Year 110 A.C.
POV: Viserys Targaryen - Small Council Room
"Congratulations on the birth of your heir, Your Majesty."
"My congratulations, Your Grace."
As soon as I entered the room, the congratulations began, honeyed as always. However, that wasn't exactly what occupied my mind. As soon as the felicitations ceased, I took the floor:
"My lords, I thank you all, but let us get to what matters... Since Maegor the Cruel, the council has been without a Master of Whisperers, and for some time now I have been thinking of someone to fill this position."
The lords' eyes showed curiosity. They exchanged glances with one another, trying to guess who the nominee would be.
"Well... open the door. I will introduce him to you." I signaled to the knights beside the Small Council doors.
POV: Denovan
As soon as the door opened, I stepped into the room. It had been quite some time since I was last there.
"My lords... It has been a while. I hope to work well with you," I said in an amused tone, observing the look of disbelief on some faces.
"Brother... I see you have brought a familiar face," Daemon commented, showing a bit of irritation.
"Recovered well, my prince?" I asked Daemon provocatively.
He completely ignored my provocation.
"Sit, Denovan, Master of Whisperers," the king ordered.
I nodded and placed my stone in the empty spot on the table, symbolizing my function and position on the Small Council.
"First, I will formally introduce him..." Viserys began. "This is Lord Denovan of Norway, from the Far North. From today on, he will be my eyes and ears as Master of Whisperers. I hope you will work in harmony."
After a brief pause, Viserys yielded the floor to me: "With the introductions made, let us get to business. Denovan."
"As you know, over a year ago I was tasked with dealing with the pirates in the Stepstones. I believe some of you noticed a slight improvement... but that temporary truce will soon end," I declared.
"As Lord Corlys warned me some time ago, I do not have enough men for this task. If before I managed to handle the situation with some difficulty, now it has become a virtually impossible task to accomplish alone."
"The number of pirates has more than tripled. They sail in large fleets that my men and I will not be able to combat with the necessary speed. That is why Viserys invited me to the Small Council."
"Your Majesty will conquer the Stepstones..." I stated.
"Your Grace has my support," Daemon Targaryen immediately declared, sporting a wide smile.
"House Velaryon has been waiting for this day, Your Grace," Corlys added.
Breaking the enthusiasm of the room, Otto's voice echoed:
"Your Grace, is this appropriate? We know how skilled and slippery these pirates are. This would be a war that would last several years, which would be detrimental to the Seven Kingdoms..."
"Let Denovan explain. We have already drawn up some plans..." the king intervened.
I nodded and continued:
"Perhaps it is no news to you that I am a warg... But I am not an ordinary warg. The number of beasts I can control is greater than the number of people in this castle." I spoke firmly, noting the discomfort stamped on the faces present—including Viserys's.
"Any surprise attack, hideout, plan, fleet, troop contingent, precious cargo, or important captain... everything will be reported to you in advance and in real-time. We will have an overwhelming advantage. They will not be able to carry out surprise attacks; we will strike strategic points, eliminate the leaders, and seize the fleets. We will know everything before they even understand what is happening... and when they realize it, we will have already changed our tactics," I said in an inspiring way to raise the council's spirits.
"Should the combat advance into the caves... my men and I will lead the assault. We are more than accustomed to that type of terrain."
The gleam in Corlys's and Daemon's eyes was of pure enthusiasm. Both would gain immensely from that endeavor.
"How much time do we need to prepare for the attack?" Viserys asked.
"Your Grace, I ask for two months. I will summon all the vessels and men of House Velaryon. We will be at maximum strength," Corlys answered.
Viserys nodded, excited, and turned to his brother: "Daemon, I want you to lead this attack mounted on Caraxes. Can you do this?"
With a fierce smile, the prince replied: "It will be an honor, brother."
Most showed support, with the exception of specific reservations from Otto which, surprisingly, seemed sensible. Since the birth of Viserys's heir, the Hand of the King's posture showed greater sobriety.
The rest of the meeting continued with the detailed planning of actions and decisions regarding the summoning of other nobles. To preserve profit margins, they decided not to involve other great houses. Only with the support of the Crown, the dragons, and the Velaryon fleet, Corlys showed confidence that they would achieve the desired results.
"Lord Denovan, if I may... how do you intend to warn us in real-time if you cannot be everywhere at once?" Otto inquired, with an inquisitive gleam in his eye.
I looked at Viserys, who gave a slight nod.
"I will show you... Just wait a moment."
A few moments later, a raven flew in through the room's window. Then, another. Shortly after, a third. Finally, the great Heimdall landed in the room, filling the space with his imposing presence.
"By the Seven..." whispered Lord Strong.
Then, the birds began to emit sounds in sequence:
"They say..." began the first raven.
