#ch: Heirs of the Dragon: A Question of Succession

[stromuprisahat]

Meanwhile, back in Westeros, Princess Rhaenyra had given birth to a second son late in the year 115 AC. The child was named Lucerys (Luke for short). Septon Eustace tells us that both Ser Laenor and Ser Harwin were at Rhaenyra’s bedside for his birth. Like his brother Jace, Luke had brown eyes and a healthy head of brown hair, rather than the silver-gilt hair of Targaryen princelings, but he was a large and lusty lad, and King Viserys was delighted with him when the child was presented at court. These feelings were not shared by his queen. “Do keep trying,” Queen Alicent told Ser Laenor. “Soon or late, you may get one who looks like you.” And the rivalry between the greens and blacks grew deeper, finally reaching the point where the queen and the princess could scarce suffer each other’s presence. Thereafter Queen Alicent kept to the Red Keep of King’s Landing, whilst the princess spent her days on Dragonstone with her champion, Ser Harwin Strong. Her husband, Ser Laenor, was said to visit “frequently”.

The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother × Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

History and Greens just hate happy non-traditional family, don't they?

[kylandara]

Nice little fanfic

—————

A reenactment of the Dance of the Dragons. All this would happen in the aftermath of the slaughter at King’s Landing.

Daenerys and Jon argue in increasingly antagonistic terms about her actions and she threatens to have him burned if he questions her again.

Tyrion is condemned to executed, but is saved by Jon, who kills some of the Unsullied who try to stop him from rescuing Tyrion. Daenerys takes this news as proof that Tyrion has chosen Jon’s side and that the latter has chosen to pit himself against her. Daenerys marshals her forces and attacks Jon before he can stake his claim.

Jon’s army is decimated in the retreat but he, Tyrion and Davos reach the Neck, which has been repaired and fortified by Sansa. Arya returns to the fold as well. Sansa has also declared Jon’s claim and called the royal banners on his behalf.

Tyrion rallies the remaining strength of the westerlands by promising them revenge against Daenerys. The riverlands, the Vale and the Reach also rise against Daenerys after the slaughter at King’s Landing. The assembled lords demand that for Jon to be acclaimed King, he must wed the right woman to rule alongside him.

Arya and Tyrion bring Sansa forward, and after much convincing, Jon agrees to a political marriage. Sansa is confirmed as Jon’s queen and co-monarch, as Daenerys’ army marches north. The towers and curtain wall of the Neck are fortified with some of those scorpions and the crannogmen are ordered to prevent crossings through the swamps.

Daenerys arrives and there is a parlay between Daenerys on one side and Jon and Sansa as co-monarchs on the other. Daenerys is enraged beyond measure to see Sansa as Jon’s wife and closes all avenues of a peaceful resolution.

Grey Worm takes the main group of Daenerys’ army to cross the river at a different position while Daenerys attacks the Neck from the front. Daenerys starts her attack and it goes pretty well in the beginning, with Grey Worm’s element seemingly taken Jon’s army by surprise.

It goes awry when the scorpions are revealed to be a distraction to force Daenerys to fly over the swamps, where Meera and the other crannogmen are waiting with weirwood arrows, constructed with the guidance of the green men on the Isle of Faces.

The crannogmen take their shot and Bran wargs Drogon for an instant, making sure that the dragon gets hit. Drogon plummets to the ground, making sure to get Daenerys on to dry ground with his final exertions.

Simultaneously, Jon’s main army is revealed to be held in reserve, commanded by Tyrion, who leads them into battle, while Sansa watches the battle from high ground, with Arya and Brienne on either side of her. The two armies combined slaughter the Unsullied and the Dothraki are driven into the swamp and killed to the last man. Grey Worm is captured during the battle and is personally executed by Jon for facilitating and exacerbating Daenerys’ slaughter.

Daenerys seems unharmed as she mourns the death of her last dragon, but is revealed to be been struck by three weirwood arrows herself. She removes the arrows, bleeds out and dies leaning against Drogon’s corpse.

A rider discovers her corpse and soon the victorious nobles assemble to debate what should be done with it. Some propose that her head be mounted on a spear as punishment for what she did at King’s Landing, but Jon and Sansa firmly shut down this kind of talk.

Jon has Daenerys and Drogon cremated before someone can desecrate their bodies, just as Eddard Stark did with Rhaegar Targaryen’s body. Then, everyone rides off to King’s Landing, where Jon is crowned king and resettles many of the northerners who fought for him in the shattered city and pledges that it’ll be rebuilt.

Arya goes north to be the Stark in Winterfell, acting head of House Stark and Jon’s Warden of the North, while Tyrion serves as the Warden of the West. Bronn is appointed Lord Protector of the Vale to watch over Robin Arryn and is given Harrenhal as his seat, though Edmure Tully remains Lord Paramount of the Riverlands.

Samwell Tarly is commanded to return to his home, Horn Hill, and assume his position as head of House Tarly. He names little Sam his heir and becomes Jon’s Warden of the South.

Epilogue

Jon and Sansa have entered the history books and are now equally as revered as Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. They are both much older now and their children are about to come of age and rule Winterfell as well as the Seven Kingdoms. Arya has become a veteran warrior and respected commander (just like her idols Nymeria and Visenya) who has fought at Jon’s side and held Winterfell and the North for decades.

Jon and Sansa abdicate their rule and give the reins to their children and ride for Winterfell. Brienne stays behind to protect their children. Gendry joins them and Arya welcomes them all. The four of them then venture beyond the Wall, where Jon reunites with a much older Tormund, who is now a wise old clan chief, and Ghost, who finds Nymeria and leads her to where the Starks are. They spend the rest of their days in quiet anonymity as members of Tormund’s clan, and get occasional raven messages about the state of the realm.

Tyrion has gone into the winemaking business and created the Imp’s Delight, which is such a roaring success around the world that he manages to refill Casterly Rock’s coffers with the sale of his wine range. As Lord of the Rock, he marries and has twin children of his own, who look exactly like Jaime and Cersei. He names them after his own siblings, but Jon and Sansa advise him against it, and he relents. Davos has returned home to his three remaining sons and his wife, served for many years as Jon’s Hand and died content in his own bed, with both the king and queen by his side at the time of his passing.

As all this time has passed, Bran has built a new lair and has passed on his legacy to another greenseer, following which he asks an older Meera Reed to escort him back beyond the Wall and the two are never heard from again. They find the center of the Others’ homeland, the heart of winter, and Bran is transformed into the new leader of the Others with Meera as his first lieutenant.

[stromuprisahat]

I’ve read some complaints about the events leading to Aemond’s loss of an eye. That in books it doesn’t make sense. I have to disagree.

Even for a son of House Targaryen, there are always dangers in approaching a strange dragon, particularly an old, bad-tempered dragon who has recently lost her rider. His father and mother would never allow him to go near Vhagar, Aemond knew, much less try to ride her. So he made certain they did not know,

Little children like to state the obvious, especially if “the obvious” means something you shouldn’t be doing (sneaking around to a dragon that’s not yours), therefore “I said it first, now you can’t tell ~I~ might be doing something I shouldn’t” (wandering by myself).

“You stay away from her!”

The voice belonged to the youngest of his half nephews, Joffrey Velaryon, a boy of three.

I’m curious why were the crossed out parts left out in Fire & Blood (Compared with The Rogue Prince novel.)

Afraid that the boy would raise the alarm, Prince Aemond slapped him, shouted at him to be quiet, then shoved him backward into a pile of dragon droppings.

Aemond bullies Joff, he comes for help to his “big” brothers, who are still much smaller than Aemond, so they take practice swords to make up for their age just like an ordinary child would take a stick. Just google what does three, five, six and ten year old look like.

Aemond fought back, breaking Luke’s nose with a punch, then wrenching the sword from Joff’s hands and cracking it across the back of Jace’s head, driving him to his knees. As the younger boys scrambled back away from him, bloody and bruised, the prince began to mock them, calling them the Strongs. Jace at least was old enough to grasp the insult. He flew at Aemond again, but the older boy began pummeling him savagely … until Luke, coming to the rescue of his brother, drew his dagger and slashed Aemond’s face, taking out his right eye. 

Experience seems to win- maybe originally unarmed, but with some four extra years of training on the oldest Velaryon, Aemond gains a weapon and seemingly victory. So he gloats and humiliates, just like mommy taught him.

Jace tries to protect their honour, only to be overpowered by the boy almost twice his age. The situation escalates for the last time when it turns out no one told a five-year-old not to bring a metaphorical gun into a knifefight, but even such a small child would understand being “pummeled savagely” after acquiring a head injury might be slightly life-threatening. He’s acting out of desperation, basics of self-defence ingrained deep enough to know what to do, yet too young to foresee practical consequences.

