"We're brothers. I won't let you fight Rhaenyra alone," Aegon said, his voice dropping into a register of absolute authority. "Even if there is to be a duel, it will be between her and me. Dragon battles are not games, Daeron. You must always put your own safety first."
Aegon repeated the mantra he had hammered into them hundreds of times, desperate for the words to take root in their young, impulsive minds.
"I know, I know!" Daeron groaned, covering his ears and shaking his head. He reached for a bowl of grapes on the table, muttering through a mouthful of fruit. "You've said it a thousand times: Life comes first. You're just spouting nonsense now."
Aegon's sharp senses caught every word. Without a flicker of hesitation, he picked up a sturdy switch resting by the hearth. With a thin, dangerous smile, he reached for the boy.
The silver moon hung high, casting long shadows over the new manor. When Arryk and Kraken approached the front door, the sounds of Daeron's rhythmic wailing reached them before they even knocked.
They entered the hall to find Helaena sitting by the fire, with Daeron sobbing uncontrollably into her lap.
"Your Highness, what happened?" Kraken asked, biting his lip to keep from laughing. It wasn't hard to guess that the youngest prince had finally pushed Aegon too far.
Arryk glanced at Daeron's backside as the boy shifted. His eyelids twitched. The welts were perfectly aligned, a testament to Aegon's "uniform" and thorough discipline.
"What do you mean?" Aegon asked, leaning against the wall and feigning total innocence. "Everything is perfectly normal. Helaena, why don't you take our brother upstairs to his room?"
"Of course," Helaena murmured, leading a limping, hissing Daeron toward the stairs.
Aegon gestured to the round table. "Sit. We have much to discuss."
The Blueprint of the Six Pillars
Kraken poured three glasses of wine as they settled in. "Please, Your Highness. We are listening."
"First, a personal request," Aegon began. "Aemond and Daeron need to begin their service as attendants. I want them to serve under the two of you."
"Your Highness!" Kraken nearly spilled his wine. "We are of lowly status compared to princes. They should be in King's Landing, serving the Hand or the King."
"They aren't going back," Aegon said flatly. "Viserys has made his choice with Rhaenyra. My brothers stay here. More importantly, I intend to take the Triarchy and the Disputed Lands. Aemond will have Myr. Daeron will have Lys. They need to learn how to rule now, and they need to learn it from men I trust."
The two knights sat up straight. This was no longer just about family; it was about the foundation of an empire.
"To govern such a vast, fertile territory, the Small Council system isn't enough," Aegon continued. "I am establishing a Roundtable Conference. Six primary Councilors, and twelve Vice-Councilors to assist and restrain them."
Aegon detailed the six pillars:
Military & Political: Commanding the standing army and foreign strategy.
Finance: Managing the gold dragons and trade tolls.
Law: Implementing justice and the King's peace.
Land Administration: Surveying, household registration, and taxation.
Basic Infrastructure: Engineering, water conservancy, and military farming.
Civil Service (The Council): Responsible for the selection, evaluation, and promotion of grassroots officials.
"I need a system that works efficiently," Aegon explained, his eyes tired but burning with intensity. "I cannot replicate the centralization of my... of the world I imagined. We must blend feudal loyalty with centralized efficiency."
The Price of a Trial
The discussion stretched into the early hours of the morning. Plates of snacks were emptied and carafes of wine refilled as they poked holes in the new bureaucracy.
"Your Highness," Kraken said, standing to leave as the first hint of grey touched the sky. "Your health is paramount. Do not let the weight of these systems crush you. Please, forgive my bluntness, but the cost of your trial and error is actually very high. There is no need to be so anxious."
"He's right," Arryk added with a rare smile. "A new system will have flaws, but you have something no other reformer in history has had. You have four—no, with Hugh—you have five dragons."
Aegon looked at them, the fatigue momentarily lifting from his face. He realized what they were saying: If the laws fail, the fire remains.
"I'm not anxious," Aegon laughed softly, waving them off. "And I won't work through the night. Go, get some rest. We have a world to build tomorrow."
As they left, Aegon looked out at the dark silhouette of Sunfyre sleeping on the cliffs. The knights were right. His trial-and-error cost was high because he was playing for the highest stakes—the Iron Throne—but as long as his dragons breathed, he had the ultimate insurance policy.
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