"Do you still wish to move forward with the ceremony, Lord Baelish."
We were at the top of the Palestone Sword, Lord Dayne, Ashara, and I. I was currently looking down, towards the sea where I could see my raft and feel my Bonded waiting on me. She missed me, and she missed the skies, but I could not risk her existence getting out so early.
"Yes." I answered as I turned from the balcony back to the other people in the room. They stood near each other, and Lord Dayne acted as a comforting presence to his daughter. I could tell they had a close relationship.
Ashara's eyes, which glistened with unshed tears, blinked and she took a deep breath in response to the news. It was easy to deduce that she expected me to call it off. She expected to be shunned again.
"What about my son?" Ashara asked. I had to respect that she asked that question. I would never expect her to abandon the child. In fact, I had other plans for that.
"Our son…" I corrected as I crossed my arms.
My plan was a simple lie. It was simple and easy, but it had so many consequences for the future. Consequences for the child, for Ashara, and for any other children we had if she was capable. They looked at me as if I had grown a second head. Shock and confusion ran across their faces before finally, relief.
Lord Dayne reached a hand behind him, and gripped the stone wall stopping us from falling over the edge for support. He looked every bit of 80 in that moment, although I knew he was younger. The unshed tears in Ashara's eyes were no longer unshed. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth and nose as she processed what I said. Her breathing intensified as she turned around to hide the reaction from me.
"Lord Baelish, you do not have to…"
"There is no guarantee that Ashara and I will be able to have a child." I started, even though I didn't believe the information myself. "And I was capable of having children the last time I saw her. The lie will work, and it will give me an heir. We will hide him in plain sight, and he will grow up a Baelish. I will legitimize him after we are married, and he will be my son." I told them, revealing my plan for the boy and the next few weeks.
The cries that Ashara was trying to hide, refused to be unheard, and she broke down in tears. I felt bad for her, even though I knew she was crying in relief. Finally, her streak of bad luck was over. Did she even know that I was a disgraced Lord? Doran knew, so surely Lord Dayne did as well? They must have been truly desperate to accept me.
"I know that you deserve a more appropriate husband for someone of your station, my Lady." I started, unsure of how to comfort the woman in front of me.
She turned around and closed the distance between us quickly. Her head impacted my chest and her arms wrapped around my midsection. I let her, and embraced her as she cried into my chest. Lord Dayne did not reprimand her as one might expect, he knew she needed this. He let me know how he felt of the situation as well, although it was much more controlled.
"House Dayne owes you a debt, Lord Baelish."
The wedding ceremony was held in the sept, by a man of the Faith. I did not oppose it, as I did not really care. This was for legitimacy in Westeros, and I could not shun the followers of the Seven any more than I already had. I also wasn't a non-believer either. My presence in this world, with the powers I had, was not some random event, or at least I refused to believe it is. So I enjoyed myself.
Lord Dayne delivered her, and I put a cloak of my house colors over her. Words were said, and we kissed. A feast was had, and people sang and drank and had a good time.
When it was time for the Bedding, I expected Ashara to be reserved about it, after everything she had been through with Rhaegar. I was wrong. As soon as the door closed, she was the aggressor.
I allowed her to take control in the beginning, allowing her to have her way with me. Although it did not end in that fashion. No one could say that we did not start our marriage off the right way, for all of Starfall heard her moans and cries.
"Lord Baelish, you and your new wife kept me up last night."
I turned to the sailor to send him a teasing comment back but he had already turned and was working with his fellows. After I thought about it for a moment, I made a note to be on guard. She and her servant were the only women on the ship and I would have to make sure they were protected.
"Me too." Ben snorted from across the chess board in between us.
I began the game with e4, of course. We moved through the first few moves with practiced ease. I was cheating a bit with the game, as I already knew lines that would develop hundreds of years into the games lifespan. Ben had picked them up as we played, and we played a lot.
It was not too long that Ashara graced the deck of the ship with her presence. Vorian was still clutched to her legs, something I would have to work on as he got older. He was now my son, and I would have to teach him how to survive in the world we lived in, and to be a man. I was young, but I was up to the task.
"Husband." Ashara greeted us as she walked up to us. I got up and gave her a kiss, and a hug.
"My wife." I said before I dropped to a squat before the cowering boy behind her. "Vorian, good morning."
"Good morning." He greeted as best he could. It came out more like a 'goo mornin' but that was to be expected of a boy under two. I couldn't wait to start to really develop a bond between us. He was only now beginning to warm up to me.
Come to me.
"I have something to show you." I told her as I turned to Ben and nodded to him. We had already talked about it this morning, and he knew what to do. It was time to reveal our biggest secret.
"What is it?" She asked as her head tilted slightly. She had changed over the past few days. When we had arrived, she walked slowly and with her eyes on the ground. She had bags under her eyes that makeup couldn't hide. Now though, her hair was perfectly groomed into a braid that fell down the center of her back. She stood up straight with her shoulders out and nose to the sky. Her eyes were up and attentive, looking around with delight.
She was a completely different person.
"BRAAAHHH!"
I smiled as she reacted to the roar in the sky above us. Weirña dove through the clouds above us with Ben's dragon right behind her. They roared together as they announced themselves to the world and my new family. They had been flying since we left Starfall. We had to keep them cooped up on the ship to hide them, and they didn't like it at all.
Ashara reacted like I expected. Fear shot through her and she unconsciously grabbed Vorian and kept him behind her, to protect him. After a moment, when she realized they weren't attacking the ship, only circling, did she look back at me.
I smiled at her and shrugged. "Surprise?" I half said half asked.
She frowned and then looked towards me and then back to the dragons that were circling the boat playfully. "Surprise?" She mimicked for a moment in shock.
That was when Weirña decided to get closer to me. Her six foot frame dipped quickly, and right before the ship she unfurled her wings, stopping her momentum. Her talons latched onto the railing on the side of the ship and she puffed up majestically before my new wife and child. I had sent her images of an egg and love while looking at her to convey how important Ashara and Vorian were to me now. She understood perfectly that this was her family and she had to protect them now.
Once again I had to wonder why Dany didn't have the Bond that we did, when both Ben and I could control our dragons so effectively. I had a running theory that with 3 dragons per person, the Bond was diluted so much it was impossible to control. But I had nothing to prove or even test that theory.
I moved to Weirña and she dipped her head to me, which I reached out and began to scratch just like she liked. A purring sound bounced from her chest to ours, so powerful that we could hear and feel it as well.
"Ashara, Vorian." I said as I nodded to them. "This is Weirña, and she is my dragon." I introduced her with a smile. "She already knows who you are and will never harm you." I continued, trying to calm the two of them down.
"Your dragon!?" Ashara said, still in shock. I could tell she wanted to ask how I was controlling her, but she couldn't find the words.
"Yes, I hatched her, and Ben hatched his while the Red Comet flew in the sky. We are Bonded, and I can control her I promise." I confirmed, trying to get her to stop panicking. "Would you like to pet her?"
"NO! We most certainly do NOT want to pet her!"
The voyage from Starfall to Siñon was not a quick one, nor was it an easy one for my new family. With every port we passed, I was asked to stop so that my new wife could visit it, and show Vorian around to the people and new places.
I allowed it sometimes, although not every one. With every denial, I upset her a little bit, but she never spoke out against me. She was used to traveling with Rhaegar, who was allowed to do as he pleased, and in turn, she was.
"Why are you so eager to return home?" She asked me one night as we laid in bed.
"I have been at war for too long, I am tired. There are projects that I started, and left in capable hands. But they might be dead from any number of things. Our people need us." I answered.
After that conversation, it seemed to sober her up a bit. This would not be a marriage of luxury and ill-thought actions. She was to be my wife, and to run a household so that I could continue to build and prepare for the future. Responsibility was a fleeting thought to her, and I made it obvious that it should be a priority from now on.
Vorian grew bored on the ship, so I taught him games such as chess and the dice games the sailors loved so much. I taught him the proper way to hold a blade. I continued his education on letters, writing, and counting. His attention was fleeting, but that was to be expected of a toddler. Sometimes I forced him to sit with me, sometimes I let him run around the ship. Sometimes Weirña would lay flat on the ship and allow Vorian to crawl over her and play, although she grew so often that it did not last long. There was barely enough room for her and Ben's dragon to lay down on the ship at night by the time we arrived in Siñon.
"Wow…"
Ben, and Ashara stood beside me. I held Vorian in my arms and we were all looking out into the ocean, where close to twenty or thirty other ships could be seen with men working hard. Past them, four piers extended into the ocean, where another five or so ships were already docked.
When I had left, there was only one pier, and there definitely weren't that many ships. Nor were that many ships bearing flags from other cities, and lands. So much had been accomplished when I was gone, and I couldn't help but smile at the progress.
"Lina has done well." I said as we continued to sail into a proper port city.
"I am excited to meet her." Ashara agreed as she took in the sights. I had told her what to expect, but this was more than I had described. I told her about the single pier, and the few ships already constructed. The end result however, was much more than I expected. I didn't sense any type of jealousy in Ashara's voice, which I was happy about.
