Blood Upon The Snow ||| Cregan Stark

thirty-five

The developments came swiftly after the Butcher's Ball.

Prince Maelor had been killed by a mob of Rhaenyra's supporters. The boy was only 3. Too young for how he died.

No one told Helaena. They couldn't. It would only send her further into her spiral. It was better she didn't know at all.

Prince Daeron, however, burned Bitterbridge for it. That was a bit of a wake-up call for Rhaenyra in King's Landing. That army was marching for King's Landing and had to be dealt with. He still had his dragon.

They were residing in Tumbleton.

Rhaenyra sent two of her dragonseeds to deal with it. The riders of Silverwing and Vermithor. Fitting dragons to deal with Tessarion. She wouldn't risk Cannibal and Jacaera if it was another surprise fight.

Two dragons were sent and three dragons would stay to defend King's Landing.

Jacaera, when she wasn't attending small council meetings, flew Cannibal around King's Landing to keep watch. It made her feel somewhat important, like she was helping to keep the city safe.

Even though Addam did the same, stayed by the pit in case of an attack, she still liked to take Cannibal around.

He wasn't allowed to stay in the pit, though. They feared he would attack and eat the smaller dragons, the ones meant for Aegon's children. So instead, he resided outside the pit, where Vhagar had rested.

Another very important thing she did was gain rapport with the smallfolk.

Jacaera had long held the title of the Realm's Beauty. Maybe it was the uniqueness of her features, the blend of the different coloured eyes, the look of both her mother and her father. Whatever it was, people thought she was magnificent.

Many weren't happy with the constant war. The taxes, lack of supplies and imports. Jacaera spent time trying to build a good foundation with the smallfolk. They were more important than many tended to recognize.

If all of King's Landing turned into a mob, even dragons wouldn't be able to save them before they were killed. Jacaera needed the people to trust she would be a good Queen for them. Needed them to support her when the time came for it. Put a bit more of an effort in than even her own mother had.

Her effort did not go unnoticed.

The Green supporters called her the "good" apple in a bad bunch. She wasn't really a bastard, she had the hair! Besides, she was married to the wolf of the North. Would Cregan Stark really marry a bastard?

The Black supporters tended to support her because of Rhaenyra anyway. But they liked her bite. A leader should be on the battlefield.

It was halfway through the time Rhaenyra would sit the Throne that they reached a high point.

After, things would begin to deteriorate.

Aemond continued to strike in the Riverlands. Day after day, Sheepstealer and Caraxes would search for Vhagar. And day after day, they would remain unsuccessful.

After the high for Rhaenyra in the war, things started to get very low very quickly. Deception and whispers were what brought the Blacks to their knees.