The day was not an auspicious one, Grand Maester Pycelle writes. The skies were grey, and a persistent drizzle had fallen half the morning. Pycelle and the rest of the council awaited the King's coming in the inner yard of the Red Keep, cloaked and hooded against the rain. Elsewhere about the castle, Knights and squires and stable boys and washerwomen and scores of other functionaries went about their daily chores, pausing from time to time to glance at the sky.
When at last, the sound of heavy footsteps and the clanging of heavy armor was heard, and the guardsman on the eastern walls caught sight of the King's Party in the distance, there came a cheer that grew and grew and grew, rolling past the Red Keep's walls.
"Both of them had changed since I last saw them", Maester Pycelle records. "The hot-blooded, loud boy that had frequented the halls of the Red Keep had grown into a hot-blooded, loud young man, who won the Red Keep".
"And the Princess...", Maester Pycelle writes. "The stripling who had sailed to Dragonstone was gone, and in her place was a woman grown. She was the same height, same size. Her hair was still the same, flowing loose across her shoulders, and she still had the same Targaryen-colored clothes".
"The young Queen - a Princess no more - soon dispelled any rumors that had been whispered of her by her enemies. She was graceful, and she smiled like no other. Perhaps that is why King Robert married her, instead of slaughtering her as he should have. The smile... was as if the sun broke through the clouds. She walked like a Queen, talked like a Queen. There was no hint of the rule-breaking girl anywhere".
The first order of the King was to assign Ser Barristan Selmy as the Commander of the King's Guard. The loyal Champion of the new Queen. Ser Jaime remained in his post, and the remaining positions of the King's Guard were quickly filled by the King. Or most likely by the Queen. Ser Arys Oakheart, Ser Mandon Moore, Ser Preston Greenfield, and Ser Meryn Trant.
Quickly afterward, the King assigned the new Small Council Members. Lord Jon Arryn was assigned officially as the new Hand, and the ceremony and feast took place soon after. Lord Stannis became Master of Ships, Maester Pycelle kept his titles as Grand Maester, and Lord Symond Staunton continued his position as Master of Laws.
Once all the business was done with, the King summoned all of the Great House Lords to swear fealty to him. Amongst them, is Lord Tywin himself. The Old Lion arrived at King's Landing later than all, when most had already left the capital to return to their Keeps.
The King was seated on the Iron Throne, and the Queen right beside him, her hand on his shoulder, received the Old Lion in the throne room. The Lords of his council were present, and Ser Barristan and Ser Arys of the King's Guard stood at the base of the throne. Ser Jaime was wisely not invited.
Elsewise, the throne room was empty. Lord Tywin's footsteps echoed as he made the long walk from the doors to the throne. Grand Maester Pycelle writes, "His lordship's pride was well-known to the King and Queen. His Grace had no wish to wound him by forcing him to humble himself before the entire court".
Humble himself, the Old Lion, did not, however. Lord Tywin never bends the knee. He only lowered his head as a sign of respect. And not once did he look at the Targaryen Queen. Not once did he address her, or even acknowledge her presence. A great disrespect and the King was beginning to grow restless because of it. But the Queen's hand on his shoulder tightened in reminder.
"Your Grace, I am here as you commanded", the Old Lion said. "I am here to pledge my fealty to you, as my King, and Protector of the Realm".
"Thank you, Lord Tywin", Robert replied. "I believe your pledge is truthful. However, I remember what you did, what you said, and what you planned".
"I have summoned you here, not for you to pledge your fealty, as you have already shown me your loyalty when you sacked the city for me", Robert continued instead.
"Some men say that we are now enemies. I would sooner think of us as friends who disagreed", Robert said, looking up at Daenyra for a moment, who nodded silently to him. "I have not forgotten".
