109 AC, Port Corinth
The ships arrived at the edges of the port on the wide deep river, the crowded harbour making it difficult to get further into the protected banks of port. His eight Galleons and his carracks, of both Corinth-make and Braavosi, were as far as the eye, well over a hundred of them docked and the sight of them stirred something great within him.
His fleet was amongst the largest in Westeros and Western Essos, only rivalled truly by the city-states though none owed an individual fleet like he did, and certainly no fleet could boast a make up of carracks which were the third largest tonnage of ships in this world…trailing only behind his galleons and the Ibbanese whaling ships.
And Aegon knew that he was only the facilitator of such marvel.
The people who chose to come with him, the people he successfully recruited, and the people who he gotten free and adapted to this new way of life, the success of Corinth and their soon-to-be homeland could be levied directly to them, those who worked with him and trusted in his ideas and his ambitions.
His knowledge and his ideas would have died an ignoble death without these people and Aegon was forever grateful to them as he gazed upon the very symbol of his people's burgeoning greatness.
The other ships that had come with Aegon made to moor at the edges of the port rather than follow Aegon's ship into the inner parts of the port when they saw they were being signalled.
Twin roars made him look upward and he saw Liāzmariña and Mīsaragorn flying over him. Over the past few days, Mīsaragorn had been accompanied in flight by his wife's dragon or by one or two of his children's dragons, as much a signal as any that Corinth knew of his coming.
And, as the ship traversed slowly further into the port with only fore-and-aft sails, towards the free piers by the inner part of the port, where the shipyard was as well, passing by lanes of docked ships on both side of the river, Aegon could see a crowd of men waiting by one of the few free piers and the ship made way to it.
The sails were cast off and the ship coasted and when they were close enough, the crew threw a line ashore at the bow before also sending down a longer line at the stern. The men at the dock reeled in the lines, pivoting and adjusting so that the stern would brought around to be parallel with the pier.
And, as the final adjustments were made and the Aegon eyed the crowd of men as the anchor was lowered into the water, many of whom had been the men who had fought with him amongst the men who were tasked to protect Corinth in their absence, and he saw the happy faces that were adorned on all of their faces.
Their happiness at simply seeing him was something he cherished greatly, seeing how much he meant to his people.
Ser Cedrick and Ser Galaenys were amongst the men waiting on the pier as they descended down from the ship on the gangway.
"My Prince." Ser Cedrick said with a bow, a bow that was followed by the rest of his men, and Ser Cedrick continued, with a smile on his face "Welcome home."
"Ser Cedrick." Aegon acknowledged with a ghost of a smile "It is good to be amongst you all." Aegon said before he looked to Ser Galaenys "No problems on the sail back?"
"No, my Prince. Trouble free." Ser Galaenys said with a savage grin on his face "The waters are scoured free from infestation."
Of course, there was quite likely a number of pirate hideouts that they managed to miss, or ships that gotten away, but for now, none of them would be emboldened to cause trouble for quite some time which was good enough for Aegon.
By now he expected the ship he'd sent to Lys to have arrived there and soon enough word would be spread about his evisceration of the pirates.
"And the freedmen and women? Have we gotten them all safety?"
Ser Galaenys grin faded as he nodded seriously "Yes, my Prince. We had to send a two dozen ships back to the islands once we returned the Naathi to their homeland but everyone has returned now and the ship we sent ahead arrived in Corinth post haste. The ships picked the majority of the freed peoples that been left on Talon."
"And how many elected to make Corinth home?" Aegon asked curiously. Seven hundred Summer Islanders had pledged to himself along with a few other hundreds of people who were likely to accept a place amongst his people but how far it went, he wasn't sure.
The most intrepid likely were going to use the ships that Aegon had no use for, cogs and other kinds of irregular ships salvaged from the Basilisk Isles, which he told his people to hand over to the former slaves to do as they wished when they arrived at Lotus Port.
Others likely would find their passage home in some way or another with some of the coin they spared for the people which should see them pay their way to somewhere, even if it may not be entirely back to home.
"Some three thousand, my Prince." Ser Galaenys said much to Aegon's surprise. That was far more than he expected.
"That many?" Aegon asked seriously as they walked off of the pier and onto solid ground and Aegon came to a stop momentarily. He'd asked Ser Galaenys and the others before they departed to get a measure of the freedmen wishing to stay.
"Most of the ones who wish to remain are commoners or had been slaves even before their capture. It seems many think they'll find better lives amongst us than back home, wherever that may be, especially amongst those who hail east of Slaver's Bay where a shipmate is a poor man's and looked down upon work." Ser Galaenys said to him before adding "Though some of us suspect that they're afraid they'll be capture at sea once more."
Understandable, Aegon mused and honestly, he was rather pleased. They would need more adult hands. "How many are Far Easterners?" Aegon asked curiously.
"Some hundred or two hundred." Ser Galaenys said before eying Ser Cedrick.
'Excellent' Aegon mused to himself. Whilst these Yi-Tish or the Lengese were not the cream of the crop of their respective civilisations, they were sure to be useful in some way or another, especially given that they were ship-hands or in a similar kind of position in society, and he would come to know what they knew, that which could not be learnt in the few ports that these societies opened for foreigners.
"Not sure but I'll check the census." Ser Cedrick answered the unasked question.
