I'm sure we can get heirs with Alicent if we simply apply ourselves and try hard enough. We may have to consult a sorceress' but…
What's that, nobody would ever believe the kids are ours? They'd be called bastards, and we'd have to fight a 3+ way civil war? Well, why do you think we're prowessmaxxing so hard?
/uj
(Even if possible, I wouldn't actually want to do it because it'd be a bit shark jumpy for me).
Jokes aside, I think a relationship with Alicent is considerably less problematic than Canon!Rhaenyra's relationship with Harwin. After all, there isn't any question as to the paternity of the children we'll have. And if we go the Gwayne route, we can plausibly get the "wronged" parties to agree beforehand, or at least benefit from us.
I favour the Alicent/Rhaenyra thing, because we need some stress relief after having really disappointing sex with Laenor. After all, we might end up marrying Laenor to get the Velaryon family dragons on our side.
You took the cup carefully. After everything you had been through, you needed sleep. Actual sleep that didn't see you wandering through the castle in the hour of the wolf.
You brought the brew up to your lips, hesitating for a moment as you realized just how odd it smelled. Like a marshy forest somehow. You considered putting it back down, but ultimately your pressed forward and drank. It tasted foul, like dirt and blood and roasted venison with just a hint of some spices. It was full of life, unapologetically so.
As you gulped down the thick potion, you caught a glimpse of Alys out of the corner of your eye and you couldn't help but notice how pleased she seemed. The look left you cold, but you would not get a chance to say anything before the potion took it's hold.
????????
Alys Rivers has learned something about you
"Are you ready?" Ser Harwin Strong asked.
You blinked, your legs bending slightly as you found yourself surprised to be suddenly standing on dirt instead of stone. A quick glance around showed it was late morning, the sun shining despite the clouds. To one side of you there was a crowd gathered, Alicent among them.
Finally your brain processed that you were standing in Harrenhal's training yard, training sword and shield in hand, Harwin Strong standing across from you with an expectant look on his face and a similar training sword in his hands.
Your eyes narrowed in confusion, you did not remember stepping onto the training yard. Indeed, you did not remember anything beyond Alys Rivers offering you a drink. It was as if you had stepped from one moment in time to the next, skipping hours in moments. And yet, you did not feel exhausted. If anything, you felt full of energy and found yourself pacing back and forth to get your bearings.
"Does something trouble you, princess?" Harwin asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Nothing," you waved away his concerns, "it's just my sleep was rather restless."
Harwin nodded in understanding.
"I'm not surprised," he remarked. "This place is cursed and has been known to play tricks on many a person."
He was calm about it, but there was a small look of pain in the warrior's expression. He knew well what this castle was capable of.
"After the night I've had, I can not help but wonder if my family did yours a disservice by granting you this place," you remarked.
Harwin shook his head dismissively.
"The castle is handful," Harwin replied, "but my family has prospered in service to the crown, I can assure you."
"But we did not come here to talk politics," he went on. "We came here to test ourselves against each other."
"I must thank you again for agreeing to this," you said graciously as you readied your blade. "It is not every day I get a chance to test myself against the strongest knight in the seven kingdoms."
"And it is not every day I can challenge someone who defeated one of the Kingsguard," Harwin replied eagerly. "I have been looking forward to your challenge for some months now."
Well. That was a nice surprise. Harwin wasn't just fighting you for the novelty of it. He seemed to legitimately take you seriously as a warrior. Shame the same could not be said for the crowd that had gathered. Alicent was watching intently of course, eager yet nervous over the fight to come, and Ser Tarly was watching you with great intensity. The rest though? They watched you with a mix of lust, bemusement and almost hidden disgust. They did not view this as a proper fight between two skilled warriors, but as a some mummer's show.
Perhaps their attitudes would chance once you had a chance to prove yourself.
"Shall we begin?" you asked.
"Yes, we shall," Harwin nodded as he began to approach.
Harwin swung first, his blade striking yours in a loud clash of metal against metal that was so loud your ears began to ring. The strongest knight in the seven kingdoms had earned his nickname as you found yourself struggling to withstand his blow. It was an almost novel experience for you, having fought swordsmen who were more skilled then you before, but they never matched you in terms of raw strength. And yet Harwin had with ease.
You struck back with broad side swing, your two swords clashing again and somehow the noise was even louder this time. This time, Harwin's blade was almost forced out of his hands as he stumbled back. His eyes grew wide in surprise, as did yours.
You were strong. You had been strong for most of your life. It was how any of this was even possible, but that was a hard blow even for you, especially one handed. Your arm should have been screaming at you for such a strike and yet you felt fine. No. Better than fine. Great.
There was a gasp in the crowd followed by near total silence. It seemed few had expected you to put up any real resistance.
Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Harwin's clubfooted brother Larys starring intently at you as the wind picked up.
"Kinslayer"
For a moment you could swear you heard a whisper on the wind, the voice almost familar. The momentary distraction was nearly enough for Harwin to knock the sword out of your hand, but you were able to just barely bring your shield to bear as his swung at you.
What followed next was battle of strength, tactics, and sheer will between two people who were more or less evenly matched in all three areas.
While the legends spoke of men like Symeon Star-Eyes and others dueling for hours on end, such things were the stuff of myths for a reason. No one could fight another for that long. Even the toughest and most skilled swordsman would have collapsed long before that point from sheer exhaustion. The average fight was over in a matter of moments, maybe a minute at most. Your duel with Harwin stretched out much longer than that.
Every swing he made, you met. Every strike you tried to land was parried by his blade. Your strength made it so neither one of you could simply overpower the other. Usually such a draw would be a sign of two incompetent swordsmen fighting, but any who saw your footwork and technique would know that was simply not the case here.
The sudden surge of strength and energy you had at the beginning served you well, even kept you in the fight at a few points, but it didn't last forever.
Your muscles burned. Your arms ached to your very bones. Sweat poured down your face in rivers. Your white hair was matted and covered in dirt. You were breathing so hard it was almost all you could feel. And the sword felt so damn heavy in your hands. You were at your limit. Thankfully, so was Harwin.
He swung at you again. This time, it was too hard and he overextended himself in an effort to finally end this fight. You side stepped, causing Harwin to stumble forward for just a moment, giving you the window you needed to knock the shield from his hand with a quick strike before leveling your sword a his neck, pressing the blunted tip against his collar bone.
Your arm was shaking as you did and your knees were on the verge of collapsing beneath you, but that didn't matter. You had won. You had beaten Ser Harwin "Breakbones" Strong, declared by many to be the strongest knight the seven kingdoms had seen in a generation, in a fair fight.
"I yield," Harwin smiled broadly as he dropped his sword. "Good fight, very good fight."
"Thank you," you breathed raggedly. "I have never been challenged so before. You did me a great honor, Ser."
Ser Raylon was the first to begin clapping, followed by a number of others. And few jeers as well. Some were hurling all matter of colorful insults at both you and Harwin, accusing you of cheating, him of throwing the fight, and other, much more vile things. Most kept the silence, too stunned by the results to react.
Alicent was among those clapping. She was subdued compared to Tarly and some of the others, but the light in her eyes was all you needed.
For a second you could have sworn you saw Alys Rivers watching in the distance, but she disappeared after you wiped the sweat from your brow.
You had won, you reminded yourself. You had beaten one of the best knights of your generations in front of dozens of people, many of them minor lords or servants of lords. Many of them were visiting only because of your Progress or to watch the tourney. Those gathered here would spread word of your victory. Not all, and many would likely cast doubt upon your victory, but it didn't matter. Word would spread all the same and maybe, just maybe, people would begin to take you seriously as a warrior.
You were just able to find a stool to sit on before your legs gave out from under you.
It had been a great fight, but it had also been an incredibly exhausting one. If nothing else, Ser Harwin Strong had shown you your limits in a way no other fight until now had. You had won and you had learned. Who could ask for more from a fight?
Your Prowess has Improved
The Realm is beginning to take notice of your Prowess
It took the rest of that day for you to recover from the fight with Harwin. Thankfully, Lord Lyonel was busy making last minute preparations for the tourney, so he didn't mind putting off your meeting until the next day.
You found Lord Strong in the solar of Kingspyre tower. The room was so huge and drafty that you were certain there were Crownlander castles with smaller halls then this solar. Lyonel Strong himself was sitting at one end of a large oaken table, gesturing for you to take a nearby seat, a small plate of fruit and nuts set before the two seats.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me like this," you said as you took your seat.
"Of course princess," Lyonel replied with a slight smile. "You are after all our guest here. And before I forget, I must congratulate you on your victory in the training yards. It is rare to see my son challenged so."
"You honor me, Lord Strong," you nodded. "I hope my victory did not cause any undo strain on my visit."
"It's fine," he replied with a dismissive wave. "I am quite familar with your behavior and Harwin has been eager for a chance to fight you ever since you knocked one of the Kingsguard to the ground. I have been expecting this fight since the moment you said you would be stopping at Harrenhal, though the outcome was a surprise I confess."
You beamed with pride at your victory.
"Now, what did you wish to discuss, Princess?" he asked
You placed your hands in your lap in an effort to appear formal.
"My father named me heir to the Iron Throne over two years ago now and, considering his age, if the gods are good," you added quickly, "odds are, I will likely remain as heir for decades to come. I do not intend to spend those years just fetching cups for my father. I wish to attain a meaningful role on the Small Council, and I was hoping you could help me attain that goal."
