The penitence of the wolf - A spiders appears

Varys, Throne Room – King's Landing

"I won't hear any more of this Lord Massey, the decision is final, the selected lands are ideal for a trading port, House Targaryen will be in charge of the construction and administration of said port, while House Massey will be in charge of the construction of the corresponding roads to connect the keeps and towns to the sea" said the monarch with a frown, looking directly towards the kneeling Lord

"But your grace, the costs of such a project are..." however, the monarch interrupted him, without shouting, without insults

Just cold logic and a serene look, and that, in Varys' view, was much more intimidating

The image of Aerys Targaryen, seated on the Iron Throne of Westeros, was impressive and terrifying, the famous Lorkan and Arwena perched on the Throne of Swords, looking towards the entire court with supernatural superiority

“They are more affordable than your habit of spending Golden dragons on barrels of Dornish wine, Cersei, how many barrels did Lord Massey buy in the last few months?” asked the monarch, without taking off the vision of the insignificant Lord

"Seven your grace, spending approximately two thousand Golden dragons, more than enough to cover at least one way from New Port to Lioness Hall," said the iron lioness, her face was set in stone, the Iron Lioness indeed

Worthy daughter of Tywin Lannister, Varys thought with certain wariness and respect on his face, Cersei Lannister's information network was quite respectable and quite loyal to his surprise, the same little birds of Varys had tried to infiltrate agents among the elements of the iron lioness without any success

The terms should be... more than generous, thought the Essosi, to avoid betrayals

"I understand, you will only be allowed to buy one barrel of wine per month until at least one road is completed, at which point the limit will go up to two, and as soon as you make the second path, the limit will go up to three, this decree will be in effect until you complete the five paths that Prince Rhaegar planned for Massey's hook,  It should not take more than a year, just in time for winter, with the port operational and the roads ready, we will guarantee a supply route to all the villages near the Kingswood," ordered the King

Varys looked around in amazement, the entire court nodding calmly, finding sense in the monarch's words, however, he was able to notice something particular

Between the faces he could identify a kind of balance, a third of Andal Lords, a third of Lords of the first men and a third of Dornish ones

Led by a single Valyrian, the eunuch thought, not missing that small detail

And they were not useless Lords and bootlickers, among the houses present there were merchants, commanders and administrators, competent people lead the realm

A bad omen for his sister

The dragon king was more capable than Varys had anticipated

On his second return to King's Landing, the capital of Westeros had changed even more, courtesy of Prince Rhaegar no doubt, the docks had been remodeled and expanded, the precarious streets of the city had been demolished and rebuilt, the smell of shit was gone and modern and huge buildings, the size of small castles began to appear all over the city,  They were beautiful, made of rock, wood and mortar, wonders that allowed entire families to live in a dignified way

"Varys of Pentos," said the spokesman, driving him out of his thoughts, at the same time that the eunuch began to walk towards the throne with a brisk step, seeking to attract as little attention as possible

Even more so, with someone as dangerous as Aerys Targaryen

"Your grace," said Varys in his characteristic effeminate voice, as he bowed to the dragon king, avoiding the intense and cold gaze of the dragon king

For some reason, Varys felt uneasy in the presence of the monarch, it was a feeling similar to being in front of something that he knew could destroy you in just an instant

Something quite close to reality

Aerys Targaryen was a man with an impressive physique, he was not particularly tall like the late Ser Gregor or the drunken stag Robert Baratheon himself, but he was not a weakling either, he had a physique worked with defined muscles, the product of countless hours of training, Varys had no doubt that the dragon king could tear him apart with his own hands

"Well met, Varys de Lys, what to bring a stranger to my court?" asked the king, his tone was polite and polite, but his eyes remained cold and cautious

The moment of truth, Varys thought 

"The rumors about the prosperous and growing capital of the Seven Kingdoms Your Grace, I have seen an opportunity, I come to offer something that goes unnoticed by many Lords and princes, and even so, it is of vital importance for the proper functioning of a kingdom" said Varys enigmatically, trying to capture the attention of the court

However, the result was not as expected, normally the Andals, first men and Dornish had a certain enmity between them, but Varys was an Essosi, and if there was one thing the three vassal peoples of the Iron Throne had in common

