The Heat of Dorne Chapter 13 (Patreon)

“It will be a while before you can say the word, but I’m your father, Maekar,” Daemon said, holding the infant in his arms.

The boy had just been fed by his wet nurse and was rather docile for the moment. He stared up at Daemon with wide purple eyes and a happy smile on his face. He had never given much thought to fatherhood growing up, simply knowing that it was something that he would experience after he was wed and should avoid until then. He and Arianne’s adventures had delayed that a bit, but he again hadn’t given it much thought. Staring down at his son now, he felt his chest tighten as a sense of love and protectiveness he’d never known washed over him. He flittered his fingers above Maekar’s face and smiled as the boy reached out to grab one of them.

“The servants say that he’s remarkably calm for a newborn,” Aegon murmured.

Daemon turned his head and nodded at his brother.

“Ser Barristan says I was much the same,” Daemon said. “I don’t know where the hell that went.”

Aegon chuckled, joining him and looking at his nephew. He had a look on his face that Daemon couldn’t place but thought might be longing.

“You’ll have babes of your own soon enough,” he said.

“Hmm?” Aegon asked, “Oh, yes, the wedding. Right.”

“Are you nervous?” Daemon asked.

“Not really,” Aegon replied. “I guess I just find it strange how something can take years to get here and yet seem so sudden when it finally arrives. I, er…”

He trailed off, looking distinctly uncomfortable, and Daemon quickly put Maekar back in his crib, giving him a finger to squeeze when he cried out in annoyance.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“No,” Aegon replied. “It’s just that Rhaenys, Daenerys, and I are going into the city to watch a play, and I wondered if you might like to join us.”

“They wouldn’t mind?” Daemon asked, thinking that they might have seen it as something to do alone with their future husband. Alone in so far as nobles ever were, that was.

“Not at all,” Aegon said. “There were most of the kingdoms between us growing up, and then you were here for but a moment before you went off to Dorne. After that, you were off in Essos for what seemed to be forever. The four of us haven’t spent time alone together since we were children, and I barely recall any of that.”

“I suppose it would be nice,” Daemon said.

After all these years, he wasn’t sure how to interact with his family. Aegon was right in that he’d spent far more time away from them than with them. The last time he was in the capital for any real length of time, he’d gotten swiftly married, and both before and after the wedding, his time had been spent getting to know Arianne, usually without a stitch of clothing between them. They were going to be here for a little while, though, both for the wedding and because taking a newborn babe traveling was a bad idea. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to get to know his siblings and aunt again, though thinking of Daenerys brought another figure to mind.

“Will Viserys be joining us?” he asked.

“Why would...no,” Aegon said, seeming momentarily panicked. “Viserys is busy overseeing the transportation of a number of items to Dragonstone.”

“I see,” Daemon said, slightly weirded out by that reaction. Turning to Maekar, he said, “I’ll be back later.”

Maekar’s eyes had started fluttering shut as Daemon and Aegon were talking, and he barely noticed his father saying goodbye.

“So, where are your brides to be?” Daemon asked.

“Daenerys wanted to look at the dragon eggs, and Rhaenys went with her,” Aegon replied, leading the way. Their guards parted for them and followed at a respectable distance. “I think she’s grown rather obsessed with the things.”

“I barely gave them any thought,” Daemon commented. “Blackfyre and the Conqueror’s crown were far more intriguing to me than the fossilized eggs. Hells, the gilded skulls were.”

“Well, we’ll be taking the eggs and the skulls back to Dragonstone,” Aegon said. “Rhaenys said that you agreed to let her have them.”

“The eggs were never going to be mine to take, and she insists that she has a few spots in mind for the skulls in our ancestral keep,” Daemon said. “She has a rather morbid sense of style, that sister of ours.”

“You’re the one who insisted on using them as decorations,” Aegon laughed.

“Yes, but I still figured that I’d end up just placing them in a treasure room somewhere,” Daemon said, “and Arianne’s lukewarm reaction to them suggested that I was right.”

“Well, Rhae’s always been fonder of the bloodier parts of our history than Dany or I,” Aegon said. “Where Daenerys could never get enough stories of Queen Rhaenys or Alysanne, Rhaenys has always adored Visenya above all others.”

“Oh, if only we could hatch them,” Daenerys groaned.

“There hasn’t been a successful hatching in over a century,” Rhaenys said.

“And I don’t need to remind you what happened the last time a member of our family tried,” Aegon commented.

“I know,” Daenerys pouted. “Poor Uncle Aemon did not appreciate my inquiries on the subject. The eggs are so warm, though, that I just know they’re still alive.”

“Well, as they’re being sent to Dragonstone, you’ll have them close at hand again soon enough,” Daemon said, “once you’re a Princess of Dragonstone.”

“Right,” Daenerys said, placing the black egg back down. “Good morrow, nephew. Did Egg tell you about the play?”

“I did,” Aegon replied for him. “If we leave now, we’ll likely arrive just before it starts.”

“I have to ask, why go out into the city?” Daemon asked. “Surely performers come here to entertain often enough.”

“When they do, they’re generally either nervous about being in our presence or trying too hard,” Rhaenys said. “I prefer the more natural performances that they give when their audiences are less august.”

“So we’ll be disguising ourselves, I take it,” Daemon said.

“We usually make ourselves look like merchants,” Daenerys said. “Aegon and I are too distinct to pass as lowborn, but Lysene merchants aren’t that much of a stretch.”

“Fair enough,” Daemon said.

Aegon led him to his room and handed him a few disguise options. Daemon took the darkest outfit he could find, and put it on, finding that it wasn’t quite as ill-fitting as he’d feared. He was both taller and broader than his older brother, but not so much that he looked foolish in his clothes.

“The other benefit of making ourselves look like merchants is the fact that we have guards around us is less conspicuous,” Aegon said.

“Do you have any idea what play we’re going to see?” Daemon asked.

“None,” Aegon said. “Hopefully it’s not the same one as last time?”

“Poorly written, was it?” Daemon asked, knowing full well that plays were often a mixed bag.

