ASOIAF/GOT Rhaegar Targaryen, Son of the Dragon (SI as twin of Aenys I Targaryen)

[Dragonspectre]

King's Landing, 20 AC

Despite the morning chill in King's Landing, the orphans of Holy Light orphanage was happy. The children were running around the small garden that the orphanage housed watering the many flowers under supervision of many a Septa. Some children were tending to the hens and their hatchlings feeding them as well as collecting eggs from their nests. Some of the older children were washing the cows and helping the septas to milk the cows. Another group of children were helping in the kitchen preparing a modest breakfast. Watching over all these activities was Septa Jenny who ran the orphanage.

While Jenny oversaw the children many of the Septas were preparing the orphanage to receive some special guests. While Jenny ran the orphanage it was only on the behest of her patron. It was he who funded the orphanage and Jenny was forever grateful for it. King Aegon the Dragon ruled from Aegonfort but it was his second son that funded the orphanage. Many institutions in King's Landing was funded by the young prince.

Just thinking about the young prince made Jenny sigh wistfully. Queen Rhaenys was truly blessed to have given birth to such a kindhearted son. It was too bad the Queen passed away untimely to see her children grow up. If the Queen was alive Jenny was sure the kind Queen would be proud of her youngest son.

Before Jenny dedicated her life in service to the Seven she was in love with a man. Unfortunately, her lover fell victim to sickness and died. She had hoped to bear his children but after the death of her one true love, she became a Septa. Nonetheless, the love she held for children led her to take care of the orphans.

After the war of conquest, there were many orphans in Crownlands and King's Landing. She was only happy to lend in help in any way she could. But her work was hard with meagre contributions from the lords and wealthy merchants. Many times she had petitioned the newly crowned King Aegon for aid but her pleas went unheard. But all hope was not lost as one day Queen Rhaenys held court and Jenny was heard by the Queen.

Sympathetic to the plight of the poor the kind-hearted queen aided Jenny's efforts and the queen released funds and land for building an orphanage. Everything was going smoothly until one day the kind queen fell in Dorne leaving her twin children motherless. With the death of Queen Rhaenys, her hopes of building an orphanage remained a dream. The following years were of great turmoil as King Aegon and Queen Visenya unleashed flames of vengeance upon Dorne.

After long years of war, an uneasy peace was negotiated between Dorne and the rest of Westeros. With the realm in peace, Jenny had hoped the King and Queen would contribute to the orphanage but she was wrong. King Aegon was focusing on building his own castle while Queen Visenya was not sympathetic to her cause.

Months passed by and Jenny cursed the Dornishmen for taking the life of Queen Rhaenys. The late queen had granted them a lot of lands in the Rhaenys' Hill but the funds for building the orphanage was not enough to complete its construction. She had to depend on tents to house the many children under her care and many a night she and the children slept on empty stomachs. For Jenny hunger was bearable but what she could not bear was the wails of the children under her care. It burned her soul to hear the cries of children. Oftentimes she would pretend to work the fires to deceive the children that food was being prepared.

She and her fellow Septas would beg for any help but oftentimes they were turned away by the wealthy and powerful. Desperate she was prepared to sell her body to provide for the children under her care but then he came. It was a chance meeting with the young Prince Rhaegar that changed the fate of her and the children.

Jenny along with a few children were looking for some sympathetic patrons in the Street of Silk. The children were so thin with barely any colour left to their skin. Most of them were too tired to even walk but she hoped someone would be kind enough to give them a loaf of bread. Till noon they wandered until finally, they received a half-eaten apple from a rich lord of the Reach. Her heart broke when some of the children eyed the apple with hunger. Seeing that she cried and cried but the gods remained silent to her plight.

She fell to her knees with the begging bowl in her hand. The half-eaten apple silently mocked her but what hurt her most were the cruel comments by the Reach lord and his retinue. They mocked her and the children and there were many in the crowd to laugh along with the miscreants. It was then that a small boy moved near her and placed a pouch full of gold dragons in her bowl. Her dazed eyes found a small child in a black hood but she knew those purple eyes. The same kind eyes of Queen Rhaenys. The silver hair she could see under the hood was another proof that she was before royalty.

That was how Jenny met the second son of King Aegon the Conqueror. The children under her care called him the Silver Prince and so did the people of King's Landing.

The thundering of hooves broke her out of her musings of the past. She could see two horses in the distance and immediately knew who that was. The white horse alone let her know that it was Prince Rhaegar and the other figure was most likely the trusted companion of the young prince, Ser Baelium Brune.

It has been three years since her chance meeting with Prince Rhaegar in the Street of Silk. Ever since that day the Prince would send gold, food and clothes to the orphanage. The young prince was barely ten when they met and yet showed so much kindness for a street urchin like her. It was his generous contributions alone that saw to the orphanage's speedy construction. The young prince would even visit the orphanage from time to time bringing many gifts and toys for the children. She prayed regulatory to the Seven to watch over Prince Rhaegar for he was an adventurous sort.

While Prince Rhaegar was known for his kindness his adventurous streak was something of a legend. At the mere age of five, the young Prince managed to ride Balerion the Black Dread. To this day she and many others had no idea how the young prince accomplished that especially when he has his own dragon, Starfyre. As punishment, King Aegon confined Prince Rhaegar to his rooms but the playful prince escaped the room to the ire of many. The Prince escaped the guards by hiding himself on the roof of Aegonfort and doused his father with a bucket full of water when he was holding court sitting upon the Iron Throne. It was alleged that the Prince shouted he did it to douse the flames of temper from his father to the whole court. Whatever the case the Prince failed to 'douse the flames of temper' of the King. At the same time, the King failed to douse the adventurism of Prince Rhaegar.

Prince Rheagar was adventurous, funny, intelligent and kind yet strong. Good qualities for a good king but sadly he was the second son. The firstborn was Aenys Targaryen who was frankly sick for most of his life. It was only now the crown prince regained some health. The crown prince was the exact opposite of Prince Rhaegar. Prince Aenys preferred to stay in the castle with his books for company. Although, it was owed to the bad health of Prince Aenys.

The silver-white horse trotted to a pause and Jenny greeted Prince Rhaegar with a bow and a warm smile.

"Welcome back my Prince."

She was awarded a warm smile from the prince. The prince maybe ten and three namesdays old but he was very handsome. According to rumours, many ladies of court fawned over the Silver Prince for his affections. Many maidens and even married women have tried in vain to draw the attention of the Prince to no avail. The Prince was courteous but he never showed interest in any woman save Alyssa Velaryon who he was friendly.

"Its good to be back. How have you been Septa Jenny?" asked the Prince

"I have been well my Prince. I hope you will join us for breaking our fast. You as well Ser Brune." She gave the sworn shield of Prince Rhaegar a pointed look.

"Where the Prince goes I go." said Ser Baelium with a shrug.

"Yet I did not have you with me when I swam across the Blackwater Bay." said the Prince.

