ALL NOVEL Chapter 36: 36
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186 AC
Riverrun
David the singer
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Singing and playing pretty songs all day and collecting coins while listening to whispers have become second nature to me. But getting a letter through my coordinator with it being a priority to sing about has been a change. I do not dislike it but I pity the poor fuckers who rode against the dragon prince in the song.
A song of a silver prince riding his silver dragon and painting the Flatlands of Essos in silver flame, over forty thousand dead in less than an hour. My employer is a merciless man but I always knew that from the rigorous training, we are put through. His ears in the kingdom we are, also his mouthpieces now to change the way people view his acts. He wants fear but not so much fear people avoid him and he loses out on gold.
I am sure the coordinator has all the men of the Singing Minstrels singing the right tune and getting the word out first. This was prepared in advance if I had to guess, and anyone who wants to try to speak out against the Prince and what he did will be silenced.
I would not be surprised if anyone who comes out speaking of him as a cruel man or trying to tarnish his name found their purses emptied before a dagger in their heart. The Prince is very direct with the way he does business and has always had a kind face. But from now on behind that kind face and seductive voice are going to be forty thousand dead men. He won't need to twirl swords around and embarrass other knights, every man knows he is someone to never challenge after this, only fools will try.
I can take pride in knowing I work for Aerion Targaryen the man who banks will have to seek to take a loan from in the future. The man with a monstrous dragon and a monstrous sword arm all while packing the best voice Westeros has ever heard. I might even start writing a song of my own making to sing about the Silver Prince, I am sure he would enjoy it.
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186 AC
Pentos
Monford Velaryon
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The former slaves or whatever they were finally arrived with the men I sent out using the horses from the Prince of Pentos. They look worse for the wear but Prince Aerion has bought more than enough food and water to make a sudden journey North to drop them off. He flew most of the gold back with him on Moonfyre in a massive saddle bag that was added on just to collect his payment.
His dragon was pretty happy when I saw them loading all the gold and having it hoisted onto her back. Aerion looked equally happy before paying me my part for the work I will be doing transferring the more material parts of the payment to Harrenhal. I also got a bonus for taking the new citizens of 'DragonsRest' up north to help with the port city being built there and rebuilding the old castle.
I feel I am growing accustomed to the never-ending workload that Aerion keeps tossing on my fleet. But I can't thank him enough for the gold that pours in for all this work, a true friend if I ever had any.
I feel little to nothing knowing he killed over forty thousand men to get these people for his growing city in the North and the gold. He seemed just fine when I talked to him, I don't believe the whispers I am hearing around Pentos. The Prince is going around cutting tongues if anyone speaks negatively of his new 'friend'. I think the Prince is just happy for the Khal that has been plaguing him is dead and wants to keep that good relationship with Aerion for future problems.
""Get them on the ships! I want to be at DragonsRest as soon as possible!"" Men run at my commands and I lean against the rail of the ship and nod proudly.
The clothes he had bought for the new people of DragonsRest took little to nothing with how grateful the Prince was. If we had to sail up there in the snow without these clothes for these men and women I fear most would die. But I believe they will be fine and will hit the ground running with all the work to do up there and no threat of Dothraki. The only worry is Wildlings but the men training under Aerion's most skilled Knights up there are likely some of the best fighters in Westeros.
Aerion has found a way to not only help some pitiful people and better his name but make a massive profit all while making another massive profit. I think he is only starting and I get excited knowing I am one of the men involved and will rise along with him as he climbs higher. I plan to inquire with my men at Eastwatch by the sea if they have any news on the Wildling situation I was looking into.
If I can snag one of those Ice spiders Aerion wants he will likely reward me handsomely. Maybe recruit one of those giants and get some more mammoths in the future as well.
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186 AC
Kingslanding
Daeron Targaryen
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He did it, he burned out a whole army and came back without even a scratch showing the true power of our House. I could tell his mood was spoiled a bit but he was not a changed man after what happened. Elaena also spoke of what happened and thinks he is fine just lost in his thoughts for a bit, seeing his home will fix that according to her.
Harrenhal is where he rushed off to, with a massive load on his dragon's back that he said would be the wood that keeps the stove burning for many years. Enough gold to pay for the majority if not all of the repairs of Harrenhal if he spends wisely according to himself. He has sources for everything he needs for the repair and is only needing time to pass now for the rebuild to be complete.
The Essos people heading to the North in his little city called DragonsRest was a surprise, I didn't even think about all the slaves they carry around. The slaves apparently spent a few days gathering up all the burned and melted swords left from the Dothraki and it will all be offloaded to a supplier for Qohor. Aerion will have to fly to Qohor in a few months to get that payment himself according to what he said but it is not a small amount.
Every single time I learn more about his plans I can not help but be more surprised, if he was the one trying to bring Dorne into the fold I expect they would already be on their knees. Lord Martell was furious when he was refused Daenerys hand in marriage but I kept it quiet for fear of the dragons visiting him. If he wants a Targaryen bride to complete the pact it will have to be for one of his own sons.
My heir can have one of his daughters marry the next Lord of Sunspear and complete the pact to bring Dorne in and complete Baelor's work. But I still can't help but wonder how Aerion would figure out how to solve the problem. I expect he would blindside everyone and flip the board leaving everyone in shock.
"Let's head back inside, I have had enough of the sun for now." I loop my arm with my wife and she gives me a smoldering look.
"Tired of the sun? How could that be, I have not even gotten a piece of you today yet." She leans over and nips at my ear and I can't help but laugh.
"Then let's hurry so I can bask in the warm rays from the comfort of my bed." She nods while biting her bottom lip.
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186 AC
Blackfyre Keep
Daemon Blackfyre
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I drop the message and it falls to the floor as I finish reading the news, Aerion killed a whole army.
Aerion the man who I have been striving to best and prove myself, even if it's too late for my love I can still prove she made a mistake. But now I see the foolishness of such ideas, I will never beat him in combat. He can beat me in single combat and if it was a battlefield I would burn to ash!
"Are you alright?" My new wife Rohanne who is carrying my first child hugs my neck and I lean and press a kiss on her forehead.
She is not as beautiful as Daenerys but she has a large bust and nice and wide hips to make up for the rest. She is a beauty in her own right but no one will ever steal my heart like Daenerys and I have come to accept it and embrace who I can love. She would never abandon me as Daenerys has, she will be beside me as I build myself up from the ashes of defeat.
"I am fine, just bad news came and let me know my half-brother burned an entire 'Khalasar' in Essos. Somewhere in the Flatlands after his 'friend' the Prince of Pentos asked him to, a lie if I ever heard. I expect he netted a fat purse to fly over and burn those horse fuckers, he always has had a nose for gold." Rohanne stiffens hearing about the Khalasar but soon relaxes into me as I run my hand over my child in her belly.
"Will we be ok? I know you two have had your disagreements, and your rivalries." She looks around the keep and bites her lips.
The Keep we sit in is on the grounds given to me by my father, I never planned to do anything here and was planning to stay in court or in Tyrosh with my wife. But I felt the need to build something of my own after hearing of what he did in Harrenhal. My Blackfyre Keep is no Harrenhal but it is growing and will be an impenetrable fortress when I am done. I only need the gold and time and I will build something for House Blackfyre to be proud of owning and ruling from.
Brick by brick I will build my way to the top, maybe then I could secure a hand in marriage for one of my future sons to one of Daenerys daughters. This way he can live the life I wanted and make me proud and have children who can ride dragons.
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186 AC
Harrenhal
Aerion Targaryen
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Weeks of rest that was well earned has my hands itching for work, so I helped some of the men train and gave them better workout regimens. They will slowly reach the quality I seek from all men under my banner. I have high hopes for the men training up at DragonsRest as well as the new batch of people I sent up there to live.
I feel a tug on my arm and look down to see Shiera has ensnared my arm and is dragging or trying to drag me.
"What's wrong" She narrows her eyes and strains trying to pull me so I take slow steps so she won't fly off if she slips.
"I wanted to show you how I had the in-ground baths modified, you gave me a budget and a plan for those old things and I got work started." I was wondering why that building was shut off, she started on her little project I trusted her with.
She has a brilliant mind but I don't trust her with a business like I do my other sisters so far, she needs some results before I give her something too important. This bath remodeling was supposed to be one of those, they are roman styled and I wanted to add heat pipes into the ground. I want them to be able to be heated and be like a sauna to relax in it when we want. The baths are never used but there are like ten massive tubs to bathe hundreds of people, the private ones in the back are for my family.
"Alright, let's go and see what you cooked up." She smiles and I can't help but smile with her and feel some of the cloudy feelings on my chest clear up a bit more.
I don't regret anything I did, I would even do it again if it was for a similar price but I still feel a little glum slowly clearing up. But every moment with family is clearing it up like a breeze coming through an open window and clearing a stuffy room out. I love my family and at the end of the day, they are the most important thing there is to me.