Jon glared at the wooden crate that contained the dragon egg and hesitated. Although he was curious to see whether the egg was meant for Daenerys or not, he was also worried of what it would mean to her if nothing happened when she held it. And how should he react then? Would it lessen her disappointment if he were to bring her outside and introduce her to his dragons or would that just be rubbing salt into an open wound? He wished Davos was here to calm him down with one of his down to earth remarks that would downplay the importance that Jon was attaching to this issue.
He decided to take it one step at the time. There was no reason yet for negative thoughts. Who knew, over the next few days he could be teaching her to hatch the egg and they would laugh about his current indecisiveness wholeheartedly.
Dany had been pleased to meet Sam again when they met him in the hallway while Jon escorted her to her chambers. With the promise to have lunch together later, Jon had led her away from Sam to her new quarters to refresh herself. The rooms she had been assigned were the ones where her mother, the Queen at the time, had stayed the few times she had visited Dragonstone. The servants had shown the Princess' rooms to Jon the day before and he had complimented them sincerely. Although the windows were narrow and didn't allow for much sunlight to enter the space when he had visited them late in the day, the predominant light coloured furs on the bed and the chairs, combined with the tasteful decorations and tapestries that lined the walls lent the room a warm and cosy atmosphere.
They had all enjoyed a nice lunch together. Everyone had done his share to make the Princess feel welcome. After lunch Sam had been the first one to excuse himself and had left the table. Dany had taken that opportunity to rise as well and had gone back to her room to unpack some of her personal items. Jon had promised to pay her a visit a bit later.
And now he stood here before her door, gathering the courage to knock. Ser Oswell was close behind him and carried the small crate with the black egg. Jon started to think nobody had heard him knock and was about to try again when the door opened and he was greeted with a delighted smile. Daenerys had answered the door herself and stepped aside to let Jon enter with Ser Oswell following his Prince. Daenerys' septa made a formal curtsy to Jon and left the room.
Jon's eyes widened when he took in Daenerys' appearance. She had changed into a less formal gown and seeing the innocent, youthful picture she provided in it made the notion that she was technically his aunt rather ridiculous. Because his eyes were trained on her, he immediately noticed the change in her expression when her eyes wandered to the crate Ser Oswell had just put on a small table with a soft thump. Jon made a furtive hand gesture and Ser Oswell left the room closing the door swiftly behind him.
He approached the table and opened the box with care fixing his gaze on the beautiful black egg. It was a deliberate choice to prevent him from reacting to the nervousness that had appeared in her eyes the moment she recognised the box he had described to her in one of his first letters all those years ago. Even though he kept his eyes on the egg, he still was very much aware of her hesitant approach. He encouraged her with a short nod of his head and focussed on her small hands that carefully took out the shiny black egg. She cradled it in her arms and held it reverently against her bosom. His eyes that had followed the egg now shifted upwards to study the expression on her face with barely contained tension. Dany's eyes were closed in concentration.
Jon waited with bated breath and saw a small teardrop appear below one of her closed eyelids. The transparent pearl slowly made its way across her cheek, soon to be followed by a second larger one. He didn't know whether these were signs of a positive emotion or whether they expressed her extreme disappointment. When she started to tremble, he reached out and carefully took the egg from her shaking arms before she dropped it and put the precious object back inside the box. The very moment he closed the lid, she fell apart in his arms. Immediately grasping the fact that she was heartbroken, he closed his arms around her and softly rocked her slim body that clung to his, desperate for comfort.
"Shhh, it is all right. If nothing happened that is because it was not destined to be. We have two dragons anyway. Maester Aemon warned me that there was a distinct possibility that the egg was not viable. He considered it a miracle that two out of three were able to produce healthy dragons after all those years." He had difficulty finishing his last sentence. A lump had formed in his throat.
"Perhaps the egg is still viable but it is destined for future generations?" Daenerys had stopped sobbing and lifted her head to look at Jon, her purple eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"Perhaps," Jon replied, thinking of the vows he had made as head of their house. He would not be able to share the content of them with her now. He would be forced to carry this burden, this responsibility alone, just as his great-great-uncle had been obliged to do for so long. He hid his own regret and disappointment. Reaching into his pocket, he offered her a soft piece of cloth he had brought along just in case his fears would prove true. She accepted it and used it to wipe her tears. She dropped her arms and ended the hug. He saw her walk over to a small mirror to check if she was somewhat presentable again. He didn't care. Even with red eyes and puffy cheeks wet with tears she looked lovely.
"Would you like to say hello to Rhaegal and Viserion? The outside air will do you good and I promised them they would get to meet you." Jon attempted to distract her in the only way he could think of. She turned around to face him again, her expression revealing interest and curiosity and he was relieved that it had been the right move.
"I always wondered about that." She said slowly, the reverence apparent in her tone of voice. "Your letters sometimes mention dialogues you have with them in your mind. I have never heard of something like that. The chapter on dragonlore in the book containing the history of House Targaryen mentions nothing of the sort. It only lists a few short commands in High Valyrian the dragonriders of old used. Like 'soves' or 'dracarys'."
"We can hear one another's thoughts when we share our minds. If I concentrate, I can send images to them and they reply the same way." He answered feeling a bit self-conscious. "Maester Aemon figured it is the warging ability of my Stark side that is somehow enhanced by the magic of my Targaryen blood that makes this possible. House Stark has the blood of the First Men and the Kings of Winter. The magic in the blood of my mother's family might possibly be older than the magic of Valyria. Only it has been mostly dormant in recent generations. I suppose I am the first one ever to be born this way. I am sorry that it isn't the same for you, Dany."