"I will have you know that I was wearing armour. If I jumped I would have drowned and what good I would be to you if I am dead."

"I would find another Knight but I would surely miss your company Ser Baleium. Although, I wonder why you threw some poor tanner into the stream?"

"To save you of course." said Ser Baelium indignantly.

"And did he?" asked the Prince with a drawl that made Jenny giggle.

"How was I to know that the tanner knows not to swim?"

"You ought to have asked before you threw the poor man into the Blackwater. I had to save that man from drowning in the river." said the Prince with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Either way you returned back from the Blackwater which I consider to be a success on my part."

"Only you Ser…only you…" the Prince shook with laughter as he stepped into the orphanage.

Jenny smiled as the children happily surrounded Prince Rhaegar asking for new stories to be told. She had to admit the Prince was a treasure trove of funny and adventurous stories that captured the attention of a large audience. Her favourite was the story of a race between a rabbit and a tortoise. There was a useful lesson to be learned from that story. The spirit of the story was hard work always triumphed inborn skill which she wholeheartedly agrees.

"Today I will regale you with the story of Princess Alice who finds herself in another world—a world not of her own but filled with wondrous beings…." The Prince began to tell the story and Jenny sighed. Sometimes she wondered where the Prince gets his boundless energy from. Prince Rhaegar had barely stepped inside the orphanage and already he was in his element.

*********​

Aenys Targaryen relaxed into his bed as his brother massaged his legs. He smiled despite the pain he felt at the touch of his twin. Together they had come to this world but he was thankful to the gods not to curse his twin with the same sickness that he suffered from. Without his brother's steady influence he doubted he would have lived this far.

Aenys was three names days old when his mother died. When he learned of his mother's death he had fallen Ill and it was his brother that nursed him back to health. His twin would stay day and night by his side. Rhaegar would entertain him with tales of faraway lands. It was Rhaegar that sparked his interests in books and songs.

Today was no different as he enjoyed the tender care provided by his brother. Rhaegar would not allow servants to take care of him claiming that he deserved special attention. He admitted that when his brother stayed by his side he would feel half his discomforts disappear.

"You ought to prepare for your journey to the Reach brother. Don't bother wasting your time with me when servants can easily look after me." said Aenys

"The royal procession can wait. You are more important."

"You will attract the ire of our father." cautioned Aenys

"He may show his ire but father understands us better. Westerosi politics can wait for a few days because my brother needs my expert services." said Rhaegar

"As father often love to say, the bond between the brothers will protect our kingdom." Parroted Aenys with a chuckle which turned into a series of coughs.

"He is right you know. Family is all that matters sweet brother of mine." said Rhaegar as he began to press a piece of cloth dipped in hot water on Aenys' oil-covered legs.

"If that's the case we are short of one member." said Aenys and he noticed a peculiar look cross his brother's face. He had noticed that whenever he brought up the matter of their younger brother Maegor, Rhaegar would immediately evade or outright change the subject.

Aenys knew his brother held some form of animosity against Maegor. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. Both of them had seen Maegor less than six times in thirteen long years and all those times he never found any problems with his younger brother. Maegor tends to be a little snobby sometimes but outside that his younger brother was a likeable person. Even his betrothed Alyssa Velaryon dislike Maegor for some reason.

The door to his chambers opened and Alyssa walked in gracefully. Aenys smiled at his betrothed amicably while his brother gave him a wink. His future marriage to Alyssa was supposed to be a secret but his brother's constant teasing had exposed that tidbit of information. His father was not amused at that stunt as he was still in the process of negotiating the matter. With the rumours abound regarding his match with Alyssa father was forced to announce the betrothal far sooner than he was comfortable. Later Aenys thanked Rhaegar as he was free from all the attention of many daughters of the lords. Looking back on it that was probably why his brother publicised his betrothal with Alyssa.

"I see you have things well in hand Rhaegar. It seems I am unneeded if my betrothed enjoy your company more than mine." said Alyssa.

"How cruel of you to say that my dear Alyssa. I worked my best to keep him safe and that's how you thank me "

"How about you let me take care of my betrothed and you go on your tour of the Reach. King Aegon has been asking for you." said Alyssa as she took a seat beside his bed and took over massaging his leg from his brother. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the soft hands of his betrothed on his legs.

"To be betrayed by my dear twin! I should have known this would happen. You have corrupted my innocent brother with your strange wicked wiles. Shall I bring Septon Murmison to save my brother's soul from the clutches of dear Alyssa." said Rhaegar dramatically.

"If you don't get out of this room I will set your precious hair on fire." threatened Alyssa. Aenys had never seen his brother move so fast. In a blink of his eyes, Rhaegar was out of his room leaving him alone with Alyssa. He looked at her in surprise.

"Your twin is many things but the one thing he fears the most is about your health and his hair." said Alyssa as a way of explanation.

"How did you know that?" Aenys asked in surprise as he was of the thought that only he knew of his brother's obsession with his long silver hair.

"A woman must have her secrets, my prince." said Alyssa with a playful wink. "Now, which leg ails you?"

The answer would be his right leg but since dear Alyssa was volunteering he decided to lie. He didn't like lying but as his dear twin often liked to say, sometimes a lie is better than a hundred truths. The fact that he enjoyed Alyssa's work on both of his legs was a testament to the validity of that statement. He ought to listen to more of his brother's advice, he thought silently.

 

[Knowledgeispower]

So far so good carry on my good author

 

[Buba]

Oh, yes, that silly teen stage when hair matters!
I simply AGONISED over my mullet!


Well, this changes everything. In canon all that stood between Maegor and the throne was his sickly half-brother (and Aenys' children - details, details ....). Hence the room for naughty thoughts.
Here, with the doubtlessly conanesque Rhaegar also in the way, Maegor (and Mom?) should not harbour any such flights of fantasy.
Maybe Rhaegar could try to establish good rapport with step-mom/aunt dearest? In part because science and in part rein in your brat. Getting chummy with Maegor - unless he entertains himself by tearing wings off flies or disemblowling cats (or servants!) also might be a good move?

I take it that the canon Hightower marriage is now on Rhaegar's plate?

 

[Dragonspectre]

Oh, yes, that silly teen stage when hair matters!
I simply AGONISED over my mullet!


Well, this changes everything. In canon all that stood between Maegor and the throne was his sickly half-brother (and Aenys' children - details, details ....). Hence the room for naughty thoughts.
Here, with the doubtlessly conanesque Rhaegar also in the way, Maegor (and Mom?) should not harbour any such flights of fantasy.
Maybe Rhaegar could try to establish good rapport with step-mom/aunt dearest? In part because science and in part rein in your brat. Getting chummy with Maegor - unless he entertains himself by tearing wings off flies or disemblowling cats (or servants!) also might be a good move?

I take it that the canon Hightower marriage is now on Rhaegar's plate?

