The penitence of the wolf - Greywater Watch (Patreon)

Aerys Targaryen, Greywater Watch

In hindsight, the concept of a floating castle should be enough of an indicator that more than just conventional architecture is involved, yet Aerys wasn't prepared for what he saw

To be honest, he was expecting some kind of monster created with Faith and hundreds of rafts attached together, a kind of giant raft that would be able to move between the treacherous lands of the Moat, big enough to be a refuge, but without expecting something truly spectacular

However, what he found was... Simply amazing

Greywater Watch was a Fortress in every sense of the word, it didn't float on huge, rustic rafts like most of the kingdom thought

Rather, huge roots emerged from the green waters, hidden among dense and tall trees, the roots functioning as foundations for a fortress, which was not made of wood in the conventional style

Greywater Watch wasn't built, it was cultivated, Aerys thought to himself, as he watched huge branches made of heart three join together, taking the shape of the imposing and frankly beautiful fortress in front of him

“It's amazing!” said Lyanna, with Ygritte on her lap, while the young Lord Reed looked at her with pride

Genna and Ashara, two southerners who, consciously or unconsciously, always looked down on the North, simply stared at the imposing fortress in total silence

"Get ready," said Lord Reed, at the same time he put his hands around his mouth and began to make strange sounds, similar to a song

It was guttural and coarse, but strangely beautiful in its own way

And to the amazement of all the guests, including Aerys, the roots that formed the foundations of Greywater Watch simply opened, revealing a small tunnel, but wide enough for boats to enter the castle without problem

 As they entered the fortress, Aerys watched as the Crannogmen's birds began to land within its walls, each hollow and ledge functioning to give a home to all Wargs' familiars in Lord Reed's service 

Minutes later, they arrived at a hidden pier, the waters here, unlike the swamp were totally crystal clear, around, several crannogmen maintained the canoes, some fed animals, such as the terrifying lion lizard, beasts of ten meters long and two tons of weight that behaved like cubs, being fed and brushed by the inhabitants of the place

And in the center of the dock, escorted by several men, stood who Aerys assumed was Howland's father

Maken Reed, the Lord of this place

And someone Aerys wanted to talk to

After all, he wasn't stupid, this place existed thanks to the magic of the First Men

The same magic that he wanted to spread throughout the continent

Upon descending from the canoe and assisting his companions, Aerys walked towards the Lord, bowing his head in respect

"Lord Reed," said the monarch, looking at the older man, he was quite short in stature, not short enough to be a dwarf, but to go unnoticed, easy to hide and disappear

The Lord didn't kneel, he simply placed one hand behind him and one on his forehead and leaned over, causing Brynden and Gerold to frown and speak

"It is tradition to kneel before the monarch My Lord," said the White Bull, however, Aerys intervened absently, looking around with evident interest and desire for knowledge

"Not among the Crannogmen, a hand behind, one on the forehead and an inclination is a sign of respect for someone of superior status, it is an ancestral custom of the age of the hundred kingdoms" said Aerys without thinking, totally concentrated on the fantastic castle

The crannogmen began to murmur, approval more than evident on their faces, honored that a Targaryen monarch had knowledge of their customs and traditions

The Lord Commander nodded, understanding the explanation and taking his position again, however, Lord Reed was still impassive looking straight at the monarch

"King Aerys, welcome to Greywater Watch," said the man, in an old and rough voice, Aerys didn't know how old he was, but it could easily be more than fifty years old

Beside him, a huge lion lizard looked at the monarch placidly, evidently it was the Lord's companion

"Lord Reed, thank you for the invitation, your home is...spectacular," Aerys said with total sincerity, looking around, his keen senses and abilities obtained as Jon helped him to notice things that others just ignore

The fortress... it was a she and was very much alive, she was happy for his visit, more for Rhaegal than him to be honest, it looks like the present of his companion strength the magic of the place, the Reeds took care of her and she took care of them, the roots moved regularly, which made her one of the most secured of the fortress, if not the safest on the continent

She may not be as glamorous as the halls of Casterly Rock or as imposing as the halls of Dragonstone