"Words are wind", Daenyra spoke up, addressing his Lordship. "Your lordship... my dear friend... you spoke of treason when you threatened to start a rebellion against my Lord Husband and me. But you committed no treason. You wished to undo our marriage but you could not do so. You wished to place Prince Viserys on the throne, but here my husband sits. You did send your brother, Ser Kevan to remove Lord Stannis and Renly from Storm's End, true... but for what purpose? Perhaps you only wished to have them as wards".
It had been only recently known of Lord Tywin's attempts of rebellion. While King Robert and Queen Daenyra had thought his words rather foolish, and exaggerated, neither had thought that he was seriously considering it.
As was later revealed, Lord Tywin commanded his brother, Ser Kevan Lannister, to sail to Storm's End, with a sizable force, and to root out Lord Stannis, recently appointed as Lord of Storm's End, and Renly Baratheon, only a babe, from the Keep. Lord Tywin planned to either kill the boys while taking the Keep or take them as valuable hostages to use later.
While Ser Kevan worked in Storm's End, Lord Tywin himself ordered the Septa of his young daughter, Lady Cersei, to sneak through the guards, to Prince Viserys's and Princess Daenerys's nursery, where the Septa was further instructed to take them both, and bring them to Lord Tywin.
It was thought that Lord Tywin wished to appoint Prince Viserys as King, and put him on the Iron Throne instead of Robert. It is unknown whether he wished to marry Prince Viserys and Lady Cersei even though of their age difference, or to marry Princess Daenerys and Ser Jaime. Either way, this writer was glad neither happened. Because the Septa was cut down once the guards heard the scream of the Prince.
The head of the Septa was returned to Lord Tywin, with no note, and no explanation. Ser Kevan's 'siege' if one may call it that, was unsuccessful as well. Lord Stannis had been prepared and had lived in Storm's End under a siege for years prior when the Tyrells attempted to take it. Ser Kevan was not half as clever as his brother.
"Treasonous actions deserve punishment. Foolish words are another matter. I would sooner you remain here, in my service, Lord Tywin", Robert continued. "I would not sit upon this throne if not for you, all the realm knows that. And I still need you. The realm has need of you. Nothing is as costly as putting down rebellions".
Lord Tywin was offered the position of Master of Coin. The Old Lion declined, as he was needed at Casterly Rock, however, he assured the King that there was no ill will between them, and if the King needed him, he would be there.
The Old Lion departed King's Landing that same day, not even resting for a night. There was ill will between them, even Robert was not fool enough to disagree.
Queen Daenyra told her husband that day. "Words are wind", she said. "but wind can fan a fire. My ancestors and my brother in particular fought words with steel and flame. We shall fight words with words, and put out fires before they start".
And so they did. They send forth Septons and Septas to walk the realm and preach of their kind-hearted Queen, and their just King. This would prove to be a well-thought tactic, as the Targaryen Queen was quickly accepted by those who defied the Targaryen Dynasty, and the Baratheon King was accepted reluctantly by those who fought for the Targaryen Dynasty.
As his Grace asserted himself as King in his Kingdom. With three possible heirs, only one of them was officially named to follow after him as King. Prince Joffrey Baratheon, son of Cersei, was a sickly child, with a head full of golden hair. The boy was quick to tears when upset, and quick to tantrums when made angry. This led to King Robert spending less and less time with Joffrey.
But as Robert was beginning to distance himself from Joffrey, the Queen made sure to keep him happy. She would buy new tapestries to entertain the court with, and there would be an exotic fruit and wine from Essos brought regularly. There were singers, and fools to excite even the most gloomy of the court with their wrong sayings and doings.
All this pleased King Robert, but none of it pleased him half so much as the gift Queen Daenyra gave him several moons later when she told him she was with child.
The Queen gave birth in 283AC to a robust, healthy, and strong child, a boy she named Steffon. The King was on a hunt in the Godswoods when the news reached him. He mounted his horse and rode back to the Red Keep at once. King Robert had hoped for a son, and it was plain that he doted on his son from the moment he first took her in his arms. The realm delighted in the little Prince as well... everywhere that is, save on Casterly Rock, and in Lady Cersei's chambers.