Maegor becomes third in line with Rhaegar in the picture. Although, I have to say that both Maegor and Visenya hardly conspired against Aenys. It is only when Aenys' weak policies led to rebellion did they started plotting. And even then they waited until Aenys passed away before Maegor usurped his nephew who was dragonless and under siege in Crakehall.

 

[Dragonspectre]

"This is boring." complained Rhaegar

"Have a care Prince Rhaegar. It almost felt like whining." said Ser Baelium with an amused tilt to his face.

Rhaegar gave his sworn shield a withering look.

"No longer able to make a run for it now can you Prince Rhaegar?" asked Ser Addison Hill of the Kingsguard with amusement.

"If it wasn't for father know that I would have left you all in the dust." said Rhaegar with a huff.

"Unfortunately you will not be flying on poor Starfyre. I think even the dragon has enough of your stunts my prince." said Corlys Velaryon the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard as he pulled his horse close to the Prince's own horse.

"I am not talking to you Ser Corlys. You're the one that tattled me to my father. I thought you to be a good man but it seems Alyssa was right. You cannot be trusted." said Rhaegar

"I will have you know half the realm saw you flying upside down on your dragon Prince Rhaegar. I was hardly responsible if your father saw what you were doing." said Corlys

"But you were the one that told the King first." said Ser Addison

"Aha! I knew it. You Ser are not a true knight. A true knight would not have betrayed the trust of a prince." said Rhaegar

"You only have yourself to blame my Prince. You angered the king with your stunts when he explicitly forbids your usual activities during this journey. And I would like to remind you that I am sworn to serve the King. You cannot expect me to lie to the king." said Ser Corlys

"You are no longer my favourite Kingsguard." said Rhaegar with a glare at the Lord Commander. He immediately ducked his head as the Black Dread made a dive. His horse became spooked and threw him down from its back. The Kingsguard knights and his own sworn shield were conveniently keeping a distance when that happened.

"This is no fun. You have no sense of what is fun at all father." Rhaegar screamed at the top of his lungs after he managed to stand up dusting off the soot from his clothes. Then he turned on the Lord Commander. "You are responsible for this Ser Corlys."

"How am I responsible if your father decided to give you some lessons in humility." said Ser Corlys with a shrug but one could see that the Lord Commander was very amused by the way his eyes sparkled.

"I don't know how or when but I will pay you back Ser Corlys. Mark my words." Threatened Rhaegar before riding off with a huff. The Kingsguard and his sworn shield were quick to keep up lest the Prince rides away far from the royal convoy.

It took the royal procession three days to see the edge of Mander. Seeing the Mander let Rhaegar know that they have crossed into the borders of the Reach. The lack of roads was a problem and it made the journey difficult. He wanted to take Starfyre and go on his merry way but after his latest stunt on the dragon, his father had grounded him so to speak. He rode ahead of the convoy towards the Mander with Ser Baelium as his company.

Rhaegar dismounted his horse and led it towards the river. The horse happily drank the water and he rubbed the white mane of his horse affectionately.

"Drink up boy. We do have a lot of ground to cover before you can properly rest in a stable."

A large shadow enveloped the spot he was standing on and he had to rein in his horse who was neighing in fear. The reason for his horse's discomfort landed on the ground with a thud kicking up dirt.

"Mother above!" Ser Baelium cried as he too struggled to hold onto his troubled horse.

Rhaegar just laughed as he gave the reins of his horse to a servant. He walked towards his dragon who blew a puff of smoke to his face. Just like him, his dragons loved to mess with others something he suspected Starfyre learned from him.

"Don't you dare do that you overgrown lizard." Rhaegar warned and Starfyre merely let out a screech before swinging his tail through the water. He could hear Ser Baelium's laughter as he was drenched from head to toe in water from the Mander.

"You taught your dragon well my prince. I have to say this is fun and I see why you enjoy playing pranks on others so much." crowed Ser Baelium before breaking down into further laughter despite the scowl on Rhaegar's face.

Rhaegar glared at Starfyre who preened and looked at him smugly. He could feel the waves of emotions from his draconic friend in the back of his mind. Starfyre was hatched in his crib when he was a baby. In many ways they were brothers and he had learned that he shared an empathetic bond with Starfyre. He could not remain mad at his childhood companion for long. There was a time when he feared the blue scaled dragon but over time he grew out of that fear. Nobody could blame him because one moment he was watching TV and the next he was a freaking baby.

At first, he thought that there was some drug in his food to make a powerful hallucination like the one he experienced. But as days and months went by he came to the conclusion that he somehow reincarnated but that was bull because he had no memory of dying. Frankly, he was very wroth to be displaced from his world. He was about to celebrate Christmas with his family and he was planning to spend some quality time with his parents. Early on he realised that there was no point on bitching about his situation so he decided to make the most of his new life by rolling with the punches. There were a million things he could complain about with his situation but that would be totally unlike himself. So he decided to focus on the good parts namely his cool draconic friend Starfyre.

Just seeing a dragon up-close was a dream come true. To ride it and concoct acrobatic stunts with the dragon was downright exhilarating. His greatest accomplishment was to hijack Balerion and he did it with begging on his knees before the mighty dragon. Dragons were intelligent creatures who read others through empathy. Balerion was hoodwinked by his desperate pleas and that's how he managed to ride the greatest of Targaryen dragons. Although, that did land him in a heap of trouble.

"My Prince, we are setting camp and your father is asking for you." said Robin Darklyn another member of his father's Kingsguard. The knight was widely known as Darkrobin and was a skilled knight.

Rhaegar was wary of this knight because Ser Robin was chosen by Visenya. Not that there was anything wrong with it as the knight was loyal to his father. It's just that he had this habit of treating anyone that was remotely close to Visenya Targaryen with suspicion. It was something of an inborn trait as his younger years growing up was ripe with rumours of his mother's infidelity. The lords, ladies and servants thought he could not understand what they were whispering but he understood. Since then he had a healthy dose of paranoia regarding Visenya Targaryen and anyone that she was friendly with.

"You shouldn't let the King waiting, my prince." said Ser Baelium as he gave a small nudge.

A while later he was standing before his father inside a hastily erected tent. Even after all these years, he found it hard not to be intimidated by the sheer presence of his father.

King Aegon the Conqueror or Aegon the Dragon as he was called was a man built for battle. Square jaw, wide chest, strong muscled hands all contributed to the image but his true strength lay in the king's gaze. The King had dark purple eyes and anyone that stared into those eyes would claim that it was beautiful but in the privacy of their minds they would call them intimidating.

Rhaegar had found it early on that it was very hard to lie straight to his father's face. This was why he preferred to deal with his father from a distance. He had it on good authority that his father knew this weakness and would use it to his advantage at certain times.

"Come take a seat. I would not have you stand there looking like a thief that was caught red-handed." said Aegon as he pointed to a chair opposite to the table his father was sitting at.

"Thank you father. Now that we are here can you please return the riding harness that you took from Starfyre?" Rhaegar inquired hoping against hope as he flashed a puppy eye look.

Aegon let out a scoff and a brief smile flashed on his face that would have skipped Rhaegar's attention if he was not looking close enough.

"You will not be flying that dragon until I think you learned the lesson."

"What lesson would that be?" Rhaegar asked

"The lesson being some responsibility and acting with caution. Dragons are empathetic creatures. Once a bond is formed some of your own character will bleed into the dragon especially when Starfyre was hatched in your crib. That dragon is already a troublemaker and as it grows it will refuse any riders and become wild."

"I did not know that." said Rhaegar but he received an unimpressed stare.

"You are a terrible liar son. I know you have taken lessons from Visenya about the dragons and there is no one more knowledgeable than her in that area."

"Fine, I knew. It is just difficult not to test the limits you know. To fly in the sky—it's like nothing in the world can stop you. It's just pure freedom." said Rhaegar

"You remind me of your mother. So passionate and driven to ride Meraxes whenever possible." A tired sigh left Aegon. "I will return the harness provided that you will not pull any more stunts on Starfyre. You must promise me this."

"I promise not to pull any stunts with Starfyre father. You have my word."

"Good. Now, I asked you here for something important. You understand why we are here in the Reach, don't you?" asked Aegon as he learned forward and unveiled a map on the table.

Rhaegar took quick glance at the map and identified it as a map of the Reach.

"You want to meet the lords that are under your rule." said Rhaegar

"Yes but…."

"You also want to survey their lands because you are reforming the tax system and build an alliance of some sort."

"Correct. So you do listen to the conversations we have about the realm." said Aegon with an approving nod. "Now, we are at the edge of the Mander. Which castle is the closest to our position?"

"Tumbleton." He answered quickly

"Good. House and banner?"

"Tumbleton is ruled by House Footly. White caltrops in a black field is their banner."

"Correct. House Footly can trace their lineage all the way to the Age of Heroes. We don't know whether Valyrians even inhabited the peninsula that far back and yet house Targaryen rules over all the ancient houses of Westeros. Why?"

"Power. We have power and they don't." answered Rhaegar for which he was graced with a smile from his father.

"True. But power is fickle. Our dragons ensure dominance over Westeros through force but that is not enough. To truly rule all these houses we need allies and their wealth. The Reach is the most productive kingdom of Westeros. It has bountiful harvests and in Winter food has more value than anything else. We need the Reach as an ally."

"And Theo Tyrell cannot deliver us the Reach?" Rhaegar asked curiously

"The Tyrells are servants that got elevated because of me. They depend on me to consolidate their hold on the Reach. A united Reach will always be a threat to the rule of Dragons. The Reach must never unite for it houses the Citadel and the Faith of Seven."

"You want to break up the Reach?" Rhaegar asked incredulously.

"Eventually and I doubt I can accomplish that in my lifetime. Perhaps it may not be possible but I will ensure the Reach will not follow one house ever again."

"So you want to build an alliance with some house to counter one of the powerful houses. Force the factions vying for Highgarden into a stalemate or even escalate." Rhaegar deduced

"I prefer a stalemate as it will let me break one of the factions and force them to approach our house for an alliance. The Tyrells are just the bait I set for the different factions in the Reach to concentrate on." said Aegon

"Why didn't you just expand the territories of Crownlands at the expense of the Reach? You could have done that and defanged the Reach after the Field of Fire."

"The Crownlands are made up of lands from Stormlands, Reach and Riverlands. But you are right, I should have expanded the Crownlands. I made a mistake at that time."

The tent descended into an uneasy silence.

"So what should I do?" Rhaegar asked

"Learn about the lands of the Reach lords. I want you with the surveyors and interact with the people. Make friends wherever we go and dazzle the people with your charm." said Aegon

"You want me to marry from one of the Reach's noble houses, don't you?"

"In time." Aegon admitted before he hastily added, "And I will ask your opinion before I make any decisions. You have my word."

"Thank you for that." Rhaegar bit out not the least bit happy about it but at the same time relieved nothing was finalised. "May I take my leave?"

At his father's nod Rhaegar stood up to leave but a question from his father made him pause at the exit of the tent.

"I forgot to ask. Why are you wet?"

It was with a certain level of embarrassment that he had to explain that he fell victim to a prank of his dragon. He certainly didn't like the suppressed laughter of his father from the tent when he left.

 

[Buba]

It is only when Aenys' weak policies led to rebellion did they started plotting.

So, here with Rhaegar "The Braiser" serving as Aenys' enforcer - and then for his nephew - Visenya and Maegor do not revolt?
Or - to the contrary - being shown nothing by suspicion and hostility by Rhaegar since he grew out of swaddling - the oppressed step-mother and not-evil-but-misunderstood Maegor revolt in perceived self defence?
Oh, I suppose I'll have to wait twenty or so chapters for that

 

[BlackDragon98]

Aenys had abandoned KL and fled to Dragonstone.
And Visenya did not kill him.
She tried to save him (his health improved under her care) but then he suffered a heart attack after hearing that his son and daughter were besieged at Crakehall. Senya couldn't do shit to save him without a defibrillator.
Maegor and Visenya only stepped in after he died.
Aegon was besieged at Crakehall without a dragon and to them it seemed that Aegon would be weak like his father.
Visenya refused to see her life's work destroyed.

Though I do believe there was a lack of communication on both sides.
Maegor could easily have appointed Aegon as his heir while he didn't have a son and the two could have joined forces against the Faith.
But then the Trial of Seven happened and Maegor was never the same again afterwards.

 

[BlackDragon98]

So, here with Rhaegar "The Braiser" serving as Aenys' enforcer - and then for his nephew - Visenya and Maegor do not revolt?
Or - to the contrary - being shown nothing by suspicion and hostility by Rhaegar since he grew out of swaddling - the oppressed step-mother and not-evil-but-misunderstood Maegor revolt in perceived self defence?
Oh, I suppose I'll have to wait twenty or so chapters for that

Aegon I was a seriously deadbeat dad to Maegor and very cold towards Visenya, especially after Rhaenys's death.
If Rhaegar shows Maegor kindness, then I don't see him becoming a problem.
Visenya's only goal was to not see her life's work destroyed by a bunch of incompetents.

If Aenys still dies as per OTL, Rhaegar can step up to the task.
If he proves competent, then I don't see Visenya trying to usurp him with Maegor.
She'll mostly likely want a betrothal between Maegor's kids and Rhaegar's kids though.

And the most important thing.
Prevent Maegor's betrothal to Ceryse Hightower at all costs.
That was a trap set by the Faith and Aegon fell into it with open arms.
Maegor's anger was partially due to his inability to father heirs (Ceryse was barren).

Here is my proposal to solve the issue.
Try to get Maegor betrothed to a Stark girl.
That way, you combine two magically powerful bloodlines into something greater.
An earlier Jon, in a way of speaking.
And it ties the Starks closer to the IT and appeals to their wounded pride after Torrhen's surrender.

