Aenys III
25AC
The imposing view of Storm's End was getting closer and closer as Aenys took Quicksilver down towards the great fortress his uncle called home. Storm's End was just a single colossal drum tower that looked like a spiked fist thrusting towards the sky from afar but on closer look one could see the formidable battlements, curtain walls, and its many halls. Aenys had to land Quicksilver carefully due to the limited space behind the walls. He dismounted first before helping his lady wife off the saddle. Their children remained in King's Landing under the watch of his father, the Velaryons, and an army of servants and maids.
"How was the flight, dear?"
"I am fine Aenys, I recovered from the birth many moons ago," She replied with a smile.
"Even still, I want to make sure you are alright."
"Well, I am. Now let us not keep Lord Baratheon waiting."
Alyssa had grown far more bold and outgoing over the last two years. Aenys still remembered how she stumbled and fumbled the first time he took her in the skies on Quicksilver but that girl was long gone and instead grew into a woman whom Aenys would be proud to call his Queen.
They were met with some of their retinue. They left after the baggage train at their previous stop of Ashford, as was normal for these progresses. Dragons moved much faster than people could after all. So the retinue would move on to the next castle on horseback and would be given a significant lead on the one leading the progress. Aenys had to wait for more than half a day for their retinue at Ashford so this time he was relieved to see them at Storm's End before him.
Though to be honest, this whole progress had been a mess. His father originally intended on leading this progress while he and Alyssa would accompany him but after spending just a moon in the Reach his father had to head back to King's Landing. A fight had broken out between Velaryon and Hightower men at arms and his aunt, Queen Visenya, refused to do anything.
A lot has changed in the last two years. He went from being a petulant boy to being a grown man, with a family to call his own. First was his little girl, Rhaena Targaryen. Named in honor of his dearly missed mother who was growing into a delightful little girl. She was shy, very quiet, and she rarely cried. All of this was made up for with her rare smiles. She did not smile often but when she did she lit up the entire room.
His second and only other child as of now was his son, named in honor of his father Aegon Targaryen, his heir. ' He has the same eyes as me and father. Just like people said Rhaena has my mother's eyes. Aegon and Rhaenys one more, ' Aenys thought with pride. Aegon was a little young to be compared to his sister but he was as different as he could be. Aegon was a loud child, he was crying often and it was the reason that the children were moved to a nursery. Rhaena was so well-behaved that she was kept in their room. Aegon made them reconsider this idea. However, despite crying a lot, he was also full of smiles, quick to laugh, and was the joy of court. He was going to be nearly a year old once they got back from this progress.
Aenys missed them greatly, they were left in King's Landing with the rest of his family while he went on this progress. This grand progress was supposed to be a rebound from the previous two years of little activity. His father went to the North last year but things had deteriorated quickly after he left. Visenya refused to sit the Iron Throne, attend Small Council meetings, or even just do any work at all. She spent her time with either Maegor or her new lady-in-waiting. The entire court was thrown into disarray without a kingly figure to lead them. Coupled with Visenya's scathing remarks about Alyssa and the small council, his father returned to a court practically on fire.
Such were Aenys's thoughts as he entered the main hall of Storm's End. He was met by his uncle, Orys Baratheon. He did not remember Orys very well, he left court when he was very young and his last visit here was many years ago but he and his father were close. ' Well, before he lost his hand,' Aenys thought with some regret. His father always told stories of his time with Orys, they spent their childhood on Dragonstone together, exploring the caves and running about the town freely. They were thick as thieves and Orys had even served his father as the first Hand of the King. A position Ser Osmund Strong now held after Orys's replacement resigned from the position.
Orys had joined his father in the Dornish War, the same war that took his mother. He was captured during the war by Wyl of Wyl and he had his sword hand cut off in a gross act of dishonor. He resigned after the event but his father had reinstated him, promising revenge. Ever since that event, his father described Orys as an entirely different person. Where he was once jovial and friendly and charismatic he became cynical and bitter and hateful. After his father had made peace with Dorne he had been almost as wroth as Visenya, he had resigned once more and his father had dared not stop him.
