Knowing Laerion and Bella are both ace-spectrum in a medieval setting, how do they navigate their sexuality against the expectations of their societies? Are there oaths they can swear to circumvent their duties to their house? Are there situations where they would play along for the good of the family? // anonymous
In Laerion’s case, the situation is slightly easier on him. He’s a second son, so the spare, but his older brother has three fine sons by the time of his murder. Even in the wake of inheritance questions regarding the paternity of said boys, it’s not Laerion that is put forward as an alternate — it’s his father’s brothers and nephews. The expectation is lessened, and even as his own nephews become catalysts and casualties of war, Laerion throws his support with his sister’s daughters, as Laena was the firstborn. Throw in som heretofore unknown half-brothers-masquerading-as-bastard-nephews, and Laerion’s inheritance — and thus line — is irrelevant.
Do his parents still try to matchmake him for advantageous politics? Yes. Is the pressure so strongly on heirs when there’s five grandkids of royal stock already? No. In theory even if he did cave he’s under no obligation but tradition to even consummate. Likewise, he hardly needs to swear oaths beyond he’s not pushing his sisters girls any further down the line of succession by his own actions the way his mother was passed over by a cousin.
For the good of the family… I mean, I make jokes about his mother and former goodsister trying to marry him off early in the Dance to secure neutral lady-led Houses, and that girls are paraded to him at his own siblings funerals, but Laerion is pretty resolute. He only proposes to his brother’s widow out of honor and pragmatism, but not without care for her and his nephews. In the one ship he does have it’s a pure love match for a highborn foreigner stripped of title, influence, and in exile. He’d have to be last V3lary0n standing to marry to fulfill expectations.
As for Bella, it is a little more complicated. She’s not a second son and thirdborn child, she’s an heiress in her own right. Never mind it’s been generations since there was a direct parent to child passage of power for the Duchy, that she will inherit from her uncle as he inherited from his as that great-uncle inherited from his own aunt, Bella is a noblewoman in an ambitious family. There’s expectations and eyes on her since she was a child.
Her uncle, a confirmed bachelor, is content to let Bella handle her future on her own terms, including in matrimony. If she wants to wed, she has his blessing, and if not, she still has his blessing. By contrast, her father on the mainland smells profit and alliance off of how his youngest was elevated to an heiress. If his brother will cover or go 50/50 on the dowry, he has big plans. Plans Bella or her caretakers have been thwarting since her childhood and well into her teens, at which point Bella took over shooting down suitors directly.
Honestly, had Bella not been given to her uncle, her tenthborn ass was going to the church. In theory she could still run to a nunnery to escape the expectations set upon a woman of her status — but she won’t. Nor does she make oaths to saints or chastity or any out she might possess. It’s actually given her a reputation at 25 as a shrew, a sapphic, a thing bewitched or even lascivious that she not have at least an attested lover to explain this frigidness.
She actually considered, at 17 and after coming to power, marrying some neighboring lord with stores and resources to buoy the Duchy in the wake of the Knights carnage. So yes, she’s not opposed to marriage for the good of others, even if the thought of transactional consummation disgusts her. Likewise I think in another world she’d be willing to marry to ease any troubles her uncle might have in terms of debt or stress, to repay the man who summoned a human out of a terrified animal. It’s a reality of her period that she’s well aware of and Bella even thinks she’s simply stalling the inevitable by not having married at 25.
reads a lil on laerion’s targ grandpa. Tall. Handsome. Curious. Modest. Even-tempered. And originally timid around dragons. How he adored rather than competed with his brother. And I look at Laerion —
something about how laerion is ready to fight any targ man to the death anytime anyplace taste his fuckin hands --
but all the women are queens to him. best behavior. his mama, his nieces, his sister-in-law, his sister-in-law's kid sister, he's doing whatever they want.
Unironically, the sea is a part of Laerion's blood. His House has always been tethered to it, sailing proudly across the Narrow Sea even before his mother's family fled the ruin of Valyria. He was raised in the custom of a Velaryon, learning to be an able seafarer, traveling with his father as a boy to get a taste of the family trade.