"Sorry? Aegon, we should celebrate!" she countered, her eyes still looked a little red when they met his. "If you have read the sparse writings on raising dragons you know how difficult it was for our ancestors to control the predatory instincts of their dragons. You have the perfect relationship with them. You can prevent the tragedies that happened back then."
"I know. I am fortunate. I just feel some injustice that I, who am only half Targaryen, somehow am the chosen one at the expense of you." He was relieved though with her acceptance of the nature of his relationship with the dragons. He sensed that she was coming to terms with her disappointment to a certain degree already.
"House Targaryen is fortunate to have you, Aegon. You strengthen our blood and bring new power to our house. Without you those three eggs would be nothing more than beautiful ornaments to grace our quarters. I probably scared you with my tearful reaction but ever since I heard about the eggs in your first letter, expectations have been building. Give me a bit of time to digest this. Focusing on all the positive aspects and seeing our house thrive again will soon have me back to my charming self." She opened the door of her room and with a watery smile at Ser Oswell she motioned him to follow her. Jon didn't hesitate and hastened after her. He looked forward to introducing her to the dragons.
Together they walked out over the green cliffs of Dragonstone. Jon ignored Ser Oswell and Ser Barristan that followed them at a discreet distance. The view from up here was captivating. Dragonstone was a volcanic island. Thousands of years of waves crushing against the rocks had resulted in irregular slopes and worn away flanks with random carvings rising up from the sea. They admired how the sunlight played with the eroded lines up until the point where the shoreline curved away to the west. The ships that lay anchored in the bay filled him with pride. Out there was his fleet. Sometimes it all still felt unreal. He tore his gaze away from the large fleet that only grew more impressive by the day and turned his head to look at Daenerys when she started to speak.
"The servants that helped me unpack my belongings told me about the speech you gave yesterday. That must have been something else. I'm sorry I missed it. You've been here hardly a day and already everyone worships you like some long lost hero that has finally come home." She had stopped to better hear his answer. The wind blew from all directions out here on the cliffs.
"That was an overwhelming experience for me as well. I had hardly touched down on Dragonstone, and gotten a chance to freshen up a bit before I was ushered to the Great Hall where everyone wanted to see me literally take my place on the throne of the Princes of Dragonstone for the very first time. I only half remember what I told them. I don't think it would have mattered much either way. I gather I could have counted to one hundred and they still would have cheered me on."
"That is not what I heard, Aegon. You will need to learn not to be so irritatingly modest all the time and to accept compliments with grace if they are sincere. I asked them what they still recalled from your speech and from the fragments they repeated to me, I could gather that it was an eloquent discourse spreading an inspiring message."
Jon was silent for a few moments not really sure how to respond to her praise. Then he cocked his head and looked up. "The dragons are on their way. Better step away for a moment. I will greet them first and then I promise to introduce you."
Jon was glad to have this excuse to change the topic. Somehow it still felt like he was steeling her limelight. He knew it was not a rational thought. His mind acknowledged that he was worthy, trueborn and first in the line of the succession but the feeling was there anyway. This was her home, she had been born here. He was the half Targaryen and of a later generation. He didn't even look the part. She had the classic Valyrian features of silver white hair, a very fair, pale skin and exquisite purple eyes. She was also his Aunt. That last thought always filled him with unease. He shrugged his shoulders and loosened his muscles as if to shake these uneasy thoughts off by the physical gesture. Any moment now his dragons would come into view.
"You just felt that? Oh, there they are." Dany had missed his inner turmoil her eyes had been trained on the sky. She stood back while Rhaegal and Viserion landed close to her kin. She witnessed him rubbing their scales next to extremely large, sharp looking teeth. And as if that wasn't impressive enough, Aegon put his forehead against Rhaegal's cheeks and closed his eyes. She noticed a small movement and then both dragons were eying her curiously. Moments later Aegon opened his eyes and gestured her to come closer.
He stood right next to her and took her small hand in his to guide it gently along the scales of the silver white dragon's cheek. He saw the pulse in her neck and knew her heart was beating wildly. "Viserion is pleased to meet you." He translated the dragon's thoughts to try to get her to calm down a bit. The dragon lifted his head to the left so his eye could study her more closely. That movement caused her hand to slip from his scales and put an end to their joint petting. Jon immediately released her hand.
"I am pleased to meet him as well." She responded the awe evident in her voice. "They are magnificent up close, Aegon, even more so than I could ever have imagined, even after seeing them up in the air when I arrived."
"Come, Rhaegal wants to say hello too." Jon guided her to the other dragon so they ended up right in the middle of the two enormous beasts. "Their scales are not hurting your skin, are they? Are you impervious to their warmth as well?" He was not really worried. He remembered that she had written to him that she didn't suffer burns when she touched the flames of a candle.
"No their warmth feels nice enough."
He was happy that she was confident enough now to pet Rhaegal without him guiding her hand.
"If that is the case, then you could join me on Rhaegal. No one else can. They all get severe burns. The scales on his back run even hotter." Jon warned.
"I would love that. Do you think Viserion would let me ride him?" She ventured.
"I don't see how that would work. I would have to stay near you to guide him. Viserion follows me and either copies his brother's moves or listens to my thoughts. When we fly we kind of open our minds to each other so we all know what the two other think and feel."
He turned to look at her and took both hands in his to soften the message. "They are not like horses, Dany. They are not just a means of transportation nor are they pets. They are my partners and in the air we are equals. I have executed plans they've come up with just as well as they have executed mine. We share a bond as close as … I was going to say siblings but it is even more intense, more intimate than that."
She chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about what Jon had told her. Eventually she tried once more."But Viserion,"
"Not even I ride Viserion." He paused searching frantically for the right words to make her understand what nobody had been able to grasp yet. "My bond with Rhaegal goes much deeper than what I share with Viserion. Rhaegal and I, we not only read each other's minds, we can share them completely. We kind of merge our minds. I never command him, neither of them. Everything we do is consensual and we feel it the very moment one of us has an issue, is overextending himself or is hurt. We look out for each other. I am sorry. It is difficult to put into words. It is everything that I just described but also much, much more. When I ride Rhaegal there is no him or me, there is just us, almost as if we have one mind, one thought."
He absently stroked Rhaegal. The dragon nudged him slightly, making him bump unceremoniously into Daenerys. He embraced her to prevent her from falling against Viserion.
"Umpf! Are they always that playful?" She remarked. They were entrapped between the two dragons that each formed one half of the circle that kept them confined.
"It has happened once or twice." He could sense her regret as he released her. Jon shared a long look with the green dragon and the circle opened. The dragons took a few steps and leapt over the cliff to soar through the sky. "Come let us seat ourselves on that ledge over there. I want to talk to you for a bit."
"Isn't that somewhat dangerous?" She asked, eying the steep cliff with apprehension.
"Isn't talking to women always dangerous?" he teased, wilfully misunderstanding her. His dark eyes were looking at her, but his expression was more guarded than before.
"I won't let you fall. Trust me. We will have a beautiful view from up there and we can watch the dragons dance around each other in the air. At the same time you can admire our royal fleet. Come on." He encouraged her to take his hand and guided her to the spot he had indicated. Ser Oswell had disappeared and Ser Barristan sat on a rock where he could keep them in his sight and at the same time be far enough away from the couple to give them some semblance of privacy.
Once seated with their legs dangling over the edge of the cliff, she looked sideways at him. "You wanted to talk to me? What about?"
Jon hesitated and searched for the right words, glad that Daenerys waited patiently until he began to speak. "When I read what had happened with Prince Quentyn and Khal Drogo I realised you had not been treated fairly. For a man seventeen namedays is young to be married. For a noble woman however, it is not. Many ladies your age have already birthed more than one child. I only hope you do not hold it against me that I didn't think of that before." He kept his tone neutral.
"I don't hold it against you, Aegon. I have not lived the life of an average noble lady. My goal has never been to marry young and have children immediately. My goal has always been to return to Westeros, to my home. All other wishes I had were secondary to that. That is until I met you and it looked like my dreams would all come true."
An awkward pause ensued. Jon grew uncomfortable. He avoided her gaze that he still felt upon him and made a point of staring at the playful antics of his dragons up in the sky before him.
"It is not as if I am an old spinster who will never have a chance to marry. I have turned down many offers in Pentos." She offered unable to take the silence that lingered between them any longer.
When the meaning of her words sank in, he finally turned his head her way and met her gaze. "You did?" When Daenerys faked an insulted look he stammered. "Not uh, not that I do not believe that. A man would have to be blind to pass you over. It is just, uh, I only heard of the two suitors I named just now. What have you been hiding from me?" His voice had a bit of an edge when he asked that question.
"Well I didn't think you would have been impressed by most of my suitors. Or are you interested in a long list of Essosi merchants and a shorter one of impoverished, exiled nobles from Westeros who asked for a betrothal? There was the offer from House Tyrell almost two moons ago though." She ended quietly.
"House Tyrell?" He held her eyes prisoner with a compelling look. "I distinctly recall reading your very tardy last letter that mentioned nothing, absolutely nothing. I never received a more disappointing missive than that one. You could as well have signed your name under an empty scroll. And now you tell me about a potential political disaster in the making by ignoring the request of a ruling house?" He made sure Daenerys couldn't miss the disappointment and bitterness in his voice.
"I am sorry. I was afraid you would react like this." Daenerys looked up at him, frowning at the expression of dismay on his face.
Although he felt slightly guilty seeing her pull back a little bit he didn't give an inch. "React like what exactly? I haven't reacted yet since I haven't heard their exact proposal yet. Why didn't you tell me about this, Dany?" The accusation in his tone made her lower her head a bit.
"Because I was frightened you would jump at the opportunity to get rid of me, all right." She bit back. "Scared to death that you would use me as just another cyvasse piece you offered up to your opponent to gain you the alliance of a Kingdom to further your cause in one stroke of a quill. I truly feared that I was just another burden, another responsibility for you." She abruptly turned her head away from him.
He guessed that she had done that so he wouldn't notice the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes for a second time that day. He decided not to let her know that he had already caught a glimpse of the small teardrop dangling from her left eye and changed tactics. He spoke in a more gentle tone. "Didn't we have this conversation already? You will never be a burden to me, Dany. You are my only Targaryen kin now that uncle Aemon is no longer with us. I am only concerned that by not offering them a reply, by not even making the effort of sending them a kindly formulated refusal or even an alternative to their offer, we will have endangered the possible alliance we have so painstakingly been building with the Reach for such a long time now. I have written to you of all our manoeuvring with Loras Tyrell, the betrothal proposals from Lord Stark, the hints Varys and Nymeria Sand have been giving them. Robb is entertaining the Tyrell heir and his brother as we speak. Not to mention the seventeen years that my Stark family has been trying to gain their favour in every way possible."
"I do not think the delay will endanger all these efforts that are so important to you, Aegon," she replied slightly offended that he thought her stupid enough to endanger his tentative relations with the Reach. "Lady Olenna explained in her letter how she learned from Prince Quentyn's failure and has given me an open offer stating and I quote 'that the ball is in my court'. Besides she only wants to align herself with me because she thinks the dragon that has been rumoured to fly over the Narrow Sea is mine. I couldn't in good faith entertain her proposal without telling her about you."
He saw her regain somewhat of her confidence when her purple eyes found the courage to look straight at him again. "I fully accept that you are the head of our house and I would not have replied to her without your consent. I just wasn't happy to discuss this with you in writing and figured it wouldn't be long before we saw each other anyway." She defended her actions her voice firm once more.
