Prince Viserys Targaryen
The sheet felt suffocating, he felt as if his lungs were being torn in half, he'd never done well with those blasted things over his head as a child, when he and Aleana would play ghosts; she always had to be the ghost, for the sheets would always suffocate him. It takes all of his self control not to scream as loud as he can, he knows that perhaps in doing so he might alert his household guard that something is amiss, but he also might seal his own death warrant, and so he remains silent, using every inch of control he has to remain silent. He uses his intuition to gauge the sort of person who holds the sheet firmly in place over his head, their arms are muscular and their frame is broad, clearly a soldier, they must work for someone, but whom that is the question.
They walk out of his room and the fact that no one raises the alarm suggests that either the tower of the hand is fast asleep or his guards are dead, he is only grateful that none of his family are here, otherwise he is sure that the man holding the sheet over his head would have taken them as well. They leave the tower of the hand, he knows by the change in the atmosphere, the heat and humidity of King's Landing replacing the cool serenity of the Tower. The ground is rough beneath him as his captor guides him to places unknown, when he stumbles slightly, that is the first time he hears his captor's voice. "Damn it, hold him still man." A man, he knows that voice, that's the voice of the master of arms at the Red Keep, has the man turned traitor already? A second voice replies, this time gruffer than the first. "Yes Ser." That voice he knows not, but it seems scared and uncertain, perhaps he can use that.
Soon enough the humidity of the ground is replaced by cool breeze, as they enter yet another building, the slamming of the doors and the echo suggest to Viserys that they have now entered the Maidenvault, curious, why would they have entered here? He has no time to further ponder that, as the sheet is removed from his head, and he takes a deep breath of air. The minute the room stops spinning and his senses return to him, Viserys sees that he was correct standing not two feet in front of him is the master of arms for the Red Keep Ser Quentyn Flowers. "Ser Quentyn, a pleasure to see you. Though I confess I am not sure why you have brought me here." Viserys says keeping his voice calm and collected. Ser Quentyn says nothing though he squirms slightly under the gaze Viserys fixes him with. As he waits for the man to say something, Viserys thinks about all he knows of the man standing before him. Ser Quentyn Flowers, the bastard of Sunflower Hall, fought for Valarr during the Dance of Dragons and was knighted by Ser Ryam Redwyne himself, joined the Red Keep staff shortly afterwards and had served as master at arms for thirty years, a proud and honourable man who Viserys had thought loyal to the King, evidently not.
Eventually the man speaks. "Stop fidgeting Gunthor, you'll make the Hand all the more alert." Viserys whips his head around and looks at the big man who had been holding the sheet over his head, Gunthor his name is, clearly Ser Quentyn's son by the look of him, curious, is this some sort of coup?
Viserys remains silent, he has found over the years that silence often brings the best results. Eventually a man like Ser Quentyn will have to speak to break the silence, and a few moments later Viserys find himself proven correct. "You can stop thinking so hard my prince; you'll learn why you are here soon enough." Ser Quentyn says briskly. Viserys says nothing, remaining silent waiting for the man to give more away. He can tell that Ser Quentyn is deeply uncomfortable with what he has just had to do, and soon enough he speaks in a rush, almost as if he's afraid the walls will hear what he has to say. "I am sorry for this my prince, I did not wish to do it. But I was forced to; they insisted it be me who did the deed. I would never be free unless I did this."
The man's nervous babbling peaks Viserys interest and so he asks softly. "Who has made you do this Ser Quentyn? Tell me their names and your part in this shall be forgotten and forgiven. What have they threatened you with?"
The man hesitates for a moment before vigorously shaking his head and saying. "I, I cannot do that my prince. I am sorry but they said if I told you, they'd kill me. I can't."
Viserys is about to speak once more, when the doors to the Maidenvault open once more, and he hears a rather clean and crisp voice say. "Good Ser Quentyn. At least in this you have more sense. I am glad; I would so hate to have to fulfil my end of the bargain." The doors close, and Viserys feels a chill run up his spine, he knows that voice, though he had thought he would never have to hear it again, the stuff of nightmares that voice is, his own. "Ah my prince, the Hand of the King," the voice says coming closer to Viserys. "Nice to meet you once more after so many years. I believe the last time we met was when you were a boy?"
The man who stands in front of him is tall and broad chested, with a mop of silvery brown hair, and violet eyes, he stands strong and proud even after so many years, and he is just like how Viserys had imagined him so many times over the years in his nightmares. "You know full well it was Ser." Viserys snarls, not willing to give into his fears, not now, he is not a little boy anymore.
