Vaegyl
Sometimes he wonders when the light went out of their lives, was it when Visenya and Maegon died, their bodies laced with arrows and scorpions, or was it when Aegor and Aelix were butchered by those bloody Lannisters for a statue? He's not sure anymore and that's what scares him, he knows what the lords say, that his rule has become even more tyrannical and brutal than his father's was, and if he's honest with himself he cannot say he blames them. Perhaps there were things that he could have done differently, but if he's honest with himself, Vaegyl still believes that one way or another they would have come to be where they are now.
Rhaegar, his sweet innocent boy was dead now, poisoned by some bastard from the Westerlands of that Vaegyl was sure. His council thought that was his paranoia speaking, but he knew, he knew he should have listened to Visenya after the war and hounded Laecareys and those bloody Tarlings across the narrow sea and had them burnt or killed. He should not have allowed them to live, now Laecareys had gone on to prove just how good a warrior he was, the disputed lands had fallen under his command just as the sellsword company he had formed, what were they called? The White Dragon? That must be it an ironic homage to his past as their traitor brother's Kingsguard. His wife, had borne him three sons in the past eighteen years, two of those sons had dragons, younglings according to Harrold Tully, found during the man's wanderings in Asshai. Rhaegar had not been a warrior, he had not been anything like Vaegyl himself and sometimes he wondered whether Visenya had cheated on him, had slept with another man to produce such a bookish child, during this time of war, but he still loved him, the boy was his son, of course he would still love him no matter what, and now his boy was dead, and Vaegyl would have his answers.
Which was why he was here in the dragon pit with Rhaenys by his side, questioning the man who had found Rhaegar's lifeless body. The servant was sweating and his breath smelt foul, no wonder Vaegyl thought, with Malystryx and Syrax and Vhagar all staring at him with their eyes hungry for flesh, it was no wonder the man smelt like he had just shat himself, he probably had. "Who paid you the gold to poison my son?" Vaegyl asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"Your Grace, I do not understand what you mean. I found the Prince's body as it was." The man stammered.
"Do not play the fool with me Alek. We have looked into your background, we know you come from the Westerlands, that you knew Gerion Lannister as a boy. So speak now and we may spare you, who was it that paid you to poison our son?" Vaegyl heard Rhaenys ask, had he been a lesser man he would have shivered at the iciness of her tone, somewhere in the great Dragonpit their father had built Syrax growled.
"Your Grace please, I… I did not know what it was that I was to give the prince I only knew that I was to put it into his night tea. Please Your Graces I have a family please I only did as I was bid." The man cried, his eyes pleading.
Once that would have softened Vaegyl and made him relent, but not now, no now the man would pay for what he had done. "The name of the man who paid you to poison our son, and you might just live." He said in an uncaring tone.
The man was crying now, Vaegyl could see the tears running down his cheeks. "Please Your Grace, it was, it was Stevron Hill."
"Stevron Hill? Tybolt Lannister's bastard? What would he hope to gain by having my son killed? Are you lying to us Alek, for if you are Syrax will be feasting on you." Rhaenys said threateningly.
"No! I do not lie Your Graces. Please, you must believe me. Stevron Hill wished for me to poison Prince Rhaegar's tea so that when he was found dead the attention would shift to his nephew Tommem, as he hoped you would execute the boy and then force the Westerlords to rise in rebellion. He hopes to have the Rock." The man cried.
Vaegyl stared at the man, Alek, for a long time and looked to see if there was any hint of a lie in what he said, when he saw none, he turned his head and said to Ser Addison Hill of the Kingsguard, "Ser Addison find Ser Stevron and bring him here. We shall question him and see if what he has to say matches what this man has said." Once Ser Addison had left, Vaegyl turned his attention back to the servant and fixing him with an icy stare said. "If you have spoken truly, you may get off with a pardon and a chance to live your life anew. However, if you have not spoken truly then you shall be given to the dragons and Ser Stevron shall live. Pray to your gods and hope that they have seen fit to grace your words with truth."
As they waited for Ser Addison to come back with Ser Stevron, Vaegyl grabbed Rhaenys and held her tightly against him to ensure she did not feed the servant straight to her dragon. He nudged her hair with his nose and whispered in her ear. "We must wait for Ser Addison to return my love, before we can feed both men to then dragons. We must not have the lords say we are as mad as they say we are. You understand that don't you." He ended his words with a kiss to her neck.
