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Chapter 5 - Two for the Show (R)
🕑 Added 2025-09-11 20:13:54 +0000 UTCSeven Kingdoms
Storm’s End
286 AC
Robert first circled over the Storm’s End to get people’s attention, and wouldn’t you know it, many houses were there.
Banners of wolves, trouts, roses, falcons, and, of course, dragons could be seen outside the castle, waving over their respective camps.
Slowly, the guests came out of the castle, looking like ants to Robert, but with his telescope, seeing their faces was a simple matter.
Aerys was here, surrounded by his family and Kingsguard, as well as Rickard, Brandon, and Eddard Stark, with Catelyn and who he thought was Ashara.
His family was there too, and seeing how Stannis was dressed with Lysa Tully following her father and uncle, it dawned on him what was happening.
Stannis was getting married to Lysa Tully, and with what Robert knew of the events in Riverrun, such as Petyr Baelish challenging Brandon Stark to a duel for Catelyn’s hand, it meant this damn woman who had ruined so many lives was marrying Stannis.
And here she was, getting married to Stannis.
Younger brother or not, he wasn’t about to let that bitch marry Mannis.
Through his telescope, Robert noticed another intriguing figure amidst the chaos: Littlefinger himself, observing from the back.
Well, well.
Robert guided his dragons to land in the courtyard. Dressed in his gold and white armor with a helmet that only showed his eyes, they would be hard-pressed to recognize Robert unless he took it off.
“Lord Matthew, you have finally arrived. Once again I greet you in the name of….” While Aerys was rambling, Robert dropped to the ground, landing on his feet with one knee bent.
He passed by the monologuing King of the Seven Kingdoms and approached his mother while slowly taking his helmet off.
As he stopped before her, emotions swirled in his heart, and with one dramatic move, he removed the helmet. Shaking his head, Robert held his arms out. “Mother, I have missed you.”
Cassana Baratheon’s eyes bulged, just like almost everyone else's.
—
Following the reveal, the courtyard had descended into an utter pandemonium. Targaryen and Stark guards had pulled their swords in panic, while Aerys was frozen like a deer in headlights.
That was fun.
The Baratheon guards had done the same, but cooler heads had prevailed, and he didn’t have to feed anyone to the dragon.
So here they were, sitting in the Round Hall, dead silent while Robert hummed a cheery tune.
“How—how is this possible?!” Aerys slammed his fists on the table like a petulant child, and Robert took his time to turn to the fuming king.
“I got bored one day and decided it would be nice to be able to fly and hatched dragons. End of story.” Robert winked as he took a cup of wine to hide his smile.
Taunting the Targaryens was too darn amusing.
“But forget about me; we are here for a more joyous occasion, are we not? My little bro is getting married.” The younger Baratheon brother frowned, and whether being called “bro” or Robert being happy about Stannis’ wedding caused it, he didn’t know.
“Too bad I didn’t know earlier; I would have gotten you a gift.” Then again, this wedding was about to crash faster than the Dothraki numbers back at Essos did.
Lysa was a lesser Catelyn and didn’t seem happy about the wedding. “And Lady Lysa, what a lucky young woman you are to be wedded to a dutiful and considerate man like Stannis. Where others would make your lack of purity an issue and use it against you, Stannis here would not.” Robert praised his brother innocently, as if the knowledge of Lysa’s actions were known to them.
There was a slight widening of eyes from the Tully brothers, and his father looked at Robert, confused. “Her lack of purity? What do you mean?”
“You know, how she got pregnant out of wedlock, and then her father forced her to drink moon tea and abort the child? She nearly died from it, in fact.” Now, Robert was acting confused, brows slightly furrowed, a frown on his face.
“What?! Hoster, is this true?” His father had the Baratheon fury but wasn’t a man easy to anger.
Hoster Tully succeeded at earning it.
“Luckily, your father didn’t let you marry Petyr over there, or you would be missing out big time.” Lysa burst into tears with Robert’s final needling comment and ran out of the hall, confirming his words to the shock of the guests.
“Oh dear, did I say something wrong?” Robert said, acting completely oblivious.
His father, Steffon Baratheon, dressed in splendid gold and black trousers, a tunic, and a cape with the sigil of House Baratheon on it, turned to Hoster Tully with a fury that threatened to fry the trout lord.
“The wedding’s off. You’re going to pay for your duplicity, Lord Tully.” The Lord Paramount of the Trident didn’t even answer before leaving the hall with his brother, Brynden, who was glaring at Robert.
Winking at Blackfish, Robert turned to his next target. “Ned, there you are. How are you doing, ex-bro?” Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Robert knew exactly what to hit Eddard Stark with.
“Ex-bro?”
“Yeah, as in a former brother. Why are you sitting next to Ashara?” His oblivious act was back again.
“She is my wife and the mother of my child.” Eddard watched Robert with suspicious eyes. I
“Really? I thought Ashara would be wed to Brandon since she got pregnant with his child. A daughter, if my dreams are correct. Don’t tell me you two married to cover it up because you fell in love with her.” Robert theorized out loud.
There were several changes in the timeline, but Ned falling in love with Ashara and her getting pregnant from Brandon Stark wasn’t one.
Eddard and Ashara were shocked, and Robert felt a tad guilty for throwing her under the proverbial dragon, but what made it sweet was Brandon turning red like a turnip, looking ready to attack Robert.
Only for the firm hand of his father, Rickard, to push him down into the chair.
Catelyn Tully Stark, wed to Brandon Stark this time as it was promised, looked miserable, gazing at her husband with loathing eyes.