The man has the indignity to laugh at that. "Ah still the child at heart I see my prince. Very well, Ser Quentyn your services are no longer needed. You have fulfilled your end of the bargain, you may leave." Viserys sees the master of arms bow before fleeing the room with his son. The man then turns back to look at Viserys then. "Now you must be wondering what you are doing here in the Maidenvault and how an earth I managed to get into the Red Keep without anyone knowing."
"You always were a conniving wretch Ser. Neither my father nor my brother trusted you. Not even your own kin trusted you. I do not doubt you had your sources in King's Landing for some time, helping you plot some form of treason." Viserys snarls.
The man laughs then. "Ah bravo, bravo. You always were the smartest of your siblings. Not those fools Lucerys and Aemon who were always so full of hot air, it's a surprise they did not burst. Valarr was always more of a soldier then a king, and Aegon why, that boy was more honour than sense. No you always were the clever one; I could see that from the time of the Dance."
Viserys stands petrified, hating that he feels as if he's six years old again, stranded on the Driftmark, with nothing left to do but hope and pray someone can come and save him before its too late. "Is that why you spared me and Aleana when you killed everyone else?" he asks softly, hating how his voice shakes even as he asks the question.
The man laughs softly then and says. "Pah, no. I knew you would be a great man that day, but no that is not why I spared you. If it was I would have taken you and left your sister to my men. No I owed your mother a debt, and I intended to pay it. Regardless, you must know that your King sits on an uneasy throne. He has what is it now, four daughters from this second wife of his and yet no sons in sight. There are rumours that say she will never give him a son, that she kills the seed of a boy by drinking moon tea and consorting with rogues and the nobles of court. I do not buy those rumours, but I thought you might be interested to hear them."
Viserys merely nods and then asks. "Why tell me this then? What good does it serve you? Why return to Westeros now? There are no more wars, no more divisions within the capital."
The man snorts then. "Aye no more divisions in the capital, but the rest of the realm is divided. I know it is, I played a part in that. No, I have come to warn you my prince. The King's sister is wed to Ser Matthew Strong of Oldstones is she not?" When Viserys weds, the man goes on. "Well then make sure that they are well guarded and protected. House Strong is not nearly as powerful as it once was, and the Lothstons hunger for power. Lord Harwin Strong is already looking at the end of a sword point. The King should not know otherwise war will come. And furthermore, get rid of Stark, the man has no further input for the council, he does not wish to be here, and his presence I find vaguely insulting."
Viserys looks at the man and asks. "Why are you telling me this? I thought you despised my family."
The man laughs then and says. "Oh I do. Your family sold my mother off like she was a common whore, to a man much older than her. That man was a cunt, and a woman beater, and the King did nothing to stop it. But no, I tell you this, because I do not wish to have to rescue my brother from his follies once more. Protect the King's sister and remove stark and you will thank me in years to come." The man makes for the doors of the Maidenvault but stops at the sound of feet hitting the stone floors outside. He turns round and grins at Viserys. "It seems the King has finally noticed your disappearance. Well I must be off, can't get caught now." With that he moves toward Viserys with a speed quicker than he thought possible and soon enough Viserys is knocked to the ground.
When he comes to, the man is gone, but Matarys stands over him, the Kingsguard standing guard over them. "Nuncle? Are you okay nuncle? We looked for you everywhere but we couldn't find you, until Ser Quentyn came and told us you'd been dragged here."
Viserys is helped up, and then taking a deep breath he speaks softly so that only Matarys can hear. "Ser Baelon Hightower was here Your Grace. He had some interesting things to tell me."
Matarys' eyes go wide with shock, so much so it would be comical were he not in so much pain. "But he, the man's dead. Has been for many years."
"Evidently not Your Grace. We must call the council together." Viserys says.
His nephew nods but then says. "First you will get some rest. Council can be called first thing tomorrow."
And so it is, first thing the next day Viserys finds himself in the small council chamber, his ribs aching slightly from where he fell, his mind still in some shock over what he had seen the night before. He speaks first when the council is called to order. "Ser Baelon Hightower had me bound and gagged yesterday and brought before him to the Maidenvault. I know not how he got into the Red Keep, but he had some interesting things to say. It appears the Lothstons are trying to remove the Strongs from power, Lord Harwin Strong is under threat and he has not yet written to the King for protection. I would advise that we place protection on him as well Lady Daenys and her children."
At this there is some murmuring the chamber, before Grand Maester Godrick speaks. "How do we know that Ser Baelon spoke truly my prince? The man was believed dead for many years before now, on his brother's orders. He is also a known conniver and liar. How do we know what he says is the truth and not some elaborate lie to take away from whatever plots he is trying to run?"
