In the end Jon had listened to Davos and Sam who had joined their voices to his Lord Commander's and had ascended the throne. A beautiful chair with red velvet had been fetched and placed to the right side of the Iron Throne. Princess Daenerys stood before it, Ser Barristan next to her. She did not wear a crown. Once more Jon had given in. This time because Dany had been in full agreement with his advisers. She was not a Queen until their marriage had taken place in the Sept. For now all parties agreed that it was best to adhere to the established Court protocol as strictly as possible. It would make the unexpected change in power a bit easier to swallow for the people of Westeros if they could fall back on rules they were all familiar with and had lived by for centuries.
Ser Gerold, Ser Oswell and Ser Arthur guarded the stairs that lead to the throne where Jon had taken his place stately dressed up, a modest golden crown adorned with red rubies on his head. He smiled self-consciously at Dany when the doors opened and the Nobles present in the capital started pouring into the Throne room. He straightened his postured and put on what he hoped was something resembling a stately face.
Jon recognised several that had come to greet him on Dragonstone. Many others he had never seen before. He was glad that court protocol demanded that each one was announced to him with name title and where their seat was located before they were allowed to swear allegiance. He could guess some of the names of their houses if they wore a large enough sigil or carried a banner, but from his position high upon the throne some of the smaller sigils were difficult to discern.
The Lady Olenna Tyrell, her son and goddaughter, Lord Mace and Lady Alerie whom he knew to be a relative of Ser Gerold were easily recognisable. They had been able to secure a spot on the second row. Lady Olenna had looked at Jon with interest but had narrowed her eyes when she had studied the Princess next. Jon's aversion to her took on a new dimension. He now believed that the things Prince Oberyn had told him had not all been exaggerations as Jon had initially presumed. Perhaps he should ask the others to share their opinions of the Queen of Thorns with him in more detail.
Jon tried not to squirm when all eyes were fixed on him. Everyone was staring at the young Targaryen King as one would study a new species of animal that had been caught in the wilds. Nobody made even the slightest effort to disguise their curiosity. This audience was already significantly different than the one at his first public appearance on Dragonstone. The people here were not unconditionally predisposed to like him. He felt the critical gaze of many a noble eying him boldly, trying to find fault. Or more likely they were looking for a weakness so they could reap some benefit from this unexpected political shift. At least that was Jon's perception at that moment and it matched with what he had been taught about the political power games that were being played in the capital all the time.
Finally the large doors fell shut. Ser Gerold bumped the floor with a large staff. The low murmurs stopped and all eyes turned toward the Lord Commander only to shift slightly to his left where Davos started to unroll the copy of the important scroll. The newly proclaimed Lord of House Seaworth waited until absolute silence reigned over the hall before he started to speak.
"My name is Lord Davos of House Seaworth. I stand before you today to read to you the last royal decree Lord Robert of House Baratheon issued when he still had the authority of King of the Seven Kingdoms. Lord Baratheon is confined to his bed due to the injuries sustained while on a boar hunt more than a sennight ago now. It is on his express demand that his last royal decree is read out loud before the Court today. He also wished to convey his regret that he cannot attend this gathering himself. Had his health had allowed for it, he would have pledged his support to the new King before the entire court."
Some outburst could be heard but were quickly shushed by the majority of the audience who were curious to hear the rest of Lord Seaworth's speech.
Again Davos waited patiently until he had the full attention of all the nobles present. Then he proceeded to read the content of the scroll out loud.
He raised the volume of his voice even higher when he read the last paragraph.
"All hail King Aegon of House Targaryen, Sixth of his name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, The Prince of Dragonstone, Rider of Dragons and Friend of the Free Folk."
When he read the names of the signatories next his voice had regained a more normal level.
"Signed by Lord Robert of House Baratheon and the following witnesses: Prince Oberyn of House Martell, Lord Eddard of House Stark, Lord Yohn of House Royce, Lord Varys, Ser Gerold Hightower, and myself ."
He dropped the scroll and looked at his audience repeating at the top of his voice, "All hail King Aegon of House Targaryen."
The Targaryen supporters lead the chant: "All hail King Aegon of House Targaryen!"
A few looked around a bit hesitant but since they were clearly in the minority they all followed when several lords dropped to their knees and bowed their heads.
Jon rose from his seat Ser Gerold pounded the staff on the ground again to get everyone's attention. Their silence was rewarded by hearing the young King speak up for the first time.
"Please rise noble folk of Westeros. I am honoured that you have all come before me to swear fealty to House Targaryen and recognise me as your rightful King. Let me introduce you again to Lord Davos of House Seaworth, but now in the capacity of Hand of the King. I want everyone to know that Lord Seaworth speaks for me and everyone who swears his allegiance to me will be bound to obey him as well."
Jon gestured to Lord Davos to proceed and sat back down.
"My Lords, the King will be accepting your vows of allegiance after the following proclamations. But first we are happy to announce that not only has the rightful heir come forward and claimed his birthright, a Princess of House Targaryen has also returned to our shores. You stand in the presence of Princess Daenerys of House Targaryen trueborn daughter of King Aerys II and Queen Rhaella."
Princess Daenerys rose from her seat and nodded her head a ceremonial smile gracing her face.
Davos coughed loudly to let them know that his announcement was not finished yet. "I am also honoured to make known the betrothal of his Grace, King Aegon the Sixth of his Name with Princess Daenerys. A date for the wedding will be announced later."
