Roughly half a year had passed since you Left King's Landing. You had barely realized so much time had passed. Apparently the trip through the Vale had taken more time then you realized. The Red Keep seemed much the same as you left it, though you were noticing more men from the Westerlands around than when you left.
The castle was abuzz with conversation and gossip about a number of different topics. Some naturally were focused on your recent knighthood. Though none were bold enough to say it to your face, you heard numerous whispers of disapproval, calling you an ill-behaved child who's antics have disgraced the honor of knighthood. Yet not all disapproved. More than a few lords told you how impressed they were with your performance at the White Harbor Tourney. Lord Allun Caswell was even taking the time to express his approval to you directly, saying there have been few people in recent memory who have done more to earn the honor of knighthood than you had. If nothing else, you noticed many of the men treated you different now. For some it was not really respect, but they didn't seem to see you as just a little girl anymore either.
Of course, a lot of people were talking about Queen Johanna's twins, though in truth there was less talk than you expected. It seemed that once everyone realized they were both girls, much of the interest faded. Many still took interest of course, either quietly glad that Daemon was even further down the line of succession now, or just generally glad that House Targaryen was beginning to rebuild it's numbers. There was also a great many people remarking on how unusual both twins were, Helaena being quite large for a newborn, even bigger than you were it's said, and Aelora's distinctive features. You heard one or two of the older men remark that Aelora had inherited your grandmother's eyes, and it's said that your father weeped at the sight of her.
If only he knew.
And, of course, the Stepstones were always a topic of conversation. It had turned out some of the rumors were true. Your uncle had been declared King of the Narrow Sea by his men, even forming a make-shift court on Bloodstone. But even with the Crabfeeder dead, the fight went on. Foul weather had greatly hampered your uncle and the Sea Snake these past few months, even reversing some of their gains. The Three Daughters were clinging hard to the islands they still held, but they had a hard time waging an effective war against a dragon. There were rumors that the Three Daughters were all but begging Dorne to get involved, and many suspected some of the pirates giving your uncle a hard time had been funded by Sunspear, but so far Dorne was staying out of the conflict.
You weren't really sure what to feel about your uncle's efforts. It was good he was still out of court and distracted, but you couldn't help but worry the crown they put on his head might give him even greater ambitions.
Regardless of the changes, life was returning to normal for you, if there even was such a thing as normalcy for you anymore. Third Season, 114 AC
Two Free Actions: Free Action allows to make additional Conversations or Action per turn (For example 3 Conversations and 3 Actions, or 4 Conversations and 2 Actions). However, using bothon Actions creates Stress from Rhaenyra being overworked and further reduces the effectiveness of Relaxing.
Each turn is 3 months, though this may change as the quest goes on. You can pick either from the options below for your tasks or use write-in actions after QM approval. Please use plan voting for turn votes.
Conversations (Pick Two)
[] [Conversation] Speak with Viserys
There was a great deal you could talk about with your father, most important on your mind is his health, it had been sometime now and he was showing no signs of the illness going away, in fact he had gotten worse in your absence. He still seemed generally fine, but you worried. And there was your dreams of Harrenhal. Part of you said there was no way he could believe that you saw Aelora before she was even born, that it was too much even for him. But then again, if there was anyone who might believe you right now, it was your father.
-[] Bring up Harrenhal and Aelora
-[] Just Talk about His Health
[] [Conversation] Speak with Alicent Hightower
Now that you are a knight, it would be very improper of you to not celebrate with your lady and Queen of Love and Beauty.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Otto Hightower
You can tell you've lost some of the approval you've earned from Otto with your actions at the Tourneys. Perhaps there's a way to improve relations with the hand of the king.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Gwayne Hightower
After White Harbor, it's safe to say Gwayne knows you are in a relationship with his sister. It might be good to touch base on that. And see if he really does have any interest in marrying you as Ser Tarly suggested.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Commander Harrold Westerling
Your former sworn shield could probably give you some insight into what's been happening around the Red Keep while you were gone.
[] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling
You should really check up on the Queen and see how she's doing, see how your father had fared while you were gone. But you knew visiting her would mean dealing with her children, the twins everyone insisted on calling your half-sisters. But the thought of being around them, around Aelora, made your skin crawl.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Ser Raylon Tarly
Since you've decided to keep your current pace with your training, it might be good to speak with Ser Tarly again, see how you can improve things even further.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong
The Master of Laws and Lord of Harrenhal. You had promised him you would start tutoring under him upon your return. Naturally you need to talk to him before this mentorship begins, figure out what he expects of you, and what you should expect from him. Considering your unexpected early return it could be forgiven if you wait a bit to speak with him.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyman Beesbury
The Master of Coin. Beesbury is loyal, perhaps not as sharp as Lord Strong, but he is quiet loyal to your father. He apparently made a quite a bit of coin gambling on you as a mystery knight. Part of you is curious why he decided to play his faith in the Silver Falcon
[] [Conversation] Speak with Grand Maester Mellos
While your father assured you that he would make a full recovery in time, the loss of two fingers suggests that's very much not the case. Perhaps the Grand Maester could help you better understand the situation and lay your worries to rest.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen
Your cousin is spending a couple of days in the Red Keep befor returning home, perhaps you should use this chance to talk with her before she returns to Driftmark.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Isembard Arryn
While you are home sooner than expected, Isembard has been in King's Landing for a bit. That should have given him enough time to set up operations. It would do well to check up on him, see what his plans are for your joint venture, see if his gift for you is ready.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Steffon Redfort
You should probably speak with Steffon before he's presented the Small Council as their next City Watch Commander. Get a read on the man, see if he's worthy of the roll. Then again, Gwayne and Alicent traveled with him enough that if there was anything really wrong with him, they would have said something by now.
[] [Conversation] Write-in
Subject to QM approval, has to have a reasonable chance of being in King's Landing.
Actions (Pick Two)
[] [Action] Relax
While you have much to celebrate and feel great about, the birth of Johanna's twins weighs heavily on your mind. Perhaps you should take some time to yourself, read in the godswood, fly around with Syrax for fun, and just enjoy yourself for a while. It does seem like a waste of time but perhaps it could do you some good.
[] [Action] Investigate the Death of King Aenys
Most Maesters and other writers agree that Queen Visenya had poisoned her nephew, King Aenys, to allow her own son to take the throne. But you have already seen how much those same authors were willing to ignore Visenya's contributions and slander her already. Perhaps this is simply another case of slander. If you could prove that, it could improve Queen Visenya's reputation considerably and make a stronger argument for your own eventual rule.
[] [Action] Study Valyrian History with your Father.
The little you've learned already has proven of great value to your training with Syrax, and has brought a bit of joy into your father's life. Who knows what further research may uncover.
[] [Action] Train
You are one of the greatest wields of the blade of your age, that statement maybe more than little egotistical, but it is true regardless. Still, you are young, and there's always a chance for improvement
-[] Challenge to a Duel: Raylon has suggested dueling others as a way of sharpening yourself against new blades. Have others find flaws in you that he has missed (Pick One)
--[] [Duel] Ser Steffon Darklyn
--[] [Duel] Steffon Redfort
--[] [Duel] Gwayne Hightower
[] [Action] Train with Syrax
While you have spent a fair amount of time flying on Syrax recently, you could do some training with her now, make sure she doesn't grow lazy now that she's back in the comfort of the Dragonpit.
[] [Action] Sneak out and Explore the City
When your father and uncle were your age, they regularly went out of the King's Landing at night for all kinds of things. Naturally such things were forbidden to you as they were "unbefitting a princess" but as heir to the throne, shouldn't you have a chance to let loose and explore the city you'll one day rule? Particularly now as the city celebrates the birth of Johanna's twins, who knows what could happen on a night like tonight?
[] [Action] Look into Marriage Options
You're not ready to get married but you do feel comfortable enough to at least look at the various options and consider them. You had a fair number of people who had either directly expressed interest or had strongly hinted as much. Qoren Martell, Ser Harwin Strong, and Ser Gwayne Hightower. It be worth the time to consider them and what they have to offer you as a spouse and future King Consort.
[] [Action] Request a Role in the City Watch
You know Lord Strong said it was all but impossible for you to acquire a roll in the City Watch, but that was before you became a knight. And while you've agreed to take training from Lord Strong to become the next Master of Laws, there's nothing wrong with exploring your options.
[] [Action] Figure Out How to Improve your Knowledge of Warcraft
As Lord Strong had pointed out, few could deny you were a skilled fighter, but you knew next to nothing about waging war, about tactics and strategy. And even now, your father and your tutors seem loathe to train you on the subject. There had to be a way for you to learn, to not just fight in combat, but one day lead men into battle if you must.
[] [Action] Work on Acquiring a Squire
You are a knight. A fully annointed knight. And while you were never a squire yourself, not formally anyways, there was nothing saying you could not have a squire of your own. A squire would give you a chance to both pass on what you've learned, and show the realm that your knighthood was more than just a title.
[] [Action] Investigate Your Harrenhal Dream
It had been months now but you still remember that dream quite clearly, and you've struggled to get it out of your mind ever since you laid eyes on Aelora. That couldn't have been her in the vision, could it? You needed to make sense of that dream. Perhaps there was something in the records about Harrenhal that would better explain what you saw and or verify what Alys Rivers had said about the place. And Aelor-that woman mentioned something about Dragons dancing and how it had been written since the Doom. Maybe some of your father's books on Valyria spoke of such a Prophecy.
[] [Action] Study
There is always room to improve your education.
[] [Action] Work on Your Poetry
Your poetry so far has not been great, but your travels, particularly the Great Northern Tourney and that moment at the end with Alicent, have given you a great deal of inspiration to work with.
[] [Action] Study Music
You want to seranade Alicent with music. It's what a proper knight would do after all and she deserves as much. Plus, it just sounds wonderfully romantic. Alicent has been vague about what kind of music she would prefer, saying anything from a Harp to your singing would all be equally wonderful. Regardless, you lack much in the way of training in any sort of music, that had to change. (Practicing Music will Reduce Stress after taking this action)
[] [Action] Decide What to Do With Your Tourney Winnings
In the grand scheme of your holdings, your tourney winnings were very modest indeed. But they were your winnings, coin you earned through your deeds alone. And there was enough there that you could do a fair amount with those gold dragons.And now that you were back home, you could start doing something with them.
[] (Action) Write-in
Subject to QM approval QMs Notes: So you have more free actions now but more things you can to use those actions. And while I won't force you to spend one of those actions on spending time with Alicent, I will judge you if you don't.
You requested your father hire you a music instructor, making some pretense that learning music would help sharpen your mind. It didn't matter though. Your father approved it without question and by the end of the day, you already had number of court musicians testing your skills and ability.
You quickly learned that you just didn't have the voice to sing at this time, too low but not low enough your instructor explained, much to your confusion. He said once you were older you might be able to try again. In truth, singing didn't hold particular interest for you anyways, so you were quite glad to move on from that. Next, they tested your talent with a variety of instruments over the course of a few days. You played the flute with a woman from Braavos, practiced the lyre with a man from Highgarden, and even spent some time with the court fool Mushroom as you learned the drums. By the end you were quite exhausted and your hands ached.
Eventually, your prospective teachers were able to narrow the options down to the instruments you showed some real promise with. The lute, the harp, and the flute.
You honestly weren't sure which one to pick, since you had enjoyed playing all of them. Indeed, it was even quite relaxing, but you could also tell all three could pose a challenge to really master.
On a romantic level, the harp certainly played into the idea of the dashing knight the most. There were countless tales of chivalrous knights serenading fair maidens from afar with harps, their music causing tears to fall down their ladies face as they reflected on a love that could never be. For the kind of knightly romance that Alicent desired, few things worked better than a harp.
You could absolutely make both the flute and lute work as well though. It would not be quite as good a fit to the bards tales, particularly the lute, but you were quite certain you would have looked quite dashing dressed as a wandering minstrel. They also had the added advantage of being more portable.
You'd be happy with all three of them, but regretfully you simply did not have the time to take on learning two of them, let alone all three. Maybe once you were comfortable with one, you could reconsider, but for now, you had to pick one to start with.
Which Instrument Do You Pick?
[] [Music] Harp
[] [Music] Lute
[] [Music] Flute
Alicent hummed as she brushed your long silver hair. It was an unfamilar tune, something she seemed to be making up as she went, but that did little to detract from how lovely it sounded. You watched her through a polished silver mirror as she worked on smoothing out your hair.
After seeing her picking at her fingers at the Eyrie, it was nice to see her so happy, and so comfortable with herself.
"What dress do you think I should wear to dinner this evening?" you asked, mostly just to make some conversation.
"I think you should wear your yellow one, my dear knight," she added warmly. "I know it's an older dress, but it will be seen as supporting the Queen. It would do well for you to be seen as supporting her and your new siblings."
In truth, you were barely listening to what she said, instead grinning openly at her affections. No longer an aspiring knight, but simply her dear knight. So lovely.
Alicent suddenly giggled in amusement.
"What's so funny?" you asked in bemusement, one eyebrow raised.
"Oh, nothing," Alicent smirked. "I just realized you're probably the first knight to ever have to worry about what dress they wear to dinner."
"Most of them couldn't pull it off. Don't have the legs for it." The quip rolled out of your mouth almost instantly, earning a stifled laugh of approval from Alicent.
"Oh my," she said, a bit taken aback by your words. "That's quite the mental image."
You found yourself giggling at the thought of someone like Unwin Peake dressed up like some Tyrell lady.
"It would make tourneys rather interesting if everyone had to fight in a dress," you mused. "A lot more dangerous."
"No, no, that wouldn't do at all," Alicent gently disagreed. "If everyone was in dresses, I wouldn't get to see my knight cut such a dashing figure as they rode in the lists."
"Dashing?" your surprise was earnest. "My armor was mismatched and barely fit."
"I think it fit quite well." You were not used to seeing Alicent with such an alluring look in her eyes. "But it's more how you held yourself. You looked confident, yet not so much as to seem full of yourself. When you faced off against Ser Borros? I could tell you never doubted you could win, but you weren't acting like you had already won either."
"I wish I could say I felt that confident during my fight with Ser Criston," you remarked. "I spent most of that fight terrified."
"As did I," Alicent admitted quietly. "I was so scared when you took that second hit and you were barely holding onto your horse. The bout was thrilling, but I'm quite grateful I won't have to experince that again."
"Really? And here I was thinking you could use another crown, my Queen of Love and Beauty," you teased and flirted at the same time.
Alicent began turning red in the cheeks.
"I still can't believe we did that," Alicent said with quiet disbelief. "I've never done something so bold and so selfish in my life."
"It was nothing less than a lady such as yourself deserved," you assured her. "And besides. You were right about the whole thing. As far as the Seven Kingdoms are concerned, I, the bold and defiant Crown Princess, simply gave the flower crown to my handmaiden and good friend because there was no way I could give it to a man, even if I had any affection for him, without causing massive insult. The only people who suspect otherwise are Ser Tarly and Rhea Royce, both of whom don't care and neither would tell."
"My brother does as well," Alicent admitted. "He hasn't said anything specifically, but he did tell me he wanted to speak with you, and soon."
"I've been meaning to speak with him as well," you noted, "so that's good."
"I was terrified my father would suspect something," Alicent said, a hint of fear in her voice, "but instead he just complained about you making me look silly in front of everyone."
"Silly?" You said in mock outrage. "That's absurd! My fair maiden, with that crown of flowers in your hair, you were nothing short of breathtaking."
Alicent descended into a fit of nervous giggling at your honeyed words.
"We did nothing wrong," you assured her. "We just had a bit of fun in the moment. Nothing wrong with that."
"You know, there was a time I would have been scandalized by your taking part in that tourney at all," Alicent said as she leaned over to straighten out a bit of hair that was particularly unruly. "I would have thought this was an outrageous breech of custom and utter neglect of your duty as princess. But it wasn't. Quite the opposite in fact. You needed to take part in that tourney to get the men of the realm to take you seriously to have any chance at becoming a knight."
Part of you regretted that you had to settle for just giving Alicent the crown that day. You wanted to do more with her, and you could sense she wanted it as well, but knighthood demanded you present yourself to Lord Manderly.
"And as a knight, more people will see me as a true heir and not just dismiss me as my father's brash little girl," you added. "They know that I earned this title, through hard work and a refusal back down no matter how many people were against me."
Your words might have been more inspirational than truth in the moment, but you could tell some people were taking your title seriously. In time, more would do so. That you were sure about.
"As I've said, I can't help but find your sense of duty unusual to say the least," Alicent replied. "But you hold true to it, and that is probably one of the things I admire most about you, fair knight."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me," you said earnestly, before a sly smile appeared on your face. "Though I admit I had hoped such a fair maiden would admire some of my more physical assets a bit more," you flexed your arm as you spoke, showing off some of muscles you'd gained during the royal progress.
Alicent's blush turned and even deeper shade of red, but to your surprise she did not turn away in embarrassment, or start giggling nervously. Instead, she placed her hand on your arm and began to run her hand up and down, tracing your muscles admiringly.
"I admit as much as I enjoyed watching you train," Alicent said with hooded eyes. "I think I'm enjoying the results even more."
Now it was your turn to blush furiously. You were almost taken aback by her words, you had been so used to Alicent struggling with her own feelings or being shy and subdued about them that it was downright shocking to see her flirt so openly. Though shock didn't mean you disliked it, far from it.
"My. Someone's gotten quite...bold," you stumbled over your words, feeling more like a blushing princess standing before a suitor then an anointed knight of the realm.
"Well, I have been spending quite some time around quite the daring princess," Alicent replied.
The two of you were suddenly starring intently at each other, your eyes drawn to her lips. They were drawn in a tight, hungry expression, so close yet so far away.
Your mind raced back to the tourney, to your victory, when Unwin was on the ground and you had Alicent's crown in your hand. You thought of everything you had wanted to do in that moment, but had to deny yourself for the sake of duty. How you wanted to sweep her off her feet like a knight from the fables and ride off out of the city, riding until you could find a spot for just the two of you, and then spend the rest of the day just with her.
You wanted to tell her everything. Show her the depths of your passion. See what further boldness would stir within her. Another part of you wanted to be the bold one. To finally ravish your fair lady with dozens of kisses.
But you hesitated. You knew she was not ready for such a thing before, and you couldn't help but fear she still wasn't. Much had changed between the two of you since your relationship started. Alicent had changed in these months. But was it enough to do something so bold?
What Do You Do?
[] [Alicent] Tell Her of your Desires, How You Nearly Swept Her off Her Feet the Day of the Tourney
[] [Alicent] Kiss Her
[] [Alicent] Wait For Alicent to Make the First Move
You had been preparing for a few days to speak to Gwayne, trying to figure out just how to brouch the awkward subject of dicussing your relationship with Alicent with her brother. Even figuring out just where you could even talk about this in any decent sort of privacy was difficult. In the end, it would turn out your preparations were pointless. Gwayne came to you.
You were in your apartment, reading through letters sent to you while you were away, when Ser Tarly knocked at the door, announcing Gwayne wished to speak with you.
Tension spread like winterfrost through your body. You knew there was only one thing he wanted to talk about.
"Send him in," you ordered.
Gwayne stepped into the room, his face tense. The man could do little to hide how awkward he felt as he approached you.
At least you weren't alone in that.
"Princess," he began as Ser Tarly left the room, "there are matters I wish to speak with you about and I apologize, I need to be completely honest and unhindered with you as I speak."
