Here are a few months into the adventure, and we have already reached Chapter 106. I thank you all for your support and hope that you will continue to follow the future stories I will post in the future.
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-Chapter 106-
-POV Arianne Martell-
Seeing the doors of the Red Keep open, I raised my head, waiting for my husband to enter and pass through the doors of our seat of power.
The first to enter were infantry soldiers who lined up to form an honor guard.
My heart raced once I saw Ghost enter the Red Keep's courtyard at a slow pace, head high with my husband, the king of the seven crowns, atop him.
I was truly relieved to see him return alive and unharmed because deep down, I feared that history would repeat itself a second time, and I would suffer the same fate as my aunt Elia.
I smiled and moved forward towards him once Ghost stopped, and he jumped off his giant wolf. I prepared to bow, but a hand held my shoulder while another lifted my chin.
My smile tensed for a second before he kissed my forehead and said, "I missed you."
Relief flooded me, feeling that he was not angry with me, and then I said, "You too, my love."
He smiled and then took my hand, silently declaring to all the nobles in the court that the royal couple was still united despite the trials we had been through, and then he said, placing his other hand on my belly, "How is he?"
"Perfectly well," I said with a big smile, happy that he cared.
"I have decided to organize a banquet tonight to celebrate my victory over the ironborn. From this day forth, the Iron Islands are under the authority of the crown and now attached to the Royal Domain," he said loudly for all to hear and prepare.
All the nobles in the court present to welcome the King all applauded the king while I followed my husband, eager for us to be alone in our room.
Once we entered our room, I pushed him against the wall and whispered in his ear, "I want you."
He smiled gently then grabbed my wrists and pushed me away from him, he unfastened his weapon belt, and began to remove his armor pieces.
"Leaving the capital, I gave you supreme power, and you failed, Arianne. You proved to me that you do not have the qualities to rule with me, so I hope for your sake that you will give me a son; otherwise, you will truly be useless in my eyes," he said softly as if he were talking about the rain or the weather.
I furrowed my brows, confused and shocked by the harshness of his statement, then he continued:
"I needed you to counter the opposition in Dorne that was rising, leveraging Aegon's rights to the throne, but recently I had confirmation that it was very likely he is the bastard of a remaining line from House Blackfyre."
'Impossible,' I thought.
"I had confirmation when my men found Blackfyre, the ancestral sword of House Targaryen, in the personal apartments of Prince Pentos Illyrio Mopatis."
He laughed, then said, "Well, when I say my men, I mean the assassins I sent after him."
I felt unprecedented fear as I began to understand; Illyrio Mopatis was the true mastermind behind the scenes, he was the one who had hired the Golden Company.
"Yes, I see you've begun to understand. I don't know if your father, your uncle, or anyone in your circle was aware, but it doesn't matter anymore because I've managed to figure out the last step of their plans and completely thwart it."
"How?" I asked.
"The new High Septon, the High Sparrow as they call him..." he said mockingly, "...gathered the most eminent septons of the kingdoms and held a secret election to designate a new leader of the faith of the seven."
"I imagine you didn't like that," I said.
He stopped, then turned to me and said with a small smile, "Given that he decided to declare me a heretic and an enemy of the faith and relaunched the militant faith movement, no, I did not appreciate it at all."
"What did you do?" I said, curious, understanding he must have done something given his great confidence in himself.
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-POV MC-
I smiled and said, "I ordered the assassination of all the conspirators; it's been almost two weeks now."
"Revolts will break out everywhere in the seven kingdoms," she said, horrified by my decision.
'I must admit, I myself had a lot of trouble taking action. I don't like assassinations, but after losing so many men on Pyke, I didn't want to lose any more unnecessarily.'
"It's not my problem. All the revolts that break out will be suppressed. I had already taken the necessary measures well before the start of this war. The 5th and the 8th legions have returned with me to the capital, which, along with the 6th and the 7th legions, ensures my control over the capital and the Crownlands.
The 1st legion is stationed at the Wall, holding back the invasion of wildlings and restoring the Wall's defenses.
The 2nd legion is stationed at Riverrun, while the 3rd legion is stationed at Harrenhal. Together, they can control and suppress any peasant revolt before it can grow too large in the Riverlands.
The 4th legion is stationed at Storm's End, and I will soon send the 9th legion to bolster my available forces in the Stormlands with the same objective as the 3rd and the 4th legions," I said.
"And the heir of Horn Hill defends Dragonstone with the 10th legion," she said, interrupting me.
"60,000 sailors, 100,000 soldiers, and 3 kingdoms; you've ensured you have control over the kingdom to mess things up as and when you like," she continued, her eyes narrowed and her forehead marked by anger.
"Is it the fact that I told you that you were not cut out to lead that annoyed you?" I said, changing the subject with a small, arrogant smile.
She said nothing, and I shrugged: "Anyway, it's the pure truth. You failed; I really wished that you were up to the task I assigned you, but you're not cut out to lead, and I am the first to be disappointed, believe me."
'Even if it's not her fault that she wasn't raised to be a leader,' I thought.
"You can go. We will see each other at the victory banquet," I said, removing my clothes to enjoy a good hot bath; I really needed it.