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Fantastic chapter, I was on the edge of my seat at the end there. Dragon duel RNG can be a cruel, cruel mistress. Thankfully things mostly worked out.
I'm not surprised Valerion chose to stay out of this one. He always seemed the shrewdest of the Seafyre brothers, and it makes sense that he'd recognize Aelor's desperate folly for what it was - shame that Matarys couldn't do the same. Matarys having tamed Narrah was a surprise that definitely raised the stakes, but at the end of the day it seems the real lesson here is; No matter the timeline, no matter the circumstances, NEVER go up against that hoary old bitch Vhagar on a dark, stormy night...
It is a bit sad, speaking of Vhagar, that she wound up killing one of her own offspring. I imagine most of the current dragons are descended from her or Meraxes? I don't recall if Balerion produced too many eggs. Still, I suppose that makes her a bit of a draconic kinslayer, just like Aurion. Does he actually have the kinslayer trait in-game too, or did Matarys just die in battle without a specific killer? In either case, it's been a ROUGH couple of weeks for Aurion. A bit of a reality check might honestly do him good, but hopefully this darkening of his mood isn't permanent. He still has quite a few remaining children to live for, after all.
In the grand scheme of things, I think this little fiasco is ultimately comparable less to the Dance of Dragons as it is to Maegor's killing of Aegon the Uncrowned. A brief, one-sided power struggle ended in one swift, decisive dragon duel with a bit of kinslaying on the side. The realm mostly rallied behind Aurion (curious to see what, if anything, will happen to the Dornish though, and to Aelor's wife and kids), and the only meaningful loss was the second largest dragon. But it's also the first real crack in a seemingly impenetrable facade, and considering you referred to it as "the FIRST Seafyre Rebellion", I could easily see this trickle becoming a flood in the near future, especially upon Aurion's death. Enjoy your well-earned break, and looking forward to the next chapter!
Thank you for everything. I will await your return.
The King probably will not face another revolt, but the transition to the next ruler could see fireworks. Hopefully the Princess survives the infection and she can try again to tame a dragon. How many dragon/riders combos exist and how many unclaimed dragons?
Aelor's rebellion is swiftly crushed. Matarys betrayed his kingly brother despite being having a 100 point positive opinion of Aurion. Matarys paid the price of his betrayal with his life. I don't think Aelor's hypothetical reign as king would have been very stable or long lasting. The Seafyre rebels certainly could have seized the Iron Throne if Aurion and Vhagar were killed. Aelor could have then executed or exiled Aurion's family and burned out the Tyrells and Hightowers with Matarys and Narrah.
However, Aelor would be deeply unpopular after the overthrow of the well regarded Aurion and his family. The biggest concern would be Matarys. An ungrateful Matarys would have suddenly murdered one brother and king for his personal gain in this scenario. What would be to Matarys for him to murder King Aelor and to seize the Iron Throne for himself? He would have the world's biggest living dragon at that point? Perhaps Matarys's friendship with Aelor would prevent that or Aelor would murder Matarys before he could do that. Aelor would have and arguably already has worsen the precedent set by his father Jaerion. After this usurpation, it would mean anybody with a strong enough dragon or can convince a dragonrider with a strong enough dragon could usurp the Iron Throne.
Did Aurion have Aelor sharply questioned aka tortured from that icon I see? I think repeatedly torturing a family member until they die technically does not count as kinslaying in CK.
You are calling this the First Seafyre Rebellion? Is this a sign that there will be more Seafyre rebellions soon or this is merely covering your bases like the people who called WW1 that before the outbreak of WW2.
I see that Prince Balaeron recieved a fief for his loyalty to the Iron Throne. Would he really be an effective governor I wonder?
It looks like Valerion will likely receive the title of Lord Paramount of the Stepstones for his "loyalty" in the rebellion. Aurion should get a reliable spymaster and review the activities of all his vassals and remaining brothers to see who is truly loyal or who were waiting for a better chance to betray their liege but will Aurion do that or will he merely give Valerion a better base to usurp the throne? Some people here including myself seem to be expecting Valerion to try to usurp the Iron Throne the moment Aurion and/or Vhagar dies.
Will Dorne and the Martells face any punishment for standing against the King? In real life, some kings forgave or only lightly punished their rebellious brothers not wishing to harm their close kin but brutally punished the supporters of their rebellious siblings instead to try to discourage further revolts. Other kings used weak defeated revolts against them as an opportunity and excuse to centralize royal authority or to weaken rivals by revoking the lands or curtailing the autonomy of vassals who joined revolts.
It does not seem that Aurion has any interest in doing that. It seems that he is all but making excuses for the Martells for their revolt against him citing the Martell marriage ties to Aelor. Some kings in real life would declare that treachery from anybody for any reason will be punished and oaths to the king come before family ties or ties to their immediate lord. However, that is a fairly alien mindset to most Westerosi nobles. Even the notoriously law obsessed Stannis Baratheon held his family ties to Robert over his legal allegiance to the King. Also, Aurion is already not in the mood to turn a short war in the Stepstone into a bloody campaign in Dorne.
Beautiful artwork as usual. The portraits are superb. And because I know how hard it may be to get AI to make a good prison picture that is also a standout.
Your break is well earned. No doubt your audience will be here when you return. (We all need a break sometimes to gather new content.)
Thank you, I did really like the portraits in this chapter, particularly of Matarys and Aelor. As for the prison picture, that is actually not AI art but an image I found online, I tried in vain to find a source but couldnt find it unfortunately. I tried to generate a prison picture but it was harder than expected.
It has been good to have a break, and It was fun to play the game again for the first time in several months, and gather new content I did, currently I am about 9 years ahead of this chapter and some interesting stuff has happened, as well as groundwork that I hope the game builds off of.
Aurion is considered a kinslayer unfortunately, but this will be covered a little in the next chapter and there will be a positive resolution on this pretty soon.
Vhagar was not wounded in game, only Aurion, I thought it was unrealistic for a dragon to come off completely unscathed in a dragon duel, even if they didnt get the wounded trait.
The chapter is awesome. Hoped Aelor would meet his end screaming and burning, but as for now with so much personal harm to the king it seems not entirely impossible still.
Thank you, I enjoyed writing it. Aelors story is not yet over and he will have a POV in the coming chapter....as for a death of screaming and burning....definately not impossible....... especially if the game expands on some stuff it gave me.
I'm not surprised Valerion chose to stay out of this one. He always seemed the shrewdest of the Seafyre brothers, and it makes sense that he'd recognize Aelor's desperate folly for what it was
It is a bit sad, speaking of Vhagar, that she wound up killing one of her own offspring. I imagine most of the current dragons are descended from her or Meraxes? I don't recall if Balerion produced too many eggs. Still, I suppose that makes her a bit of a draconic kinslayer, just like Aurion. Does he actually have the kinslayer trait in-game too, or did Matarys just die in battle without a specific killer?
All the current dragons are descended from Meraxes and Vhagar (Balerion too in a sense as his only 2 eggs were Vhagar and Meraxes) Aurion does have the kinslayer trait in the game, but this will be adressed in the upcoming chapter through an event, Aurion has politically savvy people around him.
These events will lead to some trait changes of Aurion, either by the addition of new ones, loss of existing ones, or both....some of them will be.....interesting, not necessarily on their own but if the game continues on this path........I would both love and hate it as a writer of these characters.
The King probably will not face another revolt, but the transition to the next ruler could see fireworks. Hopefully the Princess survives the infection and she can try again to tame a dragon. How many dragon/riders combos exist and how many unclaimed dragons?
Not many untamed dragons, and some dragon pairings are a little weird, even with taming set too hardest difficulty in game settings there are still some random people who end up taming dragons.
There will be another one added fairly soon however. There are plenty of other dragons I didnt mention, yet until they get a relevent rider for stories sake just consider they are all in the dragonpit.
With his traits, killing the rival princelings would have been a possiblity......and he wouldnt have an issue ordering Highgarden and Oldtown burned if they dared oppose him.
Did Aurion have Aelor sharply questioned aka tortured from that icon I see? I think repeatedly torturing a family member until they die technically does not count as kinslaying in CK.
I have not had Aelor tortured, he is not in house arrest but is in the dungeon which comes with a slight negaive health modifier, though Aurion is not the type to torture Aelor, even with his crimes.
You are calling this the First Seafyre Rebellion? Is this a sign that there will be more Seafyre rebellions soon or this is merely covering your bases like the people who called WW1 that before the outbreak of WW2.
More so covering my bases havent played far enough ahead to know for sure another one will happen, I didnt want to refer to it as ''the'' Seafyre rebellion because in terms of actual fighting it was pretty minor and if there are others it could likely be more major so ill just go the Blackfyre rebellion route in terms of naming (1st Seafyre rebellion, 2nd Seafyre....etc)
Good eye, this will be covered in the next chapter, there are other reasons he will gain this appointment besides governance skill, but it is worth noting that even though ''tamed'', the Stepstones are still a frontier and are small in size and population, so defensive warriors are probably more desirable for this area than stewards or courtly politicians.
It looks like Valerion will likely receive the title of Lord Paramount of the Stepstones for his "loyalty" in the rebellion. Aurion should get a reliable spymaster and review the activities of all his vassals and remaining brothers to see who is truly loyal or who were waiting for a better chance to betray their liege but will Aurion do that or will he merely give Valerion a better base to usurp the throne?
He is certainly the best choice in the Stepstones, being an experienced warrior, and outwardly he has done nothing in opposition to the throne. With this being said, there is one character in partcicular who will be suspicious of Valerion despite his outward loyalty, whether or not Aurion listens to them will have to be seen, there is also the matter of Aelor, who knows a lot of information that could harm Valerion........
This will be shown in the early part of this next chapter....best answer I can give is....kind of.....
