"Ah, good day Shiera," King Aegon noticed her arrival in an instant and closed the book in his left hand, his right hand making sure Baelon did not fall off his lap.
"Good day, Your Grace. What are you reading?" Shiera said as she moved in and picked Baelon up off King Aegon's lap.
"Book! Read!" Prince Viserys called out from his crib and earned a hearty chuckle from King Aegon.
"Oh nothing much, a Maester wrote a book about the conquest and I was reading it to my grandsons, that's all," King Aegon said with an endearing smile, one that still felt alien to her.
She and King Aegon shared a private conversation the same night she arrived on Dragonstone, in this very nursery, and Shiera was still trying to digest everything that he said. The memory was still fresh on her mind like it had all happened the day before.
"Muna," Daeron said with his adorable little voice and Shiera poked him in the chest before answering.
"Yes, Daeron?" Shiera said with a smile before her son began again.
"Muna, where Kepa?" Daeron said with a cocked head. Daeron was not quite at the level of sentences but he was getting there.
"He is in Pentos, my little hatchling," Shiera said with a sad smile as she pinched his cheek. Her son was still somehow energetic, even if he was clearly winding down from the excitement of their arrival.
"Muna, dragon!" Daeron's attention shifted easily as he pointed at a sculpture on the wall.
"That's right, Daeron," Shiera excitedly said. Daeron's vocabulary was steadily increasing and she could now hold pseudo conversations with her firstborn. She had to admit that she was excited for when she could properly speak with her boys. Of course, she could then start properly teaching them.
Before she could continue trading words with her firstborn. Shiera could hear a few knocks on the door and before Shiera could even turn around, she heard King Aegon begin to speak.
"Not hungry?" he said with a small, sad smile and Shiera stammered.
"I uhm… uh, no, Your Grace," Shiera said quickly, not expecting him to appear.
King Aegon moved into the room more, as two more Kingsguard entered and took their positions at the sides of the room. King Aegon then took a knee by her and was face to face with her son Daeron.
"So…how is he?" King Aegon asked and Shiera narrowed her eyes.
"Daeron is fine, aren't you Daeron?" Shiera asked her adorable son but Aegon merely chuckled.
"Sorry Daeron, I was not referring to you," King Aegon apologized before turning to face her more properly.
"How is he?" King Aegon asked, an unreadable look on his face.
Shiera considered fighting the bitterness in her tone but she decided against it. King Aegon probably already hated her anyway. 'What in the seven hells is the point?' Shiera thought before she began speaking.
"Last I saw him he still had a hole in his chest and a deep cut on his arm," Shiera said with a not-insignificant amount of venom dripping from her voice.
"Right…" King Aegon said and Shiera narrowed her red eyes at him.
"Your boy, Daeron. He looks exactly like Maegor did when he was two," King Aegon began speaking again and Shiera almost recoiled in response.
"What?" she asked, dumbfounded.
"Daeron, Baelon too I suppose. They look almost exactly like Maegor did when he was their ages," King Aegon repeated the same thing but Shiera was still confused. Why did he care? He was the one to banish Maegor in the first place.
"Better they look like him than me," Shiera said with a bit more bitterness in her tone rather than venom. Old jealousy flaring up over her looks, she was thankful that her sons would not share her same affliction.
King Aegon let out a light chuckle at that. Before ruffling the top of Daeron's head and messing with his hair a bit.
"I wanted to apologize, to you and your sons," King Aegon said and Shiera was gobsmacked. Her mouth hung agape and Shiera could hardly believe her ears.
"...What?" Shiera asked, this was not how her first night here was supposed to go at all. King Aegon was supposed to hate her, not apologize to her.
"First I would like to apologize to you, it is my fault you got swept along in this whole mess. I should have known that Visenya would try to replace Ceryse with someone," King Aegon began and Shiera quickly interjected, almost insulted at the insinuation.
"Your Grace, with all due respect. Had I known how it would all end up before I married Maegor? I would do it all again in a heartbeat," Sheira said with conviction and purpose. She and Maegor had hit a few bumps in the road but she would not trade her current life for anything.
King Aegon stared at her for a few moments after that. His purple eyes locked with her red ones before he smiled a small smile.
"Visenya found a good wife for him huh?" he almost seemed to say to himself and Shiera felt like she was in a fever dream. 'What in the seven hells is happening!?' Shiera thought with a dumb look plastered over her face.