"When people say that, it usually means they're planning on insulting me or yelling at me," you observed. "But it's fine. Speak plainly, Ser Gwayne."
"When we first spoke, you agreed to protect my sister," Gwayne recalled, "you swore an oath in fact."
"An oath I treat quite seriously and uphold still," you replied.
"How in the Seven Hells was anything you did at tourney protecting her!?" He said in a sudden burst of anger. "Do you have any idea how much danger Alicent is in if people realize what is happening between the two of you?"
You sat there impassively for a moment, quitely relieved he wasn't more furious.
"Alicent wanted that crown," you defended yourself. "And as far as the realm was concerned, that was nothing more than a gesture of friendship. No one, not even my father, suspects differently."
It would have done you no good to mention Rhea at this moment.
"For now," Gwayne said flatly, "but people will see how affectionate the two of you are and look back at this and any moments like it and wonder."
"Or, more likely, they'll barely even notice our affection and forget about in a matter of moments," you argued. "And my crowning of Alicent will be overlooked as most attention is given to my rather dramatic reveal."
Gwayne rubbed his hand through his hair, clutching at it for a moment.
"You are an anointed knight now," he threw your own title at you like an accusation. "Someone of your status should know to honor a lady like Alicent better."
You gaze narrowed as you glared at him.
"In what way have I dishonored your sister?" you growled. "I have done nothing more than share my affection with a lady I hold quite dear. And even if we did more, it's not like I could shame her with a bastard."
Gwayne began to pace in fustration.
"You told me of her feelings," you pointed accusingly at him. "You told me she saw me as more than a friend. You cannot be angry at me for returning her affection."
"I thought it would be over by now!" he shouted. "I thought after a brief spark, you would grow bored and move on and things would return to normal."
"Grow bored?!" Now it was your turn to get angry as you rose to your feet. "Did you really think I would treat Alicent like some toy to be cast aside?!"
"No, not like that," Gwayne recoiled, suddenly on the defensive. "It's just my experience with these kinds of relationships. There is a brief moment of intense passion that usually cools off quickly and both move on with their lives."
"In your experince?" you were bewildered. "What possible experience could you have..." you trailed off in sudden realization.
Gwayne looked at you with a mix of shame and embrassment, realizing he said far too much.
"Tell me, Ser Gwayne. Do you prefer goose or duck?" you asked, as tactifully as you could.
"I have partaken in both on occasion and found them agreeable," Gwayne's reply was hesitant, but not ashamed.
Part of you wondered just how scandalized Alicent would be right now, had she heard him say this out loud.
"Ah. Then we share that in common," you replied with a nod.
"Listen," Gwayne sighed, "I know you do not mean my sister harm, but your affection for her is dangerous."
"And I swore to protect her," you reminded him.
"You can't protect her from everything!" he said urgently. "You don't have that power."
Alicent's brother turned away for the moment, trying to regain his composure.
"It's clear to the whole realm now that whatever you do, your father will defend you," Gwayne declared. "Alicent doesn't have that luxury. If your relationship is exposed, you will be fine, but the scandal may force my father to marry her off to some distant lord, or worse, my uncle will put her in a sept to remove the stain on our family's honor."
"I wouldn't allow that!" you defiantly declared. "I would never let them send Alicent away."
"You are the heir, not the queen!" Gwayne retorted. "You can't just force everyone to do what you want."
He paused again, his face an unreadable mask.
"There is a solution here, though," Gwayne stated. "An resolution that would protect Alicent and allow you to keep up your relationship."
You had suspected this moment was coming. You knew there was more than just concern for Alicent fueling this meeting.
"Ser Tarly was right," you said evenly. "You do want to marry me. Did your father send you by chance?"
"My father's confidence in you as heir wavers for the moment," he said earnestly. "This my plan, which is why I am being forthright with you."
Now, that was curious. You suspected Otto would try to pull something similar to what he nearly did with your father and Alicent, but you didn't expect Gwayne to come up with such an idea.
"Think about it, princess," he said diplomatically. "Alicent wouldn't be just your handmaiden, she would be your sister-in-law. Less people would question your affection, and she would be much more protected thanks to her connection to the royal family."
"What about your uncle?" you questioned.
"My uncle would be made to understand that your affections for Alicent are the only reason the marriage was even possible," Gwayne assured. "Even if he somehow objects, my father would be able to placate him."
"You just said your father has lost confidence in me," you pointed out sharply.
"And having you as a daughter-in-law, and myself as your consort and advisor, would do much to reassure him," he replied. "My father is powerful as Hand, but he is a second son who stands to inherit very little, and his power only exists as long as the King grants it. Our marriage would give him a much more secure position."
It was true. With your father remarried, you were the only chance the Hightowers had of marrying into your family for a generation or more. And a marriage would take Otto from simply a well respected King's Hand to the future grandfather of a ruling monarch.
"You know what my father tried to do with Alicent," Gwayne said in shocking honesty. "I don't approve of what he did anymore than you, but it revealed much about him. If I told him about your relationship with Alicent and said it was key to an alliance, he would be more than willing to negotiate with you. Offer you a chance to dictate when and who Alicent marries. Ensure she remains close by as long as you wish."
You stared at Gwayne with increasing disdain.
"I thought this was about protecting Alicent," your voice turned cold. "It sounds to me like your using our relationship to your advantage."
"My primary concern is Alicent," Gwayne insisted. "She is my sister, and I care deeply for her."
"So this purely for the sake of Alicent and your family?" you asked skeptically. "You don't seek personal gain out of this marriage?"
"I'm not gonna stand here and pretend that I'm doing this for purely selfless reasons," Gwayne confessed. "Yes, I am here right now in part because I see a chance to one day be the king-consort of the Seven Kingdoms and have my children rule outright in turn, something a man of my status rarely could even dream of, let alone grasp for. But I firmly and honestly believe a marriage between the two of us is what's best for all three of us. You need firm allies at court and I offer the best chance of that."
"Do I?" You raised an eyebrow. "As it stands, the only man in line for inheriting the Iron Throne is Daemon, and your father hates my uncle with great passion."
"Johanna will give your father a son one day," Gwayne replied bluntly. "And when that happens, things will become a great deal more complicated for you. My father could do a lot to strengthen your position when that day comes."
"What does Alicent think of all this?" you asked.
That was fundmentally the most important question in all this. Marrying Gwayne would make Alicent your sister by marriage. To you, that meant nothing, but you also knew it could make things very uncomfortable for her. If Alicent objected, there was no point in even considering this.
"I haven't said it directly, but shes know this is a possibility and has not voiced any objections" Gwayne replied. "And rest assured, if you consider my offer we will speak to her together. I want to protect Alicent, not treat her like a child."
"Good," you nodded.
He was offering quite a lot here. A consort who could provide you with a lot of power and influence without worrying about being dominated by their family, the hand of the King as a firm ally no matter what lay ahead, and assurances for you and Alicent. Indeed, with both Otto and your father on your side, you would be quite well protected even if you were exposed. Johanna would be enraged of course and likely bar access to her daughters, but that hardly mattered.
But did it really have to be this way? This couldn't be the only way to protect Alicent.
"I've done a lot for your family already," you observed. "I gave you a position in the city watch after all. Surely I could convince your father I have your family's best interests at heart even without a marriage?"
"I am grateful for what you've given me, princess, make no mistake, and I consider you a friend regardless of your choice," Gwayne assured you, "but if you marry another house, they will push for influence in the Small council, and the Westerlings have taken a chunk of it already. And your husband would likely ask you set Alicent aside."
"Do you think that little of me?" you asked in a sudden flare of fustration. "Do you really think I would be foolish enough to marry someone who would not approve of someone I not only hold a great deal of affection for but also consider to be my dearest friend?"
Gwayne turned away for a moment, a look of shame written on his face.
"No, that was of wrong of me, I apologize," he said quickly. "And perhaps you are correct, but there are few ways better of securing an alliance than through marriage."
On that point, you could not argue.
"You know I can't promise you anything right now," you said. "I need time to think if nothing else."
"Of course. I just urge you to keep what I said today in mind as you consider your options," Gwayne replied.
Gwayne Hightower Has Given You Much To Think About QM's Note: So decided to cover the more Alicent romance related actions and conversations today. Give you both the ideal and the reality at once. So to be clear since the Alicent section is before Gwayne's section, none of the options with Alicent would ruin your relationship with her. It's at point now where one misstep is not going to end things unless it's a really massive one.
"At the tourney, there was a moment there where I considered not revealing myself," you admitted as Alicent stared at you with those big brown eyes.
"Why would you do that?" a look of confusion appeared across her pretty face. "That tourney is the main reason you were able to become a knight."
"I know, but there was the tourney in Highgarden ahead of us, and in that moment all I could see was you. All I heard was your laughter," you voice was soft and sweet. "In that moment, I was almost overwhelmed. I wanted to compose a hundred poems in your honor or a dozen sonnets, but most of all I wanted to sweep you off your feet."
Alicent turned new shades of red yet unseen as she stared at you.
"I wanted to sweep you out of your seat and onto my horse," the words flowed out of your lips almost beyond your control. "I wanted to ride out White Harbor with you at my back. I wanted us to ride and ride until we could find somewhere nice and quiet, where it could just be the two of us. I wanted-"
You never got the chance to finish as Alicent grabbed you by the face and kissed you. Deeply, passionately, with all the feverish energy she had the first time she kissed you the first time, but none of the shame.
Seconds felt like hours as Alicent held you there, holding the kiss for as long as she dared. When she finally let go the two stared at each other in quite disbelief over her action, neither of you having expected her boldness.
Without thinking you pulled her into another kiss. Alicent's kiss had sparked a fire in you and now you were determined to let the heat consume you both. Your lady deserved to be ravished with kisses. She deserved more than just a dragon's affection. She deserved it's passion.
Alicent's hands ran through your hair as you left a trail of kisses up and down her neck before returning to those wondrous lips of hers. Soon she was climbing into your lap as your hands gripped at her dress, your instincts torn between holding her close and wanting to rip off her clothes right then and there.
Each kiss was a passionate, hungry affair, the two of you barely pausing to take breaths. You didn't want to be a part from her for even a moment. You wanted to feel her hot breath wash over you. You wanted her hands on you. You wanted all of her. You wanted-
Your passion was brought to a sudden end as the chair, which had been leaning dangerously backwards ever since Alicent climbed into your lap, fell backwards, crashing onto a nearby rug.
Alicent stared at you with big wide eyes as her hands clung tightly to you. The moment, as passionate and wonderful as it was, had ended. You considered kissing her again, but to your surprise a sharp burst of laughter escape your lips instead. Earning a giggling fit from Alicent. It was an honest, unrestrained laugh, one you rarely heard from her.
"I guess being a knight has more advantages then I realized," you mused as you lay there, unsure if standing up was the best idea right now.
"Only if they're knights as passionate as you, my dear," Alicent replied as she wrapped her arms around you, deciding she very much wanted to lay here for the moment.
"I've never done that before," a hint of shock in her voice as she went on. "Never even considered such a thing."
"Well, I must say you're quite skilled for a novice," you smirked. Alicent's kisses were passionate and barely restrained. Like she was starving woman and you were the only food she had seen in a month. It cut quite the contrast with her normal self.
Alicent smiled at you, her expression broad and genuine.
"I'm glad you didn't sweep me off my feet that day," she said as she stroked your hair, "but I know I would enjoyed the experience a great deal. Having a dashing knight sweep me off my feet, the two of us spending the rest of the day alone, finding some tree in an empty field for us to spend the hours together. It would have been magical."
"I'd say this has been rather great as well," you said with a smile, earning a nod from your fair maiden.
"I can't believe I spend so long ashamed of my feelings for you," Alicent said as she pulled herself up. "It seems so absurd now. Every moment I spend with you has given my life more passion and meaning than I ever dared dream. And it's not like anything we're doing is wrong."
"We're harming no one," you assured her. "And no vows have been broken."
"All my life I thought I had to put my own needs and wants to the side for the sake of duty. Duty to my father, to our family, to what's expected of ladies of my standing," Alicent mused. "I thought duty and sacrifice were my burden in life and one that would not ease up until I was a woman grown. You showed me how wrong I was."
"Not to sound like some lust-stricken boy," you said, "but we're doing this again, right? Not right now of course, but I think we both rather enjoyed that."
You adored giving this lovely maiden kisses on the hand and wooing her with poetry and music, but having glimpsed Alicent's passion, now free of the conflict that marked the beginning of your relationship, you wanted more. Much more.
"Oh yes, of course," Alicent said firmly before her expression suddenly grew rather bashful. "And while I very much want to keep having my fair knight regale me with music and poems of their affection, I was hoping in the future we might do something more intimate."
"Oh," your eyes went wide in surprise.
"Not that," Alicent said firmly. "Not yet. But I want us to have more than just a few stolen moments like this. I want time together not just as handmaiden and princess but as us."
Part of you was annoyed at the fact you had to hide this at all. It felt so absurd. So many lords paraded around their mistresses and bastards like it was nothing, and what Alicent and you were doing was far less sinful than anything like that. But it was a frustration you would have to bear for now.
Your first thought was to take Alicent hawking. It would be simple enough. You'd need an escort of course, but you very much doubted Ser Raylon would care and he'd give you privacy if you asked. It would give you a few hours, maybe even a day or so away from the Red Keep and by yourselves. There was the issue that Alicent had never shown interesting hawking before. It was perfectly reasonable for a woman of her station, but it wasn't something she had interest in. You could pass it off as simply teaching her, but there was still a risk of suspicion.
You could also just spend a longer time in the Godswood, just the two of you, serenading her with music and poems. You had a decent idea of when the place was relatively empty and it wouldn't take too much effort to find a nice private spot, but there was some risk of being caught in the act. Most who found you wouldn't suspect anything amiss, and the few who did would have the sense to keep it a secret, unless it was Johanna. Your biggest issue was if that was enough. It was really just more intimate version of what you'd already been doing, and while great, you weren't sure if either of you would be content with just that.
Next, you could take Alicent out into the city for the night. You probably could pass for a boy with only a small amount of effort, pretending the two of you were just smallfolk lovers enjoying a night on the town. That gave the two of you a whole city to do with as you wished, well away from any prying eyes. Of course, the big issue was sneaking out of the castle in the first place. You knew the Red Keep had hidden passages and such, but you didn't know much about them. And there was a chance Alicent could refuse. She had grown bolder, but this was quite daring even for you.
Finally, you could sail to Dragonstone for a few weeks, make some excuse about wanting to better know your domain or something, and make your way there with Alicent. Dragonstone was sparsely populated and even the castle itself was relatively empty. It would be trivial to escape prying eyes there and do what you wish, but you would need a good reason for why you sailed to Dragonstone and didn't fly there on your own. Your father wouldn't care either way, but a poor excuse might raise questions with others.
Relationship with Alicent Improved
New Status: Getting Serious
Alicent is Growing Bolder
What do you want to do with Alicent? (Unlocks Action Next Turn)
[] [Alicent] Take Her Hawking
[] [Alicent] Spend Time in the Godswood
[] [Alicent] A Night On the Town (Alicent May refuse. If she does, next most voted for option will be taken instead.)
[] [Alicent] A Trip To Dragonstone
[] [Alicent] Write-in (Subject to QM Approval)
You ended up picking the harp. The lute was quite fun for sure, but the harp was the kind of instrument princes and kings played. The kind of instrument that would make more people see you as the dashing knightly princess you were. A fierce warrior with a romantic heart. In addition, the music was quite soothing and while you wouldn't call memorizing notes and learning music a fully relaxing affair, you couldn't deny it took your mind off more stressful matters.
Of course, you never did anything by half-measures, not even hobbies. You would practice near daily with your harp, often spending four or five hours with your instructor several times a week. Within a few months you had gone from a complete novice at the harp to actually halfway decent. Your instructor said you had made decent progress, but still had quite a ways to go, though they also noted with a fair amount of effort you could become quite the musical talent. The kind of musician who could stir emotions in the coldest noble with just a few plucks of the string.
Alicent very much enjoyed your playing, with her often finding the time to relax nearby in the gardens as you practiced. Seeing her smile as you played made it all worth it.
-2 Stress
Harp Practice Unlocked (Needs to Be Taken Every 4 Turns or risk Stress Gain)
You spoke to Steffon Redfort not long after you were made a knight. Ser Tarly had advised against it, saying proper interviews would take up too much of your time and you should just approve him out of hand. You refused, if you made him a captain in the City Watch without even seeing what his merits were first, it would be clear to all that you had given him the position purely because he was an ally of your cousin Jeyne. And while others might be fine with it, you weren't gonna let it slide this time.
Given what Rhea Royce and Ser Tarly told you of the man, he did concern you a bit. Both painted a picture of a man who was honorable, loyal, and kind, but also distinctly lacking in wits and sense.
You interviewed several times over the course of a couple of weeks. And your assessment of him fit what you heard.
Your first encounter with him was after he had pricked himself on the Iron Throne, apparently convinced the swords were fake. He then expressed bewilderment for why your ancestor had even made the throne in the first place. The explanation of Aegon's desire to ensure no king sat on their throne easy did little to appease him. The rest of the conversation that followed was a bit strange as well, while he praised you for becoming a knight he also seemed distinctly under the idea that Targaryen women becoming knights was not a new concept, much to your bewilderment. Apparently he was under the impression that fighting on dragonback was a lot like fighting on horseback, just with flying added to the mix.
Even more confusingly, he knew of his half-sister's preference for women, and while your were glad to see he seemed to take no issue with that, you were quite bewildered to see him in the very next breath declare that your cousin Jeyne could not possibly like girls and he hoped his half-sister would stop "uselessly pining after her," and find a lady who returned her interests.
Follow up interviews with him did at least assure you he would be basically competent at the task of commanding. In his eyes, patrolling the streets of King's Landing was little different from patrolling a valley or mountain pass in the Vale, murderers and rapists being little different from the more vicious mountain clans of the Vale. A comparison your definitely did not agree with, but it was at least a functional mindset. The idea that his position could carry risks of conflicting loyalty or risks of corruption seemed to offend him to his core. To him, the duty of a captain in the city watch was clear. To protect the people and serve the king, and the pay was more than enough to live comfortably. That anyone in the position would think they were owed more seemed an insult to the man. He vowed that, if made a captain, he would work to ensure the common armsmen were taught a similar mindset.
You had no doubt he would be an ally if you made him a captain in the city watch, but part of you couldn't help but wonder if he was actually suited for the more complex aspects of the job like corruption and Daemon's lingering influence. Perhaps there was a better place for him, such as in the palace guard or something.
Do You Push for Steffon RedFort to be made a City Watch Captain?
[] [Steffon] Put His Name Forward
[] [Steffon] Urge Him to Seek Some Other Role in King's Landing
The desk before you was covered in letters, scrolls, and bits of parchment containing your own personal notes. You sighed wearily at the sight of it all. You'd been starring at the pile for hours now and you'd spent several days on this. This small sea of parchment contained the beginnings of what was unmistakably one of the most important decisions of your life, one that would likely heavily shape your remaining years as heir and future rulership. The decision of who you would one day marry.
It was not a decision you wanted to make. Ideally you'd wait a decade or so before marrying, but your knighthood had come at a cost. And there was definitely an advantage in gaining a firm ally sooner rather than later.
