ASOIAF: The True House of Dragons

On the foundation of the construction site in King's Landing, stonemasons were hard at work stacking stones. The outline of the city walls was gradually beginning to take shape, rising steadily from the ground.

According to Aegon's meticulously crafted blueprint, Aegon's Castle—a structure that had served as a temporary royal palace—had fulfilled its purpose and was now slated for demolition.

The site was designated for the construction of the Hall of Conquest, one of the three great halls of the outer court, which would eventually become the place where the king received his vassals and foreign envoys.

Balerion sank his massive, razor-sharp claws into the foundation of Aegon's Castle. The immense force made the ground tremble faintly. With a deep creak, the towering three-story wooden fortress was uprooted in one go.

The wooden frame of the castle splintered and cracked, nearly collapsing into ruin. Balerion, as if toying with something utterly insignificant, effortlessly dragged Aegon's Castle out of the construction site.

In the distant future, the ruins of Aegon's Castle would become a treasured relic of deep historical significance, standing quietly in a museum, telling future generations of House Targaryen the tales of a glorious past.

From afar, the gathered lords and high officials looked on in awe, their faces filled with amazement. Once again, they were shaken by the overwhelming power of the Dragon, a force far beyond the reach of ordinary men.

Once Aegon's Castle had been safely relocated, the group resumed their inspection of the bustling construction progress in King's Landing.

After the inspection, the royal court regrouped and set off in grand procession toward Harrenhal.

The convoy traveled upstream along the Blackwater Rush.

Several days later, the royal court's longships entered the lake known as the Gods Eye, and in the distance, the grand silhouette of Harrenhal came into view.

By the time Aegon set foot in Harrenhal, the Maesters from the Citadel in Oldtown had already arrived ahead of him.

They hurried back and forth through the castle, passing along crates of books in relay. Box after box was transported into Harrenhal until the volumes piled up like mountains. Aegon could already envision the flourishing future of scholarly pursuit and prestige that the new Citadel would achieve.

It had taken considerable effort on Aegon's part to persuade the Conclave of the Citadel to allow the transfer of these books.

Behind the scenes, the influence of House Hightower was not to be overlooked. Though they presented it as assistance, there was an underlying tone of coercion in their actions.

After all, House Hightower was the primary financial backer of the Citadel. The donations from the other lords across Westeros were nothing more than a drop in the ocean, barely enough to sway the Citadel's decisions.

As a token of appreciation, Aegon offered House Hightower political rewards in return.

He promised that in the upcoming campaign to conquer the Iron Islands, Balerion would give priority to supporting the naval forces under House Hightower's command, aiding them in their efforts to take the isles.

After arriving, Aegon made detailed plans for the five main towers of Harrenhal.

Kingspyre Tower, due to its unique status and significance, was reserved as the royal residence.

It was renamed Dragonlord Tower.

The ministers were assigned to the subsidiary buildings of Dragonlord Tower. Though not lavishly decorated, the rooms were quite comfortable, providing a restful environment for officials to recover after long hours of governance.

Aegon designated animal symbols for the remaining four main towers of Harrenhal and assigned each one to a different academic domain of the Citadel:

The Magic Tower—Dragon: A gathering place for scholars pursuing arcane knowledge. Here, schools of witchcraft, magic, black medicine, and warging would thrive.

The Academic Tower—Eagle: The hub for schools of humanities, astronomy, art, and law. Scholars would analyze the evolution of human society and look up to the stars in search of the world's mysteries.

The Tower of Knights—Wolf: Where knights would hone their martial skills and study military strategy. Harrenhal's Stone Garden was allocated to this tower for the practice of combat arts.

The Tower of Alchemy—Lion: Dedicated to research in material transformation and creation. Schools of arcane study, blacksmithing, sculpture, and chemistry would converge here.

Harrenhal was vast in scale, and its current space was sufficient to meet present needs.

However, Aegon held even grander ambitions in his heart.

In his vision, Harrenhal would eventually be surrounded by a network of satellite towns.

Each of these towns would be home to a different school of thought, where ideas and techniques would collide and intermingle. Scholars, artisans, and knights would engage freely, learning and growing together, forming a rich and thriving academic and technical ecosystem.