[stromuprisahat]

During that same fateful year, Ser Criston Cole was appointed to the Kingsguard to fill the place created by the death of the legendary Ser Ryam Redwyne. Born the son of a steward in service to Lord Dondarrion of Blackhaven, Ser Criston was a comely young knight of three-and-twenty years. He first came to the attention of the court when he won the melee held at Maidenpool ... Afterward, he gave the seven-year-old Princess Rhaenyra the victor’s laurel, and begged for her favor to wear in the joust. ... With his pale green eyes, coal-black hair, and easy charm, Cole soon became a favorite of all the ladies at court … not the least amongst them Rhaenyra Targaryen herself. So smitten was she by the charms of the man she called “my white knight” that Rhaenyra begged her father to name Ser Criston her own personal shield and protector. His Grace indulged her in this, as in so much else. Thereafter Ser Criston always wore her favor in the lists and became a fixture at her side during feasts and frolics.

The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother & Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

Somehow 23 y/o knight becoming "favourite" of a 7 y/o leaves completely different impression than young guy and a teenager...

There is a difference between childhood crush and teen thirsting after a guy.

[stromuprisahat]

On the third day of the third moon of 129 AC, Princess Helaena brought her three children to visit with the king in his chambers. The twins, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, were six years old, their brother, Maelor, only two. His Grace gave the babe a pearl ring off his finger to play with, and told the twins the story of how their great-great-grandsire and namesake Jaehaerys had flown his dragon north to the Wall to defeat a vast host of wildlings, giants, and wargs. Though the children had heard the story a dozen times before, they listened attentively. Afterward the king sent them away, pleading weariness and a tightness in his chest.

The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother & Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

I'm curious why did HotD writers decided to portray Viserys as absent, neglectful father to his Green children, when I don't remember any mention of his paternal qualities, aside from insistence on the order of succession. And he literally dies after playing with his grandchildren by those children he allegedly did NOT care about.

[stromuprisahat]

Alicent: Stop it! Rhaenyra: Stop what? Alicent: You've named another of your spawn like my son! Joke's on you. Because I figured out you made another only to offend me. Ha! Rhaenyra: Yeah. That's what we did. In our very limited free time, we went and got a nanny to keep any eye on our five living kids, fucked like rabbits to add another one to the collection, picked only the positions most likely to produce a son and once he was born, we went through all Valyrian names and chose the most common one in our family just because it will be shared with your kid. [Rhaenyra to the camera] Rhaenyra: Yup. That's exactly what we did.

[stromuprisahat]

The amity between Her Grace and her stepdaughter had proved short-lived, for both Rhaenyra and Alicent aspired to be the first lady of the realm … and though the queen had given the king not one but two male heirs, Viserys had done nothing to change the order of succession. The Princess of Dragonstone remained his heir, with half the lords of Westeros sworn to defend her rights. Those who asked, “What of the ruling of the Great Council of 101?” found their words falling on deaf ears. The matter had been decided, so far as King Viserys was concerned; it was not an issue His Grace cared to revisit. Still, questions persisted, not the least from Queen Alicent herself. Loudest amongst her supporters was her father, Ser Otto Hightower, Hand of the King.

The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother × Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

Viserys "I rarely make a decision" Targaryen: "My daughter is my heir."

Viserys "I rarely make a decision" Targaryen after his first son is born: "My daughter is my heir."

Viserys "I rarely make a decision" Targaryen after his second son is born: "My daughter is my heir."

Greens: ArE yOu SuRe?!

[stromuprisahat]

Her first act as queen was to declare Ser Otto Hightower and Queen Alicent traitors and rebels. “As for my half brothers, and my sweet sister Helaena,” she announced, “they have been led astray by the counsel of evil men. Let them come to Dragonstone, bend the knee, and ask my forgiveness, and I shall gladly spare their lives and take them back into my heart, for they are of my own blood, and no man or woman is as accursed as the kinslayer.”

The Princess and the Queen & Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

The princess always took care to refer to Queen Alicent’s sons as half-brothers, never as brothers.

While Rhaenyra doesn't like her male replacements more than Daemon, she doesn't seem to mind her sister. It could be because Helaena doesn't threaten her position,- as far as we know- unlike Aemond or Alicent she doesn't insult her, or her children (Aegon).

The difference between always-HALF-brothers and SWEET sister is so noticeable, interpreting it as some level of fondness isn't that much of a stretch.

[stromuprisahat]

Afterward, King Viserys tried to make a peace, requiring each of the boys to tender a formal apology to his rivals on the other side, but these courtesies did not appease their mothers. Queen Alicent demanded that one of Lucerys’s eyes be put out for the eye he had cost Aemond.

