Chapter 211: Regardless of Politics

Rhaenyra’s expression told me she had reached the conclusion some time before I had.

That irritated me more than it should have.

I poured another measure of wine and settled into the chair opposite her, while the reports concerning House Rogare remained scattered across the table between us. We had spent weeks gathering information from merchants, bankers, royal agents, captains, and anyone else who knew enough about Lys to provide something more useful than gossip.

Lysaro’s death had altered the succession, Drazenko’s campaign against the rival magisters had changed the family’s immediate position, and Fredo Rogare now appeared likely to inherit a bank whose future I could no longer predict with any confidence.

For all that effort, none of those reports answered the question that had slowly become more important than the politics surrounding it. Aerion cared deeply for Larra, and she appeared to feel the same.

"You have been waiting for me to say it," I told Rhaenyra.

She rested her cup against the arm of her chair. "I have been waiting for you to stop treating the matter as though Aerion intends to marry the Rogare Bank. The bank matters, obviously, but it stopped being the centre of this decision some time ago."

"It was the centre of Lysandro’s proposal. He did not send Larra across the Narrow Sea because he believed Aerion might enjoy her company."

"No, but that is not why Aerion wants to marry her now. He liked her before Lysaro died, and he continued liking her after her family became considerably less convenient politically. If anything, the trouble in Lys has shown us more about their relationship than another month of pleasant suppers ever could."

I could not argue with that. When Larra first arrived, Aerion had been immediately taken with her. That alone meant very little. She was beautiful, foreign, close to his age, and had entered the Red Keep carrying a proposal that placed him at the centre of her attention. Any fifteen-year-old boy with functioning eyes might have reacted much the same way.

What followed was different. Aerion remained Aerion. He still rode Tyraxes more aggressively than I liked, still lost patience during long discussions, and still possessed the unfortunate habit of speaking before deciding whether a thought improved by leaving his mouth. Larra had not transformed him into some carefully mannered imitation of a prince.

She had simply become someone whose opinion mattered to him.

That distinction had become obvious after their argument over dragonriding. Aerion had dismissed her concern by comparing his risks with the violence unfolding in Lys, which had been tactless even by his standards. Larra refused to speak to him for much of the afternoon, and instead of waiting for her anger to disappear, Aerion found her before supper and apologised without being ordered.

I had been told that part by Rhaegar. For Aerion, it was practically a declaration of devotion.

"He apologised to her," I said.

Rhaenyra’s mouth twitched. "I know. Larra told Aemma, Aemma told me, and I spent several moments wondering whether we should summon a maester to make certain Aerion had not struck his head."

"He did it without anyone telling him."

"That was the alarming part."

I smiled despite myself before looking back towards the reports. "The political concerns have not disappeared simply because they are fond of each other. Lysandro is dying, Drazenko is fighting half a private war in Lys, and we have very little idea what Fredo will be like if he inherits. House Rogare could look entirely different within two years."

Rhaenyra nodded, although she did not look troubled by the argument. "All of that is true, but none of it tells me that Larra herself would become a poor wife. We can protect Aerion from Rogare debts and prevent the crown from being dragged into every dispute in Lys. What we cannot do is guarantee that any family we marry into will remain powerful forever."

"That is precisely the problem. If the bank collapses, the alliance loses much of what originally made it attractive."

"Then perhaps we should ask ourselves whether we are choosing an alliance or a wife for our son."

I looked towards her. Rhaenyra continued in the same calm tone. "If Aerion wanted Larra because her father offered gold, banking connections, and influence in Lys, then I would agree that the uncertainty surrounding House Rogare should decide the matter. He does not. He wants her because he has spent several months living beside her and has discovered that he would rather continue doing so."

"He is fifteen."

"So is she, and neither is asking us to send them to a sept tomorrow morning. A betrothal gives them time. It does not require us to pretend they are thirty before we allow them to know what they feel."