“Damn it. I did it again. It’s all because I flew three days straight with no chance to stretch my body.” Done with the Starks, Robert turned to the Targaryens. “A piece of advice: I don’t recommend flying on a dragon for days on end without proper rest. It’s horrible for the blood circulation.”
A person advising the House of the Dragon on how to ride dragons was irony at its finest.
Aerys had nothing to retort with and changed the subject. “You, how dare you return before your exile ends?”
Robert raised his index and middle fingers. “It did end, two days ago exactly.”
“I do not know how you hatched dragons, boy, but I won’t let this stand.” Aerys threatened, but everyone knew his threats were worthless.
Clicking his tongue, Robert crossed his arms. “Sheesh, first you offer me your only daughter, now you threaten me? Seriously, make up your mind.” He mockingly complained. Objectively, Shaena was beautiful, but she was the product of an incestuous union and a Targaryen.
So there would be no marriage, ever.
“You would have accepted it?” Rhaegar, who was lost in a world of his own, probably wondering how the current situation came to be, asked.
“Not with you threatening me like that.”
“Perhaps my father has been too hasty.” Rhaegar excused his father.
This version of Aerys did not go through Duskendale, but he still wasn’t exactly sane and rational. His son correcting him wasn’t the kind of thing King Aerys II Targaryen would let go.
Robert rubbed his chin, thinking. “I might reconsider it if he apologizes.”
“Apologize?! I am the king.” Aerys’ pride would never let him apologize, and even if he had, he was going to say no again just to mess with them.
Robert shrugged, entirely unconcerned. Not like he was going to marry a Targaryen.
“Well, now that the wedding is off, I would like to go and rest, and I am sure Littlefinger has to work on robbing Gulltown.” Robert winked at Jon, who was glaring daggers at the Lord of Fingers, discreetly, of course.
Well, he got rid of Baelish and Lysa, humiliated House Stark for revenge, and showed up to the Targaryens.
—
“My boy, welcome back.” Cassana pinched his cheeks, unconcerned with the trouble Robert had just caused, just like his grandmother Rhaelle, who was cackling like a gremlin.
“Thanks, Mother.”
Steffon, on the other hand, wasn’t happy.
“I’ll fucking kill Hoster for this insult.” He was growling, and Robert almost felt bad for Hoster Tully.
Almost.
“Let me know when; I’ll help.” Riverrun would be problematic to breach, but not with dragonfire.
“As for you, Robert, you haven't sent a single letter to us for five years and suddenly appear out of nowhere as the Father of Dragons, no less?” The eyes of his family were suddenly locked on him, and Robert grinned.
“Calm down, old man, you’re going to burst a blood vessel. I had to keep my secret, and I thought this would be more fun.” His father scowled, most likely at the old man’s remark, but wasn’t angry.
“Well, at least you have arrived at the perfect time.” Any later, and Stannis would have been bound to Lysa Tully.
Even the thought angered him now.
“Yeah, what’s with Lysa marrying Stannis?” He was surprised Hoster would allow Lysa to marry Stannis, the second son, when he tried to wed her to Jaime Lannister before.
His father looked uncomfortable. “It was a way for us to be tied by blood to the alliance between Houses Targaryen, Stark, Tully, Tyrell, and Lannister.”
“For the next generation.” A logical choice since they didn’t know who the Dragonlord was.
“Indeed. But had I known the truth, I wouldn’t have agreed to it.”
“You’re welcome.”
His grandmother finally had it with the dreary subjects and scolded her son. “Enough with the talks of an alliance, Steffon. Welcome home, grandson.”
Robert got up and hugged her. Seeing how much she enjoyed the humiliation Aerys faced, he had let her. “Thanks, Grandma.”
“Now, spill, how did you hatch dragons?” All of Westeros had been seeking to unearth the secret face behind the helmet of the Dragonlord.
To see it was her eldest grandson? Her father, Aegon V Targaryen, would either be pleased that someone from his line brought the dragons back to the world, even if he did not carry the name Targaryen, or roll in his non-existent grave.
“Through sheer greatness, of course.” Not that Robert didn’t trust them, he just didn’t want to tell them he had to burn a man alive.
“Very well, keep your secrets. How did you know of Lysa Tully, then?” Robert should have had no way of knowing Lysa Tully’s foolish actions.
“Dragon dreams.” That was the excuse he had chosen and the most acceptable one.
The revelation further shocked the family. “Incredible.” His grandmother muttered.
His mother elbowed her husband after the matter of dragon dreams had sunk in. “Steffon, don’t you have something to say to your eldest?”
“Welcome home, Robert.” His father finally greeted him with a hug, and he couldn’t help but tease him.
“Thanks, old man.”
Cassana wasn’t done yet and nudged Steffon with her foot. “And another thing, dear?”
His father groaned.
“What is it?” Something important was going on, and they seemed hesitant to tell him.
Stannis stepped up since the rest weren’t willing to talk. "King Aerys made threats against your life, and Father had to remove you from the line of succession to protect you.”
“I see.” A storm swelled up inside Robert, but his face didn’t give it away. On an intrinsic level, he understood the reason.
Aerys had burned the Warden of the North and strangled his heir, along with several other heirs, including Elbert Arryn in the original timeline.
It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Aerys to kill him.
Not anymore, of course, due to the dragons.
“You are not angry?” His father asked, half expecting his eldest to rage like a storm over the matter.
“It was too much work, anyway.” Robert excused himself. He could always go to the Summer Isles and retire there, enjoying the rest of his life with wine, food, women, and beaches.
