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Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Categories:
F/FF/MM/MMulti
Fandoms:
A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. MartinA Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Relationships:
Rhaenyra Targaryen/Laenor VelaryonJoffrey Lonmouth/Laenor VelaryonCorlys Velaryon/Rhaenys TargaryenDaemon Targaryen/Laena VelaryonRhaenyra Targaryen/Laena Velaryon
Characters:
Rhaenyra TargaryenLaenor VelaryonLaena VelaryonHelaena TargaryenAlicent HightowerAegon II TargaryenAemond TargaryenRhaenys Targaryen (Daughter of Aemon)Corlys VelaryonJoffrey Lonmouth
Additional Tags:
Self-Insertdance of dragonsAlternate UniverseTechnologySelf-Indulgent
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of The Blacks, the Greens and the Reds Next Work →
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Published:2019-09-19Updated:2026-06-17Words:1,084,451Chapters:467/?Comments:4,066Kudos:6,016Bookmarks:1,174Hits:557,693
The Blacks, The Greens and The Reds
Loke_Lyon
Chapter 10: Opening Moves - Chapter 9
Chapter Text
When I awoke and staggered out of bed regretting all my life choices, Laenor was still in the same place he'd been the night before, paper littering the table and floor around him. He waved me over and I collapsed into a chair opposite him. Mornings were hard. A maid hurried over and presented me with a cup of juice and some fruit, one of mine that arrived yesterday. I thanked her before turning my attention back to my husband, who was sorting the paper explosion into some kind of order.
"I've managed to create a system in which the papers are filed into general groups. A few of the big ones are Agriculture, Medicine and oddly enough Glass. Whoever wrote this really, really had a high opinion of glass," he told me. Sue me, it's super useful for everything and it's a travesty we all just accept Myr makes the best glass. "From there I've ordered them into how much detail the text goes into producing the 'technology'. I think we can start work on the Agricultural technologies on Dragonstone and Driftmark this year even."
"You wish to start on Dragonstone and Driftmark? Why not the Crownlands? We need to start gathering and strengthening allies as soon as possible," I asked, ignoring the slightly wild look in his eyes. He'd definitely not slept. His doublet was creased, his eyes dark and his hair an unbound mess. I resisted the urge to comb my hands through it, he wouldn't appreciate it. He got defensive when it came to his hair.
"Have you ever worked with farmers?" I shook my head. My duties at Dragonstone mostly bought me into contact with the small time merchants in the port. "Well, they're stubborn. Very stubborn. Not they they don't have good reason, if they all try something new and they all fail then they do not eat and neither does anyone else."
"The section on farming machinery is very vague and we'll probably require the help of the Wisdom's producing anything from it but the idea of actively breeding plants and animals for traits? We do that already but just not on the scale the book describes in necessary for fast change. The field system suggested, although I admit I've never heard of Norfolk, could be implemented across the islands within a year. Two at most. It's underlying theory could spawn more technology the writer of this book couldn't dream of!"
"And once we prove it works, we'll be hip deep in Lord's wanting to know how we did it." I said slowly, unable to stop the cat-like smile of satisfaction growing across my face. He nodded along, eye bright now that I'd finally 'gotten it'. I eyed his other stacks and had an idea.
"Laenor, have you looked anymore into the section on birthing?" I asked. He nodded and tapped a stack of pages, I recognised some of the terms. Had he seriously copied everything? I scooped a few of the pages up and found that yes, he had copied the entire thing by hand. He'd even tried producing sketches of the things I'd described. Some of them were remarkably close and some… well, they could use work.
"Larys said yesterday that his mother died in childbirth." I said slowly. "Have you any relatives who…"
"Well, Father hardly likes to tell everyone but my birth ended Mother's chances of another child. She struggled with Laena as well." It was an awkward subject. Septons and Septas liked to wax lyrical about the miracle of birth and how the birthing bed was a woman's ultimate duty but no one liked to acknowledge how dangerous it was, how often women died or lost their children.
"Larys said that most Maesters do not overly study child birth." Laenor snorted in response.
"Maesters study everything," he replied but my brain was spinning now. Taking what I knew of Westeros and of the Maesters and of how nearly every family in every generation had a tale of someone dying needlessly and comparing with vague memories of a sister who'd studied for years to be a midwife, who'd still not been allowed to do solo births until she had assisted others and had proven experience. Unbidden, my mind drifted to the doddering Runciter and the sneering Mellos and even my own Gerardys.
