[THIRD PERSON’S POV]
The diligent servants of Princess Rhaena carefully guided the massive retinue that had followed the grand royal progress.
While the countless guards and noble guests were being led to their respective guest rooms within the sprawling castle, King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne entrusted the safety of their young children to Ser Gyles Morrigen and the loyal servants they had been traveling with.
“Sister, it is truly great to see you looking so content and much happier,” Queen Alysanne said softly to Princess Rhaena.
The remaining servants had completely disappeared down the stone corridors, and Princess Rhaena was now personally leading the royal couple through the quiet halls toward her own private solar.
“Thank you, my Queen. I have indeed found great contentment with my current situation. I have been thriving lately, focusing all my energy on carving out a much brighter future for my son when he finally grows up,” Princess Rhaena answered with a warm, genuine smile.
Meanwhile, King Jaehaerys just remained completely silent as he walked beside them.
He simply listened to his wife and his older sister conversing with surprising ease.
Seeing exactly how easily Rhaena talked with Alysanne was a tremendous shock to the king.
Alysanne was someone that Rhaena historically held a deep resentment toward, and they had always shared a notoriously bad relationship.
Jaehaerys felt a little bit relieved by this peaceful situation.
He genuinely began to believe that he could finally have a proper, mature adult conversation with Rhaena today, rather than enduring another violent screaming match like the one that had erupted the last time they had met with each other.
After walking together for a few more minutes, the three Targaryens finally arrived inside the private solar of Rhaena.
Here, Jaehaerys immediately saw exactly how incredibly busy Rhaena had been lately.
Great stacks upon stacks of thick parchments and heavy leather books were scattered across the room.
Looking closely among them, Jaehaerys actually recognized several of the heavy tomes.
They were the exact same books that he had diligently read when he was still learning how to become a proper king and discovering the best ways to successfully handle the vast territory of the realm.
When the three royals finally sat down at the large wooden table where Rhaena usually conducted meetings with her trusted servants regarding the affairs of her lands, King Jaehaerys immediately made himself the leader of the conversation.
“Why did you not tell me about massive news like this yourself?” King Jaehaerys demanded.
“If you had simply asked for my royal leave regarding remarrying, I would have granted it to you without any hesitation whatsoever. Even if we are estranged from each other, you are still my elder sister, and we are still family. I am still the head of our house. That is the basic respect that you should have given me, perhaps not even as your king, but simply as the head of the household you belong to. And to learn that you had given birth from a raven sent by a common maester, rather than hearing it from you yourself, is the specific thing that made my anger peak the most. A true member of House Targaryen, a child having the blood of the dragon, being born entirely without my knowledge. Do you have any idea what kind of weak image this projects to the lords of the realm?” This story is hosted at novelping.com.
Jaehaerys went on to boldly express his lingering anger and his deep frustrations.
He honestly did not know why he was being so open.
He was usually not as direct and emotionally vulnerable as he was today, but something strange in the air made him feel comfortable enough to do so.
“Jaehaerys, I honestly did not think you would be this brutally honest with me,” Rhaena said with a slightly amused tone.
Her casual dismissal should have absolutely angered Jaehaerys even further, but strangely, it did not.
Jaehaerys simply maintained a perfectly calm expression, feeling a profound sense of relief that came right after he had finally let out all his pent-up frustration.
“Allow me to sincerely apologize for that secretive situation,” Rhaena suddenly continued, her voice softening.
“At that specific time, my deep bitterness over the endless tragedies that I had experienced throughout my entire life still held lingering, toxic effects over my own personality. I did not want to inform you of my personal decision due to this stubborn pride, because submitting to your permission made me feel as though I had absolutely no control over my own life.”
Her words completely surprised both Jaehaerys and Alysanne.
Neither of them had ever expected their notoriously proud eldest sister to apologize to them so openly and immediately.
“Motherhood really has allowed you to finally move on from the past, has it not?” Alysanne said softly to Rhaena.
“Back then, when I foolishly suggested that you wed someone once again and have another child, I had not yet experienced the agonizing pain of losing a child of my own. But now, thinking of what I would not give just to take back my sweet Daenerys, I realize I could not even begin to imagine what you had gone through back then. Losing your lovers and your children, suffering the bitter betrayals and the sheer loss you had felt. Allow me to apologize to you once again, sister.”
Alysanne spoke with tears in her eyes as she saw the genuine happiness and profound peace resting upon the expression of Rhaena.
Even Jaehaerys noticed this glowing serenity as well.
“What exactly made you decide to take another husband anyway, sister? Do you remember when I suggested it that last time? You had fiercely warned me that you would eat your new husband yourself, exactly as you fed your last husband to Dreamfyre,” Queen Alysanne then reminisced regarding that dark memory, as it was still quite fresh in her mind.
“I truly do not even know what came over me myself,” Rhaena confessed quietly.
“I would readily admit that Lord Towers was a great friend of mine. We had shared our fair share of miserable experiences, being mostly left entirely alone in this ruined castle. But I had never once considered him to be a romantic partner, and I strongly think he would have said the exact same thing about me. But one strange day, I woke up with a singular thought burning in my mind. I walked to him and asked if he wanted his noble line to continue. Those were words that I never knew I would ever utter. But when he eagerly agreed, we quickly wed in the ruined sept here in Harrenhal.” Get faster updates on g.com.
Rhaena took a deep breath before continuing her tale.
“It was a very small wedding that was only attended by the local Septon, myself, Lord Towers, and the resident maester to put the union into the official records.
Right after that, we went to the marriage bed.
The entire ordeal did not even last for more than two minutes.
After that brief moment, we never touched each other ever again.
We had not even shared the same room after that night.
I still stayed in the Tower of Widows, as they call it now, and he remained secluded in the Tower of Dread.
After a single week passed, he tragically died from his long illness.
Two moons later, I was officially confirmed to be with child.
It is the strangest thing in the world.
It truly felt as if a higher divine being was directly intervening to perfectly ensure that Aelor was born.
And now, here we all are.”
Rhaena finished recounting the bizarre tale of what had happened during that mysterious period.
The atmosphere in the room was incredibly light.
It was exactly as if the King, the Queen, and the Dowager Queen were just gossiping like ordinary people.
All of their deep anger issues and historical grievances were seemingly buried and completely forgotten among them without even requiring much discussion.
The pervasive magical aura of the castle made it feel as if they had suddenly returned back to their innocent youth, back to a time where things were much simpler, and they were just happily listening to the grand stories that their grandfather would tell them by the fire.
BUT FOR THOSE, I’LL JUST SAY, SCREW YOU, I LIKE HAVING MONEY, AND I WOULDN’T EXACTLY PUSH IT; IT’S JUST FOR THOSE THAT ARE ENJOYING STORIES SO MUCH THAT THEY DECIDED TO SUPPORT ME!