The Crimson Dragon - Chapter 42: Maiden of the Vale

The royal procession reaches the Gates of the Moon and meet Jeyne Arryn...

A Week Later

“We have dragons too, we should be up there with them, burning these heathens alongside them,” Aemond muttered, frowning as he, his siblings, cousins, and nephews, watched Seasmoke, Vhagar, Syrax, Caraxes, and Meleys chase after the now scattered and fearful clansmen of one of the Vale’s Mountain Clans.

The momentum of the royal party had been significantly slowed once it had left the Riverlands and entered the Vale of Arryn proper, mostly due to the roads being attacked by the Mountain Clans.

Given how large the royal procession was, and most importantly, that it contained over a dozen dragons and their riders, they had not experienced the typical dangers that came with traveling through Westeros throughout most of the tour.

Before now, the worst threats they had faced were when members of local villages would seek out an audience with the King to have men of his retinue to hunt down particularly tenacious and dangerous robber knights

No one was foolish enough to attempt such the folly of attacking the royal host directly, but no could also deny that a group of people who have spent centuries raiding the lands of Vale, going as far as to attack any noble they felt was not properly protected, including multiple rulers of the Eyrie, were lacking in such audacity.

The Mountain Clans had slowed the host journey to the Bloody Gate considerably directly as they shadowed the procession, rolling boulders onto narrow roads, and striking at scouts and supply wagons whenever the opportunity presented itself before disappearing.

“There’s no need for us to join them, even the five them are overkill in a situation like this,” Lilyanna said, eyeing Aemond wearily. “One dragon would have sufficed, and you should not be so eager to burn people simply because you have the means to do so.”

I suppose the members of our house are always looking for an excuse to remind the realm of how we came to power. Lilyanna thought, a small part of her worrying about how bloodthirsty her brother sounded and looked in this moment.

Aemond rolled his eyes at his sister’s words, it was not necessarily that he wanted to kill the clansmen, even if he did believe that they deserved their fate for their centuries of savage banditry. But because he viewed being a dragonrider as something that should be used whenever the opportunity presented itself, especially when it meant reminding the realm of the power House Targaryen possessed.

“We have spent the better part of our lives being told that dragons are the greatest weapon in the world,” Aemond replied. “Yet whenever there is an opportunity to use them, you are always the first to tell us that we should not.”

“Because dragons are not toys.”

“I never said they were,” Aemond said and Lilyanna gave her brother a pointed look.

You do not have to; you are practically bouncing on your feet at the thought of burning someone. Lilyanna thought.

Aemond looked away, Lilyanna had proven herself, even if there were still those that underestimated her because of her age or sex or her general demeanor. He had seen what she could do with a sword, had watched her claim one of the oldest and fiercest dragons alive without hesitation, and was constantly witnessing the expanse of her intellect with every idea that she brought before their father.

Lilyanna had no idea the kind of shadow she forced others to stand beneath just by virtue of being herself, the same as the rest of their siblings.

Rhaenyra was the Princess of Dragonstone, a woman with a place on the small council and the King’s favor. And while Aemond was not sure if it was because of her striking appearance or her charming disposition, but Rhaenyra had countless people tripping over themselves for just a moment of her attention, her supporters already privately claiming that she would be a better ruler than Viserys.

Helaena tended to keep to herself preferring books and insects to most people, but the relatively recent discovery of her being a dragon dreamer had allowed her to draw Viserys’ attention in way that no other child of his by Alicent Hightower had managed to achieve, which in turn drew more attention from the court, even if no one outside of their family knew the truth.

In Aemond’s eyes, Aegon could be very lazy, stupid, and utterly irresponsible, disregarding the expectations people had of him in favor of chasing his own pleasures, but Aegon like Rhaenyra, possessed a natural charisma that allowed him to move through rooms with an ease that Aemond had never been able to replicate. That, along with being their father’s eldest son, gave Aegon a significance that could never be completely ignored.

And lastly Daeron was kind, courteous, dutiful, and seemingly incapable of holding a grudge, allowing him to become one of the few members of their family whom nearly everyone could agree was almost universally beloved.

Meanwhile, Aemond had spent years being the one people overlooked, the prince without a dragon, the second son who was neither the captivating heir, a morbidly fascinating princess, nor a charming spare. While he had some traits that were seen as praiseworthy, such as his piety, his dedication to his studies, his growing proficiency with the sword, and most importantly being Silverwing’s rider, but he was still a boy who was constantly compared to his siblings and found wanting.

As he watched the five dragons and their riders finally land, having finished burning and chasing off the remaining clansmen, Aemond still could not help but feel a pang of envy in his heart.

I don’t want to be just another Targaryen princeling, a footnote in the history of our family. I want to be remembered for being more than someone else’s brother. Aemond thought bitterly.

“-mond. Aemond,” The prince in question flinched, turning his head and seeing Daeron looking up at him.

“What?”

“I asked if you were coming,” Daeron said, pointing ahead.

Aemond glanced toward the road ahead, realizing that the other children had begun to move toward the older members of their family as they were in the process of dismounting their dragons.

“I’m coming,” Aemond muttered.

Daeron smiled and continued to wait for him rather than going ahead on his own.

Aemond fell into step beside his younger brother, his expression still sour as they walked, still thinking about the desire for his name to mean something.

~X~

Hours Later

“You do not need to keep spreading yourself so thin so as to attend to me, daughter. Orwyle and the other maesters can look after me,” Viserys said as he leaned his head back against his chair while Lilyanna stood over him.

“The last time I took my eyes off you, father, you lost one of yours,” Lilyanna said as looked over the King, checking to make sure that his eye socket was not swelling or sinking in on itself. “So, you must forgive me for not wanting to do so again, Your Grace.”

Viserys huffed, watching as his daughter stepped away and began to clean his sapphire that had been used to replace his eye. Now that they have made camp for the evening, Lilyanna had taken the opportunity to examine her father properly.

According to Lilyanna, his eye socket had been healing nicely over the last few weeks, with no signs of infection or other complications, although the area remained tender and both it and the sapphire still required regular cleaning.

