[Chapter Size: 3300 Words.]
Third Person POV.
King's Lading.
...
...
A knock at the door caught Daemon's attention, and he looked up from the scroll. Moments later, Sandor Clegane of the Kingsguard opened the door.
"Your Majesty, the maester is here," he said with a grunt.
"Let him in," Daemon replied calmly.
The door opened a little wider, and the elderly man, Marwyn, entered with his arms full of scrolls.
"Your Majesty," he said.
After the door closed and Marwyn bowed before Daemon, the king set down his quill on the table and leaned back in his chair as he observed the man standing before him.
"Hello, Marwyn. How are you? I assume those are the reports I requested."
Marwyn nodded. After straightening up, he approached the table. "Here they are, Your Majesty. All the reports from the past five years concerning the Reach," he said, gesturing toward the documents filled with tax records and resource reports.
The Reach had still not been granted a new Lord Paramount because Daemon had yet to choose one. Because of that, he had appointed administrators to govern Highgarden temporarily, just as he had done throughout the rest of the kingdom. He personally visited the castle frequently on his dragon. Not even a snowstorm was enough to delay him.
The people of the Reach were far from pleased with this, but even houses such as the Hightowers and the Redwynes, who in particular had been competing for the Reach's paramountcy, had been unable to do anything over the years.
Daemon was also not inclined to appoint anyone who shared Tyrell blood, unlike what he had done in Dorne.
"Good... Leave everything on the table. I intend to read it after the council meeting," he said.
They had a meeting in an hour. Daemon then continued.
"I'm glad you prepared everything beforehand. At least I won't have to wait. I assume you've already formed an opinion about the situation?" Daemon asked.
Marwyn nodded. He had carefully studied the state of the Reach over the past five years.
"There are some discrepancies. We also found acts of corruption committed by a few lords, though relatively minor ones. They're using the winter as an excuse, but the numbers clearly don't add up. They claim they're unable to pay the agreed amount in taxes," Marwyn explained.
"Well, it's not as though there wouldn't be people trying to be clever," Daemon replied, his hands clasped beneath his chin as he pondered.
He had placed people with golden auras in charge of administering the Reach precisely to avoid problems in the kingdom's governance. Even so, it seemed that some men still insisted on trying to profit through dishonest means.
Not that such a thing was impossible. Daemon used a new tax system that allowed him to monitor far more accurately the collection of resources and gold from every fief in the Seven Kingdoms. If the numbers failed to match, suspicions would arise immediately.
That was precisely Marwyn's job: to gather all that information and present his own analysis before Daemon studied the documents in detail.
"Excellent. You may go. We'll meet again at the council meeting in an hour," he said at last.
Marwyn merely nodded. "Very well. And one more thing, Lord Velaryon arrived at the harbor this morning," he said.
"I know. I'll deal with it later," Daemon replied.
There were still some problems with pirates in the Stepstones, and the man chiefly responsible for them was none other than Aurane Waters. He had managed to escape the destruction unleashed by Daemon when he and Daenerys attacked the pirate fleet five years earlier, with all the kingdom's forces concentrated at the Wall.
Daemon had personally gone after him at the time, but he had not had enough time to track him down. Since then, Aurane had never drawn that much attention again. Although there were still occasional raids on ships, Daemon might have been the king, but there was no way he could prevent every crime from happening. There would always be deaths, whether on land or at sea. There would always be bandits, pirates, and fools.
Even so, those numbers had remained relatively low over the past five years while he kept the people fed throughout the winter and maintained peace among the kingdoms.
Still, it seemed the pirates had become somewhat more violent lately. Aurane Waters appeared to have rebuilt part of his strength in the Stepstones and, by all appearances, was seeking revenge for the destruction of part of his fleet.
It seemed fate had not been very pleased with him either. Aurane's nephew had not only survived the illness now known as tuberculosis, but had also been completely cured thanks to the treatments developed by Daemon. Since then, House Velaryon had prospered once again. The boy was now a grown man, married, with his wife expecting a child.
