- Pronouns
- She/Her
Best I can tell, that should be just fine so far as Rule Six is concerned.
That's pretty much my only proviso about omakes or anything else -- that nobody tempts Fate, or the mods.
The Three-Headed Dragon: A Viserys Targaryen Quest Continuation [abandoned]
- Thread starter Stardust&Scotch
- Start date
- Fantasy
That's pretty much my only proviso about omakes or anything else -- that nobody tempts Fate, or the mods.
A Simple Chat of a Serious Nature (non-canon)
Magoose
SV's Questing Fanatic
- Location
- California USA
- Pronouns
- He
Meanwhile At Home: A Simple Chat of a Serious Nature
(Arianne POV)
You sighed and felt a weariness in your heart that you had not felt in a long time, an emptiness that had been too long consumed by the passion and love for your beloved husband. It was like a dream that you had been having for such a long time, not quietly coming to an end as the reality came fully crashing down, and the weight of your choices realized.
Like your two children keeping you up at night while Viserys was away and you are desperately trying to deal with the both of them before you stumble to exhaustion.
How you wished your uncle was here, he was always such a treat to have when it came to handling children, his skills and advice on handling your… hellions of twins were enough to save you and your husband many a night of lost sleep.
But on the other hand, with your uncle off on another adventure, this time with your foolish and daring husband dragging him along, you had to deal with the… still helpful but not as experienced Sand Snakes.
A blessing and a curse.
A Blessing, that you also did not need to keep a full time babysitter and wet nurse around to care for the two infants, and you could keep your family close in raising the twins.
The curse… was… well… the past. Obara, Tyene, and their sisters had… Well, they taught you things about yourself a long time ago, when you became a beautiful young woman that many call Elia come again.
In that time, when your father and uncle planned and adventured or ruled, when you were not training to become the princess of Dorne or the future Queen of the Seven kingdoms…
They taught you about sex. Particularly foreplay, how to pleasure a man or a woman with your mouth, your movements, and… everything at your disposal.
Obara related it to a weapon. Your body, every curve, every freckle, every eyelash was a weapon to ensnare a man and get him to do what you wish. Seduction is at its most basic form a physical ensnarement, with your body as the trap.
That was how they viewed it anyway. Oberyn had taught them that way to protect them from… the unsavory sort. Even when they learned weapons and skills. He viewed sex as power, a weapon to protect themselves, like any other blade.
You of course viewed it differently. A man, especially Viserys was not interested in physical beauty. He was interested in the mind, the conversation, the wit, even the way you stood. In many ways, you fell head over heels for him when he waltzed into that Palace in Volantis, scarred from battle, the swagger in his step, even the way he calmly spoke.
How he danced… how he kissed you, how surprised he was when you decided to do a little trick that those-
You were getting ahead of yourself.
Thankfully, Tyene was the only one who had been excited to be your assistant to the royal duo that were your children and had finally placed Aemon into his crib, next to his sister when you finally spoke. "Tyene." She turned to face you, eyes curious. "Thank you for coming."
"I live to serve my queen?" She said with a small tilt of her head. "Besides, I love to see my little niece and nephew."
Memories flooded back, of a time before Tyene went to help her stepmother… Eliria with raising the four youngest of Oberyn's daughters, and acting as an informant to her father in Oberyn's whereabouts. "Do you remember when we were little, and the Water Gardens were so full of life in our youth when were?"
Tyene smiled the memory coming back to her, a smile on her face. "I remember. I remember you stole dye and tried to make my hair black as yours? So we could switch places when you didn't want to meet one of your Father's Bannermen? Vaith was it?"
"No Jourdan." You replied. "How we stole the wine and rode to Plankytown, hid in the brothel." Your face turned a shade of scarlet. How dare your emotions to act so carelessly. "Wondered aloud if we'd meet another one of your father's daughters?"
That earned a laugh. "Not in Plankytown I fear… you know how uncle is about Oberyn's ways so close to home. There would have been more scandal than he could bear."
You shook your head. "Oberyn wouldn't care. He would just be happy, and care for her as he did with every one of your sisters."
Tyene snorted and laughed. "I seem to remember we drank the wine and kissed? Or am I misremembering?"
You both did more than kiss. By the gods, what didn't you two did that night? Her sisters teased you relentlessly… but never told your father about the escapade. Even though he had… knowing looks.
"We got back and pretended to be at the Water Gardens for than entire evening." You said with a smile.
You needed to be forthright with her. Being honest was always the policy you had in the bed-chamber, even with Viserys never… being completely honest with his feelings. Or his thoughts… or troubles.
And you were safe… Gods you were safe, your children were safe. Your family was all safe and avenged. You just wished he could talk to you like he had those nights, without any pressure or weight of the world seemingly on his shoulders!
But another time you would talk to him. Now was the time for something happy to occur… or at least think about.
"Tyene… There is something important I want to tell you." You stated, seriously, and firmly as befitting a queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
Tyene's eyes slowly became like her father's, narrowed like a vipers, caught entirely into your gaze. "What is it?" She replied, before looking to the walls, trying to hear if any of her sisters were listening.
"Would you like to join Viserys and I in bed?" You asked, taking any formality out of the statement.
"What?" She seemed confused at the statement. Completely and utterly. "I? Arianne, what has brought this on?"
Secrets mostly. And your seeming inability to make Viserys relax To see what truly was making him feel more distant… not physically, but emotionally. Ever since he planned that trip back to Dragonstone. "It is not what you think… It's more personal than that."
"Is there a problem?" She asked.
More than you know. But you kept those thoughts to yourself. "I fear as though Viserys is…" The thoughts were there, the words were not.
But it might be best to stretch the truth. "We are just wishing to spice up the bed-chamber activities so to speak. Viserys has always been… exotic in the way he conducts royal business." The euphemism was not lost on Tyene who just crocked an eyebrow. "He's used to… tricks, flexibility."
"Whores." She stated without hesitation. "Viserys is used to unmarried women, or whores when he fucks then?"
Blunt as always. "Yes, He has only slept with Whores, sex slaves, or unmarried women. He doesn't feel comfortable… or rather, he is far too comfortable."
"Whatever do you mean?" Tyene was now understanding. "Is this really about Viserys, or is it about you and how comfortable you are with him?"
You took a deep breath and shook your head. "Is it wrong that I don't fully trust him, even after all this time, and all he has given me, and I, him, in bed? Even though I love him."
"Have you tried talking to him?" your cousin replied. "That could help?"
"I haven't had the time?" YOu replied. "He never seems to have the time either. The Realm weighs heavily upon his shoulders.
"Make the time, and if you still don't feel comfortable, do not hesitate to ask," Tyene replied, giving you a hug, unprompted. "We'll all be there to help you. And maybe then, it won't be necessary."
You hugged her back. "Thank you."