Viserys knew that it would take some to grow accustomed to only having one eye, but it was still aggravating having to learn how to judge distances again, or get used to now having to turn his head slightly when someone approached him from his blind side, and how to ignore the strange sensation that came whenever he touched the right side of his face.

Viserys cleared his throat when Lilyanna returned to his side, stopping her as she was preparing to put the sapphire back in his head. “I heard from Ser Rickard that you have sent a raven to the Citadel.”

Lilyanna scowled when her father said this, crossing her arms. “You have Ricky reporting my movements to you now, father?”

“He is my Kingsguard, Lilyanna, and I assigned him to be your protector, it is his job to inform me when you are doing something that I have forbidden you from doing or that could potentially place you in danger,” Viserys said with vexation.

Lilyanna rolled her eyes, ever since she framed Larys and Alys for the attack that she suffered at the hands of Harren Hoare and his sons, everyone had been watching her far more closely than before, not that she could blame them given the extent of her injuries and the outrageousness of what she had claimed happened.

But the most irritating development had been how Rickard now no longer gave her more than a few minutes to herself, becoming even more protector in what he viewed to be a failure on his part. In his mind, he had allowed Lilyanna to sneak away and had not been there to save her from the late Lord Strong and his bastard sister and was now watching Lilyanna more closely than even when it was discovered that she had been sneaking out of Dragonstone and into Shadecross.

I can’t even take a piss without seeing a white cloak in my periphery. Lilyanna thought, trying to ignore the dull ache that had begun to emanate from her shoulder.

Viserys sighed when Lilyanna remained silent. “Have you written to the maester about your little printing press? I thought I told you that you should not bother pushing for such an unpopular concept, not after what Orwyle said the reaction of his fellow maesters would be.”

“I did not write to the Citadel about the printing press,” Lilyanna said, lying through her teeth.

She had in fact sent two letters to the Citadel when they were in Saltpans, one of which contained parchment drawings of the machine she and Croll created along with a detailed explanation of what it was capable of, addressing it to Archmaester Vaegon.

In truth, Lilyanna had forgotten all about the existence of her granduncle until Alysanne had asked about what had become of her only living son when the royal procession had been making its way to Harrenhal.

It had been an awkward and illuminating conversation as Lilyanna had explained that to the ghost that no one in the royal family had seen or heard from Vaegon since the Great Council and that she could only be sure that the man was still alive as there had been no word of his death.

Lilyanna shuddered as she remembered the look on Alysanne’s face when she said this, the woman's usual warmth having vanished completely. But this led to hearing more about the elusive Targaryen and realizing that he could be useful when it came to this matter given his pragmatism and his multiple links in economics and that there was little harm in reaching out to him.

“I was writing to ask after the organization's research into mycology, father,” Lilyanna said about the second letter.

“Mycology?” Viserys asked. “What is that?”

“It is the scientific study of fungi, things like mushrooms, mold, and yeasts.” Lilyanna explained.

The King stared at his daughter for several seconds before shaking his head. “You wrote to the Citadel to ask them about mushrooms?”

“It sounds rather silly, but I believe that there may be a type of fungus that can into a cure that can get rid of your leprosy.”

Viserys let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “You believe mushrooms can cure me?”

“Not mushrooms specifically,” Lilyanna said, already regretting how ridiculous the explanation sounded when spoken aloud. “Certain fungi can produce substances that can affect the human body, and there are even some that can be used to make medicines.”

It’s not as if I can tell Viserys and everyone else that most illnesses are caused by tiny organisms that you can’t see and that exist everywhere around us, while also being able to travel from person to person. And that I want to use a strand of a specific fungus that can stop bacteria from building proper cell walls, allowing the bacteria to die.

Viserys sat up straighter, his expression shifting from condescension to a tentative hope. “But you said that you could not cure it, that all could be done was to slow down my affliction.”

“I did,” Lilyanna replied, looking down at the ground. “But that was years ago, and I still don't know if this will work, I don't even know if the Citadel will have anything useful to tell me.”

In truth, Lilyanna had long thought about creating penicillin but had doubted she would be able to make germ theory a widely accepted practice in a world that did not even have a concept of microorganisms, let alone have the equipment necessary like reliable syringes, microscopes, or seed tanks to properly cultivate and isolate the substances she needed and at a large enough scale.

And shamefully, a part of her did not bother going ahead with this approach and instead deciding to focus on using chaulmoogra oil on Viserys because it had been embarrassing to admit that this was an area in which she was greatly lacking the knowledge to accomplish what she wanted. Lilyanna understood the basic principle behind penicillin, but understanding that a substance existed and producing, purifying, testing, and administering it safely were two very different things.

It was only recently with everything that had happened in Harrenhal, that Lilyanna had begun to reconsider that decision as she realized just how much her fear of failure was holding her back.

Viserys did not know how to respond to the notion of a possible cure existing out there for his disease as he had resigned himself to the belief that he would live with his illness for the rest of his life.

Gods, just the thought of being able to one day wake without the familiar pain in my joints, or the weakness in my muscles… Viserys thought, allowing himself to imagine such a world for a brief moment.

But just as immediately as his hope rose, reality came in to crush his dreams as he remembered what Lilyanna had also said.

His youngest daughter could not guarantee that such a cure could be found, and even if she could create on, his leprosy had well over a decade to ravage his body. Even with a cure he would still need assistance rising from his bed, he would still not be able to walk through the halls of the Red Keep without feeling exhausted after only a few dozen steps, the scars that covered his body would not simply vanish nor would his right eye return because the disease had been stopped.

Lilyanna walked back to Viserys’ side, lifting the sapphire up between her fingers and examining it one last time before carefully placing it back into his empty socket.

Viserys blinked several times, allowing himself a moment to adjust to the familiar weight of the stone before looking at his daughter. “Do you truly believe it is possible? To cure me?”

“I believe that it is possible that something exists that could help you,” Lilyanna said. “Whether I will be capable of discovering it is a different matter, but I am going to try.”

It was times like this that Viserys felt guilty as he was reminded of the conversation he and Lilyanna had after Elaera’s stillbirth.

Most would see the lengths Lilyanna has gone to tend to him as a sign of her great love for him, but Viserys knew better. She viewed helping him as a duty, another responsibility she had taken upon herself because she believed that only she was capable of doing it.

Lilyanna did not see or care for him as a father, but he often struggled to see her as a daughter in turn given how mature and knowledgeable beyond her years, she was. Their relationship had become defined by the responsibilities she had taken upon herself, and by what he could get from her.

The realization was an uncomfortable one, especially as Viserys did not know how to change it, or even if he wanted to.

He loved all his children, but even so many after the death of Aemma and Baelon, it was still hard for him to look at his five children by Alicent and not see all the ways that they failed to measure up to the dream of what Baelon could been.

At least with Rhaenyra, he could still allow himself to see the parts of Aemma that he had found so endearing and captivating, even if there were still times that he imagined what could have been if Baelon had lived and become his heir.

The thought of all this left a bitter taste in his mouth that he did not know how to get rid of. Viserys cleared his throat and tried to find the right words to say. “Lilyanna...”

“Father, there is something else that I wished to speak to you about,” Lilyanna said once Viserys had trailed off.

Viserys blinked and immediately became suspicious when he noticed the way Lilyanna's expression had changed. It was subtle, but he had learned to recognize it over the years, referring to it as the expression his daughter wear before telling him about some proposal she had or saying something so inane that it would immediately give him a headache from the stress of her actions.

I should tell Alicent that she need not worry about our daughter anymore, if she can make yet another suggestion as to how I should rule my Kingdom, then she is perfectly fine. Viserys thought sardonically.

Alicent had been adamant that Lilyanna has changed since the matter at Harrenhal had been resolved, and though Viserys did not notice anything different about their daughter, had decided to listen to his wife and try to look for any worrying signs.

“What is it?”

Lilyanna cleared her throat, walking over to the nearby table and digging her into her satchel and pulling out the infamous journal she was always writing in, the same one that had plans such as the royal bank and the printing press.

Lilyanna flipped through the book’s pages before turning it around in her hands and showing the King a drawing she made of a knight wearing armor that was like the uniform of King’s Landing’s City Watch. The main differences were that the armor looked thinner, rather than the open-faced steel caps worn by the City Watch, Lilyanna had drawn a helmet that completely enclosed the knight's head, leaving only a narrow slit through which the wearer could see through, and the breastplate had House Targaryen’s sigil emblazoned on the front.

Viserys stared at the drawing for several seconds. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”

“As you know, this procession would not be able to travel through the realm as it has been without the knights and household guards that accompany and protect us. They protect our family, our servants, our baggage train, and everyone else who travels beneath the King’s banner, but they are not enough as shown by us entering the Vale and being accosted by the Mountain Clans,” Lilyanna said. “Our family’s dragons had to deal with them otherwise everyone in this camp would have been in danger even if the clansmen had been driven off in the end. But we are royalty, we can afford to have hundreds, if not thousands of men protecting us wherever we go, while most of the rest of the realm cannot.”

The King raised an eyebrow, glancing between the drawing and Lilyanna’s face, the familiar sense of apprehension beginning to settle in his stomach.

“Here in the Vale, despite the Mountain Clans making up a small number of the population and having inferior weaponry compared to everyone else, they have been able to continue existing for thousands of years. The knights of the Vale only leave their castles and towns to deal with them when they become too much of a nuisance to ignore with their raids.”

Viserys sighed. “Lilyanna, I do not-”

“I want to create a new military order,” Lilyanna quickly said, seeing that she was already losing Viserys. “Well, technically it would be several orders, and they would not be attached to the royal family as their purpose would be to protect the King’s peace throughout the realm. They would be made up of the countless hedge knights and elderly squires who wander the land in search of employment and tourneys to earn money for themselves and would be tasked with traveling the roads and dispatching of bandits, robber knights, anyone who preys upon the King's subjects. This order would have bases in each of the Kingdoms, with enough men stationed in each region to patrol the major roads and the smaller settlements between them.”

Viserys gave her a flat look before letting out another sigh. “Every time I believe you have finally exhausted your supply of ideas, you somehow find another one.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You truly should not,” Viserys said dryly.

Lilyanna ignored him. “The problem with the existing system is that lords and knights are expected to protect their own lands, but if a band of outlaws crosses his borders, it becomes someone else's problem. The same thing happens repeatedly until the criminals become bold enough to attack nobles or merchants, at which point someone finally decides they are worth hunting. I believe that my highway men-”

“Highway men?” Viserys asked.

“That’s one of the names I came up for the group, along with constabulary, aurors, the augury, inquisitors, knights of the King’s Road-wow, Helaena may be right about me having a terrible naming sense.”

Viserys stared at her blankly. “Lilyanna.”

Lilyanna chuckled bashfully. “Right, right, not important.”

“It sounds as if you are suggesting that we build a royal army,” The King said, already seeing the uproar that would be caused if such a proposal became known throughout the realm.

“They wouldn’t be a royal army in name; they would be like the Night’s Watch; a military order dedicated to protecting a specific region run by officers and under the command of a Lord Commander. The difference being that one would not need to relinquish all mortal possessions and titles, and the group would ultimately swear allegiance to the principal house of each Kingdom. They would have strict rules; they would not be permitted to take sides in disputes between noble houses, collect taxes, administer justice beyond what authority they are given, or interfere with a lord's lawful governance, their purpose would be protecting ordinary people from criminals.”

“And yet the Crown would be expected to provide them with weapons, armor, horses, food, wages, lodgings, and everything else required to maintain hundreds of armed men, would we not?” Viserys asked.

Lilyanna hesitated. “Yes.”

“And despite this, we would not have power over them, but instead we would be adding these soldiers to the Crown’s expenses while giving the overlords of the realm and thus increasing their power?”

“In times of war or conflict, these men would find themselves in service of the houses that rule each of the eight regions under our house’s banner as you can never have too many warriors during a crisis. And while I did say that their primary purpose would be to protect the people who normally have no one to protect them until it is too late, I also said that they would not be a royal army in name, and they will not, but they will in practice,” Lilyanna said, a smile appearing on her face. “As you said, the Crown would be expected to pay for everything while people like Jason Lannister and Borros Baratheon reap the benefits of having more protection for their lands and thinking that and with men that they will not have to pay for. Of course, I do not expect all of them to agree, as they will no doubt complain about the Crown interfering in the rights of the lords, but they will also have to explain to you and their people why they object to having the Crown spend its own coin to make their roads safer.”

Viserys' expression tightened and Lilyanna could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“Most would not think twice about this, and while these men may swear fealty to your lords, they will know who has given them stable work, food, armor, horses, and a place to sleep at night. Their loyalty may technically belong to the overlords of their respective regions, but their livelihood will come from the Crown, and men tend to remember who feeds them. Why else do you think the Gold Cloaks are so ostensibly loyal to Daemon?” Lilyanna asked, raising an eyebrow. “As much as I hate to give him credit, he took ordinary men and have given them a life and purpose that they would not have been able to obtain otherwise. Now they are better armed and paid than most other knights and warriors in the realm.”

Viserys leaned back in his chair, staring at the drawing in Lilyanna’s journal. It was moments like this where he truly struggled to believe that Lilyanna Targaryen came from his seed, knowing that he had not been capable of creating such a plot when he was her age.

Lilyanna pointed toward the drawing. “I am not foolish enough to think that crime will disappear because we put men on horseback. But if a group of outlaws knows that there are trained soldiers patrolling the roads, that they can no longer disappear into the woods after robbing a caravan, and that there are fortified stations where travelers can seek protection, then suddenly being a robber becomes much less attractive.”

Viserys sighed. “You have thought about this quite a bit.”

“I have.”

“How many men would be in each order?” Viserys asked.

Lilyanna hesitated. “I do not know yet, it would depend on how many men wish to enlist and how much gold the Crown will be willing to spare. But I would like to begin with a few hundred men and expand slowly if more men are required.”

“I suppose we do have the coin give the success of the royal bank,” Viserys said reluctantly, ignoring the way Lilyanna smirked due to his words. “Where would you find these men?”

“There are thousands of men in Westeros who know how to fight or who are willing to learn but have no land, no inheritance, and no lord willing to employ them permanently, hedge knights, second and third sons, former soldiers, squires who have been deemed unimpressive or uninterested in knighthood, men who wish to improve their economic status. It can be left up to the Lord Commander of each region to decided who is allowed to join should the order grow large enough, but at first, we will take in whoever decides to join.”

Viserys was still hesitant to agree to a proposal that would bring scrutiny onto himself and his reign, still remembering the riot that the citizens of King’s Landing had spiraled into when he refused to build a bathhouse and fix the city's sewage system, or how terribly the civilian council Lilyanna created had turned out.

Seeing her father hesitate again, Lilyanna closed her notebook and looked at him earnestly. “I know there will be opposition, that some of the men we recruit will become corrupt, and that the Crown may have to spend a great deal of money before we see any real benefit, but it will all be worth it in the end.”

“I will bring your proposal to the small council and seek their opinion before I make my decision,” Viserys finally said after a few moments.

Lilyanna knew that this would be the case but was glad that she had not received an outright rejection. “Thank-”

“I will also have to write a letter to Otto to gain his opinion on the matter. If only were in Oldtown so that I would not have to wait so long to hear from him, but he would know what difficulties and benefits such a proposal would create better than anyone,” Viserys said with a small smile on his face.

I almost forgot that otto is Hand of the King again. Lilyanna thought, cursing Larys Strong for once again screwing things up for her.

“I can’t tell if he’ll hate this or love,” Lilyanna muttered.

Viserys raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”

“I said that I will patiently await your verdict, father,” Lilyanna lied. “And that I hope you decided that my idea has merit and that you will implement it.”

Viserys’ face softened. “I can make no such promise, Lilyanna, but my councilors and I will not immediately reject it.”

“Of course,” Lilyanna said softly, turning away from the King, gathering her belongings, and leaving his tent.

~X~

The Next Day

“At this rate, you are going to be toothless with how often and hard you clench your teeth, my sweet,” Jeyne Arryn felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her waist.

The Lady of the Eyrie immediately recognized the familiar voice behind her and allowed herself to relax, even if the irritation that had been building within her did not disappear. “I would not have to clench my teeth if half the men in this damned realm did not make it their life's mission to give me reasons to do so.”

The woman behind her laughed softly, pressing her cheek against Jeyne's shoulder. “Ah, there she is.”

“Who?”

“My fierce little falcon.”

Jeyne rolled her eyes, although the corners of her mouth twitched upward. She turned around and found herself admiring her lover’s strawberry blonde hair, the soft curls framing the sharp jawline of the pretty face that Jeyne had grown so familiar with over the years and making her doe like brown eyes and the scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose pop.

Jessamyn Redfort was Jeyne's oldest friend, her most trusted confidante, and, for nearly as long as either woman could remember, the person who had been able to make Jeyne forget that she was the Lady of the Eyrie. She was also the only woman Jeyne trusted enough to see her without the armor of duty that she wore whenever she stood before her vassals.

“My fierce little falcon,” Jessamyn repeated, brushing a loose strand of hair away from Jeyne's face. “What is bothering you?”

Jeyne looked away from Jessamyn, staring over the balcony and into the distance, in the direction of the high road, resisting the urge to clench her teeth again and disliking that they were residing within the Gates of the Moon and thus far from the Moon Door. “Lord Royce has decided that he and his household will be making the journey here after all.”

Jessamyn immediately understood why the other woman was so irritated.

Gerold Royce, like many other Valemen had never forgotten the disrespect that the King’s brother had shown to their people, but especially his cousin, the late Rhea Royce. And he was among the first to accuse the prince of foul play when Rhea had died in a hunting accident, claiming that Daemon’s brazen attempt claimed the lands, castles, and incomes of House Royce due to Rhea having no children as proof enough of that he killed her so as to clear the path for his own rise.

Jeyne was also upset with Daemon once again returning to the Vale despite warned him that he was unwelcome in the Vale after she had dismissed Daemon’s claim and allowed Runestone to pass to Gerold, annoyed by both Daemon’s arrogance and Viserys’ willingness to ignore the kind of man his brother is and the feelings others have toward him.

Any other man would not need to be told that a man as troublesome as Daemon would be best served as far away from the people, he has insulted the most, but Viserys is not like other men.

“Then there the stress I already feel of having to host the royal family, and the arrival of Eldric this morning,” Jeyne added.

Eldric Arryn, the only child of her first cousin, Ser Arnold Arryn, had arrived that morning with an entourage that was far larger than Jeyne believed necessary, and with his mother, Lady Fiyona Templeton who pointedly spoke of missing her husband who was currently imprisoned in one of the sky cells of the Eyrie after his second attempt of trying to contest her inheritance.

Eldric may be thirteen, but the same shrewdness and ambition colors his eyes just as they have Arnold’s. He covets my position, but whether because of age or possessing greater sense in the face of Arnold’s failures, he and his supporters do not seem as if they will attempt a usurpation against me. Jeyne thought, clenching her fists.

It was this fear that kept Jeyne from outright choosing a successor. She wanted to name her distant fourth cousin and Knight of the Gate, Ser Joffrey Arryn, as her heir as she planned on never getting married or having children, but knew that such a decision would be an unpopular one amongst her vassals given that with the succession customs that governed the realm, Joffrey would come behind both Arnold and Eldric.

She refused to allow Arnold to succeed her given his blatant treason, even if there were those who still claimed that Arnold retained his rights despite his previous actions. And while she did not trust Eldric as he was undoubtedly ambitious and influenced by his mother and the men who surrounded him, he had done nothing that warranted stripping him of his place in the succession, and Jeyne knew better than most how dangerous it could to disregard the opinions of those she ruled.

The only benefits the Maiden of the Vale could find within the coming arrival of the royal host were that her vassals would see that it was here, and not Arnold or Eldric who had the support of the King, and that any challenge to her authority would therefore be a challenge to the Crown itself.

And seeing her younger royal cousin again for the first time since her wedding to Corlys Velaryon’s son was perhaps the one part of the royal visit that Jeyne genuinely looked forward to. She and Rhaenyra have kept a written correspondence with each other despite the years and distance that separated them.

At first, Jeyne had kept her distance, both because they did not know each other very well give their separate lives and because Jeyne had initially been put off by how Rhaenyra, even when they were children was as a girl who had possessed far too much confidence for someone so young and had only begun to truly relate to Rhaenyra once she matured and was made her father’s heir.

Jessamyn reached for Jeyne's hand, the touch allowing the older woman to relax a bit more. “Whichever plots are being concocted within your walls will still be there even after the royal family leaves and are as hopeless as you make it seem. Arnold has already proven himself incapable of defeating you, is trapped within a sky cell, and according to reports from the maester, is beginning to go mad. Meanwhile, Eldric is thirteen name’s days old, whatever ambitions he may possess, he will not be overthrowing the Lady of the Eyrie while half the Vale watches and the King himself is approaching these walls.”

Jeyne looked down at their joined hands, her thumb brushing absently over Jessamyn's knuckles. “I suppose you are-”

Before Jeyne could finish what she was saying, the sound of a distorted and thunderous roar echoed across the mountains, reverberating through the stone beneath their feet, forcing both women to immediately look toward the horizon and seeing multiple large figures flying towards them.

Jessamyn's hand tightened around Jeyne's as her heart raced.

“Caraxes,” Jeyne muttered, having had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting with Daemon enough times to know the distinctive, unsettling sound of the Blood Wyrm’s roar.

Jessamyn grimaced and could just barely made out the large caravan traveling beneath the massive beasts in the distance.

“Come,” Jeyne said as she stepped away from her lover, reluctantly releasing Jessamyn’s hand and allowing the familiar mask of the Lady of the Eyrie to settle over her features once more. “We have a royal family to greet and break bread and salt with.”

She already felt exhausted as she and Jessamyn left her bedchamber and began moving through the corridors of the Gates of the Moon, ignoring the urgency that the castle now displayed at the impossible signal of the royal family’s approach.

~X~

“Why couldn’t we go to the Eyrie?” Aegon grumbled. “I’m sure it would better than this... hovel.”

The Gates of the Moon was a stout castle with square towers and brown walls that sat at the foot of the Giant’s Lance, the tallest peak of the Mountains of the Moon and the only parts of the area that Aegon showed any charm.

When they were flying here, Aegon vaguely make out fine white stone of the Eyrie’s seven slim towers and after being forced to spend time in Harrenhal and in House Cox's minuscule holdfast, was already dreading having to stay in another place that he considered to be poor lodgings.

“The Eyrie is the smallest of the great castles and is far too small a castle to host not only the royal progress, but the lords and ladies of the Vale who have no doubt come to meet us here,” Rhaenyra explained, smiling as she looked at the approaching castle. “And the Gates of the Moon, is not a hovel, and can accommodate all of us comfortably enough, and from what I have been told.”

This was the first time that the Crown Princess had ever visited the Vale, only knowing of it from what her cousin has written her and from stories that her mother had told her when she was a child and Rhaenyra found herself genuinely curious about the region.

“Comfortably?” Aegon repeated, looking around with an expression of profound disbelief. “We are being forced to abandon our carriages and ride on horseback because the roads are so narrow and it would be dangerous to stay inside them in case they have fallen over the side of the road! You call this comfortable?”

Rhaenyra rolled her eyes at her half-brother's complaining and the laugh it inspired within Lucerys who was sitting in front of her on the same saddle.

“You have complained about every castle we have visited since leaving King’s Landing,” Rhaenyra said. “At this point, I am beginning to wonder whether there is anywhere in Westeros that would meet your exacting standards.”

“The Red Keep,” Aegon replied immediately.

“You complain about the Red Keep as well,” Lilyanna muttered from Rhaenyra’s other side.

“Not about the beds,” Aegon said.

“You complain about those as well,” Jacaerys added from his and Aemond’s horse.

“Only because Helaena keeps breaking into my room stealing the blankets!”

Helaena, riding alongside Aegon with Daeron, glanced over with a faint smile. “You are the one who likes take all of them.”

“I do not!” Aegon said with fake offense in his voice.

“You do.”

“I don't.”

“You do,” Aemond said from behind them.

Aegon turned around. “No one asked you, although I suppose that’s has never stopped you from opening your mouth before.”

Daeron snorted, while Lucerys laughed loudly enough that Rhaenyra had to suppress another smile.

“You should have ridden with me, brother. Why do you insist on suffering as you struggle to keep yourself in the saddle?" Rhaenyra heard her uncle say ahead of her.

Daemon rode along with Baela and Rhaena, and was looking at Viserys who was riding several yards ahead of them with Alicent. The King had insisted on riding for at least part of the journey despite the complaints of his family and maesters, determined not to allow his illness to prevent him from making him look unable to do something as simple as riding a horse.

“B-Because I-I am perfectly capable of ri-riding,” Viserys replied, although his awkward posture, labored breathing, and the extremely tight grip that kept his singular hand on the horse's reigns did little to support his argument.

Daemon snorted. “You are perfectly capable of sitting upon a horse, whether you can remain upon one is another matter.”

Viserys glanced over his shoulder at his brother with an exasperated expression. “I have not fallen yet.”

“That is because the Gods are apparently feeling merciful today.”

Alicent looked over at her husband, worriedly, glancing at all seven of his Kingsguard who surrounded them as they rode, prepared to jump to at the first sign of the King’s strength failing him or his horse becoming unsteady beneath him.

Viserys noticed his wife's expression and sighed. “I am not going to fall, Alicent.”

The Queen turned away from the man, knowing the arguing with Viserys would be pointless in this moment as it so often was.

Viserys had a stubbornness that seemed to go against his more timid and passive nature, especially where his health was concerned.

He had recently heard the jests that were being made at his expense when no one thought he could hear them, calling him things like ‘The Corpse King’, ‘The Crippled Dragon’, and even ‘Viserys One-Eye'.

The Master of Laws had been adamant that the King needed to nip such talk in the bud and make an example out of those foolish enough to speak of him in such a manner, but Viserys ignored Jasper’s advice. And while he had initially tried to dismiss them as cruel words that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, it was clear to all who knew Viserys that they had begun to weigh on him more heavily than he cared to admit.

Alicent feared that Viserys’ desire to prove his detractors wrong would end up killing him soon enough, adding to the sense of helplessness at the possibility of such an event happening far from King’s Landing, amongst people who could not be seen yet as friends.

When they finally reached the Gates of the Moon, its stout walls contrasted when more with the breathtaking mountains surrounding it, the lush trees of The Giant's Lance dominated the landscape as parts of the terrain disappeared into the clouds above them.

Hundreds of people had gathered to witness their arrival, nobles stood in rows beneath the banners of their houses, while servants and knights crowded behind them. The colors of the Vale filled the outer yard, with the sky-blue falcon soaring against a white moon, with a blue backdrop of House Arryn flew above the castle walls.

At the center of the gathering stood a woman who despite possessing dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, possessed a similar appearance with the Crown Princess.

Jeyne Arryn had the same sharp jawline, aquiline nose, pale skin, and slender build, but Rhaenyra's features were sharper and more severe as an effect of her Valyrian heritage.

She stood straight-backed and composed, with her hands folded neatly before her as she watched the royal procession approach, and wearing a gown in the colors of her house.

Huh, Viserys’ genes truly have had very little impact. Lilyanna thought as she stared at the Warden of the Vale of Arryn.

The princess could not continue to admire the Jeyne's features for much longer as she could hear Viserys’ breathing from where she stood and could see him struggling to dismount from his horse.

Of course, Viserys refused accept help, stubbornly waving away the Kingsguard who immediately moved toward him and insisting that he could dismount without assistance, even as his legs trembled beneath him when his boots finally touched the ground.

He gave Alicent a reassuring smile as she took his arms and they walked toward Jeyne.

Jeyne, along with all the Valemen present, bowed to the King and Queen, speaking loudly and clearly. “The Gates of the Moon and the Eyrie are yours, Your Grace. As are the services of House Arryn and all those sworn to us.”

Viserys smiled faintly, leaning slightly more heavily against Alicent as he looked upon the woman. “Lady Jeyne, it is good to finally meet you again. You need not bow your head so low to me, you share blood with both my daughter and my late first wife, we are family and I would have you stand proudly before me as you would before any other man.”

Alicent pursed her lips when Jeyne glanced at her, not having forgotten how the other woman and most of her vassals had made excuses as why they could not attend her and Viserys’ wedding, knowing that the speed and suddenness of it all was seen as it insult to Aemma Arryn’s memory by her people. It was the first of many times that Alicent had shown how truly far into Aemma’s shadow she had been forced to occupy since marrying Viserys.

Jeyne slowly straightened, meeting the King's gaze. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Viserys smiled brightly. “I have heard much about you from Rhaenyra over the years.”

Jeyne glanced toward the Crown Princess, who gave her an almost sheepish smile. “Then I hope she has been kind in her letters.”

“Very,” Viserys replied with a laugh.

Lilyanna rolled her eyes before moving to help her sister dismount from her steed while their youngest brother ran off, sighing as she watched her sister’s ladies immediately begin to approach them.

“You looked like a squealing pig on top of that horse,” A dark haired, tall for her girl said insultingly to Edeline Bracken.

Lilyanna did not know what her mother was thinking when she brought on the last-minute addition of Cliera Blackwood, the only daughter of Lord of Raventree Hall to be a part of Helaena’s ladies-in-waiting, especially as she had already chosen Edeline first, but she found it to be an irritating experience.