Now loud exclamations could be heard throughout the room. Not all well wishes, some were expressions of surprise or thinly veiled expressions of dismay. Jon made a point to stare Lady Olenna down until she averted her eyes. He gathered she was trying to discern his motivations for this betrothal. It wouldn't matter if she did. It had been announced before the Court. There was no taking it back without causing a scandal.
"Next the King asked me to let it be known that the former Prince Renly of House Baratheon has received a full royal pardon. He will return to Storm's End as a Lord. House Baratheon no longer ruling the Seven Kingdoms will forthwith revert to being a noble house of Lords and Ladies. The head of House Baratheon retains his position of Lord Paramount of the Stormlands."
"Also His Grace, King Aegon wants to express his thanks in public to House Stark and its allies that have protected him and given him shelter for many years, endangering their own loved ones while doing so. House Stark and consequently the North supported and financed all the actions that led to this day. Therefore effective immediately the Northern most Kingdom will be recognised as a Principality. All male members of House Stark will forthwith carry the title of Princess of the North, all female members are now Princesses of the North."
Ser Gerold needed to intervene once more but this time it had little effect. Jon rose from his seat and held up his hand. When this didn't silence the crowd immediately he clapped his hands twice. Immediately all eyes fell on him and the desired effect was achieved.
Jon made a small gesture to Davos making it clear he would like speak first. "My Prince," Jon nodded in the direction of Prince Oberyn who stood prominently in the middle of the first row of the audience. Then his eyes drifted over the rest of the nobles. "My Lords, my ladies, let me take over from my Hand for a moment. He needed to make another announcement but I will gladly take that task upon myself."
He looked down at his Kingsguard. "I am proud to reintroduce to you the loyal Kingsguards of House Targaryen. Three of them not only survived the Rebellion but were instrumental in keeping their King safe until the opportunity was there to reclaim the Iron Throne for House Targaryen without bloodshed. You see before you Ser Gerold, Lord Commander of the Royal guard, Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell of the Kingsguard and Ser Barristan Commander of the Dragonguard."
"You have all come here today to witness House Targaryen claim its rightful place again and are given an opportunity to swear fealty to me as your new King. Those of you willing to do so before the Court in the presence of witnesses, will retain their titles and lands. Lord Seaworth to whom I owe my thanks for agreeing to be my Hand after years of serving me faithfully, will read out loud the names of those who have already gone before you."
Jon sat back down and Davos quickly opened the scroll that Ser Gerold handed him.
"The following nobles have already pledged their sword and loyalty to King Aegon of House Targaryen, Sixth of his name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, The Prince of Dragonstone, Rider of Dragons and Friend of the Free Folk:
The Warden of the North, Lord Eddard of House Stark, henceforth known as Prince Eddard of House Stark; the Regent of the Vale, Lord Yohn of House Royce. Prince Oberyn of House Martell has pledged his personal support and is confident the ruler of Dorne will soon follow his example. Next on the list is Lord Varys, the former Master of Whispers, who will take on the same position under the rule of King Aegon. Lord Wyman of House Manderly also deserves a special mention. He has been one of King Aegon's loyal advisers and has officially been named the Master of Ships. All the men I mentioned just now including myself have been offered a position on King Aegon's small council."
He coughed twice to avoid the murmurs from growing louder. The following persons have sworn their allegiance by letter and will come to the capital at their earliest convenience to confirm so in person: the Warden of the West, Lord Tyrion of House Lannister, Lord Hoster Tully, the Lord Paramount of the Trident. The ruler of the Iron Islands, Lady Yara of House Greyjoy. And last but not least Lord Howland of House Reed and House Celtigar of the Driftmark who deserve an honourable mention for having fostered our King at respectively Greywater Watch and the Driftmark.
Ser Gerold knocked the staff on the ground twice to put on end to the murmurs of the crowd who had started up again when Prince Oberyn's allegiance was mentioned only to multiply when they heard Lord Tyrion Lannister's name being called. Many had fallen silent when Lord Seaworth proclaimed Yara Greyjoy ruled the Iron Islands and recognised King Aegon as her sovereign. Jon took in all their reactions and wondered if they thought him young and naïve to trust King Robert's former Master of Whispers enough to grant him the same position on his small council.
Davos eager to finish the part he needed to play spoke up again. "Many bannermen of the Crownlands, several of Dorne, the Riverlands and the North have sworn their allegiance to Aegon Targaryen, the Prince of Dragonstone and will now renew their vows to King Aegon Targaryen, Sixth of his name. Each male present here today, representing a noble house of Westeros will get his turn to come before the King. Please do so in an orderly manner. Each one of you may approach upon receiving a signal from Ser Oswell."
Jon stood again and the long and repetitious swearing of the oaths took place. Jon felt a bit uneasy looking down on everyone but kept his voice firm each time he accepted a vow and spoke the words that were expected from him. The only highlight was the fact that Lady Olenna needed to let her son represent House Tyrell and witness him struggle awkwardly through the ceremonial words. She had to keep her distance and could only follow her son out of the room when he had finished. Prince Oberyn winked and the young King relaxed his shoulders. That small gesture allowed him to continue with the tedious ceremony his heart a bit lighter.
House Tyrell had been the only house ruling a Kingdom that had not been included in the list of nobles who had already made known that they acknowledged King Aegon's reign. He was sure the Queen of Thorns had felt the slight most keenly. Soon she would become even more aware of the fact that she had not done her house a service by her blatant ambitious behaviour and that she owed it to her grandsons and to them alone that house Tyrell was still a ruling house.
