The Small Council
Part twelve of ‘The Godswood Escape’
Pairing: Valarr Targaryen x female reader
Summary: She makes plans to improve the state of the city, with the help of Valarr and Aerys.
Word count: 4.4k (my longest yet!)
Warnings: period-typical misogyny
A/N: more half-baked medieval politics in this one than romance, sorry y'all :) you can tell I didn’t plan this series ahead at all because half the Targaryens I mention later on straight up weren't at the wedding for no good reason lmao. I just want you to know it’s not for a secret plot reason, I just didn't plan any of this before the wedding chapter lolz. Maybe I’ll rewrite this series when it’s complete and I’ll pretend they were there in the background all along, who knows!
Update on the release schedule: I'm having my surgery next week, so the upcoming chapters will be delayed for at least one, possibly two weeks. I have chapter 13 and a part of chapter 14 written, but I want to be able rewrite it all at my own pace, and not feel rushed or end up feeling unhappy with the work I put out. I hope everybody can understand!
Cross-posted on AO3 (registered users only).
"Did you mean it when you said you would accompany me into the city?"
No matter how much she tried, she could not let go of Aelinor's words. The older lady had been right, as she often appeared to be. Good intentions were meaningless if she could not come with a realistic plan to improve the circumstances in the less savory parts of King's Landing.
Valarr's steps slowed at her words, and he turned to her curiously.
"Yes, I did. I do not intend on ever lying to you again, my love," he replied with an amused smile on his lips.
She just nodded at her words, wrapping her hand tighter around his biceps as he led them further into the Godswood. When she did not speak further, he slowed his steps again, pulling her by the hands so that she stood in front of him.
"What is it you desire to see so badly?"
He looked genuinely interested, not a hint of displeasure visible on his handsome face.
"I just–" she sighed. "When I thought you had… rejected me, I wanted to find a way to make myself useful."
Valarr glanced away at her words, regret clear on his features.
"Your aunts mentioned Flea Bottom, and I was curious to see it for myself. I didn't know people in King's Landing lived so poorly until I saw it. They need somebody to help them, and I want to help them. Perhaps if I go back, I can examine the streets to see what we could do for them."
Valarr looked at her fondly, admiration clear in his gaze. He took a step towards her, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her closer.
"You will truly make the most wonderful queen, my love," he murmured before placing a kiss on top of her head. She felt heat rising to her cheeks at his touch, a shy smile spreading on her face.
"Thank you, Val. Does that mean you'll come with me?"
He frowned slightly, looking down on her nervously.
"I would love nothing more, gevie, but don't you think it might be a good idea to do some research first?"
She frowned at his words.
"What do you mean?"
"There is a wealth of information to be found in the library," he explained patiently. "Many of the Free Cities have very advanced forms of water management. Even Old Town is doing better than us, and the Citadel might be willing to help us. Not to mention the improvements to the city that King Jaehaerys and Good Queen Alysanne made in their time. Mayhaps if we had all the necessary information first, we could create a more efficient plan before visiting them."
She eyed him carefully.
"We?" she asked quietly. "You would help me with this?"
Hurt briefly crossed his face before he gave her a confused look.
"Of course I will. I would do anything for you, you know that."
Tears filled her eyes at his words, and she let out a surprised laugh before throwing her arms around him. He caught her effortlessly, immediately wrapping his arms around her tightly.
"I love you, gevie. Whatever you wish for, I wish for as well."
She burrowed herself closer to his chest, letting out a relieved sigh.
Valarr had written to the Citadel with the request to send any relevant records or archmaesters with relevant expertise to the Red Keep. It had been several weeks since then, and they were yet to hear back. Valarr explained that the relationship between the Targaryens and Oldtown had never quite recovered from the Dance of the Dragons, even if nobody was willing to admit to it. They may not be eager to help them, especially if it meant losing some of their best archmaesters to the crown.
Valarr joined her in her research when his duties allowed him to. She was most grateful for his presence, though she had not been alone in her endeavors either way. Prince Aerys had heard of her quest from his wife, and he had joined her a day after she first started her research.
"I know this place better than anybody," he argued. "I shall help you change the tides."
