(Third Person POV)
"W-What....happened...?" Aegon shakily asked as he hung his head at the head of the table, his eyes closed and holding back tears, "W-What....HAPPENED?!"
"T-The Queen....." Otto said as he sat there, his face pale and looking at the table, "Was walking towards the Dragonpit....with the children..."
Alicent was sniffing, blowing her nose into a handkerchief as she wiped tears away, looking away as she trembled.
"She was attacked....." Otto continued, "By unknown assailants....the children....fell...Jaehaerys hit his head on stone steps.....Jaehaera.....was crushed by the weight of one of them falling on her.....H-Helaena also fell.....and hurt her arm....."
Aegon stood up, slamming his hands on his table, "And nobody....NOBODY....thought of escorting her?!" He bellowed as he looked over at Criston Cole, "Where were you?! Her sworn protector?! I should take your fucking head for allowing this!! My children!! MY BOY!! MY GIRL!!!"
Criston looked down, "Your Grace, I'm sorry...." He said, "I was.....The Queen snuck away like she normally does.....going to the pit and spend time with her dragon...."
Aegon looked at the table, tears rolling down his cheeks, "You fucking...." He stammered, "M-My boy.....my girl....T-They're gone.....They're fucking gone.....H-How convenient this happens when YOU take my sister's throne and sit me in it!!! This is punishment...this is punishment for-"
"A-Aegon." Alicent said as she looked at him
"What the fuck am I supposed to do now?!" Aegon yelled, "Who are these wretched bastards who dared lay a hand on my Wife?! I want their fucking heads.....NOW!!!!!"
"We don't know." Otto said calmly, "As we speak.....Lord Larys is currently.....interrogating the culprits."
Aegon looked at the table, seeing that Lord Jasper and Lord Tyland were not making eye contact with him, just looking down at the table.
"I....." Aegon leaned on the table, "Want names...."
The doors opened and the Grand Maester walked in, "Y-Your Grace...." He said as he approached the table, "Her Grace, The Queen, is well.....she's currently resting....."
Aegon looked up at him, "G-Good....that's good....."
He then noticed the look on Orwyle's face, one of grief, hiding something.
Otto saw this, "Grand Maester...." He said, "Is there something else?"
Orwyle nodded slowly, "The Queen....." He started, "She wanted to keep it as a surprise for His Grace...."
Alicent frowned, "What is it?" She asked, "What happened?"
"S-She...." Orwyle gulped, "She was with child....."
Aegon froze, "What?"
"I'm sorry, Your Grace..." Orwyle said, "T-The child is lost...I.....I suggest Her Grace, The Queen, is in need of her mother...and..."
Alicent stood up and rushed towards the door, exiting it in haste as Criston Cole followed after.
Otto closed his eyes, "Gods be good...." He said softly
Aegon sat down, his face pale, "Y-You...." He said, "She was....."
Orwyle nodded as he rubbed his hands, "I am sorry, Your Grace." He said, "Everything...we didn't know....."
Tears ran down Aegon's cheeks as he hung his head, beginning to sob, his fists clenching tightly as everyone looked at him.
After a few seconds of this, Otto cleared his throat, "Y-Your Grace...." He said, "We will find out who is responsible, mark my words."
As he said this, footsteps approached and everyone looked up to see Aemond walking in through the door.
"The Baratheons are in full support." He started as he stopped next to Orwyle, looking around, "They...What has happened?"
Otto stood up as Aegon sobbed, "Aemond, you've returned." He said, "Something terrible has happened."
"What?" Aemond said as his face hardened, "Why is the King crying?"
"T-They killed them...." Aegon sobbed
Aemond looked at his brother, "What?"
Aegon looked at him, "T-They murdered my children!!" He said with pure anger in his voice, "M-My children!!!!"
Aemond's eye widened, "Who?" He said as he held back his shock, his voice had a cold tone to it, "What happened?"
*************
Lord Larys limped ahead of Prince Aemond and King Aegon, "It took me a while to get them to speak...." He said, "But alas, I got a name."
They were in the dungeons of the Red Keep, where they keep their prisoners.
Aemond looked at him, "Who?"
"Sterling." Larys said, "I don't recognize it, but it appears this fellow was able to hire these bottom-feeders to assault the Queen."
"Sterling...." Aegon said as he had a wooden club in his hands, "That.....fucker....."