Dragonriding warg=UAV
Stuff like Rhaenys dying at Dorne is impossible with a warg.

 

[Dragonspectre]

So, here with Rhaegar "The Braiser" serving as Aenys' enforcer - and then for his nephew - Visenya and Maegor do not revolt?
Or - to the contrary - being shown nothing by suspicion and hostility by Rhaegar since he grew out of swaddling - the oppressed step-mother and not-evil-but-misunderstood Maegor revolt in perceived self defence?
Oh, I suppose I'll have to wait twenty or so chapters for that

Visenya and Maegor are not inherently evil or plotting for the throne. In the early days of Aenys' reign, those two were the pillars of strength he leaned on. You are just assuming they are out for the throne based on events that happened after Aenys' reign to which I would say Maegor was pretty much not the same guy. While an egoistic dude Maegor never had the intention to hurt his brother even at the worst of times. Maegor was the one that stabilized Aenys' rule when lords rebelled after Aegon the Dragon passed.

Never said Rhaegar was hostile openly or passively. He just deals them with caution. He is apprehensive of them because of the misconception of the future knowledge he has in his head. In truth, SIRhaegar has neatly fallen into the trappings of 'I know the future so I know what each and everyone is doing' attitude.

 

[aguy1013]

Nice of you to being it here,hope you add some great things that you couldn't add in alternate history until then hope you keep it up

 

[Buba]

In truth, SIRhaegar has neatly fallen into the trappings of 'I know the future so I know what each and everyone is doing' attitude.

This is what I was referring to
I.e. he is wary of Visenya&Maegor becuase of what he knows from canon about them = self fulfilling prophecy that they won't like him.

 

[Dragonspectre]

This is what I was referring to
I.e. he is wary of Visenya&Maegor becuase of what he knows from canon about them = self-fulfilling prophecy that they won't like him.

Not exactly. He doesn't exactly have any visible problem with them. He is just cautious when he deals with them. I guess you could say that Rhaegar is paranoid and that's all. Doesn't mean he goes out of his way to treat Visenya or Maegor badly. He is just seeing them as his future enemies forgetting the fact that they don't have a reason to be enemies at all.

 

[Dragonspectre]

The lands belonging to house Footly was indeed bountiful with livestock and farmlands, Rhaegar mused as he rode alongside the convoy upon his horse. He could see the smallfolk working in the fields stretching across the plain lands. Something that he noticed once leaving behind the Crownlands was that there were far fewer hills in the Reach. It made for ease of travelling by land but at the same time, this left the land easy to move an army.

Unfortunately, the lack of proper roads would slow down any carts. The land was always muddy with regular rains which most certainly extended travel time. Nonetheless, the journey was quite enjoyable so far. Unlike the Crownlands the Reach was filled with people. Tumbleton was only five leagues from King's Landing yet he saw at least five or six villages in his travel so far. These villages were not some shoddy shacks but well-developed settlements protected by landed or hedge knights.

Up ahead Rhaegar could see the castle of Tumbleton. The castle overlooked a sizeable town outside its walls and he could see a lot of people gathered in the town even from a distance. An honour guard from House Footly was already escorting the royal procession with caltrop banners flapping in the wind. The men of House Footly had their shields painted reflecting the banner of their lord.

Rhaegar himself was in the colours of his house. He wore a black doublet with red trimmings along with black boots and a red clock on his shoulders. The clock was fastened on his shoulders with a pin of a silver three-headed dragon. His silver hair was neatly pulled back behind his ear and because of its length, it was irritating him quite a bit. Usually, he would have tied it in a ponytail but his father had ordered the servants to make him princely.

Being the prince that he was he had the honour of leading the convoy beside Ser Corlys Velaryon. Behind them were Ser Addison Hill and Ser Robin Darklyn flanking my father. Ser Baelium was riding alongside a hedge knight who carried the Targaryen banner just a few paces behind him.

As the procession rode through the town Rhaegar took note the people were—well not expressive, he settled. He guessed they were just as confused on how to deal with the situation. A few decades ago these people knew their kings to be Gardners of Highgarden. Now a Tyrell rules from Highgarden while sworn to a king that has his throne outside their homeland. At the very least the people were not hostile but there were wary glances thrown his way. He was certain a lot more of those glances would be reserved for his father as well.

Then a powerful screech blared across the sky. The people searched for the cause and Rhaegar could see a few promptly fainting at what they saw. He had no need to look up to know the cause because the gigantic shadow that enveloped the town was proof enough. But the urge was there in the back of his mind and that urge won out. He turned and looked up balancing himself on his horse. Sure enough Balerion the Black Dread was up in the sky with its gigantic wings spread as wide as possible.

Looking from down below he felt like an ant under the magnificence of his father's mount. The dragon was pitch black and anyone that gazed upon its gigantic form would have fear in their hearts. Looking back he wondered just how the hell he managed to ride Balerion.

Another screech filled the air and Starfyre emerged from the clouds. The blue-silver dragon provided a much more elegant contour to the dragon-kind. While intimidating Starfyre projected an unholy beauty. It was like comparing a car from the 50s to a car after the 80s. Starfyre was sleek and was made for speed rather than raw strength. The two dragons sped past the town and circled the seat of House Footly.

"The people inside the castle must be in awe and fear of the dragons flying over their heads. The Field of Fire is still memorable to the Reach." said Ser Corlys

That brought a smile to Rhaegar's face as he sat up with his head held high on his horse. "That's good Ser Corlys. It is good that they remember. Let's hope that memory serves them good for ages to come."

The convoy paused once inside the walls of the castle. Rhaegar noticed the members of House Footly by the way they were dressed. All of the males were dressed in black with a white Caltrop stitched above their right breast. The women were dressed in differing colours of gowns. Rhaegar dismounted his horse and stood to the right of his father who moved to greet Lord Willam Footly.

"Tumbleton is yours, your grace." Lord Willam knelt followed by his entire house.

"Rise my lord." said his father while motioning subtlety at him with his hand.

"The Seven have blessed you with a beautiful home and family Lord Footly." said Rhaegar keeping his eyes steady on the Lord of Tumbleton. The man was definitely older than father with a lot of grey hair but fit like a warrior in his prime.

"Thank you, my prince. May the light of the Seven bless you as well." said Lord Willam and then the Lord of Tumbleton began to introduce the rest of his family.

Lady Alyssa formerly of House Tarly was the wife of Lord Willam. She was also the sister of Lord Rickon Tarly who was the current lord of Horn Hill. The lady was polite but distant. Most likely she did not look forward to housing the same people that killed her father in the Field of Fire.

Then came the children of Lord Willam. The eldest son and heir was Melvin Footly who was a portly man and had a wife and a daughter of his own. Rhaegar also became acquainted with the younger sibling Jon Footly followed by a number of cousins and nieces of Lord Footly.

