The party was far grander than the wedding. Ilyrio had spared no expenses to make the occasion memorable for all those in attendance. The palace grounds were decorated with long and elaborate flower arrangements. Servants walked around in great numbers, offering the guests exotic and common food and drinks alike. The guests themselves numbered more than two hundreds, most of them dressed in rich silks robes and other garments of noble status. Others dressed in the armor of the Golden Company and some in the formal armor of the armies of the Free Cities, such as Tyrosh and Lys. There were also the black and white dressed nobles of Braavos and even a representative of the Iron Bank.
Anyone of importance present in the city or who could make it to Pentos in time was invited to attend. It was great for the Targaryen's prestige to display such support from Essos' nobility, while those from Essos itself could take advantage of the event to socialize and network amongst themselves.
They were also trying to use this opportunity to ingratiate themselves with the possible future rulers of the Iron Throne. Most of the nobility of Essos had only neutral relations with Robert Baratheon, if one at all. Having more amenable rulers would be greatly beneficial for trade between the two continents, which would enrich them even further.
Flattery was abundant, as well as lavish gifts and promises. A Magister from Pentos gifted three of his merchant ships to help transport their troops to Westeros. The Prince of Pentos himself, not to be outdone, offered five of his ships and their crews to aid in the invasion.
The representatives of the Archon of Tyrosh gave them half a million golden dragons to aid in their maintenance of the Golden Company's swelling numbers. One of the Princes of Lys presented the couple with five carts filled with weapons and armor to be distributed amongst their soldiers. The Magister from Myr gifted them a small chest with 10 or so spyglasses, a new and very expensive Myrish invention which could be used for recon missions and battlefield recognition, as well as leisurely invasion of one's neighbour's privacy.
A member of one of the Great Houses of Braavos gave them supplies of water and food enough to last half a month and the representative of the Iron Bank said that should they rise to power, the bank would offer them unprecedented favourable conditions to repay the crown's debts.
As for Volantis, the representatives of the Elephant and Tiger Parties both gave them chests with precious gems and fine fabrics. While others aimed to support their ascension, the Volantians said that in their mind the rise of the Targaryens was guaranteed and so they decided to gift materials that could be used to outfit the Royal Couple with the utmost regality once they sat on the Iron Throne.
The Dornish delegation came with fine dornish red wines for the party and the troops and a crate of poisons and remedies made by the Red Viper himself, as well as a confirmation of their allegiance. Varys also was present, having left Westeros more than a fortnight ago and pledged himself and his spy network to the Targaryen restoration. One Ser Jorah Mormont, recently recruited as a sergeant of the Golden Company, also pledged his fealty and gave them three books on the history of Westeros.
The best gift, however, both for Aegon and Daenarys were the three dragon eggs given by Magister Ilyrio. The Targaryens were entranced with it, as if they could feel the heat emanating from its shells upon touch, even though the eggs had long since petrified. For the rest of the party, they didn't leave their side, placing them on their table and occasionally glancing at them. One black, one green and one red.
Everyone smiled, danced and mingled. For Daenarys it was perhaps the happiest moment of her life since Ser Willem Darry had passed. For Aegon it was the emotion of witnessing a crescendo. They have prepared for so long and now they have a large army, plenty of supplies and equipment, and friends in high places in Essos and Westeros. All was ready for the invasion. Soon they would sit on the Iron Throne.
Only Viserys was unhappy. He drank and sulked and then drank more. All of this party, these oaths of fealty, these gifts, they were supposed to be his, not Aegon's. He was the true King of Westeros and no amount of fiefs offered would ever close that wound on his pride. More than once he thought about causing a scene, but it seemed his intentions were laid plain in his face, since every time he was about to speak, Magister Ilyrio distracted with some trivial and irrelevant conversation or flattery.
However, when the bedding ceremony was announced and cheered on by the guests, the Mad Prince couldn't hold it anymore and snapped. The sound of his glass goblet crashing against the ground after being thrown made the guests stop their reverie and Visery's next words only added to the shock.
"Yes… yes! Time for the long… hic… awaited bedding cerimony" he said with drunk hiccups and sarcasm and turned to Aegon "Time to finally fuck your whore, nephew… if one could trully call a phony as such."
"Prince Viserys, I think…" Ilyrio started.
