Chapter 37: The Dragon King's Delve, The Shadow Isle's Deft Hand (Royal Visit: Part 2)
The initial days of the royal visit to Skagos had passed like a meticulously choreographed play, with Lord Jojen Volmark performing his role as the gracious, capable Northern lord to perfection, and Aelyx Velaryon, from his unseen throne within Mount Skatus, pulling every string with an immortal's precision. The feasts had been lavish, the displays of Skagosi prosperity undeniable, and the pronouncements of loyalty from House Volmark unwavering. Yet, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the Conciliator, was not a man easily swayed by surface appearances, nor was his astute queen, Alysanne, one to overlook the subtle currents beneath a polished veneer. Their inquiries, Aelyx knew, would only deepen.
The promised tour of the "Heir's Hoard" gold mine was an event fraught with peril and opportunity. Aelyx had ensured the selected site, a series of interconnected caverns in the foothills of a lesser Skagosi mountain range far from Mount Skatus, was an alchemical and theatrical masterpiece. The journey itself was designed to be arduous, a trek through rugged, mist-shrouded passes that emphasized Skagos's wild, untamed nature, subtly reinforcing the narrative that its riches were hard-won from a stubborn land. Lord Jojen led the royal party, which included several of Jaehaerys's most trusted Kingsguard and a learned maester from the Citadel with a reputed knowledge of geology and mining, Maester Karras.
Within the mine, house-elves, glamoured as hardened Skagosi miners with faces artfully smudged with grime and sweat, toiled under the direction of specially chosen Volmark overseers (themselves indoctrinated descendants from the sanctuary). Torches cast flickering shadows on walls that glittered with what appeared to be breathtakingly rich veins of natural gold, embedded in quartz. Heaps of freshly "excavated" ore, heavy with the yellow metal, lay ready for transport. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, sweat, and the metallic tang of riches.
Jaehaerys, his expression thoughtful, examined the exposed seams, even taking a geologist's pick offered by Maester Karras to chip away at a section of quartz, revealing the glittering gold within. "Remarkable, Lord Volmark," the King commented, his voice echoing in the cavern. "The purity appears exceptional. And the veins… they run deep, it seems."
Jojen, receiving Aelyx's silent prompts, replied with practiced humility. "The Old Gods have blessed Skagos beyond measure, Your Majesty. We believe the motherlode lies deeper still, though its extraction is perilous. We mine with diligence, ensuring the bounty serves our people and allows us to meet our obligations to Lord Stark and the Iron Throne."
Maester Karras, a man with sharp, inquisitive eyes, made several technical observations, questioning the formations, the methods of extraction, the estimated yield. Each question was met with a plausible, well-rehearsed answer from Jojen or his chief "mining overseer" (a grim-faced, glamoured house-elf named Gorok, whose knowledge of geology, thanks to Aelyx's tutelage, now surpassed that of most maesters). Aelyx had even staged a minor, controlled "rockfall" in a distant tunnel during the tour, the sound and tremor adding a touch of verisimilitude to the dangers of Skagosi mining, and subtly curtailing the extent of the royal inspection.
Queen Alysanne, less interested in the technicalities, observed the "miners" themselves. She noted their rugged health, the adequacy of their tools, the absence of the brutal conditions often found in mines elsewhere in Westeros. "Your people seem well cared for, even in this harsh labor, my lord," she remarked to Jojen.
"We believe a worker who is treated with fairness and respect repays that with loyalty and hard work, Your Majesty," Jojen replied, echoing one of Aelyx's core public philosophies. "Their prosperity is Skagos's prosperity."
The tour concluded without incident, Jaehaerys visibly impressed by the apparent scale and richness of the mine, Maester Karras seemingly satisfied by the technical explanations. The "Heir's Hoard" had passed its royal scrutiny, its magically fabricated reality holding firm.
In the evenings, within the fire-lit solar of Icefang Keep, Jaehaerys often turned the conversation towards the Volmarks' Valyrian heritage. He, a Targaryen who had diligently studied the fragmented lore of their lost homeland, was keen to discover if any forgotten knowledge had survived in this remote Northern branch.
"Lord Volmark," Jaehaerys would begin, his gaze thoughtful, "your ancestors hailed from Valyria, as did mine. Though centuries and circumstance have separated our paths, some echoes of the Freehold must surely linger in your family's traditions, in your histories, however faint."
Lord Jojen, drawing upon the carefully constructed narrative Aelyx had woven for generations of public Volmark lords, would speak with a wistful, respectful tone. "Alas, Your Majesty, much was lost in our ancestors' long and arduous journey to these northern climes, and more still in the ensuing centuries of assimilation into the robust culture of the North. We retain a pride in our Valyrian blood, certain features that mark our lineage, and perhaps a certain… resilience. But the high magic, the dragonlore of Old Valyria… that, sadly, is but a whisper in forgotten tales. Our forebears who settled Skagos were practical folk, more concerned with survival and carving a life from this harsh land than with preserving the more esoteric arts of a lost homeland."
