Chapter 38-A Whore!

Chapter 38

SAERA TARGARYEN

'A Whore' that was what her own father had called her, his words when he had heard of his daughter's troubles had been not of sympathy or love, but no they had been a derision. Just as they always had been.

Jaehaerys had always loved his sons more than his daughters, and even amongst his daughters, he had cared little for her, a sixth-born daughter who dared to dream on her own. He loved the others, cared for Daella, loved Alyssa, and adored the servile and pious Maegella, but Saera—he always hated.

And for what?

One jape, one poor jape played by her on a damned court fool, and yet he would ruin her for that. A simple jape.

Saera Targaryen had played a little joke on her dear friends at court, teaching them and having them practice the very things they would soon enough be doing with their lord husbands and ladies. The very things that the King's sons did with impunity, for all of the realms knew of Baelon's insatiable visits to the city's pleasure houses or Aemon's preferences, the whole city talked of them, and yet she would be punished all for playing a little jape.

She would be punished, prisoned, her friends humiliated in open court, and would be robbed of her birthright. And then, as a show of mercy, the man would send her off to the Hightowers, those bastards.

And still to this day, as she thought of those bastards, she growled in rage as she recalled her time in that accursed land and how she loathed the said House and anything associated with it.

Though that hate was nothing compared to the fury that engulfed her heart when she thought of her father and his words. There was a time in her life when she had been helpless, just after she had escaped from hell inflicted upon her in the Silent Sisters, she had escaped to Lys, and had no gold or jewels to feed herself.

She was alone, helpless, with no food to fill her belly and with tattered robes to barely cover herself on those chilly nights. That was when she had told a merchant, told him to take a simple message to the Seven Kingdoms, with nothing but a sliver of hope that the man and woman who had brought her into this world would care a little.

And yet no gold would arrive, neither would any cloth, and she would have to degrade herself by selling the only resource available to her—Her body. And only years later she would learn of the words that had come from his mouth when he had heard of her plight, the words that made the dragon's blood in her veins boil in rage as she thought of that man.

A whore, he had called her. Continuing the insult by saying that 'she had always been one'

And so she had never turned back ever since and had sought the one thing that mattered in this world. Power. It was something she had learned quickly at court that the only thing that mattered was power, and she would gain it, alongside wealth and influence, and would grow and grow her eyes shut to the happenings of the Kingdom and the castle she had once called home.

And then the empire that her father had built would begin to crumble. Slowly, at first, sons would die one after another, and the daughters would follow soon. Now, merely but a little over a decade after his demise, the Old King's empire was all but reduced to Three Targaryens. Three, the family had not seen worse times, even during the reign of Maegor the Cruel.

And yet, 'the conciliator' had done what even the 'Cruel' could not do and had brought the Targaryen family to its knees. And she would finish what fate had started, finish the revenge that the fates had started.

"Viserys Targaryen has pulled the Velaryon ships from the Stepstones," Lysandro, her ally in this revenge, informed her as she looked out the window at the tear of Valyria, and still, even years later, found herself mystified by the beauty of it.

And that news was expected, for she was rather well informed about the affairs of the Royal Court through various means.

"I told you so, didn't I," she added with a smirk as she turned around and looked Lysandro in the eye. He lay there covered only by the shrivelled-up silken sheets.

"Even the Old King was both cautious and envious of cousin Corlys, and it seems my nephew has inherited my father's caution. With Daemon's death, he would be feeling very nervous, especially from a man like Corlys whose envy and desire for the Iron Throne is known to all," and as Lysandro's lighter amethyst gaze lingered on her bare body, she saw his lips turn up, and seeing him getting drunk at merely her sight still lit a fire inside her.

"He will wish to consolidate and will probably try and merge his own line with Daemon's," she added, recalling the latest report from her little agent at court.

"A marriage between Aegon Targaryen and Rhaenyra Targaryen," Lysandro added. As he rubbed his chin, she slowly reached for her robe and slipped her arms through it, much to his dismay.

"That could be troublesome," he added, and she waved away his concerns.

"Both of them are but children playing at a game far bigger than they realise. And if we play our cards right, they will all kill themselves," she added and he frowned.

"And what exactly are those cards," he questioned.

"Do you know what they say of the Stepstones?" she asked, and Lysandro nodded.

"They say Kingdoms are made and swallowed up in those islands," that was true. So, very true. Their geography and location made them the lynchpin of trade all over the globe, and so every lord and kingdom desired dominion over those lands.

