Jon Connington
Storm's End was a large castle, an impenetrable fortress, built by Durran Godsgrief, the first Storm King, it had never fallen to siege or by conquest, until now. Word of Aegon's capturing of Storm's End had sent shockwaves flying across the Stormlands and the rest of the kingdom, now people were beginning to take them seriously, and Aegon's declaration that he be named Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, had surprised and shocked him. Jon knew that he was Aegon's hand, that was an unwritten thing, had always been expected to be the case, but being named Lord of Storm's End, now that was something he had not expected, had not expected at all. He had asked Aegon about it much later, after the feast to celebrate their victory had been held and done with.
"Congratulations on your victory, Your Grace." Jon had said when he and Aegon had been left alone in the Lord's Solar.
"It's our victory Jon, our victory and it brings us one step closer to taking King's Landing." Aegon had replied, a smile on his face.
"Yes, be that as it may, I have a question for you." Jon had replied then trying to keep whatever it was that was building inside of him.
Aegon took a sip from his wine glass. "Go on Jon."
Jon swallowed nervously and then had said. "Why did you make me Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands Your Grace?"
"Because Jon, I trust you more than anyone else. Because these Stormlords will never submit to anyone else, not with that usurper Stannis Baratheon dying wherever he is, and his daughter nowhere near as good as maturity. I need a man who I know is loyal to me and only me, who will ensure that these bunch of rowdy Baratheon followers are kept in line." Aegon had said.
Jon had sighed, his boy had learnt how to play the game then it seemed but there was still something about the appointment that was nagging at him. "But you do know of course Your Grace, that there are houses here in the Stormlands that will have a superior claim to Storm's End through the female line than myself or my house. Why not simply make me Lord of Griffin's Roost and name me Lord Paramount of the Stormlands through that?" Jon asked trying to see whether Aegon had truly thought this through or had simply made the declaration on the heady feeling of a won battle and drink.
"Because Jon, whilst those houses have claims, they won't dare stand in your or your children's way. Not with a dragon backing you." There had been a triumphant glint in Aegon's eyes then.
Jon sighed once more. "Yes and what of when you are dead Aegon, what then. Will your children continue to support my children; will they be able to with Daenaerys Targaryen hot on their heels?"
Aegon had looked non plussed then and had stammered a reply. "But of course they will, for my children will be her children and she will have no reason not to support your claim and your lordship."
"I will need to marry a lady of House Baratheon, whose claim cannot be disputed by anyone Your Grace. And as such, the only living female heir to Storm's End from the main Baratheon line is a child, and is in the north likely to die from winter, it seems we have a problem."
A problem indeed it seemed. The Stormlords who had not sworn themselves to the boy king Tommem or were not in the north with Stannis Baratheon had come to Storm's End one wintry day to pledge their allegiance to himself and to Aegon. Old Lord Sebastian Errol had come to press his claim to Storm's End by virtue of his great, great grandmother, or failing that when Aegon had refused to acknowledge the man's claim, he had wanted Jon to marry his daughter Elisa Errol, whom though Jon could admit was a pretty young thing at sixteen, perhaps was more suited to Aegon than to him. There were certain things that Jon had come to want from a partner in life that he had never truly thought of before, things that young girls could not offer, not at their age, but perhaps something that Lady Lemore could offer. Of course the marriage offers had not stopped there, Lords Boiler, Buller, Caron, Dondarrion had all made offers of their daughters, nieces and cousins or sisters hands to Jon and each one had been turned down by Jon, it was becoming a slight headache for him, there were more pressing matters that needed to be discussed with the Stormlords rather than his marriage.
One such issue included the goings on in King's Landing. The last they had heard of from the capital, Jon's cousin's son Red Ronnet had been sent to King's Landing to answer for Jon's own taking of the castle, according to words from their inside source the man had sworn to bring the boy king his head, a fool if any prone more to Jon's cousin's famous temper and rashness than anything, the man had not been allowed to leave King's Landing at all. Kevan Lannister and Maester Pycelle were both dead, that was good, very, very good it would mean that the Lannister bitch was more suspicious of the Tyrells, perhaps this could mean that the Tyrells would fall into Aegon's arms more willingly though more than likely that Fat Oaf would want Aegon to marry Margaery. There had also been word of the two queens trials, both had been declared innocent of their crimes, though apparently according to the gossip that old Lord Estermont had provided Jon, the High Septon had demanded that Margaery's marriage to Tommem be dissolved so as to keep the Tyrells at bay, whether or not there was truth in this rumour or not, Jon knew not, he merely knew that the Lannister's hold on the Iron Throne was slowly slipping away, and soon the moment would be perfect to strike.
Four days later with the Stormlords finally gone from Storm's End, Varys that slippery and sly devil of a spider came by to visit them, and that was when Jon finally saw the dragon emerge in Aegon.
"Congratulations on a most impressive victory Your Grace." The eunuch had said with his slithery tongue.
Aegon had stared hard at the bald man his violet eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who are you old man, and how did you sneak past the guards?" Aegon had asked.
Varys had tittered then and had looked at Jon. Jon had swallowed nervously and had said "Your Grace, this is the man who has made it possible for you to come to Westeros and reclaim your birthright. This man is Lord Varys."
Aegon had turned toward Jon then, his eyes narrowing further. "Why would this man try and help me reclaim what is mine and my family's when he bent the knee to the usurper and has continued to serve the man and his spawn since that day?"
"Because Your Grace, it was crucial that I continue to remain in King's Landing, so that I could learn the boundaries and the weaknesses of the new regime. So that I could make it easier for you to come back to your rightful place as King of Westeros, so that I could create chaos for the Baratheons from the inside." Varys had said smiling weakly.
Just as you did for Aerys and Rhaegar then, Jon thought bitterly. Aegon merely looked at Varys for a long moment then and then spoke in a deep baritone voice, that reminded Jon so much of Rhaegar. "And you say you serve me and my family? And yet you made no effort to save my sister or my mother when the Lannisters sacked my home. You made no effort to bring my uncle and aunt to us safely, you left them wander the Free Cities as no more than beggars, the Blood of the Dragon left to fend for themselves. Tell me Lord Varys, why should I believe a word you say?"
You shouldn't Jon thought. Varys merely tittered once more and said "I assure you Your Grace, all that has been done was done for your benefit. I could not hope to keep you alive if Robert Baratheon knew that your sister or mother lived. He would have kept the war going until all of you were dead, Dorne would have kept fighting as well, and there would never have been peace or stability within the realm. It would not have served to have you constantly hunted no there needed to be peace so that when the walls came tumbling down on the Baratheons, you could come and claim your throne. As to why you and your uncle and aunt were never kept together. It would not do to have Robert Baratheon aware that the true heir survived, he needed to be kept distracted, and hence why you never met your aunt or uncle. And besides I am sure you have heard the rumours of your uncle, he became as mad as his father toward the end."
Aegon did not look convinced and yet he merely said in response. "Very well then. Now what news do you bring Lord Varys, if it is useful perhaps I will keep you in my service if not then, well Acteon has not had a meal in sometime." As if on cue, the red dragon could be heard roaring from outside.
Jon shivered even after all this time, the dragon intimidated and even scared him, he had not been used in battle as of yet, Aegon had not been part of the taking of Griffin's Roost nor had he used him to take Storm's End, instead Acteon had been used to get the last of the garrison to throw down their arms and surrender. The eunuch Jon noted seemed to have paled considerably at hearing Acteon's roar, but soon regained his composure.
"I do indeed come bearing tidings of great import for you Your Grace." The eunuch said. "As you know King's Landing is in turmoil. Both queens were cleared of the crimes levelled against them at their trial, but the High Septon wished for Margaery Tyrell to be gone from King's Landing and so her marriage to Tommem is in the stages of being annulled, though Mace Tyrell continues to do all he can to stop that from happening. Cersei Lannister sits in her room and broods and plots, the boy king Tommem grows. Lord Tarly marches for Storm's End with some 10,000 men to take it back from you Your Grace. The order would have been given today by Mace Tyrell, but Tarly does not mean to take the castle back. He is sick and tired of Mace Tyrell and means to bend the knee to you. As of the north, Stannis Baratheon and Jon Stark have reclaimed Winterfell, Bolton is dead, the Twins have fallen to them as well as has Riverrun, though Stannis Baratheon lies injured and dying in the Twins."
That had been news to Jon, Stannis Baratheon dead that would make their route to King's Landing much more feasible and victory seemed secured. Aegon though did not seem too concerned with that. "What of my Aunt Lord Varys, does she come to Westeros?"
Varys seemed to be hesitating to speak, and Jon felt something drop inside of him, how long was the girl going to dither in Meeren, did she never wish to come back to Westeros? Eventually the man spoke, and the words he spoke confirmed Jon's worst fears. "She is still in Meeren Your Grace, she has lost one of her dragons as well, where it is I know not, but it has gone and she faces foes from all sides."
"Does she never intend to come home?! Why does she dither so?!" Aegon exploded.
Outside Acteon roared his master's frustration. Varys tittered nervously. "One can never know a woman's heart Your Grace. Though it seems she has taken to ruling the slaver cities with a fierce passion."
"Then she can keep them and stay there." Aegon said petulantly. "I will win back what was taken from us and I will have our revenge."
That conversation had been a week ago, and Varys had disappeared soon after it promising that he would continue to influence how things went in King's Landing, and would of course bring them more news of the north and of Stannis Baratheon when he could. They spent the time since Varys' departure planning and plotting their next move. Some of the Golden Company generals such as Harry Strickland were deeply in favour of waiting in Storm's End until there was further sign that King's Landing would open its gates to them straight away, others wanted to march straight for King's Landing and take it now. Aegon, Jon knew was impatient to march, the belief of youth that all would fall into place for him ran strong, though there was also a hesitancy in Aegon as well, a sense of unsurity that had not been there in Volon Therys or in Griffin's Roost.
Prince Oberyn arrived two weeks after Varys had departed. Bringing with him only a man dressed in a plain white robe, who spoke little the whole time he was there, but whom Jon could have sworn he had met before and had known well, perhaps in a past life. Prince Oberyn had always been a arrogant and cocksure man and now was no different. He remarked how convenient it was that Jon and Aegon had survived but had not been seen for so long until now, and with a dragon to boot. He put Aegon through various tests that it seemed Aegon passed, which finally led to Oberyn agreeing to seal the alliance between them and Dorne. Dorne would give them 15,000 spears for the march on King's Landing if Aegon agreed to marry Allyria Dayne. Tension ran high, Aegon agreed reluctantly and the chance of wedding Daenaerys and more importantly her three dragons disappeared. For Dorne would not bear another slight from a Targaryen even if he was of Dornish blood.