Steffon Baratheon meets Hadrian Sunstrider
4 989 Renewal ( 277 AC or 21 years before events of Game of Thrones)
Imperial Palace of Camelot, Silvermoon,
Running at full speed, an elf was crossing the Palace as if he had the hounds of hell on his heels. Young and slender, he was holding a missive sealed by a wax seal representing a trident with a lightning bolt.
Seeing the messenger's alarmed and tired face, the guards opened the doors to the throne room. Inside were Harry and Lucius, discussing the affairs of the Kingdom.
The two elves ended their exchange when the doors were opened and a messenger stormed into the room.
“A message from Prince Perseus to his Majesty !” The messenger cried, obviously exhausted.
Lucius retrieved the letter handed by the messenger.
"Go and rest, you deserved it." Lucius informed the young elf.
Breathing with difficulty, the messenger nodded and left, helped by one of the guards who took pity.
"This message must be important, if Perseus has seen fit to send a messenger instead of an owl." Harry said to Lucius with an arched eyebrow.
“Should I read it ?” Lucius asked, showing the sealed letter.
Harry gave his consent with a nod. Lucius opened the envelope then read it. A frown marred his face. After a minute, he finished reading then looked at Harry.
“It seems that a ship has finally had the courage to approach the Archipelago of Light”, Lucius summarized the letter. “It seems to be a Westerosian ship with on board the Lord Paramount and cousin of the King of Westeros, Steffon Baratheon, as well as his wife named Cassana.”
“I didn't expect the first ship to contact us to carry such a dignitary.” Harry responded with a raised eyebrow.
"As I do,” Lucius smiles. “This Lord Steffon would like to speak to you.”
Harry crossed hands, taking a moment to think. To tell the truth, he didn't think he would get in touch with the Westerosians so quickly. As the Essosian appreciate the Summer Islanders (by reducing them to slavery), he expected to see a slave ship first ... Regardless, Harry plans to have fun.
“Knowing Perseus, he must have already accepted the meeting on my behalf,” Harry sighed under the amused look of Lucius. “Did he specify the time of his arrival ?”
“As the ship is ‘slow and ugly’ according to Perseus, they should have arrived in the early evening using a transport arch.”
Harry smiled as he thought back to the transport arches. In order to facilitate travel for his citizens, he invented with his grandfather and other Archimages a revolutionary instant transport system. This system was inspired by the floo network and traditional portals. Using a system of runes powered by ambient magical energy, a two-way portal is opened between two fixed points for an indefinite period. He thus linked each big city to Silvermoon, but also between them. In order to avoid collisions, the gates have been divided into two one-way gates, one for the outward journey and the other for the return journey. These portals are located inside Portalogare (the equivalent of a Magic Station) and are controlled by Arks and Magical Transportation Administration (AMTA) which belong to the Ministry of Magical Transports. Their use is obviously free.
“I am in a festive mood, Lucius.” Harry said to him with a smirk.
Lucius frowned slightly as he tried to understand where Harry was coming from. He quickly understood the implication.
“Masks?” Lucius asked with a smile.
“Of course.” Harry answered.
Lucius bowed before quickly leaving the premises. For his part, Harry relaxed on his throne, an amused smile on his lips.
“Steffon Baratheon,” Harry laughed. “I look forward to our meeting!”
\break/
In just one hour, hundreds of letters were sent across the Empire, specifically to members of the nobility. It could read:
The news spread like wildfire, and the arrival of Steffon and the first Muggles was announced. The elves understood that this ball was above all to impress, and they intended to do their best.
4 989 Renewal (277 AC or 21 years before events of Game of Thrones)
Atlantis, Windproud,
The Baratheons and their crew were amazed by the scenery. Steffon, who had already visited the Summer Islands, could not recognize them. Everything was so different that you almost forgot where they are.
The first difference was the kind of giant canal crossing what was once Omboru. The second was the temperature, which was less hot than usual. Steffon remembered his last visit when he was young. He was sweating so hot it was, and it was winter. But now, and despite the summer, the temperature is mild and appreciable.
" Magic ", this word kept being repeated by his men. He totally agreed, all of these things could only be witchcraft. He was convinced when he saw the giant statues surrounding the so-called Atlantis surrounded by flying and spinning plots of land.