That was fair. We had allowed Jace and Sara time to understand one another before their wedding, even though political necessity pushed us towards a decision sooner than I would have preferred. Luke and Rhaena had been promised since childhood, yet Rhaenyra and I still asked them whether they actually wanted that marriage once they were old enough to answer for themselves.

We had made a point of telling our younger children that they would not simply be traded away because some lord possessed the right castle or army. If I now refused Aerion because Larra’s family might become poorer, those promises would sound rather hollow.

"I spoke with Rhaegar," I said. "He believes refusing the match would hurt Aerion badly. I expected him to defend his twin, but he was more serious about it than I anticipated."

Rhaenyra looked unsurprised. "Rhaegar knows him better than either of us in some ways. They have shared nearly every stage of their lives, and Aerion cannot hide much from him for long. If Rhaegar believes this is more than infatuation, I would give that judgement considerable weight."

"So would I."

I remembered the conversation clearly. Rhaegar had not claimed his twin was ready to write poetry or swear some eternal love after a handful of months. He had simply pointed out the changes that were harder to dismiss. When ravens came from Lys, Aerion asked first whether Larra’s family remained safe. When she worried over her father, he remained beside her even when she had no desire to speak. When she became angry with him, he cared enough to repair the damage rather than waiting for her to surrender.

Those were small things. Marriage was mostly made from small things.

The histories I remembered had rarely treated it that way. They reduced marriages to alliances, dowries, children, inheritances, and political consequences. A prince married one woman because her father possessed an army, another because her blood strengthened a claim, and a third because some council decided two families needed binding together.

Living inside a marriage had ruined that simplicity for me.

Rhaenyra and I had never been free of politics. Our marriage had influenced the succession, altered alliances, created enemies, and produced children upon whom half the realm eventually placed its hopes. Yet none of that explained why I still wanted her beside me when there was no council to impress and no court watching.

I was in danger of judging Aerion by a standard I would have resented myself.

"What worries you about Larra?" I asked.

Rhaenyra thought for several moments before answering. "Not Larra herself. I worry about what comes with her. She would be leaving her home permanently, especially if the fighting in Lys continues. If House Rogare loses power, she may have brothers, sisters, cousins, or retainers looking towards her for protection. If Drazenko wins too completely, people in Lys may decide a marriage to Aerion means the Iron Throne supports everything House Rogare does. Our son could find himself pressured from both sides before he is old enough to recognise what is happening."

"All of which can be addressed in the marriage agreement."

"Some of it can. I want explicit language that the crown assumes no obligation to intervene in Rogare disputes merely because Larra marries Aerion. Her dowry should be transferred in forms that remain hers regardless of what happens to the bank, and any property attached to her should be protected from future Rogare creditors."

"That was Lyman’s recommendation as well."

"Then for once the Master of Coin and I agree without requiring an argument."

I leaned back and considered the matter. Those protections were sensible. They would not remove every danger, but royal marriages never came without danger. A daughter of a great Westerosi house might bring an ambitious father, troublesome brothers, territorial claims, or generations of inherited feuds. Larra’s complications simply arrived across the Narrow Sea rather than from another kingdom.

There was one question that mattered more than any clause Vaeron could draft.

"What if Larra does not want it anymore?" I asked. "Her father sent her here expecting a political marriage, but that was before Lysaro died and before she spent months living with us. We should not assume that remaining close to Aerion means she wants to stay in Westeros forever."

Rhaenyra agreed immediately. "Then we ask her without Aerion present. I do not want our son’s feelings becoming pressure upon her, and I do not want her answering according to what she thinks her father expects. If she says no, the matter ends regardless of what Aerion wants."

"He will be miserable."

"He will survive being miserable. That is preferable to marrying a woman who accepted because she felt trapped."

There was nothing to debate there. I looked again at the Rogare reports and realised how little desire I had to keep reading them. Another merchant could tell me that Drazenko had taken another warehouse. Another banker could explain that Fredo was cautious. Another agent could provide three contradictory estimates of Lysandro’s remaining health.