His goal was to turn Harrenhal into something like a university town on the outskirts of a modern city in his past life—a cradle for elite intellectuals and officers. As the outer city of King's Landing expanded, it was not impossible to imagine a future where it connected directly with Harrenhal, forming a single, unified metropolis.

However, as the development of King's Landing continued, a pressing issue gradually surfaced—there were no longer enough slaves.

Aegon silently concluded that his father would need to procure more.

He was firmly against using black slaves.

He preferred to recruit the descendants of the former Valyrians.

These people were far more accepting of the rule of House Targaryen. Once they became citizens and were integrated into the kingdom's system, Aegon would feel far more secure, no longer burdened by fears of rebellion or instability.

At the grand opening of the new Citadel, Aegon delivered an inspiring speech in the Hall of a Hundred Hearths at Harrenhal...

"In this brand-new Citadel, every hard-working Maester, every knowledgeable Archmaester, every combat instructor, and all the mentors dedicated to teaching students will receive the recognition they deserve. Your efforts and wisdom will not go unnoticed. Starting today, you will all receive a salary that reflects your value. This isn't just recognition—it is the Targaryen dynasty's respect for knowledge and strength."

Aegon slowly swept his gaze across the room, seeing the excitement and anticipation in the Maesters' eyes.

"More than that, if any of you achieve a major breakthrough in your field, the Targaryen dynasty will reward you handsomely with generous bonuses. These bonuses are a token of appreciation for your outstanding contributions and a driving force to encourage you to keep exploring the unknown and scaling the heights of scholarship and craft. For projects with exceptional potential that can bring benefit and progress to the people of Westeros, the kingdom will offer its full support and allocate ample funding. I firmly believe that your research and teaching will shape the future of Westeros."

Aegon opened his arms, as if embracing a hopeful tomorrow.

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in thunderous cheers.

The Maesters were overwhelmed with emotion. Their lives back at the Citadel in Oldtown had often been harsh—they frequently went hungry while pursuing their studies. The Citadel's operations relied heavily on donations from House Hightower and various lords of Westeros, but these contributions were inconsistent and far from sufficient.

Many Archmaesters had to rely on financial support from their families just to continue their research. None of them had ever imagined that in this new Citadel at Harrenhal, they could earn a living through their own knowledge and effort. It was as if a door to a new life had been opened, offering them a glimpse of hope.

...

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

During that time, the Maesters of the new Citadel carried out various settlement tasks in an orderly fashion. Westerosi nobles also began arriving one after another, bringing their family combat instructors, who were likewise adjusting to the environment.

These instructors were usually second sons or bastards of noble families. They brought a group of attendants and began conducting training and sparring exercises in the Stone Court.

As more people arrived and settled in, Harrenhal—the largest castle on the continent, once somewhat desolate—gradually filled with energy and life. In the corridors and courtyards of the castle, one could often catch sight of Maesters strolling or combat instructors drilling their charges.

With so many noble offspring gathered in Harrenhal, sharp-eyed merchants quickly spotted an opportunity. They began arriving from all directions on their own accord. Around Harrenhal, a lively market sprang up like mushrooms after a rainstorm.

...

In the spacious and bustling central dining tower of Harrenhal, Aegon was walking up to the second floor alongside a group of Maesters from the law school. This level housed a private dining hall for the highborn, where a wide variety of dishes was served.

As they climbed the stairs, they were discussing the matter of unifying the realm's legal system. At that time, the first draft of the unified law had already been posted on the bulletin board, drawing crowds of people who stopped to read and discuss it.

Once seated in a private suite on the second floor, Aegon raised a proposal with enthusiasm.

"Our realm might do well to follow the example of the Valyrian Freehold and establish three classes of people, apart from the nobility."

He elaborated,

"Slaves must work for three years before having the chance to be promoted to commoners. However, they absolutely must not slack off during this period. If they do, points will be deducted from their record. Should their score go into the negative, their years of service will be extended. On the other hand, if they are proactive and accumulate enough points, they can be promoted to commoner status early.

Commoners, in turn, will have limited rights and will not be allowed to leave their assigned fiefdoms freely.

Citizens—what we call the Free Folk—will be allowed to engage in open trade and can also participate in the entrance exams for the Citadel here at Harrenhal, gaining the opportunity for higher education."

One of the older Archmaesters from the law school frowned slightly upon hearing this and warned solemnly,

"Your Grace, these reforms are sweeping. I fear many lords will resist implementing them. Enforcing such policies will be a serious challenge."