-To All: Thank you for the comments/likes. I am glad people seemed to like this chapter. I am still on my ''break'' but I will post the next Chronicle of Dragons entry I quickly wrote today. I have only written a few hundred words of the next chapter, but now I have had some time to think over and finalize the structure of this chapter and the one after that, still on my break but in the next few days I will start writing again and hopefully next chapter ''The Flames Within'' with POVS from Maelyx, Aelor, and Aurion will be out in around two weeks.
Lineage: Unknown, theorized to have been hatched of an egg from Balerion the Dread decades before the time of Aegon the Conqueror.
Riders: Numerous unknown riders before the time of the Conqueror,
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen,
A Volantene woman of unknown name
The Mantaryan Jaqario Kirineon
Rhaenella Rebagyr, Lady of Mantarys
Jaermion the ‘’Dragontamer’’,
Jaenyra Targaryen
Description: Scales of silver and eyes of molten gold, at the time of its death in Highgarden, was almost as large as the dragon Balerion the Dread, surpassing one hundred feet of length.
Chronicle: Meraxes, known as ‘’the Silver Death’’ to the Essosi, was one of the three original Targaryen dragons that were used in Aegon the Conqueror's conquest of Westeros. Aegons sister Rhaenys mounted the beast at the Battle of the Last Storm, where along with her half brother Orys Baratheon, defeated the Storm King Argilac Durrandon and secured the submission of the Storm Lands, following this, the dragon would also take part in the famed battle upon the Fields of Fire, defeating the forces of the Tyrells and Lannisters.
Following the conquest, Meraxes and its rider Rhaenys would participate in the campaign against Dorne, participating in the burning of Yronwood along with Balerion, the dragon played a role in the following battles of Watersmeet and Sandgate as well.
With the death of Rhaneys in 25 AC, the dragon Meraxes fled Storms End in a fit of rage, flying across the Narrow Sea, and it would be many years before it returned to Westeros….
Information on the dragon Meraxes and its time in Essos are vague at best, but what is known is that the dragon soon came under the control of a Volantene woman, who acting upon the orders of the acting Triarch, burned the great Red Temple of R'hllor in Volantis, killing many of the rebellious Red Priests and all but destroying their slave army, the Fiery Hand, it is after this event Meraxes earned its name of the ‘’Silver Death.’’
Following the poisoning of its rider, likely at the hands of the Triarch or the Red Priest, Meraxes flew further east, making a den in the caves of the Demon Pass in Mantarys before an old Mantaryan shepard claimed the beast, causing much tribute to be sent to the city of Mantarys from neighboring realms.
After its riders death some years after, Meraxes flew south to the ruins of Old Valyria, where it was the object of Prince Vaekar Targaryens famed journey to the east to find and claim the dragon, and though the Prince of Dragonstone caught sight of the beast for a brief moment, the hunt was unsuccessful as Meraxes flew further south into the dreaded mists of Valyria.
Some years later, the dragon would emerge from the mists and reappear in the painted valleys of Mantarys, where it was claimed by the Lady Rhaenella Rebagyr, who used it as leverage to force Lord Zobridar of Mantarys to abdicate and place the Rebagyr family upon the Mantaryan throne.
Following Lady Rebagyrs death, Meraxes would be claimed by one of Rhaenellas Rebagyr kinsmen Jaermion, who would receive word from Westeros, that should he come to King's Landing and bend the knee to the ruling Queen Laena he would receive great rewards, including a royal marriage……
Before the Dragontamer could claim these rewards however, the man would perish in a fierce inferno inside of one of his taverns, a death that has often been attributed to the Queen of Skulls, as with Jaemrions death, Meraxes once again came under Targaryen control and was consigned to a newly built Dragonpit.
Meraxes would take no rider for many years, with the largest dragon in the world earning a fierce reputation, due in no small part because of its fatal roasting of the young girl Aerea, granddaughter of the Queen of Skulls when she attempted to enter its pit and claim the beast.
Meraxes would at last take another Targaryen rider nearly a century after the Princess Rhaenys, when Jaenyra Targaryen, sister of King Jaerion the Brief claimed the dragon as her dowry, taking the old dragon with her to Highgarden where it would spend its last years in peace, eventually dying of old age in the Highgarden dragonpit, with its mighty skull still being displayed in the keep of the Tyrells, a proud reminder of their Targaryen heritage……
Name: Narrah
Lineage: Hatched from an egg of Vhagar, bestowed by Queen Visenya to her daughter Nyel.
Riders: Queen Nyel Targaryen
Princess Vaella Targaryen
Prince Matarys Targaryen
Description: Scales of red crimson and two horns white as bone, parallel white stripes running from the back of the horns to the tail, red crimson wings with noticeable thin patches of white membrane on the left wing caused by wounds inflicted by scorpion bolts, at the time of its death in 125 AC was nearly 70 feet in length and the second largest dragon in Targaryen possession.
Chronicle: The dragon Narrah was the first of the new generation of Targaryen dragons to be hatched after the conquest, being the first new dragon to enter the world in nearly 70 years, with the hatching occurring in the gardens of Dragonstone while the Princess Nyel slept.
Narrah would be ridden by Princess Nyel during the Lion's Rebellion against the Lannister host marching on Kings Landing, with the small dragon setting many siege engines ablaze and buying the city time until King Vaemond arrived to reinforce the city, following the Lion's Rebellion there would be a great peace of many years allowing the dragon to grow, and Narrah, and its rider Nyel were common sights in the skies above Kings Landing.
After the Queen's death, Narrah would take no rider until the Princess Vaella Targaryen would claim the dragon following her mother, Laena, Queen of Skulls, ascension.
Princess Vaella would ride Narrah into combat several times, most notably during the expedition to the Summer Islands where Vaella would order the ‘’Talking Trees’’ of Tall Trees Town burnt as well as the battlements, forcing the trading cities capitulation and leading to the deaths of hundreds.
Years later, the Princess Vaella would once again ride atop Narrah during the first trade war against the Pentoshi, though while attacking the walls of Amenos, Narrah’s left wing would be wounded by scorpion bolts, wounds which would heal in time but would leave the crimson dragons left wing noticeably scarred with thin white membrane.
The dragon Narrah was at the center of the confrontation between King Aurion and his great aunt Vaella, however the confrontation was peacefully resolved, though the Princess Vaella would never again lay eyes upon Narrah.
Narrahs final rider was to be Prince Matarys Targaryen, brother of the King Aurion. Prince Matarys swore his loyalty and that of his dragon to his rebellious brother Aelor Seafyre leading to the events of the first dragon dance in Targaryen history.
During the fierce battle above the Stepstones, the dragon Narrah would attempt to ambush the larger Vhagar, the dragon which had hatched the egg Narrah was born from. The ambush would fail and Narrah, second oldest dragon in the world would be killed by Vhagar and its head torn off. The crimson dragon's skull would later wash up to the south of the Stepstones on the Island of Last Refuge, which to this day has come to be known as the island of Narrahs Rest.
Aurion does have the kinslayer trait in the game, but this will be adressed in the upcoming chapter through an event, Aurion has politically savvy people around him.
The Catholic Pope can offer forgiveness and absolution for the sin of kinslaying which removes the kinslayer trait in exchange for piety or money to Catholic rulers he likes in base CK2 and I believe that the High Septon can do the same for Faith of the Seven rulers in the mod. Considering the situation the kinslaying occurred in as well as Aurion's relatively good standing with the Faith of the Seven, it would not be too surprising if the High Septon decided to help Aurion here.
there is one character in partcicular who will be suspicious of Valerion despite his outward loyalty, whether or not Aurion listens to them will have to be seen, there is also the matter of Aelor, who knows a lot of information that could harm Valerion........
I am guessing this character will be Maelyx, the Prince of Dragonstone and Master of Laws. Maelyx has a Level 3 intrigue trait and he was shown to have set up his own personal spy network which resulted in the detection of Aelor's murder plot in the story. The Crown Prince might be distrustful of Valerion in light of Valerion's close partnership with Aelor. Aelor could also reveal Valerion's disloyalty to knock him down out of spite.
I wonder if we will have an second of his/her name? So far, the names of the Targaryen monarchs have been only used once and the two princes immediately in line after Aurion would also be the first of their names.
I wonder if the Targaryens might ever start using non-Valyrian names or alternately adopt a single non-Valyrian name for use for Targaryen children. In the canon, King Aegon V named his eldest son and expected heir Duncan after his friend Duncan the Tall. However, Prince Duncan married a commoner and was removed from the succession so we never had a King Duncan I Targaryen and the name didn't become common in the family.
In real life, the Anglo-Saxon English name of Edward was rarely used for two centuries after the Norman Conquest of England. However, King Henry III of England was an admirer of the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor and named his eldest son Edward after him who eventually became King Edward I Longshanks of England. The name Edward became the only Anglo-Saxon name commonly used by English and British royalty. Likewise, the name Magnus which means Great in Latin wasn't a traditional Norse name, but King Olaf II of Norway was an admirer of Emperor Charlemagne, and Olaf's son was named Magnus who eventually became King of Norway causing the name to be adopted for use by Scandinavian royalty.
I wonder if we will have an second of his/her name? So far, the names of the Targaryen monarchs have been only used once and the two princes immediately in line after Aurion would also be the first of their names.
I’ve been wondering about this too! I 100% support and enjoy the decision to dive into less common Valyrian names in this AAR instead of all the most common Targaryen names from the canon timeline, but I have been wondering whether we might see some of them start to reappear. Certainly it seems like there probably would have been a baby Aegon or two by now, and maybe some Vaemonds too? (Not remotely surprised that we haven’t seen any more Laenas though lmao)
Vhagar was Visenyas yes, outside of Vhagar the only dragon that hatched during Aegons reign that is still living is Moondancer, dragon of the late king Vaemond which is now (I think) the second largest dragon alive, it is still in Westeros but in kind of a strange bonding situation so I havent adressed Moondancer in a while, though I will if it becomes relevant.