Ser Cedrick, outside of his duties as a commander of the forces, was mainly responsible for keeping the peace within Corinth, much like a lord commander of the city guard – which Aegon would eventually elevate him to when they arrived in their new lands – and part of that role was to be intimately involved in the affairs of the town, which included knowing exactly who called Corinth home.
And so Ser Cedrick had access to the census, a census that Aegon made sure was done every time they added to their population.
"That must be a sixth or mayhaps a fifth of them that decided to stay." Aegon said a note of query in his voice. The Far Easterners were almost directly opposite to the Summer Islanders. Xenophobic and distant, even amongst themselves.
"These are not the best of them." Ser Galaenys said with a grimace "Short of stature and of common looks. They don't speak much Common either."
Not surprising. And they probably don't speak a lick of High Valyrian either.
"It is a problem amongst most of the new people, my Prince. The Princess has assigned the learned men to see to their lessons." Ser Cedrick added and Aegon suppressed the desire to smile at his wife's actions though the longing for her grew within him.
Aegon instead nodded though he could see Ser Galaenys still wishing to speak of the matter. He gestured the man to speak.
Ser Galaenys paused for a moment before he spoke up, this time his voice bearing some weight as he spoke. "Prince Jalla wishes to speak with you, my Prince."
Aegon glanced back at the ship and the men who were unloading the ship of the share of spoils that had been portioned on his ship. Aegon turned back to Ser Galaenys and Ser Cedrick and gestured them to walk with him.
"Is Prince Jalla displeased with the thousands of people we dropped off at his city?" Aegon asked calmly as he eyed Ser Galeaeys with a keen look.
"He does not show it but yes, my Prince." Ser Galaenys said soberly "The returned Summer Islanders were of course greeted warmly but as you know, not all freedmen are Summer Islanders and they number in the thousands."
The Summer Islanders would be taken wherever they called home by the sailors of Walano once the return celebrations were complete.
In the distant past, when the Summer Islanders were yet intrepid explorers, the Summer Islanders used to throw festivals to celebrate the departure of the sailors and to honour the gods so that the sailors would return home safely. Another party would be thrown to welcome the sailors back from their adventures, thanking the gods.
In the present time, that tradition was still active although there was a darker element to it whereby the welcoming back festival was also made for those who managed to make their way home after…forced departure.
And, regardless of where exactly the Summer Islanders were from, every island welcomed back any of those who came from the Isles. It was once described to Aegon that the tradition of this festival came in the decades after Xanda Qo, the heroine and the one and only Queen of the Summer Isles.
Aegon nodded before gesturing Ser Galaenys to continue.
The pirates had prowled the seas and taken captive many ships and the people within them and so there were many different ethnicities amongst the freedmen.
Not as many as the Naathi or the Summer Islanders, of course, who remained the preferred, easiest and most numerous targets, but still sizable enough.
He hadn't imagined that the nobility of Walano would be happy to receive thousands of foreigners in their capital city, given the concern over Corinth.
"Had it not been for the silver we set aside for the freedmen who wished to wait and take a ship to wherever they consider home, I fear we may have had bigger problems." Ser Galaenys finished.
The Summer Islanders were not a xenophobic people, if anything they were a overly friendly people who took hospitality to a whole other level.
Aegon loved this, amongst many other things, about the people and it was something that his people had also come to like and incorporate into their lives but Aegon also knew that there were factors involved in Prince Jalla's discontent.
Effectively, Corinth and its autonomy was a concern for Prince Jalla amongst his nobles who were used to the stern and harsh rule of Jalla's uncle.
And with Aegon and his family here, effectively portioned away a significant portion of land that was no longer Summer Islander land – in their eyes – it was point of attack for Prince Jalla's political opponents.
Not enough to back another of the same family to issue a formal challenge – which ironically is probably because Aegon and his men were here – but enough to be a persistent irritant to Prince Jalla.
It didn't help that Prince Jalla's wife, a daughter of a powerful Walano noble, definitely did not like him. In truth, the gifts, the stone roads and host of other techniques and technologies like improved yield of foodstuffs, should have earned him some leeway with the nobility of Walano, and it did with many yet, as always, there were those who saw opportunity for advancement or engineering discourse.
"I will deal with the matter." Aegon said with a nod, ending the topic there.
He'd planned on meeting with Prince Jalla anyway regarding his plans for the future of Corinth and Slaver's Bay along with his and his people's departure from Walano. This…displeasure was related to all of that anyway so Prince Jalla should be extremely happy by the end of it all.
Speaking of the future…
Aegon paused as he looked towards the Galleons that literally sailed to the future. Their future. Aegon's eyes gleamed as he spoke. "I see that our victory in the Basilisk Isles is not the only thing we must celebrate" Aegon turned back towards the men, a faint but pleased smile forming in his face, one that could never convey the relief and happiness he felt.
The ships were like the physical representation of hope to Aegon, tantalising and seductive in the way they suggested everything he hoped for was but a sail away.
"Though I would not be surprised if I had missed the celebrations." Aegon said.
Ser Cedrick smiled whilst the men beside him chuckled slightly "Aye, the cheer has been going on for moons" 'so the Lady Dawn and Discovery have been back that long then?' Gael had indicated success to Mīsaragorn but not much more than that. "Though I do not think any of us will refuse another festival, my Prince."
Aegon's smile grew and it was one of genuine happiness before he let it go as he said "Fill me in as much as you can as we walk, Cedrick. I am sure there is much that has happened over the past few moons." Aegon paused for a moment as he looked towards the distance to the fort.
Ser Galaenys was the next to speak up "The royal family has been informed. They will meet us in the town, my Prince." Aegon turned to Galaenys and nodded to the man appreciatively.
After Aegon got on top of his horse, Ser Cedrick asked "I have not seen Fororlan, my Prince, is he on one of the other ships?"
The men who had come down with him visibly looked uncomfortable, especially one of the men who had been there on the island with him. "We lost a few men on the Isle of Toads. Fororlan was amongst them." Aegon said to Ser Cedrick with a grim note and it surprised Cedrick and Galaenys.
Aegon eyed Galaenys as he spoke "Make sure the families get their due."
"Of course, my Prince." Ser Galaenys said with a nod and the conversation about the deaths on Isle of Toads was ended, much to Aegon's pleasure. His un-waking hours were bothered enough as it was with what happened there.
He'd hear none of it awake if he could help it.
On the half hour journey towards the town atop steeds, Ser Cedrick informed him of the happenings of Corinth since their departure to the Basilisk Isles.
Not much had changed, that is until the two galleons returned from the West. Thankfully Gael had acted quickly as they discussed should the ships return during his campaign and sealed off Corinth from the outside world as much as possible.
Aegon idly wondered if that was also partly why Prince Jalla was upset before he refocused his attentions to Ser Cedrick.
The man spoke of discretion the men of the two ships had taken thanks to Gael's work and word, much to Aegon's relief as it was a point of concern for him, especially since such a finding would eventually get out regardless of what measures you put in place.
And, given that the people of Corinth knew now of the so called 'promised lands', even if they did not know where, Aegon was quite sure that others keeping an eye on his affairs would or already knew of the discovery.
It would mean that they were on a clock now…in truth they'd been on the clock the moment the ships returned from the West.
Sooner or later, the Known World would learn of the discovery and where it was.
They'd need to act fast and hard.
Ser Cedrick also informed him of Ser Uthrik's return with a host of women – which was said with suppressed amusement and Aegon knew that the well-liked knight-cum-spy had likely suffered through a number of jokes about it – which also included Minisha, the woman who Seleyse had entrusted Oldtown too, and Aegon was extremely pleased about that success.
How opportune too, Aegon mused to himself, that they got the glass candles before they returned to the new lands. He'd need to work fast in figuring out how they worked. He had some clue, thanks to his persistent search of Valyrian literature, but he'd need to figure it out soon as he wanted to send the men to the new lands soon.
When they arrived in town, passing through the gates of Corinth, they arrived to cheers and chants of tens of thousands of people, the entire town, and chants such as 'House Targaryen' and 'Prince Aegon the Blessed'.
And, as Aegon waved at the people, Aegon found it difficult not to smile at the virulent welcome these people, young and old, were bestowing on him and for once, the thoughts of public relations and public opinion and how fickle it all was, faded away as he took in the welcome.
Aegon caught sight of his family at the foot of the fort, guarded by his men and away from the crowd, and Aegon felt the welcome fade away as took in their sight, the swell of love he felt for his wife and children making it seem as if his chest was ballooning. He took in their smiles, their happiness, their waves with utmost want.
Everything…everything he was doing, and would be doing, was for them. The killing, the plots and schemes, the barbarism he'd visit on their enemies, all of it was for them and the world he'd carve out for them.
Aegon found it near impossible to take his gaze away from them but he managed and turned his attentions to the crowd as he made his steed come to a stop and Aegon raised his arm high to signal for their silence.
It took a few moments but finally, silence descended upon them and Aegon spoke.
"Men, women and children of Corinth." Aegon began with a strong and loud voice, his eyes peering from side to side as he met their gazes, his words spoken in High Valyrian.
"When I and our men left for the Basilisk Isles, we left with a deep craving for justice and righteous anger in our hearts." Aegon said to the crowd who seemed to hang onto every word he spoke.
"To punish these slavers who dared to put chains on our people, people whom we know as neighbours and friends and as family." Aegon said with some anger creeping in his voice before he formed his hand into a fist.
"And when we left the Basilisk Isles, we left with our judgement rendered and no more shall these slavers trouble our people!" Aegon said with triumph in his voice.
This seemed to break the seal and raucous cheer erupted and Aegon looked triumphantly at his people as they chanted his name and his house with vigour.
Aegon once more signalled the people to quietness and they did as he bid and he continued "And now that I have returned, I have returned to see our people have found the land of my visions!" Aegon said to his people before he raised his arms.
'Land of my visions…' A load of crock but infinitely more understandable to the people than his mere intuitions that came from a life in another world.
He was relieved, in truth, that his intuition paid off. The guilt of deceiving his people was considerably lessened by the findings.
Aegon looked upon his people with hidden grim eyes. And yet he would deceive them more. Leaning in to religion was a dangerous game, especially since Aegon knew that God or Gods or entities most certainly existed but he also knew that religion was amongst the greatest unifiers of civilisation.
And, unfortunately, there was also the part that the Faith of the Seven was almost inherently at odds with Aegon and his family, humans who bore high attunement to magic. It was why he began to remove the influence of the Faith by carefully ensuring there were no Septons or Septas amongst his people so that he could mould the next generation of religious officials in line with that of his family.
