Game Of Thrones: A Modern Soul’s Journey in Westeros (ASOIF)

Illyrio glanced around, looked surprised by my lack of reaction. "I think you'll want to know more. Come, follow me to my apartments."

I followed, keeping a fair distance behind to a massive bedchamber with a bed that looked the size of an entire room. 

Illyrio went to a heavy oak desk and pulled out a locket on a silver chain. "There she is, your mother."

I took the locket and opened it up. Inside was a beautiful woman with wavy pale-golden hair streaked with silver. Her eyes looked blue, but from my own they must have looked closer to purple when she was alive. 

"So it isn't Elia Martell, princess of Dorne. My mother's a Blackfyre then." I didn't know how to feel about that. 

I wasn't emotionally connected to either of my parents who weren't really my parents. I'd even prepped myself beforehand so I wouldn't cause a reaction and lose control.

"Aye. A beautiful creature," he took the locket from my hand almost tenderly and stared at the portrait. 

"I found her in a Lysene pillow house where I brought her home. I'm going to be honest with you, son. There was a lot of prestige in having the last Blackfyre."

"Last one? What happened to the others? Why was she in a pillow house?" I had always been curious about that. 

Though the way he was saying it made it less of a story of love, as he claimed in the books, and more of a story of procession.

"The War of the Ninepenny kings," Illyrio said, staring. "Tyrosh had always been the Blackfyre city, where the black dragons held their court and families. Daemon was supported there, not Maelys, so when the Monstrous killed his kinsman, Tyrosh closed their support and doors to him."

"In retribution, Maelys sacked it. Since Daemon the Black Dragon died in Westeros, Blackfyre support in the city wavered slowly, more so when Prince Valarr Targaryen married into a rival Tyroshi family."

"Tyrosh was sacked by Maelys and the Golden Company before Alequo Adarys was put in charge as a tyrant. At that point, any remaining support for the Blackfyres vanished. Serra was a child and sold into slavery. That was her story."

I took a deep breath and bit my lip, trying to think of a response. It was a fun little history lesson that would explain the fall of the Blackfyre Pretenders. 

"So you brought her and decided to sleep with her. What, as a prize?" My voice steadily grew despite myself.

"Initially," he allowed, leaning against the large desk. His cheeks were red. "I grew to love her, then we married. It closed the doors to the cousin of my first wife, the Prince of Pentos. I lost influence, but I didn't care. She was more than enough," he finished, stroking the locket down the side almost tenderly.

I looked down and when my 'father' tried to put a large hand on me, I backed away. "Then what happened? Why isn't she here now?" I knew the answer, but Illyrio wouldn't know I know. "What happened to my mother?"

"Dead. A Braavosi trading galley called the Treasure stopped in Pentos and brought with it the Grey Plague. The garrison killed the crew and burned the boat and all her contents…"

"…But that only allowed the rats to come ashore and they brought the plague with them. Two thousand died, my Serra among them. I still have her hands with me. I say you won't want to see them."

He was truthful. But why would you keep her hands? I didn't feel sad, but I felt an ache in my belly. Was it wrong that I regretted searching for answers? That I'll rather live in ignorance? "So I'm a Blackfyre or half of one. So what now?"

"I expected you to know, Aegon. You probed me for answers and I gave you them."

"I did," I admit, averting his gaze. What do I do now? Do I confess to Jon Connington or do I continue the plan and deceive him? 

'Sometimes a sweet lie is better than a harsh truth.' But what if he found out later that I knew all along? Could I lie to a man who lost everything and lived for what was a lie? 

"It seemed so good to say it then, but now all I feel is confusion." I'm sure that if I didn't know all I did, it would have come as a shock. 

'Would Aegon have cried? Would he have shouted? Would he attack Illyrio or just not care? Would he sulk or go into shock at finding his whole life's a lie?'

 "I was told I was a Targaryen, but find out I'm a Blackfyre."

"The true dragon."

"A false dragon." I looked up at him, my father, the man who planned the destruction of Westeros to place me on the throne. 

The man who helped Varys destroy the Targaryens, to put another dynasty in charge only to destroy that. I would have come in as a false saviour to stitch the ruins of bleeding Westeros. I would sit as king and the kingdom would bow to a lie. 

I could almost laugh. It was a brilliant idea, beautiful in a way. The plan would fail though. Daenerys Targaryen would ruin it because she has destiny and dragons on her side. 

"But what now, father? What will happen to me and the others?"

Illyrio's face tightened, his eyes staring. "The plan can still happen. You continue as Prince Aegon Targaryen. It will happen, where you will sit the throne, disguised as a red dragon. Your mother's dying wish was for you to sit the Iron Throne as is your birthright."

"The spawn of Daeron are falseborn, born outside the marriage bed by an adulterous queen. You are the rightful ruler of Westeros. Legitimised by King Aegon the Fourth himself. Your forefather gave the Conqueror's own sword."

"Aegon the Unworthy. It's in his very name. Not a good king by any means. He laid the foundation for war that's lasted multiple generations."

"Tis true, but for good reason. You are the rightful ruler of Westeros."