Unification

"I can't control Robert like Ser Arthur can." Jaime sighed, looking towards Aerion for a solution.

"You don't have to." Aerion countered simply. "I will keep him on a short leash from henceforth. Besides, Robert has yet to realise that an undead body is very resistant to any kind of physical effect. Once he does… his appetite for those 'pleasures' will inevitably diminish greatly."

"I do remember that one pirate lamenting his inability to get drunk." Jaime chuckled. "I imagine that he will too."

"In truth, I do not believe that he should be one of us."

"How so?" Aerion wondered.

"Yes, he is stronger than almost all of the Realm. But using the position of Kingsguard as a punishment feels wrong to me. Wearing the white cloak should be an honour and all of my sworn brothers should acknowledge it as such."

"I understand that Robert isn't the keenest of Kingsguard but he will grow into that role. In truth, I agree with you. Such an honour shouldn't be seen as a punishment but… my grandfather certainly did when he named you his Kingsguard. And look where we are because of that."

"I was worthy."

"I never said you were unworthy. However, if he hadn't viewed it as a punishment would my grandfather give any honours to Lord Tywin's son, the man he grew envious of? I would think not."

Jaime finally nodded, agreeing with what Aerion had said. "Those times were different, however."

"Yes, of course." Aerion looked directly into Jaime's eyes. "Know that I would never appoint someone unworthy into my Kingsguard. Robert certainly is capable… though, he needs some adjusting which will come in time."

"I will trust your word. That will be all for today, Your Grace."

~

Robert, who had been kept 'locked' (so to speak) in the White Sword Tower, tried to get drunk but his body simply digested everything that came its way. This meant that no matter how hard he tried, Robert would never be able to get drunk. In terms of his other pleasure, he could harden at will but never truly release. He had yet to discover this fact, however.

Robert sighed. 'I am strong again, at the cost of everything else.'

Several footsteps echoed across the tower before a golden knight's appearance came into view. Everything about him was quite dashing... king-like in the view of most. In that regard, he could only be matched by the Emperor. It was none other than Ser Jaime Lannister, Robert's only true superior other than the royal family. Robert Baratheon had grown used to everyone being beneath him and following his orders without much resistance, other than to advise a better course of action. But now... he was not a King anymore, to say the least.

Such a change was hard to adapt to.

"Take a seat, Ser Robert." Jaime gestured his hand towards the table at the centre of the room. "Ser Arthur had told me all about your little scuffle."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"You must understand that..." Jaime looked right into Robert's eyes with a serious expression. "You, Robert Baratheon, are no longer the King. You can't drink as you please, you can't fuck as you please and neither can you run your mouth as you please."

"I don't know why but Aerion gave you some degree of free will. I suggest that you use it wisely... if not, you will find yourself losing it and becoming no more than a hollow subject like your brother. I honestly do not care which you do, only that you inevitably become a proper Kingsguard."

Robert remained silent, absorbed in his thoughts.

'There is something else... how could anyone normal keep up with an undead knight, especially one of Robert's strength?' Jaime wondered. "The person you fought, do you remember how he looked like?"

"He looked valyrian... silver hair, violet eyes and only slightly shorter than me. Why do you ask?"

"Was he your equal? Or were you not using all your new strength?"

"Now that you mention it... he was quite strong. I should have broken a few bones by the end but he took the blows well."

Jaime, after putting everything together chuckled. "I faced a person who meets that description earlier today, in truth. Be wary of him if he appears again as he is likely to be another subject of His Grace."

"Be wary as in?"

"Do not engage."

"Fine, I'll do as you say - if I see him again."

~

The flight to Sunspear with the use of an undead dragon was relatively short, taking only a day or two. Even then, Aerion was taking his time overseeing the lands below him. Once he arrived, Aerion looked for Doran to rid him of his gout. It was a surprisingly arduous task, taking several minutes of concentration. As his body was more fragile and far less magic resistant than Aerion's, an excess amount of magic vitality in the small areas where the gout was strongest would cause more harm than good.

It didn't help that he was only adept in terms of healing magic.

Once he was certain that the gout was gone, Aerion finally rested.

"You should be able to walk properly now."

Doran attempted to stand and his joints no longer had a rush of pain... which seemed strange to him. To his pleasure, he realised that he could walk normally. "Your magic is truly a blessing, Aerion. Thank you for ridding me of that terrible pain."

"Heh, you needn't struggle in your old body if you don't want to."

"The undead will perish when you do, is that correct?" Doran wondered.

"Yes... they would disperse slightly after, from what I know."

He laughed. "I'd rather not keep sitting around and taking the shine from the future talents that are to come. Aerion, when the day comes I want you to give me a good funeral and move on with the lessons that I taught you."

In truth, the thought of witnessing Aerion's death before his own was a grim thought.

"You came here to heal my gout but that's not the only matter on your mind, is it?" Doran inquired, rubbing his beard. "I've heard that you've yet to appoint your Hand of the King."

"Honestly, I want you to be my Hand."

"I would humbly reject that offer, Aerion. You must find someone that you trust... someone that will stand beside you for most of your reign, bar any accidents. In my old age, all that I've wished for is to see you sit on the Iron Throne. With that almost complete... I can rest easy."

"..." Aerion hadn't thought about any of his loved ones dying. After all, he had the power to resurrect the dead. But what if they didn't want his blessing... could he be selfish and do so anyway?

"Uncle, you leave me with little options... like Tywin Lannister." Aerion sighed. "How could I have that man be my Hand?"

"By leaving him alive, it is like forgiving him." Doran replied. "Yet, as I've heard, you cannot let go of the past and continue to punish him. Staying in that middle ground is no good for Tywin or yourself, Aerion. You either kill him or forgive him fully."

"That decision... is yours to make, in the end."

"I suppose." Aerion nodded.

"If you truly cannot accept him as your Hand, then look somewhere else. The Realm will always have several capable and trustworthy lords; you only need to look for them."

~

Eventually, their talk took them outside of Doran's solar and near one of the towers.

"Remember when you would duel here every day? Eventually, your vigour inspired even the guards to train in their spare time." Doran laughed.

"Before, I wanted to be the finest knight in all of the Seven Kingdoms... a paragon of virtue, so to speak," Aerion replied. "Even after I knew that the Iron Throne was where I was meant to be, I never stopped aiming to improve my skill in battle."

"But a paragon of virtue... that, I could never be. It was but a childish dream."

"It was, indeed." Doran agreed. "There is no such 'perfect' person who can do no wrong."

"I'd like to ask how matters are between you and Arrianne... have you considered marriage?"

"Of course, she is the love of my life."

"Then you best hurry and give me some grandchildren." Doran chuckled. "Jests aside, there are only three Targaryens in the world. To ensure stability... well, you know what you need to do."

"Hmph, you don't need to tell me twice." Aerion smiled.

~

"Ser Valar, are we truly riding in the Vale?" Brod inquired as he walked beside Valar's horse. "I heard that it's dangerous to tread there alone."

"Do I look weak to you?" Valar inquired, wearing a new set of light armour and two decently sharp blades fastened to each side.

"No Ser... of course not. But the mountain clans are powerful, so I've heard."

"They are the reason why we're riding here." Valar replied.

"Wait... what?" Brod's eyes widened in shock. "What do you have to do with... them?"

"I have a deep hatred for outlaws who reject order. Not only do they reject order but they publicly show their defiance through vile acts such as raids. These troublesome people... should no longer exist."

"There are hundreds and hundreds of them but only one of you... are you jesting?"

"I like those odds." Valar smiled charmingly.

"You're mad-"

Suddenly an arrow grazed across Ser Valar's cheek, yet no blood was spilt. "I warned you, following me is a path to an early grave."

"I didn't think that you would be so mad!"

Valar dismounted from his horse and drew both blades. Suddenly, several men emerged from the forests wielding all sorts of weapons. From blunt swords to axes to even wooden clubs... they had everything that was cheap.

Brod stood back, watching Aerion dance around the savages with both of his swords. One by one, they fell to his blades rather easily. Once there was only one left, he tried to run but Aerion chased him down like a wolf hunting its prey.

"..." Brod stood in shock and admiration, having never seen a display of skill like that before. "Ser Valar, what are you?"

"Only the second coming of the Winged Knight." Valar shrugged. "Have you not seen a skilled warrior face outlaws before?"

"Well... no, never. I wish that there was someone like you in my old village."

"Your old village?-" Valar stopped cleaning his blades, turning to Brod. "You were in King's Landing..."

"I used to have a family and home. Even befriended one of the highborn so life was passing smoothly... that was until the Ironborn attacked."

"What truly happened there, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well... when I saw their banners, axes and lustful eyes for blood and gold, I ran. I left everything and everyone behind me." Brod sniffled, holding back a few tears. "My father once told me that one day, the Rightful King would return and protect his lands from the raiders. But... he never came."

Valar gripped his weapon more tightly but Brod didn't notice the small gesture.

'I...'

Aerion, remembering how he laughed when he was informed of the Second Greyjoy Rebellion and merely spectated the war for over a year and a half, felt regret for once in a long time.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's alright... I... should've died with them."

"Don't think like that." Valar frowned. "Find a reason to keep living. I once had to run away, too... but I kept moving onwards towards my goals. Now, look where I am."

"Keep moving forward..."

"Precisely." Valar finished cleansing his swords, sheathing them after. "Now... let us do so."

"Understood, Ser." Brod nodded.

~

Aerion commanded the lords of the Vale to finally take action against the mountain clans once they returned home. Meanwhile, within the Vale, Ser Valar (partially Aerion himself) had slain several of the smaller tribes and protected a few villages from attacks, slowly becoming a myth of sorts. Because of his sway over the vessel, Ser Valar had become like an extension of Aerion himself yet he could remain independent if need be.

With the unification of the Seven Kingdoms and his first crowning right around the corner, he invited those close to him to King's Landing. If they were too far away, such as Daenerys, he gave them soul dragons to ride. Viserys was then given an entourage of a hundred Soul Knights along with Ser Arthur as he was tasked with ruling Riverrun and, by extension, the rest of the Riverlands.

~

"State your name." The guard atop the Castle of Riverrun commanded as Viserys and his small army marched onto the only gate with some ground.

"I am Prince Viserys of House Targaryen, now Lord of Riverrun and acting Lord Paramount of the Trident. Now open the gate."

"Tch, you think that you can remove House Tully so easily? Return back where you came from and, while you're at it, release Lord Edmure."

"Silence, you lowly guard. You won't just bend, I'll have you kissing my feet with that loud mouth of yours if you don't open that gate." Viserys replied to the guard's less than welcoming statement.

"I hear that my nephew loves burning away gates... and Ser Arthur is more than capable of doing the same. Would you like to know what will happen if I force my way in?"

"Alright... alright, I'll open it!"

"Finally, some sense."

Viserys moved inside of Riverrun, followed by Ser Arthur and his Soul Knights. He was met with Brynden Tully, who had been called upon due to Hoster's health and the Second Greyjoy Rebellion.

"You are not welcome here, Targaryen."

"Then I will make myself welcome." Viserys looked at Brynden with a serious expression. "I am a good bit kinder and forgiving than His Grace, I'd say. If the remnants of House Tully, such as yourself, serve me well then I might be able to help with restoring some of your House's honour."

"Or... would you rather eventually become a house of lowborn?"

"If you swear to return Edmure to Riverrun, then perhaps something can be discussed."

Viserys frowned. "I don't believe that you quite understand, Blackfish. You are not in a position to make demands. I was giving you a generous offer and it is up to your head... Hoster was it? To decide whether or not he accepts it."

"If not, then I will drive you all out of here with immediate effect."

Brynden pondered over the matter, eventually going to inform Hoster of it. In his old age, Hoster did not have the will to fight... especially when the opponent was the Conqueror Aerion 'Stormcaller', who was reminiscent of Aegon the Conqueror, and his allies had all bent the knee.

"He accepted the offer." Brynden returned to Viserys.

"Good, now I'd like everyone of importance in Riverrun to gather in the Main Hall. You, being the former castellan, will see to it that this is done."

"Hmph... fine."

~

Viserys sat at the head of the table, confident and observing. He had already known that the people of RIverrun were not fond of him but, with the support of House Tully and his own wits, it wasn't unsalvageable.

Everyone was present. Even Hoster Tully had managed to leave his solar to witness Viserys' first meeting. There was one figure that especially caught his eye, reminding him of a certain Kingsguard in terms of appearance. Golden hair, beautiful emerald green eyes, fair skin and a graceful figure to match. No doubt she was Lady Cersei Lannister, Edmure's wife. Though, with him being enslaved with Aerion, she might as well be considered a widow.

He found himself locking eyes with her for a moment before turning away and straightening himself. The hall was pretty loud which, as he had intended to speak, was not ideal.

He stood up from his seat, leading to some silence. Then he scanned across the room and raised his voice.

"With House Tully being removed from the seat of Riverrun, His Grace found it acceptable that I would take that very seat. That being said, as Lord Paramount of the Trident, it is my duty to see to it that Riverrun and the rest of my lands flourish once again." Viserys stated with confidence, never even skipping a beat.

"With the Ironborn finally out of the picture, now is the time to grow back what was lost. That will not be easy nor swift but I swear that I will do all I can."

"The treasury is all but empty. What are you going to do about that?" One man inquired.

"Oh, the Crown isn't lacking any gold. Not with Aerion being King." Viserys replied. "The only issue is repopulating all the people who perished at the hands of those outlaws. Although against old traditions, I have something planned for that."

"And that is?"

"The use of slavery... sort of." Viserys answered. "I will offer them freedom if they agree to work the fields of the Riverlands. Also, men and women of talent from Essos and across the Known World will be employed for more difficult trades. Then there are the now salt wives and slaves 'thralls', as they call them, that the Ironborn stole from the Riverlands... they will be returned. I swear it."

One man clapped after Viserys finished. One man turned into three... five... eight... twenty... it was not long until the entire hall roared with applause. Viserys chuckled slightly, almost blushing, as he had not expected that much support.

"Thank you, everyone. Our cooperation will create a better land for all in the Riverlands."