He might produce a few "heirlooms" – a battered silver goblet of undeniably Valyrian design but no discernible magical properties, a faded tapestry depicting a stylized, generic Valyrian coastal scene, a few unreadable, crumbling scrolls that were presented as "fragments of lost Velaryon sea charts." All carefully chosen or fabricated by Aelyx to lend credence to their story without revealing anything of true import.
Alysanne, whose own Valyrian sensitivities were perhaps more acute than her husband's, sometimes looked at Jojen, or his children (Aelyx's great-great-grandchildren, who were presented briefly to the royal couple), with a peculiar, searching intensity. She once remarked to Lady Lyarra Volmark, Jojen's wife, "Your children are strikingly beautiful, my lady. Those violet eyes… they carry a light one rarely sees, even among those with Valyrian blood in the south. There is a… vibrancy to them."
Lyarra, coached by Lyanna (whose guidance flowed through Aelyx to Jojen to her), would smile modestly. "We are blessed with healthy offspring, Your Majesty. Perhaps it is the Skagosi air, or the strong Northern blood mixed with our distant Valyrian heritage."
The Targaryen dragons, Vermithor and Silverwing, remained a constant, silent pressure. Though Aelyx's wards around their enclosure and the deeper enchantments veiling Mount Skatus held, there were moments of unease. Lyra and Daenys, monitoring from the sanctuary, reported occasional restlessness from the two royal beasts, a lifting of their great heads as if scenting something on the wind that their riders could not perceive. On one occasion, Silverwing let out a long, mournful cry that seemed to echo unnaturally, a sound that caused the Skagosi dragons hidden deep within the mountain to stir in their enforced slumber, requiring Aelyx to personally reinforce the silencing spells around their caverns. These were tense moments, reminders of the ever-present risk. Aelyx even considered if the Targaryen dragons were subtly sensing the vast network of house-elf magic that permeated the island, a magic different from their own Valyrian fire.
King Jaehaerys, true to his reputation as a king of the people, requested a hunt for Skagosi game. Aelyx, through Jojen, readily agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to showcase the island's rugged beauty and the skill of his Skagosi huntsmen, while carefully controlling the terrain. The hunt was organized in a remote northern valley, miles from Mount Skatus, a place known for its large snow bears and fierce shadow-cats. Aelyx ensured the valley was discreetly "managed" by glamoured house-elves and trusted Shadow Legion veterans acting as beaters and guides, ensuring the King would find good sport but encounter nothing… unexpected.
Jaehaerys, an able hunter, acquitted himself well, felling a massive snow bear with a well-aimed spear. He praised the skill of the Skagosi guides and the wild, untamed spirit of the land. Alysanne, who sometimes accompanied the hunt on horseback but preferred observing nature, used the opportunity to speak with some of the common Skagosi beaters and huntswomen, again guided towards those whose loyalty and discretion were absolute. She learned of their lives, their beliefs in the Old Gods, their reverence for the spirits of the island, and their deep respect for their Volmark lords.
During one of these hunts, Maester Karras, the King's geologist, ever curious, wandered off from the main party, ostensibly to examine some unusual rock formations. He strayed closer than Aelyx was comfortable with to a region that, while not directly part of Mount Skatus, was honeycombed with ancient lava tubes that Aelyx sometimes used for discreet access to the lower levels of the sanctuary. Lyra's greensight flashed a warning. Aelyx, with a surge of focused will, caused a small, localized earth tremor, just enough to send a cascade of loose scree down the slope Maester Karras was examining, forcing him to retreat. Simultaneously, a glamoured house-elf, appearing as a panicked Skagosi guide, "found" the Maester and sternly warned him of the dangers of unstable cliffs in that area, guiding him back to the main party. The incident was dismissed as a minor Skagosi earth shudder, common in volcanic regions.
Queen Alysanne, true to her custom, held a "women's court" in a private hall within Icefang Keep. Lady Lyarra Volmark and the wives of Jojen's chief Skagosi administrators facilitated the event. Aelyx had ensured that only women of proven loyalty and contentment were presented, their petitions artfully crafted to highlight minor, easily resolvable local issues or to express gratitude for Lord Volmark's just rule and Skagos's prosperity. Alysanne listened with her customary empathy, offering wise counsel and even making a few small pronouncements that Jojen publicly pledged to enact immediately. She left impressed by the apparent well-being and strong spirit of Skagosi women, unaware that she had seen only a carefully curated facade.
One evening, King Jaehaerys requested a private council with Lord Jojen, without even his own maester present. Aelyx, observing through Jojen, felt a spike of apprehension. This was likely to be the true test.
"Lord Volmark," the King began, once they were alone in Jojen's solar, a fire crackling in the hearth, "I have been… most impressed by Skagos. By its wealth, its order, its strength. You rule a domain that many a southern lord would envy. Your loyalty to House Stark, and through them to the Iron Throne, is exemplary."
