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Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: One Last Soul

King Matarys I Targaryen

The Red Keep was eerily silent; then again it was still quite early in the morning. Matarys knew that even his uncle was not awake yet, but he would be soon enough. After his conversation with Daenys the night before, Matarys had spent a long time mulling over what his sister had said, he felt a large amount of guilt for never bothering to ask her how things were going with her husband. He'd been to consumed with his own problems, trying to sire an heir, planning the conquest and then conquering Dorne, trying to help his wife heal from the stillborn, he had not left a single moment for himself to consider what his sister must be going through. Daenys had never been the strongest willed person, when they were children she had always been so sweet and kind, never able to say a bad thing about anyone, even when a person did something wrong to her. Matarys knew that his mother and father had worried about her that was why Matarys had always been very protective of her, when they were children he had lost count of the number of people's noses he had broken for speaking improperly of his sister. Such things had only worsened once Daenys had flowered and had hit her true beauty. There had been a period of time where he had seriously considered simply setting Jaehara aside and taking Daenys for his wife, it would not be out of the ordinary after all it was a tradition in the family. But no both his mother and uncle had persuaded him against doing that, and so Daenys had wed Ser Matthew Strong and he had wed Daena, now as he sat in the small council chamber waiting on his councillors, he could not but help and wonder if perhaps he had made a mistake.

The hurt and pain in her eyes and her voice last night when she had spoke to him, had stung him and had broken his heart. He knew not how to soothe her, she had become a stranger to him, and he had thought that would never happen, not like how it had happened with Rhaenrya and Helen, but it had and now she was suffering because the realm had asked it of her. He felt a lot of guilt, and he knew then that he would need to deal with Ser Matthew Strong, not now but soon. Lord Harwin's death had put the question of the Strong succession in question, whether or not the man's infant son or daughter should inherit and whether or not the crown would appoint a regent for the child. Ser Matthew himself had written when word of his father's death had come in and had asked that he be considered for the regency, before his conversation with Daenys Matarys had been considering doing just that, but now, now he was not so sure whether he should even let Strong live to see another year.

He sighed; such things were troubling him as they always would when it came to his family. Velena was ten years old now and soon enough she would flower and a wedding between her and Gerold Yronwood would have to happen to honour the terms of the conquest that did not mean that Matarys liked it; in fact he liked it not at all. Especially with it increasingly looking as if Velena would become his heir, he knew Daena said she was willing to have another try for a child, hopefully a male child and though Grand Maester Godrick said that it was perfectly acceptable for them to try once more, Matarys was not sure whether or not he was willing to put himself through all of that again, the hurt and heartbreak should it not go according to plan. He was getting to old for it all, and he needed to address the matter of succession at some point, better to do that now rather than later.

Of course before such things could be addressed there was the issue of Ser Baelon Hightower or the Blackhand as he had been called amongst the commons, for the mark of the hand of House Gardener he left behind on his victims. Reports had come in from the Riverlands that more and more knights and sellswords were turning up dead with the mark on their heads, and the Riverlords were panicking, thinking that some assassin was taking their men out of commission. Matarys had to admit, though the man was old he was certainly cunning and quick, he had so far managed to avoid being captured by any of the patrols that Lord Tully had sent out, and no one else had been able to find where he was hiding, though if what Daenys had said was true, then the man would be hiding in Oldstones, and Matarys intended to find him.

The door to the small council chamber opened and his uncle Prince Viserys as well as Ser Madden Darry the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard walked in nodding their heads in his direction, they then took seats to his left and right. Once they were seated, Matarys decided he would tell the two of them what had occurred last night. Once he was done narrating all that had been said between himself and his sister, he looked at both men to gauge their reactions, Ser Madden seemed genuinely surprised whilst his uncle merely looked bemused. His uncle spoke then. His voice calm and collected. "What will you do Your Grace?"

Matarys was silent for a moment and then he said. "I must have Oldstones searched. If the man is found, or even a trace of him is found I will arrest Ser Matthew Strong and I will question him myself until he gives me the answers I have been looking for."

His uncle nods and then asks. "And will you let what Daenys told you to affect how you speak with Ser Matthew?"

Matarys takes a deep breath and then says. "I would be lying if I said it would not affect how I speak to the man. But I will not let it cloud my judgement. I must find out where the man is, I cannot do that by killing my sister's husband."

His uncle nods and then says. "Very well then Your Grace. I shall write to Ser Hubert and have him seal off the gates of Oldstones."

Matarys nods, Ser Hubert had always been loyal to his uncle, from their time in the Driftmark and before that King's Landing. No more was said until the other members of the council had entered the room and were seated. Matarys speaks then. "My lords thank you for coming in at such short notice. I would not have called this council without good reason. I have learnt some interesting things from a source of mine. As you know signs of the Blackhand have been appearing in the Riverlands for the past few weeks, and we have all been at a loss as to how we will ever be able to catch the man. Well my lords I believe I know where the fool is based." He waits a moment and then says softly. "Oldstones."