He disliked it but it was necessary to take further hold of the Faith. It was critical for the survival of his family and it was important for his future plans with the incorporation of conscientious and limited application of magic into his society.
"Our righteous deeds have not been ignored and the Gods have seen fit to reward our people with the safe return of our sailors who showed us the way to the bountiful land the Gods showed me in my dreams!" Aegon said with a cheer in his voice and his people responded to that cheer, religious fervour mixing with the adulation they felt for him.
Amongst the cheers, the most prevalent chant was 'Aegon the Blessed' and 'Aegon the Dreamer' and much to his displeasure he also heard 'Aegon the Prophet'.
'Where did that come from?' he wondered to himself before he wreaked his mind away from it as Aegon brought down his arms, his expression serious once more.
And as he spoke, the fervour reduced in volume "However, we must remain vigilant and we must remain focused, my people. We have enemies with blackness in their hearts and we must be sure not to let them destroy us or steal from us. We are of Corinth and we must stand together for only together shall we prevail." Aegon said to his people and the soberness of his words was felt by his people.
One of the things he always made sure was that his people knew the sense of strong community, the sense of unity and togetherness.
He knew though that it would never be enough for people were complex for no one person will have the exact same drives and wants as others have.
Even amongst so called lowborn.
And with the opportunities these people would have, and had, that complexity would deepen but, with a culture of a deep sense of community, such complexity may be metered away from treason and self-interest at the detriment of the whole.
And, as Aegon looked upon his people, he also knew that appealing to the people, as a man seeking their help, as a dragonriding Prince appealing for their help and their cooperation, would tie them to him further emotionally and ensure they'd do all that he wished with almost zero complaint.
People wanted to feel useful, wanted, and he'd make sure his people feel it deeply.
"But I have faith." Aegon continued as he smiled upon his people.
"Our journey to the promised lands is yet long and there are many challenges that we must overcome and conquer but" Aegon said as he raised his hand, his voice rising as well "I have no doubts that we will conquer them, just as we conquered the Basilisk Isles!" Aegon smiled as the volume of the crow rose and Aegon raised his voice even louder as he spoke once more.
"And I have no doubts that, you, my people, will work with me to achieve all that we set our eyes to for you possess the same spirit and faith of the men and women who came with Aenys the Exile had and the very same spirit and faith the men and women who aided Aegon the Conqueror in his Conquest of Westeros possessed!"
"ALL HAIL HOUSE TARGARYEN!"
"AEGON THE BLESSED!"
"HOUSE TARGARYEN!"
The cheers Aegon received then had been the loudest and the most raucous till date, almost verging on zealotry and Aegon did not enjoy it anywhere near as much as he had enjoyed the warm welcome he received.
He played on history, achievements of others, and used it for own means, his own narrative, bolstering their egos, making them feel as important and as critical to the success of House Targaryen as the men and women who came before them.
Aegon's eyes washed over the faces of his people. 'And how many of these people cheering had brothers…fathers…sons amongst the two hundred and more who died in service to their people…to Aegon? Do they cheer him despite the deaths of their loved ones, deaths to which Aegon had led them to?
…would they still cheer him when he asked for more of their brothers, fathers, sons?'
Aegon pushed the thought back down into his mind, and he did his part, his duty, and stoically basked in the adulation and the moment of triumph.
Some time later, finally, he was free enough to go and see his family, what he wanted the most all of this time.
"Father!" the triplet excitable voices of his eldest sons rang out as they made their way to him as he got off of his steed and Aegon smiled warmly at his sons as they came to him. He could see them wishing to engulf him in a hug but, as Princes, with so many people watching them still, decorum was maintained.
It seems that his time away has made his sons grow somewhat.
"My sons." Aegon said warmly as placed one hand on Polaerys' shoulder and the other on Castorys with Valarr in between his elder brothers and Aegon crouched down so that his eyes were level with theirs. 'They've grown taller' Aegon realised.
Valarr mayhaps by an inch and his elder brothers about the same or just about less.
'Growing physically as well as mentally…'
"Father." Castorys began before he looked to his brothers whom he nodded to before he looked to Aegon again, wearing the same face that Aegon wore when he was dealing with matters of state "We have done our duty as you asked."
Aegon was amused and he was tempted to make light of the situation but a single look to the boys was telling enough that it would damage their self-esteem if he was to make, what they would see, mockery of the situation.
Aegon glanced at Gael who held Rhaena's in her arms and saw her smile at him with an encouraging look. Aegon sought to look back at the boys but he caught look of Sonorys in the arms of one of the maids but also another…child…? in the hands of another maid, one that looked to be about two or three namedays.
He set aside for now as he refocused on his eldest sons.
"I had no doubt that you would waver in your duties, my sons." Aegon said with all of the seriousness they earned. "Ser Cedrick had nothing but good words to say about your conduct in my absence."
The pleased looks on their little faces was adorable and he wanted to do nothing but engulf them in a bearhug. "We have missed you father." Valarr said in Greek, his voice a little emotional and Aegon couldn't help but ruffle his son's hair before he let it rest on his head. It must have been hard for the boys for him to be away for so long, when he had never been away this long, at least as far as they remember.
For all of their maturity, they were still but little children deeply attached to their parents. "And I have missed you too, Valarr, Polaerys, Castorys. Very dearly."
Aegon said to them quietly but meaningfully and he continued, this time with a warm smile on his face "We will spend this evening together, just us boys, and you can tell or ask me anything." This made the boys extremely happy and they all nodded happily at him and he rose back up.