AN: Enjoy @Marlowe310811
I have removed all the sexy subtext and just went straight for the emotions.
edit: I would think that, due to Viserys... moods and his sometimes inability to be open and honest with his feelings, especially to those he loves, he sometimes keeps secrets.
and with him being in a very... precarious position, in realm standing, financial and political power, he'd be under a bit of pressure.
And also, I think that would happen, considering how the two fell in love, and... well got married in less then three months. Perhaps all the lingering issues got sidelined for politics.
And only now can they start hammering them out.
(Arianne POV)
You sighed and felt a weariness in your heart that you had not felt in a long time, an emptiness that had been too long consumed by the passion and love for your beloved husband. It was like a dream that you had been having for such a long time, not quietly coming to an end as the reality came fully crashing down, and the weight of your choices realized.
Like your two children keeping you up at night while Viserys was away and you are desperately trying to deal with the both of them before you stumble to exhaustion.
How you wished your uncle was here, he was always such a treat to have when it came to handling children, his skills and advice on handling your… hellions of twins were enough to save you and your husband many a night of lost sleep.
But on the other hand, with your uncle off on another adventure, this time with your foolish and daring husband dragging him along, you had to deal with the… still helpful but not as experienced Sand Snakes.
A blessing and a curse.
A Blessing, that you also did not need to keep a full time babysitter and wet nurse around to care for the two infants, and you could keep your family close in raising the twins.
The curse… was… well… the past. Obara, Tyene, and their sisters had… Well, they taught you things about yourself a long time ago, when you became a beautiful young woman that many call Elia come again.
In that time, when your father and uncle planned and adventured or ruled, when you were not training to become the princess of Dorne or the future Queen of the Seven kingdoms…
They taught you about sex. Particularly foreplay, how to pleasure a man or a woman with your mouth, your movements, and… everything at your disposal.
Obara related it to a weapon. Your body, every curve, every freckle, every eyelash was a weapon to ensnare a man and get him to do what you wish. Seduction is at its most basic form a physical ensnarement, with your body as the trap.
That was how they viewed it anyway. Oberyn had taught them that way to protect them from… the unsavory sort. Even when they learned weapons and skills. He viewed sex as power, a weapon to protect themselves, like any other blade.
You of course viewed it differently. A man, especially Viserys was not interested in physical beauty. He was interested in the mind, the conversation, the wit, even the way you stood. In many ways, you fell head over heels for him when he waltzed into that Palace in Volantis, scarred from battle, the swagger in his step, even the way he calmly spoke.
How he danced… how he kissed you, how surprised he was when you decided to do a little trick that those-
You were getting ahead of yourself.
Thankfully, Tyene was the only one who had been excited to be your assistant to the royal duo that were your children and had finally placed Aemon into his crib, next to his sister when you finally spoke. "Tyene." She turned to face you, eyes curious. "Thank you for coming."
"I live to serve my queen?" She said with a small tilt of her head. "Besides, I love to see my little niece and nephew."
Memories flooded back, of a time before Tyene went to help her stepmother… Eliria with raising the four youngest of Oberyn's daughters, and acting as an informant to her father in Oberyn's whereabouts. "Do you remember when we were little, and the Water Gardens were so full of life in our youth when were?"
Tyene smiled the memory coming back to her, a smile on her face. "I remember. I remember you stole dye and tried to make my hair black as yours? So we could switch places when you didn't want to meet one of your Father's Bannermen? Vaith was it?"
"No Jourdan." You replied. "How we stole the wine and rode to Plankytown, hid in the brothel." Your face turned a shade of scarlet. How dare your emotions to act so carelessly. "Wondered aloud if we'd meet another one of your father's daughters?"
That earned a laugh. "Not in Plankytown I fear… you know how uncle is about Oberyn's ways so close to home. There would have been more scandal than he could bear."
You shook your head. "Oberyn wouldn't care. He would just be happy, and care for her as he did with every one of your sisters."
Tyene snorted and laughed. "I seem to remember we drank the wine and kissed? Or am I misremembering?"
You both did more than kiss. By the gods, what didn't you two did that night? Her sisters teased you relentlessly… but never told your father about the escapade. Even though he had… knowing looks.
"We got back and pretended to be at the Water Gardens for than entire evening." You said with a smile.
You needed to be forthright with her. Being honest was always the policy you had in the bed-chamber, even with Viserys never… being completely honest with his feelings. Or his thoughts… or troubles.
And you were safe… Gods you were safe, your children were safe. Your family was all safe and avenged. You just wished he could talk to you like he had those nights, without any pressure or weight of the world seemingly on his shoulders!
But another time you would talk to him. Now was the time for something happy to occur… or at least think about.
"Tyene… There is something important I want to tell you." You stated, seriously, and firmly as befitting a queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
Tyene's eyes slowly became like her father's, narrowed like a vipers, caught entirely into your gaze. "What is it?" She replied, before looking to the walls, trying to hear if any of her sisters were listening.
"Would you like to join Viserys and I in bed?" You asked, taking any formality out of the statement.
"What?" She seemed confused at the statement. Completely and utterly. "I? Arianne, what has brought this on?"
Secrets mostly. And your seeming inability to make Viserys relax To see what truly was making him feel more distant… not physically, but emotionally. Ever since he planned that trip back to Dragonstone. "It is not what you think… It's more personal than that."
"Is there a problem?" She asked.
More than you know. But you kept those thoughts to yourself. "I fear as though Viserys is…" The thoughts were there, the words were not.
But it might be best to stretch the truth. "We are just wishing to spice up the bed-chamber activities so to speak. Viserys has always been… exotic in the way he conducts royal business." The euphemism was not lost on Tyene who just crocked an eyebrow. "He's used to… tricks, flexibility."
"Whores." She stated without hesitation. "Viserys is used to unmarried women, or whores when he fucks then?"
Blunt as always. "Yes, He has only slept with Whores, sex slaves, or unmarried women. He doesn't feel comfortable… or rather, he is far too comfortable."
"Whatever do you mean?" Tyene was now understanding. "Is this really about Viserys, or is it about you and how comfortable you are with him?"
You took a deep breath and shook your head. "Is it wrong that I don't fully trust him, even after all this time, and all he has given me, and I, him, in bed? Even though I love him."
"Have you tried talking to him?" your cousin replied. "That could help?"
"I haven't had the time?" YOu replied. "He never seems to have the time either. The Realm weighs heavily upon his shoulders.
"Make the time, and if you still don't feel comfortable, do not hesitate to ask," Tyene replied, giving you a hug, unprompted. "We'll all be there to help you. And maybe then, it won't be necessary."
You hugged her back. "Thank you."
AN: Enjoy @Marlowe310811
I have removed all the sexy subtext and just went straight for the emotions.
edit: I would think that, due to Viserys... moods and his sometimes inability to be open and honest with his feelings, especially to those he loves, he sometimes keeps secrets.
and with him being in a very... precarious position, in realm standing, financial and political power, he'd be under a bit of pressure.
