Bringing the Dawn

XLIII.

Jaeron Targaryen

The Northern Camp outside Ashemark, 300AC

A little relief was upon him now. Not much, but it was something. Looking around the camp they had set up outside Ashemark. It had been a brash move; one he had been hesitant to make himself considering the location of said castle. When he'd started his campaign, he hadn't wanted to venture much into the Lion's Den, but what else could they do? Well, an answer for that had arrived from Elissa. Technically two answers were given. One that he was considering, and the other an opening that had appeared.

Jaeron had heard little of Renly Baratheon other than he had the largest army and had taken the golden rose of the Reach to wife. A woman in which if the rumours were true regarding him partaking in buggery would not bare him a son. Something which he would need to secure his line otherwise it would fall to Stannis, Shireen, or Edric. They'd received a response from the Florent's in relation to that, in trying to reign in at least a portion of said House. Politely receiving a raven that they could not side with him due to one of their own being wed to Stannis.

Not that he'd expected much more, but it meant word was now out in the Reach. From the conversations through Elissa, her eagle, and Catelyn, he knew that it had either not gotten out in the armies, or no one was speaking about it. Hence him now drafting a raven for Lord Willas. Whilst his father was Lord Paramount of the Reach, many people surrounding him said that Mace Tyrell was an idiot at best and an embarrassment at worst. The Greatjon even going so far as to mimic a peacock, something which had gotten them all laughing in amusement. He had to put an end to it though, knowing it would not make him look good to mock people who may potentially bow to him.

Renly had taken ten thousand men with him to ride for Storm's End.

Ten thousand, out of sixty thousand.

When Arthur had found out, he had simply squeezed his nose tight. It didn't take a genius to figure out there was a massively wasted opportunity for the Baratheon. Not that he was going to complain. With a lost opportunity for one player, it opened an opportunity for another. And he'd be damned if he wasn't going to seize it. There was only one issue with it though, that he'd sent a raven to Prince Doran apologising profusely for his threat so many months before and as an apology offering Sansa to be betrothed to his eldest son, him being the first person outside of the small circle to know of the Pact. And he had accepted. Meaning there weren't many options left.

He hated bartering away his siblings like this, especially considering he still had no idea where Sansa was. The only good thing that came out of it was that he would be able to lengthen the betrothal and by extension, keep Dorne somewhat on his side.

"Fuck sake, Jon, just offer yourself."

"I can't, Robb. Margaery is wed to Renly- "

"Do you honestly think with that dumb move he made by taking a fraction of his men with him that he's going to survive this much longer?"

That shut him up, knowing Robb had made a good point. It was a match he had been eyeing for a long time himself but had ended up waiting too long and someone had snatched the prize from under his feet.

"It's either yourself or Rickon. But I can't see them accepting a betrothal with a third son, that would be an insult. Unless you were to offer him to a Redwyne or something similar. Alternatively, as much as I hate to say it, there is also my mother- "

"No. Whilst your mother and I are at an understanding and maybe beginning to like each other, I will not betroth her to someone. If she wishes to do so further down the line I won't stop it. She has recently been widowed, Robb. She might not have known father when they wed and spent the first year of marriage apart, look me in the eye and tell me they didn't love one another deeply by the end."