The Catholic Pope can offer forgiveness and absolution for the sin of kinslaying which removes the kinslayer trait in exchange for piety or money to Catholic rulers he likes in base CK2 and I believe that the High Septon can do the same for Faith of the Seven rulers in the mod. Considering the situation the kinslaying occurred in as well as Aurion's relatively good standing with the Faith of the Seven, it would not be too surprising if the High Septon decided to help Aurion here.
I am guessing this character will be Maelyx, the Prince of Dragonstone and Master of Laws. Maelyx has a Level 3 intrigue trait and he was shown to have set up his own personal spy network which resulted in the detection of Aelor's murder plot in the story. The Crown Prince might be distrustful of Valerion in light of Valerion's close partnership with Aelor. Aelor could also reveal Valerion's disloyalty to knock him down out of spite.
Good guess, this will also be a part of the next chapter. Valerion will appear and have some dialouge in this chapter but not have a POV, though he likely will in the following chapter.
I wonder if we will have an second of his/her name? So far, the names of the Targaryen monarchs have been only used once and the two princes immediately in line after Aurion would also be the first of their names.
I’ve been wondering about this too! I 100% support and enjoy the decision to dive into less common Valyrian names in this AAR instead of all the most common Targaryen names from the canon timeline, but I have been wondering whether we might see some of them start to reappear. Certainly it seems like there probably would have been a baby Aegon or two by now, and maybe some Vaemonds too? (Not remotely surprised that we haven’t seen any more Laenas though lmao)
I have been considering this as I would also like to see it, however I am pretty content to let the AI name their own kids and not interfere (only exception was Nyel). I would like to see some Aegons and Vaemonds in the future though. There is one quasi-targaryen named Aegon, the son of the late Viserys Goldfyre and nephew to the current gold cloak commander Matagar Goldfyre.
Yes, I wish I could have responded sooner (to this and the voting) but for some reasons my notifications stopped working, hope to get this thread, my reading comments, and voting up and running again.
-To All: Thank you for the questions/comments. This break was much needed, was quite busy with irl stuff and had family in town so I didnt get much writing outside of the opening scene done. I have started writing again however and wrote half of the second scene yesterday, hope to get this chapter done in 2-3 weeks, maybe less. Thank you for the continued interest.
The Dragons Realm
Chapter 59: Rousing Flames 8th Moon, 125 AC
The Red Keep, Kings Landing
Prince Maelyx sighed tiredly as he accepted yet another piece of parchment from his younger brother Taegon, a blonde boy of ten who had been excused from his duties serving the Hand of the King, Lord Oldflowers for the day to help his brother and gain some experience in courtly correspondence.
‘’This ones for Wendell Hightower, Lord of Oldtown.’’ His youngest brother said, handing him the parchment, despite the two of them having been at it for hours, the boy showed no sign of fidgeting or uneasiness, with the boy obediently returning to a waiting position of a page, arms behind his back.
Maelyx accepted it with a nod and began to write.
Uncle,
The crown thanks you for your loyalty and haste in raising troops in the face of the threat of the traitor Aelor Seafyre.
It is with great relief that the Crown can announce an end to the hostilities, and respectfully calls you to disband your troops and return to the security and prosperity of the King's Peace.
Please let it be known that I shall be traveling to Oldtown within the month with gifts of friendship and gratitude, and to give you the honor your loyalty and contribution deserves.
-Your Nephew, Maelyx Targaryen,
Prince of Dragonstone, Master of Laws of the Seven Kingdoms and Heir to the Iron Throne
The Prince quickly skimmed through the writing, pursing his lip with distaste of having to write such ill-deserved honors , he had met his Uncle Wendell Hightower a few times, and had not been impressed in those meetings, but he knew his mothers brother was proud and would be expecting a personal letter of thanks for ordering his levies raised. Satisfied, he affixed his fathers seal to the letter, adding it to the pile of completed parchments.
Even with his Uncle Aelors rebellion crushed, the realm was in a precarious situation, a great many Lords and Ladies throughout the realm had raised their personal levies and retinues, looking at their neighbors with suspicion, wondering who they would declare for, the war might have been over, but with so many armed men raised throughout the realm, it would not take much to stoke the fires of another conflict, the realm needed to return to the King's Peace as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that was to send a raven to every castle and Lord, great and small with orders to stand down their armies.
Such a task required a great deal of work, and Maelyx had been up since before dawn, far earlier than he normally awoke.
Wearily, he wiped his eyes and prepared to ask his younger brother for the next letter when the door to his solar opened.
Ser Marq Marbrand, Captain of the Dragon Cloaks bowed his head ‘’The galley from Sunspear has arrived at the docks my Prince, will you be wanting me to go with an escort?’’
‘’I shall go myself I think….I have been in this chamber for far too long, ready an escort if you will captain.’’ Maelyx said, seizing the opportunity for a reprieve.
He then handed the thick sheaf of raven scrolls to his younger brother ‘’Bring these to the Grandmaester to send out while I am gone….then go and get yourself something from the kitchens, we continue later this evening.’’
His younger brother nodded and left the chamber, and Maelyx without delay set off with an escort of Dragon Cloaks from the Red Keep down towards the harbor.
Even as a man grown, now twenty and one, he still always felt a pang of excitement when entering the city, even after all these years it still felt almost forbidden and foreign, like the day all those years ago he had snuck out with Balaeron, the allure of the city had never truly died.
The warmth of the sun and the colors of the silks and tunics of the merchants and wealthier citizens who walked down the more affluent streets of Kings Landing were a welcome change from the dullness of his solar and Maelyx quickly felt rejuvenated, if even for only a moment.
They made good time through the city, and soon the crowded harbor of Kings Landing came into view, and it was easy to spot the Dornish galley from Sunspear, a banner of bright orange silk with a red sun and golden spear waving in the wind.
Waiting upon this galley was Lady Sarra Martell of Dorne , the second daughter of Princess Helia Martell, who was to be spending the foreseeable future in the capitol as an ‘’honored guest’’ though the truth that all surely understood was that this was simply a polite way of addressing her new position as a hostage.
His father, the King, had not wished to severely punish Dorne for several reasons. The first was that the Lady Helia had never officially declared for the rebels, and while she had mustered her forces without sending reasoning to the capitol, which was especially concerning due to her eldest daughter's marriage with Aelor Seafyre, this army had never directly been sent to the border.
While it was clear to all that the Martells mustering was not out of complete loyalty to the crown, severe punishment could destabilize the region and the realm, it was bad enough the Stormlands were still embroiled in conflict, and with the threat of civil war so recently abated, Maelyx agreed it was best to handle things gently with the wayward aged Princess Helia, whom his father had a personal relationship with as a result of his visit to Sunspear. His father had wondered if perhaps they should simply keep Aelors wife Danella Martell, and the mother of Aelors two children Rhaera and Sefton as the hostage but Maelyx thought it was unwise to keep his imprisoned uncles wife lurking about in the castle, and instead had the woman sent back to her mother in Sunspear, while her two children, Maelyx’s cousins would be fostered out throughout the realm.
Maelyx forced himself to focus on the present as he and his retinue dismounted and made their way to the docks, hostage or not, Lady Sarra Martell deserved a courteous greeting.
Lady Sarra Martell appeared on the deck, a rather haggard looking woman of perhaps thirty with thick matted black hair, a look from the captain of the ship seemed to tell the reluctant woman that it was time, and, with only a serving maid as company she slowly shuffled down the plank, promptly misjudging the final step and almost tumbling to the ground before Maelyx quickly caught her with powerful hands and secured her.
‘’Welcome to Kings Landing my Lady.’’ the Prince said, a small smile on his face and the woman gave a small nod of acknowledgement.
Maelyx gestured for his escort to help the woman and her handmaiden mount up and they began the ride back to King's Landing.
They rode much of the way in silence, Maelyx attempted several times to make light jests and jokes relating to the city and its differences to Dorne, but most of these jokes seemed to go over the woman's head and she only responded with nods or simple courtesies.
A gregarious man, Maelyx was not particularly stimulated by the conversation and quickly decided to change course, this woman would likely be spending the next several years as part of the court, and if he could make her feel less anxious then now was the best opportunity to do so.
‘’You ought not think of this as a punishment my Lady, my father keeps a lively court and you shall lack for nothing during your stay here….I am told you have a young son as well, and a husband, should you wish to arrange a visit, you need only ask and I shall make preparations for them to stay here for a tim….’’ Maelyx began but promptly stopped when at the mention of her son, the woman broke down into what was no doubt not her first fit of weeping.
The Prince decided that perhaps it was wisest to ride the rest of the way in silence after that, making a mental note to ask his wife Myria to try and better welcome the woman.
After a bit more riding, the red ramparts of the Red Keep came into view and soon, the gate. After bidding a courteous farewell to Lady Sarra and inviting her to a small dinner with his wife Myria and mother Alicent, Maelyx strode tiredly back towards his solar, where more work disbanding the armies of the realm awaited him.
Walking to the doorway however, he was not met with the sight of his younger brother Taegar, but his fathers brother Balaeron, and his closest friend who was pacing the chambers, and Maelyx suddenly remembered he had requested a meeting with Balaeron for this afternoon.
‘’Lord Seafyre.’’ Maelyx said in greeting, striding into the room.
Balaeron almost comically looked around the empty chamber before nodding slowly and turning to face Maelyx.
‘’You dont have to call me that.’’ Baleron said, almost sheepishly.
‘’No I dont……but you had best get used to it, it wont do if your men call you that and you have to look in every corner of the room……you are a lord now Balaeron…… Lord Seafyre of Narrahs Rest.’’ Maelyx said with a grin.
Following the death of his uncle Matarys and the imprisonment of his uncle Aelor, a good deal of land had become available in the Stepstones. His father had granted Wreckstone, former seat of Matarys to Valerion as reward for his loyalty, while the islands of Deepstone and Flame Isle were granted to Emmon Florent and Arrec Swygert, men who belonged to proud yet landless houses, with Arrec Swygert being the son of Aurions late Hand Anders.
After these grants, there was one more of the principal islands to grant, the island which the locals were referring to as ‘’Narrahs Rest’’ after the rotting head of the dragon Narrah had washed up on its shore shortly after the dragon battle above the Stepstones. Maelyx had advocated for Balaeron to receive the lordship, and his father, who had not fully returned to full rulership as a result of his wound, had given his somewhat dubious assent, claiming he did not necessarily know if Balaeron was meant to be a leader of men. Maelyx had insisted however, driven by more reasoning than just rewarding his closest friend with a fief……
‘’Maelyx…..I will do my duty, you know that, but…..I never asked for this….I know it was you who pushed the idea with the King…..I've only ever wanted to lead my dragon.’’ Balaeron said hesitantly, a small smile at the end.
The Prince took his friend by the shoulder ‘’I know….but I need a man I can trust in the Stepstones……and it doesn't hurt that you have a dragon….I need you keeping an eye out on the frontier for me…’’
And I need you to keep a watchful eye on Valerion….balance his power Maelyx might have said, but he thought better of it, the topic of his suspicions were for another conversation at another time.
Balaeron nodded and Maelyx took a seat at his desk, gesturing for Balaeron to sit.
‘’There is another topic I wanted to discuss with you……really, a favor I need from you.’’ Maelyx began.
‘’Anything.’’ Balaeron said without hesitation.
‘’It relates to Aelors children….your niece and nephew Rhaera and Sefton.’’ Maelyx began.
‘’After their fathers treason, it falls on me to see to their future and upbringing, your brother Valerion has agreed to take in Matarys’s young son Beleqor…..but as for Aelors children I dont wish to inflict more burdens on his household.’’ Maelyx continued Or add more claimants to his court he thought.
‘’You want me to take in Aelors children?’’ Balaeron asked.
Maelyx shook his head ‘’I have already made arrangements for the girl to be fostered in Claw Isle by the Celtigars, and the boy will be sent to Harrenhall…but what I ask refers to the girl, Rhaera.
Balaeron raised his eyebrows.
‘’The girl is a dangerous claimant.’’ Maelyx began, rising to his feet ‘’I fear that when she grows old enough, a disgruntled lord might use her position as the daughter of an imprisoned traitor to further their own ends…perhaps use her in some sort of treason against the throne…..I should like to secure a marriage now, to someone I can trust so that I won't have to worry about who might try and use her claim.’’
Maelyx looked at his friend knowingly.
Balaeron looked uncomfortable ‘’Maelyx…..you know I……’’ he began but Maelyx raised a gentle hand, stopping him.
‘’I know’’ He said gently ‘’but a Lord is expected to take a wife…and sooner rather than later, or rumors will begin to circulate…or in your case…more rumors….securing a marriage is the best way to protect yourself…even a betrothal would be enough….now it will be years before the girl is old enough to marry…if you would rather face the marriage bed sooner, the choice is yours but if you should like to put it off for a few years….’’
‘’I accept.’’ Balaeron said, quickly.
Maelyx smiled, in truth he saw this as an advantageous situation for both of them, Maelyx was able to place his young cousin in a marriage to a man he trusted, removing the worry that some faction might use her status and heritage against the throne, while Balaeron would be able to protect himself from the rumors which had begun to surround him and put off the marriage bed he dreaded for at least a few years.
There were downsides to the marriage of course, as Balaeron was the girls uncle of course and Targaryen incesteous marriages had long become obsolete, but Maelyx hoped the marriage would go relatively unnoticed by the larger realm, the daughter of an imprisoned traitor and a lord of the Stepstones would likely not be on the forefront of the realms gossip, and besides, as head of the Seafyres, perhaps it would be Valerion who would be held most responsible, and not the crown.
‘’I'll make the preparations then.’’ Maelyx said.
Balaeron rose and turned to leave, turning before he left ‘’Maelyx…..thank you…I know why you are doing this.’’
Maelyx nodded farewell to his closest friend, satisfied by his plans and called for his brother Taegon to reenter the room, they still had letters to write, but even as the sun began to set and Maelyx tiredly made his way back to his chambers, the thought of tomorrow and the conversation he so dreaded was not far from his mind…….
The Next Morning
The Queens Ballroom, The Red Keep, Kings Landing
‘’But do you think I am right to be concerned?’’ Maelyx asked, courteously refilling his mother’s glass of hippocras, studying her face, his mother had of course been hit hard by his brother Jaenars death, but slowly some color had begun to return to her face and hints of her old smile.
The Queen Alicent smiled lightly, taking her glass ‘’It doesn't matter what I think….you will be King one day…what do you think?’’
‘’I have my own thoughts on the matter…but I wish to hear what you believe.’’ Maelyx persisted.
His mother sighed and after pondering for a moment, slowly answered ‘’The truth….I don't know.’’
‘’I had hoped for a better answer than that mother.’’ Maelyx said gently.
‘’When I first came to court with your father, after we were married, your Uncles were young boys, and recently orphaned, I tried to be kind to them, to look after them, not as a mother perhaps…I was only a girl of 16 myself…but I tried to be kind nonetheless.’’ His mother began and Maelyx listened with interest.
‘’I was not surprised with what happened with Aelor, even as a child he was so angry, so full of rage, pushing away any that tried to get close….Matarys was a quiet child, but after he left for Riverrun I did not see him for many years.’’ Alicent continued.
‘’And Valerion?’’ Maelyx asked, pursuing his main line of questioning.
‘’It was the same situation with him….he was fostered in Stonedance and rarely came to court, as a boy or an adult……of all your fathers brothers, he is the one that I know the least….your father has always spoke of his loyalty, but as far as his brothers are concerned you know how your father is.’’ The Queen answered.
‘’So you think he's a threat?’’ Maelyx asked.
His mother paused for a moment ‘’I think he is the brother of the King….and soon to be a Lord Paramount….such men are always dangerous…whether or not they choose to be or not…I think you are right to be wary…but if you tell your father these thoughts…..be gentle….he has lost a son and two of his brothers….one to death and one to treason….I don't know how receptive he will be to suspicions his favored brother cannot be trusted. ’’
Maelyx nodded his understanding and rose to his feet, kissing his mother on the cheek and turning to leave before a sudden idea came to his mind.
‘’Do you ever miss Oldtown?’’ He asked.
The Queen looked surprised but nodded ‘’Of course……I have made a home here and a family here for myself…but the Hightower will forever be a home to me….and I have not been there since I was a little girl, not even for my mothers funeral.’’
‘’Come with me then.’’ Maelyx asked, thinking it might do good for his mother to leave the Red Keep for a time, it had been a difficult few years for her with Jaenars death and that of her mother and brother.
‘’You are going to Oldtown?’’ She asked in surprise.
‘’Yes….as you know, rumor spreads fast through the realm, and not all the Lords of the realm have been told the true story of fathers battle with Matarys…to hear some gossip it sounds as if father attacked Matarys first….there are some whispers and grumbling of kinslaying…’’ Maelyx admitted.
‘’The High Septon has been told the true order of events however.’’ Maelyx continued quickly ‘’And he agrees that father had no choice but to defend himself, and that these rumors of kinslaying can only cause disorder and further threaten the realms stability….he seems agreeable to pardon the slaying with the blessing and authority of the Seven…as father is not well enough to travel, I will go myself and iron out the details….you should come with me….’’
’
‘’I should love too…It would be good to see the Hightower again….though I assume you know my brother will be expecting you to honor him with a visit.’’ Alicent said.
‘’I've told him that is the primary reason for my journey…to honor him for his loyalty to the crown.’’ Maelyx said slyly.
His mother giggled, a rarity in the past year ‘’I am sure he loved the sound of that…well, I won't leave you to face him alone…I suppose I can't see the Hightower without seeing Wendell….make the preparations.’’
Maelyx nodded and withdrew from the Queens Ballroom…with breakfast done…it was time to speak to his father.
He found the King where he expected too, slowly wandering the castle gardens, rhythmically taping his cane on the cobblestone as he hobbled along, the Maesters had cautioned him that it might be years before his leg regained its full strength, but that had not deterred his father, who had attacked his recovery with his typical diligent fervor, walking the gardens several times a day.
‘’Father.’’ Maelyx called out and the King turned.
‘’I had thought we might have a word…there are some important matters to discuss.’’ The Prince of Dragonstone asked and his father nodded slightly, the two walking towards a bench in the gardens, a pleasant breeze in the air.
‘’Not too important I hope.’’ His father said wryly, groaning as he took a seat.
Maelyx had long decided to get the more comfortable matters out of the way, quickly informing his father of his plan to go to Oldtown and meet with the High Septon about the circumstances of the dragon battle above the Stepstones and the death of Matarys, and his father seemed receptive, no doubt understanding that the whispers of unjust kinslaying needed to be put to bed.
Next came the matter of confirming the new master of coin to replace Matarys, Jaremy Stokeworth, a minor member of House Stokeworth who had pursued the life of a merchant, and quite successfully as he had gradually come to own and invest in many of King's Landing's armories and smithies, making a fortune. Maelyx had heard whispers of some rather unsavory rumors about the man, but he would not discredit a man on rumor…and what he did..or rather liked done to him in the bedroom was his business.
Then he moved on to the more sensitive matter, though not the conversation he dreaded the most.
‘’The next matter…..involves Jaenar….’’ Maelyx began sadly ‘’Rather his betrothed I should say.’’
‘’Olene Tyrell, Norman's sister.’’ His father said.
‘’Yes…..as you know…..the marriage was due to happen soon until…..well, there has been time enough for propriety to permit another match to be arranged, and Norman Tyrell has suggested that we maintain her marriage into our family by wedding her to Maegor…..Oldstones was meant for Jaenar as you told me…and if I assume right now Maegor shall become its Lord when the project is complete, he will need a wife….’’ Maelyx said, making sure to be careful, he knew the death of his brother was still an unhealed wound for his father.
His father was silent for a moment before sighing and nodding ‘’You are right….Maegor should be married, he will be the Lord of Oldstones one day….I'll tell him myself.’’
‘’There is one other matter…’’ Maelyx began, clearing his throat to banish the nervousness.
The King raised his eyebrows in question.
‘’I hear you have summoned Valerion to the capitol….’’ Maelyx asked.
Aurion nodded ‘’Yes…..I mean to name him Lord Paramount of the Stepstones…there will be a ceremony of course, not only commemorate his ascension but also to celebrate the final conquest of the Stepstones…I should have told you earlier.’’
Building his courage, Maelyx forced the words out ‘’Perhaps it might be better to consider Lord Myron Redune…he is a kind and honest man, and his family has held Sunstone in the name of the Crown for over a century….his forebearer was granted the island by Queen Visenya herself, and died fighting for King Vaemond in the Lion's Rebellion…his house has been a loyal one.’’
As expected, his father did not look entirely pleased, remaining silent for a long moment before eventually answering ‘’Lord Myron is a good man yes, but to name him Lord Paramount over Valerion would be the gravest of insults, my brother has done all I asked, he has ruled Crabstone since he was 19 years old….he knows the islands and the surrounding waters far better than any other man, and has led the Royal Fleet to victory in my stead several times…he is the only choice….and not only that…the best.’’
‘’It's not his prowess or bravery I doubt….it's his loyalty…’’ Maelyx said, and another heavy silence went through the air, his fathers face hardening.
‘’Valerion has done no wrong by me..not a single time….he has always stood at my side, you forget that it was one of his own ships that brought Aelor to King's Landing to face justice….if you mean to accuse him of something you best have proof….specific proof at that.’’ His father said harshly.
‘’I forget nothing father….and no I don't have proof.’’ Maelyx admitted, quickly continuing before the King could interject.
‘’But there are things that concern me….namely, his connection with Aelor…even you cannot deny that they worked closely together and were often spotted in each other's company……Matarys was close with Aelor as well if you remember…’’ Maelyx said.
‘’They were both generals together on campaign, and it is normal for brothers to interact, don't use Matarys to further your suspicion…Valerion remained loyal…’’ His father argued.
‘’Yes…he remained loyal…in the face of a small rebellion that had to rely on an uncertain ambush to have any hope of winning….why would he risk everything when he was sure to gain a Lord Paramountcy…’’ Maelyx posited.
‘’This better not be all you have.’’ His normally good natured father said sternly.
‘’No…there is also the death of your Uncle Aemorys….’’ Maelyx said, gaining confidence.
‘’What could you possibly know of that…you were a boy of ten.’’ His father grumbled.
‘’I remember him well enough, a strong and powerful man, still in his prime…..bad shellfish…you truly think that's what killed him, he was on that same island with Aelor, and we know that he was willing to have you, his own brother killed to take the throne…and you dont think Aelor would have been capable of poisoning Aemorys to remove him from your side…remove your greatest ally…it was Aelor and Valerion on that island….and it is said that it was Valerions own maester that examined his body and declared he had died of food poisoning…did you ever have the Grandmaester confirm this himself?’’ Maelyx said passionately….another silence.
‘’Well?’’ The prince demanded.
‘’You want an answer….well here it is…Valerion shall be named Lord Paramount of the Stepstones in recognition of his skill, service and loyalty to the crown…that is my decision, and it is final.’’ His father said sternly in a tone that brooked no argument, a tone he had used more and more after his return from the battle above the Stepstones.
The King slowly rose, leaning on his cane and turning to leave.
‘’Aelor.’’ Maelyx said suddenly.
‘’What about him?’’ Aurion said.
‘’Have you considered what you will do if he demands a trial by combat?’’ Maelyx asked.
His father nodded slightly ‘’I have…..his guilt is clear…I don't know how he could get past that…and yet the law is clear, no anointed knight can be denied a trial by combat…and yet the apparentness of his crimes…..’’
‘’He could claim that Matarys used him as a figurehead….or that he was tricked…something of that ilk…it's what I would do….’’ Maelyx pondered.
‘’When you go to Oldtown…speak with the High Septon about this….see if you can't negotiate an edict stating that the gods have already made their will clear in this matter and that no trial by combat is necessary.’’ His father answered suddenly.
‘’A good idea.’’ Maelyx nodded before hesitating ‘’This will take time however….such things can't be done by raven….what if he demands it in my absence before the Septon issues this statement.’’ Maelyx asked.
‘’Then there is nothing I can do…..but there are no shortage of skilled swordsmen in the Red Keep…if it comes to it, there will be options.’’ The King answered.
Maelyx nodded, satisfied they had planned the best they could and bid his father farewell, making his way to his chambers and summoning his most trusted man within his small network of spies in the Red Keep.
‘’My prince?’’ The man asked.
‘’I want you to go to Crabstone.’’ Maelyx said.
‘’For what purpose?’’ The spy questioned.
‘’I want my Uncle Valerion watched…and closely, integrate yourself into his household and report back if you find anything of note.’’ Maelyx said.
The man bowed and left.
The Prince of Dragonstone sighed tiredly, walking towards his window overlooking Blackwater Bay.
My father has no wish to protect himself….but I will be his shield…unwanted or not..I know how this game is played Maelyx thought to himself, watching the gentle movement of the waves, thoughts of the ever present game of thrones running through his mind.
Two Weeks Later
Dungeons of the Red Keep, Kings Landing
Aelor Seafyre sat against the cold stone wall of his dungeon cell, his ankles aching and sore due to the heavy and tight manacles, he was fast forgetting what it felt like for his feet to be unburdened.
Today then…. Aelor thought to himself, his first choice would have been to orchestrate an escape, and for weeks he had studied the guards patterns, looked for weak points in his cell and schemed on how to free himself from the manacles and open the cell door…but to no avail, there would be no easy escape from his cell this time, at least not alone, and in terms of help he had few options, his wife had been sent out of the capitol to Dorne, and his brother Vaeron had not even come to visit him since his imprisonment…a repeat of previous his actions seemed unlikely….
With no options of escape, he would have to save himself….and he had to act now, he grew more and more weakened with each day of imprisonment, and he knew his nephew Maelyx was a skilled plotter, and with Aurions knowledge of the law, they would no doubt be scheming on how to deny this option to him…he could only hope they hadn't done so already.
He pushed out his chained ankles as far as possible, using his feet to push several chunks of loose stone from a hole in the floor towards him, gathering one in his hands and flinging it towards the iron bars separating his cell from the hallway, the stone striking the metal with a loud clang.
‘’RYKKER!’’ Aelor shouted, he knew the new keeper of the dungeons, Ser Lucos Rykker, was a man who seldom left the dungeons, personally taking charge of the security of the Red Keep's most important prisoner.
‘’Shut your gob!’’ One of the turnkeys in the hallway demanded but Aelor persisted, throwing another stone with clanging efficiency.
‘’RYKK…’’ Aelor began, but the head gaelor of the Red Keep appeared silently, almost out of thin air, staring with those pale blue fish eyes of his, Ser Lucos was a cold man, dressed in leather and chainmail and armed with a longsword and dirk, both of which were deadly sharp as Ser Lucos was a man who prioritized caring for his weapons.
It was not his weapons which unsettled Aelor however, but his eyes, they were cold, empty and utterly devoid of mercy….all things Aelor would have appreciated once, but it was unpleasant to be on the other side of things….his brother had chosen a man who was wholly suited to his job.
‘’You will be silent.’’ Rykker said in a soft but stern tone.
‘’I am a prince, the son of a King and an anointed knight….I am entitled to certain privileges..’’ Aelor began, but Rykker said nothing, taking one of the many keys from his belt and unlocking the cell door, striding towards him.
‘’What..’’ Aelor began, but before he could finish, Rykker dealt him a ferocious backhand across his cheek and jaw, the stinging blow so hard that Aelor began to feel the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, and forcing him on his hands and knees.
‘’Your insolence entitles you to that…and that only….now…you will be silent.’’ The King's Justice said, turning to leave.
‘’My brother could have killed me…..or sent me to the black cells…but instead he put me here….no doubt he hasnt allowed you to torture me either….im still a Prince….in his eyes….so you will deliver him a message for me…you know how my brother so concerns himself with justice and the law.’’ Aelor said, spitting blood.
Rykker was silent, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to strike Aelor again but he held his blow.
‘’Tell my brother this…..’’ Aelor began, a defiant bloody smile upon his red lips.
‘’Tell him that I demand a trial by combat…..’’ Aelor finished.
Ser Lucos Rykker said not a single word, turning and locking the cell and striding down the hallway, his withdrawing footsteps music to Aelors ears.
To All: I actually finished writing the full chapter today, but given the fact that it was around 10k words, I decided to split it into two.
Okay, I’m sorry, but… Sefton Seafyre?! Who named you, some halfwit with a stutter?!
I’d say Aelor deserves to rot in the dungeons just for giving his son that name… As for his trial by combat request, at first glance it seems like just one last, doomed act of desperation. Aelor himself is certainly in no shape to face any of the Kingsguard, and I hope Vaeron isn’t fool enough (or brave enough frankly) to try and come to his defense again… Short of Aurion deciding to duel personally with his injured leg, I’d say Aelor is toast.
Speaking of toast, I’ve got a bad feeling about Prince Maelyx. He’s a competent, intelligent, morally decent man, which by ASOIAF rules means he’s highly likely to drop dead before he has a chance to inherit the crown (not unlike his great-grandmother Lianna). That “Stressed” trait in particular feels like a bit of a dangling Sword of Damocles. Hopefully he manages to outrun the decent heir curse though lol.
