We Bleed Silver(GOT/ASOIAF Fanfic)

Dragon's Nest.

Rarely did Draezell seat himself upon the Obsidian Throne in the main hall, but today was such an occasion. The key retainers and family members of House Vaelarys had all gathered. Even Seryna, who had been tending to a close friend who had just given birth at Harrenhal, had returned to the castle.

Igon, Daenerys, and Sebastian were dressed in formal attire, standing beside their respective parents, awaiting the return of two members of the family.

The great doors slowly creaked open. Two dragonriders, freshly bathed from the Dragonpit Tower, entered with solemn expressions. Jacaerys stepped forward and dropped to one knee first, followed by Dan, who knelt on one knee with a hand over his chest.

"Father, we have not failed in our duty. The war in the Disputed Lands is all but over."

"Is it over?" Draezell regarded his sons with a calm expression. He was curious to see what kind of answer they would give. Rhaegor had already matured, and though Rhaegon was still young, Jacaerys and Dan were to be the backbone of the family in the decades to come. They were to be nurtured carefully.

Of course, if they were truly gifted, that would save much trouble.

At least Dan's keen insight had always pleased Draezell.

"Father, at least in the King's eyes, the war is over," Jacaerys replied, caught somewhat off guard by how directly his father posed the question. He had thought Draezell might question them in private, especially given that present today were not only key family figures like Rhaegon Kaon and Hoffa Lawkeeper, but also several important vassals—Lord Dondarion, Lord Tarly, Lord Cafferen, Lord Caron, and others.

Dan, however, responded more swiftly. The moment he caught his elder brother's glance, he understood what their father meant.

In truth, the Borderland Principality had contributed little to this war; Draezell's vassals were largely observers of this great expedition. They needed to know whether the campaign had yielded true benefit.

"Father, my brother is right. In His Grace's view, Horus and Khal Khargo were the last military powers in the Disputed Lands capable of resisting us. With their destruction, no force remains to oppose our strength in any organized way. That's why the King declared total victory."

Jacaerys understood full well that though Daeron's victory appeared grand and impressive, it was fraught with problems. The political and military order of the Disputed Lands had been smashed. The once-mighty usurpers and warlords now bowed their heads—but whether the land could truly be ruled…

Jacaerys couldn't say for certain.

"But, Father…" The moment that "but" was uttered, Draezell's gaze shifted sharply to Dan.

"Magister Shariss' surrender did not seem entirely willing, Father. I doubt whether the title of 'Lord of the Two Mountains' will truly satisfy this richest of the three leaders of the Anti-Iron Throne Alliance. He paid only a meager price in coin during the war." Dan carefully analyzed the closing stages of the campaign. "I wrote to my brother about this. When Shariss' son, Commander Fogen, came to negotiate, Horus was still mustering troops to resist us. By logic, wagering on both sides so early should've left Shariss isolated once Horus fell."

"You're overestimating those people's nature, brother," said Rhaegor with a chuckle. "The Disputed Lands have always been a loose pile of sand. When resistance suits them, they resist. When surrender is better, they surrender just as cheerfully."

Dan curled his lip, but accepted the answer. "His Grace named Prince Rhaegar as Prince and Governor of the Conquered Lands, with Lykar Laclen as his seat of rule—but Lykar Laclen is still under reconstruction. For now, they're governing from Hossaru. Prince Illyon and Prince Aemon both refused appointments. Prince Aemon preferred the title of Knight of the Realm. Prince Illyon said he disliked being bound by a fiefdom."

Draezell smiled as he listened to his son's report, mind drifting to a thoughtful, sensitive young man—no, Viserys had now entered old age, even looked older than his years. The strain of decades of effort had worn him down, leaving his health increasingly fragile.

His life had been dedicated to the dream of restoring Targaryen royal glory. He longed for the royal family to possess more and larger dragons, more heirs—but never at the cost of marrying off the daughters of the Silver Dragon and risking the flow of dragons and power out of the bloodline. He yearned to revive royal authority.

Yet his sons were each strange in their own way. Prince Aegon, while not truly incompetent, had sown too many seeds and proven unfaithful in marriage—an easy target for political enemies.

Particularly his infidelity—while not a great sin among Westerosi nobles—was scandalous because his lover was Princess Rhaenya.

The beloved daughter of King Aegon.

This had earned the hatred of Daeron's sister, especially Princess Elenna, who now loathed Prince Aegon. And since Seryna, Daenerys, and Queen Jeyne were all close to Elenna, they disliked him too.

Prince Aemon was an obsessive admirer of knights. If he had been an ordinary noble, or even the second son of a great house, it wouldn't have mattered. In fact, in earlier generations of the Targaryen royal family, it wouldn't have been a problem at all. But now—when Viserys dreamed of restoring the Targaryen dynasty's former glory—Aemon's dream of becoming a true knight, and Illyon's preference for life as a wandering ranger, truly made them the oddballs of the family.

Only Maegon brought Viserys a bit of peace.

But Maegon had yet to mount a dragon.

"Let's talk about what the king plans to do with the Disputed Lands, Your Grace," said Lord Tarly gently. He had once been one of the children of the Purple Palace as well; when Rhaegor had been exiled, the false identities used by the three of them had been arranged by the current Lord Tarly himself.

How time flies. How much the world has changed.

Lady Diana was still alive, but Lord Alan Tarly had passed away.

"The king has chosen to parcel out the land," said Dan, frowning as he spoke. "Just as he has done within the realm, His Grace has divided the land into smaller holdings and granted them to the knights who fought in the war, turning each of them into landed knights. Those who contributed the most were even granted castles and elevated to the rank of lord."

"But there are no castles in the Disputed Lands," Jacaerys cut straight to the heart of the problem King Daeron now faced. "Or rather, there are no castles built in the style of the Seven Kingdoms. Those knights will have to recruit their subjects from the former population under the usurpers and warlords."

Dan picked up where his brother left off. "Only the gods know how many subjects those knights will actually receive—and how many of those subjects are true farmers."