She had accepted his help gladly, relieved to have a helping hand she could trust. He had compiled a very comprehensive list of books for her to read, which had proven most useful. They had sat together for the last few weeks, silently reading and making notes. Her new kitten, Meraxes, often slept on her lap, purring happily at her warmth and proximity.
Of his many recommendations, 'Fire and Blood' and 'The Origins of the Iron Bank and Braavos' had proven to be the most complete and relevant accounts, though many scrolls on the inner workings of Pentos, Lys, Myr and Norvos that had proven useful as well.
She had grown great admiration for the Good Queen of old as she learned of the improvements made to King's Landing. If she could be half the queen Alysanne was, she would be able to die happy, she thought. Queen Alysanne had made great work to construct a proper water system for the city, but it had been neglected in the century since her death. It would require a lot of work and coin to restore it to its former glory, but she was more than glad to have a foundation to work upon.
A book on alchemy spoke of the Guildhall of the Alchemist's Guild, located near the Great Sept of Baelor. She might've seen the building on her way to and from her wedding, had she thought to pay more attention to their surroundings.
The structure and concept of the guild intrigued her. Perhaps they could form guilds for other field of expertise as well, allowing for smallfolk from unfavorable circumstances to still have a chance at gaining practical skills. Expanding the number of skilled smallfolk in masonry, architecture and sewage management would prove useful for their expansion, while also giving the people of the city a chance at a better life.
Slowly but surely, she was able to put together a comprehensive proposal for the restoration, with the help of Aerys and Valarr. She wished to focus on restoring and expanding the sewage system. After that, she wished to expand the city walls to allow the smallfolk to live in safer, better build houses. The founding of several guilds would help them in these developments, and provide a better life for the city's residents.
To address the food shortage, she wished to build several locations throughout the city to store grain and other foods. Valarr suggested that it would make the city more resilient to famine, droughts, and most importantly, a potential siege from the Blackfyres. The latter suggestion might give the Small Council an extra push to agree with their proposal.
As she grew to better understand the city and its people, another idea started to form in her mind.
The idea of the guilds provided them with more expertise when it came to the practical trades, but perhaps it would not be a bad idea to expand the academic knowledge in the city as well. The power of Oldtown would continue to hang over them if the Citadel remained the only source of maesters. It did not seem wise to her that such a crucial resource should be limited to only one city in the realm. If King's Landing had their own version of the Citadel, it might help the crown, the city and its people flourish in ways never seen before. Perhaps it would even offer children like Willow a way out of poverty and crime, if they were to allow girls as well. She knew that to be a distant dream, but her mind still drifted to it often.
Aerys interrupted her thoughts as he dropped a thick tome in front of her. The sudden sound made her shoot up in her chair, and she could hear a dissatisfied meow from her lap. She placed her hand on the kitten on her lap, slowly stroking the tiny kitten's back.
"Have you read this one?" he asked.
"No, not yet. Thank you," she smiled at her uncle-in-law.
"Will you join me and Valarr when we present this to the Small Council?" she asked gently.
Her words seemed to frighten him, as he quickly took a step back from her, as if she had burned him.
"No," he said harshly. "I better not."
"Why?" she asked genuinely. He eyed her warily, holding his hands close to his chest.
"They would not listen to me. They mock me behind my back, every single one. Best if it's just the two of you."
She furrowed her brows at his words, looking at him sadly.
"Well, then we will make them listen. You have more sense than all of those miserable old men combined. We could never have done this without you. It's only right if you're there to help explain what we cannot."
His pale eyes flitted across her face, looking for any hint of dishonesty. When he could not find any, let out an anxious breath before slowly nodded.
"Alright. If you truly wish it."
"I do," she said firmly.
He shot her a brief, apprehensive smile before turning back around and walking away, on a quest to find his next tome.
They finally had a finished plan the next day, and they were ready to present it to the King and his Small Council.
She had made a step-by-step plan, aiming to finish the construction of each element in approximately twenty years. More wells, drains, sewers, pipes and tunnels would be constructed while simultaneously expanding the city northwards, allowing for more room between the many buildings covering the city. Completing the plans over decades would allow them to improve things bit by bit and spread out the expenses, thereby avoiding having to increase the taxes.
They would search for experts across the realm, asking them to serve as masters for several new guilds. After a few years, the guilds would be able to produce enough highly skilled builders and carpenters to start construction on the new wells, sewers and city wall, as well as the new living areas with improved housing for the smallfolk. They would run independently in time, just as the Alchemist's Guild did.
She filed the thought of their own Citadel in the back of her mind, knowing it was much too soon to add that to the pile of things she wanted to change. Perhaps if their current plans yielded the desired results, she could bring it up then.
Valarr had asked his father for the chance to present their proposal a few days ago. Baelor had been more than willing to make time for them, clearly curious as to what his son had been up to the last few weeks.
They now stood in front of the large doors of the Small Council chamber, waiting for the King to permit their entry. She nervously wrung her hands together as they waited. Aerys was muttering to himself, shaking his head to himself occasionally.
To distract herself, she decided to silently list the members of the Small Council. Valarr had spent most of his life as a cupbearer at the council meetings, and had gotten to know their temperaments quite well, and he had been happy to share his knowledge with her.
The Grand Maester was called Lymond, and Valarr suspected he would be the most resistant to their plans. The man had passed his eightieth nameday some time ago, and had never been keen on any sort of change to the status quo. He was also not likely to listen to anything a woman asked of him, which is why she had begrudgingly allowed Valarr to do most of the talking.
The master of coin was Ser Michael Manwoody, husband of Princess Elaena Targaryen. She was rarely seen in public nowadays, as her age was starting to catch up with her and she had lost interest in most court affairs. She was known to work behind the scenes however, as she was a close confidante of the king and even rumored to be responsible for much of the work her husband does. She had grinned whe Valarr told her that. She would hopefully have another woman on her side, even if she wasn't physically present today.
The master of laws was Valarr's maternal uncle, Ser Robert Dondarrion. Valarr had said that Robert was quite fond of him, so he was not likely to object to anything his nephew proposed.
The master of ships was a Redwyne whose first name she could not remember. He apparently had very little to say at council meetings if it did not concern his beloved ships or the potential arrival of the Blackfyres from across the Narrow Sea. That concern would likely mean a point in their favor, though Valarr thought the man rather unpredictable when it came to everything else.
The Lord Commander, Ser Gwayne Corbray, had grown a deep affinity for the smallfolk during his time fighting in the Blackfyre Rebellion. The impact on the smallfolk had apparently opened his noble eyes, and he was now known to occasionally venture out into the city and help people where he could. Valarr knew he would support their cause wholeheartedly, but he did not believe the knight would stand up to any other council members if it came to it.
The man that frightened her the most was Ser Brynden Rivers, also known as Bloodraven. The other children running around her home would tell her scary stories about him, and he had become her greatest fear growing up. "How many eyes does Lord Bloodraven have? A thousand eyes, and one." The thought of the riddle alone was enough to send a shiver down her spine.
Even Valarr had been unable to get a good grasp on his grand-uncle. He could never tell what the man was thinking or what his motives were, and that seemed to scare even him. She was not eager to be perceived by him, almost fearing he would strike her down with a mere glance. She took a shaky breath at the thought. After a short moment, she could feel Valarr's hand grab hers, squeezing it gently.
"It will be alright. I am sure they'll agree to it. Even if they might not want to implement everything right away, every bit of it would be a victory."
She gave him a grateful nod, unable to get any words out. He squeezed her hand again, and soon after the doors in front of them opened.
A large, long chamber opened up in front of them. The room was as richly decorated as any other room in the Red Keep, with intricate carpets and tapestries covering the walls. She recognized some of the scenes they depicted: Aegon's conquest, Jaehaerys' reign, and the Battle at the Redgrass Field, among many others.
King Daeron sat at the head of the table, with Prince Baelor seated to his right. The other six men that surrounded the table stood up from their seats as they entered. All eyes glanced over the two Targaryen princes, but they soon settled on the strange woman in their midst. Prince Baelor gave them an encouraging smile, while King Daeron looked at them curiously.
"Welcome, my children," Daeron said warmly. He first looked at his son, who had decided to remain two steps behind them. His arms were crossed in front of his stomach and his eyes remained firmly fixed on the ground. He had clearly hoped to be ignored by the Small Council, but his presence as the king's son made that impossible.
