The Pearl of Driftmark

I Corlys' P.O.V

King's Landing, The Red Keep - 118 AC

"How is it coming along?" Rhaenys asked, as she came to sit on the other side of my desk in my office as the official Master of Ships.

Many things had changed since the War for the Stepstones and the wedding of my son to the Crown Princess. As much as I hated to admit it, I had been wrong. I had allowed my slight and pride to get in the way, I should have listened to my wife. Instead of gathering many lords of the Narrow Seas that had been suffering because of the Triarchy, I had requested the support of the crown on my own. I then like a child left King's Landing, my position as Master of Ships, and went to rage war against three of the free cities on my own with only Daemon Targaryen of all people to back me up.

I lost almost half of my fleet and dragged my son into a warzone, which Rhaenys had yet to forgive me for. Luckily, the pirates had many treasures hidden in the Stepstones. Not only was I able to repay every single soldier that fought for us or pay the families of the fallen knights and sailors, but I was also able to regain every coin spent in this useless war and even pay for the reconstruction of my fleet. That is even with the small fortune Daemon had requested for himself, though I do not begrudge him, as he had been the one to fell the Crabfeeder and his Caraxes had been our greatest ally.

After returning to King's Landing as a hero, with the King requesting my return to the Small Counsil and gave my son the hand of his daughter and heir, well, it all went to my head. The moment Jacaerys was born, I knew that Rhaenys had been right. I should have listened to my wife and realized that my son was not going through a phase, that with his... preferences, he would not be able to fulfill his duties.

I still believed the words I told Rhaenys, that history remembered names not blood. And I loved my grandson with all my heart, it was the boy that Leanor had claimed as his own and that was good enough for me. Though, it was only when Lucerys was born that I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I felt the ice in my wife's heart thaw at being gifted with a granddaughter that has his mother's face. She never got to meet her mother and seeing sweet Lucerys grow up, hearing the stories that Boremund had to tell, had softened her. Not only was she finally acting like a proper grandmother to Jacaerys, but she had also rekindled her bonds with House Baratheon.

As for my son, it was as if life had returned to him. After his... lover had been murdered, at his own wedding at that, a piece of Leanor died with Joffrey. He tried his best, but his whoring and drinking was getting out of control, and there was only so much Rhaenyra could handle or do about it. It amused me how people believed I should have been angry at Rhaenyra for Jacaerys, but none of them realized how much Rhaenyra has been covering for Leanor and for that I will forever be grateful. I cared not about the court wagging tongues, but it was the Faith and their condemnation that worried me.

Leanor loves Jacaerys and Lucerys equally, blood be dammed. However, with Jacaerys there was a part of him that believed that as he was able to take him in and love him as his own, then other men would be capable of doing the same. My foolish son could not comprehend that very few men had his kind heart. So, I knew that there was still a part of him that wished to leave it all and flee to Essos. Maybe going as far as to fake his death, believing that he could only find true freedom that way.

However, the moment his daughter was placed in his arms, a child that carried his blood, I knew then and there that Leanor could no longer run away. Leanor had changed after that; he had started taking his duties as Crown Prince more seriously. He no longer got drunk or slept with half of King's Landing, and while he did take lovers, he was much more careful, and they vetted before getting close. Leanor had to be cautious now, as his children were involved now. Leanor went as far as to taking a semi-permanent position in Dragonstone, to oversee the island while Rhaenyra secured her position in the Green filled court of the Red Keep. I could not be prouder of my son.