Chapter 28: Welcome back to King's Landing

113 AC

Dragonhall, Fairmarket

It was a slow day in court with nothing of import to catch my attention, most affairs being handled by my advisors and I didn't have anything much to do, I sat on my high-backed chair thinking of all the events throughout the month, the only thing of note was the upcoming marriage in Driftmark which had everyone up in arms while I yawned in boredom, the Rogares had bitten off more than they could chew and now they will choke on it.

As for Corlys, I don't doubt that he was trying to blackmail Viserys into marrying Rhaenyra to Laenor, though I don't understand why he had to force Viserys' hand, he could have simply asked for Rhaenyra's hand for Laenor and reminded Viserys of the Pact of Oldtown and not married Laena to Drazenko.

Ever since the hunt I occupied myself with more work to get my head away from all the politics, I set up a couple of hunting parks on either side of the Blue Fork, two hundred acres each, with each having a hunting lodge while I deregulated three-fourths of the remaining woodlands and opened them up as resource tiles for grazing, for lumber, and for mining with the commoners being given permits to work on the land.

Four-fifths of all farmland was already privately owned as I began selling land to farmers at low rates when I first came to Fairmarket to help encourage more commoners to move to my lands which admittedly worked to the point I stopped when there were too many people and too little land. I used the remaining fifth of the farmland for testing new methods of farming which were soon replicated upon giving a positive result.

And after that, I started to regulate the medical profession, until then the apothecaries, physicians, and hedge wizards could practice with no regulation to speak of which resulted in scammers and quacks preying on desperate members of the community who were ill. Admittedly I didn't think much about it until an entire family of five was killed by the faulty medicine supplied by a quack after that incident I put my foot down.

By an ordinance, all people who practiced medicine in the city had to be licensed. With the help of a few Maesters in the silver link, acolytes, and Septas well versed in healing, I set up a commission that would regulate medicine and issue licenses to independent practitioners with stiff fines and jail time for those who didn't and introduced the first standards of malpractice outside the Citadel and Oldtown. Maybe one day this commission will become the Royal College of Physicians.

Lyonel made it a point to do the same in King's Landing after hearing of it and after it was implemented in King's Landing, Jason Lannister, Lord Grafton, Lord Manderly, Lord Mooton, and Corlys did the same in their towns and cities. Talk about being a trendsetter.

That is not to say that there was no hospital or sort otherwise, the faith was a major player in that regard, in each city and major town, charitable hospices, infirmaries, orphanages, graveyards, almonries, a makeshift ambulance service, and Xenodochiums were assisting the poor and the sick, and every single one of them was connected to the largest Sept of that city or kingdom as in all purposes the largest Sept in that particular Kingdom was in a way the archdiocese of the faith for that particular kingdom.

Oldtown had the Starry Sept, King's Landing had the Grand Sept, Lannisport had the Golden Sept, and White Harbor had the Snowy Sept. Fairmarket had a modest Sept when I moved in, while that Sept was improved upon and expanded with a Septry and a Motherhouse along with several more septs across the city, the High Septon insisted on having a major sept in the city which was funded by me and so to play nice with the Pope I set up the Blue Sept of Fairmarket, which would go on to control all the orphanages, hospitals, and other charitable institutions in Fairmarket and parts of the Riverlands which received fat endowments from me and the other nobles and rich merchants who wished to showcase their philanthropy to others.

I wonder if I should talk with Septon Tytos about setting up a charity school for poor boys who will go on to study in the Citadel, like how Eton was set up by Henry VI for future students to King's College, Cambridge, the Citadel might support this venture as will the Faith.

Before I could contemplate further setting up the Westerosi version of Eton, Maester Waldran came into the Great Hall with a sense of urgency that was seen by my courtiers who were quick to position themselves near the High Table to hear what Waldran whispered into my ear.

"My Prince, a raven has arrived from King's Landing, the king requests your presence in the Red Keep on an urgent matter, no doubt it has to do with the upcoming marriage in Driftmark." I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed, "Of course it does."

The kingsroad

As my retinue rode down the kingsroad and Gaelithox flew overheard, Robb rode next to me and whispered, "I have strong reasons to suspect that the King intends to ask you to marry Rhaenyra so do at least a few members of the Small Council, already half the court whispers that the King has called you to King's Landing because he intends to marry Rhaenyra to you while the other half thinks that you are called to Court to attack High Tide."

"Huh?" That was my eloquent response. The fact that people have been whispering about a marriage between myself and Rhaenyra is nothing new, her oldest supporters have been going for that ever since I became a widower but to hear that members of the Small Council were supporting that, that was new as was the fact that Viserys was considering it, and this is not mentioning the part of the incest.

The attacking High Tide rumor made sense, several nobles did approach me requesting me to do something about that, the notion of an Essosi Banker marrying a lady who rode a dragon that was none other than Vhagar was simply unacceptable in their eyes.

As for marrying Rhaenyra that was a mixed bag, the not rational part of my brain thinking from my cock was more than happy with that but the rational part of my brain was more concerned about all the baggage that comes with Rhaenyra than it was concerned about the incest with my niece to whom I read bedtime stories. This is more than a little awkward and what is even more surprising is that Viserys might be considering it, of course now that he knows that I am a dreamer my status in his eyes has increased tenfold. Then again Viserys doesn't have any qualms about incest the only problem with Daemon marrying Rhaenyra was that it was DAEMON marrying Rhaenyra.

"Who are these members of the Small Council who wish to see Rhaenyra married to me?" I asked after some time during which I gathered my thoughts on this and I realized that a part of me was alright with this possible match and only a small and old part of me was repulsed by it.

