"I didn't think exile would turn you into a warlord, but I admit to being thoroughly surprised." Daemon said with a smirk.
"Careful there, Daemon. Jealousy does not suit you." Aegon replied, throwing an amused smile at his brother while pouring wine into two cups and offering it to his brothers sitting across from him with a small round table between them.
"Hmm… this is fine wine." Viserys hummed with satisfaction as the red wine trickled down his throat.
"One of the best batches from the Flatlands." said Aegon, leaning back in his seat while staring at his brothers.
"Enough with this useless pretence." Daemon scoffed before staring straight into Aegon's eyes, "We're here to bring you and Gael back to King's Landing."
If his brother was attempting to intimidate or take him by surprise, it didn't work as Aegon stared at Daemon calmly. He took his time to enjoy the wine slowly while formulating a response.
"Thank you for being so forthcoming." Aegon said calmly, "So, let me save you the trouble. The answer is no."
"Splendid! Can we go now? I tire of this ridiculous heat, and everywhere I look, I see savages and spineless cowards. This place is worse than King's Landing." said Daemon, rising from his seat.
"Sit down, Daemon." Viserys commanded sternly.
Aegon watched his brother sit with a disgruntled grumble, which he masked by sipping more wine. Just then, Gael walked into his tent, which lightened the mood somewhat.
"Viserys. Daemon. I hope your journey wasn't too uncomfortable." Gael said with a delicate smile as she joined at Aegon's side.
"Oh, it was quite wonderful. We quite enjoyed being boiled to death atop Ceraxes as we chased after you from Pentos and all the little villages you visited until we found you in the middle of nowhere." Daemon said wryly with a heated glare directed at Aegon, who couldn't help but chuckle at the vivid picture painted by his brother.
"I know you've never been one to like history books, brother. For your information, this place is called Hugor's Hill. People believe it was here that King Hugor was crowned by the Seven." Aegon said with a grin.
"Ah, yes. My younger brother – ever the lover of fables and superstitions of lesser men. It is disheartening to see that crossing the Narrow Sea has not broken that terrible part of your character." Daemon said with a sneer.
"What did you expect? I'd style myself as a Dragonlord of Valyria, bind all people in chains, and burn the rest that defy me?" Aegon asked with a raised eyebrow.
"If you had done so, I'd have been proud, but I'll settle for this. At least you've taught these savages never to pick a fight with a Targaryen." Daemon said grudgingly.
"We're veering off from the important matter." Viserys intervened, breaking the banter, "Daemon and I – the King sent us to invite you back home. King Jaehaerys has blessed your union and countermanded all the edicts issued by our father. He implores you to return home and be with family in these trying times."
"He countermanded them. How generous of him. All our father has to do is to wait a few years for grandfather to pass and invoke every single order from the past and new ones he can think of to torment me." Aegon glared at his brothers with his hands shaking with righteous fury as he gripped the arms of the chair, "The answer is still no."
"Calm down, my love." Gael's soothing voice reached his tumultuous heart, and her hand upon his calmed him down.
Aegon took a deep breath before continuing the conversation.
"I've known from the moment I could walk that my father thought so little of me. I've grown to accept that over the years, but I won't tolerate it any longer. He tried to strip me of my dignity and kill my dragon. I won't tolerate such blatant insults to my person from anyone."
"Our father is immensely sorry for what he did. He has seen sense ever since you left the shores of Westeros. He also wants you back home, Aegon." Viserys said earnestly, "This will be the time to mend bridges and reforge the bonds of blood."
Aegon exchanged a long look with Gael before turning his attention back to Viserys.
"The answer is still no." Aegon said firmly, wiping the hopeful look on Viserys' face.
"But…" Viserys started to protest.
"It has been fifteen years since our father looked at me with barely anything that resemble love or care. I don't expect him to change overnight, and if he did, then it's under false pretences to appease our grandfather. I neither have the time nor the patience to play this sordid game to satisfy his ego." said Aegon.
"Then let me give you another alternative. You don't have to come to the capital. You and Gael can live in Dragonstone without anyone bothering you. I give you my word." said Viserys.
Aegon was about to reject that offer, but Gael squeezed his hand. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear while he kept a close eye on his brothers.