And also, I think that would happen, considering how the two fell in love, and... well got married in less then three months. Perhaps all the lingering issues got sidelined for politics.
And only now can they start hammering them out.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Tagging as non-canon, in large part because a narratively big decision like opening up their marriage is one that will be subject to debate and vote. But I certainly don't mind it as a "could go down this way" peek at things.
Meanwhile, the result has remained consistent, so away to update-slogging I go!
Last edited:
Magoose
SV's Questing Fanatic
- Location
- California USA
- Pronouns
- He
Fair enough, I just wanted to write down a potential reason for such a thing to happen.
[X] "Mornings are for coffee and contemplation." Historically you do your best thinking on your own (okay, and your most reckless, too, but even that usually works our in your favour). And, you want to take that talking raven's words, about being careful who you trust, to heart. You'll puzzle over things and chew on this, and your bacon, alone.
At the end of the day, the buck (or gold dragon) stops with Viserys. Let's have him chew on this a bit by himself for a while. Nothing says we can't tell whoever we want later, but for now let's keep it to ourselves. We may yet have more dreams that elucidate a bit further.
At the end of the day, the buck (or gold dragon) stops with Viserys. Let's have him chew on this a bit by himself for a while. Nothing says we can't tell whoever we want later, but for now let's keep it to ourselves. We may yet have more dreams that elucidate a bit further.
Canon Omake: A Dream of the Sea
Magoose
SV's Questing Fanatic
- Location
- California USA
- Pronouns
- He
A Dream of the Sea:
(Aurane Waters POV)
You looked at the great maps of the known world and tried your best to fathom it. These maps were old, dating back to the Sea Snakes Voyages themselves, drawn by the Great Navigator during his many missions and adventures across the known World, From Westeros' great Northern Lands Beyond the Wall, to the Smoking Sea's Edges… To Yi Ti itself.
Those voyages had made House Valyreon one of the richest and most powerful families in all of Westeros, and one of the most prestigious houses worth the name.
But that was the greatest accomplishment in the last 200 years that your family had taken part in. Yes there were Dragon Riders in the Dance. But they were all dead. And with the Dance, so were any chances of continued Success from great Voyages of discovery, trade and profit.
The Sea Snake was Dead. And while there was continued progress with the Oakenfist during the conquest of Dorne, and the Blackfyre rebellions. No Valyreon would ever rise to such heights again. Never in wealth, power, control of the seas.
House Valyreon, for a lack of a better word, was forgotten, her time in the sun brief, and bright, but it dimmed just the same.
But for you, you desired more. Not a crown, you did not wish to sail to the step stones with a hired fleet and become a Pirate King, as you once joked with Viserys and Alyn that you would do when Alyn was of age to take care of Monterys. You had another dream.
A Dream to make your ancestors of the Sea Proud.
The Sea Snake was many things, an able seaman, a hero, a merchant and adventurer without peer. But you were one person that he wasn't. A Bastard with a chip on his shoulder, willing to risk it all in a few, desperate, insane gambles for fun, and profit.
You had been planning to recreate some of his voyages. Taking a fleet of ships that were still in Driftmark that were owned by your family that survived the Screams, the wars, and would not be missed by Lords Stannis and Harrlow. You had plenty of those in spades, and with crews that remembered their rescue and command during those dark days before you met Viserys and paid him Homage.
They would follow you into the Doom with a smile on their face, you were certain of that.
But it would require one more thing.
One thing you loathed to do, after so much… horror.
Alyn. "You can't leave." He said.
"I'm not leaving yet, but when you are of age." You replied. "You can be Lord Protector for Monterys, and you will be a far better one than I." You were trying your very best to not sound like doing this hurt you. Alyn was many things. But a fool who would listen to his elders was not one of them, even when it was you, the only brother he ever had. "The Lord's of Westeros respect trueblood, and true born, not basterds." You paused. "Not me."
"They respect you. You have the King's ear, and he adores your wit more than the flattery and the prancing that the other nobles lack." Alyn replied as he folded his arms. "They don't respect me."
"They will." You replied.
"Not like you." He replied.
Alyn… he was really living up to his name's sake. "You see these maps?" You asked.
"Yes, and they don't matter." Alyn replied. "Chasing past glories won't father back. It won't bring anyone back." He paused, and realized what he was saying. "I don't want to lose anyone else." Illic purple eyes looked back. "Especially you."
How you wished you didn't have a heart for your younger brother and cousin. Where you didn't care and didn't need to care for them.
It was quiet for a moment, before you realized Alyn was hugging you. "Don't make plans to leave when we still need you."
You made him let go and crouched down to his height. "I wouldn't leave if I thought you couldn't handle it. You are far stronger than I am Alyn… you just need to realize it. And take that chance so you can protect Monterys...and be a man. Find someone you love. Protect our family. I have done that. Now it's your turn."
Tears streamed down his face. "I'm not ready."
"You will be." You replied with a smile. "Not yet, but soon."
You would stay, you wouldn't leave them when they were both still so young, even if they were not naive to the world and it's horrors and genocide. But with news that King was coming to Dragonstone, you could see if he would agree to your plans.
After all, the King had ambitions and interests in the East. He may need a skilled Captain.
And you had his ear… however faint it is.
You may be a Water, but you were also a Sea Dragon. Your heart belonged to the Sea.
AN: hey @Marlowe310811 I have finally gotten that new Omake I told you about.
More House Valyreon Fluff!
(Aurane Waters POV)
You looked at the great maps of the known world and tried your best to fathom it. These maps were old, dating back to the Sea Snakes Voyages themselves, drawn by the Great Navigator during his many missions and adventures across the known World, From Westeros' great Northern Lands Beyond the Wall, to the Smoking Sea's Edges… To Yi Ti itself.
Those voyages had made House Valyreon one of the richest and most powerful families in all of Westeros, and one of the most prestigious houses worth the name.
But that was the greatest accomplishment in the last 200 years that your family had taken part in. Yes there were Dragon Riders in the Dance. But they were all dead. And with the Dance, so were any chances of continued Success from great Voyages of discovery, trade and profit.
The Sea Snake was Dead. And while there was continued progress with the Oakenfist during the conquest of Dorne, and the Blackfyre rebellions. No Valyreon would ever rise to such heights again. Never in wealth, power, control of the seas.
House Valyreon, for a lack of a better word, was forgotten, her time in the sun brief, and bright, but it dimmed just the same.
But for you, you desired more. Not a crown, you did not wish to sail to the step stones with a hired fleet and become a Pirate King, as you once joked with Viserys and Alyn that you would do when Alyn was of age to take care of Monterys. You had another dream.
A Dream to make your ancestors of the Sea Proud.
The Sea Snake was many things, an able seaman, a hero, a merchant and adventurer without peer. But you were one person that he wasn't. A Bastard with a chip on his shoulder, willing to risk it all in a few, desperate, insane gambles for fun, and profit.