"Shut up, you traitor," Viserys snapped at him. "you were supposed to stand by my… hic… my side. To help me win the Iron Throne! But you… you turned your back on me as soon as this pretender arrived!"
"Viserys enough!" roared Aegon "how dare you speak like that of my wife, your own sister? How dare you humiliate the name of our House with this behaviour, at a wedding of all places? And count yourself lucky that it is my own wedding, or you'd catch that beating I promised you for calling me pretender again. Now, you've already caused enough damage, so either shut up and go back to drinking or leave."
Viserys looked at Aegon with piercing rage. His breathing quickened and his balance was shaky. His hand reached for the hilt of his sword and he shouted.
"No! I'm not going… hic… going anywhere. You speak of humiliation… hic… It was you that humiliated me… hic… and now… hic… now I'll have my vengeance!"
As he said that, he unsheathed his sword and ran towards Aegon. Even being drunk, his rage gave him enough momentum to counter his shitty balancing and his nephew was caught by surprise. Were Viserys sober, he could have cut Aegon down where he stood, but his inebriation made his movements sluggish and the other Targaryen was able to unsheathe Blackfyre and defend himself at the last moment.
And then the duel began.
One could say it was almost evenly matched. A drunkard with murderous intention and a sobered up man fighting defensively, trying to avoid committing kinslaying. Were it not for Aegon's hesitation, Viserys would have been easily disposed of.
The Mad Prince followed his initial attack with another downward swing from his sword, which was quickly repealed by Aegon's Blackfyre. He followed it up with a sideswing coming from the right and Aegon sidestepped it. The sound of steel clashing against its Valyrian counterpart echoed through the hall. Many guests cleared a wide circle around him, while some showed intention of entering the fray and taking Viserys down themselves.
"Stand down!" Aegon ordered, making them stop in their tracks "Viserys is mine!"
"You wish, pretender!" answered the Mad Prince.
On the next drunken swing, Viserys' poor balance showed an opening and Aegon used the chance to cross swords and deliver a powerful kick to his uncle's stomach. Viserys was sent several steps backwards, disarmed, and he vomited all the wine he had been consuming. For a brief second, it seemed like sobriety had returned to his face, as shock was evident on it.
"That's enough uncle" said Aegon, pointing the sword at him from a distance "We will deal with this later, but now, you must leave. Guards escort Prince Viserys to his room and make sure he stays there."
"Please brother, do as you're told" said Daenarys in a diplomatic tone "We all know that's not truly you talking, but the wine. Go to your quarters and rest, tomorrow, I'm sure all will be forgiven."
Before the men could move to fulfill his orders, Viserys picked a gem encrusted dagger and turned to Daenarys.
"You! This is all your fault! I took care of you and you abandoned me" he said with madness in his eyes and seething hatred "You whore! You traitor! Now you've awakened the Dragon! Now you will pay!"
Aegon and his men moved swiftly to restrain him, but the dagger had already left his hand and flew towards Daenarys. As it cut the air so too did Aegon's sword and when the dagger's blade bit into Daenarys' flesh, so too did Aegon's sword bite into Visery's neck. The Princess hit the floor, bleeding, while her brother's head did the same, completely severed from his body.
The headless body flayed for a few seconds before dropping as well. The crowd gasped in shock and some of the more fragile maidens fainted and had to be escorted outside.
"Dany!" Aegon shouted and ran towards her while shouting to Jon Connington "find a healer, quickly!"
The Prince knelt beside his wife and checked her wounds. Relief immediately washed over him when he noticed the blade had not pierced her in any vital organ. In fact, it had only left a cut on the upper part of her shoulder, which once properly cleaned and stitched, would heal quickly with no risks to her life. She was unconscious, but that had only been because of the shock of the wound and she should soon wake up.
Aegon thanked the Seven for his wife's life. Were Viserys sober, that dagger would have likely hit Dany squarely in the face. The healers, led by Maester Haldon, hushed in and, like Aegon, quickly assessed the damage done to the Princess. The Maester then turned to the Prince as the other healers proceeded to stop the bleeding.
"Your Highness, Princess Daenarys is under no life risk. Unfortunately, however, her current state makes it impossible to proceed with the bedding ceremony. It will have to be consummated at another time. I recommend we take her to your quarters and let her rest. Once she wakes up, we can assess her situation and the best treatment going forward."
