Chapter 18: The Parting of the Ways

Sixth Moon, 89 AC

Aemon

What was his father even doing? Aemon did not know. He just knew that with a single decision, his father had burned the bridges they had labored so long to build, set fire to them more thoroughly then if he had used Vermithor.

Immediately after his father had dismissed the court, almost the entire Targaryen family had raced to meet him in the royal apartments. His decision had taken them all by surprise and they all wanted to know what he was thinking.

Viserra had beaten them there however. Her venomous and furious shouts could be heard down the corridor, accompanied by several curses that should not have been in a princess's vocabulary. Aemon winced, it was a good thing he had told Rhaenys and Maegelle to take the children away from this. He had a feeling this conversation would not be for the ears of Viserys, Daemon, or Gael. Ser Ryam Redwyne was waiting by the door, a grimace on his face as he bowed his head to the royals and opened the door.

His father was not that foolish it seemed. No less than three knights of the Kingsguard stood beside him as he sat on his chair and listened to Viserra's tirade. Lord Corlys was almost physically restraining his sister, perhaps in fear she might attempt to assault their father. She blazed with rage and fury, Aemon had never seen her so angry before. Not even when she had stood before them all, crying and angry after she had taken Dreamfyre.

His father looked to Aemon and his mother and siblings accompanying him and welcomed them with a smile. "Ah! Good, you have all come, as I expected. Could you help me calm your sister down? She appears to have taken things the wrong way."

"T-the wrong way?" Viserra laughed bitterly and angrily at that, as if she could not believe what she was hearing. "What do you consider spitting on my sons, your own grandsons, and trampling over their inheritance to be!? How else am I supposed to take that but as an utter insult and farce, Father?"

King Jaehaerys fixed his eyes upon her like he was gazing upon an errant child of ten and not a woman grown with children twice that age. "Perhaps you should not have assumed too much Viserra. Or think to take insult where there is none."

Before Viserra could go into another tirade, her husband finally spoke. His words were measured and calm, but Aemon knew him enough to know there was a barely restrained rage in them, veiled barely by politeness and deference to kingly authority. "Your Grace… forgive my impertinence, but did you not promise myself that the lordship of the Stepstones would be mine?"

His father narrowed his eyes and his voice went low. "Think back to our conversation carefully Lord Velaryon. I promised no such thing. I promised you the governance of the Stepstones, and as you heard and swore earlier, I have kept my word exactly. Perhaps this was not what you thought your reward would be, but your assumptions are not my responsibility. I promised you the governance of the Stepstones and I have delivered as promised. The exact details of your administration of the Stepstones will be discussed with the Small Council over the following days. I hope that you will be in attendance, both as Master of Ships and as Governor."

There was a dangerous glint in Corlys's eyes as he bowed to the king. "Of course Your Grace. I will be there. My apologies for my assumptions."

The cold steel never left his father's tone. "Good, I'm glad we have settled that. It has been a long and tiring day. More tiring for some than others," he said with a slight glance to the steaming Viserra, "and I think we can all do with some rest. I will speak with you more on the morrow my lord. Take my daughter with you, I think she needs some time to calm down."

Viserra left very begrudgingly, still indignant and furious. Corlys had to near physically move her even after whispering into her ears as she stared daggers at their father. If looks could kill, their father would be burning in the seven hells right now.

"Jaehaerys, what are you even doing!?" his mother demanded before Viserra and her husband had left. His sister perked up, emboldened at hearing their mother come to her defense, but her husband continued leading her away nonetheless.

"As I explained to Lord Corlys and attempted to explain to Viserra, I kept my word. I don't really see what the problem is. Something was promised and it was granted in full. There is no reason for Viserra or anyone else to complain," his father defended.

"Trivial excuses. No matter what your intentions or promises were father, you knew how the Velaryons would see it and you made no effort to correct or clarify. You let them continue falsely believing that you were giving them lordship over the Stepstones and then you humiliated them in open court in front of all the nobles!" Alyssa interrupted, looking furious. "To begin with, I'm not even sure I believe you when you say you never once intended to actually give them lordship. The title of governor doesn't even have any precedent in Westeros! Or in our family's rule over it!"