"If you will not accept my apology then I will apologize to my grandsons, for they have been suffering my wrath unduly," King Aegon continued seamlessly and Shiera somehow got even more confused. Her sleep-deprived brain hurt and the tiredness was quickly consuming her.
An awkward silence developed between her and King Aegon before he sighed and began speaking again.
"I presume that Visenya has told you many things about me," King Aegon began and Shiera nodded wearily. She understood his meaning this time.
"Of course, I cannot fault you for thinking that way, but I promise you this, you will not be mistreated here. You have my word," King Aegon said with ease and Sheira stared at him suspiciously. This was very different from how Queen Visenya and Maegor to a lesser degree described King Aegon the Conqueror.
"Does that include Lady Alyssa?" Shiera asked before she brought a hand to her mouth. She had asked it on instinct and she could feel like punishment would soon arrive.
"Yes it does, I have already spoken with her. Should she trouble you just let me know and I will have her sent to Driftmark for the duration of your stay," King Aegon said and Shiera felt like she was in a fever dream again.
"Wha-?" Shiera began before King Aegon continued.
"I want you to know that I do not hate you, nor do I hate my grandsons," King Aegon said with a sad smile and Shiera decided to risk a question of her own.
"Do you hate Maegor?" Shiera asked, wary of the answer he may give.
"Not truly, but I cannot lift his banishment if that is what you are asking," King Aegon seemed to be telling the truth, from what Shiera could tell at least.
"...And why is that?" Shiera decided to push her luck a little longer, King Aegon seemed to be in a charitable mood and she needed to capitalize on it.
"I do not hate him but what he did cannot be forgiven, not by me at least. If I were to bring him back now, after banishing him. It would damage my credibility even further. His actions already threatened the stability of the realm, any more damage to the credibility of my word could see rebellions rise," King Aegon spoke clearly and concisely, almost like he was waiting to say it.
"Would bringing two Dragonriders back into the fold not make the Kingdom stronger?" Shiera continued to try. If King Aegon was willing to answer her questions, she had plenty to give.
"Perhaps it would, or perhaps it would just ensure war would come. You do not truly know this Shiera, but war is awful. It takes and takes and takes and in the end, what you get will never fill the hole that was created to acquire the prize in the first place," King Aegon seemed to speak from the heart but Shiera was insulted.
"I do not truly know? How dare you!" Shiera began and seemed to shock King Aegon.
"I held my dying husband in my arms for eight gods damned hours while I thought another assassin would attack at any moment. I carried my two children out of our burning mansion while my husband fought to the death with a Faceless Man. Perhaps you should give this lecture to Lady Alyssa because I know well what the costs of war are. I have already nearly lost my husband once," Shiera said with fire and fury uncharacteristic of her. Perhaps it was a mixture of exhaustion and anger but she could no longer restrain her tone.
"I apologize, that was insensitive of me. But you need not worry, you will be safe here. The Faceless Men will not challenge me, unless they wish to have Balerion visit Braavos too," King Aegon spoke with a certainty that shocked Shiera, even after all the shocking statements King Aegon already made.
"Perhaps I will be, perhaps my children too, but my husband will not be," Shiera continued to spit venom. She was too tired to restrain herself now.
"I will not bring him back. I am sorry but I cannot. He openly disobeyed me and threatened the credibility of my word, my oaths. But I will do nothing to stop him," King Aegon said and Shiera was puzzled once more.
"Nothing to stop him?" Sheira asked, both confused and intrigued.
"If he wishes to carve a kingdom out for himself in Essos I will not stop him, even if I hope one day he returns. I will not stop Aenys from lifting his banishment when he ascends to the Iron Throne either. I am being truthful when I say I do not hate my son. He angered me greatly but my hate is reserved for another," King Aegon finalized his thoughts and Shiera had to ruminate on them for a moment.
"Very well, King Aegon. For the record, I do not think Maegor hates you either," Shiera said simply before she stood up and left the nursery. She was exhausted and the moment her head hit the pillow she was out cold. Shiera just barely managed to think 'Perhaps my stay here will not be so bad,' before sleep took her.
That conversation was shared almost two full sennights before her current chat with King Aegon and Shiera was still unsure about what it all meant. Would he actually abide by what he promised? Shiera did not know.
