Fire and Blood

Chapter 129: Filler Arc ― The Shepherd

King's Landing ― Eel Alley...

Aegon, still grieving over the death of his twin, had been regularly frequenting taverns in an attempt to numb his pain with ale. He took hold of yet another mug, raised it to his mouth, and took a long sip. Feeling the comforting warmth of the liquid as it slid down his throat, Aegon, though slightly inebriated, caught wind of a rising clamor outside. It was coming from the alleyway next to the tavern. Aegon's initial instinct was to ignore it and continue drowning his sorrows in his drink. Still, he quickly grew increasingly annoyed and struggled to stand up and compose himself, his mind foggy from the alcohol. As Aegon stumbled towards the door, the noise grew louder and more chaotic. He pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered outside the tavern, his mind still foggy from the alcohol. A group of rowdy men were causing a scene, shouting and shoving each other in the street.

"Monsters! The monsters dwell up there!"

"Madman! Delusional madmen plague our streets! They threaten our way of life!"

"Demons summoned from the pits of the seven hells by the fell sorceries of Valyria!"

"Monsters!"

"Demons!"

"Agents of blasphemous heathens roam the streets, watching our every move, preaching their godless idols, taking our children off the street, and punishing us for speaking the truth!"

"Aeonar the Cruel!"

"Aeonar the Deceiver!"

The noise was already causing Aegon a throbbing headache, but he was still alert enough to understand what the group of smallfolk was talking about. Their eyes showed fear and panic, but most importantly, fanaticism steadily increased. Amidst the chaos, he could hear the earnest preaching of zealots, taking advantage of the rumors swirling about his father, King Aeonar Targaryen's cruelty and madness. The smallfolk were becoming increasingly agitated, their fear fueling the flames of fanaticism as they sought solace in their faith in the face of uncertainty and turmoil within the city. The streets were filled with shouting and chanting as the small mob worked themselves into a frenzy, their eyes wild with hunger.

"There! Look at it!" a deranged old man exclaimed, pointing at Aegon. "From that vile cesspit where brother lay with sister and mother with son, where men rode demons into battle whilst their women spread their legs for dogs!" The thin man was like a bare scarecrow man, closely resembling a walking corpse than a living being, wore a hair shirt with roughspun breeches, had a stump where his left hand originally was, and hung a begging bowl about his neck. Whatever he was, the old man appeared to be an itinerant brother of the Faith of the Seven, but the way he preached sounded deranged and perverted to the Faith's tenants. "Abominations, bastards born of incest! A sin to the Faith and a curse to this world! Every breath these abominations born from their mother's womb take is an offense to the most holy!"

Despite his intoxicated state, Aegon felt a surging anger rise within him. Not only was this feeble old man calling him an abomination―his brothers and sister-wife―but his mother, the queen, a whore, really pissed him off. The faces of Viserys and Daeron flashed before his mind, intensifying his already grief-stricken fury, which made it worse. "You will... take those words back, old man," his voice slurred but filled with venom, struggling to stay upright by holding onto a nearby chair. The alcohol coursing through his veins only served to encourage him, and he felt a reckless impulse to confront the insane preacher and demand an apology. Aegon's vision blurred as he staggered towards him, his fists clenched and his heart pounding with indignation.

The old beggar, however, seemed unfazed by Aegon's warning, continuing his deranged preaching. "The Targaryens had escaped the Doom, fleeing across the seas, and now a second doom was at hand!" he thundered. "The gods revile dragons! They are demons from godless Valyria, brought to destroy us! The false and deceptive kings shall be cast down with all their works, and their demon beasts shall perish from the earth!"