AN: It's been a crazy couple of months to be honest. I was already planning on taking April off due to real world commitments but wanted to leave at least two more updates before then, but then the first week of that month I fell seriously ill to the point that I was bedridden for a week, so I couldn't write anything. Then I was busy for all of April, and when I became free in May I decided to just lounge about and read manga and play video games rather than do anything productive. In short, I got lazy. Seriously, April was hell.
But I'm not dead!
Anyway, that's the end of that. The show must go on and all that, assuming anyone is left. Better late than never.
Enjoy.
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The year was 206 AC, and the Seven Kingdoms were entering what could be called a transitional period, even if many of the lords and smallfolk were unaware of it.
King Daeron "the Good" Targaryen, the Second of His Name, had ruled for roughly twenty-two years. Over two decades of peace had endured under his reign. A very fragile and increasingly tense peace, but it was peace nonetheless. His court remained stable on the surface, even if filled with his Dornish supporters, and the fickleness of the Unworthy's rule was becoming more and more of a distant memory every year.
This year also marked Aenys Targaryen's fifteenth name day.
The young prince had grown considerably since his first flight over Dragonstone five years ago. His muscles were finally starting to come in as his body matured, and he continued to grow taller every moon. Many said that he looked more like his Uncle Maekar than he did his father, who was more spindly and lanky in nature.
Some even whispered that his physique would one day resemble that of the monster that had been King Maegor.
Aenys never commented on these comparisons.
The only noticeable differences between himself and his two relatives were his longer hair and his more "princely looks," which Shiera joked was a polite way of saying that he was more handsome than Maekar. In fact, many said he was the most handsome prince in the realm. Only Aerion came close apparently, and with how often the two of them were together it gave the servants and lords and ladies plenty of time to compare. Mostly the ladies.
The comparisons between Aenys and Maegor were made as a jest by many given Aenys' name, considering that the king he was named after had been slender and weak.
Aenys himself found it funny, so he never bothered correcting the comparison even though he knew that his grandfather was never happy with it. His grandfather was not happy with many things lately. Despite his innate love for his grandfather, Aenys had grown to disregard more and more of the man's opinions as he aged. He was not always subtle about it either as he made his opinions known many times. This caused a lot tension in the family, but that could be talked about more later.
For Aenys had other things on his mind, such as his upcoming hunt. If everything went well, then he would be knighted by the turn of the moon.
And he wasn't talking about a regular hunt either, for he was not looking to catch mere game.
Aenys had flown to the Vale a week ago. He was accompanied by several members of his family as Lord Arryn welcomed them to the Eyrie with open arms. The king was not present, but the royal visit was commemorated as if he were, all thanks to Aenys' presence. While his family first traveled by ship from King's Landing, landing at Gulltown, and then traveled by carriage to the Eyrie, Aenys flew straight to the historic castle from Dragonstone on the back of Vaeraxes. Well, there was one exception. Shiera traveled with him and Vaeraxes too, much to the annoyance of Aelora.
Over the years, Aenys and Vaeraxes had given free rides to many of his cousins so that they could experience the thrill and freedom of being in the air as their ancestors once did. Aenys had to make sure that he always gave Vaeraxes many treats afterward for being so patient with his family, but deep down he knew that the dragon enjoyed being in the air as much as Aenys did.
Even little Aegon, now six, had gotten the courage to ask him to fly with Vaeraxes earlier in the year. The young boy said it was the best experience in the world and cried about his own egg never hatching. It was unfortunate really, but there was not much Aenys could do about it.
Little Rhae was the only one who had not yet flown with him and Vaeraxes, much to her annoyance. But her mother said that she was still much too young and to be more patient.
Her pouting face at being denied was adorable, and Aenys almost caved many times because of it. He liked to spoil her often.
The only other who had never flown with Aenys and Vaeraxes was Valarr, but that was more to do with his cousin's needless pride than anything else. The relationship between the two of them noticeably cooled as they aged and Valarr began to show more signs of maturity, but he did not approach Aenys to make amends for his childhood resentment either.
As for Aenys? Aenys just continued to ignore him. Whatever negative feelings he might have had toward Valarr when he was younger vanished over the years, classifying the past as the acts of a child throwing a tantrum. Hardly worth getting angry over. Now, Aenys felt nothing toward his cousin. There was just indifference there, which might be worse depending on how one looked at it.
Anyway, despite leaving after his family, Aenys and Shiera arrived at the Vale well before them. The guards, maids, knights, and other servants of the Eyrie had watched with amazement and wariness as Vaeraxes landed in the inner courtyard of the castle, much like Visenya Targaryen had once done with Vhagar. Thankfully Aenys had not come as a conqueror but as a guest.
Vaeraxes continued to grow just as Aenys did. The dragon was the same age as Aenys, which meant it was still young, but despite that the maesters who oversaw Vaeraxes' development often commented about the dragon's abnormal growth rate. Already Vaeraxes surpassed the likes of Syrax and Meleys, and those dragons had been adults by the time of their deaths.
There were many theories about why Vaeraxes was growing so rapidly, but there was no conclusive answer. To Aenys, it was just the work of magic, and magic was not always rational. Dragons were magic personified, which made them all the more powerful.
Aenys and Shiera had arrived sooner than anticipated, so the servants were left scurrying in order to receive them properly. They were still scrambling as Aenys and Shiera dismounted from Vaeraxes with ease. Shiera had much experience flying on the dragon as she spent more time in the air with Aenys than anyone else, much to the jealousy of many.
The pair caught the attention of all those who saw them as they walked into the castle, arms linked. They were a beautiful sight, after all. It was as if they embodied the dragon lords of old. Almost like they came out of a painting.
The older Aenys became, the more bold Shiera became with her public signs of affection, to the point that they were tied to one another every time they made a public appearance. This was another cause for tension within the Targaryen family and the realm at large, but neither Aenys nor Shiera showed any care for this tension.
A lot of this tension came from Shiera's reputation within the Red Keep and the Seven Kingdoms. Many whispered that she was nothing more than a witch like her late mother who bathed in blood in order to maintain her beauty. There was no denying that the more she aged, the more beautiful Shiera became. It did not help that she dressed more sensually than the average noble lady, which drew the eyes of the lords, whether married or not. Her current attire, that of leather riding gear, was a rare exception, but even then the way the leather outfit clung to her form like a second skin attracted many gazes downward.
As always, Shiera basked in the attention, not one to shy away from her beauty. Modesty was not a word that she understood.
Aenys was probably one of two who knew whether the rumors regarding her usage of blood magic were true or nothing more than just slander, but he never made any public statements about this either. He regarded the fear toward magic as nothing more than the ignorance of the Faith.
Shiera had merely looked amused when Lord Arryn appeared hesitant to bow his head before her as he greeted them, and not just because he was near death's door due to his advanced age so moving in general was difficult for him now. Magic was not particularly a popular topic within the Vale, after all. Not with their roots so closely tied to the Faith. And the Arryns were a house which honored the Faith religiously.
The rest of the royal family arrived a couple of days later with stories of their unique journey to the Eyrie, namely being carried up the final stretch of the mountain by a winch-basket.
Aenys later lamented that he was not able to use the baskets as the rest of his family to get up the castle. It would have been a one-of-a-kind experience for sure.
His mother had not enjoyed it.
Apart from Aenys, Shiera, and Aelinor, the others who made the trip to the Vale were Rhaegel, Alys, Aelor, Aelora, Daenora, Maekar, Daeron, Aerion, and Daella. Then there was also Brynden, who kept to himself even as he was formally greeted by Lord Arryn with the rest of the family. Three of the Kingsguard happened to accompany them for the occasion as well.
Yeah, there were a lot of Targaryens in the castle of the Arryns, which the aged lord was more than happy to point out many times throughout the welcoming feast. Something about the close ties between the house of the dragon and the falcon. True enough, the two houses had shared three marriages together now, more than any other of the great houses.
Why were they all here? Again, it was for Aenys' knighting ceremony. Or more specifically, to see if he was ready to earn his knighthood.
