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

Chapter 119: Chapter 118 – The Fall of the Triarchy (III)

The Dornish lords were sitting beside a large bonfire. Viserys stood up and spoke in a proud tone. “My dear lords, my brother just gave me word that Prince Maekar won the Battle of the Sea of Myrth and burned Myr. On that same day, Tyrosh and Lys withdrew from the war. The Triarchy has fallen.”

The Dornish lords looked at each other and noticed the look on one another’s faces. Lord Yoren Yronwood looked at Viserys as if looking at someone with mental problems. Who, in their right mind, would boost the enemy’s reputation?

At the same time, they realized it hadn’t been a good idea to support this fool. Although Viserys was a good host, the lords still preferred someone like Maekar. Not out of charisma, but from the simple fact that Maekar seemed more of a man than Viserys.

Prince Maekar had dared to come to Dorne and drank and ate their food without any fear. By comparison, Viserys, despite smiling, showed himself to be cautious of anything they offered.

Although it was a small, even insignificant gesture, in the eyes of the lords of Dorne, that only showed that the prince didn’t trust them to honor the sacred right of guests.

Especially now that they knew Maekar had burned Myr and destroyed the Triarchy. Westeros and the whole world had a culture of venerating the strong. Maekar had proven himself strong countless times. It wasn’t every day that a kingdom was destroyed, especially in Essos.

“Long live Maekar of House Targaryen!” Yoren Yronwood was the first to toast with a loud, strong shout. The other Dornish Lords followed.

“Long live Maekar, the Destroyer!!!”

“Maekar, The Slayer!!!”

Seeing the lords toasting to Maekar’s victory, Viserys showed a satisfied look and began livening up the party by singing. The lords also relaxed and started singing while clapping rhythmically.

Daemon, who had been drinking in silence, choked on his wine and looked at Viserys with an even darker expression. With no strength left to try to stop anything, Daemon just lay down on the beach and muttered,

“Someone kill me…”

Hubary finally understood why the prince wanted to drink alcohol; having a brother like this was truly complicated. However, he looked at Daemon and then at Viserys with a strange look. An idea arose in his mind.

If Prince Viserys was this foolish, then why not put Prince Daemon in his place instead? In his eyes, Daemon would make a very good king. However, being surrounded by many people, he didn’t say what he was thinking.

–

While Viserys sang and drank, the news also reached King’s Landing.

If there was something common among people, it was that they took pride in their own country’s accomplishments. That could be applied at this moment. Maekar was the first member of House Targaryen since Aegon’s Conquest to conquer or destroy a kingdom.

At this moment, there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t glad about the victory in the battle of the Sea of Myrth. This simply meant the war was going well and they would win with absolute certainty. Many even thought they should build a statue for Maekar in the city square.

At the Red Keep.

Jaehaerys was in his personal solar, rereading for the umpteenth time the raven that had arrived from Dragonstone. It was the letter written by his wife, explaining the outcome of the battle and the sacking of the city.

Reading the estimated amount of gold, even Jaehaerys couldn’t help taking a deep breath. If he had known the free cities had that much money, he would have imitated Dothraki methods and used the Free Cities as his own personal bank.

After all, if the Free Cities were afraid of the Dothraki, they would be afraid of him, someone who rode a giant dragon.

However, running his fingers over the paragraph about Maekar’s votes, Jaehaerys showed a thoughtful look. With Maekar’s victory over the Triarchy, his reputation would reach an incredible level.

When everyone thought about who was the strongest and most famous man in the realm, they wouldn’t speak of Viserys but of Maekar. And that was a great danger. The worst part was that he didn’t dare try to stop these rumors from spreading.

Only a fool would try to undermine his own people’s morale. Starting a war wasn’t so simple; regardless of how good a monarch he was, there were always some who didn’t want war. The longer this war dragged on, the more people of this kind would grow in number.

After all, war affects everything, especially the lives of common people. The price of food, the price of medicine, the price of clothing, everything rose in times of war.

Maekar’s victory and the destruction of the Triarchy could extend the length of this war. It could drag on. Because of this, Jaehaerys didn’t try to stop the spread of the rumors and even helped them along.

“I just hope Viserys is fighting his own battles.” Jaehaerys whispered in a powerless tone.

Letting out a sigh, Jaehaerys looked at the map of Westeros and Essos, spread out on the table. He touched the exact location of Braavos and then slid across the sea on the map and arrived at White Harbor.

“It’s time for Braavos to attack. If they keep staying still, the Sealord will probably be removed from his position.” Jaehaerys murmured with a calm, deep look.

“He’ll attack White Harbor or Lannisport. Oldtown is too far and dangerous,” Jaehaerys said, looking at the map. There weren’t many ports in Westeros suitable to be attacked. White Harbor and Lannisport were the best choices.

“Probably White Harbor.” Jaehaerys arrived at the most likely conclusion. Although Lannisport was suitable, it was far. The Sealord needed a victory as quickly as possible. It was more logical to attack White Harbor.

However, Jaehaerys was hesitating about something. House Manderly’s fleet was strong, but was it strong enough to fight against Braavos, which had dozens of times the population and money?

Jaehaerys reached the conclusion in an instant. The answer was no. Braavos was too strong, not something House Manderly could fight against.

As for the reason Jaehaerys was hesitating, it was because he wanted to send Gael to White Harbor. First, his daughter was a woman. He didn’t want to send a woman, especially his own daughter, to the battlefield.

Second, Gael had never taken part in a battle, let alone while riding a dragon. She was a complete novice.

Third, Gael was pregnant.

Even being who he was, Jaehaerys felt ashamed asking a pregnant woman to fight. What would the people think of him? However, White Harbor needed to be protected. If the city fell, the North would starve, and tens of thousands would die when the cold arrived.

Jaehaerys hesitated, but his duty as king outweighed his duty as father. Still, he wanted to know if Gael agreed. If the princess decided not to go, he wouldn’t force her.

After writing the letter and sealing it with the wax seal, Jaehaerys let out a sigh and murmured in a calm tone. “I really should abdicate and retire.”

Then, the king laughed and set those foolish thoughts aside. The idea of abdicating filled him with disgust. He had been king for so long that he already felt Jaehaerys was just a nickname and his true name was King.

———-

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

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SENSITIVE TOPICS.

——–

At night, Dragonstone.

Inside the room, Maekar woke up in his bed, completely drenched in sweat. He sat up and ran his hand through the hair stuck to his face. Getting out of bed, he walked to the table and poured himself a glass of water.

Maekar didn’t know what was happening to him. He felt a terrible tightness in his chest. It felt like someone was holding his heart with both hands and squeezing it hard. This left him somewhat breathless and even panicked.

He tried to sleep but always woke up a few minutes later. Touching his heart and feeling its extremely fast rhythm, Maekar thought he was having a heart attack, but he simply didn’t feel any similar symptoms.

Looking at the flickering flames of the fireplace and the torches around him, Maekar didn’t feel warm but as if he were inside a cave of ice.

Suddenly, a knock on the door caught Maekar’s attention. Unconsciously, Maekar reached the side of the bed and held Blackfyre in his hands.

“It’s me, my prince.” Hearing the familiar female voice, Maekar relaxed and spoke in a calm tone.

“You may enter,” Maekar said.

As soon as his words sounded, the door opened and a figure entered the room. Only the sound of rippling fabric could be heard in the silent room.

It was Melisandre.

He sat on the sofa and positioned himself in a more comfortable pose. He looked up and covered his eyes with his arm. Hearing the silence of the room, in which only his and Melisandre’s breathing could be heard,

Maekar asked in a cold tone. “Did something happen?”

“I just felt my prince needed me.” Melisandre said with a gentle, enigmatic smile. Seeing Maekar’s state, a trace of pity crossed the woman’s expression.

She came closer and sat down beside Maekar; using her hands, she made his head rest gently on her thighs. Without needing a single word, she gently stroked his soft, silky hair. A gentle, soothing sound came from her closed mouth.

“Something bad is happening and I can’t sleep.” Maekar said, showing a rare moment of vulnerability that he didn’t like to show even to Gael. He didn’t know why, but he just wanted to say what he was feeling.

Melisandre didn’t answer and just kept gently stroking Maekar’s hair, humming a wordless tune, just sound.

Maekar felt relaxed and simply closed his eyes but didn’t sleep. The feeling of loss had weakened, but it still existed in his chest, leaving him hollow.

“Does my prince want me to look into the flames?” Melisandre asked in a gentle tone while looking at Maekar’s handsome face under the flickering torchlight.

Silence was Melisandre’s answer, but she understood and looked at the flames with her ruby red eyes. The ruby on her necklace seemed to light up at that moment, a faint, ethereal glow.

Under Melisandre’s eyes, she saw a female figure crying beside the bed, embracing a lifeless flame. A fierce battle, and finally, a titan in flames.

Faced with such a clear vision, Melisandre was surprised. It was the first time she had seen a vision of the future so vivid and expressive. She didn’t even need to think to guess what happened after seeing what she had just witnessed in the flames.

Melisandre hesitated to speak. She leaned closer to Maekar’s face and whispered in a gentle tone. “Does my prince really want to know?”

Maekar’s heart stopped beating for a moment. It was definitely more news. He began thinking of countless scenarios, mostly apocalyptic and terrible ones. Had the Long Night arrived early, or had a blue necromancer crossed the Wall?

However, Melisandre’s next words made Maekar wish for those apocalyptic scenarios.

“It’s something related to my prince,” Melisandre, still just inches from Maekar’s face, said in a gentle tone.

Opening his eyes, Maekar looked directly into the ruby red eyes just inches away and asked in a firm, solemn tone. “Speak.”

“I saw a female figure crying beside the bed, embracing a lifeless flame. A fierce battle, and finally, a titan in flames.” The red witch answered with a trace of pity in her voice.

Maekar was breathless for a brief moment; he looked at Melisandre and closed his eyes tightly. The prince clutched his heart and felt as if it were being cruelly torn from his chest.

It was such a strong pain that Maekar forgot to breathe.

“Gael…” A murmur escaped Maekar’s lips. He didn’t need to be a genius to know what had happened.

If he were in that state, Maekar could imagine that Gael, who was the mother, would be completely devastated.

Getting up, Maekar put on a white shirt, put on his boots, and left the room with hurried steps. Melisandre remained alone in the room, watching his back disappear through the door.

“He will be a good father,” Melisandre whispered. A man who could suffer so much because of a child not yet born couldn’t be a bad father; at least he would be better than many others she had seen in her long life.

On the other side, Maekar waved at the guards protecting the entrance to Alysanne’s room and entered without even knocking. The door was thrown open abruptly.

Alysanne, who had been sleeping, drew a dagger from under her pillow and looked cautiously at the intruder who had barged into her room. Seeing it was Maekar, she lowered the dagger and, just as she was about to scold her grandson, saw his exhausted, sorrowful expression.

“What happened?” Putting a silk robe on over her white nightgown, Alysanne asked in a worried tone.

“Gael has probably lost the baby.” Maekar whispered in a sorrowful tone.

Alysanne’s face turned pale; she brought her hand to her mouth and resisted the urge to cry. She was worried about Gael. Her daughter’s mind had always been delicate and fragile, and although Maekar had changed her for the better, that change couldn’t be so drastic.

“Go and stay by her side,” Alysanne said in a trembling tone, holding Maekar’s hand.

Maekar nodded and left the room, heading toward the Lower Chamber, which led to the stone platform in the gigantic cave beneath the castle.

Alysanne sat on the bed and showed a desolate look. She knew exactly the pain Gael was going through, since she had lost nearly all of her own sons and daughters. She would rather die than see one of her children die again.

On the other side, Maekar reached the place and saw Bahamut pacing in the cave; he seemed angry and restless. Obviously sensing his rider’s emotions.

With Maekar’s arrival, Bahamut fixed his golden eyes on him and walked to the stone platform. Maekar didn’t hesitate and climbed into the saddle and fastened the belt around his waist.

Moments later, the platinum dragon could be seen flying toward the sky and disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Riverlands, Harrenhal.

The entire castle was in a sad, heavy atmosphere. No one dared breathe too loudly. Miria was completely panicked. She heard the crying from behind the door and swore on her life she had never heard such a sad sound. It seemed to come from the very soul.

After hesitating for a moment, Miria opened the door to Prince Maekar’s room and entered cautiously. She closed the door carefully and looked at the four ladies in waiting of Princess Gael. The four young women had sad, worried expressions.

Hearing the crying, she knew something was very wrong. The prince had ordered that not even a single hair of the princess’s head should be lost.

This made Miria’s heart clench; she felt her breathing grow harder, her stomach turned, and a terrible chill ran through her body.

However, Miria didn’t ask the four young women what was happening and walked toward the bed, where a figure knelt on the floor while tightly holding a white cloth against her chest. Suddenly, Miria saw the color red in the corner of her vision and looked at the bed.

On the white sheets, a pool of blood stained the whiteness of the fabric.

Looking at the trembling figure crying as if there were no tomorrow, Miria felt an enormous sadness. Even having never gone through this herself, she already knew what had happened.

“Princess…” Miria tried to touch Gael’s shoulder, but the princess looked at her with eyes red from crying and tears overflowing.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!” GAEL screamed while pressing the white cloth against her chest tightly, as if afraid of anything hurting her child.

Miria seemed to see a wounded animal and stepped back.

Returning to the side of the four ladies in waiting, Miria spoke in a solemn tone. “Don’t let her out of your sight; I’m going to send a raven to Dragonstone.”

—————-

Note: I originally wanted to show the scene of Gael waking up and realizing what happened, but this brought back terrible memories for me, and I skipped that part. Believe me, it’s not pretty to see a woman suffering from losing a child not yet born.

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