He heard her sigh. "I do my love, its just that Rhaegar was harmless, he would not have done any more harm to anyone. If Ser Stevron truly wished for the Rock he need only have asked. Rhaegar was Visenya's favourite child."
Vaegyl said nothing he merely kissed his wife- his only remaining wife- on the ear and nibbled on her ear lobe as they waited for Ser Addison to return. When the white sword returned with Ser Stevron it was clear that there had been some sort of a struggle, both knights bore the cuts and bruises to their faces, and Vaegyl knew then that the Lannister Bastard was guilty of the crimes that he had yet to be asked about. "Ah Ser Stevron, how nice of you join us. I am sure Ser Addison would have told you why you have been brought here by account of the bruises that grace your face."
The Lannister bastard was silent for a long time before he spat out a wad of blood that landed at Vaegyl's feet, when he spoke his voice was laced with hatred. "Aye Your Grace he did. I will not deny it, I did poison the prince, such a man as heir to the Iron Throne, during this time of war? You might as well melt down the Iron Throne and fly back to Essos, and give the seven kingdoms their independence once more. Prince Rhaegar would have made a poor king, a king as poor as Aenys the weakling. No he had to die, if my goal was to be achieved."
Vaegyl was too angry to speak he could feel the blood pounding inside of him, Malystryx was stirring from her slumber. Rhaenys spoke instead, her voice laced with anger. "And what was your goal bastard?"
"More war. Casterly Rock is mine by rights. I know that you would never give it to me during a time of peace, not so long as that whore's son Tommem lived, my brother was too much of a fool to recognise how weak he truly was. I needed Prince Rhaegar dead, poisoned by a man I knew had connections to old Tybolt, so that you would think the whore my brother married was behind it, and then war would break out and I would have what was supposed to be mine." The man said sounding hysterical.
Vaegyl stared at the man, and he felt the anger within him begin to pool over, he clenched his hands behind Rhaenys and gritted his teeth, Malystryx was completely awake now, soon, soon we shall feast on the blood of traitors. "And you seriously thought I would give the Rock to you? I would have found out your part in my son's death one way or another Hill. I am the King, and there are those who hate even you."
The man had the audacity to laugh. "And how would you have known what part I played in the death of your son my king? Your Master of Whispers lies rotting on a bed in the Red Keep, dying more each day. His network has sold itself to the highest bidder, I would have fought honourably and bravely and I know you would have had no choice but to give the Rock to me."
"And now instead of having the Rock you shall become dragon fodder." Vaegyl replies, whistling after he has finished speaking. There is a solid thud next to him and his wife and he knows both Malystryx and Syrax have landed next to them. Staring Stevron Hill straight in the face, Vaegyl says "You betrayed your king and the land you were born from when you killed my son, and for that you shall die, the both of you. Malystryx, Dracarys." Rhaenys utters the same words and soon Vaegyl sees fire both red and blue and then nothing as Stevron Hill and Alek the servant are reduced to ashes.
The small council was in session once more, the first time Vaegyl had felt the need to call the council in about two moons. Two moons since Ser Stevron Hill and the servant Alek had been burnt to a crisp by the dragons, two moons in which Vaegyl had learnt that Alek was in fact Ser Stevron's brother on his mother's side, the two had been working some sort of elaborate plot that their deaths had conveniently unravelled, Vaegyl was not complaining though, for it meant that there was one less problem for him to have to deal with. No Vaegyl had called the small council together for the first time in two moons to discuss who could be appointed to the position of master of whispers once Lord Harrold Tully died. The man had been in the position since Vaegyl's father had served as hand of the king, he was now an old man, closing in on seventy, and his day was coming. Vaegyl had been to see his old friend and had found the smell in his room to be so very, very repugnant, his friend was dying of the wasting sickness, and it was finally coming to an end. What Ser Stevron had said that day in the Dragonpit had been proven true, Lord Harrold's spy network had quickly disintegrated with his spies selling themselves to the highest bidder, which had been how Alek Hill had managed to get so close to Rhaegar. Now there was a need for a new and younger master of whispers, and Vaegyl had not a clue who should serve.