Though for some in the family this is only a rite of passage, for Laerion, it became a calling. Too timid as a boy to have claimed a dragon, he instead focused on the heritage of his father. By twenty, he had sailed around Westeros a fair few times, and even braved Essos as far as one could reasonably go. He has seen the Vale of Shadows at noon, and has traded with merchants from Braavos to Yi Ti in pursuit of family fortune and acclaim.
The sea is home to him, as much as his family is.
He has not always been fortunate. I allude to an incident off the Stepstones when he was a young man, where a ship he served on went down and he was assumed lost, only to turn back up weeks later positively bedraggled in the east of Dorne asking that someone please write to his mother and get him a ship home. He's known losses as a captain during various conflicts, but he seems simultaneously unable to drown and capable of navigating his way back from any defeat.
Of course, no man sails alone, and Laerion is always happy to speak at length about the assets available to him.
His pride and joy in all things is his ship -- The Queen Rhaenys. No relation to the canon ship I just found out about. Ostensibly named for one of Aegon's queens, but with Laerion quick to counsel those who say so that they can believe that origin if they like, this is a ship Laerion had personally built for his command. Sleek, fast, and roomy for riches or assets alike, she's made to serve whatever need Laerion has at home or abroad. He loves this ship more than several relatives. If this ship goes down he might sincerely try to go down with it. You'd have to sedate him if anything happened to her. It is my own personal lore that Laerion dies having reunited with this ship long after it sailed on without him as an old man.
She houses a revolving door of hands and sailors, but there are a few faces familiar to her.
Lysyros is an Essosi sailor, who joined up as a young man with Corwyn Velaryon, then sailed with Corlys, and is now the old hand trying to steer Laerion from his position as First Mate. Hard old bird, shuts shit down efficiently and is too old to care about politeness. He'll defer to Laerion out of respect but in private is not afraid to pull age over rank. For his part, Laerion is always keen to listen to an old veteran. Has a family back on shore -- Laerion has been in a flirtationship with one of his granddaughters for years, but all involved know nothing serious is going to come of a lord's son flirting with a common girl, no matter how outrageously at times.
Thoren Drumm is... an odd duck. Pulled from the water after his own ship ran afoul of pirates, this Ironborn considered the intervention of Laerion and crew to be something of divine intervention. he puts his life in the hands of the heretical captain to whatever end. Laerion has tried for years to pawn him back to Dalton, or to the Drumm family proper, but they view it as Thoren's path to remain with the mainlander crew for now. Somewhat touched in the head after his sole survivor of his last ship fiasco, but does well as Chief Steward, and outpaces most of the crew short of Lysyros and Laerion for experience. First one ready to meet the Drowned God whenever there's an issue at sea or in battle, which is very unsettling, actually.
Bander was picked up from the Reach, shortly after the indignity of the last cook's demise. No one wants to talk about it. Poor man deserved better than that. Regardless, Bander has been a formidable force on the ship, working meticulously to keep this crew of fools floating on through whatever voyage. He is miserly with his ingredients and perfectly measures and hoards what is available to him to make it last, despite the grousing of certain crewmen. He's skilled enough at the craft when stores runneth over that Laerion has on occasion gotten the man to cook for him while ashore. No, he does not like you, and yes, you will know it. Devout follower of the Seven who just looks exhausted whenever Thoren is on hand.
Then there is the indisputable most important member of the crew, the realm's true delight, it's her ship and Laerion and company are simply sailing it: Dragon. A stowaway from White Harbor, her name is ironic, her arse fat, and her resting face most displeased. There is not a man on that ship who would not die for their lady, and she, potentially, for them. She hunts vermin throughout her demense, and her amber eyes make a perfect clock for the wayward shipmen. Indisputably Laerion's baby, and even endures the curious and sticky hands of his nieces and nephews when they are children. She once abandoned ship while in Braavos and the crew absolutely refused to leave port until she would get back on.