You still did not want to get married soon, and ideally you wanted to marry someone you loved, but at the rate things were going the only way that could happen is if you found a husband who could love you and Alicent equally, and who Alicent would love in turn, or you found a way to marry Alicent.
You were so grateful you had her right now. She made the prospect of a political marriage so much easier to bear.
You picked up a letter on the desk, the broken bits of wax containing remnants of a sigil, a blazing sun with a spear through it. The sigil of House Nymeros Martell. A Letter from the Prince of Dorne himself to your father. At your request, your father had turned over their correspondence. Normally the idea of even marrying into the house that defied your ancestors and killed one of their dragons was offensive. But the prospect of marrying the Prince himself, to say nothing of the fact it was your tourney performance that sparked his interest, peeked your curiosity.
You read the letter again.
To My Brother on the Iron Throne, King Viserys of House Targaryen.
I know it is most unusual for the Prince of Rhoynar to write to the Valyrian King of the Andals and First Men, but I believe you a most unusual men. A King who understands that a truly strong leader rules through peace and diplomacy instead of blood and steel, and one who understand that the wisdom to rule is not limited to men alone.
I must confess I find tales of your daughter fascinating. To see a woman so skilled in combat be able to display her prowess so freely is a rare sight outside of Dorne. I care little for warfare but the gallantry of knighthood and jousts holds my interests as firmly as any other man. And if the accounts of White Harbor are to be believed, she has shown herself to be a warrior of such skill that there are few even in Dorne who could hope to match her. If nothing else, I wish to one day meet your remarkable heiress.
Now on to more ugly matters. My vassals push me to join the war in the Stepstones. They argue that your brother risks disrupting our trade with his war in the islands. They say if we do not act soon, that we will have trade brought to ruin by either your brother or the Three Daughters. It has been the experience of my house and many others that war with dragons can be endured, but it will create many tragedies, and I do not want another generation to bear such hardships. To my east, I see a rising empire who's rulership is unstable and who's hungry for land and power. To my north, I see a wise king who has ruled well for over a decade and who I believe shares my desires for peace. I also see a unique chance before us.
I am unmarried and have ascended to the throne much earlier than I would have liked. Your heir is a woman unmarried, and while I know many in your realm may find her disagreeable, I can assure you that Dorne would welcome eagerly a warrior such as fair Rhaenyra.
Make no mistake, I do not seek to submit Dorne before the Iron Throne like the Lannisters have, but I do see a way for the two of us to accomplish something none of our ancestors dreamed possible, a way for the conflict between our two realms to end in a way where we both win. Where Dorne has it's economic interests ensured and rights protected, and where the Iron Throne could at last truly claim rightfully to rule over the Rhyonar.
Please write me back if you wish to discuss my proposal in greater detail. And may we one day speak in person as friends.
Prince Qoren Nymeros Martell, Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear
The idea was tempting and terrifying at the same time. For starters, you were no fool. You knew well that marrying the Prince of Dorne would make you a number of enemies, particularly in the Dornish Marches. Even your own sworn shield would have to be appeased if you did this. It was a politically risky marriage, but one that could strengthen your position immensely in time once Dorne joined the fold. You and your father could be hailed as the ones who finally completed Aegon's Conquest. And it wasn't just Dorne you stood to gain. With Dorne joining the fold, it would be rather simple to secure Daemon's conquests in the Stepstones. Depending on how you viewed it, by marrying one man you could add two kingdoms to the Iron Throne.
On a personal level, you had to admit that just how respectfully Qoren spoke of your prowess had you quite tempted by the marriage offer. And if there was any man out there who would be understanding of your relationship with Alicent, it would be Dornishmen. Tales about of their unusual customs and tolerances we well known in the Seven Kingdoms.
Of course, if you married the ruling Prince of Dorne, there would be a great deal to negotiate. Dorne would not join easily. They'd want quite favorable terms. Terms the other kingdoms might resent. And if you pushed back against Dorne too hard, they could easily walk away. Not to mention marrying the ruler of Dorne came with a host of it's own complications. One of your kids would one day inherit the Iron Throne while the other inherited Sunspear. Who would get what, what name would they carry and would they be allowed to claim a dragon? This marriage would be quite complicated to arrange if nothing else.
You looked through your notes again to see what your had written about Harwin Strong. Ser Breakbones had not sent a letter to your father, but had spoken to him directly. Your father said he was kind, spoke highly of your skill with the blade and how impressed he was with you from your visit to Harrenhal. Which surprised you somewhat considering the gap you had between meeting Alys and your duel with Harwin.
On a personal level, you couldn't deny that Ser Harwin Strong was compelling. He was tall, had thick curly hair and muscles even you could envy. You had this romantic notion for years of what your marriage could be like, somehow combining your desire to be a knight, love and marriage all into one. An image of two knights standing together as wife and husband, romantic partners and equals. And perhaps no man presented a better chance of that than Harwin. After all, he seemed to appreciate your strength as much as you did his. Of course there was one massive complication to all of that. Alicent.
You cared deeply for Alicent and if things kept going the way they were going, you could easily see the two of you being together for a long time if not the rest of your lives. You had no intention of putting her aside when you got married. The very idea offended you. You wanted a husband who could accept your relationship with her, one who could accept that and love you in turn would be wonderful. But your conversation with Gwayne lingered in your mind. Alicent's position was not secure and you knew there was every chance she would feel even more insecure if you had romantic feelings for your husband. You could easily see yourself loving both of them equally, but would Alicent be okay with that?
Politically, marrying Ser Harwin would secure the loyalty of his father, the Master of Laws, and one of your children would one day rule Harrenhal as well. But then again, you were already going to study under Lyonel, so his support was not really in much doubt.
Gwayne Hightower represented an interesting option. While he had been something of an ass in your last conversation, you knew pretty firmly where you stood with him and what a marriage would mean. You'd have a husband who knew full well about your relationship with Alicent and accepted it. It would never be a marriage of love, but it could be a marriage that made love possible. If the Hightowers position was secure in court, you never ran the risk of losing Alicent or having her married away against your wishes. And Gwayne was the son of a second son. You were certain any children you had would carry the Targaryen family name. And of course you'd secure the support of Gwayne and Alicent's father, Otto Hightower, Hand of the King. Unlike Lyonel, Otto's position on you seemed greatly in flux as of late. Securing his loyalty would be greatly aid your position in court. Of course, that would also mean dealing with Otto's influence in your marriage as well.
If nothing else, Gwayne seemed to care a great deal about his family. Even if your marriage would never be more than alliance and partnership, you could easily see him being a loving father to your kids.
Then there was Laenor Velyaron, heir to Driftmark and scion of the second most powerful house in the Seven Kingdoms. The benefits were obvious. Your husband would be a dragon rider, as would your mother and sister-in-law. Few could challenge you with that kind of power. And there were always rumors about Laenor, and how boys interested him the same way girls interested Jeyne Arryn. If that was true, he should have no problem with your relationship with Alicent. Though he could have issues with actually giving you an heir.
The drawbacks were just as obvious. Laenor's father Corlys was an ambitious man, and the two of you were not on the best of terms after he had tried to marry his daughter to your father. There was no telling if House Velyaron was even interested in such a match, and if they were, they held a strong hand when it came to negotiations, the strongest of any house. Many had warned you that the Sea Snake could prove an overpowering influence on your marriage if you married Ser Laenor. And as Ser Tarly pointed out, it's not as if they would automatically be your enemies if you didn't marry them.
There was no one option that was better than all of the others. The benefits of Dorne were just as numerous as it's drawbacks, the political and personal gains from marrying Gwayne balanced out well with the strength House Velayron could give you, just to name a few.
You needed to talk to someone to help narrow things down. Your father was a obvious choice. He no doubt had opinions on who you should marry. Otto and Lyonel might also have good advice to give on the matter though obviously their advice would come with bias, perhaps considerable bias considering Otto's past actions with your dear Alicent.
You could also talk to Rhaenys. Your cousin might be able to reign in the Sea Snake and make marrying her son Laenor more bearable. Of course, there was the question of if she was even interested in such a union at all.
Talking with Gwayne and Alicent could be very helpful. If nothing else it would ensure you knew where Alicent stood when it came to the idea of you marrying her brother. And you could sound out the other marriage options with Gwayne, see if there were alternatives that would appease his concerns.
You could also talk to Ser Harwin Strong himself, get a few for what kind of husband he might be.
Part of you was tempted to just write to Qoren Martell yourself. You couldn't invite him to King's Landing, but it would give you a chance to better know the man, see how he writes to you instead of your father. See if he's the kind of man who would be worth all the effort a Dornish marriage would involve.
Ideally you would speak or write to them all in time, the only question is who would you talk to First.
Who Do you Speak To? (Pick One)
[] [Marriage] Speak to Viserys
-[] Speak to Viserys and Otto together
[] [Marriage] Speak to Otto Hightower
[] [Marriage] Speak to Lyonel Strong
[] [Marriage] Speak with Ser Harwin Strong
[] [Marriage] Speak to Alicent and Gwayne Hightower
[] [Marriage] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen
[] [Marriage] [Defiant] Write to Prince Qoren Martell
[] [Marriage] Write-in (Subject to QM Approval, Do not try to speak to everyone at once)
QM's Note: I had plans for talking with Steffon Redfort on the Royal Progress where he would come across as a man who was pure of heart, dumb of ass. But oddly I hit serious Writer's block writing him in King's Landing, so I ended up having to basically summarize, I apologize. Also, I must admit things with Alicent are quite well timed considering what Friday is in America.
Father's model of Valyria had noticably grown since you last saw it. Several buildings have been finished while he had a new block of stone standing to the side that was beginning to be shaped into a sizable addition to the model. You also noticed bits of black hair among the finished sections.
"Ahh, yes, it seems Johanna's cats quite enjoy the model," your father said. "Particularly the black one. I was worried at first, but they're surprisingly careful."
"Really?" you said with unmasked surprised. "Because that black cat is quite territorial from what I've seen. How is the queen faring?" the question came out of obligation more than anything. You couldn't bring yourself to visit her, but it felt rude to just pretend she wasn't there.
"Oh, she's recovering quite well," your father nodded. "She's been in high spirits since the twins were born."
"That's good," you finished lamely, but your mind was already on other matters. "Did you get the notes I made about my visit to the Wall?"
You had written up a summary of your visit while you were waiting for your knighthood, figuring it best to get everything down onto parchment before the details shifted in your mind.
"I did. Quite informative, and concerning," he noted. "It's worrying that so much land is going to waste, but I think Lord Umber is overreaching. I'd be loathe to so easily undo my grandmother's hard work."
"That is quite understandable," you replied.
"Of course, it would pointless to even bring this up to the Small Council for some time," your father went on as he sanded the side of an unfinished building. "Attempting any reforms to the Night's Watch during Winter would be nothing short of madness."
"I must say I'm quite pleased you took your trip to the Wall so seriously, few would- ah," you father winced slightly as he shifted in his seat, clutching at his disfigured hand.
A nearby Maester, Orwyle quickly rushed to his side and began fussing over your father like he was a newborn.
"I'm fine," he quickly insisted. "Just a brief pain. It's nothing."
You twisted the rings on your fingers as you stood there. The moment a stark reminder of one of the two reasons you had come to speak to him today.
"Father," you said, speaking more like you were preparing a speech then talking to your father. "When I left, you had nine fingers and said you were on the road to recovery. I return home, earlier than expected mind you, to find you with eight fingers and looking no closer to being well again."
"Things have gone slower than I would have liked," your father's tone was dismissive. "But the Grand Maester assures me that was due to stress. Because of the pregnancy," he added quickly. "Now that Johanna has made it through fine, the Grand Maester insists the leeches should finally clear up the worst of it."
Orywyle glanced at you for a moment, his face full of nervous apprehension. There was something he desperately wanted to say, but lacked the courage to speak it.
"Father, I've heard this all before. the Grand Maester's efforts-" you began.
"Will work this time," he insisted. "Rhaenyra. Your concern is touching, but rest assured, I am through the worst of it. My warrior days may be behind, but I promise you, your old man will be with you for many more years."
There was a smile on his face and warmth in his voice, yet you knew if you pressed the matter there would be a fight and that was not what you had come here for. And you had little knowledge to base your concerns in. Perhaps the Grand Maester had the right of it. Your father had been under quite a bit of strain these past few months. His second wife had been pregnant and no one had any way of knowing just how Johanna would handle it. Then there was the fact you had been on your own for the first time in your life. The was the trial and the tourney. All that must have added a considerable amount of stress as well.
You quickly pushed the thought aside. You were not going to let yourself feel guilty for what you did during your progress. The trial may have been a rushed decision, but you had been all but forced into a corner by that man's speech. And you had nothing to regret when it came to the tourney. You couldn't control what your father felt and you were not going to let it stop you from doing what you had to.
Your mind quickly turned to another topic. Annoyingly, it was far from a happy one too.
You needed to tell him about Harrenhal. If there was anyone in this world who would believe you right now when it came to your dream, it was your father. The man who entrusted you with the knowledge of Aegon's prophecy, who knew the stories of Daenys the Dreamer.
Your gaze shifted nervously to the maester.
"Father," you began. "There's something else I wish to discuss with you. In private."
Your father motioned for the maester to leave.
"Of course," Orywyle said as quickly made his departure, though you noticed his gaze lingering on you as you left.
Viserys eyed you curiously as you sat down besides him. You exhaled deeply as you prepared for what you were going to say. It felt like insanity to actually say this out loud, but what happened that night simply would not leave your mind.
"The first night in Harrenhal, I had a dream," you began. "A dream more intense and more real then anything I had experienced before or since."
The moment you mentioned a dream, your father stopped working on his model and focused all his attention on you.
"At first I thought a dragon was attacking my door," you explained. "Then I found myself chasing a woman through Harrenhal, past a distant burning battlefield and into the Godswood, the trees choking out the moonlight. All of it felt so real and there were these things lurking in the trees."
You breathed in again, steadying yourself as best you could.
"I came to the heart tree to find the woman standing there, storms filling the sky. And then two dragons and their riders dueled above the Gods Eye, their roars joined by what sounded like every other dragon alive. All the dragons, roaring at once."
Your father's eyes went wide at your words, starring at you in clear disbelief.
"All of the dragons," he said carefully, "at once?"
"Yes father, I'm sure of it," you nodded. "The woman said the dragons would dance as been written since the doom and all I could do was add my own thread to the weave. She also said I will find death in the God's Eye. Father, this woman had two different colored eyes and claw shaped birthmark on her cheek."
You choose not to mention Alys Rivers or your strange encounter with her. You didn't think you needed to hide her, but you also didn't think she was connected to your vision, and you didn't want your father blaming the vision on the brew she gave you.
Viserys sat there in silence for a long moment, starring at his model as he drank deeply from a cup of wine.
"This was months before Johanna's daughters were even born," you pressed. "She said I named her, and I was the one to suggest Aelora to Johanna."
"When you were young, during that brief time where I was heir, I had dream one night. As real as you or I," your father began, tears welling in his eyes. "I saw a son, my son, sitting upon the Iron Throne, crowned with the Conqueror's crown, the lords of Westeros hailing him as all the dragons roared at once."
Your chest tightened at his words, a brief twitch of fear in your hands.
"Night after night I tried to recapture that dream, to experience it again. I so desperately wanted to be a dreamer, like Aegon was," your father confessed bitterly. "It never came back, and my obsession with it killed you mother. And I sit here, with three children, and no sons to my name."
"I...I don't understand," you struggled with your words, unsure of what to think. "Why didn't ever tell me of this?"
"I was, I am, ashamed of what I had done. Grief had all but consumed me," he explained tearfully. "I was worried if I told you of my mistake I would only make things harder for you. But I don't want to see you repeat my mistakes either."
"Mistake?" you spat the word out with disgust. "Your dream killed her!"
"I know," your father said bitterly. "Seven hells, Rhaenyra, there is not a single day that goes by where I am not constantly reminded of that. I should have given up years ago, should have been happy with what I had. The three of us had all a family could ever want and I ruined it."
Tears stained the stone in front of him. Your anger began to fade. Anything else you could have said wouldn't have hurt him anymore than he was already hurting himself.
"Which is why I urge you to be very careful with this dream," your father went on. "Don't stake too much importance on something that could just be folly."
"But mine's not folly. I saw Aelora," you pressed. "A woman grown but the same features as the babe Johanna is holding as we speak."
"And I don't doubt that," your father replied wearily, "but I would not take everything in it to heart. Perhaps my dream was as real as yours, and it was your son I saw on that throne, or maybe even you. I can't say anymore. All I know is I have no son, and even if Johanna gives me one, they will not sit the Iron Throne."
"Our family was built by dreams though. You said it yourself, Aegon's conquest was started by one," you argued. "I can't just ignore what I saw."
"It is a contradiction I have been struggling with since the day you became heir," he admitted. "I believe in Aegon's dream. My grandfather spoke of it with such conviction. Just as his sister had when she told him of the prophecy early in his reign. And she told him that the importance of the dream was one of the few things their father was ever firm about. There must have been something in that dream, something that filled Aegon with more conviction and certainty then I have ever had."
He pondered the situation for a moment.
"Do you know with any certainty what she meant when she spoke of Dragon's dancing?" your father questioned pointedly. "And when she spoke of finding death in God's Eye, who's death was it? Yours or someone else?"
"I...I don't know," you stuttered. "I could barely make sense of anything she said."
In truth, very little of that night was definite in your mind. Aelora was all too painfully real, that was certain. But you had no idea what battle was being fought, or even who was fighting over the lake. You saw white-gold hair, but beyond that everything about the riders and even their dragons was vague and shifting. You didn't know much about dreams, how much of them was metaphor and how much was supposed to be the naked truth.
"Harrrenhal is a cursed place," Viserys said before taking another long drink of wine. "There is every chance what you saw was distorted by the memories of that place, or perhaps there were layers to it that neither of us understand and this dance is not a physical conflict but something else."
There was another bout of silence as he stared longingly at the model city before him.
"The scholar in my heart wants you to do nothing more than pursue this as far as you can, do what you can to make sense of this dream, uncover it's truth if there is any. Meanwhile the grieving widower begs you to never think of that night again," he said contemplatively. "I will ask you not mention this to Johanna, or anyone else. It will just create more trouble. Beyond that I will say, if you wish to pursue this any further, I won't stop you. I simply urge you to not let it become an obsession. Don't let it ruin you like my dream did me."
"I... I won't father," you spoke after a long moment. "I promise."
You saw all too well the grief his dream had given your father, and yet, at the same time, you still needed answers. Still needed to make that night into something you could vaguely comprehend.
"Life and the crown will one day give you much to worry about," your father said warmly. "Do not burden yourself further by worrying about one dream and a bit of bad health. You have a full life ahead of you. Enjoy your youth while it lasts."
You nodded and left your father's room. His words had left you with even more questions than you came in with, but the weight on your shoulders had lessened just a bit. You weren't going to forget about the dream, if you lived until you were eighty you probably would still remember it, but you weren't going to let it become an obsession. Your father had impressed the dangers of that quite clearly.
That night, your sleep was not entirely peaceful, but you no longer found yourself worrying over Harrenhal.
Your Relationship with Viserys Has Improved.
Your Conversation with Viserys has Given You Some Peace of Mind.
And Cost Viserys Some of His.
You waited several weeks to bring up the topic of marriage with your father. Thankfully, by the time you asked him to speak with you after a Small Council meeting, his mood had improved considerably compared to your last serious conversation. Even if his healthstill seemed the same.
It felt strange turning to your father for advice when you very much wanted this to be your decision, not his, and when faced with his own marriage, you had specifically avoided influencing him beyond doing your best to keep Alicent out of it.
But at the same time, you knew your father would reward your honesty then with honest advice now, and he was probably the only person you could talk to who was only biased in your favor. That wasn't to say there wasn't anything to gain from talking to Rhaenys, Otto, Gwayne or Harwin, far from it in fact, but you felt it was important to talk to someone who was on your side first and foremost before talking to anyone else.
You found yourself drumming your fingers nervously on the back of a small council chair. You did not look forward to this talk, but it had to happen.
"I've been giving some more thoughts to marriage prospects," you announced as your father looked at you from his chair, "and I was wondering if I could ask you for advice on some of my suitors."
Your father's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Really?" he said, sounding both off-guard and pleased. "I must say I did not think you would have taken action on that matter so soon. You've never shown much interest in marriage."
"I do not want to rush into marriage," you said quickly. "But I do very much want a say in the matter and it seemed foolish to not prepare for something this important."
Your father smiled broadly.
"It's good to see you taking this seriously, Rhaenyra," he said warmly. "Though if it was a say you wanted, it would have been best to search out options while you were on progress. You would have had your pick of almost every unmarried man in the realm."
"No," you shook your head. "I would have had every man in the realm treating me like some prize to be won or a fine cut of meat to be fought over. It would been an unbearable cattle show."
"If you say so," the king brushed the idea aside. "I don't want to pressure you into a match you do not seek, but this is important."
"I know. I need a husband to strengthen my claim, provide me with heirs and powerful allies," you said mechanically with a hint of weariness.
"That is important, yes," he nodded. "But there's more than that. Marriage. Family. It changes you. Completes you. I loved your mother. She made a man of me. Without her, I would have been a much different man, a much different king. I wish for you to have what I have, to be happy and contented."
"I want that as well," your reply was earnest, your father's words appealing to your more romantic sensibilities. "But I look around and I'm not sure there's any man who could give me what you had with mother."
You didn't speak it, but your relationship with Alicent weighed heavily on your mind. You would not say you were in love with her yet, but the passion between you seemed to be growing stronger by the day and you didn't see it ending anytime soon. How could you balance romantic feelings for a husband with your feelings for Alicent without offending either?
"For some, love happens in moments. For others, it takes time," your father assured you. "Family has a way of changing you for the better in ways you would never have expected."
You had never really pictured yourself with a family. The idea of having children at all had terrified you for years now. It still terrified you to some extent. You had no idea what it would be like to have someone you had to raise, someone who looked up to you and turned to you for guidance. While the thought sent shivers down your spine, you could see your father's point.
"Now, what prospects have you been looking at?" he asked curiously.
"So far, there are four men who have caught my attention," you declared, "Qoren Martell, Gwayne Hightower, Harwin Strong and Laenor Velayron."
"Gwayne?" the king questioned. "Otto's son? Now, that's quite the surprise. What drew you to him?"
"We got along fairly well on the progress and he's generally been quite honest with me," you said truthfully but tactfully. "And he provided me with some quite good advice while we were on the Eyrie. Advice that gave me a lot of comfort. Not to mention he's already someone I can trust considering he owes his role in the city watch to me. And as a son of a second son, I know any children we have would bear my name without question."
"To say nothing of your friendship with Alicent," your father added. "Marrying into a family you are already friendly with does have it's advantages."
"Yes, I quite agree," you were stone faced, doing your best to avoid any reaction to his reference to your 'friendship' with Alicent. After that moment in your room you could hardly call it just a friendship anymore.
"Well, that does explain your interest in Gwayne," your father nodded. "That would be quite a strong marriage for you. Though I must admit I am also quite pleased to see you haven't dismissed the Dornish Prince out of hand. I know it's a drastic option, but I think it could be a wonderful adventure for both our family and the realm."
"I read his letter to you," you replied. "I must confess it's very refreshing to see a man praise my prowess and treat it with full respect. His letter didn't say I was strong for a woman, he said I was a fierce warrior who few in Dorne could match. I'm not really used to that sort of praise from men, save for Ser Tarly."
You had to admit that beyond the political prospects, it was great to see a man you didn't even know speak of you with praise.
"Good, wonderful even," your father's expression grew brighter. "These are the kinds of things a close marriage is built on."
"Of course, you realize a Martell marriage would not be popular with the realm," you added.
"Yes, there will be pushback against the marriage from the Dornish Marches, but I can handle that," your father assured you. "And negotiations will not doubt make us want to shove our heads into a roaring hearth, but if we could make it work... This would be a pivotal moment not just for you and I, but for the realm as a whole. The time when old wounds were finally healed and the realm became truly united."
The prospect was appealing to you. The chance to unify the realm, have all of Dorne at your side. You'd establish yourself as a powerful political force in Westeros before you became queen, even before you held a spot on the council. But risky, oh so very risky.
"What are your thoughts on Ser Harwin and Laenor?" you asked.
"Breakbones would be a fine match," your father nodded. "His house would strengthen you considerably and I must say the man seemed quite fond of you. His father seems a bit skeptical of such a marriage though. You would have to speak with him to figure out why."
Now that did confuse you. What sort of lord wouldn't want their son to be married to the future ruler of the Seven Kingdoms? Who would balk at such power and influence?
"As for Laenor Velayron," your father leaned back in his chair, his gaze briefly turning to the ceiling. "In terms of strength, few prospects are better for your position than the son of Rhaenys Targaryen. But after Corlys disgraced himself in his last conversation with you, I am not sure he would even be interested in such a marriage."
"So, which of the four do you like?" you asked. "It seemed to me you were more favorable towards Qoren and Gwayne."
"All of four have their merits," your father pushed back. "And this is your decision. For now, I am simply giving my thoughts. Now, we haven't even entered winter yet, so you have plenty of time before spring. That said, any marriage could require considerable lengthy negotiations, none more so than the Prince of Dorne. So, even if you don't want to get married for years it may be best to start negotiations now. We could invite Qoren here for it, or we could start talks with one of the others."
You gripped the chair tightly. Marrying anytime soon made you deeply uneasy. However he was right that negotiations would take a while. And if you talked with them now you'd have more time to see what terms any of them were willing to consider. Your father might have been the one doing the negotiations, but for the moment you had every right to refuse if they didn't give you the terms they wanted.
With Corlys out in the Stepstones, the most your father would be able to do is send a letter to Rhaenys expressing interest. That should have been enough to draw Lord Corlys back to Driftmark, and if it wasn't, then well you knew the Velayrons weren't interested in a marriage.
And even if you didn't end up marrying the man, inviting Qoren to King's Landing would give you a chance to see what this man was like for yourself. Though it would probably make things quite tense in the Red Keep. No doubt Ser Tarly would be clawing at the walls.
What Do You Do? (Will Take Place Next Turn)
[] Invite Prince Qoren Martell to King's Landing
[] Have Your Father Begin Negotiations with Otto Hightower
[] Have Your Father Begin Negotiations with Lyonel Strong
[] Have Your Father Write to Rhaenys Targaryen
[] Do Nothing For Now.
QM's Note: To clarify, this is not committing to any route yet. Let me be very clear on that since I suspect this vote might get testy. One of the advantages of starting so early is you do have a chance to feel out the options better.
Numerous ravens flew between King's Landing and Sunspear, with several being sent towards Bloodstone as well as it quickly became apparent the best way to get from Sunspear to King's Landing would be passage through the Stepstones.
Eventually, to the surprise of most everyone in the Red Keep, Prince Qoren Martell of Dorne accepted your father's invitation to come visit King's Landing. Offically, it was simply a diplomatic effort to avoid Dorne allying with the Three Daughters, with only a select few even aware that you and your father were even considering a marriage alliance.
News of the Prince's pending arrival in King's Landing caused quite the stir in the Red Keep. While publicly your father maintained that he was the rightful overlord of Dorne, something all of his predecessors had done as well, in truth diplomacy with Rhoynar princedom was hardly rare. Dorne had even sent a delegate to observe the Great Council of 101. This was different though. This would be a ruling prince meeting with the king himself. The Last time a prince or princess of Dorne had even visited the capital was to make peace with Aegon the Conqueror over a century ago, and even that had only been an heir.
The Small Council itself remained conflicted on the matter. While all had been caught off guard by this sudden bold action from your father, something even you couldn't deny was rather unusual for him, few could deny his argument when he pointed out that a Dornish alliance with the Three Daughters would disrupt a massive amount of trade. Tyland Lannister in particular strongly supported the visit. As Master of Ships, the war in the Stepstones had taken up a vast majority of his focus and you could tell he had felt the king was ignoring the issue until now. The Hand remained skeptical, with Otto expressing doubts that any conversation with Dorne would accomplish anything, claiming the Prince would demand too much and deliver nothing in return.
On a personal level, Alicent was largely indifferent the news, expressing at best mild curosity at the Prince's pending arrival, but was mostly grateful that the Dornish were finally getting the palace staff to talk about anything other than the Queen's twins. The constant talk of babies and motherhood had been quite fustrating for your dear lady.
Ser Raylon on the other hand was a vastly different story. To his credit, he did his best to keep to the behavior expected of a kingsguard and generally kept silent about the affair. Though you could see the tension on his face, the stiffness in his back, his sour expression anytime the topic came up, and his curt words made it clear he was seething inside his armor. And if the servants rumors wer to be believed, the night the king announced Prince Qoren's visit, Ser Raylon shouted for so long and with so much passion in the White Sword Tower that he nearly passed out and the Lord Commander had to help him to a chair.
Before the Martells even arrived, another visitor would come to King's Landing. News of the Martell visit had kept Rhaenys in the city, and a week before the Martells were set to arrive, she announced that he son Laenor was off to join his father's war in the Stepstones and asked the king if her daughter Laena could stay with her until she returned home, unwilling to leave her daughter on Driftmark effectively alone. Your father of course granted her request.
Within two days, the skies over King's Landing grew dark as the great dragon Vhagar made her presence know. Vhagar was the oldest living dragon in the known world and it showed every bit of it's age. It's skin sagged greatly around it's neck and it's massive wings had numerous small holes in it's webbing. It's movements were far slower than what one would expect from a dragon, yet this did nothing to lessen how deadly she looked. Vhagar was one of the largest dragons since the Doom, second only to the Black Dread himself, so large that a lattice work of ropes extended from either side of her saddle, as that was the only way one could even hope of climbing such a massive warrior. Vhagar was a veteran of a hundred battles. Everything from pirates to castle keeps had been set alight by her flames.
Even to a political novice, it was clear the Velayrons were sending a message by having Laena come to the city. Vhagar was the last of the Conqueror's three dragons and a veteran of the First and Fourth Dornish wars. She had helped burn much of Dorne to ashes in the months following the death of the first Rhaenys, and she had put an end to Morion Martell's madness. There was no living person or dragon who could even dare claim to have spilled as much Dornish blood as Vhagar had.
A few days later, a small fleet of ships bearing the Sun and Spear appeared on the horizon. Soon enough you, your father, Princess Rhaenys, the Queen and her two daughters were waiting, along with a number of Kingsguard and minor nobles, to greet the visiting Prince.
You had decided to wear your armor for this occasion, as befitting a knight, and your father did not dispute it. You were quite pleased to be standing there in your black armor, cutting quite the handsome figure according to Alicent. It helped distract you from Aelora's presence. You did your best to ignore the girl as you stood there waiting, a task which proved notably easier than expected as you found your gaze focused on her twin instead. For a babe of four months, Helaena was looking distinctly large, closer to a toddler than a infant. Gossip around the keep was that Helaena's growth had already attracted the attention of numerous maesters but nothing officially had been said on the subject.
The Prince stepped out off his ship surrounded by guards carrying heavy spears and shields with a sunbursts painted on them, the armor covered in brightly covered clothing, mainly oranges and yellows. Though it was not obvious at a glance, he seemed to have quite a few women among his guards. The man himself cut a slim figure, but not a meek one, his energetic smile making the cloudy day feel just a bit brighter before even spoke.
Qoren Martell looked barely a man grown with his smooth chin. His hair was dark and filled with curls. He smelled strongly of spices and perfume, though not to the point of overblowing. His attire was fancier verison of his guards attire, with numerous patterns stitched into the fine silks.
You could swear you heard Ser Raylon muttered something about a fop under his breath, but no one else seemed to notice.
Behind Qoren was a small entourage of various Dornish ladies and lords with armsmen holding their banners. You saw sigils for house Qorgyle, Dayne, Fowler and Santagar behind the prince. It wasn't a huge delegation, but it was still considerable for such a quickly arranged meeting. The Kingsguard announced the king and the prince's guard did the same in turn. After that, your father and Qoren made their formal greetings, neither bowing to the other.
After that Qoren did a lot to win favor with you by asking if you preferred to go by Ser Rhaenyra or Princess Rhaenyra. Protocol and status demanded you ask him to call you princess, but you couldn't help but smile at his charm.
After that, you spent the night feasting with Dornish and discovered their food was even spicier than the rumors warned you. Beesbury looked like he was on the verge of death and Lyonel quietly pushed aside his food, but you kept going. The spice was a challenge, and you were not one to shy away from the challenge. You went to bed sweating and unable to feel your tongue, but you were pretty sure the prince was impressed by your determination.
The following day would mostly be tours the city and various efforts to show off and one up the Dornish, but soon enough the real work would begin. Your father hoped to prevent Dorne from joining the Three Daughters in the war against your uncle Daemon. You however had prehaps the much more important task. You had to get the measure of Qoren Martell, figure out just what kind of man he was and what kind of Husband he would be. Figure out if marriage, and thus unification with Dorne, was worth all the headache that would be involved or even possible at all. Fourth Season, 114 AC
Two Free Actions: Free Action allows to make additional Conversations or Action per turn (For example 3 Conversations and 3 Actions, or 4 Conversations and 2 Actions). However, using bothon Actions creates Stress from Rhaenyra being overworked and further reduces the effectiveness of Relaxing.
Each turn is 3 months, though this may change as the quest goes on. You can pick either from the options below for your tasks or use write-in actions after QM approval. Please use plan voting for turn votes.
Conversations (Pick Two)
[] [Conversation] Speak with Viserys
While you have little to say to your father right now you may have something to say to him after speaking with the Prince or someone else
[] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell
The Prince of Dorne. It's barely a secret that the main reason he even came out to King's Landing was his interest in a possible marriage with you. Just who was this young ruler of Dorne and why did he suddenly take interest in marrying into his house's longtime rival? Before you could even consider any sort of marriage offer you needed to get to know this man first. And if nothing else it would be very rude to ignore him after he traveled all this way.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Alicent Hightower
Your relationship with Alicent had changed, while neither of you had given up the knightly romance angle, in private things were becoming more intense, more passionate, even downright physical. You both enjoyed it and you certainly want to spend more time with her.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Otto Hightower
Otto seems skeptical of Qoren Martell, perhaps it would good to convince him that peaceful relations with Dorne, maybe even persuade him of the advantages of a Martell marriage. Or you could use the time to discuss a possible marriage with Gwayne instead.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Gwayne And Alicent
The Prospect of marriage hanged heavy over your relationship with Alicent. Your conversation with Gwayne reminded you how much a marriage could disrupt everything. Gwayne's marriage purposal offered a chance to keep that relationship intact and better protect Alicent. He promised the three of you would speak next chance you got, now would be a good time to see what she thought of the idea of you marrying her brother. You could also see what Gwayne thought of a possible marriage to Qoren. The Dornish were known for their tolerance of paramours and unusual relationships, perhaps that would ease his concerns.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Commander Harrold Westerling
Your former sworn shield could probably give you some insight into what's been happening around the Red Keep while you were gone and how people at court are reacting to the Dornish visit.
[] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling
You should really check up on the Queen and see how she's doing, see how your father had fared while you were gone. But you knew visiting her would mean dealing with her children, the twins everyone insisted on calling your half-sisters. But the thought of being around them, around Aelora, made your skin crawl.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Ser Raylon Tarly
Your sworn shield is decidely not happy about Qoren's visit. It may do well to try and calm him down. If that's even possible.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong
The Master of Laws and Lord of Harrenhal. You had promised him you would start tutoring under him upon your return. Naturally you need to talk to him before this mentorship begins, figure out what he expects of you, and what you should expect from him. You should probably speak to him sooner rather than later but the arrival of the Martells would perhaps excuse another delay.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyman Beesbury
The Master of Coin. Beesbury is loyal, perhaps not as sharp as Lord Strong, but he is quiet loyal to your father. He apparently made a quite a bit of coin gambling on you as a mystery knight. Part of you is curious why he decided to play his faith in the Silver Falcon
[] [Conversation] Speak with Grand Maester Mellos
While your father assured you that he would make a full recovery in time, the loss of two fingers suggests that's very much not the case. Perhaps the Grand Maester could help you better understand the situation and lay your worries to rest.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Maester Orwyle
You couldn't help but notice that Maester Orwyle did not share your father's confidence in the Grand Maester's treatment. It seemed like he wanted to speak with you on the matter, perhaps it would do well to make time for him.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen
With Lord Corlys and now Laenor himself in the Stepstones, the only person you could talk to about a possible marriage to Laenor Velaryon was his mother. She couldn't even begin to make the match for you, not that you would want her to. But she would be good for gauging her family's interest in such a union. And she could pass along your interest to her lord husband if you so desired.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Laena Velaryon
You cousin had changed a lot since you last saw her. No longer is she a little girl being used as a pawn in politics, she is now the same age as you were when you were made heir and the rider of the largest dragon alive. It might be good to catch up with her since you have the chance.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Isembard Arryn
While you are home sooner than expected, Isembard has been in King's Landing for a bit. That should have given him enough time to set up operations. It would do well to check up on him, see what his plans are for your joint venture, see if his gift for you is ready.
[] [Conversation] Write-in
Subject to QM approval, has to have a reasonable chance of being in King's Landing.
Actions (Pick Two)
[] [Action] Relax
While you have much to celebrate and feel great about, the birth of Johanna's twins weighs heavily on your mind. Perhaps you should take some time to yourself, read in the godswood, fly around with Syrax for fun, and just enjoy yourself for a while. It does seem like a waste of time but perhaps it could do you some good.
[] [Action] Investigate the Death of King Aenys
Most Maesters and other writers agree that Queen Visenya had poisoned her nephew, King Aenys, to allow her own son to take the throne. But you have already seen how much those same authors were willing to ignore Visenya's contributions and slander her already. Perhaps this is simply another case of slander. If you could prove that, it could improve Queen Visenya's reputation considerably and make a stronger argument for your own eventual rule.
[] [Action] Study Valyrian History with your Father.
The little you've learned already has proven of great value to your training with Syrax, and has brought a bit of joy into your father's life. Who knows what further research may uncover.
[] [Action] Train
You are one of the greatest wields of the blade of your age, that statement maybe more than little egotistical, but it is true regardless. Still, you are young, and there's always a chance for improvement
-[] Challenge to a Duel: Raylon has suggested dueling others as a way of sharpening yourself against new blades. Have others find flaws in you that he has missed (Pick One)
--[] [Duel] Ser Steffon Darklyn
--[] [Duel] Steffon Redfort
--[] [Duel] Gwayne Hightower
--[] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles
[] [Action] Train with Syrax
While you have spent a fair amount of time flying on Syrax recently, you could do some training with her now, make sure she doesn't grow lazy now that she's back in the comfort of the Dragonpit. And now would be a good chance to show off in front of Both Laena and Qoren.
