89 AC. The Red Keep.
The heavy, iron-studded doors of the residential chambers in the tower of the Red Keep closed with a dull thud, cutting off the night chill and the echo of footsteps on the stone flags. Ser Ryam Redwyne waited until both princesses were safely inside the inner apartments, exchanged glances with the guardsmen remaining on duty at the doors, and only then allowed himself to catch his breath unnoticed. His duty for this long day was nearly done, yet one last, no less important task lay ahead. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard adjusted his white cloak and made his way toward the royal chambers, where he was already expected.
In the chambers of King Jaehaerys, only a few massive candles burned at this late hour, and the hearth blazed brightly, dispelling the dampness that rose from Blackwater Bay to the high walls of the fortress. The Old King sat in a deep, high-backed carved chair upholstered in dark velvet. Before him on the wide oak table lay stacks of parchment, sealed scrolls from the Grand Maester, and detailed maps of the coast of Westeros, though his gaze was currently fixed on the fire. Years of rule had left their mark on his face, deepening the lines around his lips and on his brow, but the monarch's eyes retained that piercing clarity that could silence even the most defiant lords of the realm.
Opposite him, settled on a small embroidered sofa, sat Queen Alysanne. Her silver hair was neatly styled, and an unfinished piece of needlework rested on her lap, though she had not touched it for some time. The room held that peculiar silence known only to people who have lived side by side for decades, knowing each other's every thought before it is even spoken aloud.
"He is stubborn, Alysanne, as stubborn as I ever was," Jaehaerys said softly, breaking the silence. His voice sounded hollow, carrying the exhaustion of a man weary of fighting his own blood. "Aemon refuses to even listen to me. I spoke with him yesterday before his departure for Dragonstone. I pleaded with him, as both his king and his father, to consider the future of the dynasty. Jocelyn has given him a beautiful daughter, but the Seven Kingdoms need a male heir. The throne cannot sit precariously because my eldest son chooses to display excessive chivalry where statecraft is required. One more child, just one boy, and all disputes over the succession would die out before they could even begin. But he merely shakes his head and insists that Jocelyn's health is too fragile after her difficult labor, and that he will not risk her life for a phantom hope."
Alysanne sighed, resting her hands on her lap, and looked gently at her husband. Her eyes held none of the irritation that Jaehaerys felt, only the profound understanding of a mother who knows the hearts of her children.
"You call it stubbornness, Jaehaerys, but I call it love and loyalty," the Queen replied, her voice sounding remarkably steady and firm for her years. "Aemon loves his wife. He saw how hard Rhaenys's birth was on her, and he refuses to be the cause of death for the woman he chose as his life's companion. Besides, why do you so stubbornly refuse to see what is right before you? Our granddaughter Rhaenys is flesh of the Targaryen flesh. The blood of the dragon flows in her veins. She is only fifteen, yet she already flies Meleys, her mind is sharper than many of your councilors, and her character is stronger than that of any male heir. Why do you believe a woman cannot hold what you have spent so many years building?"
Jaehaerys shook his head, a flash of sternness crossing his gaze, forged from decades of ruling a realm. He still remembered the horrors of civil war and the reign of Maegor the Cruel.
"Alysanne, it is not a matter of my regard for Rhaenys. You know how I love the girl. It is a matter of the lords of Westeros," the King said, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table and lacing his long fingers together. "The lords, all of them are accustomed to obeying a man. They are ready to bend the knee to me, and they would bend it to Aemon, because they see in him a warrior and a lawful successor. But when the time comes to pass power to a woman, old grievances and the ambitions of the great houses will ignite with renewed force. Every petty lord will remember that she has a male cousin or nephew whose claim, in their eyes, stands above the Queen's. I want peace for the Seven Kingdoms after I pass into the great beyond. A man on the Iron Throne is a guarantee of stability. Rhaenys may possess all the finest qualities, but her gender will be a vulnerability that our enemies will surely exploit."
"Enemies will exploit any weakness, Jaehaerys, whether it be a ruler's gender, their age, or their excessive leniency," Alysanne countered, narrowing her eyes. "You yourself taught our sons that a ruler's strength lies in their ability to choose loyal men and command respect. Rhaenys is respected even now. When she is grown, she will be a woman before whom they bend the knee not out of fear, but because of her personal qualities. The lords of Westeros will accept her if they see that behind her stands the full might of our house and the law that you yourself have strengthened. Do not underestimate her simply because she was born a girl. Remember Visenya, remember Rhaenys, who ruled alongside Aegon as equals."