Laerion is, of course, captain of the vessel and commander of all men who sail on it. Yet on the water, he prefers to be simply the captain -- He's of the firm belief that titles don't matter as much so far from land. Respect him as leader of the ship, not the son of a Lord or Queen, and everything will be fine. He's not exactly buddy-buddy cuddly with his crew, he knows to be professional and be a leader rather than a friend. All the same, he's grateful to his crew, a reasonable and gracious leader. By that same hand, he isn't haughty with them at all, and simply demands owed respect that can be returned in kind. Is not afraid of direct discipline, but favors mind games over the physical, which several returning sailors learn to fear.
RE: Laerion. A key character point is how he avoids a leadership role. As AU fodder, if Rhaen*s was to take the throne and Laerion was born a prince, how does that change his approach to personal power? If something should still happen to his older siblings, would he take the throne for himself after his mother passes? If yes, how would his rule progress? // anonymous.
anon i just want it on the record i love u and i have been chewing on this literally since about 10 am this morning. this is everything i want in meta/au asks. i get to be so unwell about the lil bastards i make up with my own brain juice <3 i love hypothetical/if they were canon scenarios so much!
As for Laerion, well. I feel like there was always this feeling of like, the comfort of Laen0r's shadow in his mainverse? He's the second son, and he would sooner see La*na rule before him if anything should happen, as if it can somehow make up for what their mother went through. There's this earnest joy to him when he thinks of a life as advisor/council to a sibling, that he can have it all, that he can aid and support his family while still pursuing his own happiness at sea.
That's completely different in any scenario where he's credibly in line to the throne. A lot of it would depend on how differently he'd be raised by his parents in any event where his mother takes the throne, whether at the Council or saying 'fuck that. rebellion.' Laerion doesn't face the potential pass that is 'Eh, Laen0r and La*na have kids, if the lords of the realm push me too hard I'll just abdicate.' In fact, I think in his mainverse this is precisely what he does for Alyn by necessity since he breaks canon. Here, he's far too caught up in legacy and, in essence, the miracle his mother pulled in upending generations of tradition.
He is her son. Her last living child, in the scenario you described. He's got to make something of that, regardless of if he's as much the free-wheeling sailor or a more composed princeling. Plus, presuming that he was groomed to take a different throne altogether and represent his consort father's family in the future, he'd have a much stronger base than he does in mainverse.
(Not that I think either iteration of his parents would skimp on his stewardship lessons, mind. I just think it would be at two different octaves between 'the spare to the island' as compared to 'spare to the throne at best, doubtlessly becoming lord after his father at absolute least.')
Regardless, Laerion in this concept would have a sense of devotion and obligation to his role. He has to do this for his family, even if he would as soon give all of it up. Especially, I feel, for the siblings he lost along the way. Even if it's just a role he's playing to serve his family, he'll review his lines and steps to as near to perfection as he can get. The First of His Name. Son of the first reigning queen.
As for what his reign looks like... That will really depend on the foundation his mother laid down. I am not enough of an expert on the character to conjecture, she's just a MILF I froth over whenever I go into tags, you know? But I think he'd be devoted in legitimizing his mother's reign as much as he can, carrying on what works she pursued, working the PR machine for her almost as soon as she passes so that she is as entrenched and legitimate to the realm as Aeg0n himself, or J*haerys and Alys*nne. Slap her name on some building, chase leads towards getting some Divine Right of Queen propaganda going. Make sure the people remember her as a just, powerful woman, devoted to her people, whatever her rule might have been.
Once he's solidified Rhaen*s' legitimate rule and started getting people to come around to the propaganda, he's got a few core concepts. He's definitely looking at the last great T*rgaryen success story in his great-grandparents. Start small -- with smallfolk. Peasant court, beggar feasts, making sure the people know him, and that he can understand them on some level. He can never fully balance the scale without the Lords of the realm killing him outright, but he can at least enforce some new rights and make the plight a little easier. Some might grumble he spent too much time among common sailors in his youth, and they might be right -- he does this to aid those who there there for him on his ascent but will be forgotten by the singers.