"What I..." continued the second.
"...desire. What I see..." added the third.
"...we see," they finished together.
Finally, Heimdall spoke with his hoarse, guttural voice: "They transmit the information to me, and I filter what is useful to you. What one sees, all see. You will know everything that is relevant."
With a slight smile, I declared: "Do you understand now? I am the Master of Whisperers of Viserys Targaryen, First of His Name... I will honor this position by bringing information from all the Seven Kingdoms. Nothing will escape my eyes and ears."
A tense silence took over the room. Everyone there understood the implications of that: treasons, conspiracies, and schemes would be detected the moment they were whispered near one of my beasts.
But therein lies the catch... which were my beasts, just ravens? Rats? What was mine and what wasn't?
"That is truly impressive... sorcerer," Daemon commented, showing genuine interest. "Would it be possible..."
Before he could finish, I interrupted:
"Dragons cannot speak... at least as far as I know. The anatomical structure of birds is different. In the case of ravens, the vocal cords..." I pointed to my own throat. "...are anatomically capable of replicating sounds they hear. Dragons, dogs, or horses do not possess this capability."
"But this world is more magical than we know, perhaps one day it will be possible..." I said with an inviting tone.
To which Daemon responded with a smile in his eyes, and a slight nod of his head.
Viserys clapped his hands, ending the session: "I thank you all for your presence. You are dismissed. You have three months to organize everything. After this period, our fleet and the dragons will begin the attack. Let the preparations begin."
The councilors collected their stones and left the room.
I walked alongside Viserys down the corridor.
"So you will really return to Norway?" the king asked.
"Yes... It has been a while since I oversaw matters there. I need to gather my men and organize the details of my domain in these months preceding the fleet's departure."
"I understand."
"Viserys... may I make a simple request?" I asked.
"Speak."
"Could you find me someone who speaks Valyrian? I want to learn the language."
When I freed some slaves in Essos, some spoke multiple dialects, but none mastered High Valyrian. Learning it is useful, especially for translating engravings and inscriptions present on Valyrian steel artifacts I took from the plunders... I want to translate them before reworking them. Just like the Targaryen house dagger that when heated showed the song of ice and fire prophecy, some of the items I took showed writings when heated, which could have relevant information for me.
"That is simple to resolve," Viserys replied.
"Father... let me teach him. In exchange, he teaches me about his runes," Rhaenyra said, appearing as she turned the corner.
Surprised, Viserys pondered: "I would even allow it, my daughter, but he will not remain in the capital. He will return to the North, and it would be inappropriate for you to go there."
Rhaenyra's eyes shone: "Father, you must let me go... It would be an excellent diplomatic mission. We could demonstrate the Crown's presence beyond the Wall."
The idea made me smile. From a practical standpoint, I have no interest in Norway's total independence; isolation would bring more harm than benefits. The alliance with Viserys brings mutual advantages, and ensuring my people are commercially integrated with the Seven Kingdoms will increase the quality of life in my lands.
"My king," I intervened respectfully. "If the concern is safety and protocol, send a lady-in-waiting, a knight of the Kingsguard, and some trusted guards. This will prevent any undue rumors."
"Furthermore, when Norway is formally integrated into the Seven Kingdoms, making them Eight, it will be an achievement of great prestige for the Crown. The presence of a dragon in the North will also impress my people and ease the transition."
Viserys showed hesitation: "I am not sure..."
"I will return in three months and bring the princess back safely to King's Landing before the start of the military campaign in the Stepstones," I assured him.
"You see, Father? And think: if I learn a little about his magic, it could be useful for our family," Rhaenyra insisted.
Viserys sighed: "I ask that you stay one more week in the capital for us to organize everything, Denovan."
"A week is a long time. The journey to the North is lengthy and I cannot afford to delay my preparations," I replied.
"Do they really need that much time for the preparations?" I asked the king.
"Are two days enough? If it requires more time, the princess can make this journey on another occasion... time is short for me," I proposed.
"Father, I don't need much. Just some suitable clothes for the cold. If there is any emergency, I can return quickly riding Syrax," Rhaenyra argued.
"What I wouldn't do for you, my daughter..." Viserys yielded, smiling tiredly. "Go tell your mother and choose two ladies of the court to accompany you."
"Thank you, Father!" she said, hugging Viserys and giving him a kiss on the cheek before walking away quickly.
I gave a short laugh beside the king. "You really spoil her, Viserys... Although I doubt I will act any differently when I have my own children."
Viserys looked at me with curiosity: "I thought you already had them. The wildling peoples of the North usually start a family early, do they not?"
"Yes... but things were a bit complicated..." I replied, with a slight hint of discontent. The fact that Melika hadn't gotten pregnant after so long was still an issue that bothered me.