“No, but it gave Daenerys nightmares,” Aegon replied. “It was a play about this cult called the Church of Starry Wisdom, which prays to dark gods and performs unspeakably evil rites to try and sow chaos in the world.”

“Ah,” Daemon thought to himself. “That might be an issue.”

He knew that playing company and just had to hope that the man in charge of them kept his mouth shut if he spotted him.

“Sounds riveting,” Daemon commented.

“Oh, it was interesting, I’ll give them that,” Aegon said. “I just thought that trying to convince people that there were secret cultists all around us who cavorted with demons and sacrificed infants under the full moon on their holy days was a bit much. Some of the people there looked genuinely terrified, and as I said, Daenerys had nightmares for a couple days after.”

“She was alright?” Daemon said.

“Oh yes, Rhaenys was there to…” Aegon trailed off, looking worried.

“I’m married to Arianne,” Daemon said. “There is nothing you could tell me about your brides to be that would shock me.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Aegon chuckled, relaxing.

“It will actually be a good thing for them to be close in that way, given that three of you are going to be wed,” Daemon said. “It makes things more fun too.”

Aegon just smiled.

“By the gods, the city’s already starting to grow cramped,” Daenerys commented a little while later as they walked through the city.

The four of them traveled with two of the kingsguard and a few of Daemon’s Unsullied.

“This has nothing to do with us,” Aegon said. “To my knowledge, the nobles haven’t even started arriving yet.”

“He’s right, Dany,” Rhaenys said. “These people are probably here to catch a glimpse of the High Septon.”

“Hmm?” Daemon asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“Oh, I suppose you haven’t been told yet,” Rhaenys said. “The old High Septon passed away while you were in Pentos.”

“Oh,” Daemon said.

Since his return and Maekar’s birth, his focus had been on his son, his wife, and his lovers, as well as his attempted investigation of Varys. He hadn’t attended a Small Council meeting since the one right after his return, and his father hadn’t mentioned the High Septon at all. It wasn’t like he gave a fuck about the faith anyway.

“The conclave selected a new one within the week, and he’s on his way here to give his first service at the Sept of Baelor,” Aegon said. “As a prince, you’ll be expected to go with us.”

“Joy,” Daemon muttered.

“Looks like they’re just getting started,” Ser Arthur murmured as they took their seats inside the small theater.

Daemon sat the furthest in, with Aegon next to him and Rhaenys and Daenerys to his right. Ser Arthur and Ser Jonothor flanked them in their seats, their steely eyes roaming around the room on guard for any potential threats. Daemon himself was armed as well, with Nightsister at his hip, but he doubted that there was going to be any trouble here. A few minutes later, the man in charge of the playing company, named Garth, approached the stage.

“Welcome one and all to today’s performance,” he began. In a more theatrical voice, he continued, saying, “a continent in peril; it’s people enslaved. In vast and terrible Essos where we lay our scene, centuries of blood and carnage have turned once green lands into vermilion bogs. Into that dread land arrives a hero, a prince of great and terrible…”

Garth paused for just a second, and his eyes widened as they fell on Daemon. The prince quickly raised a finger across his pressed lips and gave the man a pointed look.

“...great and terrible ferocity,” Garth continued as he looked away, “whose wrath, unbeknownst to the suffering people of this land, will change their lives forever. This is the tale of the Rogue Campaign.”

“Um, is it just me, or does this sound like it’s going to be about you?” Aegon whispered to him.

Before Daemon could reply, a very large man in what he supposed was an adequate interpretation of his armor appeared, flanked by men in Unsullied garb aboard what was clearly meant to be a ship at sea.

“As if I’d wear armor on a ship,” Daemon scoffed mentally. “You’d have to be braindead or Ironborn to think that was a good idea.”

“My prince,” one of the Unsullied said, his head bowed, “this one hears birds in the distance. Land cannot be far.”

“You are correct,” the man playing him said. “Fair Essos, whose people have long suffered in chains, stands before us. A fortune in gold and cunt I will take from her, but in return, I will give her people their freedom.”

What followed was a relatively accurate retelling of his adventures in Essos. Daemon had meant to catch a performance of this play at some point, and getting to see it with his siblings and Daenerys turned out to be a treat, if only for the looks of surprise they gave him repeatedly throughout it. He found a few things that he could nitpick, but on the whole, it was well done. Hilariously enough, the final battle with the Golden Company, where the play ended, was, despite the limited resources that the company had to work with, more engaging and epic than the actual massacre had been.

“How much of that was true?” Rhaenys asked as they left the theater afterward.

“They got most of the details correct,” Daemon replied.

“I wonder how so much of it spread already,” Aegon murmured.

“I paid the man I sent to distribute minor treasures just before the conquest of Pentos quite well,” Daemon said. “Men with gold drink, and men who drink talk. It’s likely that half the city heard of what happened before I arrived back here.”

“Were the Dothraki truly that wretched?” Daenerys asked uncomfortably.

“I’ve read accounts of the Century of Blood, Dany,” Rhaenys said, taking her hand in hers. “The devastation they wreaked upon the former Freehold was unimaginable.”

“Their entire culture was based on rape and pillage,” Daemon said. “Their women are unlikely to be a problem, as their children will be Dornish and raised in Dorne, but the world is better off without their men; trust me.”

“My prince,” Garth said quietly as he drew close.

“You are mistaken, my good man,” Ser Arthur said, stepping between them and glaring at the other man. “These men and women are merchants from across the Narrow Sea here on…”

“It’s alright, Ser Arthur,” Daemon said casually. Turning to Garth, he said, “I noticed you spot us during the performance. Your discretion was appreciated.”

“You look just like the descriptions I had heard, Prince Daemon,” Garth said, still keeping his voice low. Aegon, Rhaenys, and Daenerys had tensed as Daemon spoke to him but swiftly relaxed.

“We quite enjoyed the play, my good man,” Aegon said genially.

“It pleases me to hear that, my prince,” Garth said, bowing.

“I can’t say we expected it to be about one of us,” Rhaenys added.

“The whole city wanted to hear more of the warrior prince who brought an entire nation of people low,” Garth said. “I managed to piece together what I could from rumors. Actually, I was wondering if the prince himself might have any specific thoughts on it, if it isn’t too much trouble, of course.”