Their father leaned back into his seat. "You would be wrong there Alyssa. On both counts. Historically, while rare, the title has been used by the various kings of the lesser realms before the Conquest, and during the First Dornish War, mine own grandfather appointed governors over Dorne, Lord Jon Rosby who was Castellan of Sunspear and Warden of the Sands. Though the title of 'governor' itself may not have been used, the function it served most definitely was."

Alyssa scoffed. "You're not even willing to admit the truth! Damn your excuses! I don't even know why you did this but you are driving Viserra away from us! Right when she was coming back to us! Do you not care at all!?" she exclaimed, marching toward their father, only to be stopped by the Kingsguard. She backed off, the fury still in her eyes as she stormed out of the room. A curt cut delivered as she left, "Maybe Saera was right about you after all."

"Alyssa!" Baelon said as he chased after her, whether to scold her or agree with her, Aemon was not sure. Perhaps both.

His mother shook her head. "This conversation is not over Jaehaerys. We will be having words later. You better hope your actions have not estranged our daughter from us," she warned before following Alyssa out, leaving Aemon alone with his father.

Aemon stepped forward then. "Why? Don't tell me what you told the others. I don't want to hear it. You and I both know it's all just excuses. I am your heir, if there is anyone you must be frank with here, it is me."

His father stared at him, as if deciding what to say. Finally, he sighed, and rose from his seat to approach Aemon.

"Do you remember our conversation a few months ago? After Viserra's sons were born? This is my response to the concerns you raised," his father said.

"Why did you choose to do this? What happened to everything I suggested? You told me you would consider it!" Aemon demanded.

"I did. In fact, I foresaw this problem years ago, from the very day Viserra claimed Dreamfyre. I knew that chances were, she would be able to give dragons to her children, with Dreamfyre being as prolific as she is. I chose to proceed with her betrothal to House Velaryon because if there was one family in the realm that I would choose to have dragons, if I had absolutely no choice, it would be my mother's house.

"That does not however, mean that I like it, or that I see no problem with it. House Velaryon is the richest family in the realm, and they possess the largest fleet. And now, now they have three dragons and the family's next generation riding dragons is sealed in stone. Was I to give them the Lord Paramountcy of the Stepstones as well, their power would grow too large by far. It would not be long before they had power to rival that of House Targaryen and that is unacceptable.

"I considered your plan, and while it has merit, I find myself disliking that the entire plan hinges on the personal loyalties and relationships between us and House Velaryon. There were many who were 'loyal' to our family in my youth. All proved faithless when the hard times came.

"My father gave only gifts and rewards, and never made threats, never gave punishments in fear that it would anger his vassals, and in the end he was deserted. I will not make the same mistake. It is the lesson that I learned as a child Aemon, you cannot rule with love and loyalty alone. You must be feared as well. You must be respected."

"But fear and respect alone do not suffice if you sacrifice love and loyalty to attain them! Maegor proved that did he not?" Aemon interjected.

"There is no reason we cannot still implement your plan in some way. Love and loyalty yet remain, bonds of kinship cannot be broken so easily, regardless of Viserra's temper tantrum, and they can be repaired. The Velaryons must be bound close and rewarded for service that is true, but neither can they be given free rein. There must be a balance. Should they prove loyal, great rewards and boons would come, and perhaps in time, they may yet receive the Lord Paramountcy of the Stepstones as they so desire, should they prove faithful and pass the test."

"And if they do not, if the Velaryons prove to be too dangerous and disloyal, then the option will remain for us to legally remove the Stepstones from them and give it to another family. That will keep them in line."

His father's words had logic in them, and yet still Aemon was not sure. "Even so, is it not a step too far? You risk driving the Velaryons away entirely should they feel slighted enough. And then what? Do you think the threat of losing the Stepstones to be enough to keep them in line?"

"The fact of the matter is, the Velaryons need the Stepstones. Their trade routes all run through them. I do not think they will take lightly the threat that they may fall into the control of a rival such as House Redwyne or Hightower, who might so easily begin to restrict or perhaps even cripple the trade which has brought them such great wealth. Your sister has once again proven herself to be an immature child, and I doubt she has the wisdom to see this, but Lord Corlys is a smart man. He knows this as well as I do I am sure. I trust that he will act wisely, to preserve his house if nothing else.

Seeing Aemon was still not convinced, his father continued. "I do not make this decision lightly Aemon, and I do not act solely out of the interest and concerns of House Targaryen, but those of our vassals as well." At Aemon's curious look, he continued. "I have received petitions, letters, and requests, from many houses and lords throughout the realm, all of them concerned, in one way or another, about the rise of the Velaryons."