***
"We should have announced that you will not accept any private audiences your first sennight." Ser Davos sighed. "More than half of the houses have asked to be granted a private interview." They had all retreated to the room where the former Kings held their small council meetings.
"We'll announce it in court tomorrow when we receive the next group of nobles to swear allegiance." Jon suggested. "Unless there are requests on your list that I can't in good faith turn down?"
"You might consider receiving the elderly Lord Celtigar." Sam looked up from the scrolls that were lying before him. "He asked for permission to return to Claws Isle as soon as possible. He brought the axe you requested."
"Can we make time for him tomorrow or will that set a precedent and make us unable to turn down the other requests?" Jon looked at Davos and Varys for advice.
"Don't second guess yourself, Jon. You are the King. If you have a reason to grant Lord Celtigar an audience for personal reasons, then by all means go ahead. They are a minor house anyway and nobody will suspect anything remiss by granting them an audience. Most likely they will ascribe it to their kinship with your foster-grandparents."
"That is not common knowledge." Jon's protest sounded weak to his own ears.
"It is now that it was proclaimed before the entire court. Your Grace, even if we had omitted that part, everything about you will be common knowledge in a matter of days." Varys cautioned the young King.
"Everything?" Jon looked uneasy when he addressed his Master of Whispers.
"Everything except your most private dealings. You are smart enough to know what I meant. It is no longer a secret that you lived at the Driftmark for several years. The island will prosper. The number of visitors will only increase further."
"So to get back to the matter at hand," Jon now addressed everyone present. "You all agree that I can safely allow the Celtigars an audience with Princess Daenerys, Lord Seaworth and myself on the morrow and still refuse to see any others until at least a sennight will have passed. Can I see the list of the houses that asked for a private audience?" He looked at Dany who smiled and signaled that she would be present.
Sam handed him a long list.
"Why is there an asterisk before House Tyrell?" Jon asked Davos seeing that that line was written by him.
"Because they were most insistent. Lord Mace tried to temper his mother's speech several times to no avail." Davos answered and turned to Daenerys. "I hope you weren't offended when I stated that the male representatives come forward, Princess."
"Not at all, Lord Davos." Princess Daenerys was quick to respond. "Aegon explained it to me shortly before the meeting started. Since there were no houses present today that were represented by a Lady, you made use of the word 'male' to further irritate Lady Olenna of House Tyrell. A bit petty perhaps, but I understand your frustration with her."
"How do we answer House Tyrell's demand for an audience?" Jon asked no one in particular.
"As far as I am concerned, you need not give in to any of the petitioners, Aegon." Prince Oberyn offered his opinion. "Let the Tyrells just as all the other Lords bring their matters before the Court. That is safer. It will make them think twice on how they formulate their demands. You would do well not to take on Lady Olenna in private, certainly not now. Let her cool down a bit first." The Dornish Prince was serious this time and eyed the young King with a concerned expression on his face.
Jon returned his gaze and nodded thoughtfully. "I appreciate your advice, Oberyn. And please be assured, if ever I grant her house a private audience, I will have at least two or more of my advisers present in the room. Private means only that they can speak to me and my entourage without the other Houses hearing what they have to say."
"I offer my time and presence gladly if ever you grant House Tyrell an audience in some distant future." Oberyn's eyes had regained some of their mischief.
"Only if I intend to refuse what they are offering. Somehow I think you would not be an asset in case I needed to obtain something from them."
Oberyn covered his heart with both hands and pretended to stagger backwards. "Now you hurt my sensibilities, my most esteemed Sovereign. I would be of tremendous help to you. I would make sure they helped you without asking for disproportionate favours in return, my young King. When have I ever not been an asset to you?" He pouted in an exaggerated manner.
"It is better the two of us discuss that in private later. Perhaps you can spare me a few moments after this meeting is finished?" Jon's tone was serious when he addressed the Dornish Prince.
"I am your servant, Aegon." Oberyn bowed but Jon could almost hear the Prince thinking out loud. For once Oberyn didn't know what to expect from a conversation.
"Now back to the matter at hand. No private audiences for the foreseeable future with the exception of House Celtigar. Davos, prepare a statement to announce that. You can add that when the major part of the oath-takings are behind us, say in two days, we will hold Court at regular times. I propose every other day for a start. They can bring their requests to me during those sessions."
"And I'll deliver a written answer to every house on this list." Sam sighed.
"Can't you get some assistants to help you with the copying of messages, Sam?" Jon asked.
"Perhaps I can organise that." Lord Varys offered. "I have several 'retired' little birds that seek employment and have learned to write. They have served me faithfully for several years and are loyal to a fault."
"Make it happen, Lord Varys. Thank you, that is very helpful." Jon nodded his approval. "They can help with the less confidential matters."
He looked around. "I think that is enough for today. Let us hold a small council meeting tomorrow morning. Afterwards, I'll pay Robert Baratheon a short visit, in the afternoon more vows of allegiance in the throne room and then I suggest we hold a formal dinner to which we invite a first delegation of nobles who swore allegiance. Tonight I want a private dinner, just me, Dany, Davos, Uncle Ned and Sam. Any talk of politics will be strictly forbidden. Afterward I am going to try and connect with Rhaegal and Viserion and bring them to the Dragon Pit. Has that been prepared?"
