A Wandering Melody (HP SI, ASOIAF Crossover)

Chapter 181 181: Drifting Tides

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125 AC, King's Landing

Corlys Velaryon would admit that he was not happy with the state of the world at this moment. Of course, the results of the Great Council had been far better than he expected, with the Hightowers losing much of their influence over the Seven Kingdoms, but that did not change the fact that many of his ambitions were in ruins, and the prospect of his blood on the Iron Throne was but a dream that he would likely not see in this life.

It was a bitter realisation that his life's goal, one that had taken his children from him, was no longer possible, and the fact that it could have been far worse did not change that fact.

Of course, the realm itself was in a far better state than he expected. The divide that threatened to destroy the realm was gone, and with it, much of the civil war. Then again, many of the players of the game of thrones were gone, including Otto Hightower, all of House Strong, and even Rhaenyra Targaryen, who had not left Dragonstone since her banishment.

Ever since the Great Council, things had been… different, and every lord could feel that. Without the distraction of a possible succession crisis, the Court had returned to what it resembled during the days of the Conciliator, each noble just as opportunistic as the last, craving a drop of the power that the royal family could provide.

It was also impressive how only the fools remained. Some of the more competent ones seemed to have returned to their palaces after some scandal or another. Rhaenys must have acquired a suitable spymaster for all of this to be possible and had ensured that the troublesome people in her court would be gone.

Corlys had to admit that his wife was very effective as Viserys's Hand, and it showed with the proceedings of the tourney that the King insisted on holding every year at the end of Winter. He always made a speech and increased the prize pools for every event in the tourney, something that had escaped many others. The normal chaos that accompanied a great tourney was not there, and the Sea Snake could see Rhaenys's hand in making it so. That is aside from her dealing with the logistics of Viserys's newfound plan of repaving and expanding the King's Road, as sections of it had fallen into disrepair, something that took much of her time.

She truly would have made a great Queen.

As Corlys made his way to the training yard, where he knew his wife stood, he couldn't help but think of the events of the previous years. He had remained on Driftmark, mostly with the aim of avoiding troubling Rhaenys's role as the Hand of the King, as many would see House Velaryon as simply replacing the Hightowers in their influence over the Crown. He had used this to take with him Laenor's boys, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey. They were Laenor's son, even if they did not share their blood, and given that Laenor had suffered because of Corlys's mistake, he decided to take care of them on Driftmark, far away from the Court's whispers and the presence of her mother, who was not exactly stable.

They were wonderful boys, truly. Jace was dutiful and intelligent. Luke was slightly rash, but better with a sword, and Joffrey, while still young, was doing better in his lessons than Laenor even had. Corlys had spent the past few years teaching Jacaerys and Lucerys about sailing, his adventures across the Known World, and they were just as excited as they should have been. Both boys had found their sea legs quickly and seemed enthused by the idea of travelling the world by sea, especially using the gifts that Potter gave them when he first came to Dragonstone: the collapsible far-eye and the north-pointing device.

Though for some reason, Jace seemed utterly taken by the Summer Isles, but then again, there were worse places to visit. Corlys had been utterly captivated by Asshai in his youth, and the mystery of it all, and now, even knowing that the city had fallen, he would not dare return to that cursed place.

Anyway, the boys should have been a credit to House Velaryon, a testament to its promising future. Unfortunately, their parentage changed things.

The sad truth was that they did not have Velaryon blood in their veins, and while Corlys could have managed it should it have been discreet, these boys' parentage was known across the realm, given that Jace was a candidate to become the next King. Corlys could not bear to taint his legacy with the idea that he let a boy without any Velaryon blood sit upon the Driftwood throne.

At the same time, one could not dare call them bastards, since that would set a precedent of baseborn children being allowed to claim dragons, should their blood allow it, something that no one could afford to do. It was better for things to remain informal, for the sake of the future.

Alas, the only way he thought he could salvage this was to marry Jace and Luke to Baela and Rhaena, respectively, tying the young dragons to House Velaryon by marriage, and putting this entire affair behind them, since their children would have Corlys's blood in their veins, stopping any potential dispute.

However, Rhaenys utterly refused to let their granddaughters marry bastards, even though they rode dragons and were raised as princes. They had grown as members of House Targaryen and were shaping up to be good and honourable boys, and yet that was not enough.

His thoughts were interrupted by Rhaenys, who waved him over, "Ah, my love. Come watch our granddaughter. She is truly magnificent."

Corlys furrowed his eyebrows as he looked down towards the training yard, only to freeze as a peculiar sight stopped him. It was Baela in padded training garments, wielding a thin sword, and expertly fighting a squire, to the cheers and jeers of the yard.

The sight made him remember a memory from long ago that he had almost forgotten, of a Targaryen princess with mismatched eyes, fighting against full-grown knights, Alyssa Velaryon.

He looked towards Daemon, realising that the Rogue Prince was completely focused on the sight, with a proud smile on his face. Perhaps a part of the Rogue Prince remembered his mother, though he was young when she perished. Speaking of which, the last few years seemed to have brought a calming presence to the previously restless Rogue Prince.

Corlys had never thought he would see the day Daemon Targaryen acted like this, and perhaps it was Viserys's newfound trust in Daemon that did it, as he trusted his brother with being the father of the future King of the Seven Kingdoms.

The man also seemed quite invested in the fact that his son's reign would be a stable one. Already, he had reorganised the gold cloaks into a formidable force once more, and he personally trained the guards that patrolled the Red Keep to ensure that no attack would occur. From what Corlys's agents in the Capital told him, the city was becoming quite safe, with crime decreasing and the more violent cases being discovered quickly and without issue.

There was a name that seemed to have spread among the criminal elements, the White Worm, who Corlys quickly discovered to be Daemon's former paramour, who had grasped power over the criminal aspects of the city. It explained much of the Rogue Prince's success and showed him a glimpse of the influence that Daemon likely wielded in King's Landing.

Corlys's thoughts were interrupted as Baela expertly disarmed her opponent and hit him in the chest with her elbow, before raising her sword to his throat. Cheers and applause spread across the courtyard, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "She will beat suitors away. Literally."

Truthfully, he was proud of Baela, as he was Rhaena. Both girls were growing into beautiful and intelligent young women, their dragons growing larger than any other in history. He only wished that Laena had lived to see her girls grow. She would have been so proud…

Rhaenys laughed at his jape, "That she will. This will suit her well as Lady of Driftmark, for I do not think any suitor would ever attempt to usurp her station."

Corlys turned his head awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable with the succession of Driftmark. Rhaenys had been insistent that Baela be his heir; in fact, she considered it a fact, one that he had no say in, despite her refusal to make a match between their granddaughter and Jacaerys, which would solve matters.

He stayed silent, and Rhaenys obviously knew of this. She looked at the guards, and they immediately moved away, and she moved calmly towards him. "We did not speak overly much of our granddaughter's rights, Corlys, but I did not think that I needed to."

"Rhaenys… You know that I cannot simply pass over Rhaenyra's boys without a reason, and you do know what the consequences of admitting their parentage would be on the realm."

House Targaryen could not simply declare three Dragonriders to be bastards. It would shatter much of the unity that they had barely been able to make over the years. There would be opportunist lords who would try to use them to gain more power, or perhaps, hoping to become a Dragonriding house. It was simply a risk that the Crown should not be prepared to take.

Rhaenys shook her head, though her tone remained serious, "This is not what I am asking you, Corlys. I want to know, ignoring the consequences, if you are prepared to make Baela your heir."

His wife's eyes were almost glowing at that time, and he gulped, answering immediately, "I would."

He was surprised by how true his answer was. He loved the boys as if they were his own blood, truly, but unfortunately, they were not, and he could not, in good conscience, let House Velaryon be ruled without the blood of his ancestors coursing through their veins. He simply thought that a marriage between Jace and Baela was the best solution to this problem.

Rhaenys must have realised it as well, given the way that her smile became less sharp, and her eyes softened, "That is good. I was worried that you would favour them over Laena's daughter, or worse, that you would favour the boys in Hull over them."

These last words made Corlys pale and stiffen in his tracks. He had almost forgotten about them. It had been during a few moments of weakness, one where he saw war on the horizon, a war between dragons, and he had wished for a way to safeguard his bloodline, should things turn for the worst.

He had found a Dragonseed on Driftmark and sired two boys, Addam and Alyn, despite her marriage to Rhaenys. He had been afraid then that House Velaryon would be no more, and it felt prudent to achieve this, especially with a greater chance of the children being Dragonriders eventually.

Thankfully, the war never occurred, though Corlys's blood would not sit on the Iron Throne, and now, he had two bastard boys in Hull. They did not know of their heritage, and Corlys had arranged for them to learn under their mother, whom he had gifted a ship. She was growing to be quite a successful canny trader over the years, enough that he knew that the boys would likely have a better life than most.

The matter of Addam and Alyn did slip his mind over the years, to his shame. Aside from occasional letters from their mother about them, he had not truly thought of them, especially with how eventful the last few years were.

However, that did not mean that the thought of Rhaenys finding them did not scare him. "You know about them then."

He swore that Rhaenys's eyes were glowing as she spoke up, "I do. I must admit that the moment that I did, I thought of taking an enthusiastic ride atop Meleys to Driftmark, but I was talked out of such actions."

She turned and gave him a serious look, one that made him gulp, "These two boys are not to set foot in High Tide and will never know of their heritage. If there comes a day when they become a threat to our granddaughters, then what little mercy I have regarding your betrayal of our vows will be gone. I have made… arrangements to ensure that I would know."

This… This was a war more gracious than he had expected from Rhaenys. He knew his wife and knew her well. He knew of the temper that lurked beneath her skin, of the rage that she suppressed, and she had set that aside despite what she had claimed. He had no words as she uttered, "Rhaenys…"

"I am not doing this for you, Corlys," she hissed at him, "This is for Laena's daughters and ensuring that they earn what is rightfully their own. I have always known that you were a creature of ambition, but you have broken the vows that you gave to me when we wed, and that is not something that I would ever forget."

While her last statement and the rage brimming in her eyes unsettled him, it was her earlier words that were the most concerning. She had not shown mercy out of love for him, or forgiveness. She did it because someone convinced her to, someone who guaranteed that Baela would be Lady of Driftmark on her own merit.

There was only a single person that he felt his wife would trust with this, one person that could guarantee this, and he asked with trepidation, "Please tell me that you were not so foolish as to involve the Potters in the matter. Need I remind you of what happened when they interfered in Pyke?"

Rhaenys snorted and shook her head, laughing bitterly, "I am not so foolish as to do this, Corlys, not that this would be effective. Don't you know? The Potters are to leave our shores soon."

Corlys froze at that, "Truly?"

The Potters remained a creature that completely and utterly terrified Corlys. The display in Pyke, the destruction of Harrenhal, they were not the acts of men, but gods. He had assumed that they would always remain there, grave threats that his granddaughters were attached to. Then again, now that he thought of it, he had not heard of maddeningly world-changing events for some time, so perhaps there was truth to them.

Rhaenys nodded but did not elaborate. Instead, she spoke up, "Baela will be Lady Driftmark, Corlys, and you will not interfere in that, just as you will not stop Rhaenyra's boys should they decide not to claim Driftmark. That is the least that you can do to even begin to repay the wrong that you have done to me."

And as if it had changed by miracle, Rhaenys's expression turned into a softer one, and he quickly realised why as Baela ran towards her and she embraced them with excitement in her eyes, still sweaty from the spar that she had just won.

Corlys mindlessly listened to the girl enthusiastically speaking of her fight, while trying his best not to look at his wife, for he knew that the matter was settled, whether he liked it or not. He did not know what Rhaenys had planned regarding the boys, as well as Addam and Alyn, but he knew deep down that she would not hurt them, and he supposed that this would be enough for now.

That did not change the fact that his House's future was slipping from his grasp, because of choices that he made long ago, choices born of ambition and fear that he could no longer take back.

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Of the Strangest Succession in the History of the Crownlands

By Archmaester Aemon of King's Landing

Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake, is a name that is known far and wide across the Seven Kingdoms. It was a legacy that all sailors hoped to match, of a man who braved the unknown to see the world and enriched his House in the process.

