Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Restlessness
Gods, but this waiting in the chambers with nothing to do had Jae on the edge of insanity. How in the world did I bear it when I was younger? Back then he could spend entire days with nothing but a book and the meals the servants brought him.
Now he'd been in them for six days and spent half the time pacing around the room like a caged animal, itching to break free. Even all the late-night activities he'd been up to did not help in that regard. He wanted to go to the practice yard and turn a straw dummy to splinters with Dark Sister. He wanted to go for a walk, wanted to be back on the move again.
Patience, patience, he chanted in his head, his eyes never leaving the door, waiting for a knight of the Kingsguard to knock and tell him his trial would commence shortly.
Princess Arianne had tried to visit him but Jae sent her away. He had no wish to have anything more to do with her. He thought Prince Doran sent her to seduce him and take him back to Dorne at first. The latest revelations showed the truth of her plans – she knew about Aegon and wanted to become Jaehaerys' Queen. Another sliver of doubt about Aegon's legitimacy.
True, she had a bit of a change of heart when she learned what becoming a Queen would entail, but it hardly made things any better for Jaehaerys. She could have saved him from the entire mess if only she wanted to. But she didn't, because of her loyalty to the Martells. And the Martells are my enemies now. I can't be planning a war against them one moment and fucking the future head of their House in the next.
No, political realities more than anything ensured Jae would have nothing to do with Arianne ever again.
But he had to think about the possibility of finding a wife. He had much the same problems as Aegon, though some additional options. He could marry Rhaenys but that marriage would be worthless. It wouldn't gain him Dornish support while Aegon lived and certainly not after his death. Daenerys was another option, but she brought no armies with her and did little to bolster his legitimacy. Being the son of Rhaegar is worth more than being the daughter of the Mad King.
Which left Margaery, the self-serving little Lady he wouldn't trust if it meant being handed the Seven Kingdoms on a platter. Olenna likely knew it, which is why she didn't demand a marriage in exchange for her help. But she'll get around to forcing me into it eventually. The question remained if Jae would fight her on that score. Marrying Margaery brought some risks but spurning her meant certain doom. Maybe I'll find a way around it.
Perhaps the answer laid in sabotaging Aegon's marriage to Myrcella? Lord Tywin's support for Aegon was entirely predicated upon the idea that he'd get a future King with Lannister blood in exchange. If Jae could ruin that option, it would mean Lord Tywin would turn to the only other possible candidate – Jae. Of course, ruining their betrothal wouldn't be the easiest of things. Aegon could embarrass Myrcella as much as he liked and Tywin wouldn't bat an eye. That one couldn't care less about his granddaughter as long as she produced Heirs. Aegon could rape her and Tywin would simply declare the marriage consummated, the stone-hearted bastard. Though who is worse? The man who doesn't care about it or the man who'd make it happen if only he thought it would work?
No, the only way to break their...
A knock came upon the door. Jae shot from his seat on the bed and smoothed out his immaculate clothes. He made sure to paint the picture of a perfect Prince for the Court to see. "Come in."
The door opened to reveal Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell. Jae thought they'd come to summon him and made to leave the chambers, but they stepped inside instead. "Ser Arthur?" he asked with a frown.
"The trial shall begin shortly, Your Grace, but we wished for a chance to speak to you first," Ser Arthur said, taking off his helm, Ser Oswell following his lead.
None of them were young men anymore, but they were far from old. Jae would call them mature. Not the energetic youths who get themselves killed for a fleeting shot at glory or old men limited by their years. No, these two had the wisdom that comes with age yet the physical ability that comes with youth.
Young, flashing knights like Ser Loras Tyrell inspired awe in the people around them, but warriors like these two could make men piss themselves at the thought of facing them. Jae himself felt more than a little unease at the thought of it and he had Dark Sister to make up for any deficiencies in his skill.
"Go on," he said.
"We may not know you very well, but from reputation alone, we can venture to guess you have plans in place to make sure Lord Tywin cannot send you to the Wall or execute you," Ser Arthur began. His back ramrod straight, jaw clenching, his presence screamed of a man about to make a hard decision for the sake of honor and duty.
Jae's heart began to beat faster, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. Is the greatest knight alive about to tell me he's taken my side? "I do have certain hopes that might come true, yes," Jae said, brow-beating himself into caution.
Ser Arthur gave a firm nod. "We would like you to know that should everything go wrong, the entire Kingsguard with the exception of Prince Llewyn, and other loyal men within the Red Keep will make sure no harm comes to you. We will cut a bloody path to freedom, if need be." And there Jae saw the eyes that made men like Ser Arthur so terrifying – the eyes of a man who'd lay down his life at a moment's notice.
Admitting they considered Aegon to be an impostor put the final nail in the coffin of Jae's doubts. I am King, all those who deny it are traitors.
Jae blinked at his choice of words. Suddenly he felt foolish for his previous elation. These men couldn't be thought of as pawns one could gain or lose, they were men of honor and duty worth a hundred knights. Only a fool would squander their loyalty and their lives. His back straightened in and of its own, clasping his hands behind his back. "I thank you for your words, good Sers. But there will be no need for it. Even if all should go wrong, I bid you do nothing to save me."
"We are Kingsguard, Your Grace," Ser Oswell said in his gruff voice. "Sworn to protect the King, die for him if need be."
"Yes, but I do believe there's something about obeying orders in your oaths as well, is it not?"
Their eyes went to the ground. "So I tell you this right now; if all should go wrong, I will still save myself. I do not need you to kill yourself in a doomed attempt to set me free. Risking your lives in the service of the King is a requirement for Kingsguard but pointlessly sacrificing your lives is not. Is that understood?" He made sure to play the part of the noble man to the extreme, he figured they'd like that. As long as I back it up with actions.
"Aye, Your Grace," they said in unison.
"Very well, then. Let us depart." They left the chambers and made their way straight to the Throne Room. Many servants and knights they passed on the way, all of them whispering and stealing glances, but none looked malicious. Either Lord Tywin isn't as good at swaying public opinion as I would expect or something else is ruining his efforts.
When they arrived before the doors of the Throne Room, Jae took a deep breath to steel himself. He had to keep his composure and trust in the quality of his planning. A hard thing to do when you've been handed the greatest failure of your life a few days ago. But he had no choice. He considered it a matter of pride since he'd first heard of great warriors who never recovered after being handed stunning defeat. There's always a risk, but if I lose my nerve, the Seven Kingdoms will go to shit.
The doors opened and he raised his head up high and walked through. The entire Court had gathered to witness his trial, parting before Jaehaerys as he made his way to the Iron Throne. The people present no longer consisted of nobles from the Crownlands and poor sods who had no choice but to visit King's Landing. The flower of Westerosi nobility met him instead, from the proud Lords to valiant knights and beautiful Ladies.
More players to contend with but then again, many more pawns to use. It pleased him to see the defendant's box hadn't been placed before the Iron Throne. Not looking like a criminal would go a long way in convincing everyone he wasn't one.
Aegon sat on top of the iron monstrosity Jae supposedly wanted to claim, Lord Tywin to the right of it, the Small Council to the left. Daenerys and Rhaenys stood among the rest of the nobles present, both trying their best not to fidget, if Jae read them correctly. But where is Queen Elia?
He came to a stop before the stairs that led to the Throne and bowed. "Your Grace, my Lords."
Aegon nodded, his entire body taut. A different look than any Jae had seen before.
"Prince Jaehaerys." Lord Tywin stepped forth. "You have been summoned here today to answer questions about the treachery of your Uncle, Lord Stark, and accusations of your own treachery regarding the actions of Lord Tully. How do you plead to these charges?"
"Innocent, my Lord Hand," Jae replied. He would be a stone in the middle of a hurricane he meant to unleash. Well, right up until the end.
Lord Tywin nodded. "We shall begin with Lord Darry's accusations."
And suspend judgment until I condemn Lord Stark. Nifty.
"Lord Darry, approach." Lord Tywin gestured for the man to step closer.
The foul man swaggered forth, wearing the self-satisfied grin of a man who'd vanquished the Ice Dragon. Jae considered he should be flattered by how proud Lord Darry looked. Must be shit-scared of me.
Darry took his place beside Jae and looked up at Lord Tywin. "Describe to us the events of the evening before the coronation."
"Yes, my Lord Hand." Darry nodded, gathering himself. "In the evening hours after I'd retired from the feast, my Steward informed me that Prince Jaehaerys waited outside my chambers and wished to speak to me. I found it most odd since the Prince had never sought me out in private before, but I asked my steward to let him in all the same.
"The Prince all but barged into my chambers, smelling of alcohol most foul, and accused me of trying to sabotage the Council of Lords for my own gains by exposing the actions of Lord Tully. I must admit, I had no idea what the Prince was referring to, but guessed that House Tully committed some sort of treason the Prince wished to keep quiet. The Prince told me to stop feigning ignorance, that I knew House Tully had been attacking taxmen sent by the Crown to recoup their gold and even had ten Tully men-at-arms in my custody to back up the claim. He then threatened me with exposing my own treachery if I did not agree to forget all about it."
"And did you commit the treason Prince Jaehaerys accused you of?"
"I did not, my Lord Hand. Many of us across the Kingdoms have suffered under Connington's rule, yet I did not consider it to be an excuse to betray the Crown my family has served so faithfully for centuries."
"And you have witnesses to this event?"
"I do, my Lord Hand." Lord Darry gestured to the crowd. "My steward and my wife."
"Thank you, Lord Darry, you are dismissed."
Darry nodded, threw one last nasty look at Jae, and retreated back to the crowd of nobles, all whispering among themselves.
"Even after such a testimony, you claim to be innocent, Your Grace?" Lord Tywin asked.
"I do." Jae nodded, undeterred.
"Elaborate," Tywin commanded.
"I grew up in the capital, my Lord Hand. I learned long ago that there are two ways of dealing with things; one starts a war and another prevents it. I knew Lord Darry has long been blinded by his lust for vengeance and believed he would interfere with the Council of Lords and threaten the fragile peace in the name of personal advancement," Jae said, voice calm and confident.
"That's a lie!" Darry shouted from behind him.
Jae did not turn to look at him. "I believed King Aegon would not want his reign to begin with a war in the Riverlands, for any attempt to remove House Tully from their position as Lords Paramount would surely lead to one. So I attempted to keep the matter quiet until the Council of Lords passed and deal with it afterward."
"And why should we believe your claims?" Lord Tywin asked. Tywin had to unearth the plot behind Jae's answers.
"Why, my Lord Hand, I made sure to inform people of my intentions so as to make sure my plans would not be disrupted by accident." Jae took a deep breath. Now comes to risky part.
"Who did you inform?" Tywin barked out.
"Princess Rhaenys, my Lord Hand. I wanted another member of the Royal family to be aware of my plans," he said, staring up at Tywin as all eyes of the Court turned to the Princess.
Jae had done nothing of the sort, of course, he hadn't had time. But they didn't know that. And Jae wagered Rhaenys wouldn't tell them. Or better, Daenerys had suggested the wager and Jae had agreed. Torn by conflicting loyalties, she may very well have been willing to see Jae sent to his death while she watched helplessly from the side. But if I give her a chance to save me, if I burden her with responsibility for my fate? Will she doom me and live with the guilt or will she save me?
Daenerys had been certain of the latter option. Daenerys had cornered the Princess not longer after Rhaenys had visited Jae's chamber and, to hear her tell it, badgered Jae's half-sister until she broke down in sobs. Dany hadn't received any confirmation of Rhaenys' collaboration by the end of the conversation, but she did get the idea for this scheme.
So Jae looked Rhaenys right in the eyes and his half-sister froze under the gaze of the Court. Eyes wide, she stared back at Jae, the horrible realization of his plan dawning on her. I'm sorry, sister.
"Is this true, Princess?" Tywin asked in a quiet voice.
She looked up at him, "I—I—" Then looked back at Jaehaerys. "Yes, my Lo—Lord Hand. It's true."
Jae tried his best to hide the sigh of relief that escaped him and succeeded only partially. You're one of the dragons now, big sister. Gods help you.
"I see." Lord Tywin nodded, his stony mask returning to his face. Aegon's eyes began jumping back and forth between Jae and Rhaenys, a sadness hiding in their depths he could not hide.
The two children of Rhaegar Targaryen and you, some random child they pulled from the gutter because his eyes were the right shade of purple. Jae had his own suspicions about why his arrival to Court had been delayed. He must've learned the truth. A bright, idealistic young man, eager to be a force for good, raised on the belief he'd been born to be a King. Jae could only wonder what learning it was all a lie could do to a man. Noble and gracious when sober, petty and vindictive when drunk, it all makes sense now.
"Why did you not inform the King of your plans, Your Grace?" Tywin asked.
Jae cocked his head, "Why did you not inform the King of Lord Starks and Lord Arryns plans, my Lord Hand?" That got the Court whispering. Prince Jaehaerys did it to keep the peace, Lord Tywin did it to seize power! He could almost hear them.
Tywin did not deign to defend himself, knowing it would only make things worse. But what will he do next now that I've proven I acted to preserve the peace instead of protecting the family of Lord Stark's wife?
Tywin seemed to be asking himself the same question before a determined look appeared on his face. Jae knew what that meant. This is not a popularity contest. If a King made a decision the nobility disagreed with, he had to watch for any claimant to the Throne the nobility might support instead. But once they get rid of me, who will be left to support? Viserys?
"Let us move on to the matter of Lord Stark's treachery," he said.
Jae nodded.
"You had no knowledge about your Uncle's actions prior to the attempted coup?" Lord Tywin asked.
"I did not, my Lord. You and Lord Varys alone were privy to that information," Jae replied, his straight face belying the little sting.
"And what do you believe should be done with Lord Stark now that his treacherous agenda has been exposed?" Lord Tywin asked.
Jae wouldn't mean what he would say, but Tywin did not care because he played a larger game. A Crown Prince could say a great many things with little regard for how they might be construed. A Crown Prince could lie and deceive. For a King, on the other hand, the matter was entirely different. A King's word was law, his honor unquestionable. A King could not tell people he'd been forced to throw his Uncle to the wolves because to refuse meant his life.
A King had to be a paragon of virtue. If choosing the honorable course meant dying, then the King had to die. That's the official story, anyway. If Jae came out and declared Aegon the rightful King while saying Stark and Arryn should die for their crimes, the people of the North and the Vale would hear about it. Tywin would make sure they'd hear about it.
And so the Lords would wonder if they should truly support a King who'd betrayed their liege Lords. A good way to nip a rebellion in the bud if ever there was one... if Tywin hadn't given me too much time.
Tywin should have held the hearing the day after Jae's arrest. But instead, he chose to play his little charade with Daenys Velaryon to consolidate his power. Jae had been overconfident when dealing with the Council and he'd paid the price. And if everything went according to plan, Tywin is about to pay as well.
Still, Jae made sure to word his condemnation in a way that left room for a broad interpretation. "Aegon has been declared King, my Lord Hand, and by all the laws of this land, Lord Stark deserves to live with the consequences of his actions." Such as receiving a big fucking reward.
But then something unexpected happened. The doors of the Throne Room burst open and a lone Goldcloak rushed through, running straight for the Iron Throne. "Your Grace, my Lord Hand!" he cried.
Jae and the rest of the Court turned to look at the panicked man.
"What is it?" Tywin barked, furious that some hired soldier dared to interrupt the trial.
"It's Lord Stark, my Lord Hand!" he said as he stopped before the Iron Throne. "He's escaped!"
Jae wanted to laugh until he pissed himself. Maybe it's gone even better than I planned. But then he remembered an important omission in the Goldcloak's statement. What about Arryn? He's escaped too, hasn't he? Go on, tell them how all the traitors have vanished into thin air.
"What?!" Tywin roared as the rest of the Court exploded in a flurry of whispers.
Lady Olenna watched Jaehaerys, nodding in wonder and appreciation. I've made Grandmother proud, what an achievement!
"How could this happen?"Aegon spoke up for the first time, leaning forward in his seat.
"They've escaped during the night but the ship Lord Arryn boarded had all of its rigging ripped off and they had to return to port. One of our men searched the ship and recognized Lord Arryn. When we went to check on Lord Starks cell, we found the guards from the night shift slain and his cell empty!"
Rigging? Poor fucking rigging fucked up our plans? If Jae had Dark Sister on him, he'd have killed the Goldcloak on the spot. Instead, he had to hide his thoughts, couldn't give too much away. The chaos that erupted in the Throne Room afforded him a chance to gather himself.
Everything hadn't gone wrong, though. Uncle Ned had gotten away and that had been the most important part of Dany's plan. My value as a hostage just went up. Jae knew they wouldn't catch him. He and a merry band of renegade Goldcloaks snuck into the Black Cells in the dead of night and killed the two guards posted there. The coup de grace came in the form of the guards assigned to the morning shift, however. They'd been bought off by Dany, so they raised no alarm when they found the corpses of their comrades.
They probably stood on the deck of a ship sailing for Lys at that very moment, a bag of gold in each hand, ready to bed every whore that came within spitting distance. Fare thee well, you wonderful bastards.
The eyes of the Court turned to Jae, Lord Tywin's gaze most furious of all. Jae adopted the same innocent expression he used when he'd been naughty but knew Maester Alwyn couldn't prove it. He tried not to look Dany's way. She'd planned the whole thing and executed it, too. She only needed Jae's help for his knowledge of the secret passageways to get Arryn and Stark out of the Red Keep and down to the harbor. Still, he found it tragic that he'd spent an entire night crawling through the secret passageways only to find his supporters wouldn't get a chance to speak up at all.
Lord Tywin stared down at him, every muscle in the old man's body taut. Oh, yes, Lion, you and I shall have ourselves a little dance and one of us won't be alive by the end of it.
Aegon chose to put an end to the farce before Lord Tywin came to grips with the new reality. He stood from the Iron Throne and declared, "Prince Jaehaerys is hereby declared innocent of all charges. You are free to go, brother."
Can you make it any more obvious that I forced your hand? Jaebowed deeply, mockingly so, and strutted out of the Throne Room, enjoying the apprehensive looks sent his way. Lord Darry in particular looked decidedly uncomfortable.
Such a glorious history of serving House Targaryen. It's a pity it's come to an end.