The next morning...
"Rise," ordered Azaerys, and Aegon, who had just taken his vow, rose to his feet.
"Thank you, Brother." He sincerely said, and the Targaryen King smiled.
"Does that mean you have already fallen in love with my gift, my sweet brother?"
The boy blushed at his words and did not answer. He was not so bold to admit to it in front of his older brother.
And of course, Azaerys knew what had happened between his little brother and Mrymadora last night.
It was written all over the prince's face that he was no longer a boy but a young man.
Knowing well that Aegon was a little sensitive, Azaerys did not tease him too much.
"So, do you still desire Desmera Redwyne?" He changed the subject, and his little brother froze at his words.
Aegon gave it a long and hard thought and eventually nodded his head, which did not surprise the king.
"Why?"
"She may not be gorgeous, but she is pretty. And she has a very kind and loving soul. I know that someone like her would love and cherish me beyond herself."
The king's eyes stayed on him, making him very nervous.
"Well, you can choose three of your ladies. If you desire her, it's your choice." He shrugged and then turned around to sit at his table.
Aegon thought for a while and silently took a seat as well. He hesitated to ask the question that was now on his mind but eventually found the words and courage.
"Brother, who are the four high-born maidens you have chosen for me?" Asked the prince, and Azaerys did not answer as he continued to pen down a letter.
When he finally finished writing it and put the seal on the letter, he raised his head and met his brother's eyes, who was waiting for the answer.
"What's the rush, my blood?"
"I just want to know their names..." He embarrassedly said.
Azaerys calculatedly looked at him and then smiled.
"Are you sure you can handle the burden of the knowledge, Aegon?" He gently asked and smiled some more when his brother nodded his head.
"I have set a betrothal for you."
The boy surprisedly looked at him.
"Who?"
"Princess Luciara, youngest child of God-Empress Dianara of Leng, and her Legii husband, Prince Tianze. The girl is twelve years old, magical, and your wedding to her will take place on your fifteenth nameday."
Knowing how beautiful Legii were, and given that their blood was magical, Aegon happily nodded his head.
"The others?"
"There are no other betrothals."
"I would still like to know who they are."
"Elinor Tyrell, daughter of Ser Theodore Tyrell and Lia Serry. She is eight years old."
The prince raised his brow.
"What's special about her?"
"You shall see." Azaerys smiled.
"The last two?"
"Arya Stark, daughter of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and Catelyn Tully. Arya is five years old..."
"I refuse to be with a Stark," Aegon shook his head and shook it again. "Never."
"Really?" Azaerys smiled.
"Please name someone else, Brother." He pleaded.
The Targaryen King looked at his brother in amusement.
Some things could not be changed, but his precious little brother was not aware of those truths. Neither did he have the heart to accept those truths.
"Fine. Alla Tyrell." He said, and Aegon looked at him in surprise.
He was not expecting Azaerys to accept his plea so quickly.
"How old is she?"
"Eight years old. She will be visiting Dragonport next year with Elinor Tyrell, her cousin."
"Why?" He frowned.
"Willas Tyrell will be coming here to see our healers. His little sister, Margaery, will be coming with him. Elinor and Alla are her friends and distant cousins. They belong to the junior branch of Tyrell family."
"Junior branch?" He frowned.
"I named Arya Stark..."
"Fine. I will take the Tyrell girls." Aegon agitatedly said. "And..."
"I haven't picked the last one yet."
"Oh."
When his brother left the study, Azaerys heartily laughed and shook his head, and that was how Rhaenys found him.
"What did you talk about?" She curiously asked as she took her seat in front of him.
"He wanted to know whom I had chosen as his high-born maidens."
"Who?" She curiously asked.
"Except for Mrymadora and the Legii princess, none." He mysteriously smiled.
"What?" She raised her brow at him.
"I never chose any of them, Rhae. He is going to end up with those girls anyway."
The princess looked at her brother in shock.
"Then why did you make him take that vow?"
"I can not tell you the reason, my sweet sister." He smiled and met her eyes. "Don't speak to him about it."
She rolled her eyes at his words and then stood up.