Trade. Economy would be a major aspect of Laerion's rule. He's got connections in Ess0s and he needs to pull those strings before they can be pulled from the other side. He wants to bring prosperity to his realm in a way that will last, something that outlives him and benefits all in the kingdom. Strengthening bonds overseas, making sure that the gold and goods are spread around within Wester0s, provided he actually has a head for economy and not just trade, he might just get somewhere. Worst case scenario is he falls for some Trickle Down Economics spiel and starts over-rewarding certain nobles for their part in the game expecting them to actually pass it on to those who worked the fields/looms/mines.
Personal diplomacy is definitely going to be where he suffers most. He's very easygoing, not fussed with certain aspects of life. In mainverse, it's very 'I find someone I love and settle into bliss or I don't, it doesn't matter, my siblings have the family covered for future generations.' A king can't do that. A king can favor his relatives, but not without some backlash for his nepotism. I think balancing his fondness for the Velary0ns and his exhaustion with his mother's kin would be a hard line for him to walk. You can't exactly wine and conversation Daem0n into behaving as is his most common trick to foster amiable relationships. He'd have to send the madman to the Wall if he was still up and kicking at the time of Laerion's coronation just to know peace.
(Vizzy would be fine in this setting. Dude is making models of Valyr1a, his beloved wife is probably still alive due to not being a broodmare for the Throne, he's got a hellion daughter to mind and spoil, he's doubtless floating through court winning at life. It's Daem0n that would be the sore loser about the Council and we all know it.)
Back on track. I think he definitely makes personal plays to mitigate the control others have on his personal life and his future children. No Great House marriage, and definitely no marrying back into the family. He'd likely aim for a lower but still prominent House with no grand designs, or at least those that could not be brought to heel. Ed floated Bolton as a potential match, but I could as easily see Tarth, Frey, Dayne, Reyne, Royce, similar 'known but not as hot of shit as their liege lords' Houses. I also think he might indulge in more of a love match, but not totally guileless. He wouldn't marry solely to serve his position, but he also wouldn't ruin it with a disadvantageous match based solely on compatibility.
Wild as it is, I can also see him establishing something regarding Dragons. Regulations, perhaps. He is no rider himself, and based on certain maternal relatives, he'd like to keep the scaled nukes on a tighter leash. He might not be able to control Dragons proper, Targ blood aside, but he can control those who would approach.
Lots of progresses! He'd miss sailing so much, being landlocked, he'd want to sail to every place he could when his schedule allowed. Lords are either sick of him or love this man for the energy he brings every time he drops in. He also makes sure the smallfolk see and know him not just in KL, which serves his own ends.
Overall, I think his legacy is pretty good to the little people he gives a shit about. I'm less certain about the histories written by those in power, be they Noble or Church. I can see him being held up as a mild but successful king in pursuit of servicing the realm, if perhaps something of a nuisance or bitch for the way he treats his council. Didn't quite live up to the splendor of a king. Sept might go for it, but nobles likely mock it. Considered an underwhelming but not necessarily bad follow up to his mother's rule, more someone who laid the foundation for his own dynasty off of his mother's works.
yes he's scared of them. unfortunately, he's outnumbered as a non-rider.
he's alleged before that dragons are like cats, and to prove this point, they gravitate towards whoever in a room does not like the animal in question. catch kid and teenage laerion just rigid and awkward as hatchling/young seasm0ke clambers on him and tries to get his attention. his brother is not helping him. shut up laen0r no it isn't funny --
has no idea how to address them. think of that meme post about if you traded out every way you talked to dogs with how you'd address a human. 'you're a good man,' he says to scaly beast that is bonded to his brother. the other extreme is he'll just 'hey vh*gar how's it going' when in pent0s and this island-sized nuke will roar at him and he just, unfazed, covered in spittle, 'yeah.'
of course he's ridden a dragon. all his mother's children knew the wind in their hair astride mel*ys, and he's even ridden with other relatives as needed or demanded. he enters the kind of terror-driven zen state known only to those who are so sure they are about to die. he reaches land again and just bonelessly slides off the saddle and doesn't get off the ground, kissing it, muttering feverishly to himself.
the niblings. they want to show uncle their new weapons of mass destruction. and he has to smile and nod and act very impressed. internally something in him is screaming GET THOSE AWAY FROM THEM THEY'RE ONLY BABIES --
