Two Hours Later
Vaemond woke with a throbbing pain in his neck and a blinding sensation in his eyes. He was lying in a bed next to a glass window, which was shining bright light in his face.
He groaned and raised a hand to shield the sun.
Where am I? He thought to ask.
‘’Whr m..I.’’ He managed to croak out in a wheezing gasp.
‘’Be still your Grace.’’ A voice said gently, holding his shoulder firmly, the face of Ser Harold Langward peering down at him.
The memories slowly began to come back to him.
‘’We are in Greenfield Vaemond, you took a quarrel through the neck, their maester saw to your wounds after we carried you to his infirmary, a good Riverman he was….your gorget deflected it just enough to stop it from puncturing your throat but you lost a good deal of blood, he stitched the wound recently, you are not to talk or you could rupture it.’’ Corlys Velaryon said.
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‘’Crossbows….a coward's weapon….Ser Harold cut down the man that shot you, a cleaner death than the bastard deserved’’ Ser Roland Crakehall said venomously.
Vaemond made a move to speak again but the Lord Commander raised his hand.
‘’The castle is ours if that's what you mean to ask….some 160 dead and wounded for us, a hundred more for the defenders but they've surrendered the castle…Greenfield is ours….you are lucky for that thick bull neck of yours however….what were you thinking charging up there without a shield ’’ Corlys Velaryon said with a frown.
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Before Vaemond could answer, a wave of exhaustion set over him and his world faded to black once more.
6th Moon, 8025
Outskirts of Kings Landing
Nyel sat atop her horse watching the road, her escort of Ser Gawen Corbray and Ser Gregor Goode close behind.
Her horse shuffled nervously and she laid a comforting hand on its head, in the skies above them Narrah and Aelesar flew around in circles, frightening the horses.
She looked up at her own dragon Narrah, who was dark red with horns and a long stripe from head to tail white as bone, playing with her sibling.
Almost big enough to ride Nyel thought to herself, her dragon dwarfed her brother Matarys’s white and gold dragon Aelesar, though Aelesar was much faster.
Maester Arlan had awoken her with two ravens that morning, one with good tidings and one with bad.
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The first had been sent by a Maester Walton from Greenfield Castle in the Westerlands, bearing the message that her brother had taken a quarrel to the neck storming the castle, he had lost a significant amount of blood but was being cared for and would soon be strong enough to ride.
She had of course been concerned, but her main emotion had been one of relief, she had feared that her dream could represent her brother's death, but if this wound is what the dream signified, and it seemed likely, then things could have ended much worse.
The second raven brought more welcome news, her brother Matarys and his escort led by the Kingsguard Ser Garmon Hightower were finally returning to the capitol from Fair Isle. The war had made it unwise to risk travel until a route was secured, and the raven, which had been sent from Maidenpool also stated other unnamed difficulties which had slowed down their progress.
She had determined to meet them on the road personally, even though the realm was at war, things in the capitol had been dull, save for the birth of a new Targaryen, and it was good to get out of the Aegonfort, even if just for a while.
Her brother's escort soon came into view from the road, bearing Targaryen banners waving in the wind.
Her brother and Ser Garmon were at the forefront, Matarys still kept his hair closely cut, though his chin was covered in a coarse silver beard.
When he caught sight of her, he spurred his horse forward, racing away from his retinue, a grin on his face.
Nyel laughed and dismounted, she truly had missed her brother, oddities and all, it had been well over a year since he had set out for Fair Isle, a task which he had only planned on lasting a month or two.
He embraced her tightly, and Nyel thought she saw some tears running down his cheek.
She hastily cleared them from his face and gently broke their embrace, it would not do for his retinue to see the King's younger brother crying like a child.
‘’There were days I never thought I would make it home again.’’ Matarys said dramatically, wiping his eyes.
‘’For your son's sake I am glad you did make it back…the Aegonfort has felt empty without you…truly Matarys.’’ Nyel replied.
‘’My….my son?’’ Matarys asked suddenly.
‘’Yes….we sent a bird but….you must not have gotten it…you have not known all this time?’’ Nyel asked with surprise.
Matarys gave a choking gasp of happiness and the tears once again began to flow down his cheek‘’What is his name.’’
‘’Your Lady Wife named him Jaekar…a good strong name for a boy with both the blood of the Dragon and the First Men.’’ Nyel said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
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‘’And what of Demerei…is she alright…is she well, when I did not receive a raven I feared….her sickness.’’ Matarys prattled on.
‘’She is well Matarys, the Royces have always been champions of the birthing bed, sickness or no, Grandmaester Arlan has even managed to improve her condition significantly with his potions.’’ Nyel said.
‘’I…I must go to them.’’ Matarys said, and Nyel smiled and nodded and her brother raced off to the city, a few of his guardsmen in tow.
She approached Ser Garmon Hightower, who looked rather pale.
She laid a hand on his shoulder ‘’Thank you for bringing my brother safely back to us Ser…you have our eternal thanks.’’
Ser Garmon shook his head ‘’I did my duty my Queen, nothing more….the knowledge of that is enough for me.’’
‘’You spoke of delays?’’ She asked politely.
‘’Yes your Grace, we remained in Seaguard for several months. I did not wish to risk being caught in between the knights of the Vale near the Mountains of the Moon and the Lannisters, who destroyed the majority of the Tully forces….your brother would make a valuable hostage.’’ He began before continuing.
‘’When we received word of Ronnel Arryns capture I decided it was safe, the Knights of the Vale won't dare march into the Riverlands while the Tullys hold their liege lord, so we kept north towards Maidenpool before cutting south….I am loathe to say we encountered plague on our journey my Queen, though we did our best to avoid the areas.’’ Ser Garmon said.
‘’A plague?’’ Nyel asked, the concern visible on her face, she was no stranger to the horrors of the pox, as a sickness had claimed the life of her firstborn, Prince Aelyx, some years prior.
‘’Yes your Grace…the bloody flux…no doubt spread by refugees fleeing the war.’’ Ser Garmon said before he suddenly coughed into an armored elbow.
‘’Are you well Ser?’’ Nyel asked with concern.
After some time he nodded ‘’I am your Grace….just weary from the road.’’
She noticed the beads of sweat on his clammy skin.
‘’Nevertheless I think you should see Grandmaester Arlan Ser.’’ Nyel said courteously.
Ser Garmon bowed ‘’As you say your Grace….I shall see him upon the morrow as soon as I am rested.’’
The following morning Ser Garmon Hightower had stumbled into the Grandmaesters quarters, burning with fever and on the brink of collapsing, Grandmaester Arlan had quickly diagnosed him with the Bloody Flux, which had slowly begun creeping into the city.
He had immediately ordered Ser Garmon quarantined in the White Sword Tower and Ser Gawen Corbray and Ser Gregor Goode evacuated, they could not risk the pox spreading through the royal court, where any harm to Princess Laena or Jaekar could cripple the Targaryen dynasty.
Unfortunately, as Ser Gawen Corbray and Ser Gregor Goode were removed from the tower, Grandmaester Arlan observed symptoms in them as well and they too were quarantined.
Grandmaester Arlan did all he could for them, lighting prayers in the sept for their recovery and sending his best acolytes to care for the three Kingsguard, but the flux did its bloody work in the end, and Ser Garmon Hightower, Ser Gregor Goode, and Ser Gawen Corbray succumbed to the sickness.
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Following this, Nyel would have the bodies of the three Kingsguard burned and order the castle gates closed against the spread of the flux in King's Landing; she would not risk losing another child to disease.