A Year Later
Aegon has always thought that his sister Lilyanna was weird.
Not a bad weird, but weird non the less.
To be fair, he thought that all his younger siblings were weird, but in Aegon''s opinion it was most obvious with Lilyanna, with Helaena being a remarkably close second, then Aemond and Daeron following behind them.
The children of the Keep, with the expectation of Jacaerys and Daeron who were too young, were currently in the middle of their history lesson with Maester Androw.
The maester was a short round old man with a couple of wispy strands of white hair that clung to his scalp as if to keep the man from truly being called bald, pale sagging skin, various scars on his hands, and he wore the traditional robes of his profession.
Sweet, kind, and innocent Helaena had once told her siblings that Maester Androw reminded her of the beached whale they had once seen through the window of the nursery that had washed up on the shores of Blackwater Bay. Aegon remembered himself and Lilyanna laughing until it hurt them too much to continue when they heard that.
Now, Aegon sat in between Helaena and Lilyanna at a long table in the center of the room, each of them had parchment, quills, and ink in front of them that they used to take notes. Aemond sat in the corner of the room at a small desk with their Septa who was helping him learn how to read and write.
The eldest prince was bored out of his mind as he watched the old man in front of him go on about a subject he could not care less about.
At least this is better than our lessons on sums. Aegon thought to himself.
"Which of you can tell me what the first piece of land was the Andals were able to wrest from the First Men during their arrival?" Maester Androw asked.
Aegon rolled his eyes. Why does it matter where they landed? All that matters is that the Andals beat the First Men and ruled Westeros. And then the dragons ruled them...
"Prince Aegon, can you answer my question?" Maester Androw asked, tired of waiting for someone to volunteer and deciding to randomly pick one of his students.
"Oh!" Aegon exclaimed, not expecting to be called on, "Ugh...They landed on the..."
Just as he was about to tell the maester that he did not know the answer, he saw that a small piece of ripped parchment had been placed on his right thigh. On the sheet the word ''fingers'' had been hastily written down.
"The Andals first claimed the Fingers when they invaded." Aegon confidently spoke, knowing the answer to be correct as Lilyanna had been the one to give it to him.
Maester Androw raised his eyebrow, "That is correct, my prince." Just when Aegon thought that man would move on he asked, "And where is that?"
"Where is what?" Aegon asked.
"Where are the Fingers on the map of Westeros? Surely you should know that, Your Grace." Androw clarified.
"Oh, that''s easy. The Fingers are in the North!" Aegon once replied with the same confidence but saw the look of disappointment on his teacher''s face.
"That would be incorrect. The Fingers are in the Vale of Arryn, not the North." Androw stated. "You must pay proper during attention these lesson, Prince Aegon."
The maester the turned towards Lilyanna, "And you cannot keep giving your brother the answers, Princess Lilyanna."
Lilyanna stared at the man blankly before asking, "Why not?"
"Prince Aegon will never learn if you continue to help him. He must learn to do these things on his own, not continue to lean on his sister for support." Androw answered.
"But you would''ve given Egg the answer after he told you that he didn''t know, so how is that different from what I did?" Lilyanna responded, rolling her eyes when the maester was not looking.
Aegon snickered at what his sister said, finding the affronted expression on Androw''s face assuming.
Androw''s eye twitched in annoyance at the response, but held his tongue as he mistakenly believed that the girl was genuinely asking and not being disrespectful. "It is different, Princess because I am a maester and it is my job to teach you all and correct your mistakes."
Lilyanna said nothing, going back to writing on the parchment in front of her.
Androw turned back towards Aegon, "Have you looked at any of the material I gave you to study, Prince Aegon?"
Aegon leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, he did not see the point in answering a question that they all knew the answer to.
Androw pinched the bridge of his nose and released a sigh, "You must take your education more seriously, you are the King''s eldest son, my prince. Your high station demands more from you than what you are currently giving."
Aegon glared at the man, "I already know plenty of things! And if I''m a Prince than I can do whatever I want and learn or don''t learn whatever I want."
Androw''s eyes narrowed at the prince, "As the eldest son of the King, the realm will always demand more of you. They need a well-educated prince, not one who ignores what others are trying to teach him. You have a duty to perform as your father''s son."
Aegon was going to talk back, but stopped when he saw their Septa from the corner of his eye. She had a look of annoyance and disappointment on her face.
Aegon lowered his head and glared at the table, he knew that Septa Marlow would soon be telling his mother about his behavior and his failings during today''s lesson.
The prince jumped slightly when he felt a hand rubbing small circles on his shoulder, he turned his head and was surprised to see that it was Helaena as he knew about her aversion to touch. His sister did not look at him and soon drew her hand back and continued taking notes.
Aegon saw Lilyanna smile at him as she nodded her head at the books in front of them, the young boy returned the gesture.
Despite thinking that his sisters were strange, Aegon knew he would not trade them for anything.
Aegon''s opinion of Lilyanna continued to persist as the two of them stood in the outer yard of the Red Keep the next day.
The siblings carried wooden training swords in their hands, with Aegon''s being larger than Lilyanna''s. Both wore steel breastplates with green gambesons underneath, black trousers, and black boots.
The only difference between them was that Lilyanna had her much longer hair styled in a set of braids that their mother had braided for her.
The six-year-old prince began thinking back to the conversation at dinner the previous night that led to this moment.
Aegon pushed the food on his plate around, having not eaten much of it.
This was one of the rare dinners in which most of the family ate together. Viserys sat at the head of the table with Rhaenyra to his right and Laenor next to her. Alicent sat on his left followed by Aegon, Helaena, and Lilyanna. Aemond, Jacaerys, and Daeron remained in the nursery as they were deemed too young to attend.
The young boy was still thinking of the earlier scolding his mother had given him. Alicent had berated him for talking back to Maester Androw, not paying attention during the lesson, and for not studying.
He sat on his bed as Alicent stood in front of him and told him almost the same thing Androw told him during the children''s lesson.
That he was the King''s eldest son and everyone including King was expecting more from him, that Aegon had to be the one leading all his sisters and not the other way around.
Why does it matter if I study or not? It''s not as if father cares if I''m ''well-educated'' or not. Aegon bitterly thought to himself.
"Father?" Lilyanna called out, ending the conversation the adults were having and bringing the attention in the room to her.
Viserys'' eyes widen in surprise, as if this were the first time he had ever heard his youngest daughter''s voice. "Uh¡ Yes, Lilyanna?"
"Father, I wish to learn swordsmanship." Lilyanna determinately stated.
"Absolutely not." Alicent quickly spoke before Viserys could give his own response.
"And why should she not learn to use a sword?" Rhaenyra asked while staring directly at her former friend.
Alicent quickly turned to Rhaenyra, her eyes narrowed, and her lips turned downwards. "It is too dangerous for her, princess."
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes and turned her head to Lilyanna. "You know, I too asked our father if I could learn to use a sword when I was just a couple of years older than you, sister."
Alicent immediately cut off what Rhaenyra was going to say next. "And your father correctly refused your request, princess. Weapons are the way of men, not proper women."
Before the two women could continue their argument, Laenor spoke to his good-sister. "Why do you want to use a sword, Lily?"
Lilyanna smiled at her good-brother, "I want to be just like Visenya and Maegor!"
"Visenya?"
"Maegor?"
Rhaenyra and Alicent asked respectively, both their voices taking on different tones.
While Rhaenyra sounded pleased, proud that her sister aspired to be just like one of the strongest women in their family. Alicent was aghast, deeply trouble about her daughter wanting to like a man known for his cruelty and violent actions.
"Yeah!" Lilyanna cheered, not noticing the change in the room. "I read that Visenya had trained alongside Aegon since they were young and that she was the better warrior. I also read that Maegor was only three when he first held a sword! He was even beating knights by the time he was thirteen!"
"Lily-"
"Alright."
Alicent''s head quickly whipped towards her husband. "Viserys, you cannot be serious."
"If she wants to learn how to wield a sword than let her, I doubt one lesson will kill her. She''ll most likely drop it like all girls who do not understand the burden that comes with fighting and war." Viserys surmised, ignoring the fact that all his daughters were in the room and listening to the conversation.
In Viserys'' opinion, if Lilyanna did take to training and grew her martial skills, than it would be a benefit. He knew that due to her condition, Lilyanna would never marry like Rhaenyra and eventually Helaena, there would be no alliance gained or families brought into the fold. If she grew her prowess, she would have a purpose instead of just roaming the Red Keep for the rest of her life, she could be used to strengthen her sister''s position when she became Queen.
Rhaenyra was about to respond to her father''s comment about girls, but stopped when she felt Laenor take her hand into his own, looking at her as he knew what she had been planning to do.
Alicent clenched her jaw, knowing that her husband would not change his mind about this. It had been bad enough for her when Aegon first began his own martial training earlier in the year and she knew that her feelings about it would only worsen when Aemond and Daeron eventually began their own training, but she knew that it was expected of her sons as they were male and princes of the realm.
But with her daughters, Alicent had thought she would never have to worry about the possibility of them fighting or going to war, even if they did come from a family that conquered the continent using dragons.
Alicent had been taught the place of women in this world, and to her it was not witnessing the worst of humanity during times of war and then fighting and dying on the battlefield.
So why is Viserys trying to make it Lilyanna''s? Trying to take away from where she is safe and protected with her family? With me? Alicent thought.
"Then it''s settled." Viserys spoke, "Lilyanna will join Aegon in training with Ser Criston in the outer yard tomorrow." The King than turned to his youngest daughter, "You do understand that this is not a game right, Lilyanna? You must take this seriously since you wanted this so badly."
"I will, father. I promise to take my training seriously." Lilyanna spoke, her eyes never leaving her father''s and her voice never wavering.
"Don''t worry, Lily. I will teach you everything I have learned." Aegon said, although he was shocked by his sister''s desire to wield a blade, he was happy that he would have one of his siblings, someone close in age for him to train with.
As a prince, most people kept their distance from him, not wanting to anger someone of higher rank. In the training yard the other boys gave him the proper respect, but only interacted with him when necessary and usually went easy on him during any spars and exercises. During his dragon training, as he was the only one of the children with a dragon and with Rhaenyra often busy with her duties as heir, he only had the dragonkeepers for company.
Lilyanna smiled, "Thanks, Aegon."
The young girl was glad that Viserys had accepted her request, she knew that if she had asked Alicent, the woman would have refused just like she had moments before, which is why she waited until tonight to ask.
With so any people in the room as witnesses, Alicent could not purposely stop Lilyanna from training, especially with Rhaenyra at the table. Lilyanna knew that if that had happened, Rhaenyra would advocate for her both to help her younger sister get what she wants and to spite Alicent.
Since Lilyanna had accepted that she would never be a dragonrider, she decided that being a skilled warrior would be the best way to protect herself. The world she lived in was not a safe one regardless of one''s station in life, and with the possibility of war in the future, Lilyanna needed every advantage she could get to ensure her survival.
I wasn''t lying when I said that Visenya and Maegor inspired me. Say what you will about who they were as people, but you can''t deny that they were both badass warriors that everyone feared crossing. They weren''t like most Targaryens, where having a dragon made them dangerous, having dragons just made them more dangerous. And I need to be more dangerous. Lilyanna thought to herself.
For the rest of dinner, Lilyanna had a large smile on her face as she envisioned what kind of fighter she would be, ignoring everything else around her.
It did not take long for Ser Criston to appear before the two children. The Kingsguard briefly looked up towards the balcony above the yard, making eye contact with Alicent.
From the end of last night''s dinner to the moments before his arrival in the yard, Criston had been giving his Queen reassurances that Lilyanna would not be hurt. The mother of five had been worried sick since her husband had agreed to their daughter''s request, but still requested to oversee her first day of training.
Alicent stood on the balcony alongside Helaena, Aemond, Rhaenyra, and Harwin Strong. Despite overruling his wife and agreeing to their daughter''s request, Viserys had not bothered to come, stating that he had pressing matters to attend to, but they all knew that he was in his room working on his model of Old Valyria. Laenor had also chosen not to come due to pressing matters, but it was well known that the heir to Driftmark refused to be anywhere near the man that killed Joffrey Lonmouth, longer than necessary.
The Queen stared intensely at her son and daughter below her, ignoring the sounds of Aemond cheering for his older siblings and Rhaenyra speaking to Helaena. She had begun to viciously tear at the skin on her fingers as Criston started the lesson.
Stolen novel; please report.
Despite Criston''s reassurances, Alicent could not help but worry for her daughter, deep down wishing that Viserys would be right, that Lilyanna would either grow bored or disillusioned with fighting and soon give up the childish dream of being warrior.
"Alright, Princess Lilyanna. First, we will begin with learning the proper stance." Criston began, "Show me what you think is right."
Lilyanna thought about for a moment before moving her body, standing with her feet shoulder-width apart, her body lowered, and her sword held in both hands in front of her.
Criston gave the young girl a small smile, "That is almost correct, my princess." The knight then moved forward, gently correcting the placement of her feet, and straightening her back.
Alicent could gradually relax as the training continued and before she noticed, a few hours had passed, and her children''s lesson had ended.
The Queen had carried Aemond in her arms as Helaena, Rhaenyra, and Harwin followed behind her, as she moved towards the yard, Alicent could have sworn she heard Rhaenyra mutter something about how fast she was moving under her breath, but chose to ignore it.
"Mother!" Aegon cried out when he saw his family. "Did you see us?"
Alicent smiled as she carted her fingers through his hair, "Yes, I did. You did great, Aegon."
The Hightower then turned to her youngest daughter, "You did great as well, Lily."
Lilyanna smiled, "Thank you, mother." It was clear that the girl was tired due to her more subdued reaction. Some of her hair had come loose from her braids and the girl had a layer of sweat and dirt on her skin.
"I want a sword!" Aemond cried out from his mother''s arms, pouting his lips, and flailing his arms around.
Alicent sighed, "You will have one, Aemond, when you are older."
Aemond let his displeasure known with his pout growing larger and burying his face in Alicent''s chest. His siblings soon started laughing at Aemond''s reaction and Alicent''s tried expression.
Alicent chose to put her son on his feet and focus on Lilyanna again, knowing that Aemond would continue to ignore her. "Have you enjoyed your time today?"
Lilyanna''s smile grew even larger, inadvertently crushing her mother''s hopes. "Yes! I mean my body hurts a lot, but I want to continue. Ser Criston said I was a natural!"
"It is true, Your Grace. I believe that Princess Lilyanna will grow to be great with a blade." Criston stated, while it would be a long time away, he genuinely believed that under his guidance, Lilyanna could become a master swordswoman.
Lilyanna''s chest puffed out from the praise she received from the Kingsguard.
"Should we start calling you Visenya, little sister?" Rhaenyra joked.
"Noooo." Lilyanna whined, knowing that Rhaenyra was going to keep making the Visenya comparisons after saying that she wanted to be just like the warrior queen.
"Do you want to join us, Hely?" Lilyanna soon asked, wanting to move the conversation away from their ancestor. Lilyanna noticed that the color had left Alicent''s face at the question, the Queen was sure that her heart would stop if Helaena also wanted to wield a sword.
"No." Helaena immediately said, Lilyanna smiled, knowing that her sister had no interest in any intense physical activities, but wanted to ask so her twin would not feel left out.
As the others started walking into the Keep, Lilyanna noticed that Alicent was behind the group and staring at the ground, peeling the skin on her fingers. Criston stood a few steps behind the Queen, waiting for her.
Alicent flinched when she felt her hands being pulled apart, she relaxed when she saw that it was her daughter. Lilyanna smiled at her mother, holding her hand within her smaller one and leading the woman back into the Keep, with Criston following them.
"It''s okay, mother. I know you are worried, but I won''t get hurt, I promise." Lilyanna said softly, wanting to keep the conversation between the two of them.
Alicent had stopped the pair when she kneeled in front of Lilyanna, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Please..." She whispered into Lilyanna''s hair. Lilyanna did not know what her mother was trying to ask her, but she allowed the woman to hold her.
Lilyanna wrapped her arms around Alicent''s shoulders, knowing that her mother needed the comfort and the two held each other in the entrance of the Red Keep.
Lilyanna let out a loud yawn as she walked into the nursery, she was surprised that she was even able to make her way back here given how tired she was.
She had asked Criston about it earlier and the knight told her that this kind of reaction was normal when first training and her body would grow used to the vigorous exercise with time.
She smiled softly at Aemond as she walked past, the young boy was sitting on the floor playing with a small dragon figurine that Rhaenyra had given him.
All the princess wanted to do was take a bath and sleep until morning. As she waited for a maid to fill up her bathtub with hot water, she walked over to the two cradles beside each other holding her youngest brother and nephew.
Both boys were asleep, their little bodies each wrapped around their respective dragon eggs. After Daeron was born, the Targaryen siblings made another trip to the Dragonpit, choosing an egg that Dreamfyre had recently laid for their newborn brother. The egg was a royal purple color with an intricate pattern of blue scales on the top and bottom.
While she was distracted by the infants, Lilyanna failed to notice Helaena approaching from behind. "In another form, two Gods shall soon grace the world."
Lilyanna jumped in surprise, whipping around to see Helaena standing behind her. "Huh? What did you say, Helaena?"
Helaena stilted her head, "Did I say something?"
"You just said ''In another form, two Gods shall soon grace the world." Lilyanna clarified.
Helaena continued to stare blankly at her sister before walking to her bed and gently carrying a slug between her fingers.
Lilyanna started thinking about what her sister said could possibly mean. After Daeron''s birth, Lilyanna realized that Helaena was indeed a dreamer in this life, just as she had been on House of the Dragon.
It was the hours early hours of the morning and Lilyanna been staring at her sister''s sleeping form for the entirety of the night, she herself was unable to sleep as the conversation she and Helaena had a mere few hours ago repeated in her mind on a loop.
The redhead jumped out her bed when she saw Helaena''s eyelids begin to flutter and her upper body stretched upwards.
"What did you mean when you said I died choking on blood again?" Lilyanna immediately asked once Helaena''s eyes opened. The older of the pair did not seem unnerved or surprised by her sister''s outburst, looking at Lilyanna with the same purple eyes.
"You lived another life, but you were hurt, and you chocked to death." Helaena quietly spoke.
Lilyanna swallowed the lump in her throat, "How do you know any of that?"
"I see it in my dreams." Helaena answered.
Lilyanna slumped to the floor, drawing her knees to her chest, and burying her fingers in her hair. Lilyanna found it hard to breath after the revelation thrown at her, she did not know what to do knowing that Helaena knew the truth about her.
"Doesn''t it bother you? That I am not supposed to exist? And that even if Lilyanna Targaryen were to live in this world, that I am not her, just an imposter wearing her skin?" Lilyanna rushed out, her throat felt like it was closing, and it felt impossible to breathe.
"No." Helaena said simply.
Lilyanna lifted her head from her knees and gave Helaena a confused look. "Huh? What do you mean, no?"
Helaena looked down at her hands, "I see all these terrible things all the time when I go to sleep. I hate them. But the dreams with you in it are good, they are pleasant." Helaena reached over and grabbed Lilyanna''s hands, "I don''t know what they all mean, but I know that you will stop them somehow."
"You really think that?" Lilyanna asked, her voice growing quieter, and the reincarnated woman wiped away the tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes.
"You are my sister, Lilyanna. You are the only Lilyanna I ever want to know." Helaena said, her voice more serious and determined than Lilyanna had ever heard it before.
This time, Lilyanna was unable to stop the new tears from falling. "I feel like I''m drowning, Helaena. What if I fail?"
"You won''t, you have me." Helaena pressed their foreheads together and the two enjoyed the peaceful quiet of the early morning for just a bit longer.
Since that night Lilyanna took whatever sounded like a prophetic dream or vision from Helaena seriously. Everything she spoke of since pertained to mundane things like the weather or court gossip, but what was just said sounded important to Lilyanna.
But what could that mean? ''In another form, two Gods shall grace this world''? What God can Helaena be referring to? And is it an actual God? Lilyanna groaned as her thoughts did not become any clearer.
"You''re really killing me here, ''Laena." Lilyanna remarked.
The only response Helaena had given her twin was a hum as she continued to focus on the slug she was holding.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes and went to the other room when she saw the maid that fetched her bathwater, had exited.
Maybe if I relax and sleep on it, the answer will come to me. Lilyanna thought as she took off her clothes and eased herself into the tub.
"Lily! Lily!" Lilyanna jumped awake when she heard Aemond calling her name. The Princess looked around and saw that she was still in the bathtub, having fallen asleep.
"Aemond? What''s wrong?" She asked her brother.
"The egg! Jace''s egg!" Aemond yelled before running out of the room.
Lilyanna groaned as she got out of the tub, quickly drying her body with her towel, throwing her small clothes on, and putting a robe on top.
When Lilyanna enter the main room of the nursery, she saw that Helaena was also awake, standing next to Aemond who were both standing over Jacaerys'' crib.
She was about to question her sister, when she heard Daeron begin to cry. Lilyanna reached into his crib and pulled her brother into her arms, rocking him back in fourth.
As Daeron started to calm, Lilyanna saw what Aemond was talking about, Jacaerys'' egg had started to hatch.
Her nephew was currently awake, sitting upright in the corner of his crib, staring at his egg with a focus that Lilyanna did not think was possible for a child so young.
"You guys, stay here; I''ll get Rhaenyra and Laenor." Lilyanna sighed, walking out of the nursery with a giggling Daeron in her arms.
It did not take long for Lilyanna and Daeron reach Rhaenyra''s chambers. Harwin Strong could be seen standing in front of the doors, the City Watch Commander was confused as to why the young prince and princess were standing before him so late at night.
"Ser Harwin, I need to speak with my sister and good-brother." Lilyanna stated.
"Can I ask why, princess?" Harwin asked, it was not very often that he interacted with the Targaryen, but he found the young princess highly intelligent and charming.
"It''s about Jacaerys." Lilyanna clarified.
Harwin''s back straightened and he immediately knocked on the door announcing Lilyanna and Daeron''s presence. Once Rhaenyra had said ''enter'', Harwin opened the door allowing the siblings to enter before entering the room himself and closing the door behind him.
"What is wrong, Lilyanna?" Rhaenyra asked, she and Laenor were planning an upcoming visit from Rhaenys and Corlys, when her siblings appeared.
"It is Jace. His egg is hatching." Lilyanna said, having to pull Daeron''s hands away from her face when he tried to put his fingers in her mouth.
Both Rhaenyra and Laenor''s eyes widened at the news.
"Let''s go." Rhaenyra commanded, leading the group out of the room and towards the nursery.
When they arrived, Lilyanna saw that Aegon was now in the room, she assumed that Aemond had went to get him. She was glad he did, knowing that their brother would have thrown a tantrum if he had been the only one to miss it.
Crack!
Everyone became quiet when the sound reverberated throughout the room.
A few moments later the egg split open, and a hatchling crawled out from the broken shell. The hatchling was small with olive green scales, large yellow eyes, and orange wing membranes.
The hatchling let out a loud shriek before staring at Jacaerys. The dragon crawled towards the babe, Laenor''s body tensed, and he moved closer to the crib, ready to rip the dragon away from his son if it turned hostile.
This proved to be unnecessary as the hatchling wrapped itself around the infant''s body, cuddling him. Jacaerys let out giggles as he moved his pudgy hands up and down the hatchling''s back.
"It seems we have a new dragonrider in the family." Rhaenyra said, pride coursed through every part of her body as she watched her son bond with his dragon.
"Ha, was there ever any doubt." Laenor happily remarked, Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, she had noticed her husband''s posture when the hatchling was staring at their son earlier.
"Congratulations, Your Graces." Harwin told the couple. Despite Jacaerys not being his blood, he too felt a parent''s pride at the sight in front of him.
"Whoa! Jace has a dragon now! That means we can fly our dragons together!" Aegon proclaimed, already imagining himself and his nephew flying through the air.
Rhaenyra chuckled and ruffled her brother''s hair, "In a couple of years will you, but not now."
"A dragon. Jace has a dragon." Aemond whispered, he had never seen a dragon hatch from its egg, having been too young to remember when Sunfyre hatched for Aegon. The toddler looked towards his own dragon egg next to his bed, wondering when it too would hatch.
Lilyanna continued to stare at the hatchling and her nephew, realizing what Helaena meant with her strange words.
I remember that the original Jace named his dragon Vermax, after one of the fourteen Valyrian Gods. The Fourteen Fires of Old Valyria.
Does that mean that this Jace will also name his dragon Vermax? Helaena also said two Gods will appear. I know that the Strong Boys named all their dragons after the Valyrian Gods, but Rhaenyra isn''t pregnant, at least I don''t think she is. Lilyanna thought.
She then focused on her youngest brother, Daeron. Lilyanna remembered that it was not just the Strong Boys that named their dragons after gods, but Daeron as well.
Tessarion, his Blue Queen. The redhead realized.
Lilyanna felt someone looking at her, she turned away from her brother and saw that it was her sister.
Helaena had been giving Lilyanna a blank stare, to the redhead it was as if her twin was not there with them all in the moment, as if she were somewhere else.
The staring contest did not also long as Helaena blinked and turned her attention to Jacaerys and his hatchling.
Lilyanna smiled as the others in the room celebrated Jacaerys'' accomplishment.
"It is not any surprise that my grandson''s egg has hatched! He is a true Targaryen through and through." Viserys proudly stated to people of his court that had begun to congratulate him on Jacaerys'' dragon egg hatching.
The King had been boasting about his grandson''s feat since the early hours of the morning when his eldest daughter first told him about what occurred during the night.
In front of the Iron Throne stood the rest of the royal family. Rhaenyra stood with Laenor by her side and Jacaerys in her arms with her siblings and the Queen behind her.
Many different nobles had been congratulating the Princess and her consort since they entered the Great Hall. Although, many kept a sizable distance as they did because the new hatchling had been wrapped around Jacaerys'' arm and refused to leave his rider.
"Ah, you are just showing how great of a King you already are." Viserys cooed as he stood in front of Rhaenyra, taking Jacaerys into his arms. "And what fearsome dragon you have gained."
"Sunfyre is fearsome too, father!" Aegon loudly spoke moving from his place beside Alicent and standing next to his father.
"I''m sure your dragon will grow just as large as Balerion was, Jacaerys." Viserys said, not paying attention to Aegon, he was focused completely on Jacaerys, assuming his son was just saying something unimportant as most children did.
Aegon visibly shrunk when he saw that his father was once again not paying attention to him. His head faced the ground as he crept back to his mother.
A grimace formed on Alicent''s face when she saw how upset and quiet her son had become. She knew that Rhaenyra''s children would be more important to Viserys, but knowing this fact never stopped the pain that formed in her heart when she saw her children being affected by it.
"You can show us how fierce Sunfyre is, Egg. I am sure he is even fiercer with you as his rider." Lilyanna said, placing a hand on Aegon''s shoulder and pointing to herself, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron.
Aegon smiled, "Yeah! He''s the fiercest! After this, I''ll show you guys how much bigger he''s gotten."
Alicent smiled at her children. At least they will have each other.
Crack!
The Great Hall became quiet as a loud crack sounded out.
"What''s Daeron''s egg doing here?" Lilyanna when she heard the loud crack come from behind her. She saw that in a small box sat Aemond and Daeron''s eggs.
Ameond had taken to carrying his dragon egg wherever he went, ordering maids to carry the egg in said box for him, so that he could be there when it hatched. This is why she was not surprised to see his egg, but the appearance of Daeron''s had thrown her.
"I brought it." Aemond answered.
"Why?" Aegon asked.
"I didn''t want Daeron to be left out." Aemond did not want his brother to be upset with Jacaerys'' egg hatching and his not, so he decided to bring the egg along with his own.
Just in case.
Another crack rang out and it became clear that Aemond was right, an egg was hatching, just not his own.
Just like with Jacaerys, the dragon egg split open, and a hatchling crawled out. The young dragon was bright blue with cobalt blue wings and had bright copper coloring on its claws, crest, and belly.
Gasps broke out thought the Great Hall as the dragon began to move around. The Kingsguards each gripped the handles of their swords, ready to cut down the small creature if necessary.
"My Queen!" Criston Cole yelled as he saw the dragon begin to make its way towards Alicent and Daeron.
The knight was about the cut the creature down when Lilyanna stepped in from of him, forcing the knight to halt his strike.
"Lilyanna! What are you doing?!" Alicent yelled after seeing her personal guard almost cut her daughter down and her daughter now standing in front of the dragon.
Lilyanna did not answer her mother as she focused on the she-dragon in front of her. She kneeled in front of the dragon and held her hand out.
Everyone in the room thought that the hatchling would attack the princess. Even if the hatchling was new to the world, it was still a dragon and a dragon''s actions could be unpredictable.
But everyone was once again surprised when the hatchling stared at her for a beat before crawling onto her palm.
Lilyanna soon stood and walked towards her mother and brother. Alicent''s body tensed as she was the small creature in her daughter''s hands, it took everything in her not to jump back as Lilyanna closed the distance between them.
Lilyanna presented the dragon to Daeron, the infant stared at the dragon before grabbing her in his tiny hands. Daeron giggled as the dragon rubbed its tiny body against his own.
"I guess we''re celebrating two dragonriders." Laenor said, his statement being heard across the hall due to how quiet everyone became.
"How was she able to hold the dragon?" Rhaenyra asked aloud. She was shocked that the hatchling did not try to attack Lilyanna, she knew how dragons could get when they were being kept from their bonded rider. And because it was newly hatched and had yet to be trained, the dragon should have attacked Lilyanna on its path to Daeron.
But it did not, the hatchling calmly allowed Lilyanna to carry it and bring it to Daeron, unbothered by her touch or presence.
"See, it''s okay mother. She was just trying to get to Daeron." Lilyanna said as she wrapped her arm around Alicent''s waist.
"You''re going to be the death of me, Lily." Alicent whispered to herself. She knew her children had claims to dragons but knew she would never get used to the fire-breathing creatures. Seeing the dragon before her make its way towards herself and Daeron and then crawl on Lilyanna, terrified Alicent to her core.
"Daeron has a dragon too?!" Aemond cried out in shock. He ran to his mother and siblings to get a better look at his brother''s dragon. A part of him was happy for Daeron while the rest of him was jealous. But the feeling simmered down as Aemond remembered that that his sisters lacked dragons as well.
"Oh. Well¡ It appears that my son wanted to show his dragon blood as well." Viserys said as he broke out of his shocked stupor.
The Great Hall slowly broke out into applause at the scene in front of them, they had just witnessed the making of not one, but two dragonriders for House Targaryen.
Viserys then proceeded to awkwardly rub Daeron''s head and kiss Alicent on his cheek before leaving to speak with more members of the court that wanted to congratulate him.
More people surround the Queen as they desired to get a look at the newest member of the family to claim a dragon.
Lilyanna smiled as she watched her brother getting the attention he deserved, although she felt bad knowing that Daeron would not remember this moment.
Aegon began telling everyone who would listen about how great their brother was and how he, Daeron, and Jacaerys would be flying their dragons very soon.
Lilyanna did not know what possessed her into reaching out to Tessarion. She knew what dragons were like, especially young ones, and yet she did it anyway. Lilyanna knew that Criston was going to kill the dragon, thinking it was a threat to the Queen and prince''s lives and her body just reacted.
She felt no fear as she locked eyes with the hatchling, she felt calm as she waited for the dragon to realize that she was not a threat and when it crawled into her hands.
It was as if we were communicating with each other, as if we shared a bond with each other for just a moment, where we both agreed that Daeron was most important in that moment. Lilyanna thought.
That cannot be possible. But at the same time, I have no other way of explaining it.
Lilyanna shook away her thoughts as she looked at her family, most of them her focused on Jacaerys, Daeron, and their dragons except for Rhaenyra and Aemond.
Aemond had left the circle their family had found themselves in and walked back to the box holding his dragon egg and Rhaenyra was staring directly at Lilyanna.
Lilyanna knew that her older sister was questioning what just occurred. As someone with a deep bond with her dragon and an understanding of them, Rhaenyra knew that what happened between Lilyanna and their brother''s hatchling was not normal.
Not wanting to be confronted by Rhaenyra over something not even she herself understood, Lilyanna tore her gaze away from the older Targaryen and walked over to Aemond.
"Are you okay, Aemond?" Lilyanna asked as she stood next to her brother, both staring at the boy''s dark red dragon egg.
"Yes." Aemond said sullenly.
"You''ll get a dragon, Aemond." Lilyanna said.
"I really want one!" Aemond cried, tears streaming down his face.
Lilyanna used her thumbs to wipe away her brother''s tears. "And you will. I know you will claim a dragon, Aemond."
"I will?" Aemond asked.
"I know you will, and when you do, they''ll be one of the biggest and strongest dragons around." Lilyanna reassured.
Aemond grinned at his sister before grabbing his egg. "They will! A strong dragon will hatch out of my egg, Lily!"
Lilyanna returned the smile, but did not know if what Aemond said would come true. It was possible that her actions made it so his egg would hatch this time around, but Jacaerys and Daeron proved that it might not be the case.
New Discoveries
A Year Later
Lilyanna Targaryen reincarnated 21st century woman, had found it a little discomforting just how quickly time was passing in the Red Keep.
Now, Lilyanna found herself squished together with her siblings, brother-in-law and nephew in a carriage that was on its way to the Dragonpit.
This ''family excursion'' came to be because Aegon had asked their father to come with him to the Dragonpit and see how Sunfyre was progressing.
Of course, the ill King refused, it was not surprising given how Viserys had not been to the pit since his own dragon died and had refused every other invitation from his son. Viserys had told Aegon that he had pressing matters to attend to.
This time, he actually did.
Grand Maester Mellos had told the King that the infection that had started on his hand, which led to Viserys having most of his fingers cut off years prior, had traveled up his left arm and that the arm would need to be amputated.
Viserys'' arm had been nothing but a rotting piece of flesh that he had started to lose feeling in for the past few moons. It had gotten to where you could smell the Targaryen monarch approaching long before you saw him, the procedure to amputate Viserys'' arm had been scheduled for that very day.
Alicent, playing the role of the dutiful wife, had elected to stay with Viserys while the amputation was occurring. And Rhaenyra had decided to take her family on a trip to the Dragonpit, telling Aegon that she had wanted to see Sunfyre. In truth, she did not want her young siblings and son to be anywhere near the Keep as the surgery was happening.
To be fair, Lilyanna did not want to be near the Keep either. Her inner doctor revolted when she saw some of the tools the maesters would be using to cut off her father''s arm.
Then after they''re finished hacking off Viserys'' arm, they''ll drown him with milk of the poppy, which I''m pretty sure is this world''s equivalent of opium. Lilyanna thought.
Before Lilyanna could think more of Viserys and his illness, the carriage had come to a stop. The second the door had opened, Aegon and Aemond had jumped out, pushing past Ser Harwin, and running to the entrance of the pit.
The rest of the group had exited the carriage more calmly than the two princes. Once they had entered the massive building, the dragonkeepers soon brought out Sunfyre.
"Greetings, Your Grace. We have brought out Sunfyre per your request." One of the elders said to Rhaenyra in High Valyrian.
Back when this world had been nothing but fiction to her, Lilyanna had been fascinated by the dragonkeepers. They were a monk-like order tasked with guarding and taking care of House Targaryen''s dragons.
She could understand why Jaehaerys created the group, especially after what happened to Aerea Targaryen. But she could not imagine giving and changing her entire life to this cause like the dragonkeepers did.
Looks like dragon lovers exist in this world too. I guess if you can''t be a dragonrider, then being a keeper would be the closest thing to it.
The dragonkeepers before her appeared both how they did in the show and how they did in the books. The ones in the actual pit with the royal family were dressed in plain, humble garments and wielded quarterstaffs. The rest of the seventy-seven dragonkeepers wore shining black armor, helms crested with dragon scales, and instead of quarterstaffs, they wielded swords.
Rhaenyra nodded her head to the older man before facing Aegon. "You were right, valonqar, Sunfyre has become bigger. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before he is as big as Syrax."
Rhaenyra was not wrong when she said Sunfyre had gotten bigger, the golden dragon now slightly larger than a horse. Aegon''s smile widened as he went to show everyone how good he had become at commanding his dragon as of late.
Just as Aegon had stopped giving commands, Sunfyre turned his head in Lilyanna''s direction. The gold-colored dragon let out a loud screech before running at the girl, Lilyanna soon found herself on her back as the dragon nuzzled its head into her chest.
"No Sunfyre! Embrot! Embrot! R?b¨¡s!" Aegon yelled, but Sunfyre ignored him and continued to cuddle with Lilyanna.
Aegon groaned, "Why does this always happen when they see you?"
Aegon was not exaggerating, every time Sunfyre, Vermax, or Tessarion saw Lilyanna, they would affectionately attack the girl. Sunfyre would then ignore Aegon''s commands, giving Lilyanna most of his attention.
Lilyanna herself did not know why this would occur, she thought that it might have something to do with her resurrection and the strange dreams that came with it, but she did not know for certain.
Sunfyre began cooing as Lilyanna scratched the spot between his wings that he could not reach. Eventually the dragon rolled off Lilyanna, his hind legs twitching as he writhed under Lilyanna''s expert touch.
"Perhaps we should start calling you the dragon whisperer, Lilyanna." Laenor joked as he and the others amusedly watched the scene in front of them.
Lilyanna stood up and rolled her eyes, "Please don''t. I do not need that title following me around for the rest of my life."
"Can we see Syrax now?" Aemond interrupted, while he liked Sunfyre and the dragon''s antics, he wanted to see an actual adult dragon like the one his eldest sister rode.
"Of course, Aemond." Rhaenyra replied.
Aemond smiled before nervously looking at the ground, "Can I - can we ride Syrax with you?"
It was a surprising question as none of the children besides Jacaerys had ever ridden with Rhaenyra. The princess had once asked the King and Queen if she could take her younger siblings on a ride, Viserys had agreed, reminded of the times he and Daemon would ride with their parents when they were children. Alicent refused, stating that her children were too young and unpredictable to be around such a large beast even with Rhaenyra''s presence.
"Each of you can come ride with me." Rhaenyra said, in her mind her siblings were Targaryens and they had the right to ride and bond with dragons. Who was Alicent to judge their practices when she lacked their blood? There was also the fact that doing this would anger Alicent and Rhaenyra had now found herself liking it whenever Alicent''s face would twist with rage.
"Are you sure that is a good idea? You do remember that the Queen had said the children were too young?" Laenor asked, he knew that his wife mostly wanted to do this because Alicent said no.
"The Queen said that almost two years ago, surely my siblings are more than old enough now. It is not as if they will be alone, I will be with them the entire time." Rhaenyra reasoned.
Laenor''s worried expression did not change, "That may be, but this will cause trouble. Besides, are you sure you can look after them in the air while in your condition?"
The condition Laenor was referring to was the fact that Rhaenyra was currently pregnant.
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, "I''m pregnant not invalid, Laenor." The princess had discovered she was pregnant with the couple''s second child six moons prior and was currently seven moons into said pregnancy. It had come as a shock when one of her midwives had told her the news, she knew that Jacaerys would not be their only child, but herself and Laenor (and Harwin) were not actively planning this pregnancy.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth, Rhaenyra won the argument and led her family into Syrax''s den, the formidable beast was devouring a roasted lamb when they arrived.
"How is my gorgeous girl doing today? I see you are being well fed, as always." Rhaenyra spoke, rubbing her hand along her dragon''s snout.
Syrax let out a puff of smoke as she leaned into her rider''s touch, her meal forgotten in place of Rhaenyra''s affection.
Rhaenyra faced her siblings, "Come on now. Syrax will not hurt you so long as I am here."
Aemond was the first to move, running to where Rhaenyra was standing and touching Syrax when she told him he could. Aemond was amazed as he could feel the heat beneath the she-dragon''s yellow scales, said dragon paid the young boy no mind as she went back to her lamb.
Jacaerys was next, having no fear of the dragon due to being familiar with his mother''s mount. Daeron followed, not wanting Jacaerys to leave him behind and feeling emboldened by his brother and nephew. Helaena calmly walked over to the others, but made no move to touch Syrax, the young princess crouched down as she watched Syrax eat.
Aegon crossed his arms and turned his nose up at the sight. "I still think Sunfyre is better. And prettier too!"
"Oh, then I guess you do not want to fly with us? Since Sunfyre is the superior mount." Rhaenyra said in fake contemplation. "If that is what you want, then I suppose you can wait until Sunfyre is big enough to ride."
Aegon''s eyes widened, "No! I want to ride! Syrax is the best, better than every dragon ever!"
Rhaenyra smiled, "You hear that girl, my brother believes you to the best dragon ever."
Syrax stared at Rhaenyra for less than a few seconds before returning to her meal, clearly not caring about Aegon''s opinion of her.
Sunfyre, who had followed his rider into Syrax''s den, did care as he stared hissing and growling at Syrax. The larger dragon paid no mind, unbothered by Sunfyre''s threats. Lilyanna placed her hand on Sunfyre''s snout, causing the dragon to calm down.
"Now," Rhaenyra clapped her hands together, gaining everyone''s attention. "Who will ride with me first?"
Over an hour passed before it was Lilyanna''s turn to ride with Rhaenyra on Syrax. Unlike her siblings who were excited for their first dragon rides, Lilyanna was nervous.
She had stood off to the side as her siblings rushed to Rhaenyra, each wanting a turn to fly with her. She had hoped that Rhaenyra would have been distracted with their siblings and Jacaerys, who eventually wanted his own turn after seeing Aegon riding with Rhaenyra first, that the Crown Princess would forget that her youngest sister had not gone, and they would leave the pit and return to the Keep.
But she was wrong...
So very wrong.
The second that Syrax landed, and Rhaenyra had unchained Daeron from her body and placed him on his feet, she looked directly at Lilyanna, crushing the young girl''s hopes of a quick escape.
Lilyanna did not move even as Rhaenyra called out to her, the girl''s legs refusing to work. And for the first time since being reborn, Lilyanna had found herself terrified.
It was not long before Rhaenyra stood in front of Lilyanna, staring into her sister''s eyes.
"Have you changed your mind, Lily?" Rhaenyra gently asked.
Lilyanna opened her mouth, but no words came out. Lilyanna looked away from her sister in shame, glaring at the ground.
Rhaenyra lifted Lilyanna''s head, "It is okay if you are afraid. I was too the first time I flew with Syrax."
Lilyanna wanted to deny that she was afraid, but she could not. She was afraid, she knew that Rhaenyra would not let anything happen to her, but she could not help the way she felt. While Lilyanna was fine with being around smaller dragons like Sunfyre, flying on a dragon as large as Syrax was an entirely different story, it made her aware of just how powerful the creature before her truly was.
It reminded Lilyanna that she was not a real Targaryen, simply someone from another world wearing the skin of one. A true Targaryen would not be afraid of their family''s symbol of power, the very thing that made them Kings.
It was not that Lilyanna was afraid of dying again, she had accepted what had happened to her and how it could just as easily happen again. But she realized just how insignificant she truly was against this force of nature, and just how crazy her ancestors and her family had to be to think they could control them.
"I was afraid that day, but our Uncle Daemon had told me that he would never leave my side. He rode on his own dragon Caraxes and kept his promise, he was never more than a few yards away from me. I promise you Lilyanna, I will not allow anything to happen to you." Rhaenyra swore.
"You promise?" Lilyanna quietly asked.
Rhaenyra''s smile did not waver, "I promise, nothing will happen to you, Lily."
Lilyanna nodded her head, reaching down and holding Rhaenyra''s hand in a tight grip, allowing her older sister to pull her towards her mount. Lilyanna took deep breaths as they got closer to Syrax, trying in vain to calm herself down.
"Syrax, I have one more person here to meet you." Rhaenyra said to her dragon, the Princess of Dragonstone then pushed her sister in front of her. "This is my sister, Lilyanna. She is someone you must protect."
Lilyanna stood straight as a rod as the large dragon stared her down. The staring contest between them had been going on for a few short moments when Syrax suddenly lurched forward, pushing the princess to the floor of the cave, and rubbing her snout against Lilyanna''s stomach.
Everyone was shocked by the display, Rhaenyra herself had moved to grab the whip at her side, about to order Syrax away before she realized that the dragon meant her sister no harm.
Just like Sunfyre earlier, Syrax was completely taken with Lilyanna Targaryen.
Lilyanna had shaken herself out of her shocked stupor and began to scratch the underside of Syrax''s jaw, causing the large she-dragon to purr and release belts of steam from her nostrils.
"Maybe we should start calling her the dragon whisperer." Laenor said as he stood behind his wife, watching the sight before them.
That comment had caused Rhaenyra to recall the celebration at court that was held after Jacaerys'' dragon had hatched. During the event, Daeron''s egg also hatched, and his she-dragon rushed towards the Queen to reach the infant prince in her arms.
Criston had almost killed the hatchling, thinking it was a threat to Alicent and Daeron''s lives only for Lilyanna to step forward and save the dragon, somehow getting the dragon to crawl into her hands and bringing her to their brother. She had been thrown by the moment entirely, shocked that Lilyanna could get a dragon to ignore its instincts, its own violent tendencies.
Lilyanna had a connection with dragons that no one else in their family had ever shown and Rhaenyra did not know how to respond to it. It made Rhaenyra wonder if this ability her sister had would become more prevalent when she eventually claimed a dragon of her own.
"Serve me Syrax. Calm. Calm. Up Syrax, get off her, Syrax." Rhaenyra said as she approached Lilyanna and Syrax.
Unlike with Aegon and Sunfyre, Syrax obeyed Rhaenyra''s commands, lifting her head off Lilyanna, sitting back on her hunches.
"Thank you." Lilyanna gasped, taking deep breaths as she no longer the heavy weight of Syrax''s head on her body.
"Come, sister. We have a dragon ride to go on." Rhaenyra said as she helped Lilyanna to her feet, the two making their way to Syrax''s neck.
Rhaenyra helped Lilyanna onto the saddle before climbing on herself. Lilyanna leaned back into Rhaenyra''s chest, she could not deny that she felt safe and secure in her sister''s arms.
"I¨r¨¡s Syrax. Naejot." Rhaenyra yelled. Syrax obeyed, standing up and moving forward.
Lilyanna tightened the grip she had on Rhaenyra''s arms when she heard her sister''s next command.
"S¨v¨¥s, Syrax."
Syrax took off, flying through the opened roof of Dragonpit. The she-dragon continued to ascend, the people below listened to the sounds of Lilyanna''s screams and Rhaenyra''s laughter as they disappeared into the clouds.
Lilyanna eventually stopped screaming, but she had yet to relax, squeezing her eyes shut as the wind continued to hit her face and they flew higher.
Rhaenyra looked down at her sister, "You can open your eyes now, Lilyanna."
Lilyanna took of breath and slowly opened her right eye. When she did, she immediately opened both at the sight. The sun was shining brightly above them as they gilded across the expansive blue sky.
"Wow..." Lilyanna whispered in awe. King''s Landing was nothing more than a speck underneath them as they flew.
"It is beautiful, is it not?" Rhaenyra asked, seeing the amazement on her sister''s face. She was glad that Lilyanna was no longer scared and was now enjoying herself.
"Yeah, it is. This is the best thing ever." Lilyanna responded. She now understood why the Targaryens enjoyed dragon riding so much.
Being up in the air was exhilarating, she never wanted to go back down to the ground, wanting to spend the rest of her days up in the sky. It felt as if Syrax''s power was her own, as if she could do anything.
"I am glad you think so." Rhaenyra said, laughing at her sister''s claim. "Do you wish to see something even better?"
Lilyanna turned her head to Rhaenyra, "This can get better? How?"
Rhaenyra''s smile turned into a mischievous smirk, "Like this. Syrax, let us show my sister what we are capable of." The princess tightly gripped the reigns, pulling them upwards.
Syrax roared and flew upwards, after going up a couple of hundred feet, the large dragon leaned backwards and began falling to the ground.
Lilyanna felt her stomach drop as they continued to fall. Before Lilyanna could speak, Syrax straightened herself out, returning to her previous position. It was then that Lilyanna realized that they had just done a barrel role.
"Holy crap!" Lilyanna cheered, forgetting herself for a moment, it felt as if she was riding on the world''s most dangerous rollercoaster.
Rhaenyra was shocked by her sister''s cursing, but likened it to her excitement. "Do you want to see the other maneuvers that Syrax can do?"
Rhaenyra already knew the answer when she saw the pleading look in Lilyanna''s eyes.
The two sisters spent the rest of the ride going through fancy and dangerous maneuvers alike, some of which Rhaenyra had Lilyanna swear she would never tell her mother that they did.
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Lilyanna had quickly rushed back her and Helaena''s room after they returned from the Dragonpit. The two sisters had been given their own room after their fifth name day, being seen as old enough to no longer sleep in the nursery.
Alicent had been waiting for them in the courtyard when they arrived. After greeting her children, Alicent had informed them that the King''s procedure had been a success and that Viserys would make a full recovery. They would not be able to visit Viserys right away as he was still unconscious, having passed out due to the pain and the milk of poppy he received.
Rhaenyra was about to ask the Queen more questions about Viserys, when Daeron started babbling about Syrax. This led Aegon and Aemond to talking about their first dragon rides with Rhaenyra and Syrax.
The anger was evident in Alicent as she continued to hear from her sons about the different maneuvers that Rhaenyra had Syrax do while they were in the air, the Queen''s eyes never leaving Rhaenyra''s face.
It was clear that if they were not in public, being watched by Knights, guards, nobles, and smallfolk alike, Alicent would have chewed out the elder Targaryen. A fact that Rhaenyra knew as she smirked at the mother of five, silently daring her to say something, to do anything unseemly.
Alicent was forced to hold her tongue, but the argument was not yet over as she planned to discuss it with Viserys as soon as he was awake. Alicent then led her children inside, not sparing Rhaenyra, her husband, or their son another look, and taking them to the nursery.
Once in the nursery, Alicent began inspecting her children, looking for any signs of injury on their tiny bodies. She mumbled under her breath about Rhaenyra''s recklessness and irresponsibility, saying how she would have to get guards that she trusted to go to the Dragonpit with them from now on.
The Queen was so distracted in her search for physical injuries and her complaints against Rhaenyra, that she failed to notice the burlap bag that Lilyanna had brought with her. Lilyanna was grateful for this small mercy, quickly leaving the nursery before Alicent could notice and question her.
"Are you going to make it now?" Helaena asked Lilyanna as she walked into their room and shut the door behind her.
Lilyanna looked up from the table that she had commandeered as her ''workstation'' when they first settled in room. "You know?"
"I saw you making it this morning." Helaena hummed. "It became clear when you stopped us on the way back."
As they were riding back to the Red Keep from the Dragonpit, Lilyanna had pleaded with their older sister to stop by a sprawling expanse of markets. Rhaenyra was confused, but complied with her sister''s request.
The two left the carriage with Harwin Strong following behind them. At the corner of the street laid a few shops belonging to Yi-Ti merchants and sold primarily products from that kingdom.
Lilyanna spent the next twenty minutes looking through these shops before finally stopping at a rundown stall that was on the verge of falling apart. There Lilyanna found circular brown tree berries that fit within her small hands.
"Excuse me sir," Lilyanna said to the merchant in front of her. "What are these berries?"
The man looked between Lilyanna and Rhaenyra, "C haulmoogra berries." He responded with a thick accent.
A sharp gleam shinned in Lilyanna''s eyes, "How much for twenty?"
"Why do you want these, Lilyanna?" Rhaenyra asked, confused as to why her sister had spent so much time looking for these berries.
"Three silver stags." The merchant said. Lilyanna nodded her head, reaching down into her coin purse to pay the man, but was stopped when Rhaenyra grabbed her arm.
"Three silver stags?" Rhaenyra asked incredulously. "How can they cost so much?"
"The cost of transporting them all the way from Yi-Ti." The merchant shrugged.
"Please, Rhaenyra. I need them." Lilyanna pleaded.
"Why? You still have not told me why you need them so badly." Rhaenyra was unable to keep the agitation out of her voice as she spoke, it was clear that Lilyanna had been planning this from the start. Why else would a five-year-old have a filled coin purse with them when going to a place where they would not need it?
How did she get the silver stags she has? I doubt Alicent would have given it to her, so who did? Rhaenyra thought to herself.
Lilyanna thought about her answer before responding, "I need them to make something for father."
"To make what for father?"
"To help him feel better, he''s going to lose his arm today."
Rhaenyra''s expression changed to one of surprise, not expecting the answer she received. "Lily, our father is going to be fine. He has a group of well trained and experienced maesters taking care of him. You do not have to go out of your way like this."
Rhaenyra noticed from Lilyanna''s expression that she did not trust the words she spoke, as if she were trying to force herself to believe to spare Rhaenyra''s feelings.
"I know, but I would feel better if I gave this to him." Lilyanna said softly.
The two sisters stared at each other, neither backing down. Eventually Rhaenyra rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine, get the berries, Lilyanna."
Lilyanna smiled at her sister, reaching into her coin purse, and handing the silver stags to the merchant. The man was not bothered by long the transaction took, looking very amused by the sisters'' back and forth.
"Thank you, sir!" Lilyanna exclaimed when she was handed a burlap bag filled with her recently purchased Chaulmoogra berries.
"You had a dream of me using the berries?" Lilyanna asked her sister as she poured the berries onto the table.
Helaena nodded her head, moving to stand behind her sister. "So, what are you making?"
"I am trying to make chaulmoogra oil. In my world, well my previous one, there was this traditional medicine known as chaulmoogra oil, it was and still is used to treat various skin aliments, most famously, leprosy. I''m glad that this world also had chaulmoogra trees that produced berries." Lilyanna explained.
"What is leprosy?" Helaena asked, watching Lilyanna crack open the chaulmoogra berries and pulled out the seeds, she then ripped out the leaves that were still attached to the outside of the fruit.
"Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease which is caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes." Lilyanna casually remarked, sounding more like a Wikipedia article than a five-year-old girl.
"The damage done to Viserys'' body is focused on his feet, hands, and eyes which are clear signs that he has the disease." Lilyanna poured the seeds and leaves into a mortar, using a pestle to begin grinding and mixing them together.
Helaena did not understand most of what was said, but trusted Lilyanna enough to know that it was the truth. "And this will cure our father of his leprosy?"
"No, it won''t." Lilyanna sighed. "There is a more advanced version of this technique made by Alice Ball that involves isolating the ester compounds within, but I''m no chemist and even if I was, we don''t have the necessary equipment in this world. The chaulmoogra extract will slow down the disease''s progression, but it will not cure it."
"Then why are you making it if it will not cure father?" Helaena asked.
"Because the longer Viserys stays alive, the more time I have the save this shitshow we call a family." Lilyanna plainly answered.
"So, father will die from this disease?" Helaena was not close to her father, and she already knew from her dreams that this would not change, but she did not want him to die. Even if he was not a great father, Helaena still loved Viserys and did not wish pain and suffering upon him.
"The second Viserys had started showing symptoms of leprosy, he was already a dead man walking, this world is just too primitive to stop an illness like this. It may take longer than it would have before and Viserys might experience a less painful end, but he will die." Lilyanna said, her voice never wavering.
Lilyanna knew she sounded callous, but it was the truth. Viserys Targaryen was going to die of leprosy and nothing short of an absolute miracle would save him. "The oil will be less effective when directly used on the skin but it''s our best bet."
"If it is less effective, then what about the other ways it can be used?"
"It can be used internally, either ingested through the mouth or injected on the infected areas, but this comes with side effects. Cough, difficulty breathing, throat spasms, kidney damage, visual disorders, head and muscle pain, and paralysis when used internally. When used on the skin, at worst you may get mild skin irritation."
The room fell into silence as Lilyanna continued to work, the process taking much longer to due to small body. Over an hour passed before Lilyanna finished, pouring the freshly made oil into ten small jars that she had taken from the kitchen days earlier.
"Now, I just have to figure out how to get this into Viserys'' room without getting caught." Lilyanna spoke aloud.
"You could use the tunnels." Helaena said while pointing to the adjacent wall.
"You know about the tunnels? Wait, why am I even asking?" Lilyanna asked, she was aware of the secret tunnels that encompassed the Red Keep that Maegor the Cruel had ordered to be made by the builders he tasked with the Keep''s construction.
After The Red Keep was completed, Maegor had a feast thrown for those who took part in the construction. In reality, this was just a ploy so he could roundup all the builders and put them all to death to protect the secrets of the castle.
It should not have surprised Lilyanna that Helaena had known about the tunnels, due to her dragon dreams. The only reason she herself knew was because of her preexisting knowledge of the world she was in, but she had yet to explore them as she did not how to navigate the maze of tunnels and most certainly did not want to walk into one of the many traps littering them.