"Aegon." Gael said warmly as she approached him and Aegon smiled with a half-hidden fondness at her. He didn't need to hear her words to see how happy she was to see him.
"Gael." Aegon's voice was kept calm even though gentleness crept into his voice as much wanted said words were kept at bay at the tip of his tongue.
"Father!" Rhaena happily cried out and seemed to want to jump out of Gael's arms and Aegon chuckled softly as he moved towards Gael and took his daughter from her arms.
The girl laughed as he hoisted her up into the air "Have you missed your father, my little Princess?" Giggles of yes and her babbling sentences streamed out of her as she clutched onto Aegon's neck as he balanced her on his arm, and, as Aegon walked up towards his family's fort that functioned as a keep, he walked with his family by his side, the heavy weight off of his shoulders for the time being.
Hours later…
Being in the presence of his family had felt sweeter than the sweetest honeyed tea could ever taste, and he basked in it as they spend much of the morning and midday with one another, Rhaena and Solonys sitting atop a knee each, as Aegon conversed with his wife and his eldest sons on either side of him, with Rex the grey-haired female hound happily laying by his feet.
A family that seemed to have grown in his absence with the addition of Breannei, his niece by Daemon, who looked as if she could be a daughter of his, he mused as he looked upon the girl who sat in Gael's lap.
It seems like the girl had acclimatised to his family rather well and his family to her. He would have to ask Gael who the girl's mother was later when he was alone with Gael. Knowing how much Daemon disliked anything non-Valyrian, whomever this girl's mother was, who was most certainly a Westerosi with the name she'd given the girl, the mother must have special in some way.
The topic of discussion had not touched upon the war he waged, though, Aegon knew that his sons were likely conspiring to ask those questions later, away from their mother's disapproving looks, and rather, the discussion was constrained to what the boys had done in the time Aegon had been away along with the topic of the new lands, a topic that featured heavily in their conversations as the boys came up names for the lands and what to name the beasts that may reside there.
All too soon, dusk arrived and his promise to his sons was upkept, the youngest three children having been taken away by Gael and the maids – one of whom was Illerah, one of the women who came from Oldtown – and Aegon went to the stables with the boys.
It was then that they began to ask him questions they'd craved to ask.
"Father, what was the war like?" Polaerys asked the foremost question, the boy leaning against his dragon Tyraxes, his voice riddled with interest and awe, and, as Aegon gazed upon his other sons whose own dragons were napping behind them as they congregated in the central chamber of the dragon stables, he saw they all held the same child-like curiosity.
Curiosity that bore hints of starstruck wonder that was enhanced by stories of glorious battle and victory. Aegon had tried to teach his sons about the true nature of all he knew, tempered though it may be, but had not quite managed to impart any lessons on the topic of war since they were just so young.
And, as he looked upon their faces, still only almost nine and eight namedays old, their child faces, he knew still that he'd need to begin such lessons sooner rather than later, equipping them with as much words of advice and thought as he could.
He hated it, the thought that they'd ever need it but Aegon knew with the malevolent entities that hid in the crevices of this world and the brutality of many of the peoples of this world, they may eventually come to lean on his lessons.
He'd do all he could for his sons never to come to face such things but he knew that it was a wishful thought. He could die at any time and with the plans he had in mind, Aegon knew that there was a chance of it.
"What do you think the war was like?" Aegon asked the boys intently as he looked them all in the eye as his gaze swept from one son to another. "Ser Galaenys and Ser Maerro have been back for some time now." Aegon smiled at his as he leaned back against the stool on which he sat. "I'm sure you have asked them such questions many times."
The sheepish look on Valarr's face and the looks exchanged by the twins was answer enough and Aegon raised only an eyebrow in response, waiting on them to reply. Castorys was the first to answer "Well, Ser Maerro said that everyone fought nobly and that the pirates stood no chance against them."
"And he also said that our cause was righteous so makes sense. Of course we won." Valarr said with a shrug of the shoulders.
"Everyone did fight nobly and yes our cause was righteous" Aegon said with a nod of the head before he looked sharply at his boys "But none of that matters in war."
Aegon's sharp voice surprised his sons and Aegon sighed silently before he continued, his voice calmer "Do you know of the Rhoynar?" Aegon asked his sons.
"They are the Dornish now, right?" Valarr asked with a frown on his face.
"No, the Rhoynar came to Dorne but not all Dornish are Rhoynar." Polaerys corrected his younger brother.
"Correct, Polaerys." Aegon said with a nod before he expanded. "The Rhoynar were a people who lived on the banks of the River Rhoyne in Essos, a river they worshipped as a goddess and where they carved out their cities and their civilisation." Aegon said as picked up one of the staffs of the dragonkeepers.
He dragged the butt of the staff against the stone floor, creating a white line against the grey stone. "They were ancient civilisation, proud and mighty with sorcery different but similar to that of Old Valyria." Aegon said before he tapped onto the end of the line "And when Valyria began to colonise at the mouth of the river Rhoyne and expanded more and more northward" Aegon said as he dragged the butt of the staff further upward on the line.
"Tensions with the Rhoynar arose, until, one day, tensions made way for conflict, and conflict made way for war." Aegon said to his sons and he saw that they were listening.
"Why were they fighting?" Castorys asked with a frown.