None of it would answer the question any better.

"I think we should allow the marriage," I said. "We protect the crown from Rogare debts, refuse any military obligation in Lys, and make certain Larra’s own position is secure regardless of what happens to the bank. Beyond that, if Aerion still wants her and she wants him, I do not think House Rogare’s possible decline is enough reason to separate them."

Rhaenyra watched me for a moment before a small smile appeared. "I agree. I have agreed for some time, but I wanted you to reach the conclusion without feeling that I had pushed you into it."

"That is remarkably considerate of you."

"I can be considerate when properly motivated."

"You hid the fact that Aerion had already asked you about the match simply to see how long it took him to ask me."

"That was unrelated."

I laughed and finished my wine.

The following afternoon, Larra joined us in Rhaenyra’s private solar. She entered expecting another discussion about Lys. I could tell because her attention immediately moved towards the table in search of letters, and when she found none, uncertainty replaced the tension she had carried for the past month.

Rhaenyra invited her to sit. "We wanted to speak with you about the proposal your father sent with you when you first arrived. Much has changed since then, both here and in Lys, and before we decide anything formally, we need to know whether your wishes have changed as well."

Larra became very still. She looked first at Rhaenyra and then at me. "You mean Aerion."

"Yes," I said. "Your father proposed that you marry either Aerion or Rhaegar because he believed the match would benefit House Rogare. Rhaegar has made it clear that he does not see you that way, while Aerion’s feelings have become equally clear in the opposite direction. What we do not know is whether you would choose the marriage now if nobody in Lys were expecting it from you."

For several moments she said nothing. When she finally answered, her voice was quieter than usual but entirely steady. "When Father sent me here, I was prepared to marry whichever prince proved acceptable if the match was agreed. I thought that was simply what would happen. I did not expect to know either of them well before someone decided for us."

"And now?" Rhaenyra asked.

Larra smiled slightly. "Now I would choose Aerion even if my father had never written the proposal."

The answer came without hesitation. Rhaenyra relaxed visibly.

I asked, "You understand that marrying him means living here for most of your life. Lys will remain your home in one sense, but your household, children, and duties would be tied to Westeros. If the Rogare Bank weakens or your family loses influence, the marriage would not simply be undone."

"I know. I also know Aerion can be arrogant, impatient, reckless with Tyraxes, and extremely pleased with himself whenever he wins an argument that nobody else realised had begun."

"That sounds like him."

"He also stayed with me after Lysaro died without trying to tell me that everything would somehow become fine. When I worry about Father, he listens even when there is nothing useful he can say. I would rather marry someone imperfect whom I know than some perfect description written by a family I have never met."

That was enough for me. Rhaenyra reached across the table and took her hand. "Then we will proceed with the betrothal. The formal terms still need to be agreed with your father and uncle, and there will be protections concerning your dowry and the crown’s involvement in Lys. None of that changes what we have decided."

Larra looked between us, and the relief in her face removed the last of my doubts. "Thank you."

"You may reconsider before vows are spoken," Rhaenyra added. "So may Aerion. A betrothal is serious, but neither of you will be dragged into a marriage merely because we have reached this point."

"I understand."

After she left, I remained seated for a while.

The politics had not disappeared. House Rogare might rise under Fredo. It might decline despite everything Drazenko accomplished. Lys might settle within weeks or continue producing rivalries for another generation. The bank might remain one of the great financial powers of the Free Cities or become a memory sooner than anyone expected.

None of that was under my control. What I could control was whether I allowed fear of every possible future to decide my son’s life before he had the opportunity to live it. Aerion would marry Larra Rogare. If House Rogare remained wealthy, the alliance would benefit the crown. If House Rogare fell, Larra would still be the woman Aerion had chosen.

For once, I was willing to let that be enough.