Day 24 of the eighth moon of the year 100 after the Conquest.
Riverlands, Raventree Hall – Home of House Blackwood.
The Lord of Raventree Hall and Head of House Blackwood, Roderick Blackwood, was a middle-aged man with hair as black as a raven’s feathers and a pair of equally dark eyes. He was a handsome, mature man with a perfectly groomed beard and a hard, sharp jawline.
At that moment, a look of helplessness reflected on Roderick’s face; the source of his frustration stood before him. A teenager of about thirteen who appeared taller than others his age, reaching five feet seven inches, exceptionally tall for his years. However, it was his appearance that commanded the attention of anyone present.
Silver hair fell below his eyes like a cascade of silver threads, paired with violet eyes and a face that was simply inhumanly beautiful. Unlike the innocence of other teenagers, he bore a serious expression and emanated an intense, powerful aura. Even standing still, all eyes were fixed on him.
From head to toe, the teenager looked nothing like a Blackwood; on the contrary, he looked more like a Targaryen than all the other Targaryens combined. A Pure-Blooded Valyrian.
"Maekar, your father is summoning you within two moons. This time, he promised that if you do not appear, he will send your brother, Daemon, to bring you to King’s Landing," Roderick spoke in a calm tone, though his expression revealed an even greater sense of helplessness in the face of the teenager’s indifference.
"He wishes to see me after watching my mother die without even lifting a finger to visit her in her final moments?" Maekar asked, subtle sarcasm impregnating his voice. There wasn’t the slightest trace of respect in his tone when referring to his father, the Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne.
Roderick’s expression hardened at his nephew’s words. He couldn’t help but recall his own sister, Cassandra, whose involvement with Prince Baelon resulted in the young man now standing before him. It had been a scandal of grand proportions that shook the entire court.
After all, whether it was Baelon or Cassandra, both were from important and powerful noble houses.
If King Jaehaerys I had not legitimized Maekar, the image of the Spring Prince, Baelon Targaryen, would have been irremediably tarnished. Instead of contracting a new marriage, he had involved himself with a woman from an influential house and hadn’t even publicly assumed responsibility for the act.
The relationship between father and son, which was already poor to begin with, became even worse after the death of Cassandra Blackwood, caused by a plague that ravaged the Riverlands for a time.
"Changing the subject, how are we faring with our army?" Maekar, unwilling to speak about his father, shifted the topic and asked in a calm tone. He didn’t seem at all like a teenager of his age.
The worry on Roderick’s face softened. He leaned back in his chair and replied in a calm tone; however, the smile on his face was hard to hide: "Thirty-five thousand soldiers."
It was a number simply too high for any vassal, and far superior to the army of the Lord Paramount of House Blackwood himself, House Tully, the official ruler of the Riverlands.
Maekar couldn’t contain the smile on his lips. If anyone believed House Tully was strong, they were deeply mistaken. In the past or the future, House Tully had always been, and always would be, weak. House Targaryen had chosen the Tullys for exactly that reason: because they lacked the strength to rebel against the extremely powerful Noble Houses that surrounded them.
It was a brilliant strategy by Aegon during the Conquest. Not only did it prevent a powerful house from dominating the Riverlands, but it also drove a nail into the heart of the region, stifling any possibility of rebellion or treason.
For this reason, noble houses that had once been kings in the Age of the Hundred Kingdoms and the Age of Heroes, like House Blackwood, remained extremely powerful, in many aspects, more so than House Tully itself, which "ruled" the Riverlands.
Under Maekar’s influence, House Blackwood’s strength had grown even further thanks to a series of reforms in the fiefdom. Mandatory training, combined with the offer of food, small amounts of money, and exemption from certain taxes, led countless young men and adults to accept the new laws without significant resistance.
Roderick was also surprised by the army’s growth in just five years. He never imagined that providing food, some money, and slightly reducing taxes could boost military power so significantly. The economy, in turn, had become more dynamic with the new laws and tax exemptions, filling House Blackwood’s coffers.
With more money in circulation, the people could consume more, and by spending, they caused the gold to return to House Blackwood’s coffers, establishing a virtuous cycle of prosperity.
The Lord of Raventree Hall looked at Maekar with an emotion difficult to control. If Maekar were king, he could see another Jaehaerys, strengthening the realm even further. Of that, he didn’t have the slightest shadow of a doubt. Maekar was simply a prince born to be king.
Roderick had personally seen how Maekar could convince people to accept vassalage with words and promises. If that wasn’t a born king, he didn’t know what was. Because of Maekar, it could be said that half of the Riverlands would now obey House Blackwood’s orders.
Although it was due to both Targaryen and Blackwood blood, as well as the contempt for House Tully, it was still simply shocking. Roderick presumed that, besides a dozen vassals, House Tully controlled a total of ten thousand soldiers. Yes, it was a large army, but compared to the other Great Noble Houses, it was lamentably small. Even House Frey had more men than House Tully.
"That is good; if we continue this way, in ten years we will have about fifty thousand soldiers." Maekar also showed a satisfied expression. For an agricultural society like the Seven Kingdoms, that number was already quite shocking. If it weren’t for the strangely long summers, it simply wouldn’t be possible.
Maekar looked at his uncle and spoke in a calm tone. "However, that is not enough to make House Tully abdicate the title of Lord Paramount."
"Maekar, I know you want to make House Blackwood the Lords of the Riverlands, but House Tully would rather die than suffer such humiliation. Besides, without the King’s approval, that is an impossible goal." Roderick was not as optimistic about Maekar’s plan.
Maekar did not argue with his uncle’s words; he also knew it was generally an impossible goal, but as the Dance of the Dragons drew closer, the impossible would become reality, especially if he possessed the largest and most powerful dragon still alive.
Unfortunately, his uncle didn’t know the future as he did, so he didn’t have a clear overview of all the politics in Westeros at that moment. Especially with the Great Council of 101 AC happening the following year.
However, Maekar simply couldn’t say that; even if he claimed it was a Dragon Dream, how would someone who isn’t a Targaryen believe in seeing the future through dreams?
"It doesn’t matter; trying won’t do any harm," Maekar said in a calm tone, which made Roderick smile gently.
"Even if you can’t make House Blackwood rule the Riverlands, it doesn’t matter; I am already satisfied with how far we’ve come. House Blackwood has never been as strong as it is at this moment," Roderick added, still smiling.
For this nephew who had always helped despite his young age, Roderick felt more than just paternal love. He perhaps didn’t love his own children as much as he loved Maekar.
"Don’t feel pressured; you are the son of the future King of Westeros. You will receive a fief and marry a good woman in the future," Roderick said with a laugh, seeing Maekar’s expression change from calm to annoyance.
"I’m not feeling pressured, old man," Maekar spoke in an annoyed tone and, without waiting for his uncle’s response, simply left the Lord of Raventree Hall’s private solar.
Roderick shook his head and said nothing, though the teenager hid it well. How could he not notice that Maekar always seemed to be carrying an enormous burden on his shoulders? Although he didn’t know what it was, he assumed it was something very serious.
"Cassandra, he is as stubborn as you. I can’t imagine how much trouble he will bring... I never thought I’d miss your angry shouts. I miss you, sister..." Roderick looked at the ceiling and murmured in a nostalgic tone, remembering the virtuous but equally powerful woman who had enchanted Prince Baelon, even after the death of his wife.
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Read my other books:
House of The Dragon: The Pale Prince
Jujutsu Kaisen: The True King
Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos
Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.
Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard