The Bloody Prince: HOTD SI

Chapter 47

AEGON TARGARYEN

Fighting a war was rather straight forward, it was a game of addition and subtraction—sometimes multiplication and divison. But mostly simply addition and subtraction, and the war was a game in which you just had to make sure that your subtractions in human life were lesser than your opponents over an extended period of time, while your additions in weapons, food, and alliances was more.

It was simple, really.

But playing with a war, as he planned to do, was not simple. Not at all. Sometimes, as he tried to think and plan, he found it rather overwhelming. But this needed to be done.

For the alternative was devastation.

And so even as his own wedding loomed over his head, Aegon found himself focusing more on the war in the Stepstones than the preparations and anticipation of this Royal Match. He had barely slept for more than 4 weeks in the last month, and the wedding day was finally here.

The Royal Marriage between him and Rhaenyra was set to be held in a day, and even now he found himself fighting a war in which he had no man.

Mysaria had made her way to the capital as per his command. Utilising the vast treasury and the connections he had provided for her, she had formed a small but rapidly expanding network within the Triarchy and the Velaryon forces, and he had been testing its efficacy and had found it somewhat acceptable.

And now, it was time for the big step.

"Lysandro Rogare will be dying soon," he told her as he sat with her in a room atop her brothel and saw Mysaria, who was standing at the window looking out at the city, turned around in surprise.

"Is that so?" she asked, and Aegon nodded.

"Yes, and I am sure that there are many in Lys that are not happy with how he has turned Lys against both Myr and Tyrosh," and he was certain of that, but the problem had always been Lysnadro Rogare and the person behind him—someone he suspected shared his own blood.

Lysandro Rogare was the one person holding together this alliance, the one person who was the lynchpin to controlling Lys and the Rogare Bank, and much to Aegon's pleasure the man's succession was set to be a disaster.

Lysandro had too many children and too many women. And he was sure that all they needed was one spark, and the massive power that the Rogares were wielding would turn on itself, leaving the Velaryons to fend for themselves in the unforgiving waters of the Stepstones.

"The man has too many heirs and no definitive succession plan yet. Strike there, have support and money directed to his younger children, and let them tear themselves apart," and Mysaria raised a brow.

"I doubt we would need to intervene for that. But I will see what I can do," and Aegon nodded.

That took care of one of his problems.

The sun was beginning to set, and his headache was getting worse. He still had a lot to do.

Mysaria walked towards him, sauntering in those white clothes of her that left almost nothing to the imagination as she walked upto him.

"And what of the Velaryons," she asked, and Aegon rubbed his head as he answered.

"Supplies, with the restrictions we have placed on him Corlys Velaryon will not find it easy to feed his army. His biggest advantage is that he still has access to many of the supplies that were secured for Prince Daemon's campaign," and Mysaria raised a brow.

"You plan to sabotage them," she asked, and he shrugged.

"An army always marches with its stomach," and then it suddenly hit him that this army was not marching.

"Well, in this case, sails with its stomach," and though they could always rely on fishing, it was not so easy to secure ample food during times of war.

"I was able to find out where the stores are being held," and he gave her a rolled-up piece of paper with the exact coordinates.

"Grain and food are so easy to spoil. Rats, rodents and insects, they roam this land even more freely than humans," and she nodded understanding his intentions.

"I will see it done," and that took care of most of his work.

The shift in war would have to be slow and steady. Lysandro's death was something of a big blow, but in his plans it was the only big move he would play for the whole year. And it was a necessary one, given wha the had learned of the man.

Lysandro was smart and had consolidated too much power in Lys, and as long as the man was in power, the Velaryons would have access to the considerable wealth and influence of the Rogare Bank.

But with the man dying, the Iron Bank would move in to curb the Rogares, trying to claw away the market from them, while his heirs would decimate his fortune, removing the biggest weapon from the arsenal of Corlys Velaryon.

"Still, I am surprised," Mysaira began, making him look at her.

"I thought that matters pertaining to the content were to be handled by my other half, the one they call Club-foot," and he raised a brow.

"Are you incapable of handling this?" he asked, and she quickly shook her head.