[] [Action] Sneak out and Explore the City
When your father and uncle were your age, they regularly went out of the King's Landing at night for all kinds of things. Naturally such things were forbidden to you as they were "unbefitting a princess" but as heir to the throne, shouldn't you have a chance to let loose and explore the city you'll one day rule? The arrival of numerous Dornish visitors has the city as a whole in a rather festive mood.
[] [Action] Request a Role in the City Watch
You know Lord Strong said it was all but impossible for you to acquire a roll in the City Watch, but that was before you became a knight. And while you've agreed to take training from Lord Strong to become the next Master of Laws, there's nothing wrong with exploring your options.
[] [Action] Figure Out How to Improve your Knowledge of Warcraft
As Lord Strong had pointed out, few could deny you were a skilled fighter, but you knew next to nothing about waging war, about tactics and strategy. And even now, your father and your tutors seem loathe to train you on the subject. There had to be a way for you to learn, to not just fight in combat, but one day lead men into battle if you must.
[] [Action] Work on Acquiring a Squire
You are a knight. A fully annointed knight. And while you were never a squire yourself, not formally anyways, there was nothing saying you could not have a squire of your own. A squire would give you a chance to both pass on what you've learned, and show the realm that your knighthood was more than just a title.
[] [Action] Investigate Your Harrenhal Dream
Your father's words have cooled your interest somewhat, but the events of Harrenhal and your dream there have still left you with numerous questions. Questions you very much want answered.
[] [Action] Study
There is always room to improve your education.
[] [Action] Work on Your Poetry
Your poetry so far has not been great, but your travels, particularly the Great Northern Tourney and that moment at the end with Alicent, have given you a great deal of inspiration to work with.
[] [Action] Harp Practice
You found quite a few reasons to enjoy your newfound hobby. Practice on the Harp soothes you through the long hours, impresses many at court, and your Lady Alicent greatly enjoys listening to it, it would do you well to practice some more.
[] [Action] Prepare for a Trip to Dragonstone
In the eyes of the crown you are an adult which means you have every right to rule Dragonstone in your own name if you wish. Normally you would barely give this any attention as you're still quite young and those running the island in your name are doing a fair job of it. But recently, you've realized a trip to Dragonstone would provide you the perfect excuse to get away from the politics of King's Landing, and spend some private time with Alicent. It would be quite rude to make a quick trip to Dragonstone now while Prince Qoren is visiting but perhaps you could persuade him to make an extend visit to your Ancestral Home?
[] [Action] Decide What to Do With Your Tourney Winnings
In the grand scheme of your holdings, your tourney winnings were very modest indeed. But they were your winnings, coin you earned through your deeds alone. And there was enough there that you could do a fair amount with those gold dragons.And now that you were back home, you could start doing something with them.
[] (Action) Write-in
Subject to QM approval QMs Notes: So, to be clear you need to talk with Qoren if you want to advance any marriage talk with him, but doing so will not force you to marry him. You could easily talk with him and decide that path is not the one you want to take. Also to be clear, preparing for a Trip will give you options to either leave for a short trip this turn, or an extended trip next turn. Keep that in mind.
Adhoc vote count started by Ghost in the sun on Feb 17, 2025 at 9:20 AM, finished with 120 posts and 66 votes.
[X] Plan: Lots of important conversations (Concerned Sister Version) -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong
-[X] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Investigate Your Harrenhal Dream -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
[X] Plan: Conversation and Showing Off -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Ser Raylon Tarly -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Laena Velaryon -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Train
--[X] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles
-[X] [Action] Train with Syrax
[X] Plan: Lots of important conversations (Diplomatic Sparring) -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong
-[X] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
-[X] Challenge to a Duel: Raylon has suggested dueling others as a way of sharpening yourself against new blades. Have others find flaws in you that he has missed (Pick One)
--[X] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles
[X] Plan: Lots of important conversations (Concerned Daughter Version) -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Maester Orwyle -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Investigate Your Harrenhal Dream -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
[X] Plan: Words and Wit -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Laena Velaryon -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
-[X] [Action] Work on Your Poetry
[X] Plan: Lots of important conversations (With an Extra Side of Velaryon) -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Laena Velaryon -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Investigate Your Harrenhal Dream -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
[X]plan reassure and relax -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Commander Harrold Westerling -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Ser Raylon Tarly -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Gwayne And Alicent -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Harp Practice -[X] [Action] Train
--[X] Challenge to a Duel: Raylon has suggested dueling others as a way of sharpening yourself against new blades. Have others find flaws in you that he has missed (Pick One)
---[X] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles
[X] Plan: Words and Wit v2 -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong
-[X] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
-[X] [Action] Work on Your Poetry
[X] Plan: Winning The Stepstone -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Otto Hightower -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Commander Harrold Westerling -[X] [Action] Prepare for a Trip to Dragonstone -[X] [Action] Train
--[X] Challenge to a Duel: Raylon has suggested dueling others as a way of sharpening yourself against new blades. Have others find flaws in you that he has missed (Pick One)
---[X] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles
[X] Plan: Lots of important conversations (Concerned Sister Version) -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong
-[X] [Conversation] Speak with Johanna Targaryen -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Action] Investigate Your Harrenhal Dream -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
[X]Plan: Remember this is all for a marriage -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Ser Raylon Tarly -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Gwayne And Alicent -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
-[X] Challenge to a Duel: Raylon has suggested dueling others as a way of sharpening yourself against new blades. Have others find flaws in you that he has missed (Pick One)
--[X] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles
[X] Plan: Warcraft: Dragons and Diplomacy -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Laena Velaryon
-[X] [Action] Figure Out How to Improve your Knowledge of Warcraft -[X] [Action] Train
--[X] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles
-[X] [Action] Train with Syrax
[X] Plan: Important Conversations and Duels -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Ser Raylon Tarly -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Maester Orwyle -[X] [Action] Train
--[X] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles -[X] [Action] Investigate Your Harrenhal Dream
[X] Plan Flying the Flag -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen -[X] [Conversation] Speak with Laena Velaryon
-[X] [Action] Train with Syrax -[X] [Action] Study --[X] Law
"I'm most grateful you found the time for our lessons, Princess," Lord Lyonel Strong said kindly as the two of you sat in his office. The two of you seperated by a large stack of tomes upon his desk.
"You did say we would begin our tutoring upon my return," you noted.
"This is true," he nodded, "but you are home half a year earlier than expected and with Prince Qoren visiting, further delays would not have surprised me. Never the less, we are here now, so let's get to work."
The Master of Laws pulled out a number of letters and a few books, one of which you noticed had a Direwolf design on it's cover.
"Now, I think we should begin with a review of your rulings on your Royal Progress, if you don't mind." he said.
"Of course," you nodded.
"Now, I will no doubt be repeating your father," Lyonel began,"but your handling of Ser Arnold Arryn was rash and dangerous."
Old feelings stirred within you at the mention of that traitor.
"He had committed treason against my cousin and insulted my honor," your voiced proud and defiant of any judgement. "I had no other recourse."
"You had your sworn shield at your side. You very much had other options," Lyonel observed.
"I would have looked weak had I depended on Ser Raylon in that moment," you countered.
"Defending you and fighting on your behalf is one of Ser Raylon's main duties," he remarked. "You would look no more weaker than your father would for having Ser Westerling fight on his behalf."
"My father does not have teats," you declared bluntly. "Ser Arnold was trying to undermine my authority to act as justicar on my father's behalf purely because I am a woman and threw around vile slander he would have never dared utter in front of my father."
It grated at you, that Ser Arnold had acted so offensively, spoken so slanderously of you and Jeyne's character and yet everyone acted like you were supposed to take some sort of moral high road. That you were to just accept the mockery with a stoic facade.
"The man's behavior was abhorrent for sure," Lord Strong acknowledged, "and your actions did strengthen Lady Jeyne's position well, removing a key figure of opposition without her being marked as a kinslayer, something that would not have been possible otherwise, but you have undermined your position in the process. To the realm at large, you seem easily provoked and emotional."
You bristled at the comment in silence.
"From what Lord Stark writes, you fared much better in Winterfell," he moved on. "Many in your position would be keen to let the farmer off easily, there were mitigating circumstances after all, but your ruling kept to the law, as you should. Had you given that man leniency it would have encouraged others to take up poaching as well."
"That was one of my concerns as well," you noted.
"Poaching is a serious offense in all kingdoms, but none more so than the North. They need those forests for the Winter," Lyonel explained. "As for the other cases, the merchant ruling was fair. And while I'm not familiar with the Whitehills or Forresters, I believe your ruling was sound. Though I would advise caution in the future, from what Lord Stark has wrote me it sounds like the two houses are long time rivals and matters in those situations can become very complex."
"The Forresters didn't give me much choice on that matter," you replied.
"Yes, the word of one dead man is hardly enough cause to take action," Lyonel nodded. "Anyways, I believe your rulings, for the most part show sound judgement. This is an important quality in any Master of Laws."
You shifted awkwardly in your seat, the weight of your possible duty feeling uncomfortably heavy in that moment.
"I'm still not sure this is the role I'm best suited for on the Small Council," you noted. "None of the rulings in Winterfell came easy to me. I found myself agonizing over each decision, second guessing myself and wondering if I should make a simple ruling or push for something more complex."
To your surprise, Lyonel smile at your words.
"What I am hearing is you came to sound decisions after considering all options," he replied reassuringly. "Too much certainty and conviction can be just as dangerous, if not more so, as weak willed dithering when it comes to matters of the law."
The Lord of Harrenhal straightened his back, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"The Master of Laws duty is towards the stability of the realm. They need to display a firm hand when the times call for it," he explained, "but they also need to know when the smallfolk and nobility require a gentle hand to ease fears and tension. Sometimes the laws must be rigid in their enforcement, other times the laws themselves need to be amended to adjust to a new ruler."
"And how do you know when to be firm, and when to be kind?" you asked.
"That will always be a struggle," Lyonel admitted without hesitation, "though one that with training and experience, will be much easier for you in time."
Lord Strong began to explain what would be involved in his mentorship. For starters, he had tomes upon tomes of laws and the history around them that he wanted you to not only study, but also return to him in time and give detailed notes on your thoughts. While he also wanted you to keep up your duties as cup bearer at the Small Council, something that frustrated you more than a little, he wanted you to keep a sharper ear on the conversations. In time, he wanted you to discuss with him your thoughts on various matters after Small Council meetings, but for now he simply wanted you to keep listening as best you could.
The most important thing he wanted you to do right now was that he wanted you to sit in at court. See how your Father, and Otto when your father was too busy with other matters, ruled on various matters both large and small. Seeing how they ruled would help you better understand the flexibility you would need for a council position. Once he felt you progressed enough, then the two of you would talk more about the expectations of a Master of Laws and what your duties would be in that role.
You didn't got to court much. At first because your repeated fights with the stable hands became a source of frequent complaints at court and later because it just seemed a waste of time. Why watch others work when you could be busy doing other, more productive things by yourself?
The rebellious part of you resented being told around and just observe, but the academic in you could understood his reasoning.
As the two of you talked, you found yourself wondering about things. Mainly why Lyonel Strong seemed so uninterested in marrying his son to you? As you talked it was clear he didn't hold any real dislike for you and supported your status as heir, if only because it was your father's will admittedly. So why wouldn't he jump at a chance to have his family marry yours? You weren't insulted by any means, but it did seem odd.
Part of you was tempted to ask why. Figure out if he had some important reason for his disinterest or if he just saw a possible marriage as too much of a hassle for his family.
Then again, you weren't in any hurry to marry. You had to consider it with Qoren because he was in the city, but there was nothing forcing you to consider Harwin right now. Breakbones was appealing sure, though you had little interest in marriage at the moment. You could always speak to Lyonel another time if need be.
Relationship with Lyonel Strong Improved
You have Begun Your Mentorship Under Lord Strong. You Are Expected to Attend Court, Study Law or Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong At Least Once Every Three Turns
New Action Unlocked
Do You Approach the Topic With Lord Strong?
[] [Strong] Ask why he's not interesting in marrying his son to you.
[] [Strong] Avoid the Topic For Now
While your father's advice had comforted you a fair deal, you still had no intention of just ignoring your dream. You wanted answers. You needed to understand if anything Aelora had said was really true and what that meant.
Thankfully, Qoren's arrival meant your father was much too busy during the day to work on his model of Valyria, giving you free reign to explore his Valyrian texts. You had haunted the libraries enough in recent years to know what you were looking for would not be easy. You were effectively looking for a prophecy from a woman who had not even been born yet. You expected little and yet you still found yourself surprised by how frustrating your search was.
Day after day, you searched for through tome after tome for something about dragons dancing and fates being weaved since the Doom, and found little and less. You thought you had something promising after you discovered the fragement writings of a Vale merchant who had traveled to Valyria some decades before the Doom when he mentioned dragon riders dancing. A few days of searching for further records would end in bitter frustration when you discovered that it was referring to an actual dance, apparently a scion of the Belaerys family of dragonlords had danced with someone visiting from Volantis, someone far below her station, which had caused quite the stir.
Prophecy was not often wrote about in the texts. Apparently such things were usually inscribed into Valyrian steel directly, judging by your father's words, and the few mentions you did find were vague and deeply confusing. In a remote corner of the library, buried near some tomes about Valyria so ancient they threatened to crumble just at your touch, you found one that made vague reference to dragons returning under a bleeding star.
Dragons returning? To where? Valyria? The whole text confused you, but it seemed important enough to preserve so you moved it into your father's collection to ensure it was properly cared for.
A thought occurred to you. The woman claimed that this dance she spoke of was written about since the Doom. Most of the texts you were exploring were from before that. So, you switched focus, looking through more modern sources like Septon Barth. His more public writings contained a great deal about dragons but nothing about them dancing. You had hoped to find the former hand's personal records as well, but so far you efforts had turned up nothing. You had a thought that you might find something useful in the Targaryen records made between the Doom and Aegon's reign, but most of those remained on Dragonstone.
You switched focus once again, focusing on Harrenhal. You figured if you better understood the cursed castle it might explain the dream better. Most of what you found on the keep referred to things you already knew or talked about, mainly the less than great luck it's rulers have in the past century. But one thing did catch your attention, and it turned out not to be from a book on the castle at all. An account of the reign of Storm King Arlan III Durrandon mentioned that during his conquest he stayed for the night near God's Eye during his campaign in the Riverlands. Several of his lords had encouraged him to build a castle along the lake to provide a central point for bannermen in the Riverlands to rally against any invaders. But the Storm King had rejected it on account of the thick grove of Weirwood trees on the location. The last wild grove of weirwood trees south of the wall outside of the Isle of Faces. Despite being faithful to the Seven, something about the ancient grove unsettled the Storm King.
So, Alys was telling the truth about much of the castle being made using lumber from weirwood trees. Which raised the question, how did Alys know about that? Most records from the Riverlands pre-Ironborn conquest were lost either during the invasion or when Harrenhal itself burned, as were most accounts of Harrenhal's construction. So how did Alys know so much about it?
You weren't entire sure who Alys Rivers was. She wasn't important enough for Lord Strong to introduce you during your visit to Harrenhal, yet she seemed too well versed on history to be just a commonborn bastard. You didn't think she was lying to you back then, but the whole encounter with her had been rather unusual now that you really think about it and you suspected she knew more about your dream than she let on.
You could just ask Lord Strong about it, but you didn't have high hopes for him having answers. Your best chance was to go to Alys herself. If nothing else, she might know more about the castle and how it affected or even created your dream. But that would take a bit of time. You'd need to find an excuse to go on an extended flight with Syrax.
You felt frustrated. So much searching and you were left with more questions than when you began.
+2 Stress
Learning Improved
New Action Unlocked
You watched from a distance as your father and Qoren spoke, the latter painting a picture of the gardens as they did. Even from a distance they seemed to be getting along well enough. You could see the prince having to put down his brush for a moment as he laughed heavily, your father grinning from ear to ear.
Your father could be quite charming when he wanted, easily making fast friends with most people. Lord Strong, Beesbury and the Grand Maester all seemed to love him. Even Daemon in his own way seemed to care a great deal more about your father than he did perhaps anyone else alive. His charm didn't work on everyone though, as Lord Corlys showed. But your father had an easier way with people than you by a considerable margin.
The sound of footsteps across the stone filled your ears and you turned to see Rhaenys Targaryen approaching. Her hair all done up, hands held in front of her, a calm expression on her aged face.
"Does it disturb you, knowing your father could be discussing your future at this very moment?" She asked as her eyes turned to the distant figures of Qoren and your father.
"What makes you so sure they are discussing me?" you questioned.
"The prince is unmarried and you two are close in age. Your father has too much sense to not bring up the idea at least," Rhaenys replied.
Of course, in reality, the prospect of a marriage was the main reason the Prince was even here at all, but you weren't going to openly admit that.
"If I find the match not to my liking, my father has assured me I have every right to refuse," you replied.
"Until he realizes the marriage offers him too much," Rhaenys countered pointedly. "If the Prince is willing to consider joining the realm, there is not a king that has ever existed that would consider his daughter's hand too high a price."
Her words were not bitter, but there was an undeniable edge to them.
You turned to face your older cousin.
"Are you warning me, or are you here to offer me an alternative?" you questioned.
"You think I mean to offer my son Laenor's hand in marriage?" Rhaenys starred at you owlishly.
"You would hardly be the first person to think they could persuade me into a marriage by going to me directly instead of my father," you recalled your conversation with both Gwayne and the Manderlys. "It would not be the first time you and your husband pushed one of your children at our side of the family."
A bit blunt perhaps, but the way Rhaenys spoke to you was setting you on edge.
"Pushing that marriage was not my idea," Rhaenys countered sharply. "Laena was much too young, but I understand the order of things."
That was good to hear at least. Though the biting remark at the end did little to ease your growing frustration. You ignored it for the moment.
"And I can't help but notice that much like the Prince," you observed, "Laenor and I are close in age, much closer than Laena and my father."
Rhaenys stared at you with a skeptical expression for a long moment.
"If you wish to marry Laenor, you should write to my husband. I'm sure he would be quite interested in the offer," Rhaenys declared. "And I will not stop it, but I also will not encourage such a match. I do not think you would find marriage to my son to your liking."
"Does he intend to remain unmarried for the rest of his life, like Lady Jeyne?" You asked, a hint of a smirk on your face.
You'd been around Laenor Velayron long enough growing up to hear the rumors about him. He was an adventurous lad, good with a sword, but he was overly fond of hanging out with other boys, squires, stable hands and such.
Rhaenys stare turned harsh and withering.
"I do not judge," you put up your hands defensively. "If it is a matter of preference, Laenor would find no one more sympathetic and understanding than I."
The tension in Rhaenys faded for a moment and you could swear her expression turned almost sympathetic.
"That is not my concern," she said simply.
"Really?" You were surprised. "Now I'm curious. I'm far from eager to get married, but most lords and ladies of the realm are quite eager to throw their sons at me. Why not you?"
"Because I can see you do not understand the order of things," Rhaenys replied curtly.
"And what is that suppose to mean?" You asked with increased frustration.