Their debate, which had become familiar over the past months, was interrupted by a quiet, measured knock at the door. The King straightened in his chair, returning his face to the mask of a dispassionate ruler, and said in a firm voice:
"Come."
The door opened, and Ser Ryam Redwyne appeared on the threshold. His white armor and cloak seemed grayish in the dim candlelight, but his posture remained impeccable. He stepped across the threshold, removed his helm, tucking it under his arm, and bowed low to the royal couple.
"Your Grace," the Lord Commander said, addressing Jaehaerys first. "I have arrived, as you commanded this morning, to report on the return of Princess Rhaenys and Princess Viserra, as well as the progress of their excursion today with Lord Corlys Velaryon."
"Come in, Ser Ryam," Jaehaerys nodded, gesturing toward the open space before the table. "We have been expecting you. Sit if you wish, the day has clearly been long, not only for my granddaughter and daughter, but for you as well."
"My thanks, Your Grace, but I prefer to stand," the knight politely declined, stepping deeper into the room and positioning himself so that the firelight fell upon his face. "The princesses are entirely safe in their chambers. No incidents occurred during the journey or their stay in the city."
"Those are welcome tidings," Queen Alysanne spoke up, studying the old guardsman closely. "Tell us, how did the exercises fare? Did our new Master of Ships manage to demonstrate the very reason the King entrusted him with this office?"
Ser Ryam tilted his head slightly, recalling what he had witnessed on the deck of the flagship. His professional warrior's eye caught details that might have escaped an ordinary courtier, and he now delivered his observations precisely, without unnecessary embellishment or fervor, as befitted a seasoned soldier.
"Lord Corlys is a true seaman, Your Grace, that much cannot be denied him," Redwyne began. "The drills in the bay were conducted with the utmost rigor. The royal fleet, which not long ago was in a poor state, displayed a high level of training today. The ships sailed in tight formation, and commands were executed without delay. Lord Velaryon personally directed the maneuvers using signal flags and horns. He has refitted the medium galleys, mounting new scorpions upon them, and made the sailors practice reloading the weapons amidst heavy rolling seas."
Jaehaerys grunted in satisfaction, drumming his fingers lightly against the armrest of his chair.
"A hundred new ships are still required. A heavy task, demanding vast expenditures from the treasury and straining every shipyard on Driftmark. But Corlys is right: the Triarchy understands only the language of strength. I am glad to hear he wastes no time and has already set to work with his characteristic grasp. And how did the girls comport themselves on deck?"
"Princess Rhaenys showed a keen interest in the martial aspects of the maneuvers," Ser Ryam continued, choosing his words carefully. "She questioned Lord Corlys on naval battle tactics, firing ranges, and how to coordinate the captains' actions. It was plain to see that the sheer scale of the operation appealed to her. Princess Viserra carried herself with more reserve, yet she listened intently to every word. Once the drills concluded and evening drew near, Lord Corlys invited the princesses to sup at his manse on Visenya's Hill, to avoid the congestion of the city streets."
Queen Alysanne turned her gaze to her husband, a faint, barely perceptible smile gracing her lips.
"A manse on Visenya's Hill?" she repeated. "Lord Corlys invited members of the royal family to his private residence? A bold step indeed for a Master of Ships. And how did this supper pass, Ser Ryam? I trust you did not leave the princesses for a single moment?"
"Naturally, Your Grace," the Lord Commander replied. "Ser Adam and I remained in immediate proximity. Lord Corlys insisted that we share the meal with them, arguing that his house was secured by his own guardsmen," Ser Ryam went on to recount the primary details of the evening.
Jaehaerys listened closely to the report, noting every detail. For him, as a ruler, it was essential to know not only the state of the ships, but how his subjects conducted themselves in an informal setting. He paused for a moment, weighing what he had heard, and then posed the question for which he had summoned Ser Ryam for this late-night report:
"This is all very thorough and useful, Ser Ryam. Yet it is not merely the supper's bill of fare that interests me. How did matters stand personally between Lord Corlys and Princess Viserra? You are an old guardsman, you have seen many courts and many intrigues. What did you observe?"
Ser Ryam hesitated for a brief moment. He understood the delicate nature of the question. To meddle in the affairs of the royal family or to discuss a princess's sentiments was a perilous thing, yet his duty to the King bound him to speak nothing but the unvarnished truth, however ambiguous it might seem. The knight shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his helm clinking faintly against his armor.