By the time Rhaegar acquainted with the many Footlys of Tumbleton Lord Willam had bread and salt brought. And just like that, they were given guest rights and entry into the castle.

Dinner was grand and house Footly didn't disappoint one bit. The noble houses of the Reach were famous for their extravagant feasts with harvests aplenty. The same could be said of those in the Westerlands but Rhaegar was sure in feasts no one could beat the Reachmen. His belly was filled to the brim with roasted mutton and chicken, bread, milk, pigeon pie, boiled eggs and the steak and kidney pudding which was his favourite. Of course, Westeros never had that pudding until he invented it in the kitchens of Aegonfort. If nothing else Rhaegar was sure his name will be famous for discovering this dish. Although, he was surprised that his dish became popular in the Reach. He was also interested to learn just how that happened. He could speculate but he would be looking into the cooks of Aegonfort once he returned back home.

He spent the better part of the night reading a book on the travels of Maester Tonnel. The man had a strange fixation on the Reach as half the book was about the lands held by the Reach lords and the innumerable septs in the former kingdom of Gardners. While a boring read the book certainly highlighted the geography of the Reach in great detail. It also emphasised on the differing natures of people in the Reach especially those in the Dornish Marches. Nonetheless, he fell asleep after an hour in his room that was assigned for his stay. When he woke up it was early morning and the sun was a placid red in the sky.

The plan was to stay at Tumbleton for two days before they continued their journey further west. In two days his father wanted the survey of the land to be done which was easier said than done. There were servants of the crown to do that but his father wanted him to be involved in the process. He had to say that his father was a smart man that valued soft power. On hindsight, it should have been obvious to many but the fearsome reputation of his father garnered from the wars of conquest suppressed the image of a brilliant statesman.

Anyhow, Rhaegar managed to sneak out of the castle early morning on a horse, his identity shielded under a black robe. Of course, he was not foolish enough to go on a ride around unfamiliar lands without protection.

"I think this is a bad idea, my prince. If your father finds out we will be in serious peril." warned Ser Baelium who was similarly covering himself under a black robe.

The two of us were riding our horses through the vast lands of House Footly. To maintain the secrecy they had to abandon their shields and armour. Instead, they both wore chainmail under the robe and leather doublet. They had their swords by their side of course as it would be foolish to ride around without a weapon.

"Relax my dear knight. My father won't even notice we were gone. We will be back in a jiffy." said Rhaegar as they sped through the land taking in the sights.

The lords of Westeros had the luxury to sleep at this hour but the smallfolk worked the fields early in the morning. With summer still in full swing, the smallfolk were busy working in the fields or doing business to put food in their bellies. The Citadel had warned the summer may only last for two or three months which had lit a fire in every holdfast across the land.

While they had no specific destination in mind Rhaegar made his way towards the banks of the Mander. The lands of house Footly would end there and he was curious to see the fishing villages of the Reach. For a time they rode in silence taking in the differing sights across the land. Maple and Pine trees were most commonly seen in their travels. Rhaegar even noted a modest Cherry farm in their journey.

"Up ahead my prince. I can see the village." Ser Baelium pointed.

Sure enough, Rhaegar could make out some modest wooden structures. He urged his horse towards the village but he was sad to find that it was scarcely populated. He had expected the village to house more people but this one was barely inhabited.

"All the villages we saw till now were well populated. Why is this one abandoned?" he asked out loud.

"Maybe the village suffers from bandits my prince." suggested Ser Baelium

"Maybe." Rhaegar hummed noncommittally as he took in the state of the village.

"We should return my prince. If this area is threatened by bandits we do not have the numbers to properly defend."

"We are close to the village Ser. Why not just spend some time here and find out why it is abandoned?"

"We can do so with more men some other time, my prince. For now, it is better to retreat." Ser Baelium insisted.

Rhaegar hesitated but he caved in when faced with a stern stare from his sworn shield. He would have insisted on visiting the village if he had Starfyre with him. Unfortunately, his draconic friend was taking a nap and he had better sense not to disturb a sleeping dragon. Dragons were hostile if their sleep cycles were disturbed. It won't matter whether it was the rider that disturbed their sleep. The dragons would roast anyone that disturbed their sleep. Plus he had also found out that he was not flame resistant much to his chagrin.

The ride back to the castle was quite uneventful but he did occasionally made a stop in some of the villages scattered across the land. From these villagers, he managed to learn of a bandit group widely known as the Strangers. According to the smallfolk, the bandit leader was a former Septon that went mad worshipping the Stranger. The Black Septon as he was known would raid a village and sacrifice those he judged unworthy of life to the Stranger. As a token of his purge, he would leave a black seven-pointed star in the village he would strike. The Black Septon was dispassionate in his crimes. He would kill women, children and men. He cared not for titles as a lot of septons and septas were also victims of this Black Septon.

"This Black Septon and his band of fellow outlaws seems to be a work of art. I can't believe this group is in the Reach." said Ser Baelium as they continued their journey back to the castle.

"You know of them?" Rhaegar asked in surprise.

"Yes, my prince. This Black Septon was an outlaw in the Crownlands but that was before his grace launched his Conquest."

"I see. What do you know of this Black Septon?" asked Rhaegar in interest.

"If rumours are to be believed the Black Septon was a Septon or a poor fellow that was in love with a local woman. In an Ironborn attack, this woman was raped and murdered. From then on this Black Septon went on a crusade to gather followers of Seven to attack Black Harren. As you can guess it didn't work well for him or his cohorts."

"If that's the case why is the Black Septon here in the Reach? For that matter why is he attacking villages?" asked Rhaegar

"That is what worries me, my prince. The Black Septon was supposed to be fighting against heathens and the tyranny of Harren Hoare. By all accounts, the Black Septon should be old enough to not even walk properly much less lead a raid."

"So you believe we have an imposter?" asked Rhaegar

"Most likely yes." Ser Baelium nodded

"Then this bandit group has to be stopped." said Rhaegar before throwing a curious look to his sworn shield. "What do you say about a hunt for these Strangers and the Black Septon?"

That gave pause to Baeluim and stared incredulously at the prince he was sworn to protect.

"What do you mean?"

*******​

"What do you mean?" asked Aegon staring hard at his son as if his son had taken leave of his senses.

"I wish to organize a hunt for this bandit group that call themselves the Strangers. They have been terrorising the smallfolk and I mean to put an end to the chaos they unleash upon the land." said Rhaegar not flinching or backing down even as he took the full brunt of his father's stare.

"My prince I will have some of my finest knights to hunt for these miscreants and trust me these bandits will be captured and punished." Assured Lord Willam

"How many times have you sent your knights to finish these bandits out Lord Footly?" asked Rhaegar

"Answer my lord." Aegon said noting the reluctance on Lord Willam's face.

"Three times." Lord Footly admitted reluctantly.

"How many bandits have your knights captured or killed?" asked Rhaegar to the lord of Tumbleton.