Jon considered her reasoning for a time. When he was sure he was calm enough and had found the right words he spoke gently. "Dany, will you let me read that letter? I promise you I will not decide your fate before talking it over with you first. I will never give you to a man you have an extreme aversion to. I want you to be happy. But we must both be realistic. There is a big chance that one or both of us will have to marry to ensure the peaceful annexation of a kingdom. I cannot ask my Stark cousins to adhere to my wishes in that regard if we are not prepared to do the same. Political marriages can turn out to be very happy ones if both partners are entering the relationship with an open mind."
He sighed when he saw she once more avoided his gaze and made an attempt to lessen the impact of his unwelcome message. "There are many options to bring the Reach into the fold. Robb would not be averse to getting to know Lady Margaery Tyrell. She is an acclaimed beauty. Willas Tyrell is an option Lord Stark is considering for Sansa if for some reason Robb can't marry Lady Margaery. We just need to send some sort of reply to Lady Olenna. I wished Davos were here. He might have some platitude up his sleeve that would make both of us feel better."
"What are the betrothals you are considering for yourself then, Aegon?" She was wondering how far along his political plans actually were.
"None yet. I have the advantage that no one outside of our own circle really knows about my existence and future position. It is best it stays that way a bit longer. Lady Olenna will not be satisfied with catching Robb Stark if she hears about me. I happen to know that Lady Catelyn, I mean Aunt Catelyn at one time considered me almost an acceptable suitor for her most excellent daughter Sansa, even before Prince Joffrey's disgrace."
This time his teasing tone felt flat. Her question had reawakened the familiar guilt each time he considered a betrothal for one of his Stark cousins and left all options open for himself. He should have anticipated her next question, but he hadn't considered she would dare to be so direct. As a consequence he was taken by surprise.
"Hasn't it crossed your mind that we could marry? It would be a good solution to avoid the demands of the Lady Olenna's of the realm. Or perhaps you want to keep the prized lady Margaery for yourself?" She looked straight at him not hiding her disappointment and at the same time challenging him to reveal what he really felt.
"Dany, I" He was taken aback by the fierceness she portrayed in her entire demeanour.
"No don't answer that. I think you know my wishes. You would be blind and deaf not to." She put her hand on his mouth to prevent him from speaking. "Please, you have said your piece. It is my turn now. You can at least do me the courtesy of hearing me out." She released his mouth when he nodded.
"I will perform my duty to my house. I will always be loyal to you and support you in any way I can. Even if you do not consider yourself a sovereign yet, to me you already are my King. I only hope that you will choose with some consideration for my wellbeing when you order me to marry someone. But please know that I would be content to simply live here and become an adviser to you. I do not need a husband and children as such. Perhaps you could allow me the opportunity to prove myself? I have been told I am a fast learner. I am confident that given time I will be knowledgeable enough to fill an official position on your council. I already read all I could find about the houses of Westeros, of their alliances, strengths and weaknesses. Being new to politics could bring a fresh perspective, new ideas to your council. Or are you one of these men that believe a woman is only capable of producing the next generation?" These last words came out a lot bitterer than she had originally intended.
Jon forgot his resolution to stay calm and rational at all cost. His nerves had been tested by everything that had happened these last few days and he exploded. "That is a low blow! You know I don't think like that, Dany. I have written you repeatedly about all the reforms I want to instigate once I have the power to do so. I, contrary to you, did put real information in my letters. I revealed my dreams and ideas, my thoughts and struggles. You should know me better than that by now!" Jon stood up. He needed to get some distance from her so he could control his rising temper. It would not do to have a serious quarrel on her first day here.
Dany however had risen as well and taken a few steps away from the ledge. Since she was significantly smaller than him, she needed to look up to him. She didn't back down though her voice as loud as his when she countered. "And you think you are fair? I wrote frequently but at some point I had said all I could about me and I did not lead such an eventful life, thank you very much. What should I have written? 'Hi Aegon, I went to the market and bought some peaches, again, just like the previous sennight, only there was more choice and the ones I picked this time turned out to be juicier.'
That is what was happening in my life. While you were fighting Ironborn and were looking for magical ice monsters, I strolled around the market once a sennight and the rest of my days I sat by the window until I had to eat or go to sleep. The only excitement I had in my life over there was when someone visited and asked to marry me."
"And when that happened you concealed it from me." He refuted sharply but not a loud as before. "Let us stop this discussion right here. I do not want to fight with you on our first day together in our ancestral home.
"Well then you failed miserably, my Prince, because we just did." She turned around and started to walk with big steps toward the castle.
"Dany!" He called after her. "Dany don't leave yet. Let's at least broker a truce before you run off."
"Too late, another failure, my Prince!" She shouted over the wind looking over her shoulders to see him rooted to the exact spot where she had left him. Not watching were she was going she bumped into something she could have sworn wasn't there before and was catapulted back. Nothing hurt but her pride as she sat up. Still in a daze she stared uncomprehendingly at a green blurry mass in front of her.
"Rhaegal, what were you thinking?" Jon appeared next to her and admonished his dragon. He had not believed his eyes when Dany, not looking where she was going, had run straight into Rhaegal's flank. It was rather obvious that the dragon had wanted to help his rider by forcing his wayward female kin to obey him. "Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?" He scanned her small figure that just sat there staring at Rhaegal's large belly.
"Only my pride." She ventured sheepishly when she finally got her bearings.
"I'm sorry." They both said simultaneously. The dragon puffed. Jon put his forehead against Rhaegal again and stayed there a long time. He realised Dany would be wondering what they were telling each other but he needed to have this lengthy conversation with Rhaegal to avoid him from intervening in a similar fashion ever again. It took some time before the green dragon joined his brother in the sky and Jon sat down next to her.