"Sooner or later, Lady Johanna will bear your father a son, and when that happens and your father one day passes, the lords of the realm will expect him to be heir, not you," Rhaenys explained. "And even if that doesn't happen, the lords will use a marriage to the Prince of Dorne or some other excuse to push you aside in favor of Daemon, because that is the order of things."
Fury began to bubble inside of you.
"My father made them all swear an oath," you replied curtly. "That I was heir before Daemon and any sons that might come."
"And they will hold to your oath only so long as your father is alive," Rhaenys declared. "Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne."
"That is an absurdity," you scoffed. "Plenty of women have ruled in their own name through history, and even now Lady Jeyne is the rightful lady of the Vale."
"The Iron Throne is different," Rhaenys shook her head. "The Great Council showed the men of the realm do not see us as worthy of sitting upon it."
"No Great Council made me heir," your voice dropped to a low growl. "My father did. I am heir by right and by will. No lord can take that away from me."
"And I am informing you that will not matter to the Lords," Rhaenys tone reminded you of one of your tutors. "They will not allow it."
"Do I look like someone who simply accepts what the lords of the realm say?" You gestured sharply towards yourself. "I did not become a knight by meekly obeying the men around me."
"As far as the lords of the realm are concerned, that title means nothing," Rhaenys scoffed. "Merely the act of all too lenient father trying to appease his willful daughter. "
You were quite grateful Qoren and your father were not closer, else they might have heard your argument.
"I earned my knighthood!" you declared sharply. "Ask your Baratheon cousins about the tourney. There is not a single man I faced on that field who remained ahorse by the time I was done!"
How dare she! How dare she! What right did she have to come here to dismiss everything you earned, everything that was yours by right?
"Oh believe me, Boremund has written me extensively about the tourney and what befell Borros. I am not disputing your skill," Rhaenys words did little to soothe you at this point. "Were you a man, no lord in the realm would doubt your knighthood, but you are not a man, no matter how much you act otherwise. But since you are a woman, they do not accept your status as a knight, just as they won't accept you as queen. Because it goes against what they are used to."
"And why are you acting like I am supposed to be appeasing these people and accepting their wants?" you questioned harshly. "You speak of treason and act as though it is something we should accept. We are not Braavos, and my father is no Sealord. What the lords say does not matter here."
Rhaenys expression grew serious.
"That would mean war," she said with complete sincerity.
Her tone shift was enough to bring the flames burning inside you to a more manageable level.
"If that happens, it will be a war they start," you declare. "Not me."
You were so sick and tired of people expecting you to tolerate men having such easily bruised egos. Men would not be outraged over your victory if you were a man. They would be praising you instead. And no one would question you status as heir. You were heir and a proven skilled warrior. If men had problem with that it was their mistake to correct, not yours.
The two of you stared at each other, both upset to varying extends.
"I did not come here to start an argument," Rhaenys said, deciding she would be the first to take an out.
You stared at her skeptically. She seemed to start jabbing at you from the moment you started speaking. It reeked of jealousy to you. You were the rightful heir after the old king had done everything he could to prevent her from becoming queen, even though by most Andal laws she was the lawful heir to her grandfather.
"I do not wish you ill, princess. I simply meant to inform,"Rhaenys went on. "And as I said, if it is a marriage with Laenor you want, I will not stand against you. I simply do not wish to see my family hurt."
She left before you could think of a reply.
You stood there, beyond frustrated at her words, and some of the truths behind them. No matter what you did there would always be men who stood in your way. Men like Unwin Peake.
Thankfully, you had one thing they would never have. A dragon.
+4 Stress
New Relationship Established: Rhaenys Targaryen
Status: Skeptical.
The first few days of the Martell's visit were largely filled with various feasts, exchanges of gifts and private meetings between your father and Prince Qoren. But soon it would be your duty to entertain the prince. As a princess and heir, this was an important diplomatic duty. Regardless of anything else that occurred during the visit, how the two of you got along could effect diplomatic relations just as much as anything your father did. Not to mention Qoren was much closer to your age than your father. Odds were good you would be dealing with him when you became queen. A good impression now could affect diplomacy decades from now regardless of how you decided on the matter of marriage.
And that was the most important topic right now. You needed to get a better measure of this man before you agreed to even begin negotiations, and you suspected he needed the same from you as well. He may have been the first to express his interest in such a match, but that did not mean he was so desperate for it he would go through with it if you acted poorly. You needed to make a good impression and both of you needed to figure each other out.
The question of course was how to do that? What could the two of you do together that would help you better get to know the Prince of Dorne?
The first thought you had was an offer to take him for a ride on Syrax. You recalled Rhea Royce's reaction to flying, her terror at first that soon largely gave way to joy and wonder at being so high in the air. You could show him the Valyrian part of you, the freedom you and Syrax shared. Show the power of dragons to Dorne without fire and blood.
Part of you was tempted to challenge him to a duel. Ser Tarly often said duels were a good way to get the measure of a man. Qoren didn't seem much of a fighter, but as ruling Prince he surely must have some sort of training with a sword or spear. It would be a good way to demonstrate to him that you had no intention of giving up your knightly pursuits, no matter what may come.
Watching Qoren had revealed one thing rather clearly so far, the man was a patron of the arts and music with a deep love of painting. You may have just been a novice when it came to the harp, but you had already come to greatly enjoy your lessons. Perhaps the two of you could bond over your shared love of your respective arts.
Then there was the old standby, long walks through the gardens. There would be a guard while you were there, which afforded you the privacy you needed to have an earnest, meaningful conversation with Qoren without fear of prying eyes save for Raylon. You might even be able to bring Alicent along and see what she thinks of the Martell.
You could also do a tour of the city on horseback or palanquin. See how the people react to the Prince of Dorne and get a sense of how he interacts with the smallfolk. It would involve an armed escort of course, but you'd be fine.
Finally, organizing a proper hunt would take too much time and the Kingswood sadly lacked in Shadowcats but you could go hawking with him.
How Shall You Spend Time With Qoren? (Pick Two)
[] [Martell] Take him for a Dragon Ride
[] [Martell] Challenge Him to a Duel
[] [Martell] Spend Time Playing the Harp
[] [Martell] Take a Stroll Through the Gardens
-[] Invite Alicent Along
-[] Don'te Invite Alicent
[] [Martell] Have a Tour of the City
[] [Martell] Go Hawking
[] [Martell] Write-In (Subject to QM Approval)
QM: I should note that in the show, Rhaenys spent most of Season 1 deeply skeptical of Rhaenyra for a variety of reasons. And in the early episodes she was probably the first one to throw cold water in Rhaenyra's face about succession. And that was not something a Defiant Rhaenyra was going to react well too. To be clear you can still marry Laenor, even if Rhaenys personally is not thrilled by the idea.
"I'm must say, Lord Strong, I was rather curious to hear that you are not supporting your son's marriage proposal," you remarked. "I am in no hurry to marry, but I find it rather curious why a lord would be so uninterested in a match."
Lyonel almost laughed as he shook his head.
"My family would be beyond honored by such a match, make no mistake princess," Lord Strong assured you. "But I do not think it the best match for the realm. I advised your father to wed you to the son of the Sea Snake."
"Ser Laenor?" you raised an eyebrow. "I did not realize you thought so highly of house Velaryon."
"My personal opinion has little to do with it," Lyonel's voice was very matter of fact. "Ser Leanor is of pure Valyrian blood and the heir to the richest house in the realm. A marriage between the two of you would not only strengthen your position as heir, but ease any slights the Sea Snake has suffered, real or imagined."
"I see," you said evenly. "I can definitely understand your reasoning, Lord Strong."
You definitely held more respect for Lord Strong than you did before. He had shown himself to be an admirable man a fair few times before, but few in his position would turn down a once in a generation chance to advance his family and put the good of the realm first. Rare indeed was the man who took duty so seriously.
And yet, as he spoke, the idea of marrying Ser Laenor became less and less appealing. There was something rather detached about his whole thing, like he weighed the advantages and disadvantages on some scroll before deciding it was the best option. Your feelings didn't matter in his decision, instead he focused on matters like blood and coin.
What did it matter if he was of pure Valyrian blood if the two of you made each other miserable? You weren't blind to the realities of marriage, but surely personal matters should be considered as well in any match?
You thought of mentioning Qoren Martell and seeing what he thought, but decided against it. Something told you if you did publicly consider a betrothal with him, you would not lack for opinions from the Small Council.
Your Relationship with Lord Lyonel Strong Has Improved
You began your law studies under Lord Strong by focusing first on matters you'd covered on the progress, inspecting your work as it were. You also quickly became quiet frustrated with your father when you discovered King Jaehaerys, at nearly fifty years of age, had fought in Trial by Combat.
It had been against one Braxton Beesbury, an uncle to the current Master of Coin. Braxton had called for a trial by combat to avoid a rather grizzly punishment the king had set for him due to Braxton's affair with Saera Targaryen. Instead of having one of the Kingsguard handle such a trial, the old king decided to fight the man himself, killing Braxton while his daughter was forced to watch.
This wasn't some grand event. Braxton had not committed treason, nor had he implied the king had no right to judge him. He had simply had an affair with one of the king's daughters. A grave offense for sure, but nothing that made it so that Jaehaerys had to be involved personally. He was already greying at that point and no one would have expected him to fight the man. Had Ser Braxton won, he would have cut the Conciliatiors reign short a good twenty years and changed the history of House Targaryen completely.
You had been defending your honor and the honor of a cousin and vassal. Jaehaerys was just punishing his daughter. What you did, even if it was rash, made sense. The Old King had risked his life only for the sake of petty cruelty. What right did your father have to get so upset over it when his own grandfather had done something much more foolish decades ago?
With the Poacher and the merchant, your rulings were mostly fitting the accounts you read though surprisingly on the lighter side. You had expected cruelty from the accounts of Meagor, and you saw that repeatedly. What you were not expecting was an account of King Jaehaerys ordering the removal of a man's tongue, for him to be branded, and then have his legs and arms broken and then set in such a way that he would be a cripple for the rest of his life. That was a far more creatively vicious punishment than you expected from your great grandfather. Admittedly, he had called the king's marriage and love for his wife an abomination. You couldn't help but wonder how vicious you could be if someone insult your dear Alicent.
Then came the road laws. By the seven hells, the road laws. For how grisly accounts of Meagor or even King Jaehaerys delivering punishments were, they were at least enthralling in their own right. Perhaps not entertaining, but certainly not boring. The same could not be said for matters of roads.
The conquests of Aegon and the reforms of Jaehaerys united the Seven Kingdoms and gave it one unified legal code. In theory at least. That did not mean there was one unified legal standard with roads. The Kingsroad was a simple matter. The king built them, the Iron Throne pays for it's upkeep, those houses along it's route are to provide protection for travels. After that, things got messy. Messy, confusing, and, worst of all, incredibly boring. Days upon days of pouring over legal rulings from one end of the Seven Kingdoms, just to find a similar case from another region decided entirely differently. Hours spent realizing just how petty and small minded nobles could be over such trivial matters. Most people your age would have given up a while ago, but you were determined.
It ultimately came down to who built it, who's land it was on, and who took care of it. The last one was usually ultimately who owned the road and had rights to tolls, but it varied depending on the age of the road and seemingly the whims of whoever made the ruling. There were also factors to consider such as what the road was made of and what it was most used for, but even you had your limits on how deeply you were willing to look into it.
Considering the generation situation in the North, you realized it perhaps might have been best to have house Whitehill turn over their tolls entirely towards their lords in House Bolton, but it didn't matter all that much.
Word reached Lord Strong that you had already begun your studies and he was quite impressed with your diligence.
Learning And Administration Improved
Relationship with Lyonel Strong Improved
New Status: Cordial
Why were you here?
Part of you answered that immediately. You were the crown princess. You had returned home near half a year ago and you've barely spoken to the queen since then. Even with the birth of her children, you had still barely said more than a few words to the woman. If you let this go on for much longer, there would be scandal at court and the queen would be offended.
The rest of you was all but passionately screaming at you to be somewhere, anywhere else in the Red Keep right now. You were happy for Johanna, you supposed. She seemed to want children for whatever reason and had fullfied her desire to have daughters, giving her what she wanted without threatening your position at court. Great. Wonderful even. Good for her! But you knew those girls would be there, in that room, with her. You could not escape Aelora. You had spent so many days pouring over books trying to make sense of your dream and still were no closer to any answers, and a living breathing reminder of that was right in that very room.
You breathed in deeply and nodded for the Kingsguard to let you in.
"Announcing the Princess Rhaenyra," they said as you stepped through the threshold.
Moments later you flinched as a paw sharply struck the side of your head repeatedly. You turned to see the black cat Lancel staring at you from his perch. The two of you glared at each other. Even a noble lord of the seven kingdoms would risk losing his hand striking a princess, but Lancel stared back at you, unconcerned, downright smug even, fully aware there was nothing you could do about his assault.
"Lancel what are you doing!?" Johanna chided as she scooped up the defiant feline. "I'm so sorry princess. I thought he had gotten better about that."
"It's fine," you assured her.
Her room seemed little changed from the last time you saw it, save for the wet nurse currently taking care of a rather large infant and the double cradle that was surrounded by the rest of the queen's cats.
You flinched at the sight of the infant the wet nurse was carrying, but relaxed when you saw her unmarked face.
Though your relief turned to confusion as you realized the girl was rather large. You knew little of babies. They weren't something you particularly cared about and you tended to avoid the ladies of court when they showed off their new children. However, you knew enough to know that babies that were only a few months old shouldn't look that big. Helaena looked she was almost a toddler.
"Your grace, it is good to see you," you nodded. "I see your daughters are quite healthy."
Johanna laughed. "More than that I would say with Helaena," she remarked. "She's growing fast."
"Yeah, I noticed," you replied. "I didn't think babies got that size at her age."
"The Maesters have said something has effected Helaena's growth. She should slow down sometime soon," Johanna explained. "If not, well, let's just say you'll have some competition for tallest Targaryen woman around."
"Hmm," you said with a feigned look of interest. You were decidedly neutral on the matter of Helaena. She wasn't your sister no matter what anyone said, but she wasn't the subject of any vision. She wasn't a boy. She wasn't a threat to you in the moment. She was an innocent, and you hoped she remained as such. If she did become taller than you, that could be interesting in a good way, but that was a matter for years down the line. Right now she was just a baby that was fussing in the hands of her nursemaid.
"Thankfully Aelora here is perfectly normally," Johanna said with a smile as she picked up her other daughter.
Your breath seized in your throat, a trickle of sweat ran down you back, and your fists began to tighten as you stared into those mismatched eyes. The same eyes you saw at Harrenhal. The same eyes that promised terrible fates and death. For a brief, mad, moment you could have sworn she was starring back at you intently with knowing eyes.
You blinked. The eyes that looked back at you were wide and curious, no hint of anything deeper lurking behind them. She was just a baby. Carefree. Innocent.
She didn't know, you realized. You had been half expecting the baby to be born already knowing of it's fate. But no. It was just a baby like any other.
"Your father remarked that she looked a lot like his mother," Johanna's words snapped you out of your stupor. "Apparently she had the same kind of eyes."
You realized you had been starring at Aelora for several moments now and you quickly snapped your attention towards the Queen, nodding hastily in agreement.
"Yeah," you agreed. "From what I hear, my grandmother didn't look much like a typical Targaryen in a lot of ways."
You mind moved away from Aelora and focused on other matters for the moment.
"How was my father, during the progress?" you asked.
You had been gone for six months and if there was anyone who might know how your father really handled those months, it was his wife.
"He was sad for a while," she admitted with a faltering smile. "I do not think he wanted you to be on your own so soon. I comforted him as best I could and that seemed to help after a time."
"Oh, that's good," you said softly. "Thank you."
You felt guilty for causing your father grief with your absence, but at the same time you could not have let his loneliness stop you from doing what was best for you.
"How are you fairing?" you added.
"Oh, fine. The latter months were honestly easier than the first months of the pregnancy if you can believe that," Johanna remarked. "Giving birth was unpleasant to put it mildly though."
'At least you survived,' you thought with unexpected bitterness.
"So, I hear you're talking with the Prince of Dorne soon," the Queen switched topics. "How do you feel about that?"
You raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I'm your father's wife," she reminded you. "He does come to me for council and advice on occasion."
"Well, don't really have much of an opinion yet," you replied. "But I did quite enjoy his letter. It was one of the first times I'd seen a man besides Ser Tarly praise my skills as a knight."
"A woman like you does need a husband who appreciates a wife who's more steel than silk," Johanna nodded.
To your surprise, you smiled sincerely at her words. Johanna would never be the warrior you were, but she was strong in spirit and body in her own right. Part of you wished sincerely you could be friends. But you knew if she ever found out about you and Alicent, or she ever had a son, things between the two of you would become quite complicated quite quickly.
Aelora cooed as Johanna held her, the noise sending a tingle of fear dancing down your spine
"I imagine you have some thoughts on a possible marriage between myself and the Prince of Dorne," you said, your eyes drifting towards Aelora for a moment before you forced yourself to focus back on Johanna.
"For the Realm, it would be a once in a generation opportunity. A defining moment of your father's reign. For you," the Queen made a surprisingly casually shrug. "Ehh. Marriage between the heirs of two noble houses can be complicated affairs. I can only imagine how much of a mess it will between the Princess of Dragonstone and the ruling Prince of Drone."
You wanted to roll your eyes. Again, people talking about just the practical matters.
"Yes, but that's just immediate issues. Those can be worked though," you argued.
"True enough. And the Dornish are fine enough I suppose," Johanna said with indifference. "They have unseemly customs for sure, but I'm no Stormlander. As long as a people share our faith, I don't take much issue with them. And Qoren would at least be used to the idea of women ruling."
You nodded.
"Personally, if I was in your position, I'd go with someone like Tyland Lannister," she went on. "Rich and powerful house, good stock, no pesky succession matters, and as a younger twin, he's well used to be lead by others. He'd be managable."
That caught you off guard. Of all the possible options you'd been given over time, you can't recall anyone giving serious thought to Tyland Lannister.
"The Lannisters aren't the biggest supporters of me right now," you noted. "They did not react well to the tourney in White Harbor."
"Marriage proposals have a way of rather quickly changing one's opinions on a person," Johanna smirked. "Take it or leave it as you wish, I was just expressing an opinion. Your father has given you the chance to find your own husband. Choose who you think is best I say."
"Thank you," you nodded. "I intend to."
The two of you chatted for a bit longer before you saw enough of a break in the conversation to make your excuses and leave. You honestly enjoyed talking with the Queen for once, but her just holding Aelora was already a constant source of stress to you.
You barely slept that night, thoughts of Harrenhal haunting you again.
+7 Stress
Relationship with Johanna Westerling Improved
While you had met Qoren Nymeros-Martell a few times by now, it had always been during courtly functions where norms and protocol kept your interactions to a minimum. The prospect of seeing him in a more relaxed setting made you anything but. For the whole day, your body seemed to tie itself into knots.
Ser Tarly briefly noted that you did not have to go through with this, echoing the same sentiment as your father. But you had to. The Prince of Dorne had come all the way to King's Landing to get to know you and it felt cowardly to shirk your duties by not even meeting him. Surely, he would not be so odious a person that this single interaction would be too much for you to bear.
And you could still say no to the whole matter afterwards. That thought alone kept the knots from tightening any further.