"Think about what this means. We can leave this place, and most importantly, we can use this to secure the transport of the Andals to a safe location." Gael suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Aegon whispered back.
"Do we really have a choice? You know, as well as I do, that the Andals have no future in these lands. No matter what we do, they'll fall here. Even if we chase away the Dothraki, the Free Cities will take them as slaves, or the Red God will take them as a sacrifice." Gael argued back, and for once, Aegon was at a loss of words before his wife because he knew she spoke the truth.
He could campaign as hard as he could and drive the bandits, criminals and Dothraki out of Andalos, but it wouldn't matter in the long run.
"I told you my other plan. We can still do that." Aegon whispered back.
"You know the risks involved, and you said it yourself, but the chances of success were slim. Pentos might never agree to it." Gael reminded him.
Aegon became contemplative.
His initial plan was not to stay and fight the entire Dothraki horde but to lure those barbarians here, thereby forcing Braavos and Pentos to intervene. The Braavosi Coastlands were not too far away from the northern hills of Andalos. If the Dothraki came in huge numbers, they wouldn't leave those lands unmolested, forcing Braavos to join forces with him. He hoped to meet a Braavosi delegation soon as he was awfully close to their sphere of influence. It was only a matter of time before they sent envoys his way.
At the same time, he could leverage that situation to ask Pentos and Braavos to use their fleet to ferry the Andals across the Narrow Sea to Bloodstone. It was a plan with many holes, and he was still working out the finer points of exactly how to pull it off without suffering a catastrophic failure.
"Very well." Aegon said once Gael pulled back and stared at his brothers, "There is one thing you can do. I gave a vow to the Queen that I'll not set foot in Westeros. If she asks me to return home, I'll do so without complaint."
"You know as well as I do that our grandmother is a stubborn woman. Her rift with our grandfather will never allow her to do anything he desires." Viserys said with a roll of his eyes.
"Then there is only one way I will return. You must convince King Jaehaerys to grant passage to the Andals in my camp. If I am to come, these people must be granted passage into Westeros." said Aegon.
"You want this smelly riff-raff to come with you?" Daemon asked incredulously, "How will we even take these useless fools? Or better yet, where will we house them?"
"The Royal Fleet will have to ferry them across the narrow sea. As for their accommodations, there is more than enough land in Dragonstone and the Crownlands." Aegon said with a dismissive wave.
"Are you daft? You would use this situation to bargain for these pigs!" Daemon looked wroth at the very idea.
"As hard as it might be for you to swallow, brother, I care about the people who ask for my aid." Aegon said with a deadpan look directed at his raging older brother.
If anything, it only enraged Daemon. Viserys, on the other hand, was somewhat reserved.
Aegon could understand the predicament of Viserys. His older brother was the heir to their father, and he did feel a bit guilty to wring favours from Viserys, but he couldn't in good conscience leave these people to the mercy of the Dothraki savages. In case the Old King decided to be a stick in the mud, he still had a fallback plan to rely on. He supposed he had to work some more on that plan just in case he didn't receive the ships from the Royal Fleet.
So, with some trepidation in his mind, he watched his brothers climb on the back of the Caraxes and fly away.
It was tempting to hold on to the chance of easily getting the protection of his family in King's Landing. His friend Jon Tarth and Ser Reginald Reyne had made their opinions known that he should've given in to the orders from his grandfather. But the last few months showed him how much he needed to go his own way and build something for himself, separate from the shadow of his family.
While he had his doubts about the end game of all this, he had come so far with limited resources. But now, he had grown much faster than anticipated.
"Well, there goes our one good chance to safely return to Westeros." Jon said from his side.
"Safely return, yes. But is it safe in Westeros?" Gael posed the question for which only silence was the answer.
"That is a good question." Aegon commented, patting his friend's shoulder.
"Are we safe here?" Jon turned the question around, nodding at the Dothraki camp, which was separated from the camp made by the Dragonshields.
"I'll take a bunch of horselords as enemies over my father and Vhagar, especially when he is bound to become the King of the Seven Kingdoms after my grandfather." Aegon said with an unimpressed look at his friend.
"Still, we would've been better off making peace with the King and Prince Baelon." Ser Reginald muttered dejectedly.
"If they want to make peace, it must be on our terms." said Aegon, taking Gael's hand in his and brushing his lips against the back of her hand.
