The Bloody Prince: HOTD SI

Chapter 40

CORLYS VELARYON

Daemon's death had caused much strife in his relationship with the Crown which had always been somewhat rocky, but despite his various efforts in trying to get Viserys to relinquish command to him, the King had not budged.

Viserys seemed rather firm in dislodging what little hold House Velaryon had obtained in the Stepstones, stripping away both the Crown's assets and support as he asked him to do the same, and the reason was clear.

Fear.

The King had only ever agreed to the war because of Daemon, and now with his brother dead due to his own hubris more than the faulty intelligence from their allies in Lys, the King knew that Corlys could do the impossible. That he could succeed in accomplishing what House Targaryen had failed to achieve, and that was why he was so adamant in pulling back the troops.

And yet he knew the consequences of this, how this would embolden the pirates there, and beggar his House more and more. Viserys's jealousy was so evident that the man had chosen to name Lyonel as his Hand as he finally got rid of Otto Hightower, while ignoring the blood relationship and the importance of his own House.

And the last nail in the coffin had been the new commander, Aegon, making his intentions clear. That Viserys did not see his House as their equal, that he feared them, and their ambition and would do anything to rob them of their birthright.

And in that dilemma when everything seemed to be worsening for House Velaryon and its prospects, he found himself rather surprised by the visit from the Drazenko Rogare, the brother to the First Magister of Lys Lysandro Rograe, the very man who had put them into this trouble.

"Why are you here, Lord Drazenko?" he greeted the younger lad who smiled as he waved away him away.

"I am not lord, that title belongs to my brother," he added smoothly, as he sat opposite to the man in his solar, having had his men take him there given the nature of the missive he had been handed.

"As for my reasons, I believe you must be well aware of them given that you must have read my brother's letter by now," and he had. He really had read it all, several times now and could hardly believe the words in it.

Lysnadro Rogare was now offering him full support in a campaign against Drahar, rather than the covert one he had offered earlier and the man was willing to cement this alliance by joining blood, and yet Corlys was much cautious about that.

Much cautious, specially given that his own children were his pride and his greatest source of strength for they carried the gift of dragons, and one does not simply marry away dragon riders.

"Why the change of heart?" he asked, and the man smiled.

"Because of Prince Daemon's death," came teh answer as he had expected.

"One that your House caused," he accused sharply and the young man shook his head.

"I am afraid not, our intel was correct and Prince Daemon's death was caused by his own hubris and carelessness. I have been told by sources that the man entered the battlefield drunk and could barely hold on to the reigns of his dragon," and that was the same excuse Vaemond had given him, and yet still Daemon's death had caused him much grief.

"It does not matter," he rebuffed as he leaned back.

"Why is House Rogare so concerned with the death of Prince Daemon?" he asked and before the man could answer, Laenor slipped in.

"Why would that matter father?" and he looked towards his wayward son, with a sharp gaze and yet Laenor did not stop.

"They are offering you an alliance, and a chance to fulfill your dream of taking the Stepstones for yourself," and Leanor's words were true but filled with the naivety and indulgence of his youth.

"No, Ser Laenor. Lord Corlys is right to doubt is, even though me and House Rogare come here in good faith," Drazenko Rogare answered with a smile as he looked at him once more.

"Because unlike Myr and Tyrosh, we recognize the reality. We see what the future holds," and Corlys raised a brow.

"And what does the future hold?" he asked, and the man's lips thinned as his eyes narrowed.

"That the Stepstones will fall soon," and that was indeed true. Cragas Drahar had made a big mistake in killing Daemon, and though it would get him fame and gold, a plenty.

He had also turned himself into a significant target, and the Crown would not let him live. Viserys would not rest until the man was gutted for killing his brother.

"We believe that it would be best, if the said islands were controlled by a House as storied and noble as House Velaryon. Moreover, even beyond the Narrow Sea, people knew of Prince Daemon's proclivities, my brother was worried about him being teh commander, a worry that was well minded given teh outcome that we have reached," and then the man leaned forward.

"But with a man such as you at the helm of command, and the combined physical and monetary might of House Velaryon and house Rogare at its back, conquering the Stepstones will be much more realistic than it was with Prince Daemon at the helm," and the offer was tempting but Corlys saw what the man did not.

That such an action would alienate him from the Iron Throne, and would make House Velaryon into pariahs.

"You are free to reject it of course," the man added suddenly.

"But even I have heard rumors that the King wishes to replace you with the young prince Aegon, that he no longer trusts a man such as yourself, and thinks that a young blood could do replace the fabled Sea Snake," and his fists balled up at that.

That was true, and with Viserys' intentions of joining his line with Daemon's it would essentially end any hopes that House Velaryon would one day reclaim the right of which they had been robbed, that he would see his blood sit on the Iron throne.

"I will think about your offer," he finally spoke as he stood up.

"Until then, you are free to enjoy the hospitality of House Velaryon..."

0000

JEYNE ARRYN

News of Prince Daemon's death had shocked the entire region, including Jeyne and the fact that Aegon was away from the Eyrie had only added to her troubles. He had gone to attend the funeral of the girl he had loved, and yet had gotten holed up in the capital once more.

It was becoming a sort of a trend with him, though she could hardly blame him for it. It was just the nature of things, and so they were forced to postpone the final attack on Corbyn lands, as she sent off Ser Willam to the capital, for the young man had been nominated by Aegon to act as his replacement in the Council.

And with every passing day the true reality of Prince Daemon's death began to set in, as she realised that Aegon was no longer a simple Prince. He was now the proverbial heir to the most powerful seat in the realm—the Iron Throne.