"I'm sure you have," Aemon said sarcastically. "From that cadre of overambitious and grasping families in the west no doubt. Lannister, Hightower, Redwyne, and the rest of their little alliance. The Velaryons are our family, our kin, Father. They may not have our name, but I would still trust them more than any of these ambitious western houses. What do dragons care of the opinions of the sheep?"

His father frowned and shook his head. "No Aemon. The western alliance were not the only ones who spoke to me. I received letters from houses across the entire realm, not just the west. My brother Boremund spoke to me at length on the matter. Daella of all people, wrote to me on it."

That got Aemon's attention. Daella had written to their father? How? When?

Seeing Aemon's surprise, his father nodded. "Yes, it was surprising to me as well. Daella has changed much in the years since her wedding it seems. She wrote at the request of her husband and goodfather, asking me if anything might be done to restrain the Velaryons."

"Why would Daella even do that?" Aemon asked, stunned.

"The Velaryons have not risen alone. If there is a western alliance, then the Velaryons have formed a coalition of their own, a league in the Narrow Sea. Preeminent among their allies are the Graftons, the Celtigars, and the Tarths. House Grafton has become very powerful and wealthy from its trade with Driftmark and that has started playing into the internal politics of the Vale. The Eyrie has grown concerned with how much influence House Grafton has in the Vale, and how much weight they have started throwing around. Boremund has complained similarly of House Tarth and other Velaryon allies in the Stormlands, and of course in our very own Crowlands, the Celtigars continue to wax alongside the Velaryons. And now that the Velaryons have dragons, their allies grow emboldened and more daring," his father explained.

"Do you begin to understand now Aemon? The Velaryons are not just a potential danger to our own family, but they may very well prove to be a danger to the stability of the realm as a whole. They are greatly disturbing the balance of power and many houses fear to challenge them because of their dragons. It is us they turn to, to protect them. And it is certainly not in House Targaryen's interest to allow one of our vassals to become so greatly elevated and empowered."

"The Velaryons are still our kin though Father, and our oldest vassals beside! Surely they are not as destabilizing as you claim?" Aemon protested.

"I have also received complaints from House Tyrell, that the Velaryons are exploiting them for profits with a threat of undermining their rule over the Reach by dealing with the Peakes instead should they refuse their demands."

Aemon frowned. "Whether that is true or not, it is not officially a crime. Families may deal however they please so long as the King's laws are not broken. I highly doubt the Velaryons blatantly threatened to undermine their rule in such a way."

"Oh I don't disagree. Florence and Martyn were no doubt exaggerating in the hope that I would take action. However, it has proven a point to me. We have long kept dragons out of the hands of other houses such as the Lannisters because we know they have the grasping ambition and greed to empower themselves and overreach, maybe even for the throne itself. Now I see, that kin though they may be, the Velaryons are proving to be little different to the Lannisters or Hightowers in this aspect. Only, unlike the Western alliance, they may become an actual threat to House Targaryen itself because they have dragons."

Aemon felt defeated. He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know if he agreed with what his father was saying, but he did understand his concerns and intentions. Still, the way his father had handled this entire matter did not sit well with him at all.

"You should have told me all of this much earlier, back then even maybe perhaps, when I spoke to you on it. We could have worked on it together, perhaps found a better way. At the very least I could have spoken to Viserra and Lord Corlys and smoothed over any ruffled feathers rather than having this dropped on them in court at the last moment. Did you even speak to anyone on this matter before you made your decision?"

"I spoke to Barth of course... and Vaegon."

Aemon laughed. "You asked Vaegon? Why? What possessed you to do that?"

"Dour and unpleasant your brother may be at times Aemon, but he is very intelligent and an archmaester. You would do well to heed his counsel," his father rebuked with a frown.

"I do not dispute Vaegon's intelligence, only his judgement in this matter. He and Viserra are not exactly on the best of terms. And that still leaves why you chose to make such an important and controversial decision without the input of myself! Your heir! Do you not trust me?" Aemon asked and he hated that the slightest shred of insecurity and hurt slipped into his voice as he spoke.