"I can show you which path to take to father''s bedchamber." Helaena walked to the wall she had pointed at. She pushed against it, causing the wall to give way, revealing that is was a secret door. "But how are you going to get father to take it?"
Lilyanna smirked, reaching into her dresser, and pulling out a folded piece of parchment. "With this."
Helaena took the parchment from her sister''s hand and read its contents aloud. "Your Grace, I was going through various tomes and found a recipe for a medicine that I believe will alleviate you of your pains. All that is required is that you apply it to the areas of infection. - Grand Maester Mellos."
Helaena looked up once she was done reading and stared blankly at Lilyanna. Slowly, Lilyanna''s smile dimmed, her lips forming a pout and crossing her arms in offense.
"Stop looking at me like that." Lilyanna muttered.
"Like what?" Helaena asked, her expression remaining the same.
"Like you think I''m an idiot!" Lilyanna exclaimed.
Helaena tilted her head to side, "But I do think you are an idiot."
"Hey!" Lilyanna yelled, offended by her twin''s affirmation. She knew that Helaena did not mean anything malicious, but she had never taken insults to her intelligence very well.
"I do think you are very smart, Lilyanna. But I also think you can be very dumb and oblivious to things around you. You are the dumbest smart person I know." Helaena said with a kind smile on her face.
Lilyanna stared at Helaena blankly, she opened her mouth trying to speak, but no words came out. Helaena''s smile grew wider as she took in Lilyanna''s stumped expression, she could feel her sister trying to think of a witty comeback, but failing.
After a minute, Lilyanna scoffed, "Whatever. This is going to work, I know Viserys, he''s too trusting and is not smart enough to question the note. And even if he does, Mellos will just take credit for it."
"If that is what you believe." Helaena airily said.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "Can you please just show me the way to his chamber?"
Helaena walked through the trapped door, motioning for Lilyanna to follow her. Lilyanna grabbed two of the jars of the chaulmoogra and the note she had written, closing the door behind her as she entered the tunnel.
The twins walked through the winding maze of tunnels in silence. Lilyanna looked around the tunnels, amazed by the craft and detail that went into making them.
The two could see various parts of the Red Keep, seeing small gaps that allowed them to look inside rooms and hallways.
It did not take long for Helaena and Lilyanna to reach a dead-end with a large door. The door was much larger than the one that led to their own room, indicating that it was the King''s chambers.
It makes sense, Maegor was the one who drew up the plans for the tunnels. Of course, he would want it to be known that he was the King, even if he was the only one using the tunnels. Lilyanna thought.
Helaena moved to the side of the door, looking through the eye slit that was craved into the wall. "Father is still asleep. You should be able to place the oil and the note on father''s desk and get out."
Lilyanna nodded in agreement, quietly pushing the door open and tip toeing into the room. Lilyanna took a quick look at her father to ensure that he was still asleep as she made her way to his desk.
Just as Lilyanna had placed the items down, she heard the voices of her mother and oldest sister from out in the hall.
The secret door was on the other side of the room, so Lilyanna was forced to dive on the floor, sliding under Viserys'' bed when she heard the bedchamber door begin to open.
"I have told you before, princess, the King is perfectly fine." Alicent said as she and Rhaenyra walked into the room.
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, "Well, excuse me for wanting to see my father''s condition with my own eyes."
Lilyanna pressed her head against the cold floor, refusing to move a muscle out of fear of getting caught. The young girl hoped that the two would not notice the chaulmoogra oil and the note she had written. Unlike Viserys, Alicent and Rhaenyra would most certainly question the validity of the objects.
Rhaenyra walked to the side of Viserys'' bed. The man was still peacefully sleeping, unbothered by the world around him.
Even though there was a blanket covering Viserys'' entire body expect for his head, Rhaenyra could still see the now flattened area where his left arm used to be.
"Kepa." Rhaenyra whispered as she pressed a gentle kiss upon his brow. "Thank you, Alicent."
Alicent tore her gaze away from the adjacent wall, staring at Rhaenyra in shock. "Excuse me?" She whispered.
Lilyanna too was also shocked, not expecting Rhaenyra to say anything nice to Alicent, let alone thanking her.
Rhaenyra began playing with the rings on her hands, a flash of heat running up her neck. "Thank you, for taking care of my father. I know it could not have been easy sitting there as he¡ as he had his arm removed."
"It was nothing. I was just doing what any wife would do in this situation." Alicent responded, the words not feeling quite right as they left her lips.
"Yes, what any wife would¡" Rhaenyra trailed off, she hated that she was reminded of how her father stole Alicent away from her, turning her greatest support into her enemy.
"Thank you, for taking the children with you to the pit. I would not have wanted them to witness it even if they would not have been in the room. Although, I disagree with you flying in the air with them¡ they had fun, so I thank you for that." The words rushed forward as Alicent spoke.
Rhaenyra gave Alicent a tentative smile, "You are welcome."
Alicent returned the smile before her eyes widened and her cheeks burned. She then cleared her throat, making an offhanded excuse and calmly (quickly) leaving the room.
Rhaenyra let out a winding sigh, her head leaning up towards the ceiling. "Damn it." She then placed another kiss on Viserys'' head and left the room as well.
Lilyanna immediately crawled out from under the bed when it became clear that no one else would enter again.
"Whoa¡" Lilyanna whispered to herself while looking at the bedchamber door. She was filled with hope that Rhaenyra and Alicent''s relationship could be saved or at least strengthened.
"That was unexpected." Helaena said once Lilyanna rejoined her inside of the tunnels.
"Yeah, let''s just hope I don''t have to do that again anytime soon." Lilyanna replied, walking past her sister and back to their room.
Helaena hummed to herself and followed, she had been referring to the moment between their mother and older sister. The silver haired twin had assumed that the bond the two women shared was irreconcilably severed, but seeing how they were in private when the rest of the world was not watching, changed this opinion.
Lilyanna''s presence is changing things. I hope it will change this. Helaena pondered.
A Fortnight Later
Viserys Targaryen did not appear like the aging King he had been weeks earlier. Granted he still looked much older and weaker than his age suggested, but he was healthier than he had been before the surgery.
Viserys had even called Mellos to his room in order to thank him for the oil that had been making his recovery possible.
"Oil, Your Grace?" Mellos asked in confusion.
"The oil that you left on my desk, Mellos." Viserys clarified.
Mellos'' face became gravely serious as he stared at the King. "Your Grace, I did not leave any such oil on your desk."
"You are not lying?" Viserys asked, he then reached into his pocket and pulling out the chaulmoogra jars. "You did not leave these for me?"
"Husband," Alicent said from her place next to Viserys. "The Grand Maester could not have left this oil for you." Alicent had spoken to Mellos and requested that all treatments be discussed with her, and the oil in his hands was not have been one of them.
Viserys then had Mellos bring forth all the Keep''s maesters to figure out who could have given the King the oil to use. One by one each of them denied being the perpetrator, all being unfamiliar with the liquid within Viserys'' hand.
It was this commotion that drew Rhaenyra to her father''s bedchamber.
"Father? What is going on? Why are there maesters coming in and out of your room?" The princess asked as she walked up to her father, the Queen, and the Grand Maester.
"Rhaenyra, you know how I have doing better than I have been these past few weeks?" Viserys asked his daughter.
"Yes, I have noticed. We have all assumed that it was a blessing." Rhaenyra said.
Viserys shook his head, "It was this." He said while showing the jars of oil that he had placed on the table. "I have been placing it on the areas of infection each morning and they have been making me feel better. I had thought that Mellos or one of the other maesters had left them here for me, but I have discovered that is not the case."
Rhaenyra thought about what her father had said, "When were these jars placed in your room?"
"The day of my surgery." Viserys replied. "Why do you ask?"
"I think I know who had placed these here." Rhaenyra sighed, she then explained how on that very day Lilyanna had asked her if she could buy some strange fruits that she had seen in one of the city''s many markets and how she wanted it to make something for Viserys.
"Why did you not tell us this before?" Alicent immediately asked, her thoughts swirling as she tried to comprehend what Rhaenyra''s was implying.
Rhaenyra clenched her jaw, "I did not think it was serious. Lilyanna is five, I did not think whatever she would make would work, but it appears that I have been proven wrong."
"Stop this." Viserys said, ending the argument that would have undoubtedly occurred between the two women. "Ser Criston, go to my daughter''s room and bring Princess Lilyanna here at once."
"Yes, Your Grace." Criston responded, turning on his heel and leaving the room to complete his King''s order.
Five minutes later and Criston had returned with Lilyanna at his side. Lilyanna looked between her parents, older sister, and the Grand Maester and she immediately knew why she had been summoned to Viserys'' bedchamber.
"Lilyanna," Viserys said as he motioned his daughter forward. "Did you make this?" He asked pulling one of the jars of the table and holding it for her to see.
"I did, father." Lilyanna said earnestly, not seeing the point in lying when everyone in the room knew the truth.
"And you wrote a note, pretending to be Grand Maester Mellos? Why?" Viserys asked, his expression never changing as he towered over his daughter.
"If you knew the oils were from me you would not have taken them. I knew if you thought the Grand Maester gave them to you would not have questioned it." Lilyanna responded.
"How? How were you able to make this... medicine?" Mellos quickly asked before anyone else in the room could speak. He knew from his fellow maesters that Lilyanna was very smart for her age, but to make something like this without any previous training, knowledge, or experience was unheard of.
For someone who had only just left infancy, who was still learning to read and write properly, it was unthinkable.
Lilyanna was unfazed by the question, "I brought Chaulmoogra berries, took out the seeds and crushed them until they became an oil, Grand Maester Mellos."
"Chaulmoogra berries? I have never heard of such a fruit." Mellos said, as if surprised that there was something that he did not know.
"They are from Yi-Ti." Rhaenyra answered.
"Yi-Ti?" Viserys asked Rhaenyra.
"Yes, Yi-Ti. It is where the merchant that Lilyanna bought the berries from said they originated. It is why they were so expensive." Rhaenyra said, her eyes never leaving Lilyanna''s form.
"Expensive?"
"They cost three silver stags."
"You gave your sister three silver stags to buy this fruit?"
Rhaenyra shook her head, "No, I did not. Lily already had the coin in a purse she had brought with her."
"Lilyanna, where did ¨C how did you get three silver stags?" Alicent finally spoke as she removed herself from Viserys'' side and stood in front of their daughter.
Lilyanna shrugged, refusing to make eye contact with the woman as she knew Alicent would not like the answer.
"Lilyanna." Alicent stressed, using the tone that she almost exclusively used with Aegon whenever he did something wrong.
Lilyanna let out a sigh and said, "I asked a servant to lend me the money. I said I would pay them back when I eventually received my own allowance."
This statement was a lie, in truth, Lilyanna had been stealing money from the Knights and lower nobles of the Red Keep for the last two years. Being a small child and her ability to disappear and not be found had made it quite easy for her to reach into people''s pockets and purses without being noticed.
Lilyanna had been taking this money and placing them in a large sack that she had now hid within the walls of her bedroom, loosening a few bricks with Helaena''s help in order to make it possible.
She had done this just in case she needed the money in the future. It would be best for future problems/endeavors if she had her own money that was not monitored by the Crown.
It was not as if Lilyanna could tell her mother this, so it was the lesser of two evils to simply lie about where she had gotten the money.
"Lilyanna!" Alicent exclaimed, shocked by what she had just heard.
"I am sorry, mother." Lilyanna tried to put on pitiful face of remorse, but either it was not convincing, or her sins were too great, because Alicent was not falling for it.
"How did you know that this concoction would help me, Lilyanna?" Viserys asked, temporarily sparing Lilyanna from Alicent''s wrath.
"I read through the few books we have about Yi-Ti in the Keep''s library. It said that chaulmoogra could be used to heal skin aliments." Lilyanna told her father.
"Skin aliment? How do you know I have such afflictions on my skin?" Viserys questioned.
Lilyanna had to fight to not look like she thought her father was an idiot, "I have heard about the symptoms you have, father; bleeding from the nose, loss of hair, and scaring on the hands, feet, and face. I knew that the chaulmoogra oil would help with this."
"And it can cure my disease?" Viserys had started to become hopeful, wondering if the treatment his daughter had secretly given him would cure him.
"No, it will not cure you." Lilyanna said, she did not want to become response hen Viserys'' disease would continue to ravage his body by lying that it would. "I do not know what the disease is that you have, father. But the oil will not heal you, only slow down its speed."
The room grew quietly as everyone inside gave their attention to the King, Viserys visibly deflated at what Lilyanna said. The King then surprised everyone when he turned to Mellos, "Grand Maester, I want you to be in charge of Princess Lilyanna''s education from now on."
"Father, you cannot be serious about this."
"Viserys, let us talk about this."
Rhaenyra and Alicent said respectively, to the both of them it seemed like a rash decision to put an aging maester completely in charge of a little girl''s education.
"Clearly Lilyanna has some protentional in this area, besides it is not as if we can send her to the Citadel. It would best not to ignore this." Viserys stated, there was a shine in his eyes as he looked at Lilyanna.
"I agree with you, Viserys, Lilyanna does have... a talent for medicine. It is clear with how she created this oil for you, but to have the Grand Maester be entirely in control of her education is excessive and unrealistic." Alicent said to her husband, gently trying to get him to see reason.
"I must agree with the Queen, Your Grace. It would be best if Princess Lilyanna continues her education as is." Mellos said, the maester did not know how to feel about Viserys'' decree. It was clear to him that Lilyanna was intelligent, but she was still a small child, a girl, it was yet to be revealed if this was an act of genius or simply luck that grew from a young girl''s whims.
There was also the unseen presence of Otto Hightower. Despite being ousted from his position years ago, he could still be felt through the actions of Alicent and her Greens. Mellos believed that it would only be a matter of time before Otto returned to the Red Keep, whether it would be because of the King, or the Queen had yet to be seen.
Mellos thought about how Otto would react to Viserys'' demand that Lilyanna be taught by him to essentially become a maester.
Viserys thought about what was said to him, "Perhaps you are both right, Lilyanna should maintain her normal schedule. However, I want Lilyanna to have lessons with you at least once a week, Grand Maester."
"Of course, Your Grace." Mellos replied with a bow of his head. He then turned to Lilyanna and Alicent, "Let us start as soon as possible. Does tomorrow work for you, my Queen, Princess?"
Lilyanna said nothing, looking up at Alicent and waiting for her mother''s answer before responding. She already knew that Alicent would agree, the Queen had no choice since Viserys had decreed that Lilyanna would learn from Mellos.
"Of course, Grand Maester. That would be fine for Lilyanna." Alicent said, visibly conflicted about the situation. Alicent felt that so much attention, so much pressure was now being placed on her daughter and she could not do anything to stop it.
"Thank you, Grand Maester." Lilyanna said, hiding her true feelings on the matter, knowing that it was best to go along with the decision instead of fighting against it.
Lilyanna did not know why Viserys was suddenly wanting Lilyanna to learn from Mellos. She had assumed when the King confronted her that he would write off her actions as blind luck, giving her a slap on the wrist for her deception, not order her to become Mellos'' student.
Helaena was right, I really am an idiot...
Family Ties
"Will mama be, okay?" Jacaerys Velaryon asked his uncles and aunts as they all sat in the nursery awaiting the birth of his parents'' second child and his new sibling.
When Jacaerys was told that he would be an older brother, the toddler was excited, wanting a relationship with his new sibling that his uncles and aunts had with each other. Yes, the Hightower-Targaryens never excluded him, often treating him like the sixth member of their group, but he knew it would be different with a brother or sister of his own.
Now after seeing Rhaenyra''s water break and listening to his mother screaming in agony from all the way in her bedchamber, it made Jacaerys rethink his desire for a brother or sister if it caused his mother so much pain.
"Rhaenyra will be fine, Jace. She has a group of dedicated midwives watching over her, I promise." Lilyanna told her nephew as she stood up and pulled him away from his place at the door and towards her siblings.
They had all been herded into the nursery as soon as news of Rhaenyra''s labor had circulated the Red Keep. The nursery had become the unofficial place to take the children whenever the Queen or Princess were giving birth, although Lilyanna was sure that this would change once they were all older.
"You sure?" Jacaerys asked, his lips quivering, and his eyes filled with unshed tears.
"I am sure. Nothing is going to happen to your mother." Lilyanna reassured.
Jacaerys allowed his body to relax after hearing those words. Out of all his younger relatives, Lilyanna was the most mature and knowledgeable, if she said that his mother would be fine, than he believed it.
"Hurry Jace. We are going to play The Conquerors!" Aegon jumped up from his place on the floor, holding two wooden swords in his hands.
"Yay!" Jacaerys cheered, using his small legs to run to his uncles.
"I want to be King Aegon!" Aemond said as he took the other sword from his brother.
Aegon scoffed at this, "No way, I am going to Aegon. You can be Aegon''s dragon, Balerion."
"But you''re always Aegon. Why can''t I be him for once?!"Aemond cried.
"Because I''m the oldest and my name is Aegon, so I get to decide who is who." Aegon exclaimed.
"That''s not fair!" Aemond said, stomping his feet.
"If you find it so unfair then you should have been born first." Aegon shrugged. "It''s not my fault you came out of our mother fourth instead of first."
Aemond glared at Aegon before dropping the sword in his hand and running to Lilyanna and latching onto her, burying his face in her chest to hide his tears.
Lilyanna wrapped her arms around Aemond and rubbed his back. "Aegon, stop making fun of Aemond. Would it really be so bad if Aemond was King Aegon for once?"
"Yes, it would. Aemond should be happy that I am letting him play at all, he is not like any of the conquerors much less my namesake." Aegon said annoyed by their brother''s crying, He hated how Aemond would constantly follow him around trying to do everything that he would do, and then make him look bad whenever he refused.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "Yes, because you are the conqueror reborn, brother. I am sure you are going to hop on Sunfyre and take over an entire continent as well."
"Whatever," Aegon mumbled before turning to his youngest brother and nephew. "C''mon Dae, Jace. You two will be Visenya and Rhaenys."
Daeron and Jacaerys followed Aegon further into the room, reenacting the Three Conquerors takeover of Westeros.
"Do not listen to him, Aemond. You are just as smart and as brave as Aegon the first." Lilyanna said as she led Aemond to where Helaena was sitting.
"I am?" Aemond asked, his insecurity was obvious as Aegon''s words had cut him deeply. He did not understand why Aegon was always pushing him away, especially since he never did so with Helaena, Lilyanna, or Daeron.
"You are and I believe that you will grow to be even more like him." Lilyanna answered.
Aemond smiled, leaning onto Lilyanna''s shoulder, and focusing on the fire in front of them. Within the fireplace laid Aemond''s dragon egg, each day the young boy would have one of his sisters place it there for him in hopes of it hatching.
I will ride a dragon and I will be better than every Aegon, including my brother... Aemond thought to himself.
"A God''s shining light, a mother''s loving embrace, a newborn heart taking breath." Helaena whispered into the air.
"A new dream, sister?" Lilyanna asked as she took in Helaena''s words, trying to figure out the meaning behind them.
Helaena stared at Lilyanna in a daze, still lost in the foggy haze of her vision, she did not give her sister a response as she turned her head back to the fire.
Lilyanna was not bothered by this, thinking on the words that Helaena had spoken. She knew based on the last two parts that Helaena''s dream had to have been about Rhaenyra and her newborn child.
This could be about Lucerys. I remember that dream I had about the three Strong Boys, so I know that he will be the one that will be born today. The part about God could be about Lucerys'' dragon, Arrax. Lilyanna thought.
It was not long before Laenor had entered the room, taking the six children to Rhaenyra''s bedchamber after telling them that Rhaenyra had given birth to boy.
Once they entered, they saw that Viserys and Alicent were also in the room, the King stood next to his wife as he held the newborn prince in his arms.
"Mama!" Jacaerys shouted as he broke away from the group and ran to his mother''s bedside. Jacaerys quickly climbed onto the bed and hugged Rhaenyra.
"I am all right, my little prince." Rhaenyra said, brushing some of the hair away from Jacaerys'' face. "You have a little brother now. Say hello to Lucerys."
Viserys walked over to his daughter and eldest grandson so that Jacaerys could see his new brother, Jacaerys leaned his head over Viserys'' arms to get a better look.
Lucerys Velaryon was very small, smaller than Jacaerys had been at his birth, with the same tanned skin but what drew his attention was his hair. Lucerys'' small tuff of hair was an equal mixture of black and silver strands.
"His hair is pretty!" Jacaerys exclaimed, reaching over to gently touch his brother''s hair. The movement had awoken Lucerys and the babe opened his eyes, revealing his indigo eyes to the world.
Rhaenyra laughed, "Yes Lucerys'' hair is quite beautiful. I am sure your grandmother Rhaenys will think so as well when she and your grandfather Corlys visit in the next few days."
Viserys smiled at the scene, "Of course she will. You have given her a grandchild that shows the strength of Baratheon blood after all."
"Can we see?" Daeron asked, becoming more impatient as the others were focusing on the newborn and not allowing him and his siblings to do so as well.
Viserys waved his other children over and soon Rhaenyra, Jacaerys, and Lucerys were surrounded by the other excited children.
Lilyanna waited behind the rest of rest of her siblings, knowing how rambunctious they could be and not wanting to be pushed and shoved around as a result. Once they had calmed down, Lilyanna moved closer to see Lucerys for herself.
Genetics in this world really don''t make any sense. I mean black and silver hair? Although, I guess I''m the last person who should be talking with my single strand of silver hair among all my fiery red. Lilyanna thought.
"Hi there, Luke." Lilyanna said to her newborn nephew.
"Luke?" Laenor asked Lilyanna.
"Luke." Lilyanna reiterated, "Like Jace''s name, Lucerys is too long, so he will be known as Luke."
Laenor raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Oh, will he now?"
Lilyanna shrugged, Lucerys was bound to get the nickname eventually just as Jacaerys did despite the changes she made. She and all her siblings had nicknames too, even if some were used more than others.
The not so young princess allowed herself to relax as her family celebrated Lucerys'' birth as all appeared to be fine. So far, the Targaryen family has been able to exist in tentative peace with each other. While the children had gotten along, there was still animosity between Rhaenyra, Alicent, and their respective sides.
But Lilyanna knew that she could not relax just yet, she could not let up her guard, not even for a moment.
A Few Days Later
Lilyanna let out a groan as she entered her room, the princess had just returned from her and Aegon''s training with Criston, every muscle in her body was screaming in agony as she dragged herself through the Keep.
Ever since Criston discovered Lilyanna''s talent with a blade, he had been pushing her harder during their lessons. He had even begun teaching her more advanced lessons than Aegon. While Lilyanna did appreciate that the Kingsguard did not go easy on her or teach her less than her brother because of her gender, her body was begging for a break.
Lilyanna remembered asking the Knight why he was so enthusiastic about her training...
"So that if you do ever find yourself in a situation where you must fight, you will win." Criston said without a trace of doubt.
"You are very confident, Ser Criston." Lilyanna replied.
"Of course, I am the one training you. Your skills are already assured." Criston said, making a show of twirling his morning star.
Lilyanna giggled, "That is true. Besides, I do not think mother would be happy if I ended up being a subpar fighter with the worries she had at the beginning."
Criston hummed, "The Queen would be quite... worried."
Lilyanna snorted, imagining what Alicent''s reaction would be if she ever got into a situation where she needed to fight, but could not.
She would probably have a heart attack if I ever got into a fight. But with how Alicent is, I doubt she would ever let any of her children near a battle if she had a choice, she would probably lock us in the Keep and throw away the key. Lilyanna thought.
"Oh. Hey, Hely." Lilyanna said as noticed Helaena sitting on her bed instead of her own.
Helaena did not respond to her twin, nor did she turn her head to look at her. Lilyanna was not bothered as this happened quite frequently with Helaena, so she knew that she would just have to wait until Helaena eventually told her what had taken up all her attention.
While she waited, Lilyanna had taken a bath and had gone to her work desk to continue working on her book of medicine. Having grown appalled by the measures taken by maesters, Lilyanna had decided to write down all her medical knowledge from her past life in a series of books.
While she knew no one would take her notes seriously now, Lilyanna hoped that as she grew older that her credibility would increase and more would adopt her methods.
That and I want to see those medieval doctors faces when a woman shows them up, when I prove how much better I am than them.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Hello, Lily. When did you get back?" Helaena asked, finally noticing Lilyanna''s presence in their room.
"Almost an hour ago. I tried to get your attention when I first arrived, but you were lost in your thoughts." Lilyanna said.
"Sorry." Helaena muttered, turning her head away, Lilyanna followed her gaze and saw that Helaena was staring at Lilyanna''s dragon egg that had been sitting in the fireplace.
"Is something wrong with my egg?" Lilyanna asked after a few moments.
"N-no I mean- I do not think that something- I am not sure if-" Helaena stuttered.
"Hey," Lilyanna said gently, walking over to Helaena and sitting next to her on the bed. "Don''t second guess yourself, Helaena. Tell me what you saw."
Helaena took a breath to calm herself down. "I saw your dragon egg, but it was not with you anymore... it was in Lucerys'' crib."
Helaena refused to look at her twin, afraid of what Lilyanna would say, what she would do after hearing what she saw in her dreams.
I do not want Lily to hate me. I do not want her to think I caused this, that I could have made this happen. Helaena thought, she knew how obsessed the people in her family were with dragons, how being a dragonrider determined your worth and standing both inside and outside of their house.
To Helaena, it felt like she was preventing Lilyanna from becoming a dragonrider, that her dream had caused Lilyanna''s journey to getting her own dragon that much harder.
"Helaena. Look at me, please." Lilyanna said, she wanted to reach and touch her, but she knew that with how Helaena was acting that it would not be taken well.
Helaena lifted her head, she was afraid that Lilyanna would be angry, but her expression had not changed.
"Is this what you saw that a few days ago, when Luke was born?" Lilyanna asked.
"Yes." Helaena whispered.
"Is this why you have been avoiding me lately? Were you afraid to tell me?" Lilyanna asked, but she already knew the answers to her questions.
Helaena wanted to deny it, but Lilyanna would know that she was lying. "Yes."
Lilyanna sighed, "Alright. This means I have to give the egg to Lucerys before Rhaenyra further plan her trip to Dragonstone."
There had been no dragon eggs in the Dragonpit waiting for the newborn prince like there had been previously, so Rhaenyra had been planning to go to their family''s ancestral seat to proclaim one for Lucerys.
The last dragon eggs that had been laid in King''s Landing had been given to their young cousins, Baela and Rhaena Targaryen, the twin daughters of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon last year after their births.
Once Viserys had heard of the twins'' birth, he ordered that the dragon eggs be sent over to Pentos and be placed in his nieces'' cribs. He believed that since Daemon was now a father that he would have changed and that Baela and Rhaena should not be punished for their father''s sins.
There were many who both silently and loudly objected to the Rouge Prince''s daughters receiving dragon eggs.
Just like in the medieval society that Westeros was based on, a person in the royal family is given the title of Prince or Princess if they are the child or grandchild of a monarch. It was the reason that despite Rhaenys and Daemon being a princess and prince that Laena, Laenor, Baela, and Rhaena were not given the same titles upon their births.
Many believed that because of how far down the girls were in the line of succession they should never become dragonriders as it would throw off the tentative balance that currently existed.
There was also the fear that these potential dragons would make Daemon even more powerful as he would have not only them, but his and Laena''s dragons, and the Velaryon wealth and fleet through Laena, on his side.
Of course, Viserys would have none of that, stating that his decision was final and that anyone who had a problem with it could ''talk'' to his Kingsguards.
The objections quickly ended after that...
Although I don''t agree with everything Jaehaerys did and believed, he wasn''t wrong in his choice to limit the amount of dragonriders at one time. During his height, the only dragonriders were himself, his wife, his older sister, and his three oldest children. The first of these children was his heir, and the other two were expected to marry.
Jaehaerys did not allow his other daughters to claim dragons because they were expected to marry outside of the family, that way no other family would gain access to the dragons'' power.
By the time Viserys had died there were 17 members of House Targaryen with a dragon of their own. Every single Targaryen besides Viserys, Mealor, and Viserys II had a dragon at the time, granted some of these dragons and riders were too young to fly in combat, but still!
This doesn''t even count the dragonseeds who later claimed dragons during the Dance...
Helaena looked at Lilyanna in shock, "That is it? You are not mad."
"Why would I be mad?" Lilyanna wondered.
Helaena looked at Lilyanna in disbelief, "I saw that your dragon egg will become Luke''s. You will not have a hatchling because of me."
Lilyanna scoffed, "Helaena, you did not make anything happen, your dragon dreams did not cause this, you simply saw something that would already happen."
"Are you sure?" Helaena voice barely carried, but the emotions within were evident. She was hopeful, desperate to believe that what her sister said was true.
"Positive." Lilyanna said with a smile. "So, when I give Luke the egg, does it hatch?"
Helaena gratefully returned the smile, "Yes, it does. Arrax will be born from the egg."
Lilyanna walked over to the fireplace and grabbed the dragon egg. "Come, let''s go give this to Luke."
"Aren''t you mad that you won''t have a dragon?" Helaena asked.
"Are you mad that you do not have a dragon?" Lilyanna asked in return.
"No, I am not. But it is different¡" Helaena said, she knew her own dragon egg would not hatch, but she also knew that she was destined to claim one at a later date. "¡I cannot see if you will¡"
"You cannot see if I will ever claim a dragon?" Lilyanna finished.
Helaena nodded her head.
"Helaena," Lilyanna started. "I do not know if I will ever claim a dragon, I am not from this world, remember. It may not be in the cards for me, and I have accepted it. Truly sister, it does not bother me."
Helaena looked for any sign that her sister was lying but Lilyanna''s face it not so much as twitch. "Okay sister. Let us go to the nursery."
When the twins walked into the nursery, they saw that the room was not empty.
It was not surprising to see Rhaenyra sitting in a chair with Lucerys in her arms and Jacaerys sitting on the ground by her feet, playing with a stack of toys. She had been spending a lot more time in nursery since Lucerys'' birth, wanting to enjoy time with her children before she had to return to her duties.
Although the girls were not expecting to see Rhaenys Targaryen sitting across from their sister, both in the mist of conversation.
The older Targaryen princess had come to King''s Landing with her husband two days prior after receiving news of their second grandchild''s birth and just as Viserys said, Rhaenys was overjoyed as she took in Lucerys'' hair, saying that he looked just like her mother, Jocelyn Baratheon.
It was not the first time they had met Rhaenys, but due to the rivalry between Otto and Corlys, Alicent''s ascension as Queen over Laena, and Joffrey Lonmouth''s murder at Criston Cole''s hands, the Velaryons spent little time around the Hightower-Targaryens.
"Sisters, have you come to spend time with your nephews?" Rhaenyra asked, smiling at her younger sisters.
Rhaenys said nothing as the two girls greeted them, quietly observing them, although her gaze leaned more towards Lilyanna.
She had heard from her son, good daughter, and court rumors that the youngest princess of the Red Keep was considered by many to be a genius, said to be far smarter than any child her age had the right to be, even being personally taught by the Grand Maester as she far surpassed her other teachers.
"We came to give Luke his dragon egg." Lilyanna responded, focusing on Rhaenyra, and trying to ignore Rhaenys'' eyes drilling into the side of her head.
"I thought there were no eggs available in the pit?" Rhaenyra asked.
"There are not. This is Lily''s egg." Helaena clarified.
Rhaenyra looked at the egg in Lilyanna''s hands, recognizing it as the one she picked for her sister. "But why are you trying to give it to Lucerys? It is yours Lilyanna."
"So that Luke will have a dragon, it will hatch for him." Lilyanna said.
"That is sweet, dear sister, but I will be able to find a dragon egg for Luke at Dragonstone. There is no need to give him yours." Rhaenyra said gently, while she was touched by Lilyanna''s selfless act, she did not want to deprive her sister of a dragon.
"It would take moons to find a dragon egg at Dragonstone, you said the keepers there have not yet found any eggs." Lilyanna objected.
The reason Rhaenyra had been planning to go to Dragonstone was not just to find an egg for Lucerys but to find out why there were also little eggs available. It was concerning that the home of dragons in Westeros had no eggs to be found.
"Lilyanna," Rhaenyra began. "Your egg could still hatch for you."
"It won''t." Lilyanna said with a shrug. "But it will for Luke."
Rhaenyra shook her head, a small smile forming on her lips. "Why am I surprised? You have already believed you are right, that this will happen."
"Because it will." Lilyanna said confidently.
"Because you are the dragon whisperer?" Rhaenyra joked.
Lilyanna simply rolled her eyes, causing Rhaenyra to laugh and Helaena to smile.
"And what if I say no?" Rhaenyra asked once she composed herself.
"I will just keep coming here and putting the egg in Lucerys'' cradle. You will never get a moments rest." Lilyanna answered.
"We both will, Nyra." Helaena agreed.
Rhaenyra knew Lilyanna was stubborn and persistent when she puts her mind to something, even Helaena had those traits when she believed in something important.
So, Lilyanna and Helaena truly would keep trying to give Lucerys the egg until she eventually gave in.
Rhaenyra placed Lucerys in his cradle and walked to her sisters. She kneeled and took the egg from Lilyanna and placed it next to her son.
"Wow. Luke has an egg now?" Jacaerys asked after seeing Rhaenyra place the egg next to his brother.
"Yes, he does, my sweet prince." Rhaenyra said.
Jacaerys turned to his aunt, "But won''t you get lonely without a dragon Lily?"
"Nah." Lilyanna said while messing with Jacaerys'' hair, causing the small boy to laugh and playfully swat her hand. "You, Dae, Egg, and your parents all have dragons that I can spend time with, so it does not bother me."
"Are you still sure, Lilyanna?" Rhaenyra asked once again.
"Yes, my journey to becoming a dragonrider will just be a little more difficult." Lilyanna said, her voice never wavering and her eyes unflinching.
Rhaenyra stared at Lilyanna for a moment, searching deep within the young girl''s eyes. "All right. Thank you for what you have done. I, Laenor, and Lucerys deeply appreciate it."
Lilyanna smiled and soon she and Helaena said their goodbyes and left the room.
"Is there something you want to ask, cousin?" Rhaenyra asked, her eyes never leaving her sons. Lucerys had fallen asleep, his body wrapped around his new dragon egg and Jacaerys stood next to his brother''s cradle, repeatedly poking said egg.
"Your sisters are quite¡ different." Rhaenys said, choosing her words carefully.
Rhaenyra laughed, "I know you want to say that they are weird. And you are right, they are."
Rhaenys turned to look at the egg now in Lucerys'' cradle. "Why did you accept the egg?"
"Lilyanna and Helaena would not stop until the egg was Luke''s. I wanted to save myself the headache." Rhaenyra smirked.
Rhaenys was clearly not amused, staring at her good daughter from the corner of her eye and Rhaenyra had to will herself not to fidget in her chair from the look.
Rhaenyra cleared her throat, wanting the staring to end. "My sisters have the uncanny ability to be right in most situations, if they said the egg will hatch for Lucerys then I believe it will hatch."
Rhaenys raised an eyebrow, "That is it? You believe them so wholeheartedly?"
Rhaenys had always found the relationship between Rhaenyra and her siblings to be strange. The younger Targaryen did not hide the disdain she had for her old childhood friend after Alicent married Viserys and yet she loved the Queen''s children without repute. Even her brothers, whose very existences threatened her claim to the Iron Throne.
Did she truly have that much faith that the Hightower Queen will not use those children to usurp her? To usurp my grandchildren?
Still, over the years, through frequent trips to the capital, Rhaenys saw how close her eldest grandson was with his uncles and aunts, how often Jacaerys would talk about them whenever she or Corlys asked after him.
But Rhaenys knew just how quickly childhood bonds and long held expectations can change.
"Yes, that is it, cousin." Rhaenyra replied.
Rhaenys allowed the conversation to end, continuing to think about the twins. There was something about them that Rhaenys found odd, whenever she saw them, whenever they spoke it was more like they were adults embodying the forms of children. As if they had already seen too much of the cruel and unjust world that they lived in and were unable to maintain any of their innocence.
Rhaenys could not deny that Helaena and Lilyanna had unnerved her, but at the same time left her intrigued. She had wanted to know what they were capable of and if they posed a threat to the rest of their family.
I suppose I will have to keep a close eye on the two of them. Especially Lilyanna, she might well be another Otto Hightower in the making...
"EH?! What do you mean you gave your dragon egg to Luke?!" Aegon shouted at Lilyanna.
It had been a few hours since Lilyanna had given Lucerys her dragon egg and she had recounted the story to her family at dinner.
Well, she recounted her story to her mother and her brothers, the group of six were having their supper in the solar of the Queen''s bedchambers. Due to the bad blood between the Velaryons and the Queen, both sides had made excuses as to why they could not share meals together.
Not that Viserys noticed, still high on the birth of his second grandson, it was easy to get away with things when Viserys was distracted (more so than usual).
"Aegon, do not yell at the table." Alicent reprimanded her eldest before turning to her daughter. Alicent''s eyes were burning into Lilyanna''s, visibly demanding to know the truth. "Now Lily, explain yourself."
"I gave my dragon egg to Luke because he did not have one." Lilyanna said plainly.
"But now you don''t have one!" Aemond exclaimed, in his mind he could not imagine willingly giving his own dragon egg to someone else. But Lilyanna was speaking as if it was no big deal, as if a dragon were not the most important thing to a Targaryen.
"I know, but I am fine with not having a dragon at the moment." Lilyanna said, continuing to eat and ignoring her family''s stunned looks.
Alicent did not know how to feel about her daughter''s decision to give Lucerys Velaryon her dragon egg. On the one hand she was unnerved by the reverence and obsession the Targaryens had with dragons, how they acted as if they were truly dragons themselves. But she also knew the threat that came with Lilyanna no longer having an egg.
At the moment, the Greens only had two dragons, Aegon''s Sunfyre and Daeron''s Tessarion, while the Blacks had Syrax, Seasmoke, Vermax, Vhgar, Caraxes, and Meleys. If the dragon egg hatched for Lucerys, then it would be another dragonrider for their enemy''s side.
"Lilyanna..."
"I am sure, mother. If I really need a dragon, I will claim one when I am older." Lilyanna told Alicent before she could tell her what she really thought of the princess'' choice.
Alicent and Lilyanna stared at each other, neither saying anything as purple met brown. Aegon and Aemond looked back and forth between the Queen and youngest princess, waiting to see what would happen next.
Alicent sighed, "If you are sure, I will leave it be for now."
"Thank you, mother." Lilyanna said.
"But do not make such decisions without my approval again, Lilyanna. I am understood?" Alicent said, her voice stronger and colder than it was before.
"Yes, mother. I understand." Lilyanna replied.
Alicent nodded and returned to her food, satisfied by her daughter''s response, the silence in the room ended when Aegon began to tell their mother how his day went, with Aemond and Daeron trying to speak over him.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes at this, knowing that Alicent would continue to speak about the dragon egg for at least the next few moons. Lilyanna saw Helaena quietly laughing at her from the corner of her eye and discreetly raised her middle finger at her, causing Helaena to laugh a little harder.
Six moons later, Lilyanna and Helaena sat in front of their mother in her chambers for their daily embroidery lesson, when Aegon suddenly burst into the room.
"Lily! Hels! You have to come see this!" Aegon yelled as, skidding in front of his sisters and mother.
"Aegon!" Alicent yelled, "What is so important that you came running and screaming through the room like an animal?"
"It''s Luke. His dragon egg hatched!" Aegon exclaimed, bouncing on his heels, and waiting for his family to follow him to the nursery.
As the four made their way to the nursery, Lilyanna purposely kept her head straight, trying to ignore the way Alicent''s eyes were burning into the side of her head.
The White Worm
Three Years Later
Since her rebirth, Lilyanna Targaryen had not felt a terrible, all-consuming anger within herself.
At least, not until this very moment...
The eight-year-old had entered Alicent''s bedchamber, looking for her mother and found her sitting across from Lord Larys Strong, son of Lyonel Strong, Hand of the King.
The two had been engaged in a hushed conversation with one another before Lilyanna''s entrance drew their attention.
"Lilyanna." Alicent said breathily, immediately rising to her feet.
"Am I interrupting, mother? If so, I apologize." Lilyanna said calmly, forcing herself to keep her eyesight only on her mother and not the man standing near her.
"You are not interrupting us, my little flower." Alicent said, inwardly relieved that her daughter had not heard or suspected anything from her and Larys. "Is something the matter?"
"You promised that you would meet my siblings and I in the garden for the picnic we planned for today. We have been waiting for some time, so I came to get you." Lilyanna answered.
"My apologies, Lily. Lord Larys and I were having a discussion, and it appears that the time escaped me." Alicent said as she motioned towards Larys.
"Good day, my princess." Larys said to Lilyanna, giving the young girl a low bow before rising.
"Good day, Lord Strong." Lilyanna said, giving the man a small smile and a tilt of her head. "I offer you my sincerest apologizes, for I must be taking my mother from you now."
Larys returned the gesture, "It is all right, Your Grace. As the Queen said our discussion ran long, so it is I who must apologize."
"Thank you for understanding, my Lord." Lilyanna chirped. Beneath her polite demeanor, Lilyanna felt nothing but disgust and hatred for Larys Strong.
It should have been your neck that was twisted at birth instead of your foot, you disgusting piece of shit!
"We will meet again to finish our talk, Lord Larys." Alicent told Larys as she and Lilyanna moved to leave the room.
"Of course, Your Grace." Larys said bowing to the Queen.
Lilyanna turned her head and looked back at Larys as she and Alicent began to leave, it was then that she noticed that Larys had already been staring at her.
Lilyanna felt as if Larys was staring into her soul, as if he knew the truth about her existence and was simply putting on an act, the same as her. Or at the least, he had been paying her more attention than she had realized, Lilyanna had to actively fight not to shudder under Larys'' unwavering gaze.
Lilyanna said nothing as she and Alicent walked to garden, nor did she speak when she sat with her siblings on the blanket they placed at the base of a tree. Larys Strong and his ''casual'' talk with her mother had refused to leave her mind.
Lilyanna had ignored Larys Strong up until now, it was easy as he rarely spoke or made himself known, usually blending into the crowd.
I have been focused on my family and I never noticed Larys around mom, so I didn''t pay him and his creepiness any mind. Just how long have they been having these ''conversations'' and why did I not notice?
And what were they talking about? I know in the show, Alicent would confide in Larys about Rhaenyra, Viserys, and Otto, so is that what they were doing?
Lilyanna knew that Alicent and Rhaenyra were still fighting each other to become the true power in King''s Landing, especially since Viserys was doing nothing to stop them. It would make sense for Alicent to align herself with Larys as he knew of almost everything that happened within the walls of the Red Keep.
I''m such a fucking idiot! I can''t believe that I just forgot all the crazy theories like Larys being a greenseer or that he was one of the many characters in asoiaf being controlled by Brynden Rivers, the three-eyed crow, in his overarching plot to either end the Targaryens or stop the return of the Long Night.
Larys has no loyalty and his actions both in the show and books come off as strange and nonsensical. I mean, he killed his father and brother without a hint of remorse, conspired with Corlys Velaryon to protect Aegon the Younger and Baela Targaryen during the Dance, welcomed Aegon the Younger to King''s Landing once it became clear that the Greens had lost, and chose death instead of taking the black during the Hour of the Wolf.
I need a way to properly monitor Larys, see if the theories about him are true and keep him as far away from Alicent as possible. I will not have the foot fetish stalker manipulating her for his own desires...
"Lily, Lily! What is wrong with her?" Aegon asked, as he watched Lilyanna staring off into the distance, ignoring everyone else around her as she was lost in thought.
"She''s not moving at all." Daeron said while repeatedly poking his sister''s arm.
Lilyanna did not so much as flinch from the touch and if it were not for the fact that she was breathing and blinking she could have been mistaken for a corpse.
Helaena then stood from her seat next to Alicent and walked over to Lilyanna. "It''s okay. I will wake her up."
The older twin then raised up her right hand and immediately slapped Lilyanna across the face.
"Helaena!" Alicent screamed as the force of Helaena''s slap sent Lilyanna falling to the ground.
"Huh? What just happened?" Lilyanna asked confused, she remembered sitting against the tree and now, she was lying on her back, staring up at the clear blue sky with a dull throbbing sensation emanating from the side of her face.
"HAHAHA! Helaena slapped the shit out of you, that''s what!" Aegon answered, holding his stomach and unable to stop laughing. Aemond and Daeron joined in as well once they saw that Lilyanna was fine.
None of them had expected quiet and kind Helaena to strike Lilyanna, much less have the strength to easily knock Lilyanna to the floor.
Lilyanna turned head to stare at her twin who was standing above her. Helaena had an innocent smile on her face as stared down at her sister. Before Lilyanna could ask Helaena why she had hit her, she was swept into Alicent''s arms. Lilyanna relaxed when Alicent cupped the other side of her face.
"Are you okay Lilyanna? Do you need a maester?" Alicent asked her daughter.
"I''m fine mother. It does not hurt much; Hely was just trying get my attention." Lilyanna said.
"I am glad you are okay, but your sister should not slap you to get your attention. She should not be slapping anyone, no matter the reason. None of you should." Alicent said, staring directly at Helaena.
Helaena stared at her mother blankly before rubbing the side of Lilyanna''s face that she hit. "Sorry, Lily."
"It''s fine, Helaena." Lilyanna responded, gently holding Helaena''s hand within her own.
"Maybe Helaena should be the one getting trained by Ser Criston instead." Aemond said jokingly.
"Ha! Yes! Hely''s stronger than Lily now!" Daeron exclaimed, flexing his arms as he did.
Helaena raised her arm again, causing Lilyanna to flinch, and their brothers giggling when they saw Lilyanna''s reaction. Helaena then copied Daeron and flexed her arm while smiling at Lilyanna. Lilyanna rolled her eyes when her brothers broke out in laughter again.
Alicent sighed and pressed a hand against her forehead, knowing that her children were ignoring her earlier words about not putting their hands on each other.
Her annoyance soon left her as she watched Lilyanna chase Helaena around the garden, intent on getting her revenge as Aegon, Aemond, and Daeron cheerfully yelled at Helaena to run. The smile on Helaena''s face matched her mother''s as she outran her twin.
Alicent''s thoughts then drifted back to her conversation with Larys Strong.
The second son had told her that Baela Targaryen, Daemon''s eldest daughter, had her dragon egg hatch a few days ago. He also spoke of how many powerful individuals in Essos had sent ravens to the Rouge Prince asking for the girl''s hand.
Alicent dreaded the day that this would come, but Daemon had stated that he would rip out the tongues of anyone who asked to marry his daughter again. This and the fact that it was only one of his daughter''s whose egg had hatched, with Rhaena''s egg still lying dormant were Alicent''s only reprieve.
Alicent knew that despite his and Viserys'' fracturing, Daemon would inevitably return to Westeros. And this return would give Rhaenyra three additional dragons to her side.
It was moments like this when Alicent could not stop the words her father spoke to her before leaving for Oldtown, from repeating in her mind.
Listen to me, daughter. The King will die. It may be months or years, but he''ll not live to be an old man. And if Rhaenyra succeeds him, war will follow, do you understand? The realm will not accept her. And to secure her claim, she''ll have to put your children to the sword. She''ll have no choice. You know it. You''re no fool, and yet you choose not to see it. The time is coming, Alicent. Either you prepare Aegon to rule, or you cleave to Rhaenyra and pray for her mercy¡
And Otto was right, Alicent would forever be reliant on Rhaenyra and her whims.
After finding out about what happened the night Rhaenyra and Daemon went out into the streets of King''s Landing, Alicent was not angry because she was jealous, she was angry because her best friend had lied to her and that lie had affected herself and her father.
How could she go and ask for Rhaenyra''s reassurances that she would do nothing to Alicent and her children when she becomes Queen, when she was so easily able to lie to her? When she went behind her back and had Otto ousted from his position as Hand? When she swore on her mother''s memory that everything that came out of her mouth was the truth, when it was not?
What if Rhaenyra truly has no choice but to get rid of her siblings?
So Alicent had spent days begging her husband to allow their children to be given dragon eggs in their cradle, to be taught by the dragonkeepers how to ride their dragons and be given the opportunity to claim one should their eggs not hatch.
Despite her own opinions on them, Alicent could not deny the power and advantage that dragons had, that they would give her children. When Aegon was born, she had been happy when Rhaenyra agreed with her and Viserys allowed Rhaenyra to place an egg in Aegon''s cradle.
And she remembered the anger she had felt when Lilyanna gave her egg to Lucerys.
Not only because it lowered the number of dragons the Greens had while increasing the Black''s, but because she felt as if her daughter had stepped all over the work Alicent had done to get them.
I had to beg and beg, even having to rely on Rhaenyra to advocate for my children to get what is their birthright. And yet Daemon, who constantly does whatever he pleases, who spits in the face of common courtesy and his brother''s kindness, did not have to do so.
Viserys believed that Daemon had taken his daughter''s maidenhead, Daemon then married without his permission and yet Viserys will always forgive him, failing to see him for what he truly is¡
A monster¡
I am sure Daemon must be jumping for joy, having a child that will one day become a dragonrider. A dragonrider that could one day try and kill my children¡
"Is mother, okay?" Alicent heard Aemond ask.
"She''s doing the same thing you always do, Lily." Daeron stated.
"What are you talking about?" Lilyanna''s eyebrows crinkled together as she tried to figure out what Daeron meant.
"You know, sitting very still and ignoring everything." Daeron answered.
"What should we do?" Aemond said, his voice steeped in worry for their mother.
"Maybe Helaena can slap her. It worked on Lilyanna, so I don''t see why it won''t work now." Aegon snorted.
"You think?" Helaena genuinely asked.
Aegon''s smile widened at the question, "Of course, Helaena. Our mother needs you, so you should get that hand of yours ready."
"Don''t. Even. Think. About. It." Alicent hissed, watching as her children jumped at the sound of her voice.
"Yeah, Aegon. How could you try and get our sweet sister to attack our mother? Have you no shame?" Lilyanna said, while smirking at him.
"Wow, Aegon. Do you hate mother, is that it?" Aemond said, seeing what Lilyanna was doing and joining her on throwing Aegon to the vicious wolf that was their mother.
"Wh-at?! N-o-no, I d-didn''t mean to- I was- i-t wa-s a j-j-j-jape¡" Aegon''s stuttering grew worse as Alicent continued to glare at him.
After a minute of this, Alicent let out a small sigh, "What kind of children did I raise?"
"Great ones!" Daeron yelled.
Alicent said nothing as her children talked about how great they were, she smiled when Lilyanna sat in her lap as the others continued to talk.
Alicent rested her head on top of Lilyanna''s, allowing herself to enjoy the time spent with her family.
The Next Day
Lilyanna once again found herself terribly angry as she stormed into her room.
Lilyanna growled, stalking to her bed, grabbing her own and Helaena''s pillows, placing them on her bed and drawing the covers over them. She then walked over to her closet and pulled out a cloak, Lilyanna put on the cloak and walked to the wall, opening the secret door, and walking through it.
Ever since Helaena had showed her how to use the tunnels, Lilyanna would occasionally use them, either to wonder throughout the Keep or go out into the city.
Right now, she was doing the latter, hoping that some time outside would cool the fire within threatening to consume her.
Lilyanna had gotten back from one of her mandatory lessons with Grand Maester Mellos and was angered by the whole affair. A hedge knight had come to Mellos'' chambers asking for treatment. He had somehow taken an arrow to the arm while in the training yard.
Mellos had wanted to pull the arrow out the same way it entered. This caused Lilyanna to jump forward, telling him that they should push the arrow through the other side of his arm to prevent more damage.
Mellos had given the girl a look, silently judging her intelligence and pulling the arrow out. And when Lilyanna once again told him to use a clean thread and needle to stitch the wound closed, she was once again ignored. The princess had to bite her tongue to keep herself from berating the man when he grabbed the same needle that he had used on a pervious patient earlier in the day.
At the end of her weekly lesson, Lilyanna bolted from room, but she did not get far before she was intercepted by her mother.
Mellos had spoken to the Queen about her daughter''s behavior during their lesson. She had to listen to Alicent telling her to not be disrespectful to the Grand Maester and that her job was to listen and learn.
Which led to where Lilyanna is now; wandering through the city.
Lilyanna felt herself relax as she moved through the crowded streets, she was able to pretend that she same as she was before she died, just another nameless face in the sea of people.
It was times like this that Lilyanna was glad that she did not take after the rest of her Targaryen family. With her red hair and tanned skin, no one realized that she was royalty.
Because of this she had no reason to throw her hood over her head. Even with her purple eyes, so long as she avoided direct eye contact, no one would be able to tell. And even then, most would assume that she was a dragonseed, not a princess of the realm.
She could just be a normal girl with no one knowing anything about her, no one to judge her for things out of her control, no one to treat her like a freak of nature.
Before she knew it, Lilyanna had found herself on the Street of Flour, she young girl smiled as she had been craving the sweet bread that was made here for the last few weeks.
Before Lilyanna could walk into her favorite shop, she was suddenly grabbed and yanked into a nearby alley.
As she was pulled further into the alley, Lilyanna pulled out a dagger that she always kept hidden inside of her cloak and grabbed the unknown person''s arms. Lilyanna shoved them against a wall, holding the dagger against their throat, Lilyanna was then surprised when she realized that her supposed attacker was a little girl.
Said girl had dark brown eyes, short curly black hair and was a few inches shorter than her. And when looking at her face, Lilyanna had assumed that the girl was a year or two younger than herself.
"Who are you and why did you attack me?" Lilyanna asked.
"I didn''t attack you. I wanted to speak to you." The girl replied, unbothered by the blade against her neck.
"So, you decide to pull me into a sketchy alley instead of approaching me like a normal person?" Lilyanna asked sarcastically.
The girl said nothing, impishly smiling at the princess'' reply.
Lilyanna sighed, "What is your name?"
"I am Jayne, Your Grace." Jayne''s smile grew as she saw the shocked expression on Lilyanna''s face.
"W-what? How did you-"
Jayne raised up a hand, stopping Lilyanna. "As funny as I find your stuttering, the reason I approached you was because I need your help."
"With what?" Lilyanna asked plainly. It felt as if she should know who Jayne was, but nothing came to mind.
"A friend of mine is badly ill. I know you are being taught by the Grand Maester, so I figured you could help her." Jayne''s face became somber, making her look older than she was as she spoke.
Lilyanna had to stop her annoyance at being called Mellos'' student from showing on her face. "I am. But how do you know that I can help your friend? I''m a kid, just like you."
Jayne rolled her eyes, "Stop pretending to be stupid, we both know how intelligent you are. Besides, one of my fellow servants heard about you helping to heal your father, the King."
Fellow servants? Lilyanna thought. There were plenty of servants in the Keep who witnessed Viserys'' search for the maester who he thought made the oil for him. And there were many who saw Lilyanna enter her father''s bedchamber and the next day her becoming Mellos'' student, so it would not be that hard to put those things together.
Only a few small children worked in the Red Keep, usually under the tutelage of an older servant, so Lilyanna would have recognized Jayne if she worked in the Keep, but she did not.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
"What servant saw this?" Lilyanna asked, pushing the knife deeper against Jayne''s neck.
Jayne smirked, "Talya."
Lilyanna lowered her arm and stepped back from the girl in shock, she now remembered where she had seen Jayne. In the show, Jayne was the young woman who Sers Arryk and Erryk met in the fighting pits, the one who told them that Mysaria was the one who took Aegon immediately after Viserys'' death.
Lilyanna knew about Talya and her connection to Mysaria, the White Worm, from House of the Dragon. Talya was her mother''s lady in waiting and had been spying on the royal family during her entire tenure.
The reason Lilyanna did nothing to oust the spy was because she knew that Mysaria would simply get another to fill Talya''s position, one that Lilyanna would not know was a spy.
She also knew that because of her family''s status, people were always watching them, trying to learn their secrets and transgressions. It would just be a never-ending stream of suspicion and paranoia for Lilyanna if she tried to fight against it.
"So, does the White Worm know one of her little birds is asking for my help, or did she send you to me personally?" Lilyanna decided to stop playing dumb and show that she knew more than she showed.
Jayne''s eyes widened slightly, "You have heard of the White Worm?"
Lilyanna scoffed, "You mean my uncle''s former lover? Yes, I know all about Mysaria''s spy network and how Talya has been reporting my family''s movements to her."
Jayne took a breath before continuing, "Yes, it was my mistress who asked me to find you but-"
"Fine. Take me to the White Worm and your sick friend." Lilyanna said, interrupting Jayne''s plea.
"Huh? That''s it? No more questions?" Jayne asked.
