1st Month of 300 A.C. King's Landing
King Aegon VI Targaryen
King's Landing was slowly becoming a home to him, the Red Keep was not Winterfell, but it was slowly growing on him, it helped that Sansa was by his side. Sansa, his wife, his rock, his other half, there were times when he had to pinch himself to make sure that this was not a dream, that it was all actually a reality. He held the throne, he was married to someone he loved, and they were expecting their first child soon, it was something that he had never truly allowed himself to think of before, but now that it was here, within his grasp, he knew he would not give it up for anything. That the kingdom was slowly healing was another good thing, it was a benefit, having Sansa at his side made him a better ruler, made him feel more complete.
Therefore, he thought it perfectly normal to have her by his side as he sat opposite a woman who had three dragons, just as he did. The woman being his aunt, the fact that she was younger than him was a strange thing to get his head around. Daenerys Targaryen had silver hair and violet eyes, and there was a beauty to her, there was no doubt to that, but it was not something that he was attracted to. The woman had arrived on a ship flying the banners of their house, her dragons flying high in the air, and with her had come Euron Greyjoy, a man who had wanted something or the other, Aegon had killed the man for daring to demand anything from him, as for the rest of the people who had come with Daenerys Targaryen, well they were remaining on their ships until Aegon had decided what to do with them. He felt Sansa squeezes his hand then, and so he looked at the woman before them once more.
"Welcome to Westeros Princess, I am sure it has been a long and tiring journey, but I thank you for coming to speak with me now." Aegon says, his voice calm, Ghost resting at his and Sansa's feet, their dragons flying above them in the sky.
"Thank you for having me Your Grace, I appreciate that my arrival might seem sudden." The woman replies, lowering her head respectfully.
"It was not a worry princess; we were well informed of your arrival." Sansa says, her voice soft.
"That is good my Queen, I was not sure if you would receive the letters in time." His aunt replies.
A momentary pause follows, but then Aegon asks. "So, you have brought some interesting company with you, tell me, where did you meet them?"
His aunt seems to smile a moment, before her expression becomes serious. "Volantis Your Grace. I met them there when I was a guest of Valerion Maegyr, a good man who has been very kind to me."
"And I trust you were informed of the reputation that someone such as Euron Greyjoy holds?" Aegon asks.
"I was Your Grace. And yet, he was the only one who had the means of getting me from Volantis to here, in the time I needed to get here." The princess responds.
"And you did not think to ask for us to send some ships? You did not think, that we might wonder at the speed of your arrival?" Aegon asks.
Something like anger flashes across his aunt's face momentarily, before it disappears. "I was under the assumption that you were either busy or did not wish for me to come home. Westeros is my home Your Grace, and I was eager to return to it."
"We did send people out to try and bring you back to King's Landing, and even when we were fighting the war, I had people out looking for you." Aegon responds, something akin to anger developing within him. "From what I was told, you killed two of those people and had the third one mutilated. Not exactly a most promising thing now is it?"
"I was not sure whether or not they could be from you Your Grace." The princess responds. "You see I believed for so long that myself and my brother were the last two Targaryens, and then to learn that you were alive and fighting for the throne, well I had trouble believing it. I now know that I was mistaken, and that I should have made more of an effort, but after all I am merely a girl."
Sansa snorts at that. "A girl who has three dragons and managed to seek refuge in Volantis during their time of difficulty. You are no mere girl princess."
The woman before them lowers her head once more, a faint smile playing at her mouth. "Well, I suppose when you have three dragons and are Valyrian it helps. The rulers of Volantis are notably fickle about this sort of thing."
"Tell me, how did you get your dragons?" Aegon asks. The black dragon reminds him of a beast he had seen in his visions many years ago, and he wonders…
"They were given to me as eggs, as a gift for my wedding to Khal Drogo. They hatched on his funeral pyre, and I emerged as their mother." The woman replies.
Aegon feels Sansa stiffen beside him. "How very interesting, so it would seem that this was a double occurrence."
"What do you mean?" the princess asks.
"I too hatched my eggs on a funeral pyre, the pyre of my cousin." Aegon responds simply, the grief of those words still hits him hard.
A look passes over the woman's face, and then she says. "Well, now that we are acquainted with how we hatched our dragons, perhaps we might get down to the real reason we are here."
He feels Sansa squeeze his hand once more, reminding him to have some patience. "Yes, we might as well. So tell me, now that you are here, what do you want?" he asks.