Lord Donnel Arryn had sent a raven to King's Landing earlier in the year discussing the numerous raids being conducted by the many mountain clans that called the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon their home. The previous year, there had been a brief winter that hit Westeros. It did not last for too long, but it had been fierce. No doubt these clans began to act out as a result of being hit hard by the cold and needing ways to feed themselves. It was the best way to explain the ferocity in their raids, which did not seem to stop even as the new year came upon them.
Donnel's raven had been a way to send word to the king that he was mobilizing his forces due to these raids, not for any other purpose. Not that it did much good. The knights of the Vale were unable to adequately track down the hill tribes. They struck quick and left just as quick. By the time the knights arrived, there was not a trace of them. The hill tribes had learned to never engage in open combat with the knights if they could help it. It was not the "proper" way to battle, but they cared little for such things. The knights could curse about honor all they wanted, but the fact remained that these barbarians were proving to be effective with their methods.
Aenys just saw the situation as a way to test himself in real combat. He had been training fiercely for most of his life now, but actual combat was more effective than any training. These mountain clans were said to be ferocious. Aenys wanted to see for himself just how ferocious they really were. And so, when he asked if he could go to the Vale and help exterminate the hill tribes with the lords, his grandfather allowed it, and Maekar followed to watch over him. Aenys was still squiring for him, after all.
His Uncle Rhaegel only came because Aunt Alys saw it as a way to visit her family again, and for her children to see her homeland. It was a vacation for them essentially.
Daeron and Aerion were eager to stand beside him in combat, and so they came as well. Daella just wanted to be included, or so Aenys heard.
He wasn't sure why Brynden was here, but Aenys didn't give it much thought. Not because he was overlooking his great uncle, but because he knew that the man was not here to interfere with his plans. More than likely, Brynden was only tagging along so that he could spy for his grandfather. Of course, there was also the desire that was ever present in his eyes every time he glanced at Shiera, so maybe he just came because Shiera was here.
Aenys knew there was history there.
Apart from the Targaryens, lords from the Vale had gathered at the Eyrie in order to contribute in the fight against the hill tribes. Many lords south of the Eyrie had had their domains struck by the mountain clans, so Aenys was not surprised to see them here. He did not expect to see other lords on top of that. These included houses Sunderland, Hunter, Lynderly, and others.
Thankfully they did not bring their daughters with them. Aenys did not want to entertain ladies that did not interest him in the slightest.
Throughout the welcoming feast, Aenys was seated by his cousins, more specifically Aelora and Daenora. Shiera was kept away from him at all times. This detail did not go unnoticed by Aenys, but he did not comment on it. He already knew what Donnel Arryn and his grandfather were hoping for after Jena failed to deliver a daughter to his Uncle Baelor.
"Such a shame," Shiera had once said sarcastically to him.
The way her eyes lit up with delight at that moment had made Aenys question whether she had done anything to Jena to prevent her from giving birth again. Her skills had grown considerably over the years as she experimented more and more with her magic. Not that it troubled Aenys. He had little interest in tying himself closer to Baelor's line. Not because he disliked his uncle, but because he wanted nothing to do with Valarr.
The topic of marriage was not something that Aenys was going to be able to put off forever, though, especially if he was knighted here. Already his parents had warned him about the vultures circling him. The fact that his grandfather had not already decided on a betrothal for him was an act of mercy that would not last for too much longer. His grandfather was trying to play a balancing game with him and not push him away any more than he already had. It was no different from what he had done with the Blackfyres all throughout his reign.
The only problem was that Aenys was far more dangerous than Daemon Blackfyre had ever been, and that fact only became more and more apparent over the years. But again, this could be discussed later.
"You could always just fuck my sister," Lyonel wrote to him once. It was written in jest, mostly, but Aenys knew that his friend was more shrewd than he initially came off as. No doubt Lyonel wanted to see his family advance too, and what better way to do that than to tie his banner to Aenys'?
Fortunately Tybolt didn't have a sister, so he couldn't make a similar offer. Not that it would make much of a difference. Aenys was more interested in keeping his options close to home, if that made sense.
