125
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298 AC
Summer Isles - Jhala
Eragon Targaryen
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"How are you feeling?" Rhaenyra leans on my shoulder as I watch the waves hit the sand on the beach.
"I am feeling good, how are you feeling?" She shifts and presses her side against mine and adjusts her head for comfort.
"I won't lie I am concerned, it doesn't seem like the prince was against the challenge against him. Melisandre says it's because of the red priest with Xenioa but he seems so sure of his victory during the meeting. He threw about insults and threats and never once tried to get us to back down from the challenge." Those insults and threats are why he won't live to be exiled, his head will roll.
"Red priest can be very convincing when they want to be, he is in his own world that Kinvara has crafted for him to see. That does not mean anything when I cut him down and Ebonhead comes under House Targaryen. Have some more faith in me, it's one hundred men against one hundred men and I count as twenty on my own easily so we outnumber them." Fingers attempt to dig under my ribs after she fails to pinch my side.
"More like you count as half a man without your precious Brightroar." She mocks in a haughty voice but the concern is obvious in her purple eyes.
"With Valyrian steel or with a stick I am still the best warrior to breathe and if it comes to it I can just use my fists." I trained with a spear for a reason and I feel confident enough, most of the warriors on the Summer Islanders are archers but can use a spear well enough.
I am mainly concerned with the slings and stones, no bows in the ritual war but hurtling rocks at one another is acceptable. I respect the wars with how they prevent unnecessary bloodshed, one hundred against one hundred is relatively small compared to battles in the grand scheme of things.
Xenioa was the one to bring the terms after Nata issued the challenge as soon as we were rested enough in the encampment outside of Ebonhead. Melisandre was able to speak with a woman named Kinvara about insider information and let us know what is going on. Red priests have spread to all the major towns and villages in the Summer Isles.
Usually, the islands would be ignored to instead prioritize high-population places like the free cities so it was slow going according to her. But R'hllor has a firm grip on the Summer prince I am to slay, he thinks he has already won according to Kinvara. I keep that in the back of my mind every time I look at Melisandre.
A little feeling that makes me cautious more than I have ever been against her, a woman I put a baby in. She noticed as well if I am reading things correctly as she doesn't offer ideas or try to help plan things. I feel like I have wronged her but I also am smart enough to see I have been doing things with my own will but heavily painted in R'hllor's red. Seeing Xenioa and Kinvara just made me a bit paranoid that I am doing something similar.
I just need time to think about it some more before I can slip out of the worry that Melisandre is playing some long game with me and my family. Being named Azor Ahai means nothing if the god of light randomly decides I no longer fit his image and turns his worshipers on me.
"I still find it odd that you can join the fighting but we can not, you are not married to any of us as of now but your 'engagement' to Nata permits you to fight. We are also 'Engaged' to you so we should also be allowed to fight." None of them were pleased when the priest of the goddess of fertility denied all of House Targaryen except me.
"After we win Ebonhead the Priest will be on our side in the next battle, we will also wed before the next battle so there is no need to worry. Nata and I will handle this one and you will just have to make it up in future fights." She nods and her arms around my chest tighten.
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298 AC
The North - Winterfell
Lyanna Stark
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Robert Baratheon arrived and I have been tucked away out of sight thus far, my brother worried about a confrontation. I would cut the fat man's nuts if he tried to grab at my ass like he is the serving girl beside his 'wife'. I almost feel sorry for the Lioness but then I realize I would never feel sorry for someone from House Lannister.
I sigh looking at my niece as she blushes each time she looks at the crowned prince, a Baratheon he is that much is for sure. But a lion's eyes and a cruel glint in them I imagine Tywin himself is proud of, I wonder how he compares to the old lion.
The princess and the little prince look the same colors and build as you would expect, with no obvious looks of being annoyed just from being here like their older brother.
Sitting off on the side with a new friend I eat in silence as I watch my brother struggle with words to tell his friend to stop molesting the girl. This is the man my brother helped put on the throne and the man who is called the 'demon of the trident'. He used to at least have the build of a demon when I last saw the man, but now he is far from it.
"If you snarl any longer at him then I am sure someone will notice." Dacey Mormont laughs into a closed fist on my side.
The daughter of old Maege Mormont, the heir of House Mormont and a genuinely fun person to be around. I enjoy her company as much as I enjoy her mothers, her mother herself is sitting in a position closer to the other lords. No one cares if Dacey is down her out of sight with me but it would be odd to see Maege herself sit down here so it's just us for now.