Cregan Stark speaks then in agreement with Maester Godrick. "I agree Your Grace. We know not whether Ser Baelon speaks truly or not. For all we know this could be some elaborate plot to mess with us, and remove our guard from him."
Matarys speaks then, his tone hard as iron. "Lord Aelix I want your sources to find out all they can about what exactly Ser Baelon Hightower has been doing since his supposed death all those years ago. And I want men inside the Hightower to find out why Lord Maegon lied to my father. Once all of this information has been gathered, then we shall act, not before."
With that the council is dismissed, and Viserys goes back to handling the day to day affairs of the court and the kingdom, whilst the king tries to get another child upon his wife, this time hopefully a son. Seven moons pass before the council next meets to discuss the issue of what Ser Baelon had said to Viserys that night in the Maidenvault. Lord Aelix speaks first, his voice hoarse and tired sounding. "Your Grace, after much looking my sources have reported back to me about Ser Baelon Hightower. It appears that he did not die in a fire, as made obvious in his appearance here. As to why Lord Maegon lied about it to your father King Valarr, none know apart from Lord Maegon, and as the man is now dead and his son Lord Devon sits in the throne of the Hightowers, we shall never know the reasoning. But I can tell you this, the Lothstons are most certainly planning something with regards to Lord Harwin Strong, what it might be I am not sure."
There is much murmuring at that, eventually Matarys speaks. "Very well, whilst it is disappointing that not much more could be found out about what Ser Baelon has been doing in the years since his supposed death, we must prepare for the worst. I want men of unquestionable loyalty to the crown sent to protect my sister and her children. In fact it would be best if they came here to King's Landing so that anyone trying to hurt them has to break through the city watch and the dragons before they get to them. Grand Maester, I want the raven sent out tonight. I also want a raven sent to Harrenhal; Lord Harwin must be made aware of what could happen to him and his."
With that the matter is dropped for the moment, though Viserys cannot help but think that it will come back to haunt them sometime down the road, if not now, years later just as Ser Baelon has come to haunt him. Talk turns to the Royal Bank, whose construction on Visenya's hill has been completed a moon ago. Trade is booming both within the kingdoms and with Valyria and as such the royal coffers, which had been moved to the Royal Bank upon its completion, are at levels previously unseen before in the history of Targaryen rule. The crown is not in debt, and is making so much money, that there are suggestions of a tourney being held to show off the wealth of the crown and King's Landing, instead the king suggests that work might be done on improving the city itself, whose population is growing, and whose houses are slowly falling apart.
Talk also turns to the dragon pit and the dragons, a set of seven eggs were laid by the later Queen Dowager's dragon Moondancer upon Dragonstone, and as such the eggs have been brought to King's Landing and the Dragon Pit where they have remained under guard until recently, where the King thought it wise to bring two eggs forth for his two eldest daughters Velena and Rhaena, both of which hatched, producing a golden dragon named Claurang and a red dragon named Baurang by the princesses. The dragon population in King's Landing is growing slowly and surely, what with the King and Queen's own dragons as well as the princesses, and Viserys dragons being here, as well as Vermithor the king's father's dragon still here. Talk turns to perhaps moving the dragons permanently to Dragonstone, to reduce the risk of harm being done to the population of King's Landing.
The meeting ends, and then the moons pass turning into years, Viserys nephew Daeron weds Lady Grace Royce and with her has two children within two years of marriage boys named Matarys and Lewyn Arryn. The King and Queen remain without a son, their last effort producing a stillborn boy, born with a dragon's tail and scales. An abomination that worries the King and Viserys to no end. Concerns over whether or not Queen Daena will ever produce a male heir continue when her sister Lady Elaena weds Ser Corwen Baratheon and with him has twin boys Addam and Alyn within nine moons of their wedding.
Viserys returns to Summerhall, briefly to gain some rest as ordered by the king. He spends his days with his wife and his grandchild Daeron who by all intents and purposes is a smart boy, who Viserys is pleased to see is besotted with his betrothed Lady Myriah Martell, the girl herself is quiet and subdued, though he supposes it be better she is here than in King's Landing. He is at Summerhall when the raven arrives from King's Landing informing him of the death of Lord Harwin Strong who had been riding for King's Landing, the king writes that Lord Strong's body was mutilated in a fashion remnant of what had occurred on the Driftmark during the Dance of Dragons, and Viserys shivers as he reads those words. Ser Baelon is back.