134
----
298 AC
Summer Isles - Ebonhead
Eragon Targaryen
----
With our prop-up 'master of ships' hired on and getting the groundwork laid for the expansion of the fleet, we can put that out of mind for a moment. He is also going to handle making sure the ships we are missing are 'found'. I am willing to put some trust out and the price he wanted was fair in my mind, one misstep and he is dead though. Got to make sure people know not to try anything and there may not be anyone with the man's history in Ebonhead but there are others capable of doing the job.
But for now, I am going to focus on tonight, we will have a proper Valyrian wedding with plenty of Fire and Blood. This will be my first wedding of this kind even though I have heard about them before and thought about having one. I always imagine marrying Daenerys in the traditions of old Valyria.
I am glad it is a more private affair as the courtyard is still a mess from the wedding we had for Nata and me. We don't have much household staff as most ran off in fear of the dragons and we are slowly rehiring. I don't expect it to take too long though, our position is strong here and getting stronger by the day, and each person warms up to us.
"How likely do you think it is that we can get enough to equip a substantial force with Golden heart bows?" I ask Zeina a man who I am spending more and more time with as the days go by.
He is kind of like the Master of arms in Westeros for us at this point, he has trained boys to men over his years and has a lot of experience. He is the one to suggest taking in the orphaned kids around Ebonhead to train to be loyal guards, 'with food in their bellies they will defend this place' he said. I can't help but have some doubt about that as there are cravens everywhere but once I saw him putting the boys through his training this morning I became a believer.
"How big is substantial in your head?" He looks over the armory with me and our count is four hundred and thirty-five Golden heart bows.
There are supposed to be five hundred and they were around since the times of the slaver wars when the first person united the Summer Isles. These were some of the first Golden heart bows ever crafted and they used them to defend their people in a united front to stop slavers.
"I mean I could pray all day for five thousand Goldenheart archers but that doesn't mean I will see it." He nods and pulls one off its rack and draws it back before easing off it and setting it back down.
"It is not impossible, if I had to take a guess there should be close to a thousand at least in Ebonhead total. If you wanted a high-end number I could maybe say there are a thousand five hundred in Ebonhead and its surrounding villages. Getting them all together and working as a unit would be a challenge." I nod as my hopes are high but I am expecting around one thousand to two thousand in my possession once all is said in done in the isles.
I know some people will throw a fit when they see us take them off for war as the Summer Isles have never done war before outside of the Slavers wars. They will be fine once they realize the power of their own 'kingdom' they are a part of is growing and so to will the resources available to them. Traditions can only hold up for so long before they crumble and get replaced.
"I see, two thousand Goldenheart archers raining arrows down on a field of cavalry or foot soldiers would be a blood bath. I see why they have never been sold foreign and not just because the natives want to keep what is 'theirs' but because once people see how strong they really can be they will want them. It's one thing to hear one of these bows can send an arrow through steel armor and another to see a cloud of arrows and witness when your men get full of holes." Will be a useful thing to have on top of dragons once things get kicked off in full in the future.
"True, it is why they were forbidden in the ritual wars in the past. Ten men with these bows could down half the enemies before they could even get close." We walk past the bows and get to the spears and it reminds me just how little metal the isles have.
"I will buy some spears from Dorne next chance I can, I plan to pay back some of my debts before the prince can try to use them to his advantage for varying favors. I will send extra to get him working his forgers to make up some quality Dornish spears." Zeina nods approvingly and his old face scrunches up as he smiles.
"Wise, if things go bad toward the end it may come to real combat against places like Lotus Port or Tall trees town. I expect the prince of Lotus port to have a problem with you and your wives, he is a large advocate for keeping our noses out of foreign matters." I will see if I can get more information on the prince of Lotus port.
Lotus port itself is the send largest city in the summer isles right beside Ebonhead, which could be a problem if it comes to 'real war'. Not that I think we would lose but we would lose a lot of time that we don't want to spend on conflict. The faster the isles are united the better for my plans.
----
"You look beautiful, I almost didn't recognize you." Danny slaps my arm and glares playfully before wrapping her arms around me.
"I am excited, are you?" I lay a kiss on the top of her head and then hum in the affirmative.
"Can't wait, I will complain a bit about how much self-harm I will be doing in the next few days but all the blood will be worth it in the end." She grabs my hand and holds it up and looks at the scar going across my palm.