There is silence for a long moment and then two of the lord speak at once. "How do you know this Your Grace?" It seems Lord Blackrush and Lord Stark are the ones to ask the question.

Before Matarys can reply, Lord Aelix smiles slightly and says slightly sardonically. "Oh very convenient Your Grace. Pinning the location of a bandit and an outlaw on the man who has mistreated your wife for many years now. Very good."

Matarys feels his shoulders tighten at that and he gets ready to give a scathing reply, but his uncle beats him to it. "My lord Stonefyre, you might do to be less sardonic. After all as master of whispers is it not your job to bring the whispers to the council and to the king. The fact that you did not suggests a question of your loyalty."

Lord Stonefyre remains speechless after that, and Matarys hides a smile, occasionally the man does need to be brought down a peg or two. "Well now that, that is out of the way, it is time we discuss what needs to be done with regards to this situation. As far as Ser Matthew is concerned we do not suspect a thing, but the Blackhand will go back there after his next kill. That is when we must find him and bring him in. Lord Aelix I want your whispers alert to movement within the Riverlands from now until we bring the man in." The man nods and then Matarys look to Lord Blackrush. I want the Goldcloaks alert to any movement within the city for the next few weeks until the man has been brought in."

With that done, the council then turns its attention to the matter of the Strong succession. His uncle speaks first. "With Lord Harwin Strong dead, and his second son by his first marriage a suspected traitor the crown, the council has been requested to decide whom out of his children from his second wife can inherit Harrenhal."

Grand Maester Godrick speaks next. "Well according to the last will of Lord Harwin that the maester at Harrenhal sent us, he wished for his son Marlon to inherit Harrenhal and all its lands and titles, though his twin sister was born a few moments before him. Ser Grant Strong, the castellan of Harrenhal writes that he wishes to be named regent as well. In light of the present evidence against his nephews."

At that Lord Stark speaks and his voice his laced with wry humour. "Well then in that case is the matter not sorted for us my lords? According to tradition and precedent the first born so takes the lands and the incomes and the titles, not the firstborn child. It would solve a lot of headaches for the King and for us if we were to simply name the boy Lord of Harrenhal and name Ser Grant the castellan until the lad comes of age, no need to take into consideration the boy's uncles."

Matarys speaks then. "Lord Stark speaks sense. Why bother going round in circles my lords when the solution to the problem has presented itself to us in the form of Marlon Strong and his great uncle. Maester Godrick write Harrenhal and tell them of the decision here, Marlon Strong shall be named Lord of Harrenhal with Ser Grant serving as his regent until he comes of age."

With that council is adjourned and the decree is issued and things go on in peace for some time. Trade continues between the kingdoms as normal, the commons are not aware of the man hunt going on for the Blackhand, and Matarys prefers to keep it that way, despite the suggestions of some of his council that he fly off on dragon back to find the man himself, for as Lord Blackrush argues. "Surely the sight of the dragons will remind the people whom they owe their allegiance to." Matarys reminds the council that he will not bring his people more cause for worry than what they already have, let them go on living peacefully, Ser Matthew Strong already knows something is amiss, if his constant letters asking when Daenys and their children will be returning are any indication. Matarys had decided soon after the small council meeting that his sister would not be returning to Oldstones until such time that the Blackhand was found and killed and her husband had been suitably dealt with. As neither seems like happening soon, he writes to Ser Matthew that it is not yet safe for her to return to Oldstones, as such she does not seem to mind staying in King's Landing, though he suspects the presence of Laenor and Serenei who have come from Storm's End has done much to make her feel more at ease.

Eventually as the New Year has come and gone, and they are settling in for another long hot summer, a raven comes from Ser Humfrey Hardying who had been leading the search for the Blackhand and his gang, that they have found the man himself, after a fierce battle in which many men were killed including all of the Blackhand's gang. Ser Baelon Hightower is brought before the court one day in the height of summer, chained and bound, his silvery brown hair a mess his body ravaged with cuts and bruises from his travels, and yet he still holds himself with a certain amount of pride and arrogance, that Matarys has only ever seen in those of the blood. When the man is thrown at the base of the throne, Matarys speaks. "Ser Baelon Hightower, the Blackhand. Finally a chance to meet you. You know why you are here?"

The court is deadly silent waiting for the man, the feared outlaw who is older than Matarys father was when he died, to speak, the man simply looks at Matarys and stares for a long time before he eventually laughs, once he finishes laughing the man merely bows his head and says in mock deferentiality. "Yes Your Grace I do. I am here for the crime of scaring the King and the small council into action. I am guilty of ridding the kingdoms of the fools who sought to bring your rule down."

