Chapter 63: Chapter 63- Epilogue II
Chapter 63-EPILOGUE 2
The death of King Viserys I would mark a dynamic shift in the reign of House Targaryen, as after over one hundred and twenty years of Targaryen rule, a woman would ascend to the Iron Throne.
Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen would inherit her father's throne, and would mark the beginning of the part of the time period called the 'The Era of Queens'.
Few had ever thought that a girl would day sit on the Iron Throne, for the realm had already denied this privilege to Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, King Jaehaerys's eldest grandchild in the Great Council of 101 AC. Yet now, a bit over twenty years later, a girl would sit on the Iron Throne, for the first time marking a major shift in the politics of the continent.
Despite the unprecedented nature of her ascension, Queen Rhaenyra would be crowned as the Queen without much grumblings and opposition, and though the lack of another contender played a part in this, it was mainly due to fear. Not of the Queen, but of the man who had made this whole thing possible.
The Oathkeeper, Dragonslayer, the Healer, the Reformer, and so many more epithets have been used to describe him throughout the years, for Prince Aenys Targaryen remains to this day the most influential figure in the world history by major consensus, even after five centuries of his death.
Despite having major support and several opportunities, the youngest of King Viserys's brothers would forego any right to his brother's throne, supporting Princess Rhaenyra in her ascension and later through her years as Queen. Historians believe that Queen Rhaenyra's ascension and the transformation observed by the Seven Kingdoms in her reign were mostly due to the actions and support of her uncle, Prince Aenys, who would serve as her hand for a decade before being replaced by a highly interesting figure.
With her ascension, the first thing the Princess would do was begin negotiating with Braavos over the fate of the Stepstones, the fief of Prince Daemon who had been slain by the Oathkeeper for his refusal to bend the knee in an event referred to in the Prince Aenys's own writings as the Dance of the Dragons.
After nearly half a decade of back and forth, an accord would be brokered between the Free City and the Seven Kingdoms over the division and control of the rocky islands through which the four parts of the world traded. Both parties would receive control over half of the islands, and a reasonable toll would be charged for the crossing, which shall be divided on a sixty-forty basis, with sixty going to the Crown.
Queen Rhaenyra's ascension would also be the first time that the highly male-dominated society would see a consort as King. Gwayne Hightower, a younger brother from the storied and powerful House of the Reach, had married the Princess a few years prior and would be a consort for the Queen. He was an accomplished knight and is known in history as Gwayne the Gallant for his actions during the Treachery of the Faiths.
While Queen Rhaenyra would sit on Aegon's throne, the whole realm knew who held the real power in the realm. Prince Aenys would be made the Hand of the Queen soon after her ascension, and the Queen's uncle would go on to rule the empire in all but name for many years as the young Queen learned the art of ruling from him.
Prince Aenys was already a man of great renown and power even without the position of the Hand. His wealth and connections were, without any equal, built using his healing prowess they were spread all over the globe.
The reconstruction of the capital would begin a year into her reign; the best builders would be called to the capital for this task, and this massive undertaking would begin to make the capital city worthy of its status.
It would take a better part of a decade to build the new city, yet it would be done with its three sets of walls and an expanded Red Keep. The city is to this day a marvel in human engineering and supports a population of three million people and is the most advanced city on the horizon.
The city would also build a college, bigger than the one that had been built in Braavos and would be the source of many scientific advancements over the years. These advancements would see a major shift in the politics of the empire and, most importantly, the role of the Seven in the running of the Empire.
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RHAENYS TARGARYEN
Ten years had passed since the unthinkable had happened, as a woman had ascended the Iron Throne as twenty years after denying her the very privilege, the realm had found itself in the same position, yet now Rhaenyra would not be denied her right.
Rhaenys had long given up any ambition for the throne, and she had spent the last ten years in the capital after the dissolution of her marriage with Corlys.
She had watched the city, the continent, and the world change infront of her eyes over the past decade, and most of it was because of the person who sat beside her.
Aenys Targaryen, her younger cousin, had always been an enigma in his family, he was too independent, too headstrong, and too brilliant. And she would say too loyal.
