Eighty and one years. That was how long it had been since he had left everything behind to live in his self-imposed solitude. And now, he could feel the end coming. Though his body remained hale and hearty due to the liberal usage of magic, his mind was weary. Above all else, he sought peace, peace for his mind and soul.

A soft purr came from his lifelong companion who nudged himself closer. If there was one thing that he regretted, it was knowing that his death would also herald the death of his soul mate. I am ready, are you? the question came softly from his companion, to which he sighed.

Yes, I believe I am. As he closed his eyes, he whispered a spell which encased him and his partner in a tomb of imperishable crystal, even as he surrendered his life-force. His last thoughts before he closed his eyes were for his half-brother, and a small smile came upon his face.

I wish you all the luck in this world, Eragon and Saphira. My journey finally ends, and with this thought, Murtagh, son of Morzan, General and champion of the Broddring Empire, closed his eyes at last. A second later, Thorn, his dragon companion followed suit.

In another world, at the same time, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Daughter of King Viserys Targaryen, also known as the 'Realm's Delight', gave birth to her first son by her husband, Laenor Velaryon.

As he heard the news, finally, King Viserys let out a sigh of relief. Now that his beloved eldest daughter had given birth to an heir, he could declare the child as the heir-apparent. He was not completely ignorant of what Otto Hightower was up to in the Reach, but then again, the man was acting in the interests of his own daughter and his grandchildren.

He could not move openly against Otto and upset his wife, but what he could do, was set a precedent that none could argue against.

He would not let the greed of capricious vassals undo the golden era that House Targaryen had brought to Westeros.

Too late, he had realized that the small council had become a battlefield for the various groups which had formulated themselves around his wife and his daughter's factions.

As he looked at his vassals who were squabbling like fishmongers in flea bottom, Viserys thought of his grandfather, Jaeherys the wise, and how he had settled the issue of his succession. Firmly making up his mind, he stood up and spoke sternly, "Enough! I will have order in this chamber. You are lords of the land, act like it!"

Chastened and embarrassed, the members of the small council settled down.

"Lord Jasper," the King asked his master of laws, who looked surprised at being called to point.

"Yes, your grace?" the man asked, wondering what the king was up to, when the King spoke out.

"Is it not the law of the land, that the eldest born son shall inherit the lands and titles of his father, even if he is not the eldest born child? A son shall always inherit over and above his sister. That was the precedent set by my grandfather, Jaeherys the wise, was it not?"

"Indeed, it was, your grace," Lord Wylde mentioned with a hint of uncertainty in his tone, while the King nodded.

"Indeed, then what if the eldest child of a king is female, and has a male issue? Then by the laws of Primogeniture, should not the son of the eldest daughter seeing that he is born in the eldest line, inherit everything, before the King considers his eldest son. In this case, does not the grandson born of his first child become the heir, in precedence even above his first-born son?"

There was a shocked silence in the room, as all the members in Alicent Hightower's faction in the council took deep breaths. Lord Lyman Beesbury on the other hand looked delighted.

"Well ... Your grace, I ...," Jasper Wylde stammered not knowing how to respond. He knew the answer, as did everybody in the room, but to admit it openly would end the efforts of their faction even before they could make a move.

"Indeed, what my honored grandfather did, he did at the time under tremendous pressure, but even he did not account for all the problems that it would create. I fully agree that the throne must pass to a male child, but Primogeniture too must be respected. While the female issue cannot inherit, to deprive all of her issue for eternity from their birthright just because their mother was born a woman is not right as well, do you all agree?" Viserys asked to which the members of the council seemed rather apprehensive.

"Your grace, the great council called by King Jaeherys set forth an iron precedent, that on matters of succession: the Iron Throne could not pass to a woman, or to a male descendant of a woman," Jasper Wylde protested, to which his supporters mutely nodded in agreement.

"Precedent, precedent ..., it seems that no one thought of the consequences of kin strife that this would engender! Has it not occurred to you that the children of the female issue could rebel feeling that they have been rightfully robbed of what is their birthright? How easy would be it for an ambitious vassal to whisper poison into their ears just so that they can use them as a means to advance themselves? With the number of Dragons House Targaryen currently has, the ensuing civil war would see a dozen field of fires and the number of the dead could be in the untold hundreds of thousands! No ... this will not do ... My grandfather started this ... but he did not fully realize the consequences of this action ... I fear that I must complete his work and set another precedent ...," Viserys spoke out loud, acting as if he was deep in thought, but in sidelines he was watching the response of all the members in the council for their reactions.

Of all of them, only Grand Maester Runciter seemed worried and shocked about the possibility of a civil war and the catastrophe it could portend. None of the other lords seemed to care or worry about the consequences. There would unfortunately be a civil war, he knew it with absolute certainty at that moment. Otto Hightower had invested too much in this to let it go just like that. He also realized that the hold of the Southern houses had grown too strong in the court. The court needed to be re-balanced. At the very least, he needed to lay down a strong claim for Rhaenyra to fall back on so that she would have the support she needed when Otto and his faction would rebel after his death.

