Chapter 31: The Rise of the Rose and the Lion
The painted table stood beneath the torchlight, its carved coastlines and rivers glowing softly as wax candles flickered above it. Small carved sigils had been placed upon the map of Westeros — wolves, roses, lions, trout, falcons, stags — each marking the power of a great house.
King Jaehaerys II Targaryen stood beside the table, one hand resting lightly upon its edge. At his side was Prince Rhaegar, quiet and attentive, his silver-gold hair catching the light.
"The North is vast, but cold," Jaehaerys said, moving the wolf aside. "Its lords are proud and slow to stir. Dorne is fierce and stubborn, but the desert limits its reach. The Iron Islands are dangerous, yet too small. The Stormlands are strong in war, but poor in coin."
His fingers paused over the Vale, the Reach, the Riverlands, and the Westerlands.
"These," the king continued, "are the lands that truly matter."
He bypassed the North, the Iron Islands, and Dorne, leaving four regions untouched.
"Do you believe the realm will remain at peace after I am gone, my child?" Jaehaerys asked quietly. "Will Westeros stay calm?"
Rhaegar did not hesitate.
"No," he replied. "The embers of war are still burning. The lords will recover from the Blackfyre Rebellions, and when they do, they will seek new contests."
Jaehaerys studied his grandson for a long moment. There was satisfaction in his eyes — and regret.
Why did this sharpness skip a generation? he wondered, thinking of Prince Aerys.
"You see clearly," the king said. "Then tell me — which houses will rise next?"
Rhaegar's gaze settled on two sigils.
"The Westerlands and the Reach," he answered.
"The Westerlands possess gold beyond measure, but also internal weakness. House Reyne is proud and aggressive, yet their strength is limited. Their power rests on arrogance rather than numbers."
Jaehaerys inclined his head.
"And the Reach?"
"The Reach has the greatest population and the richest harvests in Westeros," Rhaegar continued. "House Tyrell rules as Lord Paramount, but their authority is checked by powerful vassals — House Hightower of Oldtown and House Redwyne of the Arbor. If those houses were fully bound to Highgarden, the Reach would rival any power in the realm."
"The granary and the treasury," Jaehaerys murmured.
He placed the golden lion beside the green rose.
"Do you know what news has reached me from those lands?" the king asked.
"Yes," Rhaegar said. "In the Westerlands, Tywin Lannister has begun asserting his authority — settling debts, suppressing banditry, and restoring discipline. In the Reach, Lord Luthor Tyrell and his lady wife have been hosting feasts and fostering goodwill with House Redwyne, and reaching cautiously toward House Hightower."
The Westerlands sharpened their claws.
The Reach extended open hands.
"Different paths," Jaehaerys said, "toward the same end."
His voice softened, tinged with weariness.
"Since we lost the dragons, House Targaryen can no longer dictate the course of history. We can only adapt to it."
The great lords were consolidating. Once they finished, they would turn their eyes toward King's Landing.
"The broken betrothals of my siblings, and the tragedy at Summerhall, weakened us," Jaehaerys said quietly. "Without dragons, we lost our greatest strength. Without strong marriages, we lost our surest alliances."
Rhaegar listened in silence.
"The rise of House Lannister and House Tyrell is inevitable," the king continued. "Tywin Lannister is no ordinary lord, and the Reach grows more unified with each passing year. Once the Tyrells, Redwynes, and Hightowers stand together, their influence will stretch from Oldtown to the Iron Throne itself."
He looked hard at his grandson.
"You must be wary of the rose and the lion. Tywin may be close to your father now, but caution is wisdom. And House Tyrell, long overshadowed by its vassals, has never yet placed a queen upon the Iron Throne — ambition will follow opportunity."
Rhaegar nodded. History would prove the old king right.
Jaehaerys sighed, his gaze distant.
"One thing I failed to foresee," he admitted, "was how the North would one day move south. The Starks have always looked inward. That change… will come from a different madness."
Then, after a pause, he smiled bitterly.
"Once, a daughter of House Redwyne was meant to wed my brother, Prince Daeron. But Daeron preferred men to women, and the match was set aside. Your grandmother was once promised to Lord Tyrell, before other arrangements were made."
Fate, redirected by stubborn hearts.
"In the end," Jaehaerys said, "those two houses married each other instead."
Rhaegar understood.
The choices of King Aegon V and his children — made for love, not politics — had reshaped the realm. The rise of the rose was rooted in those long-ago decisions.
In Westeros, blood, land, and marriage were power.
And power, once gathered, always sought the throne.
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