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7 DAYS LATER
The harbor of Driftmark was already alive despite the early hour.
Countless sailors hurried across the docks carrying barrels of fresh water, crates of preserved food, spare sails and bundles of rope onto waiting warships while blacksmiths gave weapons one final inspection before handing them over to waiting soldiers, while officers moved from ship to ship making their last reports.
Above them all, hundreds of banners bearing the silver seahorse of House Velaryon fluttered proudly in the morning wind.
Preparations for war were always loud.
Yet amidst the organized chaos, one corner of the harbor remained strangely peaceful.
Corlys Velaryon sat alone upon a weathered bench overlooking the sea.
His eyes wandered across the endless horizon while a maester stood beside him holding an opened letter that had only arrived from Lys earlier that morning, it seemed that the maester was reading the letter to Corlys.
The old maester cleared his throat before continuing “…Although I recognize the importance of securing the Stepstones and fully understand the necessity behind the campaign, I must respectfully decline your request.
The matters requiring my attention in Lys have reached a critical stage, and abandoning them now would undo months of preparation.
I have every confidence that your experience is more than sufficient to accomplish what must be done…'”
Corlys raised a hand saying “Enough.”
The maester immediately fell silent seeing this, the next thing he heard was “Give me the letter.”
The parchment was placed into his hands without hesitation by the maester, for the second time that morning, Corlys carefully read every line himself.
His son’s writing remained as refined as ever; not a single sentence could be called disrespectful outright.
Corlys folded the parchment shut before letting out a slow breath saying “…What could possibly be more important than this?”
The question escaped him almost unconsciously.
He stared out at the sea for another moment before giving a quiet laugh at his own foolishness saying “No…I already know.”
Of course he knew about the warehouses that Aethon was purchasing; he also knew about his actions to persuade the merchant guilds for shared trade routes and his latest purchase of a shipyard.
His son hadn’t sailed to Lys simply to make another profitable investment.
Aethon was most likely building something, perhaps something far larger than the merchant ventures he had described before leaving Driftmark.
Corlys knew because he had quietly arranged for someone to keep him informed, this was not because he wished to spy on his son, no that was far from it, to his understanding, it was simply because fathers worry about their children’s ambitions.
Especially when he believed he had wounded Aethon with the succession.
Soft footsteps approached from behind as he heard someone say “What has he written, Husband?”
Corlys smiled faintly without turning around.
Only one person ever walked quietly enough that he failed to hear her until she was almost beside him, it was natural for him to let his guard down with her after all.
Rhaenys came to stand at his shoulder, following his gaze toward the fleet gathered across the bay.
“He isn’t coming.”
She wasn’t surprised hearing this; instead, she affirmed saying, “I thought he might refuse.”
Corlys handed her the letter to see for herself while saying, “He claims his business in Lys cannot wait.
And…He’s telling the truth.”
Rhaenys quietly read through the parchment before returning it saying “You know what he’s doing?”
“I know enough.
I still have friends in Lys.
They’ve kept me informed whenever something important happens.”
Without saying another word, she slipped both arms gently around his shoulders from behind, resting her chin lightly against him in a tender manner.
Corlys instinctively covered one of her hands with his own as she said, “So…should we still trust him?”
Corlys looked toward the sea asking, “What do you mean?”
Rheanys spoke while choosing her words carefully, after all, she didn’t want to come of the wrong way, the last thing she wanted was to seem like she was purposefully antagonizing Aethon, and deep down she knew Corlys loved Aethon deeply to allow that, so this made her say “The succession.
It changed something.
I’ve watched him since that day, and he continues writing to you.
But….he no longer feels like someone waiting for Driftmark…well, more like he feels like someone building another future, or path for himself.
I simply don’t know whether he’s doing it for prosperity…or because he intends to prove something.”
Corlys remained quiet for moments, but then he finally nodded saying “I’ve asked myself the same question.
Aethon probably believes I betrayed him; he spent years making himself worthy of becoming my heir.
He has done more than I could ever ask of a son, he is well within rights to feel mad at his father.”
A tired smile crossed Corlys’ face as he continued saying “And how did I reward him?
I reminded him that he had been born on the wrong side of a marriage bed.”
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AN:
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