Joffrey Baratheon, the now legitimate son of Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister, grandson to the Old Lion, Tywin Lannister, had been pronounced heir. Now many whispered that it would be Prince Steffon now, that would be heir to the throne. After all, he was born legitimate, and he has a claim as a Baratheon and a Targaryen.
Joffrey was a strong-willed, bold-tongued, fiery young boy. King in-waiting, and was not pleased to find himself displaced by the newborn prince. He was no longer admired by the entire court. Now it seemed, the entire world revolved around the little Prince Steffon.
His mother, Cersei Lannister, likely shared these feelings, but she held her tongue and spoke no words of it even to her closest confidants. Likely as an order from her Father. Cersei had trouble enough in her own life, for a rift had happened between Cersei and Jon Arryn, her husband. It had been a year since Joffrey's birth, and the Lady was now once again great with child. She had demanded from Jon that the son that was in her belly, be made heir of the Vale. Jon Arryn declined, as he already had one living son, Robin Arryn from his late wife Lady Lysa. Lady Cersei was not keen on someone telling her "no".
King Robert, as wise as always, did not announce that Prince Steffon was to be his heir. He knew the consequences if he did it. Lord Tywin would break whatever alliance he had with the Throne and would rage a rebellion. A rebellion likely worse than that of King Robert himself.
"Lord Tywin is a schemer and a sulker", Daenyra warned Robert. "I do not trust him. Nor should you. He does what he thinks best for himself, his house, and Casterly Rock, and cares not a fig for anyone or anything else. Not even for his King".
It was a harsh judgment, especially of a man who helped King Robert win the Iron Throne. But it is likely that Queen Daenyra had spoken out of spite, or anger. After all, Lord Tywin did betray her blood family, and his son, Ser Jaime, did slay her brother the King.
A year after Prince Steffon's birth, the Queen left King's Landing for Dragonstone, there to await the birth of her second child. Since she was, once again, great with a babe. The loss of her sister still weighed heavily upon Her Grace. Rather than subject herself to the rigors of travel or the demands of life at court, the queen sought the quiet of the ancient seat of her house, where her duties would be few. Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys did, after all, require her attention as well. And the Queen wished to introduce their cousin, Steffon, to them too. As was later known, the Queen had thought that Princess Daenerys and Prince Steffon could marry.
There were some at court, Lady Cersei for example, who had misgivings about the queen's desire to remove herself to Dragonstone. The island was damp, and gloomy at the best of times and in autumn strong winds and storms were common. The recent tragedies had only served to blacken the castle's reputation even further, and some feared that the ghosts of Aerys Targaryen might haunt the halls. Queen Daenyra dismissed these concerns as foolishness. "I was happy on Dragonstone", she told her doubters. "I can think of no better place for my child to be born".
The child came precisely when the maesters said he would; a boy, clean-limbed and healthy, with eyes a light lilac but hair as dark as the night. The Queen named him Daeron, after her favorite Uncle. Princess Daenerys and Prince Steffon were the most excited about the young Prince's arrival. It seemed only Prince Viserys was cross.
Thrilled by the news of Prince Daeron's birth, a feast and a tourney were organized in his honor. When asked if the King planned to sail to Dragonstone to meet his son, Robert only replied, "He will come soon enough. I'll wait".
Two moons passed before Prince Daeron arrived in King's Landing with his older brother. The King was not angered by the long absence of his wife and sons, he was only happy that they returned. Only a moon later, the Queen announced she was with child once more. Once again, she made the trip to Dragonstone and settled there to wait for the arrival.
In the year 285 AC, Robert, and his Queen found cause to rejoice again when the gods blessed them with a daughter. Rhaelle, named after Robert's grandmother, and the Queen's cousin. Though smaller than her brothers, Steffon and Daeron, at birth, the new babe was louder and lustier, and Daenyra complained that she had never known a child to suck so hard. Only two days before Rhaelle's birth, the white ravens from the Citadel had arrived to announce the arrival of summer. Rhaelle was immediately dubbed the Summer Princess.