Perhaps he was a bastard for finding amusement in Aelora's feelings, but he would not deny the fact that he found satisfaction in seeing his cousin so blatantly try to win his favor over the years. While Aelora was not as beautiful as Shiera, she was only ten, she was still considered to be one of the most beautiful ladies in the realm despite that. Her mix of Lannister-Arryn and Targaryen looks gave her a certain exotic appeal. The same was true for Aelor to be honest. His younger cousin was more than happy to use his looks to his advantage as he had many of the maids perform different sexual acts for him in recent months.
Honestly, sometimes Aenys felt as though Aerion was a bad influence on their younger cousin as Aerion was the one who first took Aelor to a brothel earlier in the year, which awoke his cousin's sexual appetite. But perhaps Aelor was just born like that. Needless to say, Uncle Maekar did not appreciate their antics while Uncle Rhaegel just laughed it all off. Aunt Alys tried to be more strict with Aelor, but it was far too late for that. None of the maids dared turn down a prince's advances.
As for Aelora, she had many knights looking to win her favor already, but she never gave them any attention, her eyes fixated solely on Aenys. No doubt she was encouraged to do so by her mother, but Aenys did not doubt that her feelings for him were genuine. That being said, while he treated her amicably, Aenys kept her at a certain distance for now. He did not wish to give his grandfather any ideas that he was entertaining a match that he had decided on.
That was the root of the problem really. Daeron wanted to control Aenys, and Aenys did not appreciate that. Aenys realized how self-serving his thoughts were, but any time he looked at Vaeraxes, Aenys questioned what real power his grandfather had over him. The king wasn't even a warrior to begin with. He was more happy to sit back on his throne and let his ears be filled with the words of his supporters than take any action for himself.
There he went again, thinking such negative thoughts about his grandfather when the man had done many good things for him. It was a constant battle for Aenys, for he knew that his grandfather had treated him fairly over the years. The same was true for his Uncle Baelor too.
Perhaps he wanted too much. Perhaps he was just ungrateful. Aenys did not know.
"You should not think too much about such things," Shiera said to him as she walked into his chamber the night they arrived at the Eyrie. She used her spells to cloak her presence to all others. It was one of her favorite spells. "Being grateful does not mean you should roll over to my brother's whims."
"Then what would you have me do?" Aenys asked her.
Rather than give him the answer he expected, Shiera surprised him when she just smiled.
"Whatever it is that you want, be it the throne or something else."
Aenys did not have a response to that. As he grew older, he started to fear that Shiera was just trying to use him for her own ambitions. That she wanted to be queen. But as always, she never asked anything of him. She never gave him any orders or instructions. Shiera just walked beside him, merely watching over him.
Given the history of their family, hells given the family's current state, it seemed too good to be true honestly. And yet, their relationship continued as it had always been. One of mutual affection.
And so, Aenys did not push Shiera away when she began to kiss him. He never did. It was just another secret between them. They had not gone further than this. Not yet. But the older he grew, the more difficult it was for Aenys to resist his urges.
Was this her plan then? Again, Aenys did not know. He just knew that Shiera's lips were unbelievably soft.
His heart might have been swayed, but Aenys did not try to fight it.
---
The Eyrie was said to be the smallest of the castles belonging to the great houses of Westeros. Aenys had yet to visit any other, so he could not be sure how accurate that statement was. It was smaller than the Red Keep. He could confirm that much at least.
Despite its small size, Aenys found a certain beauty to the castle. Being so far high up in the mountains was not something that he had ever experienced before, so it was stimulating. It was not winter, but it was still cold. He could only imagine how it got up here when it actually was winter.
'And they say the North is colder still,' he mused to himself, wondering just how much the cold of the North differed from the mountain.
Aenys' thoughts drifted to the back of his mind as his cousins deliberated all around him about the aesthetics of the castle. Lord Arryn had invited them to take a look around before the campaign against the mountain clans was set to start.
"The white stone has a certain appeal," Aelor said with a nod as they walked through the godswood of the castle after having seen the High Hall and the Crescent Chamber. He was dressed in a fine light red doublet. His hair was combed neatly. Unlike Aenys and Aerion, he preferred to keep his short.
Aerion did not look impressed as he snorted in derision. "This place is a hovel. Makes you wonder what the Andals were thinking when they decided to make it."