"All will be ready by tomorrow afternoon, your Grace." Yohn Royce spoke up. "To be honest, I must tell you I am having trouble finding another location that is suitable for the melee. That site was perfect."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Jon turned to Davos. "Are there caves along the beaches of King's Landing that are big enough to shelter my dragons? If I am being honest, I did not like the suggestion of the Dragon Pit as a home for the dragons all that much in the first place."
"There might be, most likely along the beaches bordering the Kingswood." Lord Varys looked at the three knights who all looked a little out of depth.
Jon didn't hide his enthusiasm. "That sounds like a far better location for Rhaegal and Viserion. A large open space, beaches and I believe the woods are rather vast. Lord Royce, can you send some men to investigate the area tomorrow, please? If they find a suitable location, the melee can still take place in the Dragon Pit."
"I'll send riders out at first light. I'll confer with Lord uh Prince Stark." Lord Royce promised.
His uncle nodded his head. Jon had noticed that the new Prince of the North had been more taciturn than usual. The man seemed preoccupied. He made a mental not to find time to speak with his uncle in private. He smiled at Lord Royce.
"Excellent, then we can delay the rest of the topics and discuss them at our first official small council meeting tomorrow morning. Since my injury does not permit me to attend a training session yet, we can start right after I reviewed the new messages and we have all broken our fast. Do not mention anything to Maester Pycelle should he accost you. His position will be an item to be addressed at the meeting … that we will hold without him."
One by one the men left the room until only Prince Oberyn and Jon remained. Jon intercepted Ned Stark in the doorway and asked him whether he was willing to join him in his quarters later. When his uncle nodded his assent, Jon promised that a servant would fetch him as soon as it was convenient. His uncle bowed slightly and closed the door behind him. Jon immediately turned to face Prince Oberyn.
"How can I be of service, Aegon?" Prince Oberyn had installed himself in a cosy chair and had stretched his legs out in front of him. A full cup of wine stood on a small table within easy reach. "What a dull afternoon. I liked the excitement of the morning better." The Dornish Prince commented when Jon stayed silent. "I never heard so many nobles stammer on one single occasion."
Jon ignored that statement and spoke up. "Oberyn, I mentioned before how grateful I am for all the services you have rendered me over the last few years, even if some of them were rather unconventional ones."
"I sense a but coming." Prince Oberyn lost all pretense of nonchalance.
Jon tried to find the right tone. "Not as much a but, as the fact that I want to be informed of all the schemes you still have in progress to advance my cause. I might have been able to soothe my conscience and tell myself I could not know everything that my allies were doing on my behalf before. But now that I am King, I can be held responsible for the actions of my subjects. According to public opinion all those who have sworn their allegiance to me act on my orders. If some questionable action of yours come to light, there are only two possibilities, either I ordered them and am guilty or I didn't and have to concede that I do not have my entourage in hand."
"Sometimes it is better not to know all, Aegon. It is still plausible that your subjects acted without your knowledge or approval, you know. It is not a shame if you have to confess that you did not know what I was doing. My reputation precedes me. People would believe you and sympathize with you."
"Perhaps, but then they would also expect me to punish you. Will you tell me what you have been putting in motion lately? Let's start with Willas Tyrell, shall we?" Jon saw Prince Oberyn's eyes narrow.
"Varys told you?"
Jon neither affirmed nor denied. "Lord Stark received a raven from Riverrun. They said Lord Willas Tyrell needed to change his itinerary and from there, it was easy to find traces of your hand in matters."
"Varys did tell you." Prince Oberyn nodded thoughtfully. "Clever man, he would have known that it was time to ask for your cooperation for the second phase of that plan anyway."
When Prince Oberyn stopped talking, Jon couldn't help but gaze at the Prince in wonder. He knew they had talked about his plans to betroth Myrcella to Lord Willas of House Tyrell on Dragonstone but how in the hells had the Prince been able to set a plan in motion with such speed. Jon was not sure what to think of that. Meanwhile Oberyn drank from his cup as if he had not a care in the realm. Jon took a deep breath and attempted to exude some authority.
"I concede that your interference in this instance worked out for the best and made us gain substantial time. However now I feel compelled to apologize to Lord Willas of House Tyrell for the unorthodox manner in which he was persuaded to change is destination. In future, I would like to be informed before you put such schemes in motion. That way I might still have a chance to moderate them a bit if I deem it necessary."
"Perhaps," Oberyn mimicked Jon's earlier noncommittal way of answering him. His eyes danced with mirth which encouraged Jon to proceed.
"How were you capable of intercepting him at Seagard that fast?" Jon asked. "You could only have come up with the scheme after our small council meeting on Dragonstone."
"During is more accurate." A cocky smile adorned the Dornish Prince's face for a moment. "Intercepting him was simple really. I sent a raven to one of our messengers. You are of course aware that we always have messengers standing by in all corners of your Kingdoms. That was one of your first contributions to our conspiracy if I am correct?"
Jon nodded and gestured for Oberyn to continue. The Prince was only too happy to oblige.
"The only thing I needed to do was to send a raven to our messenger at Seagard with instructions to intercept Lord Tyrell and tell him to change his destination. Now we will have to dispatch the royal decrees you have issued to Lannisport before his meeting with Lord Tyrion of House Lannister."
"And an accompanying letter from my hand personally which expresses my gratefulness for his cooperation and an apology for…"
Oberyn interrupted by waving his hand in a dismissing gesture. "Yes, you told me that part already. Personally, I do not think Willas Tyrell will need an apology but by all means, do what you feel you must, your Eminence." Again the title was uttered mockingly.
"Any other schemes I should know about?" Jon kept his tone light as well. He gathered that was the best way to deal with the Dornish Prince.