For whatever it was worth, he did seem to enjoy spending time with his grandchildren, Daeron and Baelon included. He must have taken Prince Aegon up on Balerion five times in the last sennight alone but Shiera was watching him like a hawk.
She had long since learned that trust was something that should be given out sparingly. She trusted Alyssa Velaryon once, then the vindictive bitch decided she was her worst enemy. She trusted Tyanna once too, then she tried to poison Daeron in her womb. So Shiera would have to wait and see how King Aegon acted before he tried truly trusting him.
"You need a book to retell the story of the conquest?" Shiera asked a little dumbfounded.
"No, I may be getting older but I am not that old," Aegon said with a chuckle before continuing.
"I merely wished to see how the Maester thought the events played out. It is amusing to hear him speculate about Torrhen Stark," King Aegon said with a wide smile as he reached for the book again, as Prince Viserys continued to exclaim "Book! Read!" over and over again.
"Speculate about Torrhen Stark?" Shiera asked, somehow a little more confused than she already was.
"About why he surrendered to me and my wives," Aegon said with a more understanding tone than she expected.
"Well, why did he surrender?" Shiera asked. Queen Visenya told her it was cowardice but Shiera was curious if King Aegon knew something else.
"Because he got a good look at Balerion most likely, and his scouts told him of the Field of Fire. If he had another reason, then he took it to his grave," King Aegon said before he began reading again, it seemed as if he was almost done, given he was now speaking of the Vale.
Shiera wondered if Maegor would someday invoke a similar reaction with Terrax. Her husband's dragon was already referred to as "The Terror" so perhaps someday the mere threat of retaliation would stimy any foolish attempts. For now, however, he would have to fight. Braavos seemed to think they had a chance. 'Or perhaps they truly are foolish,' Shiera thought as King Aegon continued telling his tale.
Shiera sat there for another few hours, bouncing Baelon and Daeron around, sharing stories with King Aegon and Prince Viserys, and just generally enjoying her time with her sons. Eventually, however, King Aegon sought fit to ask her a question he had already asked her well over ten times now.
"Might you dine with us tonight?" he asked in a well-meaning tone and Sheira could only sigh. She had deliberately been avoiding dining with the rest of House Targaryen over the last two sennights. Mostly because she was unsure if she could will herself to have a good time knowing Maegor was fighting for his life in the East. The last thing she wanted was to pull down the mood.
"I will, I just want to check in with the Maester first," Shiera decided after a moment's thought. She had avoided the rest of House Targaryen for far too long. She wanted to make an impression here after all, better to start sooner rather than later.
"Are you alright?" King Aegon asked, momentarily worried about her visit to the Maester but Shiera waved away.
"I am, I just am not feeling particularly well, I want to make sure it is nothing serious," Shiera said with a small smile. She continued to feel unwell and she would run her own tests of course but Queen Visenya always said a second opinion was good.
"Wonderful, I will ready Aenys and his family then, we will be in the private dining hall, I assume you know where that is?" King Aegon said as he packed up his book and ruffled Daeron and Prince Viserys's hair.
"Indeed, Your Grace," Shiera said, a reassuring smile on her face. The last thing she needed was King Aegon on edge.
"Alright then, I will see you there," King Aegon said as he left the room.
…
Shiera entered the private dining hall with a sinking feeling of dread in her gut. Both at the news she just heard from the Maester and the prospect of actually sitting down with Lady Alyssa and her brood.
Shiera shakily walked into the room, Daeron in toe and the sight that greeted her should have been a welcome one, had other circumstances not ruined everything. She should be excited to dine with her goodfamily, excited to talk and share stories and mingle. Instead, she was fearful.
"Good evening, Goodsister," Prince Aeynys said with a smile and greeted her before she even really got close to the table. The table he was sitting at was a smaller one. More than big enough for eight people of varying sizes to sit there but still much smaller than she was expecting.
"Good evening, Prince Aenys," Shiera said with a faked, small smile. She was much too stressed to actually smile right now but she had to put up appearances.
"Bah, away with the formalities, when we are in private, feel free to call me Aenys," Aenys waved away her words and ushered her toward the table. Two chairs, one raised higher were prepared for herself and her son.
She expected to perhaps be seated across from Prince Aenys's family. Mayhaps King Aegon at the head of the table, with her and Daeron on one side and Prince Aenys and his family on the other.
Instead, they were all seated at a circular table. Daeron was placed next to his cousin Viserys and she was right next to King Aegon, with Prince Aenys right across from her. Shiera readily placed Daeron in his raised chair and took a seat in her own, desperately trying to hide her shaking legs.
"Thank you for joining us, Shiera," Prince Aenys said in an overly jovial tone, almost like he was trying too hard.
"O-of… course, Prince Aenys," Shiera said again, she could not wipe the fear from her mind.
"Are you alright, Shiera?" King Aegon said with a quizzical look on his face.
"I… I am fine, just a little nervous, that's all," Shiera said with a wave of her red gloved hand. She was fine, the Maester would tell her that her concerns were nothing and she did not make a mistake that night by forgetting a crucial tincture to drink.
"Well you do not need to be, we're just eating," Princess Rhaena said with a confused tone.
Shiera took the chance to look at Prince Aenys's firstborn and Shiera could not help but feel a little envious. Princess Rhaena Targaryen, almost ten years old and now a dragon rider. She was a microcosm of what was eating at Shiera. A daughter, a dragonriding daughter, and a daughter already lined up to marry her brother.
Shiera meanwhile had two sons to her name, with only Vhagar lined up for her firstborn in who knows how many years, and no proper prospects for marriage. Perhaps Maegor would be content with a member of the Pentoshi elite or a potential daughter from Lord Daemon Velaryon or Aeron Velaryon but she was not. At least her firstborn Daeron needed a Targaryen bride.
"Rhaena, be kind," it was surprisingly Alyssa who spoke then, and Shiera finally locked eyes with her purple eyes nemesis for the first time since she arrived on the island. She had deliberately avoided Lady Alyssa until now, and thankfully her enemy had done the same in avoiding her.
"But what did I say that was mean?" Rhaena asked, a little pout on her face as she saw King Aegon lightly chuckle from his seat to her right.
"Nothing Rhaena, let us enjoy our meal," King Aegon said as he waved his hand and the food began to be brought out. The first course was some freshly baked bread and some fruit imported from Oldtown.
Shiera picked at her food and took a few nibbles of her buttered bread but she could not really bring herself to eat. She was far too nervous, unfortunately, the almost entirely silent dinner table only made it all the more obvious that she was not eating.
"Aunt Shiera," Prince Aegon said and Shiera almost jumped at his word usage. Never in a million years did she think Prince Aenys's children would ever call her aunt.
"Y-yes, Prince Aegon?" Shiera asked, a little thankful for the sudden communication.
"Why are you here?" he asked with an innocence only an eight-name day old could muster.
"Aegon! I already told you why she is here!" Prince Aenys sternly spoke to his son. Shiera did not know if she ever heard Prince Aenys speak in that way, even if she rarely heard him speak at all until she arrived here.
"B-but… you barely said anything!" Prince Aegon pouted much like his elder sister had before but Shiera jumped in to save him from a lecture.
"It is fine, pri-Aenys," Shiera said, correcting herself near the end.
Prince Aenys looked a little concerned before he shrugged his shoulders reluctantly and Shiera began to speak. All the while Prince Aegon looked at her with rapt attention.
"Some very bad men are trying to hurt my husband, your uncle Maegor. He cannot protect our children there so your father graciously offered to protect them," Shiera said, being vague due to the Prince only being eight-name days old but that was the gist of it.
"Some very bad men?" "Wait Kepa offered!?" two childish voices were heard at once. One from Prince Aegon and another from Princess Rhaena.
"Yes, Rhaena. Your father asked me and I gave him leave to send the letter, it is because of him that your cousins Daeron and Baelon are here right now," King Aegon said with a myriad of emotions in his voice. Pride, humiliation, and happiness were all there in an almost unintelligible swirl.
"Oh… I'm sorry Kepa, I thought it was Grandfather who brought them here," Rhaena said with an apologetic look on her face.
"No need to apologize, Rhaena. What matters is that they are here now and are safe," Prince Aenys said with a small smile. Shiera meanwhile was confused. How well known was Prince Aenys's apparent meekness? 'Are even his children aware?' Shiera thought with a thoroughly befuddled look.
"Aunt Shiera?" Prince Aegon asked again, seemingly even more pouty than before.
"Oh, I apologize, Prince Aegon, a group of assassins attacked my husband in the night. He beat them but they were very skilled, much too skilled to properly guard our children from them." Shiera continued to be vague, she did not feel comfortable properly introducing two young children to the constant fear she was feeling.