"I believe your brother has reached the court by now," she asked, and he nodded.

"That's Good. Then have him meet Corlys Velaryon and offer him the grand prize," she said with a smile, and Lysandro raised a brow at that.

"The man has been burnt by this alliance once. How will he ever trust us again?" That was indeed a problem for a proud man like Corlys. Viserys's actions were the greatest humiliation, and the man would be astute enough to see the match between Rhaenyra and Aegon for what it truly was—a way to keep the Velaryons away from the Iron Throne.

"Blame my little nephew's death on his own actions. Tell him that if he joins hands with us that we would be willing to put all our weight behind him and that Lys will officially pull out of the alliance with Myr and Tyrosh," and Lysandro's eyes widened at that, no wonder aghast at the offer.

"That would ruin us," he added, and she raised a brow.

"It would trouble us indeed for sometime, but Craghas Drahar cannot keep the Stepstones anymore. He has slain a Prince, and that has consequences. It is best to abandon a sinking ship, and as for the losses from breaking the alliance with Tyrosh and Myr," she began as she touched his face.

"There is a reason that despite my father's doubts, he still married Corlys to my cousin. House Vealryon is the richest House of the realm. You shall offer not just to join him in war but also to join him in war, gold, and..."

"...Blood." Lysnadro realised as he touched her hand, and she smiled as his eyes lit up, the plan coming together in his head.

"Offer him the hand of your brother Drazenko, for his daughter Laena," she added and Lysnadro nodded.

"I will have a missive sent, but what if he denies the match," he asked, and she smirked at that and pushed him away as she plopped down on the soft feathery bed.

"Then pray that your brother's beauty catches the eye of her brother," she added cryptically as Lysnadro's eyes widened.

"You cannot mean..." and she chuckled at that name, for though such a thing in Lys was common, the Seven Kingdoms were still rather primitive when it came to such matters.

"Indeed, the Sea Snake's son is a sword swallower. I believe Drazenko would not mind taking him to bed," she laughed, knowing full well about that rascal's nature.

And as she lay there laughing, she found it all rather ironic, that the demise of her father's kingdom would be brought by the very instrument that had ruined her life.

An entity so powerless, and useless that none at court would lay on it a second glance.

And yet, in ways, it had brought hell upon a Princess.

And now it was helping her do the same.

It just showed the true powers of a court fool.

0000

LYONEL STRONG

This was not the Council of Old. No, not anymore.

The King had not called a Council in days as the castle mourned the loss of the Prince Daemon merely days after the loss of the Princess's beloved companion and the Princess to be, Alicent Hightower.

And now as they gathered in the council chambers once more, he wore no longer the pin of the Master of Laws. Now he wore the badge that had been worn for more than a decade by Lord Otto Hightower, and yet days after losing his daughter, the man had also lost his position as Hand.

They did not know the exact reason, but he believed that the man's obvious hatred for Prince Daemon and then his spawn had a lot to do with that, for Prince Aegon was no longer the heir presumptive to his father.

He was the heir presumptive to the throne, and the man's actions against the Prince had been abhorrent and had only been tolerated and accepted because the Prince had supposedly adored his daughter the Lady Alicent.

But he doubted that the Prince would care anymore, that he would tolerate the man anymore. And as he had expected, the Prince had drawn blood and had cost the man the position of the Hand of the King, an honor he had held ever since the days of the Old King himself.

"Who are we waiting for, your grace?" Lord Beesbury questioned from the end of the table, the ageing Master of Coin voiced the question that plagued all their minds.

"He will be...." and just as the King had opened his mouth, the doors to the Council chambers opened up and in walked the very person he had been thinking of. And the King's face lit up, along with the faces of several lords in the council, except Lord Corlys, of course, whose lips grew thin, and his eyes thinner as Prince Aegon walked into the chambers clad in the colors of House Targaryen,

"Aegon!" the King called out as he pointed towards the empty chair to his right, the one where he had sat his own brother.

"Come sit here," and that was a message as clear as any about the King's intentions, more so to Lord Corlys, who was watching it all with a thundering expression. The man had recently been ordered to pull out his ships from the Stepstones and had been distraught and angered by the whole issue.

Especially when rumors began circling in the court that the King wished to appoint a new commander to his fleet. If that had been the only thing, it would not have mattered much, but it was the news beside it that was even more damning for the man.

The King was set to announce a match between Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenyra, and none in the capital were blind to the implications of this match, Lord Corlys more so.

His own advice on the matter had been sought by the King, and he had given it as per his station, believing the match to be a far better one than between Prince Aegon and the Lady Alicent, even if it meant sabotaging the Crown's relations with the House Velaryon.

The young Prince gave him a small nod, which he returned before he greeted the other lords gathered, even Lord Colrys, yet the man did not return it as the King finally put down his marble, prompting them all to do the same, as the Council meeting officially began.

Many matters were discussed, and the Council was gathering after many days, and with a new Hand at the helm. So, there was much that needed to be done. Thankfully, though he was not a newcomer to this, and his experience as the former Master of Laws allowed him to deal with it all.

And so hours later, with the strife between House Velaryon and the Crown rather visible, the agendas for the day came to a close, leaving behind but one matter.

"Now, I believe we must discuss my own replacement as the Master of Laws," he began as he looked towards the King.

"Yes, indeed. We must not burden you with two offices," the King agreed, his finger drumming along the table before the King turned to the seat he had turned to often during the meeting.

"What do you think Aegon, would you be willing to take up the mantle?" the King asked, his tone softer and more indulgent, similar to how it would be when speaking with Prince Daemon.

"I would be, but as you know, your grace that I must return to the Vale to put down the lords from the rebellion," and the King nodded.

"Ahh, the rebellion. But you will return to the capital of course, and you must familiarise yourself with the art of ruling," and his gaze lingered towards the Master of Ships and how his eyes narrowed at the insinuation.

"Perhaps the Prince could name a replacement for the time that he is away. We all do remember how his own father shirked away from his own duties, even though it was not for war," Lord Beesbury offered silently, and the King's smile stiffened as silence reigned in the room.

"Indeed, Daemon was carefree, far more than Aegon, I would say," and the King chuckled before he turned towards the Prince.

"Do you have a name?" the King asked, and the young Prince seemed to think about it for a second before he opened his mouth.

"My cousin, Willam. He did help me do my duties as Captain of the City Guard for some time, and he is an honorable knight whom the Council shall not find lacking," and the King's mind was made.

"Good, have him ride to the capital. Prince Aegon shall be the Crown's new Master of Laws, and his cousin Ser Willam shall serve the realm in his absence," and he nodded, and with that, as the lords turned to each other and made to stand, the King's voice stopped them all.

"Before we leave, I must address a pertinent matter," the King began, as his gaze turned towards Lord Corlys.

"Lord Corlys," the king began softly.

"I believe I asked you to withdraw your forces from the Stepstones," the King asked, and the man's gaze narrowed.

"Withdrawing from the Stepstones right now would be a mistake. It would lose us the little gains we have made. It would remove what little influence we have there and leave my House to the mercy of those pirates once again," and his tone was angry and enraged. The man had not taken well to all the insults.

"You will be compensated for your losses, my lord," he quickly added, and the man scoffed.

"The Crown may have grown afraid of the Crab Feeder, but I fear him not," and he did not miss the frown that appeared on the King's forehead at that insult.

"And since the Crown will one day enter the Stepstones to get revenge against the Crab Feeder, I believe it a mistake to pull out my fleet when it shall be attacking the islands later on," and the King raised a brow.

"And who is to say that it shall be your fleet that shall enter the Stepstones again," and the King's words were chilling.

"And who else wields a fleet that can bring the Stepstones to heel?" There was the pride of the Sea Snake, and he saw the Prince trying to speak up.

"We have already suffered a great loss in the campaign. Would it not be wise to pull back and reassess our strategy my lord, to look for the mistakes made so that we can strike with more precision again," the Prince was giving both the King and the man a way out, yet if the King's expression was anything to go by, it was already too late.

"Pull out your fleet right now, Lord Corlys. It is the King's command," and Lord Corlys shook his head.

"I will not let my House be punished because of your weakness," thundered Corlys Vealryon.

"If you had heeded my warnings and had taken the Crab Feeder more seriously, Prince Daemon would not have died. His blood is on your ha..."

"ENOUGH!" the King roared back as he rose from his seat.

"That is enough! Who are you hector me! I have made my decision, and you shall abide by it!"

"Just as Prince Daemon did," and with a final scoff, the man left the chambers, leaving behind a thundering King.

0000

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