"Your Grace... this perhaps does not concern my direct duties as a guardsman," he began cautiously, looking the King straight in the eye. "But since you ask my counsel, I must say what I witnessed with my own eyes. During the supper, and most notably afterward at the gates of the Red Keep, something developed between Lord Corlys and Princess Viserra that can hardly be called the ordinary courtesy between a subject and a member of the royal family. Princess Viserra showed an interest in Lord Corlys that surpassed mere curiosity about a traveler's tales. She watched him the entire evening, catching his eye. And at the gates, when we returned, they spoke in private, apart from the others. I did not catch every word, but the princess's voice was soft, and some manner of understanding passed between them. It seemed to me that Princess Viserra favors Lord Corlys far more than the strict rules of propriety observed at court demand."
Silence fell over the room. King Jaehaerys frowned, his brows knitting together into a stern expression as his palm came down heavily upon the table. Queen Alysanne, by contrast, was not surprised in the least. She merely smiled softly, as though she had heard precisely what she expected.
"Is that so?" the King murmured, a note of anxiety creeping into his voice.
"Do not judge her so harshly, Jaehaerys," Alysanne softly interceded, soothing her husband.
The Queen turned her head toward the Lord Commander, her gaze becoming focused and commanding.
"Ser Ryam, from this day forth, I command you to personally accompany Princess Viserra during all her subsequent meetings with Lord Corlys, whether in the godswood, at the shipyards, or during walks through the city. You must become her shadow. Ensure that they are never left alone in enclosed rooms without your presence. Your task is to ensure that not a single soul in the Red Keep conceives even the thought that Viserra might act indiscreetly or bring dishonor upon her name. With a knight such as you by her side, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, no court gossip will dare even think of anything improper. Your presence alone shall serve as a shield for her reputation."
Ser Ryam Redwyne bowed his head low, accepting the Queen's command.
"Your will is law to me, my Queen," the knight replied firmly. "I shall personally guard Princess Viserra during all her encounters with Lord Velaryon. My sword and my honor guarantee that no shadow shall fall upon her good name."
At that moment, many details from the past few weeks began to click together in the old knight's mind details that had previously seemed to him merely a display of royal indulgence. Ser Ryam had served the crown long enough to understand how matters were conducted at the highest level. Viserra had always been renowned for her stubbornness and the ease with which she dismissed the suits of many noble Westerosi bachelors seeking her hand. The King and Queen often indulged her whims, but ever since Corlys Velaryon had arrived in the capital to take up the post of Master of Ships, the princess's freedom of movement had become near limitless. She was permitted to visit the docks, spend time in the godswood, and attend war councils and fleet exercises, always in the company of the finest guardsmen.
They are considering him as her future husband, Ser Ryam suddenly realized, maintaining his outward composure. The thought seemed so logical that he wondered to himself why he had not arrived at it sooner. Corlys Velaryon was the wealthiest man in the Seven Kingdoms, his voyages had brought his house incredible power, and his vessels formed the bedrock of the realm's naval might. Marriage to a king's daughter was the highest reward a lord outside the immediate ruling dynasty could receive. This explained why the King and Queen monitored the development of their relationship so closely, yet were in no haste to intervene or forbid these meetings. They were allowing them to grow close, testing whether the Sea Snake could tame the willful princess, while simultaneously ensuring that until a formal betrothal was announced, everything appeared irreproachable from the standpoint of etiquette.
Jaehaerys looked at his Lord Commander, noticing the slight thoughtfulness in his eyes, but chose not to pursue the matter further. For the King, it was enough that his loyal guardsman understood the weight of the task entrusted to him.
"You have done excellently today, Ser Ryam," the King said, a warm tone returning to his voice. "Your report was precise and most useful. We thank you for your service. Now you may go and take your rest, the day has indeed been a long one."
"My thanks, Your Grace," Redwyne replied. He bowed once more, first to the King, then to the Queen, donned his helm, and walked out of the room with a firm stride, quietly closing the oak door behind him.
Once the guardsman's footsteps faded down the corridor, Jaehaerys leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply. He took a silver goblet of wine from the table, took a small sip, and looked at his wife, who continued to smile softly as she gazed at the glowing embers in the hearth.
"It appears your plan is beginning to bear fruit, Alysanne," the King said, a blend of relief and gentle irony in his tone. "Viserra, who used to throw lightning bolts at the mere mention of marriage, is making strides toward Corlys of her own accord."
Alysanne set her needlework aside on the small table and turned to her husband, her eyes shining with the genuine joy of a mother seeing her child find her path.