This gained him a beautiful smile from Gael, and that put his tremulous mind at ease.
"How about we fly for a while to take the mind off this incident?" Aegon suggested.
"Oh, that's wonderful. Dreamfyre wanted to stretch her wings this morning, and she was a little disappointed I didn't take her." Gael said excitedly.
As Aegon and Gael soared through the sky on their dragons, the breathtaking landscape of Andalos unfolded beneath them. Rolling hills dotted with large plantations of apple trees, pineapples, wildflowers and towering trees stretched out as far as their eyes could see. Lush forests hugged the banks of winding rivers glistering under the sunlight. Aegon memorised each of the delicate turns of those rivers and hillslopes as they were most likely tributaries of the Rhoyne.
He took a deep breath of the fresh air and leaned closer against Fiendfyre's scales. His dragon also let out an appreciative screech, which almost sounded like a purr from a dragon. There was a certain advantage in not having urban settlements in Andalos. The air was fresh and filled with smells of wildflowers, and the land was adorned with the wild beauty of nature.
For a moment, he wondered whether it'd be feasible to settle in Andalos and forge his own kingdom in these lands. He'd be landlocked between two powerful Free Cities and fighting off a constant stream of barbarian armies of the Dothraki, but… he couldn't help but wonder.
He was broken out of his musings when Gael shouted for his attention. The howling wind in his ears made it hard for him to follow what Gael was shouting, but he got the general gist. When Gael pressed herself tight against Dreamfyre and banked left, he knew his wife wanted him to follow her.
"It seems Gael found something interesting, Fiendfyre. Let's follow her."
Usually, his dragon was not as forthcoming in following orders to the letter when they were not in a fight. But this was one of those rare occasions Fiendfyre followed his verbal command without a sign of protest. As Fiendfyre banked left and followed far slowly after a speeding Dreamfyre, Aegon couldn't help but marvel at the changes his dragon underwent.
If anyone had gone through some healthy changes due to his hasty escape from Westeros, it would have been Fiendfyre. His dragon, known for his vice of dragon flesh, had changed his diet overnight and showed no trouble with the radical change. The Essosi mountain goats, cows, pigs and bulls were more than enough to satisfy Fiendfyre. Not once had his dragon shown an interest in devouring Dreamfyre. He had taken many precautions against something untoward happening to his wife's dragon in the early days. He had chained Fiendfyre's legs during the night to make it difficult for him to harm Dreamfyre.
But these days, such precautions were unnecessary as Dreamfyre and Fiendfyre had become comfortable around each other's presence.
Dreamfyre suddenly went into a steep dive, breaking the cover of clouds and the minty fog hugging close to the hills. He urged Fiendfyre to follow by diving, and then he found what had taken his wife's attention. There was a beautiful waterfall falling from the hillside.
His wife and her dragon landed near the stream, flowing out of the waterfall. As Fiendfyre descended, his massive wings whipped up massive gales of wind flattening the grass, and his hind legs crushed the smooth round stones upon landing. He looked into the simmering blue waters of the gentle stream from Fiendfyre's back and then at his wife.
"The water looks perfect for a quick dip." Gael called out, gesturing with excitement. "Race you to the water."
"No, wait! It might be dangerous!" Aegon called out in warning, but his words fell on deaf ears.
He rushed to unchain himself from the harness, climbed down from Fiendfyre's back, and jumped down. But it was for nought because Gale was nimble and quick on her feet. It also helped that Dreamfyre was pretty sleek and far more accommodating to Gael's antics. By the time his feet touched the ground, Gael was already standing by the edge of the stream and undressing.
He could only watch helplessly as Gael stepped into the stream. The only action he could do was follow her lead.
"Are you coming in, or are you only going to stare?" Gael playfully asked purposefully, showcasing her naked body to him with some sensual moves that blew away any of his inhibitions.
Throwing caution to the wind, Aegon followed suit and joined his wife in the stream.
The refreshing spray of the waterfall enveloped Gael and Aegon as they splashed into the cool, clear stream of water at its base. Laughter echoed off the rocky cliffs, blending with the sound of the cascading water.
"Come on, don't be a coward!" Gael teased, urging Aegon to jump from a nearby rock ledge.