“Not at all,” Daemon said. Turning to Aegon, he said, “I think I’ll give my notes on the play’s contents, as its subject. If you want to go back to Red Keep, I could keep one of the Unsullied with me.”

“Two,” Aegon said before Ser Arthur could comment, “and we were going to stop in that lovely establishment over there for a drink anyway. Come join us when you’re done.”

“Of course,” Daemon said. “White Fly, Red Flea, you’re with me.”

As the rest of their party turned to leave, Daemon followed Garth back inside the theater, all the way to a small room, where he removed his cap and relaxed. The man’s long red hair fell to his shoulders and looked largely unchanged since the last time they’d seen each other, though his hairline seemed to have receded a touch.

“You did like it then?” Garth asked.

“You adapted the material my man gave you well,” Daemon commented.

“That mountain of notes your eunuch gave me took ages to get through, but I couldn’t deny that it was interesting stuff,” Garth said. “You had quite the adventure, my prince.”

“It was exciting,” Daemon said, “and you held to your end of our bargain well.”

“I’d not cheat a man who took on the Dothraki hordes and won,” Garth chuckled, “and besides, the scroll you gave me before turned into my most successful play yet. The very idea of these Starry Heavens cultists seems to excite and terrify the people in equal measure.”

“I figured that it would make for good entertainment when I stumbled across it in the library of the Red Keep,” Daemon said.

“I had it returned via the guard you mentioned,” Garth said. “It’s made my career, and I owe you for that. Whatever else you want me to write for you, just bring it to me, and I’ll do it.”

“I recognized your talent,” Daemon said, recalling how he met the struggling bard just before his wedding, “and I enjoy patronizing talent.”

Having a popular playwright on his side had certain perks to it as well, and he was already thinking of ways to make use of the man to improve the smallfolk’s view of his family at large instead of just himself.

“Anyway, my prince, I didn’t ask you here to discuss the play,” Garth said. “There’s a man that I think I should warn you about.”

“Oh?” Daemon asked, intrigued.

“He’s a septon, or he claims to be one, anyway,” Garth continued. “I don’t know his name, just that he despises the nobility and the royal family in particular.”

“That’s unfortunate, but I don’t see why I need to be warned about a rogue septon,” Daemon said. “My father remains rather popular, as far as I’m aware.”

“His grace is well-loved by the nobles and smallfolk alike,” Garth said, “but with the harvest being disappointing this year, we had a few really difficult months. Hunger can erase love faster than infidelity, and this septon found a following during those months.”

“Hmm, that is potentially troubling,” Daemon said.

“Actually, I happened upon one of her sermons at the exact time that your eunuch was riding through the city handing out treasures,” Garth said, chuckling at the memory. “It was funny, seeing him go on and on about how the nobles and the king don’t care for us one moment only for gifts from a prince to be handed out the next. It interrupted him, and he looked furious.”

“Do you know where he preaches?” Daemon asked.

“I haven’t heard tell of him in a while,” Garth said. “It’s possible that he’s gone or even dead, but I just wanted to forewarn you in case he comes back and starts making trouble.”

“Your loyalty is commendable,” Daemon said.

“I might not have had much growing up, but my parents were servants in Harrenhal,” Garth said. “I grew up in the giant keep, and as I had a talent for letters, the maester there at the time took it upon himself to teach me to read and write. I’ve read ancient accounts, and I know how terrible Westeros was before the Conquest. Your family keeps us from that cycle of endless war that existed before, and I shudder to think what might happen if you ever left us.”

“Well, the gods be good; you’ll never have to find out,” Daemon said. “My siblings are waiting for me, and I must be off.”

“Good day, my prince,” Garth said as he left.

The tavern Aegon had pointed to was just across the street from the theater, and it didn’t take long for Daemon to find them.

“Ah, Daemon,” Aegon said as he spotted him, “come and sit with us. I ordered you a mug of ale.”

“I think it tastes like piss, but to each their own,” Rhaenys said.

Daemon took a sip and found it pleasant enough.

“Ale might not be as refined as wine, but it gets the job done,” Daemon said.

“We were just discussing the part of the play where the Golden Company showed up,” Daenerys said. “They caught you off guard, but you managed to turn things around anyway. It’s quite impressive.”

“Tyene deserves most of the credit,” Daemon said.

“Tyene?” Daenerys asked.

“The play made it look more impressive than it was,” Daemon said. That wasn’t done at his insistence either, and he supposed that Garth just thought it would be more entertaining to end with a great battle.

“How did it really happen?” Rhaenys asked, looking intrigued.

“How about you three join Ari, the girls, and I for supper?” Daemon asked. “We could tell you all about our adventures then. I know Arianne would appreciate the company.”

“Yes, she looked just about ready to climb up the walls when I stopped by earlier,” Rhaenys chuckled.

“It’s annoyed her being so cooped up, but Marwyn wanted to be cautious with her recovery, this being her first time giving birth,” Daemon said. “She seems to be healing up well, though, and should be out and about starting tomorrow.”

“I can’t say that I’m not worried about the birthing bed,” Daenerys said, “but little Maekar’s so adorable that every time I look at him, I just want one of my own.”

“Well, your wedding is fast approaching,” Daemon said, looking over at Aemon. “Have you given much thought to what you’ll do after that first night, whether you’ll stay in King’s Landing for a while or head straight to Dragonstone?”

“There are a few matters regarding that that we need to discuss with you,” Rhaenys said.

“Things we can talk about another time,” Aegon said bitingly, “and in another place.”

Rhaenys returned his glare with equal fire, and Daemon furrowed his brow in confusion. Daenerys quickly took their hands in hers and gave them a pointed yet sympathetic look. Daemon just returned to his ale, not feeling close enough to them yet to question them much.

“I must say that I liked that play more than the last one we saw from that company,” Daenerys said, “and not just because I know the people from it.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Rhaenys said, sipping her wine, “I thought the last one was pretty fun too.”