"No one knows for certain, much of what happened was very long time ago and only tales of men and scars of the land remain, and there is never only a single reason for war, but I would say that it is likely that the Rhoynar fought because they did not like the Valyrians coming into their lands." Aegon said to his sons.
The colonies of Valyria likely kept encroaching into the lands of the Rhoynar, likely for a combination of territory and resources, and eventually, skirmishes led to souring and souring led to conflicts until one day, and it doesn't matter which side attacked first, conflicts turned into war that invited the full attentions of the Forty Families, a death sentence.
"So, the Rhoynar had cause?" Castorys asked a little hesitantly and Aegon smiled at his eldest.
"They did and they fought nobly and they fought with a righteous cause." Aegon said as his smile dropped off, his voice dropping down low.
"And in the end, no matter how valiantly the Rhoynar fought or how righteous their cause was, Valyria won and destroyed their civilisation, leaving only behind their legacy in the form of Nymera's ten thousand ships who was smart enough to know that fighting against Valyria was a lost cause."
Aegon seized the staff with both of his hands as he gazed upon his sons, his gaze trailing from one set of eyes to another and another. "Whatever your reasons for war, in the end all wars are the same. There is no honour or chivalry in battle and war, there is only survival and winning. Against the pirates, we were better armed, we attacked with surprise and speed and we had a dragon. We destroyed the pirates and we were the only ones remaining in the Basilisk Isles. That is what war is and that why we won."
Aegon stared intensely at his sons. "Not because we were noble, not because were righteous and not because the Gods favoured us." Aegon told his sons firmly.
Castorys and Polaerys seemed to be deep in thought at what Aegon said whilst Valarr looked as if he had a question he wanted to ask and so, Aegon waved a few of his fingers of his hands that remained firmly gripped on the staff, gesturing the boy to ask his question.
"Were the Rhoynar wrong to fight against Old Valyria then, father?"
Aegon sighed, this time audibly before he hummed softly. "That is a difficult question, Valarr." Aegon said as he eyed his son with a gentle smile.
The tale of the Rhoynar reminded Aegon with the stories of the Punic Wars, two civilisations that locked horns with inevitability, one ascendant and another an old superpower, and the inevitability of the destruction of one of the civilisations.
The Rhoynar were Carthage, a powerful people that were strong in magic, rightly prideful and Old Valyria had climbed to the upper echelons of civilisation with the memories of the destruction of the Ghiscari Empire still strong.
Conflict was inevitable and compromise all but impossible, and every war that was fought, until the last, made that impossibility ever greater.
"Yes and no." Aegon answered and Aegon smiled at the look of confusion on his son's face. "Most things in life are not a simple yes and no answer, Valarr, and this is a difficult topic." Aegon tapped the butt of the staff against the stone floor.
"Yes the Rhoynar were wrong to fight against Old Valyria because their chances of winning were zero." Aegon said with a grim note in his voice.
Even if the Rhoynar developed magicks to better kill dragons, the Rhoynar would not have been able to assault the peninsula of Valyria, mountainous and populous as it was.
He'd seen some of the old maps of Valyria, he could see how the Ghiscari Empire were not able to drive into the heartlands of the Lands of Always Summer. The northern mountains of the peninsula, now torn asunder like much of Valyria, were treacherous were akin to Valyrian steel gates that shut out invaders.
And the passes that led in and out of Valyria, they could be better fortified than the pass of Thermopylae could be. The only recourse the Rhoynar had would be to assault Valyria by ship and the Rhoynar had no experience with that.
And so, they were facing an enemy, a prideful enemy that could recover and lick their wounds behind their mountains, train their men and slaves, develop counters for their magic, mayhaps even clad their dragons in Valyrian steel armour, and soon enough Valyria would be back at their throats, eager to deliver a fatal strike.
Like Rome during its Republic heydays.
"Old Valyria was vastly more powerful. They had more men, their homeland couldn't be attacked, and they had hundreds of dragons. The Rhoynar stood no chance at victory." Aegon told them grimly before he continued, his gaze trailing across the faces of his sons.
"So why do I say that they were not wrong to fight against Old Valyria?" Aegon posed to his sons before he smiled somewhat darkly "Because it matters what you fight for." Aegon told his sons before his smile turned gentler.
"In war, you must have an objective, something that you wish to achieve through war, like fighting for the security and future of your people. Valyria…Old Valyria was incredibly powerful and the Rhoynar were not blind to this. But they also knew that Old Valyria was a danger to their society, their culture and their civilisation, even if they did not fight.
And so, they came to a choice that they'd rather fight now, gamble that they may win completely against Old Valyria however slight that chance may be, rather than what they thought was losing long term when they were too weak to fight back." Aegon told his sons.
Whether or not that was true, Aegon did not know but he suspected that it played a factor in their decisions to fight. And like Carthage during the second Punic War, they thought they could make Valyria yield and gain concessions, vastly underestimating who the Valyrians were like Carthage did with Rome.
"And so, they decided that warring with Old Valyria in order to survive was necessary even though they knew thar it was likely they'd lose everything, and in the end they lost everything and their people are all but forgotten to the world." Aegon told his sons.
"That is the nature of war, my sons." Aegon said grimly to his sons.
"In war, you either win or you lose. That is what all war is like."
