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BtM Chapter 28: Aegon IV
🕑 Added 2024-05-14 14:43:39 +0000 UTCIt has been six months since Aegon came to Dragonstone, and to be honest, he was the happiest he ever was.
Creating distance between him and his overbearing family was good for him, and even though he spent his days working, shadowing men in their organization of the island in order to learn the ropes of the trade, he found himself fulfilled in purpose, tired, but joyous.
Sunfyre echoed his sentiments, as he let out an exuberant roar, lighting up the early morning sky with his beautiful flames.
Aegon laughed, and Sunfyre moved in sync with his thoughts, as it suddenly flew down unprompted.
An odd thing, he noticed, is that his gloominess had negatively affected his dragon in the past. Out of his family, Aegon’s bond with his dragon was the strongest –Baelon may be the exception, again- , he claimed it at the young age of eight, not the youngest, that honor goes to Daeron, yet his was special in that Sunfyre chose HIM, not the opposite.
The young dragon just showed up one day on a visit to the Dragonpit, he approached Aegon first, and young as he was, the prince played joyfully with the shining lizard until his mother ruined things.
Ever since, Aegon would visit Sunfyre every change he got, the Dragon keepers back at Kingslanding often got annoyed at their relationship, Sunfyre would throw a… tantrum, every time he left him alone, earning for his companionship.
Then Aegon fell to his own vices in an attempt to escape from his family issues, deep into depression, he was unable to notice that his negative emotions affected his bond significantly, the Dragon keepers spoke in fear of Sunfyre lethargy, he was unwilling to move much, and he spent his time deep into the Dragonpit lazily waiting for his less frequent visits.
‘The most bright and cheerful dragon had turned despondent.’ Aegon thought.
As Aegon's thoughts danced between the past and the present, a distant figure on the horizon snapped him back to reality. Aegon squinted against the morning sunlight, recognizing the unmistakable silhouette of a dragon—a purple dragon, larger than Sunfyre, with wings that seemed to stretch endlessly across the sky.
"Baelon," Aegon whispered, his heart quickening with anticipation.
Sunfyre, sensing his rider’s excitement, let out a low rumble, his eyes fixated on the approaching dragon. Sunfyre’s wings beat rhythmically as they ascended toward the summit of Dragonmont, the wind rushing past them in a whirlwind of excitement.
Aegon watched in a daze as Baelon and his Xyrax descended, the ground trembling beneath their weight. The purple dragon's eyes gleamed with intelligence as it landed gracefully next to Sunfyre, its presence commanding respect and admiration.
"Baelon!" Aegon called out, unable to contain his joy.
Baelon grinned, dismounting from his dragon with practiced ease. "Aegon, it's good to see you," he said, his voice filled with warmth.
As Aegon cautiously yet happily approached his brother, before he could do anything, Baelon approaches suddenly, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Aegon pauses for a split second, before clumsily returning the hug.
Sunfyre and Xyrax regarded each other with a mixture of curiosity and respect, their connection palpable even to Aegon's keen senses. They exchanged low rumbles and gentle nudges, communicating in a language that transcended words.
"It seems Sunfyre has missed Xyrax," Aegon remarked, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Baelon chuckled, running a hand along his dragon's scales. "And Xyrax missed him too. It's good to be reunited." He swept his gaze over Aegon. “You look remarkably better, Egg, I can barely notice the dark circles under your eyes.”
Aegon let the words wash over him. “I… The distance has been good for me.” He says. “These past few moons were… peaceful.” He spoke with a serenity that was uncharacteristic of him. “Did you come to visit? I thought Dragonstone no longer needed you to overlook its day to day operations.”
“I came to see you, silly.” Baelon responds. “You’re leaving for your new holdings this week, I thought mayhaps you needed a proper goodbye.” His smirk widens. “I also wanted to see the new ship, Sun’s Glare, was it?”
Aegon’s heart swelled with pride at the mention of his new flagship, the galleon was christened for the first time the last month, prominently floating in the private docks. It proved to be completely functional, its crew familiarizing with the ship as it went on occasional trips to Driftmark and Claw Isle.
“Yes, I never got to thank you about that.”
Baelon offhandedly shakes his hand. “Don’t mention it, the ship was meant to be a symbol of your authority as Lord Governor.” He says. “Others are to be built next, for father and I first, then others.”
