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Prince Jaeherys Targaryen, son of King Rhaegar Targaryen and Queen Lyanna Targaryen, presented an imposing figure as he sat on the massive chair, gently stroking the chin of the huge snow-white direwolf which currently had his head residing on his lap. The direwolf seemed to rumble contentedly with each stroke through its fur, in sharp contrast to its usual ferocious demeanour.
The prince of six and ten was in his room alone, save for his companion from the north of the wall. His dark curls seemed to cloud his eyes and it was a shame too as everyone could agree that his eyes were the most remarkable feature on his ethereal face. Violet like the dragonriders of old, containing just a hint of the madness that his ancestors had been notorious for. Never let it be said that Prince Jaeherys wasn’t a Targaryen, despite his Stark colouring.
The direwolf had been a gift from his Stark cousins for his thirteenth nameday when he had been residing in Winterfell. Even the prince couldn’t help but marvel at the size of his trustworthy companion, even as its tongue stuck out of its mouth due to the excessive heat in King’s Landing.
A noise outside his room alerted the prince to the fact that the man he had been expecting had finally arrived.
“It seems that our guest is here, Ghost. Wouldn’t want him seeing you like this, would we?”
That was all the prompting the direwolf needed as he finally took his head off its companions lap and stood upright, finally giving an inkling of its massive frame that could make the bravest of men tremble in their boots.
The door to his chamber opened to reveal The Sword of the Morning, Ser Arthur Dayne standing outside.
“Your grace, Petyr Baelish is here to see you. Should I let him in?”
“Please do, Ser Arthur. And don’t let anyone in without my express permission.”
The kingsguard merely nodded at him before stepping inside to let Petyr Baelish in and shut the door behind him.
“Lord Baelish, please have a seat. The matters we discuss may take a while after all.”
“Thank you, your grace.”, Petyr Baelish replied while glancing at the direwolf beside the prince.
Jaeherys was pleased to see a fearful look pass on Littlefinger’s face when Ghost revealed the briefest hint of his sharp teeth. The look was there for but a second, as expected of an expert in the game but it was there nonetheless and both of them knew who was really in charge of this situation.
“I was most intrigued by your proposal, Lord Baelish. Not to sound like a spoilt prince but a person in my position could always use some more coin to spend, if you know what I mean.”
Littlefinger responded with a conspirational smirk as he heard those words, as if they were the only two people in this world privy to this secret. He responded in his trademark sickly sweet tone, “Of course, I understand. A prince of the realm could never have too much money to spend after all.”
“Like you, I appreciate the finer things in life, Lord Baelish. That is when my hands aren’t shackled by my family. Which I am finding, much to my displeasure, is the case more often than not.”
“Your family only wants what is best for you, your grace.”
The prince took a moment before he replied, “Do they? They certainly don’t make me feel like they do.” There was a lull in the conversation after that before Jaeherys continued, “Well, we are not here to discuss my family, are we, Lord Baelish? We are here to discuss money, or rather, how to make more of it!”
“Yes, your grace. As you well know, I am always on the lookout for investment opportunities so that I can increase the Crown’s and my lord’s coffers.”
Jaeherys interrupted, “And your own, Lord Baelish. And your own!”
Littlefinger could only bow submissively at that before looking up, “A minor lord such as myself has to look out for my own survival, your grace. I hope you don’t begrudge me that.”
Jaeherys could only roll his eyes at that before saying, “Continue, Lord Baelish.”
“As you command, your grace. An opportunity for profit has opened up for which you are the most suitable investor, your grace. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that you are the only suitable investor.”
Jaeherys couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow at Baelish’s statement. “And where does this opportunity come from, Lord Baelish?”
“Volantis, your grace. The Triarch of Volantis has contacted me personally, your grace. They just want an audience with you, your grace. One word from you and they will send representatives to negotiate a deal with you.”
Jaeherys nodded at Baelish’s words before saying, “Your involvement in all of this suggests that the trade will involve goods of the more… ‘exotic’ kind. Am I wrong in presuming so?”
“Very astute, your grace. No more than expected, of course. With your blessing, I would like to build an establishment that houses, as you said, exotic goods from Lys. I imagine it will be very popular, your grace while being a profitable venture for us on top of that.”
Jaeherys was not quick to agree with him however, Baelish noted with some trepidation. After a long pause, he finally spoke, easing some of the tension in the room, “You are talking about dealing in slaves, Lord Baelish. Need I remind you that it is still a crime here in Westeros?”
“You misunderstand me, your grace. They will be granted freedom from their chains as soon as they land here in Westeros.”
Jaeherys gained an amused look at that, “Freedom only to serve in brothels, you mean. I wonder about your idea of freedom, Lord Baelish.”
Littlefinger couldn’t form a reply for that before Jaeherys saved him from another awkward silence. “And what is it they want in return, Lord Baelish?”
“Your remarkable inventions, your grace. More specifically, your inventions of the martial kind.”
“Weapons? What need does an independent city-state have of weapons of war, Lord Baelish? You aren’t giving me the whole picture here!”
An irritated tone had seeped into Jaeherys’ voice which was picked up on by Ghost, who readily bared his fangs before snarling in the direction of Littlefinger. A bead of sweat left his forehead as he couldn’t help but picture himself in the maws of the beast.
“I was just about to, your grace. I wouldn’t dare hide anything from you. Volantis has entered an alliance with Lys. They plan to launch an expedition against the other seven city-states, your grace. Your inventions would be very useful in their conquest while also better securing the defense of their own cities. They are also offering gold to you, your grace, on top of the other goods as I have already stated.”
“The Triarch envision their own empire, do they? Pretty ambitious of them, considering no one has succeeded in this venture throughout the long history of Essos.”
“Indeed, your grace. They have the utmost confidence in their plans and your inventions, your grace. Once the empire is established, you will be their primary contact in Westeros, your grace, further expanding your personal coffers.”
Jaeherys pondered Baelish’s proposal for a few moments before saying, “I won't lie. Your plans sound like a dream, Lord Baelish. I only fear that they might be a fool’s dream.”
The smile on Baelish’s face faltered for a moment before he regained his composure while asking, “Why do you say that, your grace?”
“There are a couple of problems that I can see right away, Lord Baelish. First of all, no matter how you paint it, we will be a party in slave trade.”
Baelish was quick to reassure the prince, “Don’t worry, your grace. I will find a way through that. It’s a simple matter of lining the correct purses.”
“See that you do. On top of that, I don’t think my father, the king, and my brother, the Crown Prince will appreciate a trade deal that doesn’t involve the Crown. This will be taken as an offence.”
Again, Baelish was quick to brush off the Prince’s concerns. “Your grace, surely you underestimate yourself. As per your own laws, which your father, King Rhaegar, so graciously passed, the sole control of your inventions lies with you. No one, not even the faith or the Crown can interfere in your affairs, your grace.”
“Don’t you think I know that, Lord Baelish. The law was for my protection, not for the exploitation of my father’s trust. There are different ways of pressuring an individual, Lord Baelish, and my family is known to apply the personal kind when it comes to me.”
Lord Baelish didn’t interfere this time around as it was clear that Prince Jaeherys wasn’t finished.
“Leaving that aside, the trading of my inventions to a city-state for use in waging a war will be seen as a clear act of aggression by both my father and the other seven city-states. The small council, especially that pillow biter, Connington, won’t allow me to go unpunished as this might bring the entirety of Westeros under threat.”
Lord Baelish gave a half-bow towards the prince to indicate his subservience before saying, “Forgive my impudence, your grace, but everyone throughout Westeros knows that you are the ultimate power in King’s Landing. Whatever you say, goes. The rest of the small council will be helpless before you, your grace.”
“Careful, Lord Baelish. What you are suggesting can be construed as treason.”
Again, Lord Baelish found himself bowing before the prince. “Of course not, your grace. I live to serve the Crown.”
Jaeherys looked at Littlefinger for a long time with an amused smirk on his face before saying, “Good, the realm could not withstand another Dance of Dragons, I am afraid.”
Baelish replied, his face mirroring the prince’s amused smirk, “Hard to another Dance involving dragons, your grace , when the sole ruler of the skies is standing before me.”
Jaeherys couldn’t help but laugh at that, his laughter sending chills down Baelish’s spine. Jaeherys finally said after a few moments of laughter while still chuckling, “Very well, you may go. I will seek you in one of your establishments should I agree to your proposal. Expect an answer no later than tonight. Any later than that and presume I have declined your offer.”
Baelish left the room but not before bowing towards the prince once more. As soon as Baelish left the room, the amused visage of Jaeherys was replaced by a grim one as he stared at the door Baelish had just walked through.
Although, that didn’t last long as Ghost once again placed his head on Jaeherys’ lap, earning him a light snack from his companion.
“Get off, you greedy mutt.”
The whine that left the direwolf’s throat had the prince in splits once more.
Baelish
Chaos is a ladder to greatness and Baelish was master of causing it. He thrived in chaos. He almost craved it. Chaos made sure that the martial prowess of man was not a factor, only his brains.
Much to his delight and eager anticipation, he had laid a trap for more chaos. Now all he had to do was wait. Wait for a dragon to take the bait. That would be the spark to drown the forest in flames once more.
He wondered how the dragonrider would fare against the might of possibly half of Westeros against. No doubt the North would support. He didn’t believe anyone else would join his cause though. No one wanted to bleed just to satisfy the urges of a prince, after all. Especially one who was called ‘The Bastard Prince’ by those who truly despised him.
Baelish had to give some credit to Prince Jaeherys though. He was one of the few men in the realm who could match him for intellect. Therefore, it was a pity that he didn’t employ his mental gifts to play the game. Instead, he chose to chase after pursuits of the academic kind. As evidenced by the numerous inventions he had done in the years past. Inventions to help the common masses. Inventions to make sure that the Targaryens never lost another war, with or without his dragon.
It was truly a pity, then, that those weapons would be turned against him as soon as his plans came into fruition.
Baelish spotted the Prince walking towards his residence, accompanied by three companions. His guard, Jaime Lannister, didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him was the presence of Sandor Clegane and another hooded figure that was walking behind the prince.
He got up so that he could go downstairs and welcome the prince. He was instrumental in his plans after all. It would only be right to show him the proper respect.
He couldn’t help but grin to himself as he envisioned the near future. The realm involved in another turmoil due to the son of the woman who was the cause of the last war.
Soon, he would have everything he had ever desired.
Power. Prestige. Riches. And the thing he wanted the most……. Catelyn.
Ser Jaime Lannister
The only thought running through Jaime Lannister’s head as he walked through the streets of King’s Landing towards Baelish’s establishment in the dark of the night was, ‘If anyone finds out about this, Queen Lyanna will kill me before killing the prince himself.’
He chose not to show his nervousness though, as he walked behind Prince Jaeherys, accompanied by their two companions. The only thing the prince had told him before they had left for this excursion, “Whatever happens, keep your mouth shut.”
It’s not that he didn’t trust Prince Jaeherys, it’s just that he couldn’t fathom why a prince would carry out a plan like this without informing any of his family.
Prince Jaeherys was a strange boy, a combination of the best and worst qualities of all of his parents and even grandparents. He was intelligent, rivalled only by his sire, the king. He was even more charismatic than his own father, able to hold control and attention of any room he walked into. But just like his father, he was also melancholic, seemingly get lost in thoughts no one else could fathom. In these situations, only his family could get his attention back to reality.
From his mother, Queen Lyanna he seemed to have inherited the protectiveness towards family, while also inheriting her stubbornness which could be infuriating at the best of times.
He had inherited qualities from Queen Elia as well, for she was as much a mother to Prince Jaeherys as Queen Lyanna was. There were even whispers in the court that Queen Elia favoured Prince Jaeherys more than her own son, Crown Prince Aegon. He had inherited her compassion which made him humble and made him care for the downtrodden.
He also a quality that could only be a product of Dornish blood and that was his….. passion….. as Prince Jaeherys had eloquently put it. No doubt the influence of Prince Oberyn and Viserys in his life. He was not quite as open with his desires as those two and didn’t like to partake in whores, which was quite fortunate.
Sometimes, though Jaime would never dare mention it, he could hear the Mad King when Jaeherys laughed. It was most often than not when he was chuckling or laughing to mask his anger but in those moments, he travelled back to the moment when the prince’s other grandfather was burning in the fire while his uncle was strangled to death.
Jaime was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed that they had reached Baelish’s pleasure house. They didn’t have to wait for more than a moment before Baelish himself opened the door to let them in.
The walk through the hall was amusing, to say the least. All the women in couldn’t keep their gaze away from the Prince, making the Prince blush in embarrassment.
The group was led into a quiet room, secluded from the rest of the building. It seemed to be the personal office of Petyr Baelish, as scrolls and records seemed to be strewn about, containing numbers that Jaime had no head for.
Petyr Baelish took a shit after Prince Jaeherys had sat down, his infuriating smile plastered on his face. Jaime wanted nothing more than to punch that oily smirk right off the stupid face of Littlefinger. But his prince needed the man and so he would restrain himself.
It was Littlefinger who opened the dialogue, saying, “Seeing as you are here, your grace, I can presume that you agree to my proposals. Those were your words, weren’t they, your grace?”
“Indeed, Lord Baelish.”
Littlefinger spoke up again, fake hesitation lacing his tone as he said, “And your companions, your grace? Can they be ….. trusted?”
Here, Jaeherys nodded his head as he replied, “Of course, they are my allies, after all. You know Ser Jaime, of course, and the Commander of the city watch, Sandor Clegane. And I am pretty sure that you have heard of Lord Varys. He sits on the Small Council as the Master of Whisperers.”
Jaime was glad to see that the identity of the last man had stumped Littlefinger. He took a moment to regain his composure before saying, “Of course, I have heard of Lord Varys. He provides a priceless service to the realm after all. It’s an honour to make your acquaintance.”
Varys was quick to reply, his voice equally as skin-crawling, “Your words flatter me. I just perform my duty, Lord Baelish.”
Baelish was quick to get on track though. “So, my prince, should I send word to our friends in Volantis?”
Prince Jaeherys sighed in response before saying, “I am afraid not, Lord Baelish.”
The smile was quick to vanish from Littlefinger’s face, Jaime noted, as he squeaked out, “Why, your grace?”
Jaeherys looked right at Baelish as he replied, “I find it hard to do business with people who don’t have my best interests at heart, Littlefinger.”
Gone was all the respect Prince Jaeherys’ voice held for the man with a sigil of a songbird.
Littlefinger stuttered out, “What do you mean, your grace? I am afraid I don’t understand.”
Instead of answering Baelish’s question, the prince simply walked towards the window and stared out of it in the direction of the Red Keep, whose windows were illuminated by the brightest of lights. Ser Jaime couldn’t help but wonder if his prince’s absence had been noted.
“Lord Baelish, have you heard of the saying, ‘Keep your friends close but your enemies closer’?”
“No, your grace, I haven’t. Is it another of your wise sayings?”
Jaeherys turned around to face Baelish with a smile on his face as he said, “Indeed it is. But I am a hypocrite, Lord Baelish. Instead of keeping my enemies closer, I simply kill them. It doesn’t seem worth the hassle to keep them alive!”
Baelish gave a bow as he said, “Wise, your grace.”
Jaeherys sat down again, his arms on the armrest of the chair, looking every bit a king as his father was, even though the chair was no iron throne.
“Lord Baelish, you have been found guilty of stealing from the king’s coffers and in the king’s name. Three million dragons in all. Did you think you could keep it hidden, Littlefinger?”
Sandor was quick to block the only exit out of the room while Jaime stood Baelish, ready to apprehend him if he so much as moved. Varys still hadn’t moved from where he stood, Jaime observed idly.
“What are you talking about, your grace? I am afraid you are mistaken. You have got the wrong, my prince.”
“Don’t insult both our intelligence, Littlefinger. Two moons ago, my father handed me the task of finding out the identity of the person who would see our kingdom in debt. It might already have been, if not for the extra income from my inventions and its related policies.”
“Mace Tyrell is a fool but he isn’t easy to loot. Only another member of the Small Council could have put this into action. Or a person who was connected to one of the members.”
Jaeherys had gained a wicked smile on his face by that point as he continued, “So I began to observe the dealings of the Small Council diligently. Imagine my surprise when I found a minor who had the complete trust of our Master of Laws, Jon Arryn. A man who used his position of trust to rob the Master of Coin blind. Not that Mace Tyrell could have ever realised if not for the diligence of my brother.”
Jaeherys stood up as he said, “Your game is up, Lord Baelish. You will meet your end here. I am afraid I am your judge, jury, and executioner.”
That was when Baelish lost all semblance of control as he began shouting, “I demand to be taken before the king to prove my innocence. I won’t stand for this farce of a trial. I demand a trial by combat.”
Jaeherys gained another grin at that. “Ah, trial by combat. A product of the Faith of the seven. I am afraid I am not much of a believer, Littlefinger. As for meeting my father, I am afraid he will have to do without the sight of your sniveling face. You would have been dead sooner, Littlefinger. The only reason you were alive so long was because Varys needed some time to find out your holdings.”
“And then, just when I was about to sentence you to death, you bring the prospect of an exciting business opportunity. Thus, extending your life by a few more days. Don’t worry, I will be sure to take full advantage of your opportunity, just not in the way you hoped.”
“So, this is it then, you bastard! You order your dogs to kill me! This won't go as planned. I will be noticed missing.”
Jaeherys was upon Baelish in a flash, grabbing him by the throat as he said, “The man who passes the sentence must swing the sword, Lord Littlefinger. And you won’t be missed. In the end, you had no significance in this world. A minor lord who sold pleasure. That’s all you stood for.”
“Although I must admit, your lover Lysa Arryn might notice you gone.”
The prince’s smile was now practically evil as he looked into Littlefinger’s eyes as he said, “Oh, I know about you and Lady Arryn. I even know that you were the catalyst of the last war, Lord Baelish. I know how you orchestrated the events so that you could gain some benefits. You can rest assured that Lysa Arryn will pay for her crimes too. But you don’t need to worry about that. Say your final prayers, Lord Baelish.”
The pressure on Lord Baelish’s throat kept increasing as he began thrashing in the air, his face the deepest red Jaime had ever seen before all struggle ceased before the prince released him as Littlefinger’s corpse fell with a thud to the ground.
There was an air of uncomfortable silence for a moment before the prince remarked, “Well, that went well. Sandor, take care of the corpse, will you?”
With nary a nod, the Hound has hoisted the body on his shoulders and took him outside the room. The prince continued, “Lord Varys, I trust you will take care of the rest of the affairs.”
His short response was, “Of course, your grace.”
Jaeherys nodded to himself once before proceeding to walk out of the room, Ser Jaime quick to follow him.
“Let’s hurry, Ser Jaime. I find myself quite sleepy.”
The next morning found Jaime sitting in the Godswood with Prince Jaeherys, both of them enjoying the silence it offered while Ghost rolled about in the grass. They would have likely continued to do so had they not been interrupted by the arrival of the Crown Prince, Aegon.
Without so much as a greeting, he addressed Jaeherys, “You know the owner of the brothels, Petyr Baelish? He’s missing.”
Jaeherys nonchalantly replied, “A pity” without looking in his brother’s direction.
Aegon continued looking in Jaeherys’ direction for a long time before saying, “Jon, when father asked you to find the man who was stealing from the royal treasury, you know he meant for you to only find the perpetrator, right?”
Jaeherys, or Jon as he was called by his loved ones, didn’t even bother to reply as he continued to stare at the clouds above.
Aegon could only sigh as he remarked, “Let’s hope the news of your involvement doesn’t reach your mother’s ears or mine. The Seven couldn’t save us if that happened.”
To his credit, Jaeherys only displayed a minor twitch in his eye before he replied, “Uncle Vis won’t be happy, I think. Baelish did run the finest establishments while also favouring Uncle. I hope the next owner is as good to Uncle Vis.”
All Aegon could was sit down on the ground with a sigh as Ghost bounded over to him and placed his head on Aegon’s lap, expecting to be petted.
As Aegon stroked through Ghost’s fur, all he could say was, “Your father is a very strange man, Ghost.”
The direwolf just stuck his tongue out contentedly as Aegon stroked through his fur, not a care in the world.
Jaime couldn’t help but wonder about Connington’s mental state if he saw the two princes of the realm catering to his least favourite animal’s needs.