Prince Daeron was one when his sister was born, and Steffon was three. The two were much alike but very different. Prince Steffon was a very serious boy, cautious, careful, and obedient. Though he could not as yet read, he loved being read to, and Queen Daenyra, laughing, was oft heard to say that his first word had been, "Why?". Prince Daeron, on the other hand, was a lively, laughing child who bounced about Dragonstone day and night, "flying" everywhere on a broomstick dragon that had become his favorite toy. Mud-spattered and grass-stained, he was a trial to his mother and maids alike for they were forever losing track of him.
Every maid and servant and the guard watched the two boys closely, to make sure there was no more than a friendly rivalry between the two Princes. Everyone knew the coldness between King Robert and Lord Stannis, and no one wished to repeat that with these boys.
They need not have been concerned. Save mayhaps for twins, no brothers could ever have been closer than the sons of Daenyra Targaryen. As soon as Daeron had grown old enough to walk, Daeron followed his brother, Steffon, everywhere and tried his best to imitate him in everything he did.
When Steffon was given his first wooden sword to begin training in arms, Daeron was judged too young to join him, but that did not stop him. He made his sword from a stick and rushed into the yard anyway to begin whacking his brother, reducing their master-at-arms to helpless laughter.
Thereafter, Daeron went everywhere with his stick sword, even to bed, to the despair of his mother and maids. Prince Steffon was shy around everyone at first, but not so Daeron, who reportedly smote Joffrey on the nose the first time they met.
"He is either brave or mad, that one", Ser Barristan Selmy observed, and from that day forth Prince Daeron was also known as Daeron the Daring, but he was later known to his enemies as, Daeron the Demon.
The young Princes loved their sister, Rhaelle, to distraction. It was plain to see, and Rhaelle delighted in the boys "especially in telling them what to do".
Ser Barristan, the personal champion of the Queen, and her closest companion noted something else, however, that brought the attention of the Queen to the matter. Robert loved all of his children fiercely, but from the moment Steffon was born, he continued to talk of Joffrey as still his heir.
The Queen was displeased. "Steffon is your legitimate son. Of your blood and the blood of the dragon. He has a greater claim than Cersei's son".
The King would never disagree, but neither did he ever agree. He would only just remind his wife of the threat Tywin made, and what it would mean for all of them if he went ahead with it. His words did not please the Queen any further.
It was several years later when King Robert and Queen Daenyra, along with their children, attended a tourney hosted in the King's and Queen's honor upon the anniversary of their marriage. Prince Joffrey and his mother, and the Hand were present in the Royal Booth as well, but they kept to their sides.
Prince Joffrey was seven years of age, a boy as tall and handsome as his Uncle, Ser Jaime. But that is the only similarity he shared with his Uncle. Joffrey did not train every morning in the yard with a sword, like Prince Steffon and Daeron did, neither did he enjoy riding on horse like his sister, Princess Rhaelle. Joffrey enjoyed spying on the court, stealing their things and returning them destroyed. He enjoyed cutting open cats, and cutting up his sister's, Myrcella's dresses, who was only a girl of three.
King Robert closed his eyes on that, but the Queen didn't. She observed and she learned, and she instructed Ser Barristan to punish the boy every time he caught him doing something, because clearly his mother, the Lady Cersei, did not. The punishments worked, for a time. Lady Cersei was furious when her son returned with a red bottom, crying about his mistreatment. But she proved fruitless, as the King refused to hear it. This all resulted in the Queen assigning Lannister guards to guard Prince Joffrey, and the King's Guards were not to come near.
But back to Prince Steffon and Prince Daeron, who grew up to be well-mannered, strong Princes. Prince Steffon still practiced every morning in the courtyard with Prince Daeron; the two brothers were fast friends and were evenly matched. Steffon was taller and stronger, Daeron swifter and fiercer. Their competitions were so lively that they often drew crowds of attention. Servants and washerwomen, court knights and squires, maesters and septons and stable boys gathered in the courtyard to cheer for this or that prince. One of those who came to watch was Lady Margaery, the only daughter of the Lord Mace Tyrell, and Lady Alerie Hightower.
