Chapter 72: Chapter 34: The First Flight (Nyel) (Part 1)

2nd Moon, 8026

Courtyard of the Aegonfort, Kings Landing

 

Kings Landing was in an uproar. Nyel could not say how the populace found out, but somehow the city had caught wind of the approaching force just hours after she had received a raven from Vaemond in the west.

 

 

The gold cloaks….it must have been Nyel thought to herself. When she had received word of the approaching Lannister host, she had ordered several gold cloak officers to the Aegonfort to order them to discreetly begin preparing defenses.

 

She knew she could not keep the news from the city for long, but at the very least she had hoped for a few days of peace, perhaps time enough to hear Vae had somehow caught up to them, but there had been no such luck, no doubt some drunken Gold Cloak officer had muttered it to some tavern whore while in his cups.

 

It was not lost on Nyel that the defense of the City fell to her and her alone. Rhaegar Tully, commander of the Gold Cloaks was a skilled commander and leader of men, but he had fallen victim to the same bloody flux that had ravaged the White Sword Tower of the Kingsguard.

 

 

There were other good men within the City Watch, but Nyel did not have time to appoint a new leader of the Gold Cloaks, and while Vae had left her with several thousand defenders within the city, not only the garrison but also the cities levies, he had taken the knights most suited to command with him west.

 

The city will stand or fall by my decisions Nyel thought, the knot in her stomach tightening. She was not afraid of the Lannisters, despite never seeing combat, she had always had a bold temperament, but at times she struggled with self doubt, and the idea that she alone was responsible for the defense of the city incited some of these doubts.

 

She let her hand fall to her hip and onto the hilt of Dark Sister, her mothers Valyrian Steel sword to calm her nerves.

 

I am the blood of the Dragon She thought to herself, the feeling of closeness to her mother causing the knot in her stomach to dissipate.

 

A small hand clutched her own, and she looked down to see little Laena, her daughter looking up at her with bright purple eyes.

 

‘’What is it?’’ Nyel said, forcing herself to smile, running a hand gently through her little daughter's silver and gold hair.

 

‘’If the rebels take the city….will they break the castle father is building for us…the red keep?’’ Laena asked matter of factly.

 

Nyel looked up to the high hill in the center of the city where the monstrosity that was the Red Keep was being built. It was a truly gargantuan task, but the castle was coming along well, its massive red brick walls covered in scaffolding and surrounded by wooden cranes.

 

As one might expect, construction had ground to a halt when news of the approaching rebel army had reached the city, and the construction site, normally busy and noisy from work, which could be heard all the way from the Aegonfort was eerily silent.

 

Nyel turned back to Laena, still forcing herself to smile ‘’If they take the city I expect they would try Laena, but don't worry….your father will catch them before they even get close to us.’’

 

That was a lie of course, the Lannister army had a good deal of time over her brothers army in the southern Westerlands, the Lannisters would reach the walls of King's Landing before he would catch them , but Nyel saw little harm in the lie, her daughter would not be here when the time came.

 

Laena looked poised to ask another question, but Nyel brushed her cheek softly.

 

‘’That's enough talk of rebels dear…are you finished packing?’’ Nyel asked gently.

 

‘’Yes mama.’’ The little girl answered dutifully.

 

‘’Then go and find your Uncle for me, I must speak with him.’’ Nyel replied and Laena nodded and ran off.

 

Nyel glanced at the city walls. It was clear that Kings Landing would have to withstand some form of siege. Due to the advanced warning the Gold Cloaks had stocked both the city and the Aegonfort with ample provisions and wagons were arriving from Hayford and Rosby from the north every day now. The City Walls had been improved several times since the city's founding nearly 30 years ago and, while not matching the other great cities of the Kingdom, were more than adequate.

 

The city can withstand a siege that is clear Nyel thought to herself.

 

But the looming question at the back of Nyels mind was if the city could withstand an assault. If Loren Lannister decided to siege the city, that would give time for Vae to arrive with his army, but if Loren decided to storm the walls with some 20000 men….

 

Nyel forced the thought from her mind, at least for the moment, there would be plenty of time for such thoughts later.

 

She turned and saw Matarys approaching, wearing a black doublet that was clearly too tight and strained against his stomach, his face was beet red and sweaty under the hot sun, behind him was Demerei Royce, holding little Jaekar in her arms, Laena trailing close behind.

 

Nyel took her brother's hand and led him to the center of the courtyard.

 

‘’I'm sending you on a ship to Dragonstone Matarys…. And im sending Laena with you…Demerei and Jaekar will go as well….Kings Landing will be under siege soon but the children cannot be here when it comes.’’ Nyel said.

 

‘’And what about you?’’ Matarys asked with shock.

 

Nyel was quiet for a moment before responding ‘’I will be remaining here Matarys….to hold the city…..Rhaegar Tully is dead….there is no one else.’’

