Chapter 34
They came in late last night closer to dawn, his siblings. Tired, full of twigs and tracking mud all over the floor. They got rid of the clothes and fell into bed. The sheets were all filthy, thanks to them. Viserys was waiting for one of them to get up, he wanted to speak about what the fuck they did last night.
Daemon was the first to wake up. He came stumbling to the table, eyes still closed drinking from the pitcher of water, completely parched. He began wondering if his brother had actually gotten drunk last night. Daemon wasn't drinking water with the exception of training and when he was hungover.
"What did you do last night?" Viserys asked when his brother began looking more human.
"Maenera killed somebody." He responded. Viserys wasn't so surprised.
"It's becoming a habit. Every time you two leave the confines of the Red Keep somebody dies."
"This was not the same." Daemon said. He looked pensive. It was a strange expression on his brother's face. He didn't like it.
"How so?"
"The man she killed, was actually a sacrifice. She exchanged his life for something. She didn't want to tell me for what."
"You are worried."
"You are not?" Said his brother." She was the one who said that all magic has consequences. What are the consequences in this case. For what did she exchanged that life? For whom?"
"For you mayhaps." He responded.
"I am not currently dying."
"Are you sure about that? You will soon leave to fight a war. Maybe something happens there."
"She didn't say anything, and even so, if my life was in danger she wouldn't have let me leave Kingslanding." Viserys grimaced. He remembered when he talked with his sister about her worries. When she was concerned about seeing the danger too late. Maybe his sister took the matters into her own hands. She doesn't stop Daemon from leaving but she is making damn sure that he survives.
"What did you do?" Asked Daemon noticing his grimace.
"Nothing." He quickly replied.
"Viserys..."
"Well... She was worried about you going to war. That she will see the danger too late, like with father. I may have advised her that she can't keep you locked up, that she needs to have a little faith."
"So in an extremely Maenera fashion, she will not stop me from leaving, but just in case something happens she will have a backup."
"Maybe, this is all speculation."
"But you believe it to be true." Viserys didn't respond but he was sure that his answer was written on his face.
"I still don't understand how anybody can be intimidated by the two of you. Every time I am looking for you I find you together gossiping like little old ladies." His sister appeared right behind them making them jump.
"Where did you came from?" Asked Daemon.
"That doesn't matter Daemon, I think we have been insulted." Viserys said and he could see Maenera rolling her eyes at them.
"You know, if you want to know something you can just ask." She said.
"Really?" Asked Viserys in disbelief.
"Of course."
"Alright. Why did you sacrificed Ser Criston Cole?" Daemon asked.
"I was going to kill him anyway, this way his life is at least usefull." That is a non answer if he ever heard one.
"Why kill him in the first place?" Asked Viserys.
"He was a problem. I fix problems."
"For fucks sake Maenera just answer the damn questions." Daemon erupted.
"Fine. In my visions he managed to become a kingsguard, Rhaenyra's, he takes her virginity when she was ten and four. I think her first child was actually his bastard. He was a problem. I eliminated the problem. " Well he wasn't expecting that. He was of course grateful for what his sister did, but her reasoning only left him with problems. He needed to have a discussion with Rhaenyra about her choices. His sister didn't say that she was forced, she said that Cole took Rhaenyra's virginity and there was a possibility that her first child to be his bastard.
"Was she forced?" Daemon asked.
"No, but she was four and ten, too fucking young if you ask me. Anyway that doesn't matter anymore. Cole is gone."
"And the sacrifice?"
"What about it?"
"Did you exchanged his life for mine, like Viserys suggested?" Thank you Daemon, yes, throw me in the fray.
"No, I exchanged his life for something I needed. Even if I wanted to exchange his life for yours it wouldn't have been enough." She explained and Viserys was a bit confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"As I explained to Daemon yesterday, lives are not equal in the sights of Gods. Ser Criston was too inconsequential in the grand scheme of things to weight the same as Daemon's."
"What makes me so important?" Asked Daemon.
"Even if you do not accept that part of you, you have magic in your blood. You are a dragon rider and you are capable of magic. You are also a monster babe, and as I said before Targaryen blood is a potent ingredient. You cannot compare your life to that of a Dornish andal." That made sense in a convoluted way he supposed.
"So what would my life be worth of?"
"Another Targaryen." She replied and Viserys fear was back.
"You cannot kill Viserys!" His brother exclaimed.
"Don't worry yourself, if I am ever in need there are enough Targaryens laying about. Viserys life won't be sacrificed for yours." His fear lessened a bit, but he could still hear what she didn't tell. He was not off the hook yet.
"Who would you sacrifice?" Asked Daemon.
"Why are you asking those things?" Asked Maenera frustrated. Daemon didn't respond just looked at her expectingly." Fine! Rhaella, maybe. She is older than dirt. She doesn't have much time on earth anyway. Maybe Saera or one of her children. Not any immediate family." Daemon seemed relived. Viserys still didn't know how to feel about it.
"I think it's time for you to tell us what really happened to your mother." Daemon said and Maenera's demeanor became frosty.
"She died."
"That's not what I asked and you know it." It seemed Daemon wasn't budging on the subject.
