184
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299 AC
Dragonstone
Aegon Targaryen
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"Seems I made it in time then, I only planned to stop to check on who was here as my true destination is the Red Keep." Smiling at my Grandmother she nods while holding one of the young Targaryen babes in her arms. "I would like to walk around Dragonstone and see the sights my ancestors saw... but it can wait, I would like to make haste to the Keep and see what is going on. You are already ready to sail and I just need to throw my things onto the ship with your stuff and then I will be ready." I am glad I caught them as they were leaving, I couldn't have timed it better and this will save me some time.
I still can not believe Viserys and his unwillingness to head to the capital without first readying an army to press his claim over Eragon. But Eragon already has sent word that he is only acting as regent and is awaiting Viserys to come and take the throne. Viserys thinks it's a trick and he will be killed the moment he arrives if he does not have an army ready to show his 'strength'.
The fool.
But it's not my place to say anything about his actions, he is a grown man and can do as he likes. Though from what Rhaenys and Visenya have sent me it just might come down to a Great Council and Eragon is hoping I will put my claim forward. I have no children nor Wife but they both wrote about me taking the child of Arianne as an heir until I have a Son and if I never have one then the girl will one day be Queen. If I have a Son then the boy will marry the girl and they will unite their claims, it does not sound like the worst idea.
The biggest problems are Viserys acting an ass and me getting married... maybe the Reach girl Visenya talked about that seems to be planning something. The Golden Rose of Highgarden, if I married her and got a Son and the boy married Nymeria the daughter of Arianne then both my claim and Viserys claim will be united.
So long as no one comes out and says who Nymeria's real Father is... which might happen if Viserys gets angered enough.
I know Eragon is going to head east and claim as much land as he can with the Red Faith supporting him. I can't help but hope that Viserys will be dragged off with him and given lands over there, if I do press my claim at the Great Council that almost has to be what happens for peace. The only other option would be to kill Viserys and I am not a Kin slayer and I never will be, it's the most disgusting act someone can commit.
Death is preferable even when the kin is a snake like Viserys.
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299 AC
Casterly Rock
Tywin Lannister
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"I am not sure if I should have you hanged for this or be proud of you for the first time in all of your life." I bitterly speak up looking at the tunnel leading into the guard tower that starts in the sewers and leads out into the Sunset sea. "This could have cost House Lannister the Rock if the Iron Born found this..." I feel anger in my chest thinking about it by my wife putting her hand on my shoulder stops me from striking my dwarf son.
"This tunnel just saved us, I think it would be appropriate to thank me for it." I scoff at his bold words, even if they are right and we used his tunnel to get supplies into the rock.
The Riverlands and the North came close on my force's heels and almost pinned us against the walls of Casterly Rock if not for the Iron Born getting caught in the mix. The reaving rapists were all put to the sword while my men got into the castle and reinforced the walls. But without this tunnel into the castle, we might not would have been able to sneak in all of the rations I had collected on the way back to the Rock.
"What is going to happen?" Joanna asks and I place my hand on hers as I watch the tunnel get sealed off for now, it can be dug up if we need to get out through this path.
"Cersei is likely dead, she received my word to flee with her Children but failed to act and the Northmen got two of them. Joffrey is dead and Cersei is surely going to follow him into the grave in either grief or by the headsmen. Jaime is still hidden away, maybe he is also dead leaving the last of the Lannister here in the Rock." I shake my head speaking aloud the worries I have had but my tone remains hard as steel even with how helpless I have felt the last few days.
"That does not answer what we will do." My wife speaks up with pain in her eyes but she knows as well as I did that Cersei was a lost cause the moment she ignored my order to flee to safety.
She did it to herself.
"We will survive, we will preserve, we will aim for peace with the Dragons and pray like our ancestors we can keep the Rock and the Westerlands like when they almost burned in the grass field." That is if the Northmen and the Rivermen do not break down all the gates and make it inside to put us to the sword.
But there is hope yet, we have plenty of men to defend our high walls and plenty of food, we can hold.