Without forgetting the city itself. It was simply magnificent, and its canals reminded him of Braavos, in addition to being symmetrical. Everything was straight and geometric… a feat only visible in Valyria…
He wondered if these " elves " were in fact survivors of Valyria, but it is clear that the architecture isn’t the same.
"My lord, I think I have found the docking dock." The ship's captain tells him.
Steffon watched the pointed location before nodding. Some armed elves seemed to be patiently waiting with a coach.
“Dock the ship!” Steffon ordered in a firm voice.
The captain nodded while Steffon prepared. A smile appeared on his lips when he felt his wife stick to him, looking worried. He snorted when he felt Patches stick behind him. He had promised the young man to free him and offer him a better life, and now he never left his side.
At the very moment when the ship approached the pontoon, ropes materialized as if by magic to anchor the ship while a magical bridge linked the ship to the quay. After seeing so much magic, Steffon didn't blink. Followed by his wife, Patches and four guards, he left the ship.
The elf named Perseus seemed to be waiting for them with a large smile. Next to him was another elf, looking older and standing on a cane. But Steffon was not fooled, and saw perfectly that the " old " elf was in perfect health, seeming to use a cane by ... habit ?
“Welcome to Atlantis, Lord Steffon and Dame Cassana!” Perseus greeted them with a large smile. “I present to you the city governor, Nicolas Flamel.”
“Allow me to welcome you to the magnificent city of Atlantis.” Nicolas bowed his head. “I am the Duke Nicolas Flamel, Lord of Atlantis, Grand Master of the Guild of the Alchemists, Holder of the Order of Merlin 1 st class and Royal Alchemist.”
Perseus rolled his eyes, seeming exasperated.
"What he refuses to tell you is that he imagined the whole Archipelago. And because of that, he is no longer duke!” Perseus exclaimed with a smug smile.
Nicolas grumbled in his non-existent beard, glaring at Perseus. After a fight of looks that lasted a few seconds, Nicolas sighed.
“By royal prerogative, I have achieved the coveted title of Prince.” Nicolas revealed to them with sarcasm. “And the Archipelago of Light is my princedom, making Atlantis my capital.”
Steffon whitens slightly on hearing the news. He suspected that a princedom must be the domain belonging to a prince ... but of such size? He understood that the Summer Islands had been renamed the Archipelago of Light.
If a Princedom can achieve such size, so what looks like their " empire”? And how many Princes are there? And if Atlantis is as big as Braavos, then how big is their Capital?
These questions kept jostling in his mind. He came out of his thoughts noticing his lack of courtesy.
“Lord Steffon Baratheon of Westeros, and my wife, Dame Cassana.” Steffon introduced himself quickly.
The old elf nodded, looking satisfied.
"Did I understand you wanted to meet his majesty ?" Nicolas asked.
“Indeed, Prince Nicolas. I fully understand that he is not ...” Steffon started to answer.
“No need to say more. A coach awaits you to take you to Camelot.” Nicolas interrupted him.
Steffon's mouth remained open for a few seconds, shocked by the speed of things. At Westeros, it took at least a week to get an interview with Aerys.
“I ... Thank you. I hope I can visit your wonderful city after that.” Steffon replied with a smile.
“No need to thank me, I didn’t do it. However, your guards will have to stay here. I can assure you that no harm will befall them.” Nicolas replied.
"Do I have your word?" Steffon asked, uncomfortable with the idea of being unescorted.
Nicolas nodded, motioning for Steffon to get into the coach. Without losing a single moment, Steffon approached the Coach before blinking. He hadn't noticed, but the Coach was floating above the ground. Praying, he took support on the step before going inside. He was joined by his wife and Patches.
It was only after he sat down that he noticed an elf in the carriage. Or rather, a she-elf. It was the first time he had seen an elf woman, and he had to admit that her beauty far surpassed that of the Valyrians of old.
With opaline skin, her face was thin and sculpted, surrounded by long curly blond hair. Her gaze was also entirely blue, this time with a slight green circle. Steffon finally understood that these elves had the same characteristics: Entirely blue eyes with a coloured circle, two long ears and an unreal beauty.
“Hello.” The elf exclaimed in a melodious voice, holding out a hand. “My name is Gabrielle Delacour, and I will be your guide during this trip.”
“Lord Steffon Baratheon, my wife Cassana and our servant, Patches.” Steffon gently kissed the outstretched hand.