"Aerys, my boy," Daeron said gently. The prince suddenly raised his head, his eyes widening in alarm at the sound of his name.
"Y-your G-grace," he stuttered out. She could hear one or two men at the table let out a soft snicker, but Baelor's burning gaze on them silenced them almost instantly.
"I am so glad to hear you were willing to help Valarr and his wife make a proposal to us. I am sure they were most grateful for the knowledge you shared with them."
Daeron's eyes flickered towards her, and she quickly decided to speak up.
"We are, Your Grace. He is a very wise man, and his help was essential in the process."
She looked at the prince behind her briefly. He did not smile, but she could see the gratitude in his pale eyes as he briefly glanced at her.
"I am very curious to hear what you have been working on. Please, tell us more," the King urged.
She glanced at her husband, who cleared his throat briefly before taking a small step forward.
She looked at him in awe as he effortlessly changed from her dear husband to the prince the Realm knew. He may be brave and bold, but he was apparently also an excellent politician.
He explained their plans in great detail and with grace, making charming reassurances about safety or costs when he saw frowns form on the faces of the Small Council members. They had written down some calculations of the expenses beforehand, allowing the members to pass the parchment around the table.
The man she presumed to be the master of coin studied it the longest. His brows were furrowed as he read it several times, but he did never spoke up with a question or a comment. He was known to be an very intelligent man, but perhaps numbers were not his greatest talent, she thought. She hoped he would discuss the matter with his wife later, if that was true. She had never met Princess Elaena, but she truly hoped the princess would side with them, even if the numbers were perhaps not always in their favor.
The elderly man seated next to him, whom she presumed to be the Grand Maester, also had a sour look on his face. His face became more sullen the longer the Young Prince went on. She could see he was about to interrupt Valarr's story, which made her brows furrow in anger.
"My Pr–"
"Grand Maester, we kindly ask you to save your questions for later, as it is quite an lengthy story," she said firmly, her stern gaze almost daring him to challenge her.
"Yes, I think that would be best as well," Baelor said, which made the Grand Maester sit back in his chair with a grumble. Baelor send her an almost invisible smile, and she gave him a small, grateful nod in reply.
Valarr looked between his father and his wife with a mischievous smile on his face before quickly returning to his story.
She went back to studying the men around the table. Robert Dondarrion's flaming red hair was easy to spot. He seemed rather bored, blinking tiredly at his nephew. The same went for Redwyne, whose hair was a few shades lighter than that of his neighbor and mixed with gray. He only sat there silently until Valarr mentioned the reinforcements of the city wall and the food storage in the context of a Blackfyre invasion from the East. He suddenly nodded along eagerly after that, leaning forward in his chair in interest.
A chill went down her spine whenever her gaze crossed the path of the Master of Whisperers. His skin was abnormally pale, even for a Targaryen, and the right side of face and neck was covered in a maroon birthmark. His hair was not silver-gold than that of the King, but instead a pale white hue. His eye was a shade of red she had never seen before, and it seemed to pierce right through her. She understood now why people whispered he seemed to have eyes everywhere, even if he was actually missing one.
He appeared much older than his years to her, with a carefully neutral expression covering his weary features. She was entirely unable to determine his state of mind, which made her nervous. She knew the King was as likely to listen to Baelor's council as to that of Brynden, and if he sided against them, they would likely be at an impasse.
Her gaze reluctantly moved to the man next to Bloodraven. The Lord Commander had a faint smile on his face the whole time, as she expected. His eyes occasionally moved from Valarr to her or Aerys, a sparkle in his gaze. Their eyes met once, and he gave her a small nod and a crooked smile then. She smiled back happily. Perhaps there was hope for them yet. Judging by their expressions, the majority was like to agree with their proposition.
Aerys had remained deadly silent behind them the whole while. He had not said anything unless prompted, to her dismay. She had hoped to pull him out of his shell a bit by making him attend, but perhaps it had all been too much too soon. She was glad he had shown up at all, in all honesty, so she opted to see it as progress.
"We would like to implement all those ideas over the next twenty years, to ensure the expenses can be covered and we do not need to raise the taxes," Valarr said. "Now, are there any questions?"
Grand Maester Lymond immediately opened his mouth, but King Daeron immediately put his hand up to silence him. She could see the elderly man turning red in anger, which amused her more than it should.