You had been planning to recreate some of his voyages. Taking a fleet of ships that were still in Driftmark that were owned by your family that survived the Screams, the wars, and would not be missed by Lords Stannis and Harrlow. You had plenty of those in spades, and with crews that remembered their rescue and command during those dark days before you met Viserys and paid him Homage.
They would follow you into the Doom with a smile on their face, you were certain of that.
But it would require one more thing.
One thing you loathed to do, after so much… horror.
Alyn. "You can't leave." He said.
"I'm not leaving yet, but when you are of age." You replied. "You can be Lord Protector for Monterys, and you will be a far better one than I." You were trying your very best to not sound like doing this hurt you. Alyn was many things. But a fool who would listen to his elders was not one of them, even when it was you, the only brother he ever had. "The Lord's of Westeros respect trueblood, and true born, not basterds." You paused. "Not me."
"They respect you. You have the King's ear, and he adores your wit more than the flattery and the prancing that the other nobles lack." Alyn replied as he folded his arms. "They don't respect me."
"They will." You replied.
"Not like you." He replied.
Alyn… he was really living up to his name's sake. "You see these maps?" You asked.
"Yes, and they don't matter." Alyn replied. "Chasing past glories won't father back. It won't bring anyone back." He paused, and realized what he was saying. "I don't want to lose anyone else." Illic purple eyes looked back. "Especially you."
How you wished you didn't have a heart for your younger brother and cousin. Where you didn't care and didn't need to care for them.
It was quiet for a moment, before you realized Alyn was hugging you. "Don't make plans to leave when we still need you."
You made him let go and crouched down to his height. "I wouldn't leave if I thought you couldn't handle it. You are far stronger than I am Alyn… you just need to realize it. And take that chance so you can protect Monterys...and be a man. Find someone you love. Protect our family. I have done that. Now it's your turn."
Tears streamed down his face. "I'm not ready."
"You will be." You replied with a smile. "Not yet, but soon."
You would stay, you wouldn't leave them when they were both still so young, even if they were not naive to the world and it's horrors and genocide. But with news that King was coming to Dragonstone, you could see if he would agree to your plans.
After all, the King had ambitions and interests in the East. He may need a skilled Captain.
And you had his ear… however faint it is.
You may be a Water, but you were also a Sea Dragon. Your heart belonged to the Sea.
AN: hey @Marlowe310811 I have finally gotten that new Omake I told you about.
More House Valyreon Fluff!
Blood of the Dragon, Part IV
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Is it November?
This quite evidently fought with me for some time, only getting bits and pieces done over weeks, rather than entire scenes in a few days, like I'm used to. I don't care for it. Apparently the muse is holding out for higher wages and healthcare. Which it obviously deserves.
This quite evidently fought with me for some time, only getting bits and pieces done over weeks, rather than entire scenes in a few days, like I'm used to. I don't care for it. Apparently the muse is holding out for higher wages and healthcare. Which it obviously deserves.
[X] "I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." You have made a habit of surrounding yourself with the best and the brightest (and Asher) and any one of them on the ship with you could offer insights and perspective you would not find on your own. [Pick 1-3 of the options below, listed in order of likelihood you would trust them with this.]
-[X] Dany
-[X] Oberyn
You finish relating the details of your strange dream to your sister and goodbrother. Ever the soul of honesty in your presence, Dany does nothing to disguise her discomfort or concern. For his part, Oberyn seems pensive, carefully looking into his cup of wine, as if an answer is to be found there. If you didn't know him as well as you do, you'd miss the tightening of muscles along his jaw and the shadow that falls over his eyes. It occurs to you, then, that you might not be the first Targaryen to talk about troubling dreams with him, and that it might be an unpleasant reminder of times past.
Doing your best to move past it, you chew on a bit of food before speaking again. "Have either of you insights you care to offer? Further questions about what I remember?" You pause. "…witty remarks that I can steal and later pass off as my own?"
The gambit works, as Oberyn lets slip an undignified snort, and his melancholy is interrupted. "The amount of work it would take to craft any gift of wit I offered you into something that could pass for your own words, Viserys," he sets his cup down, having not pulled from it, "you may as well think them up yourself in the first place."
"Quite right," you agree. "Why struggle to polish up a Dornish wit when my own would surely suffice?"
The Master of Whispers, feeling perhaps too cozy in a room that is just you and your sister, offers a brazenly rude gesture without even looking your way.
"Are there any houses besides ours," Dany begins, apparently tiring of her elders' shenanigans, "lesser or extinct, that feature dragons besides the Blackfyres?"
"The Houses Vance in the Riverlands," you offer, "one green, one black, for who their branch backed in the Dance. Toland has a green dragon, as well."
Oberyn scratches at his chin in thought. "The Willums have a dragonbone skeleton in their arms. If you count wyverns in the mix, House Vyrwel has a silver one."
Dany's eyes pass between you both. "None with a white dragon?"
There are none that you can recall, but as you're about to say this, Oberyn draws a sharp breath. "One did." He reaches for his cup. "The Bloodraven used a white dragon as his personal arms."
Your sister fixes him with a sceptical look. "Brynden Rivers was already an old man when he went North with Uncle Aemon, and he died somewhere beyond the Wall long before our grandfather was king, Oberyn. I don't think he's a good candidate for the white dragon Viserys saw."
Oberyn doesn't flinch. "If there were any man for whom I would need to see the body before me, cold and unmoving, in order to comfortably say he's dead, it would be him." He takes a long drink before he speaks again. "Mother would tell us stories about him; that he was rumoured to be a powerful dark sorcerer, that he and his paramour Shiera Seastar could listen through the ears of a pitcher to hear your softest whispers, that he could change his face like his clothes and slip into carrion crows to steal secrets from the dead. I know," he waves his hand, "I know, better than most given my position, that rumours are wild and untrustworthy things. But if even a single grain of truth resided in those rumours…" He visibly shivers. "I thank the Seven that the Usurper never had a man like that at his side."
It would have been such a welcome challenge, though, you wistfully think to yourself. What you say aloud is, "Even if they were both powerful sorcerers, they both are long since dead."
Your Master of Whispers bobs his head left and right, neither concession nor challenge. "Maybe so. But can we say for certain that the white dragon doesn't linger still?"
You can't help the confused frown that creeps across your brow. "They never had any children."
"That they announced or acknowledged," Oberyn retorts. "But they would know intimately how much chaos bastards of the royal blood could cause, the sword that hangs over the head of a Targaryen bastard from birth. Bloodraven especially; he killed Seven only know how many of them 'for the good of the realm'. If they had any offspring, it's a sure bet they would not have made it widely known, if anyone knew at all."
…now that's a thought that will fester.
"Did you recognise anything of where you were?" Dany asks, moving on. "Any hints of familiarity?"
You begin to shake your head, but pause. "…I didn't recognise anything, exactly. But there was something familiar about the place, inside and out." You shrug. "In my defense, I was a bit distracted by the dead and the dying and the chanting voices I couldn't see."
"Were they anything you recognised?" Oberyn asks.
This time you do shake your head. "One was disfigured beyond recognition save once being a woman, and the other was too far away and killed too quickly for me to catch anything."
He gives a small, mirthless laugh. "Your forgiveness, Your Grace, I didn't mean the bodies. I meant the voices, the words you heard. Did you catch any of them?"
"A couple, none that made any sense." You repeat the phrases you heard, and you're sure you don't imagine the shudders both your companions experience as you speak.
The Master of Whispers looks a bit sheepish as he says, "I confess my High Valyrian is weakest of the tongues I speak. Did you understand what was being said, well enough to put it in Common?"
"The first was hard to hear, but the last one I heard the clearest. What they first said was something like, 'Praises ever to the Wood Lord'. I think." Again, a shrug escapes you. "There was a lot going on."
Oberyn scratches at his head a moment. "Something in that feels familiar, but I cannot put a name to it now. With your pardon, I'll think on it," he taps at his temple with a wry smile, "try to see if something shakes loose from these aging brains over the next two days."
"Of course."
Dany shuffles in her seat a bit, then leans forward. "What did you hear the clearest?" She probes.
"And He shall put on the shape of men," you recite, "the mask and the clothes that conceal."
You tell yourself the cold chill that crawls across your shoulders is just your imagination, your unpaid due for your restless night. And you deliberately ignore the sharp look that Dany gives you as your gaze returns to Oberyn.
"That sounds rather like the House of Black and White, doesn't it?" You ask him.
He nods, but doesn't look convinced. "It sounds like deception, yes, but not that which is performed by humans … more like something pretending to be human. Something that wouldn't look it without concealment. That doesn't sound like the Faceless Men to me."
"It would take more than a mask and clothes to disguise the thing I saw as human," you say, "but if you think the Faceless Men are an unlikely candidate, by all means scratch them from the list of plausible suspects."
Oberyn's mouth twists. "It would be a mistake to discount them altogether, I think … but moving them to the bottom, that I would be comfortable with." A thought seems to pass through his mind at that moment, as his attention shifts. "With your permission, I would send a raven to my eldest daughters. Not of any particulars, but general guidance."
You arch an eyebrow, but nod your permission.
Dany is less silent about her uncertainty. "Why would they need to hear from you so soon after leaving, if not about those particulars?"
It's subtle, but you see what looks like some colour flee from Oberyn's cheeks as he explains, "Because they grew up with Asha Greyjoy, and if there's any reason to suspect snakes and squid could be in some coming peril…"
"I see."
You give him another nod. "Do think on that passing sense of the familiar from before, as well. But after writing them."
"I shall. If there is nothing else Your Grace desires to share or requires of me?" Oberyn says, clearly a formality as he is already rising to his feet. You feel eyes other than his settle onto you.
"Nothing else," you echo as you keep your focus on him. He nods to you, and is out the door in moments.
You let out a small sigh, embrace the inevitable, and turn to meet Dany's iron gaze.
"Something vexes you?" You ask mildly.
"You didn't translate the middle phrase for him."
No, you did not. "I thought if he didn't catch it right off, better not to worry him. He's already paranoid enough that he imagines Bloodraven crossing the divide and intruding on our lives, the last thing he needed to hear was praise given to 'The Black Beast with a Thousand Children'," you say. There's no reason to delude yourself about the reasons for this shudder when it passes up your spine; there's precious few metaphorical black beasts you can think of beyond your lost relatives in House Blackfyre … and a Thousand Children from them would truly deserve to be the stuff of nightmares. Yes, you'd watched the beast consume them almost as fast as they spawned, an apt metaphor for the cursed line if ever there was one, but plenty more slipped away beyond your vision.
"Your Grace's pardon," and there isn't even so much as the pretense of earnestness in her voice as she asks for it, "but I understood it to be Oberyn's job to worry."
Her smile slides a little as you stare evenly back at her. You know she isn't trying to rouse your ire, and you know she's fast becoming one of the smartest people in Westeros, but intent has a troubled relationship with result, and there remains plenty she does not know, or instinctively think of.
And that's the thing, here. She doesn't know. You let out a long, slow sigh. "You've only heard stories, things whispered when people think we can't hear, or dragged out of those who would rather forget. Even I don't know everything about this --" and you falter when her composure slips and her eyebrows do their best to climb into her hair. "Yes, I can say those words, and mean them, too," you give her a wry grin, "try not to die of shock."
Dany smiles back, and she relaxes a little even as the unintended levity of the moment fades and you continue. "Our mother and brother did their best to keep me above it, but you might as well try to hold back the Blackwater with only your hands." The memories are few, hazy and unfocused, but you still saw it. "I have some small idea of what happens when a king and a spymaster feed one another's paranoia," and you can see the moment comprehension dawns on her. "It's a mistake I won't repeat."
"You can't let the things that happened before I was born," and how had you never noticed before her mmanner of talking around your father's name, even the word itself? you wonder, "influence how you act now."
You shake your head. "How can I not? The Great Houses, the Small Council, the Faith and the Citadel all remember those days. If I start to jump at shadows and send the Master of Whispers looking for traitors, real or imagined, how fast will they start to expect burnings and worse to follow? No," you frown, "I'll need grounds more relative than one cryptic dream before I even chance opening that door."
Dany gives you a slow nod. "I can't claim to agree with your decision, but I do understand it."
You appreciate that, and say in turn, "While it will still inform my thoughts and actions for some time, I understand your point that I should not forever be paralysed by the past." A thought occurs to you. "It could be that what I saw was the past, you know. A red dragon and a white one, doing battle with a black beast spawning wildly while the world around them burns."
"Do you truly believe that, brother," Dany says, with the dangerous combination of a warm and compassionate voice and a piercing gaze of unyielding force that you find oddly familiar, "or do you wish you believed that?"
It's a rare experience for you, to open your mouth only to find nothing will leave it. You close it, giving her only a very small, impotent scowl.
Dany is nothing if not graceful in her little victories; she doesn't make you say it aloud, though she clearly can read from your face that you concede the point. She sighs, takes Oberyn's cup, and finishes what's in it before she pours a bit more for herself and for you. "I think we can talk of other things for now, unless there remains something you wanted to focus on?"
There's a tickle at the back of your head, like there should be something occurring to you. The best you can come up with is, "You'd rather spend time with me than Willas?"
The smile Dany gives you is one that would not look out of place on Arianne or one of her cousins. "There's a Dornish expression about absence and fondness whose particulars escape me. Besides, I like him well enough, but I don't want him to think I'm desperate for his company."
"There are worse things you could do than keep your company as an uncommon delicacy," you offer mildly.
"Like assign a Kingsguard to play mother hen to my every moment?"
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."