"Do you not have a Kingsguard?" Prince Aegon asked the ignorant question but Shiera could not bring herself to be upset, the little prince was quite endearing.
"No, they do not, Aegon. They were banished a few years ago," King Aegon spoke and Shiera suddenly felt a great sense of shame well up. She did not exactly want to explain her banishment to an eight-name-day-old boy.
"Why were you banished?" Princess Rhaena took her turn to speak next, having already devoured her bread and fruit.
"Because your uncle disobeyed his father, now talk about something else," King Aegon reprimanded Princess Rhaena in the same way Queen Visenya liked to do with people.
"Uhh..um…" Princess Rhaena stammered, trying her best to come up with something and Shiera smiled at the sight. She was just a little girl, after all, she could not blame her for being inquisitive.
"You flew here on Vhagar, right? Why didn't Queen Visenya stay?" Prince Aegon picked up seamlessly from where Rhaena left off but he happened to touch on another awkward subject.
"She did not want to," Sheira quickly answered. She had less than zero interest in discussing that topic.
"Oh, alright then," Prince Aegon seemed to understand it was touchy from her own quick words and a noticeable glare from King Aegon and it helpfully coincided with the main dish coming out. Another batch of fresh fruits from the Reach along with some venison caught in the Kingswood.
"So tell me, why the names Daeron and Baelon?" Prince Aenys seemed to notice the wrecked mood and worked his best to elevate the conversation once more.
"Daeron is my father's name. Maegor simply liked the name Baelon," Shiera said with a smile and a shrug. She did not really know why Maegor chose the name Baelon, with her new knowledge of how the previous dance between the Faceless Men and House Targaryen went, she kind of regretted the name. She certainly did not want her son sharing the first Lord Baelon's fate.
"Hmm, Maegor was always sparing with the details," Prince Aenys seemed to smile and it even looked like King Aegon had a small one, but perhaps it was just the excellent venison and fresh fruits in the last days of winter.
"Indeed he was," King Aegon spoke and both Shiera and Prince Aenys stiffened at his words. Somehow every path of this conversation managed to lead back to their banishment.
"Aegon, Rhaena. Might you take Viserys and Daeron back to the nursery?" King Aegon spoke then and before Shiera could even really understand what he said, the two looked a little confused before nodding.
"Alright Grandfather," the two said in unison and Shiera briefly swiveled her head toward Daeron. She was not enthused about entrusting his safety to two children but King Aegon waved over Ser Corlys Velaryon and Ser Addison Hill after that.
"You will escort them all," he said pointing to each and they wordlessly nodded.
Shiera remained silent as they left the room. She was loath to be parted from her son but she knew logically the Kingsguard would protect them all. But she resolved to go and see her sons before bed anyway, just to check.
"Shiera," King Aegon spoke next, his previous jovial tone gone and the stern voice of a king replacing it.
"Yes, Your Grace?" Shiera said with a stiff lip. She would not cower.
"Tell me everything about these Faceless Men, I have read about them but what really happened in your manse?" King Aegon said while also waving away all the non-Kingsguard staff, making the dining hall much more private.
Shiera just barely stifled a sigh, she had already told this story to Queen Visenya once and she did not really want to do so again.
"Father, she is clearly still bothered by it, can we give her a little more time?" Prince Aenys offered but Sheira raised a hand to stop him.
"No it is fine, I will tell you," Shiera said before repeating every event in excruciating detail, from Maegor's first swing to when Queen Visenya arrived. Every detail she could remember was told and when she was done, King Aegon gave an audible hum.
"Alright then, the Kingsguard have been warned and the regular guards are already following Lord Daemion's protocols but I will ensure the castle is more strictly controlled. I highly doubt an attack will occur here, but we can never be too certain," King Aegon said after her terrible tale.
"Thank you, Your Grace," Shiera said once more. She had already thanked him a few times since arriving here but this one was more genuine, perhaps she would actually get some decent sleep tonight, knowing that King Aegon was not underestimating the threat but she doubted it. Especially if the Maester confirmed her greatest fears.
"Think nothing of it, Shiera. You are the mother of my grandchildren, despite what their father did they are sinless. I will protect them as long as Maegor wishes for them to stay here," King Aegon said and Shiera nodded curtly.