"I won't be here in twenty years," Daeron said solemnly. The atmosphere in the room dampened instantly, and she furrowed her brows as she stared at her feet.
"I would be willing to support your plan, granted that our master of coin," he waved his hand towards the Dornish man by his side, "approves of the costs and if you ensure there are enough experienced people to manage a project of this scale. You will be the Prince of Dragonstone soon enough, Valarr, and your duties as heir take precedence."
She and Valarr nodded in unison, careful smiles on their faces.
"But most importantly, you need long-term approval to ensure success. My son will be King after me, and I hope he will be able to see those twenty years though. Only he can truly approve these changes, I believe."
Baelor gave his father a faint smile before turning to his kin at the other end of the table. He did not speak for several moments, a pensive expression on his face. She held her breath as they waited. She could see Valarr tense up slightly in the corner of her eye.
"I think it is a wise plan," Baelor said finally. She let out the breath she had been holding in relief.
"I am most glad to see the new generation wanting to better the realm. The city and its people has suffered much over the years, and it needs some much-needed improvements. The public image of House Targaryen could use some work too, I'll admit. Having the smallfolk on our side would not be amiss."
Ser Gwayne spoke up next, nodding excitedly at the Hand's words. "The smallfolk in and around King's Landing have been struggling for a long time. It's about time something is done to remedy it."
"Well done, Valarr," Robert Dondarrion cut in.
Valarr only shook his head with a smile.
"It was not my plan, uncle. It was my wonderful wife's idea.We wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for her."
Robert gave his nephew an awkward smile, while giving her an doubtful look. She got a similar look of disdain from Cleyton Redwyne, while the Grand Maester had a taunting smirk on his wittered face.
"Women have soft hearts and feeble minds, that is well known. She wishes for us to spend a good portion of the crown's incomes for the next quarter century, longer than she has even been alive, on this folly, all because she feels sorry for those little thieves running around Flea Bottom," the old man sneered. His face had turned red again.
"I will not stand for it. We have more important things to worry about than those rats. Redwyne, you must surely know that money has to come from somewhere, and it'll likely be your precious fleet. W–"
"That is quite enough, Lymond," Daeron interrupted firmly. The old man send him a baffled look, but the displeasure in the King's gaze immediately stopped him in his tracks.
Redwyne, for his part, seemed to have taken Lymond's words to heart, as he was glaring at her as well now. Both Ser Gwayne and Robert had uncomfortable expressions on their faces as their eyes flitted between the King to the Grand Maester, but neither said anything. Michael acted much the same, though he briefly send a sympathetic smile in her direction.
Aerys had taken a few small steps back, his gaze once again firmly planted on the ground. He was muttering something incoherent to himself as he wrung his hands together aggressively.
Valarr had taken a small step forward, hiding half her body behind his. He placed his hand on hers, and she quickly grabbed it. She knew she was in no true danger, but she appreciated his protectiveness nonetheless.
"My wife was also known to have a 'soft heart' for the smallfolk too, as you well remember. I will not have you insult her memory and my granddaughter with this mockery."
That was the first time she had seen anything resembling a smile on Bloodraven's face, though she could not decide which side of the discussion might be amusing to him.
"My apologies, my Prince," Lymond grumbled.
"It is not me you should apologize to, Grand Maester," Valarr said firmly. Her husband stepped back slightly, now placing her in front of him. She could feel everybody's eyes on her, all except Lymond's.
"Apologies," he muttered under his breath.
King Daeron gave his Grand Maester another stern look before speaking again.
"Thank you all very much for this wonderful idea. Especially you, my dear," he said, his gaze firmly on her. "The Council will discuss the matter further privately, and we will let you know how we shall proceed. Michael, I suggest you discuss the exact finances with them at another time."
Michael Manwoody nodded in response, giving her a soft smile.
She gave a small curtsy as Valarr bowed to his grandsire. Aerys still hadn't moved, but nobody seemed to mind.
"Thank you for your time, Your Grace," she said.
"Any time, my dear," he smiled.
She grabbed Valarr's hand firmly as they walked out. Aerys followed behind them after a few moments, after which she heard the sound of the solid wooden doors closing.
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