"No, but I am surprised that you would choose to come to me with this over him," she asked as she sat plopped down beside him and raised a brow.

"I wonder why?" she asked, but he did not answer.

"You are free to wander as long as you do the tasks that I have given you," and while he did trust her somewhat, it was also true that Larys was given another task: infiltrating her network to ensure that she stayed in line.

And Aegon was overseeing that project himself.

"Then may I wonder that you have not yet forgiven him," the words made a chill run down his spine, not for how they were said. But for how right they were.

"That you abhor him for what he did to our previous Hand's late daughter," she added, and he did not answer.

"The Lady Alicent," she asked, Aegon's lips thinned as he looked into her eyes.

"You are free to think as you may, but see to it that this all is done," and then he made to stand, and much to his surprise, he found his head spinning, and he stumbled.

And immediately, he thought of the foul play and looked towards Mysaria beside him, and before she could say anything, his hand was on her throat as he pushed her against the couch.

"What was in the wine!" he asked, his tone laced with rage as Mysaria shook her head.

"Nothing," she answered, and when he did not let go she added as she looked directly into his eyes.

"I swear on my life," and she was not lying. She had drunk it herself.

And he let her go and felt his head searing with pain as he sat down once more and reached for the glass of water.

She passed it to him as he looked at Mysaria who was rubbing her neck.

"It is the lack of sleep," she said as he sipped the water.

"You have not slept for days my Prince," she added as she sat down beside him, rubbing his head.

"You should rest. I could have a few of my girls lead you to a roo..."

"Are you mad?" he asked as he looked at her.

"I am set to be married in a day, and you are asking me to sleep with whores," he asked and she did not mind the insult, for he did not mean it as one.

"I know of men who laid with whores on their very wedding nights," she answered, and he saw that her neck had reddened, and he just thought how foolish he had been.

"I am not those men," he answered.

"I know, yet you are a man," she added softly, and she knew how to talk.

"And a man has worries and stresses, especially you, who is dealing with as much as you are," and despite the offer, he shook his head.

"I will be fine," and after rubbing his head for a second, he stood up once more. The pain was still there, and he would probably have to lie down once he reached the castle.

"We are discreet. No one here will ever speak of your visits," she added, and he chuckled.

"I will be fine," he assured her, and she shrugged.

"For our sake, and the sake of the realm I do hope that you remain so, my Prince," and then she picked up the cloak and helped him into it, and Aegon slipped out the brothel and onto the bustling streets.

His head was still spinning but he somehow pushed himself to reach the castle, and then his room.

His tiredness must have shown as he came to his room, and looked at the servants.

"I am going to lie down for some time. Make sure that no one disturbs me," and the maids nodded as Aegon plopped down on his bed for some shut-eye, and the last thing he saw was that the skies had darkened much, and night was fast approaching.

'Perhaps he would wake up for breakfast now....'

And much to his surprise, he would. But for his wedding days.

So tired was he, that Aegon Targaryen would find himself asleep for a whole day; his servants, friends and even his wife-to-be would take pity on him and not wake him at all.

A small mercy, but one that was much needed.

0000

VISERYS TARGARYEN

The day of the wedding was finally here, and Viserys himself walked up the stairs to reach his daughter's room, and it warmed his heart to see some joy return to the Halls of the Red Keep.

Gloom and pain had been cast over these Halls ever since Aemma's death, and never had her absence been so felt until the past month.

The marriage of a Princess was a major affair, and usually something that was mostly under the purview of the Queen. Alas, Aeema's death had robbed the realm of both a Queen and a mother, and Rhaenyra had no one to turn to in these difficult times.

Thankfully, though, what little remained of Aemma's family had come to fill her shoes.

And as he walked through the throng of maids and ladies waiting outside the Princess's door, they parted to let him through as he walked into her room.

And felt his eyes water as he saw her sitting there. Wearing the colors of their House, her dress was dark red, studded with gold thread and rubies, and besides her stood the two women who had helped arrange it all in place of Aemma.

The Lady Jeyne Arryn, Rhaenyra's cousin had been a constant companion to her daughter, helping her in all ways she could. The Lady of the Vale gave him a small bow, as he walked past her and towards his daughter who sat there infront of a giant Myrish mirror, getting ready for the ceremony.

Lady Jeyne was clad in her own House colors, wearing a lighter shade of blue, similar to what Aemma had worn to their wedding, and behind her was the other woman who had made it all possible.

"Your grace," the woman greeted her, and he oft wondered would Daemon still be here if only he had ever reconciled with his Lady Wife.

Lady Rhea Royce had ridden to the capital as well for the wedding and in the absence of a Queen, had done all she could to help Rhaenyra and himself with the arrangements.

Despite being Aegon's mother, she had spent more time with Rhaenyra and helping her prepare. The woman was wearing a gown, black of color, with gold and red thread, and one could see that his brother's insults were nothing but lies, driven out of spite and rage.

Lady Rhea Royce was not the most comely of the women in the room, but she was not ugly. Her more manly face gave her strength, both in character and stubbornness—stubbornness that matched Daemon.

Perhaps, it was why they could never mend their ways despite having a child together.

"Leave us," he said to the two women who nodded and hurried out the servants, leaving him alone with Rhaenyra who was looking a thim through the mirror.

He sat down on the stool beside her as the door closed and smiled as he held her hand.

"Aemma would have loved to see you like this," his words shook as he felt his eyes tear up.

"She always dreamt about the day you would marry," and they had talked about it many times, imagining the wedding of their daughter.

"I wanted to make it even Grander than the Golden Marriage, though she argued against it," and he saw her lips thin as she grasped his hand.

"I know," she said with a chuckle.

"It should be her sitting here, talking to you," he began.

"I don't even know what to say, though it is helpful that you are going to be quite near to me even after the marriage," he added and saw her chuckle as she nodded.

"Indeed," for she was a Princess, married to the heir to the Iron Throne. Her place was here, in the capital.

"I know that I set this match in a hurry," and it was a rushed decision, but one he was proud of.

"But Aegon is a good person. He will do right by you," and if the boy was even half as dedicated to his marriage as he was to his work, he knew that the match would work.

For a while love may propagate a match, the marriage took effort, and the boy knew how to put in the effort.

He could see how the boy had conquered the mountain clans. He was a hard worker, taking after his own Grandfather, the Old King, in his workings.

He was proud of the boy, of all he had done in the little time he had appointed him to the Council.

"I know," Rhaenyra answered, and it was good that she was accepting of the match, for he did not wish to entangle his daughter into a loveless match.

"I will leave you to it," he finished, and stood up once more, and walked towards the door and there at the entrance stood the Lady Heyne and Lady Rhea.

"I must thank you for your help in these times," he said to them, and they both curtsied.

"It was an honor, your grace," and he nodded as he walked past them, along with his guards, and as he reached the stairs, and then a few seconds later the Halls of the Red Keep were once again filled with a scream.

0000

Rhaenyra sat in her room, after her father's departure and as her cousin and Lady Rhea entered the room once more, they rushed towards her.

"You shouldn't have cried," Jeyne chided her as she rushed to her side and began to examine her face.

"I need to go and see Agon's preparations," Lady Rhea asked as he held her shoulders and smiled at her.

"I will be back," she assured her, and Rhaenyra nodded as she wiped away her tears.

"Do make sure that he has woken up," Jeyne asked, and Lady Rhea shook her head as they all chuckled along with a few other ladies.

Prince Aegon's rather lengthy sleep was the talk of the castle, and the Prince had woken up in the morning today after sleeping for the entire day. Despite laughing, it was they who had asked the servants not to disturb him, knowing that he had been pushing himself to the brink for the last two months with all the responsibilities.

However, it would cause a lot of trouble if he chose to sleep for another day. Afterall, today was his wedding day.

"I will," the Lady of Runestone added with a chuckle as she made to leave the room until a massive scream ripped through the Halls.

"AHHHH!" Rhaenyra stilled. She recognized the voice rather well and gasped in worry as she jumped to her feet.

"Father....."

0000

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