Burning Love: Daemon Targaryen x Laena Velaryon

Certainty|2|

"So I said to him, Well, I believe you might be looking up the wrong end." Viserys joked, slapping the table, as there was a round of laughter at the king's joke before they got back to the business of the realm.

"My lords, the growing alliance among the free cities has taken to styling itself. The Triarchy has massed on Bloodstone and is presently ridding the Stepstones of its pirate infestation." Lord Corlys informed the council, wishing for the matter to be already done with as he messed with the marbled ball on the table in front of his seat on the council.

"Well, that sounds suspiciously like good news, Lord Corlys." King Viserys told him happily as he munched on some peanuts.

"A man called Craghas Drahar has styled himself the prince admiral of this triarchy; they call him The Crabfeeder due to his incentive methods of punishing the enemies," he said, leaning back and trying to get the point across.

"Are we meant to weep for dead pirates?" Visery asks in disbelief: What was the point? They are pirates—people who he did not even rule over—men who thought they could just travel and steal while they attempted to find treasure.

"No, your Grace," Lord Corlys said as Rhaenyra entered the room and walked to her father, hands clasped behind her back.

"Rhaenyra, you are late. The king's cupbearer must not be late; it leaves people for their cups." Viserys mused, smirking as his daughter rolled her eyes.

"I was visiting Mother," she replied, leaning down and kissing his cheek, but the king smelled smoke.

"On dragon back?" He questioned her, amused at her lie.

"I rode Syrax before visiting her," was all she said, making him hum.

"Where is your sister? She was going to visit your mother before coming here," Viserys asked, making her sigh agitated. 'Why do I have to know her whereabouts? She is not my responsibility, she thought.'

"I am unsure, Father; she was not there when I was; perhaps she didn't want to come," she lied, wishing to get her sister in trouble.

Viserys made a confused face. His youngest was always wanting to join in on the council meetings; she loved to be a part of it all. She started coming to them when she was only five years old. She would perch herself on his or Otto's lap and listen to the men talk.

But before he could say anything, the doors opened, catching all of their attention.

"Princess Marcella," the guard announced as she entered the room and gave a deep curtsy to them, a sign of respect. Even if she was the princess and did not need to bow to the lords, she still did.

"Your Grace, My Lords I apologize for being late and disrupting your meeting. The queen and I were speaking," she said before walking towards her father.

"All is alright, my dear. Did you enjoy your time in Flea Bottom?" Visery asked as she kissed his cheek.

"Yes, I did," Marcella said. "Please continue," she said, grabbing a vase of wine, and she began topping the glasses after seeing her sister was not filling the cups and most were empty.

"Your grace at Prince Daemons urging the crown to invest significant capital, and with the retraining and reequipping of his City Watch, I thought you might urge your brother to fill his seat on the council and provide an assessment of his progress as commander of the watch," Lyman Beesbury told him, as well as the rest of the council, making Marcellas perk up slightly upon hearing Daemons name.

"Do you think Daemon is distracted by his present tasks? And that his thoughts and energies are occupied?" Viserys was questioned; he thought giving his brother the job would keep him occupied, so he didn't have time to cause havoc.

"Well, one would hope so, considering associated costs," Lord Bessbury told the king, feeling as if his gold was not being put to good use.

"Then let us all consider your well-invested gold, Lord Beesbury," Viserys said, trying to sweep the matter under the rug, but Lord Beesbury was not ok with that; it needed to be dealt with.

"I would urge that you do not allow this triarchy much latitude in the Stepstones." Coryls intervened, catching their attention as he placed his hand over his glass letter the Marcella know he didn't wish for wine making her nod and move onto the next lord.

"Why are the stepstones such a big deal?" Tyland Lannister asked, leaning back, annoyed at the subject.

"The stepstones are right in the way of our ports and shipping lanes. If the shipping lanes should fall, it will beggar our ports and risk killing hundreds. We get many of our things through the shipping lanes from other kingdoms: blankets, fabrics, grains, and many other things we rely on, especially in winter. If our ports fall, we will have many more issues to deal issues we don't have the resources to fix Ser Tyland," Marcella replied without a second thought as she looked over the document Lord Coryls handed her, which was a report on what was seen in the stepstones.

"And the constant damage this Crab King and his men are doing will be the fall of House Velaryon, the house that supplies our ships and ports, protects them" she added, looking at the sea snake worriedly.

"Very good, sweetheart. The crown has heard your report, Lord Corlys, and takes it under serious advisement. I will send out scouts to get a thorough and detailed assessment," Viserys told him, making him nod.

"Thank you, your grace," Coryls said, nodding while smiling at the young princess, knowing the only reason the king now cared was because of her.

"Shall we discuss the Heirs Tournament, your grace?" Otto asked the king, wanting to change the atmosphere.

"I would be delighted," Viserys states happily. "Will the Maester name day prediction hold Mellos?"

"You must understand that these things have all been poring over the moon charts, and we feel our forecast is as accurate as it can be," Mellos told him.

"The cost of the tournament is not negligible; perhaps we might delay until the child is on hand," said a lord.

"Most of the lords and knights are certainly on their way to the kings landing already to turn them back now...

"The tourney. It will take the better part of a week. Before the games are over, my son will be born, and the whole realm will celebrate." Viserys said with much certainty

"We have no way of predicting the sex of the child," the grand maester Mellos reminded the king.

"Of course, no maesters are capable of rendering an opinion free of conditions, are they now? There's a boy in the queen's belly; I know it, and my heir will soon put all this damnable handwriting to rest himself." Viserys declared

"You have an heir your brother Prince Daemon; my mother's health is much more important than a son," Marcella snapped, slamming the jug of wine down, shocking many as they looked at her.

"Marcella," Viserys said, reaching for her arm, but she just shook her head and left the room.

"What a child!" Rhaenyra muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Rhaenyra don't" Viserys warned