In truth, I had never been fond of the Maesters. Runciter had merely turned that dislike into a hardened idea to do something something about them in the distant future.
I thought about Westeros' idea of midwives. Midwives were a tradition of the smallfolk and were usually older women who'd gotten the role through experience than study. It was sort of assumed anyone who was anyone had a Maester. If you were having to consult midwives and healers then you were as good as saying you didn't have the money or prestige for one of Westeros' knights of the mind.
"That's right. They do. How could any man truly know a subject if he spends half a year studying at best?" I asked, slowly. After all, doctors studied for years and still had to jump through hoops to practise. Was this why so many died? Not malice or some conspiracy but simple mistakes made by men who'd never assisted in birth before. Afterall, the Maesters served a castle. They didn't deliver every pregnant woman in a ten mile radius. Laenor was looking at me strangely.
"Think about it. How many times do you think Maester Gerardys has assisted in a birth? And he has several silver links." Now Laenor looked thoughtful, probably because he knew the answer was zero.
"You believe that the inexperience of the Maesters is what kills their patients?" He asked slowly. I nodded eagerly.
"Yes! We have access to a set of ideas that could revolutionise medicine. We could create an entirely new set of healers, ones who study only the art of healing and may even specialise further into diseases or birthing." Laenor stroked his chin but his mouth was twisted, as if he were wrestling with his thoughts and losing.
"The Maesters have always been Westeros' healers. They have access to knowledge built up over centuries. Even if what is contained in the book is enough to challenge their supremacy, we'd need a massive investment to do so," he pointed out, tone doubtful. Ah, pushback. I've presented something new too fast and it's straining his Westerosi worldview. After all better farming is fine but knocking out a major pillar of the Maesters power? Questioning a system that's been in use for thousands of years?
"Please, Laenor, any of this technology is unlikely to make the Maesters happy. Take the press for example? They make their money off of controlling access to books, deciding which books are copied and which are not. We could print any book a hundred times over for a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time."
His face screwed up, a lifetime of socialisation telling him that this would not work.
"It's much too far, much too fast. We're trying to win you a throne, not take Westeros apart and put it back together again in a new order," he pointed out finally. Damn him, he had a point. All but declaring war on the Maesters would likely scare a lot lords on principle alone. To say nothing of whose ears the Maesters themselves would start whispering in.
"For now we can focus on the farming and getting the Wisdoms to Dragonstone, but Laenor, I want to train midwives as well. That is not negotiable." Laenor studied me for a few moments after that announcement. I finished the last of the fruit, ignoring his silent condemnation. I was not going to risk dying in a childbirth any more than I needed too and if we could prove they worked, that they were better than Maesters? Well, Westerosi lords would clammer for them and we'd be the only provider. It would be the first crack in their dominance over Westeros and one I could use to push my own doctors.
"Very well. I'll add it to the instructions I send to Dragonstone." I watched as he pulled a sheet free and jotted down a few lines. I drank my juice and listened to the sound of his scribbling, allowing my eyes to drift closed.
"I'm sending Laena to Dragonstone with all of this. She should be able to make a round trip in a day if she pushes Vhagar a little. Then I'm going to see Wisdom Jerrett so he can start getting a selection of Alchemists to Dragonstone," He told me, rising from his seat.
"Perhaps you should change first?" I asked, nodding at his less than appropriate attire. He pulled a face. "You know certain people will have a field day if they see you sprinting around the city looking like that."
"You're right. It's just… Rhaenyra, I have been trained to take the lordship of an island. My knowledge is trade, as shameful as most will find that, and even I can see that there isn't a single technology in here that won't improve lives across all of Westeros." He ran an agitated hand through his hair.
I let him leave with the promise he'd at least bathe before speaking with Wisdom Jerrett and not give away too much of the technology contained within it's pages until the Guild was under our thumb and indebted to us. I sipped the last of my juice and leant back in my chair. Was I making a mistake?
Even if I was wrong, it was too late now. Laenor had seen the pages. He knew that they were invaluable and they were, in more ways the monetary value. Used correctly they would secure Targaryen and Velaryon dominance for centuries to come. There would be no gradual decline as the family desperately tried to command unruly vassals, no civil wars that out opponents had any hope to win, no way to remove an unjust king…
Ah. Considering the general quality of Targaryen rulers, that's going to be a problem.