"Have I ever? Come, Az. It's time to break our fast. The Starks are joining us for the meal."
"Give me a moment," he nodded to her, picked up four scroll cases and stored the letters he had written earlier inside of them.
When they left the study, he handed the scroll cases to the guard waiting outside, who immediately bowed to him and rushed to the Messenger Peak to send the eagles.
"Xasaya Qo has given up on you and finally left Dragonport," she informed him as they walked down the hallway.
"She has left Dragonport, yes, but when did she say that she has given up on me?" He teasingly asked, and Rhaenys pouted at him, which prompted him to chuckle at her reaction. "I am taking Lyanna to Siren."
"When?" She stopped in her tracks and furrowed her brows. "How long will you be gone for?" She asked.
"At the end of the seventh moon. I will stay in Siren for seven moons."
Rhaenys nodded her head in understanding. He needed to be present there for the births. At least, he was going to stay in Dragonport with her for a couple of moons.
The realisation that their lives would only be getting busier in the coming years made her feel a little depressed.
"I am sorry, Rhae."
She heard him say and curiously looked at him.
"For what?"
"For putting these burdens on your shoulders." He lightly said, and she immediately hugged his arm.
"When did I complain, Az?"
Azaerys smiled at her and hugged her head, planting a kiss on her head.
"You are my strength, my sweet sister."
"I know." She brightly said.
When the two of them entered the dining hall, everyone, including the Starks, was already at the table.
All of them stood up, and since he was not wearing any glamour, Benjen and Rhea could not help but be stunned at the sight of him.
Little Alysanne was looking at him with wide eyes as well, and little Arlan was brightly smiling.
"Your Grace." Lyanna bowed to him, and everyone else followed suit.
Azaerys did not say anything and took his seat after giving a smile to the two little Starks.
He kept quiet for the whole duration of the meal, and even Lyanna did not disturb him.
His silence weighed heavily on the hearts of Benjen and Rhea, but the atmosphere at the table remained jovial as Rhaemon, Alysanne, Mrymadora, and Aegon happily chatted with each other.
Once he finished his meal, the Targaryen King waited for Rhaenys to finish hers, and then they both stood up to go for a tour around the city on the hippogriffs.
The two checked every corner of the city without disturbing the people and then checked the port.
After checking up on the giant apes and tattooed lizards, they took fifty Kharzik warriors and hippogriffs with them to deal with the pirates and smugglers who had landed on Ghaen last night. They had come to harvest the rare fruits and coconuts, which the island was famous for.
Garret and Glenn Gryffonn were already on the island with soldiers, and the two flew up on their griffins to head to the northern shore under their king's lead.
They soon spotted a few pirate vessels, which were being loaded in a great hurry, and without wasting any time, Azaerys signalled the Kharziks, who rained their arrows on the pirates and the smugglers.
A few set out to hunt the smugglers and pirates in the woods, whilst a group landed on the vessels and took command of them.
Azaerys ordered the Kharziks to cut the heads of the intruders and set them on the beach, writing the words "Pirates and Smugglers" with them. The decapitated bodies were then hung upside down to the tall trees on the beach to serve as a warning to the people who would keep coming to the island over the next moon to raid the fruit gardens.
Azaerys then took Rhaenys and thirty Kharziks with them to Astapor, arriving there in the early afternoon.
Gremm enthusiastically greeted them, and then, in front of enough witnesses, he publicly knelt to him and declared Lord Ostaryen his king, thereby submitting Astapor under the rule of Dragonport.
Azaerys allowed him to continue ruling the city as the city lord and promised the people of Astapor that if Yunkai, Meereen or any of the Free Cities attacked the city, Dragonport would declare war on them.
After a late lunch, Rhaenys took ten Kharzik warriors with her back to Dragonport, just in time for the seized vessels to anchor at the port. The merchants who had already been informed took care of all the fruits and valuables on board, and when the sky darkened, the princess returned to the Pyramid of Pride.
On the other side, the Targaryen King, after leaving Astapor in the evening, flew with his twenty sky riders to Vaes Dothrak.
They reached their destination when the sky was still dark, and it gave them enough time to take a nap in the safety of the city.