Aegon continued. "In war, nothing matters but winning and survival and the reasons why you're going to war, however righteous or just or necessary it may be, it must be weighed against the information you have ready at hand. How strong your enemy is. What your enemy thinks, how they behave, what they value, what they would do if they win, all that and more must go in your thinking before you decide to go to war."
Aegon's hands tightened on his staff as he looked upon his sons.
"My lesson to you on this not for you to compare the Rhoynar-Old Valyria war with the war we waged against the pirates and slavers of the Basilisk Isles but it is for you to understand that right or wrong, when you are in battle and when you waging war against another, such distinctions do not matter, and that the only reason you should go to war for is if you have the right reasons for war and if you can bear the consequences what such fighting will bring to your family and people who will suffer the consequences, whatever they may be, because of your decision." Aegon said as he looked upon his sons who looked very interested in what Aegon had to say.
Aegon smiled at his sons, and it was somewhat light, so different from the topic of discussion "In time, you will come to know more of this kind of topic. But not today. I have spoken enough on this matter with you this evening." Their looks of protests did not sway Aegon and he levelled a look onto them that made them swallow their protestations.
"Now" Aegon began once more as he tapped the butt of the staff against the stone floor, Shrykos and Gaelithox opened their eyes at the sound before they closed them once more, "Was that all you wished to speak of with your father or do you want to know what names for our new land I was thinking of choosing?"
Aegon smiled to himself when his sons fired questions and names at him and for the next hour or two, Aegon simply spent it talking with his sons, before Gael arrived and sent the boys to bed for it was long overdue they retired for the night.
Gael went to check with Breannei and Rhaena whilst Aegon went to go see Solonys only to find him fast asleep and he was first in their chambers and Aegon, as he removed all his clothing with the exception of his tunic and smalljohns, he felt the biting grip of exhaustion gripping onto him.
Aegon glanced at the desk, the light of the candles illuminating the maps that were strewn atop it and Aegon fought the exhaustion as he made his way there.
Aegon traced his fingers on top of the map of the new lands, a map that Aegon had only seen today and only briefly. The lead cartographer, Elric, had created it from all of the maps the other cartographers had made of the lands they'd seen and walked upon.
The lands east of the Silver Mountains – a name one of the cartographers had come up with because of the way the snow topped peaks looked like polished silver – were likely where their capital and farmlands would be located.
Flatland and richly watered by the long deep and wide river, that they still hadn't quite managed to determine where it sourced from, with mountains and hills to the East and a long coastline to the North-East from the mouth of the river that bore cliffs and white sand beaches that lead to untouched forests kilometres deep into the interior. On the west side of the river, the land was flatter, where there were also forests, similar in kind as that of the Summe Isles but also flooded grasslands.
Even if further south was more mountainous than he accounted for, even if there was desert as air and water circulation was shielded away from the land by the mountains, everything was present for a civilisation to thrive.
Even the largest island, an island he was leaning on calling Draconys, would have been enough for what he wished to build, he thought as he stared intensely at the map, so much so, that he barely heard Gael enter their chambers. The haze of tiredness he was fighting dispersed away when he felt Gael wrap her arms around his mid-rift, simply holding him gently. He was still for a few moments before he relaxed and he could feel her rest her head against his back.
They remained like that for a little while, both of them content to be in the other's presence. Aegon closed his eyes slightly. He'd been in love before in his old life but he never loved anyone as much as he loved Gael.
Her kindness. Her understanding. Her support. The way she smiled at him. The way she affected others with simply who she was. A purple flower that reigned in the hearts of all those who could not help but be enraptured by her presence.
"Is it everything you dreamed of?" he heard her ask him quietly.
"Everything and more." Aegon responded as he turned around and smiled softly at her as he placed his hands on her arms. "I have missed you, my eternal flame." Aegon quietly to her as his hands drifted down to capture hers.
They did not have much time to catch up, not with one another, and he'd yearned to spent days only with her. Unfortunately, it was not a luxury he could spare right now, not when he needed to know so much and enact so much more.
Gael leaned forward and placed her head onto his chest and sighed contentedly as their hands unravelled and instead took to hold onto one another.
"And I you…" Gael said softly against his chest, and he felt his tunic ruffle as she spoke "I have not slept easily since the day you left." Gael admitted to him and Aegon chuckled softly as he rested his chin on her head.
"It hasn't been easy for me either." Aegon told her quietly, gently.
Not a day had gone where he did not cast his thoughts to his family and their safety, despite the presence of his wife's and his children's dragons ensuring that wherever they were, their safety was as secured as this world allowed.
"But the comfort of the knowledge that I could trust in you to protect our family in my absence made it tolerable." Aegon said truthfully to Gael.
Gael was not a warrior but she knew just as well how to protect their family. With words, with kindness – which came naturally to her – and with understanding.
His discussions and his lessons had only been a springboard for her and she developed herself as a ruler in her own right, in a way that fitted perfectly like a glove around a steel hand.
Proof enough was the way she dealt with the situation with the Lady Dawn and Discovery. The crews of that ship were all accounted for and, as far as Ser Cedrick was concerned, fully compliant with what was asked by Gael from them.
It could have gone wrong, slights could have been perceived, but Gael had disarmed them readily and inspired faithfulness in them to her.
Of course, Aegon knew that sooner or later, if not already since the entire town knew, some of whom were farmers who interacted directly with Summer Islanders outside of the town, news of their discovery would leak but it would not be a fault of Gael for if not anything short of a magical spell to keep their entire people silent could they achieve total secrecy.
