Maekar Targaryen (196 A.C. First Moon)
King's Landing
He waited in the small council chamber, knowing the day he would face Daemon in the field was drawing close. Everyone, save for the Hand of the King, was already inside, waiting to discuss the current strategic situation.
Especially after the ravens his brother had sent of his victory over the Ironwoods, his march through the Dornish Marches, and his arrival in the Stormlands.
Then his thoughts were interrupted as the doors opened, and his father entered, speaking with Lord Daven Hayford. At once, the room rose.
"Father, Lord Hand," Maekar said, his voice steady, while the others bowed their heads and said, "Your Grace."
The king and his Hand took their seats. His father looked tired, the lines upon his face deeper than Maekar remembered. He drew in a deep breath, as if steadying himself before speaking.
"I know that for the past few moons we have all worked hard to gather knowledge, muster men, and preserve the stability of the realm, even as parts of it have fallen into rebellion," he began.
His gaze moved across the chamber, resting briefly on each man. "Yet our army is ready, and most of the realm, and all of the great houses, have rallied to our cause. Even Brandon Stark has marched south with two thousand Northmen, has passed the Twins, and marches toward Raventree Hall. We know both victory and death in this war, and by the end of it the red dragon will fly alongside the walls of King's Landing."
A quiet followed his words.
Maekar felt a swell of pride rise within him at his father's speech and gave a small nod. Whatever came, they would face it as one.
"You are right, Your Grace. It has been hard, yet here we are. We have bled and fought, and soon I believe we can cast down the black dragon," Lord Donnel Arryn said.
"It is true," his uncle added, rising from his seat and stepping toward the map. "The worst losses of the war were suffered in the West. Fireball caught them unprepared and by surprise." He pointed toward the Westerlands. "Yet we have also won. Lord Leo Tyrell has claimed victories, and Prince Baelor smashed the Ironwoods with Prince Maron, and is at Storm's End as we speak."
Maekar rose from his seat then, drawing their attention.
"It is now a question of which course we take," he said, placing a hand upon the table. "We know Tyrell is marching toward us, yet he is being harried by Blackfyre supporters, so whether he can join us before Daemon attacks remains uncertain."
He moved one of the markers slightly, tracing the Reach. "Our current force numbers perhaps fifteen thousand, after fifteen hundred men from the Vale join us by ship, and they are well trained. We know Daemon was recently near Tumbleton, as of Brynden's last reports, and is marching with around eleven thousand men after joining with the forces of Ser Quentyn Ball and Gormon Peake."
He paused, letting the numbers settle.
"Yet it may be more, as reinforcements from the Riverlands and the Reach might have joined him by now." A murmur passed through the chamber.
"Yet that is not all," Maekar continued. "We also know House Mooton has declared for them, as Bittersteel has landed at Maidenpool with two sellsword companies, after he sail with rest of Daemon's family to Tyrosh and reports say that, save for Daemon's two eldest boys, he has sent the rest to Tyrosh. He has around four thousand men."
He pointed to the location, then paused, allowing the weight of it to settle upon the room. "It is now the question of what we shall do. I see three options."
His father looked at him. "Those are, by your knowledge?"
Maekar allowed himself a faint smile. "We either march out and meet Daemon or Bittersteel in the field, or we wait to give Baelor a chance to march down the Storm Road and combine their forces with ours. Then we meet Daemon in the field, or better yet, let Baelor not join with us and we are in battle with Daemon, Baelor to strike his rear. It is the latter option that I would take."
Brynden, Lord Hayford, Lord Arryn, Lord Manwoody, and his father all looked at the map, each lost in thought.
At last, Lord Arryn spoke. "Could we not march now to meet Bittersteel or Daemon? Both forces are smaller."
Maekar turned to him at once. "I would agree, had our force not been mostly foot, which would make our march slower. If we were to attack, either Daemon or Bittersteel could reinforce in time and strike our rear. It's doubtfull we can attack Aegor forces as Ser Quentyn did with his cavalry in the West." Maekar replied. Lord Arryn's expression shifted as he saw the sense in it.
"Yet as we wait for Baelor to march, he can either join us in time or strike their forces in the rear. It will depend on how quickly Daemon marches, as he will be followed by Lord Tyrell. Yet Tyrell's march is slowed by the forces Gormon Peake left near the Red mountains," he added.
The room nodded along.
"Well thought out, nephew," Brynden said at last. "I will send out Raven's Teeth to begin shadowing, and harassing Daemon's army. He will march past the north side of the Mander, as we know Bitterbridge is blocked by House Caswell and other loyalist forces."
"It is a shame we cannot hope for more reinforcements from the Riverlands," his father added with a sigh. "The Brackens have caused quite the strife, as we know. Both the Blackwoods and Brackens are fighting small battles all over the Riverlands, and if the letter of Lord Gerard Blackwood is to be believed, they are marching soon to Stone Hedge, together with the arrived Starks, to confront the gathered forces there."
"Let us hope that with them, the Starks, the Blackwoods can prevail. It will save us time in quelling the rest of the rebels after we have smashed Daemon and Aegor. The sooner normalcy can be restored, the better," Lord Manwoody said.
Maekar suppressed a sigh. The man was a good Master of Coin, yet his thoughts had already turned to peace.
