22. Shiera VI/ Maegor XII (Patreon)

Shiera VI

29AC

“Mmmh,” Shiera groaned out as her eyes fluttered awake. Her bed was mighty comfortable but her body had decided it was time to wake up. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, she could not fully get out of bed so she took some time to rest. Her husband’s strong arm was currently draped over her stomach so it was not like she was going anywhere.

Sleeping with someone else was a change she was still getting used to but it was good. She certainly did not mind being held close to the man she loved while she was sleeping. Though waiting for him to get up was certainly hit or miss. 

She took the chance to look around their room and Shiera marveled at the opulence. The Pentoshi mansion they were currently residing in would put even Oldtown to shame. House Narratys had been kind enough to host them long term, so she was finally getting used to a single room again. 

Shiera longed for a home. A real one that she could call her own. She had not seen Harrenhal in just over six years now, and she had spent the last year away from her second home in King’s Landing. She had hoped that Dragonstone might one day be her home. As her husband’s domain, it would be her wifely duty to help him run it, as Lady Consort of the island. Yet it was not to be, as King Aegon had decided to banish them. 

Now they were in a whole new city. One of the daughters of Old Valyria. Proud and powerful Pentos. The idea of living here long term did not entice Shiera, she had spent so long bouncing from place to place. Now she was not even in the lands she was born in. She shared her husband’s sentiment of wanting to go home eventually. 

Said husband stirred behind her and Shiera let a small smile appear on her face. Being with Maegor made her banishment tolerable. It even made not seeing her family tolerable. Getting to spend every day with him, from sunrise to sundown, was exactly what she had wanted for the last few years. 

She comforted herself with that victory. There may have been setbacks along the way but she reached the end goal. ‘Married, and perhaps with some luck, a family of my own along the way,’ Shiera thought with a smile as she moved her free hand over her stomach. She may be lacking in the traditional education and wants of a lady but Shiera had to admit, the idea of having a real family of her own was something she had dreamed of a few times. 

“G’mornin,” she heard from behind her and her smile widened. She shuffled around in his embrace, turning her face towards his own and she was met with a similar smile. 

“Good morrow, dear husband,” Shiera said with a cheeky smile and was returned with a wide smile from Maegor. He had taken their banishment far better, fully trusting in his brother to lift his banishment in the future. He called it a “long-term vacation,” whatever that meant. 

Maegor also shifted now that he was awake and he laid on his back. Easily maneuvering her to his side as he stared at the ceiling. Now it was her turn to embrace her husband. 

“Did you sleep well?” Maegor asked in a quiet voice, still shaking off the tiredness from sleeping. 

“Mmmh,” Shiera answered noncommittally. She had slept well but bouncing between different beds was annoying. 

“We will have to thank House Narratys for their hospitality,” Maegor said with a lighthearted smile and Shiera wanted to roll her eyes. 

From the moment they set foot in this city. Politics had surrounded them. They had met with over two dozen different Pentoshi noble families in just a moon. An endless stream of feasts, balls, banquets, and closed-door discussions. Shiera had expected to ease herself into politics, yet she had to put on quite a large mask. She could not afford to appear weak, even after getting banished. 

First, the Prince of Pentos, Nevio Iranhor, hosted them in his palace in the center of the city. Yet neither she nor Maegor particularly cared for that one. Sure it was gorgeous and opulent beyond belief but it was also filled to the brim with servants and was dead center in the city. Hence, they were basically surrounded by half a million residents in this proud city. 

Needless to say, both she and Maegor had readily begun looking for a new palace to be hosted on the first day they were awoken by the sounds of the city. Nearly a dozen different families offered to host them, but they both eventually decided on House Narratys, whose main palace stood closer to the outskirts of the city. 

The location of their palace was not the only reason they chose House Narratys however. The young, chubby head of the extremely wealthy magister family, Illyrio Narratys, was perhaps the most jovial and chipper person in the entire city. He practically draped off Maegor and was more than happy to accommodate their every request. That and his ties to Westeros through his sister’s marriage to Aeron’s brother made House Narratys the obvious choice for their hosts. 

“Perhaps he will finally man up, and stop forcing us to dance in this foolish game,” Shiera said with a little bitterness and Maegor squeezed her closer to him in response. 

