93
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207 AC
Norvos
Daenerys Targaryen
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"That was fast... too fast." I tilt my head looking at the letter that Elaena just sat down before me on the table Narha and I have been breaking our fast at.
"The farther East we go the weirder things seem to get." Elaena looks a bit off-put as she looks at the letter. "Even if they sent it the moment they saw dragons fly over Lorath, it still should have taken another day or two to reach us." I nod in agreement as the Free Cities do not keep ravens or a similar bird-like Westeros, they tend to focus on their own city that they live in.
Some people trade letters from afar with fancy birds but this was delivered by a person on foot.
"They want a meeting." Narha speaks up and I nod slowly without bothering to take the letter from her as she seemed to pick it up while I was lost in thought.
"Of course they do, we sent out word for all to bend the knee after the crowning ceremony and only now do they see we were deadly serious." Running a hand through my hair I tilt my head to the side letting most of it fall over my right shoulder as I purse my lips.
"We prepared for a meeting with a representative... but I still find it odd how fast they made it here." Elaena speaks up confidently about our plan to meet with them at the table and not on the field, she longs for proper negotiations where she can put her talents to use.
But I think it's easy to see there is something we do not know... or they preemptively sent word ahead of us even taking the city which would have been foolish.
"Do you think there is any truth to the rumors?" Narha asks with some hesitance as she presses her hands flat on the table while biting her lips.
"Which?" Elaena asks humorously but pays close attention as Narha shifts in place.
"The ones talking about their maze... they say they can enter in one place and appear somewhere far away." I shake my head as I finish getting all my hair off my neck and slowly start working on a braid before Elaena spots me and heads over with a smile as she reaches out to assist me.
"I think most of those tales are as tall as the sky in most cases... but if we humor the idea then it could explain the swift arrival." I begin speaking my mind before slowly I think back to what Aerion spoke about. "When we went to see the island in person we obviously saw the maze, as we have spoken of it upon our return... but we did not look into its many branching paths and tunnels into the ground." Magic is not something I can claim to understand and the origin of the maze is obviously something of that nature.
Aerion's thoughts were that it was carved in place using magic as he thinks it's impossible they moved the stone into place. He thinks the tall walls we landed upon were once a small mountain that through many years and great effort was slowly carved into what it is today. One big reason he claims that is because it looks pristine as if it was just finished, something he claims would be impossible with how old it is and how much it rains on the island. Even with thousands of blind priests working to preserve it all year long, it should show signs of time wearing upon it.
"Magic." I utter the word in hesitance and curiosity. "I wonder if it's something we can explore, maybe even use their methods to send goods far distances through 'mazes' we ourselves create." Elaena stops the braid she started and I turn to see her looking thoughtful.
"I will look into it." I roll my eyes at her words knowing full well her curiosity won't rest till she has answers.
"Don't wear yourself out, we will need you if things keep turning strange the further East we go." I know many places in Essos and have seen pretty much all the sights there are to see west of the Bone Mountains.
But this is the third thing we have encountered that seems odd that I have never encountered.
I wonder what else we will run into?
Stone Giants?
Shadow Demons?
Fishmen?
I can't help but shake my head much to the annoyance of Elaena as she tries to finish up with my hair.
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207 AC
Norvos
Aemon Targaryen
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"Bad dream?" I ask Rhaella as she joins me in the small yard we have been using for training.
"No... just odd." She hums while hugging my side and looking toward the youngest of our siblings out in the yard trying to wack each other with training swords.
"What did you see?" I ask while trying to remember the last dream she had a few days ago, pregnancy has been showing her some wild stuff lately.
I think the first strange one was when she saw what she believed was Chroyane, the foggy city on the Mother Rhoyne, and it lost its fog after a dragon visited the city. It strikes me as strange since the old city is said to be cursed because of what the Old Valyrians did. They blame the creation of Grey Scale on the day that the city flooded. The old Prince begged for the Mother Rhoyne to swallow all the invading Valyrians as they celebrated burning nearly a fourth of a million soldiers with their dragons.