But she was functional and impossible to conquer, fulfilling the function in a masterful way

At that very moment, Ygritte got out of the canoe, looking around in wonder and with total naturalness, passing Brynden and Gerold, who at this point were more than accustomed to the little terror, walked towards the monarch, taking her "father's" hand calmly and staring at the curious Lord Reed

"You're small," said the little devil, drawing looks of disbelief from the king's company, accompanied by the occasional muffled laugh

Lord Reed didn't seem offended, but amused

"I am, just like you, but that doesn't make us weak, does it?" said Lord Reed making the little girl smile and nod quickly

"That's what I say! But everyone treats me like a baby, they don't want to teach me how to use a bow," said the little girl, pouting tenderly

Lord Reed just laughed loudly, looked at his son Howland, and ordered

"My son, take this young warrior to our training room, instruct her in the basic exercises, of course, if her father agrees," the Lord ordered his son, before looking at the monarch asking for confirmation

Aerys heard Ygritte inhale forcefully, at the same time as she looked at the king, begging him to allow her to take the lesson

Sighing, Aerys replied

"Okay, but behave, we're guests, don't forget it" the monarch said determinedly, causing the little girl to nod quickly and simply run to where Howland was

"Come on, come on, come on," she said as she dragged him towards the fortress, without having the slightest idea where she was going

 "Benjen, Lyanna, go with her, make sure she behaves," the king ordered, causing both Starks to nod and follow the young heir Reed

 "I will have a couple of servants guide your companions to their chambers, a feast is being prepared for tonight, it is the first time in our history that a monarch visits our humble home," said the old man

Aerys snorted, in his opinion, this place was a thousand times more incredible than almost all the castles on the continent, with few exceptions

"I appreciate your support my Lord, and while we wait, we can talk, something tells me that we both have a lot of things to say to each other, don't we?" asked the king, causing the old Lord to smile approvingly and nod slowly

"Your grace is correct, will you accompany me?"

Aerys nodded, left Brynden to protect his women, and accompanied by Gerold, followed Lord Reed to the top of the castle

It was evident that the Lord wanted something from him, like everyone on the continent, however, unlike most Nobles, Lord Reed had something that really interested the monarch

Arcane Knowledge

The meeting would be... Quite interesting

Rhaella Targaryen, The Three sisters

"This would be the full report of our assets your grace," Davos said, showing a scroll to Rhaella, who took it with a smile

The queen watched proudly as Davos, who she knew was not literate a few moons ago, had written the report himself, the words lacked elegance, but they were legible

"Excellent job Davos" said Rhaella, making the man blush and bow his head in respect, around, her beloved husband's escort began to arrive to the fortress, but they did not arrive alone

They were all accompanied by women, warriors obviously, the way they moved makes that obvious, and in her mind, her husband soldiers have a very close relationship with these women  

And apparently, her questioning was evident to her husband's Fleet Master

"They are Spear wives from beyond the Wall, His grace rescued them from an ambush of cannibals, one thing led to another and they all ended up being taken by the soldiers, they are practically wedded"

Rhaella nodded, in the past, she would have criticized the physique of these women, oh they were beautiful, but in a wild and mysterious way, not the classic Southern beauty

They had strong arms and legs, all carrying spears or bows, with humble but clean woolen tunics, small breasts and narrow waists

They were strong women, warriors accustomed to ruthless conditions, with thin bodies designed to be agile...

And little by little, an idea began to take shape in the queen's mind

"Come with me Davos," Rhaella ordered, as she walked to where the soldiers and warrior women were

Seeing the queen, all the soldiers took position and bowed their heads as a sign of respect

"Queen Rhaella," said one, stepping forward and placing his arm on his chest

"Captain Rikker," said the monarch, smiling softly and observing the women, who looked at her without hostility, but not with that groveling so common at court

A breath of fresh air

"I see you didn't waste your time in the north, captain," said the queen with amusement, walking towards the woman behind her, evidently northern, carrying a steel spear, with black hair and blue eyes, a strong and fierce bearing, but retaining a certain femininity

