𝐒𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍 ( 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. )

chapter two.

( ACT II; age of the dragon. )
⟵ ◊ ⟶
chapter 2: a cask of wine to kill some time.

THE evening following the visit to the Unsullied barracks, Vaegon and Selmy sat at a small table on the ship's upper deck to catch up on life's events. The Targaryen brought out a cask of fine wine that had been seized from Xaro's villa for the occasion, and the two of them worked their way through one chalice at a time.

By the time the sun disappeared over the horizon and the stars began to appear, they had grown fairly drunk and in high spirits.

"Tomorrow—," Vaegon said just as he finished the last bit of the contents of his chalice. As he moved to fill his chalice again, he said, "I plan to gain the Unsullied as my army."

"They are slaves, Your Grace. The people of the Realm will find that vile in itself. Ultimately, I cannot make decisions on your behalf. You are the king, after all," Selmy agreed, pointing a finger with the same hand that held his chalice. "I already have faith you will rule the Seven Kingdoms better than Joffrey."

The knight was not wrong. Slavery in Westeros had been banned even before the Conqueror united the Realm. Despite all this, Vaegon did not have a choice regarding which army he would use to regain the throne. He was lucky enough as is.

"Tell me of this boy king," Vaegon chuckled with a grin as he sipped. "I hear many things, but you or anyone else should be able to tell me the best details."

Selmy shrugged as he seemed to think of what to say. "He is a wretched boy for his age. It seems arrogant, twisted, and dangerous. A child who enjoys the pain and suffering of others. If anything, I would say his mother is the one swaying his decisions. That woman has always been a sly one."

Vaegon had heard only a few things about the queen of Robert Baratheon, whom he'd taken as his wife shortly after the Rebellion. She was a woman of golden beauty who hailed from the rich house of Lannister. Beyond that, he didn't know much.

"Whispers of infidelity have traveled through the Red Keep as well," Selmy went on. "That Joffrey and his three siblings are products of incest between the dowager queen and her knight brother, Jaime."

Vaegon raised a brow in surprise, yet the thought of siblings loving one another had never quite been an issue in his mind. His family had always done it, yet their Valyrian blood seemed to be the excuse. He didn't know what the Lannisters could claim.

"My, my, it seems these Houses have all these secrets," Vaegon remarked as he took a drink. "There is always something to talk about."

"Oh, there is. As problematic as the Lannisters are, I truly feel for all those who remain in the Red Keep's service, chiefly the royals' servants. Especially Princess Malkyn's handmaiden." Selmy's expression faltered into a grimace.

"What makes her so special?" Vaegon asked. "Isn't she just a servant like all the others?"

"I'm afraid not," Selmy told him grimly. He leaned back against his chair and sighed. "Raina Snow, the bastard daughter of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. The poor lass was forced to see her father beheaded on false pretenses. Not only that, she faced just as much abuse from the boy king as his betrothed, Sansa, who shares a father with the bastard."