I am still amused by the sheer number of bad traits that Lord Wendell Hightower has. He's really playing the "I am the King's brother-in-law" card as far as he can and none of his extended relatives like him.
Balaeron is betrothed to his niece Rhaera to lock down part of Aelor's bloodline and to spare Balaeron an unwanted marriage a bit longer. Avunculate marriage does not seem be very common in mainstream Westerosi culture but it occasionally happens outside the Targaryen family. It does appear in the Stark family tree. Avunculate marriage seems to be allowed and tolerated in certain situations but it is not a popular option. Jon Snow in the TV show has strong opinions against it despite avunculate marriages being practiced at times on both sides of his family tree. Balaeron's betrothal to his niece may raise eyebrows among observant royal watchers but it probably not cause a political firestorm.
I see that Aurion has a bloodline ambition active. I wonder what bloodline may be forged now.
Valerion will be getting the Lord Paramountship it seems. There is no hard evidence of Valerion's disloyalty, Aurion has been generous to his siblings, and there is always the hope that new titles will quench Valerion's ambition so it was not surprising that Aurion would go ahead with rewarding his younger brother.
A trial by combat is Aelor's best shot of salvaging his situation. He is a very good swordman and the duel could tip his way. Of course, even if Aelor wins the duel, he would be forever distrusted, and his lands would be probably not be restored to him. Aurion's post-rebellion bad moods would be further worsen if Aelor managed to win his trial. If he loses, Aelor can be exiled to the Wall, returned to the dungeon or thrown into the Black Cells.
That trial by combat is gonna be an interesting one. Especially under the whims of RNGesus. I agree on one of the users here, that stressed trait over the Crown Prince is like a warning sign of things to come, doesn't help his kids are still underaged, a recipe for a succession crisis if like his grandmother, Maelyx dies before he can become king.
Yeah, I havent paid much attention to the Seafyre names and some of them....are not great due to becoming Essosi Valyrian for some reason, I dont hate Sefton, but Valerion has a son named Tychoros, and I dont love Beleqor (Matarys's son) either.
As for his trial by combat request, at first glance it seems like just one last, doomed act of desperation. Aelor himself is certainly in no shape to face any of the Kingsguard,
He’s a competent, intelligent, morally decent man, which by ASOIAF rules means he’s highly likely to drop dead before he has a chance to inherit the crown (not unlike his great-grandmother Lianna). That “Stressed” trait in particular feels like a bit of a dangling Sword of Damocles. Hopefully he manages to outrun the decent heir curse though lol.
Yeah, never like to see negative health modifiers on the heir...with that being said, he does have the strong trait and hunting focus so that gives him positive health bonuses overall (though there is always the risk of ending up like Jaerion the Brief).
Valerion will be getting the Lord Paramountship it seems. There is no hard evidence of Valerion's disloyalty, Aurion has been generous to his siblings, and there is always the hope that new titles will quench Valerion's ambition so it was not surprising that Aurion would go ahead with rewarding his younger brother.
It seems that way, but there may be a complication involved in this in the next part of this chapter, and there will be an Aurion/Valerion dialouge scene.
Of course, even if Aelor wins the duel, he would be forever distrusted, and his lands would be probably not be restored to him. Aurion's post-rebellion bad moods would be further worsen if Aelor managed to win his trial. If he loses, Aelor can be exiled to the Wall, returned to the dungeon or thrown into the Black Cells.
Its a very specific case that Aelor will be presenting, and the options for if he is victorious will be known before the trial, as for Aurions post-rebellion bad moods, there will be some more trait changes in the next chapter, he has already gained Auhoritative, and in the next part he will lose one trait and gain another.
That trial by combat is gonna be an interesting one. Especially under the whims of RNGesus. I agree on one of the users here, that stressed trait over the Crown Prince is like a warning sign of things to come, doesn't help his kids are still underaged, a recipe for a succession crisis if like his grandmother, Maelyx dies before he can become king.
I agree that the stressed trait in Maelyx is a warning sign of things to come, specifically male pattern baldness......he has a pretty big workload post-rebellion and in time it will grow even greater, and while he is competent, he is not as fervent about hard work as his father...it will be an extended stay for that stressed trait, one way or the other. As for his kids, havent had a whole lot of oppurtunities to incorporate them, but there will be an interesting dynamic between the siblings, and one in particular reminds me of a past ''Prince of the Stepstones''......
-To All: Thank you for the comments/likes/suppourt, next chapter will either be out tommorow or Thursday.
Four Hours Later
Throne Room of the Red Keep, Kings Landing
King Aurion sat upon the Iron Throne, his leg sore and aching, the throne of the Conqueror was not an easy chair to sit, especially for one recovering from the wound, and yet he forced the pain to the back of his mind as Ser Lucos Rykker and a cadre of Dragon Cloaks escorted Aelor on the long walk from the great iron doors to the throne. As they passed, the courtiers in attendance began to whisper loudly, among the crowd were his brothers Balaeron,.... and Valerion, who had arrived from the Stepstones the previous day. Vaeron stood with the other knights of the Kingsguard in front of the throne as well, with the exception of Ser Lucos Arryn who had accompanied Maelyx and Alicent to Oldtown.
Aurion supposed he could have put off his brothers request until Maelyx, who was traveling to Oldtown with Alicent had spoken to the High Septon about forbidding Aelors right to a trial by combat, but it was one thing to preemptively deny his brother this option, but as it always did, word of his brothers demand would no doubt quickly spread throughout the realm, and if the High Septon ruled that a trial by combat should not be allowed after the request was already made, such a thing would be seen as a severe interference and breach of the sacred law, it was too dangerous for his position, especially when he had not yet received pardon from the High Septon for the killing of his brother Matarys, he had no choice but to honor Aelors request, though he would try and discredit it as best he could.
As Aelor approached, the King felt his eldest son Maelyx’s absence sorely, as Master-of-Laws and a man well versed in matters of intrigue, he would have been a valuable man to stand by the crown during the trial, but with his journey to Oldtown, Aurion would oversee the trial personally, aided by his Hand of the King, though Lord Alan Oldflowers was a man more suited to administration rather than courtly procedure.
At last, his younger brother reached the base of the throne, and Ser Lucos Rykker roughly forced him to his knees in submission.
Aurion stared silently at his younger brother, it was the first time he had lain eyes on his brother since their brief conversation in the dungeon months earlier, Aelor looked skinnier than he had then, and the normally clean shaven man had uneven patches of brown beard about his face, yet despite this, the same defiant look remained in his eyes.
‘’I understand you wish to exercise your right to a trial by combat?’’ Aurion said at last, his tone cold.
‘’I do.’’ Aelor said, his fierce blue eyes staring fearlessly at Aurions.
‘’Then explain to me what exactly you hope to disprove with this ‘’trial’’ of yours......in the sight of all men you are clearly guilty, you attempted to murder a knight of the Kingsguard and slew two of my Dragon Cloaks in your escape…you declare yourself King and raised your men and ships in rebellion against me….and you coerced our own brother to ambush me on dragon back….this is beyond any doubt….do you mean to tell me you deny your clear guilt.’’ Aurion replied.
‘’I admit I am guilty…..to the first charges at least….t’is true I feuded with Ser Emerick Stonecrab….and in a moment of anger I briefly pondered rewarding his insolence with a sharp knife….in the leg, not the heart, but I fear my man misunderstood my ranting as orders….a misunderstanding…but I was taken into custody all the same…is a man to be judged guilty of angered words?’’ Aelor began.
‘’You are guilty for more than your ‘’angered words…if this is true, you could have waited for my return and explained yourself, but instead you slew two of the castle guard and made your escape….were these men too victims of your ‘’angered words…do you deny you killed them?’’ Aurion demanded.
‘’Yes…I do’’ His younger brother began fiercely ‘’…..they were killed by cutthroats sent by Matarys…do you truly think I acted on my escape alone and without help, Matarys had me freed….as master-of-coin he had multiple men in his employ’’
Aurion was silent at that, if this was true it was not a complete surprise, with Matarys’s treachery revealed and his presence in the capitol at the time, Maelyx had pondered if Matarys was not involved in Aelors escape.
‘’I suppose he forced the crown upon your head then?’’ Aurion said with frustration, seeing where this was going, but powerless to stop it.
His brother seized upon this ‘’Yes, I knew I would be a wanted man on account of my freeing, Matarys demanded that I declare myself King in his stead, he knew that you would come for me, giving him an opportunity to ambush you above the sea, if he had killed you, my claim would have been quietly abandoned and I would declare myself to his cause…’’
‘’You told me a different tale in the dungeons….sang a different song then….’’I like power’’ I believe you said when I demanded your reasoning…there was no mention of any of this.’’ Aurion sneered.
Aelor shrugged ‘’I had been shackled in the depths of one of Valerions galleys for several days, with little water…I don't remember what I said to you.’’
Aurion gave a look to his hand, Alan Oldflowers, who gave a reluctant nod, while not a skilled man of the law, even to a layman it was clear that Aelor had won and presented a somewhat feasible alternate story of events.
‘’Very well then….you shall have your trial…but if you think this shall win you your freedom….even if your tale has any truth to it you still aided a traitor.’’ Aurion said.
‘’I do not deny that….and of course do not expect this do absolve me of punishment…..if I win this trial today…if the gods show me their favor, I wish to say in front of all the realm it is my wish to atone for my crimes by giving my life and service to the brothers of Nights Watch, defending the very realm I betrayed until the end of my days….let the gods show their favor on this wish.’’ Aelor said, and Aurion was struck by how well his younger brother was hiding his true wrothful nature, putting on a facade of a calm and reasoned penitent.
