support... likely to help keep the peace in this city.
"Agreed." I nod knowing one of my more eager children will be happy to fly around dealing with revolts if it means getting to 'prove' themselves and hopefully getting something written about themselves in the history books.
I know full well if I was in their shoes I would be eagerly thinking about some of the pirates that got displaced in the Stepstones attacking a Free City or a convoy line just so I could burn them and earn my 'place'.
But what they don't know is that they have nothing to prove to me and they will get the best I can give them regardless... it's just the kind of Father I am.