“With any luck indeed. Prideful people are supremely irritating,” Maegor said with a knowing smile and Shiera narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Are we staying here?” she asked the question she was dreading and Maegor took a moment to respond. 

“Unless these magisters get their act together and give me an offer worth listening to. No, I will not put either of us in danger for nothing,” Maegor said with assurance and Shiera did not know how to feel. She felt good knowing he cared for her safety but leaving again did not lift her mood in the slightest. 

She understood the sentiment, however. Pentos was staring down death after all. It was only a matter of time before the Khal of Khals grew bored with waiting and descended upon this city, just like he did for Qohor and Norvos. 

“Are you going to fight again?” Shiera mumbled out and was met with another side hug. She did not exactly like the idea of her husband challenging the Dothraki in a force of arms. She knew he was atop a dragon but even Queen Visenya had gotten injured at the Field of Fire, and Vhagar was much bigger than Terrax. 

“If the Magisters give us a good enough deal,” he said with a cocksure smile and Shiera narrowed her eyes once more. 

“And what would a good deal be?” she asked with a raised eyebrow and Maegor merely put a finger to her lips. 

“That we will hopefully see today. Magister Illyrio is attending a banquet in the evening with numerous powerful Noble Families, and we have been ‘invited’ to a meeting with him, so perhaps they have also grown tired of this game,” Maegor said with a little annoyance in his voice. 

The Pentoshi had spent the last moon masterfully dancing around the question of the Dothraki. Yet the threat of war loomed large over the city. Maegor suspected that they did not want to be the ones to beg Maegor for aid, as it would lead to them being in a much worse negotiation position. Meanwhile, they tried their damnedest to hand out lavish gift after lavish gift, whether they intended to make Maegor owe them a favor or just win some good opinion with the local dragonlord was not known to either of them. 

It hurt to turn down most of the gifts but the dance demanded it. They accepted a few gifts that would be most terrible to deny. They had accepted a few gifts of jewelry and fancy dresses for herself, along with the hospitality of their guests. Though one gift was easy to turn down. 

House Dynilos had attempted to gift them a handful of slave servants when they had first met them. Thankfully her husband shared her same aversion to that peculiar institution and they were politely turned down. Shiera still needed a few lady servants but she would just have to rely on those provided for her by House Narratys until she could meet some freeborn people to employ. 

She and Maegor had already decided to partake in no slavery here in Pentos. They would not debase themselves by purchasing people, they would happily spend the extra money to employ freeborn individuals.

“Where is this banquet?” Shiera asked the next logical question and Maegor gave her a shrug in return. 

“No idea, we will have to get up and ask him,” he said as he finally stopped lying on his back and shuffled to his feet. 

Shiera huffed a small huff at having to finally get out of bed but the sun was now fully out, the two of them staying in bed all day was alluring but not possible.

Slipping on her pre-prepared dress from last night as her husband slipped into her own clothes. She marveled at how quickly she had adapted to sharing a room with another. ‘Perhaps this closeness is just part of being married,’ Shiera thought to herself with a little happy smile. She had worked hard to get her marriage, she could pat herself on the back a little bit. 

“Hmm,” her husband said from behind her and Shiera involuntarily raised an eyebrow. 

“Hmm, what?” she said, turning on a heel and facing her now fully clothed husband. 

“Nothing, just trying to get used to having a beautiful woman share my bed,” Maegor said with a beaming smile as he pulled her into a quick hug. 

Maegor had become much more… affectionate since they were married. Truth be told, it kind of grated on Shiera a bit. 

“Why couldn’t you be like this before?” she mumbled into his chest and he let out a laugh. 

“Because I could not see what was before me until I had it,” he answered confidently as he let her go and started moving towards the door. 

Shiera huffed again before she finished putting on her simple dress and followed her husband outside. She would dress more ornately for the banquet later but she would make do with a simple dress for now. 

…

Shiera thanked herself again for her choice of husband as she stared across at the young head of the Narratys household. They were currently in a solar so packed with riches and finery that it almost hurt to look around. Silver, gold, gemstones, and priceless artifacts dotted nearly every single bit of the room. 