I know the focus is (understandably) on Aemond and Luke, but what about the other boys? Three-year-olds bruise easily, and Jace should be black and blue all over, but somehow no one minds them?

There are three badly beaten children, and Alicent insists on mutilating one of them further, even though they visibly had a pretty good reason to defend themselves?

Rhaenyra would have none of that, but insisted that Prince Aemond should be questioned “sharply” until he revealed where he had heard her sons called “Strongs.” To so name them, of course, was tantamount to saying they were bastards, with no rights of succession … and that she herself was guilty of high treason.

I've seen people arguing Rhaenyra means to torture Aemond. Being "questioned sharply" suggests that, but let's be realistic- he's the ruling King's son. Considering Viserys' personality she wouldn't expect more than stern talking-to. And it's not like that would change her step-borthers' minds, I'd guess it's more about making another statement.

To re-assure Rhaenyra of her and her children's position that was questioned by such prevailing rumours. Position that certainly wasn't cemented by her forced re-location to Dragonstone. Viserys half-succeeds in that, as is his custom.

When pressed by the king, Prince Aemond said it was his brother Aegon who had told him they were Strongs, and Prince Aegon said only, “Everyone knows. Just look at them.” King Viserys finally put an end to the questioning, declaring he would hear no more. No eyes would be put out, he decreed … but should anyone—“man or woman or child, noble or common or royal”—mock his grandsons as “Strongs” again, their tongues would be pulled out with hot pincers.

Good job, no one will say anything... out loud... in his earshot...

His Grace further commanded his wife and daughter to kiss and exchange vows of love and affection, but their false smiles and empty words deceived no one but the king. ... To prevent further conflict, and put an end to these “vile rumors and base calumnies,” King Viserys further decreed that Queen Alicent and her sons would return with him to court, whilst Princess Rhaenyra confined herself to Dragonstone with her sons. Henceforth Ser Erryk Cargyll of the Kingsguard would serve as her sworn shield, whilst Breakbones returned to Harrenhal.

... but Viserys failed to support Rhaenyra resolutely, by keeping Alicent in capitol, fully aware it means Nyra won't follow there. An indisputable Heir should be a part of everyday working of government. Just look at how many served as the Hand! He even considers that particular option later, so on some level he has to understand that:

The governance of the realm was a daunting task; the king needed a strong, capable Hand to shoulder some of his burdens. Briefly he considered sending for Princess Rhaenyra. Who better to rule with him than the daughter he meant to succeed him on the Iron Throne? But that would have meant bringing the princess and her sons back to King’s Landing, where more conflict with the queen and her own brood would have been inevitable.

Historians agree the seeds of The Dance were sown when Aemond lost an eye, I'll add Rhaenyra- although unaware- asked her father to stop it. She wanted him to stand by her once and for all, when the hatred for her and hers caused the first unnecesary bloodshed.

[stromuprisahat]

Princess Saera herself was still alive and well in Volantis, and only thirty-four years of age; her own claim was clearly superior to those of any of her bastard sons, but she did not choose to press it. “I have my own kingdom here,” she said, when asked if she meant to return to Westeros.

Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

[stromuprisahat]

He [Daemon] began by giving her [Rhaenyra] kissing lessons, Mushroom claims. From there the prince went on to show his niece how best to touch a man to bring him pleasure—an exercise that sometimes involved Mushroom himself and his alleged enormous member.

The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother × Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

Mashroom: "Did I mention I have a HUGE dick, and the Princess Queen I ~love~ SO MUCH was TOTALLY jerking me off on regular basis?!"

[stromuprisahat]

Lady Aemma had suffered several miscarriages and the death of one son in the cradle over the course of her marriage (some maesters felt she had been married and bedded too young), but she had also given birth to a healthy daughter, Rhaenyra (born 97 AC).

Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

Shocking!!!

Thirteen y/o too young to carry and deliver one healthy child after another?

Y'no what? She could've looked like her show!self, when she died at ripe age of twenty-three... Ten years of miscarriages might age a woman up...