His father was chastised. "I feared I might start another argument with you, should you disagree. You defended Viserra so strongly when she claimed Dreamfyre, I wondered… It is no matter now. I was wrong. Forgive me my son, it was a mistake and I shan't repeat it."

Aemon was still upset but he needed to maintain a rapport with his father if he was to salvage anything from this mess. "So how do we proceed now?" he asked.

"We wait and see how Lord Corlys reacts. It is his reaction that I am anticipating. Perhaps in a few years, should he conduct himself admirably, I would be amenable to granting him what he desires. Your cordial relationship with him will help you implement your own plan, while I keep the Stepstones hostage according to my own. I believe the term used for this arrangement, is the carrot and the stick? A strange new saying, but it sums it up quite well."

 As his father spoke, Aemon just sighed softly to himself. This was a right proper mess his father had created, and he just hoped he'd be able to get them all out of it.

___________________________________________

Viserra

"Corlys!" she shouted at her husband once they were in the privacy of their rooms. "How could you just stand there and listen to my father's nonsense!?"

Her husband did not answer, only slamming the door shut and locking it.

"Are you even angry? Where is the rage? The wrath at the insult to yourself, to your sons? Seven's sake! Say something Corlys!"

"Viserra!" Corlys suddenly rebuked as he grabbed both her hands and held them tightly. His eyes were cold and Viserra saw the fury in them. "I am angry, just as much as you are. But I am merely a vassal lord. You are the dragonriding princess, you have the leeway to scream at the King and curse him. I do not."

Calming slightly, Viserra weakly said, "You can say it to me… in private. It's not like I'm going to tell him am I?"

Despite the situation, Corlys laughed a little. "Patience my dear. I will tell you now. You want to know how I feel? I feel like I want to tear the world down and your father with it. The humiliation, the betrayal, they sting like a hornet upon my heart and a slap to my face. But if we are to undo this, we cannot act rashly and scream at the world with no restraint. Put aside your fire, temper your rage and let it simmer instead of blaze."

Softening his gaze, he laid a gentle kiss upon her brow before leaning into her ear to whisper. "I dare not speak any more on this. Not here. The Red Keep has ears."

"Then where? When?" Viserra asked, distraught.

"On Driftmark. I beg you give me some time Viserra. I will attend all of these meetings your father has arranged and learn all the details of this… governorship. When that is done, we will gather our most trusted advisors. House Velaryon will answer this slight Viserra, that I swear to you."

Before Viserra could respond, they both heard a knock on the door.

Cautious, Viserra edged toward the door and opened it. Alyssa wrapped her in a tight embrace as soon as she had opened the door.

"Oh Viserra, I am so sorry. I promise, I will do everything I can to speak to him. He will know my anger, oh let's show him together sister, why he should beware the wrath of his daughters!"

"Did he say anything about why he did this? The truth that is?"

"No, he's being insufferable and infuriating. Still insisting that nonsense about not breaking his word. He even cited vague historical precedent as justification to me!"

"Do you think… it might have anything to do with Jace and Luke's hatchlings?" Viserra asked. It was the only thing she could think of that might be the cause of her father's decision. Either that or he really was just a terrible person.

Alyssa sighed. "Nothing is certain, but that's near as I can figure. I think he's still holding a grudge over you taking Dreamfyre even now, and your sons having dragons of their own has only compounded that grudge into paranoia and resentment."

Viserra slammed her fist into the door. "Damn him! The matter with Dreamfyre was settled and done years ago! He made no protest whatsoever to my sons having dragon eggs, and he allowed me the Dragonkeepers to care for their hatchlings! Where does he even pull these harebrained schemes and grudges from?"

"I do not know. Any ideas Baelon?" she said, asking their brother standing nearby.

"I can't say for sure. Your idea about the dragons seems the most logical Alyssa, but there may be something else we have missed. I will have to speak to Aemon to know for sure, if there is anyone that can get a straight answer from our father, it's him."

"Or me," their mother interjected as she walked up. "Your father will soon realize his mistake if he has not already once I get my hands on him."

It still felt weird to think her mother was supporting her, but Viserra had to admit it filled her with joy nonetheless.

"Viserra," she said as she stood by the door. "I promise. I will do everything I can to undo this. This slight to you and your family, it will not stand."

"Thank you Mother, for supporting us. It… it means a lot to me," Viserra said, struggling to keep her voice from breaking. Her relationship with her mother had never been the best, but it was times like these that reminded her, that her mother truly did love her. It was more than she could say for her other parent at least.

