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

Chapter 108: Chapter 107 – Loyalty (V)

When Maekar returned to Dragonstone from his little adventure, he saw that the guards protecting his room showed some nervousness. This made him raise an eyebrow in doubt.

“Did something happen?” Maekar asked, looking at the guards in a calm tone.

One of the guards showed a look of fear but still answered in a slightly trembling tone. “Your Grace, we were unable to stop the witch from entering the room.”

Maekar understood what had happened and showed an expression somewhat displeased with Melisandre’s actions. His room was something he considered private.

Aside from people he trusted, no one was allowed in. He had only just met Melisandre, and, even knowing the woman’s personality, he did not trust her enough to let her enter his room so carelessly.

Although he knew no guard would be enough to deal with a witch as powerful as Melisandre, Maekar still felt displeasure toward the guards.

“Speak to Ollyr; he will replace you with more competent guards.” Maekar said in a calm tone. This made the guards breathe a sigh of relief. Although they had lost the important job of guarding the prince’s room, they had managed to save their own lives.

They knew better than anyone that their mistake could easily cost them their heads. A guard who could not even protect his lords’ room was not even worthy of living anymore.

“Yes, Your Grace.” The guards bowed and left in complete silence.

Maekar no longer concerned himself with the guards and entered his room. As soon as he entered, he looked at the naked figure on his bed with indifference and calmly removed his gloves, revealing one of his hands and much of his arm covered in large burn scars.

“I don’t like people entering my room uninvited, Lady Melisandre.” Maekar commented, looking at the beautiful woman lying on his bed. He naturally felt attraction toward the naked body before him, but feeling attraction and actually wanting to do something were two different things.

However, Maekar had to admit, Melisandre truly was beautiful in body and appearance. Like Mara, the woman had full breasts that defied gravity, an unbelievably narrow waist, and a rear truly worthy of being called a work of art.

It was completely different from the slender, ethereal beauty of his wife, Gael.

Averting his gaze from Melisandre’s nakedness, Maekar went to the wardrobe and took out a cloth to dry his hair, wet from the rain. While doing this, he grabbed a change of clothes and began to change, all while feeling her burning gaze on his back.

“I thought my prince might need some fun when he returned.” Melisandre rose and walked toward Maekar, completely naked, hiding nothing. Just as she was about to wrap her arms around his neck and claim a kiss, she saw Maekar step aside and slip away from her advance.

“I have a wife.” Maekar said, calmly looking at the beautiful body before him. A certain part of his body reacted, which was unavoidable. His body was fourteen years old and saw anything as at least mildly sexual, not to mention Melisandre’s naked body.

“That has never stopped a man from being unfaithful.” Melisandre, understanding Maekar’s character, sat down on the sofa without showing any intention of covering herself.

Maekar was left speechless by Melisandre’s answer, since they were the same words Mara had said to him. He could not help but think men truly had very little willpower when it came to sex.

However, remembering the number of bastards in Westeros, he found that men truly had reason for their terrible reputation.

“Don’t compare me to other men; I am not an animal who thinks only with what’s below his head.” Maekar rolled his eyes and answered in a still calm tone. He finished getting dressed and ignored the woman.

Melisandre looked at the lower part of Maekar’s body and smiled; she could have believed the prince’s words if she had not seen his pants straining. However, seeing that the prince was indifferent, as though he were not aroused, she stopped teasing.

“Did the hunt go well?” She asked, knowing there was only one reason the prince would have gone out at this hour of the night.

“Their ashes are feeding the fish right now,” Maekar answered as he sat down on the sofa in a comfortable pose. He felt comfortable knowing he had eliminated the most rebellious nobles. Control of the Narrow Sea now belonged entirely and obediently to him; not even Corlys Velaryon was an exception.

“Your Grace truly is decisive.” Melisandre said, her eyes falling on his burned hand and arm. She found fire burns very beautifully; it showed that a person had been blessed by fire and had the chance to personally see R’hllor.

If Maekar had known Melisandre’s thoughts, he might have thrown the woman out of his room that very instant. Only a fool would stay in the same room as such a mad woman.

“It’s not about being decisive but being capable of doing what is necessary.” Maekar did not think what he had done was any great thing. He had simply done what was needed, what others expected of him.

Looking at the naked woman on the sofa across from him, Maekar spoke in a calm tone. “It has been a tiring night, Lady Melisandre.”

He was tired of talking to this woman who had ulterior motives. If anyone thought Melisandre had come seeking sex, they were underestimating a woman who had lived for so long. Maekar did not believe it was just sex, and remembering that the witch was a Shadowbinder, he suspected she had come to propose something more.

And his suspicions were confirmed by Melisandre’s next words.

