Chapter 21: A Test
Haemon 129AC, Dragonstone
"Knights of the Kingsguard." We were standing at the Dragonmount the knights in front of me and the princes behind me. "Now I do not doubt your loyalties to my sister. It is with that loyalty you have earned a chance. Now and only now you will have the opportunity to either hand over your whitecloaks or serve Aegon the Usurper." They all looked shocked. Then they heard the roar of Gaelithox and saw him block out the sun for a moment. The ground shaking with the flapping of his wings as he descended. "You also have the chance to continue to serve Queen Rhaenyra. To swear the same oaths, you swore to my father." Gaelithox landed at that, and dust moved, and the princes stood shakingly. "Should you wish to leave. I will give you free passage to either Kingslanding or anywhere else. This I swear for your service to my father." All three of them kneeled and swore the oaths. Gaelithox came closer to them and stared at them, before huffing and leaving.
"Some dragons can tell when people are lying. A remarkable thing. You have all sworn honestly and will be accepted into my sister's queenguard. To be her shield and sword in my stead. You may leave and continue your duties elsewhere. I have words for the princes." They all bowed and left. I turned to my nephews who looked shaken by the dragon. Especially Luke. I motioned for them to walk with me and they did.
"Do you understand why I did that?" They didn't respond. "It was about loyalty. To test them. I gave them a way out to tempt them."
"Would you have let them leave?" Luce asked quietly.
"Yes. Despite what has happened. All of them had no part in it. They were here or running away. They are the true Queensguard. Oathkeepers the whole lot of them, especially Ser Erryk." They nodded and we continued to walk we were closer to the keep and I pushed Luke towards it. "I will have words with your brother." He looked nervous. So did Jace, but he swallowed and nodded.
"What is it you need Uncle?" Jace asked trying to hold his head up high. I snorted.
"I will not lie to you. I still have not forgiven you for what you did to my daughter. I'm sure my wife feels the same way." His confidence was breaking down. "But you will be King upon your mother's death, and to keep the kingdom healthy sacrifices must be made. I will maybe never forgive you in my life, maybe Aemon or Rhaena will." He still didn't look confident. "Have you thought of potential marriages? You are young and still unbetrothed. I have many protentional suitors for you and your brother."
"No uncle." He shook his head and I nodded.
"Good. We will start your lessons today. I will attempt to build off what your mother started with you. We will begin with the value of each Kingdom and what a marriage will bring with them." He nodded and we walked back to the Painted table. Talking along the way.
"Dorne would be a great boon to our cause, if we do not get the Stormlanders to kneel." I said and watched for his reaction I was leaning across the painted table pointing at Dorne. His face just scrunched up. "You could be the King who finally unites the Seven Kingdoms".
"I thought we can't trust the Dornish?" I nodded.
"We can't, same as every other Kingdom. A marriage with them will be for if we are losing the war to greatly. They will only accept the throne and nothing else." He pointed to the Vale.
"We can expect the Knights of the Vale?" I moved to the Reach.
"The Queen is Arryn by blood. Jeyne Arryn swore to her, so yes. We will need someone to go and reaffirm them." He nodded thinking. "Enough, go send a servant for your mother. I will have words with her." He nodded and made ready to leave. "A servant Jace. Aemon and Rhaena is with her." His face whitened and he nodded then swiftly leaving me.
I sighed while rubbing my eyes. Stupid fucking Hightowers. I wish I could just burn that stupid tower. What is a tower in the sky compared to a dragon? My eyes moved to Highgarden, they could be useful. We gave the Tyrells lordship over the Reach, if we reinforce them with a dragon they'll definitely act in our favor. Rhaenys could go after I am finished with the North, that would leave the Westerlands as the sole military power of the Greens. I must see what loyalties we can expect from the Crownlands. I should send a letter to the Greyjoys as well, we could use their ships from stopping the Lannister fleet from crossing over until we can reinforce them. Cutting the Greens from see combat. The men were still to worry about. As of now they outnumber us. The Hightowers and the Lannisters being two of the richest houses after the Velaryons and much more land to hold armies in. The North and Vale will take some time to organize their armies due to their terrain and weather. I don't know how much men we could expect from The North, I just know it will be some. I looked at Storms End. Fucking Borros Baratheon if he could just bend the knee then there would be no war. I was knocked out of my thoughts when Rhaenyra walked in. Crown on brow, head held high.