Shiera thanked herself for two reasons. The first was because Maegor did not look like Illyrio Narratys. She would hesitate to call him ugly but he was certainly rotund compared to most other nobles she had seen in her life. Maegor meanwhile looked like he was carved straight from marble. He towered over nearly everyone he met and not even a blind man could call him fat. 

Another reason she thanked herself was that Maegor brought her along for these sorts of meetings. As a girl, she had gotten the full spiel from her mother, along with overhearing plenty of rambles from Queen Visenya. Most ladies in this world were effectively trophies, meant to give their husbands children and look pretty on their arms. 

That may have been her fate in life had she not found her way to Maegor, married off to some rich slob to be a perfect little trophy wife. The very thought of such a fate sent shivers down her spine. She had seen what capable women could do when given the chance. Her mother helped her father where she could but Queen Visenya had been her role model. She basically ran the kingdom when her husband was away. 

Shiera hardly expected to do anything of the sort but being in these private meetings would at least leave her something to think about and allow her to give her advice to her husband. She would not allow the days spent in front of books to be a waste. 

“House Brenyl will be hosting tonight, the manse they are using is around the center of the city, though I can show you a map later. Will you be riding your dragon there, Prince Maegor?” Magister Illyrio Narratys said in his usual, jovial, and overly friendly tone and Maegor chuckled a little nervously. 

“I am afraid not, Terrax will remain outside of the city for the time being,” Maegor said scratching the back of his head and Shiera narrowed her eyes at her husband. 

‘He means if we can get a manse of our own,’ Shiera realized in her mind and she smiled at her husband then. A family caring for Maegor’s dragon and even clearing out stables for him would send a powerful message. That and potentially alienate the rest of the forty families of Pentos by signaling that they intended to stay with House Narratys long term. 

“If you do not mind me asking, where is your dragon now?” Magister Illyrio continued with interest and Shiera was picking up on the game more. Each of the Pentoshi they had met with had been singularly focused on one thing, Terrax. 

Everyone in the Known World knew the power of dragons. They were coveted from the far north of Westeros to the southern jungles of Sothoryos, from Oldtown in the west to Asshai by the Shadow in the east. The magisters of Pentos hoped to use Maegor’s dragon to save them from the Dothraki. They just did not want to beg, yet. 

“He is somewhere north of here, he is fully capable of feeding himself, and so long as people leave him alone, he will not trouble people,” Maegor waved away his interest but Shiera caught the glint in the Magister’s eye. 

“It is no matter, should he burn a few peasants nobody will mind, thoug-” Illyrio kept going before Shiera interjected herself. 

“Excuse me for my discourtesy, but would you mind telling us the guest list for this banquet? I would like to know the families I will be meeting beforehand,” Shiera put on the picture of Sweetness and noticed the Magister shrinking back slightly after making eye contact. 

He coughed into his hand before responding. “Of course! Where are my manners? We do not have the full list, as there are several smaller houses still trying to scrounge up the needed funds and others are not exactly welcome in the presence of House Brenyl but here is the list so far,” Illyrio Narratys rebounded from his momentary lapse in bravado. 

Sliding a piece of paper over to them, Maegor picked it up but leaned it so Shiera could read it herself. ‘House Brenyl is the host so of course they would be attending,’ Shiera thought before reading each of the names. Narratys, Iranhor, Seltra, Dokkello, Sentanis, Obizos, Stanio, and… Targaryen. 

“Formally invited huh?” Maegor said her thoughts allowed, though she noted her house was not named. She was not officially a member of House Targaryen. Even being married to Maegor she was still Shiera of House Qoherys, as one could not marry into the House of the Dragon. 

“But of course! You are the guest of honor!” Illyrio Narratys said with a beaming smile and Shiera found it hard to dislike the jovial man. He was talkative, lighthearted, energetic, and above all else, interesting. Such could not be said for most of the people she met in Westeros. 

“Right, this is an evening banquet yes? Will Prince Nevio be there?” Maegor asked and Shiera relinquished her forward position, letting her husband ask the questions he wanted. 

“Indeed, as will the head of his house,” their host answered easily and Shiera still felt weird about that. Pentoshi politics were beyond her. She was a thoroughly Westerosi woman and hearing that a prince was not the head of his own house was a real eye-opener. She was not in Westeros anymore. 

