Daniel_Reven

Based on George RR Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire series and Fire & Blood, this fan fiction tries to explore the tales of Brynden Rivers, infamously known as Lord Bloodraven, the bastard son of King Aegon IV Targaryen & Lady Melissa Blackwood, Hand of The King who served the sons of King Daeron II Targaryen, and Lord Commander of The Night's Watch who'll be later disappeared to history and became the Three-Eyed Raven.

All credits & copyrights to George RR Martin for the characters and the original stories, and this writer doesn't claim anything of Martin's works as his own, nor this fanfic should be considered semi-canon or canon.

A Thousand Eyes & One: Tales of Brynden Rivers

Tyrosh – The House of the Painted Vines

The walls of the chamber dripped with Tyroshi decadence—silken drapes in hues of violet and turquoise, the scent of saffron, spiced citrus, and roasted lamb curling through the warm air. Colored glass lanterns hung from the carved rafters, casting kaleidoscopic patterns across the faces of two men seated at the heart of a long, low table. Between them, a decanter of dark Arbor red sat uncorked, and a pair of goblets clinked gently in their hands.

Aenys Blackfyre raised his cup with a slow smile. "To the withering of dragons," he said.

Lord Emmon Peake lifted his in turn, a wry smile beneath his close-cropped beard. "And to the ashes they leave behind, which we shall walk upon as kings."

Their cups met, and the red wine spilled like blood between them.

Lord Peake's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he leaned back. "You were right, Aenys. The time is ripe. One by one, Maekar's sons fall to vice, to fire, to the Stranger's hand. The realm will not bear the weight of another weakling prince. The fields of Westeros hunger for a king of fire and iron. And soon, they shall have one."

He drank deeply, then set the goblet down and continued, voice low and conspiratorial. "It was I who whispered to Danelle Lothston, you know. Fed her tales of shadows, of power in the dark. Let her madness bloom like nightshade. While she played at sorcery and demons, the Crown turned its eyes to Harrenhal, and not to Starpike."

Aenys let out a dark chuckle. "A brilliant play, my lord. Danelle served our cause without ever knowing it. She was a storm they could not ignore."

"Indeed," Peake said, with a glimmer of pride. "And now the trap is sprung. My banners rise in the Marches, and lesser lords flock to my side, emboldened by the chaos. We harass the King's loyalists. Soon Maekar will ride forth to crush us. And when he does…"

Aenys finished the thought for him, voice like silk. "He will find a blade at his back as well as his front."

Peake nodded, eyes sharp. "And Bloodraven?"

Aenys's face grew a shade more serious. He sipped his wine before answering. "He sees much, but he is not all-seeing. The time for shadows is nearly done. We will bring him into the light—and blind him."

"And what of your uncle?" Peake asked, arching a brow. "Bittersteel is no man to be ignored. Aegor Rivers would charge into the maw of the Dragon himself if he thought it would win him the day."

Aenys's mouth twisted in something between amusement and exasperation. "Aegor would have no part in this. He thinks our war should be waged with sword and shield, not whispers and wine cups. He honors my father and Haegon with fire and fury, and sees no glory in the chessboard we now play upon."

Peake sneered. "The game is the war, boy. And you've proven yourself more of a player than I thought you'd be. Not your father's brute strength, nor your brother's blind boldness—but cunning. The realm will not expect you. And that will be their undoing."

They raised their goblets once more.

They drank deep, and as the Tyroshi wind sang outside the shuttered windows, the exiled prince and the traitor lord smiled like wolves scenting blood on the breeze.

Chapter 58: Schemes & Ploys