 

‘’That's not true….you have me, I won't leave you….you're my sister….what kind of brother would I be if I ran off and abandoned you….it is unthinkable.’’ Matarys said with emotion.

 

‘’Laena and Jaekar cannot remain here….you know this….a city under siege is no place for children…they must go to Dragonstone.’’ Nyel said gently.

 

Still her brother persisted ‘’My wife Demerei is more than capable of taking them to Dragonstone and watching over them, I won't leave you here.’’

 

‘’You know I think of your wife as a sister Matarys, but she is not a Targaryen….the city will come under siege that much is clear, and…and there is the chance I will not make it…and even if I do there will be a great battle when Vae arrives..and we both know how he fights on the front…if something should happen to us…to both of us…you will be the only adult Targaryen left in our family, Laena and Jaekar are the future of our house….they will need you by their sides.’’ Nyel said.

 

‘’Don't say such things Nyel….you won't fall…I know it….don't even think it…neither you or Vaemond.’’ Matarys said, his voice distraught, and rising to the level it often did when he grew frantic.

 

Suddenly Laena, who had been eavesdropping, ran to her uncle's side and took his hand.

 

‘’We have to go uncle…if the rebels capture us they can use us to hurt my father.’’ The little girl said.

 

Even in the midst of this difficult situation Nyel had to admire her little daughter's understanding, for a girl so young she possessed a remarkable intellect and understanding of the world.

 

 

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Matarys looked at her uncertainty.

 

‘’Demerei would you….’’ Nyel said with a nod to her daughter and her sister in law gently sheparded Laena away from the two so they could continue privately.

 

‘’Matarys…..I can't force you to go, if you wish to stay the choice is yours….but as your sister I am asking you…..to keep my daughter safe….it's what Vaemond would want you to do.’’ Nyel said, clasping her brother's hands.

She knew she had him then, Matarys was nothing if not dutiful to his older brother and Nyel knew he  idolized and revered his brother.

 

Matarys nodded slowly, a tear forming in his eye ‘’I swear it Nyel….I shall keep them safe….you have my word…I will keep them safe.’’

 

‘’I know you will little brother.’’ Nyel said, kissing him softly on the cheek.

 

Two days later, Matarys, Laena, Jaekar and Demerei Royce sailed on a small galley towards the Targaryens ancestral seat of Dragonstone, Laena had been confused at first as to why her mother wasn't coming with them, but she did not cry and seemed to understand Nyels explanation that as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, she could not abandon the capitol.

 

As Nyel watched the Black and Red sails of the galley fade into the distance, she remembered the tale her mother had told her half a dozen times, of her return from Essos with her newborn daughter, of the reuniting of their family at this very port over 2 decades ago.

 

I will see her again Nyel told herself, thinking of Laena and, yearning for a memory she couldn't even remember and wondering if her father had stood at this very port watching her mother leave all those years ago.

 

25th of 2nd Moon

Council Chamber of the Aegonfort

The council chamber of the Aegonfort was eerily empty. The foremost chair at the end of the table remained empty as Nyel had made no effort to claim it. She had been raised with a courtly education and knew that some men would bristle at the thought of a meeting being led by a woman, even their Queen, so she decided to seat herself to the left of her brother's seat, she did not want to create any unnecessary drama, they had enough trouble without the prospect of petty quarrels.

 

There were only 2 other individuals in the council chamber, both men.

 

The first was familiar to her, Nestor Royce’s hair had gone gray since he took the position of Marshal of the realm 8 years prior, but the Lord of Runestone still looked to be a powerful man with huge shoulders and a drooping gray mustache, though his eyes suggested a certain kindness to the man.

The second man had been unknown to her prior to his arrival. Tanton Sunderland was the overlord of the Three Sisters, and son of the late Marla Sunderland, who had named herself Queen in a failed rebellion at the beginning of her fathers conquest.

 

He was a hairy man with a dense mop of golden hair and a bristly beard to match. His choice of garb, heavy chainmail with the surcoat of his house suggested the man was a warrior, though his paunch visible from under the surcoat suggested that not all his battles were fought in the battlefield but also at the dinner table.

 

They had arrived just four days after the galley with Nyels family had departed for Dragonstone and were a welcome sight.

 

They had come with some 50 galleys and 1400 men, a combined force of Sistermen and surviving levies from Runestone. The small force had captured 2 small island castles along the coast of the Vale, but when they received a Raven from Vaemond informing them of the Lannister force approaching Kings Landing, they immediately set sail to reinforce the capitol.

 

Nyel was content to let the other two take the lead in the council meeting, she had been educated in courtly procedure as a young girl, not warfare and both of these men were experienced warriors.

 

‘’I think we best begin.’’ Lord Tanton said, earning a nod from the Lord of Runestone.