The night's watch……a ‘’lifetime’’ of service…until you escape Aurion thought, it was easy enough to see why his brother might prefer the freedom of the wall than a lifetime of shackles….Aurion could send his brother to the wall in a caged wagon…but once he reached the wall he would find some way to escape….an opportunity to slip away…but Aurion had no choice, the realm would eat up his words, the traitor brother atoning his crimes as a brother of the night's watch……and it was a clever ploy to bring the will of the gods into his speech, if Aelor won…Aurion would not be able to deny his request.
Best to make sure he doesn't win Aurion thought grimly before returning his gaze to Aelor.
‘’You shall have your trial…upon the morrow….Ser Lucos, escort my brother to a tower cell…under guard…see that he is fed and his ankles seen to by the Grandmaester…..anything else he needs is to be given to him….within reason….let the fathers justice become clear in this matter.’’ Aurion said, gesturing that this audience was over.
Ser Lucos nodded and pulled Aelor to his feet, escorting him out of the room.
The Next Morning
Courtyard of the Red Keep, Kings Landing
It was a foggy morning, a cold thin mist settling over the courtyard of the Red Keep, the morning light only slightly breaking through the clouds over Blackwater Bay.
Aurion pulled his cloak tighter, the other members of the court doing the same, Aurion had declared that the trial should take place at first light and while he somewhat regretted that decision due to the weather, he wanted the matter settled and resolved, one way or another.
Resting himself on his cane, he turned and saw his brother Aelor approaching, armored in his old set of black chainmail with plate greaves and shinguards, a black metal nasal helmet resting under his arm. Auron saw with approval that Ser Lucos had not seen fit to arm him until absolutely necessary.
The crowd was silent in anticipation, trials by combat were rare, especially in the capitol, and this would be a spectacle that no doubt would be told of for decades to come, it was well known that Aelor Seafyre, while being one of the smallest of his brothers was a skilled swordsman.
Aelor began to make his way to the center of the courtyard, looking into the crowd.
‘’So who will it be.’’ Aelor said, a grin on his face as his eyes scanned the crowd.
‘’Ser Emerick Stonecrab perhaps, we have unfinished business as I seem to recall……or Ser Lucos….you deliver a fierce strike to a defenseless chained man I must admit…but can you handle a sword Rykker?’’ Aelor sneered, and Aurion saw the two men shift with anger…both would have stood for Aurion if he had asked, Ser Lucos Rykker especially…but the matter had already been decided.
‘’Ah…is that my brother Valerion I see in the crowd…..the proud Lord of the Stepstones….patriarch of the Seafyres……you would have more cause than most to want me dead…the things I could say…the songs I could sing…. you would be languishing in a cell right beside me…want to try your luck?’’ Aelor continued.
Aurion, with some surprise, gave a look towards Valerion, though his younger brother did not seem to react much, staring cooly ahead at Aelor, though there was a hardness in his eyes.
Aelor, continuing to scan the crowd, settled on their brother Balaeron, who had positioned himself at the back of the crowd. Aelors face instantly contorted into a hateful sneer.
‘’There he is….Balaeron…you are the one I want to fight in truth…more so than all the others..I hear you are betrothed to my daughter…..I would GLADLY cut your fucking throat before I let a pillowbiter marry my..’’ Aelor began, enraged but Aurion had enough, this farce had gone on long enough, he would not allow this trial to become a mockery.
‘’ENOUGH.’’ Aurion bellowed, his tone drowning out the rest of Aelors sentence, and the sheer volume surprising almost all the court, even Aelor stopped in surprise….Aurion had been a King since he was a boy, but it was only recently that he had truly began to speak like a man in command.
‘’All those you named are good men, and true…and many would stand for me if given the chance I am sure….but the matter has been decided.’’ Aurion said, and he nodded towards his Kingsguard.
Ser Maynard Mormont, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard stepped forward from his sworn brothers, his great two handed ax in his hands ‘’It's me you'll fight.’’ The man said simply.
Maynard Mormont, much like the sigil of his house was a veritable bear of a man with a mood to match the gloomy weather,, standing at six foot four and muscled like an aurochs, and while his long brown hair had since turned gray, the man approaching sixty years old, he still retained the fearsome strength needed to wield his two handed great ax, and the man was one of the most prolific warriors in the realm, winning many tourneys, both in the melee and the joust….despite his age, he had been the best choice.
For a single moment…Aurion saw a flash of fear run through Aelors eyes as he saw his opponent step forward, the man towering over him, and yet as quickly as it appeared, it was gone…replaced by his usual insolent fearlessness.
‘’Lord Commander…..my brothers tamed bear…the famous white knight…..or gray knight now I suppose…I have heard of your exploits….you handled my great aunt Vaella well enough old man…but you will find me a more difficult match than a feeble woman.’’ Aelor sneered.
Maynard did not respond, simply turning to the King and giving a short nod….he was ready.
Aurion signaled for the septon to begin, and the man, lifting a crystal to the gray skies managed to elicit a feeble light from the cold rising sun, calling on the seven to judge the matter fairly and to let their will be shown, at last, his prayer ended and all eyes turned to the King.
Ser Maynard stamped the butt of his two handed greatsword, which was carved into the shape of a bear's maw onto the ground, sending a loud ringing through the courtyard. When Aurion had bid Ser Maynard to end his great aunt Vaellas foolishness years earlier, he had instructed him to spare her life, but he made no such requests this time….Aelor had chosen this…
With a sadness in his heart that he did not fully understand, Aurion waved his hand and signaled the fight to begin.
While many fights began slow, with the combatants testing each other with probing attacks, the intense combat began immediately as Aurions hand moved, with Aelor, who had been given a sword and shield, shouting a cry of fury and hacking at Ser Maynard, who used the handle of his two handed ax like a staff, blocking the strike with the metal area between his two hands.
The clash of steel rang through the courtyard as the two men fought, Aelors fierce and sudden charges, which would have unnerved most men into losing ground did little against the Lord Commander, who held his position, careful to keep Aelor in front of him, using powerful blows of his ax to keep Aelor from flanking and forcing him to absorb the ringing blows and his fast deteriorating shield.
As the fight went on, Aurion had to give his brother Aelor a grudging admiration, despite Maynard Mormont being much larger and stronger, it was clear that out of all of Jaerions sons, his brother had the most natural skill with a sword, and while most men would have balked at fighting a man such as Mormont, Aelor fought with reckless abandon not passivity.
Aelor flung his ruined shield to the ground and rather than accepting another, fought with only a sword, dodging one of Mormonts blows and turning away another.
He moves his right shoulder back before he charges Aurion realized, the fight going on long enough for him to recognize one of his brother's patterns.
In the space of a mere moment, Aelor went from defending to launching a ferocious attack, seizing his opportunity when he saw the Lord Commander raising his two handed ax behind his shoulder, preparing a powerful yet slow blow, Aelors sudden strike would have spilled the Lord Commanders entrails….if it had been allowed to land.
It was a trap however, while Mormont had presented himself in a position of weakness, raising his axehead behind his shoulder in the appearance of a slow plodding strike…Aelor had forgotten about the heavy ax butt in the shape of the bear in his haste to capitalize on this advantage.
Mormont, knowing Aelor would recklessly charge in, suddenly thrust the ax butt forward in a perfectly timed downward thrust, knocking Aelor back, stumbling…..and followed this up by bringing down his two handed ax in a blow aimed right at Aelors head.
The sharp ax head took Aelor in the side of the face, right in his eye and severing most of his cheek from the bone and going as far as the top of his lip, splitting it.
Aelor screamed in pain and fell to the courtyard, blood and flesh forming a sickening mixture around him as he moaned in pain, the sword fallen from his hand as he grasped at the mangled ruin of his eye.
The Lord Commander took a step forward, his ax at the ready, giving the King a look.
Aurion hesitated, once again he had his brother at his mercy…and unlike last time, not many would bat an eye if he ordered Mormont to finish the job.
And yet…..He could not bring himself to do it…just as when he had a sword at Aelors throat ... ..the initial temptation slowly faded.
The King shook his head at Maynard and then stood, walking towards his mangled brother ‘’The gods have made their will known in this matter….in the sight of gods and men I judge you guilty….and you shall spend the rest of your life in the dungeons….Ser Lucos, have my brother brought to a tower cell and have a maester see to his wounds, when they are healed sufficiently, escort him back to the dungeons…there will be no more audiences…no more petitions….this matter is finished.’’
Ser Lucos nodded and along with several dragon cloaks, began to half drag, half carry the moaning Aelor Seafyre.
Turning to his other brothers in attendance, he sensed mixed reactions, Valerion and Balaeron seemed disappointed that Aelor had been spared, while his Kingsguard brother Vaeron seemed relieved.
The crowd slowly dispersed, talking amongst themselves, and the King made his way towards his brother Valerion.
‘’Meet me in my solar in an hour…we have much to discuss.’’ Aurion commanded and Valerion nodded his assent.
One Hour Later
The Kings Solar, The Red Keep, Kings Landing
Aurion put the finishing touches on the letter, informing Maelyx and Alicent of recent events, and no sooner had the ink dried, the door to his solar opened, his brother Valerion had arrived precisely on time.
‘’Come in.’’ Aurion commanded, and his brother entered the room, escorted by the Kingsguard Ser Moribald Ambrose.
‘’Thank you Ser, but me and my brother shall speak alone, leave us if you will.’’ Aurion said, giving a further nod when the Kingsguard seemed to hesitate.
When the two were alone, Aurion sighed and rose to his feet, his hands gripping the desk in place of his cane.
‘’An eventful morning.’’ Valerion said and Aurion nodded.
‘’Very…and yet one that went to plan….though there was one thing that surprised me.’’ Aurion said, studying his younger brother.
‘’Aelors comments.’’ His brother nodded, seemingly not surprised that the topic had been broached.
‘’Yes…. ‘’The things I could say…the songs I could sing…and you'd be languishing in a cell right beside me’’ I believe it was.’’ The King recited before finishing ‘’What do you think he meant by that?’’