"We are making a mess of things, aren't we?" He tried to get her to look at him but she didn't move a muscle. He released a deep breath and made another effort. "Give me time to think on all we spoke about this afternoon. I am sure somehow we will come up with a workable compromise. We will find a way to make things work. We both like each other. That is more than some family members do. Let's take two steps back and start over. Okay?"
Dany hesitated but eventually nodded. She kept her eyes on the dragons up in the sky the entire time. They lapsed into silence again. After what seemed like ages to Jon, Dany finally turned her head his way and looked cautiously at him.
"I will go inside now. I shall fetch that letter from Lady Tyrell and put it on the desk in your quarters. Then I will take an early supper and retire. I am somewhat tired. I only arrived this morning and then the rollercoaster with the egg had me off balance. I may not have been as diplomatic as I should."
Jon looked worried at first then guilty and was about to apologize once more when she reassured him. "I will be fine Aegon. You are right. We each have a lot to think about. What do you say about meeting each other again tomorrow after lunch on these cliffs if the weather permits it?"
"Thank you, Dany." He tentatively brushed the curve of her cheek with his thumb for a short moment before pulling back. "Perhaps, we can also use the opportunity to take a short flight, together on Rhaegal's back?" He looked hesitant now. He would give everything to be able to turn back time and have the afternoon start over again or to somehow erase her memories of their quarrel. Where had it started to go wrong? Had he caused their fight or had she? He would analyse their argument later. For now his worried eyes were waiting for a response to his suggestion.
"Tomorrow afternoon then." She confirmed. "Let us hope Rhaegal will still like me enough to allow me on his back."
Jon was relieved beyond measure to hear her slightly teasing tone. "Don't worry. It was me he was scolding just then." Jon confessed and turned red. He cursed his inability to control the colour of his own cheeks and feared he had ruined the initial impression he knew he had made on her back on the beach the first moments she arrived on Dragonstone that morning. She would no longer think of him as a strong leader but see him for the green young boy he sometimes still was.
He wished he had more knowledge on how to deal with women. He had mostly grown up between men. His foster grandmother only raised him for a few years and even then he had spent most of his waking hours with the three knights. He promised himself he would stop by for another short visit at the Driftmark before he was needed again at the Wall.
"I will see you tomorrow then, Aegon." She interrupted his musing and he watched her turn and walk away from him. This time she was able to reach the castle without bumping into wilful dragons.
Ser Barristan hesitated but then decided to follow the Princess.
***
Princess Daenerys was halfway up the stair leading to the entrance of the castle when she stopped to look at Aegon still standing at the exact same spot. She guessed he had his eyes closed and shrugged her shoulders. He was probably having a long conversation with his dragons. Daenerys perhaps wasn't able to talk with them like he could but she understood some of their body language just fine. The green dragon had hardly met her and already he was playing matchmaker. The dragon could maybe fool his rider but not her.
***
Jon stayed out on the cliff a while longer. He established a bond with his dragons to clear his mind. It didn't work right away. He clearly felt their disapproval. In their eyes it was simple, male and female mate and make little dragonriders. How did you start explaining to a dragon the concept of incest and the risk of madness through inbreeding? How did you explain the necessity for political marriages? How did he explain that he needed to concentrate on the war against the dead and the claiming of his rightful throne first? He had tried but they had rejected each image he put into their minds. He couldn't shrug off their unwavering belief that it was simple and that their human was needlessly complicating a simple matter. He caught himself hoping they were the ones who had it right.
He severed the connection disappointed that he didn't achieve the relaxed state of mind his dragons normally could give him. He needed Davos to help him make sense of it all. Davos could surely prevent him from making an even greater mess of things than he already had. Or perhaps Uncle Benjen would be the one the make him feel better. His uncle had a way of simplifying matters, sifting through the bullshit and attacking the problem at its very core. But he just had his three Kingsguards here and Ser Barristan was probably on Daenerys' side. The only thing he could come up with right now was to switch off his feelings and approach this problem with a rational mind.
He saw Ser Gerold approach. Ser Barristan had probably asked him to look after his Prince. But then he recalled that he had asked his Kingsguards for a strategy meeting later this afternoon. Yesterday they had only talked about the situation at the Wall. They still needed to exchange the latest news they had gathered about the other territories. Perhaps ravens with more news had arrived today as well. He also hadn't found the right time to talk to Sam yet. Yesterday evening he had almost fallen asleep over his plate and had retired earlier than initially planned. So much to do, so much effort put in already and it felt as if he was making hardly any progress.
Ser Gerold greeted him with a nod and together they walked back to the castle in silence. When he entered the meeting room, Maester Pylos who served at Dragonstone was there to hand over the newly arrived messages addressed to the Prince of Dragonstone. Jon was still a bit wary of the man although he had served Stannis Baratheon only for a few moons. His predecessor, Maester Cressen that had been with Stannis Baratheon for years had broken his hip, fallen ill and had died a few moons before Stannis left for Storm's End. The young assistant-Maester Pylos who had helped Maester Cressen during his illness was named the official Maester on Dragonstone by the Citadel upon receiving Prince Stannis' request for a new Maester. Although the learned man reminded Jon that a Maester always served a keep not the house that currently resided there, Jon was not yet ready to share their secret strategies with the unfamiliar Maester. There was too much at stake.
Therefore he thanked the man when he accepted the scrolls and politely dismissed him.
Sam entered the room the same time the Maester left it. Jon smiled at the symbolism. "Thank you for joining us Sam, will you ask Ser Oswell who is probably guarding the door to fetch Ser Barristan and then have them both join the meeting?"