"I wonder if he will fall off his horse and crush his ribs under all that weight." She snorts and shakes her head as I go for a drink of Ale.
"I can't imagine how he even still fucks when he can't see his cock over his belly." Ale threatens to come out my nose as I turn to her while struggling to take down the drink.
"Damn." I curse as I pat my chest and glare at the she bear and she gives a half smile.
I make sure no one looked over when I choked and not seeing any eyes on me I glare back at my friend.
"Now your snarling at me, you want to take it out on the yard after we finish up here?" I eagerly nod and plan to put this bear on her back.
"Count on it." Her smile goes wide and I can't feel too annoyed at her as I know she only wanted to take my mind off things.
A good friend but that doesn't mean I won't show her what I am made of and instead, it makes me want to show her even more.
----
"So how did it go?" I ask my brother as he leans back in his chair, we are meeting late at night in his solar as he works hard to keep Robert away from me.
"I told him I still need some time, he is trying to stir me into joining the fray with him. He has news of the Blackfyres and the Golden Company, he heard they are at Volantis and the Red gods believers took the city. What the connection there is he does not know but he does know a Tiger Triarch took majority of the power and he fears they will lust for expansion. This very well may lead to the Golden Company joining hands with Volantis and that can only end poorly for Westeros." I grimace hearing this, Doran likely has heard much the same but I worry about those in Summer Isles.
If it is learned they are in the Summer Isles and the Blackfyres are allies with Volantis they may give them ships to sail to the Summer Isles. If they learn they have the dragons there it is a certainty they will find a way to sail down there.
"What are you going to tell Robert about the offers he gave you, The position of the hand and the marriage offer?" I love my niece but she is too unprepared for a place like Kingslanding, accepting this will also firmly plant the North with Robert.
"I won't accept the marriage, pulling my daughter down to the south when there is a war brewing and dragons flying is not something I will do. I am left little choice as far as the position of the hand goes, he ordered me as my king I am sworn to." I feel my blood boil and grip my chair.
"Robert Baratheon 'ordered' you to go south as his hand?" He flinches when he hears me and I am barely containing myself from yelling.
The fucking king who is his 'friend' orders him to do something?!
"Aye, you have the right of it but you need to understand I can't go against him here or I might as well declare the north in rebellion. Dorne may be fine with the way they spit in Robert's face but even if I wanted to do the same my people would starve come winter. You should know this better than anyone Lyanna, I can't do anything that will weaken the North." I take a deep breath and close my eyes and try my best to keep calm.
My brother will die in the south, just like our father and older brother he will die away from the North.
"This time it can't be blamed on me." I feel my eyes sting remembering the past, Ned looks at me in confusion.
"What is not on you?" I shake my head and clear my thoughts.
"You won't be coming back, one way or the other you won't return to the North after heading down there to rule for Robert as he whores himself to death." His face sours as he looks down at his desk.
Silence builds as we both think about what we heard and I can't help but want to help him, but I can't make him change his mind. I can only tell him he is being foolish and hope he figures it out.
----
Watching my brother leave Winterfell I feel a surge of pity.
The things I have heard about Robert's court and the way things are run will have him at his wit's end. He will be pulled each way trying to hold together what Robert let be torn apart, I just hope I am wrong and he will return safely before he gets killed.
A small guard of Northmen and our ancestral sword Ice is all he rides with into a den of lions and snakes with vultures flying overhead.
A small whimper on the side catches my attention and I turn to see a small grey and white puppy that has been taken with me since I found it with the others. My brother's kids managed to find a dead Dire wolf and some pups, eight in total.
Each kid has one and three of them were 'without an owner' but in reality, all the stark kids loved on them equally. Arya practically slept in the kennel with them one night and had to be dragged back to her room.
Ned told his kids there to be responsible for them and I ended up talking them into letting me have the three 'unneeded' ones. One for me and one for each of the wolf girls down at the Summer Isles, I can't wait till they see them.
Visenya has a dragon already so it will take away from the experience but I am sure Morgana will love on hers to death.
I shake my head and bend down to lift the pup into my arms.
I tried everything I could to get my brother to deny Robert and throw him out on his ass, I even pleaded with him using Morgana. I told him he has never gotten to see the wonderful woman she has grown into and he shouldn't run off to die before he can.
He had tears in his eyes but said he has to do his duty to his king.
A tongue on my chin wipes the frown from my face as I tickle the belly of the pup and turn to head to the Godswood. I will pray to the old gods to not let another of my brothers fall in the capital and then I will prepare to head back to Sunspear. Then I will find out where my daughter is whether they want me to or not.