Inside King Jaehaerys II's private council chamber, a carved map of the Seven Kingdoms lay spread across a table of pale weirwood. Upon it stood wooden figures representing the great houses of Westeros.
There was the red dragon of House Targaryen, the blue falcon of House Arryn, the direwolf of House Stark, the crowned stag of House Baratheon, the golden lion of House Lannister, the rose of House Tyrell, and the golden kraken of House Greyjoy.
Other than the dragons, these were the greatest lords of Westeros, their pieces carved larger than all the rest.
The king lifted a black dragon from the Stepstones and set it aside.
After five Blackfyre Rebellions, the defiant black dragon had finally met its end.
There were, of course, powerful second-tier houses as well: House Royce of the Vale, House Bolton of the North, House Frey of the Riverlands, House Reyne and House Tarbeck of the Westerlands, and in the Reach, House Hightower, House Redwyne, and House Florent. One held the people, one the ships, and one the bloodline.
Westeros rose and fell under the rule of more than twenty such houses. Their loves and hatreds had shaped the continent's history.
King Jaehaerys II gently moved the pieces, symbols of authority and will shifting beneath his fingertips. Manipulating them made him feel years younger. Power surged within him, an intoxicating illusion of total control.
Rhaegar watched quietly.
The pieces truly were fascinating. In them lay the entire structure of Westeros.
He stood beside the king, silent. The swordsman Sessa lowered his gaze, basking in the sunlight spilling in from the courtyard. The white-cloaked Kingsguard stood alert around the chamber.
Rhaegar stared at the king.
This is power, he thought. A force that drove countless men mad. With a single command, mountains could be leveled and rivers diverted.
Beyond ambition, the reason Targaryen civil wars had been so bloody was simple: most dragonlords held no meaningful lands of their own. Compromises with the great houses had left House Targaryen with precious little territory.
At the time, only Dragonstone and King's Landing truly mattered. Had Harrenhal been seized earlier, the crown's finances might never have strained so badly, and its hold over the Riverlands would have been unshakable.
The duty of accompanying the old king should have fallen to Prince Aerys, the heir, but the prince preferred music, dancing, and the kisses of women. The first in line of the dragon's blood had lost to flowers and wine.
"The Westerlands… yes, the Westerlands. This fire will ignite sooner or later."
King Jaehaerys II's gaze lingered on the red lion marking House Reyne. The Westerlands had become a powder keg.
Tywin Lannister had already dispatched five hundred knights under his brother Kevan, suppressing bandits and mountain clans while demanding repayment of debts from lesser lords. But the red lions had ruled unchecked for generations, how could they bow to so young a man?
Let them fight, the king thought. Even as king, I see no better solution.
Without dragons, House Targaryen had lost its former supremacy, reduced from an unmatched power to merely the foremost among great lords. Compared to other regions, the crown's manpower and wealth were no longer overwhelming.
In earlier ages, a house like Reyne, defying royal command, would have been erased by dragonfire.
Rhaegar noticed the king's lingering stare at the Westerlands. Jaehaerys's eyes flickered, then tightened, worry plain to see.
Even victory in the War of the Stepstones had only temporarily eased the dangers facing House Targaryen.
Prepare for danger while safe, Rhaegar thought suddenly, understanding at last the source of his constant vigilance.
That war had been one of the few able to gather the realm's wardens in a single place. Brotherhood forged in battle was like aged wine, and conflict itself became a grand gathering for the nobility.
Not just House Targaryen, every house would deepen its ties.
Remain alert.
[Game of Thrones]
(Young player, you have grasped the principle of preparing for future danger. This will steadily raise your standing in the Game of Thrones.)
King Jaehaerys lifted the red lion of House Tarbeck, turning it slowly in his palm.
Rhaegar watched as the king sank into thought. Lord Roger Reyne's wheel of fate had begun to turn, and it could only roll toward death. The crown needed the gold of the Westerlands. Even if Tywin's methods were harsh, the king would choose appeasement, or quiet protection.
The red lions had no powerful allies, and their resolve was hollow. Once war began, they would never stand against Tywin, the cold-blooded golden lion.
"Ser Barristan," King Jaehaerys II said suddenly. "You have only just joined the Kingsguard, yet your deeds are already known across Westeros. I have a task for you: protect Prince Rhaegar's safety. You may also teach him some basic combat."
Barristan Selmy started, then replied, "By your command, Your Grace. I am a white knight without fear. My duty is to guard you, not to look after children."
"Protecting the king's family is also your duty," Jaehaerys said calmly. "I'm not asking you to watch him every day, only from time to time."
A Kingsguard's loyalty belonged to the king, but guarding the royal family was also part of the oath. Kings frequently dispatched white knights on errands, none more outrageous than Aegon IV, who chased women relentlessly and even drove his own brother, the Dragonknight, to death.
"Ser," said Ser Gerold Hightower, "this is the king's command. We obey, we do not advise."
Gerold was an old-school, conservative Kingsguard. Rhaegar suspected he would obey any order without question. He embodied the ideal white knight: no personal will, only obedience.
Gerold also believed that Braavosi Water Dancing was flashy nonsense, unsuited for true battlefields. In his view, having Barristan Selmy guide the young prince was the surest way to keep him on the proper path.
After a moment's reflection, Barristan accepted.
Prince Rhaegar, after all, was a born warrior. Unlike the king, he reminded Jaehaerys of earlier ages, Prince Maekar the Hammer, Prince Baelor, and Daemon the Rogue Prince, men forged in battle.
Many Kingsguard looked at Barristan with envy. This prince was the realm's rightful heir. Please him, and fame and honor would follow naturally.
Yet Barristan himself felt no joy.
He had pursued glory all his life, but what he truly wished for… was to guard the king.