King Maegor II's Chambers

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Some time later, the Crown Prince arrives to speak to his father.

"Your Grace," Aegon bows formally. "I have come to make a petition of you."

"Your Grace," Aegon decided a formal approach was best. "Elseyris Targaryen is nearly five and ten, with a dragon of flying and fighting age. She practices weaponry in the yard and is eager to prove that she is loyal to our line, not that of her traitor father. I would ask that she be allowed to fly into battle under your banner and my supervision and command, and so be allowed to contribute to the war effort and prove her loyalty."

"Leave her where she is, Your Grace, and she will grow old and bitter against your rule until one of our enemies use her and her dragon against us. But allow her to prove herself and she will thank you for the opportunity to burn our enemies. And you will still have her mother in King's Landing as surety for her behavior," Aegon said.

"Allow me to bear this responsibility on my honor, Your Grace. If her heart is false I will bear the consequences as if it were my own."

"I said what I meant, father," Aegon replied. "Elseyris has sworn her loyalty, and I trust her at her word."

Aegon nods once, tersely. Small victories. "There is another matter, Your Grace. Is it not time we mustered our forces for a push towards Oldtown? I would ask of you the command, by virtue of both birth and merit."

"Have I not shown as much?" Arguing with his father was always ill advised, but it never seemed to stop Aegon. He set his jaw stubbornly. "I took the West, most without even a dragon. I have fought for our cause since I was fourteen. Our lords would fight for me before any other."

Aegon gritted his teeth. "Wars are won in the muck with commonfolk and horses, Your Grace," Aegon answered. "And I lost no men needlessly. That I can assure you. There are worthier commanders in the realm, but none who bear the name Targaryen. Unless you mean to take the field yourself?"

"Yes," Aegon said quietly, "And the Conqueror also had the sense to offer the hand of friendship to the Faith.  But I suppose that bridge is burned now."

"I know that we... disagree, Your Grace.  But you know I have had success, you know that the Andal lords are eager to follow my lead.  If not me, who else is to have the command?" Aegon continued persistently.  "Aemy and Rhaena are brave, but still too untested.  Maekar is a good commander, but he was driven from Dorne.  I would suggest Lord Arryn, but I have no need to hear your laughter today."

"I would take the city intact if it is possible," Aegon answered. "We'll have need of its taxes to pay our creditors. Ser Hector and his captains would be executed as traitors to the crown. The High Septon..." Aegon frowned. He thought his father would interpret his next advice as a weakness, but having walked some of the paths of the faithful, Aegon believed it to be an accurate assessment. "Perhaps with his personage in our hands he would be willing to set out a command to disband the Faith Militant. Nothing else could be more helpful to our cause. I would hesitate to kill him, Your Grace, for doing so would make a a martyr. The more painful the manner of his death, the more reverent the smallfolk will speak of his blessed agonies in the name of the Gods. We could well take Oldtown only to lose the other cities to revolt."

"Put another septon in the Starry Sept, one who will preach loyalty towards rightful lords rather than disobedience. I know a good man who might suffice," Aegon told his father. "Why destroy it when we might use it to our benefit?" It was the same argument as allowing Elseyris to go to war, in a way.

"I have no maiden's heart," Aegon responded, gritting his teeth once again. He was beginning to lose his temper. "I will deal with the septon. And your war, while you huddle behind these castle walls."