Then there is his heir. His eldest son Davos Baratheon stood tall next to him but his second son Raymont was in the capital. He was named to the Kingsguard not long ago and sparred with Maegor frequently. Orys also had a number of other grandsons but Rogar was the important one among them. As the heir of Davos he stood next to his grandfather and was imposing for an eight-year-old. He had a similar stature to Maegor when he first met him on Dragonstone, just shorter. He looked smug and proud but his grandfather quickly told him to bow. All of Storm's End bowed their heads and a servant ran up to offer bread and salt. Aenys and his wife partook in the bread and salt and then his uncle said the words. "Storm's End is yours, Your Grace"
With the words said and the bread and salt eaten the tension in the air largely abated. It was not entirely gone and Aenys was a little cautious of the dark air coming off of Orys. The rest of the castle went about their business while Orys walked with Aenys away from the throne.
"Good day, my prince. Would you follow me for a walk?"
"Of course, Lord Baratheon." Aenys quickly moved to follow his uncle. He did not know why but it seemed he desired an audience. Aenys was more than happy to do so, it was his duty here. To hear out the lords and ladies and their troubles.
"Aenys," Orys said after they got away from the main retinue and into his private solar.
"Uncle, it has been a long time."
"Indeed, the last time I saw you you were no taller than my waist. Now you are a man grown. How time flies."
"You wanted to speak to me?"
"Aye, I wanted to know if you are ready to burn the damn Dornish."
There was a discussion that Aenys did not want. He had visited the Dornish two years ago and now he wanted nothing more than to forget them. If they were ignored then they would ignore him.
"I… I uhm…"
Orys laughed bitterly and then yelled for a servant to bring him wine.
"Of course you aren't. Not even your father wants revenge."
"Did he not get revenge? Dorne is still devastated. They are still struggling after their great famine and they have been reduced to poverty after having to rebuild their towns and castles after the Dragon's Wroth."
"Yet they did not bend the knee and those who killed my sister still live. Even the cunt that took my hand still lives."
"I…"
"On the topic of my sisters, tell me what is happening in King's Landing. From the sounds of it, Visenya is causing quite the headache for Aegon. So much so he will not even continue this progress to see me."
"The whispers have gotten this far?"
"Of course they have, whispers travel this realm like a wildfire travels a forest."
"Visenya is upset with my father," Aenys began hesitantly.
"I already know that I would like to know why."
"If I tell you, will you help them make up? Their split is harming the realm."
"No, you better not tell me then. I will not get in between them. Standing in front of Visenya when she is furious is terrifying. I think I would rather go back into the custody of that old Wyl cunt.
"Uhm." Aenys was completely helpless here. He was never all that good at mediating or deal-making. He knew that he should step in and try to get them to make up. Their split was genuinely harming the realm as his father could not go on progresses while she continued to make problems. He had hoped that he might be able to get his uncle Orys to intervene. Even if they had been separated for a long time they were still close as siblings. Those hopes were dashed, however. Ever since peace with Dorne was made Orys completely retreated from court.
Aenys was unsure of what to do but then a knock was heard on the door of the solar. His lady wife was on the other side and interrupted their little chat.
"Lord Baratheon. I am afraid I have need of my husband."
"Of course, goodbye Prince Aenys. Perhaps I shall introduce you to Rogar later." Orys said with disinterest and pulled out a number of papers. To do what, Aenys did not know, he had lost his dominant hand.
Alyssa led him to their quarters in the castle. He was not expecting for her to butt in but he was grateful. The conversation was stifling and Orys was clearly not very happy.
"I assume judging by your expression that he is still displeased?"
"You assume correctly, dear wife."
"A shame, he might have been able to bring the King and Queen back together."
"I am surprised you want Visenya back in politics. Given your relationship with her."
"My own feelings aside, her absence is keeping King Aegon from going on these progresses. Not to mention that we still do not know why she is acting out. It is not our feud."