A warrior to the core, thought the queen

“What's your name?” she asked simply, keeping the woman's gaze, who returned it with approval

"I'm Yala, you're Chief Aerys's woman, right?" she asked, there was a certain courtesy, but the woman's voice lacked the usual reverence and respect

With a proud smile, Rhaella smiled and said

"I am, I see that you are familiar with my husband," said the queen

Yala nodded quickly, her face now lit up with a proud smile

"Chief Aerys is strong, a skilled commander and a great warrior, he guided us with wisdom and strength through the enchanted forest, he gave us shelter, food and gave us men to fuck, a great chief, Aerys the Dragon" said the woman, making Rhaella smile

Aerys the Dragon, mmmmm Mommy liked that nickname, thought the queen with lust

"We agree on that," said Rhaella, staring at the spear she was carrying

"Can I see it?" she asked politely, making the woman nod in confusion and handing the spear to Rhaella, who took it with both hands

It was... surprisingly light, she knew nothing about weapons, only that balance was important, her hands were gripping the wood tightly

For a moment, she imagines what it would feel like handling it, having the dexterity necessary to use this tool to kill

Although Thought quickly left her, Rhaella was a queen, not a soldier, she rode dragons, not spear-wielding horses

However, ...

"Are you good with this Yala?" asked the queen, drawing the attention of the guards, Davos and the Spear wives themselves

In surprise, Yala nodded slowly, not understanding the reason for the question

Rhaella nodded with a smile and returned the spear, and then looked at Captain Rikker and ordered

"Captain, fight her, nothing lethal, I just want to see her skill in person," Rhaella ordered, causing whispers to begin to ring around the castle courtyard

Yala, confused, but unwilling to look like a coward, took the spear and stood in front of her husband

"I promise to be soft on you, you had enough in the North, my love" Yala said, drawing laughter from the soldiers and warriors alike

"Begin," ordered the queen, looking curiously at the dance, not sure what to expect

Yala and Rikker began to fight, and apparently, Rhaella's expectations had been exceeded

Yala was skilled, fast and lethal, dodging Rikker's attacks with ease, of course, it was quite possible that the knight would hold back when fighting the woman, but that did not detract from the skill of the northerner

The queen watched the fight for several minutes, averting her eyes to the rest of the women, half a hundred of them, it seemed, all as skilled as Yala

And he made his decision

"Enough," she ordered, causing both of them to stop and look at her

"Yala, you and the rest of the spear wives belong to my husband's clan, right?"  Rhaella asked

The northerner, confused, simply nodded

Rhaella continued to stare at the spear, until, nodding to herself, she began to give orders

Like the queen she was

"Davos, be a Dear and call Lord Sunderland please, I want to speak to him," ordered the queen, her face cold and her graceful demeanor

The sailor nodded and ran to obey, while Rhaella watched around, her husband's soldiers took the important positions within the fortress, towers, battlements and barracks, while the Sunderland soldiers would be relocated to work on the docks, which were being rebuilt

There was discontent, but the queen didn't care to be honest, the days of Rhaella Targaryen bowing her head were over

Sometime later, Lord Sunderland appeared, prostrating himself at Rhaella's feet, as was proper

"Your grace, did you call me?" asked the man who, since the queen's arrival, had done everything to please her

To be honest, his situation was sad, the man had sent messages to Tywin, with a more than decent plan, to request funds from the crown to develop a port and make his islands prosperous

However, the stupidity of his heir truncated that plan, as well as the honor of the Sunderlands

Something the Lord was trying to remedy, Rhaella had to give credit to him for that

"I have news of my husband My Lord, by order of King Aerys Targaryen, I have the full power to dispense justice to your son, tomorrow morning he will be castrated and sent to the Wall, as I promised, he will keep his life, but not his title or his manhood," said the queen, starting whispers around the place, both good and bad

Lord Sunderland grimaced at the punishment, but simply sighed and nodded

"I understand your grace, thank you for showing compassion," the man said

"However..." interrupted Rhaella, walking around the still kneeling Lord

"I already have in mind the repairs that House Sunderland will give to House Targaryen," said the queen, at the same time that Aeranax landed on the castle wall