After the maester left his chambers, Daemon stood up. His eyes turned toward King's Landing as he listened to the city's bells, the cries of seagulls, and the sound of people walking through the streets.
Snow still covered parts of the city, but it was already beginning to melt. At the very least, King's Landing had recovered remarkably well over those past few years. Several districts had been rebuilt, and the enormous Dragonpit once again stood at the center of the city, almost like a gigantic coliseum.
There was the Dragon Guard, responsible for feeding, handling, and caring for the dragons. In addition to them, there were also townsfolk specially trained to assist with the upkeep of the Dragonpit.
Daemon would never allow something like what had happened during the Dance of the Dragons to occur again. For that reason, he created a guard dedicated exclusively to protecting the Dragonpit and the dragons from any possible invasion or unrest. Of course, he believed it was unlikely that anything like that would happen again in this era, but he preferred to learn from history rather than repeat its mistakes.
The City Watch had also changed considerably. It now numbered more than five thousand men. Unlike previous rulers, Daemon made a point of appointing competent people and establishing severe punishments for any abuse of authority, corruption, or other offenses committed by his officers.
It was impossible to control everything, but they still managed to arrest numerous guards involved in crimes. Crime in King's Landing had also become less frequent, with the watch no longer turning a blind eye to any breach of the law or the city's peace.
The commander of the Gold Cloaks was Brynden Blackwood, Tytos's eldest son, who had worked alongside Daemon. He had done an excellent job dismantling a network that trafficked women into brothels as slaves. Brothels themselves had never ceased to exist, with most of them being taken over by the older prostitutes themselves after Baelish's death, women already accustomed to running them, but it was forbidden to keep any woman in such places against her will.
Overall, the results under Brynden Blackwood's command had been extremely positive. Even other criminal organizations that began to emerge during that time were quickly suppressed.
Daemon soon left the window overlooking the city behind and walked out of his office, which remained guarded twenty-four hours a day because of the importance of the documents kept there. He then proceeded through the corridors with Ser Sandor Clegane following closely behind.
Daemon had also made several changes to the Red Keep. To begin with, he mapped every tunnel and secret passage within the castle. It had been a relatively simple task. After thoroughly investigating the entire place and using his clairvoyance to return to any location he wished to examine again or to find the exit without ever getting lost, he discovered every hidden passage, concealed entrance, and route used by Varys and his little birds, and even went beyond that, because not even the eunuch seemed to know every tunnel.
He took the opportunity to make numerous modifications to prevent anyone from spying on the Royal Family or others. At the same time, he showed the map directly to Daenerys, revealing a secret route so that, should anything happen, she could escape safely.
Even the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard knew this map, as did every member of the Kingsguard and the Royal Family. Later, Daemon also intended to show it to Aegon as his heir.
That way, those who knew the secret passages would immediately recognize if someone was spying on their chambers. In addition, Daemon installed numerous protective measures throughout the castle.
He personally inscribed runic magic at several points throughout the Red Keep, especially in his children's rooms, his own chamber, and the chambers of his other wives and lovers.
A magical barrier surrounded each of those places. Anyone approaching with malicious intent would immediately begin to feel ill. The protection had never needed to activate, but it remained in place at all times.
Even the guards assigned to the Red Keep had been carefully selected. They might not have been bound by an oath as strict as that of the Kingsguard, but Daemon had made sure to choose only men he truly trusted.
Daemon walked silently through the castle corridors until a sound caught his attention.
"Aegon!" a woman's voice echoed down the hallway.
A moment later, the boy came running out from one of the side corridors that connected to the path Daemon was taking toward the castle courtyard. Daemon stopped, while a maid came after him, laughing at the scene.