Dinner this night progresses as a more sedate affair, though it doesn't escape your notice that Oberyn is watching you like a hawk. Talk amongst the group is calmer, focusing for most of the time on talk of mummers' dramas that the Velaryons found amongst the late Lord Monford's writings and possessions. It seems he had been collecting scripts from Essos and begun working on one of his own, a retelling of Orys Baratheon's story. Aurane Waters has little interest or passion for the stuff, but he has been quietly passing it around some circles after learning the young Velaryons want to see it completed and staged.
Neither you nor Dany has seen it, probably out of an abundance of caution on the part of its proponents, but Oberyn and Ser Barristan have at least heard about it, and the Grand Maester speaks well of it; he hopes the Lord Protector is able to find someone willing to complete the work. Willas engages politely, but seems distant; you'd consider it rude if you didn't think it likely he is still mulling over last night's conversation.
You might have known better than to hope the calm would keep, though; you are a Targaryen, and the curse "may you live in interesting times" has followed your family with eagerness for centuries.
It starts when the discussion shifts somewhat to the history of Orys Baratheon; no one at your table seems to doubt that he was Aegon's baseborn brother, though it is at least tacitly spoken around. His conduct as Hand of the King, and as a warrior in the Conquest before that, is well-known if somewhat controversial. Then his relationship with his unspoken half-siblings arises as a topic.
"Orys was very fond of Rhaenys," the Grand Maester says casually, "much more so than Visenya. Oh, they understood each other well enough, respected each other as warriors, but they never campaigned together. He took the Stormlands at Rhaenys' side, after all."
"You think that had more to do with preference than simple tactics, Grand Maester?" Willas asks, leaning in with curiosity.
"I would hesitate to say 'preference', my friend," Jace responds, "I don't see anything that suggests he desired her as Aegon did. But as a companion, a friend, I think Orys liked Rhaenys as much as Aegon liked Orys. Had things with Dorne gone differently, I imagine the two of them would have helped Aenys be better prepared to become king."
You spare a quick glance to Oberyn, who doesn't seem troubled by the mention of the old wounds betwixt the Crown and the southernmost kingdom, before you ask your own question. "You don't think a better relationship with Visenya could have made a difference?"
Jace shakes his head. "If anything, I think Visenya and Maegor rather put the young prince off the idea of fear and force as methods of control altogether. Not that his parents were free of brutal impulse, by any means, but I'm sometimes left with the impression that Visenya's line revelled in it, instead of viewing it as a weapon pointed at both ends, to be used sparingly if at all."
"One almost pities Visenya," Dany says. "So much family around her, but none caring for her, save Maegor."
Oberyn muses, "I don't know that Maegor cared for anyone but himself," taking a drink of wine before speaking again. "I would easier believe he mourned the loss of his most strident and dangerous supporter than the loss of his mother."
"What do you think of Visenya, Your Grace?" Willas asks her, looking more attentive to Dany's response than usual.
She shrugs. "I don't think much on her, to be honest with you, my lord. Not much beyond a lesson in the long-term perils of being alienated from your family."
"No interest in emulating qualities of hers, Your Grace?" Jace asks with a casual tone but watchful gaze that, for an uncomfortable moment, reminds you of Varys' days at your father's side.
"Aside from being protective of her child, I struggle to imagine what qualities she had worthy of emulation." Dany answers slowly, evidently (to you, anyway) thinking it through as she speaks.
To your surprise, it's Willas who speaks up in the late queen's defence. "She did have a great deal of influence on the laws of the realm and its governing in the years before the Small Council. She crafted the Kingsguard, began building the Red Keep … she certainly had the king's confidence, if not his affections, for how much he left matters in her care. An argument could be made that she had more lasting impact on Westeros than Rhaenys did."
Oberyn counters, "It's an argument that falls somewhat flat considering whose descendants are in the room. Rhaenys had her own influences on laws and governance, after all, and she arranged more marriages throughout the Seven Kingdoms than her sister ever did … especially if you discount the marriages Visenya arranged for her son," he adds with a smirk.
It's apparently a night for wonders, because Allard Seaworth says something and you don't find yourself wanting to injure him afterwards: "My father didn't know a great deal about the Conquerors, but he did know that Queen Rhaenys cared about the smallfolk and worked to endear the Iron Throne to them. And," he adds, "that Visenya and Maegor undid all of it in just six years and left wounds that even the Conciliator could not fully heal. It's a lesson, he said, that the evil men do lives after them; the good often dies with them."
"That's quite good," the Grand Maester says thoughtfully. "Your father must have a gift with words."
"Grand Maester, no one would be more surprised to hear that said of my father than he," Allard smiles.
"Rhaenys was also given to the arts in ways Visenya never was," Jace comments as his attention returns to Dany, "much like you, Your Grace. Considering that, do you think you would more easily fit Rhaenys' mold than Visenya's?"
"Need I fit into either?" Dany asks. It's subtle, missed by most at the table, but you catch a hint of heat in the question.
From the looks of it, the Grand Maester does as well, for he replies in a placating tone, "Comparisons will inevitably be drawn, Your Grace, given that three Targaryen dragonriders brought Westeros under their rule once more. It is something to at least consider."
"One would hope that some distinction could be made," Dany responds, though with less heat than previously.
"Well, for one thing," you intercede, "Prince Aegon hasn't the figure for a dress, so the comparisons shouldn't go too far."
The round of chuckles diffuses the tension, thankfully, and conversation moves on, but you can see on Dany's face that she'll be thinking about this for some time. Perhaps it's only fitting, you think; poor Willas had a lot to ponder after last night, now it's come her turn.
You try not to think too hard about who might be next.
As the evening winds down, you find yourself desiring of companionship once more. Currently, you believe, Ser Asher is abed after his time on duty, and Dany ended dinner chewing on her thoughts more than any food left to her, so while you'd be well within your rights as their king, as their travel companion you don't wish to impose on either of them tonight.
You open the door to your quarters, and Ser Barristan is on shift this evening, awaiting your command.
You'd like to meet with one of your companions tonight. Who is it?
[ ] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
[ ] Oberyn. The Red Viper has seemed a little more ornery of late. Maybe an evening to unwind is what he (and you) could use … and you could get to the cause, if Oberyn knows of it. He also might have gained further thoughts and insights, though it is still rather soon…
[ ] Willas. The Heir of Highgarden is a man of whom you know little. He seems interested in Dany, though, and he has made a good showing for himself thus far, so maybe you should start to know him better?
[ ] Barristan. The Lord Commander will likely take some persuading to absent himself from duty, but the old knight is a font of knowledge and of insight, if he can be coaxed into offering it.
[x] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
[ ] Oberyn. The Red Viper has seemed a little more ornery of late. Maybe an evening to unwind is what he (and you) could use … and you could get to the cause, if Oberyn knows of it. He also might have gained further thoughts and insights, though it is still rather soon…
Torn Between these two. Oberyn because he's just plain important and Jacaerys because MAGIC
Edit: Never mind, made my decision.