The two girls embodied the rivalry between their houses, having spent the week since leaving Harrenhal at each other’s throat, making Lilyanna question how they were not tired of arguing whenever she saw them.

Helaena did not seem to mind the antagonism, although Lilyanna suspected that was because her sister did not care about what her companions were doing so long as they were not bothering her directly. And this once again made Lilyanna grateful that her own reputation was so thoroughly tarnished that no one would wish to be in her service.

Taria Roote and Ellyn Marbrand gave each other a look as they walked alongside the two bickering girls, and Lilyanna knew they were thinking the same thing as her.

“Are you alright, Helaena?” Lilyanna whispered when she noticed the uncomfortable expression on her sister’s face.

Helaena shook her head. “I’m fine, it’s just my chest.”

Lilyanna raised an eyebrow. “Your chest?”

Helaena hesitated for a moment before responding. “…My br-chest feels tender.”

Lilyanna stared at Helaena. “How long have been tender for?”

“A few days.”

Lilyanna's expression immediately became more serious. “Have you also felt nauseous? Have you gotten any headaches or bloating? Have you been more tired than usual?”

Helaena frowned, apparently considering the questions. “I have been tired and my head does hurt a little bit.”

The two fell into silence when Helaena’s ladies finally reached them, and the group of girls began walking toward the entrance of the castle.

Lilyanna leaned her head closer to Helaena’s. “Helaena, I think you may be experiencing-”

Before Lilyanna could give her sister her diagnosis, someone ended walking into Helaena, causing her to nearly fall unto the floor if not for Lilyanna rushing to catch her.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Cliera asked the offender harshly.

The person who nearly knocked Helaena over was a boy that looked to be around their age with pale blue eyes, short sandy blond hair, and an aquiline nose. He was wearing a finely made blue-and-white tunic emblazoned with the falcon and moon of House Arryn, a silver belt around his waist, and a dark blue cloak fastened at his shoulders with a silver falcon brooch.

The boy ignored Cliera and focused on the two Targaryens standing before him, bowing to them. “Princess Helaena, Princess Lilyanna, please forgive me. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going.”

“So, you somehow missed the six girls walking in front of you?” Lilyanna asked dryly.

A small smile appeared on the boy’s face, although it failed to match the coldness in his gaze as he looked at Lilyanna. “Then I suppose that I was left blinded by the beauty that had found itself upon my path.”

Ew. Lilyanna thought, shaking her head when she saw ow well the boy’s words worked on Edeline and Taria.

Helaena, still supported by Lilyanna, shook her head. “It is quite alright…”

“Eldric Arryn, my princess,” The boy said, introducing himself. “I am Lady Jeyne’s cousin.”

Eldric’s gaze brightened slightly as he looked at Helaena, inwardly making said girl uncomfortable.

It was not the first time she had received attention from a boy in recent years, but Helaena had never known quite what to do with it. She had always found the way some boys looked at her strange and skin-crawling, attributing it to them being drawn to her title as she did not see herself as womanly enough physically to inspire such attention on her own.

“If I may ask, Your Grace, perhaps I can make it up to you in a few days’ time during the feast my cousin has planned for you and your family’s stay with a dance?”

Lilyanna immediately noticed what Eldric was trying to do, and just like the other fools who sought to possess her sister, came to Helaena’s aid. She stood in front of Helaena, keeping Eldric from being able to look at her as she stared him down.

“My sister only dances with me at balls and feasts, Lord Eldric,” Lilyanna said, her expression perfectly pleasant. “And given that I have no intention of allowing her to dance with anyone else, I’m afraid you will have to find another partner.”

Eldric blinked and for the first time since approaching them, his confidence expression faltered. “I see,” he said after a moment, recovering quickly. “Then perhaps, you, Princess Lilyanna, would be willing to surrender a dance to me?”

“No,” Lilyanna said plainly.

The answer came so quickly that Taria snorted while Cliera grinned viciously.

Lilyanna smiled sweetly. “You misunderstand me, while I said that I am not willing to surrender my sister, I certainly have no intention of surrendering myself.”

Eldric's smile tightened. “Of course, Your Grace.”

Helaena shifted slightly behind Lilyanna, and her sister could feel the tension that had settled into her body beginning to ease.

“Besides,” Lilyanna continued. “You nearly knocked her over, if you wish to impress my sister, I suggest that you begin by learning how to walk without running into people.”

Cliera covered her mouth, attempting to suppress a smile while Edeline laughed outright.

Eldric's eyes briefly flickered toward the two girls before returning to Lilyanna. “I shall endeavor to remember that.”

“Good.”

Eldric bowed. “Then I shall leave you both to your ladies.”

That boy is going to be trouble. Lilyanna watched him go, her eyes narrowing.

“Thank you,” Helaena murmured.

Lilyanna glanced back at her sister. “You never need to thank me for getting rid of ambitious and worthless fools for you, Hels.”

Lilyanna held out her arm for Helaena, and the other girl smiled as she took it.

“You know mother is going to furious over how rude you were if she hears of this,” Helaena said softly, thinking of the other times her sister had humiliated a boy who would not leave her alone.

“I know,” Lilyanna said without a care.

She knew that as puberty continued to change Helaena’s body, the attention she received from young men was only going to become more frequent, and while Lilyanna could not prevent everyone in Westeros from developing an interest in her sister, she could at least make certain that Helaena knew she never had to tolerate unwanted attention simply because the man giving it was a noble, handsome, or well liked.

Helaena gave her sister a small smile. “Scaring away every boy who speaks to me away is certainly not going to help the opinion some people have of us.”

Lilyanna rolled her eyes. “We’re Targaryens; everybody thinks we’re all fucking each other regardless of the truth.”

Helaena's smile widened and as Lilyanna glanced at her sister again, the amusement she felt fading slightly when she remembered what they had been discussing before Eldric's interruption.