The infamous Sea Snake's reputation was well-earned, though his succession was one of the strangest affairs, one that became the talk of the realm for quite a few years. After the Great Council of 123 AC, the Sea Snake found himself with three heirs, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon, all three being children of dubious parentage, hence their loss during the Great Council. The Sea Snake had brought his heirs to Driftmark and saw to their education, likely with the aim of marrying them to his granddaughters, and avoiding the pitfalls of Driftmark's succession, while tying more Dragonriders to his house.

And so, it came as a surprise to many when Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon all renounced their claim on the Driftwood throne over the following decade. For the first two, it had occurred after their first great voyage in 129 AC, which spanned as far as Yi Ti. Both Velaryons claimed that they wished to see the world and not remain on an island, and many had been surprised when Corlys Velaryon agreed with their wishes.

Jacaerys and Lucerys would grow to form the Sea Dragon Company, with Jacaerys Velaryon earning the moniker of the Wandering Dragon, with many of his exploits being turned into songs. To the surprise of many, he married Sarra Snow, Cregan Stark's baseborn sister, after she had come to accompany him during one of his adventures. Lucerys Velaryon left Westeros towards the Summer Islands, where he acted as an intermediary between them and the Iron Throne, while also occasionally flying alongside large shipments to protect them from pirates, especially during skirmishes in the Stepstones. He never married, though it was said that he fathered a few bastards in the Summer Islands, where he remained near the end of his days. Notably, his dragon, Arrax, returned to Dragonstone in 158 AC, which was interpreted as his death. Joffrey Velaryon, on the other hand, seemingly decided to join Daeron Targaryen as his squire, earning them the moniker the Dragon Knights. They were known to patrol the Seven Kingdoms, fighting bandits and fighting in tourneys, until both joined the Kingsguard in 145 AC.

Strangely, that seemed to have been by design, as Baela Targaryen, granddaughter of the Sea Snake, returned to Driftmark after learning under her grandmother, Rhaenys, the Hand of King Viserys, and began to act as the Sea Snake's heir in 133 AC. It was said to be a response from the Sea Snake, who had wished to see his family near him after the sudden death of Vaemond Velaryon, who fell from his horse in a hunt in the Crownlands, but most think that the succession of the Driftwood Throne had been decided much earlier.

Most curiously of all, the matter was never publicly contested, nor did it give rise to the disputes that so often followed uncertain lines of inheritance in other powerful Houses. In fact, the transition appeared almost… orderly, as if guided by an unseen understanding shared between all parties involved.

By the time of Corlys Velaryon's passing, Baela Targaryen's position was unquestioned. She took her seat upon the Driftwood Throne without resistance, barely more than a change given that she had all but ruled Driftmark by the Sea Snake's side for years. Historians have long debated the cause of this unusual peace, with a few even thinking that some interference from the Crown had been involved in some way, as the potential infighting between Dragonriders would likely spill out beyond Driftmark, and not one doubts that this is the strangest succession in the history of the Crownlands, perhaps even the Seven Kingdoms, that remain to this day.

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AN: I'm not sure about this chapter. It is supposed to tie down the last issues with the Velaryons, which would have Corlys realise that he lost a lot because of his ambition, and strain his relationship with Rhaenys a bit. I felt like rewarding the Sea Snake after some of the stuff he pulled before Harry's arrival felt a bit wrong.

In a way, he had a part to play in the dance, and I wanted to reflect that. It's a bit unspoken, but it was Helaena that drove things like that, and got Rhaenys to calm down with the reassurance that Baela would be Lady Velaryon. She did it mostly because Rhaenys would have found out anyway about Addam and Alyn, and she wanted to avoid her reacting too badly. I had this thing planned about Alyn's future, mostly as someone who joined the Baratheons in the campaign in the Stepstones, and earned himself land in the Dornish Marches, while Addam continued his mother's merchant business, and they joined together. I tried to fit it into the historical, but technically, no one is supposed to connect them to Corlys, so I decided not to go for it.

As most of you probably noticed, we're nearing the end of the story, so if you want to see some other loose ends being tied up or any particular chapters for this story, please let me know in the comments. I already started working on a sequel, which will take place in the Star Wars universe, which I'm very excited about. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.

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If you want to support me, check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions on them, so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.