The smug expression reappeared on Prince Oberyn's face. "Remember how Lord Reed and our spies suddenly were more successful in gathering information about the goings on in the Stormlands?"
"The red Priestess miscarried, did she not?" Jon looked appalled at the thought that crossed his mind.
"Of course she did." Prince Oberyn was quick to reassure the young man. "I did not murder an innocent babe in the womb of its mother, Aegon. I give you my word of honour. And if you think it through, you know that I speak true. The sequence of events in itself is proof enough. We did not have access to the Stormlands until after her powers diminished. I could only send my men in when she was already weakened. I did take advantage of her situation though and managed to see to it that her recovery has been hampered somewhat. Nothing too harmful, just something that keeps her from recovering fully for the time being. Varys' birds have provided us with useful information ever since. He will tell you all about it during our small council meeting on the morrow."
"Thank you, Oberyn. I apologize for my reaction earlier. It is just, the way that you introduced the topic was somewhat ambiguous. You take delight in shocking me."
"It is one of my guilty pleasures." The Prince admitted readily and took another sip of his wine.
"Still your interference over there has been very helpful. It seems I will learn the full extent of how useful on the morrow. I can hardly wait. Anything else you need to tell me?"
"Aside from a few minor things like harassing Lord Walder of House Frey and the rumours that I am in the process of spreading throughout the Reach and Dorne, it might be worth mentioning that I have tricked my brother into abdicating. But don't worry, as far as I know, he doesn't realise it yet." Oberyn looked like a cat that had just swallowed a very tasty bird.
Jon sat upright. "Do I need to drink a glass of wine first or will I be able to withstand the shock."
"Allow me, Aegon." Oberyn left his chair and found a spare cup on a shelf. He quickly filled it and handed it to the younger man. Then he took his own chalice in his hand and raised it. "Let's toast to obtaining the alliance of Dorne!"
"We did?" Jon's eyes widened in surprise.
"I'll tell you all about it as soon as you reciprocate the toast." Oberyn knew he had him hooked.
Jon raised his glass. "To the Principality of Dorne and the renewal of its pledge of fealty to House Targaryen and the Iron Throne." He took a small sip of wine. "Now tell me?" He asked not concealing his eagerness.
"Only if you drain your cup. The shock you know. I wouldn't want to incur the wrath of Ser Gerold or anyone else of your loyal entourage by endangering the health of their precious King." Prince Oberyn chuckled softly and emptied his own cup as encouragement.
Jon drank deeply. "This is good wine. It is the stronger Dornish wine, is it not?" When Prince Oberyn nodded gleefully, Jon added. "Then I must take care not to drink too much of it at once. Last time I woke up with a terrible headache after almost compromising Dany's virtue on the beach." He stopped and covered his mouth with his left hand aghast at what he had just revealed.
Prince Oberyn's eyes danced with mirth. "I didn't know the wine would have such an immediate effect. Do not blush so readily, Aegon. I am sure it could not have been that bad. If you refer to that night we sat around the bonfire, you walked her home with two faithful shadows chaperoning you. I'm fairly sure that anything that might have happened would have remained very innocent by necessity. Wait until you have been married a fortnight, then I will feed you some more of this wine and we will revisit the subject."
He filled the cup that the younger man had abandoned on the small table. "Here, I only allotted you half a portion this time. No need to accuse me of getting you drunk."
"I think we wandered of topic." Jon's blush had only deepened with Oberyn's further teasing. "I want to finish our conversation in time for dinner."
"All right, I'll try to keep the boasting to a minimum and just tell you what a unique, remarkable, praiseworthy accomplishment I can lay at your revered feet, your Grace." The Prince's grin put a smile on Jon's face as well.
"I'll ask Sam to explain the exact meaning of the words 'to boast' and 'minimum' to you. You might need some help in that department." Jon kept up the banter.
"And you in turn need lessons in keeping on topic and not interrupting significant discussions with very important individuals whose time and services are extremely valuable." Prince Oberyn shot back.
Jon held up both hands in mock surrender. "All right, I give in. I might win in the training yard if ever you are willing to take me up on my repeated offers, but I readily concede that I am no match for you when we spar with words … yet."
"How about a training session tomorrow morning, your Grace?" Oberyn's eyes twinkled and his gaze dropped to Jon's right thigh. "You would bite the dust before you could get two strikes in."
"What can I do to persuade you to obey your King and esteemed Sovereign and spill the beans already?" Jon pretended to exert his royal authority using something resembling an admonishing tone. The amused chuckle he couldn't hold in negated the effect though.
"Threaten me with fire and blood?" For once Oberyn's joke fell flat. "No, ignore that. Here is a faithful account of how we tricked my older brother into abdicating."
Oberyn told him in a few words how Prince Doran's gout had progressed at an alarming rate, a fact they had used to persuade him to sign a decree by which he formally declared his daughter Arianne as his heir. To further convince him to put the obvious in writing, they had referred to the rumours that were the topic of conversation throughout Dorne and had even been heard as far as the Reach. According to those rumours, Prince Quentyn had been spreading lies about how his father wanted him to succeed him as ruler of Dorne but that his sister had burned the royal decree.
Prince Doran effectively handing Arianne an official decree would prevent a civil war after his death. Prince Doran had been swayed and Prince Oberyn had drafted the document personally. His daughter Nymeria had delivered it to Dorne. The Prince boasted he had used invisible ink to conceal some key words that could be rendered visible when treated with a certain substance. Prince Doran had signed his abdication thinking it would take effect only after his death. A few hidden words added to a strategically placed sentence however made all the difference.
"And Princess Arianne is on board with all that?" Jon had retrieved his cup again and was carefully twirling it, admiring the ripples the deep red wine made.
"She is. I might have hinted at a possible betrothal of one of your future children with hers, but nothing in writing. You have full deniability."
"Mmmh. And how will Prince Doran react if, I mean when he finds out?" Jon suddenly lifted his head and looked at the Prince. "Oberyn, when will he find out?"
"That will depend on how he reacts to the raven proclaiming you as King of the Seven Kingdoms, Aegon. Don't worry. I have planned for every eventuality. I still hope for the best possible outcome, namely that he will send my niece, Princess Arianne to King's Landing to pledge you Dorne's allegiance and support in his name."
"Where on earth does one learn of the existence of invisible ink?" Oberyn's versatility never ceased to amaze Jon.
"I picked only the more interesting topics to study at the Citadel."
If ever they painted a picture of Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne, it would have to be one with that smug smile. It would not be a faithful rendition otherwise, Jon thought. Soon after, he ended the conversation. He still had several things to take care of today.
***
Jon was a little tipsy and mentally tired from his word games with Prince Oberyn when he retired to his chambers to dress for dinner. He had asked Ser Arthur to check if Prince Eddard had a few moments to spare for him now. He knew his uncle would join him for dinner but he wanted it to be a joyful occasion with as little talk of politics as possible.
"Your Grace?" His uncle announced his arrival at his doorstep.
"Close the door, Uncle. Then we are in private and you can address me as an equal, as your grown up nephew."
His uncle nodded and as soon as the door was firmly closed, he accepted the seat Jon offered him. "What is troubling you, Jon? I thought we would meet at supper."
"I hope to enjoy a relaxing supper in your company, Uncle. Supper should be a short reprieve from politics. That is precisely why I asked you to come here so we have a chance to clear the air beforehand. I am bouncing the question back to you. What is bothering me is that I do not know what is bothering you. I noticed you were somewhat out of sorts after the public audience. It cannot be because of the fact that you are now a Prince. You knew of my plans to make the North a principality for some time now."
His uncle nodded stiffly. "It is not that. It is the fact that you announced in front of the entire Court that you offered me a position on your small council."
"Which you can easily hand over to your younger brother. It would be beneficial for the North to have a representative on the small council, Uncle. And I can't bypass you and offer the position directly to Uncle Benjen. You have first choice. But it remains a free choice. I haven't forgotten our conversation in Robert Baratheon's bedchamber. Do you still intend to return to the North after my coronation and wedding? I must admit that I had hoped that you might stay a bit longer and help us with the transition of power. Davos would greatly benefit from your experience. It will help him to hear about the duties you performed as Hand of King Robert."
"I only acted as Hand for a few moons, Jon." Lord Stark replied in non-committal fashion.
"But you did it well. I will always welcome your advice and support, Uncle. Whatever you decide though, I will not stand in your way. Have you consulted with your Lady Wife?"
Ned sighed. "I don't need to. I know her wishes all too well. She would thrive here in the South. I kind of promised her that she would be allowed to follow me here once your reign was established and it was safe enough for her to venture south. I also might have mentioned that she would be regarded as the second most important women in the realm."
Jon nodded. "I had wondered why she did agree to stay behind without making much of a fuss."
"She was not happy about it. Neither did she spare me her reproofs when I gave my permission to foster Bran at Greywater Watch. But that was nothing compared to the things she wrote to me when Prince Oberyn's thoughtless message arrived containing hints of a possible fostering of Arya in Dorne. Only the distance between Winterfell and the Red Keep kept me from bodily harm then, I am sure." Lord Stark tried to make light of the situation but Jon could see he was not happy about it either.
"Your word trumps Prince Oberyn's in this matter, Uncle. Beside, Aunt Catelyn must have exaggerated. It was just an empty threat. Something to make her accept the swordfighter we hired as a teacher for Arya."
"The Prince is not always as tactful as he should be. My wife needs a certain uh approach. He had better let me handle that business."
Jon nodded. "I'll talk to Prince Oberyn to make sure that he will treat your wife with all the respect she is due when they meet in person. Isn't it better for everyone if you allowed your wife and children to come to the capital, Uncle? That way you would also get to stay here a few more moons." Jon's tone had softened. He would do all he could help his uncle who had left his family and had come to King's Landing moons ago solely for Jon's sake. He saw his uncle waver and attempted to make his proposal even more enticing.
"I will send her a personal invitation and will flatter her. She will be able to boast to all and sundry that she is the only Lady that received a personal invitation from her nephew, the King, who is eagerly awaiting her presence. She is welcome to stay on in the capital after you leave. I mean if you are keen to return to Winterfell before she is ready to head back. But that is for you to decide. I won't interfere in your marital affairs." Even though he could have found a better way of wording this, he hoped his uncle would understand that he only had his best interest at heart.
"I'll think on it, Jon. The only thing I am sure of for now is that Benjen will only be too happy to assume the position on your small council. But I am sure you intended that outcome all along. Otherwise you would have told me that Lord Manderly's position on the small council ensured us that the interests of the North are being looked after." Ned couldn't help the bitterness of his tone from becoming detectable. He would always remain a little jealous of his younger brother's bond with their only nephew.
Jon withheld a sigh and kept a calm demeanor. "I can only repeat that you have first choice, Uncle. Had you agreed to become my Hand next to Davos or accepted a position on the small council, I would have easily found another useful occupation for Uncle Benjen. I won't deny that I am ecstatic to learn that he will be here in time to be present at my wedding and coronation ceremony. But to answer your veiled reprimand, I distinctly remember that you once told me that Lord Manderly has many qualities and is a fountain of wisdom when we're talking about trade and ships. When it pertains to matters of the North however, he is not a real Northerner and White Harbour's way of life is very different to the harsh living conditions elsewhere in the North."
His uncle stayed silent and Jon saw him relent as he relaxed in his chair. "I'm sorry, Jon. I didn't mean to sound petty. I need to recover from all the stress of the past several moons. I apologise."
"I understand, Uncle. And to add insult to injury, you are about to bury one of your youth friends. As I said before and more than once, I asked you to perform a very difficult task and you did it for me without hesitating. I will be forever indebted to you." Jon looked very solemn when he spoke his next words in a soft but sincere manner. "Uncle, surely you must know that I looked up to you from a very young age. I worshipped you long before I knew you were my uncle. Never doubt that I greatly esteem and love you."
His uncle was clearly mollified and touched by Jon's words. He swallowed thickly before answering. "That goes both ways, Jon. You have repaid me in full already. The North will prosper because of your decree. I am glad you left out the part about the tax exoneration during the public announcement."
"They will learn that eventually. I thought it preferable not to draw attention to it now."
Both men contemplated each other. "The North is family, Uncle." Jon added quietly. "You are pack. Don't forget that. Pride has no place between us. If ever you need something from me, just ask. If ever you disagree with something, just speak up."
"Same here, Nephew." Eddard Stark rose from his chair and Jon followed suit. His uncle gave Jon a quick hug. "Now make yourself ready. I am hungry." Ned turned to the door.
"Oh, Uncle, before you leave, Dany wanted me to inform you that Lady Ashara of House Dayne will join us for dinner. Dany invited her as a favour to Ser Arthur but also to have another female present. Lady Dayne has expressed the wish to renew your acquaintance."
Jon sighed when his uncle left the room. There had been no opportunity to talk about Robb. His uncle had been in a strange mood and there had not been enough time anyway. He would need to find another opportunity to speak with him in private. He also had refrained from asking him about Lady Ashara's history with the Stark family.
It had not gone unnoticed to Jon that his uncle had startled and grown pale when he had mentioned that she would be present at dinner. Perhaps he was right when he had first guessed that the Lady had never married because she had been in love with his deceased Uncle Brandon. With all that had occurred over the last two days he had forgotten to ask Ser Arthur about that. He would keep his eyes and ears open during dinner. Perhaps he would learn something more. He would ask Dany's opinion when they talked some more after dinner. They had promised to meet each other again before retiring for the night and he already looked forward to it.
Interlude 35: A storm is brewing
Stannis entered the chamber where the Red Priestess could be found at this time of day. It was a room high up in the South tower that had a solar. He had come to notice that she enjoyed the sun on her skin for long periods of time. When he had asked her about that once, she had proclaimed that it was the Lord of Light's way of gifting his energy to her. He enjoyed seeing her lying there naked and always made sure to visit her when the sun was not hidden by the clouds if at all possible.
Melisandre did not startle. He knew she had come to expect his visits, perhaps even craved them. The Red Priestess had no qualms about her nudity. Essosi were different. He would never condone such conduct from his highborn wife. He frowned when he thought of Selyse. She hadn't spoken to him ever since he had refused to allow her to join her daughter in King's Landing. He was certain she had been the one to set Shireen on her way. He had no proof of it and that was a good thing. He was glad none of the men had come forward to betray her. It would have put him in an awkward position.
Selyse had actually done him a favour. The temptation had been great to use his daughter's royal blood to obtain another favour from the Lord of Light. Shireen was the only one left with royal blood except for himself. Melisandre had pointed out that his wife was only a Queen by marriage when he had reluctantly suggested it might be easier to part from her than from his daughter.
At first he had not believed the Red Priestess when she had told him that she could get better visions when she offered royal blood to R'hllor. However, he had not been able to ignore the results that the burning of Edric Storm had yielded. That night Melisandre had given him various visions of the future. And almost all had come to pass. She had not lied to him. He was the chosen one. R'hllor favoured him above all others.
Spies of Lord Varys had been found. Traitors had been detected and punished. As foretold by her visions, powerful men were offering their alliance and his brother had died an untimely death. Ever since his brother's demise had been confirmed, he had proclaimed himself King. He ignored the new decree his brother had issued supposedly free of will. Only a fool would fall for that. Soon the bastard Dragonrider who falsely claimed to be the rightful heir would feel his wrath. He was the true heir. The Lord of Light supported his claim.
He needed the might of the Seven Kingdoms to stop the Darkness. That had been Melisandre's last vision before she had miscarried: the death of her brother and the shift in the prophecy. It was no longer a Prince That Was Promised but a King. A King was necessary to defeat the King of Darkness. One half of the prophecy had already been fulfilled. Now he needed to act, help the Gods to fulfil the other requirement. He needed to gain control of the Seven Kingdoms. He needed to chase away, annihilate, burn, yes burn the false claimant and offer him up to the Lord of Light.
"Your Grace?" Melisandre had been watching the emotions shift on Stannis Baratheon's face and had sensed his growing anger.
"Melisandre." He greeted her and let his eyes rove over her body. She had chastely crossed her legs so he had to be content with admiring her voluptuous breasts and broad hips. "I have come to enquire after your health. Has the Lord of Light been able to reach you yet?"
"Not yet, my King. I can't explain why I am still so weak. The tonic the healer gave me did wonders at first but lately I am starting to despair. I can drink as much as I want but I do not feel one bit better."
Stannis' frown had deepened when he heard these words. His anger already simmering got the better of him when he spotted the pitchers of the liquid. In two swift steps he was close the small table, swept them up and threw them out of the window. Even though Melisandre could not hear them, she could vividly picture the pitchers crashing against the stones and rocks, dropping ever further down until they sank beneath the violent waves of Shipbreaker Bay.
"And here I thought you were smart, woman. Most likely someone switched your tonics. You told me yourself not to trust anyone. I will send you a portion of the food prepared for me by my trusted manservant. Nobody will dare poison my food. I'll visit you again in two days. You better have news for me then."
He turned abruptly, leaving a speechless Melisandre behind.
***
This time a heavy storm was raging outside when the King showed up for his promised visit. Melisandre could hear the rain and wind hitting the walls of the castle. It was not only the lack of heavenly warmth that occupied her mind. Most likely the next morning would bring the report of yet another fishing boat having gone down with all hands. Melisandre was fully dressed when the King opened the door of her chamber. She could sense his disappointment when he took in her heavy robes. She quickly assumed a sitting position taking care to cover her legs with the folds of her dress.
"My Lady," he greeted her stiffly. "I was told you were doing better."
"I am, thank you, my King. Soon I will be able to go outside and wander about in the gardens. I am itching to make a large bonfire on the beach."
"Has the Lord of Light spoken to you yet?" Stannis Baratheon never lost time with inanities.
"Not clearly but I have been sensing things. Good, bad, my intuition is returning. I am bored as hell though, your Grace. Can you tell me the news of King's Landing?"
"That dragon bastard apparently has Stark blood and the support of every Kingdom north of here. They even claim he has allied himself with Yara Greyjoy who has stolen the Iron Islands from Euron Greyjoy."
"Euron Greyjoy," she repeated the name and a shiver ran over her. "Beware your Grace. I have a bad feeling about him. I will try to ask the Lord of Light for His guidance."
"I don't care about a feeling. I need something more substantial to turn the man down. He has made me a most astounding proposition."
"He is a non-believer, a savage. What can he have to offer your Grace?" Melisandre had been taken aback by his gruff tone.
"A means to subdue a dragon. We will need that if we want to take the throne away from the boy King." Stannis was quick to explain his tone clearly indicating that his mind was mostly made up already.
"I thought you were calling your banners and had tentative offers of alliance from a few Lords of Dorne, the Reach and had even the prospect of support from part of the Riverlands? Do you really need the alliance of an Ironborn?" Apparently she had missed several developments since her confinement. Before, she used to sit in on all his meeting. Now she had to work hard to extract the tiniest piece of information from him. It was high time that she left the confines of this chamber.
"Tentative offers are all I have. I am sure they would be more eager to decide in our favour if there were no dragons to contend with. Nobody wants to face two full grown dragons on a battlefield."
"And you believe this Euron Greyjoy has a means of defeating them? How can that be?" She adjusted the furs behind her head. She had enough of a disadvantage already and did not want to suffer from a stiff neck for days because he loomed over her and she needed to strain her neck to look into his eyes.
"Not to defeat them, something much better. He claims he has this magical object that can control dragons. He will be able to compel them to do his bidding. It won't matter that the boy-usurper has the support of many kingdoms. If the dragons fight on our side, the rest of the Kingdoms will rally to us like bees to honey."
Melisandre studies the man before her for some time. "And now you want me to tell you if Euron Greyjoy speaks the truth. And if so, you are also asking for the blessing of the Lord of Light to involve yourself with dark magic. Do I have that right?" Her voice sounded sharper than she intended.
"It would make me sleep better at night, yes." He was quick to admit.
She knew only too well how he loathed magic and had only started using her services because she had seduced him into it and had luckily provided him with a few small but convincing results almost instantly. "Then come back tomorrow, my King. I will keep vigil before the flames of the fireplace the entire night. I hope R'hllor will have spoken to me before the dawn chases away the darkness tomorrow morning."
***
That night Melisandre's efforts were rewarded. The Lord of Light showed her a translucently clear vision in the flames. No longer biased by the lust her body had felt for Stannis, she studied the figure in the flames more closely. In a frozen place very far from here it was a much younger man that was battling the Darkness with a magic sword. She had been confused by the flames though. All her visions were surrounded by flames but this time it almost seemed as if the fire was an integral part of the vision. Words formed in her head. 'The true hero's song is one of Ice and Fire. A King to defeat a King'.
Ever since her conversations with Thoros of Myr, feelings of doubt had slowly been creeping up on her until they had consumed her every thought. At first she had cursed the man and blamed him for her miscarriage, for letting her waver in her conviction and faith. Now she knew better. She had wrongly interpreted what had been revealed to her in the flames. Somehow her fascination with Stannis Baratheon had blinded her to the real meaning of what R'hllor had been trying to warn her about. Thoros of Myr had been right. Stannis was a False Prince. She was serving the wrong King. She needed to find a way to leave the Stormlands. She needed to head north. The true hero would travel north when the time was right and she would have to be there to guide him. The True King, born of Ice and Fire would need her assistance. Or more precisely, she would bring him the help of the Lord of Light.