"See look here, watch the way my fingers pluck the strings," Aegon said as he sat next to Penny by the campfire showing her how to play the lute. While she had a basic knowledge of how to play most instruments she didn't have nearly the same amount of skill that Aegon had when he played, she was so happy that Aegon offered to teach a nobody like herself though she was still a little wary. 

Aegon watched her face in mild amusement, it was quite easy to see how in awe of him she was, but she was also quite intimidated as every time he moved his hands too quickly or he shifted his body towards her she'd go stiff or would unconsciously back away. However, despite her clear fear of him, it didn't stop her curiosity which Aegon thought should be rewarded which was why he sat here with her in the midday sun teaching her how to play the lute and revealing a few tips about magic that perhaps one day she'd understand. 

"I see... but my fingers are not long enough to reach all those notes," she said with minor frustration as she tried to emulate what Aegon had just shown her. However Aegon waved off her concern "Your hands are not too small they are the perfect size, it is the instrument that is too big, something which can be changed easily by making one more personalised to you," Aegon replied. 

Penny couldn't help but giggle "There is no need to be so polite my Lord, I am a dwarf I know what my value is," she said playfully but Aegon could detect real pain behind her facade. 

"What value do you think you have," Aegon asked as he looked at her intensely, something which Penny noticed making her shrink back into her chair under his gaze. 

"I-I am a d-dwarf, my only v-value comes from my performances and mummery," she said as her heart started to beat fast, the look Aegon was giving her convinced her that she'd said something to displease him and 'I should've listened to Oppo and father,' she thought to herself in a panic thinking about all the bad things that Aegon was about to subject her to. 

"You're a dwarf?" 

"..."

"Huh?"

"Hey?"

"Stop that!" Penny snapped as she pushed herself down from her chair gesturing to her body as she showed her minuscule height "It is plain to see that I am a dwarf, how many people do you see that are the same height as I am!" She shouted forgetting her fear of Aegon for the moment. 

"I've seen lots of people your height before, I myself used to be the same height as you," Aegon replied with a deadpan expression. 

"I am not a child!" She shouted back throwing her arms down... like a child. 

Aegon leaned forward in his chair which made Penny remember who she was speaking to and back up a bit "You aren't a child, just as you aren't worthless," Aegon said to her softly. 

"Do you think size affects your value in this world?" Aegon asked

"Yes of course it does! I can't defend myself, I can't do the same chores a woman is expected, all the big people either leer at me or they just look at me in disgust!" She shouted which was starting to bring attention to them from passer-by's. The men still remembered how terrifying Aegon was when he took over the Second Sons, some considered knocking the girl out before Aegon took out his displeasure on everyone else. 

Everyone looked with bated breath as Aegon stood from his seat and approached Penny, Oppo who had heard his sister shouting came to see what the commotion was and was terrified to see who she'd been shouting at. He tried to rush forward and help his sister, perhaps offering his life in exchange for hers but he was grabbed by the shoulder by one of the men that was always around Aegon. 

Penny herself was shaking like a leaf when she finally realised she'd gone too far, all she could do was close her eyes and wait for her punishment. And yet it never came, she opened one eye and saw that Aegon was kneeling to eye level with her and he had an amused smile on his face, he reached into his satchel and pulled something out before placing it on her head. 

Aegon nearly burst into laughter when he heard the gasps coming from the crowd, what he had done was place his own mother's crown on Penny's head. Something which she quickly realised as she reached up and felt the beautiful silver crown with large jewels embedded "Now tell me what your value is now that I've placed that crown upon your head?" Aegon asked rhetorically. 

"Do not take any value in people's thoughts about you. You are special," he said to her before coming in closer to her and whispering in her ear. 

"Power is a curious thing, do you see the men around us?" Aegon asked to which Penny nodded. 

"If they all attacked me I'd probably die and yet they stand there scared at what I might do, some of these men are stronger than me or bigger than me and yet they believe I am much greater than they are." He whispered. 

He then leaned back and smiled "Just something for you to think on while I carve you a new lute," he said as he stood up. 

"By the way, I think you're beautiful," he said causing Penny to blush heavily, she was so lost in her thoughts that she forgot to give back the crown that he'd put on her head. But when she went to follow him he'd already disappeared. 

Oppo was finally released and he ran over to Penny, the crowd started to move on and continue going about their business while the brother embraced his sister "Penny are you okay? Did he do anything?" Oppo asked with worry. 

However, Penny was still slightly dazed at her interaction with Aegon as she felt a tightness in her chest.

"I'm fine..."

———————————————————

Aegon whistled as he walked through the camp with his hands behind his head, it was pretty fun teasing Penny but he did have to get a little serious at the end of their conversation. Aegon believed that no one was worthless and anyone was capable of great things, though he would admit not everyone could travel on the same paths to greatness. 

"Aegon!" 

Aegon smiled as he put his hands down and turned around "How can I assist my beautiful sister on this fine day," he said with the most charming smile he could muster. 

Lyarra just scowled at him "You've been avoiding me, I won't let you get out of our sparring sessions!" She said loudly as she threw a sparring sword at Aegon which he deftly caught. 

Aegon rolled his eyes as he sighed 'Damn battle maniac, I should've just told Arthur to train her,' he thought to himself, though he must admit their daily sparring sessions had done well in increasing his skill. 

"Fine I'll do it let's-"

Before he could even finish his sentence Lyarra attacked him with her sword, the sound of metal ringing out reverberated through the air as Aegon blocked an overhead blow from Lyarra. The wild girl tried to overpower Aegon as she pushed her sword down, and while the girl was strong she wasn't as strong as Aegon, she quickly realised this so she slid back before spinning and slamming her foot into Aegon's stomach making him stumble back. 

Lyarra growled once again as she lunged at Aegon with another overhead strike though this time he simply stepped out of the way before bringing up his sword and diagonally slashing at Lyarra, she ducked underneath the swing before trying to kick Aegon's feet out from underneath him. Aegon jumped over her legs before pushing back and avoiding a horizontal slash from Lyarra "You fight well, your style is unorthodox, it seems to be a mix of different styles combined with raw aggression and acrobatics," Aegon noted as he avoided and parried a flurry of strikes from her as well as catching a punch aimed at his face. 

Lyarra pulled her hand out of his grasp before stepping back, she then switched to a two-handed stance and with a yell she swung her sword at Aegon's ribs. Aegon threw his sword from his right to his left hand before blocking her blow, with his free hand he grabbed Lyarra by the the throat and dragged her close before throwing her over his hip and slamming her to the ground. 

Lyarra flinched when Aegon stabbed the ground next to her head with his sword, she rolled across the ground before standing up and getting in a low stance "You have a lot of potential but you're wasting it," Aegon told her as he went on the offensive. He delivered a series of rapid powered swings, though despite how weak they were they were incredibly fast "Part of fighting is recognising what style to use against your opponent at any given time, your stance is low and will focus on slow powerful swings and thrusts, so I barely even need to make an effort," Aegon said with a grin as he saw Lyarra struggled to block and deflect his blows let alone try and counter-attack. 

Seeing her disadvantage she switched to her water dancing style and started having an easier time reflecting the blow and even countered sending a few thrusts aimed at his chest in rapid succession. Aegon pivoted around the thrusts before switching to a two-handed style and swinging his sword at Lyarra who tried to block but due to her loose grip, her sword was thrown out of her hand. 

Holding his sword against her throat he smirked at her "Yield?" He asked. 

Lyarra scowled "Yield." She replied before shoving the sword away. 

"You're actually worse than when we first fought, your anger is getting the better of you," Aegon stated as he stabbed his sword into the ground. 

Lyarra ignored him and walked over to her sword before picking it up and heading back to her tent, Aegon skipped up next to her which only served to piss her off even more "You're wasting your potential trying to fight in a way not suited to you," Aegon told her. 

"And how should I be fighting!" She growled out as she looked at him. 

"You're small and slender, and while you do have muscle you're not built for strength," Aegon explained. 

"Focus on speed and parrying and calm down your anger as it makes you reckless, if you do this you'll find yourself improving," he continued. 

Lyarra felt her blood boil at Aegon's words but in the end, she just sighed and let it go, he was right she had been getting worse in her sparring sessions with him. She had always tried to master all the styles she learned so it hurt to hear that she wasn't suited to fighting with strength but if she wanted to be the best she would accept Aegon's advice. 

Before Lyarra walked into her tent she turned around and looked at Aegon "Thank you... brother," she said before turning around and walking into the tent.

Aegon smiled as he watched her leave "I knew she'd warm up to me," he said to himself. 

"Fuck off!" He heard her shout from inside the tent. 

Aegon laughed before turning around and walking towards his own tent which wasn't too far away from Lyarra's. Pushing the cloth flap away he walked inside to see Melisandre standing by a large brazier in the middle of the tent "Is it still the same?" Aegon asked as he walked inside and out of his satchel on the ground. 

For a moment Melisandre didn't answer, her gaze was on the flames unblinking and unmoving but eventually, she seemed to snap out of her meditative state "Nothing has changed," Melisandre said in a grim voice. 

"Perhaps we should alter our course of action Aegon... I do not wish to see you hurt..." she said in a low voice as she crossed the room towards him and put her hand on his chest.  

Aegon smiled and rubbed the top of her head, he did find it quite humours that he was comforting someone over twenty times older than he was "Let me have a look and see," Aegon said as he moved past her. In the corner of the tent was a man who was tied up tightly with a gag in his mouth, Aegon approached him before drawing his dagger and making the man scream in terror. 

"Don't be a baby it's only a little blood," Aegon said as he sliced the wiggling man's arm drenching his dagger in blood. Walking over to the brazier Aegon flicked the blood into the flames making them dance a bit higher than before, while he was capable of looking into the flames without the blood the visions would be much clearer if he had a catalyst and well... there was power in blood especially Valyrian blood no matter how diluted. 

Focusing on the flames he was starting to see the same scene that he'd been seeing during their weeks of travel, the plan goes well to start and then it all ends in death, it's not clear who dies whether it is himself or his men or the enemies, Melisandre believes that this was a warning from the Lord of Light to change on their current path. But while Aegon believed in the gods he never much put his trust in them "Besides Targaryens do not answer to gods nor men,"  he said to himself. 