"Few my prince." said Lord Footly

"The real Black Septon was someone who fought against the tyranny of Harren Hoare and his Ironborn reavers. This new Black Septon is a fake and most likely a Crownlander."

"How do you know he is a Crownlander?" asked Ser Corlys from Aegon's side.

"The story of Black Septon is indigenous to Riverlands and Crownlands. Hardly anyone here knew of the true story behind the Black Septon. This leads me to believe that this outlaw is a Crownlander and most likely well experienced in warfare. He must have fought in my father's army in the Conquest."

"How do you gather he fought in my army?" asked Aegon curiously

"The Smallfolk says the Black Septon wears a steel armour painted black and a helmet painted red. The Targaryen army in the Conquest had red helmets." said Rhaegar

"This Black Septon could have taken the helmet from a dead soldier." said Ser Corlys

"True but how did he know to emulate a legendary figure of a remote place of Crownlands? He left no witnesses that saw his face to give us a description nor did he leave any clues of his next attack. He has expertly evaded well-trained knights of House Footly and he concentrates his activities on the border of Crownlands and Reach. This means that he is an experienced fighter who has experience in leading men to battle and he is a local of Crownlands." explained Rhaegar in one breath plunging the room into silence.

"What do you wish to do about this Black Septon?" Aegon asked eventually.

"Find where he is going to strike next and end his life along with his bandit group." said Rhaegar

"My prince you are barely ten and three namesdays old. You can't expect us to allow you to seek out this bandit." Ser Corlys protested.

"You were the one who taught me that a knight's sword should be raised to protect the innocent and weak. If I can't even protect a village then how can I be of any service to my king or my brother?"

"You are not a knight yet. Leave this matter to knights who are trained to handle such tasks." said Ser Corlys

"You were also the one that taught me that a few words spoken in ceremony do not make a true knight. Noble actions make one a true knight, you said. I mean to be a true knight through my actions and let the gods judge me whether they are noble or not." said Rhaegar not backing down from the renewed staring contest with his father.

Aegon let out a sigh and leaned back in his seat.

"You will have seven days to hunt this outlaw after that you will return to my side and leave this matter entirely."

Aegon's proclamation was met with a smile from Rhaegar and a scandalous look from Ser Corlys.

"Your grace I must protest. The prince is a good jouster and swings his sword well but he is not ready to go on a hunt for a bandit." said Ser Corlys earning himself some surprised stares from the assembled knights, lords and members of house Footly.

It was not well known but Ser Corlys was distantly related to Aegon through the king's late mother. Not to mention the Lord Commander was also the son Daemon Velaryon the Master of Ships, one of the closest friends of the King. It gave certain privileges to the Lord Commander.

"Your protest is noted and that is why Rhaegar will be under the protection of Ser Addison Hill and Ser Baelium Brune." said Aegon giving an impeccable stare directed at Ser Corlys. "He will also take some of the knights in my service. I am of course sure that Lord Willam will also support this venture with his men."

Aegon looked imploringly at Lord Willam who nodded quickly in agreement.

"Good. Now, where do you propose your search will be for this Black Septon?" asked Aegon once again turning his attention to his son.

"I won't be searching, I will just be waiting."

Rhaegar's answer only brought confusion to everyone present. While everyone speculated what that meant Rhaegar merely gave a playful smile at his father.

 

[aguy1013]

Why is the thread title chapter 4 instead of 3

 

[Dragonspectre]

Why is the thread title chapter 4 instead of 3

My mistake. Thank you for pointing that out.

 

[Dragonspectre]

When Baelium was given the honour of serving as the sworn shield of Prince Rhaegar he was ecstatic. He had snatched the honour by claiming victory in a melee in King's Landing. King Aegon himself had overseen the melee and gifted him with a new shield, sword and armour charging him to protect the seven namesdays old prince. It was the proudest moment of his life and he brought great honour to his house.

He was the third son of Jonathan Brune who ruled over house Brune. When his father's time would come to meet the Seven his brother Edwyne would inherit the lordship of their house. For a third son with less than ideal prospects being a sworn shield to the prince of Westeros was a step up in the social hierarchy.

His house heavily profited from his close position within the royal family. His brother married from House Celtigar inserting Valyrian blood into their house. With Lord Celtigar serving as King Aegon's hand it was almost equal to marrying into the royal family itself. Not to mention the future favours House Targaryen was going to bestow upon House Brune. It was no secret that King Aegon heavily favoured Crownland lords that fought by his side in the Conquest. It was a foregone conclusion this status was going to continue throughout his reign.

With his own close friendship with Prince Rhaegar, this was bound to continue. There were strong rumours that the Crown Prince Aenys was weak in body. Having lived in Aegonfort for the last several years Baelium knew this to be true. The fact that the crown prince survived this long was a miracle in itself. Prince Aenys would fall terribly ill whenever winter comes knocking on the door.

Already, many are looking to Prince Rhaegar to be the next king. Baelium knew that his young friend hardly liked this rumour. Prince Rhaegar dearly loved his twin and never tolerated any insult on his less fortunate brother. That was something he learned early on when he swore oaths to defend and guard the young prince.

Whatever the case maybe he knew that Prince Rhaegar would make a good king or even a great king. The Prince was of sound body and mind. Even from a young age, the prince was studious in his letters, numbers and of the arms. He and Ser Addison Hill of the Kingsguard had trained the prince to use swords, bows and knives. The prince was skilled in knocking down knights in the lists under strict supervision of course. Can't have a prince of the realm die or injure himself in the training yard after all.

But what made Baelium truly loyal to Prince Rhaegar was that the Prince treated everyone equally. He was a knight sworn under the light of the seven. He was charged to help the helpless and protect the innocent and yet even he would have turned a blind eye to the plight of the smallfolk. But the prince would care for even the poorest pauper in King's Landing. He had seen it first-hand day after day when the prince would give his stipend away to the smallfolk.

There was many a weaver in the Street of Silk that owed their looms to the generosity of the Prince. Masons, carpenters, fishermen, smiths and many other traders managed to start their business under the prince's generosity. The orphanage that the prince helped construct was one of the latest success stories. A few years back that orphanage was just a pile of stone but now it housed many homeless orphans and it also served a meal to the smallfolk once a week.

Baelium considered himself blessed to be a small part of his prince's endeavours. Surely his somewhat meagre contributions would treat him well when he would greet the Seven in heaven. At least he hoped it would otherwise his contribution of ten gold dragons a week to the orphanage would have been a waste.

While he dearly loved and respected Prince Rhaegar he was exasperated with the adventurous nature of his charge. The prince could never sit idle unless he had a good read in his hands. It was as if the prince derived some sort of pleasure in barging into other's lives and giving them a shock. Other than that Prince Rhaegar loved to do dangerous stunts like swimming across a river like he often did with the Blackwater rush. This sort of behaviour did land him in trouble especially with Queen Visenya who tried her best to restrain the prince quite unsuccessfully.

