63
----
188 AC
Blackfyre Keep
Daemon Blackfyre
----
Once more counting out the coin I drop the last gold dragon into the chest before I lower the lid with a sigh. The exact amount needed to purchase the ten larger-sized ships from Aerion, with this I can speed up some things. I need these larger ships for longer voyages and he told me if I was quick about getting the coin I can have them immediately.
"So we will be leaving for Harrenhal soon?" My Wife asks with a bit of excitement in her voice, she has only seen it once but it was for a tourney and we did not stay long.
This time I will be there for longer and she is excited to gossip with the women in my family, last time she hit it off with a few of them. Most of the Lords we meet with care little for a 'foreign noble' but my relatives all treated her so well she is always sending off ravens and waiting for responses. She misses the lands she was born and grew up in but she has been slowly coming around to the Keep as it is built up and improved. The prospect of traveling to Harrenhal to gossip in person with people she enjoys is always something she seeks.
"We will, I want to give this to Aerion before someone else swoops in and buys the ships. His 'Great Voyage' has been in the works for years and I want to get in on it while I can." Aerion has timed the Voyage so that by the time the ships arrive Qarth will have an abundance of spice and silk.
Many years went into this plan and the bulk of the 'fleet' going is all Valyria houses with a few great houses sending some ships as well. It is not only a good chance to fill the vault with some valuables but also make some much-needed coins. He told me it won't be as profitable compared to if he did it solo since there will be an abundance of the materials all hitting the markets and ports. But either way, I know one thing about Aerion and that is he always has a way to squeeze gold out of something, and I am in need.
"Do you think they will accept fostering?" I look over my shoulder and see both of my twin boys playing on the floor where she set them and I can't help but wonder that very question.
"I don't know... he took in the Celtigar girl but that does not mean he will take in any more children." We never had a good relationship and it is only now that things have cooled off and we do some business that I can see a chance. "I doubt he will want to take both boys in." She nods as she rests her hands on her swelled stomach that has our latest babe.
"It would be perfect if they would at least take in Aemon... but I would hate to split up the boys." She purses her lips and her hands go to her hips. "We will see either way." I nod and turn back to the chest as I lock it and push it back onto the center of the table.
"It will be the first time the boys have seen other children closer to their age." I mutter as I wrap my arms around her from behind and she leans against me. "Aemon and Aemon meeting shall be interesting... maybe they both can be dragon knights as their namesake is." She chuckles as I press my lips against her cheek.
"The both of you must have a lot of respect for the man naming your sons after him..." She was pleasantly surprised when word reached our keep of Rhaella and Aemon being born.
She has sent and received numerous ravens talking about the difficulties of being pregnant and raising twins with Daenerys. Both of them seem to have similar opinions of the experience and my wife got a laugh out of almost every raven from her friend. They jokingly argue over who named their babe Aemon first even with our twins being born before their twins. Rohanne said that Daenerys claimed they named their first son Aemon before they even married and so he was named before our son.
"Are you sure you will be fine trav-" She presses a finger against my lips as she turns around in my arm pressing her swollen stomach against me.
"I will be fine, I am dying to ride out even if it's in a wheelhouse, I ache sitting around all day and we have plenty of time to make it there. We can take it at a slow pace and your personal guard can get some real experience in 'guarding' instead of sitting on their ass all day long." I snort, in Tyrosh it would be seen as a waste to have as many guards as I have.
But I am also starting what will be the force under the Blackfyre name Aegon will one day take up and rule as the Lord of Blackfyre keep. Starting from nearly nothing has been difficult but rewarding even if my wife disdains the guards for being 'lazy'.
----
188 AC
Harrenhal
Daenerys Targaryen
----
Looking at the scroll filled with excitement from Rohanne I can't help but sigh helplessly, it's hard to hate the woman. She is the one who birthed the line that plagued House Targaryen but she does not seem the type to want anything more than a happy family. I wonder if she ever even wanted Daemon to push 'his claim' for the throne or if she was just dragged into it.
She likely had to watch as most of her children showed up dead or only received word of their death. I could not imagine that kind of pain even with my own experiences, to lose a child you raised to nearly adulthood...