Melisandre, seeing that Maekar was dismissing her, felt she could no longer waste time and spoke her true purpose.

“Your Grace, I can help you have a weapon capable of killing anyone, regardless of the size of the walls behind which that person hides.”

Maekar raised his eyes and looked directly into Melisandre’s eyes. In those ruby red eyes, he saw only a calm that bordered on madness. This woman could sacrifice everything, including her own body and dignity, for her faith.

Honestly, Maekar felt a bit of pity for Melisandre; the woman was a hostage of her own mind and twisted faith. He did not think it was bad for someone to believe in some god; after all, humans needed spiritual pillars in times of crisis. However, this woman’s fanaticism went beyond anything remotely healthy.

However, her proposal, Maekar had to admit, was tempting: to have a humanoid shadow capable of forming into weapons of shadow and able to slip through any crack. They were the perfect assassins, surpassing even the Faceless Men, with whom Maekar had already once dueled.

“I can imagine what weapon my lady is speaking of.” Maekar said in a slow, calm tone. “However, we will discuss this when my wife is present.”

As Maekar had said before, he would not sleep with another woman without Gael’s approval. It was the least respect he owed his wife, beside whom he would spend his entire life. And, even if it meant gaining a powerful weapon, he would not sleep with Melisandre.

Hearing those words, Melisandre’s eyes widened. In three centuries since her birth, she had never thought she would hear anyone refuse a perfect assassin. Even more so for reasons so naive and sweet.

Melisandre looked at Maekar and, for the first time, felt envy of another woman. She wanted to see for herself who this woman was, who had managed to win the heart of Maekar, someone she considered a cold, pragmatic man, hiding his true nature behind a mask of charisma, kindness, and justice.

If Maekar had heard her thoughts, he would only have said it was not love as Melisandre imagined, but simply the respect he held for Gael.

“It’s already late, Lady Melisandre.” Maekar issued a second, subtle order for her to leave.

Melisandre looked at Maekar and rose, picked up her clothes, and put them on in front of the prince. He had already seen everything anyway.

Before closing the door, Melisandre looked at Maekar with an enigmatic smile and said,

“Have a good night, my prince.”

Watching the woman’s beautiful back disappear, Maekar rubbed his forehead and felt that everyone around him was truly troublesome. Melisandre, Corlys, and the lords.

——-

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

The next morning.

Maekar arrived at the Chamber of the Painted Table, and all the lords were already seated in their respective chairs. There were obviously four empty chairs; they belonged to exactly Duram Bar Emmon, whom Maekar had personally beheaded, and Lords Alyn Stokeworth, Jon Rosby, and Guncer Sunglass.

As soon as he entered, Maekar quickly noticed the tense atmosphere. He did not need to be a genius to know the traitors’ escape was already common knowledge. Which was normal, given that the lords of the Crownlands and Stormlands were close.

“Your Grace, Alyn, Jon, and Guncer have vanished; the ships also vanished last night.” The one who had spoken was Lord Kyle Connington, of House Connington of Griffin’s Roost. His hair was almost entirely white, but there were still a few red strands, a trait of House Connington.

This old man had taken part in the Golden Wedding, in which Queen Alyssa had married Rogar Baratheon.

The Golden Wedding was probably the most important event after the Conquest, since it lifted the shadows of Maegor’s reign and ushered in Jaehaerys’s Golden Age on the Iron Throne.

Lords and knights from all Seven Kingdoms, as well as envoys from Dorne and the Free Cities, had come to King’s Landing for the lavish wedding. Many nobles had used the occasion to meet the new king, who had taken the Iron Throne after the reign of Maegor I Targaryen.

Rogar had entertained the guests with drinks, feasts, games of chance, falconry, and hunting. According to an unconfirmed story spread among the smallfolk, Rogar and his relatives had celebrated with seven maidens and sixty other women from Lysene pleasure houses.

Kyle had also attended the wedding and was possibly the oldest and most experienced man present. Of course, that was when it came to land warfare; no one there surpassed Corlys in that regard.

“There was a storm the night before; they likely sank at sea.” Maekar sat down in Aegon’s chair and answered in a calm tone. “A fitting fate for traitors.”

Kyle looked deeply at Maekar; he had serious doubts about the truth of the young prince’s words, but, as an old man and an experienced politician, only a fool would ask whether Maekar had killed the three lords the night before.

The Lord of Griffin’s Roost merely shook his head and inwardly mocked the foolishness of the three lords. Had they stayed at Dragonstone, the prince might not have been able to kill them so easily. But, by fleeing Dragonstone, the prince had a valid reason to kill them, should the murder ever become public.

After all, if anyone were allowed to leave a war at any moment, that would not be an army, but a band of lawless, undisciplined bandits. Not even lords were allowed to leave a war without the permission of the commander in question.

It was basic discipline.

However, Kyle had already guessed the three lords’ plans, especially because of the previous day’s events. He could even imagine that the lords had died on their way to King’s Landing to seek the king’s protection, the only man on the continent who could truly stand against Maekar.

It was not only Kyle thinking this; everyone present had the same thought. After all, Maekar had killed Lord Duram Bar Emmon the day before; he could very well have killed three more in the small hours of the morning.

However, unlike the lords of House Sunglass, Rosby, and Stokeworth, they had at least enough sense to know they should not cross the prince over House Targaryen’s private matters, especially with the Great Council taking place in King’s Landing.

Who knew whether Maekar would become king? They did not want to leave an impression of insubordination in the mind of a possible future king. Although they resisted the Red Faith, with whom the prince had allied himself, the survival and continuation of their houses were the most important things.

“Corlys,” just as Maekar was about to begin the pre-war council, he heard a different roar from Bahamut and quickly hurried toward the window. Looking at the silver dragon soaring gracefully and elegantly through the sky, he smiled.

“The queen has arrived,” Maekar said with a smile. The storm had delayed Alysanne’s arrival, but the queen had still managed to get there as quickly as possible.

All the lords rose from their respective chairs; everyone had to greet the queen, perhaps the first or second most powerful woman of the present day.

Alysanne and Kinvara stood side by side when it came to status. One was queen of an entire continent; the other was the highest religious authority of the largest religion in the world.

Maekar, followed by all the lords present, walked quickly to the long staircase leading down to the castle.

Once there, Maekar saw Alysanne dismounting and quickly approached, helping the queen down safely. With the queen on the ground, Maekar showed a smile and looked at the elegant woman with her hair styled in an elegant bun.

“I hope the journey was pleasant.” Maekar said, looking at Silverwing. The dragon was truly beautiful and slender. However, along with Caraxes, she had the most demonic look among all the dragons.

“It was a fun trip.” Alysanne answered with a smile, but her smile vanished when she saw the state of Maekar’s hand and arm. Holding her grandson’s hand, she asked in a worried tone. “What happened to your hand and arm?”

Maekar looked around at everyone and answered in a calm tone. “Let’s talk about that another time.”

Alysanne furrowed her brow, but, seeing his look, she let out a sigh and nodded her head. She could not help but think that Maekar and Jaehaerys truly were grandson and grandfather. Both were so calm it was almost infuriating.

“It’s for the best, since I did not receive a single raven warning me you had been hurt.” Alysanne said in a displeased tone.

Maekar merely let out a helpless sigh. This was exactly why he had not said anything about his injuries. If Alysanne was already this worried, he did not want to know how anxious Gael would become once she learned the news.

Perhaps the woman would mount Dreamfyre and simply arrive at Dragonstone the very next day.

The queen looked at her dragon and spoke in High Valyrian. “Go find your cave, Silverwing.”

The silver dragon let out a sharp, piercing sound, as if answering, and took flight toward Dragonstone’s volcano.

“Come, we were about to begin the pre-war council.” Maekar said, offering his arm to Alysanne, who promptly linked her arm through his.

When Maekar arrived with Alysanne, the lords greeted the queen in respectful tones.

“My queen,”

“Good Queen Alysanne,”

“Queen Alysanne.”

Despite being nowhere near as powerful as her husband, Alysanne was still respected, especially among the older lords present. They still remembered well that she was the only person who could calm the king’s wrath. If not for Alysanne, perhaps a dozen heads would have ended up on spears in years past.

Alysanne greeted all the lords in return, but soon noticed the absence of four lords from the Crownlands. “Where are Lords Stokeworth, Rosby, Sunglass, and Bar Emmon?”

An uncomfortable silence followed the queen’s question. What were they supposed to say? That her grandson had cut off one man’s head and likely killed the other three?

Even if it were true, this news should be given by Maekar himself, since such an answer could be turned into an accusation, and with Duram’s example from the day before, no one wanted to be beheaded over a mere truth.

Alysanne noticed something was wrong and looked at her grandson with a deep gaze but did not press the matter further.

Seeing this, everyone sighed in relief. No one wanted to answer the queen’s question; it was truly dangerous to accuse Maekar, even indirectly.

Accompanied by Maekar and Alysanne, everyone returned to the Chamber of the Painted Table, where Maekar carried the queen up the long staircase.

Setting the queen down in the main chair, Maekar sat beside her and spoke in a calm tone.

“Let us begin the final pre-war council.”

——-

Note: Since I didn’t have time to write on Friday, there will be chapters on Sunday. There’s one day when I just don’t feel like writing. Damn corporate bureaucracy.

——-

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