~X~

Hours Later

“-licent. Alicent? Alicent!” The Queen blinked as she turned at the sound of her husband calling her name.

“Apologizes, husband. What were you saying?” Alicent asked.

Viserys shook his head, burrowing his body deeper into the bed, watching Alicent as she sat by the fireplace of their shared bedchamber. “It is not important, but I wish to know what is troubling you this night? You seem rather distracted.”

Alicent hesitated, debating if she should tell Viserys of the conversation that she had earlier that day. After a moment, Alicent turned in her chair to face Viserys properly. “Lady Fiyona Arryn had come to me earlier wishing to speak about her son.”

“Fiyona Arryn?” Viserys asked, not recognizing the name.

“She is the wife of Ser Arnold Arryn,” Alicent explained.

Viserys’ brow furrowed as he remembered the name. “The Mad Heir? What did she want?”

Viserys like everyone else was aware of Arnold’s attempts at trying to usurp control of the Vale from his cousin, believing that women were too soft to rule, regardless of having the weaker claim. He had found the behavior to be so audacious that he could not find fault in Jeyne for having the man imprisoned after his second attempt, seeing it as both a worthy punishment and preferable to the woman becoming a kinslayer by executing him.

“She wishes to know if Helaena has been betrothed and if not, that Eldric would make a good husband for her,” Alicent said.

She had been shocked by the woman’s candor, having not expected to be given a marriage proposal for her daughter within the first few minutes of meeting Fiyona, and she wondered if her willingness to practically hunt her down and do so was a trait all women of the Vale shared, was something unique to Fiyona, or if it was something she learned from her husband.

Viserys stared at his wife for several moments before letting out a tired sigh. “Eldric Arryn? I never would think of choosing such a controversial choice for Helaena’s husband. We do not even know if he will succeed Jeyne as Lord of the Eyrie, she is still young, a child may still come from her body. But perhaps having a man of lower status could be good thing.”

“When did you start to think about Helaena’s marriage prospects?” Alicent asked her husband, surprised that he had the foresight or the care to think of one of their children’s futures.

“Helaena will need to marry into a family that will appreciate and protect her gift. Not just any man can have a dreamer for a wife, especially not one as delicate as our daughter,” Viserys said thoughtfully.

Alicent kept herself from screaming in annoyance. She could not believe the ridiculous notion that Helaena could see the future, thinking that Viserys was trying to see something that was not there.

Anything that could be seen as prophecy, including Laena and her son, Alicent believed to be mere coincidence, and she had no desire to see Helaena's entire life shaped around something that might not even be real.

“But if we are speaking of matches being offered for our daughter, I must tell you that this is not the first,” Viserys said, looking sheepish.

Alicent stared blankly at Viserys. “What is this first match?”

“While we were at Harrenhal, Lord Jason had come wishing for a private audience with me. He wished to offer his son and heir, Loreon Lannister, as a match for Helaena,” Viserys admitted.

“Jason Lannister’s son?” Alicent asked incredulously. “He was born only a few moons ago during the previous year. Viserys, you cannot expect our daughter to marry an infant more than twelve years her junior.”

“I did not accept the offer,” Viserys said quickly.

Alicent stared at him. “But you considered it?”

“I did not, but I did not accept it.”

“Then why did you not tell me?”

Viserys shifted beneath the blankets, looking mildly uncomfortable. “Because there was nothing to tell. Jason made his proposal, I rejected it, and that was the end of the matter.”

Alicent frowned. “Why would he even suggest such a thing?”

“Because he believes binding his house to ours would be beneficial.”

Alicent scoffed. “Of course he does.”

The senseless ambitions of Jason Lannister knew no bounds, especially with a man like Viserys on the throne, forgiving any slights and crimes committed by his vassals.

Jason should not even think that he is worthy of a marriage between his son and my daughter, but Viserys welcoming him at Harrenhal has allowed him to become even more shameless in his actions. Alicent thought.

“And now Fiyona has come with the same sort of proposal,” She said bitterly. “At least Eldric is old enough to speak to Helaena and does not need a nurse to carry him about. But how can you think the son of a traitor is a good prospect?”

Viserys frowned. “I am considering every possibility because Helaena will eventually need a husband, Alicent. She cannot remain by our sides forever; it is the way of the world”

The Queen looked away, Helaena was going to be thirteen soon, but she still spent her days wandering through gardens searching for strange insects, filling books with drawings of creatures that fascinated her, and speaking in riddles that often made little sense to anyone except herself.

She was still her little girl, and Alicent could not help but compare Helaena to herself, seeing that her daughter was just a few younger than herself when she married Viserys.

“There will be men who will attempt to use her because of them, I would rather Helaena have a husband who understands what she possesses than one who fears it, mocks it, or seeks to control her. And that is to say nothing of her dragon and the possibility of Dreamfyre laying more eggs one day,” Viserys said, not having noticed how quiet his wife had become. “I shall write to otto to ask him what he thinks.”

Alicent's expression tightened, and she could only imagine what suggestion her father would give in this matter.

“What about Aegon?” Alicent asked.

“Our son?” Viserys asked.

Who else? Alicent forced a smile onto her face. “For Helaena. Theirs’s can be a traditional match just as your parents and grandparents, Aegon will care for and protect Helaena as they are blood, and with him as her husband you will not have to worry about another man and his house trying to use Helaena’s dragon and… and her dreams for their own desires.”

Viserys was silent and Alicent watched his expression carefully, clenching her hands together tightly.

While the idea of forcing her eldest children into an incestuous marriage, disgusted Alicent and went against everything she was taught as a believer of the Faith, it would allow her to keep Helaena in King’s Landing, surrounded by people who loved her rather than sending her away to some distant castle where she would be entirely dependent upon a husband she barely knew.

“You have given me more to think about,” Viserys said distantly.

Alicent nodded her head and let the conversation die off, still feeling anxious as she stared into the fire.

A part of her felt guilty, ashamed for trying to do onto her children what otto had done to her, but another part of her could now find herself seeing things from Otto’s perspective and wondered if she was doing the right thing.