A Soul Knight resembling a handsome high valyrian only with emerald eyes walked up to Cersei. "I wonder, how is it like to be supposedly promised to Rhaegar Targaryen... only to marry Edmure a couple of years after. Must be quite tragic."

"Who-" Cersei turned around to face the Soul Knight. "How dare you, a lowly guard, slight me?"

"Lowly guard? I'm much more than that, my Lady. I'd even dare say that I have the power to decide your fate. Say... did you love Edmure?" The Soul Knight whispered.

"Gods, no... he was pathetic."

"Oh, my." The Soul Knight chuckled. "Would you like to see Jaime again?"

"Who are you?"

"That doesn't really matter."

"Answer me!"

"Shh, don't cause a scene or you'll never see him again." Seeing her quieten down, the Soul Knight continued. "So, onto the point at hand... I have reason to believe that you two had this wonderful incestuous love that broke apart after the Sacking. What I want to know is that whether or not you share the same feelings still."

"Why would you care?"

"He and I are very close. I want him to stand beside me without any regrets."

"Aerion?"

"Uhh... I suppose, in a way, I am. Though, my real body is far more handsome."

"For Rhaegar's son, you are more elusive than he ever was," Cersei remarked.

"For Tywin's daughter, you greatly lack his patience." Aerion countered, chuckling when he saw Cersei's furious expression. "I'm merely jesting... but all you need to know is that Jaime and I will be having a little visit here after the Ironborn are humbled. You two can figure it out then."

"Wait..."

Suddenly, the Soul Knight shook himself awake and turned away. "Damn... how strange, I don't remember walking up here. Sorry if I disturbed you, my Lady."

"..." Cersei grabbed the Soul Knight but he merely shrugged her off and walked off to where he had originally been.

~

The 7th day of the Second Moon, 297 AC.

Balon Greyjoy had most of the Iron Fleet stationed and relaxed at Pyke, awaiting Aerion's next move. He had not dared to ask of independence, not from Aerion. Instead, he asked to be part of his Seven Kingdoms while maintaining their old ways. He believed that Aerion understood what it meant to be a reaver, having been the 'Pirate King' for a decent length of time. So when his royal navy sailed towards Pyke Balor thought of it as an honour that Aerion was personally going to greet him.

He expected Aerion to be grateful for his Rebellion against Robert the Usurper who had suffered greatly during it.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Robert's and Aerion's relationship had improved from before. They were no longer bitter rivals who had a deep hatred for each other, that was for sure. There were even times when a more relaxed Robert could jest with Aerion. Being a relatively cheerful person at heart, Aerion became more accepting.

"Let me have his head." Robert asked Aerion, almost demanding. He changed his tone when Aerion didn't budge. "I will willingly address you as 'Your Grace' if you let me crush him with my warhammer."

"You should already be doing that, Robert." Aerion sighed. "When will you ever learn..."

"Being a King, I know that boot-licking men are simply everywhere. You want me to be like everyone else?"

"Well... no, I don't mind you being yourself. As long as you complete your duty... that is."

"I haven't failed you yet." Robert reminded Aerion.

"Not mentioning the following night after you became a Kingsguard?" Jaime interrupted.

"I've learned from my mistake, Ser Jaime."

"I will let you have Balon Greyjoy." Aerion stated after thinking it over. "He was the one who threw mud all over your honour, after all. I can't have a member of my Kingsguard remain with such a stain on their name."

"How kind of you." Robert stated. "But how about a battle against that Iron Fleet? Let those Ironborn have a taste of the King's Justice."

"I was considering that, actually."

Although Brod was Valar's friend, Aerion had grown to care for him a bit. More importantly, he had seen his earlier patience with the Second Greyjoy Rebellion as a mistake... and he was keen to reverse the effects of this mistake.

"LET'S REAVE THE REAVERS!" One of Aerion's crew roared.

Another joined in, thirsting for battle. Soon the entire ship was filled with fiery chants.

"It has been a while since our blades have tasted blood!" Aerion finally decided, standing at the very front of the galley. "The Ironborn had their way with the Seven Kingdoms for over a year, burning and looting as they pleased. But now, as the Crown's royal navy... it is time to have our way with them!"

"Let's introduce the golden Kraken to the crimson sea Dragon!"

"AYE!!!"

"AYE!!!"

"REAVE THE REAVERS!"

~

Balon Greyjoy's jaw dropped in shock as he stood atop the Pyke's walls. Aerion's ships stormed the docks with malicious intent and the dreadful banner of House Targaryen was everywhere, causing Balon's heart to skip several beats at a time. He looked at Aerion, who was leading the charge with his flaming blade backed by most of his Kingsguard. Then he looked at Robert, who menacingly locked eyes with him for several seconds.

'How... how could this be!?'