"I am glad, Jaehaerys, truly glad," she said softly. "Corlys is precisely the man she needs. He will not try to break her spirit as other lords might. His wealth, his fleet, and his name make him nearly her equal, as much as is possible for a man who does not possess the blood of a dragonrider. If they draw close and a true affection blossoms between them, this marriage will be a remarkably strong and happy one for our daughter. Viserra will find a home and a man she can respect, and we shall gain a loyal and powerful ally, devoted to our family not out of duty alone, but through bonds of blood."
Jaehaerys listened to her, but his features were slow to soften entirely. He set the goblet back upon the table and looked once more at the maps, as though searching them for an answer to another thought that had come to him during Ser Ryam's report.
"That is all true, my love. If Viserra marries Corlys, it will resolve many concerns regarding her future. Yet there is something else in our Lord Commander's words that leaves me uneasy," the King frowned, choosing his words. "He mentioned that Rhaenys is also spending far too much time with Corlys. She was on the deck with them, she asked questions, she shared this supper. They are young, and both are forceful personalities. Rhaenys is my heir's daughter, she is the future queen, unless our son changes his mind and a son is born to him. What if her interest in the Master of Ships also extends beyond mere political curiosity? I fear she might fall in love with him, Alysanne. Two princesses vying for the attention of the same man even if one is her aunt and the other her niece is a recipe for disaster within our family. Should Rhaenys turn her eyes toward Corlys, it could destroy everything we are trying to build. It could sow a feud between the girls that would shatter our house from within."
Alysanne listened to his misgivings attentively, but not a shadow of anxiety appeared on her face. She merely shook her head, and her voice carried that absolute certainty born from a profound knowledge of womanly nature and the characters of her own granddaughter and daughter.
"Your worries are in vain, Jaehaerys," the Queen replied, her voice firm. "Dismiss these thoughts, they have no foundation. You judge them as a man and a politician who sees nothing but rivalry for influence and power in everything, but you do not know their hearts as I do. If even Ser Ryam a stern man far removed from women's secrets noticed Viserra's fondness for Corlys, then Rhaenys has known of it for a long while. She is clever, her eyes see everything that happens around her, especially when it concerns the one with whom she spent her entire childhood."
The Queen rose from the sofa, walked over to her husband's chair, and gently placed a hand upon his shoulder, feeling the tension in his muscles beneath her fingers.
"Rhaenys will never cause Viserra pain," Alysanne continued, looking her husband straight in the eye. "Never. And she would least of all enter into a relationship with a man her aunt favors. You must remember the bond that exists between these two girls. They grew up together in this castle, they shared secrets, slipped away from their septa, sat upon the cliffs of Dragonstone, and built their own world within these walls. They are two sides of the same coin, as Viserra often likes to put it. Their bond is deeper and stronger than many think. They can be cruel to others, they are capable of inflicting hurt upon courtiers or lords who displease them, or breaking court rules should they bore them. But they will never, under any circumstances, betray one another."
Alysanne ran her hand through her husband's hair to soothe him, her voice softening, taking on a tinge of melancholy for the vanished years of their own youth.
"In a world where every courtier seeks only his own advantage, where brother can betray brother for a scrap of land or a title, Viserra and Rhaenys have found absolute trust in one another. If Viserra favors Corlys, then to Rhaenys he becomes a man upon whom she will never look as a potential lover. She may respect him as an admiral, she may argue with him over ships and battle tactics, but her heart will remain closed to him, for it is pledged to her friend. Such a betrayal would destroy everything that makes them strong, and they both understand this perfectly. So quiet your mind, Jaehaerys. We must think of the Triarchy, and how to properly arrange this union when the time comes. But a feud between our girls over a man is one thing you will certainly never have to worry about."
Jaehaerys covered his wife's hand with his own, feeling her warmth, and the tension that had gripped him all evening finally began to ebb away. He looked once more at the fire in the hearth, where the wooden logs were slowly turning to red charcoal, yielding the last of their heat to the room. Alysanne's words always possessed the power to restore his peace of mind when matters of state and dread for the future clouded his vision.
"Let it be so," the King murmured, closing his eyes for a moment. "Your words bring peace to my heart, sister. If they are truly so faithful to one another, it is the greatest gift the gods could have bestowed upon our house."
Beyond the walls of their chambers, the nightly life of the Red Keep went on as usual: guards changed watches on the towers, torches burned low in the corridors, and Blackwater Bay steadily rolled its waves beneath a clear, starlit sky, carrying into the darkness the secrets and hopes of those who ruled this vast and restless world.
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A/N
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