"Was it the Andals? I thought it was built before then," Daeron said.
Aelora clicked her teeth as she walked beside Aenys, their arms linked. She had decided to claim Aenys' right arm for herself for the occasion, something which she often did. In public, Aenys liked to shrug it off as mere familial affection.
"I know you enjoy swinging your sword, but you should know your history better, cousin."
"T'ch. You're only saying that because your mother comes from here," Daeron retorted without any real heat.
Aerion smirked. "Imagine that. Being born a lowly falcon. What would have become of you, dear Aelora."
"Try not to insult our hosts while we're still in their home, Aerion." Aenys did not look at his cousin as he said this.
Aerion chuckled. "That does not mean you do not agree, my dear cousin."
Aenys did not respond, mostly because he knew that Aerion was right.
Aelor looked slightly uncomfortable. "Come now, Aerion. Must you always make such jokes?"
"It's a matter of Targaryen pride," Aerion said. "Lord Arryn was boasting far too much when we arrived for my liking."
"Because he said that the Targaryens and Arryns were as close as kin?" Daeron guessed with an exasperated look.
"Precisely. The falcon should not dare compare itself to the dragon."
Aelora looked annoyed, her grip on Aenys' arm tightening. "He's my grandfather, you know."
Aerion shot her a smirk. "And that, my dear, is why you should count yourself lucky to be among us. Or what? Are you unhappy to be a Targaryen? The same blood as Aenys?"
Aenys was not surprised that Aerion was making such a comparison. His cousin regarded him as the "best of the Targaryens" for the mere fact that he was a dragon rider.
"You're lucky Jasper is not here to hear you say these things," Daeron said with a shake of his head.
Jasper Arryn was the second-in-line to the Eyrie, the grandson of Donnel Arryn. A young boy at the moment, but smart and shrewd from what all the rumors said.
Aerion looked unbothered by this. "Why should I care about the opinions of a mere brat?"
Daenora looked as uncomfortable as her brother as she glanced at Aenys and Aelora. "I-I don't think we should be talking about this anymore."
"Agreed." Aelor was happy to move on. "Do you think we'll be able to visit the rest of the kingdoms soon!?"
"Probably not," Daeron answered. "We're older than all of you, and this is the first time that we've been out of the Crownlands and Dragonstone."
"Does Summerhall not count for you, brother?" Aerion said.
"It's not like we've seen Storm's End yet."
"A certain someone received an invitation recently." Aelora did a not-so-subtle glance toward Aenys.
Aenys raised an eyebrow. "How do you know about that?"
"Your mother was talking about it to my mother."
Of course she was.
"Lyonel, huh." Daeron looked thoughtful. "We haven't seen him in a while."
Aerion smirked again. "It's probably his father whispering to him to get Aenys to come. He has a sister, doesn't he? They must be trying to set something up there, the fools."
'If only you knew,' Aenys thought, somewhat amused that Aerion was inadvertently correct.
Aelora's arm tightened around Aenys' again as she looked unhappy by Aerion's insinuation. "The Baratheons wouldn't be so foolish."
"Oh, cousin. Who wouldn't want to marry Aenys?" Aerion cocked his head, amused. "And as happy as you look hanging off his arm, Aenys has not been promised to anyone. Who knows what our grandfather will decide."
It was Aenys' turn to look annoyed. "Is the topic of my future marriage such an interesting one to you all? We were supposed to be seeing the castle, were we not?"
"We can do both," Aelor said with a half-grin. "You're older than me, but you have yet to even lay with a woman."
Aelora glared at her twin. "Our sister does not need to hear of your vulgarity."
True enough, Daenora's face was red as she tried to make herself look as small as possible. For a Targaryen princess, she was very meek and innocent. It made Aenys want to hug her and hold her honestly.
'Hm, I like cute things.'
Perhaps he was weird.
Regardless of the annoying topic they stumbled into, Aenys always enjoyed spending time with his family. His cousins were his favorite. None of them had yet to be tainted with the reality of politics. They were still children, and so they could talk openly with one another as mere family.
Aenys wished it would not change, but he was keenly aware that it could not remain forever.
And it saddened him.
