RHAENYRA V
120 AC
After putting her sons to rest, Rhaenyra comes back to her bedroom, going to the balcony and sitting on a chair there with a long sigh.
She looks to the night sky, trying to find comfort in the light of the stars above her.
Bad.
Everything went bad.
Laena was a very important person for her in all kinds of meanings.
In a personal manner, Laena always tried to help her whenever possible and was very kind to her children.
On a political approach, she was very crucial to her cause.
Laena was the rider of Vhagar, the biggest and oldest dragon alive.
She was also an extension of the Velaryon power inside of King’s Landing.
She was the only powerful ally Rhaenyra had in the capital besides her father.
And then, in a cruel joke of fate, she was gone.
Taken away from this world too soon, just like Rhaenyra’s mother.
Rhaenyra sighs and strokes her face with her hands to break her line of thought.
And with that, she once again remembers the rest of the day.
The memories of her talk with her uncle at the pyre of Laena.
She grunts in frustration.
Stupid.
Weak.
Why did she say that to Daemon?
Why does she always have to turn in the girl craving for the affection of her precious uncle whenever she is close to him?
And then, suddenly, she hears knocks on the door.
Knocks in a certain pattern that she knows very well.
Rhaenyra takes a deep breath and recomposes herself.
“Enter.” She says in a neutral tone.
The door opens and a man enters the room, quickly closing the door behind him.
The attentive purple eyes of Laenor land on Rhaenyra as he slowly walks towards her.
The years were gentle to Laenor.
He managed to build a respectable figure and a determined attitude and even grow an inch or two since they married.
His golden-silver hair ends in a short braid on his back, similar to the ones made by the Dothraki, as Laenor once explained to her.
“Rhae…
how are you feeling right now?” The husband asks his wife with a gentle tone of voice.
Rhaenyra snorts and looks back to the outside of her window.
“Why are you asking it of me?
You lost a sister today, not me.
You should be by the side of your mother, not me.” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims with a dry tone.
Laenor doesn’t answer; he just walks to her until he is by her side.
Rhaenyra looks at his serious face as her husband sighs.
“You are my wife, Rhae.
It is my duty to be worried about you.” The heir of Driftmark proclaims.
Rhaenyra frowns and then smirks.
“It is quite an ironic thing for you to say.
But you are right.
I am truly blessed to have you by my side.
I just am…
a bit out of place.
A lot of things happened in a short period of time, and I am still trying to get back on my feet.
I am sorry.” The princess says with an honest tone.
Laenor opens a short smile.
The heir of Driftmark takes her hands in his own, slowly stroking his thumbs on the back of her hands as he looks her in the eye.
“I know that things changed quite fast lately, but you need to persevere, Rhae.
You are the heir of the Iron Throne.
You must be ready for any misfortune that the world might throw on you.
You understand that?” The prince consort says with his smooth and low tone of voice.
Rhaenyra sighs and nods, looking at her feet.
“That is easier said than done, Laenor.
But I promise that I will try my best, and, with you by my side, we endure everything, right?” The Princess of Dragonstone asks, opening a large smile as she looks back at him.
Laenor nods to her with a smile before hugging his wife.
Laenor is very precious to Rhaenyra.
Both a loyal vassal and her closest friend.
She can’t properly imagine her world without him anymore.
Sadly, he lacks something very important to her.
Something that made her commit several mistakes.
But nothing of that matters now.
His hug is full of tenderness and care, almost like he thinks that she would break in his arms with little effort.
As Rhaenyra lays her head on his shoulder to enjoy the warmth of his body, she inhales the smell of the sea coming from him, making her laugh a bit.
“Why do Velaryons always have to smell like you just took a bath in the sea?” Rhaenyra jokes as the hug ends.
Laenor laughs.
“Smelling like the sea is a privilege for any sailor, my dear wife.
The smell of our home,” the heir of Driftmark proclaims.