“Good, at least one familiar face,” Maegor said and Shiera fought the urge to zone out, while she liked being included in Maegor’s discussions and politicking, she also longed for some time of her own. She had all of ten luncheons with the ladies of King’s Landing before she was ejected from that so finally getting to act like a real lady was an interesting thought for Shiera. 

“Please, enjoy my manse to the fullest, I will send servants to you when it is time to start getting prepared,” Magister Illyrio tactfully dismissed them and Shiera was fine with that, walking the stunning gardens in this manse sounded lovely right about now. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Maegor XII

29AC

Banquets, balls, celebrations, and feasts had long since lost their charm in my eyes. The endless series of celebrations my father wanted and Lady Ceryse being draped around me for them had soured my mood and my enjoyment of them. Hopefully, this one would be better though, at least I had a much, much better woman on my arm.

“Ready?” I asked my stunning wife and she gave me an easy smile in return. She had dressed up in all the finery we had for her tonight, a stunning red dress, with fantastical images of dragons and fire woven into the fabric. Coupled with what must have been a pound of silver jewelry, from earrings, to rings, to necklaces. Shiera was gussied up to the maximum. 

I am sure none would have spoken a word if she wished to dress more modestly. But she said that she had “an appearance to uphold,” as my wife. Then again, getting to see my wife dressed to the nines certainly was not going to make me complain. 

“Of course,” Shiera answered with the same false confidence I knew her for and I narrowed my eyes in turn. Shiera had not exactly been a presence at most of the celebrations in King’s Landing, Alyssa openly detesting her had kept Shiera far away from the spotlight, and being thrust into such a prominent spot was no doubt jarring.  

“Relax, these people are rich, just have some haughty small talk ready and they will be enamored with you,” I said easily, with a light squeeze of her thin arm. 

“Right, perhaps I will even get another dance,” Shiera replied with a cheeky smile and I merely shook my head in exasperation. However, thinking back on it, not getting to dance with Shiera again until our banishment was certainly a blunder looking back on it. Thankfully I would not need saving like last time. 

The wide, tall doors were opened and as we stepped into the stunning and spacious main hall, a herald began speaking at our side. 

“Esteemed Magisters and nobles of Pentos! Please welcome, our esteemed guests of honor, Prince Maegor of House Targaryen, and his wife, Lady Shiera of House Qoherys!” he practically yelled and I spotted perhaps fifty people raise their glasses towards us. 

Waving the herald down, we quickly moved towards the center of the room before being practically swarmed by Magisters and nobles alike. It was not long before we could barely move at all as there was a tight mass of bodies blocking our every move. Yet our lord and savior arrived. 

“Please, calm yourselves! Prince Maegor Targaryen and his lady wife are our guests! I am sure you will all get your chance to speak with them in time, for now, let us show them the best Pentos has to offer!” Prince Nevio cut through the crowd with his unarmed guards and the rest of the nobles followed his command. Even if the Prince of Pentos was not in a truly powerful position, he at least commanded enough influence to fight off the rabid dogs. 

The crowd dispersed as Shiera and I followed Prince Nevio to a more secluded corner of the hall, which was more than large enough to comfortably house fifty-odd people and still have room for reclusion. That was where Magister Illyrio and no doubt the host for the night, Gessio Brenyl awaited us. 

“Ah, it is wonderful that we can finally meet. I am Magister Gessio of House Brenyl,” the esteemed host of this banquet said with an overly choreographed bow and I had to stifle a smile. 

“Indeed, I must thank you for the invite, attending these wonderful banquets and balls is the highlight of my stay here,” I said with an earnest smile and I could see the proud look appear on Magister Gessio’s face. 

“Please, do not thank me, I should be thanking you! To host a Dragonlord at my home is the highest honor,” Magister Gessio returned again and I could already feel this discussion spinning in a circle again. 

Before our pointless conversation could continue, Prince Nevio whispered to me, just loud enough to be heard over the crowd. “My Prince, might you come with us for a few moments,” he asked and I could almost feel their desperation. 

“Of course,” I answered easily but as we all began to walk towards an even more secluded passageway, I was stopped by Magister Gessio. 