Lady Margaery was a beautiful young woman, fair-haired and vivacious, with a shy and sweet gait. Everyone thought her beautiful, or at least pretty. Then she was only seven years old, but she would grow up to be one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom, with a slender but feminine figure and flawless skin.
At the feast that followed the tournament, Lady Margaery sat next to Prince Steffon, and the two young children talked and laughed together all evening, looking at everyone else, even Prince Daeron.
The couple looked good together. Prince Steffon, the eldest legitimate child of Robert and Queen Daenyra, and daughter of one of the oldest Targaryen allies, the Tyrells. Everyone would agree that it was a magnificent marriage, and the two children were naturally happy in each other's comfort. If only it wasn't for Lady Cersei. But we will touch on this another time.
In the Year 289 AC , Quellon's successor and eldest son, Balon Greyjoy , rejected the reforms and desired independence for the ironborn. Since House Greyjoy had only joined Robert's rebellion near its end, they did not suffer heavy losses like the other Great Houses . Over five years Lord Balon constructed a new fleet of one hundred war galleys, the Iron Fleet .
Balon believed that Robert I's rule was insecure, that the new king lacked support amongst the nobility and would not be able to muster a host against the ironborn. Rodrik Harlaw, Lord of Harlaw, unsuccessfully advised Balon against rebelling.
In 291 AC, eight years after Robert overthrew King Aerys , Balon proclaimed himself King of the Iron Islands and led a rebellion against the Iron Throne. Hoping to control the Sunset Sea , Balon began his rebellion with the burning of the Lannister fleet at anchor, a surprise attack on Lannisport in the westerlands planned by his brother Euron and led by another brother, Victarion. Victarion tossed the first torch onto the flagship of Lord Tywin Lannister.
The victory at Lannisport gave King Balon freedom to launch an attack against Seagard in the riverlands by Rodrik, his eldest son. Rodrik was slain by Jason Mallister, Lord of the Seagard , during the storming of Seagard, however, and his reavers were thrown back into Iron Man's Bay in defeat.
King Robert departed King's Landing at once, with his brother's, the Lord of Storm End's help. Stannis is the Master of Ships, and has a sizable fleet, joined with the fleet of the Tyrell's that had once laid siege upon Storm's End, the army was able to be transported to meet Lord Greyjoy and defeat the rebellion.
While King Robert, and all of the Small Council departed to deal with the Uprising, Queen Daenyra was left behind to control the city in her own right. She had the gates barred and the entire city prepared for a siege. Since now the city was unprotected.
"If Balon were smart, he'd abandon Seagard and come where the power truly is", Daenyra said to her advisors.
Also important to note that at the time of the Greyjoy's Rebellion, the Queen found out that she was once again great with child. Her fourth.
The pregnancy was difficult, as Maester Pycelle records, but the Queen survived it. She had little time to focus on the pregnancy, with all of the other duties she needed to prepare. She had her children, Steffon, Daeron and Rhaelle, who were 8,6 and 5 respectively, send to Dragonstone for their safety. Dragonstone was a trading city, and the ancestral seat of House Targaryen, but it held no great power that Balon Greyjoy wanted. Except for the Princes and Princess. But he had no way of knowing that.
The Rebellion was won later that same year, and Lord Balon was send back to his Iron Islands. His life was spared but a warning was ensued. Much to Lord Tywin's distaste. But Robert was firm in his decision, and he returned to King's Landing to be greeted by his new son.
It was reported to us that the Queen greeted the King mere moments after having given birth to Prince Jaerys. She had only just delivered the placenta, and was still bleeding but she insisted upon greeting the King with the new babe in her arms.
"For my brave Lord husband, a gift", Daenyra said, as she passed her new babe to Robert. "You fought on your battlefield, and I fought on mine".
