Chapter 23: A Reunion

111 AC

Tourney Grounds, King's Landing

Out of the many qualities that Daemon possessed showboating was one of them, flying your dragon into the city unannounced and circling the city a couple of times, and then landing smack dab in the middle of the tourney grounds while a couple of knights were lined up for a joust is a total Daemon move.

It was a move that my kids loved and I am sure that they will try to recreate it one day with their dragons, much to my displeasure. Looking up to Daemon as a role model is the last thing I want them to do. But alas, Daemon has imprinted himself into their minds as the 'cool uncle'.

"Aegon, you have aged," Daemon greeted me as he and Viserys walked up the steps to the Royal Box after they had their reconciliation episode.

"Daemon, good to see you again, though if you are here then who is guarding the gates of Hell," I snarked back. But I wasn't done, "I wondered why all the birds had suddenly stopped singing,"

"Of course, they did, what bird would dare to come across a dragon" Daemon replied with a smirk,

"Oh, for the love of the Gods, just hug already, your banter is giving everyone material for the next few weeks of gossiping," Viserys exclaims exasperatedly.

Daemon and I chuckle before we hug which causes yet another round of applause from the crowd, looks like time does heal old wounds. Though knowing Daemon, it is only a matter of time before he makes a new one for Viserys and perhaps me.

"Kids, meet your uncle Daemon, his head is big and his balls are even bigger," I said as I began to introduce my kids to Daemon, once he was done heralding Rhaenyra as the 'most beautiful maiden of the Realm'.

And Daemon wasn't wrong in that regard, for in the five years since I last saw her before the war, she has matured into true Valyrian beauty, though she was only fourteen, her beauty easily outclassed that of the other women in court, most notably her stepmother. The precocious girl had transformed into a voluptuous and sensual beauty, she already had the right curves in the right places, and-, Dammit it, I need to get my head from the gutter. Talk about having incest and pedophilia in the same tree, I am not Daemon.

We also have Queen Alicent Hightower and her children, I made it a point to remain cordial and polite with her which was reciprocated, my kids, on the other hand, ended up leading little Aegon around much to Viserys' delight, I used to follow Daemon and he used to follow Viserys. As for Alicent while she wasn't an evil woman by any chance, she was haughty, ambitious, and proud, just like her father, and the whole 'Aegon not becoming the Heir' was a huge insult to her, something like Catelyn and Ned over Jon but much worse in every imaginable way.

"Aegon, that is no way to introduce your brother," Viserys admonished while Rhaenyra laughed.

"That's alright, for that is exactly how I have described him to Visenya," Daemon laughs as he kneels and messes their hair.

"Boys, if your father says no to anything just come to me, and I will say yes," He winks at the boys which makes them giggle. And already I am regretting my decision to come here. I also noted that this warm greeting was not given to Viserys' sons who instead received a cool nod, of course, both Aegon and Aemond were too young to know what was going but their mother knew exactly what Daemon felt about them while Viserys was oblivious as usual.

"Where is Visenya, Uncle? I was hoping to meet her," Rhaenyra then asks as servants place wine before us.

"The ship will arrive in King's Landing within the next couple of days, I would have taken her with me but a flight from the Stepstones to King's Landing is a long one and not something that should be taken with a child," Daemon replied, his daughter Visenya was born a bastard and stayed that way until Otto was removed after which the main obstacle to her being legitimized was removed, Viserys thinking that now that Daemon finally has the child he so longed for, might settle down agreed to legitimize her.

Viserys nodded, "That is true, such a long journey could be dangerous, it is really good that she is coming and now with the twins here in King's Landing, the family is now complete," Viserys looks like the kid whose parents have finally decided to plan the family vacation to Disney Land after years of begging.

"So, how is this tourney going? With me and Aegon not participating I would assume that this tourney must be rather bland," Daemon remarks as the next two knights begin their jousts, while Caraxes flies off to the Dragonpit.

Alicent primly replies, "The puissant knights of the Reach have ably proven themselves on the field, they have bested all their opponents," By that she means her champions, her brother Gwayne and a bunch of other cousins.

"And yet, it is Ser Harwin Strong who has managed to prevail over so many of the knights of the Reach, he is after all the favorite to win this tourney," Rhaenyra cuts in with a smirk before anyone of us could answer. Ah yes, Breakbones, the Lord Commander of the City Watch who also happens to be Rhaenyra's champion for this tourney.

I shared a look with Daemon while Viserys tried to be diplomatic between the two ladies. The rivalry between Alicent and Rhaenyra was an open secret and the whole world knew it not that Viserys bothered to care. Words cannot describe the disdain both of them have for each other, I remember telling Rhaenyra the story of Cinderella, Snow White, and all the other evil stepmother tropes which in her eyes have come true.

And of course, at the beginning of it all we had the opening feast of the tourney, the famous feast that decided the names and made the faction's official, Blacks for Rhaenyra and Greens for Alicent, and all of it based on the color of the gowns they wore, it hasn't been a week since the feast and already people are wearing the colors and sitting apart in the viewing stands.

And I was the wild card, I lost count of the number of times that nobles from either faction came to me and tried in the most subtle of ways to have me agree with them but mostly stand on their side of the court and talk with them and ensure that the other side sees me talking with them over virtually nothing and everything, and then there was Rhaenyra who did her best to hog all my attention with tea parties and hawking, while also giving the twins a ride on Syrax, to which Alicent responded by having little Aegon play with Daemon and Aegor and try to score some points on me using the children. This is what happens when you come to King's Landing a week before a tournament starts.

So for the opening feast, my sons and I wore blue, a bright blue representing the Blue Fork, to show everyone that I was neutral and to tell everyone to fuck off but the last part didn't work as I intended it to, all it did was give everyone the impression that I was still up for grabs.

"Both Ser Gwayne and Ser Harwin are good jousters and I am certain they will make the finals and the joust between will be one for the ages," Viserys said as he tried to defuse any argument.

Viserys prediction came true when Harwin and Gwayne made it to the finals but he was wrong when he said that it will be a joust for the ages for it was settled in a single pass, Gwayne's lance missed Harwin completely while Harwin's lance found Gwayne's head.