Daenerys shuddered at the memory, and Rhaenys laughed. Daemon relaxed in his chair, enjoying the scene and the simple company. Anyone could tell at a glance that these three had grown up together, and he was reminded in a way of the dynamics between his cousins back in Winterfell. Aegon was still somewhat tense though, and he got the sense that there was something that both wanted him to talk about, which he was reluctant to do. Whatever it was, he decided to let him do so in his own time.

*****

Daenerys and his siblings didn’t end up being able to join him and Arianne for supper that night, but that turned out to be just as well, as most of their lovers were out.

“Missandei wanted to see more of the city, and Obara and Nymeria decided to show her around,” Arianne said as she dug into the lamb stew they were having.

“They brought guards, I hope,” Daemon said.

“We’re practically tripping over Unsullied just now, so it’s not like they had any excuse not to,” Tyene commented.

That was true, and Daemon groaned at the reminder that he needed to find something for them to do. Having a private army was great, and he hadn’t regretted bringing them into his service once, but an army on a foreign continent fighting constant battles against myriad foes was a different thing than a private army sitting around back home. If not for the extreme loyalty trained into them, he would honestly have feared having that many idle warriors about, and while he didn’t have to fear them, he still had to figure out what the hell to do with them.

“Maybe the Stepstones would work,” he murmured to himself.

“Sorry?” Bellegere asked.

“Oh, nevermind,” Daemon said, shaking his head as he realized that he’d spoken aloud. “I was just thinking about what to do with the Unsullied. We don’t need nine thousand guards, after all.”

“The ones we sent to Sunspear have been helpful,” Arianne said. “Father wrote to thank us and informed me that he’s been using them to help safeguard the groups he’s sent out to assess the land for new potential settlements.”

“Our full treasury is going to come in handy there,” Daemon said.

“There are whole sections of Dorne that were unlivable before and are now suited to farming,” Arianne said. “Father was already plotting out the most likely developments when we arrived back in Sunspear.”

“I haven’t thought to ask yet how that went,” Daemon said.

“He was furious, of course,” Arianne said. “We left Dorne without telling him what exactly we were planning, after having already infuriated him with our magical mishap, and then sent him word of what we had done in Essos, well after we began, alongside thousands of random women. That said, he had already dealt with most of the trouble by then, so his rage had cooled.”

“Ari being heavily pregnant helped too,” Tyene added.

“He was excited at the prospect of becoming a grandfather,” Arianne said, frowning slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Daemon asked.

“Mellario wrote to her,” Tyene said quietly after Arianne was silent for a solid moment.

“Ah,” Daemon said as Arianne glared at her cousin. “She expressed her congratulations, I assume.”

“Apparently Father wrote to her when he learned I was pregnant,” Arianne said. “I didn’t know the two still communicated at all.”

“Maekar is her grandson too,” Daemon said.

“As if she’s ever…” Arianne cut herself, her eyes growing misty.

“Ari?” Bellegere asked, reaching over to place her hand over the other woman’s.

“Sorry,” Arianne said, blinking repeatedly. “My mother’s a bit of a sore subject for me. Even in wishing me well with the pregnancy, she couldn’t help but throw in her own problems.”

“Problems?” Daemon asked.

“Tensions between Norvos and Qohor are close to boiling over,” Arianne said. “She seems to think that war is imminent.”

“You know, we could offer her the use of the manse in Pentos,” Daemon said.

“What?!” Arianne exclaimed.

“Norvos is far, my love, but Pentos is closer,” Daemon said, “and as we have further children, it might be a good thing for their grandmother to be close by.”

“If you think for a second that I’m letting her anywhere near Maekar, you’ve gone mad,” Arianne spat.

“Ari…” Daemon went to say.

“She abandoned me!” Arianne cried. “I was young and a girl. I needed my mother, and she just...left. You have no idea what that’s like.”

“No, I don’t,” Daemon said calmly. “I don’t know what it’s like to have a mother at all.”

“Daemon, I...it’s not the same thing,” Arianne said. “Lyanna Stark didn’t choose to leave you.”

“No, she didn’t,” Daemon agreed, “but all I know is that I would trade being as angry with my mother as you are with yours for the ability to see her even once.”

“Daemon, I see where you’re coming from, but you weren’t there when she left,” Tyene said, getting up and wrapping her arms around Arianne from behind. Arianne leaned her head back against the blonde, remembering the nights she spent crying her eyes out in her arms.

“Neither was I, but trust me, Arianne, when I say that once your mother’s gone, she’s gone,” Bellegere said sadly. “If there’s any chance that you two could ever mend things between you, you don’t want to wait until after she’s dead to try.”

“All these years, it’s been like she was dead,” Arianne said flatly, years worth of bitterness boiling inside her. “Look, Daemon, the manse is yours, and if you wanted to extend her that offer, I would not object, but only if you promise to make it crystal clear that it is coming from you alone.”

“Alright,” Daemon said, downing the rest of his cup of wine.

“I never understood how she could have left us, and now that I’m a mother, I understand it even less,” Arianne said. “If our marriage fell apart completely, if we grew to hate the mere sight of each other, I still couldn’t bring myself to leave Maekar.”

“Let’s pray to the gods, it never comes to that,” Daemon said, kissing the back of her hand.

“Never,” Arianne said, wiping her eyes. After taking a moment to calm down, she changed the subject, asking, “How did your day with Aegon, Rhaenys, and Daenerys go?”

“It was nice,” Daemon said, “though odd in a way.”

“How so?” Arianne asked.

“I get the sense that there’s something Aegon wants to talk to me about, but he’s reluctant to do so,” Daemon replied. “Whatever it’s about, I think Rhaenys and Daenerys know as well, and the former is particularly impatient for him to get on with it.”

“If there is such a thing, I’m sure he’ll talk to you about it eventually,” Arianne said. “You two are still strangers despite everything, and Aegon, for as friendly and outgoing as he can be, has always been slow to really let people in. His aunt, uncle, and sister are his only real confidants.”

“And we have spent more time apart than together,” Daemon said. “Well, I’m sure he’ll tell me when he’s ready. The play was fun; it turned out to be about us.”

“What?” Tyene asked, sitting back down.