King Robert was most happy, and had the bells rung in celebration day and night, and a feast was held in celebration of the Prince's birth, and the victory over the Greyjoy's.
Prince Jaerys was as different from his older brothers as night to day. Never robust, he was a quiet boy with watchful eyes. Other children, even some of the courtiers, found him too quiet. Though he was no coward, he took no pleasure in the rough play of squires and pages, nor in the exploits of his father's knights. He preferred the library to the court, and he could often be found reading there.
Wherever Prince Steffon went, whatever Prince Steffon did, Prince Daeron would not be far behind, as the court jesters often remarked. The truth of this was confirmed when Daeron the Bold or the Demon, followed his brother in the competition in the 297 AC Tournament for the name day of Princess Rhaelle. Luckily, the name day was not too long before Prince Daeron's name day, and the guests at the Tourney would stay for the fortnight for his own name day Tourney.
Steffon, a boy of fourteen, and Daeron, a boy of twelve, both disguised as mysterious knights calling themselves the Silver Fool and the Red Mule, joined the contests. The both of them overthrew Ser Loras and Ser Arys and some of the lesser knights. Together, the two brothers defeated all other rivals, leaving only themselves, but neither of them wanted to compete with each other.
Steffon and Daeron love to compete, and they often do it in the morning, drawing crowds of watchers. Everyone would cheer for one Prince or the other in good spirit. Fighting in a tournament would ensure that one of them is shunned out by the Court and the other is praised as the better Prince. Neither brother desired that for the other. So instead, they exposed themselves and took the prize together, deciding to both be the winners.
They were both knighted by Ser Barristan. Ser Steffon and Ser Daeron were the glory of the Realm. No one could imagine more stronger or smarter men than them, and they were what the other Lordlings aspired to be. All but Prince Joffrey, who has not trained with a sword for most of his life. No one remembered him, as there were no great achievements to remember him by.
Prince Steffon only lingered long enough to partake of the feast that evening before joining the Lady Margaery on a walk through the gardens of the Red Keep. No one knows what happened that night, only thing we know is that after they returned, Prince Steffon and Lady Margaery wished to be promised to each other.
King Robert refused the betrothal. Prince Steffon was not the heir to the Iron Throne, but he was the heir to Storm's End. Lord Stannis had failed to provide a male heir, but he did have a daughter. King Robert announced Steffon as heir to Storm's End in hopes of making his wife, Daenyra, happy. Steffon was to be wed to the only child of Stannis, Shireen. But neither Steffon, nor Shireen, held any love for one another. After all, Shireen was only nine, while Steffon was fourteen. Nor was she a great beauty, and neither had shared interests.
As the children grew, it became apparent that the two of them were not ideally suited. There was no warmth between them, as the queen saw plainly. Steffon tolerated Shireen's presence, but never sought it out like he did with Margaery. Shireen seemed frightened of Steffon, the strong, smart, extroverted Prince who would sooner read or practice sword than play with her. The Prince thought Shireen stupid; she thought him mean.
"They are only children", Robert said to Daenyra when she brought the problem to his attention. "They will warm to one another in time".
They never did. If anything, their mutual dislike only deepend. Steffon saw Shireen as the obstacle between him and Margaery. And Shireen saw Steffon as her future, the future she did not wish herself, but she had no right to stop it. As her mother oft reminded her, Steffon may be the only man she could ever marry. With her scar and all.
Lord Stannis and King Robert persisted on the match. Much to Prince Steffon's displeasure, and Lady Shireen's sadness. Prince Steffon learned to ignore her if she were in his company, and if she wasn't, he would avoid her like the plague. Shireen instead, decided to enjoy the company of Princess Rhaelle, who was always kind to her, and later, she immensely enjoyed the company of Prince Jaerys, three years younger than her, but equal to her in his wisdom, and abilities.
Queen Daenyra wished to offer her children a choice she never had herself. Whomever they wish to marry, be it a High Lord, or a Low Lord, a great Knight, or a bookish Lad, a Stable Boy, or a Ratcatcher, Queen Daenyra would allow it.
The King's refusal to allow Steffon to marry Margaery, tore at Queen Daenyra. But as we look back, it is plain to see that it was also the first hint of the rift that would open between her and the king. The gods hold us all in their hands, and life and death are theirs to give and take away but men in their pride look for others to blame.
"Shireen is not old enough to marry", the Queen said. "We ought not to push her into marriage. She is not old enough or strong enough to bear a child for Steffon. And Steffon is ready for it. Why must we cause such pain to the both of them?".
"Because Steffon is the heir to Storm's End. Shireen is Stannis's only child. They will marry. And that's the end of it", Robert had boomed, hitting his desk with all the force he could manage. Daenyra did not flinch, she did not stumble with her words.
"Steffon is our son. He must wed, yes, but he is still a child. As is Shireen", Daenyra said, and walked closer to her husband. "My lord, my love, my darling... do not condemn our baby boy to a fate of an unhappy marriage".
Her Grace's words were soft and gentle, and Robert was moved by them. Denyra was stubborn and persistent and she had a way of bringing the King around to her own point of view, no matter how far apart the had been at the start. Given time, she might have softened his stance on Steffon and Shireen as well.
Perhaps King Robert could have been lenient with the time. Perhaps his mind would have changed. But Queen Daenyra made one fatal mistake. She said that Steffon was his heir.
"Steffon is your heir. A King needs an equally strong Queen with a mind like his. Margaery Tyrell will help him along the way-", Daenyra continued. Robert pushed himself away from the table.
"Joffrey is my heir, woman. Joffrey, my first born. The boy I legitimized. Steffon is my second, and he is the heir to Storm's End, and he will marry Shireen because I have decreed so", Robert yelled, and this time Daenyra did flinch. Not from the loudness of his voice, but from his words.
"When will you get that through your thick head, woman? Joffrey is the next King, Steffon is the next Lord of Storm's End!", Robert slammed his fist on the table. Daenyra remained silent.
"I am the King, I am the man, I make the decisions. Do not presume that your status as Queen or as a Targaryen will give you any power over me", Robert continued, looking away form his wife. He had missed the hurt look of Daenyra's eyes.
"Perhaps if you had been-", Robert began but the Queen was not known for staying quiet for long.
"Perhaps if I had been what? If I had been younger, more beautiful. Perhaps if I had been Lyanna Stark, I would finally make you see sense!", Daenyra yelled in return, her voice not rising as high as Robert's did, but nevertheless, it left him speechless.
"Steffon is my son. Mine. He will marry whomever he wishes. With your leave or not. Do not forget Robert, whose right you used to sit on the Iron Throne, and drink your way to an early grave", Daenyra seethed out, her voice barely above a whisper.
With that, she slammed the doors open and left the King with an open mouth. It was a Septa who had reportedly listened to the conversation and written it down in her journal that passed down to this writer.
Believe it or don't, one thing is for certain. Queen Daenyra and all of her four children departed King's Landing that very same day, with Ser Barristan and their household for Dragonstone.
There they would spend the next two years. Receiving regular ravens from the Red Keep from the Hand, from their friends and allies. But never one from the King. He was too proud for that, the Queen knew. And she was too stubborn to reach out to him.
"Until he apologizes, and sees the world through my eyes, I will not be seen in the dirty Capital", Daenyra told Ser Barristan, the only King's Guard who had followed them.
Ser Barristan was the oldest friend of Queen Daenyra. He was the one who had taught her sword fighting, against Queen Rhaella's wishes of course. But the King's Guard could never find it in himself to deny Daenyra in anything. It was for her he spoke his King's Guard vows, not for Robert or Aerys.
Ser Barristan was the father, and the loyal friend that Daenyra never had. He had never betrayed her, not once. He had never lied, he always spoke the truth and frankly to her. She appreciated him for it.
