LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Tyranny
130 AC
Highgarden
I looked at myself in the mirror as Helaena helped dress me up for my first war meeting since the Battle of Old Oak. I was a half-burnt man on my right side from my face to my leg, no different from the OTL Aegon II after Rooks Rest, though in this case, I was not hopped anymore on the milk of the poppy. The unburnt side of my face was gaunt instead of puffy. My long hair and beard were gone, either shaved or burnt, I assume burnt and of course, I needed a cane to walk, I could only shuffle my legs after a month of trying to get up from the bed. I will be needing a lot of physiotherapy after this war. The only good news so far is that my dick was spared the flames and it is working just fine, lucky me.
It has been a month since I first woke up in Highgarden and my climatic battle with Daemon was a month before that. In two months a lot has changed it seems.
"Now, you are ready," Helaena said placing the cloak around my shoulders. I was wearing only light clothes so as not to hurt my healing skin. That woods witch of hers did wonders.
"Thank you, my dear," I said to her with a kiss. "Are you sure you do not want to return to King's Landing for the children's sake? Mother's last letter said that the children were asking after us and Jae has become very upset. If you are there, he might mellow down." I asked her as we began walking over to the great war chamber. A chamber built by the Gardener kings to be used specifically as a war meeting room where all the real plans were made. Thankfully, it was nearby so I didn't walk too much.
"If you are there he will mellow down, else he will be angrier that you are not there," Hel replied as she pushed open the door for me, she knew the kids better than me so I was not going to argue on that. Criston was standing outside dutifully in his enameled scale armour as was Tyland who had arrived a few days ago after dealing with the recapture and rebuilding of the Westerlands.
"My Lords, let us depart to the war chamber, we have much to discuss," I said to them as I began to shuffle down the hallways with the three of them.
"Surely, Your Grace, we can discuss the war inside your chambers, there is no need to strain yourself so," Criston worriedly said.
"Nonsense," I waved his concern off, "I have been stuck inside that fucking chamber for the past two months, I need a change of scenery." Also, Helaena had a strict no-war talk policy in our chambers so there was that.
"Wouldn't it be wiser to bring you to King's Landing, Your Grace?" Tyland opined, "We can have barges carry to Burntbridge and a wheelhouse from there to King's Landing instead of staying here in Highgarden which is so far away from the front now that the war has moved further up north. It is slower to receive news from here compared to King's Landing."
"I am not going back to King's Landing in a fucking wheelhouse. I will fly to King's Landing, the people need to see that their king has returned victoriously from his campaign, they shouldn't see their king broken from the war." I replied keeping up my shuffling. "Speaking of which how is Sunfyre, how long before he can start flying again? What have the Dragonkeepers said?" Questions kept rolling out of my mouth. I received daily updates about Sunfyre's condition after I woke up but I constantly needed reassurance about him.
Helaena answered this annoyed, "Sunfyre is recovering well from your death dance with Daemon. The Dragonkeepers say it will be three months before he can fly properly. Caraxes added to the injuries he received from Syrax and Meleys. When we found the two of you after the battle, Sunfyre had no wings to speak of and one of his wing bones was nearly broken. By the grace of the Seven, the wings are growing back and the bone has healed well." She was still upset that I risked my life dealing with Daemon. A risk that could have easily gone the other way.
I made no notice of Helaena's annoyance as I asked, "Get me up to date on the war."
"The Westerlands have been liberated as have been the Shield Islands. The Iron Fleet is either at the bottom of the Mander or the Sunset Sea, and we have made plans for the invasion and occupation of the Iron Islands, Your Grace. As you had also previously repealed King Aenys' decree about the Seven in the Iron Islands and the decree for the abolishment of thralldom, we have also made arrangements with the High Septon and he is more than happy to help foot a part of the bill of the occupation." Tyland replied as we took a stop outside the war chamber.
I decided to take a little break before entering to regain my breath. Seeing me winded after a little walk wouldn't be good for my image. Especially since a certain Unwin Peake survived and is waiting inside alongside the other lords.
"Good, we shall discuss that in-depth later on today," I nodded. "What else?" I knew that the northern-rivermen force inside Oak Heart was put to the sword except for a few survivors.
"Prince Aemond is about to march on the Twins, now that Riverrun and Raventree Hall have surrendered since we have their lords in our custody," Criston informed me. The Lads were spared the slaughter on account of their age and they were instrumental in making their castles surrender saving Aemond from a costly assault on Riverrun.
"The North has been silent as of late and only the Twins remain as the last holdout of the Blacks below the Neck, the rest have all surrendered. Your decision to give the Riverlords generous terms to the defeated rebel lords has borne fruit." He continued. It wouldn't do good for my image to be harsh on my future bannermen after all, except for the Strongs, whom Aemond killed all of except maybe a certain wetnurse. I need to take care of that before that becomes too dangerous.
I nodded before Tyland quickly said, "Your Grace, there is something that I have to divulge to you." I let him continue, "After I arrived in Highgarden, I was approached by several prominent lords. They shared worries of tyranny, many feared that you were accumulating too much power. The annexation of the lands of House Strong and Baratheon along with the Stoney Sept and Fairmarket into the royal fief has had them worried. The addition of the Riverlands and the Stormlands to the Crownlands has made them all uncomfortable with what many consider to be royal powers encroaching on their rights."
"And who are these worriers, give me names and I am assuming that a certain Peake is at the forefront of these worriers," I half snarled and Tyland's face said the rest, "Tell them to look at Burntbridge and Blackgrove before they continue to prattle about tyranny."
"I am honestly surprised, my Lord Hand, that you decided to be upfront with the king instead of keeping it to yourself and scheming about it from there. Are you sure that you are not a worrier yourself," Hel shrewdly asked. She knew how to play the Game of Thrones but she hated it.
"My Queen, I won't deny that I haven't had such worries but I also know that is better to be upfront with His Grace rather than scheme about it. Lord Larys learnt it the hard way." Tyland truthfully replied. Otto and Larys have made great examples of what happens when you plot against me. Also, I hadn't touched the Westerlands and as long as that stayed the same, Tyland had little reason to plot knowing how disastrous I have made any failure against me.
"I don't understand why everyone is so worried about this, I made this crystal on the very first day when I was approached by my mother and grandfather," I asked mockingly. "I said this in the Small Council in front of everyone. All three of you were there."
Flashback:
"I want to make this clear to all of you. If you make me king, I will become a tyrant. An Ironfisted one, so think again before you decide to continue on this plot to crown me as king," I announced to the entire Small Council and my family gathered in the Small Council chambers after Aemond and I destroyed that bloody Lego set.
"Good to know," Otto remarked with thinly veiled mocking disdain while most of the council were either amused or surprised.
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it," Alicent said patronizingly like a mother trying to convince a kid to have his bitter medicine.
Present time:
"I don't understand what she meant by crossing that bridge when we come to it, we were on that fucking bridge," I asked them and both Criston and Tyland looked sheepish while Hel was more than a little amused.
"To be fair, not many people thought that you were telling the truth," Hel said with a chuckle.
"I do that quite a lot, yet people are always surprised," I retorted before returning to the door. "Let us begin then, we have a war to finish. Open the doors."