All You Need Is Guts Chapter 4 (ASOIAF x Berserk) (Patreon)

Rhaenrya

Rhaenrya spent a fair few minutes hugging her father, she knew that men having bastards was not uncommon and by all accounts, her father’s bastard was born before he was married to her mother but she couldn’t stop feeling angry on behalf of her mother who had tried so hard to give the king the son he always wanted, the son the realm wanted.

“Rhaenrya” the way her father softly called her name just like when she was a child made her think of better days. Rhaerya let her father go and moved to stand beside her uncle.

“Niece” there was something in Daemon’s voice that sent tingles down her spine and she was sure that her uncle knew that by the way his smile widened.

One day she would have Daemon Targaryen on his knees worshipping her.

The bastard kept silent as he watched her reunion with her family. ‘At least he has some manners or enough sense not to speak in front of me’ Rhaenrya thought as she approached her uncle to hug him.

While in Daemon’s embrace her uncle whispered to her in Valyrian “Your eyes haven’t left the figure of your brother out of sight for even a moment, will I be replaced as your favorite relative” there was some playfulness in his tone but it was undercut by a faint tone of jealousy that made Rhaenrya’s stomach flutter.

Not trusting her voice Rhaenrya simply shook her head and enjoyed the moment.

Sadly like all good things it had to end, a not-so-subtle call for attention from her father made her turn back to him, for the first time she actually bothered to look properly at his bastard and he cut a much more impressive figure than when he was laying in bed, he was handsome but the lack of an eye and the bland expression on his face wouldn’t help him with the ladies.

“You’ve met Baelon before, but he was asleep from what I was told” it didn’t take her long to figure out what her father wanted and while she wasn’t too happy about it Rhaerya would rather hug the bastard rather than one of Alicent’s children.

She approached Baelon and she noticed that he was very tall a fair bit more than her uncle and he had her father’s build or rather the build he would have had if her father had spent his life training in the yard. Rhaenrya heard Daemon laugh behind her as she hugged Baelon and she supposed it would look humorous because there was a sizable height difference, the bastard tentatively returned the hug back and while she wouldn’t admit it to anyone Rhaenrya found herself appreciating the muscles that her brother had.

Rhaenrya looked up at his face and almost laughed at the way he was smiling, it looked as if her brother had never smiled before, his remaining eye was deep amethyst color almost the same as her own and while most of his hair was dark there was a very large streak of it that was a mirror to her own hair.

She let Baelon go and decided that perhaps he wasn’t so bad, he was a bit quiet, but he looked a lot like her father. If he proclaimed in favor of her over the infant Aegon she would forgive him. With her course of action decided she went to stand beside Daemon.

“I think Baelon was scared for his life there, dear niece, for a man that has fought two dragons and survived he sure seems scared of women” Daemon spoke in Valyrian out loud and this time even her father laughed at his jape.

Her father noticed the confused look on Baelon’s face and patted his shoulder as he spoke “That was Valyrian, the tongue of our ancestors, you will have to learn it but I’m sure that you won’t have trouble with it.”

Her father sighed before continuing “Daemon, I know that you’re fighting on the Stepstones and I’ve decided to support your efforts to conquer the islands, we will talk about the details of trade later. I will send ships to help Lord Velaryon and in exchange, I would like for you to stay a moon here in Dragonstone in case another dragon approaches the town”

“Not worried about the Cannibal then?” Daemon then noticed her father’s stare and let out an “ah!”

“You certainly are your father’s son Baelon, only the son of the rider of the Black Dread could tame a dragon as wild as the Cannibal” that was certainly impressive as the Cannibal was larger than Caraxes but not as big as Vhagar from all account he was close to Rhaenys’s red queen.

“I don’t want it” Baelon grumbled, it was a shame as he had a pleasant voice but then her mind realized what he had just said.

“What?!” she looked at her uncle and smiled when she realized they had said it simultaneously.

“Surely you jest nephew, having a dragon…having a dragon is the best thing that can happen to you!” Daemon looked almost offended at the idea of anyone rejecting a dragon.

“Peace Daemon, he is grieving, it hasn’t been long since his mother passed because of a young dragon” her father’s eyes held a deep sadness that reminded her of the times when her mother was mentioned.

“Forgive me, I didn’t know. If you ever feel like drowning your sorrows, I would like to accompany you with a drink and hear about how you lived with her” Daemon had certainly become more diplomatic, or perhaps he simply was being polite because of her father.

“That’s very kind of you Daemon” The smile on her uncle’s face confirmed her suspicions, he definitely was doing it to please her father.

“I have a question brother, will you proclaim Baelon to be your son? I can’t quite remember if any king before you has accepted a… a natural-born son into their household” Daemon had a point there and Rhaenrya doubted that the more pious houses would be so accepting of a bastard but she would pay her own weight in gold dragons to see Alicent’s face when her father announced it to the realm.

“Of course! He is my son, and they will know that the Cannibal is his mount, after that, I’m sure that there will be no objections”

“A dragon would help in shutting up the Lords of the realm” Daemon said pointedly to Baelon who sighed in response.

“I will think about it”

______________________________

Otto Hightower

The gods were surely punishing Otto for some unseen offense, what else would explain the king’s decision to allow Daemon to return to the Seven Kingdoms and the decision to help pacify the Stepstones. And now that pig of a prince was making sure to poison the king’s bastard son against his family,

Otto was sure of it! Daemon was a hateful creature and bastard or not Baelon posed a threat to Daemon’s position and to his ambitions toward the Iron Throne. Otto had sent several messages to his brother asking for some maidens from their house so that they could seduce the bastard, he could have sent for some of his vassal’s daughters but that would just be giving another house the power of the Cannibal.

Dragons ruled the land and as long as his house didn’t have one then they were at a disadvantage, as much as it galled him to do anything of the sort, it would be prudent to contact house Velaryon, Corlys would have him beg but as long as he got a dragon out of it, Otto would swallow his pride.

A match between Aegon and Laena wouldn’t be a bad one and it would ensure that Corlys supported the boy’s claim and it was better than waiting to see if Viserys changed his mind in regards to a match between Aegon and Rhaenrya. The fact that the Velaryon girl was closer in age to Aegon even if it was just a few years certainly helped.

The roaring of dragons in the distance took Otto out of his thoughts, Daemon was surely taking the bastard to claim the Cannibal. Otto shuddered as he remembered the face of the beast, it was as close as he would ever go to a dragon, and if he never saw another one directly then all the better.

____________________________________________

Daemon

Daemon didn’t know what to think about his brother’s bastard the lad was a beast of a man and from what his brother told him he was also the most dangerous man in Westeros, but any man that can kill a dragon even if it was just a ten-year-old dragon deserved the title, Daemon had heard from his father when he was young that even a knight in full armor would have trouble with a one-year-old dragon as from that age they were capable of burning a man to death.

Caraxes rumbled beneath him to announce their arrival at the foot of the mountain, Daemon turned to watch the face of his nephew who looked as if being at this height meant nothing to him. Even if his hair was a bit off Baelon had the makings of a true dragonlord.

“You know Baelon, my father was also named Baelon, Baelon the brave and I’m glad that you also carry yourself without fear. Even if you were born out of wedlock I think that my father would have liked you” Daemon smiled kindly at his nephew as he remembered the days he spent with his father.

Daemon loved his family, or rather the people that he considered family. Many would accuse him of desiring the Iron Throne but they thought it was for vanity or personal glory that he wanted it, the truth was far more simple, the throne was a curse that killed any Targaryen not strong enough to seat in it and his brother was suffering it’s effects already.

Viserys had lost a finger and from what the maester told him he also had some large cut on his back that refused to heal, if things continued like this Viserys would die. The thought of his brother passing in such an ignoble way made his chest hurt.

Daemon didn’t want to be the last of his generation of Targaryens, he didn’t want to lose his brother before presenting a son to him…a son that he would make with a woman he loved, Daemon would rather die than have a son with the bronze bitch of Vale. That was also a sore spot that could be fixed if Daemon was the one in power, he knew that Viserys didn’t annul the marriage because it had been an idea given to him by Aema.

Daemon shook his head before his thoughts lead him to a bad place, it was better not to dwell on such things, Daemon would deal with his bronze bitch in time. Right now it was better to remain focused on what was important and that was to get his nephew as close to the Cannibal’s hunting grounds as possible.

“What can you tell me about the Cannibal?” Baelon asked as they started to land, it was not an unusual question, and perhaps if he told Baelon about the dragon he could tell him why the Cannibal chose him.

“He is an old dragon, older than even my grandfather. Of the wild dragons that live on the island, he is the largest and has a foul temperament. The Cannibal eats young dragons, hatchlings, and dragon eggs he finds hence his name.” Daemon thought of what else he knew about the wild dragon and then remembered something “The Cannibal is one of the few dragons alive that lived on the island with the largest dragon ever recorded Balerion the black dread”

“Balerion,” his nephew said almost tasting the word “was he aggressive?”

“Oh yes, he was a willful beast that no other dragon would dare to challenge. His size alone could intimidate any creature alive and his fire was so hot that it came out black instead of red, many believe that it was from him that most of the dragons that live or have lived in the dragonmont are descended from him”

“I understand now,” Baelon said as he nodded once “I know why he kills other dragons with such fervor, apart from growing accustomed to eating such large prey I think the Cannibal fears the birth of another dragon like Balerion. He is simply a survivor ensuring that he won’t ever be powerless again”

It was so simple, Daemon almost hit his face with his palm. The Cannibal was actively ensuring that there wouldn’t be another dragon that could challenge him and what better rider for a dragon like him than a man that has killed a dragon on his own? Baelon was indeed the perfect choice.

Many would scoff at the thought, like Otto, the reaching Hightower believed the dragons to be nothing more than unintelligent beasts but Daemon was sure that Caraxes was smarter than the Hand of the King or at least more cunning.

Dragons were magic and they were smart enough to choose their rider, there were some sources from ancient Valyria that went as far as to claim that the bond between dragon and rider made the dragon smarter and the rider more dragon-like.

“The Cannibal has made a nest on the eastern side of the volcano; you will have to approach him alone. I don’t think he would like me to be there and I mean no offense to your character but I don’t trust him not to eat me or not to attack Caraxes” Baelon smiled at him and Daemon vowed to make him laugh one day as his nephew’s smile looked almost painful on his face “One last thing from a man to another, be careful once you mount him or else you will find yourself for a painful ride as the spikes on his back poke things that shouldn’t be poked”

Daemon saw his bastard nephew walk toward his destiny and decided that perhaps he would like a bastard of his own. Not only would that give him more family but it would also help him in separating from his bronze bitch, Viserys wouldn’t let him rot in a marriage with a barren woman.

Now he only needed a good Valyrian woman to have his child but there were plenty of those in Essos and as much as he would like to have Laena the lass was his friend’s child and he wouldn’t disrespect Corlys like that. He wasn’t that bad of a friend.