6th Month of 300 A.C. King's Landing
King Aegon VI Targaryen
Winter had come in full force, the ground outside was filled with snow, the winds were cold, and the nights were longer and the days shorter. It made things very interesting, Aegon had been but a boy when the last winter had come to Westeros, the winter Arya had been born, a thought that left him slightly sad, but still, it was something he was intrigued by. Unlike in Winterfell where the snows would howl into being, in King's Landing they merely fell daintily, as if aware of where they were, and how they should act. It was an amusing thought, and one he had shared with Sansa countless times. He had to admit watching Daenerys face as the snow had fallen that first day had been something special. Things were well between his wives, but there was a part of him that was still suspicious of Daenerys, not fully trusting her, nor really wanting to let her in. It was a fault he knew, but it was something he could not truly help, it was part of who he was now, shaped by war, and by the lies and deceit that that had taught him. He hoped that one day that would change, but until then, he kept trying.
The Dornish were an interesting issue, Prince Oberyn was very likeable, but Prince Quentyn seemed to be the stickler, demanding things he had not right to demand, on more than one occasion, Aegon had had to fight the urge to have him dragged off to the Dragonpit to be fed to one of the dragons. And right now, the boy was not helping his cause. "Your Grace, I do think that you are making a mistake here. Dorne can provide more, if we feel as though we are being valued enough to make such a contribution. Furthermore, we remained neutral throughout the war, and therefore do not deserve such a harsh sentence."
Aegon looks at the man, Ghost at his feet, simply relieved that they are not in court, but instead in his solar. "Prince Quentyn, as I have explained to you many times, it is the very fact that you remained neutral throughout the war that you should be grateful that the deal we have struck is not harsher."
"Where is the fairness in that?" the prince asks. "We did not side with Renly Baratheon and his puppet nor did we side with the Lannisters. We remained neutral and did what we could to make sure our people were safe."
Aegon can feel his anger growing, somewhere far away he is distantly aware of Deinor beginning to growl. "You remained neutral and did not fight for me. For a family and a kingdom that has professed wanting revenge for the murders of Princess Elia and her daughter, you remained neutral, and did nothing."
He is grateful in that moment that Prince Oberyn is not there, knowing as he does that the man likely would have tried to kill him. The Prince before him, is not the man his uncle is, and instead merely stammers. "We… we did what we could to bring about revenge, but my father was not willing to sacrifice our people for a cause we did not believe in."
"A cause you did not believe in?" Aegon exclaims. "So you were not going to side with me because of who my family are? Or is it because of my name?" the question is asked sharply as it was meant, and he takes some delight in the fact that the Prince squirms a little.
"Your Grace, I….I… did not mean any offence." The Prince stammers.
Aegon remains silent for a moment allowing himself to savour the squirming the man before him does, before eventually speaking. "You are lucky that I am not easily offended. Now tell me, why have you asked for this meeting. What is the true purpose of this meeting?"
Prince Quentyn shifts nervously, before saying. "My father tasked me with coming here to swear fealty and I have done that. I wished to know when I might return home."
Quirking an eyebrow, Aegon asks. "Do you have a lover you wish to hurry back to? Or is my company that despicable to you that you do not wish to remain in my presence?"
Once more the Prince squirms. "Nothing like that Your Grace, it is merely that, I have fulfilled my role here, and my uncle is to sit on your small council. I am not sure what more I am to do here."
If only you knew Quentyn Martell, if only you knew. Aegon thinks to himself, thinking of the letter he had read from Prince Doran, the surprise he had felt at reading the man's words. Aloud he merely says. "Well I am to head north soon, and I was thinking of bringing you with me. Your father did say that I was to use you in any way I thought fit."
That surprises the Prince, and not for the first time Aegon finds himself wondering at the sort of man Doran Martell is. "What good would I do you in the north Your Grace?" the Prince asks.
"Why, you would be the representative of Dorne at the Wall. There is a war raging there, and I would want your advice on how to handle certain things." Aegon says.
"War? Your Grace, I have never fought in a war before." The Prince responds.
"And that is why you shall be coming with me, for it is with those fresh eyes that you would be of use. You know more about certain things than many others who might be of use to me. And so you shall come." Aegon says.
He can see the hesitation on the Prince's face, can hear it in his voice when the man asks. "And what of my companions, shall they be coming?"
Aegon thinks on this and then says. "Yes, I would not wish to deprive you of your companions."
"Thank you Your Grace." The Prince replies bowing before waiting for dismissal.
"You may leave." Aegon says, waving a dismissive hand the prince bows once more before turning and walking out of the room. A silence falls for a moment, and then Aegon speaks once more. "You may come out now Varys, I would hear your thoughts."
On cue the eunuch emerges from the shadows, a moment of silence passes, before the man speaks. "You were quite brazen there with the Prince, do you not think Your Grace? I am sure he will write to his father about this."
"Let him write, he will not get anywhere." Aegon responds.
"You seem oddly sure of that Your Grace, why is that if I might ask?" Varys asks.
Aegon looks at the eunuch and says. "His father wrote me. That is all you need know about that." A pause, before he continues. "So tell me, what have your sources been able to gather on the threat the wall and the north faces?" Word had come from Robb, and that had shocked Aegon into action, the threat from stories of old actually existing, now that is something he had not expected.
The eunuch is silent for a brief moment as if collecting his thoughts, when he speaks, his words are precise. "From what I have been able to gather, there are two horns in play, as your cousin has mentioned, as such one horn is currently with him and the other, well it would seem it is in the hands of the enemy." Aegon nods, he knows all of that already, the eunuch continues. "Furthermore, it seems you might well have stopped a threat when you had Euron Greyjoy killed."
"How so?" Aegon asks intrigued.
"It seems as though he might have been working in tandem with the False Stark, as Lord Stark calls the man, and that he was planning some sort of action against you and his brother, with his death, that plan has failed." The eunuch responds.
"Good. Speaking of Greyjoy, what is happening on those damnable islands?" Aegon asks, the Iron Islands had been remarkably quiet for some time and it was beginning to worry him slightly.
As if sensing this, the eunuch replies reassuringly. "Balon Greyjoy continues to hold himself to ground, your succession to the throne prevented him from moving the fleet off anywhere. It seems he is content to remain where he is, for now."
Aegon nods. "That is good, it is good to know that the man has some sense in his head. Perhaps we might need to rethink the plan involving him then."
"I would still keep it in place Your Grace, one cannot be too sure with Balon Greyjoy." The eunuch cautions.
"You are right of course Lord Varys. Keep your little birds there for some more time, and if there is a shift in the man's attitude, I want to know about it." Aegon says.
"Of course Your Grace." The eunuch replies. A moment passes, then the eunuch speaks once more. "Your Grace, if I may?"
"What is it?" Aegon asks.
"Do you plan on summoning the armies of the Seven Kingdoms to march north?" the eunuch asks.
Aegon thinks on this for a moment before replying. "I had considered it, but have decided against it. Summoning the armies would take far too much time, and that is time we do not have. If Robb is to be believed, the threats beyond the wall are amassing with every day that passes, I will not sit here and wait for the armies to muster. No, I shall go there myself with my dragons and deal with the threat."
"And what of Queen Daenerys? Will you take her as well Your Grace? After all, it seems as though her dragons would act as a good balance to your own." The eunuch enquires.
Aegon looks at his master of whispers for a long moment, considering the person standing before him, his words are measured when he replies. "I have thought long and hard about that, and have decided that I shall take her with me, as well as the Lady Melisandre."
"Are you sure that is wise Your Grace? Taking the Lady Melisandre, I mean. After all she has proven to be unpredictable." The eunuch cautions.
Aegon grimaces as he thinks back to the event the master of whispers refers to, where several people had died after the witch had started an accidental fire. "Yes, I think for the good of the city and the kingdom, she needs to come with me. Otherwise things shall get only more hard to cope with. Besides, she has been helpful in dealing with some of the issues that have come up recently."
"Very well Your Grace." The eunuch acquiesces. "Do you have any more need for me?"
Aegon thinks for a moment and then asks. "Did you find out more about the task I had given you?"
The eunuch smiles at that. "I did Your Grace. The woman you overheard her speaking to is her mother, a woman who has worked long and hard to achieve the ends she spoke of."
"And? You saw to her I trust." Aegon asks.
"I did Your Grace, she will not be meeting with her anymore." The eunuch responds.
"Good, that is very good. Well done." Aegon says congratulating the eunuch before him, as that news settles over him, he feels something akin to relief, and eventually decides that he no longer needs to see the eunuch for now. "You may leave now my lord. Keep me informed of the goings on before I depart."
"Of course Your Grace." The eunuch replies, he bows once before turning around and leaving the solar.
Once the eunuch is gone, Aegon finds himself alone in the solar apart for Ghost who lies at his feet, and the presence of Ser Arthur and Ser Jaime standing in the shadows. He sits in thought for a moment, as he thinks about the dream he had, of a pale man with blue eyes dancing on the bodies of the fallen crows and fallen wolves, and he swears that he shall prevent that even if it costs him his own life.