Rhaenyra snorts.
“Well, I don’t care about it, so, for me, you just stink.
Your princess commands you to take a bath, Ser Velaryon.” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims with a jocular tone, pointing to the door.
Laenor smirks.
“My mother enjoys that smell, did you know that?” The heir of Driftmark points out with a short smile.
Rhaenyra snorts.
“Your mother married a man that was literally older than her own father.
She is not an example to be used, husband.” The princess proclaims, crossing her arms and looking away.
The two of them laugh together.
Laenor then walks towards Rhaenyra and holds her face up with one hand.
“I have to solve some things right now.
Then I will get into that bath you so desperately want me to take.
Please, don’t think too much about things right now.
Just rest.
Can you do that for me, Rhae?” The prince consort asks with a sweet tone.
Rhaenyra sighs but nods.
Laenor kisses her forehead and then leaves the room.
Rhaenyra sighs and sits in her bed, looking at the mirror in her room.
She gets up and admires her beautiful figure.
With the first two pregnancies she had, she was losing more and more of her shape as she gained weight.
Gladly, all the fasting and hunger she went through brought her beloved figure back.
No, her figure was even greater than before.
Motherhood made her breasts larger and her hips wider.
Her legs are also more curvy than before.
She is not a pretty girl anymore.
She is an astonishing woman that any man would kill for.
A woman that would get bards singing about her beauty.
A true delight of the realm.
Rhaenyra sighs.
Her achievements with her body are one of the few things that can still bring her out of a miserable line of thought, even if it sounds very arrogant or childish.
But sometimes it is just not enough.
Rhaenyra sighs and fixes her dress in place before leaving her bedroom.
Her eyes look through the dark hallways of the Red Keep that is just barely illuminated by a few candles.
Not even the guards are around because of the feast.
As such, she can just walk around the castle to clear her mind.
Rhaenyra soon finds herself walking through a straight hallway full of immense windows that let the weak light of the moon come inside.
The princess walks through it slowly, closing her eyes to enjoy the only sound she can hear: her own steps echoing all around.
She can see King’s Landing outside.
The huge city founded by her ancestors.
The vision of the city and the light of the moon fill her heart and make a short smile emerge on her face.
She feels embraced by warmth.
And then, when she turns around, she is once again in a darker hallway.
Alone.
Once again.
How much time did she spend trying to solve this feeling?
She can’t answer that question.
Rhaenyra sighs, walking faster.
Getting down the long stairs of the Red Keep.
She arrives at a place well known by her.
The entrance to the gardens.
The Princess of Dragonstone walks through it, looking at all the flowers and plants around.
Everything in place.
Well preserved.
A corner of real beauty and order in a place of political chaos.
Rhaenyra seats in the cold iron chair and sighs once again.
Her father feels the same when he sits on the iron throne?
Does it hurt?
She heard so.
She never dared to sit in the thing.
If it was out of respect towards her father or fear towards such monstrosity, she can’t say.
Rhaenyra never had the audacity that she…
She grunts, looking at the sky.
Always.
He always finds a way to get into her head.
“Too many things in your mind that won’t let you sleep, I suppose?” Rhaenyra suddenly hears a female voice that she knows very well.
She looks around and sees Lady Rhaenys walking towards her, wearing the clothes from the funeral but wearing a black cloak over them.
Probably because of the cold night, something that Rhaenyra will not be able to ignore for much time.
Rhaenyra can easily see the tired eyes of the older Targaryen.
A consequence of all the tears she shedded.
Rhaenys certainly had a horrible day.
The lady of Driftmark sits on the other iron chair, looking at Rhaenyra with a distant expression.
“Yes.
A lot of things.
What brings you here as well, Lady Rhaenys?” The Princess of Dragonstone asks, curious.
Rhaenys frowns.
“Don’t ask a question if you already know the answer, girl.” The lady with dark hair says in a dry tone.
Laena.
Of course.
Rhaenyra sighs.
“I am sorry for your loss, Lady Rhaenys.
She was a wonderful woman.” The Princess of Dragonstone says with an honest tone.
Rhaenys sighs, her expression turning into a sad one.
“She was.” The eldest Targaryen woman alive says in a single breath.
Rhaenyra nods, looking at the night sky once more.
“I think I, Laenor, and the boys should return to King’s Landing definitively.
I don’t trust Otto, and Alicent became more and more distant from me with time.
They are dangerous.
” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims.
Rhaenys snorts.
“And how do you pretend to change things?
Otto Hightower is the Hand of the King and a favorite of your father.
Daemon might not be willing to play along with the father of his wife, but he certainly lost interest in challenging him.
He does not have any opposition.
Laena offered temperance, but nothing else,” the older princess says with a dry tone.
Rhaenyra frowns, looking at the eyes of her godmother.
“And what am I supposed to do, Lady Rhaenys?
I can’t just let things be.
If I want to be queen, I need to take control of the situation instead of rotting in the Narrow Sea.” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims, bothered.
Rhaenys sighs and then looks at Rhaenyra with a firm expression.
“You want to be queen, Rhaenyra?” The older woman asks, surprising the younger Targaryen.
“What?”
“As I feared.
Nobody ever asked if you wanted to be queen, right?” The lady of Driftmark asks, getting slightly softer in her tone.
Rhaenyra thinks for a minute and then sighs, looking at the stars once again.
“No.
Nobody did.”
“Then, do you want to be a queen or not?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because my father named me heir.
He thought I was capable of becoming a good ruler in the future.
I want to prove him right.
I want to be the ruler he wanted me to be.
I don’t want to be the coward that renounced the throne,” the Princess of Dragonstone proclaims.
Rhaenys snorts.
“So, your reason is pride.
Very well, if that is true, then you are open to doing anything to succeed in that objective, right?”
“Correct.”
“Good.
Now, answer me, what kind of man is the most adored in any place?” The older woman asks enigmatically.
Rhaenyra frowns, confused.
She thinks.
“The wise men?
The ones that bring prosperity where they go?” The princess of Dragonstone asks.
Rhaenys laughs a bit, as if Rhaenyra just told her a joke.
“They are adored, for sure.
But only by the people he reigned over.
The maesters don’t like to write about the glories of past rulers.
They like to write about moments of chaos and the men that made their name in them.
These men are the ones that are really adored.
Do you get what I mean, princess?” The older woman asks with a serious tone.
Rhaenyra frowns, getting the answer quite easily.
Conquerors.
Men of martial prowess and ruthless nature.
Men that defeat enemies and conquer lands.” The princess proclaims with a neutral tone.
Rhaenys smiles in satisfaction.
“Exactly.
Men respect power, Rhaenyra.
Or better, they respect what they see as powerful.
And that is the reason why they look down on women ruling.
By the limitations that nature imposes on us, we will never be as imposing a martial figure as a man is.
Not on our own.” The older woman proclaims with a strong tone of voice.
Rhaenyra frowns and snorts.
“I ride a dragon, Lady Rhaenys.
And Syrax is very imposing.” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims with an ironic expression.
Rhaenys snorts back.
“Most nobles of Westeros are not idiots, Rhaenyra.
They know the difference between a woman and her dragon.
Inside the walls of a castle, you are just a woman,” the lady of Driftmark proclaims.
Rhaenyra frowns and then sighs.
“And what am I supposed to do about it?” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims.
Rhaenys looks at her eyes with a serious expression.
“You might think that you are at a disadvantage right now, but that is not completely true.
You are still full of opportunities to explore, if you are brave or foolish enough.”
“Foolish?”
“Yes.
Getting to be known by your power and prowess is a very difficult thing to achieve in times of peace.
Meaningless wars outside of your own realm and dangerous tourneys are the only way around.
The way of the desperate boys that see themselves as having no value and offer their own lives at every battle for a chance of getting some adoration from others.
Just like Daemon.”
Rhaenyra is surprised by the last affirmation.
“Daemon?
What do you mean?”
Rhaenys laughs.
“Your father never told you?
It is not surprising.
He would never mock his little brother that way.
” The older woman proclaims, being quite vague.
Rhaenyra frowns.
“Can you elaborate to me?” The princess asks.
Rhaenys smirks.
“Your beloved uncle was once a boy, you know?
A boy that lost his mother very early in his life and had a father that was always either busy or grieving the death of his beloved sister-wife.
Little Daemon grew, feeling alone and forgotten in his position of second son of a second son.” The older woman proclaims in a distant tone of voice.
Rhaenyra is surprised and confused.
“He didn’t have any guidance?
He certainly had at least a female servant around to act as a mother figure for him, right?” The Princess of Dragonstone asks.
Rhaenys frowns at her.
“You think that a servant could ever take the place of Aemma as your mother?”
“Never.”
“Daemon thought the same.”
“But he still had servants to take care of him, right?”
“He did.
He hated all of them.”
The two women laugh together.
“Now, that is more like him,” Rhaenyra says with a short smirk.
Rhaenys snorts.
“The closest that he got to a mother figure was Grandma Alysanne.
She took him under her wing and raised him alongside Gael.”
“Gael?
The winter child?”
“Exactly.
They were very close in age.”
“Did Queen Alysanne try to arrange a marriage between them, then?
It looks like a pretty good match to me.”
Rhaenys confirms with her head.
“Grandma had it in mind, but things did not work out as planned.
Have you ever heard of the story of your grandmother Daella and Archmaester Vaegon?”
“They were certain to marry each other, but they were too different.”
“Exactly.
The same thing happened with Daemon and Gael.
He was very active and prone to anger.
She was a shy and innocent girl that was too pure for this world.
It was never meant to be.”
“So, his marriage to Rhea Royce was a second plan since marrying him with Gael would not work out?”
“Yes.”
“Daemon was raised by his grandmother.
It could have been worse.”
Rhaenys sighs.
“The problem was raising him alongside Gael.
He often scared my poor aunt, leading her to be always going after her mother, saying that Daemon did something to her or was being mean.” The older woman explains.
Rhaenyra frowns, understanding what comes next.
“And Alysanne preferred to focus more of her attention on her youngest daughter than her grandson, I assume.”
“Yes.
A child is a child, and a grandchild is a grandchild, after all.
She tried her best, for sure, but in the end Daemon thought that even his grandma abandoned him over time.
That was the birth of the Daemon we know today.”
Rhaenyra remains in silence, deciding to just listen to Rhaenys.
“His aggressive nature, his hunger for glory, and the support of his father quickly led him into martial training.
It became his obsession, and he went to use it as a way to liberate his frustrations,” the Lady of Driftmark claims.
Rhaenyra frowns.
“How do you know that?
Did he ever talk about it with you?” The Princess of Dragonstone asks.
Rhaenys snorts.
“Daemon would cut his leg off with a dull knife before telling me any of this.
It is a mere observation.
Duels and jousts made him…
a more stable person, in general.
Most of his violent behavior went to them, and he slowly came out of his shell to become the Rogue Prince.
But, I guess people never really change that much.” The older woman says in a vague tone.
Rhaenyra is curious about it.
“What do you mean by that?” She asks.
Rhaenys sighs.
“Sometimes, I can still see the lonely boy in his eyes.
A boy that can’t properly remember his mother.
A boy that misses his father.
A boy desperate to not be forgotten by history,” the Lady of Driftmark proclaims.
Rhaenyra relaxes on her chair, trying to swallow all the information.
And then, she frowns.
“Why are you telling me all of that, Rhaenys?
What is your point here?” The Princess of Dragonstone asks with a dry tone of voice.
The serious gaze of the older woman makes shivers come down Rhaenyra’s spine.
“I want you to understand that you need to get the respect of the realm by showing your skills as a leader.
Show them that you are a woman worthy of being followed.” The older woman proclaims.
Rhaenyra slowly nods, still doubtful.
She sighs.
“I have my limitations, Lady Rhaenys.
I am not a warrior by any means.
What am I supposed to do?” The Princess of Dragonstone asks.
Rhaenys grunts.
“The Triarchy is working more and more actively recently.
They will come back for a second confrontation against the Iron Throne for the control of the Stepstones.
This is your opportunity, Rhaenyra.
Put yourself in armor and fly with Syrax to these cursed islands.
Make a difference in the war, and you will gain respect,” the older woman says with a lot of belief in her words.
Rhaenyra frowns.
“How would I evade being in Daemon’s shadow?
That is already his war.
” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims.
Rhaenys snorts.
“Daemon has his limitations too.
He is a very skilled warrior and commander, but he is also unstable, impatient, and hates to be challenged.
You need to show virtue where he shows flaws.
You are a gorgeous woman, Rhaenyra.
Use your beauty and charm in your favor.
But how exactly you will do that is something only you will be able to find out.” The lady of Driftmark says, getting up from her seat.
Rhaenyra does the same.
The younger Targaryen opens an educated smile.
“I am very grateful to have someone as capable as you by my side, Princess Rhaenys.
Your experience is more valuable to me than you can possibly imagine.
Thank you.” The Princess of Dragonstone says with a slight bow of respect.
She is taken by surprise when Rhaenys gently pulls her up to a straight position, looking down to her with her penetrating purple eyes and her higher stature.
Her expression is neutral.
Devoid of much emotion.
“A ruler doesn’t bow to his vassals.
Remember that.
Have a good night, princess.” The older woman says, turning around to leave.
“Wait…” Rhaenyra whispers, making the lady of Driftmark stop and look around with a questioning gaze.
Rhaenyra is clearly uncomfortable with something, making Rhaenys confused.
“What is it?
If you want anything, I will help.” The older woman says with pure honesty.
Rhaenyra is unsure if she should say it or not, but she manages to gather courage.
“How did you deal with your…
urges?” The Princess of Dragonstone asks.
Rhaenys frowns, confused.
“Excuse me?” The older woman asks.
Rhaenyra snorts, her face getting warmer with her embarrassment, although Rhaenys would not be able to notice her reddish face in the dark.
“Your…
urges.
When you were younger, how did you deal with them when your husband was away?
I am…
struggling a bit with it.” The Princess of Dragonstone says in a low tone of voice.
Rhaenys looks at her in the eyes for some time before sighing.
“I understand your circumstances, Rhaenyra, but everyone has different amounts of desires.
I hated, with a passion, giving birth.
I stopped my childbearing years after Laenor because I had done my duty with Corlys by giving him a proper and stable male heir.
I was also more chaste than average by nature.
Did you not find a new guard to take the place of Ser Harwin Strong yet?” The lady of Driftmark asks in a dry tone, clearly disliking her own question.
Rhaenyra sighs, getting closer to the mother of her husband.
“Not yet.
It is not an easy choice.
It is a very risky relationship to have around, after all.
If I were able to, I would choose to learn to control myself more,” the Princess of Dragonstone whispers.
Rhaenys snorts, seemingly relaxing.
“It is your nature, Rhaenyra.
It is not something you can change that easily.
My suggestion to you is moon tea and secrecy.
That, or you should find relief within yourself.
It is not elegant or traditional, but it is better than whoring yourself around.
Have you ever tried that?” The older woman suggests it with an almost motherly tone of voice.
Rhaenyra slowly nods.
“I have, but it is not the same.
Lust is not everything either.
I need more than that.
Intimacy.
Affection.
