House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

This round of choosing claims lasted about thirteen days, almost two weeks. Now, it was a matter of waiting for all the lords to arrive, something Jaehaerys had decreed that everyone would have to do by the first month of the year 101.

Those nearly two weeks had been enough for a ship to leave Dragonstone and reach the mainland, and then for the carriage to reach Harrenhal after so much time traveling.

The carriage door opened and an old man, wearing clothes strange to most of the people of Westeros, emerged from the carriage. He had completely white hair, as well as a long beard that reached his waist. His eyes were lilac.

In front of the carriage, Roderick could be seen with a handful of House Blackwood guards.

"I presume you are Osirys, the Elder of Dragonstone Village?" Roderick asked, even though he already knew the man.

"Yes, my lord." Osirys had an aged appearance, it seemed as though all the moisture had been drained from his face. However, his lilac eyes looked as bright as any young man’s.

"Come, the wedding will begin in the afternoon." Roderick said, while gesturing for Osirys to follow him. Something the old man noticed and followed behind the Lord of Raventree Hall.

As they walked, Roderick could not help but ask with a worried expression.

"There won’t be anything too exotic, will there?"

The implication in Roderick’s words was clear to Osirys, he was asking whether there would be anyone being burned alive, sacrificed, or killed by any other method.

Knowing Old Valyria’s reputation, it was not strange for Roderick to think the wedding might be something more barbaric or even more profane by Westerosi standards.

"There will be nothing of the sort, my lord." Osirys replied in a gentle tone. "Our weddings involve the blood of the couple being married themselves. They will be bound by blood until the last of their days on both sides."

Although he was worried at the mention of Maekar and Gael’s blood, Osirys’s answer was something good. It was much better than Roderick expected. Although he still wished Maekar would marry in the way of the Old Gods.

Unfortunately, after losing his mother, the boy simply gave up on any gods. Roderick did not blame Maekar for this. Faith was truly complicated, and the gods even more so.

Roderick led Osirys to the garden, where preparations for the wedding were already underway. And, although Maekar and Gael would not be marrying in the customs of the Old Gods, the Weirwood was still masterfully decorated with fire lanterns on every branch.

An open space had been cleared in front of the Weirwood. There was no grass or flowers, only black stone bricks scattered in specific places, forming a circle about six meters in diameter. If one looked from above, they would see they formed a three-headed dragon.

There were enormous, blackened braziers placed in eight different spots, flanking the Targaryen coat of arms on the floor.

Osirys looked at the place and nodded his head. He looked at Roderick and said in a calm tone. "We need a dragon statue, the Death Dragon God, Balerion."

Roderick frowned, not because it was the idol of another god, but because there were only a few hours left until the wedding. It was impossible to buy or build a statue of a Valyrian dragon god. Even if Maekar rode Bahamut and flew to Volantis to buy a statue, he still would not arrive in time.

"That’s impossible, Osirys." Roderick said in a powerless tone.

"I am not asking for a twelve-meter statue made of marble or gold, but a smaller one, the size of a hand. The statue should be black and the eyes made of rubies." Osirys said in a gentle tone.

Roderick relaxed hearing those words. A statue the size of a palm could also be difficult, but it was not impossible.

"My guards will take you to your quarters; I have to prepare the statue of Balerion." Roderick said, and Osirys nodded his head.

The Lord of Raventree Hall soon set off in search of an experienced sculptor.

Osirys looked one last time at the wedding site and felt that the faith of the Dragon Gods of Valyria was still alive, not only behind the Black Walls of Volantis but also in Westeros.

However, it was exactly for this reason that Osirys was somewhat worried. A war of faith was many times more brutal and bloody than a secular war. How many monstrosities had been committed in the name of gods to satisfy men’s greed?

-

In Maekar and Gael’s room.

"Elder Osirys has arrived at Harrenhal." A slight and slender figure, wearing a green silk dress, spoke to Maekar, who was painting in concentration.

It was Miria, a Watcher of the Children of the Blood.