“There’s a playwright I met the last time I was in King’s Landing and ended up drinking with,” Daemon said. “He was talented and popular, but he’d been having trouble coming up with new ideas of late, and his old material was losing the public’s interest. I saw an opportunity, liked what I read of his work, and offered to lend him something interesting from the library here to make use of in exchange for a promise that if I came to him with something that I wanted written and performed, he’d do so without question.”

“Why in the world would you do that?” Arianne asked.

“Plays and songs are how the people are entertained, noble and common alike,” Daemon said. “I figured that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to patronize a rather popular one in the hopes of making use of him down the line. It never hurts to have the people think well of you.”

“I suppose,” Arianne said, “and you gave him an account of our adventures in Essos?”

“I sent it along just before I besieged Pentos,” Daemon said, “along with the trinkets I had distributed among the people. It went from the founding of Hugorton to the destruction of the Golden Company.”

“I’m going to guess that you changed how that last point went,” Tyene giggled.

“I left it vague, and he turned it into a grand battle,” Daemon replied, making her snort.

“Do you plan to give him any more ideas?” Bellegere asked.

“Not at the moment,” Daemon said. “This one portrays me as a great hero, so I suppose I’ll wait to see what effect it has before pushing anything else. Something that shows the Targaryens in general in a very positive light would be a good idea.”

“You’d make a good Hand, you know,” Arianne said.

“What, me?” Daemon asked incredulously. “I’m no administrator, Ari. I’m a warrior, first and foremost. I can kill, and I can strategize how best to kill, but aside from the occasional good idea like this, I’m generally out of my depth when a problem requires a non-violent solution.”

“You see yourself short, my love,” Arianne said, “and being a killer and an administrator are not mutually exclusive. The realm fared well under Lord Tywin, and he is a far less disciplined killer than you. You didn’t kill the Dothraki women and children as well, and yet there are no Reynes or Tarbecks alive today.”

“I see your point,” Daemon said, “but I still think I’m ill-suited to be Hand of the King. I might think that Connington’s a cunt, but I can’t deny he’s been good in his role.”

“I’m not suggesting that you try to take his place at your father’s side, but, hopefully, in no less than twenty years, Aegon will be king and he’ll get to choose his own Hand,” Arianne said. “Just give it some thought.”

“Well, let’s hope that I have plenty of time to think about it,” Daemon said.

“I must say, for as well as I lived on my pleasure barge, the food here and in Sunspear is so much better,” Bellegere said.

“I’m looking forward to getting used to food this good again,” Daemon said. “You’ve been enjoying it for longer than I have here.”

“I nearly cried the first time I tasted something made in a proper kitchen again,” Tyene admitted.

“No more adventures,” Arianne said as she finished her meal.

“That suits me just fine,” Daemon said. “We saw some great sights, had some fun, killed some cunts, and we’re now probably wealthier than the Velaryons were at the height of the Sea Snake’s success. I am perfectly happy to, once Varys is dead, return to Sunspear, settle in, and make Oberyn look like a eunuch with how many babes we have.

All three of them laughed at that.

“You know, if you want to get started on that last part, I’m more than happy to,” Tyene purred.

“You can put a babe in me anytime, Daemon,” Bellegere said, her voice husky, “but right now, I’m craving something else.”

“Oh?” Daemon asked, leaning in. “Be a good girl and tell me what you want.”

“Fuck, Daemon,” Bellegere whimpered.

“That would be the basic idea,” Tyene quipped.

“I want you to fuck me in the ass,” Bellegere purred. “I want you to take that big, thick cock, spread my tightest hole wide, and then pound me until I scream.”

“At least,” Daemon rumbled, grinning as he saw her gorgeous blue eyes darken with lust.

“I had the servants bring oil by just in case,” Arianne said, getting up and retrieving the bottle from a tall cabinet.

“You’re the best,” Bellegere said, beaming. “Not that I needed further proof of that when you enthusiastically let me fuck your husband.”

“Well,” Arianne said, reaching around and grabbing a handful of Bellegere’s fat ass, “it’s not as though I get nothing out of that.”

“Mmm,” Bellegere sighed, kissing Arianne lightly. “Even that doesn’t explain letting us have his children too. The fact that you’re okay with that still mystifies me.”

“I want my Maekar to grow up with plenty of siblings to love,” Arianne said, “and I think that the image of all of you lounging around the Water Gardens heavy with children is too hot for words. We can work toward that another night, though. Tonight, Daemon’s going to make sure you sit funny for days.”

Bellegere shuddered and grabbed the bottle of oil before turning to Daemon and, with a crooked finger, beckoning him over. Daemon took the bottle from her, set it down on the table, and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

“I guess we’ll just have to make babes some other night,” Tyene sighed.

“We can clean his cock off after he’s done with Belle,” Arianne said.

“To be honest, I kind of want to try it.” Tyene said, watching him dominate Bellegere’s tongue with his own.

“Try what?” Daemon asked, clearly having heard her.

“When you’re done with her, I want you to fuck me in the ass,” Tyene replied.

“You’ll enjoy it, Tyene,” Bellegere said. “It can be difficult getting it started, but I swear I cum at least as hard as when he fucks my cunt.”

“You’re sure?” Daemon asked, excited by the prospect.

“It’s not like Nymeria hasn’t been telling me for years that I should give it a try,” Tyene said.

“If your ass is anything like your cunt, it’s going to be a very, very tight fit,” Arianne purred in her ear. “It might be best for me to stretch you out first.”

“You’re sure?” Tyene asked.

“It’s my holes I need to be careful with, not my fingers,” Arianne replied, pulling her in for a kiss.

Tyene moaned into the mouth of her first lover and pushed her down onto the bed. As she deepened the kiss, plunging her tongue into the other woman’s mouth, she brought her hands up to cup her large, milk-filled breasts.

“Oh gods, be careful, Ty,” Arianne moaned. “They’re sensitive.”

“Have you emptied them today?” Tyene asked.

“No,” Arianne replied.

Giving her feral grin, the blonde pulled her dress down until her breasts were bared and wrapped her lips around one of her leaking nipples.

Daemon and Bellegere broke apart, and both looked at the show their lovers were putting on. Daemon spun her around and pulled her in until her back was against him and his cock was pressed against her thick arse.

Kissing along her neck, he cupped her breasts and whispered, “you’re tits are going to be filled with milk just like hers soon enough. I can’t wait to drink from you while I fuck your arse.”

“Oh gods!” Bellegere exclaimed, wiggling her ass against his cock.

Daemon pushed her forward, and she fell on the bed, giggling at his brutishness. He undressed himself quickly, groaning in relief as his turgid cock was freed from its confines, and approached her just as Arianne flipped Tyene onto her back and began straddling her.

“I swear you love my tits more than Daemon,” Arianne laughed, smothering the laughing blonde in her large, warm mounds.

“Impossible,” Daemon declared, almost managing to keep a straight face. Reaching down, he grasped one of her breasts and brought her nipple to his lips, sucking until he got a small mouthful of her milk.

“Ahh, I’m going to miss this,” Arianne moaned as he and Tyene both drank from her.

“Then I guess Daemon will just have to put another babe in you soon,” Bellegere purred, cupping his face and silently urging him away so that she could take his place.

“As soon as you’re ready,” Daemon said, kissing Arianne, who moaned into his mouth.

Breaking the kiss, Daemon undid the fastenings holding Bellegere’s dress together and pulled it open, revealing her smooth brown skin and luscious curves. He groaned as he saw she wasn’t wearing small clothes and traced a finger through her fleshy folds.

“So wet already,” Daemon murmured, bringing the finger to his lips and sucking her juices off of it.

“How could I not be?” Bellegere asked coyly, sitting up and pulling him down to kiss him again.

As the two kissed, he helped ease her the rest of the way out of her clothes and noticed through the corner of his eye that Tyene and Arianne were doing the same. Moving on from her full lips, he kissed a trail across her cheek, stopping to nibble on her earlobe, and then down along the slender column of her neck. As he reached her full breasts, he cupped the heavy mounds and teased her hard brown nipples with his lips and teeth, making her moan.

“I can’t imagine that Daemon hasn’t thought of fucking this perfect ass of yours plenty of times,” Arianne purred as she reached under Tyene and squeezed her plump cheeks.

“You have no idea,” Daemon said, smirking as he saw Tyene shudder.

He continued down, trailing his lips across the soft expanse of Bellegere’s belly, until his face was between her thighs.

“Oh yes!” Bellegere cried as he gave her cunt a long lick.

“I like the way you think, Daemon,” Arianne laughed, burying her face between Tyene’s thighs.

The blonde gasped as she began to devour her sopping wet cunt and threw her head back into the bedding. Twin moans and cries soon filled the room as the two women lay on the bed and were pleasured. Daemon was holding onto Bellegere’s thighs, but when he felt knuckles bump against Arianne’s hand, he reached out and took it, interlacing his fingers with hers. The two locked eyes as they continued to lick and kiss their lovers heated folds, and Daemon almost laughed at the oddity of sharing such a moment with his wife.

“Oh gods, right there!” Bellegere cried as he swirled his tongue around her clit.

“Arianne,” Tyene whined as she moved away from her clit, plunging her tongue inside her quivering hole and denying her her release.

Daemon plunged two fingers inside Bellegere’s sweltering depths, curling them upward to stroke one of her more sensitive spots and getting them nice and wet.

“Daemon!” Bellegere almost screamed, her whole body going taut as she soared towards her peak.

“Yes, Belle?” Daemon asked.

“I’m so close,” Bellegere said in a pleading tone. “Just a little more, please!”

Daemon pulled his fingers from her dripping sex and placed them against her puckered arsehole. Keeping his eyes firmly on her face, he grinned as her eyes widened once she felt him pressing against her. A moment later, he pushed his very slick fingers inside and sucked her clit into his mouth.

“FUCK!” Bellegere shrieked, her arse rising off of the bed as her orgasm hit.

Her fluids splashed against his mouth, and he drank down what he could as she came. His fingers, which he had managed to push inside her up to the second knuckle, were locked in place as her spasming inner muscles held them.

“Here’s the oil, love,” Arianne said, placing the bottle carefully between Bellegere and Tyene.

“Ari,” Tyene whimpered, sounding like she’d been on edge for a while.

“When you cum, it will be with my fingers deep inside your tight little asshole,” Arianne said, pouring a little of the oil into her hand and thoroughly coating three of her fingers.

“It’ll be...worth the wait,” Bellegere panted, throwing her arms over her head and stretching with a wide smile on her face.

“I take it you enjoyed that,” Daemon said, grinning down at her.

“You’re always so good to me,” Bellegere sighed.

Daemon added a little of the oil to his fingers and pushed them in the rest of the way. He had taken her arse plenty of times and knew that he’d have an easier time stretching her out than Arianne was going to. Looking over, he saw his wife circling the blonde’s tightest hole with one finger.

“I’ve taken a finger before,” Tyene said.

“True,” Arianne said, pushing the oiled digit in fully.

“Shit!” Tyene grunted.

“My hands are small, though,” Arianne said, “and I don’t know how much I’ll really be able to prepare you for Daemon’s cock.”

“Three of them should still suffice,” Daemon said. “Large as I am, I’m not that big.”

“E...easy for you to say,” Tyene giggled, “you’ve never taken that monster.”

“And I’ve never heard you complain about it either,” Daemon said. Pulling his fingers out of Bellegere, he said, “Roll over, Belle.”

Bellegere rolled onto her belly and stuck her arse up in the air, shaking it slightly. Daemon plunged his fingers back inside and started pumping them in and out as he tried to both stretch and oil her insides. The Braavosi woman grunted and groaned, burying her face in the bedding as she enjoyed his ministrations.

“Mmm,” Tyene sighed as Arianne added a second slim finger to her arse, “that feels good.”

“When he fucks you deep like this, it can be even more intense than when he’s in your cunt,” Arianne said. “It’s not something that I do often, but it is fun.”

“Can you do that while your cunt recovers?” Tyene asked.