After Harwin went to Harrenhal, I felt lonely.
Abandoned.
Unloved.
I have the need to love and be loved, Lady Rhaenys,” the Princess of Dragonstone says with an almost sad tone of voice.
The gaze of Rhaenys seems to get softer before she sighs.
“Now, I can understand you more.
Listen, Rhaenyra.
I had the luck to marry the man I fell in love with.
Most women, especially noble ones, never get that chance.
What you need to do is forget yourself as a woman and see yourself as a mother.
End your romantic needs and raise your motherly duties.” The older woman says with a more gentle tone than usual.
Rhaenyra looks at the sky, pessimistic.
“That is much easier said than done, Lady Rhaenys.
” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims.
Rhaenys nods.
“It certainly is, but you need to take the reins of your life back in your own hands.
Besides, I know that Laenor will never be the ideal man for you, but I am certain that he cares for you a lot.
Maybe you can find some immaculate love.” The older Targaryen says with a smooth tone.
Rhaenyra smiles. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“Laenor is a lovely man for sure.
Besides our main problem, I am very lucky to have him by my side.
I will think a lot about your advice, Lady Rhaenys.
It is an honor for me to have a more experienced woman that I can talk to.
I am very grateful.
“The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims, being totally sincere.
Rhaenys nods and almost smiles, but her gaze is still intense on Rhaenyra.
“I just want you to try your best, Rhaenyra.
Nothing else.
Have a good night.” The older woman says before turning around and leaving.
As Rhaenyra watches the older woman leave, she sighs in relief and smiles.
That was a conversation that she desperately needed to have with someone.
She feels much lighter now.
But it still doesn’t solve her problems alone.
The Princess of Dragonstone walks back into the castle.
Her steps echo through the Red Keep as she walks further into the hallways.
Ah, the hallways.
The same old hallways that she has known her entire life.
Her vague memories of running from her grandfather, Prince Baelon the Brave.
Her memories of walking around with her father and mother.
So many happy memories.
And then, as always, he crawls back in her mind.
Rhaenyra stops in the middle of the stairs, looking down at them.
She can remember very well when she was very young and had a big fear of walking in the stairs, falling, and rolling all the way down.
Uncle Daemon would laugh at her silliness and carry her on his shoulders.
She would grab his hair and act like he was a dragon that she was riding.
Her heart hurts with the memory.
A sharp pain, like a very thin needle crossing her heart.
Walking up, Rhaenyra finds herself in more hallways and more memories.
How much of her youth did she spend around her uncle?
Not a lot, in reality.
He was always moving around.
But he was always so…
remarkable.
At any moment he showed up in front of her, he would always give her gifts and compliments.
Her uncle always had a talent to turn even the worst days into a bright one.
As she grew older, she started craving more and more of his attention.
And, with age, she would not be an innocent girl for long.
She still remembers when things changed.
When she viewed him, he had changed.
Daemon was training in the area of the Dragonpit when she came around to see Syrax.
He was sweaty and wearing only white and simple clothes.
His vest was partially open to relieve him from the heat, showing some of his tonified chest in the protest.
It was the first time she ever went red upon seeing a man.
And when he smiled at her right after, it was the first time her heart started beating faster for a man.
And everything changed.
From craving his attention, she started craving his contact.
She wanted him to hold her hand.
She wanted him to dance with her.
She wanted him to fly with her.
She wanted him to stroke her hair.
She wanted him to whisper in her ear.
She wanted him to touch her skin.
She wanted him to embrace her in his arms.
She wanted him to fulfill the promises that he made.
She wanted him.
She really wanted him.
She never got him.
She tried to substitute him.
She failed.
Rhaenyra takes a deep breath to recompose herself.
It is over.
It has been for years.
All the promises that Daemon made to her became just words in the wind.
Expectations of a girl that dreamed of true love.
Expectations too big to be forgotten.
But the broken heart of the girl still hurts the woman.
Rhaenyra sighs and makes her way to her bedroom, but, in the middle of her walking, she hears a scream and loud steps going around.
Something happened.
She quickly runs in the direction of the sounds and now the voices, nervous about what actually happened.
The Princess of Dragonstone arrives at a hallway where several guards and even Kingsguards gather around something.
“What is happening here?” The princess asks in a severe tone.
The guards move for her to see.
Rhaenyra’s eyes go wide as she moves her hand to her face.
The first one of the children that she looks at is Aemond.
The boy has a reddish face full of tears while he holds his bleeding right eye.
Or rather, what remains of it.
The cut made by a sharp knife totally tore apart the eye of the boy, leaving only a horrifying blood mess.
Rhaenyra is quickly pulled out of her mind when her sons run to her and embrace her legs, trembling in fear.
Luke looks up, crying a lot.
“Muña…
I did not want to do that!
I swear!
I am scared!” The boy proclaims before crying.
Rhaenyra quickly falls to her knees and hugs her son tightly, kissing his cheek to comfort him.
“Relax, Luke.
I don’t know what happened, but I believe you.
Jace, can you tell me?” The Princess of Dragonstone looks at her older son for an answer.
However, before he could give it to her, Aemond gets in with a grunt of anger and pain.
“This little bastard you are hugging stabbed my eye with that thing!” The older boy proclaims in a hysteric voice as he points to the dagger in the ground.
Rhaenyra goes pale as she identifies the dagger that Laenor gave to Jace recently.
Her son stabbed Aemond.
He stabbed the son of her uncle.
“Oh gods no…” the Princess of Dragonstone proclaims in a low tone of voice, still holding Luke in her arms.
Jace grunts in anger as he takes a few steps further.
“What did you call my brother?!” The older son of hers asks in a rage.
Aemond manages to form a smirk, even in his state.
“Yes.
And what will you do about it?
Stab my other eye?!” The older prince asks, getting more angry.
The guards quickly hold the two boys as Criston grunts.
“Enough!
We will resolve things in the throne room.
Prince Aemond needs treatment immediately.
I want some of you to call the rest of the royal family and the Grand Maester.
We will let the king decide what will happen from now on.
” The Lord Commander proclaims as the guards nod in agreement.
And so, everyone starts moving at a quick pace to the throne room as some guards leave to search for people.
As Rhaenyra walks with Luke still very attached to her in his scared state, her heart can’t relax.
That is probably the end of all peace.
The final break between her family and the family of her uncle.
“Muña…
what will happen with me?
Will I be punished?” Luke asks her in a low tone, very scared for his safety.
Rhaenyra’s heart hurts just from looking at his expression.
“My love, nothing will happen to you.
I will never let someone hurt you because of an accident like that.
You have my word,” the Princess of Dragonstone proclaims with a sweet tone.
Lucerys sniffs and nods, clearly a bit more relaxed.
When they arrive in the throne room, a guard quickly gets a chair for Aemond to sit as Grand Maester Mellos arrives to start the treatment.
Rhaenyra looks at the Maester doing his work with some nervousness.
“There is hope for his eye, Maester?” The Princess of Dragonstone asks, even if she can guess the answer.
Mellos snorts.
“None.” The Grand Maester proclaims in a dry tone.
Aemond grunts in disappointment and bites a piece of cloth to resist the pain of the treatment.
Rhaenyra sighs at the misfortune of her family.
And then, her heart sinks when others arrive with some guards.
Alicent and her children.
The princess in the red dress has a desperate expression on her face, while Aegon, Helaena, and Daeron look confused by the situation.
When Alicent meets her eyes with Aemond, Rhaenyra can see Alicent lose her breath and quickly run to her son and hug him desperately, starting to cry in a very horrified expression.
“Aemond!
What happened to you?
Who did this to you?!” The mother asks, falling into an endless amount of tears and despair.
