Of the Blood of the Dragon

Chapter Twenty One

The Dance of the Dragons entered a new stage after the death of Lucerys Velaryon and Jaehaerys Strong in the stormlands and the murder of Prince Jaehaerys and Prince Maelor before their mother's eyes in the Red Keep. And all across the realm, lords called their banners, and armies gathered and began to march.

Yet it must not be thought that the green council was sitting idle.

After the deaths of Prince Lucerys Velaryon and her son Lord Jahaerys Strong, Valaena did not speak to her husband unless they were in public.

Mostly she spent her time writing letters. Aemond had grown curious and had asked her who she was writing letters to, to which she responded: "no one."

Ser Otto Hightower had been busy as well, winning over lords, hiring sellswords, strengthening the defenses of King's Landing, and assiduously seeking after other alliances. The Hand redoubled his efforts, dispatching ravens to Winterfell, and the Eyrie, to Riverrun, White Harbor, Gulltown, Butterbridge, Fair Isle, and half a hundred other keeps and castles. Ser Otto also reached out to Dorne, whose ruling prince, had once offered his sister's hand in marriage to Lord Vaegon Strong, but Prince Qoren spurned his offer. "Dorne has danced with dragons before," he said. "I would sooner sleep with scorpions."

Yet Ser Otto was losing the trust of his king, who mistook his efforts for inaction, and his caution for cowardice. Septon Eustace tells us of one occasion when Aegon entered the Tower of the Hand and found Ser Otto writing another letter, whereupon he knocked the inkpot into his grandsire's lap, declaring, "Thrones are won with swords, not quills. Spill blood, not ink."

The fall of Harrenhal to Prince Daemon came as a great shock to His Grace, Munkun tells us. Until the moment, Aegon II had believed his half-sister's cause to be hopeless for he had the Dragon Shifter and her twins. However, Harrenhal left His Grace feeling vulnerable for the first time. The subsequent defeats at the Burning Mill and Stone Hedge came as further blows, and made the king realize that his situation was more perilous than it had seemed.

King Aegon began to drown his fears in strongwine, Septon Eustace tells us, demanding that Lord Vaegon flew to Harrenhal and take it back in his name.

A few days later a raven arrived from Harrenhal, "I will stand by the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, Rhaenyra Targaryen and I will have my vengeance in this life or the next." The letter said. Vaegon had let Daemon take Harrenhal and had now rejoined his bannermen. Many of the lords gathered in the small council chambers whispered of how in the aftermath of Blood & Cheese, Lord Vaegon should have been executed. Having heard their whispers, Lady Viserra stood, drawing the attention of everyone gathered. "Say another word about killing my brother and I'll burn you alive." She declared. 

Other blows followed: the Vale, White Harbor, Winterfell. The Blackwoods and the other riverlords streamed toward Harrenhal and Prince Daemon's banners. King Aegon demanded that Viserra flew North to convince her husband to join his forces. Ser Otto handed the Lady of Winterfell a scroll which promised generous rewards for their support.

"There has never lived a Stark who forgot an oath..." Viserra stated, throwing the scroll into the fire. "And the ones who will forget their oaths... will pay the consequences."

In a fit of anger, King Aegon demanded Harlan Stark be sent to King's Landing, stating that he wanted to become more acquainted with his bastard. Instead of sending the boy to King's Landing, Lord Cregan Stark sent the boy to Dragonstone to be with Queen Rhaenyra.

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Aegon II had run short of patience with his grandfather's prevarications. Though his mother, Dowager Queen Alicent, spoke up in Ser Otto's defense, His Grace turned a deaf ear to her pleading. Summoning Ser Otto to the throne room, he tore the pin off of his doublet and tossed it to Ser Criston Cole. "My new Hand is a steel fist," he boasted. "We are done writing letters."

Ser Criston wasted no time in proving his mettle. "It is not for you to plead for support from your lords, like a beggar for alms," he told Aegon. "You are the lawful king of Westeros, and those who deny it are traitors. It is past time they learned the price of treason."

First to pay that price were the captive lords languishing in the dungeons under the Red Keep, men who had once sworn to defend the rights of Princess Rhaenyra and still stubbornly refused to bend the knee to King Aegon. First to be brought out to swear their fealty to His Grace were; Lord Hayford, Lord Merryweather, Lord Harte, Lord Buckler, Lord Caswell and Lady Fell.

"Viserys amended his wishes. It's as simple as that. You once swore your banners to Rhaenyra. You must now pledge them to your rightful king." Ser Criston announced to the lords and ladies gathered in the throne room. 

"I must confer first with my house on this matter." Lord Harte declared.

"You'll not leave this room alive without declaring your intention." Aegon spoke from the throne, glaring at the Lord.

"I am no oath breaker." Lord Harte said, looking towards Valaena who stood to the right of the king. "I will not bend the knee, none of us will. We are loyal to Rhaenyra... we will serve the blacks."

Aegon smiled, looking at Valaena.

Valaena lifted her gaze and nodded her head towards Aegon, slowly making her way down the dais. "You're not going to serve the Blacks. You're going to die." Aegon said as Valaena got closer to them.

Valaena unleashed her talons while the lords backed up in fear, unsheathing their swords. All the grief and rage she felt she released onto the lords gathered there in the room. The Dowager Queen Alicent watched frozen in horror as Valaena butchered them one by one calmly, blood soaking her dark green gown.

Lady Fell was on the floor, trembling against a pillar as Valaena turned to her. "You are a monster."

"Yes, I am." Valaena muttered, slitting her throat.

The last one alive was Lord Harte, who had crawled to the edge of the dais. "Please, Your Grace! Have mercy!"

Lord Harte remained on the ground begging as Valaena approached him. "There are none so loyal as House Valar." She whispered in his ear before snapping his neck. Valaena looked at the Lord for a moment before taking her place next to Aegon once more. Aemond glanced at his wife trying to get her to look at him as the next group of lords, servants, and knights were brought in.

All of them saw the massacre that had occurred and followed the trail all the way to Lady Valaena who stood, soaked in blood. "Kneel before your true king or face the fate of those before you." She announced to them.

The only lords left, Lord Butterwell, Lord Stokeworth, and Lord Rosby immediately swore themselves to King Aegon. However, eight landed knights and twoscore servants and retainers valued their sworn word more than their lives and met the same fate as those before them at the hands of Valaena Valar. Their heads were mounted on spikes above the city's gates.