The Red Keep had changed much over the decade, and the castle had been expanded much like the city infront of her with its massive walls and wide and clean streets, the smell that had begun to plague it now long gone as a proper sewage system had been built.
"I still cannot believe that you spent so much money on the city," she remarked as she sipped her tea.
The years had been kind to Aenys. Even a decade later, he still maintained his lean figure, his hair luscious as ever, and the Targaryen beauty had receded little. He was still highly desired among the ladies at court, with them often throwing themselves at him during the various balls and celebrations Rhaenyra would organize to celebrate the Crown's prosperity.
Though they should have learned by now that their efforts would be futile at this point, she would proudly say that Aenys was the best of them. Despite his status and power, he had remained loyal to his wife of twelve years, Alicent Hightower. The brown-haired girl had grown into a political force in her own right.
She had inherited that from her father, and though she was more restrained than him, there were still many tourneys and celebrations in the Red Keep.
Alongside Rhaenyra, she introduced and amended many laws pertaining to women's rights in their society, giving women rights and security they had never had as they followed in the footsteps of her grandmother, the Good Queen.
"For this air, I would have spent many times that," he replied as he leaned back in his chair, and though there was nothing to worry about his physical appearance, it was clear to all those who knew Aenys that being the Hand had taken much from him.
He had never been one to stay in a single place for too long. He had spent a major part of his life flying from one part of the world to another, yet when duty had called, he denied himself that privilege and spent a decade ruling and guiding the kingdom to a better path.
Though, if the rumors were anything to go by, he would deny himself no more.
"I have heard that our Princess Aemma has begun following Aerion to his lessons in the yard," she remarked, and he nodded.
"She has, and she wields a spear better than half the squires in the yard," he remarked, and she did know that. She had seen the girl beat half the squires with her own eyes and could see when she was called the second coming of her great-grandmother, Lady Alyssa Targaryen.
"That she does, though I do not think she goes to the yard just for the spear," she remarked conspirationally as Aenys groaned.
"Yes, I know," he replied, for it was clear to everyone that the Princess's intentions were to keep a certain cousin company rather than beating the squires, no matter how good she was with the spear.
"I heard that Lord Lannister is seeking a match with Princess Maegella," she questioned, and Aenys scoffed.
"He may desire it as much as he wants, but I have made it clear that none of my children will be married against their wills," he replied, and he was fiercely protective of his children and even Rhaenyra's children as well.
Even while being Hand, she had seen him make time for them, to teach them, to fly with them, or to play with them. It was good to see that, for those were the rare times that he would have a smile on his face.
"But with this whole thing over, so ends my time as Hand," he said as he looked at the spiraling city infront, and she had expected this. He had served as the Hand for ten years now. Though there was little that could be said against him, Rhaenyra had grown much over the years under his tutelage and was a woman grown, and though Aenys had never sought power, it was clear to everyone that he held much of it and that could reflect poorly over their Queen.
Even though she knew firsthand that Rhaenyra cared little for such things, Aenys had been the reason that she sat on the Iron throne. He had cared for her, taught her as a father would, and was aware of how she had tried to convince him to stay, yet it had all been futile.
"So this is it, you are resigning," she asked, and he nodded.
"I am. My work is done. The realm is secure, and Rhaenyra is more than capable of ruling over the continent. I believe it is time for me to step back and let her take the central position," he said, and even if he said that his influence at court would remain massive even without the pin.
"Has she decided who will be the next Hand?" she questioned. Her own son sat on the Council as the Master of Ships, for he now controlled the Velaryon fleet after the death of his father four years ago.
"She has, though she refuses to say whom, though I have an idea just who it might be," he said, and she did not miss the slight glint in his eyes at those words.
"Where will you go?" she questioned.
"Braavos, initially, I have some business there to take care of, and after that, we shall see," he replied, and she nodded.
She knew more than most what that was about. Aenys abhorred the practice of slavery, and over the years, he had been expanding his influence into Slavery's Bay and Volantis, and she was quite sure that he had been the one behind the massive uprising in Meereen and Astapor that still gripped the cities, as people revolted against the slave masters.
"And what of your children? Will they leave as well," and he shook his head.