“Forgive me, Prince Maegor. But this is hardly a discussion fit for a lady,” he said nodding towards Shiera, who gave a small pout in return. 

“She comes with me,” I said flatly. Aside from just being a person I could earnestly ask the advice of. I trusted Shiera and her presence also just so happened to unnerve the people I was discussing things with. Most people did not care for her red eyes. ‘Fools,’ I thought in my head, they only accentuated her beauty. 

“My Prince, I must insist,” Gessio said again and with neither of the other two Pentoshi interrupting this, it was a battle of wills. 

“Husband, I am fine,” Shiera said to me quietly before I swung my head around to look at her. 

“Shiera-” I began before she continued. 

“I will do some mingling, there are plenty of ladies to speak with here, I will let you have your own fun,” Shiera said with another fake smile plastered on her face but if she really wanted that. I would not stop her. 

“Very well, I will find you once we are done,” I said easily before letting go of our interlocked arms. 

“Right, I will take my leave,” she said before giving a light bow to the two magisters and one prince with me. 

Shiera being forced to not partake in this conversation irked me but at least it was finally here. I had waited over a moon now for these cowardly magisters to swallow their pride. 

We walked the halls of the picturesque manor before being led into a secluded, rather dim room. There was a small table there, with four chairs and what must have been numerous papers scattered around the room. 

‘Great…’ I thought, resignation filling my person. This would not be as easy as I had hoped. 

…

“I apologize for taking you so far away from the others, but they are not to be privy to this conversation,” Illyrio Narratys spoke first, even before his prince, and I merely nodded my head. 

“It is fine, what did you wish to discuss,” I said bluntly, they separated me from my wife for this, I would not give them the satisfaction of playing along anymore. 

“I feel you already know that Prince Maegor,” Prince Nevio answered me and I merely sighed. Unfortunately, I knew all too well what was going on. 

Of course, I would not be handed an easy life in this world. For everything that remained the same, it seemed a dozen other things were different. ‘What good is my previous knowledge if the events are different?’ I thought with a little anger as Prince Nevio said what did not need to be said. 

“The Dothraki have aspirations for our fair city,” Prince Nevio said with a deadly serious face and I merely returned a stare towards him. 

“Hmm, not satisfied with Qohor and Norvos?” I asked, taking a small sip from the wine provided to us by a servant. 

“I am afraid not, whispers are leaving Sarnath. Khal Temmo stirs once more, my informants even say he is aiming for Volantis herself,” he said, swirling a cup of his own and I sighed in exasperation. 

The Dothraki were different, much more competent, and organized in this world I found myself in. They had conquered Sarnor and incorporated it into a proper empire. These were not the Dothraki I knew, these were deadly skilled nomadic horse archers, who wore armor, used siege weapons, and commanded an empire that stretched from the Bone Mountains in the east to the Rhoyne River in the west. 

“Hmm, and he will no doubt target Pentos along the way, yes?” I asked the obvious question and all three solemnly nodded their heads. 

“We have been dealing with the barbarian’s sons for the last ten years. Leading raiding parties into the Flatlands, killing our farmers and laypeople,” Magister Illyrio answered next and I nodded along. 

“And he has a perfectly straight road that cuts right through all the defensible terrain right towards Pentos,” I continued with another series of nods. 

‘To think those wonders would be abused so,’ I thought with disgust as I recalled what my mother had told me about Qohor and Norvos. The Dothraki made extensive use of the old Valryian roads, nigh indestructible and perfectly straight. They cut right through the Forest of Qohor and the Hills of Norvos, both cities were practically helpless in that regard. 

Pentos might even be worse, situated on the fertile Essosi flatlands and plains of Old Andalos.  Both were wonderful for farming but also wonderful for massive cavalry forces. Any battle with them would be hard fought, and it would need to be decisive. 

An awkward silence broke out then, as I patiently waited for them to man up and ask me what they had been dancing around for the last moon. 

They all looked at each other before Prince Nevio cleared his throat. 

“Ahem, we would like to begin discussing terms for your aid in a confrontation with the Dothraki,” Prince Nevio was the bravest of his companions and I smiled at him finally asking. I would not offer help to these people, I wanted them to ask. 

