Dragonstone
(One year after Aemon and Rhaenys returned from Myr.)
The lair stank of brimstone, smoke, and dragon flames. Shadows were twisting across the obsidian walls as the molten stone hissed and crackled in the troughs Aemon had carved through the floor. He stood shirtless, sweat was streaking down his back, his hands were working steadily over a vast, glowing slab of rock, at places where the design was completed—he had used spells there and it was cooling into the infamous fused black stone of Valyria.
It wasn't just any sculpture. Aemon was crafting a three-dimensional map of Westeros—each ridge and river, castle and forest, carved into the fused rock with obsessive precision. The lair was hot, the air was thick with magic, but this work could not be done within the castle. For this dragonflame, forcibly taken blood from criminals, and spells of deep focus and precision were required— and he refused to keep Caraxes in the castle. The Blood Wyrm was coiled nearby, protecting him when he can't, as, his focus was on his work, and also providing dragonflame when required.
When finished, the great map would be lifted with pulleys, wheels, and levers and would be transported into the war room. But for now, it remained in the belly of the mountain, where fire, spells and will were shaping the stone.
He doubted he could have accomplished it without his ring. His siblings could make make the map, but not this detailed.
He had forged his ring six months ago, through trial and error method, the ring was a focus—akin to the wands. It wasn't powerful enough for the mightiest of spells, not yet, but it granted him finesse, endurance, and reach which he didn't have before. He no longer needed to stand beside Caraxes to perform the spells he saw and learned from his dreams. His control over Valyrian spells had reached on whole another level, surpassing even his siblings in delicacy and duration for which he can perform Valyrian spells.
The process of creating his ring, was mostly like Valyrian steel. But for the ring he had to use his own blood—even for tempering the ring, instead of forcibly taking blood from criminals in the dungeons.
Footsteps started echoing down the tunnel. He didn't look up as Caraxes would deal with anyone other than his siblings and Dragonkeepers. His siblings entered the lair.
"You're still at it?" Visenya asked, arching an eyebrow as she took in the half-finished masterpiece. "You could have let the masons handle it. Aegon already gave the order."
Aemon's voice was calm, almost detached, as he cooled another castle into place. "Can they forge fused black stone, sister? Can they bind shape and scale into the rock itself? No. And they're needed elsewhere. They're building shelters for the freed slaves, teaching them their art, and laying better port. When we will land, all of them will be needed to build our city."
Aegon inclined his head in agreement. "You're right. But there's news from the Riverlands."
Aemon didn't pause in his work. "What has that bastard Harren done now? Don't tell me that some riverlords have rebelled again. I doubt it. Their strength was gutted in the last purge. Many of the the noble lines are gone now—replaced by Ironborn lickspittles who owe Harren everything. Many Riverlords were wise enough to stay out of Blackwood's folly—they survived."
Rhaenys crossed her arms, and spoke. "Can you blame the Blackwoods? Harren sent men to cut down the weirwood in their godswood. They still follow the Old Gods."
That made Aemon pause, just briefly. The river he was shaping turned jagged before he corrected it. "When you put it like that... I can understand."
Visenya's tone sharpened at the memory. "Do you remember the magical surge last week?"
Aemon didn't pause in his work but still scoffed. "Of course I do. I was trying to forge the first glass candle since the Doom. It blasted apart the moment I began. I was injured and all the ingredient went to waste."
Aegon stepped forward, and told his brother. "That surge had a cause. Harren wanted more weirwood. As there is no weirwood tree left in the Riverlands anymore... so he attacked the Isle of Faces."
Aemon froze. The molten stone hissed and hissed under his grip, and for a heartbeat, the spell almost slipped.
"He did what?" he said, his eyes were still fixed on the work, but his voice showed his shock.
Rhaenys spoke. "Syranna gave this report. We checked with the glass candles too. The mist is gone—we could see the entire Isle through glass candles clearly for the first time. Harren breached through the mist somehow, he reached the island, and slaughtered the green men. Now the Ironborn are chopping down the weirwoods."
Visenya added, "Though he paid a price for this attack. He took with him seven thousand men—out of those only six thousand returned."
Still, Aemon didn't look up, but his voice had dropped to a lower, more dangerous level, as he remembered what had happened when he went there. "When I visited them, the green men gave me an audience. They told me to leave immediately and never return. I merely asked for a branch of weirwood tree. They said I was unworthy, whatever that means. I didn't test them. I was unfamiliar with their magic. But I felt that If I had pressed, then they would have attacked me with the poisonous weapons they had, and could've cursed me too."
Aegon nodded. "You were wise to leave. But at least now we'll have the control of that land. There would be no strange island near our capital that doesn't answer to us."
Aemon thought about it and smiled. "When you put it like that... it played in our favor. Still, we should check for curses or lingering enchantments after our conquest of Riverlands—just to be on the safe side."
"We will," Aegon promised. "But first—finish the table. We need to see the government structure you have created. The architects have finished the capital city's layout. Visenya and Rhaenys have decided to name the capital Nyraxos. The invasion of the Riverlands will begin in six months."
Aemon grimaced at the reminder of that duty. Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys had foisted the task on him, saying that it was his suggestion to change the conquest plan. So, he would have to work more on it like them. His siblings were working on the city structure with the architects, the laws for their kingdom, army and navy. He was more than capable to complete the task given to him, of course. But it was dry, tedious work. He cared for war, for magic—not parchments and fucking procedures.
His siblings laughed when they crouched to see the expression on his face.
"It was your idea to change the conquest plans," Aegon said sweetly—a tone Aemon didn't like at all.
Aemon didn't look up, as he had done since they had arrived. The molten stream under his hands smoothed once more. "It doesn't mean that I have to like it. Give me a couple more hours. After that, we will talk about it."
Rhaenys smiled. "If it's only a few hours, I'll stay."
Visenya exchanged a glance with Aegon, then nodded. "We've nothing else pressing. We'll stay too."
For a while, silence returned—save the crackle of flame and the hum of magic.
Then Aemon broke it.
"There was a rumor," he said slowly, eyes still on the map, "that the green men were the ones who had woven the protective spells around the Neck as well. That the mists there were their doing. Have you checked it?"
Aegon's eyes drifted from the map to Aemon, and spoke. "The Neck?"
"Yes," Aemon said. "The mists around the Isle vanished when the green men died. If the mists there is magical and their spells caused it… then the mists in the Neck are gone too."
Aegon's eyes narrowed in thought. "We weren't planning to attack the North through the Neck, but… if the mists are gone, that region will become more manageable."
Aegon glanced toward Visenya. "We'll check. Once we're in the war room, we'll verify it through the glass candles."
"Good," Aemon said simply, and started shaping the Eyrie after the mountains of the Vale were finished.
________________________________________________________________________
Scrolls and parchments were spread across the long table, inkpots were clustered around the seated Aemon, his eyes scanning diagrams and lists with a focus that made even Visenya pause before speaking. Visenya, Rhaenys, and Aegon had arrived to see for what Aemon calls "a presentation of our empire's spine."
"Everything you're about to see," Aemon said, tapping the stack beside him, "will be the structure of our government—not some pathetic feudal patchwork of lords pretending to serve us. This is a system that will outlast us."
He waved them forward, and the siblings gathered around the table, eyes scanning titles like Naval Affairs, Justice, and Welfare. It didn't look like the internal structure of anything Westeros had ever known.
Aemon began. "Our government will be divided into twenty-three departments. Each one will have a head, with a clear purpose, and each one will be reporting directly to us through regular written records. No more relying on the whims of lords or the gossip of courtiers. We will rule through this system."
He picked up a parchment. "Let's start."
1. Department of Finance
"It will monitor our treasury, allocate funds to all the departments, and manage payments—salaries, pensions, logistical costs, all of it. Every coin that will move will be tracked by it. Every member of this department will be vetted and will be monitored regularly to reduce corruption. When the money flows correctly, everything else has a chance to work.
2. Department of Naval Affairs
"This department will oversee both our military and trade fleets. Ship maintenance, crew salaries, new ship construction, trade routes, port infrastructure, naval drills—it will all fall under their purview. The merchant fleets, though privately owned, will be regulated and licensed through this office. They will also be responsible for clearing of pirates."
3. Department of Magisters
"This is how we'll insert ourselves into every lord's domain. Westeros will be divided into districts—usually aligning with major lordships, but if the area is too vast then we will split them into further district. A Magister will oversee each district, they will be tasked with tax collection, giving nobles their portion of taxes and ours to us, administration, and local governance. We'll make it look like we're helping the lords manage their land, but in truth, the Magisters will swear loyalty only to us."
Visenya raised a brow. "How will we justify it?."
"Nobles don't need to know our intentions in the beginning," Aemon answered calmly. "In the beginning, we will sell it as assistance. After the conquest of each kingdom they will be thoroughly broken. Their focus will be on rebuilding and they will welcome any help. They'll get their cut, of course. But the Magisters will be ours. Each district will also have Sheriffs and Deputies to enforce our laws. They will also be removed from their office if charges of corruption are proven by our intelligence wing."
4. Department of Sheriffs
"This is the arm of enforcement within the districts. Every Sheriff and their Deputies will be trained, equipped by this department. They will enforce our laws, not the whims of local lords but the laws we will make. And they will work closely with the Department of Justice."
5. Department of Justice
"This is the legal arm. Every district will have a District court, which will handle common disputes and crimes. Then there will be High Courts for more complex or serious cases. Judges for the courts will be selected through exams. Only the most critical or sensitive cases will come before the Dragon Council. Laws will be drafted, reviewed, and amended through this department at Dragon Council's directive."
6. Department of War
"This department will be headed by Grand-Strategos which is currently Orys. He'll oversee all the military affairs—all the land forces, naval commanders, strategic deployments, fortification planning, everything except our special unit who answers to and commanded by Dragon Council. This department will work closely with Naval Affairs and Intelligence."
7. Department of Intelligence
Aemon genuinely smiled. "This one is mine."He held up two parchments, marked MI5 and MI6. "I've taken inspiration of names from some… fictional sources I recall."
Rhaenys raised an amused brow. "Let me guess—James Bond again?"
Aemon kept smiling. "Yes. Why not? MI5 will handle internal matters—sabotaging the nobles and religious figures, investigating treason and corruption, dealing with bureaucratic rot, spying on nobles, assassinations, blackmail, neutering spies of others, spying on all the other departments, etc. MI6 will handle foreign powers—spies, sabotage, assassinations, blackmail, spying on our ambassadors and envoys also, etc. The usual in both the wings you know. We will have both public investigations and clandestine operations. Even inside our own structure, much of it will be compartmentalized. Others will only know what they need to know. Both MI5 and MI6 will communicate with each other. And they will provide information to other security forces."
8. Department of Security
"They will be responsible solely for the safety of House Targaryen—our homes, our family members, the events we go to, the events we organize. They will work closely with the Department of Intelligence."
9. Department of Veteran Affairs
"Any soldier who will retire after twenty years of service, they will be taken care of by this department. Their pensions, housing, medical care, free education for their children. The usual. It will be kept separate from Department of War, it will give them too much power otherwise."
10. Department of Commerce
"This department will organize, expand, and maintain our trade networks—both over the land and through the sea. Once the Riverlands are under our control, we'll open up trade routes to Yi Ti and all the coastal Free Cities, Slaver's Bay, Qarth, Asshai. We have to make sure to get near monopoly in as may places as possible, before these Westerosi lords and ladies get the same idea. They will work closely with Department of Foreign Affairs to make it possible. In the beginning we may have to visit those places."
11. Department of Healthcare
"This department will manage Temples of Healing—which will be controlled by us to a large extent. They will be run by skilled healers, funded by us. This isn't just about health. Septs across Westeros take a large part in healing the smallfolk. It will help in decreasing their power. And anyone who receives their salary and pension from us, will receive free heathcare."
12. Department of Education
"This department will handle Temples of Learning. We have already prepared the civil servants for Riverlands. Temples of Learning will help in preparing the next civil servants. They will also have specialized departments like Medicine, Engineering, Law, Arcane studies, Economics, etc. It will develop slowly over the years. Obviously most students will come from wealthy backgrounds. But children of everyone who receives their salary and pension from us, will get free education. Free education will also be given to orphans and street urchins."
He looked up. "We will have absolute loyalty of these orphans and street urchins, as, they will owe everything to us. They will then be sent to bureaucracy, army, navy or become our spies."
13. Department of Banking
"This department will be responsible of managing our bank. Of course, Lysene Bankers that we have brought will help create the Bank."
14. Department of Foreign Affairs
"This department will be responsible in maintaining our ambassadors and envoys in Essos. They will work closely with Department of Commerce."
15. Department of Labour
"This department will be responsible for providing and managing all the workers needed for our projects—temples of learning, temples of healing, roads, buildings, monuments, furnaces, shipyards, etc."
16. Department of Housing
"This department will manage the Housing in Nyraxos and for retired soldiers. Maintaining prices and rent at a reasonable rate, and also building new houses when it will be necessary. Of course, people will not get the houses for free but rather as a loan from us, which will in turn ensure that the entire below the middle-class population of our city will be in debt to us for the roof that they have over their heads. While those in the middle and upper class will be in debt to our Bank. So, in a way they will also be in debt to us."
17. Department of Maintenance
"This department will be responsible for maintaining everything we will build—temples of healing, temples of learning, roads, sewers, streets, etc. The nobles will also pay for upkeep in their own lands."
18. Department of Welfare
"This department will be responsible for managing orphanages, community kitchens, winter grain stores—all under our name, of course. After the conquest of Westeros is over we will use some thread bare excuse to pass a law which will forbid the nobles from doing independent charity. If they wish to donate, they will do so through this department. Their names will be announced publicly but it will be processed through us."
19. Department of Agriculture
"This department will be responsible for taking care of agriculture in our Empire. Farms, irrigation, livestock—all of it will be developed more. If there is poor yield, they'll be responsible to find out why and fix it, if it is in their control. They will make sure what is needed by the farmers. They will be responsible of trying out and testing new and more efficient methods for farming and cattle breeding. They will also deal with farm and cattle disputes that might occur with the help of Department of Justice."
20. Department of Nature
"This department will making sure our rivers are clean and punishing those who will try to poison it with the help of Department of Justice and Department of Sheriffs. They will take care of our forests. Lots of trees will be cut in future and if we will not grow more and maintain the remaining, then it will decrease the size of our forest and that will create whole another set of problems."
21. Department of Communication
"I don't want us to be dependent on those fucking grey rats in any way. This department will oversee ravenry, courier networks, signaling posts, and ship-based message routes. They'll make sure that nothing is ever delayed—be it in war or peace. If any noble wants to use this department then they can, of course they have to pay for it."
22. Department of Care of the Topless Tower
"This department will be responsible of taking care of all of our homes. Dragonstone, our residence in our capital, and any other future palaces. They will manage stewards, servants, supplies."
23. Department of City Security
"This department will be responsible of street patrols, investigations, riot suppression, organized crime crackdowns, catch those who are breaking law and then punish them with the help of Department of Justice. This department will keep the city quiet and functional."
Aemon leaned back finally, rubbing his eyes. "All these departments will answer to the Dragon Council. Each one of them will submit reports. We will review them daily or weekly or monthly based on the priority, and later through appointed capable overseers once the system is stable. For overseers, priority will be given to the members of House Targaryen. We will teach our descendants how to manage our empire."
Rhaenys crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Many of these departments will need to work together. Would it not be better to make them leaner?"
Aemon shook his head. "It will increase their power. That'll be dangerous for us. We want them to be interdependent, so that they can check one another. If you divide their functions, none can grow too powerful alone. And we will stay on top of all of them."
He smirked faintly. "Besides, the Qohorik workers Aegon and Visenya brought have been able to create working paper mills powered by waterwheels. These waterwheel-powered press will let us produce papers like never before. We'll build these mills along with waterwheel-powered blast furnace smithies on the Blackwater Rush where the river is fast. With proper record keeping, this system will work smoothly. Of course this will take years to set up."
He looked at them all then, quiet for a long moment. "Anyone can enter this system, provided that they pass the exams. It will be a meritocratic system. Noble or peasant, it doesn't matter."
Aegon said "Then lets talk in detail about each department. Start with Department of Magisters."
It ended up being a very long day and by the end of it, all of them were mentally exhausted.
________________________________________________________________________
"The Targaryen conquest of Westeros did not merely unite the Seven Kingdoms—it unmade the old ailing world and reforged it in fire and blood."
When a person speaks of the Conquest, it is often the dragons that first come to mind: Vhagar, Balerion, Meraxes and Caraxes scorching fields, destroying armies, shattering keeps, surviving lords kneeling in ash, and proud kings reduced to cinders. But the true legacy of the Conquest lies not in fire and blood, but in its aftermath.
The transformation that followed the Targaryen's victories was slow, deliberate, and all-encompassing. It changed everything—governance, customs, culture, land, language, and even blood.
In the early years, many lords—especially those of the Riverlands—believed themselves to have been liberated. The inefficient (in case of Rivierlands tyrannical) rule of kings and regional rivalries had left deep scars afterall. To all those who were weary of endless cycle of war, the Targaryen's arrival felt like salvation. Members of Department of Justice arrived with new laws. Members of Department of Welfare even arrived with food to feed the hungry in some places. Generous loans were given. Dragon Council always spoke of peace within their empire, and the dragons circled above—merely watching.
But that sense of relief was a carefully played illusion.
After Riverlands, one by one, the kingdoms fell, and in their place rose something new. Each conquered kingdom was left not just subdued but fundamentally weakened. Its armies were shattered, its noble lines were thinned or wiped out, its economy was disrupted, and its great castles were hollowed. And in that void Dragon Council and its government used to step in.
The Dragon Council did not ruled through fire and blood alone. Their changes were quiet, bureaucratic, and always cloaked in mercy and sweet words. Titles were confirmed but in reality they were quietly diluted. Regional laws were replaced by the constitution written by the Dragon Council. Tax laws were changed. Courts were established. Old customs of a kingdom was "harmonized" with those of the other conquered kingdoms. And where once the authority of a Lord was unquestioned in his domain, now he found himself needing writs signed in Nyraxos, permissions granted by unfamiliar names, taxes were collected by the officials, and their share was given to them by the officials whose allegiance was only to the Dragon Council.
Even the population changed. It is a little-discussed fact that tens of thousands of Essosi slaves were purchased before and during the conquest each year, and also in the years following the Conquest. They were freed by Targaryens and they were resettled across Westeros. Most were of Valyrian descent. As years passed, they blended into Westerosi society, but their presence altered the very bloodlines of the realm. In time, whole villages spoke Common Tongue and some Valyrian dialect, and in many places preferring some Valyrian dialect over Common Tongue, and many worshipped Gods of Valyria that were unfamiliar to old Westerosi ears.
It took few years before the nobles realized the cost they had paid. But by then, it was too late. Their power had been hollowed from within. Dragon Council's presence was everywhere.
And when, decades later, the four Conquerors were all dead—Visenya, Aegon, Rhaenys and Aemon—the High Septon raised his voice in rebellion, calling upon the Faith and the faithful to cast off the dragon yoke. The smallfolk were urged to rise. Some lords, who were still nursing old wounds and dreaming of the days when they had ruled without interference, answered the call.
They all expected a civil war. What they received was a slaughter.
The rebellion was crushed with brutal efficiency. The dragons burned the Starry Sept and few other septs too. To this day the ruins of what once used to be the Starry Sept (Holiest place in the Faith of the Seven) is still there, later on a new sept was build right next to it. The Dragon Legions, swept through the rebellious territories with neither mercy nor hesitation. Whatever spark of resistance that was left in Westeros, was drowned in blood and ash.
-Excerpt from "The Conquest of Westeros and Stepstone" by Historion Valena Qoherys.