"My mother was a complicated woman." She began." She didn't love me for me, she loved me as an extension of father. I won't say that she didn't love me, because she did, in her own way, but she was a bit... negligent. When I showed an aptitude for magic she didn't teach me anything she just gave me her book and I had to learn on my own."
He suddenly didn't like the picture she depicted.
"As you know Shrykos was hatched sickly. When she gave me the book I found sacrificial magic, in my child mind I foolishly believed that my blood would be enough. It wasn't. I didn't realize at first you know. That's why I said that magic is timeless, it didn't happen in an instant, it happened years later. After father died, mother started having white stripes in her hair. I thought to that the stress of father passing was doing that to her, I saw it happening to servants before."
"But it wasn't wasn't it?"
"No. When I saw her death in a vision I tried to prevent it. It was supposed to happen in an accident. I kept her close to me that day, she didn't leave my side. After it passes I became confident, thought that there was no danger anymore. Mother started to deteriorate faster after that. Her golden hair became white, she was frail at the end. I think she knew, but she didn't say anything. One day she just... Died. When the maesters inspected her body they found the brand."
Viserys didn't know what brand she was talking about, but didn't want to interrupt her. He will have to ask Daemon later, he seemed to know.
"It was then when I realized what actually happened. That's why I refuse to teach sacrificial magic."
"You were a child, Maenera, you weren't taught about it. It was an accident." Daemon tried to confort her.
"I accepted it a long time ago. Now if you are done with your interrogation, I have shit to do." Maenera got up from her chair and quickly left the room.
"She still didn't say what was the sacrifice for." Viserys said.
"I know." Responded Daemon.
***
The next two months blurred together. Ladies arriving, Lords arriving, planning for war, letter going back and forth. It was a headache really. That's why Viserys didn't like war. A messy and grisly affair. With each passing day Marnera seemed to became more franatic. She took over the Queen's duties like a fish in water. She took care of Rhaenyra's education, convinced Vaegon to stay some more, greeted Ladies and Lords, organized banquets, attended Small Council meetings. She seemed constantly busy, the only moment of respite being during the night. They kept the tradition and slept together, in those two months. Maenera finally had her own rooms but went as unused as Daemon's.
All the ladies responded positive to their invite and arrived quite quickly. As Marnera predicted the Martell girl brought her bastard to court, it was an outrage all around. Daemon seemed amused, he even bonded with the little babe. Viserys never thought that Daemon could be seen playing with a child that wasn't his own, but here they were. It was all around agreed that Marnera will manage Dragonstone in Daemon's absence. She decided that she will go once a month, and stay there for a week. Her lessons with the Strong siblings kept going. They were doing good and Maenera was proud, she said that they were good pupils.
Daemon seemed to vibrate with every piece of his being in anticipation for the fights. Viserys thought that his brother was crazy. Who in their right mind would trade the confortable life in the Red Keep for a war zone? Daemon was also diligent in his duties as Hand. Verified all the records and put to order all mistakes he could find so the transition from him to Lord Strong to be as smoothly as possible. He also put the fear of the gods in the Gold Cloaks. Made sure that any men who had the slightest inclination throwards betrayal were gone from the ranks. Two thousand five hundred men all under his indirect command. He made it very clear that the next Lord Commander was a figure head, and they should listen just as long as his interests aligned with the curent lord Commander. He also gave them order to follow Maenera if there is an emergency. Viserys thought that it was a good call.
Rhaenyra seemed to have tempered down a bit. She rarely threw tantrums now, but when she did all the Red Keep could hear. She had a hard time accepting Maenera in a role of authority. The fact that Rhaenyra ranked above Maenera didn't help, but thankfully his sister and Vaegon had nerves made of Valyrian steel.
Viserys himself was still a bit fearful. After Daemon left it will be the perfect moment to arrange an accident to get rid of him. Both Daemon and Maenera tried to assure him that it won't happen, the fear remained. His sister gave up her reassurances at some point, began just giving him looks that made him feel like a fool for even thinking about it. He also continued his sparring sessions with Ser Harold. The difference could be clearly seen, he lost quite a bit of wight and he put on some muscle, his sword play seemed up to par.
The day of Daemon's departure arrived and all of the family was on Rhaenys Hill. Caraxes was waiting patiently for his rider. Daemon secured his bags and armor to the saddle and turned to them. He embraced Rhaenyra and kissed her on the forehead. Then came to him and embraced him bringing their foreheads together. The last one was Maenera. They looked each other up and down and after a few seconds his sister practically flew in his brother's arms. Their embrace was different, tighter stronger. They parted and Daemon brought their foreheads together as well.
"I will come back." His brother said.
"I know. You are too stubborn to die." His sister replied.
"When I come back, I will take you to wife. This vow I make to you." Daemon passionately said. His sister seemed to be lost of words. Daemon took advantage and pecked her lips quickly. He turned to his dragon and began climbing. With a strong "Sōves" he was in the air. Marnera seemed to be still frozen. Eyes large, mouth parted, her fingertips touching her lips as she watched Daemon disappear in the distance.
Daemon really knew how to make a scene.