[stromuprisahat]

Prince Daemon had at last returned to court. Wearing a crown and styling himself King of the Narrow Sea, he appeared unannounced in the skies above King’s Landing on his dragon, circling thrice above the tourney grounds … but when at last he came to earth, he knelt before his brother and offered up his crown as a token of his love and fealty. Viserys returned the crown and kissed Daemon on both cheeks, welcoming him home, and the lords and commons sent up a thunderous cheer as the sons of Prince Baelon Targaryen were reconciled. Amongst those cheering loudest was Princess Rhaenyra, who was thrilled at the return of her favorite uncle, and begged him to stay a while. Prince Daemon did remain at King’s Landing for half a year, and even resumed his seat on the small council, but neither age nor exile had changed his nature. Daemon soon took up again with old companions from the gold cloaks and returned to the establishments along the Street of Silk where he had been such a valued patron. Though he treated Queen Alicent with all the courtesy due her station, there was no warmth between them, and men said that the prince was notably cool toward her children, especially his nephews Aegon and Aemond, whose birth had pushed him still lower in the order of succession. Princess Rhaenyra was a different matter. Daemon spent long hours in her company, enthralling her with tales of his journeys and battles. He gave her pearls and silks and books and a jade tiara said once to have belonged to the Empress of Leng, read poems to her, dined with her, hawked with her, sailed with her, entertained her by making mock of the greens at court, the “lickspittles” fawning over Queen Alicent and her children. He praised her beauty, declaring her to be the fairest maid in all the Seven Kingdoms. Uncle and niece began to fly together almost daily, racing Syrax against Caraxes to Dragonstone and back.

The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother × Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

... whose birth had pushed him still lower in the order of succession...

... or perhaps he just didn't like the tools his sister-in-law popped up to replace his beloved niece with? It's not like Daemon showed some kind of political amibtion ever. He's attention whore, not powerhungry conspirator.

[stromuprisahat]

Death visited the court again a short time later, when Grand Maester Mellos collapsed one night whilst he was climbing the serpentine steps. His had always been a moderating voice in council, forever urging calm and compromise whenever issues arose between the blacks and the greens. To the king’s distress, however, the passing of the man he called “my trusted friend” only served to provoke a fresh dispute between the factions. Princess Rhaenyra wanted Maester Gerardys, who had long served her on Dragonstone, elevated to replace Mellos; it was only his healing skills that had saved the king’s life when Viserys cut his hand on the throne, she claimed. Queen Alicent, however, insisted that the princess and her maester had mutilated His Grace unnecessarily. Had they not “meddled,” she claimed, Grand Maester Mellos would surely have saved the king’s fingers as well as his life. She urged the appointment of one Maester Alfador, presently in service at the Hightower. Viserys, beset from both sides, chose neither, reminding both the princess and the queen that the choice was not his to make. The Citadel of Oldtown chose the Grand Maester, not the Crown. In due time, the Conclave bestowed the chain of office upon Archmaester Orwyle, one of their own. King Viserys did seem to recover some of his old vigor once the new Grand Maester arrived at court. Septon Eustace tells us that this was the result of prayer, but most believed that Orwyle’s potions and tinctures were more efficacious than the leechings Mellos had preferred. But such recoveries proved short-lived, and gout, chest pains, and shortness of breath continued to trouble the king. In the final years of his reign, as his health failed, Viserys left ever more of the governance of the realm to his Hand and small council.

Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

It's nice Viserys likes to honour rules and traditions (especially if it means the responsibility would fall on someone else), but how likely it is his new Grand Maester will be impartial? Being sent from the seat of Hightowers?

His ability to ignore brewing troubles, and leave Rhaenyra to her own devices is almost astonishing.

[stromuprisahat]

A few cast doubt on Lady Alicent’s virtue, suggesting she had given her maidenhead to Prince Daemon and later welcomed King Viserys into her bed as well, even before Queen Aemma’s death. × A few even cast doubt on Lady Alicent’s virtue, suggesting she had welcomed King Viserys into her bed even before Queen Aemma’s death. (These calumnies were never proved, though Mushroom repeats them in his Testimony and goes so far as to claim that reading was not the only service Lady Alicent performed for the Old King in his bedchamber.)

The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother × Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

This went from possibly true, offering a new dimension to Alicent and Daemon's later animosity, to Mushroom's usual bullshit, deduced from the fact a man and a woman were in the same room alone.

[stromuprisahat]

When King Viserys took Alicent Hightower to wife in 106 AC, House Velaryon was notable for its absence. Princess Rhaenyra poured for her stepmother at the feast, and Queen Alicent kissed her and named her “daughter.” The princess was amongst the women who disrobed the king and delivered him to the bedchamber of his bride.

The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother & Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

Rhaenyra, aged nine, called "daughter" by the woman, who's about to abuse her in a while, helping to undress her father... WTF?!

I understand she's the Heir etc. etc., but she's fucking nine!!!