Valerion was silent for a moment, pondering, before he answered ‘’It is hard to say….forgive the sailors speech, but I have been on the seas most my life….’’a drowning man grasps at whatever he can’’...an old saying, and one I think is apt, I cannot say what he meant by that, but Aelor has always been a skilled manipulator, prone to cause division, it worked with Matarys….in my mind this was another attempt, and a pathetic one at that…but I understand the uncertainty, I was confused by his words as well…… my advice…if he survives this wound….ask him what he meant by it, I would be interested in what he has to say….’’
Aurion nodded slowly, looking at his brother's gleaming purple eyes, that reminded him so much of their father, his younger brother had always been hard to read, but the King saw nothing but sincerity in his brother that gave him any more doubt.
‘’That won't be necessary….you are right, a desperate ploy.’’ Aurion said, satisfied and relieved before the uncertainty returned.
‘’We have not had a chance to speak of…..of Matarys.’’ Aurion said, pausing with hesitation before he forced himself to say the name of his younger brother….the younger brother he'd killed.
‘’I’ve no doubts that it was necessary, he attacked you and attempted to murder you…you did what was necessary…I did not know Matarys well in truth…but he chose his fate, don't let it trouble you over much…and as for me, I understand.’’ Valerion said, almost in a comforting tone, or as close to one as he could muster.
Aurion nodded sadly.
The King sighed and waved his hand ‘’I had actually summoned you you to discuss pleasant matters believe it or not….as I am sure you are aware…the work that the Conqueror started over a century ago has finally been complete..the Stepstones have been tamed…the pirates expelled, yet the islands are a harsh mistress….it is past time they were given a master….a Lord Paramount…’’
Aurion once again studied his brother's eyes, and unlike before, this time he noticed a flash of something….a sort of…hunger pass through his indigo eyes, though his brother duly controlled himself and it was gone as quick as it appeared.
‘’You wish to make me Lord Paramount of the Stepstones?’’ Valerion asked.
Aurion nodded ‘’You are the best choice….no man is more deserving than you.’’
Valerion cleared his throat ‘’I should be happy to accept the responsibility…but I must impose a condition….’’
‘’I had thought you would see it as more than a responsibility…I mean to honor you.’’ The King said, surprised.
‘’Of course, and I am honored, and pleased, I should be happy to take the responsibility is what I should have said….but I have lived in the Stepstones since I was a boy of 19 Aurion, I know this land well….its strengths….and weaknesses…..you say that the pirates have been expelled, yet this is not the case, like a roach they have only hidden themselves, the islands will never truly be tamed so long as their ilk remains…it was mostly former pirates that made up the bulk of Aelors self styled ‘’army’’ and he kept many in his employ…..I will rule the Stepstones for you…but I must know I will be free to rule as I must…to do what is necessary, only then will the islands truly be tamed.’’ Valerion said, his voice impassioned.
Aurion nodded ‘’Do what you must….within reason, but I trust your judgment, it is true you know the lands well.’’
‘’Then I should gladly swear myself to you and accept the title.’’ Valerion said.
‘’Kneel before your King then.’’ Aurion said, a small smile on his face.
‘’Here?’’ Valerion asked, confused.
‘’Oh there will be a feast and a proper ceremony…but this is all that truly matters.’’ Aurion said.
Wordlessly, Valerion sank to his knees, took his brothers hand, and swore his loyalty to Aurion and the crown.
‘’Rise Lord Seafyre….as Lord Paramount of the Stepstones….’’ the King said.
It was a gray and dreary evening as the King stood outside the door to the Grandmaesters chambers, the Queen also stood with him, pacing the length of the antechamber nervously, before the King took her by the shoulder and placed her hands in his, and she gave him a tired smile.
‘’I can't lose another Aurion…..I cant.’’ She said, embracing him.
‘’Don't say that….don't even think it…the Grandmaester will get to the bottom of this.’’ Aurion commanded gently and she nodded slowly.
Earlier that day, their daughter Rhaena, a bright and lively girl of ten years old had been sewing with her Septa when she had collapsed and could not be woken, being hastily carried to the Grandmaester.
Suddenly the door to the Grandmaesters chambers opened, with the Grandmaester gesturing them inside.
‘’Shes awake…you may see her, but be gentle.’’ Old Grandmaester Garse said, running a hand through his white beard.
Aurion nodded and together with Alicent, made his way to their daughters bedside.
‘’Where…Where am I?’’ The little girl coughed.
‘’Safe.’’ Aurion said, running a hand through his daughter's silver hair.
‘’Yes…..you rest dear…we are right here.’’ Alicent said, taking Rhaena by the hand.
Aurion, seeing the Grandmaester standing in the corner of the room, stood up and joined him.
‘’Well?’’ Aurion demanded.
‘’I have seen such things before your Grace…I am afraid your daughter suffers from a form of cancer…I have seen this in children before…’’ The old man said ponderously.
‘’Can it be treated?’’ Aurion asked with worry, remembering it had been a cancer that had weakened and bedridden his own mother Belle Tully, eventually contributing to her death.
‘’It is a more minor form than what I have seen, it could be much worse, but I fear it will be something that may afflict her for much of her life, she cannot be allowed to exert herself and must be watched, and given frequent rest…but yes, I believe it can be treated, there are certain herbs, poultices and potions I can employ.’’ The Grandmaester said, once again running his hands through his great white beard.
‘’Do everything you can, anything you need, you come to me personally.’’ Aurion commanded and returned back to his wife and daughter.
Before long, the young Princess was fast asleep, and after a time, Aurion escorted Alicent back to their chambers, the distant rumble of thunder and lightning almost soothing as they fell into bed, exhausted by the day's stresses.
Aurion dreamed of fire.
The memory was vivid in his mind, him, sitting atop Vhagar doing battle with Matarys and Narrah, the white hot flash of lightning and beautiful tendrils of flame in the dark night, emerald green from Vhagar and ruby red from Narrah.
The flames came together and consumed him, warming him, surrounding him, the colors dancing like swirling silks.
Hotter and hotter it became and yet…he did not feel afraid as a dying man might.
He felt alive.
Suddenly he awoke, sweat drenching his forehead, his heart beating fast…and he felt a certain…..stiffness…. below.
Alicent stirred beside him, slowly rising, noticing his heavy breathing.
‘’Aurion…..are you alright?’’ She asked gently, placing a hand on his cheek.
The King said nothing, slowly running his hands through her silver hair, which seemed to shine in a way he had never noticed before, her silver hair burning like white flame, reflected in the dying embers of the hearth in their chambers.
He embraced her, bringing his lips to hers, with the Queen reciprocating eagerly.
When he awoke the next morning, Aurion felt strange, as if he had woken from a dream he could not fully remember, and when Alicent had made a sly joke referring to a certain ‘’renewed vigor’’, The King could remember little except the beauty of the dancing flames.
’Ah…is that my brother Valerion I see in the crowd…..the proud Lord of the Stepstones….patriarch of the Seafyres……you would have more cause than most to want me dead…the things I could say…the songs I could sing…. you would be languishing in a cell right beside me…want to try your luck?’’ Aelor continued.
Great way to basically guarantee that even if you won the trial by combat you'd probably still end up dead in a ditch with a dagger between your ribs there, Aelor.
All in all, it was a valiant attempt, I have to give him that. Aelor fought well and he arguably defended himself verbally even better, managing to spin the whole story convincingly and pin it all on poor dead Matarys. Including his first escape from his imprisonment, rather than ratting out Vaeron, which was at least one small nice thing he did I suppose, in a twisted kinda way.
It was all for naught in the end, though, and I strongly suspect this is the last we see of Aelor. Maybe he pulls off another Houdini move and escapes, but I wouldn't count on it.
Valerion finally has what he wanted (or at least one item on the very long list of things he wants) and is Lord Paramount of the Stepstones. I worry that Aurion giving him a blank check to purge the islands of surviving pirates will come back to bite him in the ass, especially with Maelys simultaneously deploying Balaeron to the Stepstones to try and keep Valerion under watch. Seems like the headeache over those islands never really ends lol.
I love the inclusion of a recommended soundtrack! The "production value" of this AAR never fails to improve or impress. And a great choice of song for the scene too!
... sitting atop Vhagar doing battle with Matarys and Severax, the white hot flash of lightning and beautiful tendrils of flame in the dark night, emerald green from Vhagar and ruby red from Severax.
Slight point of confusion here, I believe Matarys was riding Narrah, not Severax, right?
Anyway, Aurion's trait changes are certainly interesting. The fact that he lost Chaste baffles only in that I'm shocked he even had it in the first place considering he and Alicent had been pumping kids out like jackrabbits. As for Fire-obsessed... I mean it's hardly ever a *great* sign in a Targaryen king lol, but for the time being at least he's not cruel or a lunatic so hopefully it doesn't graduate beyond a relatively harmless fascination...
I have managed to get back up to date again with your epic tale, which has grown into one of the great narratives I have read on the CK2 boards. I won’t rehash the previous episodes, but rather strike out anew with this latest setting Aurion and the realm find themselves in.
If I were Aurion I’d be shoving Aelor into the oubliette by now, but I know he will have too much mercy for that. Maelyx might - if he survives to inherit he should make an effective king - if not a ‘good’ one by his father’s moral standards.
Of the other king’s brothers, Valerion has certainly been flagged as a potential problem even though he (like Aelor) also has a great opinion of his kingly brother. It seems though that’s not enough to prevent the serpent of ambition entirely at bay. I hope he stays loyal - though all bets may be off once Aurion departs. Or presents too tempting an opportunity.
Vaelor must be relieved not so much at Aelor’s defeat or sparing from death, so much as not being incriminated by him over that escape. And of the three remaining brothers, I like Balaeron the most. I think his skills and value are being somewhat underestimated and would like to see him leading an army to glory somewhere, sometime, in his own right and as his brother’s foremost field commander.
