Daemon held a crying Prince Viserys on his knee as he bounced him up and down trying to calm him, they had been on the road for a few days now having left Riverrun, it hurt a lot to leave the girls behind especially Lyanna but he knew he was doing this for them and when he returned they could live happily together. Right now they were headed to Lannisport for the final trip in the Queen's journey, Tywin Lannister as the Hand of the King had organised a tourney in honour of the birth of the Prince, similar to what other great families had done. However, unlike the other families, the King would attend this one with the Prince as Tywin was said to be his greatest friend.
Daemon held Viserys as he calmed down, Daemon was the only one who he would calm down for apart from Rhaella, perhaps it had something to do with his Valyrian features being similar to Rhaella. Daemon had offered to take Viserys whenever Rhaella looked tired, she was a kind woman and he wanted to make sure that she was rested. Though he couldn't help but see the humorous side of things as she was trusting a Targaryen Prince to a Blackfyre.
Not that he'd do anything, he couldn't say the throne interested him much, he had lived a simple life since he was born and he enjoyed it, having Lysa and Lyanna was the only goal he had other than getting his sister back. But he enjoyed Rhaella's company a lot, she didn't act much like a queen most of the time and talked to him as if they were old friends. He would also get the chance to train with Barristan often, he still remembers the first time they sparred. That was an eye-opener for Daemon, he thought that he would be able to put up a good fight but in reality, he barely lasted 10 seconds and he was sure the man wasn't even using his full strength.
Barristan came to sit by Daemon as he bounced a sleepy Prince Viserys on his knee "He seems to like you, got to say lad you taking the baby will make it easier on all our ears" he said with a chuckle as the Kingsguard were the only ones who would look after the baby while Rhaella slept.
Daemon smiles "He isn't so bad just a bit loud, a typical Prince" he replies getting a further laugh from the old man.
There was one thing that Daemon wanted to ask Barristan as they slowly approached Lannisport, it had been gnawing at his mind for a while, he turned to the knight "Barristan what is the king like" he asked simply, even a country boy such as himself knew the reputation that the king had, he was the strongest person in Westeros, before Daemon knew about Aura he'd have thought he was a dragon made flesh but after doing so he realised the man was just a monster.
Barristan had a peculiar look on his face when asked the question, in truth, if he had asked any of the Kingsguard they would have this look on their face. Their vows prevented them from speaking badly of their king so the only thing Barristan could do was warn Daemon to keep himself in line and to not make mistakes when he was in the King's presence.
"The King in his younger years was probably the most promising aura user that the Targaryens had ever had, he was handsome and charismatic, but it was the tragedy of Summerhall that changed him, it was said he came out of the burning palace smiling. Though no one knew why until much later" Barristan explained.
"The first time I saw the King properly was during the war of the Ninepenny Kings, people like to credit me with the defeat of Maelys the Monstrous but the truth is more complicated than that" he continued.
(Flashback)
Barristan felt his aura reserves run low, he'd been fighting this monster of an opponent for what seemed like hours, every swing of his sword was capable of ending his life and he only managed to avoid it. While they were equal in terms of raw aura it didn't matter when the person who has that aura is already monstrous in strength, people say he killed his cousin without using a single bit of aura, and while that sounds like a tall tale now he believed it.
The ground around them was shattered and the stench of blood was thick in the air and bodies surrounded them, there was fighting all around them. The fighting of aura users could be heard as the ground trembled breathing them while the shouting and battle cries of the regular soldiers pierced the air. Maelys stood in front of Barristan great sword in one hand as if he were wielding a toothpick, his aura cracked the ground underneath himself as it kept on expanding to bigger proportions.
This was when Barristan knew he had lost the fight, he looked into Maelys eyes and found instead of purple they were crimson red, the fight seemingly taking his abilities to new levels. Barristan could only hope to fend him off long enough for others to get here and back him up, otherwise, he would die and Maelys would decimate their army. Barristan flared his aura to its limits as he prepared to face the monster before him.
But then a bright green light flashed in the corner of his vision, he couldn't help but turn and see a bright green sphere of flames in the air, focusing the vision he saw Aerys Targaryen the Crown Prince in all his glory as he seemingly floated midair in the green sun that floated above them. The king raised a single hand in the enemy's direction.
'Kings Justice'
They were the words that Barristan heard as if they were a whisper on the wind, what followed as an earth-shaking roar that sent most regular men running for their lives though they couldn't see what was happening all they saw was their fellow men running away and turning to ash. Their knights and lords lasted longer but it only served to prolong their suffering as green flames engulfed them and they fell to the floor in pain. The look of horror in their eyes as they saw what approached them left them screaming in fear before they died.
Barristan would never forget what he saw that day, he would never speak of his king's ability or how horrible it was, he found using such a thing even on enemies was not justice. He turned to see Maelys shocked, and in a moment of dishonour, he took his chance as he was distracted and used his sword enveloping it in his aura and piercing through his chest and ending the last male Blackfyre.
(Flashback End)
Daemon felt shocked at what he had just heard. The king had come onto the battlefield and with a single gesture of his hand he had destroyed the rival army as if they were nothing. He thought it was laughable that Barristan believed he would ever get to that level.
"How did he become so strong... does he have a 'King Type' aura?" Daemon asked with a quiver in his voice.
It wasn't Barristan who answered him but Rhaella as she approached the fire from her wheelhouse "He's not, my husband is a simple 'Alchemist Type'" she said as she sat next to Daemon.
"My husband was a genius, though it wasn't until Summerhall that he had changed, the eruption of wildfire burned him, but it was through the pain and being engulfed in the flames that he ascended to a different level" she explained.
"He walked in there merely a talented Prince but when he came out he was a monster who could change his aura into a wildfire, but his mind would never be the same after that," she said solemnly.
'I don't think any of us are ever the people we once were' she thinks to herself. She hated her husband and it broke her heart to think she wished him death every day, Rhaella was a kind and gentle woman never wishing ill on those around her. But after Summerhall her husband got worse and worse until she sometimes wished one of them would die.
Her only shining light was her children, she knew Rhaegar would be a good king, the people and the nobles both loved him and he was a talented user, though she was worried about him sometimes he was quite prone to bouts of melancholy and would shut himself in the library studying his scrolls.
She looked at Viserys, he was the product of her husband raping her and often inflicting pain on her in numerous ways, as she was an aura user she would take a lot more punishment than a normal person and would heal faster, a blessing and a curse. Even so, she could only look at her baby boy with pure love and while she does not wish to lay with the man ever again she would never regret having children.
She felt a bit sad that this trip was ending, it was a nice break from her life in Kings Landing a snake pit full of lies and deceit and yet it all meant nothing in the face of her husband's power. She knew they'd be reunited at Lannisport and while most wives would be happy at that fact she dreaded it, but she worried more for Daemon than herself, she didn't tell him this but she had pressured Lord Tully into making the betrothal with his daughter, while he would surely benefit he still wasn't sure.
Rhaella leveraged her position as Queen which swayed his thinking, she did this because she was afraid of what her husband would do once he learned that he had the same crimson eyes that he possessed. He was prone to bouts of jealousy and erratic thinking, she hoped the political protection the betrothal offered would be enough.
She looked at Daemon who smiled at her "You look tired your grace, you should sleep some more I'll stay with the Prince" he said in a gentle voice, Daemon was kind and sometimes she hoped he'd stay like that, but she knew he wouldn't.
Those who pass through King's Landing never stay the same.
(AN: So a little more information on Aerys and why he is the Netero of this world. Though as you'll find in later chapters he's not the only one at that level. I'm sure it won't be hard to guess who the other person is. Hope you enjoy.)
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