Aegon replied calmly,

"That's not a concern. We'll implement it in the Crownlands first. Once the reforms succeed there, we can gradually extend them to the other lordly domains. Even if the other lords cling to tradition and refuse to implement the changes, it doesn't matter. Once the Crownlands grow wealthy and prosperous, and they see the benefits firsthand, they'll naturally want to follow suit. At that point, even without us actively promoting the unified laws, they'll come to us asking for them."

The old Archmaester looked at him with admiration and offered sincere praise,

"Your Grace, your wisdom is like the deep sea—vast and unfathomable. If you were to attend the Citadel, I have no doubt you'd be awarded the brass mask that symbolizes an Archmaester's mastery. Your insights into humanities and law have already far surpassed mine."

Aegon smiled modestly and replied gently,

"I'm merely thinking a little further ahead than most. When it comes to the technical details, I'll always rely on the expertise of your law school."

After the meal, Aegon went straight to the Stone Court.

Today was his first official session teaching swordsmanship to the noble youths gathered at Harrenhal. Just as he had expected, none of these noble children had chosen the Academic Tower or the Eagle Tower upon arrival. Nearly all of them had rushed to join the Wolf Tower instead.

They had come, without exception, for the royal swordsmanship of Valyria that Aegon had mastered.

Each of these noble sons was accompanied by several, sometimes even dozens, of knightly retainers and household servants, making their arrival even more imposing than that of the martial instructors who had come before them.

Many of them had also brought their family's ancestral sword techniques—precious combat arts such as the Hundred Needles Sword Technique, the Seagull Sword Technique, and the Fence Sword and Shield Technique.

Today, these valuable martial manuals were safely stored within the Martial Arts Hall of the Wolf Tower.

Even after acquiring these techniques, Aegon did not rest. He continued to actively gather martial arts from across Westeros and even the distant lands of Essos, determined to build the Martial Arts Hall into a grand repository of the finest combat styles the world had to offer.

...

Aegon arrived at the training ground and stood tall before the gathered children. Acting in his dual role as king and headmaster, he addressed them with a commanding presence:

"I am both your king and the headmaster of the new Citadel in Harrenhal. Today, I will teach you personally. However, this opportunity comes only once—right now. I will demonstrate the Valyrian royal swordsmanship myself, and how much you can learn from it will depend entirely on your own abilities.

Watch carefully. The Valyrian royal swordsmanship consists of a total of 108 forms, including twelve foundational strikes."

Aegon, using the chip to analyze and refine the techniques, had merged the subtlety of various Valyrian sword styles with the sword forms of Gaemon, blending them with Valyrian military swordsmanship. With effort, he performed over a hundred continuous techniques in a fluid and coherent demonstration.

His swordplay blended power with grace—at times bold and sweeping, at times as precise and nimble as a horned antelope's leap, then suddenly turning vicious and lightning-fast with lethal precision. It was a dazzling display, a feast for the eyes, leaving all who watched completely entranced.

The children stood wide-eyed, their minds blank from the sheer brilliance and complexity of what they had just witnessed. They were utterly stunned.

Yet even in their daze, they could clearly sense the elegance and mastery in His Majesty's movements.

After completing the demonstration, Aegon offered a few words of encouragement before decisively entrusting the teaching duties to the sword instructors of House Targaryen and House Stark.

After all, as king, his responsibilities were many. It would be impossible for him to personally train a large group of students in detail. Only in the rare event that one of them proved to be a once-in-a-generation talent might they be fortunate enough to receive direct instruction from Aegon himself—a rare honor they would never forget.

Aegon then used the chip to integrate several Valyrian sword techniques, synthesizing them into a new version which he stored in the Martial Arts Hall.

This so-called royal swordsmanship was deliberately designed to be impossible for the average person to fully master.

Even if the noble youths practiced relentlessly, they would only ever be able to grasp the first twelve transformation forms and three of the foundational strikes.

The remaining dozens of variations and foundational strikes, though beautifully crafted in form and appearance, were purely ornamental. They were empty movements—flashy for display, but with no true utility in actual combat.

Aegon wasn't concerned about this deception being exposed. If they failed to master it, that was a reflection of their own lack of talent.

After all, if anyone could easily learn the most powerful sword technique on the continent, wouldn't that make the title of Westeros's strongest warrior far too cheap?