---
The celebratory mood inside the castle could not last forever.
Plans for the upcoming campaign against the hill tribes were soon drawn up by Lord Arryn and his retainers. It was Prince Maekar who oversaw the final preparations alongside Brynden.
Aenys was allowed to participate in the meeting, which took place inside the High Hall, but did not speak. He merely stood back as he listened to all the plans that his uncle was preparing. Unlike his father, Aenys recognized the martial inclinations of his uncle. Maekar and Baelor were both competent warriors as well as commanders.
The same could be said for Brynden, although Aenys knew that his relative's true talents were elsewhere.
Aelor, Daeron, and Aerion joined Aenys as well. Like with Aenys, the young princes merely listened and did not dare speak. They knew better than anyone that Maekar was not a man who tolerated disobedience.
There were times when Aenys would glance to the two thrones placed at the end of the chamber. They were made of weirwood, a special tree that was said to be nearly instinct in the southern kingdoms. Shiera told him many things about the trees which aroused his curiosity, but he supposed now wasn't the time for such thoughts.
He had to give the Arryns credit, though. Not many would think to make thrones out of weirwoods.
"They're using hidden goat tracks and other unmarked trails to travel through the mountains," Brynden explained as he gestured to the different sections of the map which he had drawn. He and the others stood around a long table. "Since they travel light, even if you're able to find these paths, they'll just skirt around your position until you lose them entirely."
Maekar grunted. "Heavily armored knights cannot do well in those treacherous passes."
Falling to the valleys below would be certain death.
"We're well aware of how these brutes travel," Denys Arryn said. He was the heir to Vale. He was broad-shouldered and had short sandy blond hair and blue eyes. "We just cannot identify all these paths to set up a trap."
"A trap?" Aenys did not recognize the man who spoke, but he wore the sigil of house Redfort. "We should smash these savages in the field! Leave their rotting corpses for the rest of them to find. That should send them a message."
There were some murmurs of agreement from the other lords.
This simple-minded attitude when it came to battle was starting to grate on Aenys' nerves.
"If that were enough to handle the situation, then we would not be here, would we?" Brynden quite openly rebuked the Lord Redfort, causing the man to scowl. "We will approach the situation differently."
Lord Redfort did not back down so easily as he said, "Just how were you able to locate these unmarked trails in the first place? You have not been here more than a couple of days, yet you've drawn quite a detailed map."
"Lord Brynden has his ways." Surprisingly, Maekar came to Brynden's defense as he looked at the lord, who seemed to flinch when he noticed the annoyance dancing in Maekar's eyes. "You have the dragon's assurance that this information is accurate."
'Hm.' Aenys almost hummed out loud at this. He wondered if his uncle was more aware of Brynden's abilities than he let on. Or maybe he just took Brynden's side as a matter of principle? Supposedly Maekar did not like Brynden very much, but despite that Brynden was still a Targaryen. Maybe it was a matter of siding with family?
"There are other solutions that we have not yet explored." Another lord spoke up. He was big. Honestly, he was one of the biggest men Aenys had ever seen, not counting his Uncle Maekar. He had short brown hair and slate-gray eyes. Even though he was dressed in a bronze doublet, his muscles were still visible through the fabric.
'A Royce.'
Aenys had heard much about them, mostly due to their history with his family.
Lord Royce turned his gaze toward Aenys. "Prince Aenys and his dragon. With them, we could easily burn them from their positions."
Oh? Now there was a development.
"But the prince is young…."
"He has yet to participate in a battle, correct?"
"What about his dragon? Is it ready?"
"Untested. Dangerous."
Aenys felt his fingers twitch as he heard the disparaging comments about him and Vaeraxes. Were they so unafraid of the dragons that they would so blatantly insult him like this? To his face?
Before Aenys' temper got the better of him, Maekar spoke up.
"An interesting point to consider, but Prince Aenys is not here to lead any charge."
"Why not?" Lord Royce was probably one of the few lords in the realm who would dare raise an objection against Maekar Targaryen, and Aenys found himself liking the man more for it. Perhaps he was just being biased since the lord was speaking in his favor, whether intentional or not.