The court murmurs then at the man's words, and Matarys sighs deeply, of course the fool would say something like that. His uncle Viserys had said to him before today that even when he was a boy Ser Baelon Hightower was noted for being slightly mad, and delusional. It would seem the years have not changed him that much. "You may believe that you were doing me a service in your actions, but in reality all you were doing was causing more trouble for my kingdom and my people. A king is the father of the realm, and you were hurting my children, and that is something I cannot forgive. For that you shall die, not by beheading but by dragon fire. Take him to the dragon pit." With that the scene of the trial moves to the dragon pit, swelling with thousands of bodies all of whom have come to watch the feared Blackhand killed, Matarys takes one look at his uncle, who looks to be far, far away and signals for the men to raise the doors to Crimson's pit, a roar echoes through the pit then, and all go silent. There is a deep rumbling, Matarys looks as Ser Baelon Hightower begins to shake where he kneels, Crimson Fury the behemoth looks to Matarys once before opening her jaws and bathing the Blackhand in fire, burning him to ash. His screams last a moment but they will echo in Matarys head for many years afterward.

Ser Baelon Hightower, the Blackhand, the feared outlaw knight dies by dragonfire on the fifth day of the sixth moon of the 169th year after Aegon's Landing. Now Matarys can turn his attention to dealing with his goodbrother. His goodbrother seems to have fled Oldstones, when the knights of the Kingsguard report back to Matarys in King's Landing some moons later, no sign of him nor his possessions. There is but one place where he could have gone Matarys knows and so he flies off on Crimson Fury bringing the Kingsguard with him to Harrenhal where Ser Grant Strong greets him a solemn expression on his face. "He is in the great hall Your Grace." The man says. Matarys nods and walks there.

His goodbrother used to be a tall and proud man, now he looks scared and broken. He has gone to fat in the time since Matarys last saw him, his black hair has gone grey with worry perhaps. All Matarys can think of when he sees the man, is the bruises on his sister's face and body, and the way she cowered and looked scared whenever she spoke of him. "Ser Matthew. It seems you missed my men when they came looking for you." Matarys says his voice surprisingly calm considering the anger he feels.

"Your Grace please, you must understand. I never meant for him to stay in Oldstones, he threatened me, he told me he would kill Daenys and the children, that he would harm all I loved. Please I had no choice."

Matarys snorts at that. "No choice. Pah, you could have refused him Matthew. You were wed to my sister; you had the backing of the King and the court. You could have refused him and then had him arrested, and all the pain and suffering my people have had to go through could have been cut short. But no, tell me what did he offer you? Gold, whores? Or was it the woman you really wanted?" At the man's reaction Matarys knows what it was that the Blackhand offered him, and he sighs. He was a fool to think Daenys would ever be safe with him. He unsheathes his sword, and walks closer to Ser Matthew, it is a credit to him that he does not try to flee when he sees Blackfyre in Matarys hands, he merely stands stock still his eyes blank. Matarys sighs. "Kneel Ser Matthew." When the man does so, Matarys speaks once more. "Ser Matthew Strong, I Matarys of the House Targaryen, King of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm, do hereby sentence you to death by beheading for the crime of aiding and abetting a traitor to the throne. Do you have any last words?" The man shakes his head, and so Matarys raises his sword high into the air and cleaves the man's head of in one clean stroke.

With that his business in the Riverlands is done, he returns home to King's Landing to be greeted by his wife who tells him she is with child, he smiles and kisses her deeply then. And the next few moons are spent preparing for the birth of their child, by this point Matarys does not much care whether the child is a boy or a girl, he merely wishes for a healthy child. In the time that it takes for the pregnancy to wane, Velena flowers and her betrothal to Lord Marius' grandson is made official, the two meet and become smitten with each other, his cousin Daeron weds Myriah Martell and soon enough the girl is with child. And reports continue to come in from Valyria where peace and trade reign firmly hand in hand with one another, the lands are at peace, when his wife goes into labour early on the first day of the new year.

A few hours later, the sounds of his wife's labour are replaced by the squalling of an infant, a healthy and hearty boy. And when Matarys looks at the child, with his mop of silvery hair and purple eyes so like his own, he feels a lot of love for his son and his wife. And when Daena asks him what he wishes to name their son, he simply says. "Daemon, the name of a true warrior a true king."

Daemon Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne is born on the first day of the first month of the 170th year after Aegon's Landing. His birth is celebrated throughout the realm, as the King now has a male heir to succeed him once his time comes, the Targaryens hold on the realm is further secured when another boy named Aegor is born two years later. All is well and good for House Targaryen and Westeros now, peace as at last come to the land of the seven kingdoms.

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