On that horrifying thought I forced myself to rise, calling my maids to me. I had errands to run before a meeting with Lord Wendwater and then a meeting with Lord Celtigar. I would need to impress both if my work to sway the Crownlands was to make a good start. I couldn't rely on just the Crownlands though. So after I had changed and bathed, I sat down and wrote to my cousin.
I had last seen Jeyne at my wedding. She'd seemed cheerful and friendly enough, at least when the swarms of potential suitors weren't present, but I hadn't been thinking politically then. I'd had visions of professional soldiers armed with muskets dancing before my eyes. I hadn't bothered playing politics because I hadn't thought I needed too. In retrospect, even had the Black Powder been viable, that had been a mistake.
So I was sure to remain warm but diplomatic, without assuming to much about how much leeway our shared blood would buy me. I enquired about her health, how the Vale was, whether she had her eye on any suitors and finally, whether she'd allow me to visit in the near future. The letter was too long and heavy to send by raven so I paid for a courier to get it to Jeyne post-haste which gave me another idea. If I was going to damage the Maesters as healers and archivists, why not damage their hold on communications too?
The days turned into weeks as Laenor and I charmed and politicked our way through court. I acquired three ladies-in-waiting, one from House Stokeworth and the two Strong girls. The last two were odd in a way, I understood Lyonel disdained mine and Alicent's games, preferring to focus on the practical sides of ruling a kingdom. As far as I understood, sending his daughters to me was less a show of support and more a way of saying that should my father die suddenly he would act in accordance with his wishes.
Gods, I hope I can stop this guy from burning to death. Having Otto as Hand when Viserys died would suck.
Marya Stokeworth was a plump but pretty girl who fussed over everyone. Shortly after she'd entered my service I'd been enacting my plan to win over King's Landing by visiting a succession of orphanages and I think it had awoken something in her because she'd been organising sewing rings and charity parties and enquiring as too whether I could help with funding. She seemed so earnest that I couldn't believe it was an act. No one was that good at acting.
And since she was doing it in my name… well, Alicent wasn't too popular amongst the occupants of the city anymore.
The two Strong girls were called Alys and Sera. Twins, they took more after Harwin than Larys physically. Both were pretty with the Strong nose, their father's height and blue eyes although thankfully, they didn't take after their older brother in attitude or intelligence. They weren't quite Larys levels of smart but they were quick-witted at least and knew their manners. I suspected they were less thrilled by Marya's enforced sewing circles but they went along with it well enough, preferring to spend their time sewing by sharing the sort of inside jokes that only twins had.
Laenor acquired a squire from House Rosby named Alton who he swore was a good lad at heart but had me half-convinced he had nothing resembling a personality in the few brief times I'd met him.
With both of us turning the charms on the court, the Black faction went from strength to strength.
The Wisdoms, under the watchful eye of Jerrett, left on a ship bearing my colours two weeks after Laenor's meeting with them. I was given to understand that the competition for a place within the new campus had been fierce. The idea of these 'lost' technologies had sent the Guild into a frenzy. Jerrett had still been trying to insist the Guild's true purpose was magic even as his co-workers fought over glass production techniques and knowledge of the nitrogen cycle.
Viserys remained as spineless as ever, as predicted Ser Cargyll's report about Criston's behaviour did nothing after Alicent had stepped in on his behalf. I did manage to spend time with Helaena after I all but petitioned Viserys in open court as Alicent had been sibling hoarding.
I took the girl to the Dragonpit for a ride on Syrax which she'd talked about non-stop for three days. It was nice to be the big sister to a sibling that thought the world of you. Aegon, annoyingly, still avoided me like I had the plague when he could and when he couldn't his interactions were icy, hostile but never outright rude. My one attempt to win Aemond over ended when he hit me in the shin with his wooden sword. It left a spectacular bruise and I was quite put out about it.
Daeron remained pink, round and loud.
As I approached the month mark, a cutter from Gulltown bearing Grafton colours arrived with a letter bearing the Arryn seal. Apparently, it would be impossible for me to meet with Jeyne right now as the Eyrie had been sealed due to an outbreak of illness suspected to, from the way the letter writer described it, super plague. It had been signed by a Ser Arnold Arryn, Keeper of the Gates of the Moon.
Yeah, I was calling bullshit on that one.
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