With a playful grin, Aegon took a running leap, the world blurring for a moment before he hit the water with a splash.
Emerging, he wiped the water from his eyes and called out, "That felt amazing!"
Gael dove beneath the surface, surfacing with a triumphant grin.
"I'll show you how it's done!"
She swam effortlessly to the waterfall's base, letting the torrent of water cascade over her nubile body, a look of pure bliss on her face.
Aegon joined her, feeling the power of the falls invigorate him. His hands snaked around her smooth waist as he hugged her from behind.
"This place is incredible," he said, glancing around at the vibrant greenery and colourful wildflowers framing the scene as their bodies were smothered by sprays of water from the waterfall.
"We should come here more often." Gael cried with a mischievous smile while gazing into his eyes.
Aegon couldn't resist the urge as he pressed his lips against her cherry-red lips. Their lips brushed against each other, taking their sweet time to tentatively enjoy themselves. The waterfall's roar became a gentle murmur in the backdrop as their lips danced against each other. When they finally pulled apart, both breathless, a smile broke across Gael's face, one filled with joy.
"We could stay like this forever." Gael said breathlessly, leaning against his chest and closing her eyes.
Aegon didn't say anything and merely pressed a kiss against her silver-adorned head. As they shared a quiet moment, their fingers entwined, the waterfall roared on, a reflection of the chaos they faced. But beneath its cascading veil, they found a moment of peace—a promise of love forged in times of discord in their life. The world around them transformed as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue across the water. They leaned closer, the intimacy of the moment pulling them together, hearts beating in unison as their lips met once more in a kiss.
*****
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the rolling hills of Andalos. Aegon Targaryen sat astride his warhorse, Stormwind, the powerful stallion shifting beneath him with restless energy. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and wild grasses. For weeks, reports had filtered into his camp: bandits were raiding the villages, stealing supplies, and sowing discord among the people he had sought to unite in the valleys.
For weeks, he had been uniting the villages of Andalos one by one in the hills, and now he was pushing into the valleys. The villages close to the banks of river Rhoyne's banks were some of the wealthier villages as they were engaged in more trade with the cities of Norovos and even Ibb. The Andals living along the Rhoyne depended on the river to sustain their lives. The desolate burnt cities of the Rhoynar kept the Dothraki away as they considered the burnt cities cursed.
Unfortunately for the Andals in this region, where the Dothraki dare not tread, the bandits made themselves known with their cruelty. Bandit activity in these river basins was insidious. Reports had filtered into his camp about increased bandit activity in these settlements. Bandits were raiding the villages, stealing supplies, and sowing discord among the people he had sought to unite. In parts, it was his fault as his campaign against the Dothraki and the criminal elements near the Velvet Hills and spreading them all the way to the coasts and then to the foot of Hugor's Hills had scared away the bandits further into the riverside. There were too many old desolate Rhoynar settlements they could take refuge in without anyone finding them, allowing them to strike at villages at will.
Unlike the Dothraki Khalassars, he could not hunt the bandits down from his dragon. The bandits were much smarter by blending in with the people and riding in smaller groups.
While these bandits had evaded his natural sight, they could not escape his reach when he used the glass candles. This was how he came upon the village before him. The villagers were terrified when he arrived atop Fiendfyre and a contingent of mounted men of Dragonshields led by his trusted friend Jon Tarth. But the Septons he had ridden with his men calmed them down by explaining his campaign and their just cause.
This particular village was ruled by seven elders, fashioning themselves after the gods they believed in. It made things slightly awkward as Aegon had so far only needed to deal with Septons or even singular village leaders. It was a bit disconcerting because he couldn't pinpoint who was in charge, but that didn't prevent him from hearing about their troubles with the bandit group.
"My Prince," Jon Tarth rode up beside him, "The villagers say the bandits have set up camp near the old ruins to the west. They've grown bold—attacking at dusk and disappearing into the night."
"I got the gist of it from the seven elders." Aegon said, feeling rather weird saying it out loud.
"These bandits took two girls out about plucking tomatoes this early morning. So, they might not be too far out, and we might've just missed them on our way here."
"Two girls! No one told me this." Aegon said, a fire igniting in his eyes, "We must waste no time then. These bandits must be tracked immediately."