She then holds up her own scarred palm a reminder of the first 'wedding' we did as kids. Looking back at it and the 'innocence' we had toward the ritual I smile.
"Just cut the same line, I can sew it up again if it won't stop bleeding. Mom wondered why I needed the needle and thread..." My sheets were ruined and mom had a fit seeing them.
"Good advice Danny, I will cut the same line that took a whole moon to heal." She bumps me with her hip and I bump her back as Melisandre comes into the room.
"It is ready." I sigh and take one last look at Danny before leading her out of the room behind Melisandre.
----
The taste of blood in my mouth has long left my thoughts as I look at Danny incredulously.
"What?" I ask so she will repeat the words that just rocked my world.
"I am carrying, not for long but I think it is time to tell you." I pull her into another passionate kiss and the taste of blood returns but I ignore it.
The slightly sweet taste from the rum leads the way as her tongue swirls around mine, I pull back and break the kiss before I get lost in the moment. Looking at her flushed look with a smear of blood on her brow and chin, more on the chin as it runs down from her cut lip.
"I am glad, I almost thought I would never get you with a child with how long it has taken." She licks her lip and then pulls up her cup to wash out the taste. "You should stop drinking if you actually are, we have heard from multiple sources it can heighten the chance of stillborn." She groans and looks at her cup longingly.
"Do I have to?" She gives me a pitiful look but I give no mercy on this.
"Would you rather be safe and not risk it or potentially kill the baby?" She sighs and grabs her cup and pours it into mine.
"Fine, water and berry juice." I smile and put a hand behind her head to pull it in and kiss her once more.
"I am surprised you waited to tell me though." I thought she would run to tell me as soon as she suspected something.
"I wasn't sure and didn't want to get your hopes up." I hum and lean back into my seat.
I look back at the bed we were going to share alone tonight and now I feel like I don't want to ram into her as much. Maybe I have listened to the 'old wives' too much and feel like a baby is more fragile than it is but I still can't help but worry.
Now that I think about it she has been coming at me 'softer' than she has ever before, I didn't give it much thought before.
"You are going to freak out over everything now aren't you." She crosses her arms and looks into my eyes.
"Most likely." She stands up and walks toward the bed while dropping her dress to the floor and 'slowly' getting into the bed.
She makes sure to raise her bare ass extra high into the air as she crawls across it.
"We can just cuddle then." I hear her voice softly tempt from the bed and I sigh as I stand up.
No way we just cuddle.
----
298 AC
KingsRoad
Eddard Stark
----
"What is this?" I ask as I look at a message Robert handed me.
"The reason I need you as my hand." He growls as his fists clench into meaty fists.
"They are gaining allies, Volantis will be a powerful enemy to have." I toss the parchment onto the table between us and look into his eyes.
"What are you holding back for Ned?" I raise an eyebrow and he slams a hand onto the table drawing the attention of the guards nearby. "Why are you not running to the fight like we used to!?" I sigh and shake my head.
"Times are different Robert, Two wars I took the North into and the North bled a heavy price in both." Heavier than they should at least, heavier than the other kingdoms paid when all the dust settled. "The North had a debt to pay in the first and the second but this one... the only reason they would come is if I gave the word. I don't want to call the men of the North to a slaughterhouse where they will bleed and take nothing back but wounds." Robert's face turns red and he smacks the table harder.
"Copper counting is what it has come to between us? We are brothers Ned, we may not have blood but we choose to be brothers." We also choose to call Daeron Targaryen a brother but that didn't stop his blood from spilling.
"It's not about coppers Robert, the North as much as I hate to say it is the poorest and each war hits us much harder. Iron born still reave at our western shores and wildlings from beyond the wall, our men died and it will be a while until we get back to how we were before the banners went south." I told him more than once I would not take the position of hand if he just wanted the armies at my call.
"You will see, it is necessary if we want the bloody kingdoms to stay together. Dorne is as good as independent once more and other kingdoms are slowly going quiet waiting for an opportunity to strike. The Iron throne does not have the weight it used to and everyone knows it, our friendship is what holds it together. That and those golden shits coins, without that the kingdoms would all split." I sigh and rub my brow in frustration, he will not let this rest and I will not pull my men to die for this cause that is not their own.