' She is half right, ' Aenys thought with sadness. Truthfully, his father had confided in him the real reason for their fight. He had been sworn by his father to not tell a soul but Visenya was angered over the betrothal of his brother, which was technically related to his wife's feud with her. He hated lying to his wife but his father made him swear not to tell.
His father did not want the news getting out and destabilizing the realm further. His brother was set to wed Lady Ceryse Hightower when he was three and ten, which meant that their wedding would be soon. Aenys was a little put off at the age but Maegor looked years older than he truly was. Aenys could not understand why Visenya was so upset. Lady Ceryse was one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the Kingdom. From a wealthy and prestigious house. They were vassals of the Tyrells but rivaled any lord paramount in strength. In addition to their house's ties to the Faith, she was probably the best match his brother could hope for.
His father was similarly confused, he did not expect Visenya's overblown reaction. Lady Ceryse was by all accounts a fantastic bride for a prince. There were no strong Valyrian houses or siblings to call upon. As a result, his father chose a strong vassal of theirs who could bring the most benefits. Visenya's reaction confused both of them greatly. She had basically thrown the entire court into disarray much to his father's anger. His father was always a decent administrator but his main skills were in battle and his charisma. His own mother had even more charisma. Meanwhile, Visenya was the best administrator out of all three conquerors. Even when she was on Dragonstone raising his brother she was still doing a lot of the work required to manage the realm. Poor Ser Osmund had his workload increase greatly the moment she withdrew herself from court. It also forced his father to remain in King's Landing when he would normally go on progress.
Visenya's inaction truly began once his father went north. During all of his previous progresses, Visenya, or his mother when she was still alive, would sit on the Iron Throne and act in his name while he was out touring his kingdom. The lack of a kingly figure who could command court threw the entire process into disarray and the Small Council scrambled to try and make up for the lack of work being done by a sovereign. Aenys had no idea what to do, his wife was pregnant once more and he was focused on her, he decided to wait it out and not act. The small council was responsible for helping govern the realm and the Hand of the King could act in his name. ' No doubt they can handle it, ' he had thought at the time. Visenya only stoked the flames further when she commented on the "complete failures running the kingdom," which seemed to shake the legitimacy of the court. She particularly centered on Lord Alton Celtigar who was mishandling the finances of the kingdom without his father or Visenya to look over his shoulder.
His father being in the North meant that he was not informed of the truth of the situation until he returned to King's Landing. He spent the next few moons trying to repair the damage. Lord Alton was dismissed and replaced with Tion Tarbeck, a skilled lord from the Westerlands. He quickly got the finances in the realm back in order and set about continuing the construction of the city, which had halted when the gold stopped flowing. Lord Tiston Massey was also dismissed as Master of Laws and replaced by Martyn Hightower. The upheaval left the entire court in shock and his father and Visenya had another big fight on Dragonstone.
Then the relationship between his wife and Visenya went from chilly and distant to outright hatred once his son Aegon was born. Visenya had been taunting Alyssa and humiliating her by parading around Shiera Qoherys for the last year and once his son Aegon was born Visenya insulted her further. The birth was long and difficult. It left his wife bedridden for over half a moon. Visenya called her weak for struggling to birth a boy, comparing it to how she recovered in days after birthing Maegor and he was far larger than Aegon at birth.
The Velaryons were outraged and so was he, he did not speak to Visenya himself as he was fearful of her and was worried about his little brother but the Velaryons and their allies openly complained to his father. After another argument, his father decided it was high time to get out of the city and go on another progress. Then he learned that she was still not sitting on the throne and a fight had broken out between some men at the arms of Houses Hightower and Velaryon, he rushed back to King's Landing to ensure the situation did not worsen once more. Thus Aenys was entrusted to see the progress was completed.
All of this was terrible but what was the worst for Aenys was he and Maegor were growing more distant. Before the attempted betrothal to Rhaena, they were spending more and more time together. They spent most days, when they were not otherwise busy doing things, together as both brothers and friends. Flying to and from Dragonstone, discussing literature and politics in his solar, playing the new card games that Maegor had invented. He found a true friend for the first time in his life and he was reveling in it.