Jojen inclined his head. "Your Majesty is too kind. We strive only to be dutiful vassals and good stewards of the blessings the gods have granted us."
Jaehaerys leaned forward, his gaze direct. "These blessings, Lord Volmark… they are indeed remarkable. This 'Heir's Hoard' mine, for instance. Its output seems… consistently prodigious. Many mines, even rich ones, experience fluctuations, leaner veins, difficulties in extraction as they delve deeper. Yours seems an endless river of gold."
Aelyx fed Jojen his response, calm and measured. "We have been fortunate, Your Majesty. Our miners are skilled, our overseers diligent. We have also invested heavily in new extraction techniques, some based on fragmented Velaryon engineering principles passed down through my family, which allow us to access deeper, richer seams that others might deem unworkable. But it is not endless. We manage it with care, knowing that all earthly bounties have their limits. A significant portion of its yield is reinvested into Skagos, into our people, our defenses, and of course, our tribute to Winterfell and the Crown, rather than being squandered on ostentation."
Jaehaerys nodded slowly, accepting the plausible explanation, though Aelyx sensed the King's keen mind still cataloging the sheer scale of Volmark wealth. "And your Valyrian heritage, my lord. You speak of it with humility, as a distant echo. Yet, the vitality of your line, the… intensity one sometimes sees in the eyes of your children… it feels more potent than mere diluted ancestry. Are there no other surviving Valyrian arts your family has preserved, however secretly? No lost knowledge of the Freehold that might benefit the realm, perhaps even aid my own house in understanding our shared, catastrophic past?"
This was the most dangerous probe yet. Aelyx felt the pressure mount. He guided Jojen to offer a thoughtful, melancholic expression. "Your Majesty, if such knowledge existed within my house, beyond the few practical applications in engineering or perhaps some traditional healing remedies my lady wife sometimes employs, I would gladly share it with my King, for the good of all. But alas, the Doom was thorough in its destruction, and my ancestors who fled Valyria were mariners and minor landholders, not great sorcerers or dragonlords of the highest echelons. What little lore they carried was fragmented, often misunderstood, and eroded by time and the harsh realities of survival in the North. We are Northmen now, Your Majesty, with a faint, proud memory of Valyrian blood, but our magic, if it can even be called that, is the humble magic of hard work, resilience, and the blessings of the Old Gods of this island."
It was a masterful deflection, appealing to Jaehaerys's respect for Northern piety while downplaying any hint of true Valyrian power. Aelyx could sense, through Jojen, that Jaehaerys was not entirely convinced, that a sliver of Valyrian intuition in him perhaps sensed something more, something hidden. But there was no proof, no evidence, only the impeccable façade of Lord Jojen Volmark, the loyal, wealthy, and somewhat exotically descended Northern lord.
As the royal visit neared its conclusion, final courtesies were exchanged. Jojen presented Jaehaerys and Alysanne with parting gifts of extraordinary value: a matched set of armor for the King, crafted from Skagosi steel so finely tempered it was said to rival Dragonstone plate (an Aenar specialty, its true composition alchemically enhanced); a necklace of flawless black Skagosi pearls and violet amethysts for the Queen that shimmered with an inner light (subtly enchanted by Rhaenys to promote calm and clear thought); and a tribute chest for the Iron Throne containing ten thousand golden dragons from the "Heir's Hoard," a sum that would significantly bolster the royal treasury.
Jaehaerys and Alysanne, in turn, bestowed royal favors upon House Volmark, reaffirming their titles, granting new, minor trade privileges for Skagosi merchants in King's Landing, and even offering a royal wardship at court for one of Jojen's younger sons in a few years' time (an offer Jojen, guided by Aelyx, politely accepted in principle, while intending to find a way to gracefully decline later – no Volmark child privy to the sanctuary's secrets would ever be sent to the viper's nest of King's Landing).
The day of their departure arrived, under a clear, crisp Skagosi sky. Vermithor and Silverwing launched themselves into the air with thunderous beats of their wings, circling Icefang Keep once in a majestic farewell before turning south, their royal riders waving to the cheering crowds below.
Aelyx, watching through a scrying pool deep within Mount Skatus, finally allowed himself to exhale. The ordeal was over. The veil had held. The Dragon King and Queen had come, they had seen, and they had, by all appearances, departed satisfied, their curiosity sated, their suspicions, if any, unconfirmed.
He had learned much from their visit: about Jaehaerys's keen intellect and Alysanne's intuitive empathy, about the subtle ways Targaryen power was projected and maintained. He had also seen the faint, unsettling flicker of Valyrian recognition in their eyes, a reminder that their shared heritage, however distant, made them uniquely, if unconsciously, perceptive to the echoes of true Valyrian magic. The need for even deeper, more impenetrable layers of secrecy was paramount. Skagos had passed its greatest test yet, but the eternal vigil of its Shadow King would only intensify. The game of shadows continued, and Aelyx Velaryon remained its undefeated, unseen master.