[ ] Oberyn. The Red Viper has seemed a little more ornery of late. Maybe an evening to unwind is what he (and you) could use … and you could get to the cause, if Oberyn knows of it. He also might have gained further thoughts and insights, though it is still rather soon…
Torn Between these two. Oberyn because he's just plain important and Jacaerys because MAGIC
Edit: Never mind, made my decision.
Last edited:
Jacaerys or Willas, Oberyn needs more time to think.
[X] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
[X] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
- Location
- California,USA
[X] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
- Location
- leiden (NL)
[X] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
[X] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
At the very least we should get the magic training going. Maybe once we get the basics down, it'll look less obvious that we're doing magic and we can just practice in a regular closed off room rather than in a totally isolated environment?
At the very least we should get the magic training going. Maybe once we get the basics down, it'll look less obvious that we're doing magic and we can just practice in a regular closed off room rather than in a totally isolated environment?
[X] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I don't foresee a dramatic swing in another direction, but nonetheless I'll be calling the vote in 12 hours.
As always, speculations and observations are welcomed (and help fuel the writing process, tbh).
Magoose
SV's Questing Fanatic
- Location
- California USA
- Pronouns
- He
So uh, sorry to ask, but how was my latest omake?
I don't foresee a dramatic swing in another direction, but nonetheless I'll be calling the vote in 12 hours.
As always, speculations and observations are welcomed (and help fuel the writing process, tbh).
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Slippery enough that it snuck right past my recollection that I hadn't tagged it as canon.
Canon, but considering the subject I'm gonna do something different -- the DC and material cost of Fools' Errands are reduced by 15 and 15,000, respectively, with Aurane Waters volunteering to lead any such expedition (and hey, that also retroactively fits really well with the play cropping up, as him looking to tie up loose ends before he heads out).
Magoose
SV's Questing Fanatic
- Location
- California USA
- Pronouns
- He
YAY!
So Aurane Waters is now the Biggest Chad of Driftmark? with balls of steel?
More likely than you think.
Well, I shall say this if he gets big wins on his action to travel the world... I will write more omakes detailing his adventures.
And Aurane Waters Adventure Capitalist is far to funny to pass up.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Filling out the edges of the map alone could see him granted his own name and title.
Aurane Farwaters, first of the Navigators of the Sunset Seas, would be a hell of a mark to leave.
Magoose
SV's Questing Fanatic
- Location
- California USA
- Pronouns
- He
I mean, lets be honest here, if he finds Westeros America here, I will shit bricks.
And it would get the Valyreon's back into their rightful place as the Targaryen's Shipmasters, and masters of the Narrow Sea.
Vote closed
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Blood of the Dragon, Part V
- Pronouns
- She/Her
of course this one flows like bloody wine. where's this easiness when it comes to working at the other updates?
Many thanks to @Vocalist, from whom the magic terminology and mechanics are borrowed.
Many thanks to @Vocalist, from whom the magic terminology and mechanics are borrowed.
[ ] Jacaerys. The Grand Maester has been meaning to teach you about the higher mysteries. There is much to learn, and he has intimated that the privacy of a ship is well-suited for the beginnings of such an endeavour.
Without issue, Ser Barristan quickly retrieves Grand Maester Jacaerys, and you step aside to allow the old man to pass you. You thank the Lord Commander, and ask him to remain but at a slight distance, for your privacy. Before you close the door, you see him take a couple steps so that he isn't standing right before the door, but he could enter in moments if called, and still close enough that nobody could pass him without a struggle.
You turn, and are greeted with the bemusing sight of the Grand Maester, one of the most respected and influential men in the Seven Kingdoms, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He gestures in front of him and says, "If it please you, Your Grace, I find this to be far more effective than sitting at a table or attempting to stand for the duration."
You sit, as comfortably as you can manage, on the floor with the Grand Maester. The ship does not rock exceedingly, but you can feel the rhythmic shift in it back and forth, and the only cushion either of you uses is that which is bestowed upon you naturally. You think to yourself, When was the last time a Grand Maester or a King did this? A small part of you is greatly amused by the idea that you could ever have done this with Pycelle, or that he would have given up the pretense of 'frail old man' for this.
"First, I believe we should dispense with some mistakes and foolishness," Jace says to you. "To call what we study and practice "the higher mysteries" is a dismissive act by the more literal-minded of the Citadel, a convenient heading under which they can simply stuff anything they cannot rationalise or easily explain. Magic is the more honest name for what we do."
"Honest or no, it's a term avoided for good reason," you argue. Sorcery and witchcraft hold heavy cultural baggage in Westeros, and anything not explicitly sanctioned and performed by the Faith tends to make the Faithful uncomfortable. Gods above, even you aren't entirely immune; the idea of bleeding people to death to feed a weirwood's roots and hanging their entrails from its branches makes you squirm.
"In dealing with common men and fools," Jace retorts. "Are you a common man or a fool, Your Grace?"
"I should hope not."
"Then magic is the term I shall use in your company," he says with a warm smile. "Second, I should say that I observe you have some magical ability about you already."
This doesn't come as any great surprise to you; magical abilities of some form have shown up in your bloodline from time to time, and you know that your perception of shatterpoints is not naturally occurring. You tell Jace as much, and he gains an inquisitive air.
"Tell me more about this perception you have," he asks.
"It's difficult to put into words, to quantify," you start. "I believe I first consciously used it in Lys, though I suspect I unconsciously used it in several instances prior to that." You tell him of playing with your Myrish glass and finding the point at which you could strike it and in so doing sunder it. "After that, I began to notice that I could see similar fracture lines and stress points in other items, and in people."
"How does this manifest?"
"I suppose a struck glass continues to be the best metaphor," you explain. "The way that cracks and fissures spread out in a spiderweb from that point. It isn't quite the same, especially with people – these lines aren't fixed upon the surface, but seem to shift and redefine themselves, possess a radiance about themselves, and even reach out towards another person, and sometimes the shatterpoint shifts, changes."
"I see," the Grand Maester rubs at his chin thoughtfully. "Is this within your conscious control?"
You shrug. "Somewhat. It isn't a constant lens over my eyes, if that's what you're asking. But sometimes it seems to just instinctively come to me. Like," you hesitate for a moment, but only a moment. "Like an instance where Prince Aegon asked Oberyn about Elia." The older man's face softens a little, a sad sympathy … perhaps even empathy? I wonder at that … and you continue, "I just looked to my goodbrother, and I could see his cracks and fissures without really meaning to."
"If Your Grace will permit it," he says gently, "I would presume to imagine you were possessed of some concern for Prince Oberyn, and for your nephew, in that moment." You nod. "So it would seem to me that this ability manifests when you sense a need for it, if it will help protect you or those you care for. Otherwise," he tilts his head a bit, like a curious dog, "it is only there if you consciously summon it?"