Having no idea of the positioning of the elves on slavery, he preferred to avoid mentioning Patches's past. He didn't notice Gabrielle's amused gaze. What he did not know was that Gabrielle was a Runomancer Mistress and that she had actively participated in marking the Summer Islanders. Not to mention that she was an AI : 7 agent .
“Nice to meet you. The High Councillor instructed me to answer your questions until we arrived at the Palace.” Gabrielle smiles.
Steffon nodded, having an incredible number of questions in mind. He didn't know where to start to tell the truth. Cassana noticed her husband's distress, and she started.
“Lady Gabrielle, would it be possible to know more about your people?” Cassana asked him with a small smile. “Without offending you, we have never met elves before.”
Gabrielle nodded graciously, expecting that question.
“Our people are very old, Lady Cassana. The earliest historical evidence of our society date back more than 21 000 years, and these are only the paper trail and reports. According to our archaeologists, our race is over 200,000 years old.” Gabriel lied slightly.
After all, she was technically telling the truth since they had been men, and that the oldest homo sapiens found on earth was 260,000 years old. As for wizards, the first appeared long before Sumerian society, being very developed while the " muggles " were still fighting for pieces of mammoth. It was the legendary phlegm of wizards that prevented them from subduing the Muggles before their evolution.
For their part, the Baratheons remained in shock. This meant that the elves existed long before the First Men, and perhaps the Children of the Forest. The fact that they had never shown themselves, but yet spoke Westron fluently made them shiver. Were they spied on? Or had they invented this language and taught it to the Andals?
“As you must have noticed, the elves have visible characteristics such as our ears, our blue eyes or our slender figures,” Gabrielle continued her explanation.” We are above all a magical people, which explains our longevity.”
“What do you mean by magical and longevity?” Steffon asked.
Gabrielle winked at them before pointing to the window. The Westerosians looked through the window before hiccups in surprise. Elves walked and chatted in the streets, some levitating objects, others seeming to summon butterflies to amuse children. There were even brooms that swept by themselves.
Patches uttered a cry that caught the attention of Steffon and Cassana. He pointed to something impossible.
An animated statue that seemed to be walking lightly. The scariest thing was probably its arms and legs which levitated instead of being connected to the body, while a blue crystal floated in the centre of the statue. Seeing their astonished looks, Gabrielle let out a crystal laugh.
“Don't be afraid of this arcane golem. It is responsible for patrolling the city to protect the inhabitants.” Gabrielle explained to them with a smile. “As long as you do not attack one of our citizens, you will not risk anything.”
Steffon nodded, before taking a last look at the " golem ". It was at least 10 feet high, if not more, in addition to appearing very resistant. He did not intend to check.
"I though magic gone?" Cassana asked.
Gabrielle frowned, not expecting this reaction.
"Gone? How could magic disappear?” Gabrielle asked them.
“Since the Doom of Valyria, magic has started to disappear. It ended up disappearing in Westeros, and even Essos, with the death of the last dragons.” Cassana explained to her with some astonishment.
Either these elves hadn't seen Westeros and Essos since magic disappeared, or they were very good liars.
"The Doom? I didn't know you called it like that…” Gabrielle replied in a pensive voice.
“How do you call it?” Steffon asked with some concern.
He had noticed Gabrielle's disgusted look when his wife mentioned Valyria. He had a bad feeling.
“Cleaning.” Gabrielle replied as if she was talking about the good weather.
Steffon, Cassana and Patches remained frozen in front of her answer. Cleaning? Would that mean that ...
“Lady Gabrielle, are you be suggesting that…” Cassana started before being interrupted by Gabrielle.
"We were responsible of this Doom? Of course, I do!” Gabrielle replied with a smile.
Harry had been very specific on his directions. She had to create a climate combining fear, respect and worship. For that, nothing better than telling them that the most feared Empire of all time was easily destroyed by the elves.
“Why?” Steffon finds it difficult to ask.
He couldn't believe it. The elves are responsible for the Doom of Valyria?
“We didn't like their overly bellicose behaviour. Not to mention their dreadful tendency to sacrifice their slaves in their volcanoes, supposedly to honour their gods.” Gabrielle replied by gesturing a disdainful gesture with her hand. “Pathetic.”
"Are you against slavery ?" Patches suddenly asked.
Steffon's eyes widened when he heard Patches's question. He sincerely hoped that the question would not offend Dame Gabrielle.
“We are against cruelty and abuse. We have never enslaved our peers, let alone sacrifice their lives by praying to false gods.” Gabrielle replied.
Patches nodded, seeming pleased with the answer. While Cassana also seemed satisfied, Steffon narrowed his eyes. She said that they had never enslaved their " peers ", which meant that the elves did not enslave other elves ... What about humans? Besides, where were the Summer Islanders? And what did she mean by false gods?
As he was about to ask a question about the Summer Islanders, Gabrielle looked through the window.
“Get ready for your first trip through an arch.” Gabrielle said to them with a smile.
Steffon looked through the window before opening round eyes. They were approaching a gigantic arch with a sort of blue image showing a gigantic crossroads. Looking up, he noticed that they were in a gigantic building.
“Is this the portalogare of which Lord Perseus spoke?” Steffon asked with apprehension.
“Not quite. We are in the Portalogare and we will cross the portal leading to Silvermoon , Capital of the Empire and seat of the Imperial family.” Gabrielle replied with a wink.
Seeing the coach approaching the " portal " imminently, Steffon took his breath. After a few seconds, without feeling the slightest thing, he opened his eyes again (he would deny closing his eyes until the end of his life). He noticed the amused look of Gabrielle, or those suprised of Cassana and Patches.
“The passages are instantaneous, Lord Steffon.” Gabrielle just said.
Nodding, Steffon looked again through the glass. His eyes widened like saucers when he saw the beauty of the place.
What he supposed to be Silvermoon’s " Portalogare " was gigantic, with immense marble pillars supporting a gigantic dome. Not to mention the many roads leading to other portals from where he saw hundreds of elves entering or leaving.
“It's incredible.” Cassana was ecstatic.
"It's Silvermoon’s Portalogare, and the largest in the Empire,” Gabrielle explained. “From here, you can access the four corners of our Empire.”
Steffon had to admit that these Portalogares facilitated many things. With this magic, the North would be connected to Dorne, making it possible to avoid a month of travel on foot. Unfortunately, they had neither magic nor knowledge. He wondered if such portals would be negotiable ...
His thoughts were interrupted when the coach left the Portalogare and heard the cry of wonder from his wife. Watching out of the window, he barely restrained himself from passing out. No words were enough to express the beauty of the place.
White and gold towers piercing the heavens, statues hundreds of meters high, flying crystals surrounded by platforms with kinds of gardens. Smooth white roads, sidewalks with smooth blue and silver reflections like roads. Not to mention the many locals chatting happily, going about their business. Even small blue and translucent flying snakes with dragon heads or colorful birds chirping everywhere. Birds that stayed awake despite the falling night !
"Magnificent, isn't it ?" Gabrielle said to him with an amused smile.
“I have never seen such a beautiful place.” Cassana replied with a touch of envy.
“And you haven't seen the jewel of the Empire yet.” Gabrielle replied with a smirk.
“The jewel of the Empire?” Steffon asked, still in shock.
Gabrielle then made a gesture with her hand. Suddenly, the walls of the coach seemed to disappear under the frightened looks of the Baratheons (and Patches). Noticing that they were not falling, they raised their heads before uttering gasps of stupor.
Two gigantic statues rose on either side of the road which led to a castle of incalculable size.
“Welcome to the Imperial Palace of Camelot.” Gabrielle exclaimed with panache.
Steffon could only observe the gigantic castle which they were approaching. The place was so big seen from here, so he dared not imagine the interior. He did not know what was most impressive : The gigantic tower in the centre of the castle or the beam of light illuminating the sky above the castle ?
"What is this light?" Cassana asked.
“A manifestation of the power of our divine Emperor.” Gabrielle lied.
They did not need to know the existence of the Sunwell.
“Divine Emperor? Do you not worship the Seven?” Steffon asked, frowning.
Like the majority of the South of Westeros, Steffon was a fervent believer of the Seven.
"I don't know what the Seven are," Gabrielle replied, raising an eyebrow. “But know that the elves are all members of the Church of Sacred Light.”
“The Church of Sacred Light?” Cassana asked with keen interest.
Steffon was also interested in this " Church " although the term is completely unknown.
