57
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112 AC
Myr
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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The fact they only sent slaves out to greet us and beg for mercy on their behalf almost made me burn down the best-looking palaces. But I was able to get a real meeting from some of the top Magisters of the city, to be honest, it is a lawless city. They have 'laws' but they are only enforced when it is convenient for the rich to do so, other than that people do as they please. I am not sure how it was when Valyria was still kicking around, maybe a dragon rider ruled from here or something. The rich have full power over everything and it's only at their convenience and leisure that anything is done or ordered.
This place is closer to Lys than it is Tyrosh, an Archon rules from Tyrosh even if it is more of a puppet ruler. To be honest it seems all the Free cities are actually 'in need' of some strong guidance if looked at from that perspective. I am sure more things would get done if Essos were united under one banner, at least from the Narrow Sea to the Bone Mountains. I know little about how Yi Ti really runs but from the side of Essos, I have seen they need a firm hand to get them in line. If not they will just continue to be as they are for thousands of years... which is the same as Westeros now that I think about it.
It boggles the mind how little the Tech Tree is explored in this world, I don't get how someone has not pushed it further 'in reality'. I know it's because the world is meant to be this way by the guiding hand of the 'big man' but it's still odd. Not that I care to change it myself, if I wrote out everything I knew is possible and passed it on I give it two hundred years at most before my bloodline ends. No way someone can control the flow of change that would come with stuff like guns showing up, let alone when they can down a dragon if there strong enough.
""Here are the Magisters you requested..."" A slave stutters as he looks up at my dragon and I give him a nod in thanks before he runs off.
Fat rolls like Santa Claus bounce around as the men are carried by slaves, I think it is less to 'show power' and more that they can't walk this far on their own feet. How they can let themselves get this bad off I have no idea, you would think they could stay fit from fucking whores enough. I mean the workouts I get into with Rhaenyra leave me sweating like a pig, I doubt anyone who really puts in the hip work enough could get that fat.
""It is nice to meet the Magisters of Myr, I am Prince Daeron Nymeros Martell the rider of Gaelithox. I have come to seek out your surrender to put an end to any more pointless slaughter, I would hate to torch your city."" I can see the sweat from the heat and nerves on their large foreheads from here and I wonder if I should fear them falling out from heat stroke and being blamed for it.
Guess I will see how this goes.
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Flying from Myr I follow the coast of the Disputed Lands feeling much more at ease with my sudden departure from the 'war'. I worked out a deal with the Magisters that they want to keep the lands they already 'claimed' in the Disputed lands and will end all hostilities as 'payment'. They also wanted the protection of dragons from Dothraki and Volantis as they fear both coming to cause trouble with the Triarchy breaking apart. I got them to pay a hefty thirty-five percent tax on anything profited from the lands in return for dragons protecting their lands.
Lewyn will be getting a good chunk of that since he will be the one stationed nearby at Bloodstone so most problems will fall to him. But even so, we are profiting from something that was likely going to happen anyway. With dragons nearby, the Dothraki would hesitate after a few Khalasar's burn away, the same situation with Volantis. We also knew Myr would fight tooth and nail for the lands they already 'own' so by 'letting' them own them we are doing them a favor. The protection they are getting is the protection they would already benefit from by being neighbors to Lewyn.
So at the end of the day, it's mainly free profits for doing little to no extra work except a quick fly over their territories every now and then. Which someone would do eventually anyway to make sure they are not amassing troops or setting up fortifications with anti-air.
To top it off little to no damage was done and my Father can rest easy tonight knowing we did not burn a Free City... even though it was close.
I can tell that the anti-slavery movements in Lys put them on edge and once it becomes the norm in Lys it will affect the other two daughters. Slowly that will spread and seep into their cultures and make it easier for slavery to be taken away in the other two daughters. Maybe after ten to twenty years even I could come back and use an antislavery movement to conquer the other two daughters if the stars align.
But a long flight is ahead of me, the only thing making me want to stick it out and do it all in one go is the thought of cuddling with Rhaenyra when I do go to sleep at the end of it. I am not certain if the feeling of warmth spreading in my chest affects Gaelithox but he rumbles as I think about my wife's silver hair. I will take it as his approval to do it all in one flight, only stopping to make sure Myriah will be heading back with me or going to Sunspear away from 'danger' on Bloodstone.
My Father is likely to stay in the Stepstones till the base of the tower is built and the first walls are erected. When he leaves it he will be handing it over to Lewyn to manage and only providing him resources to make it happen. But even if my Father is hanging out on the rock I don't want my sister to sit around on it for too long, I am concerned for her safety even if I know her dragon can fly away just as any of them can.
But I guess that is just the big brother in me worrying for the little sister who seems to always be endangering herself.
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112 AC
Kingslanding
Rhaenyra Targaryen
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I sigh as I lean against the edge of the window as I sit on the lip of it looking out over Kingslanding. Alicent ran off with her Father to meet with some 'prospects' for her hand in marriage or something and has been gone all day. My Mother is sleeping away with Visenya once more, she has gotten in the habit of sleeping whenever the babe does. Though I can not blame her since when Visenya is awake everyone near her will be as well, it's just the way she is. If she is not getting the attention she wants she will scream herself nearly blood red in an effort to get her prized affection.
I purse my lips and wonder if my babe will be like that... our babe.
I set my hand on my stomach trying to feel anything and am disappointed once more as I feel nothing resembling a babe. I was not but a few months ago considering never having a babe in my life and yet here I am awaiting my stomach to swell. I guess love changes someone... I mean I guess being a Mother changes someone.
Gods it is so weird to think about loving someone, but it also feels warm and good at the same time. Like a warm day turning my skin hot with the sun high in the sky and not a cloud in sight, that's what the thought of him does to me. My already racing heart seems to want to leave my chest and I have to hold a hand over my breast and push down to keep my heart from leaping out. It makes me miss his arms around my waist when I wake up, that is one of the worst parts is his absence being noticed every morning.
I wonder if I will feel this same way after years of sleeping in the same bed and loving on one another. After we have babes and are growing older and older, will I still feel like burying my face against his chest?
I grab the wall behind me and the lip of the window with my other hand as I almost leap from my skin in fright. A loud roar echo's over the city like a challenge from a mad beast and I raise my eyes to see the black beast gliding closer. The fight turns to confusion before I find myself smiling and quickly moving from the window down the hall.
I was not expecting to see him so soon, even with news of a potential babe I knew he would be busy in the Stepstones. I can't even find it in myself to be worried about him leaving men unguarded on the shores of one of those islands or worried about the ships he bought. If he flew back then he certainly thought about the dangers of the ongoing war and saw fit to come anyway.
Even if he did put his men in danger I am glad he came to see me after hearing from his sister I might have his babe inside me.
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112 AC
Kingslanding
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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"You two are horrible." Myriah scoffs and walks off but I ignore her as I stuff my face against my wife's neck.
Her same scent fills my nose and makes my head feel fuzzy as she squeezes the life out of me with a surprising amount of strength. I feel the concern bubble up again and the reason I came back so fast hits me like a brick as I try to pull back but she stays latched on.
"Stay." She mutters against my neck and I sigh as I wrap my arms back around her and stop trying to break the hug.
"How are you feeling?" I ask as I hold her against myself and try to push down my concern.
"Happy." I chuckle and feel warm at the surprising amount of glee in her tone as she lifts her head to look into my eyes. "I want to kiss you but there is a lot of peo-" I seal her lips in a quick kiss ignoring the onlookers of our sudden reunion in the courtyard.
I hear some squeals almost like fan girls and a hearty chuckle but I ignore them as they bounce off my thick skin.
"I am happy as well, but I want to..." I lean in next to her ear and feel her shiver as my breath hits her skin. "...check you over really good with my own eyes." I pull back as I notice her ear going red and I see her biting her bottom lip with obvious desire in her eyes.
I am about to throw her over my shoulder and run back to our room but I see Otto Hightower step out into the courtyard looking to be on a mission. His eyes lock onto me with a serious look taking over his depressed features and he crosses his arms behind his back.
"Prince Daeron, it is nice to see you in good health, I am sorry to cut your reunion short but the King has requested your presence upon your arrival." I sigh and Rhaenyra hisses like a cat as she turns to look over her shoulder at the man, he remains like a statue under her gaze.
"Let's go together." I say with no room for negotiating. "I will not keep any secrets from her." At the very least not any that Viserys will want to tell me or wants to hear from me.
Thinking about secrets reminds me of the cave paintings and I wonder how much she looked into it on her own. I will ask her some time tomorrow, tonight will be a bust night with meeting the King and a 'proper reunion' after that.