-Chapter 151-
-POV Arianne Targaryen-
During the entire journey to the North with my husband, I observed the court and the kingdom in general. With Tyene's help, I realized that the initial situation where I had the advantage no longer existed.
The situation where an alliance with House Martell was necessary no longer existed; I was no longer necessary to Aegon. I know that if ever a day came when I was perceived as a burden or an obstacle, I might well join my foolish uncle in the grave.
That's why we devised a strategy with Tyene, a strategy for me to become the best queen possible.
The main qualities of a queen are to bear heirs, support her husband through thick and thin, and advise him correctly. That's why I got closer to Ser Gerold and my cousin Sarella so that they could teach me all the knowledge I had until now refused to learn out of pure laziness, now that I think back on it.
Learning all sorts of knowledge this past month opened my eyes to all that I had ignored. According to Sarella, I still had many things to learn. Speaking of Sarella, I was very surprised to learn that she had been allowed to stay in the Capital, but even more that she was the apprentice of the old rat Marwyn. So she was not affected when Aegon ordered the departure of all the Dornish who were part of Ellaria's entourage.
If I had to choose the hardest lesson I had to learn last month, it would surely be the lesson of tolerance.
I had a hard time accepting that Aegon could go elsewhere, as in all my previous relationships, I was the one who dominated, the one who defined the rules of the relationship, but not this time. This time, I was the one dominated by my partner and I had to tolerate everything under the penalty of losing his affection and favor.
'Such is the burden of a queen,' I told myself as I watched Cersei from my terrace, exulting before all the ladies of the court since the news of her pregnancy had leaked without her being able to stop it.
Although Cersei decided not to reveal the identity of her child's father, she was so proud that it was hard not to suspect his identity. Naturally, the question of the heir began to be talked about in the castle.
'She wants to steal the throne from me. She wants to reclaim the place that was hers during Robert's time. She wants me to make a mistake, but unfortunately for her, I have evolved. I am no longer the same person,' I thought with a little smile.
DRAGON ROAR
Hearing the sound of a distant roar, the ladies flattering Cersei in turn all stopped talking, as did I, and I looked to the skies for the silhouette of Rhaegal. I needed to see my husband, the only one able to protect me from all these vipers.
Tyene said, pointing to a spot in the sky, "There he is."
I smiled upon finally seeing Rhaegal's silhouette descending from the heavens to land in the castle courtyard. I woke up seeing Cersei quickly advancing to where Rhaegal had landed.
"Hurry, we must get there before her," I said, preparing to run to catch up despite my already advanced pregnancy.
"Arianne, don't forget your lessons. You are the queen, not her. You must show dignity in all circumstances. She is his bitch, you are his wife. Act accordingly. Imagine if you lost the baby because of your haste to greet him before her," Tyene said, slightly scolding me to set me straight.
"Sorry, you're right, Tyene," I said, taking a deep breath and thinking rationally.
'I must remain dignified in all circumstances,' I thought before taking Tyene's arm.
"Let's go, let's not keep him waiting," I said to Tyene.
Tyene nodded and supported me to ensure no accidents occurred and nothing happened to my baby on the way, while Ser Gerold Dayne, Ser Jaime Lannister, and Ser Sandor Clegane were all behind me to ensure my safety.
---
-POV MC-
"So, did you enjoy the view of King's Landing?" I asked Bellegere as I helped her down from Rhaegal, grabbing her waist.
"Very much. Compared to the stories and various paintings of the city, it is nothing alike. Everything looks new, but I guess that's normal since you managed to completely renovate a city in a year," she said with a small smile.
"I had a lot of war prisoners. I couldn't feed them and besides, I didn't want to leave such difficult tasks to the small folk of the capital who are truly loyal to me," I said honestly.
"Now that the city is practically finished, what will you do with them?" Bellegere Otherys asked.
"I already have a little idea about that. All I can tell you is that I will give them hope," I said with a sly smile.
"That's a good thing. Better to give them hope, it will prevent them from causing trouble and they will be grateful to you in the future," she said.
I raised an eyebrow and she said, "The courtesans are mostly young girls from the streets whom I took in so they wouldn't be raped or sold to a pillow house in Lys or Yunkaï at a young age because of their beauty. These girls have lost hope for the most part, and the hope I give them generally turns into loyalty."
I nodded and then said, "I don't care about their loyalty, what I want is to eliminate all the hidden dangers I might face if ever one day I have to wage total war with an entity."
"I see what worries you: tens of thousands rebelling in the capital. That would be chaos throughout the kingdom after such an uprising," Bellegere said.