"I want to live, and I want the chance to know these people, my people, our people." The woman replies.
Aegon looks at the girl before him, for that is what she is, a girl, and he wonders if there can be a peaceful coexistence between them, there are those somewhere within the realm, he knows, that still question whether he is truly a Targaryen, and he knows these people might well seek to use the girl before him for their own ends, and as such there is only one solution, but it is not one he wants. He thinks on that, whilst Sansa speaks. "Tell us princess, what drew you home? You grew up in Essos for a long time did you not? What made you want to come home?"
Aegon looks at the girl before him, listening intently to her response. "I… I… I think it was more the fact that it was something my brother wanted." The girl responds. "I… Viserys was always talking about King's Landing, about Dragonstone with such longing that, soon enough his longing became my longing, and I… I think I simply wanted to fulfil that."
"How did Viserys die?" Aegon asks then, suddenly desperate to know.
The woman before him hesitates for a moment, then she replies. "He had molten gold poured over him by the Dothraki on my husband's command." A pause, and then she goes on. "He tried to kill me and my unborn child, to make sure none could get the dragon eggs he thought were his."
Aegon looks at the girl, feeling a mixture of horror and disbelief. "Was he truly mad then?"
"Yes. He was no true dragon, he burned and died." The woman replies, anger in her voice, mixed with something similar to sadness.
Aegon feels as though he should snort at that, he knows full well that what happened to the both of them was likely some freak occurrence, but right now that does not seem to be the right thing to say, and so he says nothing. Instead, Sansa speaks. "Don't the Dothraki take their former Khaleesis to Vaes Dothrak to join the Dosh Khaleen?"
"They do." The woman replies simply.
"Then how did you avoid that fate?" Sansa asks.
The question is a genuine one, and Aegon finds himself interested as well. The woman before them looks at them both in turn before replying simply. "I killed the ones who would try to force me to that place, and then I fled. I took those who would accompany me and fled and wandered, and then I came to Volantis. I will never go to Vaes Dothrak. I am a dragon, not a savage."
Aegon looks at the girl before him, and he wonders, what to do with her, wonders whether there can be peace so long as she is there, and her dragons are there. He looks at her and asks. "What have you heard about me and our people?"
The woman looks at him and says. "I know that the usurper's former allies supported you onto the throne. I know that you have pardoned those who deserved fire and blood for siding against you and our family. I know that Dorne has remained silent throughout all of this. And I know that you are wondering what to do with me."
Aegon looks at her and asks. "And what do you think should be done about you? If you were in my place, what would you do?"
The woman thinks for a moment, her voice is soft when she replies. "I would want to know what someone who has a claim wants, and whether she has considered marriage options. Or I might just kill her. After all, there can be no threats to the throne."
Aegon looks at the woman and asks. "What do you want to do then princess. You are my aunt after all, and I would rather not kill you. Will you be a threat to me and mine?"
The woman looks at him and replies. "I do not think so. Euron Greyjoy has been defeated, and is dead, and I think Jon Connington has always wanted the two of us to get along. In fact, I think I distinctly remember him saying we should marry."
Aegon laughs at that. "Ah yes, Lord Connington, the man can be a good servant, but there are times I think when his mouth gets ahead of his brain." He pauses then, and looks at Sansa, and asks her wordlessly what do you think I should do?
Sansa looks at him and replies. I do not trust her, but I think it would be better if you kept her close, perhaps marrying her to keep her away from the other fools in the realm. Besides, it would not hurt to have three additional dragons.
You're sure?
Yes.
Aegon looks away from his wife, once more marvelling at their connection, before turning back to the lady before them and replying. "I have an offer I would make to you princess, and I would hear your thoughts on it."
The princess looks somewhat nervous at this, but replies. "Very well, go on."
"In order to prevent further bloodshed within the realm, I suggest that we marry. Our ancestors once did it before, and whilst it has been some time since there were polygamous marriages, I am sure with the dragons once more under our control we can ensure there are no protests against this. However, any children that are borne from our union, will always be behind any children I have with Sansa." Aegon says.
A flurry of emotions seems to cross the woman's face, anger, surprise, hope, despair, and something else, something that she does her best to try and hide, something that makes him wonder at it all the more, but eventually she replies. "Very well, I agree." And he lets out a breath he did not know he was holding.