As the second year grew to a close, it became apparent to Daenyra that the children were lacking a Father. Jaerys had began to forget what his father looked like, and Steffon was often feeling the pressure of having to be the Father to his siblings. Daenyra was often busy with the work on Dragonstone, and it's house hold, and the trade that passed. Steffon had to discipline his siblings, give them punishments, show them why what they did was wrong. Daenyra did not wish for her boy to have to do that so young.
But it had been Robert who was the first to reach out. He had written that he regretted his actions, and missed his Queen dearly.
In the time that the Queen was gone, the court noticed her absence. It was the time for Cersei and Joffrey to thrive. Because now there was only one heir to dote upon at court, and Joffrey was finally receiving the recognition that he so long desired.
King Robert had travelled much during the time that the Queen was away. He had visited the Reach, to look at the girl his son wanted to marry, and silently approved. He travelled to Storm's End to visit his brother, and look at the girl that he originally wanted his son to marry, and could see why Steffon disliked her. He travelled to the Iron Islands to visit the Greyjoys, after their rebellion it had been rather sour between all the Great Lords. He visited the lesser Houses.
For the entire year of 297 AC the King remained on the move. He did not return to King's Landing, but moved on directly to the next Keep. His Grace would oft find himself seated next to some lissome maid, or handsome widow at feasts or riding beside them when hawking or hunting, but he took no notice to them. When a Lord's daughter was so bold as to try and sit on his lap to feed him a grape, Robert waved off her advances. "Forgive me, but I have a queen, and no taste for lovers".
In the year 298 AC, King Robert returned to King's Landing, and Queen Daenyra returned from her self-imposed exile on Dragonstone. What words passed between them we can never know, but for good while afterward they were once again as close as they had been before.
Not long after the reunion of King Robert and Queen Daenyra came the most wondrous and unexpected news. Queen Daenyra was with a child. At forty-one years of age, the Queen had been thought to be well beyond her childbearing years, so her pregnancy was received as a miracle. In Oldtown, the High Septon himself proclaimed it was a blessing from the gods, "a gift from the Mother Above to a mother who had suffered much, and bravely".
Amidst the joy, there was a concern as well. Queen Daenyra was not as strong as she had been, her time as Queen had taken a toll on her, and her marriage had not brought her the happiness in recent years she had hoped for. The prospect of a child warmed King Robert's heart, however, and he cast off his anger and repented of his infidelities to stay by his wife's side. Daenyra herself was fearful, mindful of her sister, Queen Rhaella, who had suffered many miscarriages and stillbirths.
As the 298th year after Aegon's Conquest drew to a close, King Robert celebrated the 17th anniversary of his coronation at the Starry Sept of Oldtown. The daring young man that the High Septon had crowned that day was long gone; his place had been taken by an aged man of 42, with grey in his black hair, red cheeks from drinking, and a rather sizable stomach. However, his smile it was said, could warm the heart of any maiden in the Seven Kingdoms; his frown could make a man's blood run cold. In Daenyra, he found a Queen even more beloved than he was. "Strong Queen Daenyra", the smallfolk called her, from Oldtown to the Wall. The gods had blessed the two of them with four strong children, three splendid young princes, and a princess who was the darling of the realm.
In their almost two-decade rule, they had known grief and horror, betrayal and conflict, and the death of loved ones, but they had weathered the storm and survived the tragedies, and emerged stronger and better from all they had endured. Their accomplishments were undeniable; the Seven Kingdoms were at peace and more prosperous than they had been in living memory, mayhaps only during King Jaehaerys rule.
The leaves in the trees had begun to turn russet and orange and gold, and the ladies of the court wore gowns to match. At the feast that followed the end of the tourney for the King's anniversary, Lady Cersei appeared with her son Prince Joffrey to be coldly embraced by the King and Queen.
This was the time of warm embraces, smiles, jokes and reconciliations, the renewal of old friendships and the makings of new friendships, laughter and kisses. It was a good time, a golden autumn, the time of peace and abundance.
But winter is coming.