The bells of King's Landing sounded more than triumph. For Aryan—Viserys redeemed, now crowned beneath the dragon banners—they signaled the birth of a precarious peace. The Iron Throne was his by right of conquest, his by the roar of dragons, his by the hearts—hopeful, or cautious—of a city awakening from terror.
But Aryan knew that victory won in the Red Keep's halls was only the beginning. Everywhere, the wounds of war gaped open. The true work would not be forging a crown, but holding it. Dragons perched on the towers, visible symbols of power and threat—but also a target for every schemer, every old enemy, every restless claimant lurking beyond the horizon.
Reforging the Realm
Aryan's first act was not to sit the throne, but to address the city. On the steps of the Great Sept, Daenerys at his right, Lady Olenna and Ser Willem among his council, Aryan spoke before lords, knights, and smallfolk:
"We come not as conquerors, but as healers. There will be justice for all houses, bread for every child, and a voice at court for those long unheard. No house shall burn. No child shall suffer for the sins of kings, lions, or dragons."
The crowd's response was uncertain—some cheered, many only watched. But Aryan pressed on: pardons for wavering bannermen, food shipments for starving districts, the promise of no sack or retribution, not even against former foes who bent the knee. The dragons themselves became the city's protectors—kept visible, but carefully controlled, Aryan and Daenerys each commanding one, the third often seen atop the Red Keep's highest tower.
Council and Reform
The new king's small council blended old and new: Lady Olenna quipped and guided with her sharp tongue; Daenerys became Master of Justice, her dragon ensuring order without terror. Ser Willem represented Westerosi loyalty. Missandei, freed and learned, advised on matters from Essos. Even a careful selection of former Tyrell, Lannister, and Riverlands vassals appeared—some out of fear, others out of hope for a stake in the future.
Aryan pushed urgent reforms:
Bread and clean water for the poorest districts, funded by Reach granaries and new taxes on shipping.
The Goldcloaks purged of the most corrupt, with Unsullied policing the city alongside trusted locals.
Amnesty for rebel lords and promises of representation—if they swore oaths to the new dynasty.
He banned the old practice of hostage-taking as insurance, instead requiring each house to send their heir to be educated alongside Daenerys and Aryan's closest circle in the capital—a clever mix of hostage and indoctrination, but framed as unity, not threat.
Dangers Unfurl
No king rules unchallenged. News from the North arrived with the cold winds: Lord Eddard Stark demanded proof that the new Targaryen reign would not repeat the Madness. In the West, Tytos Blackwood stirred old feuds; from Dorne came wary silence.
Most dangerous of all, rumors whispered of ships in the Narrow Sea—ironborn sails, perhaps, or plots from Lys and Volantis seeking to bribe Aryan's agents or turn the Unsullied.
Aryan took council with Daenerys one night as the dragons slumbered above the city. "We can rule with the sword, Dany, but that path ends in more rebellion. The realm must see us as hope—not just as fire. We need to win the stubborn hearts, not just the cowed."
She smiled, fierce and certain. "Then let us begin with Stark—invite his council. Let the North see your mercy for themselves. Let the children of every house learn beside us, not fear us."
Aryan nodded. Together, they would forge a dynasty not of dread, but of destiny.
The Dragon's Dream
At a moonlit feast, with every eye on the new king and his dragons, Aryan let Verdantyr circle the throne room, not in menace, but as reminder: this was a new era, born not only of conquest, but of miracle. The people cheered not just the crown, but the hope that, for the first time in a generation, peace could be forged from the ashes.
Yet in the shadows, spies watched. Old enemies plotted. Even allies—some now powerful beyond their dreams—whispered of ambition or revenge. Aryan felt the weight keenly: he had changed the story, but the game could never truly be won, only survived, day by day.
As the dragons roared to the stars and the banners of Houses Tyrell, Stark, Tully, Martell, and even the battered Lannisters flew—now loyal, now cautious, but present—King Aryan of House Targaryen gripped his new life with both hands.
Above him, fire danced. Within him, hope and memory merged—and history, at last, belonged to the dragon reborn.
End of Chapter 24