“The Church of Sacred Light was founded several millennia ago by Archbishop Octavian Solfaith. You should know one important thing about our faith: Our god is alive!” Gabrielle exclaimed fervently while showing her pendant with the symbol of the Church.
Steffon and Cassana nodded, intrigued. For his part, Patches looked at the Sunwell light with reverence.
“Our vast Empire was created by the Emperor almost 5,000 years ago. Alone, he created our islands and enveloped our Empire in an Eternal Spring. It is to him that we owe our perfect weather, our mana wyrms or our omnipotence!” Gabrielle continued to explain with a broad smile. “The Emperor is immortal, and no one can kill him. His powers are endless, and he rules over us from his palace of gold!”
She pointed to the Imperial Palace, which actually seemed to shine like gold.
Steffon refrained from shouting " heresy " and preaching the Seven. Gabrielle's almost mad look had scared him, and it was surely not a good idea to contradict a fanatic.
"It's magnificent ..." Patches spoke with a smile.
Steffon's eyes widened as he looked at his servant. The young man seemed obsessed with the light.
"Isn't it ?" Gabrielle replied with a smile. “Take this, young man. A symbol of the Church that will illuminate your way in the darkest moments.”
She then handed a rosary from the Church with a gold symbol to Patches. Steffon's eyes widened all the more when he noticed the gold symbol… such a symbol had to be worth at least 50 Gold Dragons, or even more given the purity of the gold.
Patches grabbed the rosary before placing it around his neck, a large smile on his lips. Steffon could do nothing, knowing full well that to refuse this gift would be considered an insult. He didn't have time to think about it more than the carriage seemed to stop.
“We have arrived.” Gabrielle just said.
The door opened, and Gabrielle stepped out of the carriage with a graceful step. The Westerosians decided to follow it. They marvelled at the beauty of the place, or the gigantic blue carpet under their feet which led to the Palace.
It was then that Steffon noticed the presence of numerous guards standing upright. Their armour was very beautiful, appearing to be plate or coloured steel. They held in their right hand a kind of double sword which they held by the centre. The blade was slightly coloured with gold in addition to being imposing. In their left hands, they held huge blue shields with golden contours. It was awesome, and the way the elves held them was just amazing. They wore them as if they were very light ... or were they very strong?
It was then that he saw a tall elf approach. The elf was almost the same size as him, which was surprising in itself. He wore a black and silver robe embroidered with wave-like shapes. His long blond hair and blue-gray eyes made him look noble.
“Lord Baratheon, Dame Cassana, allow me to introduce you to Prince Lucius Sunbearer, High Councillor of the Empire and member of the Imperial family.” Gabrielle says with a curtsy.
Lucius nodded before looking at Steffon. He seemed to detail him before he smirked.
“Lord Baratheon, welcome to the Imperial Palace of Camelot and seat of the High Empire of Albion.” Lucius greeted him with a slight bow.
Steffon bowed in turn while his wife curtsied. For his part, Patches bowed as low as possible.
"His majesty will receive you. I hope you like balls.” Lucius tells them before heading to the Palace.
Steffon and Cassana looked at each other, surprised by the question. Balls? They decided to follow him, not noticing that Gabrielle had disappeared with Patches. She intended to convert the young man to make him an emissary in Westeros.
The Baratheons were speechless when they saw the beauty of the palace. There were living pictures, statues seeming to follow them and even tapestries showing fantastic scenes. As they followed Lucius, they could hear music that was getting louder and louder.
They finally arrived in front of a gigantic door which two guards opened, and it was the apotheosis.
The music was very loud, resonating strongly. But the most astonishing was the gigantic hall… and its occupants.
Hundreds of couples of elves dancing synchronously. The robes twirled in the air while laughter and cries of joy could be heard. Besides, the elves wore masks hiding half of their faces.
In the centre of the room was a long carpet leading to a throne occupied by an elf overflowing with power. Steffon didn't need to be told: He knew the elf was the Emperor. His stature, the power radiating from him, and even his crown was perfectly revealing.
Slowly, the music ended as the elves noticed the presence of the muggles. They all backed away, opening the way for Lucius and the Baratheons. With a conquering step, the latter advanced to the throne, followed closely by Steffon and Cassana.