Lilyanna shrugged, "There is someone who needs my help. And I cannot deny that I''m not interested to see what your mistress genuinely wants from me."
Jayne said nothing more, turning around and walking further into the alley, silently commanding Lilyanna to follow her.
It did not take long for the pair to reach Mysaria''s manse at the outer most edge of Flea Bottom, near Rosby Road.
The building looked normal on the outside, but once Lilyanna had entered, she saw that it differed from the other places of the slums as it was clean and filled with decadence.
In the show, Mysaria was a former slave and prostitute, so I guess it makes sense that she would get the finest things for herself and her supporters once she came into money. Lilyanna thought.
The place reminded her of the ER with so many people moving around back and forth, entering and leaving rooms while doing their jobs as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Lilyanna did not fail to notice that the everyone had taken a few seconds to stare at her before returning to what they were doing before. She did not know how to feel about so many people being able to recognize her, while she was unable to do the same.
Although it speaks highly of their level of skill, I was never able to notice any of them despite them all watching me at some point.
Jayne had led them to a winding staircase, taken them to the lower levels of the building. Once they reached the bottom, they walked to a large set of oak doors.
Jayne knocked on the door, "My lady. I have returned and I have brought the princess with me."
The doors opened and a tall teenage boy with straight black hair was on the other side. He said nothing, moving to the side and allowing the girls to enter the room.
At the center of the room stood Mysaria, Lady Misery, the White Worm. She looked just as she did in House of the Dragon, her long brown hair was styled in an intricate bun and she wore a form fitting, flowing blue dress.
Lilyanna noticed the smooth scar that laid on her neck and could not help but wonder how the woman got it. If it was from a collar or a knife? If it were self-inflicted or not?
"Princess Lilyanna Targaryen. I wish we were meeting on better terms." Mysaria spoke softly, her rich accent sweeping across the room.
"I wish for a better meeting as well, Lady Mysaria." Lilyanna said politely. "Where is this servant of yours in need of medical attention?"
Mysaria turned around and led the girls further into the room. She stopped at a large canopy bed, she opened the drawn curtains and showed them the sick servant. On the bed laid a young woman with sandy blonde hair. Her pale skin was flushed and covered in sweat, and even with the blankets Lilyanna could tell that the young woman was unhealthy skinny.
"This is Maya. About a week ago she stumbled in here, barely able to stand." Mysaria explained.
"Y-y-y-your Gr-race¡" Maya tried to sit up and greet Lilyanna until she started to viciously cough.
Jayne rushed to Maya''s side and gently pushed her back down. "Save your strength, Maya."
"May I?" Lilyanna asked Maya as she moved next to the bed.
Maya nodded her head and tried to relax as Lilyanna examined her. The princess pulled the blanket away from Maya''s body and lifted her shirt over her stomach, revealing a bright red rash that was covering most of the surface.
She then pressed her fingers against the flesh, "Does this hurt?"
Maya winced at the sudden that irrupted, "Yes."
Lilyanna then placed her hand against Maya''s forehead, checking her temperature. "Have you experienced any headaches, chills, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea?"
"She has had all of these symptoms, princess." Mysaria answered.
"Maya has typhoid fever." Lilyanna diagnosed.
"Typhoid fever?" Jayne asked.
"It''s a bacterial disease that is spread through contaminated water, food, and physical contact." Lilyanna explained, she then turned to Mysaria. "Do you have a quill and some parchment?"
Mysaria said nothing, giving the teenage boy standing by the doors a quick glance. The boy walked to a table in the corner of the room, reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out the items Lilyanna asked for, handing them to the princess.
"Thank you." Lilyanna said as she started writing on the parchment. After a few moments Lilyanna stopped writing and handed the paper to Mysaria. "I need these items if I am to heal her."
Mysaria read the list and gave the girl a look, "Garrat." She spoke to the boy standing across from her, "Get these items for the princess."
Garrat took the list and bowed to Mysaria before leaving the room. "Of course, Mistress Mysaria."
"Do you truly believe that you can heal Maya?" Mysaria asked the second the doors closed again.
"Would you have brought me here if you didn''t think I could?" Was all Lilyanna said in response.
Jayne looked between Lilyanna and Mysaria, wondering what the two were thinking as they stared at each other.
Eventually Mysaria rolled her eyes, "I shouldn''t be surprised by Targaryen stubbornness and arrogance."
Lilyanna did not know how to feel about that, especially as the only Targaryen that Mysaria personally knew was Daemon, so she decided to ignore the jab.
It did not take long for Garrat to return to the room with all the items that Lilyanna had asked for and silently place them down on the desk.
"I''m also going to need one more thing." Lilyanna said.
"And what will that be?" Mysaria asked.
"Some sort of distraction in the Red Keep." Lilyanna answered.
"A distraction?"
"Yes, a distraction. Usually, I would''ve already returned to the Keep by now, the only reason I haven''t is because of your request. And we don''t need my mother or my siblings freaking out and starting a search party for me because I suddenly went missing." Lilyanna explained.
Mysaria thought about this, "How long will you need?"
"About two hours to make the medicine and to see if its effective." Lilyanna responded.
Mysaria''s teeth clicked together in annoyance, she would need something that would not only distract those in the Keep but also keep them from actively looking for the princess.
Mysaria reached for the leftover parchment and began to write down her orders, "Jayne, go deliver this to Talya."
Jayne had opened her mouth to beg her mistress to allow her to stay by Maya''s side, worried about what could happen to her friend while she was gone again, but the look Mysaria gave her caused her to slam her lips back together.
Jayne took the note and walked out the door, giving the Targaryen princess a scathing look.
The I don''t care if you''re a princess, you better save my friend, or else, kind of look.
Lilyanna ignored this, focusing her attention on the ingredients in front of her and the girl whose life she needed to save with them.
Since she became sick over a week ago, Maya had accepted that she was going to die.
When she became a spy for Mysaria, life for Maya and the young children, teenagers, and adults under her employ had drastically changed.
No longer were they begging for coin, stealing food to feed themselves, or sleeping in the cold and dirty streets every night. Granted, they did not live like the royalty and nobility of Westeros, but it was through Mysaria''s kindness that they could actually enjoy their lives, instead of just surviving.
So, it was easy to forget that at the end of the day they were still smallfolk, easy to forget that no matter how comfortable they are now, their lives still revolve around the petty and powerful lords of the continent.
Despite Mysaria being a powerful figure in King''s Landing, she was still a commoner, and a former whore at that. Even with all the money and influence she had, they were still those who refused to do any sort of business with her, looking down on the woman''s former profession and status.
Which is why when Maya fell ill, despite Mysaria having enough gold to pay for proper treatment, every maester that was brought to heal her refused to do so.
In their eyes, why would they risk their reputations on any of them when they could work for a noble family and still receive the same amount of money? They were just smallfolk; nobody would care if these maesters did nothing to help them. The nobles would not care if they died, there would always be plenty of other peasants to take their jobs, to grow their food, to fight their wars.
Eventually they became desperate and brought in common healers and wood witches to try and help Maya, but none of their treatments worked, some even making the girl sicker.
All hope seemed lost until Jayne had the wild idea to ask Princess Lilyanna Targaryen for help.
It took the girl a few hours to convince the spymaster to ask the princess for help. Maya was surprised that Jayne was able to as Mysaria had been adamant to not get directly involved the Targaryen family.
Again...
"Hmm... W-what?" Maya mumbled. The young woman did not know when she had fallen asleep but had woken up feeling better than she had in days.
"Maya! Are you feeling better?" Jayne asked as she quickly moved into Maya''s line of sight. When she had come back from delivering Mysaria''s letter to Tayla, Jayne had found Maya asleep, the medicine Lilyanna had given her had made her drowsy, and she had not left Maya''s side since.
"I feel...I feel good. Better than I have in the past few days." Maya replied with a smile. She then sat quickly sat up only to feel dizzy and lay back down. "Oh, my head."
"You shouldn''t try to move around too much. You may be feeling better but you''re still sick, it will take at least a week or two of continuously taking the medication I made before your body will fully recover." Lilyanna spoke as she stood up from her chair and walked to the bed.
Maya ignored the order and sat up again, she ignored the dizziness and pain that came with the action and bowed her head. "Thank you for saving my life, Your Grace. I know that there is nothing I can do to repay you-"
"Whoa, whoa. Stop it." Lilyanna gently pushed the older girl back down on the bed, not wanting her to hurt herself. "You don''t need to thank me or hurt yourself trying to. I was just doing what was right."
Jayne and Maya looked at each other, shocked by the sincerity and earnestness in Lilyanna''s voice.
"You really feel that way, don''t you?" The three girls turned around and saw Mysaria standing behind them.
"I do." Lilyanna said simply, never looking away from Mysaria''s eyes.
Mysaria stared at Lilyanna for a few seconds, "Come with me, princess." The spymaster then turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
Lilyanna stood up and quickly followed the woman, not wanting to lose sight of her within the maze of hallways.
It did not take long before the pair had reached the end of the hallway and another set of large oak doors. When they entered, Lilyanna noticed that the room was slightly smaller than the other but was styled almost the same only the bed was replaced with a long desk and chair in the center.
The desk was covered in used parchment, some of them were in common tongue, others in languages foreign to the princess.
Lilyanna realized that this had to be Mysaria''s office, the place where the woman conducted the entirety of her operation.
Mysaria sat down not at the desk but in one of the chairs in the corner of the room. The Lysene woman stared at the chair across from her until Lilyanna got the hint and sat down as well.
"Now," Mysaria began, her eyes locked onto Lilyanna''s, her gaze searching as if the young girl was a puzzle she was trying to piece together. "Tell me the truth, princess. Who are you really? What are you?"
Lilyanna felt her stomach drop at the question, but she did not let her shock appear on her face. "I have been told I am quite strange. I''m sorry if this bothers you, my lady."
Mysaria scoffed, "Is that the excuse that you use? That you are simply strange?"
"It''s not an excuse, it''s the truth." Lilyanna replied.
Mysaria said nothing, continuing to stare at the princess. It was obvious that the woman did not believe her.
Lilyanna cleared her throat, wanting to move on from the subject of her strangeness. "I wanted to ask a proposal of you, my lady."
"A proposal?" Mysaria repeated.
Lilyanna nodded her head, "I want us to work together."
The only reaction Mysaria gave her was leaning back in her chair and resting her head in her palm.
Lilyanna took this as a sign to continue, "I would help heal whoever you ask of me, whether it''s your spies or others you favor, and you would give me information on things and people I seek. Allow me to become one of your clients."
Mysaria started to laugh, "And why would I go into business with you? Why would I go to you for help? Look around you, I do not require anything from you that I cannot obtain myself, the only reason you are here now is because of desperation."
Lilyanna was unbothered by this response, "You''re right, I am here because of desperation; you need me."
Mysaria''s amusement quickly died as she glared at Lilyanna. "And what makes you think that?"
"You said that Maya became sick over a week ago, that was more than enough time for you to find a maester, but you didn''t. When it became clear that Maya''s illness was deathly serious, you sent Jayne to beg for my help. Why would you ask for the help of an untested child, the daughter of the King, unless you had no other choice?" Lilyanna explained.
Mysaria''s glare intensified, "We are not like you, princess. We may bleed the same, but we are not treated as such. I may have the gold to pay for maesters but none of those bastards will risk their precious reputations to help the people they should be working in service of."
"I know, and it is unfair that you and the common people can''t get the help and basic resources they need just because they don''t come from a prestigious family." Lilyanna said.
The older woman scoffed, "Is this why you came here today? Hoping that I would be your spy if you gave your services to the poor peasants?"
"No." Lilyanna immediately said, "It was not my intention when I followed Jayne here to try and gain your favor, I would have helped Maya regardless."
Lilyanna clenched her fists as she thought about how Maya thanked her earlier. It angered her how surprised her, Jayne, and Mysaria were that she genuinely wanted to help, that life had conditioned them that people, especially ones like her from noble families, did help others, and even when they did there was always some sort of cost.
Lilyanna could not stop herself from thinking of her own death when she thought about the maesters of King''s Landing ignoring Mysaria. How people watched as she was attacked and then murdered, none of them doing anything even as she reached out, begging to be saved, some leaving, and others perversely watching as the light faded from her eyes, ignoring her desire to live.
Lilyanna never wanted anyone to feel as she did in her last moments and would go out of her way to help others, not caring for any detriments to herself.
"That may be true but that still doesn''t answer my question why should I go into business with you?" Mysaria asked.
"Because it would be mutually beneficial for both of us to work together. We can do things that the other cannot, I have the status and the power, and you have the resources and anonymity." Lilyanna replied.
Mysaria sighed, "I meant why should I trust you?"
Lilyanna tried to speak but Mysaria cut her off, standing up and glaring down at the girl. "As I said before, there is something not right about you, something strange and off-putting. Why should I trust someone who refuses to be honest with me? I will not be put in another situation where I trust one of you Targaryens only to be betrayed, lied to, and have my life put in danger."
Lilyanna said nothing, sitting deathly still under the White Worm''s gaze, she needed Mysaria and her spy network if she was going to keep her family safe. Seeing Larys with Alicent brought up almost forgotten memories of her first life, back when this world was nothing but fiction.
She allowed herself to become too comfortable in her new life as Lilyanna Targaryen, the changes she made are not substantial enough to stop the Dance of Dragons, and any further changes would not be enough if the people responsible remained.
Larys, the maesters, the Faith, Oldtown, the Hightowers, Otto... So long as they can stand against the Targaryens everything I''m doing will be pointless. I trusted Helaena with my secret, can I really trust Mysaria? From what I know she played both sides, usually going with whoever benefited her the most at that time. Lilyanna thought.
Lilyanna took a breath, "You''re right, it would take a lot to trust me, but what about you? How do I know you won''t go tell my grandfather or Daemon what transpired here?"
Mysaria scoffed, "I am a spymaster, my job is to give information to the highest buyer. It''s the only way to ensure you nobles don''t decide to escalate your petty problems with one another and go to war. We all know the saying, ''When nobles fight, it''s the smallfolk who suffer,'' you just can''t help yourselves."
"What if I say that by helping me, I will prevent the war that will come later down the line. I won''t let the nobility throw the lives of the smallfolk into chaos." Lilyanna claimed.
"And how would you do that?" Mysaria asked, her face was emotionless, but Lilyanna could hear the interest in her voice.
Lilyanna built up her resolve making her choice in that moment, a choice that would reverberate and change both of their lives from that point on. "You said that there is something strange about me, well you''re right. So, if I tell you the truth about me will you work with me?"
Mysaria wordlessly returned to her seat, intrigued by the secret the princess was hiding.
Lilyanna sighed, leaning back in her chair and when she opened her mouth; she could not stop the words from coming forth. Lilyanna told the older woman how she lived a different life only to die and be reborn in a new world, leaving out the part that this world was fictional in her pervious life.
She told her about the original timeline, of Rhaenyra becoming heir after the death of her mother and brother, of her having bastard son, the incident at Driftmark, Daemon and Rhaenyra''s marriage, the Greens placing Aegon on the throne after Viserys'' death, the war of succession that occurred immediately afterwards, including how Mysaria died.
Once she finished, Lilyanna stared at Mysaria, waiting for the woman''s response. Mysaria continued to stare at Lilyanna, processing the dire future that was told to her.
After a few minutes, Mysaria spoke again. "Okay, I believe you."
"Wait, what?" Lilyanna was both shocked and confused, she had expected Mysaria to call her crazy or delusional, to order her out of the room and to never seek her out again, she most certainly did not think that Mysaria would believe her.
"You being an adult instead of a child would explain why you clearly don''t act like one, its a better explanation than you just being more intelligent and mature than your peers." Mysaria hummed, ignoring Lilyanna embarrassment over how badly she hid her true age. "Besides, when you spoke of the future to come, it was your eyes that gave you away. They were too serious and emotional for you to be making any of this up."
"My eyes?" Lilyanna asked, unconsciously touching the side of her face.
"You may be able to school your face and temper your voice, but a person can never truly hide the feelings that shine through from their eyes." Mysaria explained, as a former slave and whore, Mysaria had to learn from experience the ability to read people''s emotions and intentions.
"Regardless, does this mean you will help me?" Lilyanna asked, hopeful that the spymaster would join her side.
"You still haven''t explained why you need a spymaster?" Mysaria stated.
"As I said my grandfather, Otto Hightower had been collaborating with the other members of the Small Council to make my brother Aegon King, but the most important person I need to follow at the moment is Larys Strong." Lilyanna explained.
Mysaria visibly tensed at the mention of Larys. "The Hand''s crippled son. Yes, he is quite¡ problematic."
"You have suspected Larys before now?" Lilyanna asked, wondering just what Mysaria knew of the man.
Mysaria nodded, "Talya among others have told me about his meeting with your mother. They have not seen him interacting with anyone suspicious, but he somehow has a way of knowing things that he simply shouldn''t be able to know."
Lilyanna sighed, "I suspect that Larys might be a greenseer or a warg."
Mysaria''s eyes widened slightly, "You think he can spy on others because he is a magical being?"
Lilyanna shrugged, "I can''t rule it out as a possibility. As someone who has been reborn, comes from a new family of dragonriders, and who knows that magic exists in this world, I can''t just ignore that this."
"That would be quite reckless to do." Mysaria agreed, she then straightened her posture. "Fine. I''m willing to become partners."
Lilyanna grinned widely, "Thank you-"
Lilyanna stopped herself when she saw Mysaria raise one of her hands up.
"I am willing to become partners, but there must be conditions."
"What kind of conditions?" Lilyanna asked wearily, the feeling growing more pronounced as the woman smiled at her.
"Along with using your expertise as a healer you must also work to change the system."
"Change the system?"
"If I help you that means we will be working towards securing your sister''s position. And from what my birds tell me, Princess Rhaenyra is fond of you, even respecting your opinion when it came to making that oil for the King and giving your dragon egg to her son." Mysaria stated, smiling when Lilyanna rolled eyes at that last fact, remembering when Talya told her of the scolding the Queen gave her daughter for that act.
"So, it stands to show that you have quite the pull with the future Queen. I want you to promise that you will speak in your sister''s ear about improving the lives of the smallfolk when she ascends the Iron Throne."
Lilyanna sighed, "I believe you are giving me too much credit, Rhaenyra only respects my opinion when it comes to our family."
While Lilyanna was able to get her older sister to care more about herself and their siblings than she would have originally, that care did not extend past them. Rhaenyra was like most nobles; she did not care about the commoners or anyone below her in status.
In the source material, Rhaenyra did not want to be Queen because she was fighting for the rights of the oppressed, like women, bastards, and peasants, she was not a revolutionary feminist that was looking to break the wheel and distributed power equally. As selfish as it sounds, Rhaenyra was fighting for herself, and her family (her children) because she believed what was rightfully hers had been stolen.
This could be seen in House of the Dragon when Lucerys'' claim to Driftmark was called into question by Vaemond Velaryon after Corlys was injured in the Stepstones.
To try and pull Rhaenys to her side after letting her and Corlys believe that she and Daemon murdered their son, she proposed betrothing Jacaerys and Lucerys to Rhaenys'' granddaughters, Baela and Rhaena. She did this not only to ensure that Rhaenys did not side with the Greens, but to make Lucerys look more legitimate and give him true Velaryon children through Rhaena.
Ignoring the fact that by all right, Rhaenyra''s sons had no claim to Driftmark and that the title should go Baela and Rhaena.
It''s even worse in the show because it looks like Rhaenyra is trying to steal power, wealth, and resources from a black family and give it to her white son whose masquerading as a mixed raced. Lilyanna thought as a grimace formed on her face.
Mysaria disagreed, "And I think you have too little faith in your place in the royal family."
"And what if I''m right and Rhaenyra decided that the smallfolk and continued to go fuck themselves?" Lilyanna asks.
The gentle smile Mysaria wore did not match the words that came out of those lips. "I''m sure your sister will understand the importance of the smallfolk when her reign is, shorter than average."
"My father has done nothing for the smallfolk and yet I don''t see him being overthrown by the people." Lilyanna bristled.
"That is true, but when your father took the throne the only competition he had was a woman and his terror of a brother, and even now he''s a dead man walking. Rhaenyra on the other hand, I''m sure there are plenty of lords that won''t put up much of fight to defend her with your three brothers still living." Mysaria smirked, enjoying the anger she could see reflected in the girl''s eyes.
Lilyanna took a deep breath, stopping herself from doing something she would regret. "All I can promise is that I will try. Like a said before, I''m not a miracle worker."
"I suppose that is all I can ask, for now." Mysaria conceded. "But what else do you want me to look into?"
After speaking with Mysaria for some time now, Lilyanna was not surprised that the woman knew there was something else she wanted to ask. "I want you to look into the Hightowers, the Citadel, and The Faith of the Seven."
"Anything specific?" Mysaria asked.
"I want you took look into the deaths of Prince Aemon, Prince Baelon, and Queen Aemma." Lilyanna replied.
This time Mysaria''s mouth dropped open in shock, "You do know what you are suggesting, don''t you? You believe that the maesters, the Faith, and even your mother''s family had something to do with the deaths of three royals."
"I believe that there''s been a conspiracy against the Targaryens since the Three Conquerors subjugated most of the continent under my family''s rule." The princess explained.
Mysaria placed her head in hands, feeling the beginnings of an oncoming headache. "By the Gods, what have I gotten myself into?" She asked herself.
"Does this mean you''ve changed your mind?" Lilyanna cheekily asked, smiling a bit when Mysaria glared at her.
Mysaria huffed, "Now I''m a really going to make sure you keep your end of the bargain."
Lilyanna pressed her lips together, "I feel like I''m in danger."
Mysaria stood up, leading the girl out of the building. "I will be in touch." Mysaria said once they reached the entrance.
"How will I know when you''re calling me?" Lilyanna asked.
"Trust me, you will know when I want you, Lilyanna Targaryen." Mysaria smirked, pushing a loose strand of hair behind Lilyanna''s ear, and walking back inside, the doors thundering shut.
Lilyanna stood there for a few moments processing what she had went through during the course of the day.
"I still feel like I''m in danger." Lilyanna said to herself, thinking back to Mysaria''s smirks and veiled threats.
Lilyanna walked back to the Keep thinking about whether working with the White Worm would come back to bite her later down the road.
Lilyanna did not know how to react when she returned to the Keep and learned that there had been a fire in the kitchen, Lilyanna had found this out when she went to her mother''s chambers.
"Are you feeling better, Lily? Has your headache gone away? I would have come to check on you, but I had to question the servants after the fire in the kitchen." Alicent said as she pulled Lilyanna into a hug, using her hand to push back her daughter''s curls.
"My head feels better, mother. I just wanted to see that you were not stressing yourself over the fire." Lilyanna skillfully lied; her gaze focused on her mother''s lady in waiting standing in the corner of the room.
She missed her mother''s smile as Talya turned to face her. The servant/spy''s face was blank for a few seconds only for her to quickly smirk at the princess and school her features when Alicent turned around.
Lilyanna had to forcibly tear her gaze away from the woman and focus on the words her mother was saying.
I really am in danger, aren''t I?
Unexpected Events and News
"Slow down, Helaena! Geez, what''s going on with you? You''ve never been this adamant about going to the Dragonpit before." Lilyanna exclaimed as she watched her twin jump out of the carriage, quickly walking to the entrance of the pit.
This morning as the family broke their fast, Helaena had asked Rhaenyra to take her to the Dragonpit after they were done eating.
A strange request in it of itself because neither her nor Lilyanna actively sought out the pit the same way their brothers and nephews did, but would go whenever one of them asked. The stranger part was how excited Helaena was to go, eating her food as quickly as she could while still maintaining her table manners and impatiently playing with her fingers, waiting for the rest of her family to finish.
During the carriage ride to Rhaenys'' Hill, Lilyanna stared at her twin, trying to figure out why her sister needed to go to the Dragonpit so badly.
No one else shared this sentiment as the boys had been just as excited to see their dragons again, along with Aemond who was hoping to ask the dragonkeepers more questions about the creatures for when he eventually claimed one. Rhaenyra and Laenor had just chalked up Helaena''s behavior to any normal Targaryen''s interest in dragons.
Helaena''s quest was soon forgotten by the others as the boys focused on their dragons, Lilyanna noted that Arrax had gotten bigger since she last saw him as she watched the dragon nuzzle its snout against Lucerys'' arms.
Despite her desperation to get there, Helaena had calmed down and was standing still next to Lilyanna, her eyes hazy was they watched their family and their dragons.
"Okay, seriously, what''s going on with you? Was watching everyone else why you wanted to come here so badly." Lilyanna asked, still confused by the sudden change in her sister''s behavior.
Helaena looked at her sister for a few seconds before staring at the ground. Lilyanna had to take a few breaths, calming herself down as she grew increasingly frustrated with Helaena ignoring her. Close to an hour had passed when Helaena suddenly stood straight as a rod, her eyes widened, and a large grin appeared on her face. It was then that she ran off, moving past the dragonkeepers and entering the lower levels of the pit.
"Helaena!" Lilyanna yelled, immediately taking off after her.
Lilyanna ignored the shouts of Rhaenyra and Laenor as she followed Helaena, the redhead was surprised at how fast Helaena was running, knowing about her aversion to physical activity.
It was a good thing that they had come to the pit plenty of times before otherwise they would have easily gotten lost in the many cavernous tunnels.
It was then that Helaena ran into the cave of the she-dragon Dreamfyre, causing Lilyanna to stop at the entrance, realizing why her sister had been acting so strange.
It''s today, she''s claiming Dreamfyre today. Did she see this in her dreams, is that why she was so excited to come? Lilyanna thought as she watched her twin approach the dragon.
It would make sense as Helaena was not as interested in dragons as the rest of their family, she like them, but she was not as crazy about them as someone like Aemond.
Helaena was still smiling as she walked, even when the she-dragon''s head snapped upwards and to the side, her large blue eyes peering down at the girl.
Unlike other dragons, Dreamfyre did not growl or hiss as Helaena approached her, nor did she release flames from her terrifying jaws, the dragon continued to stare at the girl, unnervingly still.
"Kiz, Dreamfyre." Helaena hummed once she finally reached the dragon.
Dreamfyre''s eyes flicked downwards to watch her hand, and tracked its progress as the girl held it aloft her muzzle, "I am here now, Lykir¨©"
Instead of opening its maw widely and swallowing the princess up in one bite, Dreamfyre began to croon softly and contently.
Helaena''s smile grew wider, she had been dreaming of her companion all her life, today finally being the day, she could solidify their bond in the land of the living.
"Good job, Helaena." Lilyanna mumbled under her breath as she watched her sister bond with the ancient mount.
"Helaena has claimed Dreamfyre?" Lilyanna turned her head slightly and saw that the rest of her family had caught up to them.
Rhaenyra was the one to ask the question as they all looked on in shock.
Lilyanna was about to respond when she saw Aemond try to run into the cave, the redhead grabbed her brother, pulling him into her chest and stopping him from moving forward.
"No! Let me go! Let me go!" Aemond screamed, tears falling down his face as he desperately tried to escape his sister''s hold.
"No, Aemond. What do you think you''re trying to do?" Lilyanna growled, tightening her arms.
"It''s not fair! How can-we''re supposed to-" Aemond was unable to speak any longer, his voice cutting out as his anger and sadness burned throughout his very being.
Lilyanna pressed her head against the back of Aemond''s, speaking into his hair. "I know, I know it hurts to see someone else with a dragon. The three of us have been without one for years, but you can''t just run into the cave like that. Helaena and Dreamfyre''s bond is new, it''s weak, Dreamfyre could have perceived you as a threat to Helaena and tried to eat you or burn us all alive."
Aemond hiccuped, "It''s hurts so much, Lily."
Watching the scene in front of them hit so much harder because two moons earlier, Aemond''s dragon egg had turned to stone.
Aemond had locked himself in his room for days after going into his sisters'' room and finding his hardened dragon egg sitting in the fireplace. Even after Alicent had forced him outside, Aemond had not spoken for an additional a week, moving around the Keep in hollow daze.
Eventually Aemond seemed to have returned to normal, but his deep love of dragons had become obsessive; he would read all the books he could on dragons and started constantly asking his family members with dragons, questions about them.
Nobody knew what to do with this change in behavior. Aemond refused to be consoled, eager not to remember what had become the worst day of his life.
Lilyanna put her arms down, now sure that Aemond would not try to angrily charge into Dreamfyre''s cave again. Despite this, Aemond still clung to Lilyanna, wrapping his arms around her, and burying his face in the space between her neck and shoulder, seeking her comfort.
Rhaenyra moved to her siblings, crouching down, and placing a hand on Aemond''s shoulder. "Our sister is right, valonqar. I know it is painfully right now, but this is Helaena''s moment. Yours will come; I promise."
Aemond started rubbing his eyes, trying to get rid of the tears. He became embarrassed by his behavior especially as it happened in front of his brothers, nephews, and Laenor.
"So does this mean Helaena has the biggest dragon now?" Jacaerys asked, defusing the tension of the moment.
"I guess it does." Laenor said with a disbelieving chuckle.
Due to Dreamfyre''s age, the dragon was not only bigger than any of the children''s dragons, but was also bigger than Syrax and Seasmoke.
The only other dragons larger than Dreamfyre were Vhagar, the Cannibal, and Vermithor. Sliverwing and Sheepstealer were around the same size, and every other known dragon was smaller.
"That means Helaena can take us on dragon rides!" Daeron cheered, at the moment only Aegon could fly on his dragon, but the Sunfyre was still too small and Aegon too inexperienced to fly with passengers.
Rhaenyra laughed, "Not yet, Dae. Helaena still needs to learn to fly on her own before she could take any of you on Dreamfyre."
Daeron pouted but was still happy for their sister, thinking that by the time Helaena became more experienced, he would be learning to fly on Tessarion.
Aegon shrugged his shoulders, "Good for Helaena, Dreamfyre is calm and gentle just like her. Sunfyre is still the best dragon out of all of them, though."
"I actually think Dreamfyre is prettier than Sunfyre." Lilyanna said jokingly.
Aegon gasped, holding his chest in mocking indignation. "You shut your mouth. Such sacrilege, honestly, I should tell Sunfyre you said that, make him hate you."
Lilyanna smirked, "Please Aegon, I let you have Sunfyre. He likes me so much better than you that I could ask to be his rider right now and he would jump for joy at the improvement in his rider."
Aegon rolled his eyes, calling Lilyanna a bitch under his breath. While Sunfyre no longer ignored him in favor of his sister, just like with other dragons, Sunfyre liked the girl, often perking up in her presence.
They spent the rest of their time watching Helaena and Dreamfyre. It mainly consisted of Helaena telling the Dragons everything she could about herself and her family, the dragon wrapped its neck around the princess, resting its head against Helaena, giving the girl all its attention.
The next day, the residents of Red Keep had gathered together for a great feast held in honor of Princess Helaena.
Viserys and Alicent had different reactions to Helaena bonding with Dreamfyre.
Alicent was angry with Rhaenyra and Laenor for letting Helaena run into the cave of the largest and oldest dragon currently in King''s Landing, she was even less impressed when hearing that Lilyanna had taken off after her sister before the two adults could even notice. Nor was she happy when told that Aemond had tried to run into Dreamfyre''s den only to be stopped by Lilyanna, which could have potentially led to the deaths of everyone there.
Viserys had waved off his wife''s concerns, praising his second daughter for her bravery when facing Queen Rhaena''s former mount. Helaena beamed at her father, basking in the rare moment of praise and acknowledgment from the King. And it was then that Viserys had decided to throw a feast in honor of Helaena and her accomplishment.
Helaena was so happy that Lilyanna did not have the heart to tell her that Viserys had already been planning the feast for the past few weeks.
At the moment Helaena was standing in the center of the Great Hall as nobles come to congratulate her.
Helaena would have felt uncomfortable with the attention she was getting if not for Lilyanna standing a few steps behind her, glaring at anyone who tried to touch her or continue the conversation for too long.
"C''mon, Hely. Let''s go eat." Lilyanna said, seeing that her sister was at limit of daily social interactions.
Helaena allowed her sister to hold her hand and gently pull her towards the long table that the rest of their family was sitting at.
"You did well, Helaena." Alicent said, smiling as she watched the twins take their seats between Aegon and Aemond.
"Thank you, mother." Helaena muttered as she pulled her plate closer to her.
Lilyanna played with her own food as her boredom grew, the princess did not understand why Viserys loved feasts so much, in her mind it was just nobles gossiping as they ate and danced, to her it was not much different from any other day at court.
At least if this were a tourney, we could see a bunch of idiots bludgeon each other to death. At least something would be happening!
It was mainly because she lived her first life during an age of rapid technological advancement; Rosalind McDaniels had lived most of her life with the internet, smartphones, computers, and TV.
During the first few years of her new life, Lilyanna found herself petulantly bored, often forcing herself to find something do so that time would pass. It was one of the reasons why she took her studies, training, and even her lessons with Mellos seriously. Without them, Lilyanna is sure she would have died a second time due to lack of entertainment.
If I were back on Earth, I would probably be on my phone right now at least then I would be distracted from how long it''s taking for this bullshit to end.
Lilyanna found her wish for the end of her boredom answered when her father stood up and addressed the hall.
"I must thank you all for coming to this feast thrown in the honor of my daughter, Helaena. She has proven herself a great Targaryen by claiming the she-dragon, Dreamfyre, mount of the Rhaena Targaryen, older sister of the Old King Jaehaerys and Queen of the East and the West." Viserys proclaimed, smiling wider at the cheers, and clapping her received.
Lilyanna had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at this. You say you''re proud, but I doubt you could tell when our name''s day is if asked.
Lilyanna did not do a good job at hiding her true feelings as Helaena elbowed her sister in the stomach.
"Stop it." Helaena whispered only loud enough for them to hear.
While Helaena knew Viserys was not a great father to them, or even to Rhaenyra with how he let her get away with and refused to teach her or acknowledge her growth, Helaena did not agree with Lilyanna''s dislike of him. It was not as if she could blame Lilyanna, Helaena knew from her dreams that Lilyanna never had a father-daughter relationship as her first father had abandoned her.
But in Helaena''s mind, unlike Ethan McDaniels, Viserys was a good man who was at the very least trying.
"Why are you so violent with me, Hely? You know I''m fragile." Lilyanna mumbled while rubbing the place that Helaena viciously hit her.
Helaena rolled her eyes; she knew that her strike did not actually hurt Lilyanna.
It was something both had noticed years ago that Lilyanna was physically stronger, faster, and more durable than the average child. The girl could take hits from Criston Cole whenever they trained and could keep fighting, and was always fine whenever they went to the Dragonpit and the younger dragons would latch onto her, often forcing her to the ground.
Lilyanna theorized that her resurrection had something to do with her stronger than normal body and Helaena agreed. Lilyanna had also wanted to try and injure herself to see if she healed faster as well, but Helaena had forbid it, she did not want her twin to hurt herself no matter how small the wound.
Viserys continued his speech, "It is not just this event that we are celebrating but my wife Alicent as well." The King then held his hand out to his wife and Alicent smiled as she took it and stood next to him. "The Queen is once again pregnant. In about eight moons time she shall be giving me another child!"
Lilyanna felt her jaw drop at the announcement.
WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK?!
Lilyanna continued to stare at her parents even as the court cheered and walked to the table to congratulate them, her ears ringing as Viserys'' words continued to repeat in her mind.
No this can''t be possible. Viserys and Alicent only had four children together in the books. So how can they- Lilyanna thought to herself.
It was then that Lilyanna realized that she herself existed.
Just being born had changed things, not to mention the changes that she had made over the years, unlike everyone else who was happy over the news, Lilyanna was drowning in what the birth of this new child could mean for everything she was trying to accomplish.
Later into the night, Lilyanna made her way to the courtyard after changing her clothes and grabbing two practice swords.
Last year the girl had asked Criston to teach her how to dual wield. She had always thought that dual wielding was one of the coolest skills that a fantasy character could have and she figured that since she was ambidextrous both in her previous and current lives that it would be the opportune time to learn.
Criston only raised an eyebrow in response, but followed through with the request. Despite being an expert swordsman, he did not have experience using two weapons at once, usually using either his sword or his morningstar in conjunction with a shield to fight. Still, the Kingsguard had taught her the basics, claiming that she would have to find someone who knew how to dual wielding to teach her anything more advanced.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Right now, Lilyanna was not looking to improve her skills, right now she was looking to hit something.
She pulled out several training dummies and began striking them. Every few minutes she would change dummies, using longer and shorter strikes and just as she got into her rhythm, Lilyanna heard the sound of a rock hitting the ground.
Lilyanna quickly turned around and saw her younger brother Aemond standing near the castle entrance, the young prince was wearing dark clothing and had a cloak on with the hood pulled over his head.
"Where are you going?" Lilyanna asked after hearing the sound of the rock he kicked, causing Aemond to freeze in place, the nearby light from the touches placed around the Keep allowed Lilyanna to see the blush on her brother''s cheeks.
Aemond straightened his back and began to stutter. "I-I-I wa-wasn''t I wasn''t going anywhere!"
"Right." Lilyanna drawled.
Aemond groaned and walked up to Lilyanna, "I was going to the pit."
Lilyanna raised an eyebrow, "And how were you planning to do that? You would have to tell our parents so that a carriage could be brought to take you and you wouldn''t make it back before anyone noticed you were gone if you had walked. Not to mention the dragonkeepers wouldn''t let you in without our parents'' permission anyway."
Aemond glared at the ground, "They would have! I''m a prince, they can''t say no to me!"
"And our parents are the King and Queen." Lilyanna replied.
"Is this about Helaena claiming Dreamfyre?" Lilyanna asked, sighing when Aemond did not respond.
"Aemond," Lilyanna said as she put down her swords and place a hand on his shoulder. "Your time will come; I promise it will. But you cannot put yourself in danger because you are impatient."
Aemond lifted his head, his fiery gaze aimed at his sister. "Doesn''t it bother you? Our sister, your twin, has claimed a dragon, she''s left us behind. Now you and I are the Dragonless Duo."
"Dragonless Duo?" Lilyanna asked having never heard that title.
"I heard some of the nobles calling us that. They said we aren''t real Targaryens, that our lack of dragons proves it. They said that it''s even more obvious with you because of your hair and, and your body." Aemond explained, his anger turning into sadness and jealousy.
Lilyanna decided to ignore the jab that the nobles were throwing at her paternity and focus on the dragon part, it was not the first time someone had quietly questioned if she was Viserys'' daughter, it was rare, but it happened. They would ignore her purple eyes and the fact that she and Helaena were twins, so if she were a bastard, Helaena had to be one as well.
It was not the bastardy that bothered her so much as the claim that Alicent was unfaithful.
Alicent was a teenage girl forced to marry that we idiot we call a King, a man who is basically a slowly deteriorating corpse. She had to give up everything and yet they have the gall to slander her¡ Lilyanna thought.
"Aemond, we are Targaryens. The worthless rumors of those beneath us is never going to change that." Lilyanna swore.
"You sure?" Aemond asked, his insecurities spiking as he remembered how those nobles laughed as they made fun of them.
"You and I, we have a harder path to travel than our brothers and nephews. Just like Helaena showed, we have to take and fight for everything that is given freely to them. But that doesn''t make us worth any less than them. I''m not saying that you cannot claim a dragon, I''m just asking you to let me, to let us help you get there." Lilyanna declared.
Aemond smiled a little and hugged his sister. "Okay. Thank you, Lily."
Lilyanna returned the hug, "No problem. Now off to bed before someone notices your clothes."
Aemond said good night and quickly ran back inside the castle, he was still itching to prove himself, but he felt better after talking with Lilyanna.
Lilyanna shook her head as she watched Aemond run off, she could understand where he was coming from, she too knew what it was like to jealously pine over the things that others had, things they took for granted.
She hoped that she was right as she too entered the Keep, she hoped that her changes had not ruined Aemond''s chances of ever claiming a dragon, of somehow making him repugnant to the fire breathing creatures.
"You''re not upset with me, are you?" Was the first thing Lilyanna heard as she returned to her bedroom.
Helaena had immediately blurted out what she had been wanting to ask since yesterday once she and her sister were finally alone.
The nervousness in Helaena''s tone confused Lilyanna, "Why would I be upset with you?"
"That I claimed Dreamfyre. I know that Aemond was upset especially because of his own dragon egg turning to stone." Helaena explained.
Lilyanna walked over to her sister and sat at the edge of her sister''s bed. "Was I mad when you saw me giving my dragon egg to Luke and it hatching Arrax?"
"No, you weren''t." Helaena muttered as she drew her knees to her chest.
"And I''m not mad now. How can I be when I know you''ve been waiting years for this?" Lilyanna replied.
Helaena was not convinced, "But now I have a dragon and you don''t, I''ve left you behind."
Lilyanna moved once again, this time seating next to Helaena and leaning against the bed''s headboard. "You didn''t leave me behind; it doesn''t bother me that you have a dragon, and I don''t. I''ve accepted that being a dragonrider may not be for me, if I claim a dragon then great, but I''m not going to kill myself over it if it never happens."
"I guess you''re right."
"Of course, I''m right! Besides, once you become an expert dragonrider, I''m counting on you taking me on flights with you and Dreamfyre."
Helaena giggled and leaned her head against Lilyanna''s shoulder, "You''ll be the first person I take into the skies with me."
Lilyanna playfully scoffed, "I better be the first because if I hear about Luke or Daeron or even Aegon ridding with you before me, we''re going to have problems."
The girls'' laughter eventually died down and the two sat together in a peaceful silence.
Lilyanna was not lying to either of her siblings when she said that not having a dragon did not bother her, she was content with not following the path of a dragonrider, not wanting to get her hopes up for something that may never happen.
I mean it is strange that dragons are so drawn to me, but I''ve never felt that magical connection that everyone else has felt to their companions. I get the feeling that I understand them better than most, but I haven''t met a dragon that was like the missing part of my soul or whatever.
"Lilyanna," Helaena whispered. "Can you stay with me tonight?"
"Of course." Lilyanna stood up and blew out the lit candles around the room. She then walked over to Helaena''s bed and climbed under the covers, wrapping her arms around Helaena''s form.
"Night, Hely." Lilyanna whispered.
Helaena turned, resting her body on tip of her sister''s. "Good night, Lily."
A few hours after her and Lilyanna''s conversation, Helaena had woken up suddenly.
It was not the first time this had happened, both herself and Lilyanna were used to waking up at random points in the night due to their wild dreams, there were even times when neither girl could fall asleep, often suffering from insomnia. Unlike other times she had woken up in the middle of the night, instead of in total darkness, Helaena saw the light of a lit candle from the corner of her eye.
Helaena sat up and saw Alicent sitting at the edge of her bed, candle holder in hand.
"Mother?" Helaena asked, her voice raspy from lack of use.
"Oh! Helaena." Alicent quickly said, not expecting either of her daughters to wake up and catch her.
"Are you doing that strange thing mother''s do, watching their children sleep?" Helaena asked, already know the answer to her question.
"It is not strange." Alicent said defensively, as it was not the first time she had entered her children''s rooms to watch them sleep before returning to her chambers.
Helaena hummed not giving a response, realizing that this action had to be some form of comfort to the Queen.
"Why is Lilyanna sleeping in your bed?" Alicent asked, looking between Helaena and the still sleeping Lilyanna.
"I asked her to." Helaena answered, not bringing up her and Lilyanna''s earlier conversation.
Alicent accepted this but started thinking that perhaps it was time for her daughters to have their own rooms.
Two years prior, Aegon had been given his own room after he turned ten, so now Aemond and Daeron shared a room and Alicent figured that now would be a suitable time to do the same for Helaena and Lilyanna. The twins were getting older and Alicent thought it would be a good idea for them to have their own spaces, to not be so codependent on each other.
There was also the creeping thought that entered her mind of the closeness Targaryens usually shared with their siblings.
It would be for the best, Helaena and Lilyanna will soon be reaching adolescence. I would rather they be in separate rooms when certain... urges and feelings start to develop. Alicent thought.
"Is the baby feeling good?" Helaena asked, causing Alicent to file her thoughts away for another time.
"I think it''s a little too early for the baby to be feeling much of anything." Alicent chuckled.
"I hope they''re a girl, since Daeron was born, me and Lilyanna have been outnumbered." Helaena said, staring at her mother''s flat stomach.
Alicent snorted at this, her smile growing at Helaena''s innocence. "I hope for a baby girl too. But it could also be another boy, I hope you know that and won''t be upset."
Helaena shrugged, "As long as they''re healthy, it won''t matter to me if they''re a boy or a girl."
Before Alicent could respond, Lilyanna while in the throes of sleep, kicked her in the leg, the Hightower letting out a sharp hiss as her leg began to throb.
"Are you okay, mother?" Helaena asked, climbing out from her side of the bed, and sitting next to Alicent.
"I''m fine, I just was not expecting that." Alicent replied, rubbing the area of her thigh that Lilyanna had struck.
The two looked at Lilyanna, watching as she began to thrash around in her sleep, her arms and legs flailing wildly, her head snapping back and forth across her pillow. This went on for several more minutes, Alicent tried to wake the girl up but to no avail, eventually, as quickly as it started, Lilyanna''s restless shaking stopped, her breath slowing, and her body became still once more.
"What in the seven hells was that?" Alicent asked herself, frightened by what she had just witnessed.
"That hasn''t happened in a while." Helaena said aloud, continuing to watch her sister''s unconscious form.
Alicent turned to Helaena, "What do you mean, ''this hasn''t happened in a while''?"
"When Lilyanna gets really... intense dreams, her body would flail around uncontrollably. I''m surprised because this hasn''t happened in years and when it did Lilyanna would always wake up immediately after."
Alicent turned her attention back to Lilyanna, she was troubled by the fact that this had been happening to one of her daughters and she has been unaware of it for years.
"It''s fine, Lilyanna always gets over her dreams after she wakes up. And it really hasn''t happened in years, I think we were five the last time it did." Helaena tried to reassure Alicent, not wanting her mother to blame herself.
"And it won''t happen again?" Alicent asked, still staring at Lilyanna and ready to spend the rest of the night in their room if the answer was no.
"It won''t, it only happens once, I promise." Helaena said instantly.
Alicent did believe her daughter but accepted the answer regardless, the Queen rose to her feet and pressed a kiss on Lilyanna''s forehead, pushing back some of Lilyanna hair.
"You promise you will tell me if this happens again?" Alicent asked, now standing in front of Helaena.
Helaena grabbed one of Alicent''s hands, rubbing the back of it with her fingers. "I promise."
Alicen shook herself out of stupor and smiled, "Good night, my sweet girl."
Helaena waited a few moments after Alicent left her bedroom before climbing back into bed, she continued to watch Lilyanna, knowing just what her twin was experiencing in her dreams.
"I''m sorry, Lilyanna. It will be over soon, I promise, then we can figure out what it means together." Helaena whispered before lying down and forcing herself to go back to sleep.
Lilyanna gasped, quickly sitting up and finding herself in the dreamscape that she had not be in since the birth of her nephew, Jacaerys Velaryon.
The reincarnated Targaryen found herself sitting on the same water covered floor, completely surrounded by pitch blackness, and sitting in front of the Iron Throne.
"I thought I was done with this shit." Lilyanna whined, pushing herself off the ground, waiting for whatever dead Targaryen was going to show up.
What Lilyanna was not expecting was that this meeting would not take place in front of the throne as a piece of rope appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around her legs.
Lilyanna did not have time to process what was going on as an invisible force yanked on the rope, throwing Lilyanna off her feet. The second she hit the floor; the rope immediately started dragging her away.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Lilyanna screamed, trying in vain to find something she could grab unto to prevent herself from being dragged away.
Soon, a bright light appeared on the horizon, eclipsing the edge of the black void. The princess could see that the rope was trying to pull her into the light. It did not take long for Lilyanna to reach the light, being yanked through. When she fully passed through the light, the rope instantly disappeared, and Lilyanna landed on her face.
"Ow. What the fuck?" Lilyanna moaned before she rolled unto her back. Looking up, Lilyanna saw that she was now staring at a stone ceiling. She then sat up, looking around, noticing that she was now in a large bedroom.
After a few seconds, she realized that she was in the King''s chambers in the Red Keep, only with different furniture and a lack of the large-scale model of Old Valyria that Viserys had built.
Well, this is different... Lilyanna thought to herself and just when she stood up, noticed that she was not alone.
In the bed laid a woman, she was an elderly woman with greying hair, wrinkled skin, a high forehead and cheekbones, and big blue eyes.
The woman had wrapped herself completely with the blanket and stared at the adjacent wall with a blank look. The dull shine in her eyes, along with staying very still, almost made the woman look like she had been dead for hours.
Just then the chamber doors opened, revealing a man who swept into the room. The man was tall, with long grey hair, purple eyes, and a long white beard that reached his waist, the man appeared so much older than the woman, looking incredibly haggard, as if a strong wind could knock him over.
Just like all the other times she had experienced these weird dreams, Lilyanna could not hear what the people in front of her were saying, watching as the man began to speak with the woman.
At first the woman did not respond, continuing to stare blankly at the wall. It was not until the man grew visibly agitated, stood next to the bed, and sneered at the woman before speaking again, did the woman react.
She quickly threw off the covers and stood to her feet, glaring at the man with the fury of a hundred suns. Where she was once despondent and quiet, she was now animated and passionate, screaming at the man and pushing him backwards.
The man''s eyes widen at this action, surprised by what the woman had done. He then moved and grabbed the woman''s arms, stopping her from striking him again.
After a few moments, the woman stopped struggling and began to cry, tears fell from her eyes as she pressed her own body against the man''s, the man released her arms and wrapped his own around her body. The man continued to hold the woman, his own eyes shining with tears that he refused to let fall, afraid of losing himself in his own grief.
All Lilyanna could do was watch the intimate scene in silence, even though she could hear anything she felt like a creep for uncontrollably invading this personal moment between the two.
Before she knew it, everything disappeared in a shimmering mirage, once everything was gone, Lilyanna saw that she was once again within the black void and standing in front of the Iron Throne.
"What even was that?" Lilyanna asked herself, once again wondering why she was seeing any of this, why she was not getting any answers.
"Liyanna..." A voice rang out across the void, its whisper sending shivers down Lilyanna''s spine.
Lilyanna looked everywhere, but could not find who was saying her name, still seeing nothing but pitch black and the world''s most uncomfortable chair. "What was that? Who are you?"
"Lilyanna..." Despite having never heard the voice before, Lilyanna could not help but feel drawn to it, as if she should know this voice. To her, the way this voice was saying her name felt like she was like meeting an old friend after being apart for years.
"Lilyanna..." This time the princess could hear the voice coming from the direction of the Iron Throne.
Lilyanna looked at the throne wearily, feeling its imposing stature even from where she was standing. She had never climbed the steps of the throne, she only stood at its base when it was required of her, she knew just how many people died for the power, were killed by it and after watching Viserys cut himself on it so many times, wanted nothing to do with it.
"Lilyanna..." The princess could only sigh, knowing that this would not end until she climbed the steps of the Iron Throne and see what this mysterious voice wanted from her.
So, Lilyanna reluctantly trudged towards the Iron Throne, she carefully climbed each step, not wanting to slip and die.
Wait, can I even die here? Lilyanna thought, but decided to think about this question later, focusing on the task at hand. Once she had reached the top, Lilyanna waited for the voice to speak again but heard nothing.
She turned around and was prepared to walk back down the steps, when the voice rang out again. "Lilyanna..." The voice said louder, a desperation could be heard from it when Lilyanna tried to leave.
"What, what do you want from me? Do you want me to sit in the chair or something?" Lilyanna asked the voice, but once again did not receive an answer.
Lilyanna groaned as he realized that yes, the disembodied voice did in fact want her to sit on the Iron Throne. She could not help but muse at the act of treason she was technically committing, only the King or those chosen by the King to rule in his stead could sit on the Iron Throne, anyone else could be executed for such a blasphemous act.
The second Lilyanna sat down a blinding light flashed across the void and all she could see was white, gold, red, and blue. The colors were seared into her mind as she watched them swirl and dance in a beautiful rainbow in front of her.
"You are not yet ready, Lilyanna Targaryen, how disappointing. It is clear that you cannot seek me out just yet." The voice spoke.
This time Lilyanna noticed that the voice was female, and that despite their words the voice was not malicious, sounding amused by the human.
"What do you mean, I''m not ready? Just who are you? What are you?" Lilyanna exclaimed, growing increasingly confused.
"That is not important for you to know right now, it was I who made the mistake of calling you too early and I apologize for that. Just continue as you have been, our meeting is not a question of if but when." The voice said, still amused as they knew this would not be enough to satisfy the Targaryen.
And it was not as Lilyanna tried to speak, "But-"
"Shh." The voice whispered and Lilyanna could feel a loving warmth spread through her body. "All will be revealed soon, I''m sure those insects can feel the time approaching as well."
Lilyanna felt her eyes growing heavier and she knew that she would soon be ejected from this realm. "Do not fight, little rose. Let the sensation take you."
Lilyanna sat up gasping for breath, taking in deep breaths. She relaxed as she saw that she was in her and Helaena''s bedroom, although she was surprised that it was morning as the other times she had these strange dreams she would wake up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep.
"Was it bad?" Lilyanna turned and saw Helaena lying down next to her, remembering that she had fallen asleep in her sister''s bed.
Lilyanna told Helaena everything that had happened in her dream, from the man and the woman to having to sit on the throne and the voice that she both did and did not know.
"Do you think that the pair you saw were King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne?" Helaena asked.
Lilyanna shrugged, "I mean I think so, they''re the only Targaryen couple since the Red Keep was built that lived long enough to be that old. And I don''t think Aegon and Visenya were that vulnerable with each other."
Helaena agreed, "That''s true. But what about the voice? You said it felt familiar, so does this mean you know who it belongs to?"
"I felt familiar, but I know I''ve never heard it before." Lilyanna replied.
An idea came to Helaena, and she sat up, "What if they sound familiar because you will meet them?"
"What do you mean?" Lilyanna asked, not seeing where Helaena was going with this.
"I mean that you''re going to meet this person sometime in the future, that''s why they sound familiar, and why you know that you haven''t heard their voice before." Helaena explained.
"Huh." Was all Lilyanna said, she had never thought of knowing the future. She of course knew some things about the future because of her knowledge of ASOIAF, but that was because she was a fan of property and even now some of her knowledge was now worthless because of the changes she made. And when it came to dreams, Helaena was the one who could see the future, meanwhile her own dreams showed the effects of her changes or things that happened in the past, as seen with the appearances of Aegon, Visenya, Rhaenys, Aenys, Maegor, and now Jaehaerys and Alysanne.
"That could be it, but it doesn''t matter since apparently I''m not ready yet or whatever that means." Lilyanna grumbled, still annoyed by how the voice gave her the run around.
Helaena giggled at this, "But you will be ready one day, the voice told you so."
"I know, but it''s still annoying." Lilyanna sighed.
Helaena giggled again and stood up, "You can worry about it later, right now you have to prepare for your meeting with Lady Mysaria."
After her partnership with Mysaria was made, Lilyanna immediately told Helaena about it. Helaena was her twin and the keeper of all her secrets, so Lilyanna knew she could trust her.
Besides if something does happen to me, I''ll need someone to continue my mission when I''m gone. Helaena already promised me that she would, so I have nothing to worry about. Lilyanna thought to herself.
"You''re right. Cover for me?" Lilyanna asked, knowing that without her sister she would have gotten caught with how often she ventured into the city.
"Of course." Helaena replied, "But I believe that everyone will be too focused on mother and our unborn sibling to notice you''re missing for a few hours."
"Still necessary." Lilyanna, not wanting to take the risk.
As two began to ready themselves for the day, Lilyanna continued to think about her dream and the news of their new sibling. She could not help but worry about the future, and both of these things exasperated this feeling. Lilyanna knew that the peace she found herself in could not last, that something had to give, and it would bring chaos upon them.
Why else would this voice think that now was the time to seek her out? Why would they say that their meeting is a fated one? Just who were they and why did she feel they were important to her?
Lilyanna just hoped that whatever was coming, she was ready for it, that she would not be caught off guard by something that she could not handle.
The Seventh Child Of The King
Alicent Hightower had found herself at her breaking point.
The Queen had expected her current pregnancy to be her easiest, but eight moons in and it had somehow become her hardest.
She was bigger than she had been during her previous pregnancies, her mood constantly fluctuating, and even the slightest movements sent waves of pain throughout her entire body.
When Alicent had gone to Mellos with these concerns he waved them off, stating that she was feeling this way because it had been so long since she was last pregnant, and her body had forgotten what it felt like.
Even Lilyanna, who disliked the man despite being his student, had reluctantly agreed that Mellos was right.
"You had my siblings and I back-to-back, your body did not have time to return to normal and remain in that state for long before you became pregnant again." Lilyanna told the woman, inwardly Lilyanna believed her mother was lucky to not have died from exhaustion due to living in a world without proper medical care and having five children within the span of five years.
Despite saying this, Lilyanna had begun to follow Alicent around whenever she could, constantly asking how she was doing and how she felt, wanting to be told immediately if she was in pain.
Most who saw this would whisper that Lilyanna had become Alicent''s shadow, that the girl was never far from the Queen''s side during her pregnancy.
It warmed Alicent''s heart to know that her daughter cared so much about her, but she also felt suffocated by Lilyanna''s constant attention and oversight.
"Lilyanna!" Alicent yelled, ending her daughter''s long-winded lecture on pregnancy and the intricacies of childbirth. "Thank you, for telling me about all of this, but don''t you have other things you said you needed to do today?" Alicent said kindly, not so subtly trying to get Lilyanna leave her alone, if just for a moment.
Lilyanna looked sheepish, realizing that she was annoying her mother with her overshadowing. "I do, I promised Mushroom I would watch the new act that''s he''s been working on."
"Oh." Was all the Queen said in response, Alicent''s smile disappearing, and her lips becoming a straight line.
Alicent never understood Lilyanna''s friendship with the court fool, at first the Queen wrote off Lilyanna''s interest in the dwarf as the passing fancies of a child, but as the years went by it became clear that Lilyanna genuinely saw Mushroom as a friend.
In the eyes of everyone else, Mushroom was a disabled lackwit that was nothing more than a crude joke. But despite this, Mushroom had managed to stay within the service of the King longer than most entertainers.
I blame this on not pushing the children harder to make friends with the other noble children of court. At least Lily is still young enough that this appears to be a little girl''s desire to befriend others instead of an inability to make friends with her peers. Alicent thought.
Just as Lilyanna was about to leave, she turned to face Alicent, "You promise to relax and not to overextend yourself?"
Alicent smiled and laid a kiss on Lilyanna''s forehead, "I promise, my little flower."
Lilyanna accepted this and left the room, but kept her mother''s health in the back of mind, knowing that she was due to give birth any day now.
Anyone who passed by the Weirwood tree in the courtyard would pause at the sight of Princess Lilyanna Targaryen sitting in front of said tree and laughing as the court jester threw a pie into his own face.
"I still don''t see the message you''re trying to say, but I do like it when you throw food at yourself." Lilyanna laughed.
Mushroom picked up one of the towels he brought and wiped his face with it. "I''m showing the inescapable claws of death!"
"Oh yeah, it was very obvious." Lilyanna said sarcastically.
"Don''t be upset that it has gone over your head, princess. It''s extremely complicated." Mushroom retorted.
Lilyanna smiled until she saw a few maids from the corner of her eye.
The two women were looking at them and clearly talking about them, the two whispered to each other, their eyes full of judgment. It was not until Lilyanna fully turned around to face them that the maids realized that she had noticed them, quickly straitening themselves and leaving the yard.
"Oh, where are those pretty ladies going? I was going to show them my new act since they were clearly impressed." Mushroom spoke, he too watching the maids scurry away.
Lilyanna turned to face him, "Doesn''t it bother you? The things they say? The way they look at you and make fun of you behind your back? How can you stand it?"
While she asked Mushroom these questions because she was curious, deep down she wanted to know the answer for herself.
Lilyanna constantly had to deal with the stares and whispers that followed her due to being intersex. And although she told herself that she did not care, it was hard not to feel shame, to feel like a freak of nature. She blamed these feelings on the fact that she was in the body of a child and that this was causing her not to have the same hold on her emotions that she did in her previous life.
It made Lilyanna angry to know that these things bothered her, that these comments made her feel insecure about herself.
Mushroom stared at the young girl knowingly, "I wouldn''t have made it this far in life if I let what people say bother me. You cannot stop what people think so I just leaned into it, its why I''m the fool."
"But you''re more than just your disability! And yet people don''t see that." Lilyanna argued, knowing that he was smarter than everyone realized.
"I know that, and I don''t care if they don''t. Besides, I wouldn''t be able to blatantly stand in front of people as they told me their secrets and discussed their ideas and plans if they didn''t think I was a brain-dead idiot." Mushroom smirked.
Lilyanna knew that Mushroom would give away information he gained for gold. Most assumed he did this because he was too stupid to keep anything secret, not knowing that he cultivated this persona intentionally.
She had even seen him receive payment from one of the spies that Mysaria had stationed in the Keep.
I wonder if at the end of all this if Mushroom''s writings will still be used in future books about Targaryen history? Lilyanna thought.
Mushroom then patted her on the head, "If people continue to underestimate you then let them, it will be all the sweeter when you outshine them."
Lilyanna blushed, embarrassed that she enjoyed Mushroom''s reassurance. "Thank you, Mushroom."
Mushroom grinned and clapped his hands together, "Now, did I tell you my new joke? Now, three men walk into a tavern¡"
Lilyanna felt relieved when she reached the training yard and did not see Criston there. She had lost track of time with Mushroom and had rushed to get ready, believing that she was late for training.
Criston was a fair instructor to the royal children, but he could be a slave driver whenever one of them messed up or was not taking his lessons seriously.
The last time she was late, Criston made Lilyanna wear full body armor and run around the courtyard until their training session had ended so she was not keen on receiving a similar punishment again.
"Sister, nice of you to join us. You know, you''re setting a bad example for our brothers and nephews with your tardiness." Aegon smirked as he and the others watched Lilyanna approach them.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "Oh please, knowing you, you probably only got here a minute or two before me."
"Wrong, I got here three minutes before you." Aegon said cheekily.
Lilyanna smiled, shaking her head as she went to stand next to Lucerys. When she saw that he was fidgeting in place, she put her hands on his shoulders to stop him. "What''s got you so energetic?"
Lucerys grinned at his aunt, "I''m finally starting my training with you all! I get to use a sword now!"
Now that he was five and after begging his parents (Rhaenyra), Lucerys was deemed old enough to begin training alongside his brother, uncles, and aunt. Rhaenyra was not as enthusiastic about this as Jacaerys and Laenor were, but did not prevent Lucerys from dawning his red and black gambeson and chest plate and following his older brother to the training yard.
"Don''t get too excited, you won''t be doing much today since you''re a beginner." Aemond spoke out, not wanting his nephew''s expectations to become too outlandish.
Aegon ruffled Aemond''s perfectly brushed hair, ignoring his brother''s glare. "Don''t be such a twat. Our nephew might prove himself a great warrior."
"I''ll be the greatest knight!" Lucerys exclaimed, pumping his fists wildly.
"Maybe you should focus on keeping yourself on your feet before you start trying to become a warrior." Jacaerys said jokingly, alluding to how clumsy his little brother could be at times.
Lucerys was known to trip over everything and nothing, usually knocking things over and accidentally hurting himself as he moved about.
Lucerys crossed his arms and pouted as the others laughed. "I''m not that bad!"
"Luke, don''t you remember when you tried to use Ser Criston''s morningstar? You created a dent in one of the outer walls and nearly took off your own head!" Daeron argued in between his own laughter.
This caused the others to laugh even harder at Lucerys, remembering a few moons prior when Aegon said that Lucerys was not strong enough to lift the Kingsguard''s famous weapon when he asked if he could use a weapon like it one day.
Lucerys took this as a challenge, waiting until Criston had his back turned and running into the yard, he then grabbed the moringstar off the weapons rack and began to swing it around.
Like Daeron said, Lucerys had hit one of the walls, denting it in his need to prove himself. And the spiked ball would have hit him in the head if it were not for Criston ripping the moringstar out of his hands at the last second.
"It does not appear as if you are here to learn, more like you are all joking around." The children turned around and saw Criston standing behind them.
Aegon, Lilyanna, Aemond, Jacaerys, and Daeron immediately stood in a straight-line facing Criston, from oldest to youngest. "No, Ser Criston." They said in unison.
Lucerys stared at the others confused, when he usually saw them train, he did not see them line up together or act so seriously. Lucerys flinched when he turned around and saw Criston pointedly staring at him.
The way Criston stared at him almost reminded Lucerys of how the knight looked at him when he pulled his moringstar out of the prince''s hands, only less intense and angry.
"Luke!" Lucerys turned when he heard Lilyanna whisper his name.
"Get in line!" Lilyanna whisper-shouted again.
Lucerys ran to the others and stood behind Daeron, trying to ignore Criston''s eyes on him. After a few moments, Criston looked away from Lucerys. The young prince could not help but wonder if Criston was still upset about the moringstar incident.
But Lucerys knew this could not be the case as during the many times he was in Criston''s presence, the Kingsguard never looked at him with anything other than annoyance, doing the same with his brother and parents.
Criston then told the others to get their training swords from the rack, as this was going on, Criston handed Lucerys a training sword of his own.
Lucerys knew the sword was new as unlike everyone else''s, it was smooth and did not have any scratches or scrapes. It was then that Lucerys noticed that everyone''s swords were not the same, each being varied sizes.
Aegon and Lilyanna''s were the longest followed by Aemond, and Jacaerys and Daeron. His own training sword was the smallest, shorter than his own arm.
"Why is my sword so small? Why can''t I get a bigger one?" Lucerys asked aloud.
Criston turned and faced Lucerys, "You are not ready to use a bigger sword, my prince. You are just starting; everyone must work their way up to using normal sized blades."
Lucerys was about to argue again when he saw his brother from the corner of his eye, Jacaerys'' eyes were wide as he vigorously shook his head at him, silently telling him to be quiet.
Since he started his own training two years ago, Jacaerys became well acquainted with Criston Cole''s short temper and did not want his brother to experience it right away.
"Now, you will all continue as you were in our last session." Criston said, looking over at the straw dummies in front of them.
As the others began striking the dummies, Criston walked over to Lucerys. "Show me your stance."
Lucerys quickly held his sword in both hands, holding it high up and in front of his face, his feet only slightly spread apart from each other.
"Wrong." Criston tutted, "Spread your feet further apart and lower your sword."
Lucerys took a wider stance and held his sword in front of his waist, looking up at Criston to see if he was doing it correctly.
Criston only sighed before walking over to the rack and pulled out his own training sword. When he returned, Criston took up his own stance in front of the prince. "Copy what I do."
Lucerys tried to copy the man''s movements, but struggled to keep up as Criston would only repeat each movement once before moving onto the next.
After showing Lucerys a set of ten basic movements, Criston stopped. "Now, I want you to repeat this set until I tell you to stop."
Lucerys stuttered as he watched Criston leave his side, still not confident that he could even remember the first technique let alone the other nine and do them all perfectly, but he was too nervous to speak up, afraid of drawing the Kingsguard''s ire onto himself.
"The rest of you can stop now. Aegon, Lilyanna. Step forward." Criston said as he reached where the others were continuing their own exercise. They all immediately stopped striking their dummies as Aegon and stood Lilyanna in front of the Kingsguard.
"You two will be sparring against each other." Criston explained, watching as the two moved and stood a few feet away from each other.
Aegon sighed as he readied himself, knowing that this spar would be strenuous, preferring to fight Aemond again instead of Lilyanna.
Criston had recently decided that Aemond had advanced enough in his training that he could spar against his older siblings. Despite his hard work, Aemond did not come close to beating either of his siblings, with the fights between them ending quickly.
At least with Aemond, Aegon knew it would be an easy win, but that was not the case with Lilyanna. Granted, Aegon knew he could beat her and has done so plenty of times in the past due to his greater experience, age, and height, but Lilyanna put her all into everything she did, never giving up until she could not continue any longer, including their training.
"Lilyanna, use both swords." Criston called out when he saw the princess going to put one of her training swords down.
"Seriously?" Lilyanna asked.
"You were the one who wanted to learn how to wield two swords at once. How else do you expect to get better?" Criston said with a smirk.
Lilyanna groaned and picked up her sword, now beginning to dread the spar. Sparring with Aegon could be annoying at times, especially when he did not put in any real effort and would still win while making Lilyanna look like a fool. It was now going to be even worse as she would be fighting while trying to incorporate the extra sword in her hand.
"See what being an overachiever gets you." Aegon said, his smile turning into a smirk as Lilyanna glared at him.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The two then got into their proper stances; Aegon with his feet shoulder length apart and his left feet higher than his right, his back erect, his body slightly lowered, and his sword held in front of his midsection. Lilyanna had her body turned away from Aegon slightly and with her right arm raised forward and her left arm lowered and behind her.
"Begin!" Criston shouted at the pair.
Aegon immediately charged his sister and swung, pushing against Lilyanna as she crossed her swords together and blocked his strike.
Lilyanna then raised her foot and kicked Aegon in the stomach, sending him staggering backwards. Aegon clutched his stomach in pain, but quickly jumped to the side when Lilyanna tried to use his distracted state to hit him. Lilyanna did not relent, continuously attempting to strike her brother, this put Aegon on the defensive, blocking each of Lilyanna''s blows, but losing ground each time.
Eventually, Aegon felt his back touch the wall and he realized his mistake as he was now trapped, he then decided to return the favor and tried to kick Lilyanna when she tried to end their spar.
Lilyanna seeing this coming, sidestepped the kick and hit Aegon''s now outstretched leg, causing him to become off-balance.
Aegon hissed in pain, glaring at Lilyanna and when Lilyanna tried to strike him again, Aegon quickly slammed the pummel of his sword against Lilyanna''s right hand, her dominant hand.
Lilyanna gritted her teeth as Aegon slipped away from the wall, putting space between them. The two siblings stared at each other for a few moments before Aegon charged again.
Lilyanna waited until Aegon closed the distance between them and was about to bring his sword down on her, she then used both swords to perform a diagonal slash, knocking Aegon''s sword out of his hands.
Aegon''s eyes widened when he felt the tip of one of his sister''s training swords press against the side of his neck.
"Wow! Lily won; she beat Egg!" Daeron yelled, shocked as he believed that his oldest brother was unbeatable.
Lilyanna brought her arms down and started breathing slower. "Fuck¡ I did not think that would work."
Aegon blinked, "So you just randomly swung at the end?"
Lilyanna shrugged, "It wasn''t random, I just didn''t think my strike would be strike enough to disarm you, especially after you hit my hand."
Before Aegon could respond the others surrounded them.
"That was amazing, Lily!" Jacaerys exclaimed.
"Yes, but Aegon was good too! I thought he had her when slammed his sword down on Lilyanna''s hand." Daeron argued.
"I guess this means Lilyanna is the best fighter now." Aemond said with a smirk, happy to see Aegon lose at something.
Aegon stared pointedly at Aemond, "No, it doesn''t. Lily just got lucky."
While Aegon did not genuinely believe it was only luck that allowed Lilyanna to win, he did not enjoy Aemond''s smugness towards his defeat.
Criston smiled at Aegon and Lilyanna as he walked up to the group. "There are things you both could have done better, but overall, you did well, excellent job. Now, Aemond, Jacaerys you two will spar against each other."
Aegon and Lilyanna walked over to the side, standing next to Daeron as Aemond and Jacaerys prepared for their own bout.
"Is your hand, okay?" Daeron whispered to his sister.
Lilyanna ruffled his hair, grinning when Daeron giggled. "I might have a bruise later, but my hand is fine."
Daeron then held Lilyanna''s hand within his own and gently rubbed the back of it. "You''ll tell me if it starts hurting?"
"Of course." Lilyanna replied.
Just when they turned back, the spar quickly over when Aemond''s final strike knocked Jacaerys to the ground.
Aemond was not as excited as he was before as Criston ended the spar, he already knew he was better than Jacaerys, it was why he was allowed to spar with Aegon and Lilyanna.
Why am I still sparring with Jace? I thought I proved myself already? Aemond thought. I know I am not as good as Aegon and Lilyanna, but still!
First it was being dragonless and now it was still having to spar with his younger brother and nephew, Aemond could not help but feel he was lacking in some way and the whole world knew it.
Aemond continued to ponder on these thought as their training continued as it always did, with them honing the skills they learned previously and then using them in spars against each other.
Later In the Night
It was the early hours of the morning and Lilyanna Targaryen was still awake.
Lilyanna sat at her worktable, writing in her a large journal she called her ''Book of modern ideas to make Westeros suck less.''
Helaena told her that it was a bad name and said she should call it ''Ideas for the best possible future,'' which led Lilyanna to believe that neither herself nor her sister were good at naming things.
Lilyanna had been constantly adding and subtracting from the book for years. It was filled with so many scribbles, cross outs, and ripped out and added pages that she was basically the only person who could understand what she wrote.
Helaena even said that it was completely nonsensical when she leaned over her shoulder one day and tried to read one of the pages Lilyanna was writing on.
I am definitely adding to the very true stereotype of doctors having terrible handwriting. Lilyanna mused.
Now she was writing about creating a Westerosi national bank, similar to the Iron Bank of Braavos. It would end the high interest rates that many nobles experienced when they took out loans from the Braavosi.
As she wrote out how this would work, Helaena began to wildly convulse in her sleep.
"No!" Helaena shouted, still lost in the throes of her nightmare.
Lilyanna discarded her journal and jumped to her feet, quickly running to her sister''s side, she immediately kneeled and cupped the side of Helaena''s face. "Helaena! Helaena, please wake up. I need you to wake up."
It took a few minutes, but Helaena''s eyes soon fluttered open, her eyes glossy and red from the tears she shed while still sleeping. Once Helaena realized that it was Lilyanna in front of her, she flung herself at her twin, clinging onto her as she cried.
"Hey, hey, it''s okay, Hely, it''s okay." Lilyanna whispered, rubbing small circles on Helaena''s back.
Helaena took a shuttering breath and leaned away from Lilyanna. "I''m sorry."
"You don''t need to apologize for having a bad dream." Lilyanna replied.
Helaena quickly rubbed away her tears and stood, trying to pull her sister to her feet. "We must go to mother. Now."
"Whoa, wait a minute," Lilyanna said as she grounded herself in place preventing Helaena from further pulling her along. "Why do we need to see mother? It''s the middle of the night."
Before Helaena could respond, a shrill scream ripped through the air. The screams grew longer in duration and louder and Lilyanna realized that it was Alicent who was screaming.
"Mother! Why-" Lilyanna started before Helaena interrupted her.
"She has begun her labors."
Lilyanna knew that the Queen was due to give birth sometime within the current moon, but she did not think it would be today. A pit formed as she focused on the screams, not during either of her younger brothers'' births did she hear Alicent scream like this, as if she were experiencing an unyielding amount of pain.
"Helaena, were you dreaming of our mother giving birth?" Lilyanna asked, remembering just how distraught her sister was minutes prior.
Helaena said nothing, her gaze never leaving the door and the silence was more than enough to answer Lilyanna''s question.
Lilyanna reaches for Helaena and turns her around, "Helaena, what happens to Alicent?"
"Mother will live. She will not have any health problems." Helaena whispered.
"And the baby?"
Helaena became silent once more, no longer able to look Lilyanna in the eyes and turning her gaze to the floor. Her body was shaking as she tried to calm herself down, lest she begin to break down once more.
"Helaena!" Lilyanna growled, "What about the baby? What happens to our sibling?!"
Helaena lifted her head and Lilyanna saw that she had started crying again, "I''m sorry..."
"No, no, NO!" Lilyanna screamed as she let go of Helaena and ran to the door, throwing it open in her desperation to reach their mother.
Lilyanna sprinted in the direction of the Queen''s chambers, running faster than she ever had in both of her lives. It did not take long for Lilyanna to reach Alicent''s chamber, like every other time Criston Cole stood vigilant in front the doors, expect he was unable to hide his emotions, flinching each time Alicent''s cries grew louder and sharper.
"Princess Lilyanna!" Criston said, surprised to see her running towards him, her face both determined and worried as she grew closer.
Once she had reached him, Lilyanna tried to push past Criston and make her away in, only for the Knight to pull her back, gripping her shoulders as best he could as she tried to break free of his grasp.
"You cannot go there, my princess. It is not something you should witness." Criston tried to get Lilyanna to see reason, based on the sounds coming out from the room, no child should see their parent in such a position.
"Damnit, let me go Criston! I must go inside; she needs me! Mother needs me!" Lilyanna cried, scratching at the man''s steel covered arms.
Criston grimaced, "Princess, I cannot-"
One of the doors behind them opened and the Grand Maester appeared, "What is going on out here?"
Criston straightened his posture, "Grand Maester, I was-"
"You have to let me in!" Lilyanna yelled, drawing both men''s attention to her.
Mellos did not look impressed by the princess'' lack of decorum, sighing as Lilyanna grew more frantic. "Princess Lilyanna. I cannot let you in, your mother, the Queen is in the middle if her labors."
"That is why you must let me! The babe is going to die if I do not help!" Lilyanna explained.
"The babe will not die, princess, any fears you have are unwarranted." Mellos said, trying to placate the young girl.
"No, you don''t get it! The babe is going to die if I don''t help, I am the only one who knows how to save them, you have to let me in!" Lilyanna continued to scream, drawing the attention of the servants and guards that were roaming the halls.
"You are the only one who knows how to save the babe?" Mellos said, his voice dripping with condescension as he stared down at Lilyanna. "Princess, I know you believe yourself to be a maester in the making after helping the King, but you are not. You are a child; all you are doing is getting the way of adults who know better."
"What is happening?" The three turned and saw that Viserys had left his own chambers, the sounds of Lilyanna yelling drawing him out. It was also at this moment that Rhaenyra and Laenor also appeared, both drawn to the screams of mother and daughter.
Mellos quickly bowed to the King, "Your Grace, I humbly apologize for waking you from your slumber."
"It is fine, Mellos. You did not wake me." Viserys replied, his eyes quickly darting to the door of his wife''s chambers before focusing back on the maester. "What is going on?"
"Princess Lilyanna is claiming that the babe within the Queen''s belly will die by my hands and that only she can save them." Mellos answered.
Viserys looked between the maester and his youngest daughter, after a moment the King sighed. "Lilyanna, why are you disrupting the Grand Maester?"
"Father, you must believe me the baby is going to die! I need to save them, please!" Lilyanna begged.
"Lilyanna..." Viserys once again sighed, his disbelief in her claim evident in his voice as he tried to speak.
Lilyanna, seeing that her father would not be convinced by herself only turned to the one person Viserys would always believe. "Rhaenyra! Please! You know I am not liar, even Helaena knows that the babe is going to die, you must let me save them!"
Rhaenyra looked into her sister''s eyes and saw the desperation and anguish staring back at her, it was the first time she had seen Lilyanna in such a state, and it broke her heart. "Father, I think you should let Lilyanna inside."
"Princess-" Mellos tried to speak but Viserys spoke over him.
"Rhaenyra, your sister is a child. She would not be able to help Alicent through her labor, Mellos will."
"Father, Lilyanna has been helping you for years, since she was much younger than she is now. If the babe is in danger than you should allow her to help." Rhaenyra countered.
"Helping me with a skin ailment is different from helping with childbirth; it is in the Gods hands; Lilyanna would not be able to do anything." Viserys argued.
"AAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!" Another of Alicent''s blood curdling screams ripped through the hall, sending chills down the spines of all who could hear it.
Viserys had had enough, growing more uncomfortable as the screams of his second wife reminded him of his first. "Enough of this; Mellos, go back to my wife and continue your work. Ser Criston, take my daughter back to her room and ensure that she stays there."
"NOO! Please! They are going to die, you can''t-" Lilyanna shouted, renewing her attempts to free herself from Criston''s arms.
"Lilyanna!" Viserys shouted, causing Lilyanna to stop for the moment. "Stop acting like a spoiled child, you cannot do anything, you are not as clever as you think. This is the Grand Maester''s job, you cannot do anything to help."
Viserys ignored how Lilyanna''s face changed from despair to anger as she glared at him with an intensity that should not have been possible for a person her age. "Ser Criston, take my daughter to her room."
"Yes, Your Grace." Criston said, quickly walking away as Lilyanna continued to struggle in his arms.
"Father-" Rhaenyra tried to plead, but Viserys was not having it.
"I have made up my mind, Rhaenyra. Alicent and the babe will be fine, I know they will." Viserys declared before taking his leave, retreating to the safety of his chambers, away from the screams of his young wife.
"Fucking hells!" Rhaenyra growled, watching her father as he disappeared down the hall.
"Do you- do you think Lilyanna and Helaena are right?" Laenor asked worriedly, he too knew that not listening to the girls when they were serious would not bode well for that person.
Rhaenyra looked at her husband, her own worry was clear on her face. "I do not know, I hope not. Go to our children I do not believe anyone will be able to sleep until the birth is over."
"Of course. Give the Queen my best wishes." Laenor said, knowing that Rhaenyra was planning to stay by Alicent''s side, especially after what Lilyanna had just said.
Rhaenyra let out a sigh, gathering her resolve before she entered the chambers of Alicent Hightower.
The smell and sight of blood was the first thing Rhaenyra noticed when she made her way into Alicent''s bedroom.
This was the first time Rhaenyra had been a witness to the birth of one of her half siblings since Helaena and Lilyanna were born. Aemond had been born when she was on her failed tour for a husband and herself and Alicent had become enemies when Daeron came into the world.
The next thing Rhaenyra noticed was how small and weak Alicent looked as she saw her former friend lying in her bed, trying in vain to push out her child.
The princess ignored everyone else in the room as she made her way to Alicent''s side, immediately holding one of her hands.
"R-Rhaenyra? What are you-aaaarrrggggh!" Alicent cried, clutching Rhaenyra''s hand in a desperate need to alleviate her pain.
Rhaenyra ignored the pain that was now emitting from her hand, "I wanted to be here for you, Ali."
Alicent continued to scream as more blood flowed from between her legs, her skin becoming paler and sweat covered her entire body. "I''m, I''m going to die, aren''t I?"
"No, you won''t. You''re not going to die, Ali." Rhaenyra growled, using her other hand to hold the side of Alicent''s face and drawing the Queen''s attention to her. "You''re strong, Alicent, strongest woman I know. You can''t die yet, your children, my siblings, still need you. I... I need you..."
Alicent was about to speak until she saw Mellos holding a small knife in one of his hands, causing her to freeze up in terror, afraid that she would truly die here.
Rhaenyra, seeing this reaction, followed where Alicent''s eyes were focused and growled at what she saw. "Put that blade away. Now, Mellos."
Mellos remained firm in his decision, "Princess Rhaenyra, with the amount of blood the Queen is losing it is clear the child will not come out on their own. The babe must be prioritized."
"Prioritize the babe my ass, unless you want that knife in your neck, I suggest you put it down." Rhaenyra growled, intent on carrying out her threat if the maester moved even an inch closer to Alicent.
"AAAAARRRRRRHHHHH!" Alicent screamed, more blood began to flow from her legs and the midwives had to hold her down to keep her from flying forward.
"The head! The head is crowning!" the head midwife yelled.
Mellos quickly took the woman''s place at the end of the bed, pushing Alicent''s legs further apart. "You must push harder, Your Grace."
Rhaenyra grabbed Alicent''s hand once more, pushing a strand of her hair away from her sweaty forehead with the other. "Push Alicent, you must push. This will all be over soon."
Alicent gritted her teeth and pushed harder than she ever had, trying not to scream as the pain grew more intense.
Please, all I ask is that they live. I just want my child to live! Alicent pleaded, begging the Gods she followed to save her newborn, to allow them to be perfect and healthy.
This continued until finally the babe had completely emerged and the room fell silent, the only sound that could be heard inside the room was that of Alicent''s heavy breathing.
Mellos stared at the babe, his face grower paler as he looked between the newborn and the two noble women in front of him, mostly the Targaryen princess who was staring daggers at him.
"What is wrong with the child? Why aren''t they crying?" Rhaenyra asked, seeing the fear on the maester''s face.
"I''m- I-I am sorry, Y-Your-Your Grace..." Mellos stammered.
"What are you sorry for? What is wrong with them?" Rhaenyra asked again, growing angrier as Mellos continued not to give her an answer.
Mellos swallowed the saliva that had built up in his mouth, knowing the news he was about to give would be devastating. "The umbilical cord is wrapped around their neck, Your Grace. They were born dead, there is nothing that can be done for them."
The room grew quiet once again until Rhaenyra quickly closed the distance between herself and the maester. The midwives gasped and looked on in shock as they watched their princess wrap her hands around Mellos'' neck.
"You fucking bastard! Are you not the one who said that the babe would live, that my sister was wrong?! I am getting tired of you failing to keep my siblings alive, you piece of shit!" Rhaenyra roared, her hands tightening as the man within her vicious grasp struggled to breath.
"My-m¡ªmy princ-prin-cess..." Mellos hissed, scared that the Rhaenyra would kill him as dark spots begin to flash across his eyes, blocking out his vision.
"Rhaenyra!" Alicent yelled, her voice hoarse from her previous screams. She watched wide-eyed at the scene in front of her, still processing that her child was dead, but terrified at this side of Rhaenyra that she did not know existed.
Rhaenyra turned to Alicent, seeing the fear and heartbreak on her face, she released Mellos, causing the man to stagger back. Mellos touched his neck and greedily gulped in air, afraid that he may be deprived of it once more.
"I-I am sorry." Rhaenyra whispered, her head falling, and she stared at her hands, her fingers twitching as her entire body shook. She had felt this terrible anger before, but it had never been this bad, it had never pushed her to put her hands on another person.
I hate Mellos and I would not care if he died, but I don''t want to kill him. And now I... I scared Alicent. She thinks I am a monster now... Rhaenyra thought bitterly to herself, clenching her fists.
"I want to see them..." Alicent whispered, keeping her gaze off Rhaenyra and on Mellos.
"Your Grace, I do not believe that-" Mellos tried to say after finally catching his breath.
"I want to see them, Grand Maester. Bring them to me." Alicent spoke, her voice grew louder and stronger as she demanded to hold her sixth child, just once.
The Grand Maester followed through with the command and went to the Queen''s side, walking just a bit faster as he moved past Rhaenyra. He then placed the stillborn child in their mother''s arms and excused himself from the room, going to inform the King about the tragedy, the midwives following the man as he left.
The second the door closed, Alicent broke down crying, tears falling as she held her child, she pushed back the blanket that covered the baby, seeing their dark pale skin and the bruise around their neck.
Alicent let a wet gasp as it finally settled in her mind that her child would never experience any firsts, they would never know their siblings, they would never know her, and they would never grow and live.
"M-my daughter. You were supposed to be my third daughter. Yo-you should ha-have li-li-ved a-an-and now you wo-won''t." Alicent cried, holding her daughter''s tiny and unmoving body closer to her chest.
Rhaenyra felt hopeless as she watched Alicent mourn her daughter, a few tears falling from her own eyes.
Rhaenyra walked to the door, wanting to give Alicent the space and privacy to grieve properly and knowing that she had to giving the rest of their family the terrible news.
"Don''t go, Rhaenyra." Alicent whispered, stopping Rhaenyra in her tracks.
Rhaenyra only turned her head to look back at the Queen, "Are you sure?"
"I don''t want to be alone, I just can''t. Please, Rhaenyra." Alicent begged.
Rhaenyra made her way to the bed, she wordlessly sat down and stared at Alicent for a few moments before gently pulling the other woman into her arms. "I am so sorry, Alicent."
Alicent said nothing, resting head against Rhaenyra''s neck and allowed the woman to hold her as she cried.
The two women stayed in this position for hours and neither letting the other go. As the sun rose, the early morning light blanketed them in its gentle glow, painting a beautiful image that did not match what they truly felt.
Lilyanna immediately ran at the door the second Criston placed her on the ground and exited the room, she tried to turn the knob, but found that the Kingsguard had locked the door.
"Fuck!" Lilyanna screamed, striking the door repeatedly in her anger.
After catching her breath, Lilyanna realized that she was not trapped in the room as the tunnels within the walls still existed.
The redhead ran to the secret door, wanting to make her way back to Alicent''s chambers even if it meant revealing that the tunnels existed to everyone in the room.
"Where are you going?" Helaena asked as she watched her sister run to the tunnel door.
"Where do you think? I need to get to mother!" Lilyanna spat.
Helaena stood up and grabbed her sister''s arm before she could leave again. "It''s too late, Lily. She is gone."
Lilyanna refused to believe this, "No, that can''t be. I can still-"
"Don''t you hear it, the silence? Mother''s labor is over, and our sister is dead." Helaena whispered, her eyes tearing up.
Lilyanna listened and realized that Alicent had indeed stopped screaming, the Red Keep was once again quiet. "No..."
Helaena hugged Lilyanna, holding her as she too started to cry. It was the first time since being reborn that Lilyanna had cried, but she could not stop herself as the pain was too much to hold back.
Lilyanna felt nothing but despair and anger, but at who she did not know at who; at Mellos for being so arrogant and refusing her help, at Viserys for ordering her away and letting Mellos'' incompetence kill another one of his children, and even at herself¡
It''s my fault, I did this, I killed them. They wouldn''t have even existed if I hadn''t made so made changes, if I hadn''t made Viserys healthier than he should have been. I¡ I could have done something if I wasn''t stuck as a child, stuck in a world where my opinion as a woman means nothing. I did this, I fucking killed them.
Lilyanna hated herself for failing, it was all her fault, the blame laid at her feet, all this pain and suffering would not have happened if she simply did not exist.
None of this would have happened if the day Rosalind McDaniels died, she stayed dead instead of coming to this world and thinking she could mess with people''s lives.
And knowing this fact, was more devastating than anything she could ever experience.
The Truth, Part 1
Numb was all Alicent felt as she laid in bed, still reeling from the death of her child.
It had only been a few days since she held her daughter in her arms, since the midwives had come to take her precious little girl to the silent sisters so that she could be prepared for the funeral.
My little Elaera¡
The name was chosen if the child turned out to be a girl, Helaena had suggested the name one day as she and her siblings had decided to come up with baby names.
Alicent was happy then that her children were so excited for the arrival of their new sibling and had gladly accepted the name.
Now all the Queen felt was anguish as she thought about how her children had received the news of their sibling''s premature death. She knew that she should see them herself, but Alicent could not muster the courage to, she did not want her children to see her in such a state, to see how broken she was.
The only people she had seen in the last three days were her servants who would quickly left food that she did not eat, and Rhaenyra.
Rhaenyra would show up almost every hour to check in on her, trying to get her to eat or to leave her chambers, but she refused each time. The princess never said anything outside of this, only sitting next to her in silence before leaving again.
In contrast, Alicent had seen and heard nothing from her husband during this time.
She did not understand the way she felt about this blatant avoidance from Viserys, she should be upset that once again her husband did not care about how she was feeling or doing, not even bothering to see if she was physically healthy, but she did not.
Instead, Alicent felt relieved that she did have to deal with Viserys'' presence, the Queen knew that Viserys would not be able to comfort her, that he would be more focused on himself and his own grief. Then there was the deep dark part of her heart that she kept buried far within herself, where she believed that Viserys may not care at all.
He barely cares for the other children I have given him, why should this one be any different? Does my husband grieve, or has he not shed a single tear for the daughter that will never live?
Alicent''s thoughts continued to darken even when the sound someone knocking on the door rang throughout the room.
Alicent ignored this, believing it to be one of the maids. She knew it could not be Rhaenyra because the princess would not knock, she would have entered her bedchamber, not caring for decorum and propriety. After a few more knocks, the door slowly opened and Alicent could hear someone enter, but she continued to ignore them as she stared at the wall.
"Mother?" Alicent turned her head and met the amethyst eyes of Lilyanna.
Alicent saw the nervous expression on her daughter''s face as she stood before her, holding a plate of lemon cakes in her hands.
"I brought you lemon cakes¡" Lilyanna awkwardly trailed off, not knowing how to further proceed.
"Thank you, Lily." Alicent said plainly, still wondering why her daughter was here, why she was acting so strangely and so differently than she usually did.
"Rhaenyra said that you needed time to yourself after..." Lilyanna trailed off again as she struggled to find the words to say. "But I wanted to see you... I''m sorry."
Alicent sat up, taking the plate of food from Lilyanna, placing it on her nightstand and then gently cupping the side of her daughter''s face. "You do not need to apologize; I have missed you too and your siblings as well. I should be the one apologizing, for ignoring you all."
Seeing her daughter here apologizing to her for seemingly bothering her, made her feel like she was a terrible mother.
I ignore my children, I have made one daughter feel like a burden, and I could not even keep the other daughter alive...
Lilyanna shook her head and continued, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry that I-that I couldn''t do anything. It''s my fault this happened, it''s my fault that-that E-Elaera is dead."
Alicent saw shocked into silence after hearing this, seeing her daughter crying in front of her, Alicent had never seen Lilyanna cry once, not as a baby or at any point as she grew. She was stunned that Lilyanna blamed herself for Elaera being stillborn, as if it she was the one who caused it.
Lilyanna stopped crying when she suddenly felt her mother pull her into her arms, holding her tightly to her body and refusing to loosen her grip. Why is she holding me? I killed my sister; I am a monster...
"Lilyanna, it is not your fault." Alicent whispered onto the crown of her head, "You did nothing wrong; there was nothing that could have been done for Elaera; these things just happen. Life can be cruel and unforgiving; it does not care who we are and what we want at times."
Despite her attempt at comfort, Lilyanna felt worse as no one knew the truth about her existence, that it was not life that caused this tragedy, but her own actions and inactions.
Even just her being born had forever changed things, Alicent Hightower was never meant to have a second daughter, and it was this second daughter that killed the third.
Because of Lilyanna, Elaera Targaryen would never get the chance to live, to grow and become her own person with her own dreams, desires, fears, thoughts, and choices.
Lilyanna tried to think back to her life as a doctor, the first time she lost a patient an older doctor told her that it was a part of the profession, that some people would die no matter how hard you tried to save them, that it was not a medical failure on her part, but a natural part of life.
But it was my fault, I didn''t do everything I could to save her. It''s not as if Elaera came to me hurt and dying, she wouldn''t have even existed if I hadn''t made my choices here, I should have known that Mellos and Viserys would get in my way, I should have used the tunnels instead of just running through the halls. There''s so much I could have done, and I didn''t... Lilyanna thought angrily.
Bitter tears fell down Lilyanna''s face as she held Alicent even tighter, still feeling the guilt and anger of knowing she was the cause of the pain her family was experiencing.
The Queen and princess continued to hold each other, each crying and blaming themselves for the other''s suffering, for the loss of little Elaera, both viewing this as their shame, as their fault, something that they would never forgive themselves for.
The royal family and the court members had dawned their funeral attire and headed to the hills behind the Red Keep.
It had been over a decade since the last royal funeral; that of Queen Aemma Arryn and her son, Prince Baelon, both sharing a funeral pyre as they had left this world in quick succession.
Just like her brother Baelon, Elaera Targaryen did not get to live, the Stranger cruelly took her away in the aftermath of a terrible birth. And just like with Baelon, it was with Syrax''s flames that burned Elaera away from the world.
In keeping with Targaryen tradition, the stillborn''s ashes were not placed in an urn, instead they were scattered to the winds above Blackwater Bay. Urns in the crypts of Dragonstone were reserved for those that lived past the cradle and a stillborn babe was considered unremarkable in the grand scheme of things. Even if their family had nine moons of anticipation and memories that they were forced to keep forever inside themselves.
Once the funeral and feast were over, the children soon found themselves conjugating inside Aegon''s bedroom.
"I still don''t think it''s fair that Elaera can''t be held in Dragonstone." Daeron muttered, wanting to have the ability to visit their late sister.
"It''s because father didn''t give a shit about her." Aegon answered.
"Aegon!" Aemond angrily shouted, "You know that is not true, it is Targaryen traditional that only children who survive the cradle can be entombed on Dragonstone."
"Yes, tradition, not law. Our father is the King, if he genuinely wanted it, he could have had Elaera placed in an urn. Our brother Baelon did not survive the cradle and yet he was placed in an urn." Aegon argued, growing angry over his brother defending Viserys. He saw that Viserys could not even be bothered to comfort any of them or his wife since they received the news that Elaera was stillborn, that Viserys did not seem as heartbroken for her as Aegon heard he was when their half-brother and the rest of their half siblings died and hated him for it.
"Baelon did not receive his own urn, he was placed inside of Queen Aemma''s, it is not the same thing. What, do you think they would hold Elaera''s ashes until one of us dies so they could do the same?" Aemond fired back, he too was angry and upset and did not appreciate Aegon treating him as if he were not.
"Are we going to be burned when we die?" Lucerys asked, drawing everyone''s attention to him. This was the first funeral he had every gone to, the first death in their family that he has ever experienced, and it scared him.
All he could think of was that anyone could die at any time and how eventually everyone he loved would die too. His parents, his brother, his uncles, his aunts, his grandparents, even himself, would all end up just like Elaera.
"Targaryens and Velaryons have different funeral customs. I am fairly sure you would end up at the bottom of the ocean when you and Jace die." Aegon answered unflinchingly, not seeing the horrified looks on his nephews'' faces.
Helaena slapped her brother''s arm, "Aegon! Do not say that!"
"What? It''s true!" Aegon exclaimed, rubbing his now sore arm.
Helaena glared at Aegon, "That is not the point, you''re scaring them."
She then kneeled in front of Lucerys, "We will all die, but it will not happen to you or any of us for an extraordinarily long time. And when we do, mother and the Faith have spoken of the afterlife, that those of us who live good lives will go to the seven heavens."
"Really?" Lucerys asked, hopeful that death was not as scary as it seemed.
"Death is sad, yes, and it can be scary, but it is a natural part of life, and I don''t believe that death is the end of a person''s journey." Helaena says, she then turns to her sister. "Right, Lily?"
Lilyanna did not answer, lost in her own thoughts. She had been blindly going through the motions since the funeral began, unable to stop thinking of how she failed Elaera.
Helaena frowned as she saw Lilyanna sitting mindlessly on Aegon''s bed, completely ignoring everything going on around her. Helaena then walked over to the bed and sat down next to Lilyanna, placing a hand on top of Lilyanna''s. "Lilyanna? Are you okay?"
Lilyanna jumped, not expecting the touch, but calming down when she realized that it was Helaena who was holding her hand. "I''m fine."
A sympathetic expression formed on Helaena''s face, "You know it is okay if you are not, none of us are."
Anger quickly flashed on Lilyanna''s face before she schooled her expression and stood up, "I''m going to bed."
"Lilyanna..." Helaena tried to hold Lilyanna''s hand again, not wanting her sister to leave, but Lilyanna moved out of reach.
Lilyanna ignored how the others stared at her and left the room, she let out a groan as she walked down the empty hallway.
As she entered her and Helaena''s room, Lilyanna immediately pulled off her funeral attire, glaring at the clothes as if they personally wronged her and throwing them under her bed, not wanting to see them again, to be reminded of what they represented.
Once she put on her night gown, Lilyanna climbed into bed and threw her blanket over her head. All she wanted to do was fall asleep so that this day would finally end, but she knew it would not matter, that morning would come, and she would still feel the guilt and anger over the choices she made.
I have to apologize to Helaena when I see her. I shouldn''t have gotten angry with her; it wasn''t her fault, and I was being a bitch for no reason. Lilyanna thought to herself as she felt her eyes grow heavier and she gave in to her tiredness.
Lilyanna let out a groan as she tiredly blinked and sat up, once the blurriness had left her vision, Lilyanna saw that she was within the same black void from her dreams, lying in front of the Iron Throne.
"Fucking hell!" Lilyanna yelled angrily, annoyed as she was not in the mood to experience any strange dreams that she could never figure out the meaning of. She then pushed herself off the flooded floor and made her way to the base of the Iron Throne, waiting for her dream to start.
After what seemed like an eternity, Lilyanna started to see something moving towards her in the distance.
It did not take long before Lilyanna saw that it was the three conquerors; Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys.
The three Targaryens looked exactly as they did when she saw them in the first of these strange dreams, just as intimidating and untouchable, their eyes never leaving Lilyanna''s form as they closed the distance between them.
Once they were standing in front of her, Lilyanna rolled her eyes. "Well, what do you all have to tell me? As you can see, I am listening." She said sarcastically.
Visenya looked Lilyanna up and down, her face twisting slightly. "She is quite rude, isn''t she?"
Rhaenys smiled, "I do not know, sister. She does remind me of you a bit."
Visenya side eyed her sister, "And what is that supposed to mean?"
Rhaenys did not reply, but her smile turned into a mischievous smirk when she saw how annoyed Visenya was becoming.
Lilyanna''s eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped open in shock. "Yo-yo-you ta-talk?"
The three siblings returned their attention to Lilyanna. This time, Aegon spoke, his voice strong and deep. "It seems you can finally hear us."
Lilyanna gulped, inwardly trying to calm herself. "But why? I couldn''t hear anyone that I''ve seen in here before, so what changed?"
"Most likely your temperament. You are not the same person you were when you first arrived in our world." Aegon explained.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"My temperament?" Lilyanna asked aloud, she did not feel any different. In her mind, Lilyanna Targaryen and Rosalind McDaniels were one and the same.
"The change was most likely caused by the death of your sister. It has caused you to finally accept your place here." Visenya said coldly, ignoring the glare that Lilyanna sent her way.
Elaera''s death made me accepted my place here? Lilyanna thought.
It made her wonder if this was true, that deep down she did not see herself as a part of this world, as a Targaryen, until now. Was it the grief that pushed her to this point? Was it seeing how her new family was also grieving and suffering?
Lilyanna decided to ignore these thoughts for now and focus on what was said before. "You all know that I am originally from another world? That I died and was then reborn?"
"Of course! We were the ones who brought you here!" Rhaenys cheerily answered.
"Bu-but why?" Lilyanna asked, becoming more confused as this interaction progressed.
Aegon stepped forward, standing directly over the redhead. "You were brought here to save the Targaryen dynasty, to ensure the future where our family does ends itself does not come to pass."
"So, I''m the chosen one?" Lilyanna asked, trying to make sense of the information given.
Visenya scoffed, "Hardly, you were the only decent choice we had at the moment."
Rhaenys lightly slapped her sister''s shoulder, "Visenya! Do not tell her that!"
Visenya rolled her eyes, "It''s the truth, is it not? She was most certainly not the one I wanted to choose."
"What do you mean, that you didn''t want to choose me? If that is the case, then why am I even here?" Lilyanna questioned, her anger spiking.
Rhaenys glared at her siblings, seeing that their direct and tactless approach was just angering the girl.
She then stepped forward and kneeled in front of Lilyanna, "You are the best choice to save our family from its own ruin, it can be seen in the actions you have taken this far."
Rhaenys'' reassurance did nothing to calm Lilyanna, her anger growing as she felt as if the Queen was talking down to her.
It was at this point that Aegon placed a hand on his sister-wife''s shoulder, drawing everyone''s attention to him. "The truth of the matter is that we have seen the future, and the Gods have given us the chance to correct it."
"The fourteen Valyrian Gods?" Lilyanna asked.
Aegon nodded his head, "Yes. Your world was the one that they allowed us to choose a champion from."
Visenya then continued the explanation, "We were only given a small window of time to choose, and we wasted most of it looking for someone that we could all agree on. By the end of our allotted time, you just so happened to be dying and fit in with most of our requirements, so we picked you to be reincarnated."
Lilyanna froze at this information, shocked at now knowing that she was not here because she was special or the chosen one molded by fate to save the world, but simply because she was only option available.
Someone else could have just as easily been in my position and they would''ve been the one born into the Targaryen family. What would''ve happened to me if they didn''t pick me? Would I have still died? Would I go to the afterlife? Is there even an afterlife? Lilyanna thought.
"But doesn''t this leave a wide margin for error? I mean why now? Why not when the family is truly in danger or before the Targaryen dynasty even started experiencing problems? And why someone from my world?" Lilyanna rapidly questioned.
"The Gods are strange and mysterious, it''s not up to us to understand their motives." Rhaenys said, the three of them did not know why the Valyrian Gods had chosen to act now and why there were going about it in such a fashion, but the siblings decided not to question it.
"So what else was done to ensure that I succeed? It can''t just be my own intelligence and knowledge of this world, that would just be setting me up for failure." Lilyanna asked, trying to make sense of the situation she found herself in.
The three looked at each other and Aegon spoke, "Your body has been¡ augmented."
"Do you mean how I am stronger than a child my age should be?" Lilyanna asked.
Aegon nodded his head, "We do not know the extent of what you can do, but you have been given a dragon''s body. Not to mention you will also have us to guide you."
Lilyanna sighed, of all the reasons for her rebirth, being chosen because some inbred siblings had no other option and because a group of Gods felt the need to intervene was not the list.
And what is a ''dragon''s body''? Is it just strength that I have, or do I have other abilities that I haven''t discovered yet? Lilyanna thought, but she knew that the answers to her questions would not be given to her by the conquerors as the three seemed just as ignorant as she was.
Just as Lilyanna was about to speak, she felt a hard tug in her chest. She let out a painfilled groan, gripping the front of her tunic as her body fell forward.
She would have it the floor if not for Aegon quickly grabbing her shoulders, holding her weight in his hands.
"Fuck...It hurts." Lilyanna muttered as the pain grew more intense.
"Your time here is up. You will awake in a few moments." Visenya said while Aegon gently lowered Lilyanna to the floor.
"But I... I''ve never... never felt this pain when... when I''m about to wake." Lilyanna whimpered.
"Lilyanna!" A voice rang out across the void, causing everyone to freeze in place.
From her place on the floor, Lilyanna could see that blood had begun to trickle down from the Iron Throne. Instead of pooling at the throne''s base, the blood moved across the floor, as if being pushed by an invisible force.
Soon the blood split a part into two separate trails, they continued moving straight until they reached Lilyanna''s feet, and the trails went in opposite directions, continuing until they reconnected after forming a perfect circle around Lilyanna and the Conquerors.
"What the hell is happening?" Rhaenys asked aloud.
"Blood magic." Visenya answered, familiar with the practice, but unsure of what spell was being performed on them.
"But who is performing it?" Aegon asked, looking around the void to see if the culprits would reveal themselves, but all the King saw was the never-ending pitch blackness.
"Lilyanna..." The voice said once more, its tone growing more forceful and defining.
"It''s the same voice..." Lilyanna mumbled, remembering the voice that she heard in her last dream, the voice that wanted her to sit on the Iron Throne.
"Lilyanna!" The voice repeated, but this time the blood circle that formed around them started to glow a bright gold color.
The glow began to glow brighter and brighter, beginning to overtake the darkness of the void. As this was going on, Lilyanna felt the throbbing pain in her chest dissipate.
Once it did, Lilyanna pushed herself off the floor and stood on her feet, before she had time to question this change, the glowing golden blood exploded, bathing the void in a brilliant show of light.
"Huh!" Lilyanna gasped, quickly sitting up from her bed, the young princess could feel the sheets sticking to her sweat covered skin as she gulped in as much air as she could.
She looked around and saw that she was once again in her and Helaena''s bedroom. When she looked at her sister''s bed, Lilyanna saw that Helaena was still asleep, her own tossing and turning not stirring her twin into consciousness as it has before.
"What the fuck?" Lilyanna asked aloud, thinking about to everything she learned in her dream.
She was someone chosen to be the savior of House Targaryen, but she was only chosen because the Conquerors could not find a better candidate in their allotted time limit.
I guess all the amazing, super genius warriors of Earth were too amazing to die on that day, so they had to settle for me. Well, it''s not as if I wanted to be here either, I was perfectly fine living my boring average life. Lilyanna thought.
Then Lilyanna started thinking about the mysterious voice and the blood magic they performed on her, Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys.
It has to mean something, you don''t just perform blood magic for shits and giggles, that voice did something to us. That voice has to be on our side, right? Whatever, I just hope that whatever the fuck it did doesn''t come back to bite me in the ass. And with that, Lilyanna drifted off into a much-wanted dreamless sleep.
Lilyanna let out another yawn as she walked down the streets of King''s Landing.
Despite falling back asleep, Lilyanna still felt tired and sluggish, her dream having taken much more out of her than she thought.
Right now, she was making her way to Mysaria''s manse, the information broker having a job for her as part of the deal they had made with each other. It did not take long before Lilyanna had reached the building and was let in, the princess was able to make her way through the winding halls, the path firmly etched into her mind.
When Lilyanna finally reached Mysaria''s office, the woman in question was standing with her back towards the doors, but turned when she heard Lilyanna enter the room.
"Princess." Was all Mysaria said in greeting, a tiny smile could be seen as she stared at the princess.
"Greetings, Lady Mysaria." Lilyanna replied.
Mysaria then walked out of her office and led Lilyanna down the hall, and into a small room. The room itself had no windows and was almost barren except for a bed and a woman that the princess had never seen before.
The woman sitting on the edge of the bed was incredibly beautiful, tall with smooth ivory skin, eyes as black as charcoal, and an hourglass figure, but the thing that caught Lilyanna''s attention was her hair; her silver blonde hair was long and silky, seeming to glow under the candlelight, reaching the bottom of her back.
The woman rose to her feet when Mysaria and Lilyanna entered, a grimace forming on her face as she stood to her full height. She then curtsied, "My Lady, Your Grace."
Mysaria closed the door behind them, "Princess, this is Alia, a whore from one of the brothels on the Street of Silk. Alia, this is Lilyanna, the King''s youngest daughter."
Not waiting for the two to greet each other, much less say anything, Mysaria turned to Lilyanna and continued speaking. "Alia has been given some type of illness after sleeping with one of her clients. I need you to heal her, then I will give you what I have learned."
Well, that was blunt. Lilyanna thought, no longer surprised by Mysaria''s directness after the last few years. Although unlike the princess, Alia was not used to Mysaria''s shamelessness, visibly flinching at her words, and then glaring at the back of the other woman''s head.
Lilyanna sighed and made her way to the bed; she noticed the wary look Alia had thrown her way but ignored it. "It is good to meet you Alia, as Lady Mysaria said, my name is Lilyanna and I''m here to help you get better."
Alia looked past Lilyanna and towards Mysaria, "You are joking, yes? You cannot expect a child to help me with this, do you?" Her Lysene accent thick as she tried to control her temper.
Mysaria smirked at the woman, "There is no one that I trust more when it comes to the human body. The princess is more knowledgeable and skilled than any maester you will ever meet."
"I know that I am not the one you would expect to treat you, but I do want to help you. So, will you tell me the symptoms you are experiencing?" Lilyanna said softly.
Alia looked into Lilyanna''s eyes and saw that the princess how being truthful and genuine as she spoke.
"Your madam had asked me to help you as a favor I owe her, but I suppose I could tell her how you spat on the face of my courtesy. Of the princess''s courtesy." Mysaria remarked, growing bored by the interaction.
Alia sighed, not wanting her madam to have used her favor with the White Worm in vain on her, she figured that she should at least tell the princess what her symptoms were. "For the last few weeks, I have had pain in my belly, it hurts badly when I pee, it''s even more painful when I have sex, my breasts are tender, and my cunt has been excreting this yellowish-brown goo that smells like burning shit."
Instead of reacting the way Alia thought she would, with confusion and disgust, Lilyanna rested her head against the palm of her hand and was in deep thought.
It only took a couple of seconds before Lilyanna snapped her fingers as it finally came to her what Alia had contracted. "You have chlamydia."
"Chlamydia?" Mysaria and Alia asked.
"Chlamydia is an infection that is spread through sexual contact from vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who already has it. Although you can also get it from kissing, holding hands, sharing food or drinks, inhaling the droplets from a person''s sneeze or cough, or using the chamber pot after someone else. If left untreated it can cause severe damage to a person''s reproductive system, making it hard or impossible to have children." Lilyanna explained.
"I can become barren?!" Alia exclaimed, while she did not want to have children, never wanting to bring another living being into the terrible world they live in, but the thought of having that choice taken from her scared the woman.
And if I''m barren and with a disease that can make men impotent, I could lose my job, I would have to find another way to survive. Alia thought to herself, burying her face within her hands, desperately trying not to cry.
Alia''s head snapped up when she felt Lilyanna gently grab one of her hands, the princess looking at her with nothing but kindness, as she rubbed soft circles on the back of her hand.
"I know it is scary to think about, but chlamydia is treatable. Once I make you the medicine, you will be back to normal in a few weeks, I swear." Lilyanna told the woman, her smile never leaving her face.
"I-I-thank you, princess." Alia stuttered, wiping away the few tears that had managed to escape.
Lilyanna''s smile grew, "It is my pleasure, my lady." She then turned to face Mysaria, "I need you get someone to get the martials I need. I will also require a room with a fireplace inside of it."
"It is done." Mysaria replied, sauntering away as she went to do what Lilyanna had asked of her.
A few hours later
"So, I just drink these and I will be healthy again?" Alia timidly asked, warily looking at the vials of liquid that Lilyanna had placed on the table in front of her.
The Lysene born woman did not know what to expect when Lilyanna disappeared into another room only to return with these vials while holding one out for her to take right now.
"It will take at least a week or two, but yes these will work. I would also recommend not participating any sexual activity, and not sharing any utensils or a chamber pot with anyone." Lilyanna said as she watched Alia drink the medicine she gave her, smiling when she saw Alia grimace at how bitter the mixture tasted.
Suddenly the door swung open, drawing both Lilyanna and Alia''s attention to who was entering. The first to enter was Mysaria and then a woman Lilyanna did not know.
The woman was older than Mysaria, a few grey strands could be seen among the light brown hair that she had placed in a high bun. She had a plump, almost round figure, sun kissed skin, and was dressed from head to toe in red and gold silk. Despite her soft features, Lilyanna could see the marks of someone who had lived a hard life before reaching the position they were currently in.
"Madam Kella!" Alia exclaimed, and Lilyanna realized that this woman was the madam that Mysaria spoke of owing a favor to, along with being Alia''s boss.
"Alia," Madam Kella''s voice was velvety smooth and deep as she walked over to the younger woman, "Have you been treated, dear girl?"
"Yes, madam. The princess has been most helpful." Alia answered.
Kella then turned to said princess, "You know when I heard from my girls and Mysaria that the Princess Lilyanna had become a maester to the small folk, I thought it was joke."
"It''s not something that''s really believable until you see it in person." Lilyanna shrugged.
It was not the first time that a patient or someone close to them were shocked when they found out who she really was, and their internal opinions would change when they realized that she knew what she was doing.
Kella smirked, "You are stranger than I''ve heard you being, Your Grace."
Lilyanna stared plainly at the woman, "I''m a girl with a cock who uses a sword and acts as a maester; it was a given that I would be strange."
"I suppose that is true. Although, I must thank you for helping Alia, it''s hard to find people with the knowledge and desire to work with my girls and I." Kella said, her face becoming stony when she thought of those that looked down on her and others like her.
"That is sad to hear, my lady. As a princess my job is to the realm and its people, using my knowledge to do so is the least I can do after being born into my position." Lilyanna said in response.
Kella''s eyebrow raised before smirking at Mysaria, "I can see why you''ve been so protective of this one, Mysaria. A rare jewel you have found yourself in possession of."
Mysaria scoffed, "You make it sound inappropriate, Kella."
"It is not inappropriate? With you spending so much time with her, being so much older than the princess, and guarding each other''s secrets; not to mention you''re known relationship with another Targaryen, why wouldn''t I think anything else?" Kella asked rhetorically.
Mysaria glared at the older woman, "You can leave now, Kella."
Kella laughed joyfully as she waved her in front of her, causing Alia to stand, and pick up her medication before walking to the door.
Alia faced Lilyanna and curtseyed, "I am eternally grateful for your services, princess."
Lilyanna smiled at the woman, "There is no need to thank me, my lady. It was my pleasure."
Lilyanna flinched when she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her neck.
"Aw! She is so precious! I may just end up stealing her away from you and keep her all to myself." Kella exclaimed, playfully swaying back and forth with Lilyanna in her arms.
A small blush formed on Lilyanna''s cheeks as she could feel Kella''s large breast on either side of her head as the woman pulled her deeper into her chest.
"And you''re accusing me of being the one who wants to fuck a child." Mysaria said disdainfully.
"Don''t be jealous, Mysaria, its unbecoming for someone like you." Kella retorted.
"Get. Out." Mysaria hissed.
"Fine, fine. We''ll be on our way." Kella waved off.
Before the two women could leave, Mysaria stopped them with one final statement. "We are even now, Kella. Anything else you ask of me will require some form of payment."
"We''ll see." And with Kella sauntered out of the room, Alia gave both Mysaria and Lilyanna a bow before proceeding to follow her madam.
"That woman¡" Mysaria mumbled under her breath.
Lilyanna cleared her throat, composed once again now that Kella had released her. "So, are you and Madam Kella friends?"
"That woman infuriates me so often that even I do not know at times." Mysaria huffed.
Lilyanna hummed in response, after growing up with siblings and nephews she too understood what it''s like to love someone, but also be greatly annoyed by them at the same time.
"Moving on from that, come along, Lily, I have something important to share with you." Mysaria said as she led Lilyanna back to her private quarters.
Lilyanna looked over the reports that Mysaria had given her both in shock and acceptance.
She knew that there had to be a conspiracy around the Citadel and the Faith, but she did not know how deep it went.
Until now¡
"So, your spies found letters between Lord Cameron Tarth and the Grand Maester ordering Lord Tarth to request the help of Prince Aemon against the Myrish pirates?" Lilyanna asked, already knowing the answer from the report.
"Yes, originally Lord Tarth was going to ask the Crown to send soliders, but was convinced by the High Septon that dragons would be a better weapon against pirates." Mysaria explained.
The woman noticed the troubled expression on the girl''s face, "Why are you upset? Is this not what you''ve been wanting to prove? This is the proof that we have spent the last few years looking for."
Lilyanna leaned back in her chair and released a sigh, "Still this isn''t enough to go on; the High Septon and the Faith could just deny any ill intent. He could just say that he was trying to give a Lord in need some advice and even then, Lord Cameron would never admit to being involved in the murder of a Crown Prince. And that''s assuming he was a part of this plot and not just an unaware pawn."
"Regardless, I have also discovered more information related to the Faith and the Citadel. Something that is even more alarming than Prince Aemon''s death on Tarth." Mysaria stated.
"What could be bigger than the Faith orchestrating the murder of a Crown Prince?" Lilyanna asked.
"How about the murder of a Queen, two Kings, and a current plot to depose of a certain Lady Paramount?" Mysaria asked rhetorically, her lips forming a smirk as she knew that she had enticed the princess.
Lilyanna''s eyes widen as she sat up and stared at the White Worm, wondering just what kind of bombshell the woman was going to drop on her.
The Truth, Part 2
"So, I take it you want to know what I mean by that?" Mysaria playfully asked.
Lilyanna became annoyed, "You know that I want to know, Mysaria. So can you please stop messing with me?"
"There have been rumors and stories pertaining to the deaths of Queen Rhaenys, her son, Aenys, and Maegor the Cruel." Mysaria answered.
"Just rumors?" Lilyanna asked, knowing that if they were going to make a case against the Citadel and the Faith, they would need hard evidence.
"Their deaths were orchestrated on the Citadel''s orders. They had agents sent to Dragonstone and the Red Keep, disposing of Aenys and Maegor."
"And Queen Rhaenys?"
"House Uller was not in possession of a scorpion bolt before the Queen''s attack on Hellholt. The scorpion they had was newly built, after a letter from the Starry Sept was deliver to Uthor Uller and the lord asked Princess Meria Martell to have one sent to Hellholt.
"But why House Uller? There were more prominent locations than Hellholt." Lilyanna asked.
"That is true, but there were other letters being penned to other houses across Westeros. It just so happened that the Ullers were able to kill the Queen before the other houses across Westeros could receive word of the dragon killing weapons the Dronish had from their Rhoynar ancestors. And by that point Aegon and Visenya had already begun the Dragon''s Wroth, so it was too late to send word, otherwise if they were caught, they too could meet the same fate that Dorne did during those two years." Mysaria explained.
Lilyanna leaned back in her seat as she digested the information she had received; while this more than proved that she was right about the Great Conspiracy, knowing about it brought her no closer to bringing the whole thing down.
"I don''t suppose any other these letters still exist?" Lilyanna asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer.
"Over a hundred years later? Not a chance in all the hells." Mysaria scoffed.
"I thought as much." Lilyanna sighed, "Honestly, if have the things you have told me are true, it''s miracle the Targaryen dynasty lasted a hundred years, let alone the almost three hundred that it would eventually reach."
"Yes, you lizards do seem too stubborn to die or see when you are unwanted." Mysaria agreed, smiling at the roll of Lilyanna''s eyes.
To be honest I don''t know if Mysaria is right about Targaryens being stubborn or if the coalition of the Citadel and the Faith are just incredibly incompetent, unable to kill off our family despite having the advantage of being unknown and their Valyrian enemy being ignorant and arrogant. Lilyanna thought.
"And Lady Jeyne? You said their was a plot to kill the Lady Paramount, and she is the only one." The princess questioned.
"While there is nothing concrete, there have been ravens being seen going from the Starry Sept and the cadet branch of House Arryn in Gulltown, and they have been increasing over the last few years."
"And you think Lady Jeyne''s cousin is colluding with the Faith to make himself Lord of the Vale?"
Lilyanna had yet to hear of Arnold being thrown into the sky cells by his cousin, so she knew that his first rebellion against Jeyne had yet to happen. But it made less sense to her that the Faith would aid him in this endeavor, at least while Jeyne was still alive. Andal customs favored her over Arnold as she was the closet descendant to the pervious Warden of the East.
"Like I said there is nothing concrete, but it is something to keep watch of, especially as Lady Jeyne is related to your sister." Mysaria reiterated.
Right, Jeyne and Rhaenyra are cousins. While most would not bother giving Arnold the time of day, an organization that believes in male preference may back him if they see Jeyne as giving Rhaenyra her support in a possible war and they don''t think they can sway her to their side.
"Thank you, Mysaria. I know this will prove to be useful for me later on." Lilyanna said as she stood from her seat, preparing to leave.
"So long as you keep your end of our bargain, princess, then there is no thanks to be given." Mysaria responded, eyeing the young girl in a particular way.
Lilyanna returned the look, "Is that not what I have been doing?"
Mysaria smiled, a sharp and dangerous thing. "So long as you remember, Your Grace."
Lilyanna did not respond, turning on her heel and leaving the room, confused by the last few minutes of her and Mysaria''s conversation.
Why am I even trying to figure out what that woman is thinking? All I have to do is keep my word and I won''t have to worry about what that smile of hers means.
A Fortnight Later
"But why must we have different rooms?" Helaena asked as she, her siblings, her mother, and their sworn protector stood in the hallway watching as servants moved Lilyanna''s belongings out of their shared room.
That morning Alicent had informed her twin daughters that after ten years, the pair would no longer be sharing a room, that Lilyanna would be moved into the room next to theirs.
"Because it is time for you both to have your own rooms, Aegon was your age when he stopped sharing with Aemond. Don''t you both want your own spaces?" Alicent said, knowing that neither child was happy but knew that this was for the best.
"I like sharing a room with Lily. Why does this have to change?" Helaena asked once more, not wanting to be separated from her sister and not understanding her mother''s sudden decision.
"It''s a good change, sweetling. Right, Aegon?" Alicent pointedly stared at her eldest son.
"Uh¡ yes! It''s a good change, Helaena. I love not having to share a room with Aemond. Best thing to ever happen to me." Aegon said, catching on to his mother wanting him to help her convince the twins.
Helaena was not having this, still not understanding the need for them to have their own rooms and her face continued to fall.
"Helaena, mother wants us in different rooms because she''s afraid that as we get older our growing urges and sinful desires will lead to us fucking each other." Lilyanna said plainly, tired of Alicent refusing to just say the true reason for them no longer being allowed to share a room.
"Lilyanna!" Alicent yelled, "Do not speak so crassly, especially not in front of your younger brothers. You are a princess, and a princess has no need for such language!"
"But is that not the reason we suddenly must have separate rooms? We Targaryens do have queer customs after all." Lilyanna argued, using the words that Alicent used years prior with Rhaenyra.
Aegon snickered as he saw the put off expression on their mother''s face, making it clear that Lilyanna was right in her assessment.
"So will Lily and Hely share a room again when they get married?" Daeron asked, knowing about how their family married siblings to each other to keep their blood pure.
Alicent immediately turned to her youngest child, "Your sisters are not getting married, they will never marry each other."
Alicent knew that the Doctrine of Exceptionalism gave the Targaryens the right to intermarriage, but the thought of marrying any of her children to each other disgusted the Queen even if she knew that it may one day be necessary.
"If Lily and I promise not to sleep with each other, can we share a room again?" Helaena asked causing Aegon to laugh aloud.
"You and Lilyanna will be in separate rooms from now on and that is final. I know that it may not seem like it now, but this will benefit both of you." Alicent said with finality.
Before Helaena could argue again, Lilyanna grabbed her shoulder. "It''s fine, Hely. Mother is right, this may benefit us to have our own rooms. Besides, our rooms will be right next to each other and it''s not like one of us is leaving the Keep."
"Alright." Helaena whispered, still upset but knowing that continuing to argue would be pointless.
"So, you want to decorate my room?" Lilyanna asked, hoping this would improve her sister''s mood.
"I can do whatever I want?" Helaena asked.
Lilyanna shrugged, "I cannot promise that I will not get rid of or change what you do, but I will consider keeping what you put in there."
Helaena smiled for the first time since Alicent told them that they would be separated, "I would like that."
"Can we help decorate too?" Daeron asked, "I have some great ideas for what you can put in there!"
"We also have to make sure you don''t put anything boring in there, like more books." Aegon added, making his way into the empty room that now belonged to his youngest sister.
"Just because you do not know how to read, does not make books boring." Aemond snarked as he followed the older boy.
"I didn''t agree to let to let you fools decorate my room." Lilyanna said, her words lacking any heat or malice as she too entered her new room, Daeron giggling as he ran in behind her.
"We should put an insect display by the window." Helaena said aloud as she calmly followed her siblings.
Alicent sighed as she and Criston were now left alone. It was moments like this where she was reminded of how hard being a parent was, but she just needed to be in control of something, to keep her mind off everything that had gone wrong these last few weeks.
"So, the servants were not lying when they said you were moving Lilyanna into a different room." Alicent turned and saw that it was Rhaenyra who had spoken, the princess was standing in front of Lilyanna''s room, watching as her siblings started moving things around and trying to convince Lilyanna to remove or add certain items.
"I believed it was time, princess." Alicent replied, keeping her gaze on the servants moving Lilyanna''s belongings.
If Rhaenyra was bothered by the lack of reaction, she did not show it, simply leaning against the doorway, even ignoring the way Criston glared at her. The princess allowed the silence to lull, although she turned her attention away from her siblings and to the Queen.
Alicent did not know how to respond to the strange impasse that she and Rhaenyra had found themselves in. Since Elaera''s death, Rhaenyra had been a more constant presence in Alicent''s daily life than she had in the last decade, almost as often as when they were children.
They never truly spoke with each other; it only consisted of Rhaenyra watching over Alicent when she was at the height of her depression. Even now that she had gotten out of bed, Alicent still saw Rhaenyra constantly watching her, as if she were a piece of glass about to shatter.
She hated being treated like a fragile and emotional woman by her former friend, but she also could not deny that deep down she appreciated the silent support.
"Rhaenyra, can you tell Aegon that Lilyanna having a hammock instead of a bed is a stupid idea?" Aemond ran to the doorway when he noticed his sister standing there.
"A hammock is a great idea for Lily''s room, better than getting another bookshelf, like you suggested." Aegon scoffed.
Rhaenyra laughed before look to Lilyanna, "Do you have a preference, sister?"
"I am taking my bed to my new room." Lilyanna answered.
"What?! Why?" Aegon asked, sneering when Aemond smugly smirked as Lilyanna rejected his idea.
"I do not hate hammocks, but having one in place of a bed would be terrible for my back in the long term. But I suppose I can put one in the corner, for others to use." Lilyanna acquiesced, knowing that her brothers and sister would be spending a lot of time in her room.
Alicent sighed, knowing that she would now have to spend the next few days keeping Aegon from trying to replace his own bed with a hammock.
This is a good change; I know it is. Alicent thought to herself as she watched as Rhaenyra began giving her own input on what Lilyanna should do with her room.
Lilyanna let out a yawn as she returned from what was now only Helaena''s bedroom.
After the servants finished removing all of Lilyanna''s belongs and the rest of their family had left, the sisters had decided that it would be best to leave all the important things Lilyanna had acquired, hidden in Helaena''s room.
The gold coins, and the physical evidence that she gained from Mysaria over the last few years, were all hidden within the secret compartment that they had dug out behind the wall. They both figured that with Helaena''s reputation of being a strange and simple girl that no one would go looking for anything of importance in her room.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
That and it was easier than having to dig out a new space to put them inside of Lilyanna''s room, both girls remembering how long it took for them to do it the first time, especially since they had to be discreet.
"I still don''t know how I''m going to get any actual evidence for the deaths of Queen Rhaenys, Aenys, and Maegor. I should just focus on the deaths of Targaryens that happened within the last fifty years, those will be easier to prove." Lilyanna said to herself as she readied for bed.
Just as she was about to climb into bed, Lilyanna heard a voice from behind her, "What does she mean that she should focus on the deaths of the last fifty years? The murders of our sons and myself are just as important!"
Lilyanna tripped over her own foot in her attempt to turn around, falling to the floor as she looked up in shock at the sight in front of her; The Conquerors, Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys were standing before her.
The one who had spoken was Rhaenys, the Queen looking down at her descendant with disapproval in her eyes.
"What the fuck?!" Lilyanna yelled, rolling onto her back, and trying to push herself away from the three Targaryens.
They''re not here; I''m just seeing things because I''m tired. Or maybe I fell asleep without realizing it and this is all a dream!
"You can see us? But you are not asleep." Aegon spoke, his hand reaching up to rest on his chin, his confusion evident.
"How? What? Why?!" Lilyanna sputtered, slowly standing up as her brain was still trying to process what she was looking at.
"Very articulate, aren''t you, little one." Visenya sarcastically drawled, turning away from Lilyanna, and looking around the room. "We are certainly in the land of the living, but only partially."
"What do you mean by partially?" Rhaenys asked her older sister.
Her question was answered when Lilyanna closed the distance between them and slowly lifted her hand, intending on grabbing Rhaenys'' arm only for her hand to pass through the woman''s body. Rhaenys'' body changed for a moment, making the woman appear as if she was made of smoke before solidifying.
"Ghosts. You all are fucking ghosts." Lilyanna whispered, realizing what was going on when her hand passed through Rhaenys, a cold chill racing up her appendage as she did. She then tore her gaze away from her hand and focused her attention back on the conquerors, "Do you think this has to do with what happened in my dream?"
"It would be the only plausible explanation. What the four of us experienced was obviously some type of ritual involving blood magic, it must have connected us in some fashion, allowing us to cross the barrier between realms." Visenya answered.
"And yet you don''t know the spell or who cast it?" Aegon asked, knowing that his sister knew more about magic than anyone else.
"Not even I know everything pronating to magic, everything I learned came from our mother and the books we had on Dragonstone. It would make sense that our knowledge would be... limited." Visenya replied, her nose scrunching as if it physically hurt her to admit that there were things that she was ignorant of.
"Could it have been the Gods? They were the ones that allowed us to choose Lilyanna, mayhaps this is all a part of their plan." Rhaenys questioned.
"Can''t you just ask them?" Lilyanna asked, confused about why the three were speculating on what was going on when this was all happening because the Valyrian Gods gave them an opportunity to save their house.
Rhaenys rolled her eyes as she thought about the Valyrian Gods, "The Gods can only interfere so much in the world of morals and even among the dead. It''s why they choose champions to fight for them, there are rules in place that keep them acting themselves."
Lilyanna''s mind reeled as she thought about this; the gods had sought fit to bind the four of them together. "If you three are bound to me, does this that only I can see and hear you? Because if not, I don''t know how I''m going explain why my dead ancestors are following me around."
Lilyanna''s joke did not land as the three conquerors blankly stared at the girl, not a sound passing between them.
Wow, tough crowd.
"It would not make sense for others to be able to see us, but I suppose we could and test this." Aegon said, breaking the few moments of silence that had fallen over the group.
Lilyanna blinked, "And how would you guys do-"
ACK!
Suddenly Lilyanna began coughing, unable to continue speaking as she fell to her knees. The young girl desperately grabbed her throat as she started coughing out globs of bloody spit and struggled to breathe.
"Lilyanna!" Rhaenys cried as she rushed to the girl''s side, the former Queen tried to hold Lilyanna only for her hands to phase through her, just as Lilyanna''s did when she tried to do the same earlier. Rhaenys looked up at her siblings, "What is going on with her?"
Aegon bent down and kneeled next to Rhaenys, worry snitched across his normally passive face. "She was fine a few moments ago, so why is she-"
"It is us." Visenya quickly realized.
"Us? How can we be causing this?" Aegon asked.
"Our souls are not just bound to Lilyanna''s but her body. I believe that our presence in the physical world and outside of her dreams is causing a strain on her body. The ritual is new, it is fresh. Lilyanna needs to time to get use to the magic that has been cast on her." Visenya explained, continuing to watch as Lilyanna struggled for breath.
The eldest of the conquerors found it strange how worry and fear began to creep into her chest. She had not expected to care for the other worldly girl like Rhaenys did or even Aegon, only seeing her for what she could do for their house, but after watching her for a decade, Visenya could not deny that she had become somewhat fond of Lilyanna.
"Lilyanna," Visenya said as she kneeled in front of the girl. "We are going to leave, and afterwards your body should return to normal. We will return but only once your body has grown stronger, and then the four of us will need to talk."
Lilyanna maintained eye contact, showing the woman that she was listening and understood what she was being told. Her vision began to darken, and Lilyanna could feel her body swaying in its attempts to stay upright.
"Come, we need to leave." Lilyanna heard Visenya tell her siblings before every went black.
"-anna. Lily!" Lilyanna quickly sat up, her head spinning due to how fast she moved.
It took Lilyanna a few moments to gain her barring, seeing that she was sitting on the floor of her new room and that Helaena was kneeling in front of her. Lilyanna could see the confusion and worry on her sister''s face.
"You were bleeding." Helaena pointed out as she saw the dried blood around her sister''s mouth and on the carpet.
"I''m fine, Hely." Lilyanna said as she pushed herself off the floor, grimacing as tasted the blood that was still lingering on her tongue.
"Are you sure?" Helaena asked.
"Would I lie to you?" Lilyanna asked in response.
"Fine, I will take your word on it." Helaena sighed, "It''s not as if I could take you to the maester if something was truly wrong."
"What are you talking about?" Lilyanna asked.
"That''s what I came here to tell you before I found you lying on the floor; Grand Maester Mellos is dead." Helaena answered.
"Mellos is dead?" Lilyanna asked as she processed this.
It was not the death that surprised her; Lilyanna knew that Mellos would eventually die as in both the books and show he was replaced by Grand Maester Orwyle, a man who was firmly in Otto''s pocket.
But what did surprise her was the joy she felt inside herself at the news. Mellos was dead and all Lilyanna felt was happiness that he was gone.
What the fuck is this world doing to me?! Lilyanna thought, realizing that her moral compass was changing.
"Why is there not any commotion then?" Lilyanna asked, confused about how quiet and calm the castle was in the wake of a Grand Maester''s death.
"The other maesters are checking for the cause of death as we speak, but Mellos was old, so most of them are assuming that it was simply old age that did him in. But there are a few nobles who are spreading the rumor that that our sister killed him and made it look like old age." Helaena said.
Lilyanna scoffed at the part about Rhaenyra. Shortly after Elaera''s funeral, it had spread across the court how Rhaenyra, in a fit of furious anger over the news of their sister''s premature death, began to strangle Mellos, the only thing keeping her from continuing was Alicent begging her not to.
Everyone knew that Rhaenyra was the favorite child of Viserys and that he let her with many things, but many were still surprised when Viserys had simply told Rhaenyra to control her temper and to apologize to the Grand Maester.
Rhaenyra did so begrudgingly and that was that; no punishment was given to the heir for attacking Mellos.
Viserys was the man who heard that Rhaenyra''s son and his grandson had cut out the eye of one of his own son''s and yet allowed Lucerys to get off free of all consequences while berating Aemond for saying the truth that everyone knew, so Lilyanna was not shocked that Viserys did not care about Mellos'' wellbeing.
"Helaena, there''s no way that Rhaenyra would kill Mellos, and if she had wanted to then she would''ve done it already." Lilyanna said.
They both knew Rhaenyra well, they knew her good qualities and her bad ones, and two of her worst were that Rhaenyra could be impulsive and rash.
It could be seen in the books when Vaemond Velaryon had come King''s Landing to partition the King for Driftmark to be given to him over Lucerys as Corlys was on what many had thought to be his death bed and because Laenor was dead, he proclaimed that Lucerys was a bastard of Harwin Strong and not Laenor''s trueborn son, so in response Rhaenyra ordered Daemon to kill him before feeding Vaemond''s body to Syrax, not caring about the impact this would have with the other Velaryons. Or in the show when she slept with Cristion, when she slept with Daemon at Laena''s funeral, and when she and Daemon plotted Laenor''s fake murder.
In Lilyanna''s opinion, if Rhaenyra wanted to kill Mellos she would have acted on her feelings and killed him when she grabbed him by the neck and tried to strangle him, or even after Alicent was not there to stop her, she would not have waited two moons after the fact to do so.
You know, I''m starting to realize that ninety percent of the time Rhaenyra acts impulsively, it''s in the presence of Daemon. It''s like he just brings something out of her...
"We know that, but it won''t stop the rumors." Helaena responded, "Do you think this will make things worse between Rhaenyra and mother?"
Lilyanna threw her head back and loudly groaned, she could already imagine how Alicent would be reacting now that Mellos was dead, and she had seen Rhaenyra physically assault him moons prior.
"Fuck my life right now." Lilyanna whined, knowing that she would have her hands full dealing with this and the effects the blood ritual from her dreams had on her.
Alicent''s jaw remained clenched as she walked back to her chambers, the good mood she had after eating dinner with her children having left her as she once again felt the eyes of various people on her.
Since she had woken up that morning, stares and whispers followed her as news of Mellos'' death spread throughout the Red Keep.
Alicent knew it was because Rhaenyra''s confrontation with Mellos had returned to the forefront of courtly gossip, rumors spreading that the princess had killed the Grand Maester and made the death appear as if it were of natural causes.
There were even rumors that Alicent had ordered Rhaenyra to do the deed, angered over his failure to save her child.
"This is ridiculous." Alicent muttered under her breath as she met the eyes of two noble women walking by.
The pair bowed to the Queen, but immediately began whispering to each other, constantly looking back at Alicent once she passed them.
"Grand Maester Mellos'' death has already been proven to be of natural causes, Your Grace. The court simply wants to make this more entertaining for themselves." Criston told Alicent as he glared at the noble women.
The women scurried away once the Kingsguard rested his hand on the pummel of his sword, making his feelings towards them clear.
"Still, to be accused murder is not something I enjoy. For what reason would I even have to do so?" Alicent questioned, growing furthered annoyed by the machinations of politics.
"They are simply jealous, Your Grace. Wanting to do whatever possible to tear you down." Criston answered, the knight was furious by the accusations that were being thrown at his Queen''s feet. "The only woman possible of murder in this Keep would be the princess and after what she tried to do to Mellos, it only further proves her depravity."
Alicent kept quite as Criston continued to speak his feelings about Rhaenyra, normally she would have joined in on this, but a pit formed in her stomach.
While she knew that Rhaenyra did not kill Mellos, the autopsy had proven this, she could not help but remember the rage that was strewn across Rhaenyra''s features as she wrapped her hands around his neck.
Would she¡ would Rhaenyra have killed him if I did not stop him? Would she even have felt guilty if she had strangled him, or broken his neck? Alicent thought.
The King will die. It may be months or years, but he''ll not live to be an old man. And if Rhaenyra succeeds him, war will follow, do you understand? The realm will not accept her. And to secure her claim, she''ll have to put your children to the sword. She''ll have no choice. You know it. You''re no fool, and yet you choose not to see it. The time is coming, Alicent. Either you prepare Aegon to rule, or you cleave to Rhaenyra and pray for her mercy¡ Otto''s words once again reverberate through her head.
But Rhaenyra only attacked Mellos because she was angered on behalf of Elaera and Lilyanna. But Viserys did not care that Rhaenyra attacked Mellos, letting her get away with it, only having to give nothing more than an insincere apology.
Alicent was so distracted by her thoughts that she just barely remembered to say good night to Criston, cutting the man''s tirade about Rhaenyra short as she entered her bedroom.
The Queen sighed as she walked towards her dresser, prepared to take off her jewelry.
"Why have you been avoid me since this morning?" Alicent practically jumped out her skin as she quickly turned in the direction that the voice came from, seeing Rhaenyra sitting in front of her fireplace.
"Rhaenyra! What are you¡ªhow did you even get in here?" Alicent explained, placing a hand on her chest in an attempt to calm herself down.
"I have my ways." Rhaenyra shrugged, not wanting to tell Alicent about the system of secret tunnels inside the Keep.
"I do not have the time nor the desire to play games with you, princess. So if you are done, then you can leave." Alicent said as began walking towards the door, intending to show Rhaenyra out.
"I did not kill Mellos, you know that." Rhaenyra said, stopping Alicent in her tracks.
"Do I?" Alicent asked, her tone growing harder, "I used to think there were many things you were not capable of doing, until you proved me wrong."
Rhaenyra glared as she stood and made her way to Alicent, "So are we finally going to talk about what this is truly about then? Or are you going to continue acting like a child?"
"You are the last person who should be insulting another''s maturity. That is what this is about." Alicent replied just as fiercely.
Rhaenyra let out a sardonic laugh, "No, what this is about is the fact that you have let your cunt of a father manipulate you. First into fucking my father and then to thinking me capable of killing my own siblings!"
Alicent''s glare harden and Rhaenyra thought ironically that Alicent would have burned her to ash with her gaze if she had the ability. Alicent quickly closed the distance between them, the two now sharing a breath. "How dare you?! My father is a just and honorable man, far better than the spoiled princess standing before me."
"Yes, because having his daughter seduce a man whose wife just died and is old enough to be her own father is such an amazing thing to do!" Rhaenyra screamed back, remembering that day in small council chamber when Viserys announced that he was marrying Alicent, all the hurt and anger she felt.
"I did not ask to be Queen! I did not want to be chosen by Viserys, I just wanted to do my duty to my father, to my family, to my house! Why can''t you see that?!" Alicent cried, her voice cracking and her eyes blurring with tears she refused to let fall, unwilling to show Rhaenyra any vulnerability.
"Because I loved you! I loved you, you were mine and yet my father took you from me! He took you from my side and made you into my stepmother and he did not care, he broke us all for a son and yet he does not care for Aegon, or Aemond, or Daeron." Rhaenyra said, her yelling soon falling into horse whispers. "I am so angry at your father and especially mine, because he¡.he¡"
"He what?" Alicent whispered, it was all she was able to say in response to Rhaenyra''s outburst. She could feel her heart viciously beating within her chest as she waited to see if Rhaenyra would continue.
Rhaenyra let out a deep breath, and Alicent was drawn to the despairing smile on her lips. "Because he gave you children, he gave you a crown, he¡ he made you his wife. Sometimes, I hate him because my father has you in all the ways I wished that I could."
With that Rhaenyra slowly pushed past Alicent, walking towards the bedroom doors, she had not meant to reveal any of this but once she started she could not stop.
I need to get out of here before I embarrass myself further. Rhaenyra thought bitterly.
Before she could get far, Alicent grabbed her arm and took her hand within her own. Alicent''s eyes widened as she had moved without thinking, only wanting Rhaenyra not to leave.
The princess allowed herself to be pulled closer by the Queen, and once again the woman barely had but a hair of space between them.
"Rhaenyra, I¡" Alicent stared but was soon cut off when a knock at the door reverberated through the room.
"Your Grace? I heard shouting, are you alright?" Criston asked, prepared to enter the room if the Queen did not respond.
"I am fine, Ser Criston." Alicent responded, her gaze falling to the floor as once again questioned what she was doing.
"I should leave." Rhaenyra said softly, and this time Alicent did not stop her, watching as the other woman opened the doors, walking past a shocked Criston.
"How did she get on here? Your room is always locked when you are not here, Your Grace." Criston asked, unfortunately being reminded of another time that Rhaenyra was able to leave a bedroom without him knowing.
"I do not know, Ser Criston. I never know how or why Rhaenyra does anything." Alicent replied monotonely.
Once again Rhaenyra Targaryen had managed to completely baffle her with her actions, had messed with Alicent''s heart and her head in ways that no one else was capable of.
And now Alicent did not know how she was going to move forward and live her life normally knowing that the princess loved her, had wished that she was in her own father''s place at her side.
Alicent Hightower truly hates that she cannot hate Rhaenyra, as hating Rhaenyra would be easier than keeping her within her heart.
Making Moves
A Few Days Later
Rhaenyra Targaryen had always prided herself on being a courageous, strong willed Valyrian dragonrider, but right now, she felt like nothing but a craven. Within her mind the events of the other night continued to replay over and over, causing a mixture of embarrassment and anger to sweep over her.
And it was due to these feelings that Rhaenyra had been avoiding Alicent for the last few days, although this was proving to be a daunting task with small council meetings along with her children and her siblings wanting to do more ''family activities.''
This was not helped with Laenor''s constant japes at her expense. After she returned from Alicent''s chambers, Rhaenyra had told her husband what happened and since then Laenor would smirk and joke whenever he saw her purposely going out of her way to not be around the Queen for as long as possible.
"Mother, can you come to the Dragonpit with us?" Rhaenyra was taken out of her thoughts when she heard the voice of her eldest son.
"Of course, Jace. We can even leave right now." Rhaenyra replied, returning the bright smile that Jacaerys had given her.
"Yay! We can show how much better we have gotten with Arrax and Vermax!" Lucerys added as he ran to Rhaenyra''s side.
"Will your uncles and aunts be joining us?" Rhaenyra asked.
"Don''t worry, lady wife, you know that the Queen hasn''t been to the pit in years." Laenor smirked from his place next to the fireplace.
Laenor had always assumed that Rhaenyra and Alicent''s childhood friendship was far deeper and intense than most friendships between noblewomen, but it was not until he and Rhaenyra were married, and the two''s relationship had severed that it became clear to him.
Whether it was because Alicent had married Viserys or Alicent''s faith, or even Rhaenyra sleeping with Criston and lying about it that caused them to not come to terms with their feelings, to him Alicent was Rhaenyra''s first love, not Daemon like some assumed.
Laenor knew better than anyone what it was like to love someone that you were not supposed to love, reminded of the tragedy of him and Joffrey, and he would never judge Rhaenyra for having done the same.
And while he did not care for Alicent, not after she defended Criston Cole, he would not be angry at Rhaenyra for being unable to completely leave the woman behind. It just meant that Rhaenyra would now have to suffer being the butt of his jokes, it was not often that the Princess of Dragonstone had ever embarrassed herself in such a manner and he was not going to let this opportunity slip away.
Rhaenyra glared at Laenor, but the Velaryon had the gall to wink at her, clearly enjoying Rhaenyra''s fumbling.
"Aegon, Aemond, and Daeron will be. Helaena and Lilyanna said they were going to the sept with their mother." Jacaerys answered, him and his brother both unaware of what their father was actually saying.
"Then we best go get your uncles then." Rhaenyra said as she led Jacaerys and Lucerys out of her bedchambers, ignoring the sound of Laenor''s laughter as he followed them.
Alicent took a deep breath once she, her daughters, and Criston entered the sept within the Red Keep.
For years, the sept had always been a sanctuary for Alicent, allowing her to escape the burden and hardships first of her mother''s death, then having her father constantly loom over her, and finally being Queen.
She was able to find answers to many problems she faced whenever she prayed within its walls, praying to the Gods for their favor and blessings.
"Why did we have to come again?" Alicent looked down at Lilyanna, seeing the annoyed expression on her face.
"You two are here because it has been sometime since either of you have been to the sept, especially you, Lilyanna. I brought your brothers a few days ago so it is your turn." Alicent replied, giving Lilyanna a chastising look as she knew her daughter along with her older brother usually went out of their way to avoid going to the sept for sermons and prayers.
Since they were young, Alicent had been raising her children to believe in the Faith of the Seven, wanting them to abide by its values as she did. So far, only Aemond took to the faith dutifully, Daeron had tried as well, but Alicent knew that his immature age made it harder for him to take the religion seriously, Helaena would go the sept but was not entirely interested, and Aegon and Lilyanna rejected anything that had to do with religion, finding it all pointless.
Lilyanna glowered but did as she was told and kneeled at the altar, Helaena copied her twin, leaving enough space so that Alicent could sit in between them.
In truth, Alicent had not come to the sept because of her daughters but because she needed guidance now more than ever. She could not stop thinking about her former friend and declaration she had made to her nights earlier, all her could hear in her thoughts was sound of Rhaenyra''s voice as the princess said that she loved her, that she desired her.
Alicent knew that feelings such as these were wrong, they were perverse and sinful, going against the teachings of the Faith, and yet she could not stop them from creeping into her heart.
It was as if Rhaenyra had caused cracks to form in the dam within soul that had been holding her emotions, not caring for the damage she left behind in her selfish pursuit in what she wanted.
So, the Queen prayed to her Gods, hoping to be given answers, a reprieve from the whirlwind of emotions that overwhelmed her very being.
"Your Grace. A letter from your father, Ser Otto, has arrived." Talya announced as she entered the sept, holding the aforementioned letter in her hands.
Alicent immediately stood, taking the letter from Talya, and opening it. As the Queen read the letter, her face went through many different emotions, before she clenched the parchment in her hand, squeezing it tightly in her fist.
"How dare he?!" Alicent exclaimed as her expression finally settled on furious anger.
"What''s wrong, mother?" Helaena asked as she and Lilyanna stood up, watching as her mother''s temper starting to flare.
Alicent soon schooled her features, forcibly relaxing her posture as she turned to face her daughters. "Everything is fine, sweetling. I just need to go write a letter to your grandfather. So, I will have to leave you here." She then turned her gaze to Lilyanna, "And I expect you both to pray before leaving yourselves."
With that Alicent left the sept, Criston quickly followed his Queen, but Talya stayed behind for a few moments, giving Lilyanna a telling look before following the other two.
"Do you know what that was about?" Helaena asked as soon as they were alone.
She knew about Talya being one of Mysaria''s spies as Lilyanna had told her when she learned this and she did not miss the look that Talya had sent her twin''s way.
"No, but I think I may know what Otto has written to our mother about." Lilyanna answered, hoping that her inkling was wrong, thinking about what this letter could mean for her siblings.
"it''s nothing good, is it?" Helaena asked.
"Even if I''m wrong, based on how mother reacted, whatever he has told is most definitely bad." Lilyanna said as she stared walking towards the exit.
"Mother said that we had to pray before we could leave. Do I have to tell mother about you disobeying her?" Helaena said playfully, she too did not find much stock in praying to the Gods but knew that it was better to do as their mother told them lest she find out.
Lilyanna scoffed, "And do I have to tell mother that you still keep your little spiders in the jewelry box she gave you? Because last I checked she specifically told you to stop doing that."
"They like it in there." Helaena muttered, knowing that the spiders she called her pets preferred to live in her jewelry box as opposed to anywhere else.
"So, it seems we''re in agreement on not telling mother about us doing things she has told us not to." Lilyanna smirked as she continued to leave the sept, her smirk growing wider as she heard Helaena follow her.
"You''re a manipulative bitch, Lily." Helaena said annoyed.
Lilyanna playfully placed her hand over her hand and gasped, "Helaena! How unladylike of you, and people say you are the sweet one between the two of us."
Helaena rolled her eyes but continued to think back on the letter that Otto had written to Alicent and the woman''s reaction to it. It was times like this that Helaena wished that she had control over her dreams, that she could see what she wanted to see of the future.
It would make things easier instead of waiting for visions that were hard to decipher and relying on Lilyanna''s preexisting knowledge.
Alicent continued her trek through the Red Keep, ignoring everything around her as she headed towards her husband''s chambers.
Alicent was no fool, she knew that if Otto had written to her about having Daeron sent to Oldtown to squire for her cousin, Ormund Hightower, eldest son and heir of her uncle Hobert, then he would have undoubtedly written a letter asking the same of Viserys.
Alicent knew that if this ''request'' had come at an earlier point, she would have agreed, she would have seen the benefits of having one of her sons in the Reach, of having them being the squire of a future high lord.
But now, after losing one of her children, just the thought of being separated from one of them now, made her want to scream, to lose the composure that she had been holding onto for over a decade.
Once she reached the doors, Alicent did not wait for Harrold Westerling to announce her presence, simply pushing past the Kingsguard and entering the room.
"Alicent?" Viserys asked as he watched his wife storm into his bedroom, he was confused by the anger that was evident on her face as he put down the dragon sculpture that he was holding down next to the rest of his model.
"Has my father written to you, husband?" Alicent asked.
"Witten to me? Oh¡ªyes, he has. He wants Daeron to squire for his nephew in Oldtown." Viserys answered, remembering the letter he had read that morning.
"You cannot send Daeron to Oldtown." Alicent stated, quickly cutting off her husband, a tinge of fear laced in her tone.
Viserys stared at his wife blankly, "But why? I figured you would be happy for our son to grow up surrounded by your family. I have heard that Lord Ormund is quite accomplished, it would be a benefit for Daeron to learn from him."
Ormund? Accomplished? Alicent thought to herself annoyed, knowing the type of person her cousin is.
Ormund Hightower was a man who was used to getting his way, as the eldest son of a ruling lord, he never had to work for anything, expecting things to be given to him. Alicent remembered her cousin as a bully turned womanizer, a man who caused his father to work hard to cover up his son''s dalliances and mistakes.
While she could acknowledge that he had some skill with a blade, as he was now the wielder of their house''s Valyrian steel blade, Vigilance, Alicent did not want that type of influence around her son.
"Otto has promised to look out for our son if that is what worries you. And I feel it would be best if Daeron can find himself with a proper mentor, he is a third son and the youngest of my children; what other opportunities is he going to have without relying on his older sister to give him prestige?" Viserys said.
As he spoke, he could not help but be reminded of him and Daemon, remembering how often he had to give Daemon positions and titles because as a second son he had no power of his own. He also remembered how his brother often took his generosity for granted, doing little to live up to the many responsibilities he was given.
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Alicent clenched her fists in anger, resisting the urge to rip the skin from her fingertips and tear them to shreds. But before she could argue with Viserys'' statement, the doors opened and the last person she wanted to see walked into the room.
"Father, am I interrupting?" Rhaenyra asked, looking between Viserys and Alicent.
"No."
"Yes." Viserys and Alicent said, respectively.
"That clears things up." Rhaenyra quipped, but glowered as she noticed that Alicent had made no move to even look in her direction, keeping her eyes on Viserys.
"Viserys, we cannot send Daeron to Oldtown. We cannot send any of our sons away." Alicent said, continuing the conversation even with Rhaenyra''s presence.
"You are sending Daeron to Oldtown?" Rhaenyra asked, but was ignored by her father and stepmother.
"Alicent-" Viserys started, once again wanting to list the reasons why sending Daeron to squire was a promising idea.
"Viserys, please!" Alicent exclaimed, her body tensing as she saw that shocked and surprised way that Viserys and Rhaenyra were now staring at her. The Queen''s head fell, losing the strength to look her husband in the eye as her embarrassment grew, "Please, I just... I cannot lose any more of my children."
The room immediately fell into a tense silence, all three inhabitants wishing that they could be anywhere else as the awkwardness of the Queen''s outburst began to settle.
"Alicent..." Viserys trailed off, he did not know how to respond to his wife''s plight, hating being reminded of Elaera, but then he saw the angry way his eldest daughter was staring at him, he saw the despair that was now etched on his wife''s face.
"I will write to Ser Otto; Daeron will be staying here in King''s Landing with us." The King finally said.
He had to fight the full body flinch that threatened to overtake him as Alicent lifted her head and stared at him with complete and utter shock, clearly not expecting him to give into her plea.
"I...I... thank you, husband." Alicent said softly, unshed tears shining in her eyes as she smiled at him.
Alicent then pressed her lips against her husband''s cheek, giving him a chaste kiss as thanks. The Queen''s mode was vastly different as she left the bedchamber, leaving Viserys and Rhaenyra to stew with the emotional whiplash.
"Has everything been resolved, Your Grace?" Criston asked once they were a good distance away, asking the question as he noticed the relief and happiness that flowed off the woman in waves.
"Yes, Ser Criston, everything has been resolved." Alicent replied with a large smile.
The pair then began making their way towards Lilyanna''s bedroom as the Queen knew her daughters would be there, knowing that despite telling her to pray in the sept, Lilyanna would ignore her and leave as soon as she was gone, with Helaena following suit.
As the pair walled through the Holdfast, they came across her sons, each boy covered in dirt and smelling of smoke and ash, denoting their time spent in the Dragonpit.
"Mother-" Aemond began to say but was interrupted by Alicent pulling him and his brothers into a tight embrace.
"Mother?" Aemond repeated, confused by the action.
"Is something wrong?" Aegon asked as Alicent hugged them tighter.
It was not the showing of affection that confused him, but how sudden it was and the fact their poised and graceful mother was hugging them in the middle of a public hallway.
"Nothing, nothing is wrong. Everything is fine now." Alicent answered as she kissed Daeron''s forehead.
Daeron smiled in response, leaning more into their mother''s embrace. "Mother, you missed it. The keepers said I''m getting better at commanding Tessarion!"
Alicent smiled, finally releasing her sons as she stands up, "That is great, my darling. Tell me about it as we go to your sister''s room."
Daeron grinned and began to excitedly tell the Queen about their day in the Dragonpit, Alicent continued to smile at her son, running her fingers through his hair as he spoke.
Both failed to see the look that Aegon and Aemond shared with each other; both knew that Alicent disliked dragons, so her asking to be told more about them was shocking to them.
And it made the two brothers wonder even more about what had happened to their mother to cause such an uncharacteristic action on her part.
Days Later
The Hightower, Oldtown
Otto Hightower sat at his desk, staring into the fire, the letter from King still crumpled within his hands.
It may have been written by the King, but Otto knew it was the Queen''s words as he read the refusal to have Daeron fostered in Oldtown. The former Hand was conflicted between feeling proud of his daughter''s manipulation of Viserys and angered that she had gone against him and their family''s interests.
As Otto continued to ponder his daughter''s actions, the door to his room swung open and his older brother sauntered inside.
Or at least he tried to, his once confident stride appearing more as heavy hobbling. Over the last few years, Hobert Hightower had begun to age faster than ever before; his skin growing paler, his body growing fatter, and more of his hair thinning and falling out.
"Well? Are we preparing for your grandson''s arrival?" Hobert asked impatiently.
"No, the King has refused to have Daeron squire for Ormund." Otto answered, his eyes still focused on the fire.
"Has the King gone mad?! Having a third-born son sent to squire for a future high lord is an immense honor, and yet he is squandering it!" Hobert yelled, feeling offended by the rejection.
Otto did not respond knowing that his brother would continue to rant and rave until he no longer could.
"I swear this has Princess Rhaenyra written all over it! That whore has no doubt whispered her treachery into her father''s ears to keep her false position of heir. She is trying to reduce our house!" Hobert exclaimed, before a vicious cough began to ravage him.
Otto pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to his brother, his right eye twitched slightly as Hobert coughed into the handkerchief, thoroughly wetting it before he threw it carelessly onto his brother''s desk.
"You need to write to your daughter, have her change the King''s mind." Hobert exclaimed.
Writing to Alicent is what led to the King changing his mind¡ Otto thought.
"Writing to Alicent would be pointless, brother. The King has already made his decision, and knowing Viserys he will not change it." Otto replied.
"Why is this always your response?" Hobert asked, staring down at his brother from his place in front of him. "What was the point of having your daughter become Queen if not to advance our house''s standing? But so far, we have three trueborn sons of a King that refuses to adhere to proper traditions as he continues this farce of a woman being his heir!"
"Aegon will be King, Hobert." Otto said as he stood up, "And with my grandson''s ascension, our family will rise as well, but trying to force the issue right now will not end well for us. Let Daeron stay in King''s Landing, there will be other opportunities for us."
Hobert continued to glare at his younger brother, "Fine, we will leave the issue. For Now. But you must still write to Alicent and the others that you have in your pocket, the princess and her party have been having too much say for far too long."
"Of course." Otto said, already having planned on writing to his allies on the small council.
"Good." Hobert said, turning to leave the room before he paused, looking back at Otto. "Remember, brother, over a hundred years of planning and sacrifice have gone into getting us this far. We cannot afford to fail now, not when we are so close to seeing this all through."
"And we won''t." Otto said plainly.
Hobert took his leave, saying nothing else to Otto.
Otto released a damning breath, gracefully sitting back down as he thought over his brother''s words. It annoyed him that Hobert of all people was telling him about remembering the duty that they shared, as if implying that it was Otto who was not pulling his weight instead of the other way around.
It was him who had gone further than most second sons and became the Hand to not one but two Kings, it was him who had ensured that a Hightower woman had become Queen, a Queen who had given the King five children, most importantly; three able-bodied sons.
Otto has done everything that was required of him and then some, and what did he have to show for it? Being removed from his position as Hand of the King, having to once again be reliant on his elder brother, loss of control over his daughter?
But these problems were merely small obstacles in his path. Minuscule issues that he would overcome just like all the others.
I only need to remain patient, everything will fall back into place, I will ensure it.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes as she listened to the new Grand Maester going on about the different ''humors'' that affected the human body.
The young girl had hoped that with the death of Mellos her lessons would also end, but she was proven wrong. Viserys simply told his third daughter that she had been given a small break from classes in order to properly morn her former teacher.
Lilyanna wanted to laugh at the idea that she would ever morn the man who ignored her advice because he believed he knew better and led to the death of one of her precious siblings.
If she could have, Lilyanna would have thrown Mellos'' corpse into the nearest ditch and left it to rot. Instead, she was told by the King that Orwyle would take on all of Mellos'' duties as the new Grand Maester, including her education.
Lilyanna wanted to refuse, to tell her father that he was an idiot if he believed that the maesters of the Citadel knew anything and were not just quacks in the pocket of the Faith and the Hightowers, to tell him that he was a terrible father and King.
But she could not, not just because she had worked so hard to get where she is now and could not risk anything setting her back, but because she knew that yelling and saying how she truly felt would change nothing.
So, Lilyanna had bitten her tongue and swallowed her pride, throwing a fake smile on her face as she followed Orwyle.
At least Orwyle is not as condescending and full of himself as Mellos was. Lilyanna thought to herself.
But this still did not change the fact that she was a young girl and so not taken as seriously by the older man. The only real benefit she could find sitting here was that she could work on her journal without interruption while Orwyle droned on and on.
Little did Lilyanna know that Orwyle was far more observant than she gave him credit for.
While the maester was lecturing the princess, he was watching her, taking note of how she reacted to the information given and the book she was writing in.
Orwyle had always known that Lilyanna Targaryen was not a normal child, all it took was one look at her to know this fact, one look into her steely and intelligent gaze to know that she was far more than meets the eye.
Even his predecessor had to acknowledge that despite her immature age, Lilyanna was one of the smartest students, if not the smartest, he ever had.
She would be unstoppable, if only she were born a man. Well, a real man... Mellos once told him, a rare moment of emotional honesty from the older man.
Orwyle thought back to the letter he had received earlier in the day from the princess'' grandfather, within the note Otto had asked the maester to keep a closer eye on his family than Mellos had, to given him notes on his daughter''s actions and his grandchildren''s progress.
It was clear to him that Otto did not want another situation where he was unaware of what was going on with his family. While the former Hand and the Queen were on the same side, they were obviously not aligned on the same things.
"Is there something more important than our lesson, princess?" Orwyle asked, watching passively as Lilyanna jumped at the sound of his voice.
"No, there''s not, Grand Maester." Lilyanna responded, but they both knew she was lying.
Before Orwyle could question the princess again the door opened and the Queen entered the room, her attention focused on her daughter.
The change within the princess was evident; no longer did Lilyanna sit bored and unimpressed in her seat, now she was sitting up straight, and a large smile appeared on her face as Alicent made her way into the room.
"Mother." Lilyanna said.
"I have to see how your lesson has been progressing." Alicent said aloud, her gaze moving from her daughter to the maester.
Before Lilyanna could answer, Orwyle cut her off, "My teachings have fallen on deaf ears as the princess'' attention has been occupied with her own writings."
Lilyanna gave the man a fierce glare before softening her features as her mother turned to face her.
"Lilyanna, you are supposed to be taking these lessons seriously. Grand Maester Orwyle is taking time out of his day to teach you." Alicent admonished.
She had hoped that Lilyanna would learn to let go of her prejudice against maesters, but it only grew worse especially in the months after Elaera.
"Sorry, mother." Lilyanna muttered as she shrunk in on herself.
Alicent gaze continued to pierce her daughter''s form, knowing the apology was entirely empty and that Lilyanna would disregard her words soon enough. "Lilyanna-"
"Your Grace if I may; perhaps we can see Princess Lilyanna''s writing so we can have an idea on what is causing her to be so distracted." Orwyle suggested.
"I don''t think that is necessary. I will start taking my lessons more seriously; I promise." Lilyanna quickly spoke, slowly moving her notebook closer to her body.
Alicent stared pointedly at Lilyanna, holding her hand out towards her. Lilyanna sighed as she begrudgingly gave her writing over to her mother and the Grand Maester.
Alicent placed the book down on the table in front of her, Orwyle moved next to the Queen and the pair began skimming through the pages.
There were some topics that made no sense to them; things like ''audits,'' or ''double-entry booking,'' but there were ideas that seemed crazy but were ingenious more they thought about them.
"You have written out plans for a royal bank?" Alicent asked as she reread the pages.
Lilyanna nodded her head, "Because there are so few banks, they have the potential to make significant profits. Running a bank carries certain financial risks. As the royal family, we do, however, minimize such risks. That difficulty is limited by the King''s power to raise banners, dispatching a dragon, and administering the King''s Justice. The Iron Bank needs to invest a lot of money to make sure that people pay up, but for us, that wouldn''t be necessary."
"Won''t a royal bank create animosity between the crown and existing banking institutions? With the nations that own these institutions?" Orwyle asked, but he could already see that the benefits that the princess had written and said would outweigh the possible blow back.
"The relations between Westeros and Essos are already poor after my uncle and Lord Corlys'' war in the Stepstones. While it may anger the Iron Bank to lose business in Westeros, it won''t be enough for Braavos to go to war, and trying to add tariffs or sever trade would harm them just as much as it would us." Lilyanna shrugged.
Besides, if things haven''t changed too much then the Iron Bank would be too busy dealing with a threat closer to home; the Rogare Bank of Lys. Lilyanna thought.
"Why have you never brought up any of the ideas you have?" The maester asked, genuinely curious.
"My opinions have never been important before, I''m just a girl who doesn''t know better." Lilyanna answered.
It was clear that she was referring to Mellos and Viserys as she spoke, Alicent had to fight her body from curling in on itself.
Orwyle began to think, "We could ask Lord Beesbury to go over your idea, see if it is truly feasible and bring it to the council."
Neither Lilyanna nor Alicent spoke, watching passively as the maester quickly bowed to the pair and left the room. Both knew he was going to be writing to Otto long before he mentioned this topic to Lyman.
"So, is my lesson for today is over?" Lilyanna asked aloud.
"Lilyanna." Alicent breathed, not in the mood for her daughter''s usual brand of sarcasm ans snark.
"It''s a reasonable question!" Lilyanna exclaimed.
Alicent stared at Lilyanna for a moment before pulling her into a hug. "I am sorry."
Lilyanna knew that her mother was not apologizing for her annoyance but because Lilyanna felt the need to hide things because she would not be believed or taken seriously. It was how young girls and women were treated in this, how they were broken down.
It was the reason Lilyanna had been holding onto her ideas from her pervious life, wanting to wait until Rhaenyra took the throne, when the climate in government would be more favorable towards her.
Lilyanna still held her doubts that Viserys and the men of the small council would be willing to implement anything she thought of, even with Alicent, Orwyle, and most likely Rhaenyra, advocating for her.
But with Orwyle contacting Otto and discussing this with the small council at least I''ll know for sure... Lilyanna thought.
Lilyanna returned the hug just as fiercely, "I''m sorry too, mother."
Do Better
Two Days Later
Lilyanna wondered if she would just be wasting her time as she walked through the Red Keep on her way to the small council chamber. Ser Erryk Cargyll had been sent to retrieve Lilyanna, removing the princess from her shared lesson with Helaena and their Septa.
She knew the second the Kingsguard had said that her father had requested that she join the small council meeting that was currently going on that Orwyle had done it, he had gone to Lord Beesbury and brought forth the idea of a royal bank to the councilors.
Well at least I''ll know if the people of this kingdom are willing to do something different. Lilyanna thought.
"Thank you for bringing me, Ser Erryk." Lilyanna told the knight once the doors of the small council chamber came into their eyesight.
"I am Arryk, Your Grace." The Kingsguard told the princess.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "No, you''re not, Erryk. I don''t know why you and your brother keep trying to trick me, I can still tell you both apart."
