69
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196 AC
Kingslanding
Aerion Targaryen
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"Soon, but not this time." I ruffle Aemon's hair as we sit in the royal box overlooking the Squire tournament.
"Alright." He grumbles but keeps his eyes on the field watching the melee take place, it's easy to see how much he wishes he could be out there.
He has grown so much from the little baby I used to have to carry around and teach not to eat his spoon. All he wants is to fly around to Tourneys like I did when I was younger, it does not even matter how big or small he just wants to win. He wants to have his name spread around just like mine was when I took Moonfyre to nearly every tourney that was hosted for five years straight.
I was making sure it was known I am quite literally the best combatant alive whereas he just wants to be like me. Which admittedly makes my chest feel both warm and stuffy making me want to punch something. I just know my other boys will do the same once they can and it will be just a bunch of dragons flying around Westeros looking for a fight. I don't doubt most of the tourneys will be mainly just my Sons trying to beat one another and bring back their prize to Harrenhal.
I can already tell they will not care about the gold as far as the value of it goes, they will mainly aim for stacking it up in the vaults. To see who can make a bigger pile of 'loot' and have the most bragging rights, I swear I can see it in my mind's eye each time we go to a tourney. The look on their faces practically screams their desire, it is not helped that so many people talk about all my wins while we are at a tourney. Hearing about my past just amps the young boys up... I should have them get their own specific horses.
I had Roach with me for a very long time, my poor old steed, the boys will need to get their own steadfast mount for tourneys. They cant ride their dragons in a joust... unless we made aerial jousts a thing, but I doubt that would get approved by any of their Mothers.
Would be kind of fun if we had some parachutes...
"Do I need to talk to him?" Danny whispers to me before peeking across me and over to Aemon who has his arms crossed and a annoyed look on his face.
So Lord's Son seems to have gotten his victory paid for as many of the combatants he faces suddenly fight poorly after helping to thin out the numbers. Aemon must be upset about the blatant cheating so the Lord's son can gain an easy knighthood.
"Nah, he will be fine after I toss him around the training yard back in the keep." She nods slowly as she laces her fingers with mine and leans her head against me.
"This must have been what the Grand Maester wrote about back during King Viserys reign." I hear the distant shriveled voice of the current Grey Rat that sits on the council.
"What?" My Brother and King asks in confusion and I turn to look at the old man who points at the sky and around the tourney ring at the various dragons of different sizes flying or lounging around watching the tourney.
The dragons know their bonds are down here and there are a lot of 'strangers' so they are on high alert and looking to put any troublemakers to the flames. But the Lords and Ladies are eating it up just thinking they are putting on a show or something like that. They likely all know just how much danger they are in but are selectively ignoring it since the dragons are not spitting flames. Instead, they are pointing out shining scales and how 'beautiful' the dragons look.
'-funeral on Driftmark was called the second coming of Valyria with how many dragons were present. Now this looks like a third coming of Valyria if I had to say, there are more than enough of them to make the claim the same as the other Grand Maester." I snort in amusement before tuning out the old man and his ramblings of dragons and Valyria as if he actually knows anything about either.
The stupidest man in my opinion is one who thinks he knows something but is only talking out of his ass.
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196 AC
Kingslanding
Myriah Nymeros Martell
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"There you are, thought I would find you out here." I turn and spot my Good Brother Aerion walking through the garden approaching me.
"Aerion." I greet with a smile as he closes the distance and takes the seat beside me on the stone bench, we both turn to the fountain. "Is there something you need?" I ask wondering why he seems to have sought me out.
"You know me, Myriah." His voice is playful and full of mirth. "I just had a simple question for my Good Sister the Queen." I smile and nod as I side-eye him and find his face devoid of any emotion which momentarily snuffs out any of the previous emotions I had.
"What question?" I ask a little hesitantly but still maintain myself as a proper Queen should.
"Are you the Queen of Westeros or a Princess of Dorne?" I turn to face him feeling like this is going to go in a direction I would rather it didn't.
"What?" I can't help but ask, he and I both know I heard him so he simply remains silent with a small smile. "I am not sure what you mean by that question." I look around and find that none of the guards that should be just barely out of sight are present, instead the garden seems empty besides the two of us.
I suddenly feel a chill, why did Aerion seek me out to ask me something like this?
"It's simple Myriah, you see your Brother is becoming more of a problem than he could ever be worth. Just last month another of my trading fleets took yet another attack in the Step stones, which given is not uncommon but I find it weird. When I had the last six attacks all looked into it seems the 'pirate fleet' is not the normal slavers and Free City scum." I feel my throat dry out as I slowly come to realize that my Brother is likely the cause.
I told that fool to forget his ideas of having dragons in House Martell, but it seems he has ignored me. But I also do not understand why Aerion is coming to me with this, he has no reason to lash out at me for someone else. He should know very well with his network of spies that I hardly ever have contact with Sunspear.
"It was my Brother." I state getting a nod from the Prince of Harrenhal who slips his arm around mine and pulls me carefully to my feet.
"Let's walk around a bit, you look like you have seen a ghost... you should not feel threatened by me Myriah, I see you as family." He smiles but it does little to ease the tension in my gut. "I would never hurt my family... that however does not extend to your shit stain of a Brother who I will likely be killing within the month." I almost stumble but he keeps me up and slows his pace as my head spins at how sudden and blunt this all is.
Like a hammer to the gut, I can't even find myself able to catch air in my lungs.
"Y-You can't be serious." I slowly find my words and Aerion sighs as he stops before a bush with some flowers and picks one before tucking it behind my ear.
"Myriah I have never been more serious about killing someone as I have about killing the current Prince of Dorne. There is little anyone could hope to do to stop me, I could even have it done by today if I really wanted to fly down and burn his palace down on top of him." He takes both my hands in his and looks me in the eyes and I feel my knees wobble a bit before I stiffen my back and stand tall.
"This is treason." I state firmly but Aerion only shakes his head with a sigh.
"Dorne is not a part of the Seven Kingdoms in truth, they have a foreign leader who is openly attacking the business of one of the Royal Family members. I could easily wage a war and gain support if that is what I wanted, I could be another Daeron Targaryen and march men down through the Prince's path all the way to Sunspear. Except I have dragons and I would burn Dorne to the ground, I would leave nothing behind when I left, unlike the young Dragon." His hands give mine a comforting squeeze as I feel the warmth leaving my hands and my heart clench with his every word. "Myriah I genuinely love my Nephews and would never want to hurt their uncle if he was not such a constant pain in my ass. I have had men gotten rid of for far less than what your Brother has gotten away with for years. Those times are over and that is why I am asking you, are you the Queen of Westeros or a Princess of Dorne?" I see, he is asking me if I would side with my Brother or with my husband's family in truth.
I feel the answer should be obvious, even as a Queen my name is still Myriah Nymeros Martell and not Targaryen. But it is not so simple, if Aerion is after my Brother then this very well could trigger a full civil war if I sided with my Brother. Daeron would have to decide between supporting his blood brother who I know he loves and his Good Brother who has been causing him headache after headache.
My Sons would have to pick between uncles and regardless it would look bad upon all of them no matter which side they picked. They would be considered kin slayers no matter who they killed if they managed to slay one or the other. If I did not know better I would even think this is Aerion's plan to slowly step closer to the throne to take it for himself. But I also know that he has plenty of power to take it outright without going out of his way like this.
He could simply call a Great Council and demand to be the King since his blood commands the dragons. I also know Aerion has refused any position on the Small Council because he hates the politics of Kingslanding so it does not make sense that he wants to be King. It is most likely he is telling the truth, my Brother has far crossed a line and Aerion is no longer willing to overlook it on my behalf as the Mother of his Nephews.
"Myriah, just think about it during the game later today, the only reason I am even here is to let my children play in the Iron Throne cup with the rest of the Harrenhal team. Just think it through, you know as well as I do that the pact is being abused by your Brother so he can make a power grab. If it was ANY other House of Westeros... I would have burned them to ash a long time ago, no one demands those I love in marriage against their will and lives afterward." I can see an uncomfortable look on his face, the same look he would have as a child when he had to attend to court with the rest of his family.
A look that he is doing something he does not want to do, I have watched Aerion grow up right alongside my Sons so I think I can claim to know his tells as well as I know my own boys. My heart clenches even more as he lets go of my hands and turns to leave, I realize I likely could have done something sooner to prevent him from feeling like he had to do this. I had time to even travel to Sunspear and work something out with my Brother but instead, I let him play his games. I was not acting as the Queen I am and instead, I was being the Princess of Dorne I used to be, I let my Brother overreach when I should not have. If it was any other House making for a play to get dragons I would have spoken up... but I didn't.
Putting a hand on my forehead I sigh as I turn to go find my husband to talk to him, I need to figure out the best way to handle this before we no longer have time to react.