For your first meeting, you had opted to join the Prince of Dorne while he was painting. Though you were still a beginner with the harp, you felt it would be enough to leave a good impression and it would be a good way to get to know more about him if you talked about your respective interests.
Almost at the last moment, you decided Alicent would be joining you for the meeting, much to her surprise. When your father asked why you were bringing your handmaiden to such an important event you explained that you trusted Alicent's opinion a great deal and believed she could provide some needed insight on the prince. And that was true, even if it was not the whole reason.
First and foremost you wanted to make sure Alicent did not think she would be just tossed aside when you got married. She needed to know that your relationship with her was important enough that you were involving her in this. And if Alicent and Qoren were not liking each other, then maybe that was a sign this was a mistake.
The three of you made your ways towards the gardens where the Prince was. The whole time you walked you were privately reminding yourself that this was your choice. No matter what Rhaenys said, if you refused a marriage, that would be the end of things. No one would force you to marry Qoren if you did not wish it.
You found the Prince on the very edge of the gardens, overlooking Blackwater Bay from a spot at the battlements. He was critically examining the canvas with a small brush in hand, his focused gaze ever so often wandering to the distant ships in the water before adding a few more brush strokes. His fingertips were stained various colors and a messy set of paints sat on a stool near him, some of the clutter continuing onto the battlements.
The guard with him was a woman of about your fathers age and a bronze skin that hinted of the lands of eastern Essos. She gripped her spear tighter as the three of you entered, though while she inclined her head respectfully to you and Alicent, she merely glared at Ser Tarly. Something he did in turn and you were not sure which of the two had started first.
That's when the Prince turned around, quickly putting aside his brush and paint to greet you.
"Princess Rhaenyra, I am so honored to see you," he nodded, his eyes turning towards Alicent. "And who is the lovely lady joining us today?"
"This is my handmaiden, Lady Alicent Hightower," you explained. "I hope you don't mind that I brought her along."
"Not at all," the prince replied with a curious look in his eye, inclining his head over so slightly towards Alicent. "I am honored to have the company of the Hand's daughter."
"Thank you, prince." Alicent bowed in turn with expert grace.
"And this is my sworn shield, Ser Tarly," you added. The 'And he absolutely does not like you' was unspoken, but plain to all around.
"A Tarly?" The prince's eyes lit up with amusement. "There's few Reacher houses that the western lords of Dorne speak as highly of as yours."
"Do they?" Ser Tarly eyed him cautiously.
"Oh, don't expect me to repeat their words," he chuckled lightly. "They are far from polite, the things they say, but in between the lines, you can tell that they respect your house. Even if they'd rather cut out their tongues than to admit as much."
Before Ser Tarly could respond, Qoren gestured to his own guard. "This Obara, my sworn shield."
"A pleasure," you nodded to the warrior, but your attention was already drifting towards the Prince's work.
"May I ask what you're painting?" you inquired as he picked up his brush again.
"I found the sight from the Red Keep quite enchanting. Quite like that view from the Sandship in some ways, but it's the small differences that make it memorable."
The picture he was slowly drawing on the plain canvas was of the mouth of the Blackwater, where the trading ships came and went. It was still a fairly rough sketch, but even now, it captured the moment quite well. There were quite a few more ships on the canvas than in the water though.
"Sadly, there are not quite as few ships coming to King's Landing in these Fall days," you noted.
"Ah, but you see, just because my eyes can't see them, my heart knows they should be there." He briefly turned, smiling at you before continuing. "I have found that in art and in life, it is often important to not only see how the things are, but also what they could be."
Besides you, Ser Tarly made one of those very quiet noises that told you he was probably committing a snide comment to memory for later when he was in the tower among only fellow kingsguard members.
"I didn't take you to be a dreamer," you noted, while watching him paint. The first impression of Qoren had fairly little in common with the conniving Dornishman or the dangerous politician that you had been warned of by many unasked for advisors in the last few days.
He hummed briefly while weighing his words. "I always felt it important for a lord to remember that there is more to life than politics and trade. If we don't chase a dream now and then, what is the point of it all? But I believe you of all people understand that better than most."
"I understand it quite well," you began to smile. "Dreams can push us to do something others think impossible. Or give us relief when life seems overwhelming."
You thought of how many people told you your sword training was pointless and utterly unbecoming of a woman. How they said all you were doing was wasting your life and making yourself look less desirable to any future husband. But without that training, without the drive to become a knight, you would be a much duller person. A much more frustrated person. A princess who never figured out who she really was at her core.
You didn't come here to talk about that though, this was a time for relaxing and art.
"I've never had much talent for painting," you said earnestly. "But there was something I was hoping I could show you today."
Alicent handed you a large leather satchel containing your harp.
When he noticed you unpacking it, he quickly turned around with a raised finger. "Ah, Princess, I had prepared something for you before I left Sunspear and I had just waited for a more private moment," he said while putting his painting palette aside and picking up a lacquered wooden box.
"When your father mentioned that you had taken up playing the harp in one of his letters, I had this piece made." As he opened the box, you saw within a finely crafted harp and a small book bound in red leather. "Dornish yew makes strong bows, but when used for instruments, they gain a soft and warm sound. I'm sure you will enjoy playing this harp."
Your reached out, running a finger over the smooth wood of the instrument. "Thank you, Prince Qoren," you said with genuine joy and not just out of courtly obligations. "And the book?" Unlike the harp, which still faintly smelled of fresh wood, the book was well worn and clearly older.
"Songs of Dorne, of course," he said with a small smile while setting down the box on the table in between you, next to the bowl of dates, raisins and dried figs. "It would feel strange to gift you an instrument without a a few pieces to play on it, and this is my personal collection of songs that I wished to learn to play since my childhood."
Meanwhile, you had begun thumbing through the book, glancing over the notes and the song texts. "How long have you been playing?"
The Prince smiled a bit strained at the question. "I have given up for good quite a few years ago. I have not shown any talent for the harp, the lute or any other instrument I touched, even though I tried for years. But even so, I still love music and these songs, so I hope that they will bring you and your listeners joy."
"A thoughtful gift," you said idly while reading the text of a ballad about the cold and lonely nights of the Dornish desert. Certainly more personal than spices, cloth and jewels that were gifted back and forth between your father and him.
"I'll give one a try," you decided spontaneously and took the harp, starting to tune the strings as you had practiced so many times already by now.
Qoren looked quite exited at this and took the booklet. "If I may suggest something? There is a lovely song about Nymerias voyages."
Your ears perked up. A song about one of your favorite historical subjects was just about as perfect a musical piece as you could find. Quickly but carefully took back the booklet and read through the song. Soon enough, you began to play.
The song was not quite, somber but there was undeniable sadness in it. It sung of sailing to places you had never seen, to unfamiliar and often dangerous shores, not out of any desire to explore, but out of simple need. It spoke of the fear of both the unknown and being without a home, of being lost and directionless on the sea. But it was ultimate a hopeful song as well, ending on notes of finding a new home and firm hope that they will be able to make a better life there.
You lost yourself in the music, even singing along as you played despite your lack of confidence in your voice. Anything outside the song ceased to matter as you played, your attention focus both on the song itself and making sure you didn't mess up any of the notes. While you were not particularly proud of your singing, you felt good about the actual music. Your fingers were beginning to hurt by the end though you kept at it anyway, determined to do the song justice.
While the final note still hung in the air, Alicent began to clap, loudly and with great speed, drawing your attention back to the world. All eyes were on you. The Prince looked quite enthralled by the music while Alicent had begun to turn red with a look of embarrassment across her face for having clapped so hard.
"Bravo, princess," Qoren smiled, though you noticed his attention lingered on Alicent for a moment before fully focusing on you. "Your father was far too humble when he wrote of your skills with the harp. The blade is not the only thing you are quite gifted with."
"You flatter me, prince," you smiled. "Though I must confess I am still a novice with the harp. This new instrument you gifted me is clearly making up for my lack of experience."
"You sell yourself short Princess," Qoren countered. "Even the finest instrument is nothing but a source of noise in fumbling hands. Believe someone who has struggled with instruments for so long as I did."
"Thank you," you repeated yourself while robbing your fingers together against the soreness.
"Would you care for a cup of tea or two?" he said while already giving a curt wave of his hand to a servant in Martell livery waiting some distance from you. "Even though it is quite a pleasant sight from here, the autumn chill makes for stiff fingers without something to warm them."
And so you spent the next few hours, drinking tea, talking about your artistic pursuits and you playing a few more songs on the new instrument. It was nice. Relaxing even. You couldn't deny that this felt rather strange considering Qoren was the leader of a foreign princedom, one that your family had been hostile to for over a century.
You could tell Ser Tarly was bristling underneath his helmet, but to his credit he maintained a stoic facade otherwise. Alicent generally spent the whole time enraptured by your performances.
After a while, when the wind picked up and your spot on the battlements became rather unplesant, you asked Prince Qoren if he wanted to take a walk through the gardens. The Dornish Prince happily agreed.
The five of you walked through the garden, Alicent following you and Qoren closely while your guards were further back and in front of you, making sure no one was listening in on what was said between you.
You and the Prince made small talk for a while about various subjects as you walked. Occasionally you stole a glance at Alicent to see how she was doing. She seemed uncertain and conflicted, but you didn't see any hint of real dislike yet or cause for concern.
"I must say, after so much political talk and negotiations, it was deeply refreshing to just relax for a while," Prince Qoren complimented. "This time with you has been a real breath of fresh air."
"Thank you," you nodded. "I feel likewise."
You weren't blind to what he was doing. There was a reason for all the praise and the flattery, his numerous female guards, the easy smiles. You knew in part it was a very purposeful effort on the prince's part. Qoren was making a very strong effort to sell himself. Yet, at the same time, it did not feel fake. The smiles weren't forced and you did not think the praise a lie either. If anything, he seemed to enjoy the chance to leave behind the stoic and regal demeanor he had presented himself at court with.
"I must say, Prince Martell, I was rather surprised when I read your letter to my father," you said, steeling yourself as best you could for the conversation you were about to venture into. "Few men outside my sworn shield have given me praise for the tourney. Yet you call me remarkable before you even met me."
"A woman becoming knight is unheard of even in Dorne," the Prince argued. "While we are not as inflexible in such matters than many others, that you overcame such endless years of Andal custom could only be a sign that you well and truly earned the honor. I call you remarkable because the tales of you are remarkable indeed. Barely an adult and defeating so many with such skill. You should be hailed as the finest knight of our generation."
"You do me great honor, Qoren," you said, blushing awkwardly at the praise.
"And I am quite pleased to learn there is a beautiful soul behind those steel fists of yours," Qoren went on. "I do so hope you train with harp and voice as often as your sword. Such musical talents should be nurtured."
"Again, my thanks," you nodded. "And I very much intend to keep at it. Once I start something I am not one to abandon it."
"That is good to hear," he replied he replied somewhat curtly. You could hear the man bracing himself. For the first time since you met him there was a trace of hesitation in his voice. "Which leads me to a rather weighty question. Have you given much thought yet to a marriage agreement?"
"I have," you said simply before breathing in deeply.
In truth you had been thinking of it quite often. You were not ready to get married anytime soon, but the thought of a betrothal held far less terror than it once did. But there were so many things to consider with a Martell marriage. It was quite overwhelming in truth.
Your words caught in your throat, you found yourself unable to speak, unsure of what you were going to say.
"Are you worried that a marriage would complicate matters between you and your dear handmaiden?" He asked carefully. There was no easy smiles this time, but neither was there the edge of scorn that words made you fear for.
Your heart seized in your chests, blood turning cold in your veins, your eyes growing wide in shock. How could he have possible known.
"I do not know what you speak of, prince," you said carefully.
"Forgive me, prince," Alicent interjected, "but whatever impression you have of us, I am afraid it is quite mistaken."
Her tone was quite convincing.
"I apologize, I meant no offense," Qoren said, smiling again. "But my father trained me from an early age on the importance of reading people at court. And, if I am being completely honest, your handmaiden does not hide her feelings."
You looked away, half embarrassed, half on the verge of a panic. If he knew from barely a day with you, how many others knew already?
"Oh no," Alicent breathed.
"Do not fret," he said calmly, raising his hands in warding gesture. He also clearly saw the panic he'd stirred int he two of you. "I doubt many would have noticed. It is my experience that those who do not think such relationships are common or normal will deny such a relationship exists long past the point of reason. Especially Andals can be quite willfully dense on these things."
"But not the Dornish?" Alicent asked with a mix of fear and some offense.
He stopped walking, hands still raised. "I apologize, Lady Hightower. I meant not to give offense. But, to say it as straightforward as possible, it is my and many Dornishmans opinion that the heart, the mind and the loins can all desire different things, and to deny that truth can lead to plenty of misery for all involved. My experience with northerners has always been that they'd rather deny themselves than accept their feelings and likewise blind themselves to those of others."
So it seemed some of the rumors about Dorne proved true.
Alicent just stared at him, nodding quietly with a blank expression though you knew her well enough to see the cauldron of emotions still boiling behind the facade.
"If such a relationship were to exist," you remained evaise, "would it pose an issue for any possible marriage between us."
"No." He shook his head. "Call me a fool, but I believe romance is rare beauty, and I think marriage should avoid tarnishing such beauty whenever possible. I will not ask of you to make yourself miserable for the sake of our match."
"Hmm," you said evenly, your own worries slowly easing. That was very good news. Of course, there was still the issue of keeping Alicent at your side once you married, but at least you would not worry about having to hide from Qoren if you married.
"I must say, good prince," you remarked calmly once more. "I am surprised you came up with this offer in the first place, considering Dorne's defiant history."
"It is a matter of circumstance," Qoren admitted, the mask of the politician slowly creeping back onto his features. "The war in the Stepstones is threatening to force me to take actions I know will not go well. But our match would present a unique possibility for me and my people. Someone strong enough to stand up to your uncle, while also holding a soul far warmer than his."
He looked off into the distance, scanning the horizon for something only he could see.
"A Prince's duty is to his people," he said, his voice growing serious. "I know what strife between our realms means. As a child, I heard the stories of Dorne burning at the hands of the Conqueror. As young man, I was walking along the beaches near Yronwood where the skulls of Dornishmen still bleach in the sands. What your uncle said to me..."
He shook his head, his eyes turning to you. "I believe I can best fill that duty to my people with you at my side, and with myself as your king-consort one day. If you would have me."
He extended his hand.
Your heart hammered within your chest as you considered your options. In many ways, Qoren was everything you wanted from a husband. Accepting of Alicent, warm, romantic, a man who did not shame you for your skill with a blade. And yet did you want to get married right now? Did you really want a marriage that would enrage two entire kingdoms and cause so much grief and hassle for all involved? Did you really want at least one of your future children to carry the Martell name instead of your own?
You could refuse, you reminded yourself. If you didn't like the terms of whatever agreement your father made with Qoren, you could always refuse.
You looked back at Alicent, her brown eyes wide but unreadable. Whatever decision you made, it would be yours alone.
What Do You Do?
[] Take His Hand (Begin Marriage Negotiations With Qoren Martell)
[] Decline The Offer QM's Note: Apologies for the Delay, Last Week was kind of a mess for me. Special Thanks to Azel as they wrote much of the Qoren section. This is gonna be a big vote I know, but remember to be civil and not get too passionate about this. The picture is not quite accurate to how Qoren looks now, think it as a preview of a possible future.
To your own surprise and the shock of most watching, you found it unexpectedly easy to accept Qoren's hand. Maybe it was his easy charm that convinced you. Maybe it was his acceptance of Alicent that made this so easy. Or maybe it was simply the fact you knew you could refuse later on that made you even willing to consider this in the first place.
You still found your stomach twisting in knots as you held his warm, smooth hand. If this all went through, you would be committing yourself to a life with a man you barely knew. To have children with him and raise two of them to be heirs. It would complicate everything, from your day to day life, to your relationship with Alicent. You weren't ready for that, and your biggest hope now was that you would be given enough time to somehow make yourself ready.
It would also enrage so many lords, but honestly, that just made Qoren more appealing to you. You still bristled at what Princess Rhaenys had said, enraged at the idea the lords could dictate your succession and that you should be prepared to accept being pushed aside because 'that is the order of things'.
With Qoren, you could accomplish what the older and every lord of Westeros could only dream of, bringing Dorne into the fold at long last.
Relationship With Prince Qoren Martell Established
Relationship Status: Cordial
Relationship with Ser Raylon Tarly has Degraded
Later that day you found yourself unsurprisingly talking about the matter with your father. The King seemed quite pleased that you had accepted his offer as he poured both of you a glass of wine in celebration.
"I must confess, Rhaenyra," he said as he took a sip. "I did not expect you to respond so positively to that letter, let alone accept his offer."
"The Prince proved quite charming, I must confess," you admitted.
"Yes he was quite affable in our meetings together as well," your father agreed.
Your father gazed out the windows of his apartment.
"If everything goes right, this could be a defining moment," the king declared. "For both of us. This marriage could bring not only Dorne into the fold, but secure our hold over the Stepstones as well. It will be the greatest expansion of Targaryen power since the Conquest itself."
That did have a definite appeal to it, to be seen as a key part of bringing Dorne into the fold at long last before you were even queen. Though it was irksome that it would be purely because of your marriage.
"Let's hope we can get Prince Qoren to agree to reasonable terms," you remarked. "This can't work if the Dornish expect us to give them everything and give us nothing in return."
"Of course," your father nodded. "I suspect negotiations with the Prince will be quite long and quite frustrating. There is much to discuss, from matters of the Stepstones to simple living arrangements."
You inhaled sharply through your teeth at his words. Thankfully this went unnoticed. You knew this was how things were run. You may have been of marrying age, yet Viserys was not only your father, but also the head of the family. The terms of a betrothal, particularly one as important as this, had to be decided upon by those in charge of the family. Had Qoren's mother still been alive, you have no doubt your father would be talking terms with her instead.
It didn't mean you had to like it, to have something so important to your life dictated by others.
"Father, I have a question," your tone grew serious. "If I don't like the terms you and Prince Qoren reach, I still have the right to refuse?"
You weren't ready to marry. You might be ready in time, but the only way that was going to happen was if this marriage happened on terms you could stomach.
Your father looked at you for a long moment before nodding with a smile on his face.
"Yes of course, dear girl," he assured you. "You were far more proactive on the matter of marriage then I feared and as I said, I believe it's important you find a good king consort. I do not wish to hamper your future reign by forcing you into a marriage you would despise."
That was a relief at least. The knowledge you could just walk away if needs be was the main reason you were able to agree to this in the first place.
"Actually, on that matter," your father stood up, grabbing a thing of parchment and a quill and ink from his desk. Placing it on the table in front of you carefully, he winced slightly from the pressure on his wounded hand. "The prince and I are set to begin negotiations tomorrow. If you were to give me some requests on the conditions of your betrothal, they might give us a good starting point."
"Really?" your eyes went wide in surprise.
"Don't try and dictate the entire agreement," your father quickly cautioned, "that would not help anything. And I can't promise all or even any of your terms, but I think it would be better if at least had an understanding of your wants. That way I can return an agreement you find most acceptable."
"Thank you, father," you said quickly as your attention turned to blank parchment.