Years ago, Lilyanna had surprised the twin brothers by being able to tell them apart whereas everyone else constantly mistook one for the other. Since then, Erryk and Arryk had decided to start a playful game of trying to get the princess to slip up and confuse them.
Erryk smiled, "Are you going to tell Arryk and I how you know which is which?"
"And have you two change it just to fool me? Never." Lilyanna replied.
"Ah, so there is something that we have that is different?" Erryk asked, his smile growing as Lilyanna once again rolled her eyes.
"You are both very annoying. Just giving twins everywhere, including my sister and I, a bad name."
Before Erryk could respond, a loud cough ended their conversation. The two looked towards the chamber doors and saw Criston standing there, looking at the pair with a slight frown.
Criston only accepted Erryk being sent to retrieve Lilyanna because he could not leave Alicent alone in the chamber. But he did not like his fellow Kingsguard, especially as he saw how well Erryk got along with men like Harwin Strong, seeing it as an obvious leaning towards Rhaenyra''s faction.
"The council is waiting, what took you so long, Erryk?" Criston asked coolly.
"I will give my apologies to the King if he asks for them, Criston." Erryk responded, sensing the coldness in Criston''s tone.
The dislike between the two men was evident. Erryk often felt like Criston thought he was better than him and their fellow brothers simply because he was the Queen''s sworn protector.
Lilyanna quietly sighed, interrupting the two''s standoff. "Am I allowed to enter, Ser Criston?"
"Of course, princess." Criston said as he turned to open the doors, announcing Lilyanna''s presence. "Princess Lilyanna, daughter of King Viserys."
Lilyanna glided through the entranceway, Erryk following a step behind.
"I have brought Princess Lilyanna as you have requested, Your Grace." Erryk said, bowing to the King.
"Thank you for your service, Ser. You are excused." Viserys said with a wave of his hand.
Erryk stood back up, his shoulders squared, "Of course, Your Grace."
As Erryk turned to leave the chamber, he looked at Criston from the corner of his eye for a few seconds before continuing down the hall. Criston scoffed under his breath as he closed the door behind Erryk, leaving Lilyanna alone with the small council.
"Father, mother, sister, my lords." Lilyanna said as she curtseyed to the councilors.
"Step forward, daughter." Viserys said, waving the girl over to stand at the open end of the long table.
Lilyanna stepped forward only stopping a hair away from the table. She then looked at her mother, Alicent smiled at her reassuringly, which made Lilyanna think that this would not end in complete failure.
"I asked you to be brought here because your mother and Grand Maester Orwyle said that you had an idea. A revolutionary one for a royal bank." Viserys stated, his face was passive, but Lilyanna could see a curiosity in his gaze.
He then looked towards Lord Beesbury, "You said that Orwyle had come to you with my daughter''s idea before bringing to this council, Lord Beesbury. Tell me, is this a feasible idea?"
The Master of Coin eagerly sat forward, the excitement on his face making him look younger. "The creation of a royal bank will create some animosity to the crown by the existing banking institutions, specifically the Iron Bank, Your Grace. But the ideas that Princess Lilyanna wants to implement more than make up for this possibility."
When Lyman first heard about the princess''s idea for a royal bank from Orwyle, he was skeptical, doubting that such an idea would be possible in the political climate of Westeros. But as the other man kept giving him more details, the more Lyman began to see the genius of it all.
A scoff could be heard from down the table, on the same side as Lyman. Jasper Wylde, the Lord of the Rain House in the Stormlands, and Master of Laws. A man who known as Ironrod due to his unbending attitudes towards matters of law, gave Lyman a condescending look.
Lilyanna immediately remembered Mushroom telling her the tale that Jasper''s nickname actually derived from the state of his ''member'' as he has sired twenty-nine children on four different wives, each one dying of exhaustion before being replaced by the next.
"You are asking us to increase taxes of the Lords of the realm on a whim. How can we put such a burden on the realm for such an inane cause?" Jasper said, staring directly at Lyman.
Before the Master of Coin could respond, Lilyanna spoke. "I do not believe that you understood fully what I was suggesting for the royal bank, Lord Wylde."
"And what would that be?" Jasper immediately asked, turning his gaze towards the girl.
"Lord Wylde, you forget yourself. That is a princess of the blood you are speaking to." Rhaenyra said calmly, but this clashed with the angry expression on her face.
"Rhaenyra, I am sure that Jasper meant no disrespect. He is just trying to get a better understanding of Lilyanna''s idea." Viserys said, trying to diffuse the tension in the room.
"I have taken no offense, sister." Lilyanna added, she knew that Jasper had indeed intended to slight her, but Lilyanna also knew that getting angry at everyone who look at her funny or said something with clear undertones would be an endless quest that would get her nowhere.
Rhaenyra stared at Lilyanna for a few moments, looking for any sign that her sister was lying, she said nothing as she nodded her head. But she would soon not forget the slight that Jasper had sent at Lilyanna, nor the others that would try to get in her way.
"Lilyanna," Alicent began, looking at Jasper with slight distaste, "You may continue, my dear."
"As I was saying, while there would be a minor increase in taxes from the lords, it would be a return in investment rather quickly. This would start by creating a small credit book to use and borrow and keep gold flowing, making us capable of not only issuing gold to other Westeroi but to foreigners as well." Lilyanna explained.
"And when you say ''Westerosi,'' am I right to assume you don''t just mean the heads of each house, my princess?" Tyland Lannister, Master of Ships spoke up.
The Lannister had already thought of the possibilities that a royal bank could bring, but he also thought of how a royal bank would end any blind trust between the lords and the crown. This proposal would make the spending and taxes of the nobility visible to the crown because they would have more oversight of the flow coin than they already had. Tyland could already imagine how his twin brother and liege lord, Jason, would react to the increase in taxes and being made to make his dealings more obvious.
I must nip this in the bud before that. He thought.
"You are correct, Ser Tyland. I am also referring to the smallfolk." Lilyanna answered.
It was possible to hear a pin drop with how quite the chamber became after Lilyanna answered Tyland''s question.
Right, I''m in a room full of nobles, people whose power and wealth comes from keeping the poor and disenfranchised down. And here I am trying to give these peasants more opportunities. Lilyanna thought to herself as she looked at the faces of the adults before her.
Tyland let out a laugh, "You want to increase the taxes of the lords to create, what, my princess? Give it to the smallfolk? What would they, the uneducated and immoral do with such an undeserving act?"
"The temporary tax increase would be used to build the bank and create different accounts for each house, but the common people of Westeros are more capable than you are giving them, my Lord. As of right now, most of them are only able to pay their taxes through labor, but by allowing them to create their own accounts, businesses could be created through the loans they take out, helping the economy to increase. It would only be a matter of time before the smallfolk will gather their own wealth and use it to in turn increase the wealth of their liege lords and the Seven Kingdoms as a whole."
"How much of an increase would this tax be and for how long?" Lyonel Strong, Hand of the King, asked.
"It would be a three and a half percent increase for one year, my Lord Hand." Lilyanna responded.
"Is this possible, Lyman?" The Hand asked as he turned to face the man.
"Indeed, it is. The Seven Kingdoms can more than handle this tax increase, especially since it is only temporary. And I think the benefits will persuade even the more frugal lords." Lyman added.
"That is not necessarily true, I mean are all lords required to use the bank? A royal bank would lead to more oversight that many would fight against if that is the case." Tyland argued.
Rhaenyra turned to Tyland, "And why would that be such a terrible thing? It would make more financial sense to use a bank in Westeros than in Essos or somewhere. Regardless of that, is it not the responsibility of the crown and this council to know the comings and goings of the realm?"
"I only mean that the lords may not be comfortable with the crown knowing all they do with the coin they work hard to earn, princess." Tyland restated.
Rhaenyra almost rolled her eyes when she heard Tyland say that the lords worked hard to earn their riches. It was not hard as the systems of nobility and commerce that ruled Westeros had been in place for thousands of years, so most lords could just sit back and do nothing for their entire reigns and still have gold in their coffers. And that is not even mentioning the generational wealth that most houses had, built from the work of previous lords that ruled their lands.
"Lilyanna," Alicent spoke, drawing her daughter''s eye. "How would this oversight be accomplished?"
Lilyanna cleared her throat, "Well, to start the royal bank will need to work in conjunction with the royal treasury, so record keeping would have to be done differently. We would have to mark coins from all taxation going forward within a ledger when received, making it harder to defraud the treasury. Secondly, depending on where we place the location of the bank, a witness would have to be there for all physical transactions to validate them."
"As if that would be feasible without burdening the entire realm." Tyland muttered under his breath.
Lilyanna continued, acting as if she did not hear the man. "Lastly the lords of the realm would have to keep track of their taxes with similar record keeping, which will be examined by men of the council''s choosing."
Tyland laughed outright, tears almost falling from his eyes. The princess truly is a na?ve little girl if she thinks anyone will go along with this!
"Well, I don''t think my proposal is that funny." Lilyanna muttered, finding the Master of Ships reaction to be overblown.
Viserys sighed, looking towards the rest of the council, "Lord Tyland has more than clearly given his opinion on the matter. What say the rest of you?"
"I have already said my peace, Your Grace. Princess Lilyanna''s royal bank is an ingenious idea that we would be fools not to jump on." Lord Beesbury said aloud.
Jasper spoke next, "I was worried at first about the cost of such an endeavor, but an increase of three and a half for one year is reasonable. I know from my years handling the Rain House''s finances that the other lords will be able to handle this temporary increase. And there is the added benefit of this being able to make it harder for criminals to get away with shortchanging the crown, there will be more of them brought to justice."
"Princess Lilyanna''s idea has clearly shown merit, Your Grace. I believe you will find no disagreement from the Citadel nor the Faith." Orwyle claimed, appearing more adamant than usual.
"A royal bank like the one our daughter has suggested would be a great boon for both the crown and the realm." Alicent declared, staring at her husband.
"I agree with the Queen." Rhaenyra said and she once again had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the shocked expression of most of the men at the table. "This would benefit our house greatly, father."
Viserys grinned, happy to see his wife and daughter agreeing on something. He then turned to the only person who had yet to give their opinion, "Lyonel?"
Lyonel cleared his throat, "While I do see the benefits of implementing a bank for Westeros, I still cannot help but think of the negatives, Your Grace."
"The negatives?" Viserys asked.
"I don''t believe that the lords of the realm will be much of an issue like Tyland claims, the same cannot be said for Essos." Lyonel explained, "The Iron Bank of Braavos may not see it as just the princess trying to enrich the smallfolk."
Viserys pondered what his hand was telling him; the creation of a royal bank may lead to tensions with the East, that it may lead to war. Since his reign began, Viserys had been adamant on maintaining the peace and prosperity of the realm that his grandfather, Jaehaerys, had started.
After the tremulous and bloody reigns of Aenys and Maegor before him, Jaehaerys was praised for his accomplishments and temperament during his fifty years on the throne, now being known as one of the greatest Kings throughout the history of Westeros.
With that large of a legacy being held over him, the last thing the Targaryen wanted to be known for was being the King to destroy the culture his grandfather worked so hard to build.
"Father, if I may?" Lilyanna asked.
Viserys nodded his head at his daughter, his thoughts still consumed with the idea of a possible war.
"The leaders of the Iron Bank may be a bit ruffled by a Westerosi bank, but I don''t believe that it will lead to war or conflict." Lilyanna said.
"Why?" The King asked.
"Because Westeros is insignificant to the Free Cities."
Everyone in the room looked at the young princess with one of either three emotions; confusion, curiosity, and annoyance. But they all wondered the same thing; Why would Westeros be seen as insignificant to the Iron Bank and by extension, Essos?
"A royal bank would be to the benefit of Westeros, but the Iron Bank is too large and prolific for us to immediately overtake them. There would be little chance of us overstepping their market. At best, a royal bank could do business with other banks, including the Iron Bank, but it would not gain as many foreign customers as those other banks because of how singular our continent is." Lilyanna explained.
"Untimely the decision is yours, Your Grace." Lyonel stated.
The small council and Lilyanna looked towards their King, waiting to see what he would decide. It was clear to them all that the man was conflicted, not bothering to hide his uncomfortable expression.
Well, I tried. I already know what he''s going to say. Lilyanna thought, looking down at the floor.
"We shall implement my daughter''s idea for a royal bank." Viserys declared.
Lilyanna stared back at her father with shock. Wait what? Viserys has always been afraid of conflict, so I thought Lyonel had him when he mentioned the Iron Bank. What the hell?
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Yo-ur Grace, you cannot be serious?" Tyland stuttered, too shocked by the King''s decision. "What about the lords of the realm, the Iron Bank?"
Viserys turned to the Lannister, "As my eldest daughter has said; it is the responsibility of the crown to know all that goes on within the realm. If the lords are not doing anything treasonous then they have nothing to fear, would they?"
"N-n-no, Your Grace. But-"
"And the Iron Bank cannot wage war by themselves, they would need the rest of Braavos and the other Free Cities to aid their cause if they are truly afraid of a Westeros bank. Highly unlikely after that whole mess my brother and Corlys started in the Stepstones."
Tyland had nothing to say in response, his jaw clenched as he looked away from the King.
Viserys then turned to addressing the council as a whole. "We will plan out the royal bank over the coming meetings, but for now you are all excused."
Tyland was the first to leave, pushing the doors open with a strong shove, shocking Criston who was standing outside. The rest of the council left at a slower pace, each of them looking Lilyanna as they walked past her.
The royal family were now the only ones left in the chamber.
Lilyanna blew a raspberry, "Are all councils meetings that backhanded?"
"Always, sister. It makes for good entertainment." Rhaenyra smirked.
"Rhaenyra." Alicent chided, sending an annoyed and tired look at the other woman.
"What? It is the truth, is it not? Lilyanna should know what we get up almost every day." Rhaenyra asked.
Lilyanna snickered at the glare Alicent sent towards Rhaenyra.
"Rhaenyra, Alicent," Viserys spoke drawing their attention to him.
Despite saying their names, Viserys was not staring at Rhaenyra or Alicent but at Lilyanna.
"I need to speak to Lilyanna, alone."
Rhaenyra looked between her father and sister and was about to speak when Alicent interrupted.
"Of course, husband."
Rhaenyra huffed and slowly stood up as she followed the Queen out of the chamber.
For the first time in a long time, Viserys and Lilyanna Targaryen were alone in a room together.
"Um, father?" Lilyanna asked, standing awkwardly.
"Sit, Lilyanna." Viserys ordered, waving his hand towards Rhaenyra''s chair next to him on his right side.
Lilyanna did as she was told, gracefully sliding into the seat. Neither of them spoke, Viserys avoided his daughter''s eye as she blatantly stared at him, waiting for him to say what he wanted.
The King cleared his throat, "I have talked with your siblings, but we have not spoken much to each other."
Lilyanna continued to remain silent, and the King found himself once again unnerved by her penetrating gaze. The two had never been close to each other, so the princess did not know why her father was suddenly mentioning this.
Over the past few weeks, since deciding that Daeron would not be sent to Oldtown, Viserys had been trying to figure out how to connect with his children and see how they were doing in the wake of their tragedy.
So, a few days ago, he had finally cornered four of his children when Rhaenyra had gone on a ride with Syrax and Lilyanna was attending her lesson with Orwyle. It had been easier with Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron, each had been surprised by their father seeking them out but took to it happily.
Aegon stared at him for a couple grueling minutes when Viserys tried to ask him about his day. And when Viserys tried to break the silence by asking his feelings about Elaera, Aegon glared at him.
"So that''s why you are spending time with us, you feel guilty?"
The smiles soon died, as the others started to realize what caused their father to act so differently than usual. Viserys could only stutter in his response, not able to truthfully deny the accusation that his eldest son had laid at his feet.
Aegon, noticing this, immediately excused himself and left, ignoring the calls of his siblings as he put as much physical distance between himself and their father.
Viserys soon excused himself as well, feeling embarrassed by the way his remaining children were looking at him.
He tried to put the incident behind him but when Orwyle and Lyman had brought forth a proposal for a royal bank that Lilyanna had produced and seeing her standing before him, Viserys had decided to try his luck with Lilyanna.
Will she treat me the same way Aegon did? He thought?
Viserys then cleared his throat, "I wanted to see how you have been doing since Elaera-"
"I do not wish to speak of this, father." Lilyanna declared, her tone ice cold as she cut into him with her eyes.
Viserys sighed, "Lilyanna, I know this is difficult, it has been for me too, but-"
Lilyanna let out a cruel laugh, "Difficult for you? That is rich, Your Grace, because you did not seem to care much when mother was laboring or during Elaera''s funeral."
Viserys'' own eyes hardened, "I am still your father, you will not speak to me like that, child."
"Then act like it!" Lilyanna shouted, causing her father to jump, not expecting this from his usually composed and intelligent daughter. "You think I did not hear about this from my siblings? You have never cared about any of us before, the only reason you asked after us was to clear your conscious of your guilt, to make yourself feel better about your choices. And even then, it has been moons since Elaera died."
"Lilyanna-" Viserys tried to speak.
"No!" Lilyanna cried and jumped to her feet, the emotions she had been holding back finally escaping her as she glared at Viserys, "I could have saved her, but you didn''t let me! I have been keeping you healthy for years and yet you chose to listen to that idiot Mellos!"
Lilyanna fell back in her seat, bringing her arms to rest on the table and burying her face in her hands. She felt both anger at the man next to her and at herself.
Why did I tell him all that? Why can''t I do anything right?!
Lilyanna felt a hand gently grab her shoulder, reluctantly she looked up into Viserys'' eyes, and she hated seeing the sadness in them, mostly because she believed that the man had no right to be heartbroken over what happened.
"I should have listened to you, Lilyanna, I know that now. But you have to understand, before you were born, before I even married your mother, when I was married to my first wife, Rhaenyra''s mother, Aemma, we lost so many children before their time. I remember the day that Rhaenyra was born, when it was clear that she would live and the maesters handed her to us, she was so small, so beautiful, but just as loud and fiery as she is now." Viserys started to laugh at his joke, but this ended just as quickly it started, his face becoming somber once more.
"Even though I loved your sister, I was young and prideful, having a single daughter was not enough for me. So, I kept having children with Aemma, always holding hope that they would live just as Rhaenyra had. I thought that my prayers, my dreams had finally been fulfilled when Baelon was born... I suppose you, Helaena, Aegon, Daeron, and Aemond made me forget how terrible childbirth is..."
Lilyanna continued to stare at Viserys, seeing the tears that were close to falling, hearing the way his voice cracked as he spoke.
She does not think that she will ever truly forgive him for what he had done; taking Alicent as his child bride, making Rhaenyra his heir originally out of guilt, not because he believed in her, making her siblings feel unwanted because they were not of Aemma Aryyn, sending her away when Alicent was giving birth to Elaera.
But it''s hard for her not to see the sad, broken, and dying man that was sitting before her. It honestly made Lilyanna wish that Viserys was more like Ethan, then it would be far easier for her to not pity him, even slightly.
"So, is this it?" She asked.
Viserys stared at her, confused by her question.
"Will we have this little heartfelt moment and then go back to ignoring each other?" She clarified.
"I- do- I don''t know how to proceed from here." The King admitted.
Lilyanna sighed. I suppose that makes sense, neither of us was expecting to have this conversation.
"Perhaps you can come to small council meetings from now on?" Viserys offered, not wanting to have this moment be forgotten like Lilyanna claimed it would.
"In what capacity?" Lilyanna asked.
"As a cupbearer."
Lilyanna raised her eyebrow, the idea of attending small council meetings as a cupbearer did not excite her; she had just been given a taste of what these meetings were like and did not want any more to do with it.
Not to mention that this whole situation had already proved that the council and her father would listen to her ideas if there was a large enough benefit to be gained, so becoming a cupbearer would thankfully be unnecessary.
But attending the small council meetings was a sign of higher power, and a sign of the King thinking of you as important. So even if she did not see much value in it, Lilyanna knew just who this chance would benefit the most.
"Can Aegon and Jacaerys go to the meetings as your cupbearers instead?" Lilyanna asked.
"Aegon and Jacaerys? But why?" Viserys asked, wondering why Lilyanna would want the opportunity she was giving her to go to her brother and nephew.
"Rhaenyra was once your cupbearer before she became an advisor to the council, it was a learning experience. Jacaerys is your heir''s heir, he will be ruling the kingdom after you and Rhaenyra, so it will be better for him to start learning how early." Lilyanna answered.
"And Aegon?"
Lilyanna hesitated; she knew how Viserys reacted whenever anyone so much as alluded to how Aegon should be his heir instead of Rhaenyra. So, she needed to find the right way to explain herself without making Viserys ignore her outright.
"Aegon is your firstborn son," Lilyanna said, pushing past the anger that had begun to make its way on to Viserys'' face. "He is not your heir, but he will one day get married, possibly to a woman with a title or he may be given holdings of his own. He will need to learn how to manage them well, and even if not for those causes, but to simply be of more use to our house than just as another dragonrider."
"And you think Aegon would want this? Being a cupbearer is a large responsibility, it''s not something that can be taken lightly." Viserys asked.
While he may not have spent much time around his eldest son, he was aware from septas and other teachers that Aegon would often make japes of serious situations and not paying attention during his lessons.
Why are you not asking the same of Jace? Lilyanna thought to herself annoyed that Viserys was questioning Aegon being a cupbearer more than her nephew.
"Father, Aegon just wants approval, he wants to not be looked down on, and to be given the chance to prove himself. We all do..." Lilyanna said as she looked to the side.
"I will speak to your mother and sister about this; it will ultimately be their choice."
"And would you try to spend more time with them? With my brothers and sister?" Lilyanna hesitated before she said this, not sure if the man would see this as her asking too much of him.
"But not you?" Viserys asked.
Lilyanna did not reply as she turned her head towards him, her silence being a loud enough answer.
Viserys looked down at the table, clearing his throat awkwardly, "I will take all you have said into account."
Lilyanna stood and curtseyed to her father, leaving as quickly as she could without looking like she was running away.
That was so fucking awkward! I hope I never have to go through something like this again!
Two Days Later
Jacaerys followed his mother nervously as they along with her sworn protector and Commander of the Gold Cloaks, Harwin Strong, made their way to the small council chamber.
As they broke their fast that morning, Rhaenyra smiled as she had told him that he would be taking up her old position as cupbearer to the small council alongside Aegon.
At first, he was excited, remembering the times when Viserys would hold court while carrying him on his lap, but as he thought about being in the room with the most important men in the realm, he became scared. He feared making a fool out of himself and disappointing his mother, but instead of saying this he pretended not to be nervous in front of his parents and brother.
"Are you ready, Jace?" Rhaenyra asked as she looked down at her son.
"Ye-yes, mother." Jacaerys hated that he stuttered.
Rhaenyra stopped, causing Jacaerys and Harwin to pause as well, she then placed her hand on his shoulder. "It is fine to be nervous, but I know you will do great toady."
"Really?" He whispered.
"Of course. This is an opportunity to listen in on the council and learn, but you will not be expected to give input just yet. Just listening, learning, and refilling cups."
Jacaerys chuckled, enjoying how his mother rolled her eyes when she said, ''refilling cups.''
"Your mother is right, Prince Jacaerys. You will do great in your new role." Harwin added, "There is nothing to fear."
Jacaerys grinned, he had always admired the man known as the strongest knight in the realm, so hearing that a man such as him thought that he was capable, relaxed the young prince.
As they reached the small council chamber, Criston was standing outside the doors, his expression hardening as he saw them approach. Rhaenyra barely looked at the man as they reached the door, not looking back at him as the Kingsguard opened the door.
"You are supposed to announce the princess and the prince''s presence, Ser." Harwin stated, glaring at the man.
Criston returned the look, "The council is already waiting for Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Jacaerys. They know who would be entering."
Before Harwin could respond, Rhaenyra raised her hand, stopping him.
"It''s fine, Ser Harwin. The council is waiting for us, we should not keep them waiting by making Ser Criston remember his manners. There would not be enough time in the world for it." The princess stated, staring at her former protector as if he were nothing.
Criston''s jaw clenched and he moved out of the way to allow the two royals into the chamber room.
"I will call for you when the meeting is over, Ser Harwin, you are excused for now."
"Of course, Your Grace." Harwin bowed, waiting until his charges were inside and the doors closed.
Like Criston said the rest of the small council were already assembled in the chamber. Jacaerys looked at his mother, waiting until she waved him off before going to the corner of the room and standing next to Aegon. His uncle was leaning next to a table that had cups and pitchers of wine on top of it. Aegon yawned, rubbing one of his eyes before looking at Jacaerys.
"So, I see you''ve been forced here too, huh Jace?" Aegon said, whispering in his ear.
"Ye-yes, mother said that grandfather wanted us to learn about how to run the realm." Jacaerys responded.
"Yes, I''m sure we''re going to learn so much." Aegon drawled sarcastically.
The elder prince did not know how to feel about the situation. That morning, Alicent had pulled him aside and told him that he would be a royal cupbearer at the small council meeting from now on.
He asked his mother what had led Viserys to decide such a thing.
"It was Lilyanna, she convinced your father that it would be a promising idea. You should be grateful, Aegon, your sister has given you the opportunity to remind the realm of your importance." Alicent told him, holding onto his shoulders to get her point across.
Viserys did not know he had more than one child most days and yet he listened to the suggestion of his youngest daughter, the same daughter who he only listened to when he lost his arm, when it was proven that she could do something for him.
And this was only further shown to Aegon as he heard of the concept of a royal bank of Westeros that Lilyanna had brought forth to the council.
Aegon wanted his father''s attention, his respect, his love, and from the outside, it looked like he was finally getting it, but he was unsure if it was because Viserys genuinely cared or because Lilyanna had done something outstanding and Viserys sought to reward her for it.
Lily could have asked for anything and yet she gave me this. Aegon thought, his feelings growing more complicated.
Viserys smiled as he started the meeting, "Before we begin, I am sure that you have all noticed my son and grandson here today. From now on Prince Aegon and Prince Jacaerys will be taking on my daughter''s former position as this council''s royal cupbearers."
Each member clapped politely, giving their congratulations to the King, Queen, and princess. The King eventually sat down, looking towards the two boys expectantly.
Aegon noticed and immediately gave Jacaerys a tray of chalices, nodding his head at the table. Jacaerys moved as quickly as he could without dropping the cups, placing them in front of each councilor. Aegon waited for Jacaerys to finish before going and filling each cup except for his mother''s, the Queen placing her hand on top of it.
Viserys turned to Lyman, "Lyman, my wife has told me that you sought out Lilyanna in the last two days."
The Master of Coin had a pile of documents and scrolls with him, he then unraveled the largest scroll in front of him, showing it to the table. "Princess Lilyanna and I have been meeting in my chambers after her lesson with Orwyle, Your Grace. We have been discussing plans for the bank''s construction. The princess even drew out a design."
On the scroll was three hand drawn and colored images of the royal bank, showing the interior, exterior, and the vaults that would store the coin and other valuables.
The outside was an imposing snow-white multistoried marble building with a set of white stairs leading up to a set of burnished bronze doors. Inside the bank was a small entrance hall and another set of doors, and through these doors, was a vast marble hall with long counters stretching along its length and doors leading off to the vault passageways. The vaults were drawn to extend underground and were accessible through complex and interconnected passageways.
"You cannot say that Princess Lilyanna is not ambitious." Tyland drawled; he could admit that the drawings were beautiful, but he was still not happy that the bank was going forward.
"The princess also suggested that the bank be built in the Great Square." Lyman added, ignoring the Lannister''s comment.
"In the center of the city? It would make more sense for the bank to be built closer to the Red Keep, especially since gold will be kept there." Lyonel argued, the closer the bank was to the Keep, the easier it would be to protect.
"I thought so as well and even said as much but the princess was adamant that regardless of where it is built in the city, the bank should be in a place the smallfolk will be able to go to and feel comfortable doing so. Having it near the castle would hinder this in her mind."
"I am still not convinced that this would not cause a security issue. Has Princess Lilyanna suggested any other areas?" Jasper asked.
Lyman nodded his head, "The princess also suggested the Street of Steel, River Row, and The Muddy Way."
"The bank will be built in the Great Square." Viserys said before anyone else could make further arguments. "We have already agreed to have the smallfolk use the bank, so it should be in an accessible place."
"And what security, Your Grace." Tyland asked.
Viserys stared at Tyland blankly, "Do we not have guards sworn to protect the city? Lyonel''s son is the Commander of the City, I''m he can spare a few men to guard the bank. And if not, we have plenty of guards and knights here in the castle that could do the job."
"I will speak to Harwin and make arrangements, Your Grace." Lyonel stated.
Viserys nodded his head in thanks, he then addressed Lyman. "What else have you and my daughter come up with?"
"Why do you always make flowers when we sew?" Helaena asked her sister.
The twins were once again in their daily lessons with Septa Marlow, sitting next to each other as they practiced their sewing. Lilyanna had once tried to convince their mother that she did not need to attend these feminine lessons because of her body. The look Alicent gave her in response kept the young girl from asking again; it was the only time Alicent had ever scared her.
In all honesty it was not because she hated the lessons, she saw the importance of knowing how to act in the rigid society they lived in, but with her regular schooling with her siblings and nephews, the lessons with the Grand Maester, sword training with Criston, and her partnership with Mysaria, Lilyanna had wanted to lighten the load and sought to do so by getting out of what she viewed as the least important part of her schedule.
"They''re the easiest designs to make, way easier than the insects you always make." Lilyanna answered.
"While I would prefer that Princess Helaena not make bugs, at least doing so is teaching her to make more complex designs for her needlework. You should try and do the same, Princess Lilyanna." The two girls looked up at their septa who spoke over them.
Septa Marlow was not a physically imposing woman; being only about two inches taller than the girls, the hood she wore did not hide the snow-white hair on the front of her head, she was elderly, her wrinkled face, hands, and neck doing nothing but add to her age, and she walked with a cane, necessary after a bad fall shortly before the girls were born.
The only things that gave her any sense of authority were her piercing blue eyes, the perpetual scowl on her lips, and her powerful voice, strong and commanding after years of being a governess to a multitude of noble girls.
"Septa Marlow, my needlework is not that bad." Lilyanna argued.
"It''s not good either. With all those lessons with the Grand Maester, one would figure that you would be better with your hands." Septa Marlow scoffed.
Helaena put her hand over mouth to dampen the laughter that escaped her at the septa''s comment and her sister''s expression in response to said comment. The elder twin was sure that was that the woman''s age and decades of work had left her not caring for how she came across to her charges.
Rhaenyra must have been a menace when she was younger, and Septa Marlow was her governess instead of ours. Helaena thought, knowing that the septa was trying to make sure they did not end up like their older sister.
"I really am catching shots from everyone."Lilyanna muttered under her breath.
"Do you think the council has finished going over your bank?" Helaena asked her sister.
"It''s not my bank, it the royal family''s bank. Especially since father is the one letting it be made." Lilyanna clarified.
"But you came up with the idea, and you made the designs. How did you come up with the design anyway, you did not tell me?"
"It came from Harry Potter."
Helaena looked at her sister confused, "Who is Harry Potter?"
Lilyanna looked at Septa Marlow from the corner of her eye before responding, "It''s the name of this children''s book from Essos I read a while ago. In the book there''s this description of a bank that the hero goes to, so I based my design from it."
Helaena noticed the look Lilyanna gave their septa and made a note to ask her sister more about this Harry Potter when they were alone.
The trio fell into silence, the only sounds came from the elderly woman as she corrected any mistakes the princesses had made. But soon a knock was heard, and the door opened, revealing one of the Cargyll brothers who swiftly entered the room.
"The King has requested the presence of Princess Lilyanna in the small council chamber." The Kingsguard declared.
"I guess this is going to become a common occurrence." Helaena said, looking at her sister.
"This is what I wanted to avoid." Lilyanna muttered as she stood.
She had given all her ideas and suggestions to Lord Beesbury, hoping that it would be enough to get her thought process across, but this appeared to not be the case.
Septa Marlow did not look keen on one of her students being taken out of her lesson early but did not say another word, knowing that she could do nothing against the words of the King.
"Good day sister, Septa Marlow." Lilyanna said, giving a small bow to the two before walking out of the room.
"Did my father say why I was summoned, Ser Arryk?" Lilyanna asked once the man caught up to her and their proceeded towards the small council room.
"No, he did not, Your Grace. Also, I am Erryk, not Arryk." Arryk said to the girl cheekily.
Lilyanna threw her head back and let out a loud groan, growing further annoyed when she heard Arryk, chuckling behind her.
I fucking hate everyone in this goddamn castle...
The Making Of The Royal Bank
One Moon Later
Daeron was unable to contain himself as he and his family broke their fast; today would be the first day that his father would see him commanding his dragon, Tessarion.
Not only that but Alicent would be coming as well, finally falling to the constant pleas of her children to go with them to the Dragonpit.
Once it was known that the King would be going to the Dragonpit for the first time in years, Rhaenyra, Laenor, and her sons had chosen to come too. This is what led to the family breaking their fast together for the first time in a year, since Laenor''s parents had last visited.
While Daeron was a bit annoyed that Viserys had started speaking to Jacaerys and Lucerys about their dragons and not him, Aegon, or Helaena, he was glad that his family would be together for an outing.
Everyone except for the youngest of his older sisters.
"But why can''t you come? I was going to show you what Arrax just learned! You have to come, Lily." Lucerys cried out, staring at his aunt with sad eyes and pouty lips.
Lilyanna had to keep herself from cooing at how adorable she found this, "I told you, Luke. I have to go oversee the construction of the bank. Make sure everything is going to plan."
Viserys had allowed Lilyanna almost full reign over the building of House Targaryen''s royal bank, noting that it was her idea so she would know how best it should be done.
So, the King graciously made Lilyanna the head of the project, with Lord Beesbury and Lord Strong acting as her advisors/chaperones, ensuring that she did not implement any extravagant or expensive ideas.
"Why can''t we go with you?" Daeron asked, he too was upset by his sister not coming with them to the Dragonpit.
The young prince wanted his whole family to be there, but knew there was no changing Lilyanna''s mind once she started to put effort into something.
"You can all come if you want, but all you will see is a group of builders at work while I, Lord Beesbury, and Lord Strong discuss different tax codes, trade, vault capacity, and building security." Lilyanna explained.
She already knew what her family''s consensus would be before Laenor even spoke, "I believe that we would all rather go to the Dragonpit, good sister, but your offer is kind."
"What''s a tax code?" Lucerys asked.
Lilyanna was about to explain when Aegon let out a groan, "Please don''t ask her that, nephew. You know that Lily has the most boring of hobbies, we would never get her to shut up about it if we let her."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes while most of the room''s occupants laughed at Aegon''s jape. "I should get you new clothes for your next name''s day, brother. That way I won''t forget what a jester you are."
"You would know about jesters with your best friend being Mushroom. Birds of a feather do flock together." Aegon smirked.
"I like to spend time with people of a certain level of intelligence, why else do you think I spend more time with Mushroom than you?" Lilyanna shot back.
"Hey! I''m smarter than Mushroom!"
"That is not what the maester said after looking over your work the other day." Aemond chimed in, never missing an opportunity to take his brother down a peg.
"Children." Alicent''s voice raised, stopping what would have turned into an argument between Aegon and Aemond. "That is enough."
"Yes, mother." Aegon and Aemond said but sent each other glares when Alicent turned to Lilyanna.
"Lilyanna, you must stay with the guards while you are out. This will be your first time going into the city without any of us with you." Alicent told her daughter.
Helaena let out an amused noise when she heard Alicent say that it would be Lilyanna''s first in the city without them. Lilyanna gave her sister a sharp look from the side, discreetly kicking her in the leg under the table, Helaena winced but still found the situation to be funny.
"Leave the girl, Alicent. Lilyanna is more than old enough to know what not to do. Besides with two of my councilors and a host of knights, there is not much trouble she can get into." Viserys spoke up.
Alicent looked at her husband, but there was still a hint of worry in her gaze. "I suppose you are right."
Lilyanna went back to eating, ignoring the conversations going on around her. She began to think about the bank that she was creating and the effects it could and would have.
I don''t know why this is bothering me so much. I already accepted that I have to make changes in this world if I want to prevent the Dance and that these changes will have consequences. Whatever, this feeling will pass.
Rhaenyra smiled as she watched her brothers and sons run into the Dragonpit, it always warmed her heart to see them all getting along with each other.
As a child, Rhaenyra had always wanted siblings, seeing the bonds that those her age had with their own and wanting that for herself. But while she genuinely wanted siblings, she wanted brothers specifically, so that her mother could finally rest and no longer have Viserys constantly forcing pregnancy upon her.
Years later and her mother was dead, yet she had the siblings she had wished for, despite this, it was hard to see them in the traditional sibling sense, what with the almost sixteen-year age difference between herself and the oldest of her half siblings. She had been there for all their lives, and it was hard not to see them the same way she did Jacaerys and Lucerys.
Rhaenyra watched as the dragonkeepers went to bring out the dragons, the boys all standing in the center of the pit waiting for them to return.
By the arena''s side, chairs were placed once word reached the keepers about the King, Queen, Crown Princess, and the princess'' consort were going to be there.
Rhaenyra saw Helaena sitting on a small blanket placed on the ground in front of the chairs, the young girl focused on the caterpillar in her hand than anything else around her.
"Are you not going to see Dreamfyre, sister?" Rhaenyra asked the girl.
Helaena continued to observe the caterpillar, "No, our bond remains strong."
Rhaenyra hummed, knowing that was as much of an answer as she was going to get from her sister. She then walked past her and went to go sit down. Viserys and Alicent had already taken their seats, Viserys sat on the far right with Alicent sitting next to him.
Everything was still tense and awkward between her and Alicent, so Rhaenyra was going to sit on the far-left chair. Just as she was about to reach the chair, Laenor sped past her and quickly sat down, staring at her cheekily.
"Are you not going to sit down, lady wife?" Laenor asked with faux innocence, his eyes gleaming with mischievous delight.
I am going to slap you with what I am going to do. Rhaenyra forced a smile, "Of course, lord husband."
Reluctantly the princess took the last remaining chair, in between Laenor and Alicent. As she sat down, Rhaenyra turned and saw that Alicent was staring at her. Alicent slowly turned away, facing the children, and ignoring the weight of Rhaenyra''s gaze, inwardly scolding herself for acting in such a manner.
The first of the dragons to be brought out was Vermax followed by Tessarion and Arrax. Sunfyre had grown larger than the other three dragons, Aegon''s bond with the dragon was stronger than the ones between his nephews and brother with their dragons.
"Come, Prince Jacaerys. Order Vermax to fly." The elder dragonkeeper told the prince as the younger one next to him translated his High Valyrian into Common Tongue.
Jacaerys grinned, facing his dragon, "S¨v¨¥s, Vermax."
The small green dragon chirped, taking off into the air and flying a few feet above their heads. As Vermax flew in circles, Tessarion and Arrax followed suit.
Lucerys laughed as he stepped forward, "P¨¡legon, Arrax! P¨¡legon!"
Arrax followed his commanded and begun to spin his body around in tight circles, turning around the other two dragons multiple times.
"Mother, father, did you see?" Lucerys asked as she turned around to see his parents'' expressions.
"Very excellent, my sweet boy." Rhaenyra said smiling.
"You''re a natural, a true dragonrider." Laenor added.
Viserys grinned proudly as he watched his sons and grandchildren, "Isn''t this grand? The perfect family outing."
"We should do them more often, Your Grace. Perhaps even some with just us adults." Laenor said, but his gaze was locked with Rhaenyra''s, smiling at her annoyed expression.
Spending even more time with my father and Alicent, without any of the children there, sounds simply great. Rhaenyra thought sarcastically, trying to think of something that she wanted to do even less.
But her father''s smile grew even wider at the idea, "That would be a fine idea. Don''t you agree, Alicent?"
"I do, Viserys." Alicent replied, giving her husband a small smile.
"Days like this would be even better with more children around. Tell me, when shall I be expecting more grandchildren?" Viserys asked, looking at his eldest daughter and good son.
Rhaenyra and Laenor looked at the King and then each other, trying to figure out what to say in response. When they were first married, they agreed to have at least two children so that one would be the heir to the Iron Throne after Rhaenyra and the other would be the heir to the Driftwood throne after Laenor.
They had done what they agreed to, having two sons, they still spent some of their nights with Harwin Strong in their bed, but they were not actively planning to have more children. They agreed that if Rhaenyra became pregnant then she would be pregnant.
Viserys took the silence as a no, "I thought you would both want to have more children. Besides, you two still have not given me a granddaughter to spoil."
"It''s not as if we are holding off, we just both agreed to not have too many children, father." Rhaenyra said.
She could not deny that she wanted to have a daughter, a little girl to love and cherish just as Aemma had done with her, but that did not make the idea of talking to her father about such things any less uncomfortable.
"Oh, there is no such thing as having too many children." Viserys playfully scoffed, "Just look at my own grandparents."
Rhaenyra paled at the thought of giving birth to thirteen children as her great grandmother, Alysanne. In this moment, she swore that she would never have that many children.
"I suppose Alicent and I will have to fill up the Keep." Viserys claimed, ignorant of the looks the other three were giving him.
What? Rhaenyra thought.
"You are with child, Your Grace?" Laenor asked Alicent.
Before Alicent could think of responding, Viserys spoke again, "No, she is not. After everything... time was needed, but I know we are ready to try again."
Alicent felt as if a pit was growing in her stomach, ready to swallow her whole. The thought of being pregnant again, of being in her bed surrounded by midwives and a maester that did not care about her only to ensure the child survived for their King.
Since the day Viserys had announced that he would take her as his wife, the memory of Aemma Arryn had haunted her, and it was during Elaera''s birth that Alicent truly understood what Aemma had to have felt every time she went into childbirth.
Rhaenyra clenched her jaw in response, anger filling her being at the thought of her father once again getting Alicent pregnant. What right did Viserys have to declare for them both that they were ready to try again, as if he were a man with no children instead of a father of six.
It reminded her so much of what he did with her mother, constantly getting her pregnant and giving her no time to mourn the children that were lost and died far too soon, before impregnating her over and over again.
I suppose the act of making children keeps him coming back repeatedly. Rhaenyra thought bitterly.
It was then that Rhaenyra had noticed that Alicent had begun to tear at her fingers, ripping the skin as she faced forward. It surprised Rhaenyra as she had not seen the Queen partake in this nervous habit in years.
The princess had felt her own hand move, wanting to reach out and pull Alicent''s hands apart, keeping her from continuing, but she stopped herself, pressing her hand against her lap, and digging her nails into her thighs.
Viserys continued to smile, watching over his family and oblivious to the fear and anger he had inspired in his wife and daughter, respectively.
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Lilyanna smiled once she climbed off her horse and took in the future royal bank of Westeros.
Right now, only the bank''s foundation and frame had been built, and work was currently focused on digging the underground vaults and tunnels that would be used to store money and valuables.
The princess waited for Lyonel and Lyman to also dismount, and the three walked into the construction site.
The three then turned when they heard someone calling out to them, "It is good to see you all again, Your Grace, my lords."
There stood the head of the workers, Croll, a man of average height with sun kissed brown skin and black hair and eyes.
Lilyanna had first met Croll a year ago when he and his wife, Nalia, had gone to Mysaria to seek out her expertise to heal his infant son, Alix, who had gotten a terrible cold.
Lilyanna had gone to the family''s small home in Flea Bottom as the illness had progressed too far and made it was too dangerous to move the child. She had only seen him as a concerned father when she first arrived but noticed how the tiny space was filled with all sorts of contraptions and sketches of imaginative buildings.
Croll had shown her his various ideas after seeing that they had caught her eye, explaining the inspiration of each one and what they were made for. This stuck a cord in her mind but after a few more house visits, Lilyanna had moved on, not thinking about the man again with the craziness of her everyday life.
But once the task of overseeing the bank was given to her, Lilyanna had brought Croll''s name forward, wanting to see how capable the man truly was, giving him a chance to get greater notoriety than he would have gotten on his own.
Lyonel and Lyman were both skeptical when she told them that Croll was from Flea Bottom and had suggested that she find a supervisor of a better station.
But at the end of the day, Lilyanna was the one in charge and the Hand and Master of Coin were there as advisors, so she ignored their suggestions and followed her gut.
"How goes everything, Croll?" Lyonel asked the other man.
"Everything is fine, milord. We are actually ahead of schedule, but most of our work from the beginning has been focused on the vaults and tunnels." Croll responded.
"The digging has not been too taxing? And there have been no loss of materials or men?" Lyman asked, looking around them, trying to see a hint of anything amiss.
"Not a thing, milord. Everything has been running smoothly."
The four moved through the site as Croll explained to the other three what they were seeing and what things still needed to be done.
Lilyanna could see her vision coming to life, although the bank would be given a more Valyrian twist to it than the western European style that Gringotts had in Harry Potter, having a more angular and sharper design.
When the bank proves to be a success, then Viserys will definitely be more open to my more radical ideas. Well, radical for Westeros... Lilyanna thought.
Westeros was a feudal patriarchal society with almost no social mobility between each class, for rulers, great lords, and lesser lords their power and wealth came from having power over those beneath them, so trying to give more opportunities to commoners threatened that.
"Princess," Croll said, gaining the young girl''s attention, "I had the idea of creating a mechanical gate for the front doors."
The man then showed Lilyanna a sketch of what he had in mind; the gate reminded her of a spiked gate that Lilyanna had seen around important building in her first life, but it was shown to be emerging from the ground.
"There would be a lever inside that would allow the gate to pop out of the ground once pulled."
"To lock up the bank. Whether it''s to keep people out or keep them in." Lilyanna said aloud.
Croll grinned, "Exactly, it will be another form of security."
"How much would it cost to build the gate and install it?" Lyman asked, knowing that such an endeavor would cost some coin.
Lilyanna let out a snort, amused by where the man''s head was going. "I don''t think it will be as expensive as the building itself already is, Lord Lyman."
"Aye, but it will still be an expense, Your Grace." Lyman added, "We should try not to use all the Crown''s funds; a good portion of it will be coming to stay here."
Croll cleared his throat, "By my estimate to make the steel gate and the machine to pull it in and out of the ground would cost about... ten gold dragons."
"Ten?!" Lyman exclaimed.
"I''m sure the price can be brought down." Lyonel said, placing a hand on Lyman''s shoulder, not wanting the man to be too distraught.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes as Lyman began to haggle with Croll over the cost of the gate while Croll was adamant that the cost was necessary. Lyonel was trying to end the argument and find a compromise that would make both men happy.
As this was going on, Lilyanna''s eyes began to wonder. As she watched the workers, she noticed that some of the city''s populace had taken to watching the construction as well. Word had spread about the creation of the bank, especially that said bank would be allowing everyone, regardless of status, to take out loans, build credit, and create accounts.
Lilyanna had not gone out into the streets since Viserys approved of her idea as she had been busy trying to bring it to life. The only idea she had of how the people thought about it was from her mother''s lady in waiting and the White Worm''s spy, Talya.
The woman telling her that the consensus in King''s Landing was mostly positive, and that the smallfolk were the most excited about the benefits. She said that most of the nobles were of a similar mindset, but that there was a silent minority that were opposed, wanting to see the bank taken down before it could be finished.
They''re probably being led by Tyland Lannister. Lilyanna thought, having dealt with the man''s backhanded comments and jeering looks for the past moon.
As Lilyanna continued to look around, she caught a flash of white in the corner of her eye. When she turned fully to see what it was, the princess saw Mysaria standing a couple of yards away wearing a white cloak. The woman was staring directly at her and lifted her hand to wave, wordlessly asking her to come over.
Lilyanna looked back at Croll, Lyman, and Lyonel, seeing that they were still arguing over the gate and when she looked behind her, she saw that the Cargyll twins were in a discussion of their own, paying no attention to her.
With this, Lilyanna quickly made her way over to the White Worm.
"Mysaria, don''t you think you''re being a little on the nose with how your dressing?" Lilyanna said in lieu of a greeting.
Mysaria smirked, "You are overestimating what things people pick up on. And even if they did know who I am; they know better than to say or do anything about it."
"I suppose. Did you come all the way here because you miss me? It''s only been a single moon, I did not know you cared about me so much." Lilyanna said teasingly.
"I missed you the same way one does a rash." Mysaria deadpanned.
Lilyanna placed a hand on her chest and let out a dramatic gasp, "That is so hurtful, my lady."
"I am sure that it is, but this not why I have sought you out today."
"Is something wrong?" Lilyanna asked, wondering just what could have caused the woman to seek her out personally in such a public place.
"My informants have alerted me to some... discontent that has been brewing in the North, the Reach, and especially the Westerlands.
"Discontent?"
"Yes, it seems not everyone is excited about the royal bank and having to report fully their income and large spendings to the Crown."
Lilyanna knew that there would be those who did not like the idea of the Crown having more awareness over the comings and goings of gold, but did not think it would be larger enough to reach Mysaria''s ear.
"Should the council be worried about these discontented lords?" Lilyanna asked.
"For the most part, no. There have been some complaints in the North about the South trying to govern how they use their coin, to take more of it from them, but it is just that; complaints. They will still follow through on the mandate." Mysaria explained.
Lilyanna held her chin in her hand, "That makes sense; the North always complains when the small council makes new laws and decrees, viewing them as unfair since they are usually so removed from southern politics. But even if they did want to revolt against the bank, the regent in Winterfell won''t let them, he won''t risk losing his position over this."
At the beginning of the year, the news of Rickon Stark''s passing had reached King''s Landing. His only son and heir, Cregan Stark, is eleven so while he was named Lord of Winterfell, he needed a regent as he was still in his minority.
Because of this his uncle, his father''s younger brother, Bennard Stark, was named his regent and now rules over the North until Cregan comes of age at sixteen.
Lilyanna was confused when she learned this as she was sure that in the books that Cregan was thirteen when his father died and he became Lord of Winterfell, but she assumed that this was just another effect that her existence was having on the world.
None the less, Lilyanna knew that Bennard had always coveted what his older brother had as the heir and then Lord of their house, which is why he was so reluctant in the books to surrender his power even when his nephew did eventually come of age, holding on to his position of regent for an additional two years.
So, she knew that he would not risk being replaced as regent of the North or even forfeiting his life, by trying to rebel against the King''s decree.
"The older Stark is cautious; he will not do anything that draws to much attention to himself." Mysaria agreed, "There is similar discontent coming from the Reach, specifically the Hightowers."
Lilyanna raised an eyebrow, "The Hightowers? I figured they would be happy that one of their own was at the head of such a project."
Despite the Hightower blood that ran through their veins, Lilyanna and her siblings were disconnected from the family, only receiving the yearly name''s day letter from Otto, having no other form of contact with any Hightowers.
But she did know from Mysaria that the Hightowers would often boast about their royal family members, talking about all accomplishments they heard that would leak out from King''s Landing. Most of this boasting would be about Aegon, not hiding their clear desire for him to become King with Hightower blood sitting on the Iron Throne.
Mysaria hummed, "They are divided on the matter. Obviously having someone they consider one of their own having come up with and heading such a project is seen as a boon, but the fact that this idea comes from you is a negative."
Lilyanna scoffed, "I suppose that they would have preferred if their Conqueror Babe Aegon had thought of the idea instead of Viserys'' Shame?"
"They would." Mysaria said, not bothering to lie about what they both knew to be true, "But the person with the most issue with the bank is Hobert Hightower, your grandfather''s brother."
Lilyanna knew that this meant that there were expenses that House Hightower had that Hobert did not want the Crown to be aware of. "Do you think it''s possible to learn what my granduncle is using his gold for? Knowing him he will try to get rid of any evidence before the bank is operational."
"I have already ordered my people to do so, but it may be too late to get much. House Hightower were one of the first houses to learn about the bank and its mandates due to your mother and grandfather''s correspondence.
Alicent wrote to her father about the goings on of King''s Landing, including what goes on in the small council, so Lilyanna was not surprised that Alicent would have told Otto about the bank the first chance she got. It would also not surprise her if Alicent had written to Otto about everything days before it was brought to Viserys and the rest of the council.
But Lilyanna could not blame her mother for this; Alicent loved and respected her father, viewing him as one of the only people in this world that had her best interest at heart, or what he believed was in her best interest.
Lilyanna also knew that Otto would have learned about this and told the rest of the Hightower clan regardless of Alicent telling him as every member of the small council besides Lyonel Strong, Lyman Beesbury, and Harrold Westerling, were a part of the Green faction.
"And the Westerlands? I''m assuming that Jason Lannister is also complaining about the oversight." Lilyanna asked, knowing from the man''s twin that the Lannisters would be against the royal bank.
"He is and he is far more obvious and louder about it than the others. He has been speaking with his bannerman about how the King should not have allowed a child, especially a little girl, to have say over matter of coin, saying how you have no experience or any clue about what you are doing."
The princess rolled her eyes at this, not surprised by Jason''s insults towards her character. It was well known that Tyland was the more likable twin so if his treatment of her was anything to go by, then of course Jason''s would be worse.
"Who cares if he thinks I am a stupid and worthless little freak of nature; I know that the Lannisters won''t rise in rebellion over this, it would be suicide."
"That may be true, but Jason has never been known for his intelligence and rationality, it''s been said that Tyland got both in their mother''s womb. I fear he may take some form of retaliation against you." Mysaria said.
Wait, does she think that Jason will try to kill me? Lilyanna thought.
Mysaria knew what Lilyanna was thinking, "Like I said, Lord Lannister is not known for being rational. He may believe that not much attention would be drawn by the realm at large for the loss of ''Visenya with a Cock''."
Lilyanna let out a small laugh, "Visenya with a cock? Are people calling me that because I wield a sword?"
I mean, I did want to be like Visenya. Although, I doubt the woman find it as funny as I do if she were to hear this nickname. Oh! I should totally tell her about it if or when I see her again.
"You should keep your eyes open, princess, for anything strange or out of the ordinary for the next few moons." Mysaria said, ignoring the girl''s jests.
Lilyanna became serious again, "I will. I won''t let myself get caught unaware."
"Good, it would be shame for you to die when you are just now starting to fulfill your end of our bargain." Mysaria smirked.
Lilyanna scoffed and crossed her arms, "I told you when we started this that I do not have much, if any influence over the King."
"And yet you were able to convince him of this endeavor." Mysaria replied.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "Because most of the council thought it was a promising idea. And most importantly in the eyes of Viserys, my mother and sister both agreed that it''s a good idea instead of fighting about with each other as they usually do."
The princess fully believed that it was Rhaenyra and Alicent both agreeing to the proposal instead of being on opposing sides just to spite the other, that led to Viserys allowing the bank to move forward.
Viserys was a man who hated strife and wanted to see his family get along with each other despite not doing much to actual bring this to fruition himself. If he believed that something would cause his family to stop fighting, then he would full-heartedly see that it comes true.
"Then I believe that you know what you need to do to see that your ideas being implemented." Mysaria argued.
Lilyanna let out a laugh, doubting the woman''s belief, "I doubt that. My next idea would be to make a school for the smallfolk here in the city."
"A school?" Mysaria asked, her eyes lighting up.
Lilyanna nodded her head, "Yes, a school. I want to give the commoners a place where they can learn to read and write. I was also thinking that it could teach trade skills; blacksmithing, carpentry, roofing, tailoring, things like that. If the first one is successful than more could be built."
Mysaria paused for a moment, before her expression hardened, "The smallfolk would never be able to afford something like this. If they took out loans from your bank, then they would be in a perpetual cycle of paying back the interest."
"There would be no need for the loan. That is why I doubt my father, the council and my mother and sister would never agree to it; the school would be free, the teachers, the materials, the lessons would all be paid for by the Crown." Lilyanna explained, a smile of accepted resentment appeared on her face.
Mysaria''s eyes widened at this, she had known that Lilyanna was not like any other noble she had met before or since, their partnership was proof of this, but even then, she was sometimes astonished by how selfless she was, how she truly cared for others and did not care about their status or where they were from.
"I know, it''s a crazy idea, one that would never see the light of day." Lilyanna said as she looked down at the ground, taking Mysaria''s silence as her true feelings on the manner.
Mysaria moved closer to Lilyanna, standing directly in front of her as she used her hand to lift the princess'' head, forcing the girl to look her in the eyes. "It is an auspicious idea, Lilyanna. One that would greatly benefit the ordinary people of the city."
Lilyanna smiled, "I try."
Mysaria cleared her throat, taking a step back and releasing her hold on Lilyanna''s chin. "You better, princess."
Lilyanna laughed slightly, amused by the change in the woman''s demeanor. "And you say that you don''t care about me."
"This is all I wished to discuss with you." Mysaria stared at her blankly, once again ignoring the princess'' taunting.