Steffon then noticed the presence of another elf near the throne. He was standing to the left of the Emperor, his back straight with features identical to the Emperor ... and golden eyes? Steffon's eyes widened, noting that the Emperor and the other elf had golden eyes. A sign of their royalty?
“Bow before his Majesty, Hadrian Sunstrider, Emperor and Founder of the High Empire of Albion, Living God of the Church of Sacred Light, Lord-Protector of the Empire, Supreme Lord of Quel'Thalas, Great Archmage of Albion and Annihilator of Valyria!” Lucius exclaimed, standing at his side.
All the elves except Tormas bowed. Cassana and Steffon bowed too.
“Our guests, Lord Paramount Steffon of the Great House Baratheon of Westeros, and his wife, Dame Cassana of the Vassal House Estermont.” Lucius exclaimed again.
Steffon was amazed at how Lucius had managed to shorten his titles while keeping their importance.
“Lord Steffon, welcome to you and your wife.” Harry exclaimed with a smile.
“Thank you for such a welcome, your majesty!” Steffon bowed again.
He noticed the murmurs of approval from the surrounding elves. This place seemed much more dangerous than the Court of Aerys…
“I heard about your wish to meet me.” Harry asked implicitly.
“I wanted to be the first to greet you from the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.” Steffon smiles.
“This is all to your credit. I guess the reasons for your coming are more varied than that?” Harry asked him with another smile.
“I also hoped to be the first to enter into relations with your Empire, your majesty.” Steffon replied.
Harry smiled inside. Steffon being a cousin of the Targaryens, he could facilitate the commercial integration of the elves in Westeros.
“Well, you are indeed the first to make such a proposal. What would we gain?” Harry asked, frowning.
It was obviously an act, but Steffon did not know it.
“Through my trip to your Palace, I could but gap at the beauty of your Empire. Whether its inhabitants, its products or its art.” Steffon replied.
Once again, the surrounding elves seemed to appreciate his compliments.
“I noticed that your buildings all had windows and glass panels. It is obvious that your glass is purer and more beautiful than Myr’s, the only free city to supply the rest of the world with glass.” Steffon gave an example.
Harry nodded. He already knew that, which amused him a lot. Myrrish glass was not of very good quality, nor resistant.
“Such merchandise would easily sell in Westeros. We would buy it from you with gold, and then we could share our cultures. I am convinced that we have a lot to share.” Steffon continued to say.
“This is a very interesting proposition, Lord Baratheon.” Harry replied with a smile.
The other elf decided to join the conversation .
“We could open up trade routes from Atlantis with Westeros. What do you think, grandson?” The elf asked.
Steffon blinked several times. Was the elf the grandfather of the Emperor? Yet, they seemed to be the same age ...
“A great idea, Prince Tormas”. Lucius exclaimed.
Lucius exclaimed only to introduce Tormas to the Muggle.
“It's decided. We will authorize Westerosian merchant ships to dock Atlantis. I hope that the reverse will be the case?” Harry asked, looking Steffon in the eye.
“I am sure that my cousin, King Aerys will be able to see reason.” Steffon replied.
Actually, Steffon had no idea of Aerys' possible reaction. After all, the elves were responsible for the Doom of Valyria… but at the same time, the Targaryens were in a very bad relationship with the rest of the Dragonlords…
“This is great news! Lord Steffon, Dame Cassana, be my guests for the night!” Harry exclaimed.
“It is with pleasure that we accept your invitation, your majesty.” Steffon replied with a smile.
"Then let the party continue!" Harry exclaimed, raising his arms.
Immediately after, the music resumed and the elves returned to dance.
The Baratheons remained silent in the face of this reaction. Everything had been so simple ... A little too simple, thought Steffon.
The night passed quickly, and Steffon had to admit that the Elven food was divine. Whether it was wine, meat or vegetables, everything was delicious. The next day, he was escorted to his ship. He would have liked to visit Atlantis or Silvermoon, but he was in a hurry to see his children again.
It was only when he got back on his ship that he found Patches… He had forgotten the young man, but the latter seemed to be in good health. The young man was still wearing the necklace offered by Dame Gabrielle, as well as a book. When asked what it was, Patches replied that it was a gift from a man named Octavian to " learn Thalassian ". He accepted the answer, without suspecting that it was in fact a collection of prayers from the Church of Light.