"I agree, Maester Haldon, thank you. You may go with her and see to the proper treatment of that wound." he said and then something hit him "also, I want you to keep a close look on her situation during this night. We don't know if Viserys threw a normal blade at her or a poisoned one. Be attentive to that as well, my friend."
"It will be done, Your Highness"
As Daenarys was carried away on a divan by the servants and healers, Aegon picked up the blade, examined it and handed it over to the Maester. It was only then that he remembered about Viserys and the realisation of what he did dawned on him. He looked up to the severed head and pondered. Was he a Kinslayer now? No, he acted in defense of his wife. Viserys was the Kinslayer, attempting to murder his own sister. Would it matter, though? He could already see how the Usurper would use this as propaganda against him as soon as he learned about it, which of course he would. News like these travel far and wide.
"Your Highness, what should we do about him?" asked Jon Connington, taking Aegon away from his thoughts.
"Take the body away and have the Silent Sisters prepare it for the funeral" he said taking one last glance at Viserys "and have someone clean this mess."
With that, he turned to the guests. With a loud sigh, he began to speak.
"My friends, I am truly sorry for what you have witnessed today. This that was supposed to be a time of joy and gregariousness became somber and dark so soon. And under the actions of one of my own family, no less. Despite my broken heart and my worry for the health of my wife, let me take this moment to assure you all that my resolve has never been stronger!"
His voice boomed through the hall and the guests were drawn closer to the majesty he radiated. Even with his clothes bloodied, his voice carried a charisma which was impossible to ignore.
"This last betrayal only fuels my determination to return to my homeland and have the Usurper cast down. Many of you pledged your loyalty to the cause and many more provided your support in arms, armor, supplies and funds and for that I'm grateful. Together, we will storm the coasts of Westeros with Dorne by our side and many other loyalist houses that will rise up with us. We will take King's Landing and we will punish those who have wronged House Targaryen and the people of the Realm."
Some in the crowd began to answer him with applause and cheers, mostly men of the Golden Company and the Dornish delegation.
"No more will mad tyrants like my uncle or Robert Baratheon be allowed to oppress those who they deem lesser or weaker than they are! No more will the incompetency of the Drunkard Baratheon waste money down the drain while businesses go bankrupt, trade stalls and the people starve under the whip of ever increasing taxes."
The cheers increased, now joined by merchants and Essosi nobles as well. Aegon moved through the hall, stopping at strategic points and looking at people's eyes. It made them feel like he was talking to each of them individually, instead of a whole crowd. People felt even more drawn to his heartened speech and Aegon continued to provide it.
"Let it be known that when I sit on the Iron Throne, the people will finally have a ruler that cares for their safety and their prosperity while the people of Essos will have a friend and an ally in the West. We will right old wrongs and bring the wrongly exiled back to their homeland. We will cleanse the Realm of debt and corruption and usher in a new era of prosperity that will benefit the whole known world!"
By now, all were clapping their hands and cheering him on at any dramatic pause he gave. The warriors present roared in approval, some of them even beating their own chests in excitement.
"But for that to happen, Westeros needs to change. For too long has the realm been stagnant and no reforms have been done to modernize it to its growing population and its demands. I say no more! In order to ensure the prosperity, stability and security of the realm, I, Aegon of House Targaryen, Sixth of My Name, declare that the Seven Kingdoms will be reorganized into the First Westerosi Empire!"
"For a safe and secure society!"
The shock was quickly drowned out by a wave of thunderous applause as Lord Connington shouted.
"All hail Emperor Aegon, Sixth of His Name!" said the Lord of Griffon's Roost, drawing his sword and bending the knee.
"Hail Emperor Aegon!" shouted the men of the Golden Company, who drew their own swords and knelt as well.
"Hail Emperor Aegon!" added the Red Viper, kneeling together with the Dornish.
"Hail Emperor Aegon!"
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Hey everyone, Agandor here!
I hope you liked this chapter. I honestly had Aegon declare the Empire as a spur of the moment decision, but it felt cool and I decided to roll with it (anyone caught any references? ;)).
That being said I must also warn you about a change in my release schedule. Things in my work changed quite a lot so I can't post 3 times a week anymore.
I can guarantee you that I will post every Wednesday, so don't worry, the fan-fic won't be dropped. Whenever I can, I'll also try to add extra chapters during the week, but as of now, I can only promise Wednesdays.
Wish you all a great weekend! Until next week!