Gael unfurled herself from his chest and looked up to Aegon and smiled somewhat, the corners of her eyes softening as she gazed up on him, though, there was a hint of playfulness in her eyes "Only tolerable?" she teased though there was hint of challenge in her words.
"Not relief? Not a sense of assurance? You should pick your words more wisely, dear husband. I know you have it in you given the way you spoke to our people." Gael said with a raised eyebrow.
Aegon laughed quietly, a fond smile forming on his face as he spoke, his eyes intense as he met her beautiful violet gems for eyes. "My apologies, my fair Princess." The fond smile dropped off slightly, his expression setting in solemnness.
"I mean to say that the knowledge that you, rider of Liāzmariña, the Queen of the Summer Sea, were protecting our little treasures, brought more solace and peace of mind to me that even if the Gods' declared to me that they were watching over them, it would not compare to the solace, peace of mind, you brought to me." Aegon finished as he leaned closer to her face, his hands placing themselves on the valley of her back, gently, carefully, pulling her closer to him.
The soft miniscule smile on her face grew as he spoke, the desired effects of his words playing out on her face and she whispered, to him, "Better…" and Aegon leaned forward, down, and captured her lips with his own, the kiss tender, gentle, as his beard touched against her beautiful elven like skin.
Their kiss was slow, gently, even as they lost all idea of anything beyond the other as they lost themselves to each other, and Aegon wasn't sure how long they had been kissing when they stopped and pressed their foreheads against one another.
"You make me feel at peace, Gael…" Aegon said quietly with his eyes closed.
He felt her hands seizing his tunic in her grips and when he felt her head move away from his own, he opened his eyes only to welcome the lovely sight of her beautiful eyes.
Long moments seemed to pass before her hand went to his, seizing it, as she stepped back and pulled him forth, towards the bed, though, neither of them slept much that night for they came to familiarise one another with each other's body with a hunger that even a dragon would struggle to ever feel.
The next day Aegon spent much of the morning discussing some of the plans Gael had, plans that Aegon agreed with or adjusted, and it was also later that day that they had Elric and the captains of the Lady Dawn brought to them and he spent hours with them going over through their findings.
The kinds of forests they'd described and noted, were a mixture of both temperate and tropical forests, and he wasn't surprised.
He'd worked out that the Summer Isles sat above the equator, with Jhala just north of the equator line, and these lands, from the findings of the captains using the astrolabe, they found that the position of the new lands was further north than the Summer Isles and about the same latitude as Valyria.
The weather on the Western side was cooler than the weather on the eastern side, beyond the mountains, despite being at a higher altitude. Aegon thought it strange and he considered that mayhaps it was because of the weather system that was bringing warmer air from the equator whilst cooler air was coming the north.
It explained why the forests on the East were certainly more tropical than the West but, in any case, whatever the cause, it would be something for future generations to figure out.
When it came to farmland, it was clear that the western side of the new lands would be prime farmland. The marshes – or wetlands or flooded grasslands, he wasn't sure what classification to give the features – were perfect for rice fields.
His farmers were familiar with rice fields, and though they were few planted by Corinth, and even less consumed by the people, he'd see rice fields to be amongst the first to be planted. Rice was high in calorific value and, if he remembered correctly, it was second only to maize, whilst also taking up less acreage than wheat or barley.
And since he had no idea where to even find maize in this world – chances were that maize did exist in this land but they would be wild and Aegon had little clue how to properly cultivate wild plants into foodstuffs – rice would do well to become a staple in the diet of his people.
More food meant more people and more people meant greater security. There was a good reason why Asia always had the largest population in the world and the reason could solely put to the feet of rice, the miracle food.
Hmm…
He'd need to task his cooking staff to experiment with rice. It was not wholly consumed by anyone – not even Aegon had tried rice beyond that first few instances – and he'd need to familiarise his people to the foodstuffs.
And with the abundant spices they had?
Well, he was sure he could convert his people to enjoy spicy rice.
In any case, Aegon mused as he looked upon the rest of the land. The grasslands and the forests, once cleared, were ideal for a myriad of crops. The rivers that fed into the marshlands could be diverted into canals to feed the drier parts of the grasslands if rainfall was limited – which he doubted – whilst the forests could be cut down and the soil worked.
He'd been concerned that the soil was poor quality but from what the cartographers were able to tell, that was only truly the case for forests in the East which seemed to be perpetually wet – another thing that concerned Aegon as it would mean any cutting of trees might cause the soil to wash away – and Aegon was happy to hear it.
Aegon studied the places his people marked out as places of interest, places where settlements and the capital could be laid down, and Aegon found little wrong with the suggestions, only that some of the places were too far away from quarries.
At the beginning, they needed to have settlements with easily accessible quarries and though Aegon was contemplating the use of dragons to ship stone – the very thought wildly amused and intrigued Aegon like nothing else and probably would make his ancestors curse his very name – he tempered it with realism.
The good news was that the first upstream the river went, the higher altitude of the land surrounding the river and there were a few potential quarry sights nearby.
And, with the river, they could ship tonnes of limestone from the coastline upstream for use of the more extravagant and stunning buildings he wanted to build.
Yes…Aegon would build upstream of the river, surrounded by rugged land, he decided. The capital needed to be in a central location so that as the population grew, all roads would lead to it. 'All roads lead to Rome…'