Echoing his thoughts, Lord Hayford spoke. "First we must win against them. Daemon, Aegor, and Ser Quentyn are all fine warriors and commanders, as we have already felt the sting of defeat."
Lord Manwoody sighed. "I know. I only think of the future."
His father gave a soft laugh at that, though there was little humor in it.
"Father," Maekar asked.
"Oh, I was reminded of something your great-uncle once told me," his father said, a faint, fond smile touching his lips. "While I do not agree with everything Baelor the Blessed did, in some ways he held wisdom."
"Such as?" Maekar asked, though he found Baelor's piety dangerous, the very thing that had led to his grandfather ruling in his stead.
His father smiled slightly. "A saying he once told me. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present. We must remain in the moment, in what we decide now. As much as we wish to plan for the future, we must first win against my brothers."
A silence followed that.
Maekar gave his father a small nod. "Indeed. I suggest we send a raven to my brother and have him make haste, so he knows of the plan."
"Indeed, sent the letter son, I trust you can inform your brother well enough." Maekar nodded, sat back down, as the small council, went discuss other things, that still needed to be done. Their might be a war, yet a realm still needed to be ruled.
Maekar's Chambers
It was sunset when he arrived at his chambers, the last light of the day casting long shadows through the windows of the Red Keep. The sky beyond burned in shades of orange and deep red, as if the world itself mirrored the war that loomed ahead.
Maekar grinned his teeth a little, that even the falling sun could making him think of the dam war.
He shook his head as pushed the doors open.
Warmth met him first. The fire in the hearth burned low but steady, its glow soft and inviting, a quiet contrast to the cold stone halls he had just walked through.
And then he saw her.
His wife sat near the hearth, a book resting loosely in her hands, though it seemed she had not been reading for some time. Her gaze lifted the moment he entered, and a small, knowing smile touched her lips.
"You are late," she said softly, as she closed the book and placed it on the table beside her.
Maekar let the door close behind him, the sound quiet, final, as though it shut the world out with it. "The council ran long."
A soft smile graced her lips, though there was something else behind it, something quieter. "Times like these, when you are late, I miss Summerhall. You still had your duties then, yet not like they are now. You were mostly on time for dinner."
He nodded as he moved further into the room, loosening the clasp of his cloak and letting it fall aside. "Those were easier days."
"Were they?" she asked gently.
He paused at that, then gave a small breath that might have been a laugh. "Perhaps not. Yet they felt so."
He sat down beside her, the warmth of the fire reaching him now. "How was it? Did the boys behave?"
"They did, and Baelon was busy, asking more and more questions. Yet Valarr and Matarys were the most difficult. They miss Baelor. Although your mother and Alys are a great help with them," Dayna replied.
He smiled as he went to sit down next to her. "I see. Ever since Jeyne's passing, the boys have needed a mother. It is good they have you, and the others."
Dayna took his hand, and he felt the warmth of it. "As our boys need a father."
Maekar smiled faintly and looked into the flames. He knew his wife's thoughts. "I know what you wish for."
She hesitated only a moment. "Do you need to go when the army marches?" she asked. "They have the Lord Hand and the Lord Commander Gwayne. They could lead the men. Aerys and Rhaegal are staying as well."
There was no accusation in her voice, only hope.
He shook his head slowly. "I know you wish for me to be safe. If I could choose, I would not fight."
He turned to look at her fully now. "Yet I am a prince of the realm, a warrior, a knight, and the Lord of Summerhall. For moons I have worked to train my men, to prepare them for what is coming. I doubt they would follow the red dragon if I were not there to lead them."
Dayna lowered her gaze, her grip on his hand tightening slightly. "I know," she said softly. "I am just a wife and a mother, hoping for something else."
He rose then, unable to remain seated as he saw the tears forming in her eyes. He moved to one knee beside her, reaching up to gently brush them away before they could fall.
"It is my duty," he said, his voice softer now, more certain. "Yet I promise you, I will fight as hard as I can to return to you and our boys."
She looked at him then, truly looked, as though trying to hold the moment.
She took his hand and pressed a kiss to it. "I will hold you to that."
He allowed himself a small smile at that, though it carried more weight than it once might have.
She leaned down, and their lips met.
The world beyond the chamber faded in that moment. There were no armies, no banners, no choices waiting for him. Only her.
He felt the warmth of her lips, the familiarity of it, the quiet peace he always found with her. It steadied him more than any plan or council ever could.
When they parted, she looked at him, her violet eyes soft, yet resolute.
"Come," she murmured, her voice lower now. "Let us retire to bed. I would have you close tonight."
She rose, pulling him gently to his feet.
Maekar followed without resistance, his hand still in hers. As they moved toward the bedchamber, he glanced once toward the window, where the last light of the sun had begun to fade.
Hello everyone!
If you've enjoyed my stories and would like to support my work, consider joining my community. Your support means the world to me and helps me continue creating the content you and I love.
By becoming a Patreon, you'll get access to exclusive benefits like:
- Early access to new chapters (Up to Four months ahead)
- Writing and story updates.
- Access to concept art for the stories.
- And, of course, you will support me.
- And much more!
Join now and be part of a community that loves and supports creativity. Your contribution makes a huge difference and allows me to keep bringing you exciting new stories.
If you want to join, go to Patreon. Copy this link : www.patreon.com/HeroDut1998
Thank you for all your support!