I was not going to sell myself to save and help people wherever I went, especially not slavers and rich assholes. But extracting some serious prizes in return for my aid? That was something I could get behind. 

“Begin discussing?” I queried first. ‘Do these three even have negotiating power?’ I thought with a little disbelief. 

“I am afraid so, my prince. Any actions Pentos takes as a whole must be voted on by the conclave, though we can at least make preparations before we go to the conclave,” Magister Illyrio answered my question and I nodded at him. I needed to remember I was not in Westeros anymore.

“Right, well surely you will be happy to answer my questions before I agree to anything, right?” I returned and I saw the smile appear on their faces. I was not totally opposed to helping them. So long as they made it worth it. I could easily still just skip town and fly to Tyrosh if need be, the Pentoshi needed to make it worth my time. 

“Of course, Prince Maegor, ask away,” Prince Nevio responded again and I began thinking. 

“How bad is the situation?” I questioned first. Inside the city did not seem too bad. It was certainly crowded but the people were not openly panicking or anything. 

“Not ideal, but not hopeless, we have been dealing with Dothraki raiding parties for ten years now, and we do not intend to make Qohor’s mistake,” Illyrio answered and I sent a questioning look. I wanted more. 

“What was Qohor’s mistake?” I questioned. I knew that Qohor and Norvos had been destroyed by the Dothraki but I did not exactly know the stories themselves. 

“Four and fifty years ago, Qohor’s three thousand Unsullied soldiers repulsed a small Dothraki army. In their hubris, they turned their attention to far away Volantis, draining their resources and men fighting against our elder sister. Only for them to be destitute and unready for when the real Dothraki force arrived. We have spent the last three years planning, with you, we can definitely win,” Gessio answered with a bravado I was growing more used to and I sent a smile his way. ‘At least they are confident,’ I thought with a smirk. 

“So what are the fruits of the last ten years of planning?” I asked once more and the three looked a little embarrassed. 

“We have spent most of the last ten years preparing the background of war. Stockpiling gold in our treasury, fortifying the towns and villages in the flatlands, and ensuring we are not bled dry before Khal Temmo even gets here,” Prince Nevio said and I came to the realization this would not be so easy. 

“Right, so how many men can you even raise?” I needed to start planning for a set-piece battle. We needed to defeat the Dothraki in one large battle and snuff them out so they could never return. 

“Around twenty thousand men, with another fifteen thousand militia from the surrounding regions,” Magister Gessio said as he slid numerous papers across the table to me and I fought the urge to curse. 

‘Thirty-five thousand men against an army of potentially over fifty thousand,’ I thought with trepidation as I read the reports. Even with a dragon, those would make for poor odds, especially with poorly armed militia making up around half of that number. 

“What of mercenary companies? You said you had quite the war chest, yes?” I asked, with a little more hope in my tone of voice. Getting some professional soldiers on our side could make this a lot simpler. 

“Unfortunately, there are not many to choose from, many died in the defense of Norvos and there has been a bidding war for the remaining ones, though none are eager to fight the Dothraki,” Magister Illyrio answered again and I thought long and hard, looking for a solution. 

“Forgive my assumption, Prince Maegor, but mercenaries want to win and get paid yes?” Prince Nevio asked me like I had the faintest clue how sellswords thought. 

“As far as I am aware,” I replied noncommittally. 

“With you on our side, more would be willing to accept our coin. No sane man will fight for a hopeless cause, if you join us, you could be the rallying point we need,” Prince Nevio said and I could almost feel the desperation in his voice. 

“There will be some conditions…” I began saying before I saw the faces of the three light up in joy. 

“Name them,” the three said in unison and I was kind of shocked, expecting some more pushback. 

“The exact amount of my payment can be worked out at a later date, for now. Why don’t we discuss my staying long-term here,” I said, offering a comparatively light request for now. I wanted to discuss this with Shiera again before I made any other large demands, I did not want to alienate these people by robbing them blind. 

“I am sure we can find a place that fits your desires,” Magister Gessio started before Magister Illyrio continued. 

“There is the old Dragonlord manse by the western coast,” Magister Illyrio continued and the mention of a Dragonlord enticed me. 

“Elaborate if you do not mind,” I asked quickly and I could tell I fell into a small trap. They got my attention. But it was worth it if this led somewhere. 

