My Darling: Daemon Targaryen

Proposal|13|

"Your Grace," Lord Corlys said, approaching Viserys, who sat in his chair at the table in the council room.

"I'm glad we could meet. I know tempers ran high today, and I wanted to assure you how much I value the bond between our houses. Rhaenys is my favorite cousin after all," Viserys told him, smirking lightly at his cousin.

"I wish to apologize for the tenor at the small council today; by your grace, it was not my intention to take offense," Corlys said, offering a tense smile.

"Your fleet is one of the realm's most important assets, Lord Coryls, but you must understand that, as king, it is my obligation to avoid war until such time as it is unavoidable." Viserys told him, making him nod.

"None among us desires open war; might I speak plainly of your grace?" Corlys asked

"I always welcome the unfettered thoughts of my council," Viserys said, waving his hand for him to continue.

"I fear the eyes of our enemies are presently fixed on the red keep; the queen has passed; a girl has been named heir to the Iron Throne, the first in its history; the king's brother, so disinherited, has claimed the Targaryen seat on Dragon Stone without challenge; and now a foreign power has established a colony in our most critical shipping lane." Corlys said everything the King refused to admit.

"You paint such an aspirant portrait of my reign, Lord Corlys," said Viserys Barley, keeping his bitterness out of his tone.

"It is an honest one, Cousin. At the moment, the crown is perceived as being vulnerable," Rhaenys told him.

"A blind incursion in the step stones is the only way to demonstrate that we are not." Viserys countered, rolling his eyes.

"To elude a storm, you can either sail into it or around it, but you must never await its coming," the sea snake said.

"So you have a specific course of action to propose, my lord?" Viserys questioned the man, curious.

"Join our families and wed our daughter Laena," Corlys said as Viserys made a face.

"Unite the two greatest surviving Valyrian houses with the Targaryen dragons and the Velaryon fleet bound in blood; you can show the realm that the crown's strongest days are ahead, not behind." Corlys finished, and Viserys laughed appalled.

"I must admit, I have not thought much about marriage since my late wife passed," he said, shaking his head.

"It hasn't even been half a year since Aemma passed."

"The realm expects you to take a new wife soon or late. Your grace will strengthen your line and produce more heirs; you could not ask for a stronger match than Laena." Rhaenys reminded him

"Does it not seem wrong to you?" Visery asked them.

"What seems wrong about our proposal, your grace?" Corlys asked, confused, as Viserys fought the urge to roll his eyes and shout the obvious at the man in front of him, so he cleared his throat before standing up.

"Your daughter is only ten and four, and I am thirty, and she is my daughter's best friend and childhood companion, yet here you are trying to marry her off so your name and house have more power, even if I did, and she gave me a son, Marcella, who would be the next queen as she is my heir," he told the man in front of him.

"Laena may be young, but she is a bright and lovely lady, and yes, she and Marcella are the best of friends, and if you were to get married, they would always be by each other, and I am very aware that you have no plans on replacing Marcella as your heir."

"Thank you, my lord. I will think about your offer, but I must go now. Good day," he said before leaving the room and running into his daughter, who was holding a bunch of books.

"What are you doing with all these books, sweetheart?" Viserys asked Marcella to take a few books from the stack, making her sigh in relief.

"Thank you," she said, making him chuckle.

"Of course, where to, and again, where are you going with these books?" he asked as they began walking again.

"At the library, I read all these, so now I am returning them," she said, making him nod.

"I spoke with Otto, and he said you handled your task of picking a new king's guard wonderfully," he said, making her smile.

"Have you met the new guard yet?" Marcella asked, making him nod.

"Yes, I have met him, Ser..." he trailed off, trying to think of the man's name.

"Ser Criston Cole, son of a steward of the Lord of Blackhaven, is the only man out of the contenders that has battle experience, so I chose him, but I will be checking in with the rest of your guard to see if he is doing well," she said, laughing at him gently.

"Very well, you seem to be falling into your role as heir wonderfully, my dear," he commented, making her smile softly.

"Thank you father," she whispered before sighing.

"What did Lord Coryl wish to speak with you about?" she asked, making him sigh this time.

"The council is urging me to remarry. I must strengthen our bloodline. There are very few Targaryens left, and as King, I must remarry and do my duty. A queen will comfort our subjects," he told her, making her nod and stop walking.

"Well, I am aware that, father, I am part of the council, but what did the sea snake want?" she said, making him chuckle.

"He made a proposal, offering me Laena's hand," he admitted, making her gasp.

"You're not thinking about it, are you? because, politically, I could understand it. House Velaryon has the blood of Old Valyria; your children would be pure Valarian; it would bring the two strongest houses together; but all he wants is the throne and his blood on it; he is bitter. Rhaenys was passed up for you; not to mention, but Laena is my age ten and four, my best friend, and a little too wild for you," she said, making him laugh.

"I said such things as well, Sweetheart. I agree with you, and I don't plan on choosing her. I can assure you that," he told her, making her sigh in relief.

"Oh, thank the gods, I couldn't handle that," she said, making him laugh.