Moments later the five of them were installed around the large table that had a map of Westeros carved on it. When his ancestors did something, they certainly didn't hold back. He had admired the carvings in detail with Daenerys earlier and aside from a few small errors in scale he could not find much to criticise.
They each had taken a scroll and read the contents to speed up matters. Jon was reading the message Ser Barristan had handed him with a knowing look in his eyes. Lady Olenna had indeed given the Targaryen Princess the initiative to do with the missive whatever she saw fit. He swallowed and put the scroll to the side. When he looked around he saw that everyone was looking at him to open proceedings. He scraped his throat. "Let's go by geographical order. That should be easy with this amazing map before us. We already discussed the Wall. The North is not an issue, the Riverlands then."
"You already told us how Prince Oberyn solved that issue. Is there other news from that front?" Ser Gerold asked.
"Actually I just read a missive from Varys. King Robert proposes to withdraw the right of House Frey to charge a fee for travellers passing through the Twins. With the help of your uncle Ned he has been able to stall him for now." Sam was quick to interrupt.
"That shows once more that the King is attempting to govern his realm and is not bad at it when he makes the effort. This is not a good development, Aegon." Ser Gerold shook his head.
"We discussed this yesterday, Ser Gerold. Sam and I will write a diplomatic letter to my uncle through Varys. We must trust Varys and Uncle Ned to handle things in the capital for now. So we can conclude that the situation in the Riverlands is peaceful for now and the Tullys are on our side. What about the Ironborn? Did you receive anything more recent? The last intelligence I received was a report from Yara Greyjoy that her uncle was meeting some resistance from pirates while attacking the Stepstones. I am glad our warning to the Reach was taken seriously and the region was smart enough to make all their defenses and reinforcements very visible. Euron Greyjoy has proven himself a coward when he sailed right past in search for weaker targets."
"The scroll I just read is from Yara Greyjoy." Ser Oswell entered the conversation for the first time. "She writes that her uncle has suffered some losses and is contemplating moving up the coast. There are rumours a red priestess has asked him to parlay with Stannis Baratheon but knowing his contempt for other religions, his niece is betting that he will sail the other way, perhaps towards the Arbor? However, this information is not the main reason she sent you this message today. She asks for your assistance when she attacks Pyke."
"When she attacks, not if?" Jon asked taken aback by the brazenness of the woman.
"Yara Greyjoy claims a lot of the Ironborn are dismayed by Euron Greyjoy's practices. More in particular they abhor how he is quick to have his subjects' tongues cut out to turn them into mutes at the first word of criticism or at what he perceives as disrespect. Many have joined her ranks. She boasts entire crews with ships have shifted their alliance. Her fleet has grown substantially. And even though she has acquired additional ships by other means, she has more men than her vessels can carry and asks if you can loan her a few. She also requests the help of your dragons when she attacks. She estimates that with help from the sky, Pyke will surrender in less than half a day. You could fly in and out of there on the same day. She is willing to adapt the timing of her attack to your availability."
"How nice of her." Ser Gerold sneered.
"Jon, such action will be certain to garner King Robert's attention." Sam cautioned. "Sure enough it would weaken Euron Greyjoy even more and the Iron Islands would be your ally but is it worth the risk?"
Jon showed no hesitance when he replied in a determined fashion. "Write back to her and tell her that she has proven a faithful ally these last few moons. Add that I am willing to offer her five ships right away. Send word to Seagard that Yara Greyjoy may take possession of five crewless vessels for now. They have trouble finding enough crew to man the new ships there anyway. Make sure these are not our newest ships though. Explain to her that I am in the middle of planning my campaign but that I am certainly willing to support her attack on Pyke if she puts in writing all the promises she has made regarding the more civilised rules that the Ironborn under her command will adhere to. She will also add to this document that she swears not to attack any shores on the entire continent of Westeros as long as she is the ruler of Pyke. In turn, upon receipt of this complete, unequivocal and officially signed document, I promise to help her attack Pyke and send timing proposals for a joint attack."
Ser Gerold nodded. "A wise tactic, my Prince. You save valuable time and once she has control of Pyke, Euron Greyjoy will have difficulty upholding his authority. The Ironborn will all flock to her like sheep."
"We will need to advise Lord Manderly of this decision as admiral of the royal fleet." Jon added as an afterthought. "Sam, will you remind me of that later?"
"I second Sam's worry about a hostile reaction from King's Landing." Ser Barristan fixed Jon with apprehension.
Jon met his stare realising full well that the man still felt uneasy to address his Prince after witnessing his altercation with Princess Daenerys. He managed a weak smile before turning his head towards his friend again. "Sam, inform Yara Greyjoy that we need to keep the rumours of a dragonrider under wraps and will spread the story that she enlisted the help of the Golden Company and their dragon to defeat the usurper who murdered her father and took Pyke away from Balon Greyjoy's heirs. We will want the assistance of every Ironborn on her side to corroborate our story. Another condition we place on helping her." Jon turned to Ser Barristan. "We will also send a message to warn Varys and ask his assistance to discredit all unwanted rumours before King Robert can get wind of them.
Sam nodded not lifting his eyes that were trained on his writings. He was scribbling down as much as he could of what was said.
"Then I think it is time that you tell us what happened at the Vale. Your message was quite succinct. 'Stalemate resolved, Vale neutral or on our side'. I think all three of us would like to hear a bit more about that." Ser Gerold moved on to the next Kingdom on the map.
Jon proceeded to tell them how it had simply been a matter of separating young Lord Robin Arryn from his mother and how everything fell into place after that. He also explained to them that encouraged by Howland Reed's detailed visions, he had revealed his origins to Yohn Royce who in response had promised him at least neutrality. The man was in King's Landing now and had hinted that a talk with Eddard Stark whom he trusted unconditionally might persuade him to declare for the side that Eddard Stark chose in the coming conflict.