"Lord Lyman is one of them certainly, I believe that the other is Lord Lyonel," Robb answers thinking carefully. Yes, Lyman was a diehard Black in the Small Council while others were either neutral or Green. Lyonel supporting this suit was a surprise, he and Mellos have been famously neutral when it comes to the Blacks and Greens question.

"It has been five years Aegon, I think you can marry again, my brother will not be insulted if you do, and it is not an insult to Dacey's memory either, you are a Prince of the realm, a dragon rider, and a powerful lord besides, it is expected of you to marry and any children from your marriage to Princess Rhaenyra will be heirs to the throne while Daemon and Aegor are heirs to Fairmarket, so their future is secured."

He was right, on paper, marrying Rhaenyra to me was the best option for both her and Viserys, and also for me, it would solidify Rhaenyra's claim and scare off more than half of the Green Lords and I doubt Alicent likes that. But Rhaenyra was a different matter entirely, while I don't doubt that my cock run brain would love to fuck the gorgeous hottie that was Rhaenyra but there was the part in which Rhaenyra was a proud, petulant, and stubborn little bitch who will run me up the wall. Whether she would be loyal to me or still lust after Daemon was another question to be answered.

And I nearly forgot Daemon, good heavens he is going to kill me for this and if he doesn't, then it will be an interesting conversation. Especially after everything I have said about his lechery over Rhaenyra over the years.

"What does the Queen think about it?" I asked Robb who snorted, "What do you think? She has been desperately trying to downplay those rumors ever since they first started but after the hunt, those rumors got too big to control, I believe that she has tried to convince the king to marry Rhaenyra to either Laenor or her son Aegon but since when has the king ever listened to her when it comes to matters regarding Rhaenyra."

"The idea that the Blacks would join the Blues has scared the Greens more than they could imagine." He continues while I groan. The Blues, people have started calling my faction the Blues after what I wore for the feast, I was unaware of the fact that I had a faction until I noticed people wearing blue during Daemon and Aegor's seventh nameday celebrations, and since then all my courtiers tend to wear blue as do those who support me in the Red Keep.

I was pretty sure that Corlys and supporters were supposed to be the Blues but azure blue is bluer than sea green so my side got the Blue while I believe Corlys' side is now called the Silvers after the silver seahorse of House Velaryon.

Red Keep, King's Landing

It was late evening by the time I reached the Red Keep. "Your Grace, welcome back to the Red Keep," Lyonel receives me as I dismount from my horse in the courtyard, my welcoming committee is befitting my rank, Lyman, Jasper, and Tyland were present as were Ser Desmond Caron, and Ser Arryk/Erryk along with a slew of courtiers and servants.

"Good to be back," I said with a nod as I shook his hand, "What is the great problem that you had to include the words 'with all haste' in the missive?"

He looks hesitant, "We should discuss this where there are fewer prying eyes and ears and the king wishes to see you on the morrow."

I asked with a bemused expression "Why tomorrow? What is wrong with now?"

He quietly says to me as we walk into the Red Keep after I greeted everyone else, "The king is currently indisposed as of this moment, little indigestion I am afraid, the Grand Maester has assured me that there is nothing to worry about."

"Indigestion, what brought this about? Has he not been eating well" I asked with a little worry for Viserys, his gluttonous ways will be the end of him which in a way they were, the idiot never learned to control himself.

"Well," Lyonel lingered as he spoke, "It's not just what he is eating but rather how he is eating."

"What does that mean?" I asked with a frown. Though I have a sinking feeling about it.

"A couple of years ago, a Volantene trader presented before the king a certain emetic through which he could vomit and then continue to gorge himself on feasts, and since then," Lyonel says apologetically while I gave out a groan.

"Didn't any of you bother to tell him that emetics are bad for his health?" I asked with a snarl, the last thing I need is for Viserys to die of his corpulence before his time.

Lyonel apologetically answers "Your Grace, the Grand Maester and I did warn the king about his health but he said that he was merely trying it out at first and then it became an occasional use which over the past year has become a habitual event during every single feast."

I sighed, this is no different from cigarettes at this point though I am hearing for the first time about someone getting addicted to emetics. Like everything I have to do something about that. We reach the Royal Apartments where I am about to part ways with Lyonel before speaking up.

"Your Grace, there is something I wish to speak with you about, it is a rather private matter." But I shake my head. "The hour is late, Lord Strong, I think that we should continue our talk in the morning if it is about the Driftmark matter, worry not for I shall take care of it." He takes the dismissal with a nod, "Yes, Your Grace, as you wish."

I walk toward my chambers alone, my guards take their positions, I believe Lorent has gone to the White Sword tower while the other White Cloaks are on duty in the other parts of the Holdfast and the Royal Apartments.

I enter and cross the antechamber without a second thought other than to place my sword and belt on the table before entering the main chamber through the already open door, the room is moderately lit with lamps and there is a fire in the hearth, brightly colored Myrish rugs were on the floor, and tapestries were placed around the walls showing scenes from the Ghiscari and Spice Wars to the Conquest. There was a large table with wine, bread, and fruits and a brass wash basin near it. I exhale in relief and I start to remove my tunic as I walk to wash my face when a feminine giggle interrupts my thoughts.

My eyes immediately when to the one place where I did not pay attention at first, the large canopy featherbed with golden drapes, and to my shock, on the soft feather mattress was a nearly naked and flush Rhaenyra artfully laid out in a sheer crimson silk gown that cut just above her thighs which brought my eyes down to her long and soft legs before another giggle brought my eyes up where they lingered on her breasts before landing on her flushed pink face with shining purple eyes.

"Hello nuncle, welcome back to King's Landing," She purred which lead to the tightening of my pants.

"Huh?" That was yet again my eloquent response.