The small council looked weary and haggard when they were all seated. Jaehaerys seemed about ten years older than he had when Vaegyl had last seen him, since Alysanne's death Vaegyl's cousin had spent more time in the capital than at Oldstones, leaving the castle's running to his sons Aemon and Baelon, the grey in his hair was becoming more apparent, turning his silver hair darker. He was still the best advisor Vaegyl had, and he was convinced the best hand the family ever had. Lyman Beesbury was a waspish man who as master of coin had managed to successfully over see the transition from following the faith to following the Old Gods and the planting of a bigger and more impressive godswood in the Red Keep's forests. The Iron Throne owed no money to the Iron Bank, the money that had been used by both Vaegyl's father and uncle to deal with the Faith Militant was finally paid off. Grand Maester Justin was an old man, older than even Harrold Tully, but still he soldiered one, his loyalty unquestioned. Lord Monterys Velaryon, Master of Ships looked haggard, on Vaegyl's orders at the last small council meeting he had sailed to Dragonstone with Orys and helped Orys transport a few of the larger dragon eggs from Dragonstone to King's Landing. The man's wife had given him yet another son to go along with the three she had already given him: Corlys the heir to the Driftmark and potential husband to Princess Rhaenys- Jaehaerys daughter- Aegon, Baelor and Alor. Rhaenys was master of laws just as Visenya had been, along with Jaehaerys she was the only one Vaegyl completely trusted, Ser Alyn as Lord Commander was a steadfast in his duties as any of his other sworn brothers, but he was not a player in the game and therefore could not be doubted.
"Thank you all for coming. You know why we are here. Harrold Tully lies on his deathbed, after fifty years of his service, finding someone to fill his shoes will be a very, very hard task. And yet it is what we must do, if we are to ensure that there is peace in the realm that lasts for as long as possible. So my lords I would hear your suggestions as to who should replace Lord Harrold." Vaegyl said.
There was silence for a moment before Lord Monterys spoke first, surprisingly considering he usually waited for Jaehaerys to speak first. "I believe Ser Gaemon Celtigar would make a good choice Your Grace. He is loyal and honourable, and would do his duty to the best of his ability."
"Yes but is the man not also your goodbrother my lord?" Rhaenys asked innocently.
Vaegyl repressed a smile as he saw Monterys begin to fluster. "And why should that make a difference my queen? After all you are the king's wife and sister, and yet you sit on the small council just as your sister did before you." Jaehaerys asked.
Rhaenys flushed and Vaegyl felt the stirrings of anger inside of him but crushed them when he felt his wife squeeze his hand. "That is true, but if not Gaemon Celtigar then who?" Rhaenys asked.
"Well there is Lord Larys Strong, he is a young man and knows which side his bread is buttered. Plus it is said that he is very good at getting information from those who may not necessarily be willing to part with it on other occasions." Grand Maester Justin said.
"This Larys Strong, it is said he has a sharp mind, and is glib of tongue. Whom did he fight for during the Tarling war?" Jaehaerys asked.
"He could not fight my prince, for he was born with a clubfoot. His father and brother fought for his grace." Grand Maester Justin replied.
"Good then, write to him and summon him before court. But wait for Lord Harrold to pass before you summon him." Vaegyl said. "Now what was this news you said you had from the Riverlands?"
It was Jaehaerys who spoke. "Yes Your Grace, there was a raven from Lord Tully. It appears that Lord Lancel Lefford forgot about the treaty signed six years ago and decided to launch an attack on Oldstones. My son Baelon and 1,000 men fought Lefford and three thousand men. Baelon died as did his dragon Serron, Lefford died as well as did 1,000 of his men. But his son led the charge past Oldstones and now they lay siege to Seagard." Vaegyl winced, Baelon dead, was there nothing that could spare his family? Jaehaerys continued though. "Also my sources in Lannisport wrote to me, it seems the usurper's sons Daemon and Maegor have landed with their four dragons, Prince Laecareys and an army of some 20,000 sellswords. Gemma Lannister's brother Gowen Crakehall has called the banners of the West, they are preparing to march for war."
Vaegyl was silent for a long moment before he said. "Maester Justin I want ravens sent to Riverrun, the Eyrie, Storm's End, Highgarden and Winterfell I want the warden titles activated. We shall march for war and this time the Tarlings shall die."
The armies of Westeros came to the Red Keep in great numbers, answering the ravens like dogs chasing after a bone, Vaegyl had not realised truly how blood hungry some of his lords truly were. The lords of the crownlands all came, old Lord Darklyn, angry young Lord Hayford and the rest bringing with them some 5,000 men the Velaryons under Lord Monterys brought with them 60 warships to block of the gullet and the Blackwater should the Lannisters decide to attack King's Landing by sea. From the Reach came Lords Tyrell, Tarly, Rowan, Hightower, Osgrey, Ambrose, Appleton and their retainers bringing with them some 60,000 men twenty thousand were left behind to defend the Reach from the Ironborn should they stir from their inactivity. Lord Tully was currently engaged in a siege of Seagard and as such had already called his men to war. Lord Jorah Stark and the northmen would likely take some time to mobilise and as such Vaegyl was not expecting them to arrive too soon, nor was he waiting with baited breath for Desmond Arryn to arrive his full strength, instead he was happy when Lords Cerwyn Royce and Lewyn Corbray arrived with 10,000 men from Gulltown.
Talk of how to best approach the upcoming battles raged long and hard. Lord Tyrell was all for waiting and seeing what Daemon and Maegor would do. "They may have fought in Essos, but this is not the east, and we are not sellswords who will flee at the sight of dragons. We are proud men, and we shall show them that fighting in the east, and fighting in the west are two completely different things." The man's bannermen agreed with him, and it seemed as if all the Reachermen wanted to wait and see Daemon make a mistake, for they still thought he was as green as summer grass just like his uncle.
Vaegyl however knew better. "The sons are not the father. Aegon was green as grass when the first war was fought. But Daemon and Maegor were taught by Laecareys in the arts of war, and Laecareys always was a good tactician. And they have fought for their survival every day since the end of the war. No they will not come to us, we must go to them."
"If that is the case, then how would you suggest we go about this Your Grace?" Lord Royce asks.
"We split the men up. Lord Royce and Lord Corbray I task you with the duty of defending King's Landing from any possible attacks. My daughters the Princesses Rhaena, Danaerys and Daenys shall be here in King's Landing as well, along with their dragons, Vhagar, Dusk and Sunfyre. Lord Tyrell you and your bannermen shall march alongside Ser Daven and the Crownlords, I, my wife and my son Orys shall fly with you, we shall meet Daemon and Maegor in the air and deal with them." Vaegyl replies.
"Will three dragons be enough Your Grace, when it is said that the Tarlings have brought four with them?" Lord Osgrey asks.
"Yes, it will be enough. Malystryx is the biggest of the dragons coming with us, only Quicksilver and Vhagar are bigger, and Prince Jahaerys must remain in King's Landing to ensure that all runs smoothly as well. Thus meaning his dragon must remain with him, besides I do not think that Laecareys will allow his two sons to ride their dragons into battle, they will be used as bargaining tools later on once he believes the war won." Vaegyl replies.
"Now, we must discuss the issue of Prince Orys' marriage. As Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the throne, the Prince must marry and soon especially if he is to fly to war." Jaehaerys says.
Vaegyl fixes his cousin with a cold stare and says simply. "Orys will fulfil his brother's betrothal and marry Rhaena as is the Targaryen way. That is that."
And so it is, three days later, in the godswood of the Red Keep in front of half the lords of Westeros Vaegyl watches as his son and daughter marry each other in keeping with the family tradition and making sure that the family loyalty will remain true. Beside him Rhaenys leans up and whispers in his ear "I do not think Jaehaerys is happy with this match." Vaegyl looks over to where his cousin is stood staring intently at the newly married couple with some unreadable expression on his face.
"He went on about the madness that our father had, and that he claims some fear I have, he argues that perhaps it would be better if we married out of the family." Vaegyl replies, at the tensing of Rhaenys hand in his, Vaegyl strokes the palm of her hand and says softly. "I told him no, that so long as I live, the blood of the dragon shall remain pure and our lords will be content with that. Aemon even agreed with me." Prince Aemon, the eldest son and heir of Jaehaerys had come to King's Landing to witness Orys' wedding, and to speak with his father about the death Baelon and other issues, which Vaegyl knew not, knowing that it was not his business to pry into his cousin's private affairs.