Lord Strong's expression visably perked up.
"I am very glad to hear that, Princess," he replied, "a seat on the Small Council would do a lot to weaken any arguments your detractors have and ensure a smooth succession when the time comes. Ideally, you should strive to be named Hand. Let the realm get used to the idea of you as a ruler. If Otto is still serving by that point, we'll have appease him somehow, but that should not be a problem."
"It gladdens me that you say that. Wearing the badge would be quite the honor," you replied eagerly. "But even I know it will be quite a few years before my father considers me ready the position. I am trying to attain a position of note sooner than that."
Lyonel scratched at his short beard for a moment as he considered your words.
"Hmm, I gather you want more than just a seat on the council. You want a title as well," he spoke thoughtfully. "I'm sure Lord Beesbury would be honored to have you take his position, though he'd want you to have some training first of course."
"I was thinking I could one day take my uncle's seat as Commander of the City Watch," you interjected.
Lyonel's pleased expression faltered in an instant.
"After what Daemon did, my father needs someone loyal in charge of protecting the capital," you began your arguements against the rebuttals you knew where coming.
"This would be far simpler if you were just being a heedless contrarian," he sighed wearily. "While your sentiment is correct, I feel you do not understand the full of implications of what you ask."
"I am proven warrior," you pushed. "You know that. You have seen proof for yourself yesterday."
"You are remarkably skilled with a blade. Indeed, you may put Visenya herself to shame," Lyonel admitted. "But there is much more to command than that. You need to be able to lead men. Inspire them. The only thing I've seen you inspire is fear in the heart of every stable boy in King's Landing."
"I could learn," you insisted with ferocious energy. "I am more than willing to learn if someone would just teach me how to command,"
Lyonel sighed again, somehow seemingly to age as he spoke.
"I have no doubt you are willing, but men would resent a woman's command, and resentment carries considerable risks." He was blunt in his words. "And I very much doubt your father would allow you to put yourself in that kind of danger."
"He never stopped Daemon," you argued.
"No one can control prince Daemon, not even your father," Lyonel said with a half smile. "And there is considerable difference between a brother and a daughter, even more so considering what happened to your mother."
That was something you had not given much consideration. Your father was clearly guilt ridden over your mother's death. If something were to happen to you, he would no doubt blame himself to some extent. You couldn't let that stop you from being who you were, but it did give you some amount of pause when it came to your plans of being made commander of the city watch. You could just picture how much your father would worry if you ever attained the position.
"My advice would be, when you eventually marry, encourage your husband to seek the position for himself," Lyonel advised. "That way, when you attain a position of your own, you will have another voice on the council who will be on your side."
You didn't like it, but you did see his reasoning. Getting command of the City Watch would be quite the struggle and one you weren't confident you could win. With a pliable enough husband you could effectively control the position through proxy while holding your own seat. But that was the tactic of powerful wives. You were to be a queen in your own right. Doing something like that felt like you were undermining yourself somehow.
And you knew there were ways of learning how to command soldiers and guards, even as a woman. Lyonel may pretend otherwise but there were ways. There were plenty of books on the subject. Maesters trained in matters of warfare. You could start ordering around the maids or stable boys if needs must. It would not be a simple task, but it wasn't impossible.
"When you return to King's Landing, I would be more than willing to providing tutoring for you. help prepare you to take my seat if you desire," Lyonel offered in a more sympathetic tone. "I would expect a fair deal of your time of course, but you are a bright woman, and dutiful in your own unique way. I'm certain you would make a capable Mistress of Laws given the proper training."
You were rather taken aback by the offer. He was offering to effectively to train you as his successor.
"That is quite the offer, Lord Strong." You were unable to hide your surprise.
"I have a duty to serve your father and the realm," he explained, "and I know your father well enough to know he is very unlikely to replace you as heir, even if he eventually has a son. Thus, I would be failing in my duties if I did not strive to ensure the realm had a capable heir ready to take the throne when the day arrives. I am sure Lord Beesbury would make a similar offer if you asked."
If nothing else you could tell Lord Strong took his role seriously. His tone and choice of words suggested he didn't exactly approve of you as heir, but he still held true to his duties and was even willing to offer to train you to take his position, if only for a time before you, ideally at least, became Hand of the King.
You had mixed feelings about his offer. Law was not an area you held particular interest or strength in, and Lord Lyonel's tutelage would probably take up a considerable amount of your time. Time you were already finding yourself often running out of. But Lord Strong was well respected for good reason and Master of Laws was probably the second most important position on the council next to the Hand. Holding that seat would go a long way towards strengthening your position.
But was it worth the cost?