"Did the old man ask for anything?" Maekar asked while outlining the shape of a castle on the blank canvas. It was Harrenhal, or rather, Harrenhal fully rebuilt. Behind the castle was the God’s Eye.

"A statue of Balerion, the Valyrian God of Death." Miria reported in a calm tone. She had blonde hair, a heart-shaped face, and lovely freckles on her cheeks. Like the Faceless Assassin, she was a dwarf.

Miria had no name; she had been abandoned by her parents. They threw her out of the house when she turned twelve. The girl did not even have a name; they called her the blonde monster.

Naturally no one wanted to hire a girl, much less a dwarf. Miria was personally taken in by Maekar when she was fighting some dogs over some bones. Since then, the nameless girl was given the name Miria and lived for Maekar.

"That was a mistake on my part." Maekar let out a sigh, feeling a bit upset for not thinking of something so simple. He was getting married in the customs of Old Valyria. How could there not be statues of the gods at a wedding?

"How is Gael?" Maekar asked, remembering he had not seen his future wife since he woke up.

"The princess has been preparing for the wedding since she woke up. Queen Alysanne and Princess Mara, as well as Lady Alya Blackwood, are accompanying the princess." Miria replied again, in a softer tone.

(Note: Alya Blackwood, Roderick’s cousin/wife.)

"It seems everyone is excited," Maekar said with a laugh. He thought preparing the wedding would be something boring, but the women seemed to enjoy the process quite a lot.

The only thing Maekar took part in for this wedding was preparing the venue and choosing the food, drinks, and sweets for the guests. Other than that, he did not choose anything, not even the clothes.

"How are the rumors?" Maekar changed the subject, showing a solemn expression.

"The death of Lord Matthos Tyrell was enough to stop many from quickly choosing a side. It helped spread the rumors about Lord Tyrell’s murder. Many now look at their own friends with suspicion. They do not know where possible betrayal will come from." Miria replied, her head still lowered.

She continued speaking in a calm, cold tone. "Lord Robert Redwyne has almost completely won over the lords of the Reach, although, for most people, they will still vote for Laenor Velaryon."

"I presume Laenor is not at Harrenhal?" Maekar asked with a cold look. He did not even need to kill the boy; Jaehaerys wanted to kill Laenor more than anyone.

House Velaryon having two dragonriders had completely crossed a line the king did not want crossed. One could say that even Rhaenys was in danger at this moment. The woman had dared to give a dragon egg to her son, which left Jaehaerys furious.

"Laenor is at Driftmark and has not left the castle. There is word that Lord Corlys has surrounded the castle with a third of his ships." Miria said it; she raised her head and spoke in a calm tone.

"If the Prince orders it, I could try to invade Driftmark and..." Miria did not need to finish for Maekar to understand what she wanted to do to the seven-year-old child.

"No need; he has no way of winning this vote." Maekar shook his head.

Although killing Laenor would be something good for the future, it was not something good at this moment. If the blame fell on him, House Velaryon and all its allies would vote for Viserys, including House Stark, who was dissatisfied with the king.

The Starks (and, by extension, their vassals) supported the Velaryon faction because they still held a grudge against Jaehaerys over the matter of the creation of the New Gift for the Night’s Watch, lands previously belonging to Stark vassals.

The Starks believed they could manage the lands better, since the Night’s Watch’s focus would always be on the Wall and not on the holdings south of it. Later, it was proven that the Starks were right, since the New Gift ended up falling into disuse and was practically abandoned.

It was a foolish move to kill Laenor at this moment, since it would only strengthen Viserys. After all, the North would not support a child killer for the Iron Throne.

"Well, leave that problem to Jaehaerys," Maekar whispered and continued painting his picture. Miria stayed by Maekar’s side the entire time, providing paint whenever it ran out.

---------

Note: You all underestimate my power; I’m on high ground. Given my track record of making drastic changes to the storylines and incorporating elements from different worlds, do you really think I’d do something as simple as letting Viserys win?

I’m feeling insulted, I challenge you to a duel!

Read the advanced Chapters on my Patreon!

/GOTSW

Read my other books:

House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos

Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.

Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard