Aegon's Tent

Aegon returns to his tent with Maekar, leaving Elseyris outside to ensure they are not disturbed.

Aegon had never been as enamored with the trappings of luxury as some of his kin, and when he flew south he packed precious little other than what he required for the campaign. But he did permit himself to bring two bottles of wine, and one bottle of much stronger firewater, as was popular in some parts of the south and east. It was this last he uncorked now, pouring two large portions into two cups.

Aegon sat down on one of the chairs heavily. "How long did you know?"

Aemy had always been ambitious; Aegon had known that, but he would never have thought she would resort to this. He remembered her full of fierce vigor on campaign in the West, and before that, when she had been a kind but awkward child he had reassured when the other girls made fun of her. But... plotting to kill him? Aegon wondered if this was somehow his fault, if he had loved her in the manner she wanted she would not have resorted to this.

It took him a moment for the other realization to hit him. "Trajan left before we did. Aemy was still in the city when father knew about her treachery. So was Uncle Aemon. Why...?" Aegon trailed off and took a drink. "That cruel fucking cunt of a man," Aegon said viciously. "She was your sister too. And he wanted you to kill her yourself."

Espionage roll - success

Fortunately for Elseyris she has a fair amount of listening to conversations that don't concern her and she is able to catch the majority of the conversation. She is particularly struck by Aegon's anger.

"Father should not have used you in such a way. It was wrong," Aegon said. "And Aemy... Gods. What was wrong with her?" He looked near as exhausted as his brother. Aegon took another drink. "Gods. What are we going to tell Rhaena? What are going to tell Daenya?" The youngest sister had been deemed fit for war, but she was still only three and ten.

Aegon let him go. He took another drink. He raised his cup to take yet another, but in a suddenly returned rage he threw the cup hard across the tent, the clay vessel shattering when it hit the hard earth.

Aegon left the tent, his face drawn and hard. He turned to Elsey. "I am assembling everyone at the command tent," he told her in a dead, flat tone. "See that you are there."

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The night after arriving back at the army with Lord Beesbury and his men, Maekar comes to Aegon's tent. His estimate them put them at a mere days outside of Oldtown, and it would likely that battle would commence soon after their arrival.

"Thank you, your grace," he said quietly. "I wish to apologize for my abrupt departure when I left the host; it was improper and a dereliction of my duty as your second."

Maekar nodded. "Regardless, you have my apologies. I… acted in away ill befitting someone of my appointment," he replied, hesitating.

"I Intend to return my commission as Inquisitor to the King when we are done in Oldtown, and afterwards I would ask the boon of remaining in your service," he said. "I will not perform his black deeds any longer."

Maekar stood straight, and nodded. "I will live up to my knighthood. If it is true that the kinslayer is cursed by both gods and men… even a cursed man can strive to live rightly for his remaining days," he said. "Do your Seven gods believe in forgiveness? All I have heard of them is vengeance and purifying fire, much the same as the ancient Valyrian gods our father worships."

Maekar took the book, running his fingers over the texture of the cover and the seven-pointed star that was ingraved into the leather. "I have never paid much thought to the gods before," he replied quietly. "But now I can think of naught by their eyes upon me. You have my thanks, brother, and my service, however it is reqired." He made a short bow, and then made to leave, unless it looked like the Prince had anything more to say.