“Marwyn blushed like a maid when I asked,” Arianne laughed. “Apparently it’s still best avoided for a while.”

“Ugh, fuck!” Bellegere grunted as Daemon added a third finger. “I sometimes forget just how large your hands are.”

“They match his...oh fuck...cock,” Tyene moaned. “Oh, please, Ari, I’m getting close again.”

“I suppose you’ve been a good girl, taking my fingers like this,” Arianne said. “If you can manage a third, I’ll make you cum.”

“Do it, do it, do it, do it,” Tyene babbled, her body starting to shake as her orgasm built rapidly.

Daemon felt his cock throb as he watched them and grabbed the oil. Making sure to carefully coat his entire length, he removed his fingers from Bellegere’s vice-tight arse and placed the tip by her still gaping entrance.

“Fuck me,” Bellegere moaned, and then cried out as the bulbous head of his cock popped inside her.

“Fucking hells,” Daemon groaned in pleasure as he felt his cock slip inside her. The way that her tight ring clenched around him was incredible, but more than that, the sheer heat of her was immense.

“Oh gods, keep going,” Bellegere groaned.

“Does it really...ahh...feel that good?” Tyene asked.

“You’re getting a taste of it now,” Bellegere replied. “It’s different from normal sex, but the feeling of being stretched is so much more intense.”

As Daemon finished burying his cock inside Bellegere’s arse, he leaned in and started nibbling on her ear.

“Tell Tyene how much you love having my big, thick cock stretching out your tiny little arsehole,” he whispered.

“I love it so much,” Bellegere moaned, shivering as he teased her ear again with his tongue. “You’re going to wish you’d tried this sooner.”

“Oh fuck, oh fuck!” Tyene cried as Arianne worked a third finger inside her tight depths. “Please, Ari, please, GODS!”

The blonde writhed in ecstasy as Arianne wrapped her lips around her clit and her long-delayed orgasm crashed over her almost immediately. Daemon watched her cum with a grin on his face and pulled most of his cock out of Bellegere’s ass. Slamming back inside, he was rewarded with a loud moan from her.

“Gods, I fucking missed you!” Bellegere cried. “I wanted you every night.”

“I’m not planning on going anywhere any time soon,” Daemon said, quickly building up to the sort of hard, fast pace that he knew she loved. Soon enough, he was pounding her hard and enjoying the familiar sight of her fleshy brown arsecheeks jiggling each time his hips slapped against them.

“So...good,” Tyene panted as she came down from her high.

“It is rather intense with your asshole stuffed, isn’t it?” Arianne asked, giving her clit a little kiss that made her twitch. “Roll over and bury your face in the sheets. I want Daemon to be able to move straight to you after Bellegere cums.”

Tyene did so, feeling oddly like a puppet as Arianne kept her fingers inside her ass the whole time, and was soon sticking her plump cheeks in the air as she rested her head and forearms on the bed.

“Yes!” Bellegere screamed as Daemon spanked her arse. “Harder!”

“The spanking or fucking?” Daemon asked in amusement.

“Both!” Bellegere cried.

Switching from cheek to cheek, he spanked her hard, each blow earning him a sharp cry from his lover as he continued to fuck her. Her pleasured cries turned to screams as she raced towards her pleasure, and when Daemon reached under her and started rubbing her clit, her knees nearly gave out.

“Yes, yes, YES!” Bellegere shrieked as she came, her back arching as her body went taut.

Daemon groaned as she began to clench and spasm around his cock, grabbing onto her hips and doing his best to fuck her through her orgasm. He wasn’t all that close to cumming yet, but she was almost painfully tight when she came like this. Wave after soul-searing wave of pleasure coursed through her entire body, and as it ended, she collapsed, her gorgeous body slick with sweat as she panted for breath.

“You’re a...god,” she gasped, sounding half-dazed.

“She’s ready for you, my love,” Arianne said, pulling her fingers from Tyene’s arsehole.

The blonde was practically shaking with anticipation and arousal and quickly reached behind to pull her arsecheeks wide.

“Eager, are we?” Daemon asked, crawling over and quickly lining himself with her slightly gaping hole.

“So much,” Tyene moaned. “Fuck me like you fucked her, Daemon. Don’t let me sit straight for a week.”

“You asked for it,” Daemon grinned as he pushed forward.

“Ah...oh gods!” Tyene cried as the head of his cock popped inside her.

“Are you alright?” Daemon asked.

“Seven hells, you’re huge!” Tyene exclaimed, shuddering. “I mean, I knew that, but fuck.”

“I know it’s intense, but you need to relax, love,” Arianne said, having gotten up to wash her hands in a nearby basin of water.

“I know, I know,” Tyene said. “It’s just...I thought he felt big in my cunt.”

“I’ll hold still until you’re ready,” Daemon said, more than content to just enjoy the feeling of her insanely tight inner muscles holding him.

“Just let him know when,” Arianne said as she rejoined them. She gently stroked Tyene’s hair, and the other women leaned into her touch.

“Try a little more,” Tyene said as she stopped trembling and relaxed a bit.

Daemon pushed another inch or so of his cock inside her, and she squeaked. Pausing to make sure she was alright, he saw her gripping the bedding so hard that her knuckles had gone white.

“Keep...keep going,” Tyene panted. “It’s starting to feel good.”

She had relaxed enough that he was able to move more freely, and so he started slowly burying himself bit by bit inside her molten depths. By pulling back a bit, pushing even further, and repeating that cycle, he was able to keep it up until, at last, his hips were flush against her wonderfully round arsecheeks.

“Fuck me,” Tyene panted, sounding exhausted already. “That’s so fucking intense.”

“I can hold here if you want,” Daemon offered.

“No,” Tyene said. “Fuck me, Daemon.”

He tentatively pulled half of his cock from her depths and thrust back inside. Tyene grunted and clawed at the sheets as he worked up to a steady rhythm.

“Gods, I love that,” Bellegere said, getting up onto her knees and crawling over. “Oh, you took it all.”

“Yes,” Tyene grunted, “every inch of fucking horse cock.”

“Do you want me to pull it out?” Daemon asked.

“Don’t you dare,” Tyene replied, laughing.