It was distrust of outsiders 

The monarch did not flinch; he simply nodded and spoke

"You sell information, a lucrative business, but extremely dangerous I must say," said the monarch, leaning forward, at the same time that his two ravens squawked towards Varys, the annoyance more than evident

"Varys of Lys is time to talk, what do you think you possess that might interest the Iron Throne?" said the king, looking towards Varys with those terrifying eyes

The eunuch swallowed hard, before quickly composing himself and saying

"I offer information Your Grace, the winds of war are approaching the shores of Westeros, Quellon Greyjoy is..." At this point, Aerys interrupted, surprising not only Varys, but the entire court

"Dead, I know, he has been for quite some time, just as I know that his son Balon has deliberately failed to report his father's death to the crown, for some reason," said the king, silencing Varys and provoking whispers among the Lords of the Court

Shit, thought the eunuch, how the hell did he know about Quellon's death? Varys had gone to great lengths to silence this information as much as possible

The king was not impressed, Varys had to speak, give real and fast relevant information

“And were you aware of the incursions that the Ironborn have been making towards the northern shores of your grace? Cutting down trees and expanding their fleet in secret?” asked the eunuch in his classic submissive tone, sighing with relief at the sight of the monarch's surprised face, at least for an instant, before all emotion disappeared from his eyes

"No, I was not aware of such an event," said the king, as he looked towards the part of his court occupied by northern Lords

"Lord Ryswell, send a raven as soon as possible to the coastal houses of the North, I want patrols and soldiers ready, I will alert Ricard about his obligations, as well as Lord Commander Mormont, that the entire northern west coast is fully alert" ordered the monarch, before focusing his gaze on Tywin, meanwhile, Princess Rhaenys bit her grandfather's hand, at the same time that she tried to pull his beard with her chubby hands

"Tywin, forget about the letters, send one of your men as an emissary, something Greyjoy can't ignore, send Lorch, to make sure our message is delivered," the monarch ordered, causing the Lord Hand to nod, before focusing his gaze again on Varys

"Varys of Lys, I will evaluate the veracity of your words and depending of the result, I will decide on your future," said the monarch, gesturing his hand, causing a pair of knights in black armor and red cloaks to emerge from the gloom, directly towards Varys

"Am I your prisoner your grace?" asked the eunuch, trying to remove the fear from his voice as much as possible

Aerys did not deny it

"You are my guest, nothing more and nothing less, Ser Rykker, escort our guest to a suitable room," ordered the monarch

And Varys, wishing not to attract attention, obeyed immediately, things had not gone as he expected, but the main objective was achieved

He had caught the attention of the Targaryen house, now he must remain useful and all would be well

Right?

Aerys Targaryen, Throne Room – King’s Landing

Aerys focused her icy gaze on the complicated man, a more than controversial figure in his life like Jon, executed by Daenerys for trying to murder her

To be honest with himself, the part of him who was still Jon had nothing against Varys, however, his experience as a ruler forced him to be cautious, his instinct, like those of Lorkan and Arwena, shouted at him that the eunuch was dangerous and that he should not be trusted around

An opinion that, apparently, his entire inner circle shared

"Your grace, I must extend my uneasiness at the invitation to this stranger, we know nothing about him or his intentions," Tywin said with a frown, the words were direct, as the old lion had learned to speak to him lately

Aerys simply nodded, while Rhaenys babbled over and over again trying to reach for her grandfather's beard, ripping a soft smile from the monarch's lips

"I know, and that's exactly why he'll stay here, at the center of our influence" the king said, focusing his gaze on Cersei

"Take care of watching him, who he talks to, where he walks, down to the smallest and insignificant detail, don't underestimate him, I was aware of Quelon Greyjoy's death, but not about his actions in the northern lands, his network must be vast, investigate and infiltrate it" ordered the king, making Cersei nod with determination

"As you command, your grace," said the beautiful lioness, making the monarch nod in pleasure

"Perfect, I'll fly to Dragonstone with the entire royal family in the morning, we'll be there for only a couple of days, Tywin will be in charge, you know the pending projects and the expected results," ordered the king, as he stood up with his granddaughter in his arms, an action that the entire court repeated, bowing to the monarch

"As you command your grace," said the old lion

Aerys nodded and calmly stepped out of the throne room, his granddaughter in his arms and escorted by both his king’s guards and a pair of Dornish spears that Rhaenys' grandmother, Princess Delia, had assigned for her total protection

Things in the royal family flowed wonderfully, Viserys was already old enough to walk and found enormous pleasure in running from the eyes of his caregivers, recurrently staggering towards where Aerys or Rhaella were

Aerys remembered Daenerys' words about her brother, a cruel man who used to beat her, but was broken by the circumstances of his growth

The monarch could understand it, having to beg to survive and support a sister in the process, all while being mocked and abused could break even a grown man, who misses a young exiled prince

Still, it was really hard for him to imagine that the little being with infinite energy who ran all over the fortress with his toy dragon would end up like the tyrannical monster Daenerys had said

Aerys would make sure it didn't happen, Viserys would grow up and have the life that was denied him

He would make sure of that

And speaking of Viserys

“KEPA!!” A childish voice shrieked, followed by tiny footsteps that approached down the corridor towards him

Aerys smiled at the sight of his son, as he staggered towards him, his arms open and the smile on his face, as he was followed by his maids, who did their best to keep up with him

Rhaenys began to laugh non-stop and clap his hands at the sight of her uncle, while the young boy raised his arms, demanding to be lifted

Aerys rolled his eyes, but placed her granddaughter in one arm, as he knelt down to lift his son in the other

"What mischief are you doing now, my little dragon?" said the king, making the young prince laugh mischievously, without deigning to answer

“Your Grace!” said the evidently exhausted servants, filling the king with amusement

"My ladies, do you have any idea where my Good daughter is? The little princess needs a change urgently," said the king with a grimace, while his granddaughter laughed, pulling the hairs of her beard

A habit that she had unfortunately taught Viserys

"Princess Elia is on the balcony of the training ground, watching as Prince Rhaegar trains the young Lord Stark, Lady Lyanna accompanies her," said the most mature of the women with total submission to the imposing presence of the king

Aerys nodded elegantly and thanked the maids for their courtesy, causing them to blush completely

"Prepare a bath for the young prince, something tells me that he will need it after seeing Rhaegar in the yard" the king ordered gently, making the maids quickly nod and hurry to carry out his orders

A long walk later, the monarch reached the balcony in question, Elia was sitting with Lady Lyanna, both dressed in elegant and expensive dresses, both young and beautiful in their own way, Elia shone with Dornish sensuality and passion, her daring dress and the contrast of her skin with the gold of the Martell house made her easily attract attention,  Lyanna, on the other hand, possessed a mixed beauty, she was beautiful, with fine and symmetrical physical features, snowy skin and brown hair, with large and expressive gray eyes, which looked intensely towards the training yard, where Benjen Stark was in a practice duel against little Dalton, brother of her lover Dalla. while they were supervised by Rhaegar, who gave advice and specific corrections about the duel between rookies

The king went so unnoticed by the distracted Ladies, that he was able to hear part of the conversation

"So, did you enjoy the show on your last visit, my lady?" Elia purred with obvious provocation, causing Lyanna to blush to the root and start babbling over and over again, while shaking her head quickly

Elia just rolled his eyes and said

"Come on my dear, you have nothing to be ashamed of, I was young too, I've lost the number of times I rubbed my cunt with my fingers, nor the times I reached my peak thanks to that, at least until I met my dragon, now only the prince is able to awaken in me that carnal appetite," Elia said, looking at Lyanna with amusement

The king's curiosity was touched as he saw Lyanna, a strong, independent, and talented young woman, begin to babble over and over again, while unable to look the princess in the eye

"Princess, I don't know whether talking about what happened is wise," said the young Lady, and although Aerys wanted to hear more, Rhaenys had other plans

“MAMA!” shouted the little girl, while moving her arms, drawing the attention of both Ladies, who looked towards the monarch with different expressions

Lyanna with one of absolute terror, while Elia's face was full of shame

“Your grace! How much did you listen?” asked the princess tentatively

Aerys just snorted and said

"Enough, thank the Gods, the little princess needs a change of clothes, food and sleep, I'll come for her in the evening for our late-night storytelling session," he ordered calmly, making Elia grimace embarrassed before slowly nodding

“It will be done, your grace" Elia said with total embarrassment, as she took her daughter from the monarch's hands, at the same time that Prince Viserys pointed to where his brother was

"Gagar, Gagar!" he said with emotion, while pointing to where his brother was

"Well, Viserys wants to visit his brother, I'll leave you alone my ladies," said the king, escaping from the place while it was still possible

He didn't know what Lyanna had seen Elia do, though he didn't have to be a genius to get the idea

Alas, the king had more important things to do, plus he wanted to supervise the training in person

There was a lot to do

Princesa Elia Martell, The Red Keep -King’s Landing

As soon as the monarch came out of the balcony, a feeling of immense shame invaded the young Dornish woman

“Oh Gods, what a mess" Elia said totally blushing, it was more than evident that the king had knowledge of what Elia was referring to in the conversation with the young Stark

Lyanna looked at her sympathetically, the young princess in her hands, biting her fists

"Don't feel bad, it's very likely that the king was already aware of your activities with the prince, the king sees everything," Lyanna said with certainty

Elia sighed, the young Stark was right, but it didn't mean she had to like him

"Still, it was embarrassing," Elia said, watching as the monarch arrived at the training yard and the young prince ran towards his brother, jumping back and forth, full of excitement

Elia smiled lovingly as she saw her husband pick up his brother and begin to play with him all over the place, under the gaze of the monarch and the King's Guard

However, Elia's concentration was interrupted when a hawk landed on the balcony where she was standing right in front of Lady Stark, who gave her a piece of meat while gently stroking his feathers

The Dornish princess looked at the falcon and then at Lyanna with suspicion, the bird's behavior was... suspiciously similar to that of the birds of her good father and her beloved husband

Is it possible that... did the young Stark have the same gift as her beloved husband?

"It's beautiful," Elia said tactfully, looking at the imposing specimen, which seemed to puff out its chest at Elia's words

Lyanna smiled radiantly, pride more than evident in her eyes and said

"Don't say it out loud your grace or he'll believe it," said the young Lady, causing the beautiful bird to give her a playful peck on the hand

Elia smiled and began to tempt the waters cautiously

"So... is that what private lessons with the king are about? Do you learn to master your gifts?” Elia asked, confirming her theory when she saw how the young woman opened her eyes in extreme surprise

"Don't worry, my dear, Rhaegar told me about warging, he also has the gift, although not with the same skill as his father or you, apparently " Elia said, watching with amusement as the young Stark opened her eyes at that revelation

“Oh, that's amazing! he wargs towards Sun Strider? I can't imagine how difficult such a feat must be, converging with Claw is hard enough” asked the Lady totally excited

Elia smiled softly, although there was some melancholy in her eyes, she just didn't have a drop of magical blood, at least from the first men, she would never be able to really understand what the young Stark was talking about

"I don't know, but you can ask him soon, the queen assigned you as my assistant in the King's Landing projects, the reason is simple, to teach you how to govern, whether to administer the new Stark lands or the lands of your future husband, your education is important" Elia said with determination, as she stood up, an act that Lyanna imitated instantly.

"Yes your grace, I will not disappoint you," said the young wolf, who was a few inches away

And taking advantage of the moment, Elia stepped forward, placing her flirtatious finger on Lyanna's cheek, who was totally paralyzed by the apparently innocent, but extremely sensual act

"If you behave well... I'm sure I can organize another session like the one you witnessed last year, maybe now with a closer approximation... straight away," Elia purred, smiling triumphantly as she saw Lyanna's pupils dilate, while the young woman's breathing began to crack

The wolf-maiden was lost in her daring and mischievous fantasies, it seemed, the princess thought, as she parted from Lyanna and spoke

"Come on, let the maids prepare Rhaenys for Storytime with her grandfather, you and I should study more about the projects, especially about the trade school my husband is building" Elia ordered

"Yes, princess," Lyanna said with heavy breathing, as she ran after her

They had a lot to do