"And I thank you for warning me. I will be venturing back into the city soon now that most of the preliminary work for the bank is done." Lilyanna said, turning to walk back to the construction site.
As Lilyanna started to walk away, she stopped when she heard Mysaria call out to her.
"You should go to the council with your schooling project. After the bank is completed and is successful." The woman said.
Lilyanna turned her head to look back at Mysaria, "But they would never-"
"Agree?" Mysaria asked as a sharp smile appeared on her face, "They may start to think differently when the voices grow louder."
"Voices? You mean the smallfolk? The nobles of Westeros don''t give a shit about how the smallfolk feel or think, so long as they do what they believe is their only purpose; serving them." Lilyanna stated.
After living a life in a world that was far more advanced than the one, she was currently in, Lilyanna knew that countries where most of their population had received an education and were literate, were often richer and more developed than those that did not.
Westeros'' economy and quality of life would improve vastly if education were not just reserved for those with noble blood and status. But the hierarchy that ruled Westeros was created to only truly benefit a person if they were of noble blood, trueborn, and male.
"Nobles like to pretend that the thoughts of the smallfolk do not matter, it allows them to sleep peacefully at night that we can never achieve anything more than changing their sheets and pouring them wine. But they should not think that the common people are not a powerful force especially when we come together for a shared goal." Mysaria said, her smile growing larger and sharper as she swiftly walked away, leaving Lilyanna behind.
The princess could only stare as she watched Mysaria eventually disappear from her sight, blending in with the bustling crowd.
Lilyanna worried by just what Mysaria meant by not discounting the smallfolk, that the nobility of Westeros were fools for doing so. While Lilyanna agreed with this, she feared just what Mysaria would do to make this truth known.
I mean, I don''t know if Mysaria may actually do something. And even if she does, it would be her choice, it won''t be my fault. Right? Lilyanna thought to herself as she walked back to bank.
Despite trying to let go of this feeling, this fear continued to sit in the back of her mind, not being able to truly forget the weight of Mysaria words and the smile she gave her.
First Kill
Three Moons Later
Lilyanna let out a yawn as she left Mysaria''s manse and began making her way back to the Red Keep. The sun was still out, only now fading, causing the sky to become orange.
The princess was busier than ever with the royal bank opening, along with her other responsibilities, and she had just finished seeing three different patients.
I like helping people but fuck this shit. Lilyanna thought, wishing more than ever that coffee existed in this world as she yawned again.
"It''s her; Princess Lilyanna." The princess in question looked to the side after hearing the attempt at whispering. She saw a group of teenagers standing a few feet away, consisting of three boys and two girls. They were staring at her as they whispered to each other, not stopping even when they realized that she had noticed them.
Before she began her partnership with Mysaria, no one recognized her when she went out into the city. With her red hair and tanned skin, most people did not make the correlation that she might be the King''s third daughter.
And since she began her partnership with Mysaria and began offering her medial expertise to the smallfolk of the city, there was an unspoken agreement that no one would say anything about Lilyanna''s presence in the streets of King''s Landing unaccompanied, and especially not when she went to Flea Bottom.
If the wrong people were to learn about what she was doing, word would reach her parents and Lilyanna would never be able to leave the castle again.
Alicent and Viserys may have allowed her to do and get away with more things than other girls of her age and station, but they most certainly will not allow their daughter to constantly travel to the city''s worst slum, interact with peasants, and work for a former prostitute now spy master.
But since the bank opened and it was made clear that everyone would be allowed to use it, there had been an influx of commoners coming into the city from all over the six united Kingdoms, all eager to make their own bank accounts and take out loans.
For days, the line in front of the bank stretched down the road and through the Gate of the Gods, one of the seven gates that allowed entry into King''s Landing. Because of this, a large crowd of rowdy and hopeful people congregated outside the city.
Lilyanna and the small council had to start screening each person who came into the bank; asking where they came from, who was their liege lord, and they reason for going to the bank, all of which while necessary, slowed down the process a great deal.
The young girl pretended not to notice the looks that the councilors gave her for the mountain of extra work that had been laid at their feet, but she remained adamant they would change their thoughts when they saw how worth it all of it would be.
When word spread that she was the one who produced the whole affair and had been adamant about the bank''s location and that everyone, regardless of status, would be able to use it, she had been gaining more attention than she ever had before.
With the smallfolk, they had been more open with their opinions like the group of teenagers she just passed.
There were many who would come up to Lilyanna and personally thank her, calling her blessing to them. She even remembered going to the Street of Flour and getting free food from various venders and bakeries.
After the first few days of this treatment, Lilyanna had brought it up to Mysaria during one of her trips, and the woman laughed.
"You have become a God to them, princess." Mysaria said, still laughing at the confused and put off expression on the girl''s face.
"A God? That''s fucking crazy, all I did was make a bank!" Lilyanna exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"A bank that is not just for the nobles, but for them as well." Mysaria said.
Lilyanna groaned, "But that''s not-"
"Not what? Anything special? It is not just the bank itself; you are for many of them the first person of noble blood to treat them like human beings, to see value in their lives, to understand their struggles, to acknowledge that they can improve this continent. That is why they are so enthralled." Mysaria explained.
"So, I just have to accept this as my new normal?" Lilyanna asked.
"Yes." Mysaria said plainly, smiling again when Lilyanna slammed her forehead against the table in front of them, making her feelings on the matter clear.
Still, Lilyanna preferred how the smallfolk were treating her compared to the nobles, most treating her one of three ways; either trying to ingratiate themselves to her despite not seeing anything of worth in her before now, hating her for making it harder to do as they pleased with their finances and openly disliking her, or continuing to act indifferent towards her, but making sure to watch her more closely.
All and all, it was making for an interesting, but very annoying new dynamic for Lilyanna in the Red Keep.
As Lilyanna walked, she noticed a head of silver hair a couple of yards away from her from the corner of her eye, she turned her head to the right as she continued to walk as it was not the first time that she had seen someone with silver-blond hair in the city.
King''s Landing was the main seat of House Targaryen and was near other Valyrian houses, the Velaryons and the Celtigars. It was also the nation''s capital that the Three Conquerors built for their burgeoning dynasty.
Because of this, King''s Landing was full of people from the Free Cities, Dragonstone, Driftmark, and Claw Isle, along with those who have lived in the city for the last few generations, all people who carried the blood of Old Valyria in their veins.
But Lilyanna''s attention peaked when she took in that the silver hair belonged to a young boy and that said the young boy was impeccably dressed. He was obviously trying to be inconspicuous, but the quality of his clothing denoted that he was someone with wealth.
He can''t be a prostitute or a dragonseed with clothes like that, they''re too clean and the stitching is perfect. So, who- wait... Aegon?!
Lilyanna''s eyes widened when the silver head turned slightly, revealing the side of her older brother''s face. The girl immediately ran and hid behind the nearest corner, peaking her head out to continue watching him.
To her immense relief, Aegon had not noticed her leaving Flea Bottom, she did not know how she would have explained what she was doing if he had. Aegon appeared to be looking for something, his head constantly turning and his eyes searching as he moved down the street.
Lilyanna watched as a smile soon appeared on Aegon''s face as he reached the street that she was just standing on. He then quickly walked down it, entering Flea Bottom, and soon disappearing from her sight as he blended into the crowd.
Lilyanna groaned as she stepped out from her hiding place, already knowing why her brother would be going to Flea Bottom.
He''s going to a brothel. This has to be the first time he''s been; he wouldn''t have looked so lost before if he had. Plus, Mysaria would have told me if she saw Aegon skulking around.
Lilyanna had been working hard to ensure that Aegon did not become the same hedonistic man that he originally was. Since he had his first taste of alcohol at a feast, she had always ensured that she sat next to him to keep him from having more than a glass of wine.
And while she had noticed his eyes beginning to wander whenever there were servant or noble girls in the vicinity, he kept his hands to himself and made no demeaning comments. Because of this, she had chalked his staring up to the typical actions of a hormonal prepubescent boy.
But now she was forced to think of her brother going to Flea Bottom to get it wet, making her shiver in disgust, and her skin crawl even more because Aegon was twelve and the women he would be seeing would not be.
Wouldn''t it be worse if the prostitutes there were twelve or younger? I mean, know that some are, ugh, it makes me sick to think about.
Lilyanna had no problem with Aegon being sexually active, and despite its ranting and raving, the Faith of Seven did not either. While the teachings of the Faith spoke against having sex before and outside of marriage, no one batted an eye when men constantly did so as it was seen as normal.
In Fire and Blood and House of the Dragon, Aegon was not judged as strongly as he should have been for being so lustful or for the women that he assaulted, as people usually looked the other way and ignored it, made a joke out of it, or covered it up to protect his reputation.
Even when he committed the taboo of having multiple bastards on multiple different women, it was often ignored because plenty of men had at least one natural-born child out there in the world.
Lilyanna always thought that this was done to act as a form of hypocrisy in comparison to Rhaenyra, who also had sex before and outside of marriage and had bastards of her own but was labeled as a whore and unworthy of the throne because of it.
Granted, Aegon was not trying to put his bastards in positions of power like his older sister did, but Lilyanna still found it unfair that Rhaenyra was called the Whore of Dragonstone while Aegon was given no such demeaning title.
Shit, do I have to have talk with Aegon about consent? If he wants to fuck everything that moves then whatever, but I won''t sit back as he ignores people''s boundaries. Lilyanna thought.
She only hoped that the butterfly effects caused by her existence would finally do her some good and work on Aegon and keep her from being forced to have a very awkward conversation with him.
Hours Later
Lilyanna opened her eyes, immediately knowing where she was when she saw the black void above her, and the water covering ground that she was laying on. Seeing the Iron Throne when she turned her head only confirmed what she already knew.
"Well at least I know my dream tonight will be interesting." Lilyanna said aloud as she pushed herself to her feet.
Lilyanna did not know how much time had passed as she waited, but she found it strange that she had to wait as her dreams usually started immediately after she realized that she was dreaming. Lilyanna started to whistle as she waited for the Conquerors or some other member of the Targaryen dynasty to appear.
What''s taking so long? This shit is usually instant. Lilyanna thought to herself.
Before Lilyanna could ponder more, she felt a pair of hands suddenly latch onto her shoulders, grabbing her and forcibly turning her around.
Now facing the other way, Lilyanna locked eyes with the three Targaryens that she was waiting for, realizing that it was Visenya who was holding onto her shoulders.
"What are-"
"You have to wake up." Rhaenys said, there was a wildness in her eyes as the words quickly left her mouth.
Lilyanna stared at the woman confused, "Wait-"
Aegon growled, "There is no time for questions, you need to wake up. Now!"
"They are right; your life is in danger, Lilyanna. So, wake up now before you die a second time." Visenya said strongly.
Lilyanna began to sweat, her breathing becoming faster and heavier, and her vision starting to become blurry as dark spots danced in the corner of her eyes.
Lilyanna took a deep breath as her eyes slowly opened, taking a few moments to adjust to the darkness of her bedroom, the only source of light coming from her windows. The princess tensed when she heard the door to her bedroom open, the sound of footsteps filling her ears before the door was closed as quietly as it could.
She guessed that that it was just a single person who had entered her room, the weight of their steps telling her that the intruder was male. Her back was toward the door, so the intruder could not see her face, allowing Lilyanna to eliminate his element of surprise.
An assassin? Were they hired or did this guy just decide that he wanted to kill me himself? Lilyanna thought.
Slowly, trying not to be seen moving, Lilyanna moved her hand under her pillows, grabbing the hilt of the dagger that she had placed underneath them.
And Helaena said I was paranoid for keeping it here.
Lilyanna''s heart raced as the steps of the intruder grew closer, stopping once they reached the side of her body, allowing them to stand over her. Lilyanna closed her eyes slightly and breathed as slowly as she could so they could not see that she was awake, not wanting them to suspect that anything was wrong until it was too late.
Lilyanna heard the sound of a blade being removed from its sheath, seeing the blurry motion of the person above her raising their arms, preparing to bring the knife down on her.
Just as her would be assassin was about to stab her, Lilyanna rolled to the other side of the bed, quickly landing on her feet. As she spun around, she saw that the intruder had ended up stabbing the mattress, not expecting her action.
Lilyanna saw that man across from her was tall with a lean build and was dressed in filthy black clothing. He had a gaunt face, sunken cheeks and pale blue eyes, dirty stringy brown hair, and he reeked of sweat and manure.
"You''re supposed to be asleep, little brat." The man hissed, his eyes taking on a wild and crazed gleam as he glared at the princess.
"And dirty, diseased lackwits like yourself are not supposed to be in a princess'' chambers; I guess we''re both disappointed by each other''s actions." Lilyanna snarked, tightening her grip on her dagger.
The man''s eyes narrowed, and he quickly pulled his dagger out of the mattress and in a surprising show of athleticism, jumped over the bed and tackled Lilyanna to the ground.
Lilyanna let out a gasp, feeling the wind being knocked out of her as the man slammed his knee against her chest to pin her down and quickly trying to slit her throat.
NO! Lilyanna grabbed the man''s wrist, stopping the blade a few centimeters away from her neck. Lilyanna growled, using her strength to buck her hips upward, knocking the assassin off her. Lilyanna jumped to her feet, creating distance between them.
"Help! Somebody help!" Lilyanna screamed; she knew that her room was unguarded but hoped that her yelling would attract the closest guard to her.
Lilyanna sidestepped, the intruder when he ran at her intending to silence her. She stuck out one of her feet, causing him to trip over, sliding across the floor when he fell and slamming into Lilyanna''s dresser.
He isn''t a trained killer, if he were, he wouldn''t have fell for that. Lilyanna thought, but she had already assumed that he was not due to his appearance. The princess then ran towards her door, trying to escape into the hallway.
Just as her fingers grazed the handle of the door, Lilyanna felt a hand grab her ankle and yank her to the floor. While the man did not have much in terms of skill, Lilyanna was not expecting for him to be so fast, to have crossed the room so quickly after falling to the floor in such a manner.
Lilyanna tried to kick the man away, but he kept moving his body out of reach, still maintaining his grip, tightening as he pulled her away from the door.
Lilyanna rolled onto her back, once again trying to kick the man, only to receive a punch to the jaw. The man straddled Lilyanna''s waist, using his left forearm to hold her down, learning from his pervious mistake. As he raised his right hand up to the ceiling, Lilyanna saw herself reflected in the dagger''s blade.
"You should''ve just stayed unnoticed, stayed a dumb, spoiled little bitch." The man growled.
I''m going to die, no I can''t die, not again, I can''t, I can''t, I can''t!
Lilyanna! A voice screamed in her, a familiar one, that if she were not so scared she would have been able to identify where she had heard it before.
Kill him! You cannot die here, Lilyanna. Your purpose has not yet been fulfilled. You must kill him!
Instinctually, Lilyanna moved faster than she ever had before, using her dagger to slash the man''s throat. Blood spewed out of the cut like a fountain, raining down on Lilyanna, covering her face, neck, arms, chest, and hair.
Lilyanna saw the man''s eyes widened as he stared at her in shock, his body shaking as he tried to touch his throat. Lilyanna used this opportunity to push the man off her, causing him to fall to the ground next to her.
His body hit the floor with a thud, causing more blood to leave his neck and splatter onto the floor. A horse rattle left the man''s lips before his body went limp, and she knew that he was dead.
Lilyanna slowly sat up, breathing heavily through her mouth as she stared at the body next to her, looking into his now lifeless blue eyes.
Lilyanna did not know how long she had stayed like this, but she only felt herself snap out of her trance when she heard her bedroom door swing open, slamming against the adjacent wall.
"Princess Lilyanna! Your sister Princess Helaena said she heard scre-" It was Ser Rickard Throne who had entered, a tall well-built man with salt and pepper hair and bread and a longsword unsheathed and in his hands.
He froze, he knew that something had to have happened for Helaena to come running towards him as he was doing his patrols, but he had not expected to walk into the princess'' room and see this.
"By the Gods..." He whispered, sheathing his sword, and rushing to Lilyanna''s side.
"Are you all right, princess?! What happened here?" He asked, but the girl only stared at him silently.
"Lilyanna!" Rickard turned around and saw that the Queen, Crown Princess, Prince Consort, Lord Commander of the City Watch, Criston, the Cargyll brothers, and Princess Helaena had entered the room.
Alicent did not waste a moment as she rushed to her daughter, she did not care about the blood that covered most of Lilyanna''s body, holding her daughter as she searched for injuries.
"How could this happen?!" Rhaenyra yelled, looking at the four Kingsguard in the room, "Is it not your jobs to protect this family, how was that man able to get in here?"
"Our rounds were completed, and the castle guards saw nothing out of the ordinary, Your Grace." Erryk said, drawing Rhaenyra''s ire.
"Well, they clearly did not check hard enough!" She yelled.
"Rhaenyra," Laenor said, placing a hand on the woman''s shoulder, "Now is not the time; we need to find out if there are others."
Rhaenyra clenched her fists knowing that Laenor was right, she then turned to the other men, "Ser Erryk, go and alert the guards, I want the Keep shut down; no one gets in, and no one gets out, not until we are sure the danger is gone. Ser Arryk, get the rest of the Kingsguard and have them watching the children and gather them in my chamber. I want no one besides my family and I to be able to enter."
"Yes, Your Grace." The twins replied, quickly leaving the room to carry out their orders.
"Ser Rickard, find the Grand Maester and have him brought here immediately. My sister may have injuries."
Rickard stood to his feet, "Yes, Your Grace."
"Ser Harwin go to my father''s chambers and alert the King about what has happened and the orders I have given to the others."
Harwin nodded his head, quickly leaving as he ran towards the King''s bedchamber.
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Helaena took this time to step forward, "Lily? Lily did he hurt you?"
Lilyanna remained silent, still staring into the intruder''s cold and lifeless eyes. She felt as if they were taunting her, mocking her for her weakness.
I killed him, I just killed a man. Lilyanna''s body started to shake as the weight of what she had just done had begun to manifest.
"We should move the princess, Your Grace. I believe that she is in shock, staying here... with the body, will not do her any good." Criston said to Alicent, looking at Lilyanna worriedly.
I had to; if I didn''t, he would have killed me. It was necessary, I mean, this is Westeros, A Song of Ice and Fire, everyone kills everyone here, that''s how it''s done. But I''m not one of them, I''m normal. But if I were normal, wouldn''t I be more upset, more freaked out by what I had done? I just killed a man and yet I feel no remorse, only thrown off by the fact that I was able to do it, that I had killed him so easily. I liked taking his life...
What is wrong with me?
Alicent held Lilyanna''s face in her hands, trying to pull her attention away from the body, "Lilyanna, please, Lilyanna, you have to speak."
Lilyanna looked away from the body and at Alicent for a moment, seeing worry, fear, and relief in her mother''s large brown eyes. And when Alicent smiled at her, she then ripped Alicent''s hands away from her face, turning her head to the side and proceeded to vomit onto the floor.
Laenor took a step back, almost gagging at the sight and the smell of Lilyanna vomiting, having not expected the reaction.
Alicent quickly pulled Lilyanna''s hair away from her face, rubbing her other hand in circles on her back as Lilyanna continued to vomit.
"Fuck." Lilyanna once she was done, speaking for the first time since she cried out for help earlier.
Lilyanna missed the way the adults of the room looked at each other, the way that they all looked at her.
Lilyanna stared at the murky and dirty tub of water that she was now sitting in, watching as the blood and soap were rinsed from her body. She had been in the tub long enough that the water had gone cold, but she could not find it within herself to exit.
Despite saying that she was perfectly fine, Alicent was not having it and forced her to sit down while Orwyle examined her. Once he gave her a clean bill of health, Lilyanna was led to Helaena''s room while servants filled her bathtub.
"Lily? Are you finished? It''s been a while." Helaena said from the other side of the door.
I can''t sit here forever. Lilyanna thought, sighing as she climbed out of the tub.
She took her time dressing herself, taking a deep breath before opening the door and walking past her sister.
"I''m sorry, Lily." Helaena said as she kept pace with her.
Lilyanna stopped, turning to face Helaena, "Hely, you don''t have to apologize to me, you didn''t do anything wrong."
Helaena looked down at the floor, "I should have seen-"
Lilyanna grabbed Helaena by the shoulders, "Don''t even finish that sentence! This is not your fault, and it never will be." Lilyanna then fiercely hugged her sister, only relaxing when she felt Helaena''s arms wrap around her body.
"I was so scared that I... that you..." Helaena said as she began to tremble in her sister''s embrace.
"I know." Lilyanna said simply.
The twin sisters stood in the middle of the room, continuing to hold each other tightly, as if the other were at risk of disappearing before their eyes.
"We have to go to the small council chamber." Lilyanna said after a few moments.
"I know." Helaena replied softly.
Reluctantly, the sisters separated, making their way towards the door. Outside Helaena''s room were Erryk and Arryk, the two Kingsguard being ordered to stand watch over them as Lilyanna cleaned up.
The two knights silently led the girls to the small council chamber, following them inside as the rest of their brothers had done with the rest of the royal family.
After the castle was shut down and it was made clear that no other suspicious people were found, the small council members had been summoned for an emergency meeting. It was then that the rest of the Targaryen/Velaryon children were brought to the chamber as well.
"Lily! Lilyanna!" The five boys cried out once Lilyanna and Helaena entered the room, they had been by their parents'' sides as they waited. They had been kept in the dark for some time before their parents had explained that someone had broken into the Keep and tried to kill Lilyanna.
Before Lilyanna knew it, she was in the middle of a large hug, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Daeron each latching onto her.
"Mother said that someone attacked you!" Daeron exclaimed, tightening his hold on his sister.
"Is it true that the man tried to stab you in your sleep?" Jacaerys asked, looking over his aunt worriedly.
"We were so scared when we didn''t see you, Lily!" Lucerys cried out, his eyes shining with fallen tears.
Lilyanna sighed as she tried to move, "Boys, I am fine."
Lilyanna did not get far as Aemond appeared from her left and grabbed her arm. His gaze was intense as he looked over Lilyanna''s body, looking for any hint of injury.
"Aems, I''m fine, truly." Lilyanna told her brother.
Aemond stooped his search, staring into her eyes, "They say you killed the assassin. Slit his throat open."
"I did." Lilyanna admitted without hesitation, "But I am fine, I promise."
"Of course you are." Aegon said as he made his way over to the group. He tried to pretend that he did not care, but the strain in his voice and the fear in his eyes clashed with this, "I mean, you were attacked by some killer who somehow managed to sneak into the castle and into your room and then you were forced to kill him, of course you''re perfectly fine, you''re doing amazing."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "I don''t need your sarcasm, Egg."
"Well one of us has to be the reasonable one here!" Aegon exclaimed.
Aemond scoffed, "And when would that ever be you?"
Before Aegon could respond by calling his brother a twat, the sound of a throat clearing drew the children''s attention away from each other and towards the long table. Each of the councilors were watching their interactions, but many of their eyes were shifting towards Lilyanna.
"Children, now is not the time." Viserys said, "Now come forward."
The children did as they were told, walking towards the small council table, Jacaerys and Lucerys returned to their parents, the two boys allowed Laenor to put an arm around them as they stood behind Rhaenyra''s chair.
Aegon, Aemond, and Daeron stood behind Alicent''s chair as well, leaving Helaena and Lilyanna to stand in the space between Alicent and Viserys'' chairs.
Alicent immediately reached for Lilyanna''s hand and held it tightly. It had taken a lot of convincing to leave Lilyanna alone while she bathed, only doing so when Helaena agreed to stay with her and the Cargyll twins standing guard outside.
Lilyanna turned to her mother, raising her hand to her lips, and kissing the back of it, smiling as she did so. "I''m fine, mother."
Alicent did not believe her daughter, thinking back to the empty look in Lilyanna''s eyes as she stared at the man at her feet, how she vomited when she was brought out of her thoughts.
She feels the need to be strong, to not be weak in front of us. But her innocence has been taken tonight and Lily does not believe that she can confide in us, in me. Alicent thought, her guilt rising.
"Ser Harrold, what were you able to find about the assailant who attacked my daughter?" Viserys asked the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
Harrold stepped forward, placing a small coin purse, a dagger, and a folded piece of paper on the table. "After searching the man''s body, we found a coin purse, because of the amount inside we believe that he was paid to carry out this attack on Princess Lilyanna."
"How much was inside the purse?" Tyland Lannister asked.
"Seventy sliver stags, Ser Tyland." Harrold answered.
"What? My life is only worth seventy silver stags?" Lilyanna muttered, somewhat offended that her life was worth so little to whoever ordered this hit on her life.
A little over two hundred stags is worth one gold dragon. I still haven''t figured out how to properly convert dragons, stags, moons, stars, pennies, half-pennies, and groats to a dollar but seventy silver stags still feels way too low to kill a princess! Lilyanna thought.
Aegon snickered and when Lilyanna looked away from the purse, she noticed that everyone in the room was staring at her.
"Oh, I guess I said that too loud." Lilyanna said aloud.
"It''s good to know that your priorities are in order, sister." Aemond said drily, not looking overly impressed with her.
"Whoever hired him had him breaking into the Red Keep and kill a princess and all of that was only worth seventy silver? They must not have a very high opinion of me to do that." Lilyanna argued.
"Lilyanna, that is not important." Alicent said, drawing everyone''s attention to her, "What is important is that someone tried to have you killed and we do not know why."
"We do not know why, my Queen, but we do know how the man was able to enter the Keep." Harrold said as he reached for the paper, unfolding it before placing it down on the table again.
On the paper was a drawing of the Red Keep''s interior with a line starting from the servants'' chambers above the Keep''s kitchen leading to Maegor''s Holdfast, and finally Lilyanna''s bedchamber.
"He had managed to fool the other servants and disguise himself as a new swineherd in the pig yard. He had been here for the past moon, calling himself Tobin but we do not believe that is his real name, and according to witnesses he had asked many a question about Princess Lilyanna." Harrold explained.
"A swine herder should not have been able to travel through the Keep unaccompanied without anyone finding it strange for over a moon. Which means either our security is greatly lacking, he had help from someone inside, someone who has extensive knowledge of the Keep, or both." Rhaenyra sneered, resting her now clenched fists on the table.
Someone wanted her little sister dead, and if not for the fact that the man chosen was poorly trained along with Lilyanna''s own skill, she would have been dead long before any of them realized, far too late to act.
Orwyle cleared his throat, "Someone hiring the assailant would make sense. Based on his appearance and how he was able to blend in seamlessly with the other swine herders, I doubt he could write let alone make detailed drawing such as this."
Jasper slammed his hand against the table, "Who cares about his artistic abilities, an attempt on a princess'' life had occurred tonight! A dastardly crime has taken place under our noses, we must respond to it!"
"Respond how, Jasper?" Lyman asked the man, "Princess Lilyanna has... has taken care of the man, he is dead and with him he has taken the identity of his master and their motive."
"I already know what his motive was." Lilyanna said confidently.
"You do?" Laenor asked.
Everyone else in the room looked skeptical, not entirely believing that Lilyanna could know what the man''s motives were.
"I do. Before he tried to stab me for the second time, he said ''You should''ve just stayed unnoticed, stayed a dumb, spoiled little bitch.''" Lilyanna responded.
Tyland cleared his throat, "While that is exceptionally rude and disrespectful, my princess, what does that have to do with his motive?"
Lilyanna turned and looked at the man as if she thought him to be of low intelligence, "What it has to do with, Ser Tyland, is that he emphasized that I was a spoiled and naive princess." She then looked towards the other adults, "And what has happened in recent moons to causes me to no longer be ''unnoticed,'' but in the minds of everyone in the realm?"
"The bank." Rhaenyra answered, her eyes growing larger as the pieces started to come together. The Princess of Dragonstone then looked towards the King, "Father, this must be the work of one of the lords!"
"Are you sure that you are not allowing your emotions to cloud your judgement, Your Highness? There is no proof that an honorable lord of Westeros was the one to order this attack on Princess Lilyanna''s life. For all we know, this... Tobin, had stolen the silver stags and carried did all of this out of his own will." Tyland retorted, maintaining his posture even when Rhaenyra turned her fiery gaze upon him.
Rhaenyra sneered at the man, "He could have stolen the silver stags and just decided to kill my sister? That is quite the high bar you are trying to reach. The lords of Westeros are the ones who would find the most problem with the royal bank; it keeps your peers from being able to hide their finances and just what they truly get up to when they believe the Crown is not watching."
Tyland''s jaw clenched, "And how do we know that someone from across the sea did not hire the killer?"
Lilyanna sighed, "If it was someone from Essos, let''s say the Iron Bank, the man would not have been so poorly skilled, and I would most likely be dead."
"Do you truly believe that?" Viserys asked, speaking to his daughter for the first time that night.
"I do. Essos isn''t close to King''s Landing, if the mastermind were from there, they would not only have to pay an assassin, but an assassin that they could trust not to run off with their payment, who could blend in with the average Westerosi citizen, and they would possibly have to pay for travel to and from Essos. If it were me, I would most certainly ensure that whoever I got was good enough to see the job through, so we would have found a lot more coin on the man and he would have been an actual, trained killer." Lilyanna explained nonchalantly, appearing to be unbothered by everything.
Viserys let out a deep and slow breath, "Then we cannot ignore the possibility that one of my own vassals could have done this."
A silence fell over the room as people looked between each other, all thinking if someone in that very room could have been involved in the plot to end Lilyanna''s life.
Mysaria did warn me that someone would make an attempt on my life, but I did not think it would happen so soon. Lilyanna then looked at Tyland Lannister.
He has been awfully argumentative tonight, more so than usual. In the books and show, Tyland did not have a problem with the plan to kill Rhaenyra and her family when he and the rest of the Greens usurped the throne. But Tyland does not strike me as a child murderer himself, more like someone who would not object if someone else did so in front of him.
But this whole thing was sloppy, Tyland may be a cunt, but he isn''t stupid, he would have realized that there were far too many holes, that things could and did go wrong.
Lilyanna''s eyes narrowed, I doubt he had a hand in all of this, but I wouldn''t be surprised if he knew or at least had an idea of who did.
"We must increase security while we continue the investigation. All the royal family, especially Princess Lilyanna, must always have guards with them from now on." Lyonel spoke, looking directly at the King.
"What?!" Aegon exclaimed, "We do not need guards at all hours of the day."
Alicent noticed her son''s reluctance and nervousness, staring at him pointedly, "And what exactly are you doing that you do not want a guard to know about?"
Aegon flinched under the weight of his mother''s stare, quickly looking away, "N-n-nothing."
"He went to the Street of Silk today, mother." Aemond said, giving his brother a smile of faux innocence.
For as long as he could remember, Aemond had been forced to endured Aegon''s opinions and thoughts, having to listen to Aegon tell him things that either made his skin crawl, roll his eyes, or question how they could be related let alone have the same mother and father.
For days, Aegon had been telling him about his plan to sneak out and go to the Street of Silk, curious about what it was like after all the stories they heard floating around the Keep.
"When you see me next, little brother, I''ll be walking through these halls a man." Aegon smugly told him just before he left.
Some man you are. Aemond thought as he watched Aegon cower under their mother''s glare.
"What?!" Alicent exclaimed, as she faced Aegon, "When- how-why-"
"Mother, you can yell at Aegon later. How long are we going to have to have guards with us at all times?" Lilyanna asked, temporarily drawing Alicent''s ire away from Aegon.
"Lilyanna, we will all be guarded from now on, permanently. It was honestly foolish that we had not done so previously." Alicent said to her daughter.
Lilyanna spoke plainly, "I do not need a guard; I can take care-"
"You cannot take care of yourself." Alicent said, "You are a child, not some warrior reborn. Thinking that you can handle any assailant is not want you should take from tonight, you could have died. There is someone out there that wants you dead, so you will have a guard, preferably a member of the Kingsguard, with you at all times and you will not complain about it."
Lilyanna started at her mother with an emotionless expression, hiding the anger that was building inside her.
A Kingsguard in charge of watching her was the last thing she needed, it would do nothing but hinder her movements, but Alicent calling her a child who needed to be protected bothered her even more than anything else.
"Am I understood, Lilyanna?" Alicent asked, staring at her pointedly.
"Yes, mother." Lilyanna spat, making her displeasure known.
Lilyanna ignored the rest of conversation around her, thinking of how she would be able to ditch whoever was chosen as her protector as she stared despondently at the table.
The group of the Queen, her children, her sworn protector, and Sers Arryk and Rickard, were completely silent as they left the small council chamber and entered the Holdfast.
Despite no one saying a word, Lilyanna could still hear the questions on everyone''s lips as she felt their eyes on her. She hated being treated like she was made of glass, like she was weak, but she could not fault them for being worried about her.
The first room they reached was Alicent''s, and Lilyanna had expected that her mother would insists that she see each of her children enter their rooms before going inside her own.
But this was not the cause as Daeron had stopped the group, "Can we stay in your room, mother?"
Alicent looked at her youngest son, "My room?"
The thought of having her children close by did make her feel better, that they would be better protected, but she knew that Daeron was suggesting this out of his own fear.
Daeron looked away, "I-I don''t want us to be alone. What if someone breaks in again?"
Alicent kneeled in front of Daeron, "No one will break into the Keep again, the castle is safe."
"It''s safe now, but it should have been before." Daeron argued.
Lily almost... almost died tonight. We could have lost her. Daeron thought as his eyes began to burn.
Helaena moved next to her brother, making eye contact with Alicent, "I''m fine with us all sharing a bed tonight if the rest of you are."
Aegon crossed his arms, "I guess as the man of this family it''s my job to protect you all. Being in the same room would make it easier for me to do that."
"And I suppose that someone will have to be there to protect Aegon from himself and everyone else from him." Aemond retorted, hissing slightly when Aegon punched his arm in retaliation.
Alicent smiled before turning to her thirdborn, "Lilyanna?"
A small grin formed on Lilyanna''s face, "Well, I wouldn''t want to be left out of this family sleepover now, would I?"
Before she knew it, Lilyanna found herself lying in between her mother and sister on her mother''s large bed as her brothers encircled them.
Lilyanna did not know how much time had passed but the sky outside was beginning to lighten, and she was the only one out of the six in the bed that was still awake.
The girl quietly sighed, accepting that she was not going to fall asleep and sat up, intending to crawl out of the bed. It took her a few minutes to untangle herself from her family''s arms and legs, her mother, and siblings each having a part of their bodies reaching out and touching her own.
Lilyanna pumped her fists once she had placed her feet onto the floor and stood up, tiptoeing as she made her way to the doors of Alicent''s balcony.
Lilyanna visibly cringed when she slowly opened the doors only for a loud creaking sound to fill the room. She quickly looked back at the bed, jumping slightly when she saw Aegon turn, but relaxed when she realized that he and everyone else was still asleep.
The girl made her way outside, closing the doors behind her before going to rest her arms on the railing, the chilly air not bothering her despite standing there in only a thin nightgown.
Lilyanna was able to see the lights coming from the city, while she usually thought that King''s Landing was ugly and poorly designed in the daytime, she could not deny that King''s Landing had a certain charm and beauty when the lights of so many torches and candles blended with the bluish-black background of the sky at night.
"Now if only we could get rid of the awful smell, then this city wouldn''t suck as bad." Lilyanna said to herself.
"It is quite disappointing to see what our descendants have done to the city we built. Truly makes you forget this is the spot where a King and two Queens first started their conquest."
Lilyanna jumped to the side, raising her hands up in front of her in a boxer''s stance. The princess saw that to her left stood the Three Conquerors, and that Visenya was the one who spoke.
Lilyanna relaxed, pressing her hand over her heart, and letting out a deep breath, "You people need to stop doing that to me. I''m going to have a heart attack one of these days."
Her request was ignored as Rhaenys stood in front of her raising her hand and giving the illusion that she was holding her face, as they both knew that she could not physically touch her.
Rhaenys smiled, "We are glad that you are safe, Lilyanna."
"You can''t be that ecstatic, I mean you need me, right? I was the one you guys had to choose to save the family from itself." Lilyanna said.
Aegon shook his head, "We do need you, but we cannot preserve your life. We may have brought you here and the Gods have given you a gift of a stronger than normal body, you are still human. As you say tonight, we can warn you in advance if we see danger coming your way, but we cannot physically keep you safe, if you were to die, we would not be able to stop it."
Lilyanna placed her chin against her knuckled as she proceeds what was told to her, "So, I guess being the savior of the world doesn''t give me any extra lives."
"Extra lives?" Rhaenys asked as she and her siblings were confused by the statement.
I also guess that these three didn''t learn all that much about my world when they took my soul over here. Lilyanna thought.
She supposed it made sense, it was magic and Gods that brought here, any if she knew anything about the fantasy genre it was that magic came at a high price.
"Wait, the last time you guys were here started coughing up blood, I collapsed, and I felt like my chest was going to explode." Lilyanna then placed her hand on her chest, her eyes widening slightly, "That''s not going to happen again, right?"
Visenya moved closer, standing next to Rhaenys, "I do not believe so, it would make little sense for it as we have waited this long for your body to grow accustomed."
"Accustomed to what exactly?" Lilyanna asked.
"The blood magic that was performed on the four of us. I believe that the spell that was cast has now solidified. While unexpected, this is better than before, communication through only your dreams chattered in intervals was becoming annoying." Visenya explained.
"So, you are just going to be hanging around me at all times?"
Aegon looked towards Visenya, "Would that be possible, sister?"
Visenya''s jaw clenched, "I do not believe so, we should be able to stay around Lilyanna for a substantial period, but we are not of the living, staying around a living person permanently can have unforeseen consequences."
"What kind of consequences?" Rhaenys asked her sister.
"The usual; death, madness, terrible luck." Visenya answered.
Lilyanna paled, "But not to me, right?"
Visenya rested her hand against her hip, "You could experience these things, but these effects could easily overtake your family and others around you. There is a reason the worlds of the living and the dead are supposed to remain separate."
Lilyanna stared at the woman blankly, "You really know how to comfort a girl, Visenya."
Visenya returned her blank stare, ignoring the sounds of Rhaenys'' laughter, "I can comfort you physically, if you wish, ao byka genes."
Lilyanna could hear the threat, but smiled regardless, "I don''t know what about me is rat like, but I am happy that you come up with a nickname for me."
A small smile appeared on Aegon''s face as he saw the familiar vein begin to pulse on his eldest sister''s forehead. "Relax, Visenya."
Visenya turned her head to her brother, "Don''t even start, you cunt."
Lilyanna watched as the two began to argue with each other, finding it strange to see these two legendary figures bickering with each other, acting in the manner that she has caught Aemond and her own Aegon doing countless times.
"It''s shocking, isn''t it?" Rhaenys asked, amused when she saw the surprise on Lilyanna''s face.
"I guess it''s easier to forget that you three were just siblings before you decided to conquer the continent." Lilyanna replied.
Rhaenys chuckled, "They were far worse when we were younger. But yes, in the last hundred years, the three of us have been idolized and glorified beyond compare, people often forgetting that we were human."
"I thought Targaryens existed above it all; Gods amongst men." Lilyanna said, remembering the rhetoric that her rouge of an uncle constantly spouted.
"The Fourteen Flames blessed us through our blood and bond with dragons, but we are entirely mortal. The Doom more than proved that." Rhaenys said softly, looking over the balcony and towards the city.
Lilyanna looked away, thinking about how despite what Rhaenys had said, plenty of Targaryens would maintain the belief that they were better than everyone else, of their inherent Valyrian superiority.
Rhaenys turned to her brother and sister, not looking overly impressed, "Are you two done squabbling like children?"
Aegon and Visenya gave the other a look before huffing and turning away, both annoyed at letting the other get under their skin and at being called children by their sister.
Aegon broke the silence, "Let us go, sisters."
Lilyanna perked up, "Wait, you''re leaving now? But I still have questions."
"And those questions will be answered at a later point. You are tied to us now; we can see you anytime." Visenya responded.
"And we will not have time to speak now that it is morning. Your family will soon awaken." Aegon added.
"Morning?" Lilyanna looked to the side and saw that the sun had already risen, beginning to bathe its light over the land. "When the fuck did that happen?!"
Rhaenys chuckled, "Bye, Lilyanna."
"You guys said you can see me at any time; does this mean you can see everything that I do? Like you can see me when I''m alone, when I use the privy?!" Lilyanna asked afraid of what the answer would be, but already knowing what it would be.
Her question went unanswered, but Rhaenys'' smile grew into a wide grin as the three became smokey figures before disappearing.
Lilyanna stared at the spot where the three once stood, "I''ll never be able to shit comfortably ever again."
Having the three of them around more would be helpful. We could figure out what the Gods are trying to do with and having them by my side when I''m lucid would make that easier. Lilyanna thought.
Lilyanna turned behind her, looking at the doors when she heard someone moving around the room frantically. She braced herself when she heard that person moving towards the balcony, and when the doors swung open, Lilyanna saw the worried face of her mother.
"Lilyanna! I was looking for you-why weren''t you in bed and how long have you been out here?" Alicent exclaimed, looking her daughter over for any signs of injury.
"Uh, a few hours, I think. I couldn''t sleep." Lilyanna answered.
Alicent stood straighter, closing the distance between them, holding her face in both hands. "You should have wakened me; I would have sent for the Grand Maester."
Lilyanna had to keep the disgust that she felt from appearing on her face when she thought of what Orwyle would give her to ''help'' her fall asleep. "You needed your rest, mother."
"And you did not?" Alicent asked.
"I''m sure that not sleeping today will make me so tired that I will fall asleep the second my head hits the pillow tonight."
"And you are sure that you are well? That you do not need a maester?"
"Yes, I am sure."
Alicent stared at her daughter intensely, "Lily, you can talk to me about your feelings. You can tell me about how you are doing after last night."
"I know-"
Alicent shook her head, "I don''t think you do. It is okay to be afraid, what happened last night was traumatizing, you should not have had to stain your hands with blood."
Lilyanna did not say anything, wrapping her arms around her mother''s waist and laying her head against her shoulder.
Alicent hugged her fiercely, kissing the top of her forehead and then resting her own head against Lilyanna''s.
Sorry mother, I''m not the innocent girl that you think I am. I''m going to have to make my hands even bloodier if I want to save us all. Lilyanna thought.
And the girl hated just how fine she was with the thought of killing again, how quickly she had moved on from her pervious guilt and anxiety.
Normality
A Few Days Later
Lilyanna''s jaw clenched tightly as she walked through the halls of the Red Keep. After leaving her lesson with Orwyle, she had gone to her bedroom to change her clothes for her daily training with her brothers and nephews. But continuing to hear Ser Rickard Thorne''s footsteps along with the clanging of his armor throughout her day, angered the princess tremendously.
Rickard had been the one chosen to watch over her at all times. Him being the one to first discover Lilyanna and the catspaw in her bedroom had been seen as admirable by Viserys.
Over the past few days, Lilyanna could not even breath without someone watching her, following her, she hated how everyone was walking on eggshell around her. And once word had spread about the attempt on her life, the stares of everyone in the Keep only grew worse.
Once Lilyanna and Rickard had reached the front yard, Lilyanna saw that the boys were already there. This was their return to training after being given a break due to Criston being needed along with the other Kingsguards for the investigation of Lilyanna''s attacker. The entirety of which was being headed by the Hand at Viserys'' order, Lyonel was to continue looking for any clues until a perpetrator or perpetrators could be found.
"Brothers, nephews. Ser Criston has not arrived yet?" Lilyanna said as she moved to stand in line with them.
Aemond was the one to answer her, "No, father needed to speak to mother about something, so Ser Criston told us to head to the yard without him while he escorted her."
Aegon then gave her a smirk, "So, you don''t need to worry about Criston punishing you for being late again."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "Aegon, you are late far more than I ever am. Besides, my daily schedule is so full that I''m going to be late to things sometimes."
"Mother isn''t late to things, she''s always on time. Even to boring meetings." Daeron said, thinking about how Alicent was constantly impressing upon them that it was wrong to be tardy.
Well, mother does care far more about proprietary, etiquette, and duty more than I ever will. Lilyanna thought.
Criston walked into the yard at that moment, ending the conversation as the children faced forward, straightening their posture as they stood single file.
Rickard had nodded his head to Criston and reentered the Keep. Now that his fellow brother in arms was there to watch over the royal children, his presence was no longer required, but the older man would return once the lesson was over to help Criston escort them.
Criston stood in front of his charges, "Put your swords down, you will not be needing them for right now."
The six children looked at each other, wondering just what Criston had in store for them, but followed the man''s order, placing their training swords down on a nearby rack.
Criston walked in front of the group looking at each one of them as he passed, "As you all know, Princess Lilyanna was attacked a few days ago."
The boys looked towards Lilyanna, but she did not meet any of their gazes, focusing on the man in front of them.
"It was a failing on the part of the knights of this castle, on the part of myself and my fellow Kingsguard that this was allowed to happen." Criston said. Anger filled the Dornishman as he thought about the entire situation, how the assassin was able to hide within plain sight for an entire moon, how no one noticed or cared that the man had been watching and inquiring about Lilyanna during that time.
His rage continued to fester as he remembered that night, the blood that covered most of Lilyanna''s body, the despondent look in her eyes, how she refused to remove her gaze from the assassin''s body until she was pulled out of the room.
"It has shown how complacent we have become, and we are rectifying this. But in case we fail again, I must ensure that you are all prepared to face any threats to your lives."
Jacaerys spoke up, "But aren''t you already doing this? Lily took care of the attacker; she used what was taught to her and won."
Criston paused, turning his head, and staring at Jacaerys with a heated glare, he then turned on his heel and walked towards the boy, standing directly in front of him. "Is that what you think? This is not some game, Prince Jacaerys, this is life and death. Princess Lilyanna is skilled, undoubtedly so, but she won as you said because her enemy was not, he was a greedy peasant who had never been in a training yard. And I doubt you would have been able to do as she had done," Criston then looked towards the others, his gaze remaining on Lucerys the longest, "I doubt most of you would have."
Jacaerys turned his gaze to the ground, his fists clenched at his sides, biting his lip to keep himself from speaking out of turn and drawing more of the man''s ire unto himself.
This was always what it was like for the two Velaryon princes when it came to being taught by Criston Cole. The Kingsguard was always harder on them and less attentive than he was to their uncles and aunt, acting as if they were a problem that he was forced to endure.
I don''t know why Ser Criston does not like me and Luke, but I wish he''d get over it! Jacaerys thought to himself.
Criston continued his speech, "As you all are now, your abilities are lacking. And if we want to improve them, we must first start with your strength and stamina."
Aegon cleared his throat, "And how are we going to do that?"
Criston gave them a large smile that made them even more nervous and skeptical, he then moved to a table that was placed against one of the outer walls, "With these."
The royals followed him to the table, vambraces, breastplates, greaves, swords, and shields lined its surface.
Aegon''s brow furrowed, "How is any of this going to help us improve? We use these all the time."
"No, we haven''t." Lilyanna said, drawing everyone''s attention.
"What do you mean?" Aegon asked.
Lilyanna lifted a vambrace, knowing that her suspicion was right when she felt how heavy it was, "All of the pieces here a weighted, they are far heavier than anything we have used. I would say they are a couple of pounds each." She then looked up at Criston, "You want us to wear these, don''t you?"
Criston''s smile grew larger, thoroughly amused by the disbelief and dread on their faces at the idea of having to do their training in such heavy armor.
"You''re not serious, are you?" Aegon asked, dreading this day more than any of them.
Criston was serious, "Well, what are you all waiting for? Take some pieces and put them on."
One by one, they each took a piece of armor to put on themselves. Lilyanna, Jacaerys, and Aemond each took a breastplate, Daeron and Lucerys each took two vambraces, and Aegon took two greaves.
Criston nodded his head as he looked each of them over, his smile turned in a smirk, "Now, who''s ready for a run?"
I hate this! Lucerys thought, breathing heavily through his mouth as he struggled to keep running.
Criston had forced his charges to continuously jog around the perimeter of the yard, a task that was made even more difficult due to the heavy pieces of armor that they were all wearing.
Lucerys was not sure how much time had passed since they started, all he knew was that he wanted nothing more than for it to end. As the youngest and smallest, Lucerys had been trailing the others, having been overtaken by his brother, uncles, and aunt so much that he stopped counting whenever one of them would pass him by.
Lucerys used his hands to wipe away the sweat that had gathered on his forehead, feeling the stinging sensation when the sweat would begin to drip down into his eyes.
The young prince wheezed, throwing his head back and letting out a groan, he squinted his eyes as he looked at the burning light of the sun above him. Due to his distraction, he stepped on the back of his heel with his other foot as he was trudging forward, causing him to trip over himself, falling face first into the muddy ground.
"Ahh!" Lucerys cried, the force of hitting the ground along with the ache and fatigue he already had from running mingled together causing pain to flare across his body.
"Lucerys!" Jacaerys yelled when he saw his brother trip and fall, immediately running to his side. "Are you alright?"
The older boy kneeled next to the younger, trying to pull him off the ground. Jacaerys was able to roll his brother onto his back, his eyes widening as he took in the dirty and blood mess that covered Lucerys'' face. The others had stopped running as soon as they heard Lucerys scream, moving towards the brothers after Jacaerys ran to his brother, surrounding them in a half circle.
Criston stood behind the group, his arms folded behind his back as he stared at the sniveling boy coldly, "Is there a reason Lucerys is holding up the lesson? Other than crying his eyes out."
Lilyanna glared at the Kingsguard before moving to kneel next to Jacaerys, "Luke, Luke, I need you to move your hands from your face."
Lucerys hiccuped but complied, placing his arms down at his sides as he looked up at his aunt. "It...it hurts, Lily."
Lilyanna frowned, "I know, Luke."
The princess used her hand to wipe away some of the dirt on Lucerys'' face, ignoring his whimpering, "It looks like a split lip, the blood is just making it look worse than it is. Do you feel pain anywhere else?"
"My chest and-and my arms." Lucerys said softly, his breathing slowly returning to normal as he relaxed.
I wish I had my materials with me. Lilyanna thought as she looked Lucerys over again.
All her supplies were in her bedroom as she did not believe that she would need to bring them with her to the yard, only doing so when she went into the city or was watching Orwyle with a patient.
"Alright, let''s take off the vambraces, that should alleviate some of the pain." Lilyanna turned her head to Criston, "He needs to go inside. He cannot continue for today."
Criston looked from the princess to the youngest prince, his expression not showing a hint of sympathy. "I thought you said it was just a split lip? That is not enough to be considered a true injury; he will be fine."
I doubt that excuse will satisfy Rhaenyra and Laenor. Lilyanna thought, knowing that Criston''s newest form of exercise along with Lucerys'' injury, would anger the boy''s parents enough, but if they learned that Criston had refused the prince medical attention and forced him to continue, this would only infuriate them even more and she doubts that Alicent would be able to successfully vouch for Criston again.
"He looks too tired to keep going, Ser Criston. And he will need to clean his lip." Aemond said, thinking the same thing as his sister. If Lucerys was forced to continue training, then Rhaenyra would do everything in her power to ensure that Criston was punished for it.
Criston shook his head, "If he cannot continue then fine, Lucerys may sit on the bench whilst we carry on. But he is not to leave until I conclude our session; he may not be participating but there is still much to be learned from observing."
Jacaerys was about to argue with the Kingsguard himself, when Lucerys sat up, drawing the group''s attention.
"I''m... I''m fine, I can sit and watch." Lucerys said, his lips still bleeding, refusing to look at his brother.
Criston nodded his head, "Good, then-"
"No." Lilyanna said, cutting the Kingsguard off.
Criston looked at the girl surprised, "No? Princess, what are-"
"Our session today is bound to be longer than usual and Lucerys needs to be treated now, it would be foolish to deny this." Lilyanna then pushed herself to her feet, gently pulling Lucerys up with her. Lilyanna then removed the vambraces from Lucerys'' arms before taking off the breastplate she was wearing, placing them on the ground.
"I will return after I make sure Luke is looked after." Lilyanna said as she took Lucerys'' hand within her own, leading them towards the castle doors.
"You cannot leave like this, Princess Lilyanna; I have not dismissed either of you." Criston called out; his anger visible on his features.
Lilyanna turned her head back to look at Criston as she walked, "I will take whatever punishment you feel comfortable giving me when I return, Ser."
Lucerys stared at the side of his aunt''s face wide eyed as they walked into the Red Keep, "Wow, Lily. I don''t think I''ve ever seen anyone talk to Ser Criston like that."
To him, Criston Cole had always been an imposing and confident force for as long as he had known the man. Lucerys could feel the lack of respect and care Criston had for him, his brother, and his parents despite being a man sworn to protect the King and his family.
But this was the opposite whenever Criston was in the presence of the Queen and her children, where he went beyond the role of silent and ever-present protector, being closer and more open with them than anyone else in King''s Landing.
Like Ser Harwin... Lucerys thought, thinking about the close relationship he and his family had with the Lord Commander of the City Watch.
"Don''t be too impressed; Ser Criston is definitely going to make me pay for being smart with him later." Lilyanna blew a raspberry, muttering her next words, "Even though he was being a cunt."
Lucerys tilted his head, hearing what she said, "What''s a cunt?"
Lilyanna''s eyes grew wide, her head quickly turning towards her nephew, "It is nothing! And do not tell your mother I said that in front of you."
Lucerys began to smile mischievously at the tinge of fear that passed through his aunt''s eyes, "But I really want to know. And if you won''t tell me then mother is the best person to ask."
Lilyanna threw her head back and groaned, "Luke!"
Lucerys giggled, his smile growing as he saw the annoyed expression on Lilyanna''s face.
"Whatever, let us get you to the Grand Maester." Lilyanna said as she started to walk in the direction of Orwyle''s chambers.
"No!" Lucerys exclaimed, tugging Lilyanna''s arm, stopping them both.
"Why?" Lilyanna asked, confused by the reaction.
"Mother doesn''t like maesters, I mean, she likes Maester Gerardys when we visit Dragonstone, but she doesn''t like any other." Lucerys replied.
"But she has never stopped any of you from being looked upon by Mellos when he was alive. Granted she had healers in the room to check over his treatment whenever she did." Lilyanna argued.
She remembered the stir that was made when during and after Jacaerys'' birth, how Rhaenyra brought in midwives and healers to tend to them, demanding that the Grand Maester not be permitted anywhere nearby. From that day on, Rhaenyra entrusted the welfare of herself, her children, and her husband to these women.
Mellos had brought this to Viserys, insulted that the Princess of Dragonstone did not trust him and his medical expertise, and asked the King to banish the midwives and healers from the city, but the King refused, claiming that Rhaenyra was well within her bounds to decide who would be capable of treating herself and her family.
Lucerys looked down at the ground, "She did, but not since Elaera''s funeral."
Lilyanna froze as she stared at Lucerys, her nephew refused to meet her eye. Elaera had been a sore subject for the royal family and for Lilyanna and Alicent especially.
Lucerys tried to apologize, "Lily, I''m so-"
"Let''s go to my room."
Lucerys looked up at his aunt, "What?"
Lilyanna remained expressionless as she met his gaze, "You don''t want to go to Orwyle, so come to my room I have them supplies for your injuries in there."
The two remained quiet as they made their way towards the Holdfast, neither wanting to speak and make the tense atmosphere that had befallen them worse.
"Rhae. Rhaenyra, slow down." Laenor called out as he tried to catch up to his wife without breaking out into a run.
"I don''t think she is going to stop until she sees the prince, my lord." Harwin said as he matched pace with Laenor.
A few minutes earlier, the trio had been informed by one of Rhaenyra''s ladies in waiting that she had seen Lilyanna enter the Keep dragging a bloody and mud stained Lucerys with her in the direction of Maegor''s Holdfast.
When Laenor asked what had happened, the woman replied that she did not know for certain, but she had overheard servants speaking about how Criston had changed his usual lesson for the children, which may have been the cause.
Rhaenyra immediately stood from the chair she was sitting in and without saying a word, left the room in the direction of her sister''s bedchamber.
Laenor let out a disparaging chuckle, "I believe you may be right." Laenor had thought that he had become overprotective of their children since becoming a parent, but he knew this trait of his paled in comparison to Rhaenyra''s.
He felt relieved when he saw the door to Lilyanna''s bedchamber a few feet from them, but his eyes grew wide when Rhaenyra did not bother to knock, simply opening the door and going inside.
"You guys got here faster than I thought you would." Lilyanna said as she turned her head, seeing the three adults entering the room. She knew the moment that they had entered the Keep and people would talk about Lucerys'' appearance, and that word would eventually reach the boy''s parents.
"Mother, father, Ser Harwin." Lucerys greeted them with a wave, the boy was sitting on Lilyanna''s bed as the girl kneeled in front of him. Lucerys had some type of ointment on his lips, and he was currently shirtless with a reddish colored cream on his arms and chest.
