The Pyre for a hero

Never the same

Shaera entered the council room to see Aegon by himself. She could tell that he found little enjoyment in anything as of late.

"How are you feeling about all of this?",

"I do not-".

"You have lost the most, I fear it may never get better but I wish to know how you feel about being king and taking on this burden",

"I am not sure how to feel. I never wanted to be king, ruling never appeared to me because Jace was supposed to take over after my mother reigned as queen for years to come".

"That is understandable and it is admirable that you have chosen this life for yourself",

"Does not feel very admirable".

"You have kept your strength and become king to fix what should never have happened. The dragons should never have died and neither should our kin",

"What good is being king if I can't use the title to help the people I love because I have lost them already?".

"Being king is having the most power but usually no-one to share it with. Might i ask you something?",

"Yes?".

"How is it that you know so much about being king when you were never taught any of the responsibilities?",

"When I was captured, I could hear him giving orders. He may have been a usurper but some thought him to be a king",

"I understand but you are not like him. He was a drunken fool and you are extraordinary just like your mother".

The other council members all filled into the room. Shaera sat in yet another council meeting, she sighed listening to all the men who think themselves better than they actually are.

"The matter is of great importance, we simply do not have the coin to rebuild what was lost of the realm",

"I shall be resigning as hand of the king after today, I am to return to Winterfell but I leave behind a sum of my men to help get the realm back to what it once was and I advise his grace to appoint regents until he is of age". Cregan announced.

"Very well, I shall appoint seven regents. I thank you for your loyalty and services Lord Stark".

~
After consideration, Aegon decided who his regents would be and proclaimed them to the member of his council.

"I have selected my six regents. I choose, Lady Jeyne Arryn, Lord Royce Caron, Ser Torrhen Manderly, Lord Manfryd Mooton, Grand maester Munkun, Lord Roland Westerling".

Unbeknownst to him, only grand maester Munkun would serve the full term. Aegon wanted to name Shaera and Daemon regents but he knew they desired to go back to Dragonstone.

~
The horrid winter arrived. Shaera, Daemon and their children stayed in the red keep to wait out the cursed weather. Many cold nights and days of wrapping in furs and various layers to keep out the chill. Luckily, the harsh winter ended a year later. The snow melted and the wind seized, the regular heat of King's Landing returned.

Another year following the end of the winter was when Daemon and Shaera decided to go live on Dragonstone once more after a royal wedding.

Aegon had now become of age and so he dismissed his regents, he would rule as the king with a new queen by his side. Aegon was to wed Visenya, they had grown close over the time of them living in the Red keep. Shaera had delayed going to Dragonstone until Aegon was of age but now she knew he could succeed but she worried for him. Aegon was not the same, he stopped speaking unless on some occasions and he often looked at things with no interest. His child like wonder and naivety had been robbed and left a hollow shell of a man as he grew older. Visenya brought out a new feeling in him, she stopped his suffering when she encouraged a new sense of joy in him. They were wed on Visenya's Hill in the great Sept of Baelor. Shaera watched with pride whilst Daemon had a sour look on his face, he always hated the thought of his daughters getting married and now it happened.