You had so many thoughts on this, from what name your children would inherit to matters in the Stepstones. But you had to be careful. You knew if you made too many demands it would just annoy your father and likely lead to many requests being ignored. You also realized that some matters were definitely going to be of greater importance than others. Requesting a longer betrothal period would be way less of a request than demanding all your kids carry the Targaryen name. The larger the requests you made, the more Qoren might demand in return.
As you put the quill to ink, you thought carefully about what you were going to write and what was most important to you.
What Are Your Requests? (Pick As Many As You Like But note that higher amounts run the risk of annoying Viserys)
[] Request the wedding be held on Dragonstone. (This is a Minor Request)
[] Request the right to wear armor at your wedding. (This is a Minor Request)
[] Delay the actual wedding.
-[] One year. (This is a Minor Request)
-[] Until the beginning of spring. (This is a Moderate Request)
[] Ask for a voice on Stepstone matters. (This is a Moderate Request)
[] Ask that all of your children be allowed to claim dragons or given dragon eggs. (This is a Minor Request)
[] Ask that only your heir be allowed to claim a dragon. (This is a Major Request)
[] Request Qoren to join you on your remaining royal progress. (This is a Minor Request)
[] Request that all your children have the Name Targaryen, with Qoren's heir taking the Martell name upon succession. (This is a Moderate Request)
[] Request absolute cognatic inheritance of both titles to be spelled out in the agreement. The firstborn inherits the Iron Throne, the secondborn Dorne, regardless of gender. (This is a Moderate Request)
[] Request control over where all your kids, save Qoren's heir, are raised. (This is a Major Request)
[] Ask for a dragon pit to be built in Sunspear. (This is a Moderate Request)
[] Write-in (Subject to QM Approval, This can be taken Several Times)
Vote By Plan
Six Hour Mortarium QM's Note: So, to be very clear, this is not ensuring these conditions will show up in agreement. Fundmentally what goes on between Qoren and Viserys is outside of Rhaenyra's control. This more about making sure Viserys understands what you want going in. You will have several chances this coming turn to see what terms they have worked out and voice an opinion or withdraw there. But again, Rhaenyra can only influence the agreement, not control it. With the Stepstones being an exception if you choose to get involved in that. There's no firm limit on how many requests will annoy Viserys since it's mainly vibes. I'll tell you if a plan runs the risk of annoying him.
Adhoc vote count started by Teen Spirit on Mar 10, 2025 at 8:42 AM, finished with 201 posts and 48 votes.
[X] Plan: Think of the Children!
-[X] Delay the actual wedding.
--[X] Until the beginning of spring. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Ask that all of your children be allowed to claim dragons or given dragon eggs. (This is a Minor Request) -[x] Request that all your children have the Name Targaryen, with Qoren's heir taking the Martell name upon succession. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Request absolute cognatic inheritance of both titles to be spelled out in the agreement. The firstborn inherits the Iron Throne, the secondborn Dorne, regardless of gender. (This is a Moderate Request)
-[X] Request control over where all your kids, save Qoren's heir, are raised. (This is a Major Request)
[X] Plan: Don't ask for anything "Major".
-[X] Delay the actual wedding.
--[X] Until the beginning of spring. (This is a Moderate Request)
-[X] Ask for a voice on Stepstone matters. (This is a Moderate Request)
-[X] Request Qoren to join you on your remaining royal progress. (This is a Minor Request) -[x] Ask that all of your children be allowed to claim dragons or given dragon eggs. (This is a Minor Request) -[x] Request that all your children have the Name Targaryen, with Qoren's heir taking the Martell name upon succession. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Request absolute cognatic inheritance of both titles to be spelled out in the agreement. The firstborn inherits the Iron Throne, the secondborn Dorne, regardless of gender. (This is a Moderate Request)
[X] Plan: Think of the Children! (Now with Royal Progress)
-[X] Request Qoren to join you on your remaining royal progress. (This is a Minor Request)
-[X] Delay the actual wedding.
--[X] Until the beginning of spring. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Ask that all of your children be allowed to claim dragons or given dragon eggs. (This is a Minor Request) -[x] Request that all your children have the Name Targaryen, with Qoren's heir taking the Martell name upon succession. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Request absolute cognatic inheritance of both titles to be spelled out in the agreement. The firstborn inherits the Iron Throne, the secondborn Dorne, regardless of gender. (This is a Moderate Request)
-[X] Request control over where all your kids, save Qoren's heir, are raised. (This is a Major Request)
[X] Plan: Equal Parenting
-[X] Delay the actual wedding.
--[X] Until the beginning of spring. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Ask that all of your children be allowed to claim dragons or given dragon eggs. (This is a Minor Request) -[x] Request that all your children have the Name Targaryen, with Qoren's heir taking the Martell name upon succession. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Request absolute cognatic inheritance of both titles to be spelled out in the agreement. The firstborn inherits the Iron Throne, the secondborn Dorne, regardless of gender. (This is a Moderate Request)
[X] Plan: Foundation of a Reign
-[X] Delay the actual wedding.
--[X] Until the beginning of spring. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Ask that all of your children be allowed to claim dragons or given dragon eggs. (This is a Minor Request) -[x] Request that all your children have the Name Targaryen, with Qoren's heir taking the Martell name upon succession. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Request absolute cognatic inheritance of both titles to be spelled out in the agreement. The firstborn inherits the Iron Throne, the secondborn Dorne, regardless of gender. (This is a Moderate Request)
-[X] Ask for a voice on Stepstone matters. (This is a Moderate Request)
[X] Request absolute cognatic inheritance of both titles to be spelled out in the agreement. The firstborn inherits the Iron Throne, the secondborn Dorne, regardless of gender. (This is a Moderate Request)
[x] Plan flaming wedding bells! -[x] Request absolute cognatic inheritance of both titles to be spelled out in the agreement. The firstborn inherits the Iron Throne, the secondborn Dorne, regardless of gender. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Request that all your children have the Name Targaryen, with Qoren's heir taking the Martell name upon succession. (This is a Moderate Request) -[x] Ask that all of your children be allowed to claim dragons or given dragon eggs. (This is a Minor Request) -[x] Until the beginning of spring. (This is a Moderate Request)
Your demands largely focused on children. As much as the prospect of having any at all left you terrified right now, you weren't blind to how important they would be in this whole matter. For one, you did not want your children bearing the name Martell save for the one who would one day inherit Qoren's seat. He was the prince of Dorne, while you were the princess of Dragstone and the future ruler of the seven kingdoms. Your name mattered more, and your children would be more dragons than anything else.
Your father winced slightly when he got to your desire to push the wedding to the beginning of Spring, but otherwise he approved of your list. He praised your "clear focus" and promised to impress on Prince Qoren that you took the matter of any children you would have quite seriously.
A few days later, Viserys announced to the Small Council he had entered negotiations with Prince Qoren Martell, both over a possible marriage between you and the prince, and the prospect of Dorne finally joining the Seven Kingdoms.
The news stunned the Small Council. It quickly became apparent to you that even those aware of your father's plans such as the Hand of the King had not expected anything to come of it. Apparently Otto did not think the gentle Prince of Dorne would find much common ground with the Dragon Knight.
A few, such as Lord Westerling and Lord Beesbury, voiced objections to the idea, saying Dorne would demand too much to make any peaceful unification worth it. But the King assured everyone that he, and the Lord Hand, would not settle for an unfair deal. They would work with Prince Qoren to find an agreement that benefited all sides.
Another matter arose during the long conversations that dominated that council meeting, that of succession. Almost every man at that table pointed out that this marriage was going to make for a complicated one. The Master of Ships immediately voiced a concern over how any of your heirs would be raised, pointing out that the realm would not accept an heir who was 'too Dornish'. You weren't entirely sure what Tyland Lannister even meant by that.
Then Grand Maester Mellos suggested it might be easier to have you set aside, having Dorne join the Kingdom with you as Qoren's Princess-Consort and Helaena made the new heir to the Princess of Dragonstone.
You froze in place, jug of wine in hand, your eyes glaring intently and the elderly Maester as you very much wished you could silence the man with a command or a punch to the throat. The Iron Throne was your right and your duty. A burden and honor placed upon you by your father that no lesser man had any right to even dare suggest taking away from you, let alone giving it to one of Johanna's children.
Your glare went unnoticed by all save the Master of Ships who visibly flinched as he saw how tight your grip was on the jug. Thankfully, your father dismissed the idea out of hand and it was not brought up again.
While nothing formal was said outside of the small council chambers, and nothing formal would be said until negotiations were done, word spread quickly of a possible engagement and soon enough you found yourself being given advice by almost every single woman in the Red Keep.
Advice on what you should serve on your wedding, advice on how to handle your prospective husband, advice on how to 'control a devilish Dornishman' that, honestly, just left you very much wishing that lady would never speak to you again. And advice on children. So much advice on children. Advice that often contradicted itself as well.
It did not help that you had begun to outgrow some of your clothing again and had to endure endless conversation about the marriage while your servants measured you and restitched your dresses.
Needless to say, you found the situation more than a bit overwhelming and you were beginning to understand why Alicent disliked talk of children, particularly a week after negotiations began when your father did have announcement to make.
Queen Johanna was pregnant again.
Her twins were barely Seven months old, even if Helaena looked more like a toddler at this point, and yet Johanna was set to have another one. Another kid, another chance for the Westerlings to have a boy to try and push in front of you.
Between talk of marriage and Johanna's Pregnancy you were feeling rather uneasy most days.
+3 Stress
While Dorne hadn't formally joined the war in the Stepstones, things had already begun to change there. Dornish sellswords have showed up on Bloodstone offering their services to Lord Corlys at suspiciously low prices and pirate attacks against the Three Daughters forces were increasing. Between this and Laenor Velayron joining the conflict on his dragon Seasmoke, the War for the Stepstones had just about reached it's end.
Curiously, rumors abound that your uncle was beginning to sulk. He had not taken to field on Caraxes for weeks now and some whispered he had been spending most of his time in his tent, brooding. This had apparently been occurring ever since Qoren sailed for King's Landing.
It could just be that the end of fighting had him bored and depressed. Your uncle was always the type to lose interest easily if he didn't have something to amuse himself with. But part of you couldn't help but wonder if this mood was caused by your possible marriage to Qoren, and if so, why?
Back at home, the days were growing colder and the Maesters had said that while winter had yet to arrive, it would be here soon. Though with all the Dornish around, with their spicy foods and colorful clothing, one could think you were closer to summer than winter.
These next few weeks might be among the most important of your life but annoyingly they were completely out of your control as your father and Prince Qoren were locked in intense negotiations. Negotiations you had little input and no control over.
Despite that, there was still plenty you could do to keep yourself busy while your very future was being decided. First Season, 115 AC
Two Free Actions: Free Action allows to make additional Conversations or Action per turn (For example 3 Conversations and 3 Actions, or 4 Conversations and 2 Actions). However, using bothon Actions creates Stress from Rhaenyra being overworked and further reduces the effectiveness of Relaxing.
Each turn is 3 months, though this may change as the quest goes on. You can pick either from the options below for your tasks or use write-in actions after QM approval. Please use plan voting for turn votes.
Conversations (Pick Two)
[] [Conversation] Speak with Viserys
Your father is busy with Prince Qoren, but you will no doubt speak to him sooner.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Qoren Martell
Prince Qoren is quite busy at the moment, but you will no doubt be speaking to him soon.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Alicent Hightower
The good news is you knew Qoren had no issue with your relationship with Alicent. It still would do well to see how your dear lady feels about your likely marriage and what it may do to your relationship.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Otto Hightower
Otto was neither your friend or your enemy when it came to matters with Prince Qoren, he did not seem to oppose the marriage per say but he did seem somewhat skeptical of the matter. Otto's support would help a lot when it came smoothing over the anger this marriage would not doubt cause in the Reach and the Stormlands. And perhaps it's time to speak to him directly on matters concerning Alicent.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Gwayne And Alicent
Unless things with Prince Qoren don't work out, the odds of you ever marrying Gwayne were very remote now. That didn't mean it was pointless talking to Alicent's brother. Far from it in fact. He could prove a valuable ally still and the three of you might be able to figure out a way to ensure Alicent never has to leave your side.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Commander Harrold Westerling
Your former sworn shield could probably give you some insight into what's been happening around the Red Keep while you were gone and how people at court are reacting to the Dornish visit and your possible marriage
[] [Conversation] Speak With Queen Johanna Westerling
As much as you still don't like the prospect of being in the same room as Aelora, it might do good to check in with Johanna, make sure she doesn't feel her pregnancy is being ignored with all the talk of the castle being focused on you and Qoren.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Ser Raylon Tarly
Though he says little, you can tell your sworn shield is very very unhappy about recent developments and has been spending most of his days stewing in his own anger. Perhaps it would do well to comfort him before he cooks himself in his own armor.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyonel Strong
The Master of Laws and Lord of Harrenhal. While Lord Strong's quite happy with you studies so far, it never hurts to try and improve your learning whenever possible. Perhaps the two of you could talk on matters of Dornish law, with the it looking quite possible that Dorne may soon bend the new, it might do well to learn more about their laws.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Lord Lyman Beesbury
The Master of Coin. Beesbury is loyal, perhaps not as sharp as Lord Strong, but he is quiet loyal to your father. He apparently made a quite a bit of coin gambling on you as a mystery knight. Part of you is curious why he decided to play his faith in the Silver Falcon. It might also help to try and convince him to support your match with Qoren Martell
[] [Conversation] Speak with Grand Maester Mellos
While your father assured you that he would make a full recovery in time, the loss of two fingers suggests that's very much not the case. Perhaps the Grand Maester could help you better understand the situation and lay your worries to rest.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Maester Orwyle
You couldn't help but notice that Maester Orwyle did not share your father's confidence in the Grand Maester's treatment. It seemed like he wanted to speak with you on the matter, perhaps it would do well to make time for him.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Rhaenys Targaryen
Your last conversation with your cousin went poorly, actually it's safe to say it went terrible. You were nearly screaming by the end of it. Perhaps the two of you could move past that and try to have a friendly conversation. At the very least you are curious what she thinks of what she thinks of matters in the Stepstones and your likely marriage.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Laena Velaryon
You cousin had changed a lot since you last saw her. No longer is she a little girl being used as a pawn in politics, she is now the same age as you were when you were made heir and the rider of the largest dragon alive. It might be good to catch up with her since you have the chance.
[] [Conversation] Speak with Isembard Arryn
While you are home sooner than expected, Isembard has been in King's Landing for a bit. That should have given him enough time to set up operations. It would do well to check up on him, see what his plans are for your joint venture, see if his gift for you is ready.
[] [Conversation] Write-in
Subject to QM approval, has to have a reasonable chance of being in King's Landing.
Actions (Pick Two)
[] [Action] Relax
While you have much to celebrate and feel great about, the possibility you may soon find yourself engaged does weigh heavily on your mind. Perhaps you should take some time to yourself, read in the godswood, fly around with Syrax for fun, and just enjoy yourself for a while. It does seem like a waste of time but perhaps it could do you some good.
[] [Action] Investigate the Death of King Aenys
Most Maesters and other writers agree that Queen Visenya had poisoned her nephew, King Aenys, to allow her own son to take the throne. But you have already seen how much those same authors were willing to ignore Visenya's contributions and slander her already. Perhaps this is simply another case of slander. If you could prove that, it could improve Queen Visenya's reputation considerably and make a stronger argument for your own eventual rule.
[] [Action] Study Valyrian History with your Father.
The little you've learned already has proven of great value to your training with Syrax, and has brought a bit of joy into your father's life. Who knows what further research may uncover.
[] [Action] Train
You are one of the greatest wields of the blade of your age, that statement maybe more than little egotistical, but it is true regardless. Still, you are young, and there's always a chance for improvement
-[] Challenge to a Duel: Raylon has suggested dueling others as a way of sharpening yourself against new blades. Have others find flaws in you that he has missed (Pick One)
--[] [Duel] Ser Steffon Darklyn
--[] [Duel] Steffon Redfort
--[] [Duel] Gwayne Hightower
--[] [Duel] One of the Dornish Nobles
[] [Action] Train with Syrax
The Dragonkeepers are reporting that Syrax is eating more recently has begun to grow restlessly. Some of them thing she's begun to grow at a faster rate while others suggest that Vhagar's presence nearby is starting to have an effect on her and the other dragons in the dragonpit. Either way it could help to get to start taking her out for more than just casual flights every so often.
[] [Action] Sneak out and Explore the City
When your father and uncle were your age, they regularly went out of the King's Landing at night for all kinds of things. Naturally such things were forbidden to you as they were "unbefitting a princess" but as heir to the throne, shouldn't you have a chance to let loose and explore the city you'll one day rule? The arrival of numerous Dornish visitors has the city as a whole in a rather festive mood.
[] [Action] Request a Role in the City Watch
You know Lord Strong said it was all but impossible for you to acquire a roll in the City Watch, but that was before you became a knight. And while you've agreed to take training from Lord Strong to become the next Master of Laws, there's nothing wrong with exploring your options.
[] [Action] Figure Out How to Improve your Knowledge of Warcraft
As Lord Strong had pointed out, few could deny you were a skilled fighter, but you knew next to nothing about waging war, about tactics and strategy. And even now, your father and your tutors seem loathe to train you on the subject. There had to be a way for you to learn, to not just fight in combat, but one day lead men into battle if you must.
[] [Action] Work on Acquiring a Squire
You are a knight. A fully annointed knight. And while you were never a squire yourself, not formally anyways, there was nothing saying you could not have a squire of your own. A squire would give you a chance to both pass on what you've learned, and show the realm that your knighthood was more than just a title.
[] [Action] Fly to Harrenhal
There was little you could learn about Valyrian magic or prophecies at Harrenhal, but perhaps another visit would help you better understand the cursed castle and whatever foul magic clings to it. And Alys River would be there, Alys the wet nurse who knows far more about magic and the history of Harrenhal then even maesters and books did. If nothing else you really wanted to speak to her again.
[] [Action] Study
There is always room to improve your education. -[] Study Law
-[] Study Other Topics
[] [Action] Work on Your Poetry
Your poetry so far has not been great, but your travels, particularly the Great Northern Tourney and that moment at the end with Alicent, have given you a great deal of inspiration to work with.
[] [Action] Harp Practice
You found quite a few reasons to enjoy your newfound hobby. Practice on the Harp soothes you through the long hours, impresses many at court, and your Lady Alicent greatly enjoys listening to it. It might do well to practice on the new Harp Prince Qoren has given you.
[] [Action] Prepare for a Trip to Dragonstone
In the eyes of the crown you are an adult which means you have every right to rule Dragonstone in your own name if you wish. Normally you would barely give this any attention as you're still quite young and those running the island in your name are doing a fair job of it. But recently, you've realized a trip to Dragonstone would provide you the perfect excuse to get away from the politics of King's Landing, and spend some private time with Alicent. Plus it would give a good chance to search through the castle's library for Valyrian texts.
[] [Action] Decide What to Do With Your Tourney Winnings
In the grand scheme of your holdings, your tourney winnings were very modest indeed. But they were your winnings, coin you earned through your deeds alone. And there was enough there that you could do a fair amount with those gold dragons.And now that you were back home, you could start doing something with them.
[] (Action) Write-in
Subject to QM approval QMs Notes: So the Negotations themselves will be handled in Interludes, talking with Viserys and Qoren will be a part of those. And yes Johanna is pregnant again rather soon. But to be fair in the show, Helaena and Aemond despite not being twins, were born in the same year.