"We continue with the plan, the city of sorcerers is too tempting a target to not take now that we have the means," Aegon said bluntly as he looked away from the fire his eyes now bloodshot. 

"Do we have the means, my Prince?" Melisandre asked as she pressed her body against him from behind, her large breasts pressing against his back. 

"Five hundred men will work, just make sure you get the worshipers of R'hllor to help us," Aegon said in an uncharacteristically stern voice. 

"Yes my Prince," she said obediently. 

———————————————————-

After a few more weeks of travel, they finally arrived within just a few dozen miles of Qohor, they had gone to the point of no return as their supplies were dangerously low and they wouldn't make it anywhere else in time. 

Aegon stood around the table with his commanders and people that would be essential to the plan "I'm sure you're all quite desperate to learn about my genius plan, well now is the time for you to know." Aegon said to the group that sat around the table. 

Arthur, Barristan, Lyarra and Melissandre all sat at the table as well as a few of the Second Son's commanders. Daenerys and Viserys were not present as Viserys was still nonverbal and needed someone to take care of him which Daenerys was more than happy to do...

Arthur leaned back in his seat waiting to hear this ridiculous plan that Aegon had cooked up, though he did have to give the young Prince credit that his stupid plans usually ended up working. Barristan saw this as more of an opportunity to grasp the boy's talent in commanding men as it would be a vital skill for the king to have once they tried to reclaim the throne. 

"We will be splitting our forces in half more or less, I'll be taking cavalry and fifty additional men where we will build siege equipment and start a siege against Qohor," he said bluntly. 

"Absolute madness!"

"We'd lose all our men!"

You can be serious!"

"Silence!" Aegon shouted and the room fell quiet immediately, the commanders each clenched the arms of their chairs as Aegon's shadow seemingly sprang to life behind him and grew in size darkening the room. 

Arthur who was not scared in the least simply leaned forward "I assume there is more to the plan than this?" He asked. 

Aegon grinned at him as his shadow shrunk back to normal size "Of course, I wouldn't be much of a genius if the plan ended there." He replied before drawing everyone's attention to the map. 

"We will siege from the east where the forest of Qohor lies, it'll give us good cover and be essential to the later part of the plan." He explained. 

"Our goal is not to siege Qohor, but to draw out a majority of the unsullied forces, once we get them out of Qohor they'll follow us into the forest where we will hold them off," he continued. 

"Until what," Arthur asked. 

"Until you take control of Qohor," Aegon said much to the shock of those at the table. 

"Once the unsullied are out of the city you will take the rest of the 400 down through the siege tunnels, they were hard to find but thanks to the combined efforts of Melisandre and the other red priests in the city they managed to secure the location," Aegon stated, it was at this point that the commanders around the table started to lean forward in their chairs waiting for what Aegon would say next. While it was true his plan still sounded mad and could go wrong very easily it was sounding more and more viable the more Aegon spoke. 

"What will happen once Arthur takes control of the city, the unsullied will still be there and be a threat," Barristan chimed in. 

Aegon shook his head with a grin "He who holds the whip holds the power," he said ambiguously though Arthur and Barristan both understood what he meant. 

"We only need to kill the masters and the Unsullied army will not only not be a threat but they will in fact bolster our ranks," Aegon explained. 

"You'd have a slave army under your command..." Lyarra said with slight disgust in her voice, she had been raised her entire life to believe slavery was wrong and had even seen her uncle behead men who involved themselves in it. 

"While it may be a bit distasteful, they are not just any slave army Lyarra, they are THE slave army," Arthur said in defence of Aegon. 

"They are bred to be the perfect soldiers, all they know is how to fight and listen to commands," he continued. 

However Aegon held his hand up "If it bothers you Lyarra then I shall give them their freedom and let them choose if they wish to fight for me," he said to her much to the murmurs of those around the table. 

Lyarra herself was shocked most of all as she had not expected Aegon to relent to her wishes "However, should they choose to fight against me then I shall kill every single one of them with no exception..." he said in a serious tone than sent a shiver down her spine. 

*Clap*

Aegon clapped his hands together getting rid of the grim atmosphere "I will be giving everyone their assignments soon, make sure all the jobs are done I don't want any mistakes otherwise we all might die," he said in a light tone. 

"Who is going to lead the siege?" Arthur asked. 

"Me of course," Aegon replied. 

"No, you're not," Arthur said in a serious tone. 

"Pfft, I am," Aegon said sticking his tongue out at the man. 

"Aegon be serious, you'll be in the most danger, let me or Barristan take charge," Arthur asked 

"No, I will be the one to coordinate the assault, you and Barristan will be needed inside the city," Aegon stated. 

"But-"

"Enough Arthur... those are your King's orders." He said with a tone of finality. 

"Yes your Grace," Arthur simply said backing down. 

Aegon nodded before walking out of the tent with Melisandre close on his heels. 

"He is absolutely mad," Lyarra said. 

"Just a little bit," Arthur replied.