“Pentos was part of the mighty Valyrian Freehold, and she has played host to many a dragonlord throughout the millennia. Several mansions and palaces here were made more accommodating to their needs, many of them have been repurposed over the last hundred years, but with a little work, one could be restored to its former condition for you to have,” Prince Nevio offered easily and to say the idea captured my attention would be a colossal understatement. 

“What are these accommodations you speak of?” I allowed myself to be drawn in here, this game was basically already over, and now I just needed to extract what I needed from them. 

“The mansions were not exactly designed for long-term living, hence our need to renovate them. But they were designed with dragonlords, and their dragons in mind. It is an open design, with wide open spaces for dragons to rest, unbothered by the city folk,” Prince Nevio continued and I nodded my head along. 

It sounded perfect for my situation. I did not exactly need a Dragonstone-sized mansion, a small one for my small family while we resided here, with accommodations for Terrax too, it fit perfectly.

“That sounds wonderful, we can work out exactly the payment I will receive at a later date, but you simply must show me around this mansion, it sounds quite intriguing,” I offered and the three looked quite pleased with themselves, not that I could blame them. They had just won the support of a dragon rider. 

…

Exiting the dark hallway and entering back into the main room, I was glad to be freed from the cramped darkness. The main hall was well lit with countless candles and windows letting in the fading light from the sun. The mirrors and gold practically shined under the light and I breathed it all in. 

I had finally worked something out with the Magisters. I needed at least some sort of accommodation in this city. I knew my brother would lift my banishment when he ascended to the Iron Throne, but that was almost ten years away if my past memories served me correctly, building myself up in this city in the meantime could not hurt. 

As I basked in my victory, I scanned the room, looking for the distinctive white hair of my wife. My tall stature made it laughably easy and in no time at all, I spotted the back of my wife’s head, with her distinctive white hair and stunning red dress making her stand out like a sore thumb. 

I walked with a brisk pace over to her, negotiations had drained me of my energy, and I wanted nothing more than to decompress with my wife. ‘Mayhaps we can even catch some of the last of the music,’ I thought with a smile to myself. The discussion with the Prince and Magisters had taken longer than I had hoped, but the musicians were still playing, so I still had a chance to enjoy myself. 

As I breezed past person after person and got closer to my intended target, I noticed something. Shiera was speaking with someone, and they looked deep in conversation too. 

I picked up my pace and I was standing behind my much shorter wife in no time at all. Peering over her head, I got a good look at the woman she was speaking with. 

Her whole aesthetic was dark. Black hair, black eyes, pale skin, black makeup, black dress, even her jewelry was black. I spied her up and down and she immediately returned the favor. Her black eyes seemed to bore a hole right through me. 

My sudden appearance caught Shiera’s attention as she spun on her heel and locked arms with me once more.

“Ah there you are, I was wondering when you would get back,” Shiera said with a smile and I could not help but return one to her. Shiera looked genuinely happy at a party, for the first time since what must have been Oldtown. It was a glorious sight to see. 

“Well I am here now, you missed out on an absolutely riveting conversation I must say,” I said in a sarcastic voice and the giggle she let out was priceless. 

“Well, I had some fun too, ah right! Tyanna, this is my husband Maegor,” Shiera said, turning to the black-haired woman and my whole body went cold. 

“It is an honor to meet you, Prince Maegor,” the black-haired woman replied in a cold, calm voice and it sent a shiver down my spine. 

“Tyanna?” I asked hesitantly as my wife gave me a quizzical look. 

“Yes, I have been speaking with her most of the time you were away, she tells me that she is the baseborn daughter of Prince Nevio,” Shiera continued in blissful ignorance of the demon she was staring down. 

“I hope that we may continue speaking, my lady. I must say this conversation has been one of a kind,” Tyanna’s cold voice leaked out again and I could almost feel my body going numb.

“Of course, you should come to Magister Illyrio’s house on the morrow, we can talk more there,” Shiera said with an ear-to-ear smile and I nearly died inside right then and there. 

“That sounds wonderful, my lady. I will see you then,” Tyanna said with a small smile, and watching the black-haired woman retreat, I could only think of one thing in my mind. 

‘SHIT!’