And it seemed that all the running and scurrying from the days of old was in ways getting revenge on Aegon, tying him down to the capital that he had once hated.

And it had all begun with the woman infront of her, the recently widowed Lady of Runestone, the wife of Daemon Targaryen, the Lady Rhea Royce who sat in her solar sipping away her wines as she read the latest missive from the capital.

"It seems Willam has reached the capital," she added as she sighed.

"He has, now Aegon can finally return to us, to his home," she added and the woman looked her in the eye, and despite having lost her husband the Lady Rhea had not gone to the funeral, and did not appear as if she had been widowed a few weeks ago.

"I doubt things will be so simple," she added with a crooked smile as she sipped her wine.

"I had always feared that such a thing may happen, and my fears have come true," she added as she put down the cups.

"And what did you fear?" she asked.

"That this would happen, that in the end Aegon would find himself entangled by the politics of the court given his title and accomplishments. But even I never thought that he would become the heir," and she scoffed at that.

"Daemon would be rolling in his graves at the sight of this, he never could stand someone who appears as Aegon does occupying the Iron Throne," and given what she knew of Prince Daemon, she knew it to be true.

"He could deny it," she added, and a part of her hoped he would but Lady Rhea shook her head.

"He cannot. No one can, in some ways the Iron Throne was his destiny, it always had been," she added making her frown.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, and she saw Lady Rhea's eyes narrow, until she finally spoke up after minutes of silence.

"It was something that the Good Queen Alyssane spoke of in one of her visits, the one where she conferred upon him the title of Prince," and she was surprised at the mention of the name of the Good Queen.

And indeed, the Good Queen had always doted on Aegon for the few years they had spent together living, the woman had been the only member of the Royal family to visits him, and had been the one to grant him the title of Prince which had now made him the official heir to the Iron Throne.

"She told me that she had failed, that in her dreams she saw a future rife with war and destruction. A conflict so savage that it may end the era of Dragons as we know it, and that in this bleak future she saw only one hope. One hope," and as Jeyne connected the dots she mouthed.

"Aegon," and Lady Rhea nodded making her eyes widen.

"But how could she know, or even say such a thing?" for this was all from years ago.

And Lady Rhea sighed as she took a big gulp of her wine, and leaned forward.

"I cannot be sure, but I have a theory," she said.

"The Targaryens have an extensive history, and in that history they have always narrowly escaped death many a times, and the greatest example of this is..."

"Denys the Dreamer," she gasped, and Lady Rhea nodded.

"Indeed, and while I cannot be sure there can only be one reason that the Good Queen was so invested in a babe so young even though she was perhaps the most powerful woman in the whole continent," and she could feel her head spin at those words.

"Because I believe the Good Queen was a dr..."

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

They both turned towards the door and watched as a servant entered the solar at her command.

"My lady I bring news from the battlefield," and she nodded as she picked up the missive from the servant.

"Heart's Home had fallen, the charge was led by Ser Joffery Arryn, and was aided by Prince Aegon and..."

"...my cousin," she gasped as she read the letter.

"Indeed, Princess Rhaenyra joined the Prince in the assault and according to the missive is headed for the Eyrie, as we speak," and that was a surprise she was not ready for.

"Make preparations to receive the Princess. Make sure that nothing is lacking...."

0000

LARYS STRONG

Aegon Targaryen was a conundrum to him. The young Prince fascinated him in ways that he could not describe. For someone who had at first seemed so above the little political games of the capital, someone who had more or less refused to participate in it, chasing after his own heart the boy had won it all.

The young Prince had won where titans like his own father, like the Sea Snake and many more had failed. And yet he had not even begun playing the game, that was in his own words.

Larys did not believe that, even though he would never voice it out. He did not believe it for a second.

His belief was that the Prince was playing this game, and he was playing it better than anyone else. And now with the Velaryons haveing left the capital rather conspicuously, Aegon Targaryenw as in ways more than one the one and only power broker in the city.

The Prince had gone from being an outsider, to becoming the most powerful man in the kingdom, all in the span of few years, and Larys refused to believe it all to be a coincidence.

No, he believed that Prince Aegon was perhaps the most conniving and cunning man to enter the capital, and that he had been right about him all along, no matter how the young Prince may act otherwise.

"You summoned me my Prince," he spoke softly as he sat opposite to the young Master of Laws, the office acutely familiar to him had changed after his father's elevation and the Prince's rise to teh station.

And that was another thing, to become a Council Memeber after getting rid of the political behemoths that were Colrys Velaryon and Otto Hightower, it could not be happenstance. It simply could not be.

"I did," the Prince began, as he looked him in the eye, while leaning back in the chair. And his face was glacial, stone cold with no hint of emotion visible to him.

"I have a task for you, Lord Larys," the Prince said and he smirked internally as he lowered his head.

"Your wish is my command, my Prince. I wish to serve," he said, voicing out his heart' eternal desire as the Prince raised a brow.

"As you know that I am to leave the capital for sometime. I must go to teh Vale to end the war there and then leave for Braavos to negotiate an alliance with the Sealord, and though my cousin is to replace me as the Master of Laws, the capital can be rather treacherous to newcomers such as him," and indeed, the politics of the capital could devour anyone.

But you had only flourished. No, the Prince had triumphed.

"I was hoping that you could be my eyes and ears in the capital and beyond while I am away," he offered, and Larys nodded, smiling as he had his wish answered.

"It shall be done...."

00000

Read ahead and support me on Patre 0n. Help me write this and other such stories by becoming a Patr 0n. It would be pretty awesome of you and would mean a lot to me.

www.Patre 0n.com/Drkest

Have a nice day!