"A dragon's fire is worth more than any knight's steel. Is that not true?"
Aenys could tell his uncle was already annoyed by the way his face twitched. It was subtle so many would miss it, but after having spent so much time around his uncle Aenys became accustomed to the man's tells.
"Perhaps we should let Prince Aenys speak for himself?" Lord Hunter suggested. He had a twirly brown mustache. Even from afar, Aenys could smell the stench of wine coming from the man. The lord loved to drink.
All eyes turned to Aenys. Aerion was staring at him expectantly while Daeron's face was more impassive.
He knew what his uncle wanted him to say, but Aenys was not one to go with the flow if he could help it.
"Vaeraxes and I can handle some hill tribes," he said with a small grin. "If you think it wise, then we can fly on the morrow."
In the back of his mind, Aenys knew his mother would not be thrilled about this. Not that she was thrilled about him participating in this campaign in the first place. So really, he had nothing to lose at this point. He had wanted to face the hill tribes head on, but burning them down with Vaeraxes didn't sound too bad either.
Maekar did not look pleased by his answer but, in a rare moment of self-awareness, he composed himself before he let his prickly nature take over the meeting.
"Very well. Prince Aenys will fly with Vaeraxes over the battlefield and burn them out of whatever wretched dwelling they have entrenched themselves in. We shall formulate our plans with this formation in mind."
As the lords agreed and Aerion looked excited, Aenys wondered to himself whether he would still be knighted if he burned every single one of the hill tribes to smithereens.
---
"You are still too brash, Aenys."
He had expected Maekar to be the one to find him to give him a lecture, but imagine his surprise when Aenys found Brynden pulling him aside after the meeting had concluded.
His great uncle had not changed much in the past five years. He was still the same ghastly man that Aenys always pictured him as. He wore his usual scarlet tunic as he carried Dark Sister with him. The fact that the sword was still in Brynden's possession was another sore topic for Aenys, and it was another way that his grandfather was trying to control him. For he was confident that he was already a better swordsman than Brynden, but rather than accept any formal duel between them Brynden always rejected the proposals, which his grandfather allowed.
For now, Aenys focused on the man before him rather than the sword which he coveted. "Of what do you refer, uncle?"
Aenys did not always call Brynden "uncle," and when he did it was more of a mocking term rather than anything that resembled affection. Not because he disliked the man. Not really. Aenys just liked to see if he could get under the man's skin. He was always so composed that it was annoying ...well, unless his half-brother was involved. Then he seemed more human.
"You did not have to come here to prove yourself," Brynden said. If he knew where Aenys' thoughts were, he did not show it as he remained calm. "You put yourself in unnecessary danger. Maekar would have preferred if you remained in the back. You still would have earned your knighthood regardless."
"Is my uncle playing favorites now?" Aenys said in turn. "A man such as himself would not be happy with a half-hearted participation. Am I wrong?"
Brynden just stared at him with those red eyes of his. Aenys was not afraid of him, but he could admit that there was a certain intensity to them that no one else seemed to carry.
"Or perhaps are you worried about me, Brynden?" Aenys cocked his head as he grinned. "That would make me happy. You never seem to care about anyone else. Does that mean that I'm your favorite nephew?"
"You've grown taller, but your mentality is still shortsighted."
"Shortsighted?" Aenys wanted to laugh. "I think I'm doing pretty well for myself."
"You don't seem to understand what truly matters. I would have thought Shiera would have told you by now."
"She has nothing to do with this."
"If that's what you want to tell yourself." Brynden stepped closer and placed a hand on Aenys' shoulder. "I'll leave you with a word of advice, nephew. Your blood must sit upon the throne, one way or another. The black dragon is a false dragon no matter what others may claim. Do not let your thoughts of petty glory distract you from what is truly important. There is a bigger game than the one of thrones. Understand that and adapt. It is what is best for our family."
Those words left Aenys more confused than he wanted to admit. As he watched Brynden walk away, Aenys was forced to admit that perhaps the man was not here doing his grandfather's bidding. On the contrary, for the first time it seemed like Brynden had aspirations of his own.
Wasn't that just fun?
As always, nothing was ever simple in this family.