Then it all got so complicated. The failed Rhaena match put distance between them and unfortunately, he had been unable to close it ever since. Maegor was still affectionate when he could be but the feud between his wife and Visenya had been tearing him and his brother apart.
Visenya and Alyssa's hatred for each other meant that Maegor was rarely speaking with Alyssa which made it so much harder to spend time with him. They were deliberately avoiding one another and that meant he had to choose who to spend his time with.
Sometimes Aenys wondered if he should have just acquiesced to his aunt's proposed match. If he came out in support of it then his father would have likely been swayed. Aenys was not blind to his influence on his father and he wondered if none of this would have happened if he had just agreed with his aunt. He was so worried about it all that he could not do anything. On some levels it made sense, Maegor was the most eligible bachelor in the entire realm. A prodigious warrior, smart, strong, and he rode a great dragon. At the same time, he worried for his daughter. Her birthright was to be Queen one day. His wife was correct when she said that Rhaena should be queen, marry her younger brother, and rule the Seven Kingdoms in the same way her namesake did.
He had been consumed by regret over his decision for the last two years. He chose his daughter only reluctantly. Not even fully coming out against the match. He told his father he was concerned about the gap in age and wanted to wait to come to a decision. Because he spoke behind closed doors the lords started whispering he came out against the match but it was anything but. He did not correct them because he feared angering his wife, who was badgering him to get his father to deny the match. ' As if I could ever force my father to do something, ' he thought with a little bitterness. It had all gone so very wrong. He did not want to choose between his daughter and his brother. Yet his hand had been forced.
Looking back he thought he made the right decision. Especially with the difficulties Alyssa had with birthing his son Aegon. The maester said that two pregnancies so close together took a toll on her health and that she should take a long break before trying again. If he had agreed to the match then his son may not have a sibling to marry for a number of years.
After speaking with his wife that night Aenys came to a decision. He did not make a mistake. He may have upset his aunt but that does not mean his relationship with his brother is forfeit. It may be damaged and awkward but with enough effort, Aenys knew he could repair their relationship. Blood was certainly too thick to be spilled over a few words.
…
It had been a few moons since his impromptu first progress and Aenys found incredible success. After he left Storm's End he was received well by the rest of the Storm Lords he was set to meet. After four more moons of travel, he got back to King's Landing and heard of the wonderful news. His father had managed to make up with Visenya and thus poor Ser Osmund and the rest of the council would get to keep their sanity for a bit longer.
After speaking with his father he learned that Visenya brokered a deal where she would decide on the date of Maegor's marriage but it would be before Maegor's seventh and tenth name day. He rejoiced as now the kingdom would receive its proper attention and poor Ser Osmund practically cried tears of joy.
' Just in time for Aegon's name day, ' Aenys thought with happiness. His son was soon going to be one year old and his father had decided to hold a grand tourney to celebrate it. Knights and nobles from all over the realm would be coming to King's Landing to see or participate in the games.
Their royal box was quite full. Given the name Royal Box, you would think that it would just be full of the Targaryens but the entire small council sat here with the exception of Ser Corlys who would be participating in the tourney. There were two other abnormalities in their box. Namely the absence of his younger brother and the addition of his Aunt's lady-in-waiting.
Maegor had volunteered to go to Dragonstone to check on the new hatchlings. A few had hatched in the last moon and the Dragonkeepers requested a royal to approve of some actions they wished to take. The Dragonpit was royal property and the Dragonkeepers had a plan to try and keep the current generation of hatchlings alive longer. So Maegor left King's Landing a few days ago. Aenys was a little put off because of it. He had wanted to properly speak with Maegor for the last few sennights but he had been distracted by all sorts of different things regarding this tourney and results from the progress and planning the next and his children. Not to mention Maegor spending more and more time on Dragonstone. He would have to find another time later, unfortunately.
The other abnormality meanwhile was of great annoyance for his wife. Shiera Qoherys was sat next to Visenya. His father told him that he believed that Visenya took on Shiera Qoherys as a lady out of sheer spite but he was suspicious. He had little clue of what went on in his aunt's head but he knew there had to be more than just annoying his lady wife. Alyssa thought it was to humiliate her but Aenys doubted it, his aunt was not so petty.
Tourneys were something that Aenys thoroughly enjoyed. He cared little for proper combat or even sparring in the yard but watching those who were truly skilled in the art of combat was enjoyable. Especially seeing the Kingsguard in action. The most skilled knights of the realm get to show why they earned their white cloaks.
The preliminary rounds had taken place the previous day and they were set to have their next few days filled with plenty of matches. Several people had appeared as favotires in the preliminaries. The favored to win the whole tournament was his Lady Wife's uncle, Ser Corlys Velaryon, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. The next favorite was Ser Robin Darklyn. The famed Darkrobin was favored to take the Lord Commander title if something were ever to happen to Ser Corlys. Then there was Ser Gawen Corbray the famed knight from the Vale. He had proven his might fighting in the Vale against the mountain clans and he had won victory in many tourneys over the years. Then the last attendee of this tourney who had been given any chance to win was the Knight of Cinders
The Knight of Cinders was a favorite of the smallfolk crowds as he was assumed to not be a noble, mainly because of his armor. He had been singled out through the entire preliminary matches as his expensive set of Dragonstone-made dark gray armor would fetch a damn good price at the street of steel. The color of his armor and his grey cape was what gave him his name. He had bested all of the opponents who sought him out and had earned the favor of the crowd with his victories.
The previous matches were interesting, but now that the semi-finals were upon them, the tourney would start to get truly interesting. The betting pools for this tournament were immense. Aenys had no interest in gambling but many of his friends had gotten in on the action. There were thousands of gold dragons in the betting pot. The favored to win was Ser Corlys but Darkrobin and Ser Gawen were tied in a close second.
The first match of the semifinals was the bout between Ser Corlys and Darkrobin. There were some whispers of disappointment as people wanted this to be the finale as Ser Gawen and the Mystery Knight were much less favored but Aenys was happy to see it now. Waiting another day to see the two fight would have been annoying and who knows. ' Upsets are possible, there is more to fighting than just skill, ' Aenys thought as the game master sounded his horn to begin the tilt.
Their first tilt showed the entire crowd the difference in skill and ability. The preliminary rounds were child's play compared to the sound of thunder that resounded around the tourney grounds when both men's lances exploded on each other's shields. Neither missed a beat and urged their steeds forward to get another lance. The game master clearly had high hopes for this match as there were dozens of lances lined up for them.
Their next bout was even louder. Well-placed hits on their respective shields once more made the sound of thunder spread across the field. Ser Corlys and Ser Robin were both staggered by the tilt but regained their balance and returned to their dance.
It continued like this for a while, a very long time. They reached twenty tilts and so far neither had shown any sign of losing steam or giving up. They had repeated the exact same dance of urging their great horses forward, lining up their lances. The lances shattered on each other's shields, each knight being blown back in their saddle before they would just right themselves and set out again. Aenys was infatuated, such displays of skill were rare, and seeing two legends duke it out was magical. He wished his brother was here to see it. ' I should tell him about the results later, he would love to hear of this match, ' Aenys thought with a little sadness. His brother had not been avoiding him since he got back from his progress but he also did not get a good chance to speak with him. They went on a few flights like they did before the feud but there was still an air of separation between them. Especially with his wife still not speaking with Maegor, nor allowing him to spend much time with Rhaena or little Aegon much to his displeasure. After this tourney, he resolved to speak with him. He had many more moons before his next progress to the Vale so he had some time to use.
As he was trapped in his head he realized that the second and twentieth tilt had begun. Both respected knights urged their great beasts forward before they met in the middle. ' Something happened, ' Aenys thought as Ser Robin was launched from his saddle and landed on his back in the mud. He only caught a glimpse as Ser Corlys was the one on the side facing the royal box. From what he saw Ser Corlys had aimed slightly higher and coupled with Ser Robin's lowered shield due to his surely tired arms. Ser Corlys's opponent was launched from his saddle and his back met the mud.
Ser Corlys quickly brought his horse around and dismounted in a hurry. After running over to his brother in arms Ser Corlys quickly helped his friend up and the crowd went wild. The sounds could probably be heard even outside the city as the crowd cheered at the display of sportsmanship.
Their match was over and it was certainly not an upset. Ser Corlys was expected to win but getting to see two and twenty great tilts between the most skilled knights in the realm was a great pleasure for Aenys. Now it was time to figure out just who would be facing Ser Corlys in the finals.
…
The final match of the semifinals was between a storied and famous knight, Ser Gawen Corbray, and the Knight of Cinders. The mystery knight who had won the interest of the crowd.
Their previous matches had been interesting but far less remarkable compared to the last bout. The only two of note were the mystery knight defeating Ser Raymont in the tilts and Ser Gawen defeating Ser Richard Roote. That sparked the interest of the crowd as many expected the two Kingsguard members to be front runners due to their strength and experience respectively.
Aenys was struggling to figure out who he wanted to win and who he thought would win. He knew much of Ser Gawen. His little brother was squiring for the famed knight and he had seen them spar many times. Ser Gawen was without a doubt as skilled as any of the Kingsguard and Aenys thought for sure he would win this bout. He could even win the whole tourney if the gods favored him. Even with his knowledge of Ser Gawen he could not help but hope his fellow Dragonstone native would win. The people of Dragonstone held little respect for combat or knighthood so to see someone from the small island where he was born doing so well sparked Aenys's interest.
Ability wise it was not clear-cut either. The mystery knight was definitely less skilled, if his previous matches were to be looked at he definitely outskilled many of the other knights but his fight with Ser Raymont was close fought. The mystery knight almost fell off his horse several times. While the mystery knight was definitely less skilled than Ser Gawen he looked to hold the physical advantage. The mystery knight was big, almost as big as his father and his father was one of the tallest people he had ever met. The mystery knight was a little under half a head taller than most of the other knights in the tournament and he was very well-muscled. 'So this is a match between sheer strength and skill' Aenys thought as the horn resounded once more.
Both horses surged forward tearing up the mud even more. The two warriors met in the middle and a thunderous crash resounded across the entire field. The mystery knight's lance exploded on Ser Gawens's shield but Ser Gawen had no such luck, his lance was deftly deflected off the mystery knight's shield and the knight continued on largely uninjured. Ser Gawen meanwhile was blown back in his saddle. His back hit the rear end of his horse.
The crowd held their breath in interest as Ser Gawen struggled to right himself on his horse. If he were to fall here it would be a grave upset. Many cheered once he managed to right himself near the end of the line. Pulling himself up just in time to grab another lance and rebound into a full gallop. Then they completed another tilt in a similar way to Ser Corlys and Ser Robin. Both were very skilled, even if they were outclassed by Ser Corlys and Ser Robin, and they displayed it to the entire crowd.
Again and again, they went. Lances exploded on each other's shields before they rounded the turn and grabbed another. The crowd and the nobles held their breath at each and every tilt, the first round showed that this could end at any moment. Aenys could hardly imagine the pain they were feeling after their fifth and tenth tilt.
The sixth and tenth tilt was where it all ended. The mystery knight surged forward at a full gallop and leaned into his trust with his lance. His greater size and strength came into play and he hit poor Ser Gawen hard. So hard he was launched from his saddle and did a full flip in the air before his stomach hit the mud. The mystery knight's shield deflected Ser Gawen's half-hearted attack as the knight could see the obviously more powerful blow coming. The Knight of Cinders rounded the end of the field. He quickly dismounted and ran towards his fallen opponent. He was struggling to right himself in the mud. The crowd roared in delight when the mystery knight picked up the fallen knight and Aenys joined them. This knight was very interesting, and he could not wait for the finals, it would be a match to remember, Ser Corlys Velaryon versus the Knight of Cinders