They returned to Westeros, but not empty handed. Harry personally entrusted a gift to pass on to Aerys. A sign of goodwill in the form of a magnificent black and silver robe with a three-headed dragon embroidered on the back and front. The dress was in Acromantula silk with an enchantment known as self-cleaning and fire resistance. A royal gift.
After a month of travel, they arrived in King’s Landing where the bells were ringing to announce his arrival. He then went to the Red Keep where the Royal family, Tywin Lannister and several nobles were.
“Finally back, Cousin Steffon. Did you find a wife for my son?” Aerys asked with a large smile.
At these words, Rhaegar looked up, curious and anxious, while Rhaella, the queen, seemed just as interested. For his part, Tywin kept a straight face, but Steffon could see the joy in his eyes. After all, Tywin and Steffon had been friends since childhood.
“Unfortunately, my quest has failed, Your Majesty.” Steffon replied.
Aerys sighed before shaking his head. He knew there was little chance of success.
“I have however discovered what happened to the Summer Isles!” Steffon exclaimed.
Whispers were heard across the hall as the Targaryens and Tywin's eyes widened. They hadn't heard from the Summer isles since the “War of the Ninepenny Kings”.
“What was once the Summer Isles has been replaced by a huge Empire of ethereal beings. Called Elves, they are a race that calls itself " magical " and I can assure you that they are!” Steffon explained under the gasps of stupor.
He explained to them what he had seen at Atlantis, and his meeting with Perseus. He continued his explanation, describing Silvermoon as much as possible. Seeing the amazed looks, he decided to speak of the Doom of Valyria. The reactions were varied, but none rivalled that of Aerys.
"They destroyed Valyria because of their cruelty? Ah!” Aerys exploded with laughter.
It was no secret that the Targaryens were strongly against slavery. It was this reason that led to the voluntary exile of the Targaryens from Valyria.
"Tell me about their Emperor! I want to know more.” Aerys then asked.
Stepping down, Steffon described the Emperor and his titles.
"Living God? Heresy!” The High Septon cried out.
Steffon hadn't noticed him among the nobles.
“According to what Lord Steffon has just told us, their Emperor destroyed Valyria, founded their Empire thousands of years ago and can use magic to the point of changing the seasons permanently. These are, in my opinion, the qualities of a god.” Tywin then intervened.
The Great Septon swallows while looking at Tywin. It would be a bad idea to contradict the one who destroyed two Houses…
"Living god ... Quite interesting ..." Aerys murmured with an insane smile.
The nobles looked at Aerys with a touch of apprehension.
“I also have a gift from Emperor Hadrian for your majesty.” Steffon says. “In the hope of establishing trade relations between the High Empire of Albion and the Seven Kingdoms.”
With a wave of his hand, Steffon ordered a guard to bring the box containing the robe to the throne.
It was Tywin who opened the chest to take the robe and inspect it. His eyes betrayed his wonder at the robe. It was very large, cut for a man and not a woman, and made of soft, comfortable and resistant silk. Tywin frowned when he saw the symbol of the Targaryens ... Steffon did not seem to have described the coat of arms of the Targaryens to the elves, so how ...
“It is magnificent. Tywin, bring it to me!” Aerys suddenly ordered.
Nodding, Tywin brought the robe to Aerys who hurriedly put it on. The latter was surprised to feel a weir sensation. To everyone's shock, the little grime on Aerys' skin disappeared completely.
“They told me that this robe had one enchantment that kept it clean and another to resist fire.” Steffon indicated.
“A robe worthy of a king.” Aerys murmured as he sat down.
“What about my marriage, father?” Rhaegar asked to find out about his future.
“My daughter is still ... Tywin started to say.”
“Bah, my son will not marry a servant! He will marry the Martell girl, even if she is a dornian, she has at least the title of princess !” Aerys interrupted him.
Tywin clenched his teeth at the insult, sending a dark glare to Aerys, who smiled.
Steffon began his return to Storm’s End. Unfortunately, his ship was caught in a storm. Cassana and he and the crew died. The only survivor was Patches, who was holding a book in his hands, constantly saying that the " light " had saved him. He was sent to Storm’s End to become the buffoon ... But he kept talking about " light " and the elves ...
For their part, the Westerosians began to send merchant ships to Atlantis, and rumours quickly spread about the elves. But many others saw the Elves as an opportunity to gain power ...