Four days later they fly off to war. Jaehaerys left in charge of defending the capital along with Vaegyl's daughters Rhaena, Danaerys and Daenys. Aemon flies back to hold Oldstones, flying on further than Vaegyl, Rhaenys and Orys when they stop at Harrenhal to speak with Lord Harys Strong, the Lord of Harrenhal and the father of the man who will soon become the new master of whispers Larys Strong. Discussions range from how strong the man feels Daemon and Maegor truly are, to whether or not Vaegyl will be able to completely deal with the Tarling threat this time or not. During the course of their stay- two weeks- Vaegyl learns to the recapturing of Seagard, Lord Lefford's son and 200 of his men took ships from the port and fled back to Lannisport, where they were promptly put to death by Daemon, apparently Vaegyl's nephew has no time for cravens. Meanwhile, Maegor, Aegon's youngest son had flown on his brown dragon and captured Riverrun, Laecareys leading 12,000 men to assist in the capture, Aemon had flown to help Lord Robin Tully capture back his seat but had been struck down by scorpion bolts, his dragon Meleys having been captured by the Tarlings.
And so Vaegyl, Rhaenys, Orys and their men move out from Harrenhal and on the banks of the Trident the battle of the Second Tarling War begins. Vaegyl and Orys on Malystryx and Vermithor burn the Westermen to the ground the first two days of the battle, Rhaenys stays behind in the campsite to protect it and to make sure none of the men flee. None of the dragons the Tarlings have join the fighting during the first two days and Vaegyl sees Laecareys hand in that, his youngest brother always very careful. The third day sees the joining of the two dragons whom have not been reported to have fought in the other battles, and that surprises him Laecareys children with that Marbrand girl cannot be any older than thirteen, but then he sees a boy who looks so much like their brother Daemon that he realises one of them must be Daemon's son Aegor, riding a grey dragon, Vaegyl watches from his post high in the sky as men scream and fields burn. Orys engages in a fight with the boy and wins, the boy's dragon dead, the boy dead, Orys injured Vermithor scarred but both alive.
The fifth day is when Daemon, Aegon's son and heir arrives on his dragon golden dragon, a golden as the sun. Vaegyl burns his way towards the beast only to see Rhaenys on Syrax go up against the boy, their nephew and he watches as his wife comes so very close to winning before, another dragon barges straight into her and Vaegyl watches unable to move as his wife plummets into the depths of the Trident, to her death her dragon following her. The two boys, Daemon and Maegor are bloodied but confident they can win, Vaegyl sees it in the way their posture changes and the way they turn to look at him. Eventually the anger breaks free, and Vaegyl or is it Malystryx, he's not sure anymore lets loose a terrifying roar and off he goes, slamming into Daemon's dragon with such force, a clash of steel and they fight dragon to dragon, sword to sword.
Claw, tooth, nail, steel they fight. Fire and blood are their house words, and never have they seemed so true. On and on the dance goes, swinging, clawing, biting and blood, lots of it. Vaegyl becomes one with Malystryx, what she does, he does, what she feels he feels and on and on it goes. Daemon's brother Maegor on his dragon attempts to help his brother, but Orys on Vermithor leads the boy and his dragon away, he knows somewhere deep inside that his son has been deeply wounded but he knows Daven will see Orys to safety. His focus his still on Daemon Tarling, the usurper, on and on they fight, until they are both tired, both have lost their helms, crushed in the force of the dragons fighting. Vaegyl draws Blackfyre high into the air, and he knows this will be the last thing he does, he can feel the blood pouring out of his own skin, can see it flying down to the ground to bathe it in red, he does not care, his wives are dead and he will kill the one responsible for their deaths. He raises Blackfyre high into the air and brings it down in one fell swoop and Daemon's head rolls of his body, and down to the rivers of the Trident, the boy's dragon slams into Malystryx, and the force of the blow sends Vaegyl tumbling off the she dragon, and as he plummets towards the Trident and his own death, he throws Blackfyre up into the air, so that the enemy will not gain it, should they find his body. Somewhere he hears Malystryx bellow followed by the crunching sound of bone and marrow dying followed by arrows lacing the she dragon, but by this point the sound has dropped and the water has hit, and on the fourth month of the 80th Year after Aegon's Landing, Vaegyl Targaryen first of his name King of Westeros and firstborn son of Maegor the Cruel and his dragon Malystryx the Red die.