Right now this hunt for the Black Septon was the latest in a long series of misadventures Prince Rhaegar was jumping into. It was his job to ensure nothing happened to the prince in this ill-thought journey. After relieving himself of his bladder under the cover of a tree Baelium returned back to the group. He eyed the prince who was chatting away excitedly with a summer islander bard whom the prince took a shine for in his travel. Elisher Mho was a bard that joined their group when they rode out from Tumbleton. The prince was impressed by the bard's skill with the flute and had hired Elisher to teach the prince to play the flute.

"By the looks of it, our prince seems to be horrible at playing the flute. I am developing a headache by listening to our prince's repeated attempts to become a bard." said Ser Addison Hill of the Kingsguard as the man stepped beside him.

"Oh, I believe the prince will learn the instrument eventually. Although, I do agree he is pretty horrible at playing the flute as it is now." said Baelium with a grimace as he listened to the butchered tune the prince was now playing.

"You have such enormous trust in Prince Rhaegar don't you Ser Brune?" asked Addison Hill which made him look at the bastard knight critically.

"Anyone who knows the prince well enough will say what I said Ser." He said with a frown.

"Of course. The Prince is a very talented boy for his age. There is no question of the prince's abilities." said Ser Addison.

"So you just question mine?"

"Your abilities? No. Your intentions, however…" Ser Addison let that hang.

"I don't understand." He looked at the knight indignantly.

"You are a skilled knight Ser Brune and as the third son to lord Brune, you would inherit nothing. Now, you have become a sworn shield for the second son of our king but you hold no designs for the open slot in the Kingsguard. That makes me wonder what you intend by staying as you are." said Ser Addison

"So you are wary of me because I chose not to swear the oaths of a Kingsguard?" Baelium asked incredulously.

"When you ask like that it paints me in an unfavourable light. I am just curious why you follow Prince Rhaegar like a shadow." said Ser Addison.

"The Prince is a good company to have and he is a good friend." said Baelium

"Those are good reasons…." said Ser Addison and smiled at him before scurrying off to the group.

Baelium let out a sigh he was holding. While he strictly didn't lie to the Kingsguard knight there remained one more reason for his choice to stay by Prince Rhaegar's side. There was no doubt that King Aegon was grooming Prince Rhaegar to rule the vast kingdom of Westeros.

Prince Aenys may have born first but the heir to the Iron Throne was weak. Prince Aenys rarely had the strength to even fly upon his dragon most of the time. While he knew that Prince Rhaegar would never seek to overthrow his twin rumour is that the Silver Prince would be crowned as the heir by King Aegon. He knew that Rhaegar would object and laws of succession would be breached but if King Aegon was the one to declare the heir then Rhaegar would have to take the throne. From his time in the royal court, Queen Visenya had suggested the same to King Aegon. While the Queen was subtle in her attempts to her schemes it was glaringly obvious to him and many in the court.

"Ser Baelium. Come join us." Called out the prince and he rushed to obey.

Whatever happens, he had chosen the side of Prince Rhaegar. For one he could at least say that he served someone who was kind and passionate but tempered by duty and honour. A knight could not ask for a better lord.

After a few hours of riding, they managed to arrive at the outskirts of a fishing village that was burnt down.

"The last village to be visited by the Strangers my prince." said Ser Ethan.

Baelium glanced at the knight and he was not impressed. The knight was a portly man who favoured his stomach more than his title and what it entailed. He wondered just how the smith managed to make an armour that the portly knight of Tumbleton was wearing.

"Shall we take a closer look then?" the Prince asked before galloping towards the village on his horse. Baelium was quick to follow and he took to the Prince's right. Ser Addison was there on the prince's left. With the two of them flanking the prince he doubted any harm could befall the prince.

Baelium noticed that Prince Rhaegar scrunched his nose.

"The stench of death my prince. A common occurrence in the battlefield." Commented Ser Addison from the prince's side.

"Perhaps you ought to stay back my prince. We can search the village for any sign of these Strangers." said Baelium knowing that the Prince disliked any kind of foul smell. In King's Landing, he had seen the Prince personally insisting on digging wells for the smallfolk. Most of the major streets of the capital city had bathhouses constructed under the prince's insistence. Even the orphanage had something called steam baths something that the prince had a personal hand in building.

"I would see and experience what these bandits did with my own eyes and senses Ser. I will do so because when I meet them I will remember to show no mercy." said the Prince and there he saw the hint of King Aegon in the prince. The cold and unyielding stare of the prince was something that he saw only once and that was when the prince saw a rapist being brought before the court. The eyes of the prince looked like it was on purple flames.

They moved further inwards and then they took in the grisly sight. At the centre of the village was a spear with a body nailed in the spear. Blood had dried on the sand beneath the body but they could make out the black seven-pointed star pinned on the body.

"Heresy! They would dare desecrate the Seven. Honourless curs. May they rot in seven hells." said a knight in their company and Baelium agreed wholeheartedly. Looking around the spear bodies were arranged neatly in circles. The women lacked clothes and the wounds that he could see on their body let him know that they suffered before they were murdered. He could even make out several children with a similar state of undress. His hands closed into a fist and he shook with rage.

"There were no hoof prints in the ground." said the Prince making Baelium blink confusedly.

"My prince?" asked Ser Addison with a frown.

"When we rode in through the village entrance we did not see any hoof prints. The locals we talked to confirmed that the night of the attack it rained heavily. Yet we see no hoof tracks. These bandits did not use horses." said the Prince

"If the bandits were already in the village then that would explain the lack of prints isn't it, my prince?" asked Ser Addison

"If so then they must have left prints once they left the village won't it?" asked Baelium to which he saw the prince nodded.

"The boats. The bandits used boats." concluded Ser Addison

When they searched the shores the place was distinctively clean and it lacked boats.

"Now we know why they only attack fishing villages. They do not travel the lands by horses or on foot. They target the fishing villages because they travel through the Mander using boats." said Baelium

"Or they could have walked through the village entrance and then left via the boats after they did what they did." said the Prince which made him nod in agreement. That was also a distinct possibility.

"How will we catch them?" asked Ser Addison out loud.

"Have you not seen an obvious pattern in these attacks, Ser Addison? The Strangers seems to be attacking along the Mander towards the east." said the Prince before turning on Ser Ethan. "Are there any villages further east of this village?"

"Yes, my prince. A fishing village just a few miles away from our position." Answered the portly knight.

"Then we move to that village but we don't enter as we are but in companies of three and that too dressed as traders. We take only chainmail and our swords. Leave armour and our horses." Commanded the prince.

He looked to Ser Addison questioningly and at the nod of the kingsguard knight, he followed the order of the prince. While he was sworn to follow the commands of Prince Rhaegar he had to obey the orders of the King. The King charged Ser Addison to be on charge and he was not keen on breaking that order.

 

[konan]

will this story be the same of the alternatehistory.com one?

will you still update there also?