He extended his arm over Aegon’s shoulder. “Now, tell me about your time here.” He says. “Ser Alfred and Vaelar spoke well of your character.”
“Well…”
__________________________________________________________________________________
They spent an embarrassingly long time standing on a random mountainside speaking before they decided to head back to Dragonstone.
The race back was pretty exciting, Aegon won of course, his dragon was smaller and lither, allowing for more acceleration.
As they landed, they were greeted with Alfred Broome and a gaggle of dragon keepers.
“Your graces.” The knight spoke. “It is lucky that some of our men spotted your dragons, we were quite worried when Prince Aegon was late.”
Baelon waved him off. “It was a reunion between brothers, no need to fret much.” He says. “I’m exhausted, I’ll head to my quarters for now. Tomorrow, I shall get a report from you and Vaelar.” He turns to Aegon. “Get some rest, tomorrow, early in the morn, I want you to be present.”
Aegon nods.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Aegon awkwardly sat next to Ser Alfred and Maester Vaelar in the lord’s solar, waiting for his brother’s arrival.
Ser Broome sat still, staring at the door with an impassive gaze, while Vaelar was rifling through a book, scratching some words in from time to time.
He made a conscious effort not to fidget, visibly uncomfortable with the silence.
Aegon was about to open his mouth when the door abruptly opened, letting Baelon enter the room.
“Sorry for my lateness.” He says. “I may have missed the comforts of this island too much that I overslept.” He claps his hand. “Now! Let’s get started, shall we?”
Vaelar nods, being the first to speak. “Certainly, following your instructions, I left the day to day matters of the island in the hands of Lord Quince’s subordinates’ hands, they were certainly capable.” Vaelar stares back at the large book, momentarily reading certain passages. “The expansions are going as predicted, we saw a predicted increase in our mining profits, while the recent changes in Kingslanding seems to have shifted quite a bit of interest from foreign merchants.” He looks back to Baelon. “Seeing the winds shift, many a merchant would rather dock in Dragonstone than Kingslanding. Alongside the dye, spirits, sea-silk, and the recent discoveries from the Workshop, I’d say the profits increased by half.”
“Excellent, speaking of the Workshop, how did the Alchemists fare?” He asks.
“Aside from certain bouts of hostility, they seemed very much excited at their new prospects.” He says. “Although results on ‘taming’ the wildfire proved to be lackluster, their expertise in alchemical solutions did help however in our dye and spirit production, I think they may even develop new interesting perfumes.”
“Then all is well, Ser Alfred, how goes the training?”
“Dealing with experienced soldiers certainly helped, your Grace.” Broome’s voice was deep and rough, as can be expected from such a dour man. “Their experience in Dorne may have taught them some bad habits but nothing some training won’t handle, by next moon I should have the next batch of officers ready.”
Baelon smiles. “You’re a godsend, Alfred. I hear your son is close to reaching his mid-twenties?” He asks.
Alfred just nods.
“I didn’t hear much bad things about him, so you should start training him as a successor. I believe your talents may be more amenable to work in the region instead of being wasted in such a position as castellan.” He says. “A military base is currently getting built on the other side of the Blackwater, facing Kingslanding. I wish for it to be a center of operations for the legion in the crownlands, it is time for our purple cloaks to become a true standing army, and I want you to lead it.”
Any who didn’t spend time with Ser Alfred would think he was naught affected by the news, yet Aegon could spot the tightening of his fists and the moistening of his eyes, the man was clearly touched beyond words.
The dour knight bows to his liege. “I shall not disappoint you, your Grace.” He says.
Baelon mentions for his to sit back. “I know you won’t.” He responds. “It was your training that created the foundation of the purple cloaks, the officers and soldiers you trained were the bedrock by which this army was built, it is –without a shred of a doubt- your accomplishments that assured the conquest by which I gained my fame.” He says. “I should be the one to thank you.”
Alfred listlessly nods back, Aegon thinks he may have lost his voice.
After that touching scene, they spent some time speaking about further details, Baelon heard the about the current situation and the issues plaguing the island (not that they were many), and swiftly directed resources to improve the state, adjusting previous plans to accommodate unforeseen changes.