Daemon laughed and picked up his pace, convinced that she was relaxed and oiled enough to take him safely. Changing his angle slightly, he started to search for that deep spot inside her that he knew he could hit from either hole. It wasn’t as physically obvious in her arse as it was in her cunt, but when he heard her shriek in pleasure, he knew that he’d found it.

“Oh fuck, do that again!” Tyene cried.

“Now you see why we all love it,” Bellegere chuckled.

Daemon’s fingers dug into her fleshy hips had enough to leave bruises as he started fucking her hard. The room was filled with the sound of his hips slapping her arse and her pleasured screams. He hadn’t been that close as he finished fucking Bellegere, but he felt his control beginning to slip from him as he kept going, especially when her inner muscles began to flutter around him.

“More, more, more, more!” Tyene cried, throwing her arse back in time with his every thrust.

Her cunt was leaking her fluids all over the bed as she drew close to her climax, soaking his balls each time they slapped her. Knowing that he was getting close himself, he fucked her faster, and his balls started hitting her clit more regularly.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh...YES!” Tyene screamed as she came.

Her cunt gushed all over the place, soaking his balls and the bed below them. The feeling of her clenching around him was too much and Daemon came with a roar, painting her guts white with his thick seed. Falling forward, he caught himself on his forearms, and the two of them writhed together as they rode out their pleasure.

“Fuck,” Tyene panted, one cheek pressed into the sheets as she tried to catch her breath. “Fuck!”

“That about sums it up, huh?” Arianne chuckled, caressing the both of them as they came down from their highs.

“Gods, I will never tire of that,” Daemon sighed as he pulled his softening length from her arse and rolled onto his back.

“It would be a tragedy if you did,” Arianne said, running her nails through his dark beard.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in until her head was resting on his chest. Bellegere cuddled up next to a still-recovering Tyene, throwing an arm across her and Daemon both. He looked at her and smiled, sure from the lustful look in her eye that he was nowhere near done for the night.

*****

Daemon ended up being right about that, as he had, after he cleaned his cock, ended up fucking the both of them again until he had filled their cunts with his seed as well. Sated and relaxed by the time he was done, he wasn’t yet tired and left the two of them to sleep in Arianne’s arms as he decided to take a walk to tire himself out.

“Ah, my prince,” Ser Barristan said as he spotted him. “I wasn’t going to bother you until morning, but a letter came for you, carried from the city.”

“Not a raven?” Daemon asked.

“No,” Ser Barristan said, handing him the folded piece of parchment.

Your family is in danger, dragon prince. If you wish to know more, I’ll be spending each night this week in Chataya’s brothel. Ask for Blackwind, and she’ll get me for you.

“He’s not long-winded at least,” Daemon commented as he handed the short note to Ser Barristan.

“This is almost certainly a trap,” the old knight said.

“I know,” Daemon said, walking towards his quarters.

“So what do you intend to do?” Ser Barristan asked, sounding wary.

“Spring the trap,” Daemon replied.

“Why?” Ser Barristan asked.

“I haven’t left a lot of enemies alive,” Daemon said. “The Pentoshi magisters were slaughtered, I’m pretty sure that I killed the last Dothraki man myself, and the Ironborn’s finest warriors all died at Bear Island. The rest of them exist under Lord Tywin’s iron fist, and I doubt he’s been particularly gentle. The most likely culprit is Varys, and I’m not letting an opportunity to catch one of the eunuch cunt’s agents slip away.”

“We should inform the rest of the Kingsguard, to say nothing of the King himself,” Ser Barristan said.

“And if that’s what they want us to do?” Daemon asked as he reached his room and went for his armor. “The point of this could be to draw some of the Kingsguard away so that they can more easily strike at the rest of us. I’ll take you and some of the unsullied. I will also be armed myself, of course.”

“I hate that you have a point, my prince,” Ser Barristan sighed, helping him into his armor.

“You always do,” Daemon chuckled.

In his black platemail, with his crimson cloak thrown over one shoulder, he looked every inch at the Targaryen warrior. Grabbing a half-dozen Unsullied, he quickly made his way to Chataya’s. He had heard of the brothel but hadn’t actually been there himself before. He’d left the city for the North years before he was old enough to make use of the place, and after he’d come back, he’d found someone far more fun than any whore he’d ever had to spend his time with.

“Welc...is something wrong?” a middle-aged yet undeniably beautiful woman from the Summer Islands asked. She was presumably Chataya.

Daemon pushed the visor of his helmet up, showing his vibrant purple eyes, and said, “I’m looking for a man calling himself Blackwind.”

“Oh,” Chataya said, laughing, “right. Well, worry not, my prince. I’ll go get the person you came for.”

Daemon furrowed his brow at the way she worded that, and his suspicion about the way she worded that was proven correct a moment later when, rather than a man, she brought him a woman. She was pretty, albeit with a nose just slightly large for her face and a crooked grin. Her black hair was cut slightly shorter than his, and by the look of her, he assumed that she spent a great deal of time around saltwater. As her dark eyes took him in, he got the distinct sense that she was sizing him up, but for what purpose, he couldn’t say, and her expression gave away nothing of the conclusions she drew.

“I didn’t expect you to come tonight,” she said, “and I kind of wish you hadn’t. Had to pull my face out of a magnificent pair of tits for this.”

“You’re Blackwind?” Daemon asked.

“No, but the Black Wind is my ship, and I figured it was as good a name to give as any,” the woman replied, grabbing a tankard of ale from the bar that Chataya had just placed there. “I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time, prince.”

“Should I be flattered by your interest?” Daemon asked, his hand still near the hilt of his blade.

“Probably not,” the woman snorted, holding up her tankard as if in a toast, “but still, from one reaver to possibly the greatest who ever lived, here’s to you, Daemon Targaryen.”

“Enough of this,” Daemon said. “Who are you?”

“How rude of me,” the woman said, taking a drink. “I guess I thought you might see the family resemblance, given how many of mine you killed. I’m Asha Greyjoy, dragon.”

Daemon’s eyes widened, and his hand wrapped around Nightsister’s hilt.