"Grand Maester!" he ordered, to which Runciter looked at him in surprise.

"Yes, your grace," the old man asked even as the King seemed to come to a decision and nodded to the old man.

"Send out a decree to all houses signed under my name," the King ordered, at which all the members of the small council reacted in shock.

"Let it be known, that I, Viserys Targaryen, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, do hereby declare this. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, first-born son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, herself first-born of I, Viserys Targaryen, is hereby declared Heir-Apparent to the Iron Throne. As the first-born son of my first-born child, observing the laws of primogeniture, and realizing that I cannot leave the throne to a woman, I hereby declare my grandson as the new Prince of Dragonstone. So, let it be written, so let it be done!"

"Your grace! I must protest! You cannot do this! This is against the laws!" Jasper Wylde shrilly proclaimed as he stood up, with his eyes wild in panic, and his heart hammering with tension. What he had just heard knelt a death-blow to the Greens. This could not be allowed to happen.

Viserys was taken aback at the man's vehemence. Shock at being so crassly interrupted soon turned to anger; anger which then turned into rage. A mere Master of Laws, his own servant dared to tell him what he could and could not do! HOW DARE HE!

"Are you ordering me, Lord Wylde?" Viserys asked with a growl in his tone, at which the Master of Laws blanched at seeing how badly he had overstepped himself.

"You ... a mere servant, who serves at my pleasure; dares to tell me what I can and cannot do with regards to my own family! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU WORTHLESS PISSANT! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO I AM! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHERE YOU STAND!" Viserys roared in anger, as all the frustration he had felt in the last few years found an unfortunate outlet in a fool who had vastly overplayed his hand. It also made it painfully clear to him that Otto Hightower had too much influence in the small council. It needed to be cut down, now. If not, after his death, Rhaenyra and her siblings would go to war. There was too much bad blood in the air already. This needed to be dealt with. And if a worthless bootlicker had to be made an example of, then so be it.

Jasper Wylde had gone completely pale and was shivering in terror, knowing that he had pushed his luck too far.

"Forgive me, Your Grace! I only spoke with the wellbeing of the realm in my mind! Forgive me!" Wylde knelt down on the ground with his head hanging down, even as he pitifully begged for mercy; mercy which he would not receive.

"Trying to countermand the King's decree, more so when it pertains to the Royal Succession is treason, Jasper Wylde, and treason will not be left unpunished!" Viserys growled.

"Ser Harrold!" the King turned to the commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Harrold Westerling, "By my authority, I hereby strip Jason Wylde of his position in the small council. For his attempt to block a decree from the King which pertains to the Royal succession, which is treason, I hereby sentence him to death! Take him to the Dragonpit!" he ordered, at which the members of the small council shivered in fear at seeing their jovial monarch in such a terrible mood.

Jasper Wylde gave a shriek of terror and tried to beg for mercy which was left unheeded. At the signal of the Lord Commander, two members of the Kingsguard came in, and dragged the now former Master of Laws out of the Small council chambers.

"Let me make this clear to everyone of you, once and for all," Viserys growled at the remaining members of the council who stood rooted in their chairs in fear. "The council exists only to advise the King, not to make decisions for the King or to make them in his name! That authority is mine and mine alone! Do you all understand?" he looked at each of the members who were suddenly looking intently at either the floor beneath their feet's or at the windows in the chamber, but certainly not at him.

"AM I CLEAR? OR DO YOU ALL NEED A TRIP TO THE DRAGONPIT AS WELL?" Viserys roared in anger, at which the dam burst immediately.

"Yes, Your Grace!"

"Of course, Your Grace!"

"Your word is law, My King!"

"I am your humble servant and obey, Sire!"

"Grand Maester!" Viserys barked, at which Runciter again looked at the King and nodded, "Is there anything more, your Grace?"

"Along with my decree, let it be known that House Wylde is hereby attainted and deprived of their titles and holdings by my order, due to the treason of Lord Jasper. All his sons are to take the black, and his daughters are to be sent to the faith. Inform Lord Baratheon that this is my will, and tell him to find a capable vassal for that seat and to send his recommendations to me," Viserys ordered, at which there was a soft hiss of apprehension amongst the remaining members of the Small Council.

"Is that all, Your Grace?" Runciter asked, even as he realized that what had happened today in the council would go down in history as the day that the fate of Westeros would be changed, perhaps forever.

"Yes, along with the decree of my heir-apparent, let it be known that I am calling for another Great Council, this time, to be held at Kings Landing in four months. All Lords Paramount, and all their vassals are to attend. And attendance is mandatory. Any Lord who dithers shall have his house suffer the same fate as House Wylde. And finally, send for my brother, Daemon. It seems I am in the need for a new Master of Laws. This council is ended." Viserys finished and stood up to leave accompanied by the Lord Commander, even as he left a thoroughly terrified and shaken Small council behind.

Author's note: Well, before I start on the sequel for Dorne's Great Heaven, I want to take a break from that world, and set up another. The Dance of the Dragons was always a great place to make a story, and I just could not drop this idea.

Along with 'The Demon Prince', these two stories will have all my future attention.