In the morning, Azaerys and his sky riders calmly woke up under the curious eyes of the people, and then they bought some fruits from the market and visited a tavern to freshen up.
The Targaryen also visited the temple of the dosh khaleen, and he was informed by the crones that their khals were waiting for him at the Horse Gate.
The Kharziks and the two Gryffonn brothers followed him to the Horse Gate, and they were a little tensed when they saw thousands of Dothraki gathered there.
As soon as their hippogriffs and griffins landed, battle cries rose, however, Azaerys remained calm.
He and his sky riders walked to the Horse Gate, and he alone stepped out of the bounds of Vaes Dothrak. The others were under the orders to stay well within the bounds of safety.
The Targaryen King then took off his robe, revealing that he was not wearing any armour underneath.
All he was wearing was a dark red shirt, black pants, and a purple sash, which was neatly wrapped around his abdomen.
He then grabbed the Truth, which was fixed to the saddle of his hippogriff, and slowly pulled out the Valyrian steel sword.
The sound of it leaving its sheath quietened the people around them, and moments later, there was complete silence.
Even the Gryffonn brothers had never seen Truth leave its scabbard, and they were amazed by its darkened, double-edged, long blade.
Azaerys placed the tip of his sword on the ground, held the hilt with both his hands, and smiled at the Dothraki khals.
"Your Horse God awaits you." He smirked. "Who wants to see him first?"
Angered by his provocation, a few stepped forward, but in the end, only one came to stand in front of him, wielding his arakh.
He was tall, muscular, and mighty, and if anything his long braid suggested, it was that he had possibly never lost a battle before or had not lost in a long, long time.
"Name?" The horselord asked.
"Azer."
"I am Zaggo, son of Maggo."
"May your soul find its way to your Horse God." He politely said and drew his sword up. "Come."
The mighty horselord, who was slightly taller than Azaerys, did not need a second invitation.
He deftly stepped forward, showcasing his nimbleness, feigned a left forward slash, but then swung his hands over his head and came to cut Azaerys from the right.
The Targaryen Prince side-stepped, easily dodging the attack, and then deflected the arakh with his sword before spinning around to land his right elbow on the face of the khal, sending his body stumbling to the side.
"Weak." He mocked the proud man, who screamed in rage and madly charged at him. "Foolish..."
As soon as the word entered the ears of the people, Zaggo's sword arm fell, then his head fell, and Azaerys swung his sword a third time, cutting him in half from his waist.
The sharpness of his blade made everyone who witnessed the scene go numb, and even the Kharziks and the two Gryffonn brothers felt their hearts palpitating in fear.
"And dead," he smiled. "Who's next?"
The Dothraki khals and their ko stayed stunned for a few moments before someone madly started laughing and stepped forward.
A few Dothraki quickly rushed forward and collected the three pieces of the slain Khal Zaggo's body.
Azaerys glanced at the dark arakh that the khal was wielding, and a smile formed on his lips.
"What's your name?" Inquired the king.
"Shako, son of Varro."
Azaerys nodded to him and smiled.
"May your soul stand in the shadow of your Horse God." He drew his blade up. "Come. Death calls upon you."
Shako was not a fool, and he did not charge in.
The khal started circling him, staying nimble on his feet. He stepped forward to attack a few times, but never fully committed to it.
He was testing the waters, charging and retreating, waiting for any weakness in Azaerys' defence, and when he saw an opening, he committed and rushed forward.
Unfortunately for them, the Targaryen King was too quick and covered his openings in time, and this forced Shako to retreat a few paces away.
Azaerys did not want to drag the battle so he went on the offence, exactly what Shako desired, but the khal was not prepared for how quick he was.
The swords clashed, the two bodies danced, and dust rose from under their feet.
Suddenly, Shako tripped on a rock and fell, and his heart nearly stopped, but then his eyes widened as he found Azaerys not stepping forward to claim his life.
"On your feet, khal. You shall die on your feet."
Shako, moved by the honour, got up on his feet and politely bowed to him.
And then he swung his arakh over his head and took a slightly lower stance, intending to use his thighs more.
The two Valyrian steel swords clashed again, the two bodies danced again, and moments later, both were covered in a cloud of dust.