I nodded because this trip to the North had made me realize that the threat of the White Walkers was close and that I had to stop punishing the losers to unite the survivors. I had won, now I had to act like a good winner.
'I will offer them all my forgiveness, but I expect them to give themselves body and soul to the empire when the time comes. It's an investment.'
"As soon as the rooster returns, it seems the henhouse gets busy and all the hens rush to him," Bellegere said, looking behind me.
I frowned, confused, and saw Cersei arriving quickly with a crowd of young ladies. I smiled, understanding what Bellegere meant, and then said, "The rooster has so many qualities, you have to understand, it's really not his fault."
"In any case, humility is not his primary quality," she said, looking at me with a slightly teasing look.
"It's a rooster," I said, smiling at Bellegere before turning to Cersei, who was within five meters of us.
"Duchess Cersei," I said, lightly kissing the back of her hand she had extended to me.
"Your Majesty," she said in a soft tone, making an exceptionally low curtsey, even for me.
'She has something to ask me,' I thought, already feeling a massive headache before she could even open her mouth.
"Did you have a good trip?"
"Very good. I took the time to quell the rebellion of the remaining Blackfyre supporters before ensuring that the king beyond the Wall, who came to invade our kingdom with an army of 100,000 men, could not cross it. I'm surprised you didn't congratulate me for that. I imagine you must have received the news by now."
"Congratulating you for so little would be an insult; it would imply that I fear your defeat when I know perfectly well how... powerful you are," she said, deliberately prolonging the last word to the great amusement of the ladies who followed her.
I smiled, flattered, but she continued, taking my hand she had not let go of, and she said:
"How could I doubt the father of my future dragon?"
The smile I wore stiffened and I immediately looked at Cersei with a glimmer of doubt that she crushed with a broad smile.
'Damn, I did the one thing I shouldn't have done, get Cersei pregnant,' I thought.
I could have done it once my first son was at least five years older, which would have given him time to reach adulthood before Cersei tried anything.
The only thing I hoped now was that Arianne's child would be a boy; otherwise, I could already imagine the next ten years I would spend refusing the firstborn rights to the son I would have with Cersei under her instigation. That is if I have a son with her, of course, because I had already decided that I would not have bastards. All my children would be my true children, whether born in or out of wedlock.
'What the traumas of a childhood with Catelyn Tully can make you do.'
I swallowed slightly, deliberately ignoring the worries this would bring me in the future, then I said:
"Thank you for this wonderful gift. You can't imagine how happy it makes me."
She smiled, and then I saw Arianne arriving, and the guards accompanying her shouted, "Make way for your Queen Arianne Targaryen, Mother of the future Heir to the Iron Throne."
'What could have happened while I was away? It's as if I had been gone an eternity; everything changes at an inconceivable speed,' I thought, seeing Arianne walking toward me, head held high, back straight like a swan.
I prevented her from curtseying because of her condition, and I said, "How are you?"
"Our children are doing well," Arianne said, taking my hand and placing it on her belly.
"You said our children, do you think you're expecting twins?" I asked, surprised.
"That's the feeling I have," she said.
"That would be excellent news," I said.
"I have prepared a hot bath for us, are you coming?" she said softly, wanting us to slip away.
I turned my head to Bellegere, a bit embarrassed because I hadn't yet helped her settle in, but she made a discreet sign to me, and I said to Arianne, "Very well, let's go. I really need it after this ride on Rhaegal's back."
From start to finish, Arianne paid no attention to Cersei, whose smile had long since frozen.
'Who knows, maybe she could eventually become a good queen,' I thought as I let my queen lead me to our quarters.
---
-10th day of the 10th moon of the year 299 AC-
"Everything is ready for us to embark; only Magister Grazdan is missing," said Gudh, my second-in-command.
"He won't be joining the journey," I told Gudh.
"Why? He asked us to take with us all his fortune as well as that of the other families so that we could secretly bring it to a safe place in Westeros," he said, not understanding.
I shook my head, then said, "He never asked for that; it was just a pretext. Grazdan is no longer necessary now that we've lost Meereen."
"How? I don't understand what you mean, Chief," said Gudh.
"You'll understand. Just do as I say when I tell you, understood?" I said, taking a deep breath.
It was the first initiative I had taken, and I was not yet sure if it was a good idea without discussing it.
Gudh nodded, and then I said, "Go and tell the men to weigh anchor."
"Yes, Chief."
'I hope the king won't punish me for losing Meereen,' I thought, watching a dust storm heading straight for the city of Meereen as we sailed away.