The Council, Valyria
Laenor came out of his memories and realized that he had missed the three Archons arriving and taking their seats in the topmost circle. Though from his point of view, Laenor thought that the Archons' chairs were placed slightly lower than those of the dragonlords. Anyhow, the Council had begun as the man seated in the center of the lower circle stood up and seemingly assumed his duty as the crier of the council.
Though the Archons and many others were glancing at them—some like the Aetharyons with recognition in their eyes, while others with confusion on their faces—their presence was not the first matter discussed.
Laenor looked at the Council of Valyria convened before him. From what he had learned after an hour, the middle circle of chairs belonged to the lords of families who were proficient mages. As one of them had stood up to give reports on how much they had been able to gather about the time they now found themselves in, with the use of dragonglass candles.
The next matter in the business of the Council was discussing the current state of the Free Cities and how they were reacting to Valyria's return. Only Volantis seemed not to mind Mother Valyria's return, if the reports of the candle users were to be believed. The Triarchy, however, did not seem to be taking the news very well and was already connecting with sellsails and sellswords.
The news earned growls and grunts from many of the gathered lords, and Laenor saw his father and Viserys share a look at the report.
The death of Maegor Gontaris was brought up next, along with the absence of Lady Melisa Zaldri. Soon, Maelor and Rhaegon stepped forward and told the council of the blood contract, as well as the battle that had taken place. Almost all of the council's eyes turned toward Laenor when Maelor pointed at him and announced that the Zaldri family would be dissolved into the new dragonlord family that was Velaryon, and that it would be Laenor who would stand as the head of the family. The Dragonlords reacted with shock after hearing that Zaldri's name would be dissolved. Laenor also saw Aegor Velaryon sitting on the middle circle, one of mage families looking at him with calculative look.
Laenor met all their stares with a calm and measured gaze of his own, with a hint of arrogance copied from them. The heads of the Drakonar faction sent nods of acknowledgement and welcome toward him, while the faction led by Lady Belaerys stared at him with calculating eyes.
Laenor ignored the looks of disdain and challenge from Rhaegon's faction, who were all seated beside him.
Before the conversation could shift fully toward him and his family, one of the Archons—the female one—asked Lord Maelor about the storm and thunder strikes that had befallen Balerion Tower, eying Laenor as she spoke. Maelor outright refused to explain himself, saying that it did not concern the Archons and the council and was a matter of his own family.
Archon Saerys Mallarys gritted her teeth but eventually nodded before falling silent.
Vaelyx Valtheos, one of the three Archons, looked at Laenor, his father, and Viserys before speaking.
"Lord Corlys Velaryon and King Viserys Targaryen, as well as Lord Laenor Velaryon, I would like to thank you for coming here. As for the reason for calling you three here, there are many, so to speak. We have already met and spoken with your host here in Valyria, Lady Rhaenys, before this gathering, and learned how you came to know of Valyria's return before anyone else—and in such a short time as well. But she was unable to answer all of our doubts. So we had no other option but to call you here and arrange this gathering before its proper time. Now, my fellow Archons and I would like to receive some answers before we discuss what your two families intend to do now after Valyria's return."
Laenor saw King Viserys and his father nod in agreement to the Archon's words.
"Splendid. We appreciate your cooperative stance. Before anything else, we would like to know how you came to learn of Valyria's rebirth before anyone else. Perchance, is there a seer like Daenys present in the Targaryen family who foresaw Mother Valyria's return?" Archon Vaelyx asked with curiosity, his gaze narrowing toward Viserys.
King Viserys was almost jovial with all the attention he was receiving, but beneath that there was also unease. More than anything, Viserys seemed indecisive, unable to determine whether he should tell them that God Arrax had informed the Targaryens and Velaryons of Valyria's return.
In the end, the King of the Seven Kingdoms looked at them with a questioning expression, and both Laenor and his father gave small nods, understanding what the king was asking.
Viserys nodded in resolve before turning toward the council and saying in a firm voice,
"It was Lord Arrax, King of the Fourteen, who foretold to us the return of the Freehold before the moonturn of that fateful day."
There was silence for a heartbeat before the council erupted in denial and anger at being told what they believed were lies. Before long, Archon Vaegor Aertigar spoke.
"Come now, King Viserys Targaryen. You want us to believe that you met the King of the Gods, Arrax? And that Lord Arrax himself warned you of Valyria's return?"
There was clear mockery in his voice, and many in the chamber laughed as they looked toward Viserys, who gritted his teeth in anger. Suddenly, a roar of rage and hatred rang through the vast hall of the council.
Laenor recognized that roar immediately—it was the roar of old Lady Vhagar. The roar that gave nightmares to weak hearts, as the largest living dragon of the Targaryen bellowed like she wished to tear her throat open for the whole world to hear.
All but the dragonlords stopped snickering, suddenly realizing that the man before them was a dragonlord with a powerful dragon, if the roar was any sign.
"I was not alone when I met Lord Arrax. My whole family, along with the Velaryons, were present with me. You can ask them if I was spinning lies and falsehoods. I am a king; I would not make a mockery of myself before you all by speaking lies I never uttered. If you do not believe my words, why call me here in the first place?"
Viserys looked ready to leave before another voice stopped him.
"Forgive us, King Viserys. Please resume your seat. It is simply that your claim of meeting Lord Arrax surprised us, that is all. You must agree with us on that—anyone, even from among us, claiming to have met our lord and sire, the King of the Fourteen Flames, Arrax, would have been laughed at as well."
Archon Vaelyx spoke in a calm, placid manner.
"Now, to everyone present, I would like to remind you that our return itself is nothing short of a miracle and a blessing granted to us by Lord Arrax. So there is a high likelihood that God Arrax may indeed have warned the only dragonlords alive at that time of our arrival. Do consider that."
Laenor could see that not everyone was convinced, but some were. Those few were now looking at them with a new light in their eyes.
After the commotion died down completely, Archon Vaelyx resumed his questioning. Most, if not all, of his questions were directed toward Viserys. He asked why the Targaryens had set their eyes on the barbaric lands of the west instead of Essos, and whether any more seers had been born among the Targaryens after the Doom—that particular question Viserys chose not to answer, with the support of Lord Maelor.
It was not only the Archons who asked questions. Many dragonlords also directed inquiries toward Viserys—things such as whether Dragonstone suited their dragons' preferences, or if the fire of the mountain was sufficient for them to perform most forms of magic within its proximity.
"Although this is more than enough, King Viserys, we must admit that we would like to know more—if you would allow us—about your family's doings during these two centuries of Valyria's absence," said Archon Vaelyx politely.
Laenor had deduced over these past few hours of the council that Archon Vaelyx was an ally of Lord Maelor, while Archon Saerys stood with Rhaegon Aetharyon.
"The next matter we would like to address is the intentions of both your families regarding Valyria. Both Aenar Targaryen and Monfrod Velaryon chose their exile willingly, without force from either the council or anyone else. And regardless of how small or great the increase in strength Valyria receives in this time, it is all welcome."
Laenor could not help but snort inwardly. It is a roundabout way of asking for help, and to think Laenor and the Targaryen were afraid of what Valyria's return meant for them. Though to their credit, neither he nor the Targaryens had known that merely returning to the city of Valyria would not restore the Freehold to its peak.
True, the dragonlords still possessed their dragons, but their numbers in Valyria were at an all-time low. Each family now possessed barely half the dragons they once had.
This was the reason the Archons—even Saerys—looked at them with hope that they would join Valyria and add their strength to the Freehold.
No doubt the Archons were already planning to invite Viserys to their feasts, hoping to convince him to support Valyria's future conquests with the armies or resources of the Seven Kingdoms. If they were bold enough, perhaps even both.
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