So it strikes me as weird that the city's fog would lift after all this time because a dragon visits it.
"I couldn't tell where I was but I knew it was many moons from now." I lift a brow at her as she turns her head to look up at me. "I was holding a babe." I smile and press a kiss on her forehead.
"Care to tell me what... the babe looked like?" I almost slipped and asked if it was a boy or girl, not that it's important but I know she can get moody when I let on that I want a boy.
I will cherish my child regardless, I have plenty of experience with baby boys and girls because of all my siblings and I know what I am getting into. I care not what my firstborn is, but I certainly would not mind a boy who would take after me... but I suppose a girl could also take after me.
"You can wait." She snorts and turns away from me while dropping the arm that was around my back.
She caught the slip.
"What else did you see?" I push on trying to quickly change the subject so she won't get pouty.
She bounces her head from side to side while humming and watching the training once more with amusement in her eyes.
"A dark throne room and Father was being crowned once more..." The amusement and humor leave her features even as she watches our Brothers tussle on the ground ruining there training clothes.
"Why was he getting crowned again?" I tilt my head while slipping my arm around her back in an attempt to bring her close once more.
I suppose once we actually 'finish' the Conquest he will be crowned again, but I am interested in hearing more about the dark throne room and where it is. We still do not know exactly where we will rule from, as in the main Emperor's castle and throne room.
"I don't know." She embraces me once more and I smile even as I comfort her seeing as she seems a bit disturbed at what she saw in her dream. "The crown... it looked like it was... burning." She huffs as she narrows her eyes and I fully turn her from side hugging me to wrap both my arms around her being mindful of the babe.
"Don't get caught up on it, write it down and hand it over to Father when he is back and let him worry about it... you have something far more important to worry about." She hums once more and I enjoy her arms tightening around me as she slowly starts nodding.
"I already wrote it down." Of course, she did, she just wanted some special attention and to let me in on what she saw.
...or maybe she wanted to hint at knowing what the baby will be and wants to torment me with that knowledge.
Its hard to tell.
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207 AC
Myr
Aegor Bittersteel
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"Well, that could have certainly gone worse." I mutter while sitting down after filling a glass with wine.
"He practically overlooked the fact we attacked Myr without asking for his leave to do so." The Golden Companies paymaster speaks up and I nod while frowning.
"He just wants the Conquest he started to go well and to finish it, we anticipated this and it worked out well. But everything else is where I am surprised, he is willing to let me do as I want with Myr so long as everything meets his 'standards' and abides by his new laws." Thankfully he did not want a large portion of the spoils, using them I can appease my men and put to rest their gripping about their rewards.
Things have been rocky without knowing what the dragons will do when they come to visit, but now things can smooth out.
"Two-thirds of the men, one-third going south to meet some awaiting ships to take Lys, and the other third handed over to Blackfyre." My second in command speaks up and I know he will need to be properly paid off to ensure he has no unfortunate thoughts.
He will see this as him losing all the power he has as he will be under Daemon or Brynden... which honestly helps me greatly. With him gone and my 'debts' to him paid I will have no big threats beyond assassins from Volantis of all places.
"You will be well paid and a Lordship in the Disputed Lands will find its way under your name once this is all settled." He frowns but does not speak up to refute my words which shows his intentions.
He would speak out loudly if unpleased, his silence is his approval.
"Have the men split up, the most ambitious will be sent to Daemon and the best fighters will go to Brynden." The most loyal will stay with me, I will praise the ones who go as solid men of the Golden Company but in reality, I only pray they do not cause me any problems.
I will make sure they are well paid, knowing now how much coin and riches I actually have, and will not have a dragon swoop in and steal some... well I can afford to be generous.
"Huh?" I scrunch up my nose seeing a scrawny rat in the corner of the room. "Send for that damn rat catcher!" I shout while the rat is startled by my loud voice and flees quickly.