"Does anyone have any doubts that this will not go our way?" Ser Oswell looked gleeful. "You and your dragons are a force to be reckoned with, my Prince. Little Robin Arryn is on your side and Lord Stark need only say two sentences and you can count on the might of the knights of the Vale to have your back.
"Eddard Stark had better not mess this up. Gods know how much trouble he has caused us with his all too honourable influence on Robert Baratheon." Ser Gerold couldn't resist voice his frustration once more.
"We already agreed to table that subject and let Varys and Uncle Ned handle it, Ser Gerold." Jon patiently reminded his Lord Commander again.
"What news from the Stormlands?" Ser Oswell tried to steer the discussion away from the source of discontent.
"Howland Reed informed me personally that he has retained the services of two new allies, Ser Beric of House Dondarrion and the red Priest Thoros of Myr. Lord Reed is concerned about the information they volunteered. Strange things are happening in the Stormlands. Allegedly Prince Stannis Baratheon has become a religious fanatic who burns people alive in the name of the Lord of Light. What is troublesome is that some sort of magic from a red priestess blocks Reed from having visions about the things happening in that region. All we have to go on is the information these two men brought personally to Greywater Watch. Lord Reed hopes to hear from them soon. The situation worries him greatly." Jon sighed. Talking about the red priestess brought back the uneasy reminder of the Lord of Light and prophesies about a Prince Who Was Promised.
"According to Varys, the King has gotten wind of this and has asked Lord Stark to send a royal emissary to Storm's End to investigate matters." Sam told them pointing to the scroll he had read.
"Perhaps things will settle down in the Stormlands now that Stannis Baratheon is officially proclaimed Lord Paramount of the Stormlands and recognised as next in the succession for the Iron Throne?" Ser Oswell suggested.
"We will not know for sure until Varys' birds, uncle Ned or Lord Dondarrion and his priest send us more information. Let's move on shall we? Dorne is next." Jon moved the meeting needing a distraction to keep his mind from dwelling on troublesome prophesies.
"I talked to Prince Oberyn when he arrived at Castle Black. He is frustrated as hell with his brother. The man still finds excuses for his son's abysmal behaviour. He doesn't think it will be easy to bring Prince Doran around to our side. He has been playing with the notion of deposing his brother but only as a last resort. He has talked to Ser Arthur about the possibility of getting the more important bannermen of Dorne to support us if need be. His brother would lose a bit of face but not his position as ruler of the Kingdom. Prince Oberyn doesn't want to be encumbered by the burden of ruling a Kingdom. He prefers his freedom. He is a born adventurer." Jon almost verbally repeated the Prince's words.
"A resourceful adventurer, I am glad he is on our side." Ser Barristan remarked.
"Did I already mention how he gloated about ridding Winterfell of Roose Bolton?" Jon looked amused now.
"You did not. How in Seven Hells did he accomplish that?" Ser Oswell voiced what they all wondered.
"He told him the Ironborn were disappointed by their failed attack on the Stony Shores and were blaming House Bolton for not doing its share to weaken the position of House Stark and destabilizing the region. Having heard from Robb Stark that Domeric Bolton was in hiding, Prince Oberyn made Roose Bolton believe that the Ironborn held his precious heir a prisoner and threatened to skin him alive in true Bolton fashion if the Lord did not show his arse in person soon to negotiate a truce. Allegedly negotiations between the Ironborn and his half-brother are stuck and they are losing patience. Oberyn hinted that it would be child play for the Ironborn to apprehend Ramsay Snow when he went on one of his disreputable outings and that having his two sons in enemy hands would make Roose Bolton's negotiating position even weaker."
"Roose Bolton didn't wonder how Prince Oberyn could possibly know any of this?" Ser Gerold asked his eyes big as saucers.
"I have no further details, only that Roose Bolton and his small retinue were gone at first light the next morning. The Prince gleefully told me Robb's attitude towards him warmed up considerably after that." Jon finished his tale.
"Well, let us leave the matter of Dorne in the scheming hands of the Red Viper. He has proven he is more than willing to help us, or perhaps help Prince Aegon would be a better way of phrasing it. If I didn't know of his relationship with his paramour, I would think he had a crush on you, my Prince." Ser Gerold apparently had chosen to believe in their good luck and was eager to move the meeting along.
"That reminds me." Jon looked deep in thought. "I promised the Prince to send word to Dorne to ask Ellaria Sand to be in King's Landing by the time he is expected to arrive there by ship."
"That is not an urgent message. We can send it out one of the next few days and she will still have plenty of time to organise her travels, it will take the Prince somewhere between thirty toforty days to sail from Eastwatch all the way to King's Landing. Davos could be more precise." Sam remarked.
Jon sighed. "It will take Davos as long to reach Dragonstone. I really miss his advice. No offence." He added quickly looking at all four who were present and doing their utmost to help him.
"No offence taken, we understand, my Prince. Davos Seaworth has a unique way of putting things in perspective." Ser Oswell reassured Jon. "I miss his wise advice as well."
"That leaves the Reach?" Sam was the one now to get the meeting back on track.
"Yes, they are still on the fence. We will need a strategy to keep Lady Olenna's ambitions in check. She will reject Robb in favour of King Robert or perhaps in favour of me." Jon added self-consciously.
"With Loras and Willas in the North, she will have to play nice to Lord Stark. Can't we use that as leverage? I think the way to go is to use the little birds of Varys and keep spreading rumours. Perhaps a rumour of how King Robert is no longer capable of siring children due to a hunting accident. Or that he has caught a sexual disease? Create just enough suspicion to make Lady Olenna uncertain and stall a bit. In the meantime Lord Stark and other allies can once more sing the praises of the young handsome, virile, capable and most honourable heir to the Northern Kingdom, Lord Robb of House Stark. If Lady Margaery visits the capital with her grandmother who I am told is already on her way there, Lord Stark can get to know Lady Margaery and find out whether she would suit his son?"
Perhaps we can approach her most important bannerman and military commander, Lord Tarly to sound out the allegiances of her other bannermen?" Ser Oswell proposed.
"Do not mention me if you do that. It might ruin all chances to get him on your side." Sam's bitter retort startled the men. "I'm almost sure my father won't help you unless you are willing to give him something substantial in return. I believe only the offer of the position of Lord Paramount of the Reach would be enough of an inducement for that heartless, calculating man to help you.
"Don't worry Sam, this plan is still a hypothetical one, we are just discussing all options." Jon reassured his friend.
"Ah, brainstorming!" Sam's voice showed relief. "That means I have still a chance to change your minds."
"We are racking our brains for sure. Not certain if there is a storm though." Jon smiled.
"Perhaps we should leave it at that and discuss the one area that is left, the Rock?" Ser Barristan offered.
"Lord Tyrion should have arrived by now. He had to travel very far overland. I do not foresee trouble on that front. We have him cornered. He owes us much already and we are the only ones who are still willing to offer him more. King Robert will think twice before granting the Lannisters a position of power ever again. We can offer him that plus a normal future for his niece and nephew." Jon pointed out.
"If we are all in agreement, can we agree that we are finished for now? I must admit I am starting to have trouble focusing. We are juggling on so many things at once." Ser Barristan sighed pressing a hand to his forehead.
"Well there is this little trick I learned from…" Jon started but his slight teasing tone betrayed him.
"Do not start about that ridiculous notion about dividing your brain in tiny boxes." Ser Oswell stopped him with a fake exasperated look.
"All right, I won't," Jon laughed at the familiar banter. It was not the first time he used it to relax everyone.
"I think the cook will be waiting on supper. Have we covered everything?" Sam tried to close the meeting officially.
"Most of it, there are still the domestic matters though. I wanted a status report on the new staff, your take on the quality and trustworthiness of the Maester, the houseguards, how you plan to arrange the protection of Princess Daenerys, how the village is handling the increasing demands for food and shelter, what to do about Ser Jorah Mormont.." Jon didn't get to finish his list.
"Stop right there and let us agree to resume this meeting tomorrow afternoon." Ser Gerold knew he needed to gather some information on some of these issues before he had a relevant reply for his Prince.
"Why not take the entire day tomorrow to prepare for this meeting and visit the village. I happen to have other plans for the afternoon. You see, I plan to take Daenerys flying." Jon inadvertently gave his Lord Commander the necessary respite. He got a bit embarrassed when he saw the knights exchange significant looks. He looked over to his friend in an effort to ignore them.
"Sam, do you have time after supper for me? We can draft some of these messages together and I am still waiting for an opportunity to catch up with my friend."
"Of course, Jon. Perhaps we could take supper in your quarters. There are several urgent scrolls to send out and formulating them right will take time."
"My Prince, if I may ask," Ser Barristan remarked formally. "I wondered if you forgot to mention something yesterday when you told us of everyone's movements. Did I hear correctly that you did not mention your Uncle Benjen Stark?"
"That's correct. I indeed did not mention that he will travel back to Winterfell soon to deal with family matters. It doesn't have an impact on our cause so I didn't think it important. My uncle will join our cause once more when the matters he needs to attend to have been handled." He nodded at Ser Barristan and moved to the door sending the clear signal that he would not elaborate further.
"Time to find something to eat. Sam, are you coming?" Jon asked when he had reached the doorway.
"Right behind you." Sam said and quickly gathering the scrolls from the table to join Jon who waited for him to leave the room together.
***
Sam had been right. Drafting the messages had taken up a lot of time. They would have taken even longer if Sam had not already made concise drafts of some of them during the meeting. When they finally finished the most important ones it was already dark outside. Jon lit a few more candles. "Come Sam let's leave it at that for now. Come sit with me by the fire. The chairs there are much cosier."
Sam was glad to leave the hard wooden chair. His hand had started to cramp as well. He must have broken a record today. Ever since Jon had arrived it felt like he had not stopped scribbling one thing or another. He stretched the fingers of his right hand one by one and slowly got up from the table. "Shall I bring the pitcher of wine and some glasses?"
"That is an excellent idea Sam, please do." Jon waited patiently until Sam had filled their two glasses and installed himself in the soft chair. "How have you been, Sam, truthfully?"
"I've been all right. Perhaps a bit lonely but I had the books to comfort me, if that is what you're asking, Aegon?"
"I can't get used to being called, Aegon, especially by you. To you I have always been Jon. I feel like Jon. Doesn't if feel strange to you to use my Targaryen name?"
"Not really. See I address you, the person sitting in front of me, my friend, one that I really like, admire and respect. Whether you are called Jon, Aegon, Aero, Zuzor or any other name you can come up with, I am still talking to this nice guy with dark curly hair. I think the problem is that you see Jon and Aegon as two different persons. They are not, Jon. They are one and the same."
"How did you become so smart, Sam? Now that you explain it that way I think I understand the problem. I think of myself as Jon, a guy who has been fortunate to have a lot of friends and support. I admit he is not a normal guy since he has a direwolf and rides a dragon. People seem to listen to him and respect him most of the time. Jon is also a guy who has a cause he believes in. But he is not Aegon. In my mind Aegon is this mystical King everyone kneels before and is larger than life. Aegon is the one who has to live up to the expectations of his ancestors and is under a lot of pressure." Jon looked at Sam to check if his friend understood what he meant.