Shadows of the Realm: Rhaegar's Resolve (ASOIAF) (Completed)

289 AC

Pyke, Iron Islands

"Well, any news," Jon Connington asked Richard Lonmouth as he entered the command tent of the Royal Army that was besieging Pyke,

"All the other islands have been captured and the King personally destroyed Old Wyk and the Bones of Nagga, all the Drowned Priests that we have found were put to death, all the thralls were freed, two out of three able-bodied men on the islands except Harlaw are now being put to death as we speak, Lord Commander Gerold has taken up that task while Lord Harlaw has done the smart thing and bent the knee while all the other major castles of the Iron Islands have been bathed in the fire except for Pyke and Ten Towers," Richard answered,

"Good, now it is time for that fool Balon to get his due," Jon nodded with a savage gleam in his eyes, Rhaegar was up in the air and out of sight but soon Pyke would burn,

"Are they still trying to taunt us," Richard asked,

"They are, they were rather upset that we haven't attacked them straight away and they spend most of their time taunting us, the dumb sods are unaware of the real danger," Jon replied with a snort,

"I believe that word must have reached Balon somehow about the dragon but the dumb cunt refuses to believe it, he still intends to hold out," Richard continued, "Rhaegar ensured that the dragon wasn't in sight of Pyke, and as they say seeing is believing,"

"Have the Ironborn seen the banner of Harlaw flying on our side, they will believe that," Jon then asked to which Richard nodded,

"They have and they are not happy about it," Richard answered with a snort,

"And the other Lords, what is their reaction so far to the dragon," Jon then asked eagerly, it was important to find out the traitors,

"Tywin still hasn't said a thing, I think the old man is still in shock to what has happened while Mace Tyrell is preparing his lickspittle speech," Richard answered with a guffaw,

Jon chortled with him, "And Stark, Blackwood, and Royce, what about them?"

"The King ensured to personally visit all three of them, so you can guess what they think, Blackwood and Royce are inwardly relieved as this means that no vassal will be challenging them as many in their kingdoms see them as opportunists who profited from their misery and as for Eddard Stark, I wouldn't know, his face is cold as ice and I would say that he is rather upset with Manderly and Umber over their plot,"

"Rhaegar should have put them to death, those bloody arseholes don't deserve his mercy" Jon snarled, "What about the other Northern Lords? They are the sons of the ones who were killed at the Trident,"

"Fear and hate, those are the only words I know that can describe their feelings right now," Richard answered,

Before Jon could answer, an earth-shattering roar was heard, it put an end to all the talk in the camp and the castle of Pyke,

Jon and Richard hurriedly ran out of the tent to see a huge black dragon descend from the clouds, its maw wide open and green flames dancing inside,

A huge cheer rose from the men in the camp while there was stunned silence to be heard in Pyke, Jon felt a smile come on his face,

And before they could blink, a huge gout of wildfire green flames came out of the dragon's maw and blasted away at the curtain walls of Pyke, then the dragon made a run across the entire wall, engulfing it and its towers in its deathly green fire burning every soul that stood on the walls before going back into the clouds,

For a moment there was silence until two kinds of shouts erupted, first was a shout of celebration as the soldiers of the Royal Army began to cheer for their king and then the second, it was less joyous, it came from the castle, screams of pain, suffering, and terror erupted out moments after the dragon left,

And before the Ironborn could do anything meaningful the Cannibal returned and descended upon the castle yet again, and this time he went towards the keeps,

Jon could hear the screams of terror that came from the castle which were soon silenced by the flames and replaced with the sound of the green fires burning and destroying everything they could, Pyke had three main keeps along with a few towers atop their stacks and within minutes Rhaegar has immolated all three of them and the towers,

Rhaegar then turned towards the headland between the keeps and the curtain wall and destroyed what was left killing the last survivors,

"Look," Richard said pointing to the burning people who were throwing themselves from the blazing towers into the rocky waters below,

Jon doubted that anyone could survive a fall at that height and even if they did the waters were treacherous and rocky, and most would find themselves dashed on the rocks, then again when the other option is being burnt alive, any choice might be better,

"Send out a few men on boats to kill any who might survive as unlikely as it is" Jon commanded a Captain who rushed to do as he was told,

"Had the Mad King gotten this dragon first, I could only imagine what he would have done," Richard remarked as the dragon began to circle the camp searching for a place to land,

Jon couldn't even imagine it and he knew that everyone would be thinking the same,

Casterly Rock

"Brother are you alright, you haven't said much ever since you saw the dragon," Kevan worriedly asked his brother Tywin as they sat in his solar,

The war had gone as expected, the Ironborn rebellion was crushed with a ruthlessness that Tywin would have approved, to ensure that there would be no such rebellion ever again Septons and Septas were brought from Oldtown to convert the Ironborn and to put an end to their worthless ways for good, and the Burning of Pyke was something that every major Lord of Westeros was made to watch so that everyone would know that the dragons ruled supreme,

And that has also brought a fourth Great House to die at the hands of Rhaegar which suddenly made Tywin's victory over the Reynes and Tarbecks worthless, even Aegon the Conqueror destroyed only three Great Houses,

"I can only imagine what would have happened if Aerys had his hands on that dragon, that dragon was everything that he could have possibly dreamed about," Tywin finally said to which Kevan could only nod, the green flames of the dragon were no different from that of wildfire that Aerys used to love, maybe ever hotter,

Tywin continued, "One dragon, two princes, one true born the other a legitimized bastard, one sickly the other healthy, this is the best way to start a war,"

Kevan nodded, "No doubt the Martells will have him married to Princess Rhaenys or to Princess Arianne to ensure that there would be no change for them,"

"I am surprised that Cersei hasn't begun to spread rumors about them already," Tywin then remarked,

"If Jaime is to be believed, Rhaegar has threatened to have Cersei executed if she spreads rumors about them, not to mention she has been rather quiet for the past few years," Kevan added,

"Executed, on what charge" Tywin then asked, his voice having a hardness to it,

"Charges of fermenting a civil war," Kevan answered, "Then again now that he has an actual dragon that is capable of destroying entire armies, the law doesn't matter"

"No doubt, Rhaegar is doing everything he can to crush any forms of dissent, he cannot afford to have his children or grandchildren fight a war that could very easily cost them everything," Tywin then said,

"What do you intend to do now?" Kevan asked,

"Word from Cersei at court is being rather wanting as of late, since Rhaegar is holding a tourney at King's Landing to celebrate his victory over the Ironborn, we shall go to King's Landing to find out what is going on in court?" Tywin revealed,

Tywin intended to host a Tourney in Lannisport and so did Rhaegar, most people naturally chose to go to the Tourney of King's Landing which showed exactly how powerful Rhaegar was now, if this was during the Mad King's time then people would have chosen to go to Lannisport,

Dragonstone

"I wish I could say that I am surprised, but I am not," Rhaella remarked as she saw Cannibal fly over to his old lair in the Dragonmount,

The reason for her lack of surprise would be my sons and sister who had dragons of their own now, said dragons were circling their heads and making sure to keep themselves far away from the behemoth that had a taste for little hatchlings,

"Something tells me that this is just the beginning," Elia said warily, as we watched the children play in the courtyard,

"Yes, it is the beginning and hopefully Cannibal will lay a few more dragon eggs for Rhaenys, Viserys and yourself mother," I then said towards them, I could a look come over my mother, a look that I have never seen before,

"That would be nice but if this the Cannibal, I am afraid he will eat them," Rhaella remarked,

"A little time in the now rebuilt Dragon Pit will do him good, speaking of the Dragon Pit I have to set up the Dragon keepers," I replied,

"How long have you known about the Cannibal? You had the Dragon Pit rebuilt for him didn't you" Elia then says accusingly towards me, she is not wrong in that regard,

"Yes, I have known about him for a while, it was after the rebellion and no I will not tell you how I knew about him," I replied,

"But you did know that the Greyjoys would rebel didn't you, that's why you didn't claim the dragon until you had an excuse to use him," Elia then says triumphantly,

"Damn, you know me so well," I dryly remark,

"Not well enough it seems," Rhaella then added,

"Does it matter, we are about to enter another Golden age, you should be happy, not morose," I replied,

"Every Golden age is followed by a Dark one," Elia sagely answered,

"If our worthless descendants start a civil war and lose our dragons yet again, then maybe they don't deserve to have dragons in the first place," I answered back,

This was a once-in-a-million chance for House Targaryen to regain its dragons and it worked, if we lose them yet again then maybe we should not have them,

"Besides we have a tourney to prepare for," I said, "And no, I will not to participating,"

"Thank heavens," Elia mumbled, our last Tourney was not something either of us wanted to remember,

"You haven't held a tourney ever since you became King," Rhaella then said,

"The budget was tight, you think that this army and fleet is easy to maintain," I replied,

Even though the trading company that I had set up with Lord Grafton was bringing in massive returns, the army, and the navy were still expensive and so I had to run a tight ship, hopefully, the ten-year summer was to start which would mean good times were up ahead to be followed by a never-ending winter that might last a whole generation, what joy,

"Kepa, Kepa, Kepa, I want a dragon too" Rhaenys called out as she came running towards me, my mother and wife couldn't hold their smirks looking at me,

"Of course you do," I sighed,