A knight of the Kingsguard was also accompanying them closely. Ser Orys Morrigen. He was one of the men Daemon had personally chosen to join the Kingsguard, a knight who had demonstrated honor and character ever since the war, even while fighting for the losing side and against Daemon.
The boy stopped as soon as he saw his father standing in the corridor. "Daddy!" he said with a wide smile the moment he saw him.
"My prince, maintain proper decorum in public," reprimanded the woman, Mary, who was the young prince's tutor and personal attendant.
The boy hesitated for a moment after blinking and looked back at his father before correcting himself. "Your Majesty."
Daemon merely shook his head. "You can still call me Daddy, Aegon. Come here," he said with a small smile.
He preferred that his youngest son not be so formal. After all, he was still just a child.
Encouraged by his father's words, Aegon ran over to him. Daemon crouched down and picked him up in his arms.
At that very moment, a dark direwolf, over a meter tall, appeared from the corridor, wagging its tail. It came over to join them, its tail swishing beside Daemon's legs, while the two Kingsguard knights and the maid were already accustomed to such a presence near the crown prince.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were in the garden with your mother," Daemon asked his son.
"Your Majesty, he ended up getting a little dirty playing in the soil and snow, so we came back to the castle to change his clothes," the young maid explained apologetically.
"Rhaella and I were playing with the other wolves," Aegon replied shyly.
Daemon simply nodded. It was not the first time he had seen his son running through the snow beside the direwolves, especially when accompanied by his sister.
That brought a faint smile to Daemon's face. "I imagine you were going to see your mother as well."
The boy nodded. "Yes, Daddy. Aren't you busy right now? Mommy said you were going to have a meeting," the boy murmured in his childish, curious voice.
"I do, in a little while, but I took the opportunity to leave my office and head to the garden. Since I found you, how about we go see your mother together?" Daemon suggested.
The boy nodded immediately, and Daemon turned his attention to the maid. "We'll accompany you to the garden."
With those words, they continued through the castle corridors. Daemon carried Aegon in his arms as they talked.
The people who crossed their path greeted the king with bows. Servants, soldiers, and nobles moved constantly through the Red Keep.
And, as always, there was no shortage of things to discuss or gossip about.
The mere fact that Daemon was carrying Aegon in his arms would already be enough to fuel conversations for the rest of the day. Some would say the king was a wonderful father. Others would comment that he spoiled the future King of Westeros too much.
Daemon no longer cared about that sort of talk. The truth was that Aegon was only five namedays old. He would not stop caring for his son while he was still a child.
He had never had that at that age. He had never had a man who picked him up, smiled at him, or proudly called him his son in front of everyone.
Both he and Daenerys had endured difficult childhoods. In a way, they had both decided that their children would have everything that had been denied to them.
They would not be neglectful parents. They might even be accused of spoiling their children too much, but they would make sure to give them everything that neither of them had ever received.
"So, Daddy, I saw Ser Robert Rollingford defeat that unknown knight in the courtyard. It was so cool!" Aegon said, beginning to recount everything he had seen that morning.
"You're eager to hold a sword in your hands, aren't you?" Daemon remarked with a smile.
The boy nodded, his eyes shining. He already owned a wooden sword, which he had received after expressing his desire to begin training.
Of course, Daemon still would not allow him to undergo real training. Even so, he had always taken care of his son's healthy development, even giving him a few supplementary potions to ensure that he would never fall ill during those harsh years of winter.
Even so, his son needed to reach at least six namedays before beginning proper training. Soon, his education would begin. For now, his limits were watching the training sessions in the courtyard, holding wooden swords, and admiring the real weapons whenever he asked Daemon.
The boy had asked countless times to hold Dark Sister, Blackfyre, and the other swords Daemon had acquired, since each of them carried great stories and were famous. Even Dawnbreaker had been denied to him, the sword still resting upon Meridia's statue in the middle of the city.
"Soon. Very soon you'll begin your training, and everyone in Westeros will see the mighty warrior you'll become," Daemon said with a smile.
He would personally make sure that his son became an extraordinary warrior, someone capable of surviving on his own.
"I'll be a great warrior, Daddy!" the boy declared.
"Like Ser Robert Rollingford of the Kingsguard?" Daemon asked teasingly, already knowing what the answer would be.
"No! I'll be like Daddy! Everyone says Daddy is the greatest living warrior and the greatest who has ever lived. You defeated everyone who challenged you!" Aegon replied, completely excited.
He knew all those stories. Daemon had faced many famous men since returning to that world.
The maesters were already recording all those events. Some had even interviewed Daemon himself and many other people to write a book recounting each of his battles.
From his battles against the greatest warriors of the Free Folk beyond the Wall, to the conflict at Winterfell, where he killed a man by throwing a sword, to his confrontation with Prince Joffrey, his duel against Barristan Selmy, Brynden Tully, and Robert Baratheon, in which he recounted exactly what had happened in that forest when he openly challenged the king.
He slew even more men, but those were the ones he had defeated in single combat with a sword in hand, since when he killed the Mountain, he had become a werewolf. After all, it made for a better story with one monster hunting another monster. That tale was still told from time to time, since some of the people from that village had survived the War of the Four Kings.
Then came the wars.
Daemon faced everyone who stood in his path: he defeated Blackfyre and his allies, including famous names such as Aegon Blackfyre, Garlan Tyrell, Jorah Mormont, Oberyn Martell, the Sand Snakes of Dorne, and many others.
Later came the confrontation in the throne room, when he fought seven men at once while wielding his shining sword.
And finally, the battle against the Night King, witnessed by all of Westeros through the magic of the heart trees, marking the pinnacle of the power Daemon had displayed in this world.
Daemon teased his son precisely because he enjoyed hearing that answer. It was comforting to know that the boy saw his father as the person he wanted to become.
He simply smiled. Then the two of them headed outside.
The grounds were still covered in snow, though there was noticeably less of it. "The snow is almost gone, Daddy," the boy said as he noticed it...
"Yes. Now, let's go find your mother and your sister," Daemon said.
When they reached the garden, they found a pack of direwolves that lived within the Red Keep.
Daemon kept at least thirty direwolves inside the fortress. As for the rest, he had released them into the Kingswood and the Wolfswood in the North. Since hunting those animals had been forbidden by royal decree, they had flourished.
Daemon was still regarded as the alpha of the packs he had won over beyond the Wall. The direwolves had reproduced many times over the years, and because they were constantly fed and protected, they were never at risk of starving. As a result, the pack's population had grown considerably.
Each of his children had a direwolf that had remained by their side as a protector since birth, forming an extraordinarily strong bond. In practice, they were even better guardians than a member of the Kingsguard.
"Are you looking forward to seeing summer, my son?" Daemon asked as he noticed more snow melting around them.
The boy nodded. He had never known summer. After all, he had been born right at the beginning of winter.
"Maester Marwyn said the winter didn't last that long," Aegon commented thoughtfully. "Because of all those years of summer, it was supposed to last much longer. But it ended up being short, which is really good, isn't it, Daddy?"
"It is. You'll see how everything will become much less white. Here in the south, Westeros will turn green again, and I think you'll like it very much. Even though you were born with the same resistance to the cold that your father and the Starks possess, your sister and I are even more special, to the point that even the harshest snow is no inconvenience for us..."
"Are we not going to see snow anymore, Daddy?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. Even though snow was the only thing he had ever known during those five years, Aegon had grown attached to the weather.
"Not until the next winter. Even so, we can still find snow beyond the Wall," he replied.
Aegon looked thoughtful and reluctant, but Daemon smiled before adding, "I don't think Winter is going to like the change very much."
Aegon ended up laughing as well.
He knew that the ice dragon loved winter. Winter had lived extremely happily throughout those past five years.
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