Eventually, she dismissed her siblings and mother, asking for time alone. She felt lost. Before today, it had felt like everything had finally fallen into place and all Viserra had to do was follow the path laid out before her for a happy and prosperous life for herself and her family. Now everything was in question, the future uncertain, and she just felt overwhelmed.

"I will fly back to Driftmark on the morrow," she said aloud, making her decision.

The hurt on Corlys's face almost made her reconsider, but she pressed on.

"Forgive me, I feel reluctant to leave you alone, but I need time. Away from this abominable court, away from all this politics. I need to see our sons for more than just a brief day."

Corlys nodded, but Viserra was not done yet. "But that is tomorrow. Tonight…" she said as she sat on the bed and pulled him into a kiss. "Tonight I need you."

In the embrace of the man she loved, Viserra felt content again, for a brief time. A shelter away from the world, just for the two of them, if only for a little while.

_______________________________________________________

As she flew over Driftmark, Viserra noticed the roads. She always did. Almost every road on the island was paved, in stone, cement, or concrete. They were straight as an arrow, had grooves for carts, and even had signboards to most any location on the island, signboards the smallfolk were actually able to read.

They linked every part of the island together, from the small hamlets in the interior, to the fishing villages on the coast, to the town of Hull and the old castle in the northwest of the island, to the great port of Spicetown and the palatial castle of High Tide in the far east. From the air they almost resembled a spider's web, crisscrossing the isle and knitting it together.

Viserra had flown over Driftmark many times in the past few years, and she had long ago realized just how developed the island was. Its layout and infrastructure had all been meticulously planned and designed, to maximize the economic output of the entire island, not just the towns of Spicetown and Hull.

Waterwheels and small little dams clogged near every stream and river in the interior, powering mills and manufactories. Canals fed farms, many of which were enclosed and used advanced crop rotation methods. There were likely a hundred other little things she failed to notice. Every part of Driftmark just worked together seamlessly.

Today's flight however, was not a leisurely survey of the island she called home. Viserra flew with a purpose, a destination that was within sight at last. A grim and damp old castle, with salt-stained walls that stood on a crag beside the sea. Dreamfyre roared as they arrived, as if to announce her presence.

Two weeks had passed since her father had betrayed House Velaryon, and Corlys had finally sent word of his return to Driftmark. But it was not to High Tide he was returning, but to Castle Driftmark, the old ancestral seat of House Velaryon in the island's northwest.

Landing Dreamfyre in the courtyard of Castle Driftmark, Viserra helped Rhaekar and Irina down from the saddle before she climbed up to the battlements. Castle Driftmark was much the same as she remembered. Viserra found herself wondering, with no small amount of apprehension, why had Corlys summoned them to Castle Driftmark of all places?

It was not a light request to simply gather on a different part of the island. Castle Driftmark was the headquarters of the Velaryon fleet. It served as prison for their enemies and barracks for their marines. Castle Driftmark was where House Velaryon hosted its officers and war planning, it was where most of the administration and records related to their fleet was kept.

She looked out from the battlements to see the town of Hull beneath the walls of the castle. The Arsenal of Hull stood proudly near the harbor, producing more ships every day. The Driftmark Maritime Academy, the original campus of the University of Spicetown stood right in front of her, down the paved road from the gatehouse. It was now an institute dedicated to the training of maritime trades, and one dominated by the training of the Velaryon fleet's officers.

The training grounds and barracks of the Driftmark Marines dominated the lands between the castle and the town. Hull was where the elite soldiers of the Velaryon fleet were trained and garrisoned. It was Hull that made most of their equipment, their longbows, spears and swords, their mail and leather.

The town itself was littered with smithies and crafts, taverns and inns, and all the usual that you might expect from a market town, but that was not its true purpose. It had trade, just the same as Spicetown, but the town had been built and designed to support the Velaryon fleet first and foremost.

If High Tide was their palace and Spicetown their port, then Castle Driftmark and Hull were their armory. The Velaryons traded in Spicetown, but it was in Hull that they made war.

The last time Viserra had been here, Driftmark had been preparing for the annexation of the Stepstones and the expected conflict with Dorne. She wondered if soon, Castle Driftmark and Hull would have another war to prepare for. But with who? And when?