"It is," you agree. "I don't actively use it to pry into peoples' problems or secrets, if that's your concern," and you do notice the slightest hint of relaxing in his posture. "Though I will use it if I find it necessary."
"The Lord Arryn being one such example?" He supplies, no judgment detectable in his voice.
"Actually, no," You shake your head. "Lord Arryn is just easy to read, and I had the benefit of his former ward giving me insights beyond that. You have a point, though; I might have used it then, if I didn't already know what I needed to, and if he had any kind of cyvasse face."
"Grant me the kindness, Your Grace," he says warmly, "of never asking me to play you in cyvasse. I fear you would find me similarly easy, and you…" he pauses, "I have had less difficulty reading Yi-Tish poems from the age of the Sea-Green Emperors."
"I make no promises, Grand Maester," you smile back, "but I have plenty of people waiting to challenge me in that regard; you needn't fear being asked to jump the line."
He nods, then shifts his legs to sit more comfortably. "I'll ask you to try something for me, Your Grace." You nod, curious where this is going. "If you would close your eyes, and when you're comfortable with it, try to match your breath to the swell of the sea."
Your eyes close, and you give it a try. It's a little disconcerting at first, feeling your world shift to and fro without your eyes reminding you why it feels that way, but it fades as you find the rhythm in your breathing.
"I'll ask that you keep your eyes closed as you breathe, Your Grace," the Grand Maester continues, beyond your sight. "This is a form of meditation, intentional rest and connection with your environment. In this, I will always give you a reason for what I ask you to do. Continue to breathe, and to focus on keeping your breaths even." You do, and he adds, "This helps to clear your mind, to lift away the layers of cares and troubles that come with living in this world. Your mind finds its focus on your immediate world, and your breath within it."
Part of you wonders if that's entirely responsible, being a king in this world after all, but you're willing to at least try it once. Before long, you realise that a tension in your shoulders and back you hadn't even noticed before is leaving you. That's nice, you think idly. Even if nothing else come from this, that's useful.
Jace speaks again, a disembodied voice in the dark of your closed eyes. "Now, Your Grace, please continue to keep your eyes closed, and attempt to see using this unique perspective of yours. Take all the time you need, and please, let me know when you see anything."
Your practical mind rebels at first. How are you supposed to see anything with your eyes closed? But he has those links of smoky steel for a reason, and the Citadel would hopefully know better than to send you someone as useless as the last Grand Maester. So you try.
[roll: 79 + 21 [Willpower] = 100 / DC 50; (exact) Critical Success!]
It comes slowly, at first, and it doesn't feel like sight, exactly; more like the free association that might come with looking at something and knowing other things about it that you aren't physically seeing in that moment. You don't see a fire inside of you, yet you perceive heat, energy, the sedate but implacable power of molten earth ready to flow freely. You perceive a dragon, fire in its throat and ready to strike, proud and wrathful, but aloof, watching, eyes like burning rock and shrouded in smoke.
You speak of these things quietly, as though to not rouse the dragon you perceived, and beyond that perception you heard Jace speak again. "Can you see beyond that?" You don't know. Worth a try.
Eyes remaining closed, your perception shifts away from yourself, and you can sense something alike to that sitting across from you – a hearth ablaze, controlled but ever-consuming, warm and bright but able to eat beyond its bounds if not kept in check. In the coals and embers, you can perceive glowing orange and red, a power simmering but ever-hot that moves and paces inside its bounds, and you somehow know the same dragon is there, too.
These things you speak of, too, and after you finish the Grand Maester speaks again. "When you are ready, Your Grace, breathe deeply, and open your eyes once more."
You do, and the world returns to your vision. It is still evening in your well-appointed cabin on the Royal Vagabond, and you are sitting on the floor with Grand Maester Jacaerys. But your awareness of the things within you, your perception beyond sight, still remains – an echo of its more intensive self, but your eyes flit about the room and you can see where that perception does and does not come into play.
[New Trait! Advanced Magic Sense: You can sense magic that is near you, and get a very good idea of its nature. It turns out that the world is a more magical place than you ever imagined. +2 Learning, +1 Intrigue]
"You are a fast study, my king," Jace says with an openly impressed tone. "It takes acolytes months, sometimes years, to even be able to perceive the magic close by to them, never mind the detail and distance you can manage. And," he adds, "you show an intuitive grasp of pacts."
Your knees are beginning to ache a bit, but you ignore them. "Pacts?"
Jacaerys nods. "I've heard different expressions from different cultures and schools of thought. Pacts are a contract, a bargain, a gift, or a touch of a mightily powerful magical entity, that bestows some small measure of their power upon us mere mortals. For instance," a finger points back and forth between you and he, "what you sensed in me and yourself was some small manifestation of Caeda, the dragon goddess of Valyria."
You blink. "The what."
"I'll thank you not to share this conversation with the High Septon or those of his ilk," Jacaerys remarks dryly. "It's been some time since anyone has been burned alive for heresy, and it's a pattern I don't mean to disrupt." He waits for your nod, then continues. "Yes. Near as I am able to determine, the gods of Valyria were and are real. Caeda, the Mother of Dragons," and you do not resist your instinct to start at the moniker, though Jace takes no notice, "bestowed a measure of her power into the Valyrians, which led to the creation of the dragonlords. That power, that pact, lives on in the blood of their descendants. It can come in an unbroken chain, and it can lay dormant in the blood for generations before it reemerges."
You blink again. "They're real."
"In some sense, yes." He shrugs. "Whether true gods, demigods, or beings of such power as to render the distinction meaningless, I neither know nor trouble to know. Their power is real. Their magic is real. So, too, are many others." He holds up, then ticks down a few fingers. "The Children of the Forest bestowed power upon their allies, and that contract endures to this day. Mother Rhoyne lent power over the rivers to her children; she still remains, likely in some diminished state. The Red God…" he trails off for a moment. "I don't know what that truly is or what is there, but something grants those individuals power."
"They're real."
He chuckles lightly. "I sense I may have given you a little too much to eat all in one meal, Your Grace."
"No, no," you shake your head. "To use a different metaphor, it's deep waters I've come into, but I'm not being pulled under or washed away. It's just," you gesture aimlessly, "a lot."
"It is," he nods. "We can take our time with this, Your Grace. We have another night before reaching Dragonstone, and time aplenty there and back again."
You agree to it, in the end, and stop the lesson there for the night.
Congratulations! With a critical success (and the in-universe justification that you have some existing talents in this arena) you leapfrog over the basic Magic Sense trait and move onto Advanced Magic Sense almost immediately.
In Vocalist's quest "The Silver King", she goes into greater detail about some of the religions and entities that provide pacts in her quest, and her Info segment on the Fourteen Flames of Valyria in particular can provide some additional context and information, for any who are interested. Also, check out her stuff in general, because it's fantastic.
Last edited: