3rd Month of 300 A.C. King's Landing
King Aegon VI Targaryen
It was a strange thing, having two wives, it felt strange and slightly unnatural, despite the fact that his ancestor Aegon the Dragon had had two wives, and that his own father had had two wives, there was something about the concept that did not sit right with him. Of course, he knew why he had two wives, he had married Sansa for love, and had married his aunt to prevent some fool from using her against him. Sansa was his everything, she helped him when he had nightmares, bringing him from the brink more times than he could remember, and she was his confidant, someone he could speak to in desperate times, and in times of plenty. To be frank, he could not imagine life without her. His aunt on the other hand, was someone he did not know, it was not for a lack of trying, he spoke with her, tried to find out more about her, but to no avail, it was as if she was guarding herself against him, something that only served to heighten his unease around her. They had consummated the marriage, but since then, he had not slept with her, with his aunt preferring to keep to her own rooms, which were away from his, and it was beginning to aggravate him.
That the three of them were currently sat in his solar, was thanks to Sansa, Sansa seemed to have been able to convince his aunt to come and spend time with them today, and for that he was grateful. And so, he took a breath and spoke. "So, Daenerys, how are you finding King's Landing?" it is not what he wants to ask, but it is a start.
His aunt looks at him briefly, before turning her attention to her needlework, something she has been learning from Sansa. "It is a very interesting place, far different to Braavos or Volantis. And there are things here that I quite like."
Curious he asks. "And what might those things be?"
His aunt is silent a moment, as if she is considering his question, eventually she replies. "I quite like the business of the city, I like the fact that there is so much on offer here, so much that can be looked at and done, and I like that I do not need to hide my interest. There is so much information in the library as well, so much for me to learn about our family." His aunt trails off then, a slightly wistful look on her face.
"You did not learn much of our family when you were in Braavos?" he asks her.
"No," she replies, shaking her head. "I was very little when I was in Braavos, and then myself and Viserys had to leave, and so we left, and there was never really any time to learn more about the family. Apart from what few stories Viserys told me, I never knew enough to really feel as if I was a Targaryen."
"So what have you learned about our family then, since you have been here?" he finds himself asking.
"I like reading about the conquest, and how Aegon the Dragon brought the warring Kingdoms together under his guidance, and how his wives were instrumental in ensuring that things ran smoothly." His aunt replies.
Aegon nods. "Aye, Aegon the Dragon was a great man, and his wives were formidable."
There is a brief pause, as they look at one another, then she asks. "Have you heard back from Dorne yet? It has been sometime has it not since you invited them to King's Landing?"
Aegon sighs, that was one thing he had not wanted to discuss, for some reason, his aunt had been nearly obsessed with Dorne, and finding out all she could about the Martells. "I have had a letter back, it seems that Prince Doran is unable to come, and that his son Prince Quentyn and his brother Prince Oberyn shall be coming to King's Landing in his stead." A strange look crosses his wife's face then, and so he asks. "What is it?"
"I met Prince Oberyn once, long ago, I remember meeting him when I was a little girl. I think he had come to speak with Viserys, but I do not remember about what." His aunt says.
Aegon looks at his aunt thoughtfully, before looking at Sansa, who sits at his side. "The Martells were the ones who wanted to rise for Viserys when the rebellion ended were they not my love?"
His wife nods. "They were, Prince Oberyn it is said was mad with grief when he heard about the deaths of his sister and her children, and very nearly succeeded in raising all of Dorne against Robert Baratheon."
"What stopped him?" His aunt asks.
"Prince Doran." Sansa replies. "It is said that Prince Doran summoned his brother to the Tower of the Sun in Sunspear, and they were locked in a room for three hours, and afterwards, Oberyn announced to the world that he would not rise for the dragons. The next day Jon Arryn left for Dorne. No one knows what the brothers discussed, but ever since then Dorne has remained almost isolated from Westeros, even now."
A look of suspicion crosses his aunt's face. "Do you think they might be plotting something then?"
"They might be, but I do not think it would be something nefarious. The dragons have won, Tywin Lannister is dead as are his henchmen, there is nothing left for them to seek justice for." Aegon points out.
"Except for you claiming to be Aegon, I am sure they will not like that." His aunt says.
"They are welcome to try and go against my word, or the word of one of their own." Aegon replies calmly. "They shall not win that argument, nor do I think that Prince Doran is foolish enough to bring that up."
"Then why are two of them coming? Why not send just one?" his aunt asks.