...

While Aegon devoted himself to building the new Citadel, Queen Visenya assisted him in handling government affairs. Sometimes, when Aegon was too busy to attend to all his duties, Queen Visenya would preside over the Small Council in his stead.

At first, the Small Council was critical of Queen Visenya acting on behalf of the king, but as time passed, Queen Visenya gradually won them over with her outstanding political skills, and they slowly began to accept her leadership of the Targaryen dynasty. Queen Visenya's influence in the kingdom continued to grow as Aegon delegated more and more power to her.

When many nobles sent their children to Harrenhal to study, after paying their respects to King Aegon, they would also make a special request to see Queen Visenya. Queen Visenya would graciously receive each of the nobles and kindly encourage their children, which made the nobles respect her even more.

In stark contrast to Queen Visenya, Queen Rhaenys remained true to her old ways. She monopolized all of Aegon's free time, wishing she could spend every night with her husband "exercising" to her heart's content.

Lady Sharra and Lady Argella were extremely dissatisfied with Queen Rhaenys' excessive clinginess towards Aegon. In order to win Aegon's affection, they sometimes even had to appear together in the king's bedroom.

Time flew by.

Harren and King's Landing were like two young seedlings growing vigorously, developing and growing in an orderly manner under Aegon's careful cultivation. The naval preparations in the Riverlands and the Reach were also advancing simultaneously.

After Aerion returned to the Free City Council, he gathered the forces of the three great kingdoms of Volantis, Myr, and Lys to send fifty ships to Aegon, greatly strengthening the naval power of the Targaryen royal family. Arriving in Westeros with this fleet were dozens of Grand Maesters from Myr, Alchemists from Lys, and thousands of slave laborers.

As the speaker of the Free City Council, Aerion had the decisive vote among the fourteen permanent members. House Targaryen held four seats and the Stormlands held two, giving the Targaryen dynasty nearly half of the seats in the Free City Council. Although six other Free Cities had formed an alliance against the Targaryen dynasty, Aerion successfully won over two of the Free Cities, giving the Targaryen dynasty more than half of the votes.

The Free City Council's primary strategy is now to seize the slave trade in Slaver's Bay. Slaver's Bay, adjacent to the Free City of Volantis, is the largest slave market in the known world, which has created favorable conditions for Aerion to continue transporting slaves to the Crownlands of Westeros.

The slave population in Aegon's Crownlands grew almost daily. He did not need to worry about slave revolts, because he was the first to give slaves the goal of liberation, so slave laborers had hope and naturally did not resist work excessively. Moreover, Aegon's treatment of them was not particularly harsh.

Even if there were restless slaves who had been enslaved due to crimes, they would be identified by slave overseers and assigned to extremely difficult and dangerous work areas to wear themselves out.

Among the three dragons of the Targaryens, Vhagar and Meraxes lived in Rhaenys's hill in King's Landing. If a slave revolt broke out, they would have no qualms about turning the troublemakers into their dinner. Even if these two dragons were unable to respond in time, Aegon could fly from Harrenhal at full speed on Balerion and arrive in a matter of minutes to provide backup.

Time continued to pass quietly.

...

One day, Queen Visenya was attending to government affairs in Kingspyre Tower.

She bowed her head and examined the parchment, which was about a dispute between two Crownlands nobles who had hunted the same prey while hunting. She held a quill pen in her hand and wrote down a series of orders to prevent the conflict between the two vassals from escalating further and proposed an appropriate solution.

After spending a long time buried in government affairs, Visenya felt a little tired, so she rubbed her forehead to relieve the discomfort.

A moment later.

When Queen Visenya reached for the next piece of parchment related to government affairs and was about to write down her decision, there was a sudden knock on the door.

A clear female voice came from outside the door. It was the Queen's maid.

"Your Grace, it's Irene."

Visenya remained focused on writing the decree, not even raising her head, and asked casually.

"Come in, what is it?"

The young maid Irene hurriedly opened the door and entered, looking somewhat anxious. She said softly,

"Your Grace, I just heard some news. Queen Rhaenys is pregnant!"

There was a soft crack!

The goose quill in Visenya's hand pierced straight through the parchment.

She froze at the desk like a wooden statue, her head bowed, her expression stunned, lost in thought...

...

[Upto 20 chapters ahead for now]

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