"You summoned me Lord Hand." We just stared at each other.
"Yes. I wanted to have words on the future marriages of Jace and Luke." Her eyes widened for a second before she returned to her mask of stone.
"They are still children."
"You did not have a problem with that when you offered Jace to Rhaena." She just stared at me.
"That was different."
"No, it isn't" She looked puzzled for a moment. "You wanted to buy my loyalties. I am so far your biggest threat. Please don't think me to dumb to not see it." Her eyes just narrowed, and I sat down in one of the chairs facing the fireplace. "Even when we were children you held the fact you would be Queen and I would just be your kingsguard." She sat on the other chair. "I am much more than a simple fucking knight now sister." I said harshly and she still held her stone demeanor. "You've always wanted the crown, that why I kneeled. I don't want it and you did. With me as Hand you won't ruin 129 years of Targaryen Dynasty."
"I would not ruin..." I cut her off.
"You were at Dragonstone while I was running the Seven Kingdoms for father. You ran away when we could have been strong in the Red Keep. On the throne. Instead of this dreary place."
"You left too."
"I left because I had no advantage in the Red Keep. A handful of men in comparison to the men in Otto's pockets." We fell into silence, just watching the flames.
"This never would have happened if you born as my trueborn brother." She said softly and I just scoffed and then broke into a loud laugh.
"If I were born as Baelon you would have had Ser Cripon kill me in my sleep. Don't play the mummer here sister. You are greedy by nature" She looked hurt but said nothing else. "Jace should marry into the Stormlands. Give him a Baratheon bride, maybe that will give us Borros's loyalties.
"His father swore to me, he should as well." Rhaenyra snapped.
"Stale oaths by old men. He is not his father, nor should he be treated as such. We need his men if we want to win without as much bloodshed. With him the Greens gain advantage on land." Her eyes still held hard against mine before she nodded. "You may seem the proper Queen, but even you still have a lot to learn." She glared at me again.
"By law they should bow to me. I was my father's named heir."
"Yes, you were. Men want men to rule them, more then they want a woman. Rhaenys learned this. You just need to show that you are better then Aegon." She nodded.
"When did you become so smart in politics, brother?"
"Since I was forced to become Hand, sister."
"You could have just flown Gaelithox and left. When father named you Hand, and then when I did. Why didn't you?" I leaned back into my chair and folded my hands.
"For the sake of the Realm and our House. If I stood back and did nothing, then the Realm would bleed in a way never seen before not even during Aegon's conquest." I looked to the fire. "Our House would be thrown in conflict with each other. Once a mighty name to be feared will just turn into a husk of its power. We would have the blood, but not the fire. Oceans of blood." I looked at her then and saw confusion. "Without the dragons, what right do we have to rule?" She realized what I meant, and her eyes widened, we didn't say anything after that. Just sat there staring into the fire. It must have been hours when I snapped out of it. Rhaenyra was gone and I was left alone in a dark room. The moon cast a light that touched the room but did not fill it. The torches were licking at the walls, and the fireplace was still burning strong. I left to go to my room, looking at all the tapestry as I went along. This castle held a rich history. I wish I had more time to learn it. I made it to my room, and inside was a modest bed, with a desk on the other side of the room and a balcony overlooking the sea. Queen Visenya's old room, I thought it weird that she had a room so far from the Lord's chambers then I remembered that the love they shared was only as siblings. She did her duty and that was that. A women I could respect.
I looked out on the balcony just staring at the sea. Gods how I missed Laena, she would always be able to help me find peace even when she was yelling at me.
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CruzControl67
CruzControl67 There will be no more massive time skips. Every chapter will be more in depth now since this is the start of the war and see other charecter's perspective.
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