"Because Prince Quentyn is merely a boy, according to the reports Lord Varys has, and because Prince Oberyn is by far the more dangerous of the Martells. It is a test for us, to see whether we shall be able to hold our own against them." Aegon says.
His aunt looks as if she does not agree with that. "They should be grateful that they are being allowed this chance, if it were me, I would have turned them to ash for not coming as soon as called."
Aegon tries to hide his anger at that, but does not quite manage to. "And that is why you are not the ruler of the kingdoms." He sees his aunt bristle at that and continues. "You cannot simply turn people into ash because they did not come right away. The Martells are a house that needs to be twisted and turned, they must be shown that they are valuable but not the only ones we could use."
"What do you mean?" his aunt asks.
"What I mean is, that the Martells have often been a house that things it can go it alone, outside of Westeros, when our ancestor brought Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms, he had to make all kinds of concessions to them, concessions that would lead to five rebellions against the throne and countless dead bodies and orphaned children. Dorne has always tried to twist the arm of the Iron Throne, and now they will try to do so again, but this time we have dragons, and things shall be different." Aegon states.
"And how do you plan on achieving that?" his aunt asks.
"Through showing them that they cannot twist our arms again. The dragons are back, this time we have six dragons, not three, and there is more variety amongst them. If Dorne wants a seat at the table, it will have to play by our rules." Aegon responds.
"And what rules are those?" his aunt asks.
"They are and will always remain part of the Seven Kingdoms, and this time they will be seen as the other Lords Paramount, not different. It is time the Kingdoms became one Kingdom, not just seven ruled by one man." Aegon says.
"And do you think that the Martells will accept this?" his aunt asks, her voice tinted with mild scepticism.
"I think they will not have a chance to refuse it. They would be outmatched, and this time, we have dragons that can breathe ice. They would be fools to refute it, and I do not think they are fools." Aegon says.
"I agree," Sansa chimes in. "I think the time has come to unite the Kingdoms properly."
"Why do you say that?" his aunt asks, a hint of something in her voice that Aegon does not like.
Sansa looks at his aunt, her tone easy going. "I think that the War of the Kings was allowed to happen because of the differences between the Kingdoms. For too long have the Kingdoms remained completely independent of one another, with the King on the throne merely being the King, and the title not really meaning anything. I think what our husband is proposing makes a lot of sense, and would help prevent conflict."
"How?" his aunt asks, something akin to disbelief in her voice.
"If there is one figure who can unite the kingdoms together, it is our husband, he has the strength, the personality, and the skills necessary. The Kingdoms love him." Sansa says, and Aegon feels himself blush slightly at the compliment.
"Would the other lords not balk at such a thing?" his aunt asks.
"They can try, but they won't succeed. I am not Aegon the Fortunate." Aegon says, his voice filled with conviction.
His aunt looks at him for a moment and then merely nods. "Alright, what role do you wish me to play?"
"As of now, there are no roles, merely duties to be done." Aegon says.
Silence falls between the three of them after that, Aegon moving to look through a few scrolls that had been lying on his desk for some time, as he looks through them, he begins thinking back over something he had dreamt last night, of ghosts, of death and a pale man dancing in the fire, a disconcerting vision, and one he is convinced has something to do with whatever is happening at the Wall. He will need to write to Robb soon, to ask how things are progressing there, alternatively he could always just venture there on dragon back, but the thought of leaving his aunt behind here, is not an appealing one, he does not trust her. Before he can dwell anymore on that thought his aunt speaks. "What do you make of Melisandre?"
He looks at her and says. "She is a tool nothing more."
"You do not see her as a threat?" she asks.
"No." Aegon responds.
"Why?" his aunt asks probing.
"Because if she were a threat, I would have killed her long ago." He replies, looking at her meaningfully.
"She reminds me too much of the Red Priests I saw in Volantis, fanatical, and devout to something I do not think she truly understands." His aunt responds.
"Do you understand it? Does anyone understand it?" Aegon asks.
"I… I do not know." His aunt says.
"Precisely, I think for now we must use her as the tool she is, and when she has run out of use, we should dispose of her." Aegon says simply.
"How will you know when she has stopped being useful?" his aunt asks.
"When she begins to start prattling on about the prophecy." Sansa says then laughing.
His aunt looks at Sansa then and asks. "You do not believe the prophecy?"
"Of course not." His wife replies.
"Prophecies are full of shit." Aegon says. His aunt looks surprised at that, and so he finds himself asking. "Do you believe it?"
His aunt hesitates a moment, and then she says. "Yes."