Daemon on the other hand has also seemed to not be as much of a demon as I thought he would be. Even with his 'Blackfyre Keep' being under close watch there is not even a whisper of treason from him or his people. The only thing that concerns me in the slightest is Aegor across the Narrow Sea but he is little threat. He is unmarried and has not even half the men the Golden Company would have had in the future.
I still think Aerion should make his own Sellsword company that he funds just to skim off recruits from Aegor. It will help if they ever did try something with those men... but then again I could always fly Drogon down and solve the problem myself. Drogon likely misses the 'old days' so I am sure my son would love to accompany me on a trip to burn anything I aim him at.
"You have that look again." I hear Aerion speak up from beside me and I look up to see his amused look.
"What look?" I ask tilting my head before shivering as his hand slides over my back.
"The 'I am going to burn shit' look that really fires me up..." He ducks his head and steals my lips. "I hope it is not about this." He breaks the kiss and steals what I was reading as he points at the black dragon seal on it.
"She is just excited and wrote nearly covering the whole surface of the letter, it has nothing to do with why I want to burn something." He chuckles as he drops the letter and pulls me up to my feet.
"I see, does my wife care to join me on a flight?" I look at him and raise a brow and he easily guesses the unasked question. "All the youngins are bothering our Mother and Melissa... it's time to slip off while we have clear skies." I nod feeling excited at sharing the skies with just Aerion for the first time in a while.
"I will go get chang-" I turn to walk off and he pulls me back while shaking his head.
"Mya is sleeping in the bedroom, let's head off in what you got on." I sigh looking down at the dress that will be ruined with the stink of my scaly son but I wrap my arm around him anyway.
"Let's." I lean my head against his shoulder and we head with quick steps for the door.
----
188 AC
Harrenhal
Rohanne Blackfyre
----
Looking at the massive towers that have been under repair since Aerion and Daenerys moved into this castle I can't help but be in awe. They are the tallest and largest thing I have seen made by the hands of man, just like giant stone fingers. I heard that is what they are, stone fingers of the stone hand that is Harrenhal reaching to the sky.
It's beautiful and terrifying at the same time, a place this large taken swiftly using just dragon flames. A tale-telling just how much dragons are to be feared and respected, and the large silver blue-eyed dragon in the middle of the yard is just that.
Frighting but I also find myself respecting its beauty.
"Welcome Lady Blackfyre." I smile hearing the voice of the woman I was waiting to see again.
"Thank you for having us, Princess Daenerys." She smiles and I look off to the side at our husbands talking. "She is quite large." I look back to the silver dragon and hear a hum come from Daenerys.
"She is, they both have gotten very big." A smaller dragon that is like a piece of the sky climbs over the silver dragon's head.
"Blue and white, that one is going to be just as beautiful as its Mother." I can't help but admire the smaller dragon as it flaps its wings as if trying to get a reaction from the larger dragon. "It seems to pester just as a normal babe does when wanting attention." I chuckle before noticing Daenerys holding out an arm and I take it.
"Let's get a closer look." My stomach drops and I feel the baby kick inside of me at the thought.
"Closer?" I ask trying to hide my hesitation and only receive a mischievous look from the Princess.
"Closer." She slowly and carefully guides me toward the dragons and the large silver one turns its head towards us, its blue eye narrowing like a cat on the hunt.
"I do not think this is a good idea." I feel sweat on my forehead as the heat from the silver beast hits me like a wave at sea.
"She won't hurt you with me here." I nod as the head drags across the ground lazily before taking in a sniff. "She won't hurt you." Daenerys once more reassures me as the dragon smells the both of us and soon blows hot air at us making my braided hair fly back.
"She is hot." Like a fire before me, the large head moves back even with the squalling baby dragon on top of it.
"She is very warm, a nice warmth that you can feel in your bones." I bite my lips and place my other hand not being held on my belly.
"Very nice." I agree even if my knees feel weak and the Princess takes amusement as she presses her side against mine.
"Let's get you seated somewhere comfy, I have a large room filled with soft pillows for when I was pregnant. Mya also enjoyed it and I think you will like it as well as you rest your body from the long trip." I nod feeling happy we will get some distance from the much scarier dragon than I thought it was.
This dragon burned a Khalasar to ash and could easily do it again, terrifying and beautiful just like those who ride them.