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299 AC
Evenfall Hall
Viserys Targaryen
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"Aegon ran to hide under the skirts of his Sisters." I snort shaking my head as we approach the castle of House Tarth who will be one of the last Houses I need to bend the knee before I make my way to Kingslanding.
If only the Tyrells responded to my raven, with their support I would feel much more secure when I arrive to claim my throne. I would even take a second wife, their Golden Rose, and then I could have a solid grip on Westeros. Eragon says he is ready to hand it over to me, but I can't bring myself to believe it when it is the most valuable seat in the world.
No one hands over something like that when they have it, he calls himself regent but he rules as a King. He only keeps the name long enough for me to lower my guard and take a knife in my ribs and die, then he will claim to be King of Westeros as well as the islands of dark-skinned savages.
Soon though, soon I will reclaim the throne as I should have had the moment my Father was slain and my Brother fell in battle. It is mine and will be until I draw my last breath, I will fix what has been broken and restore Targaryen rule. I will ensure we will rule for the next thousand years or more, Eragon can go play in Essos where he claims to want to go.
I could care less about the red woman's prophecy or the fake claims of supporters for my Brother over the Narrow Sea. All I care for is the golden crown that will accompany me every day while I do as I was born to do and rule Westeros. Essos is a place for savages ever since Valyria blew up in the Doom, nothing of real worth is left in those barren lands.
If that was not the case then our House would have long ago claimed them for ourselves instead of the Dothraki destroying the majority of the cities and kingdoms over there.
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299 AC
Kingslanding
Eragon Targaryen
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Watching the Arryn banner close in my eyes are locked onto the wheelhouse it hangs from and my heart beats hard inside of my chest. Inside is my Daughter I have yet to even hold and I long to hold her even if people will talk about it. No doubt people watching will speak about how it's obvious I have affection for the child and it's likely mine, but I could not care less.
She is mine and I would scream it from the top of the Red Keep if it got her into my arms quicker.
Maybe I am just feeling deprived since I have seen none of my children recently and have been aching to fly over to Dragonstone to see them. But I agreed I would not leave the Keep to go see them until we could all go see them so I ended up waiting for the arrival from Dragonstone. But it seems the guests from the Vale beat them as they had already been traveling to get here for quite some time.
"You alright?" Rhaenyra asks and I nod with a smile on my face as the Wheel house comes to a stop.
"I am, how are you with seeing your Mother again?" I spare a glance in her direction and catch her rolling her eyes with a small smile.
"Happy." I nod at her single-word response and face back forward as Aemma steps out of the wheelhouse with a small bundle in her arms.
"I am as well." Seeing the silver hair catch the light I almost start walking forward but I remain where I am standing while folding my arms behind my back.
----
"You are just perfect." I lightly pinch the nose of Viserra who remains staring at me with her small eyes.
"She likely is hungry, she refused to eat earlier and it would be best to feed her before it gets too late." I nod handing her back to her Mother who takes her carefully. "The other babes are on the way?" She asks and I nod while adjusting in my chair.
"Soon." I respond with longing evident even with a single word.
"Good, she can see her kin with her own eyes and maybe play with them if they are able to move around as much as she can." I nod while remembering all the dragon toys I bought to let the young ones play with.
I even bought one that looks just like the white dragon toy I always played with back in the day.
Exciting days in the Red Keep, happiness raining down like a storm even with war still ongoing in our lands. I likely will need to fly off to deal with the Westerlands situation, but for now, it is fine to enjoy these nice days. It is like eating a good meal before needing to work hard, I am making sure I am full before I head off to deal with the problems of the realm.
Damn Viserys and his stupid plans, he should be here to deal with this so I can sit back and relax. I want to turn my focus to Essos but I will need to float around Westeros for a while longer as everything settles down. Not to mention the cryptic words of Melisandre saying the threat is coming from beyond the Wall in the North and needing to find out how to deal with it.
I will spend some time relaxing and keeping the peace with the presence of the dragons in Westeros while I judge the threat from beyond the wall. It will give me some time with my babes and it will let me make contact with Braavos about trading with the Summer Kingdom down south. Things have time to grow hopefully, both my plans and my children along with the dragons.
I just need to offload the weight of the Iron Throne and move on to other things.