She knew of Lina and I, and what I had done. She did not judge actually. If anything, she seemed relieved at the news. I thought it was because of her guilt of the past, thinking she was too dirty for my pure hands. She was wrong, of course. My hands were caked in mud and blood, and I wasn't sure if they could get any dirtier.
"It's good to be back home." Ben said, and I smiled as I agreed. It warmed my heart that he thought of Siñon as home.
Ben's dragon, and Weirña both roared overhead.
We were home, and they need not hide anymore. Especially since they were bigger than any animal in my lands by now. The rapid growth was …astounding to watch. As was their fire.
"My lord?"
Lina was waiting for us on the pier, along with twenty men with swords, shields, spears, and some with bows and arrows. Almost all of them had their eyes in the sky, looking for our dragons.
"It's good to see you again, Lina." I said as I walked up to them. Ashara and Vorian stood beside me holding my hands. Ben was behind us. "You don't have to worry about the dragons, the white one is mine, the red is Ben's. They will not hurt anyone on my lands."
She raised her hand and turned around to the men behind us. "Lord Baelish has returned! Lower your weapons."
The pier turned to concrete, and I noticed that the plans I had left Lina and Arton had been altered slightly. There were some raised portions of the new dock that I hadn't included.
I was not angry, because I could see the reasoning behind them. They were platforms off to the side of the main road in and out of my town. I could already see how traders could use them to negotiate out of the way of the road, or to store supplies for a short while.
Since the ocean was so much lower in elevation compared to my city, I had to design a route that would be easy to traverse for wagons, and also people. I took inspiration from my other life. There were stairs for those that could just walk up them. The stairs were the quickest way to the city. But there was also a winding concrete road that slowly gained elevation. It was basically a massive handicapped ramp that was wide enough for 3 carts to traverse.
"The tower has been renovated, and the house that you asked for Ben is also done." Lina said as we reached the top of the stairs, and I could see into the city properly.
It was incredible to see the amount of work done. The road was completely concrete as I wanted, and it was wide. Ditches were dug beside it, for drainage purposes. Down the road, I could see that all of the housing was done for the workers that Lord Arryn had sent.
That feels like a lifetime ago.
"You've done fantastically, Lina." I told her as I observed all the progress that had been made in my absence.
"Thank you Lord Baelish." She replied, uncharacteristically meek. She was normally witty and outspoken with me, even after our… predicament. Or rather, my dishonoring of her.
We're different people now. She's basically been a Lord for the past year and a half, and I've been at war. I realized as I thought more about it. It was time to change that. I was home, I had a family, and the war was behind us.
"We can go over a comprehensive report tomorrow, Lina. Tonight, let's celebrate."
The Town Hall was the place our feast was held. It felt like the entire town was there. Four pig roasts were held, we dipped into our grain storage, and alcohol was consumed. Ashara tried her best to enjoy herself, I knew she did. But there were no other nobles in the city besides us. She was not used to the type of conversation that was held with Lina.
We spoke of unofficial numbers. We spoke of families that had moved there and proved themselves invaluable. We did not speak of the women in the town sleeping with other men. We did not gossip on the state of the kingdom. We did not ponder on who Robert would take to be his wife.
The longer she was my wife, the more it became obvious that she would have to adapt to my lifestyle. She may not have followed along as easily, but she did add witty remarks here and there that made Lina laugh.
It was a good first night back at home.
It was the morning after that spelled disaster.
I woke up to a banging on my door. I jumped out of bed, startling Ashara, and grabbed Heartsbane.
"My lord! Come quick."
It was Ben, and I didn't like the tone of his voice. I moved to the door, and opened it to see him standing in full plate at the top of the stairs leading to my rooms.
"What is it?" I asked as I gripped Heartsbane a little tighter.
"1000 men marching this way. They're burning everything in their path." Ben said as his jaw clenched.
"Fuck!" I exclaimed as I processed the news. "Who is it?"
"Five silver arrows, fanned, on brown." Ben answered confidently and quickly, as if he knew that I was going to ask that question.
"House Hunter, is Eon with them?" I asked again, firing off questions. I needed information.
"Not sure Petyr, it was a farmer that relayed the news. All he knew was the sigil, and to get his ass out of there." Ben answered as he stepped back from the door slightly and looked up.
I followed his gaze to the ceiling. It was where our dragons were resting for the night, although they were awake and getting angry because of our emotions bleeding through the bond. "You think they're big enough? Is it too dangerous?" I asked, as that was the first thing my mind thought of.