Relationship with Lord Lyonel Strong Improved. New Status: Neutral
New Actions unlocked
How do you react to Lord Strong's Offer
[] Accept (Will have results when you return to King's Landing)
[] Thank him for the offer but decline
[] Decline and say you're going to ask Lord Beesbury instead upon your return
[] Write-in (Subject to QM's Approval QM's Note: Was originally going to have the tourney as part of this update but I've been in a funk as of late and I didn't have the energy to do it and I feared delaying this update further. I'll have second part with the tourney hopefully soon.
Laws are a goal of our progress and we still have that book that Jeyne gave us, I think.
Also just feels like a more prestigious position, even though it is less martial, and it will give us closer ties to the Strongs.
Even if he's not our husband, wouldn't be a bad thing to eventually raise Gwayne up to City Watch Commander, he is a lot closer to being on our ally than our rival's. Good to stack the deck.
[X] Accept and ask for any advice or reading recommendations, as Rhaenarya is going to be acting as a judge and Law-Giver over the course of the Progress, and so she might be doing some studying up on the topic before returning to King's Landing.
It adds to the knightly image that we're cultivating. Rhaenerya has always modeled herself as a just knight who defends those who can't protect themselves, so being the Mistress of Law adds more prestige than just martial might. It'll show that Rhaenerya can make the decisions necessary to rule over the country.
I'm not sold on Accept (changing our target Small Council seat on a whim like this feels off, and we do need to learn to command one way or another), but it is a much better option than asking for Beesbury's post. From the OP:
You have been decently trained on both matters of coin and the law, though the former holds little interest for you.
As you gulped down the thick potion, you caught a glimpse of Alys out of the corner of your eye and you couldn't help but notice how pleased she seemed. The look left you cold, but you would not get a chance to say anything before the potion took it's hold.
It had been a great fight, but it had also been an incredibly exhausting one. If nothing else, Ser Harwin Strong had shown you your limits in a way no other fight until now had. You had won and you had learned. Who could ask for more from a fight?
Your Prowess has Improved
The Realm is beginning to take notice of your Prowess
The fight was awesome, but I am kind of dissapointed that we didn't fully established contact with Harwin... Especially since from the possible husbands we are considering is the only onw that is compatible with romance...
"My advice would be, when you eventually marry, encourage your husband to seek the position for himself," Lyonel advised. "That way, when you attain a position of your own, you will have another voice on the council who will be on your side."
You didn't like it, but you did see his reasoning. Getting command of the City Watch would be quite the struggle and one you weren't confident you could win. With a pliable enough husband you could effectively control the position through proxy while holding your own seat. But that was the tactic of powerful wives. You were to be a queen in your own right. Doing something like that felt like you were undermining yourself somehow.
And you knew there were ways of learning how to command soldiers and guards, even as a woman. Lyonel may pretend otherwise but there were ways. There were plenty of books on the subject. Maesters trained in matters of warfare. You could start ordering around the maids or stable boys if needs must. It would not be a simple task, but it wasn't impossible.
"When you return to King's Landing, I would be more than willing to providing tutoring for you. help prepare you to take my seat if you desire," Lyonel offered in a more sympathetic tone. "I would expect a fair deal of your time of course, but you are a bright woman, and dutiful in your own unique way. I'm certain you would make a capable Mistress of Laws given the proper training."
You were rather taken aback by the offer. He was offering to effectively to train you as his successor.
"That is quite the offer, Lord Strong." You were unable to hide your surprise.
"I have a duty to serve your father and the realm," he explained, "and I know your father well enough to know he is very unlikely to replace you as heir, even if he eventually has a son. Thus, I would be failing in my duties if I did not strive to ensure the realm had a capable heir ready to take the throne when the day arrives. I am sure Lord Beesbury would make a similar offer if you asked."
If nothing else you could tell Lord Strong took his role seriously. His tone and choice of words suggested he didn't exactly approve of you as heir, but he still held true to his duties and was even willing to offer to train you to take his position, if only for a time before you, ideally at least, became Hand of the King.
You had mixed feelings about his offer. Law was not an area you held particular interest or strength in, and Lord Lyonel's tutelage would probably take up a considerable amount of your time. Time you were already finding yourself often running out of. But Lord Strong was well respected for good reason and Master of Laws was probably the second most important position on the council next to the Hand. Holding that seat would go a long way towards strengthening your position.
But was it worth the cost?
Relationship with Lord Lyonel Strong Improved. New Status: Neutral
This is a very good avice and learning from a very competent administrator like Lyonel is a good idea... BUT I seriously hope that with the whole "coming of age thingy" we unlock 1 or 2 extra AP when we finish the Progress and return to regular turns...
[X] Accept (Will have results when you return to King's Landing)
I mean from Rhaenyra's prespective she didn't so much sleep after that as basically mentally skip forward in time some 8 hours. So I'm not sure I would call it a remedy.
