"Lord Jai," The Prince of Scrolls greeted. Jai looked him up and down. If the rumors were true, then last night he had faced five assassins and won. Everyone thought he was nothing but ink and books. Everyone was wrong.
"Prince Jaehaerys," he said, bowing his head slightly to show respect, not submission. He was a lion of the Rock.
"I hear your wife is pregnant again. Congratulations," he said. Lysa had beco pregnant in King's Landing, which surprised the blond man. It seed that the capital acted as an aphrodisiac for her. "I hope she gives you the heir you desire." Up to that point, the Lannister had not had a son, only two beautiful daughters.
"I appreciate your wishes," the blond man said with a smile.
"I was on my way to the dungeons. I wanted to see the people who tried to kidnap my wife yesterday. They dropped a na: ryn Trant." His purple eyes flashed. "Would you accompany , my lord? I would feel safer with a forr king's guard at my side."
Jai tensed. He wasn't stupid enough to think the prince didn't know who Ser ryn answered to.
Still, the prince seed to be offering him a way out, which would make everything easier.
"I'd love to. I've heard you wouldn't have any trouble."
They both began to walk, exchanging complints.
The conversation was pleasant. Few would have expected it from a scholar and a swordsman. But they understood each other well.
Jai would always prefer a sword, but he knew it wouldn't solve all his problems. Jaehaerys preferred to solve problems with his mind, but he knew that sotis steel was needed to fulfill his duty.
"Ser ryn Trant. I should have brought bread. I forgot," the prince said, the man was looking up at the prince from the ground. He was in terrible condition, bleeding from everywhere.
One of his eyes was closed, surrounded by a purple stain.
"Your Grace, there was a misunderstanding," he began.
"Torrhen. Cover his mouth," he ordered one of his n.
The forr royal guard tried to protest through his tears. No one heard him.
"Did he say sothing?" Despite the pleasant conversation, Jai remained uneasy.
"Perhaps, but I can't quite rember," the prince began. "My mind has been preoccupied with developing my new lands. The king will give
gold, but I fear it won't be enough." His eyes never left the man on the floor.
"Gold, eh?" Jai asked. "The Lannister house has a little," he said with false humility.
"I couldn't ask you..." He tried to refuse halfheartedly. Jai had to admit that the prince was a bad actor. At least he was on this occasion. Jai could read his desires easily. 'Maybe he knows I can't refuse,' he thought.
"My daughter will marry your nephew," he said, alluding to family. "As long as you maintain a strong castle, my grandchildren's reign will be more stable." Jai wanted to negotiate and leave. He wanted to spend more ti with his eldest daughter, but he would soon have to return to the Rock.
"That would certainly ease my fiancée's concerns. She has trouble sleeping, fearing that they will co for her again," he said. It was true; Daenerys had woken him before sunrise. She hadn't slept a wink all night. Only after chatting for a while did she manage to fall asleep in his room. "She'll be glad to know that the castle where she sleeps is safe," he said calmly.
"May I ask what fiefdom you will get?" Jai didn't think this would co cheap.
"Harrenhal," said the prince.
Jai held back the "shit" that wanted to co to his lips.
"I will send half a million gold dragons in the hope that it will ease the princess's concerns." He wasn't going to offer too little. No matter how upset he was with Cersei, she was his sister, and he loved her. Besides, his daughter's crown could be affected. "You'll need craftsn, carpenters, and blacksmiths. I will send a few," he added.
"That's quite generous." Jaehaerys had hoped to get two hundred thousand gold dragons. 'The Lannisters shit gold,' as they usually said. The fact that Jai was willing to hand over that amount in one go spoke volus. The n were also a surprise, but he would have to keep an eye on them. He didn't want spies on his land. He could have negotiated a higher price, but he didn't want to sour relations with the Lannisters.
"I rember now... Ser ryn confessed to desiring the princess and ordering her kidnapping. It was a repugnant cri, don't you think, Lord Jai?" he asked.
"A horrible cri," Jai replied. He had no love for the man in front of him. Losing a Lannister in the capital would be annoying, but this one was more loyal to his sister than to anyone else.
'She probably bewitched him, letting him taste the sweetness between her legs,' Jai thought with disdain. His sister had been more wild since marrying Oberyn.
"What do you think would be an appropriate punishnt? I was thinking about the wall." The knight's eyes sparkled with hope. Jai understood; the prince was giving him the opportunity to save the man's life.
"That's quite kind," said the blond man. The man seed ready to throw himself at his feet and kiss them. "But attempting to harm the royal family is a cri punishable by death." He watched hope leave Trant's eyes. 'I wouldn't spend a gold dragon on an idiot.'
"Torrhen," the lord and the prince said, turning to leave the dungeons. They heard muffled moans and the familiar sound of steel being drawn from a sheath. Then, a thud like a deer falling to the ground.
"I have a visit to make. I'm sorry I can't accompany you, my lord," the prince said.
"I know the way, my prince. I hope that you can visit my family's castle in the future." He extended his hand, and the white-haired man took it. Jai noticed ink stains on his fingers.
"I hope I have the opportunity. When I transform Harrenhal into a castle worthy of its na, I will extend an invitation to you."
"I'll be waiting," he said. With that, they both left for different places.
-----
Jaehaerys walked to a cell where he found a man with hair as dark as coal and a silver streak. He was of Valyrian descent. He was an attractive man, almost on par with the royal family.
"Prince," he said, sounding anything but worried. "I heard you almost died."
"Unfounded rumors," he replied gracefully. "Your n didn't co close to touching ," he continued.
"They weren't my n. They weren't following my orders." He wasn't defending himself or begging for forgiveness or rcy.
"You don't seem worried."
"I trust my sword."
"So did the five n," the prince replied.
"Five n together don't make a Darkstar." He was an arrogant man.
"A title you give yourself doesn't make you a warrior." The man's smile faltered. "A trial by combat, then?" he asked.
"Yes. I will challenge Arthur. I will bring the sunset to the Sword of the Morning," he said devotedly.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. You won't fight him. It will be my hands that take your life." He turned to leave.
"Make sure you don't die at the hands of Daemon. I'd have no choice but to comfort little Daenerys." Jaehaerys gritted his teeth, but didn't stop walking, even with the laughter that followed that comnt. He was a patient man.
"Could you ask them to send Rhaenys? It would be good to have her motivate
before a battle. It wouldn't be the first ti." Jaehaerys raised an eyebrow, but continued walking. Most of King's Landing believed that there was a forbidden romance between him and his niece. This was just because they used to play together when they were children.
'I have enough funding,' he thought, ignoring the man. He would kill him later. Perhaps it was arrogant of him, but he wasn't worried about duels at all. He was faster and stronger than anyone he had ever t. Maybe only the mountain could match his strength, given that he was said to wield a broadsword with one hand and split n in two with a single blow.
He didn't like fighting. Had Gerold attacked any other mber of the royal family, he would have let Ser Barristan or Arthur deal with him. Still, Gerold had allegedly attacked him. Allegedly. He looked more like a peacemaker. Viserys was the real culprit, but even that didn't feel quite right. He didn't want to believe that his brother would stoop so low.
His head began to ache as usual. He wanted to find so good wine and sleep with Ros. But he didn't want to disrespect his future wife. She already had enough on her plate with being forced to marry a man she didn't love, so she shouldn't have to worry about him cheating on her before the wedding.
'Just wine will suffice for now.'
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