Aegon learned much, Baelon clearly had intimate knowledge about the island, from its geography to its people, it was something that could only be done through thorough investigation and a very dedicated work force. Aegon knew better than most how much his brother spent in gathering information that others deemed useless.
It was after a lengthy conversation that Baelon was left alone with Aegon, the former poured a cup of iced juice in the latter’s cup.
“I’m proud of what you have achieved.” Baelon starts. “I heard you were diligent in your learning, my men say you were attentive and determined, yet not arrogant. You befriended the training sailors, got familiar with ships, and Alfred says your sword arm isn’t half bad.” He says. “Out of the people that you know, who’re you putting in charge of your fleet?” He asks.
Aegon grabs the poured cup, taking a meagre sip from its contents. “I have my eye on Trystane Maegyr, he was one of the men you rescued from slavery, who made the change to sailing during your time here, he’s the youngest of the eligible candidates, smart and cautious, and he has no qualms about suborning himself to what he may think is a child.” He says. “His… prior experience will also serve useful in dealing with Essosi elements.”
Baelon nods. “A good choice, the same one I would have done in your place.” He says. “To be honest, Aegon. I came here to meet you, to be present when you depart yes, but also to inform you of the intricacies and the crown’s decisions regarding your position.”
“I’m all ears, brother.”
“Good.” He says. “Shortly after you reach bloodstone you will be met by a Braavosi envoy, one Loho Nestoris, he’s a key holder of the Iron Bank, so make sure to be respectful yet not subservient.” At Aegon’s nod, he continues. “The Iron Throne’s position is that we believe cooperation with Braavos is key in the coming days, you are to negotiate official terms between our House and the Free city in regards to trade.”
“What terms should I focus on?” Aegon asks.
Baelon takes a sip of his own drink. “Be aggressive, in a non-confrontational way. Much like the Triarchy, Braavosi ships will face neither tariffs nor tolls for their passage in the Stepstones, in fact, I want you to fake getting convinced by the man in offering favorable terms for their ships for all services available or to be available in the island chain.” He instructs.
“Then I want you to make overtures, the presence of Daemon’s, Corlys’ and yours fleets means that the royal fleet at Kingslanding finds itself unoccupied, we wish to conduct a joint trading expedition between the Iron Throne and Braavos mimicking the Seasnake’s voyages, we can’t have so many ships floating on our docks with nothing to do.”
“Right.” Aegon comments. “Braavos has its own trading expedition, organized by private fleets owned by affluent merchants, convincing them to bet their mighty arsenal in such a risky endeavor may be more than I can chew.”
Baelon nods in understanding. “If you were speaking of decades before, then you might be right. Yet the presence of the Triarchy is like an invisible noose on the Braavosi’s necks, they backed my conquest since they expected the Essosi alliance to shatter from their losses, yet no one expected Cosymo and Modaerys to join hands and centralize power.” He shrugs. “A clever move by the duo, their eastern investments will probably turn out fruitful, and once they do…”
“They will become the dominant power in Essos, turning their gaze north to-“
“Pentos and Braavos.” Baelon interrupts. “At this moment in time, Braavos has no choice but to find allies in order to preserve their power, Pentos may be under its thumb, yet they are much too fearful of the Triarchy to be of use, in fact, some ambitious Pentosi Magister may choose to side with the Triarchy in order to secure their complete independence, those misers sure do chafe with slavery illegal.”
“An alliance with Lorath or Norvos may work, yet the latters are much too distant and unaffected by the Triarchy to care. Which leaves us.” Aegon comments.
“Exactly, Bravoos not only has to ally with us, they salivate at the thought of it. With our new ownership of the Stepstones, the conquest of Dorne, the new resources from the north, and our increased production, Braavos is bound to control the Narrow Sea, provided they have our help, of course.” Baelon says. “Not only that, but they can strike the iron while it’s hot, creating a buffer between them and the rising menace.”
Things finally click in Aegon’s head, his face slowly morphing in chock.
Baelon laughs at his expression. “That was the same expression father made!” He japes. “Yes, as you have surmised….”
A dangerous glint colors Baelon’s eye, his smile turning predatory.
“Braavos is going to invade Pentos, officially swallowing it whole.” He says. “And we are going to help them!”
Comments
Boredom01
Taking a piece of pentos is smart. Great work once again author