"The sun is yet to rise. If we attack them now, they won't be able to fight back, all they'll see is fire raining on them." Ben said, and immediately I knew that it could work.
It was our only shot. We did not have the men to fight off a thousand men. There wasn't even a wall surrounding the town, we would be overrun. But our dragons could end the battle without it ever beginning.
They're animals of domination… Despite their age they can breathe fire… And we have no choice…
"I'll be out in a moment, only you and I will ride out." I told him as I closed the door and moved into my rooms. Ashara met my eyes, and nodded at me as she had heard the conversation. She didn't need to ask me what my intent was.
She only thought Rhaegar was a dragon…
When I walked out of the tower, I was met with the sight of the very first weirwood I had planted in my town. The weirwood that had gotten me in such trouble. In fact, it was probably the cause of all of this.
You've grown… I thought as I looked at it's towering branches and red leaves.
"BBBRRRAAAHHHH!" Weirña called out above me as she descended. When her wings flapped against the air, it vibrated my chest. The horse beneath me nearly bolted as it heard the roar and flapping wings. I had to run my hand up and down it's neck to soothe it. When Ben's dragon landed, I was sure I would be thrown off, but I was surprised.
Once it was calm enough, I reached out and touched the trunk of the weirwood beside me. Instantly I was flying over the landscape in my ethereal form. I passed
miles in mere seconds, until I saw what I was looking for. Maybe ten miles down my road, a thousand men on foot could be seen walking towards my settlement. In their hands were axes and swords.
Behind them, massive pyres of weirwood and crops could be seen burning. I sneered at them, and did my best to hide my anger. With a thought, I was back in my body, sitting beside Ben and our dragons. I sent a mental image of the place to Weirña, with a simple command: kill.
"Let's ride." I told Ben, and we took off into the night.
"BRAAAHHHHHH!"
'Thwack'
'Thwack'
'Thwack'
I released arrow after arrow into the sky, lazily aiming at my targets, yet still watching them fall. Ben and I hadn't even had to do anything to get results. Weirña and the other dragon swooped, and bathed about 20 men in dragon fire a piece before taking to the skies again.
"This is not what I expected." Ben muttered as he watched the carnage unfold in front of him.
"This is their ability, and they aren't even close to full grown yet." I agreed as I loosed another arrow.
"They're retreating." Ben said, and I lowered my bow as I realized that they were actually retreating and running away from my lands.
"Good, This will give us some time. They won't attack again without more information on the dragons." I told him, as relief flooded me. The attacking men could have raped and pillaged their heart out had we not received a warning. I made a mental note to thank the man and reward him handsomely for the information.
It wouldn't take me long to replace the weirwood that they had cut down, but there was a pressing question that had yet to be answered.
Why?
"Lord Petyr Baelish,
I, Jon Arryn, Hand of the King, Warden of the East, Lord of the Eerie hereby declare you, and Ben 'Red' Rivers, a traitor to the realm for the crimes of aiding and smuggling Elia Targaryen, Aegon Targaryen, and Rhaella Targaryen before they could be brought to trial. You have a fortnight to return to King's Landing to stand trial and answer for your crimes before King Robert Baratheon… title, title, title. MOTHER FUCKER!" I yelled as I read the piece of paper in my hands.
My blood boiled underneath my skin. "A traitor…" I hissed as I put the parchment down on the table in front of me. My hands gripped the table, and I squeezed so hard I thought the very stone would be crushed under my strength.
"What?" Ashara asked, dumbfounded. I looked at her, and her face was white as a ghost. I could only imagine what she was thinking right about now. I had turned into her death sentence with a single piece of paper.
I couldn't give a fuck right now. After all my sacrifices, this is what I was handed in return. All these mother fucking Lords and Kings only spoke one language, and that was violence.
"How dare they!" Ben roared. "After everything we gave them!" His anger was even worse and more explosive than my own.
"BRRRRAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Both Weirña and his dragon roared in the skies above us in response to our emotions. I could practically feel the heat rolling out of their mouths through our bond.
"I've had enough." I said, coming to a decision that I would never take back. "I gave them Gulltown, Ashford, I gave them an army, I gave them so many victories. I handed them the Seven Kingdoms on a silver fucking platter and this is how they treat me!" I roared.
"They're going to fucking die for this…" I muttered. "I will burn the Eerie to the ground, King's Landing will fall to dragon fire, but not before I slay Jon Arryn and Robert Fucking Baratheon myself. He fancies himself a conqueror, an Usurper…" I vowed to both my wife, and Ben.
"I'm going to show him a real conqueror…"