 Noticing the Sea Snake had moored in the harbor, Viserra thought she might soon get her answers. Descending from the battlements, she greeted her husband when he arrived with a tender kiss before greeting Aurane who stood at his side.

"Thank you for coming. I'm sure you are all wondering why I decided to meet you here instead of High Tide. But please, allow me to freshen up first. After that, we will have our long awaited meeting in the solar," Corlys said before he walked off.

After refreshing and having a light meal, Corlys summoned all of them to what was once the lord's solar in Castle Driftmark. Taking a seat beside her husband, Viserra wondered what conversations Corlys and his brothers might have once had with their grandfather in this very room. This was the castle they had grown up in after all.

"We've all been very patient with you Corlys, but I think I speak for all of us here now when I ask. What is the plan?" Viserra asked.

"Yes, about that. First things first," Corlys said before he suddenly slammed his hand on the desk and threw a number of papers to the floor in an uncharacteristic display of rage that stunned his family members.

"Sorry about that. Needed to work some anger out. To put it bluntly, and a little crassly, Jaehaerys has completely and utterly fucked us over," Corlys declared.

Having all of their attention, he continued, "I attended all of his little Small Council meetings and this governorship really is a farce. Explicitly, we do not own the Stepstones, they are the demesne of the Crown. House Velaryon only owns Bloodstone, of which I was named the Lord, a paltry pittance of a consolation.

"The King has the right to set the tolls, but this is delegated to me as governor and I may set them as I please though he has the authority to change those rates. We are entitled to a fifty percent commission of the toll profits, with the remaining fifty percent going to Jaehaerys. We have the right to waive toll fees on our own ships and with some clever accounting and hands off ruling by Jaehaerys, we can easily play with the rates to benefit our allies and disadvantage our rivals. A lot of the rules and regulations are vague or not clear. This is rather unprecedented in Westeros after all. We thus have a lot of room to move or interpret our directives and profit handsomely still from the governorate, especially since I was able to convince Jaehaerys, that I would need the Crown's treasury to help fund the infrastructure and defense of the Crown's demesne in the islands."

"That actually worked?" Rhaekar asked, surprised.

"It did yes. I think I made Lady Florence weep when she heard how much I asked for. Suffice to say, we might be able to get away with having the Crown bankroll the upkeep of everything that is not on Bloodstone. The fleet, the toll stations, the expansion of the forts, and the like."

"Are there to be any other vassal lords?" Irina questioned.

"Officially no. Jaehaerys has opted against that. Castellans or some other lower officials that I have the right to appoint, subject to his approval, will aid in the administration and governance of the region."

"It sounds like it's going to be a real headache to build this bureaucracy," Aurane noted.

"It will be, but we can expand Driftmark's bureaucracy onto the islands and try and go from there. There is a silver lining to this governorate, however so slight. We are in the position to develop Bloodstone at the expense of the other islands, so long as we do it carefully enough that Jaehaerys does not have grounds to act against us. We can make Bloodstone the economic heart of the Stepstones, and combined with how we would design the bureaucracy, we can effectively make it so that we will have control over the region no matter who the governor is. In theory."

"Why only in theory?" Viserra asked.

"For that we come to the last and frankly the most aggravating part of this whole governorship. It's an appointed position, and explicitly not hereditary. It's more like a Small Council position than a lordship. That decrepit old codger made me swear in open court, to acknowledge that I served at his whim like I was some dog. Your father is a complete and utter prick Viserra, no offense," Corlys said, anger in his voice.

Viserra smirked. "None taken, I said much worse to his face if you recall."

Corlys smiled briefly before his smile dropped and his tone became very serious. "Now I have to be honest with you all here. I think some of you have already noticed the chief problem with this governorate Jaehaerys has forced on us."

Rhaekar gritted his teeth in anger. "The Stepstones can be taken away… and given to a rival."

"Yes," Corlys clenched his fists. "In fact, with the difficulty in running the bureaucracy and the fleet and expertise that would be required, there's only two houses that could really run the Stepstones apart from us. House Redwyne and House Hightower."

Corlys suddenly slammed his fist on the desk again. "I would rather die than let the Stepstones we conquered and we built to fall into their hands, and yet this is the trap that Jaehaerys has put us in. He has placed a Sword of Damocles above our heads, ready to fall upon us at any moment, and there is nothing we can do to stop him from actually doing it if he decides to do so."