"Do we know why it was done?" Aemond asked, "Any relation to Rhaenyra? Or Aerion?"
They reached the cells where several men were sitting against the walls, bags over their heads, covered in blood.
"No." Larys said as he gestured at the guard to open the gate, "But I find it hard to believe Rhaenyra had anything to do with this. The timing is....odd. And Aerion...it's entirely against his character to do something like this."
Aegon walked past the two of them, "It wasn't Aerion." He said with a serious look on his face, "He made a vow."
Aemond looked at him, "What vow?" He asked as he narrowed his eye
"You wouldn't know." Aegon said as he stood in the cell, "You weren't there. We invited you and you refused."
The King kicked the foot of one of the men, causing them to flinch and moan in pain.
"Mm." Aemond said as he looked at Larys, "Find out who this Sterling is."
Larys nodded, "Very well."
Aegon reached for the bag and removed it, "I don't give a shit who he is." He said as he looked at the bloodied face of the man, "Find him and bring him to me."
Larys bowed slightly, "As my King desires."
Aemond then watched as Aegon brought the club down and in a swift motion, brought it down onto the man's head hard, the disturbing crack of the wood against the skull resounding throughout the cell.
"Mm." he said,
"Interesting....."
***********************
[Dragonstone]
Jace and Luke walked into a room where a fireplace was lit, Princess Rhaenys following them as Lord Corlys limped behind her.
"Grandsire!" Rhaena ran up to him
"Ah, Granddaughter...." Corlys said as Rhaena hugged him, Baela walking up to Rhaenys and hugging her
Jace stopped in the middle of the room and looked over at Rhaenyra who sat in the chair next to the fire.
"Your Grace....the Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys Velaryon..." He said
Rhaenyra stood up, "Lord Corlys, it is good to see you're well..." She said with a smile
Lord Corlys looked at her, "Your too kind, Prin-No...Queen Rhaenyra." He said with a nod as he looked past her and saw Aerion standing in front of the fire, his back to them, "It appears the news have reached your ears as well...."
Rhaenyra looked down and nodded, "Yes.." She said softly, "I cannot imagine the pain Helaena is going through right now...."
"One would say that this could be your doi-" Lord Corlys started
"Do not speak another word." Aerion said coldly
Corlys's face hardened and he closed his mouth, not saying anything else.
"Of course, we don't believe you two had anything to do with it." Rhaenys said, "Rhaenyra would never harm a child, being a mother herself...and Aerion....we all know the kind of honorable man you are...."
Aerion clenched his fist, "This complicates things further...." He said, "The Baratheons, Princess Rhaenys, your kin...have betrayed us.....sided with the Hightowers....."
"I have nothing to do with that. Borros is Lord of Storm's End." Rhaenys said, "His Father was my cousin, yes, but I had no control of their House."
"Yet, they had sworn fealty to Rhaenyra...." He said, "And look what they've done..."
Rhaenyra looked at Aerion, "Husband....." She said, "Calm yourself..."
"W-What do you think will happen?" Luke asked
Corlys cleared his throat, "We'll go through with the blockade." He said, "My House and Fleet are at your service, My Queen.....and Lord Aerion....I trust that your blades will aid us in this conflict."
Aerion slowly turned around to face them, a serious look on his face, "If there's no avoiding it..." He said, "Then there's no other choice...."
"I'll have to make the Realm bleed for my Wife to get that throne back."
[A/N: Is this enough change? Or is it still the same? What would happen? Is it predictable? I don't know.
The Dance of The Dragons was also referred as Aerion's War. In "The Black Lord", that is. Did I betray you? Is the whole "Daemon killed Aerion's Mother" plotline dead?
Oh no, my children. Let me cook.
Of course, I'll have to cut some stuff out, some stuff I really wanted to include but for the sake of not dragging this out, I'll cut it short. And if you really call this the exact same thing as the Canon Story, then you're just reading it without looking at the details, the details.
Viserys's death here. The...."Manipulation".....the....Implications.
I don't know. Patience is what some readers need. And I get that I've had you guys in a drought and every chapter I've dropped while in that drought was just rewrites of the Canon. But when I said that the changes would come, I meant it.
So, do not think I've failed you.
Or.....Failed This Story. ;) (Arrow reference. Some will get it.) I may be petty, Idk.]