"No, Aerion wishes to go with me, but I do not think it will be wise for him to leave his other brothers and sisters. Moreover, Alicent does not wish to leave either, and I can always travel faster than anyone with Grey Ghost," he replied. It was no surprise that Alicent Hightower did not wish to leave.
"The Hightowers have been grumbling for some time. I have heard that they have been trying to influence our King into changing the succession again," and it was teh same story.
Rhaenyra had born three children, Aemma, Viserys, and Aenys, over the years. And denying the tradition, she had named her eldest Aemma as the heir, much to the anger of the lords of the realm who wished for her to name Prince Viserys as heir.
And the man most vocal in this was the current Lord of Old Town, Lord Ormund Hightower, the brother to the King consort.
"They may wag their tongues, but House, the succession has been cleared. The King's eldest child shall inherit the throne, and that will be it. They will bow their heads, or they will be cut off," Aenys ended the whole matter.
"I had never thought that I would live long enough to see a woman sit the Iron throne after the Great Council, yet look at me now. I live as a Queen and sit on the throne with a girl as her heir. How the times have changed," she remarked, and he nodded.
"That they have, and there is much more change to come," he said, and there was.
Advancements were being made by the moon, and change was common. More food was being farmed, better weaponry, better tools, better ships; much was changing around them, and so was the Royal family and their ruling.
The Crown now had an army of trained ten thousand men, a small number yet powerful enough for these men to be extremely well trained in the art of warfare.
She had seen her grandfather's reign and had thought that their House may not see such prosperity for again.
The Old King and his Good Queen had ruled with wisdom and had done much good for the realm, yet the forty years of the Conciliator paled in comparison to the decade of Rhaenyra's rule, during which House Targaryen would again emerge as the most prominent power across the world. The continent would see prosperity as it had never before.
She had seen the changing of times and the world shift in front of her eyes, and though she could feel her age creeping up, Rhaenys felt that there was still enough time for her to see much more.
Much much more.
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In 134 AC, nearly a decade into her rule, Prince Aenys Targaryen resigned from his position of the Hand of the King. Many would suspect that the Prince had had a falling out with the Queen, and though there had been some arguing, yet it was for the purpose of trying to change the Prince's mind.
Despite his prowess, Princess Rhaenyra was highly fond of her uncle, who had helped her sit on the throne and would try and convince him to continue, yet the Prince would not be convinced and would hand back the pin as the realm waited anxiously for a new Hand.
There would be many aspirants. Lord Laenor Velaryon, the Queen's cousin and husband to Lady Jeyne Arryn, the Queen's aunt, was considered to be the frontrunner, alongside Lord Lyonel Strong, the aged Master of Laws had already served as the Hand for a time and had been a part of the Council for nearly a decade, so was quite aware of the workings of the realm.
The whole realm would hold their breaths until the announcement was made, and the name would surprise nearly everyone in the realm, including Prince Aenys, a rarity for the Prince who was rarely ever caught off guard.
In 134 AC, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen would ascend the throne and, with the full court gathered infront of her, name the next Hand. And it would be none other than her childhood friend and her longest confidante, Lady Alicent Hightower.
The announcement would put to rest the rumors about infighting, as the Queen would turn towards her uncle and reply with a smirk.
"If I may not have you, then I shall have your wife," she would jape, and though many believe that the words referred to a more carnal desire, it is not a well-respected opinion.
And so a decade after the First Queen ascended the throne, the realm would see a woman become the Hand of the Queen for the first time.
The Era of Queens is often thought to refer to the reigns of Queen Rhaenyra and her heir, Queen Aemma Targaryen. However, initially, the term was coined only for the reign of Queen Rhaenyra, for her rule would revolve heavily around three great women: herself, Lady Alicent Hightower, and Lady Jeyne Arryn, who were lovingly called 'the Three Queens' by Prince Denys Targaryen, the youngest child of Prince Aenys, in her writings.
'I do not know what the realm was like for women before my time, though I have read and heard tales of those times and cannot believe how far we have come in a few years. I believe myself to be lucky for I was born in an 'Era of Queens' and was blessed enough to call all three of them family in one way or another."
~Excerpt from the 'Era of Queens' by Denys Targaryen detailing the
role of women in shaping the politics of the Seven Kingdoms~
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