Viserra wasn't sure who or what Damocles was, but she got the meaning well enough. She hadn't even considered this. She had been too angry at the principle of being denied the Stepstones to yet consider the potential political ramifications.

"For the slightest insult or mistake or just his whim, he could take away the Stepstones tomorrow and give it to the Hightowers or the Redwynes. If we build up Bloodstone and our bureaucracy like we discussed earlier, we could make life hell for any governor, but slowly but surely they will inevitably be able to secure some measure of control over the Stepstones, especially if Jaehaerys supports them."

At this point, Corlys had unearthed a map of the Narrow Sea and had laid it out on the table. "The Stepstones dominate the sea lanes between the Narrow and Shivering Seas and the Summer, Jade, and Sunset Seas. Any and all trade that passes between those regions must go through the Stepstones. They are the single most important trade route in the world.

"The geography that so blessed Driftmark, may now be its undoing. Unlike Oldtown or the Arbor, our ships must pass through the vicinity of the Stepstones to reach the lucrative trade routes with the Far East. We can weaken the Hightowers and Redwynes by making their trade past the Stepstones difficult, but if the tables are turned and Jaehaerys gives the Stepstones to them, they could potentially cripple us."

Viserra was growing deeply concerned now. "What can we do to stop that from happening?"

"We can do our best to minimize Driftmark's reliance on the southern trade routes, reorient some of it toward the Shivering Sea, diversify our economy, but it probably still won't be enough. We built our fortune off of the routes to the Jade Sea, we can't just abandon them." Corlys shook his head.

"What I want to know, is why?" Irina asked suddenly. "Why would the King do this to us? We have been loyal vassals have we not? Viserra is his very own daughter, and Jace and Luke are his own grandsons! Why has he betrayed us so?"

Viserra was downcast. Corlys sat back down into his seat with a sigh. "We think it may be because of the dragons. It likely does not sit well with Jaehaerys that House Velaryon now has dragons. He probably fears we will grow too powerful if we have both the Stepstones and dragons."

Aurane breathed in deeply before he spoke, his voice low. "And that means…"

"The chances of him ever giving us the Stepstones in truth, are not high," Viserra finished for him.

"What about the rest of your family Viserra? What have they to say of all of this? Do they agree with your father?" Rhaekar asked, hopeful.

"My mother, and my siblings Alyssa and Baelon have told me of their disagreement. They have promised to speak to my father and try and change his mind, but I am not sure how successful they will be," Viserra confessed.

"Prince Aemon spoke to me as well," Corlys said. "After one of the Small Council meetings. He apologized and said he was trying to resolve the issue on his own part."

"Is that the plan then?" Rhaekar asked. "We put our trust in the Targaryen royals and hope they come through for us?" He did not sound very enthused by the idea.

Viserra turned to Corlys who shook his head vehemently. "I mean no offense to your family Viserra, but I am done trusting in the promises of the Targaryens. We have all seen how much they are worth. Jaehaerys is a proud man. He will not change from this course of action now that he has already fixed upon it and slighted us. There will be no convincing him."

"My father will not live forever…" Viserra protested weakly.

"I respect your brother Aemon, but will he come through for us Viserra? Will he really? Your father has a decade more to live, at least. How long before Aemon is convinced on the merits of your father's plan? Or comes to enjoy the security he feels in dangling the Stepstones above our head, either as reward or punishment?"

"No," Corlys declared. "I will not accept that vulnerability, that weakness. We in this room? We built House Velaryon from the ground up with our own hands. We did not rely on the handouts of the Targaryens, we made our own path, forged our own fortune. We cannot allow House Targaryen to dictate to us or abuse us on a whim. House Velaryon must be in control of its own destiny."

"If we are to ever negotiate with Aemon, with the Targaryens, it must be from a position of strength. We must have something to offer. In the meantime, it would also serve as a safeguard for us to fall back upon should we lose the Stepstones. Something that would allow us to maintain our trade routes, if precariously, without the interference of our rivals."

"What could that even be? You've gone out of your way to stress the importance of the Stepstones this entire time!" Viserra asked, not knowing what he was talking about.

 "To be honest, some would argue it is part of the Stepstones," Corlys said as he drew his dagger and plunged it into the map through the northeastern island of the archipelago. "We go for Tyrosh."