Aegon immediately brought forth the Valyrian glass candle and set himself far away from any distractions. Jon guarded him while Aegon channelled his magic into the glass candle and cast his vision across the land until he found the bandits.
"Gather our men. We ride at once." said Aegon, coming out of the trance.
As they galloped through the forest, the sound of hooves echoed against the ancient trees. Aegon led a small contingent of his best men, their armour glinting dully in the fading light. He could feel the anticipation building, the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
"The villagers said there might be a dozen men among this bandit group." Jon said as their horses ran after the trail, passing rows of trees deep into the land.
"We should be able to catch up before they reach their camp." Aegon said, not looking forward to fighting the bandits in their camp where traps and defensive positions might hinder their efforts.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of crimson and gold, Aegon and his men reached the edge of the clearing where the ruins lay nestled among the trees. The crumbling stone walls, remnants of an ancient civilisation, stood like sentinels, their shadows stretching long in the twilight. The air was thick with anticipation.
By the skin of their teeth, they managed to catch up with the bandits just before they could hide behind any organised defences or traps. Once Aegon and his men galloped into the settlement on their horses, they could see the bandits were just in the process of unloading their ill-begotten haul from the village.
"To the Prince!" Jon shouted, raising his sword in challenge as they rode into the bandit camp.
The bandits were obviously aware of their presence and tried to put up an organised resistance quickly. But Aegon and his men bravely rode in, smashing away any sort of defence the bandits could put up. The bandits, caught off guard, scrambled for their swords, their confidence quickly giving way to panic. Aegon was proud to say his friend drew first blood by carving a long gash through the throat of a bandit.
Aegon charged into the fray, his sword singing as it sliced through the air, parrying an attempt by a bandit to drive his sword into his horse's side. He followed suit by engaging the bandit in a dance of steel. Every swing and thrust from his sword was precise and backed with strength that left his opponent reeling. The added advantage of his height as he was sitting on his horse paid dividends in the situation. He managed to smack away the bandit's sword and drive it through the throat of his enemy. The bandit choked in his own blood as he pulled his sword back and kicked the man away.
"Press the attack!" Aegon called out, his voice rising above the clash of steel and men screaming, "Do not let them regroup!"
A burly man with a scarred face rushed at Aegon, swinging a crude axe. Aegon deftly slid down from his horse, bringing his sword down in a powerful arc. The blade met flesh with a sickening thud, and the man crumpled to the ground. He made sure the bandit never dared raise a weapon against him by driving his sword through the man's heart for good measure.
Aegon felt the surge of victory wash over him, but he had no time to dwell on it.
Another bandit, younger and more agile, rushed him from the side. However, Aegon was faster, pivoting and using the momentum of his opponent's charge to throw him off balance. With a swift strike, he cut through the sword hand of the bandit, leaving the man to scream in the high heavens. Holding his sword by two hands, and with a hard stroke, he severed the bandit's head from his shoulders.
The fight raged on, and the bandits began to falter under the relentless assault. Aegon felt the tide turning as the sounds of the battle were shifting from chaos to a desperate retreat.
"Surround them! Do not let a single one escape!" he shouted, his voice thundering across the battlefield.
It didn't take long for the fight to end with the kidnapped girls safe and the bandits defeated. Five bandits were caught alive while the rest lay dead on the ground.
Aegon watched from the side as Jon bound the captured bandits in ropes while he oversaw the men bury the dead. By the grace of all the gods, none of his men lost their lives, although some suffered minor injuries.
"They fought well. Am I allowed to knight a couple of them?" Jon asked him in confidence.
"Give me the names of the men you found worthy. We must confer with Ser Reginald before making a decision." Aegon replied.
"What about the bandits?"
"What about them?" Aegon asked with a raised brow.
"If we're giving them the block, we might as well do it here instead of dragging these fools all the way to the village." Jon suggested.
"We'll question these bandits." Aegon decided after taking a moment to think it through. "They might hold valuable information."
Jon nodded slowly. "That is smart. They might hold some information about other bandit groups in the region."
As they prepared to leave the ruins behind, Aegon felt a renewed sense of purpose. Seeing the ruins made him see the mark left by the Freehold with his own eyes. But unlike Valyria, Aegon was determined to leave a different kind of mark on these lands.
AN:
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