Rhaenyra feels very sad about the scene.
And it is even sadder as she is not able to do anything about it.
Aemond, who looks conflicted with the attention of his mother, sends a gaze at Lucerys.
Rhaenyra has never seen that much anger in all her life.
Her reaction is to hold her children more tightly against her legs.
“They did this to me, Mother.
They stabbed me.” The second son proclaims, keeping his anger in line as he points to the two brothers of brown hair.
Alicent looks at them.
Her expression of sadness and despair quickly gets mixed with anger as she gets up.
Her eyes are red and her face is not much different.
“Why?
Why did you do this to my son?!” The princess in red asks in a desperate scream, scaring Rhaenyra’s sons as they go behind her.
And yet, Alicent is not really looking at them.
She is looking at Rhaenyra.
The Princess of Dragonstone takes a deep breath before speaking.
“Alicent, it was an accident; they did not want to do this to him.” Rhaenyra proclaims in a humble tone.
Alicent grunts.
“Yet, they stabbed my son and destroyed his eye.
Your excuses will not bring his eye back!” The older princess proclaims.
Rhaenyra sighs, looking at the wife of her uncle eye to eye.
“As their mother, I will take the responsibility, but I will not let this burden fall on two little boys.
I am sorry.
” The Princess of Dragonstone proclaims with pure honesty.
Alicent frowns to Rhaenyra with a conflicted expression before walking back to be by the side of her son, giving Rhaenyra a final look of resentment.
The Princess of Dragonstone sighs as she turns to Ser Criston.
Her first lover.
She can still see in his eyes a bit of what they had in the past, but only below a lot of bitterness.
“Ser Criston, can you tell us what really happened?” The Princess of Dragonstone demands in a serious tone.
Criston frowns and nods.
“Prince Aemond sneaked into the Dragonpit by an unknown method and managed to claim Vhagar.
Upon his return to the Red Keep, he met with your sons; they argued, they fought, and Aemond ended up getting stabbed in the eye.
We arrived soon after.
” The Lord Commander explains in a direct manner.
Rhaenyra goes pale once again.
Her son not only stabbed the eye of his cousin.
Her son not only stabbed the eye of her uncle’s son but also
Her son stabbed the eye of the rider of the most powerful dragon in the world.
God have mercy, because things are only getting worse and worse by each second.
“He called us bastards and hit us as well!” Jacaerys exclaims in addition.
Rhaenyra frowns and sighs, trying to calm down.
The Princess of Dragonstone looks to Alicent, who never moved her eyes away from Aemond.
“Do you hear what they say, Alicent?
It was all an accident.
Please, I beg you to not demand more spilled blood of innocent children in our house.
We had more than enough of it tonight,” Rhaenyra says with a smooth voice full of sadness.
Alicent still doesn’t look towards her.
“I heard it.
It does not matter to me if it was an accident or not.
My son lost an eye.
He lost an eye for mere words and acts of bravery.
You propose that I forget about it.
To let the children who stabbed the eye of my son go unpunished.
I can’t, Rhaenyra.
I will not accept such an injustice.
What was done tonight will have severe consequences; if not by the hand of your father, it will be by the will of the gods,” the older princess proclaims, finally looking back at Rhaenyra with a gaze of anger and conviction.
Rhaenyra looks at her with surprise, but she soon builds her own conviction.
She understands now.
She can see what is truly happening here.
Division.
And there is no going back from here.
Rhaenyra frowns at Alicent, full of new determination to fight for her family.
“So be it.
I will not allow my son to be mutilated as long as I breathe,” the Princess of Dragonstone proclaims.
The two women gaze at each other.
And then, a large number of people walk to the inside of the throne room.
King Viserys is at the front, looking very troubled.
“What in the seven hells is happening here?!” The king screams out loud, too out of his mind to be able to control his voice properly.
His voice echoes through the entirety of the throne room.
There will be no sleep tonight.