“What...What are the terms your grace?” asked the terrified man, staring at the imposing jet-scaled being

The queen did not answer, she simply walked towards Yala, who was looking at her curiously

"Fifty steel armor, with fifty red cloaks, embroidered with the dragon of the royal house, of course, as well as fifty shields and fifty spears from my new personal guard," Rhaella ordered staring at Yala, who simply raised both eyebrows, surprise more than evident on her face

"Tailored, of course," added the queen, looking at Lord Sunderland grimacing at the amount of gold it would cost him to arm fifty people

After all, they weren't particularly wealthy

"As her grace orders, it shall be made," said the Lord, sighing heavily, but accepting the punishment

Rhaella nodded with an elegant smile, before focusing on the northerners

"My husband saw potential in you, and I can see it too, you serve my husband's clan, so you will serve me as well," said the queen, her voice as sharp as steel, as Aeranax came down from the wall, standing behind her

An effective intimidation tactic in his opinion 

Yala looked up at the towering being, before focusing her gaze on Rhaella's amethyst orbs

"We don't kneel, your husband doesn't demand it of us," Yala said, drawing laughter from the soldiers, more than accustomed to the temperament of women

Rhaella, amused, replied

"I don't care if your knees touch the ground every time you see me, but loyalty... that's another thing entirely, if you betray me, or my husband, I'll make sure that Aeranax uses your bones to clean his teeth of what's left of your flesh," the queen promised, as the imposing beast showed its sharp teeth

Yala, evidently nervous, simply nodded

"Our spears are for the dragon clan, if the respect is mutual, our loyalty will be unwavering," Yala swore, while the rest of the Spear wives nodded determinedly

Rhaella nodded with a smile

"Perfect, then shall we go in? We have a lot to do," said the queen, although it was clear that it was an order

And when a dragon speaks...

The whole world obeys

When she finished reforming these islands, they would hardly be recognizable, Rhaella would be in charge of making all the changes around here, making the place prosperous and useful to the kingdom

One way or another

Daena Blackfyre, Pentos

"More tea, my dear?" asked Daena, looking at the now widow of the prince

"Yes, please," said the beautiful woman, who, for years, suffered infidelity and humiliation from her late husband

Daena smiled and crossed one of her elegant legs, while looking at the widow carefully

She was beautiful, a slender figure, cinnamon skin and curly hair, a spectacular woman

And all hers, thought the Black Queen

"My soldiers moved my belongings to your palace, the next council meeting is tomorrow morning, do you know what subject they want to discuss?" Daena asked, wishing she was ready

The princess nodded

"Yes, Tywin Lannister sent an emissary, wishing to strengthen relations with the city, apparently, Aerys Targaryen wants to expand his trade routes and wants to do business with Pentos, it was the only thing my husband was talking about, apparently, the monarch's visit was scheduled for next year," confessed the former princess, while enjoying her wine

Daena kept silent, it was a good opportunity, to use the Targaryens to enrich herself, to gain the trust of the monarch, if it was the real Aerys, Daena would have no problem reaching some kind of agreement, after all, he was her father

Dany's father...

Daena, Daenerys, at this point it didn't matter, R'hllor had offered her a deal, a second chance...

And the breaker of chains would not waste it

"About your other request, the priestess Kinvara agreed to enter your service, she will arrive from Volantis in two moons," said the widow, showing the letter to an evidently pleased Daena

"Excellent," Dany said, looking at the widow from head to toe

"As we agreed Karlia, you will be named as my Hand, your word in the city will be law, only below mine," said the queen, as she began to caress the beautiful woman's leg, making her shudder

"Tomorrow we'll talk about what we're going to do with Aerys Targaryen, tonight...I will claim this as mine," he said with amusement, as he inserted his hand into Karlia's crotch, who could only moan and roll her eyes with desire

Daena smiled, the game of thrones just beginning, and she would make her treacherous nephew pay

One way or another...