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123 AC, King's Landing
Tyland Lannister walked around the Red Keep's gardens, staring at the Godswood in the distance. It wasn't something that he shared with many people, especially given the fact that the Queen was a fervent faithful follower of the Seven, but he always found the sight of the Godswood to be more peaceful than sitting in a Sept.
And need the peace, he did, for it truly was a wonder how in mere moons, the world had gone mad. It had all gone very quickly, from the King's miraculous recovery from his ailments to his leaving the Capital for some time to speak with some sorcerer, who had seemingly appeared from thin air. Pyke had seemingly been destroyed by some natural disaster, erasing House Greyjoy from existence, and starting a war for the seat of Iron Isles while the King sat in his ancestral island and did nothing.
There were rumours that the King had perished on Dragonstone, given his lack of action, or that perhaps, the Iron Throne did not care for the affairs of other realms. It did not bode well for many houses chaffed under the authority of their Lord Paramount, and there were whispers of rebellions, especially in the Riverlands.
The only positive in this situation was that this civil war seemed entirely focused on the Ironborn, who were doing a particularly good job at culling their numbers and wiping out their Drowned Priests. Then again, it was a practical way to weaken the Isles with the aim of annexing them, but Tyland couldn't help but doubt how that portrayed the Iron Throne's authority.
By the gods, one of his peers, Larys Strong, the Master of Whisperers, had disappeared, likely having perished, and his fortress had turned into nought but rubble. Lord Otto was all but sure that it was the sorcerer's work, but provided no evidence, other than some investigation that there had been an evil witch living there, presumably Lyonel Strong's bastard daughter, who the gods struck down from the heavens with their Light. Tyland wasn't sure if it was true or not, but the result was the same. Harrenhal and all of its residents were gone.
And without a Master of Whisperers, the search for the sorcerer's origins found nothing. They interrogated House Potter, a knightly house in the Reach, but it seemed that their name was the only thing they had in common.
They did learn some troublesome news regarding Essos, including the fact that the Triarchy was likely to escalate things in the Stepstones, that the Red Faith and the Warlocks of Qarth had been mobilising very quickly, and that many Shadowbinders had been recalled to Asshai. Braavos seemed unsettled by the news, given the fact that they started to aggressively expand their military, and Tyland shared their sentiment.
All in all, the information was sparse, given that Larys' network disappeared with him, but very worrying. The absence of an official Master of Whisperers impeded matters very much, especially given that no information regarding Harry Potter or his wife surfaced.
While the idea of the King being under the sorcerer's control was very worrying, Tyland was sure that it likely had very little to do with Lord Otto's obsession regarding Harry Potter. If he had to guess, the former Hand had planned on uncovering the man's mysterious past, hoping to prove his worth to Viserys and keep him as Hand.
It seemed fitting enough for King's Landing.
When his brother, Jason, had sent him to the Capital to act in their house's name, he never expected this. He was quite optimistic, to say the truth. For every moment in his life, Tyland had been in his brother's shadow, the second son. No matter what he had achieved, it seemed like it was all that he would amount to. He started from managing the mines of Casterly Rock, to investing a nice sum of gold into making a shipyard in Lannisport, which profited him and his house quite nicely, while his brother lavished in his authority as Lord of Casterly Rock.
It wasn't hard to see why Jason had felt threatened enough to send him away. They were twins, after all, and he couldn't risk Tyland getting enough support to usurp him, not that he would have. Tyland was loyal to his brother and would always be, if not for Jason's sake, but for their dead parents' memory.
And yet, he yearned for more.
Jason knew this, which was why he had sent him to a place where he could grow without being a threat. The only reason Tyland hadn't protested was because of Johanna, Jason's new wife. She seemed intelligent and dutiful enough to help her husband as the Lady of Casterly Rock, and he could only hope that his brother would be open to her insights.
Tyland had been hopeful when he came to King's Landing to serve as the new Master of Ships, even if it was an obvious ploy from Jason to show his support for the Greens. He had rejoiced at first, but he quickly realised that the Red Keep was a far more dangerous place than he expected.
No one truly thought of the realm, or even their kingdoms. It was a place devoid of honour and truth, where lies were as commonplace as snow North of the Wall, while the smallfolk starved. Nevertheless, Tyland thrived and grew the royal fleet considerably, no matter the fact that very few expected it from him.
And now, Lord Otto, after all but ruling the realm for years, was bound to retire, and Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was, would take his place. This did come as a bit of a surprise, but with the King healed, it would be easy to show him many of the former Hand's actions, which he might not truly approve of, especially his moves, which slowly drove away much support from Rhaenyra's faction.
Tyland wasn't exactly opposed to the idea of a ruling Queen, but he was opposed to Rhaenyra. Sure, Jason was still bitter about her rejection of him, which was, despite his protests, a main reason for his support of the Greens, and thus, the main drive from Tyland's support. But even if his brother had chosen to stay neutral, he would not have been happy with Rhaenyra as his queen.
Rhaenyra Targaryen was a spoiled, arrogant, and rash woman who was more likely to set the entire realm ablaze than to listen to her advisors. Her marriage to Daemon was volatile and would likely plunge the realm into war, especially with the Triarchy, should she be Queen, even ignoring the current divide in the royal family.
Her own succession would also be muddied, given the fact that the realm would likely go to war, given her eldest sons' parentage, and perhaps even the Rogue Prince's sons would try to gain power, all because of her poor decision-making.
That was not the making of a good Queen, hence why Tyland firmly believed that Aegon, who preferred to drink rather than to rule, would be the better ruler. At least he would not care enough to make things worse, and his Small Council, or his grandfather, would likely rule the realm in his stead, a far better option than setting the continent on fire and massacring Lords for perceived slights.
Alas, Otto Hightower's plans had fallen with the King's newfound recovery. Viserys Targaryen had returned healed, aside from his missing arm, with a large dragon at his back. It was also obvious that he would not be happy with him regarding how much he learned Otto had overstepped with many of his decisions. Tyland wasn't blind to his machinations in the Reach and the discreet attempts at reducing House Tyrell's hold on the Kingdom.
Given the fact that Lord Otto's land gambit with Harry Potter had failed miserably, things did not look well.
The former Hand's downfall was bound to stir some trouble for Tyland, more so than the rest of the Small Council. It was obvious that Rhaenys would slowly replace the members of the Council with her own supporters, and Tyland would likely be asked to leave in favour of her husband, the Sea Snake.
The Lannister didn't know why the man stayed on Dragonstone, nor did he care. All signs pointed to Tyland's time in King's Landing coming to an end, and he did not know if it was a good sign or not. Perhaps leaving the Targaryens would be the better choice given how quickly things have changed.
What would come next was unpredictable, but it was obvious that the King and his new Hand were planning something. He would send a letter to Jason, advising him to remain neutral, at least until they understood where things were heading regarding the realm's governance. It seemed like the wisest course of action to him, and he hoped that Jason would heed his advice this time, despite his dislike of Rhaenyra.
Tyland's musings were interrupted by a voice speaking up behind him, "This is a beautiful place, Ser Tyland."
It took much of the Lannister's composure not to jump, and he turned with a fake smile on his face, which quickly turned into a confused one as he recognised the voice's source, "Princess Helaena."
He didn't say much out of shock. Tyland would never claim to know much of Helaena Targaryen. She was a quiet girl, simple according to a few whispers, and she never involved herself in the affairs of the realm, preferring the company of her insects.
The Lannister scion had never interacted with her, and yet, here she was, directly addressing him, while wearing that strange butterfly necklace, which was rumoured to be a gift from the sorcerer of Dragonstone.
The princess walked past him and looked at the Red Keep's Godswood, "Mother never liked me coming here. I think I forgot how peaceful it was."
Still unaware of the young woman's motives, he spoke up, "Perhaps it is peaceful because it is not often visited. Then again, the Red Keep did feel quite empty ever since the King's voyage to Dragonstone. I imagine that you must have missed your home after so much time away."
"No," the princess replied casually, "I quite preferred Dragonstone."
"Is that so?" Tyland commented, his eyes widening slightly at her answer, "May I ask why?"
"It was warmer there," the young woman claimed.
Tyland didn't have the heart to correct her by telling her that, in fact, Dragonstone was quite colder and more humid than the Capital, and so, he asked, "I have heard from the Grand Maester that young Jaehaerys and Jaehaera were growing quite nicely."
"They are to soar through the clouds, unburdened of blood, unburdened of cheese, only beginnings and death."
She spoke with a surety that intimidated him slightly, despite it being complete nonsense. He wasn't sure why these words unsettled him so, "I beg your pardon."
The woman then turned and spoke to him, as if seeing him for the first time, "They are well, Ser Tyland. Aegon just put some of Dreamfyre's eggs in their cradles."
The Master of Ships nodded but found very few topics to entertain the strange princess. Then again, the dreaded Small Council meeting would start soon, so he might as well make his way there, "I apologise if I disrupted your morning, princess, but I will leave you be. The Small Council is to gather soon, and I would be amiss to make the King wait."
"You will make it in time after our talk," Princess Helaena replied.
"You wish to speak with me, princess?" he answered, feeling taken aback.
A small smile appeared on the princess's face, "I do."
Tyland stayed silent for a moment, unsure how to proceed. Helaena Targaryen was hardly known for political talk, and yet there was something disconcertingly focused about her gaze, something far sharper than her reputation suggested.
"Very well," he finally said, adjusting the cuffs of his doublet, "What is it you wish to speak of, Your Grace?"
Princess Helaena ignored him and walked towards one of the bushes in the garden and procured a sword from behind it. Did the princess know that he would be there to clear his mind before the meeting? If so, then it spoke of a degree of preparation and intellect that he didn't think the seemingly simple woman had.
The woman silently pushed the Greatsword towards him, and Tyland stared at the sword, his eyes wide in recognition. There was no mistaking it. The pommel bore the head of a lion, golden and detailed. After all, he and Jason had spent years admiring drawings of it in Casterly Rock, lamenting the loss of their ancestral sword in a doomed expedition to Valyria.
Tyland Lannister unsheathed the weapon and gasped as he saw the familiar ripples of Valyrian Steel. This truly was Brightroar.
He sheathed it back, and the princess grabbed it from his hands. A part of Tyland wished to resist, but he did not wish to make a fool of himself. "How did you come by this sword?"
"Around rotten wood and golden armour. It would have been a sad fate indeed for such a beautiful weapon," she replied as she ran her fingers along the pommel.
Tyland didn't understand, and if he were honest with himself, he did not care to understand. He did not know how Helaena Targaryen possessed his family's ancestral sword, only that she did, and that fact changed much. "House Lannister thanks you for your gift."
"This was no gift, Ser Tyland," Helaena answered, "This is a trade."
"A trade?" he repeated dumbly, before the words reached his brain, "You seek to extort us with our own ancestral sword."
Helaena tilted her head, as if puzzled by his tone. "I offer you a sword that is worth more than armies. Is it truly strange that I ask something in return? A Lannister always pays his debts."
Tyland's jaw clenched. "And what exactly does House Targaryen want from House Lannister?"
The princess stepped closer, cradling the sword with an absent sort of care. "Not House Targaryen," she whispered. "Me."
Her gaze found him, "One moment, not yet born, but already stained in red and gold." At his confused look, she explained, sounding slightly annoyed at having to do so, "I will give you Brightroar, a prize that you will find no greater. In exchange, House Lannister will offer its support for a single moment in the near future."
Tyland relaxed at that, "House Lannister has already pledged its support to the Green…"
Princess Helaena interrupted him, "Not the Greens, not the Blacks, not Aegon, not my mother, not my grandfather. You will offer your support to me once, and then your debt will be paid."
The Lannister nodded despite feeling disturbed by the young woman's answer. "Of course, princess."
He didn't know what the princess had planned, and she obviously planned something, but supporting her once seemed like a very small price to pay for Brightroar of all things. He moved to grab the sword only for the princess to yank it back, "No. I will have Jason Lannister's agreement before this. I suggest that, should you agree, you honour your debt. If not… Then perhaps my House's words would convince you."
In the distance, Tyland heard a loud roar, likely originating from the Dragonpit, and he stiffened in fear. He shivered in fear and nodded to the Princess, "Of course. I will send a raven to my brother right this instant. I know that he will be thrilled with Brightroar's return and will honour any agreement that you make.
Helaena thankfully smiled gently, "You should go or risk being late to the Small Council's meeting."
With that said, the young girl turned and slowly walked back to the Red Keep while humming a strange tune. He could only make out that it was a song, one that he hadn't heard before, and his shivered as he heard its lyrics, "And now the fire eats through their halls, and not a soul to hear."
Tyland stood still for a moment before turning toward the council chambers. The conversation had not gone the way he expected. He would send the raven to his brother. Jason would want the sword back, and Tyland had no doubt he would agree to the terms. But even so, the exchange left him unsettled.
He felt a chill run up his spine at the memory of the princess's song, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Fucking Targaryens."
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AN: I had a lot of fun with this chapter. I tried to show an outsider's perspective on something dealing with Helaena after she learned how to use her divination, and I hope that it came out well. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
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If you want to support me, check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions on them, so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.