Watching their duel, the Kharziks, Dothraki, and the Gryffonn brothers were all amazed at the level of skill involved, and the keen ones already knew who was the superior fighter between the two.
Loud gasps were heard when people saw Azaerys' figure deflect the arakh, spin on his feet and impale the heart of Shako to the hilt of his sword.
When he pulled his blade out and stepped back, the khal looked down at his chest and smiled as blood leaked out of his mouth when he took a breath.
Shako raised his head and met Azaerys' eyes, his vision now blurry due to the sudden and heavy loss of blood.
And under the eyes of those who were gathered around, he raised his arakh and then offered it to his killer.
Azaerys stepped forward and accepted the blade from his hand, and the khal then fell back, closing his eyes forever.
Shako's ko and his khalakka stepped forward to collect his body, and they all bowed to Azaerys, acknowledging his strength.
A moment later, all three of Shako's bloodriders stepped forward, ready to avenge their fallen khal or perhaps to join him in the afterlife.
Azaerys accepted their challenge after he wrapped the Valyrian steel arakh in the spare sash that he had on him. He then tied the blade to the saddle and asked all three of the bloodriders to come together, which they hesitated about, but in the end, did not decline.
And the crowd witnessed a battle that would forever remain fresh in their minds.
After he slew the three, the Targaryen King took a few deep breaths and exhaled.
"Is there anyone else who wants to meet their Horse God today?"
Nobody stepped forward, not even after he offered them to step forward with their bloodriders. No one did. None.
"I shall wait for you here tomorrow then. I shall wait for those of you whom death awaits for six more days." He said and then walked back to his hippogriff to return the Truth to its scabbard.
The Gryffonn brothers and the Kharziks followed their king back to the city, and the Dothraki soon followed after them.
By evening, almost every Dothraki in the city was politely bowing their head when they saw him.
The next day, Azaerys slew another khal and his bloodriders, but for the rest of the sennight, he remained unchallenged.
However, on the last day, there were people at the Horse Gate, waiting for him. Proud Dothraki warriors, who knelt to him together with their women and children as soon as he stepped out of the bounds of the city. There were thousands of them, at least ten thousand.
"Khal!" They declared, and Azaerys raised his brow as he recognised the leading man, who was Shako's khalakka, and behind him were two of his father's ko. There was another younger man, a boy of twelve or thirteen, and he bore an uncanny resemblance to the leading man. Given the age, the man was unlikely to be a son and was likely a brother.
"What's your name?" He asked the young man who was leading the few warriors behind him.
"Rakharo, son of Shako."
"What do you want, son of Shako?"
"I wish to serve the mightiest of all khals," he declared. And the Dothraki warriors by his side and behind them declared the same.
Azaerys shook his head and audibly sighed.
"I cultivate the fields you burn. I build the buildings you destroy. I sail on the waters you consider an omen. I live behind the walls on comfortable beds, an act you consider cowardice. I have a crown on my head even if you can not see it." He spoke, keeping his voice light, but sending it to thousands of ears. "I am not a Dothraki. I do not follow the Horse God. I seldom ride horses. I do not rape women. I do not enslave free women and children like you do. I do not sell or exchange slaves for gifts."
They all listened to him and frowned.
"My ways are different. My gods are different. My laws are different. You belong to the grasslands, and I belong to the skies and castles. You detest magic, but it is in my blood," he raised his hand and drew a circle of fire in the air, which earned him loud gasps from the crowd.
He did not speak again, and soon, people stood up and started leaving, entering the Vaes Dothrak or heading away from the city.
After everyone had dispersed, only two young men and several women and children remained.
"Why do you not leave?" Azaerys asked Rakharo, who met his eyes.
"Did you kill my father with magic?"
"No." He shook his head. "I killed him with my strength."
"Then I shall follow you."
"Why?"
"My father submitted to you. I am his khalakka. I must honour his decision." He said, and the young boy by his side nodded his head as well.
The women behind them were their wives and sisters, the young boys were their little brothers, and two of the babies were Rakharo's sons.
They introduced themselves, and then ardently waited for his answer.
"Fine."