 

Nestor Royce cleared his throat ‘’My Queen, with the Lannister host fast approaching I would ask you at least consider joining my daughter and your family on Dragonstone, you would be safe there as the rebels have no strength at sea…..if you remain I cannot guarantee your safety however….I fear siege trebuchets bear little distinction between defenders and noncombatants.’’

 

‘’My brother named you Lord Marshal, if you think that is the best course of wisdom I shall of course bow to your counsel…..I should however like to hear your plan for the cities defense before I depart’’ Nyel said, she had no qualms about leaving, it was not pride that kept her in Kings Landing but the knowledge that there was no one else to lead the cities defense, with the arrival of Lords Royce and Sunderland however, that burden was no longer hers to bear.

 

‘’Of course my queen.’’ Lord Royce said courteously.

 

‘’What news of the enemy?’’ Lord Sunderland asked, pouring himself a flagon of wine.

 

‘’They will be here within the week I fear….our scouts report they have split in 2 armies, into two forces of some 8500 men…..the first is at least two days ahead of the second, which is guarding their rear.’’ Nestor Royce said.

 

‘’I was under the impression they had a host of over 20,000 men.’’ Nyel exclaimed with surprise.

 

‘’The original report your brother received was false and taken before Loren Lannister played his trick, he sacrificed some 2500 men to distract the Tyrells at Peckledon and open a lane for his advance.’’ Nestor Royce replied.

 

Seeing Nyels pleased expression, Lord Royce gave an apologetic look ‘’I fear we cannot be too relieved my Queen, 17000 men is still a significant amount, and the city is in real danger.’’ he said not unkindly.

 

‘’What of our own defenses…..our manpower?’’ Nyel asked.

 

‘’The gold cloaks have been levying men within the city to man the walls, many men have an obligation as they have borrowed grain from the crown, I believe at last count we had some 3200 peasant levies manning the walls, though chiefly they are under equipped and poorly trained.’’ Lord Royce said before continuing.

 

‘’In addition we have some 3300 Gold Cloaks in fighting condition, the main part of our true strength however comes from the 1400 men myself and Lord Sunderland brought as well as the 1600 levies your brother left to defend the city, comprised of some 900 dismounted men at arms, 50 knights and near 300 mounted searjents.’’ Royce concluded.

 

Nyel was encouraged by the count ‘’Is it enough.’’

 

Lord Tanton ran a hand through his coarse yellow beard ‘’It may be….but in order to repel an assault of some 17,000 men, which would likely hit all 7 gates at once would spread our true soldiers thin and put much responsibility on the peasant conscripts….all the Lannisters would have to do is take one of the 7 gates to create a breach, I spoke with your Maester and he found the strength to tell me that the Kings Gate is especially vulnerable.’’

 

Grandmaster Arlans presence on the council was especially missed in times such as this as the man had played an integral part in aiding in the construction of the cities 7 gates and fortified walls, possessing an astute understanding of architecture, but Arlan, now almost 70 years old had taken to his sickbed recently and Nyel feared he may never recover.

 

‘’Could we not conscript more peasants to man the walls?’’ Nyel asked, Kings Landing had grown much in recent years and was home to well over a hundred thousand people.

 

Nestor Royce ran a hand through his mustache ‘’We could my lady, but I fear it would likely do more harm than good, those on the walls now are the best of them, chiefly volunteers and those with some training on how to garrison the walls due to their obligations….we could add more but they would be unwilling conscripts and I fear peasant soldiers are unreliable at best, if the levies forced into service began to flee the walls it may dishearten their bolder companions and so a trickle will become a flood, leading to a  great slaughter…what we really need is more men at arms but I fear we cannot count on reinforcements until your brother arrives from the west.’’

 

Nyel studied the map in front of her, looking at the 2 golden lion statues upon the map, spaced apart and each representing 8500 men.

 

‘’I am untrained in the art of tactics my lords…but if what you say is true and both these armies are separated by more than a day's march then perhaps we could avoid a siege all together.’’ Nyel said.

 

Lord Sunderland took her meaning at once, standing and studying the map ‘’Untrained in tactics you may be my Queen but the idea is sound…..their forces are spread out, if we were to destroy the first force and set them to rout….a siege may be avoided as the second host would likely abandon the plan to take the city with half their strength dispersed.’’

 

Nestor Royce frowned ‘’I fear it would be a poor idea to abandon the walls…..it is true the first force is isolated, but they would still have the numbers on us, and they will have the quality on us, Loren Lannister will have a hardened contingent of Knights and Men at Arms in the vanguard, castle trained and drilled while our own force would be at least half comprised of Gold Cloaks….we would have no advantage in such a engagement I fear.’’

 

A silence entered the hall before Nyel suddenly spoke before fully thinking ‘’We have Dragons.’’

 

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