Rhaenyra quickly made her way to the bed; Lilyanna barely had time to get out of the way as Rhaenyra took her place in front of Lucerys.
Rhaenyra cupped Lucerys face with her hands, "Oh, my sweet boy. What happened to you?"
Lucerys did not waste time telling his parents and sworn protector what had happened in the courtyard, from having to wear weighted vambraces and running around the yard, tripping, and falling into the dirt, to Criston refusing to allow him to receive treatment, wanting him to remain until he personally dismissed his students.
Laenor glowered, "Where does that man get off treating one of my sons in such a manner?"
"But Lily told him off and brought me here even though Ser Criston told her that we could not leave; it was great! And she even looked over me, just like she does for grandfather!" Lucerys exclaimed as he finished recounting the events of what led to this point.
Rhaenyra turned to her sister, "You treated Luke?"
"He told me that you do not want him going to any maesters besides Gerardys, I did not know where the healers you have in your employment stay, so I figured that why should I waste time looking for them for something that I could easily take care of myself." Lilyanna explained, it was a half-truth; in reality, the thought of bringing Lucerys to her sister''s paid healers did not cross her mind even once.
Rhaenyra smiled gratefully, "You are quite capable. Thank you, Lily."
Lilyanna looked away from her sister, a light blush dusted her cheeks, "It was nothing."
It was an action that reminded Rhaenyra so much of Alicent that it warmed her heart, but as she thought of the Queen her smile fell as her thoughts drifted to the Queen''s protector.
While she knew that Criston hated her, Rhaenyra found it deplorable and childish that he would transfer that same hatred to Jacaerys and Lucerys simply because they were her sons.
Just when she was about to respond, the door of Lilyanna''s bedroom swung open, her eldest son along with her brothers were standing in the doorway. Just like Lucerys, the boys were also sweaty and covered in caked mud.
"Lily!" Aegon whined as he made his way into the room, dramatically falling face first into the middle of Lilyanna''s bed, spreading mud onto it as he moved around. "Everything hurts!"
Lilyanna stared at her brother with annoyance, "If you were going to climb onto my bed could you not have at least changed your clothes?"
Aegon lifted his head and pointed at Lucerys, "Luke is on your bed and he''s dirty too."
"Luke is sitting on a towel. So right now, you are the one destroying my sheets." Lilyanna said, and when Aegon looked at their nephew he noticed the towel that the younger boy was sitting on.
"Oops." Aegon said sheepishly.
Lilyanna turned to the others, "I''m guessing Ser Criston dismissed you all?"
"He did, but he had us spar with each other before he let us leave." Daeron answered, walking to his sister''s bed and sitting next to Aegon. He noticed the blank stare that his sister was giving him, "What? Your bed is already dirty because of Aegon."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "Do any of you have any injuries or is it just muscle pain?"
"Muscle pain." The four said in unison.
"Alright, give me a moment." Lilyanna said, walking towards her desk and pulling out the extra jars of the cream she used on Lucerys.
"It seems that we''ll need to speak to the King about his Kingsguard''s conduct." Laenor said, looking between the boys and his wife.
"We do, this is intolerable." Rhaenyra said sharply as she rose to her feet.
Lilyanna looked away from Daeron''s arm as she looked at her sister and good brother, "Wait, I admit that Ser Criston had taken things a bit far today, but his actions were born from a misguided instinct to protect."
"What do you mean?" Rhaenyra asked.
"Ser Criston wants us to progress faster... so that what happened to me a few nights ago will not have a different outcome should it happen again." Lilyanna explained.
Rhaenyra''s expression hardened, "Even if that is the case, he should not push you, any of you beyond your means because of his and the Kingsguards'' failure to protect our family. You are a child, Lilyanna, you should not have to worry about having to defend yourself in a place where you should be safe."
To the elder princess, it just revealed more of Criston''s flaws that he was using Lilyanna''s attack to push her sons and siblings to improve. It also angered her because Rhaenyra knew that Criston only trained her sons out of duty, not because he genuinely wanted them to be great warriors, so in her eyes, Criston was also using this as an opportunity to imply that Jacaerys and Lucerys were lesser than their aunt and uncles.
Lilyanna sighed, going back to treating her nephew and brothers, knowing that Rhaenyra had already made her decision.
She had noticed the awkward but neutral middle ground that Alicent and Rhaenyra had found themselves in over the last few moons, a much-preferred place to be in then the blatant cold war they were in before.
And Lilyanna feared a returned to that status quo would happen if Rhaenyra and Laenor were to confront Viserys and demand punishment for Criston, even if she did know that Criston had been harder on them then he should have been, especially with Jacaerys and Lucerys.
"Mother," Lucerys said, giving Lilyanna an impish grin before looking back at his parents, "What''s a cunt? I heard Lily call Ser Criston one, but she won''t tell me what it is."
You fucking brat! Lilyanna thought as she saw Rhaenyra quickly turn to face her.
Rhaenyra reached forward and grabbed her sister by the ear, pulling on it, "Lilyanna, why are you using such language, especially in front of your nephews? They are impressionable, you should know better, now my sweet boy is dirtying his mouth with such speech."
Lilyanna winced in pain, but gave Rhaenyra a grin, "I don''t know why you are blaming me, sister. You act as if you are above it, but I remember how you cursed out your midwives when you gave birth to Jace and Luke. If anything, you should be taking responsibly for my foul mouth. Maybe I should tell mother where I learned it from? I wonder how she would react?"
Laenor let out a snort as he watched his wife grab both of Lilyanna''s ears in response, squeezing both harder.
"Why have I been given such a brat with smart mouth for a sister? This is why Helaena is my favorite." Rhaenyra said as she gave Lilyanna a fake smile.
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"Now I am really going to tell mother-ow! Rhaenyra, let go, that hurts!" Lilyanna exclaimed as the pain coming from her ears worsened as Rhaenyra''s grip on them tightened.
The others laughed, watching the scene with amusement, but none more than Lucerys. It was not his intention to get his aunt in trouble, but he knew that Rhaenyra would not take it very seriously, and he enjoyed watching the mask of Crown Princess Rhaenyra often wore slip, allowing Lucerys to see the fun, loving, and caring mother, sister, and wife that the rest of the world rarely, if ever, got to witness.
Hours Later
Criston Cole was standing in a shadowed corner that he was hiding within as he continued to watch the scene in front of him. As he was going to his bedroom in the Kingsguard holding, he had been ordered to Viserys'' bedchamber, and waiting for him there was the King, the Queen he had sworn to protect, the Crown Princess and her consort.
Viserys had suspended training for his grandsons and younger children for the next few days to give them time to recuperate and had ordered the Kingsguard to apologize to his daughter and good son for Lucerys'' injury, and the next day Criston would have to apologize to Lucerys himself as well.
Rhaenyra demanded that this was not a suitable punishment for being so negligent that he put her son''s life in danger, she claimed that he should no longer be the master-in-arms for her sons, brothers, and sister, even going as far as to nominate Harwin Strong as his replacement.
Alicent, his pious and kind Lady, had argued for leniency, stating that an apology along with having his lessons monitored by another knight, and having to disclose what his lessons for that day would be, whether permanently or for a yet to be determined amount of time, would be more than enough of a punishment.
Viserys had sided with his wife, much to the barely hid frustration of his eldest daughter, but Criston knew that he too did not win as he was forced to lower his head and apologize to Rhaenyra and Laenor, promising to never be so carless around their sons.
Alicent was not pleased with her sworn protector and quickly made that known after leaving Viserys'' chambers and going into her own.
"What were you thinking, Ser Criston?" Alicent asked as the two were now alone, "You cannot be openly antagonistic to Rhaenyra''s son."
"That was not my intention, my Queen. The boy simply could not keep up with the others and sought to be coddled when he failed." Criston argued.
Alicent''s eyes narrowed, "That is not what it looked like to everyone else. Why did you even force the children into such an inane exercise?"
"I trying to help them improve faster, after what happened with the assassin I-"
Alicent openly glaring at the man, "While I admit that your training had prepared my daughter, she should not have had to dirty her hands with the blood of another. And she would not have had to, if the knights and guards of this castle were doing their jobs properly."
Criston looked away, "I know, Your Grace. It is a regret and shame that shall haunt me until the end of my days."
Criston had felt the weight of that night on his shoulders, an anger that had overcome him when he saw the emptiness in Lilyanna''s eyes after she killed her attacker. He was supposed to be a sword, a shield for his Queen and her children, and yet he failed to notice the presence of a force there to cause them harm.
Alicent''s body shook, a silent fear overcoming her, "This cannot happen again, Criston. I... I do not know what I would do if something happened to Lilyanna, to any of my children.
"I will not let this happen again; I promise."
After he was dismissed by Alicent, Criston wandered around for a while lost in his thought, when he planned to return to his bedchamber, he was drawn to the sound of heavy thuds and strikes, along with obnoxious laughter.
He found himself in an open hallway that overlooked the front yard, in front of him was Lilyanna, once again dressed in her training armor, her wooden swords in hand as she practiced her strikes against the straw men that she had brought out.
Criston knew that occasionally Lilyanna would go out and practice on her own, her perfectionist nature demanded that she right every flaw that found itself at her feet, but he also saw it as a way that the princess cleared her mind when troubling thoughts found her.
"You should have seen the looks on Lady Alena Algood and Ser Gerold Templeton faces when they were caught fucking in the garden! It was glorious, Templeton had dropped Lady Alena right on her bum when he noticed that they were no longer alone, revealing his small and shriveled cock to all!" Mushroom squealed, laughing as he recounted what he and a few nobles had seen earlier that day.
Criston glared at the dwarf that was sitting on top of a barrel a few feet from Lilyanna as he heard the vulgar gossip that he was telling her. He did not understand why his princess was so enamored with the court fool, going as far as to claim the dwarf as her friend.
To him, Mushroom was nothing more than a pathetic and hideous lack-wit whose presence around his charge was actively damaging the good reputation that she had managed to build with being taken as the student of two Grand Maesters and with her heading the creation of the royal bank.
"Wait, Gerold Templeton? I''ve seen Lady Alena, she is one of the comelier women of court, why would she be interested in an old, blading, and out of shape knight like Templeton when there are so many younger and more handsome men around?" Lilyanna questioned as she continued her exercise.
Mushroom shrugged, his smile becoming more impish, "I hear that Templeton bears a resemblance to the Lady''s late father. Women do that, you know; fuck men who look and act like their fathers when said fathers don''t like or pay attention to them."
Lilyanna''s face scrunched upwards in disgust, "Eww."
Mushroom chuckled, "Are you saying you do not want a man like the King? Your father has quite the appearance, one that keeps eyes always on him, princess."
Lilyanna''s disgust became even more visible at the thought of Viserys Targaryen in a context of desirability, temporarily standing still as she turned towards Mushroom. "If I ever fuck a man that looks like my father, I will throw myself into the jaws of one of my siblings'' dragons with the upmost expedience. Death would be the only option if my sanity had deteriorated to such a point."
Criston frowned and clenched his hands as he heard Mushroom laugh, not liking how the dwarf had gotten Lilyanna to insult the King.
I know that King Viserys was never the most handsome and striking of men, and that his health deteriorating has only added to his¡ less than desirable appearance, but that is no reason to insult him so. Criston thought.
Tired of listening to Mushroom manipulating Lilyanna into insulting her father, Criston stepped out of the shadows, walking towards the pair.
Mushroom noticed the man approaching, smiling at the Kingsguard, "Your gallant and strong knight has arrived, princess."
"My who?" Lilyanna asked before turning around, "Oh, Ser Criston."
"Princess Lilyanna." Criston greeted the girl.
Mushroom pouted and crossed his arms aggressively, "Where is Mushroom''s greeting, Ser? With my exalted position in court, I deserve one as well."
Lilyanna covered her mouth with the back of her hand, hiding her laughter as she watched Criston glare venomously at the dwarf, not hiding the distain he held for Mushroom.
"I suppose I must be a princess for me to be treated kindly by you, Cole. Or maybe I need to be a pretty Valyrian princess who hangs off your every word?" Mushroom added, unfazed by Criston''s scowl.
Lilyanna''s eyes widened slightly, she knew that in Fire & Blood, Mushroom was the one who claimed that Daemon had taught Rhaenyra how pleasure a man, a lesson that she used in seducing Criston, but she had yet to hear such a rumor circulating the Red Keep.
But Mushroom is implying that he knows which can''t be true because Criston leaving Rhaenyra''s service and going into my mother''s follows the canon of the show, not the books. Unless he was somehow listening when Alicent confronted Criston. Lilyanna thought, wondering if Mushroom truly knew or was just making up another one of his salacious tales, a tale that was somewhat true.
Criston growled, his face turning red with anger as he placed his hand on the handle of his sword. "What did you just say, you gutter rat?"
He knew an implication when he heard one, and the fact that Mushroom was implying to know Criston''s greatest shame infuriated him, even more so because Lilyanna was there and would no doubt question what Mushroom was saying.
Lilyanna cleared her throat, stepping in front of Mushroom, "I do not believe Mushroom meant anything with what he said. He is always making up stories and saying random nonsense, Ser Criston."
Criston physically relaxed, but was still glaring at the dwarf, waiting for him to say anything that contradicted Lilyanna''s words.
Lilyanna turned to the shorter man, "I thank you for helping me pass the time, you are excused now, Mushroom."
Mushroom looked between the princess and the knight, "Is that right?"
"The princess has asked you to leave, imp." Criston spat, the grip on his sword tightening.
Mushroom laughed, jumping off the barrel he was sitting on, "Of course, good night, Lilyanna, Ser Cole."
Once the dwarf was gone, Criston turned to Lilyanna, "You cannot allow the court fool to act so casually with you, Princess Lilyanna."
"Mushroom means no disrespect; it does not bother me how he acts." Lilyanna said.
"I say this because others could see this and begin to treat you disrespectfully. Those who reside in this city often need to be reminded of their place." Criston argued, knowing how quickly those in King''s Landing would belittle others when given the opportunity.
"I will keep this in mind, but I know when others are simply being friendly or when they are being malicious."
"You are far too kind, Your Grace." Criston replied, viewing the girl''s actions as both na?ve and too lenient.
Lilyanna scoffed, a smile appearing on her lips, "Truthfully, I am not."
A moment passed and neither spoke, the sound of Lilyanna''s wooden swords hitting the straw man were the only thing that could be heard.
"Is something bothering you, princess?" Criston eventually asked.
Lilyanna gave him a knowing smile, "No, I''m fine, I figured I should make up for the lesson I left early. Would you be willing to take what I''ve done tonight and lighten the punishment you will give me to tomorrow?"
Criston let a little laugh at what Lilyanna was trying to do, but it ended as quickly as it began as he remembered what the King had ordered. "There will be no lesson tomorrow or for the next few days."
Lilyanna stopped swinging her swords as she looked at Criston, "Why not?"
"Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Laenor spoke to the King about my conduct earlier today. The King decided to give you all time to recuperate as he believed me to be too harsh." Criston explained reluctantly.
Lilyanna was not surprised as Rhaenyra told her that was what she was going to do. She wanted to know if that was all Viserys gave Criston in terms of punishment, but knew better than to ask the knight, seeing the anger and humiliation on his face.
I will find out tomorrow. Nothing in the Red Keep stays secret for long, if Viserys punished Criston then everyone would know about it soon enough.
"I apologize for undermining your authority today, Ser Criston, but you did go too far today, Luke is a small child, so are Jace, Daeron, and Aemond, they shouldn''t have been doing everything you told them to do." Lilyanna said plainly.
Criston met her gaze, "You are underestimating your younger brothers, they have shown to handle plenty of what is thrown at them."
"And what about Luke? He just started his martial training; he is not ready to be pushed that far."
"Prince Lucerys will not remain a child forever, neither will Prince Jacaerys. Underestimating them will lead to you and your brothers being caught unprepared by them in the future."
"No, they will not." Lilyanna said, understanding what Criston was implying, the treason that he was hiding within his words, "But Jacaerys and Lucerys are not my enemies, nor are they enemies of my brothers."
It was clear to Lilyanna that her words were falling on deaf ears as Criston did not respond, looking away from her and towards the castle gates. Lilyanna sighed, deciding to move their conversation in a different direction as she knew that convincing the Kingsguard would be a towering task, and not one she could accomplish with mere words. "I also have to thank you."
Criston turned back to the princess, his confusion evident, "Thank me for what?"
Lilyanna looked down at the ground, her grip on her swords tightening, "Since that assassin tried to kill me, everyone has been moving cautiously around, treating me like I am made of glass, it''s insulting. You have been the only person not to do so, so I must thank you."
"That is not something you need to thank me for, my princess." Criston remarked.
He then looked up at the cloudless night sky, "I remember the first time I had to take a life, it was during my time fighting in the Dornish Marches. Some Dornishmen had raided a town near Blackhaven looking for glory and riches, and as the squire of a knight, I was deemed skilled enough to go. I was excited to go, it was the first time that I would fight in a real battle, and as the son of steward and coming from such a minor house and low status, I was eager to prove myself."
"How old were you?" Lilyanna asked surprised, and fascinated that Criston was telling her about his life before becoming a Kingsguard.
"I was five and ten." Criston replied.
Lilyanna wanted to be shocked that Criston had killed his first man so young, but she was not, she knew that in the world she now lived in children were expected and forced to grow up faster than they should.
And for Criston who was a squire, his first kill, if they were an important person or he had defended someone from attack, would have earned him a knighthood.
Criston continued to recount his story, "I do not know who the man was at time, even now, I still do not know his identity, but back then, on the battlefield he had cut a bloody path through our men, running straight towards Lord Beric Dondarrion''s youngest son, Calrin. Ser Calrin did not see the man swiftly approaching him, but I did. My body moved without hesitation, and the next thing I knew, my sword was embedded in the man''s back. He was dead before his body even hit the ground, and I was knighted by Ser Calrin immediately after the battle ended."
"I..." Lilyanna trailed off not knowing what to say in response, to anyone else it would have been taken as a feat of Criston''s skill and bravery, but she could hear the coldness in his voice, could see the see the contempt in his eyes as he spoke.
Criston sighed, "Lord Dondarrion, Ser Calrin, my father; everyone praised me for what I had done, called me brave and heroic for killing the man who tried to kill the son of my liege. I wanted to bask in what was at the time my greatest accomplishment, but all I could think about was that man''s face. I did not even know his name, but all I could think of was what kind of person he was, if he had friends and family. He had come to raid the Southernmost part of the Stormlands for some reason, but he had been killed so easily by a na?ve little green boy, it was these thought that made me realize there was no honor in killing for glory, prestige, or to satiate your bloodlust."
"Then when is killing honorable?" Lilyanna asked.
Criston looked back at Lilyanna, "Knights swear to defend those who cannot; the innocent, the weak, women, but defending oneself is just as honorable."
Lilyanna turned towards the Keep, "Does taking a life become easier to deal with?"
Criston paused for a moment; he could not deny that once he accepted the chivalric codes of knighthood that killing others became as easy to do as breathing for him. "It does."
And he could understand the guilt that Lilyanna most likely felt and was trying to keep hidden to remain strong and not appear weak. "Princess Lilyanna, you should not let the death of someone as cowardly and pathetic as a man who tried to kill you for coin, weigh on your conscious. Not as I once did with the man who invaded my homeland and tried to kill the son of my liege."
Lilyanna appreciated what Criston was saying, but she did not feel guilt or emptiness like he did when he first took a life. She had been horrified by how easily she had killed the assassin, but she did not feel remorse for his death, before she even knew it, she was able to rationalize that only one of them was leaving her bedroom alive that night and that she had done what was necessary to ensure that it was her.
Would I have been able to do this if I were still Rosalind McDainels instead of Lilyanna Targaryen? Or have I always been capable of this deep down?
"Thank you, Ser Criston, I will take your words to heart." Lilyanna said, trying to ignore her lingering doubts.
Criston smiled, "That is all I ask. Now, allow me to escort you to your bedchamber, it is quite late."
The princess did not argue, holding her training swords in left hand as she and Criston entered the Keep, the pair walking side by side in silence.
Lilyanna sighed as she walked into her bedroom and closed the door behind her, throwing her training swords onto her bed as she began to take off her boots. Lilyanna removed her first boot before she froze, seeing a piece of paper sticking out from underneath her pillow.
What is that? Lilyanna thought as she pulled the parchment out from where it had been placed. She knew that someone had to have put it there, wanting her to find it. She unfolded the parchment, revealing the words that were written on it.
The eldest Lion of Casterly has done a full sweep of his servants and guards, having most of them replaced.
This has been going on for the last few moons, but a few days ago he had a man, Andaran, who had been a steward in his house for over thirty years, hanged in Lannisport.
A Steward who had two moons prior made a trip to Silverhill for business under his liege''s name, business that he refused to disclose and kept hidden from all.
He is now planning to make a large donation to the royal bank, a showing of goodwill he called it.
The note had no signature, but Lilyanna knew the only person who could have written it and gotten it into her bedroom without being caught was Talya.
Lilyanna ripped up the parchment and throw the pieces into her fireplace, knowing that she could not leave any trace of it that could be found later. Mysaria must have given this information to Talya. Getting rid of most of his servants and guards, having a steward killed, and donating a hefty sum of gold, all occurring after my bank was created and when that assassin tried to kill me all point to-
A head sliver hair leaned over Lilyanna''s shoulder and into her line of vision, "So, the Lannisters are trying to undermine you, this more than confirms it."
Lilyanna jumped in surprise, tripping over her feet and falling face first onto her bed. When she rolled onto her back, she saw that Rhaenys had been the one standing over her whilst Aegon and Visenya stood behind her.
"I hate you three." Lilyanna said, staring at the Conquerors with an annoyed expression as they once again appeared out of nowhere and scared her.
Her statement was ignored as Visenya turned to Aegon, "We should have deposed of Loren and his disgusting cats after the Field of Fire like we did with the Gardeners."
"Most of the Gardeners died during the battle, if we killed Loren and the rest of his ilk after the battle and when he bent the knee, it would have made us unpopular with the people." Aegon argued.
Visenya scoffed, "We were already unpopular with the people; we bloody conquered them! Or do you not know what happened to Aenys after you dropped dead, and he ascended?"
Aegon''s expression hardened, staring darkly at his sister as he clenched his jaw, "I remember, and I remember your role in Maegor''s ascension, but that is not what we came here for."
Did the Gods tell them everything when they allowed the three of them to intervene in the timeline, or did they tell each other what happened after each of their deaths? I still don''t know definitively if there''s an afterlife or not. Lilyanna thought as she looked up at the Visenya and Aegon; the two still glaring at each other.
"Enough, you two." Rhaenys said, her expression becoming pinched as she gave her older siblings'' a look. "We have more important things to discuss."
"What are you going to do about the Master of Ships'' brother?" Rhaenys asked as she turned back to Lilyanna.
Lilyanna sighed, "There isn''t much I can do; there is no proof that Jason Lannister tried to have me killed. I mean, we all know that it was him, but like Lyman said any proof that could have been given died when I killed that assassin and with the hanging of Jason''s steward. It would be my word against his."
It burned her blood to think about, but Lilyanna knew that she would get no justice against the Warden of the West for his attempt on her life, it would be her word against his, with no witnesses to confess to the crime.
Lilyanna quickly sat up as she began to think over what she had read in Talya''s note. I won''t be able to prove Jason tried to kill me, especially as he seems to have kept any details of his plan between himself, his steward, and the man he hired to kill me. But I don''t need to have him arrested, executed, or deposed, I can hit that bastard where it truly hurts; his fucking wallet!
Lilyanna pushed herself to her feet and ran to her desk, pulling out a piece of parchment paper, ink, and a quill, beginning to write. The older Targaryens followed the younger, looking over her shoulder to see what she was doing.
"Who is this note for?" Aegon asked.
"It''s for Mysaria." Lilyanna said as she continued to write, "I can''t leave the Keep just yet; I must wait for more time to pass so that tension from my assault dies down, and I can leave without someone noticing that I have gone missing."
It had been far harder to disappear over the last few days with all the newfound attention on her, she had not been left alone for exceedingly long before someone would come to check on her. Alicent had even asked Rickard to check in on her during the night, while she was asleep to ensure that she was not in danger, so Lilyanna would have to give the note to Talya so that the handmaiden could get it to the spy master.
"And you are writing to her about the servants and knights that Jason had released? You believe that they may know something about what the Lannisters are hiding?" Aegon asked, reading what Lilyanna was writing.
Lilyanna looked back with a smirk, "I do. We know that Jason is a cunt, so I''m positive that the people who worked for him think the same. I doubt he gave those poor men and women much of anything when he fired and banished them from his home, so a few of them may not feel the desire to protect him, especially with the right incentive."
The princess then stood, walking towards the part of her bedroom wall where the secret door was hidden behind. She would need to go to Helaena''s room to retrieve some of the coin that she had left hidden there, taking it to place along with the note in her hands inside Talya''s room.
"I still cannot believe that you allowed Maegor to have these tunnels built in our Keep." Aegon said as he and his sisters followed Lilyanna into said tunnels.
Visenya rolled her eyes, "Allowed him? I was already dead by that point, so no I did not allow our son to do anything."
"You must admit that having tunnels only known to the royal family, is beneficial, especially during times of war or if the monarch is unpopular." Rhaenys said as she looked around.
"The tunnels are not entirely secret, there are a few nobles, knights, and servants who know about them, but not enough to ruin the appeal of them." Lilyanna said, whispering as unlike the other three, her voice would be heard beyond the floors and walls if she spoke any louder.
The group only had to walk a few feet before Lilyanna pushed the door in front of them open and entering Helaena''s room.
Her sister had been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, sitting up when she heard her bedroom''s tunnel door open. "Lily? What are you doing?"
"I need to get some of the gold I left in my stash." Lilyanna replied, moving to the hidden compartment that they had dug out.
Helaena climbed out bed, going to stand beside her now kneeling twin, "Why do you need it?"
"Bribery." Lilyanna admitted, she then looked at Helaena, remembering a thought she had about the three ghosts that were now bound to her. "Hey, Hels. Do you see anyone behind me?"
Helaena looked confused, "Lily, there''s no one here but us."
"And you don''t see any silhouettes? Shadows? Blurry spots? Sudden movement?" Lilyanna asked.
Helaena shook her head, "No."
Well, I guess that proves that only I can see them. At least I won''t have to worry if the three of them decide to pop up when I''m in public. Lilyanna thought.
"Wait, are they here? The Three Conquerors?" Helaena asked, Lilyanna had told her about her soul being bound to theirs and how they could appear to her now outside of her dreams. The silver haired princess stood straighter, beginning to fix her hair as she looked around them.
Lilyanna let out a snort, a sardonic grin appearing on her lips as she realized what Helaena was doing. "Don''t tell me you''re trying to make yourself presentable for them? Look at you; all shy and giddy at the thought of meeting them."
Helaena glared at her sister, slapping her shoulder, "I hate you."
Rhaenys chuckled at the sight, "Your sister is adorable, Lilyanna."
"She is." Lilyanna agreed, she then saw the confusion on his sister''s face, "Queen Rhaenys thinks you are positively adorable."
A light blush formed on Helaena''s cheeks, "Thank you."
"Do I need to be a beautiful, tall, blonde war criminal to get that kind of respect from you, Hely? I''ve never seen you act so star struck and timid before." Lilyanna japed.
"It would not hurt, but atlas, I''ve known you far too long to ever respect you." Helaena replied instantly.
Lilyanna playfully rolled her eyes, "I truly feel loved by you."
Helaena smiled at her sister, "Be safe when you leave. I don''t know how we''d explain this to our parents if you were caught."
The redhead pushed herself to her feet and began walking towards the tunnel door, "Of course. What do you take me for?"
"The world''s dumbest smart person." Helaena had to stop herself from laughing as Lilyanna turned around, staring blankly at her.
"Just for that, I''m not telling you anything else that Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys say." Lilyanna said with a huff, leaving Helaena''s room.
Rhaenys smiled playfully as they moved through the tunnels, "You and your sister have a funny relationship."
Lilyanna gave the woman a deadpanned expression, "I think you three are the last people who should be commenting on anyone''s relationship with their sibling."
"My sisters and I have a perfectly normal relationship." Aegon stated.
"Are you actually serious?" Lilyanna said looking at the man, her shock evident as she saw that Aegon believed what he said.
"Yes, I am, we have never had issue with each other."
The princess turned her head to look at Aegon''s sisters and was not surprised to see both Visenya and Rhaenys give the other a shared look of disbelief, proving to her that Aegon was either lying or was oblivious to what was obvious to everyone else.
Do I even want to know the truth between them? I don''t think they would tell me even if I asked.
Three Weeks Later
Rhaenyra rubbed her forehead with thumb, trying to ease the headache that was beginning to emerge. During today''s court petitions, they received a group of smallfolk that claimed to be former servants of Jason Lannister.
All seemed normal until they accused Jason Lannister of stealing from the Crown. Viserys then called off the hearing, bringing the group to meet with him and the small council privately in an emergency meeting.
Tyland claimed the group were liars, that they were disgruntled peasants who sought to besmirch his brother''s name. But soon the Master of Ships began to stutter, struggling with what to say in the face of the King''s rage when the leader of the angry group stepped forward, placing a stack of documents on the table, showing the amount of taxes that House Lannister had not been paying.
Not only had the Lannisters not been paying the entirety their taxes, but they had also been over taxing the merchants, sailors, and traders in Lannisport. Many of these documents dated back well over a decade, beginning from the time that Jason became Lord of Casterly Rock.
"Is this why you were so adamantly against the royal bank? Why you were trying to put down my daughter?" Viserys asked eerily calmly.
"No, of course not, Your Grace. I was not aware of what my brother was doing with his authority over the Westerlands. It has been sometime since I have seen my brother last." Tyland exclaimed, trying to remove himself from his twin''s crimes.
Tyland knew about many of the things Jason did, he used to fear that Jason''s obvious actions would be caught, but as time passed and no such retribution came, Tyland was able to relax.
"Do you truly expect us to believe that?" Rhaenyra asked, not believing the words coming from the Master of Ships.
"It is the truth, my princess." Tyland said before looking at the smallfolk who started this all, "You can ask them, look over their evidence. You will find nothing for I have done nothing."
While a mountain of evidence was brought against Jason, this was not the same for his twin, who had nothing, not even a speck of dirt on him.
The council was divided on what to do on House Lannister. No one could agree on what should be done, while Tyland smartly stayed silent, knowing his own opinion would not be wanted and not craving to bring more attention onto himself.
Eventually, Viserys called for a recess, wanting to make a decision on his own. Tyland quickly left the room, not knowing if he would be called back and fearing what Viserys would decide.
Rhaenyra wanted to speak to her father, but she saw the look on his face, and so reluctantly stood up.
"Did the meeting go well, Your Grace?" Harwin asked as soon as she walked out of the chamber.
Rhaenyra gave her protector a rueful smile, "I would not use the word well to describe today. We will be returning to eventually; my father has called for a recess."
"The King must have a serious problem to solve then." Harwin said.
"He.." Rhaenyra trailed off, her attention now focused on the Queen, watching as the other woman exited the small council chamber.
Alicent stopped walking for a moment when she saw Rhaenyra in front of her, "Princess."
As the Queen tried to walk past them, Rhaenyra called out to her, "I heard that the children are in the yard. I was going to see them as we wait for the recess to end¡ I¡ would you like to join me?"
Alicent''s eyes widened, surprised by the other woman asking to spend time with her outside of their duties, using their children as an excuse. Alicent could not stop hearing Rhaenyra''s confession to her all those moons ago every time she saw her long silver hair, every time she looked into her bright purple eyes, every time she saw that wide, slightly crooked smile of hers.
"I would like that." Alicent said, the words leaving her lips before she had time to regret them, she could feel the weight of Criston''s gaze on her, knowing that the knight was surprised and disappointed by her decision. But she did not have time to think much if it as she watched Rhaenyra smile.
The two women walked in silent, heading towards the training yard where their children currently were. Harwin and Criston gave the other pointed glares as they followed their lady lieges. Their hatred and rivalry with each other growing when word had spread that Rhaenyra had wanted Harwin to replace Criston as the royal children''s master-in-arms.
Eventually, the group reached the balcony overlooking the front yard of the Red Keep. As Rhaenyra and Alicent leaned over the balcony, they saw that the boys and Lilyanna were playing a game while Helaena sat on a bench near one of the Keep''s walls, reading a book.
"What are they doing?" Alicent asked as she watched Aegon running while kicking a ball ahead of him. Daeron had tried to steal the ball from Aegon, but the older boy kicked the ball to the side, sending it to Jacaerys.
Rhaenyra smiled as she watched them, "It''s a game that Lilyanna came up with. Jace told me that she calls it ''football''."
"And they can only use their feet?" Alicent asked.
"Apparently, only the ones defending the goal can their hands, but you can use other body parts besides your arms to move the ball." Rhaenyra explained.
The children were using four rocks each as goal posts, having Aemond and Lucerys and standing in between them on opposite sides of the yard.
Alicent was not surprised, knowing that Lilyanna was full of ideas and thoughts that she would try and make real.
As they talked, Lilyanna stole the ball from Jacaerys, running down the yard as she outpaced Aegon and Jacaerys. Once she was close enough, she kicked the ball with all her strength, sending it flying towards the goal.
Lucerys, who was guarding his team''s goal noticed his mother, the Queen, and their protectors standing on the balcony above them. "Mother! Mother, look, I''m the goalie!"
Due to his distraction, Lucerys was not able to stop the ball from flying past him.
"Luke!" Aegon yelled in frustration, growing angrier when he heard Lilyanna''s laughter.
"Sorry." Lucerys said sheepishly.
Helaena looked up from her book for a moment, "The score is now six to three."
"It looks like you guys are going to lose again." Lilyanna smirked.
Jacaerys crossed his arms, "The games not done yet, we still have time to make a comeback!"
Alicent shook her head with a smile, "Quite the competitive game."
Lucerys threw the ball towards Aegon, and the older boy allowed the ball to bounce off his chest, kicking and running once the ball hit the ground.
Just as Lilyanna and Daeron moved to converge on him, Aegon kicked the ball towards the goal. He smiled when it looked as if he was going to make the goal, only for his smile to fall when Aemond jumped to the side, catching the ball in his hands before falling to the ground.
Aemond pushed himself to his feet, blowing a wayward strand of hair out of his face as he smiled at his older brother. "That was very sad."
Rhaenyra let out a snort as Aegon''s face turned red with exertion and rage. "Let us just hope that they don''t come to blows over it."
"Let us; Targaryens are not known for being graceful in the face of a loss."
"That felt very pointed for some reason, but that can''t be true, I am humble in the face of defeat."
Alicent did not respond, but the way she looked at Rhaenyra was more than enough of a response.
The two fell into silence, Rhaenyra wanted to ask after the other woman, but did not think she could. They had both been busy, and to Rhaenyra''s relief and discontent, Alicent did not mention anything about the night in her bedroom after Mellos'' death. A part of her wanted to just ask what Alicent felt about it all, but feared the possible rejection.
"What do you think about the Lannister situation?" Rhaenyra asked instead.
Alicent looked at the princess from the corner of her eye, "It makes it more understandable why the Lannisters were so against my daughter''s bank, as it now makes it harder to hide their theft. Regardless of what they say, the Lannisters must be punished otherwise it will give the other houses the idea that they can do whatever they please."
"That is true, this is a serious offense against the Crown and its authority. But I fear my father may show leniency."
"The King will not be harsh yes, but I do not believe that he will let them off lightly."
Rhaenyra turned away, facing the yard again, "I hope you are right. We already appear foolish for not noticing earlier, we have been robbed by our bannermen for over a decade. And the Lannisters are most likely not the only ones who have been doing so."
Has our family become so oblivious to what is going on outside of these city walls? Is my father seen as so weak and unthreatening that the lords believe they can do as they wish? The princess thought.
"Our attention should be maintained on the Lannisters for now, do not let the thoughts of if or maybe overwhelm you."
A smirk made its way to the princess'' lips, "Is this your way of telling me to not be so impulsive?"
Alicent smirked back, unaware of how this made Rhaenyra''s heart race. "I have learned to not bother with trying to fix the impossible."
"So hurtful." Rhaenyra said playfully.
Alicent chuckled, "I''m sure your ego will survive."
The two women were unaware of the expressions on the faces of their sworn protectors. Harwin looked between them suspiciously before a look of realization appeared, causing him to smile. Criston, however, was not pleased that his Queen was getting along with Rhaenyra, his lips twisting into a frown, thinking about just what kind of game the princess was trying to play with Alicent.
A few moments later, one of the King''s attendants appeared. "Your Grace, Your Highness. His Grace the King has summoned you back to the small council chamber."
"It seems the King has made a decision." Alicent said politely, but was inwardly upset by the interruption.
"Then let us not keep him waiting." Rhaenyra said, equally upset.
The two walked back to the small council chamber, thinking more about the woman walking next to them than what Viserys had decided to do about the Lannisters.
Awareness of the Forgotten
A Year and A Half Later
"Father, please, this would be revolutionary if carried out." Lilyanna said to Viserys.
The princess had come to the King''s bedchamber to ask if he would fund a new project that she had created with Croll; the printing press.
Obviously, the printing press was made by Johannes Gutenberg, but this isn''t Earth. Who''s going to call me a thief here? Lilyanna thought.
In this world, every scroll or book that existed had to be handwritten and stitched together by a maester or scholar, making them expensive and rare, it was why written text primarily belonged to the upper classes.
But she knew from her original world''s history that a printing press would make it possible to produce books and other texts more quickly, accurately, and less expensively, which would allow them to be reproduced in greater numbers. With books cheaper and more readily available, the middle and lower classes could access them as well, leading to an increase in the literacy and education of the public.
Like with the royal bank, Lilyanna had the idea but not the ability to make it herself, both because she lacked the resources and influence to implement it, and she lacked the knowledge of construction to physically build it.
So, she sought out Croll, the carpenter and inventor from Flea Bottom who she had gone and made the supervisor for the royal bank''s construction, to make a prototype based on drawings she made and tidbits of what she remembered from Gutenberg''s model.
Now, she had come to Viserys to ask him for the payment to see it created. Just the one prototype that Croll made had cost twenty gold dragons to build, and even then, it took him about three moons of trial and error to do so. She had to give Croll the coin from her own pocket, an act she would not be able to repeat as much as was needed without bankrupting herself to build more.
Viserys sighed, putting down the model dragon that he was painting on the table that held his model of Old Valyria. "Lilyanna, I commend your efforts in the realm of efficiency, but this novelty is not something I can put the coin of the Crown behind."
"But why?" Lilyanna asked, trying not to sound like a whiny child.
"Well to start, will there be a return in investment?" Viserys asked.
Lilyanna cleared her throat, "I mean people will be buying more books than they ever have be-"
Viserys stopped her, "Lilyanna, I meant for the building of these... printing presses. How much money will be made from this endeavor?"
"It''s a small piece of a multistep project, father. First, books are made cheaper and more available, which leads to the second step; desire for knowledge. More people will want to be able to read and write, which means they will need a place to learn this and other skills, a place like-"
Viserys closed his eyes and groaned, "Is this about your education for the masses idea?"
A year ago, Lilyanna had gone to the small council to present another idea she had, school for smallfolk that would teach them how to read and write along with other skills useful knowledge. There would be several schools made in King''s Landing, with Lilyanna''s desire to see this expand to other towns and cities in the Crownlands and beyond.
Once she stated that the school would be free and everything from teachers, to lessons, to school supplies, and even the school building itself would be paid for by the Crown, the small council laughed at the princess, seeing this as an amusing pipe dream.
Viserys had felt bad when he remembered how he too laughed at his daughter''s idea, thinking about the embarrassment and anger that was evident on Lilyanna''s face as she was essentially laughed out of the room.
And he felt even worse when he remembered the disappointed looks that Rhaenyra and Alicent had given him in equal measure.
Lilyanna could see that she was losing him and tried to pivot, "Yes, it is, but there will be gains. It may not appear immediately but like with the bank-"
"No, Lilyanna. Even if I were to agree, do you genuinely think a proclamation like this would be accepted? Not by the smallfolk, but by the nobility?"
No, I know it won''t be. Lilyanna knew that while the peasantry made up most of the population in Westeros, it was the nobility that held all the power.
"But we do not have to go to the nobility of Westeros for the printing press. Maesters are the ones who transcribe books, so the presses could be sold to the Citadel. I''m sure that they would love to have a machine that would make their work easier."
"Is the Citadel not funded by taxes?" Viserys asked, trying to remember what he knew about how the conclave of maesters worked.
Lilyanna nodded her head, "It is, all lords who have maesters in their employ have to give a portion of their taxes to the Citadel, but they receive so much that it would not be an impossible for them to make the purchase."
"Have you spoken to Grand Maester Orwyle about what the Citadel may think of this?" Viserys asked.
Lilyanna crossed her arms, looking off to the said with annoyance. "He said not to waste time; while a few libertarians of the order will agree, the traditional majority will most likely not."
She had gone to Orwyle the previous day wanting to get his opinion on selling the press to the Citadel, with the plan of most maesters across the continent having access to one. Orwyle made it clear that the act of creating books and other texts was considered a sacred and dutiful task, an art to those who took their oaths seriously. He told her that there would be those who would see this as an offense to the old ways.
"Then I think you know my answer." Viserys told his daughter.
"I do." Lilyanna said plainly, accepting that for now she would not be able to convince her father.
Orwyle said that the majority would disagree, but I don''t have to convince them I just need to get their leader to see me through, their Seneschal. And perhaps someone with a lengthy and more renowned reputation than Orwyle.
The Grand Maester had been chosen by the Citadel as Mellos'' replacement after his death, due to the combination of Orwyle being the only person in King''s Landing with the title and experience along with the Citadel having no desire to send someone from Oldtown, who would have to make the journey and then spend time having to adjust to the capital.
Viserys was about to speak, when a vicious cough ripped through him, causing the man to hunch over.
Lilyanna moved towards her father, helping him to sit up as she rubbed his back. "Have you been taking your medicine, father?"
"I had been feeling better these last few weeks." Viserys said, trying to smile as his coughing lessened, but it came out as more of a grimace.
"You must keep taking your medicine for you to continue feeling better. It will only become worse if you don''t allow yourself to get used to the routine of it." Lilyanna said, putting her hands on her hips as she scolded Viserys.
Viserys let out a small chuckle, "You worry more than your mother and older sister combined."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes as she went to the side of her father''s bed, bending down as she dug around in medical bag for said medication.
The bag was an earthy brown color, made from a cotton canvas with leather straps on the front to close it, a leather shoulder strap that allowed her to carry the bag across her body comfortably, and a big red cross on the front, and it had been given to her by Helaena as her name''s day present.
"It will make it easier for you to help other if you can carry your supplies with you." Helaena had told her when giving it to her sister.
And when Lilyanna asked why she put the red cross, Helaena told her this; "When I used to dream of your past, I remember seeing you in a building with this symbol on it. You healed people there; I thought you could use it when doing the same."
Lilyanna hugged her twin, tightly after that, feeling self-conscious that Helaena had given her such a gift while all Lilyanna did was get her the newest volume of the history of centipedes.
Once Lilyanna had found the jar that she was looking for, she returned to her father''s side. She was about to call out to Ser Harold, wanting to ask him if he could get one of her father''s attendants so she could be given a spoon, when the door opened and her father''s cousin, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, entered the room followed by a group of servants bringing in tea and desserts.
"Cousin, I had wondered if you had forgotten our engagement today, but it seems that you are busy." Rhaenys said as she looked between father and daughter.
The elder princess had become a familiar presence over the last year, making frequent trips between King''s Landing and Driftmark, usually ruling her husband''s seat in his stead.
After the crimes that Jason Lannister had committed became known, there were calls for punishment against him and his house, such as possibly losing a hand.
Some who disliked the man, even said that he should have his title of Lord of the West removed and given to his eldest daughter and having her mother rule as the girl''s regent, to having one of his cousins installed as Lord, and even the possibility of having a different Westerlands'' family rule the Kingdom entirely.
Viserys however, did not want to take such a drastic action, deciding that instead House Lannister, along with the other houses that were discovered to be doing the same, would be made to pay back the unpaid taxes with five times interest for the next ten years, all of the house''s expenses would be reported to the crown, no matter how small, and most shocking, Tyland Lannister would be removed from his position as Master of Ships.
Viserys claimed that he could no longer trust Tyland''s judgement and that he would always be suspicious in his dealings to him, to the surprise of some, Tyland took the stripping of his title gracefully, not making a scene as he quietly returned to Casterly Rock.
And it did not take long before Viserys reluctantly summoned Corlys Velaryon to King''s Landing and asked if he would resume his old position now that it was available. Despite their issues with each other, even the King could not deny that Corlys was the best person in Westeros for the job.
Corlys was quite smug the day he came to the Red Keep, and Lilyanna noticed that Laenor visibly wilted as it became clear that Corlys would once again be living in the Keep.
The princess assumed that like many children, Laenor had gotten used to his lifestyle without the supervision of his parents and was upset that he now has those watchful eyes returning in full force upon him.
Viserys waved Rhaenys forward, "Apologies, cousin. I had not forgotten; Lilyanna wished to discuss something with me, and we lost track of time."
As this was going on, Lilyanna went to where the servants were setting up the food, grabbing a spoon of the table, she then scooped some of the medicine and moved to hold it in front of Viserys'' mouth.
Viserys gave her a blank stare, "Lilyanna, I am not a child."
Lilyanna silently stared at her father, keeping the spoon in front of his mouth. Viserys sighed before leaning forward to sallow the sour liquid.
"That is foul." Viserys complained.
"I do not believe medicine is supposed to taste good." Rhaenys said, looking at her cousin amusedly.
"Well, that idea should be thoroughly changed if I am to consume this concoction daily." The King muttered.
Lilyanna placed the jar back next to Viserys'' bed as her father and cousin talked, since the Velaryons returned to court these meals together had become a regular occurrence between the two.
Lilyanna placed the bag''s leather strap over her shoulder, turning to face the other room''s other occupants. "I will be leaving, father. Remember to take the medicine daily."
"Once again, Lilyanna, I am not a child." Viserys said.
"I know. Good day father, Princess Rhaenys."
"Good day, Lilyanna." Rhaenys said after a moment, staring at the young girl from the corner of her eye.
Lilyanna turned on her heel and left the room, letting out a sigh once she was in the hallway. She had always found herself unsure of how to interact with the elder princess and her husband, but this feeling only grew with their continued presence in the Keep. It had been easier when the pair only visited, and even then, they maintained their attention on their son, grandsons, and good daughter.
While Rhaenys and Corlys did not interact with Lilyanna, her Hightower siblings, and her mother outside of courtly pleasantries, it did not stop the way that they stared at her, as if waiting for her to do something.
Lilyanna shook her head as she continued her path towards her own bedchamber, trying to ignore her family''s weird and ever confusing dynamics.
The Next Day
"Are you sure it is okay for you to be out here?" Laenor asked, staring pointedly at his wife.
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, "Laenor, I already have to deal with everyone else in the Keep treating me like I am invalid, I do not need any more of it from you."
The pair sat off to the side of the Dragonpit with the rest of the royal family with the exception of the King, the Queen, and Corlys. Once again, Rhaenyra was pregnant, it was both surprising and not surprising as while she and Laenor had not been actively trying, they had still taken Harwin Strong into their bed on occasion.
And unlike her other two pregnancies, this one had been affecting her more greatly; the morning sickness, swelling, heartburn, leg cramps, bladder discomfort, and sleep problems had all been worse.
At first, her midwives had been unable to tell her why her symptoms had grown in intensity, at least until the second moon had passed and her stomach grew larger than it had been in her previous pregnancies.
It was then that Lilyanna had asked if she could check Rhaenyra over, telling her older sister that she had an idea of what was causing this, but wanted to be sure by giving her a checkup. Rhaenyra had allowed her sister to do, both because she believed in Lilyanna''s abilities and because the thought of not doing so brought forward memories of Eleara''s birth and the circumstances that caused her to be stillborn that Rhaenyra did not want to relive.
By the end of the checkup, a large and bright smile overtook Lilyanna''s face as she looked at her older sister.
"There is nothing wrong with the babe, or, I should say; the babes." Lilyanna told her.
Rhaenyra sat in utter shock, "B-babes?"
Lilyanna nodded her head, "Yes, babes. You are having twins!"
Rhaenyra felt overwhelmed by the idea of having twins, while the rest of her family was overjoyed and celebrated the news. She even managed to build up the courage to ask Alicent of all people for any advice on how to raise twins.
The Queen was surprised by the request but acquiesced, telling her that Rhaenyra''s own experience would differ from her own as all twins are different. That she would have to learn to understand each child''s needs simultaneously, like all siblings, twins each have different temperaments, needs, desires, and abilities, and they will argue, fight, comfort and love each other, so what may work for one will not always work for the other.
Rhaenyra thought about how different Helaena and Lilyanna were from each other and had claimed that she would know what to expect if she remembered how her sisters acted, but Alicent shot this down quickly.
"I love my girls, but they are strange, very strange, you would be setting yourself and Laenor up for failure if you based your children on Helaena and Lilyanna." Alicent told her, and Rhaenyra had to stop herself from laughing aloud in surprise.
Laenor huffed, "I know, Rhaenyra. I just worry, we should be expecting them any day now."
"Laenor, an expecting mother knows their body best. A fact that many fail to understand." The two turned around and saw Rhaenys approaching them.
The woman was dressed in her riding leathers as she had taken Jacaerys and Lucerys on a ride with Meleys.
"Thank you, Rhaenys." Rhaenyra said to the other woman, "I know what I need."
"Why are you both conspiring against me? I am only trying to ensure everything goes well." Laenor asked, half joking and half offended.
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes as she turned to Rhaenys, "Did the boys enjoy the flight?"
"They did, but I think they are enjoying their aunt''s showing even more so." Rhaenys said, pointing ahead of her son and good daughter.
When they turned, Laenor and Rhaenyra saw that the floor of the Dragonpit had been opened and that Meleys had crawled out of it from her cave. The Red Queen was lying on the ground as the children stood a few feet away. All expect Lilyanna, who was standing right behind the dragon''s body and left wing, which had been outstretched as the princess rubbed her hands on it. Meleys let out shrill coos as Lilyanna continued her movements, leaning further into her touch.
"What is that Lily is putting on Meleys'' wings?" Laenor asked, squinting his eyes as he looked at the dark blue substance that was now covering them.
"Jacaerys told me that Lilyanna had made it for the dragons, it is some kind of muscle relaxant. In her words, she wanted to improve their way of living." Rhaenys explained.
Laenor let out a laugh, "You are still surprised by how much they love her, mother?"
When she was first told about how dragons seemed to be drawn to Lilyanna, Rhaenys did not honestly believe it. With her own knowledge and experience as a dragonrider, she refused to believe that a small girl could get creatures as wild as dragons, especially bonded dragons, under her thrall in such a way.
So Rhaenys assumed that her son was exaggerating, taking something that was most likely normal and blowing it out of proportion. Even with the visits she had made to King''s Landing, she and Lilyanna had never been in the Dragonpit at the same time, so Rhaenys maintained this belief.
It was not until a few moons ago when Rhaenys was preparing to fly with Meleys, when Lilyanna and Helaena had come to the pit with the intention of going on a ride on Dreamfyre, that she was forced to eat her words.
When the girls entered the pit, Meleys became deadly still, her eyes glazing over as she stared at them. Rhaenys did not understand the surprise and joy that she immediately felt from her dragon through their bond. But before she could question it, Meleys quickly moved, reaching the doors of the pit in only a few short moments.
Rhaenys immediately reached for the whip she kept at her hip, desperate to force the she-dragon''s attention always from the two girls. But before she could use the whip, Meleys pressed her snout against Lilyanna, playfully pushing against her.
Lilyanna smiled, bringing her hand up and scratching the dragon under its jaw, causing Meleys to purr in contentment.
"I still don''t know how she is able to do this." Rhaenys said, still surprised by the love she could feel that Meleys had for Lilyanna.
Laenor then spoke loudly enough to draw the children''s attention. "That is why we call her the Dragon Whisperer!"
Lilyanna looked at Laenor with annoyance, "I thought I said to stop calling me that?"
"But it''s an apt title, good sister!" Laenor grinned.
Lilyanna then looked at Rhaenyra, "Sister, I need you to write a letter to the High Septon and get an annulment, post haste."
This caused Rhaenyra to smile, "I would, but no woman would have him afterwards; his wealth, title, and dragon won''t be enough to overcome all his terrible faults, and he would die alone. So, I must do a charitably service to the Velaryons and keep him by my side, and I suppose it does not hurt that Jace and Luke like him."
"Hey!" Laenor exclaimed before turning around in shock when he heard a small laugh escape his mother. "You too, mother?!"
"You can be a lot to deal with." Rhaenys said, smiling at her son''s offended expression.
As Laenor accused Rhaenys of the crime of siding with his wife, Lilyanna turned her focus back to Meleys when the dragon nudged her with its wing.
"I know, Meleys, I should not lose focus. You are a very demanding old lady." Lilyanna said in High Valyrian.
Meleys nudged Lilyanna with her wing again, but with more force. If it were anyone one else it would have knocked them off their feet, but Lilyanna took a half step back, still standing.
Despite not have one of her own, Lilyanna had found herself becoming more drawn to dragons as time went on. And this became apparent after her connection with the Conquerors solidified over the past year.
Everyone around her, including the dragonkeepers, was under the assumption that her understanding of dragons had somehow evolved. And she allowed them to think as such, they were right to an extent, but it was not as if Lilyanna could tell them that the ghosts of Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys, were giving her long forgotten knowledge of how to better take care of dragons.
It was Visenya who had told her how to make the muscle relaxant, telling her of how she would rub the concoction on Vhagar''s wings after particularly long flights. The former Queen had made it clear that dragons, while being immensely powerful symbols to the Targayens, were foremost animal companions that needed love, care, and attention, just as any creature.
"Can you give me some of that stuff to put on Sunfyre?" Aegon asked his sister, "If Meleys approves of it, then it will be perfect for my mount."
"Are you sure you don''t want me to apply it for you?" Lilyanna asked.
Aegon scoffed, "And have Sunfyre become even more attached to you? No thanks."
Lilyanna laughed, "Jealously is unbecoming, brother. Besides, even if you do it yourself, Sunfyre will know that I made it, he will feel it through our bond."
Aegon rolled his eyes at Lilyanna''s claim that she and Sunfyre shared a bond and the implication that said bond was stronger than the actual magical bond that he and Sunfyre had.
There had been a time when Aegon was jealous of how Sunfyre would ignore him in favor of his sister, but those feelings dissipated when he saw that all dragons who encountered Lilyanna had similar reactions. And as he and Sunfyre grew, the dragon had become more receptive to his commands, no longer choosing to ignore him in favor of snuggling the redhead.
Still laughing, Lilyanna reached into her bag and pulled out a clear jar with the relaxant and tossed it in her brother''s direction. Aegon easily caught it, gripping the jar in his left hand as he thanked his sister.
"Are you sure you know what you''re doing? It would be best if you let Lily do it before you screw up." Aemond said as he watched Aegon cockily making his way to Sunfyre''s cave.
Aegon turned and smirked at Aemond, "I think I know how to take care of my dragon, little brother. You should save all your arrogance about thinking you know best when you get a dragon of your own. But I doubt that, with your annoying personality no dragon would ever tolerate having someone like you near them, let alone as its rider."
Aemond''s body tensed, and he glared at his brother''s back as Aegon turned on his heel and continued towards Sunfyre''s cave. He knew that Aegon intended to hurt him with his words, knowing how much it bothered Aemond to not have a dragon.
Daeron grabbed Aemond''s hand, drawing the older boy''s attention away from the entrance to the tunnels. "Aegon doesn''t know what he is talking about; you will have a dragon someday. And until then, we can share Tessarion."
Aemond took a breath before giving Daeron a small smile, trying to calm down as it would not do him any good to get angry at Daeron. His younger brother was not the source of his ire and was only trying to make him feel better with his suggestion, even though they both knew that sharing a dragon was not possible. "Thank you, Dae."
Aemond hated being a Targaryen Prince without a dragon as it gave the idea that he was different than his paternal family, and in the eyes of many, lesser than them. Targaryens were considered Gods amongst men because of their ability to ride and claim dragons, so if a Targaryen was without a bonded dragon, then they were not Godly, but instead, they were just like all others in the realm, merely human.
Aemond then looked back at Lilyanna, watching as she continued massaging Meleys'' wings.
Is that why Lilyanna is not bothered by being dragonless? Because she is able to understand any dragon that comes across her as if she is their bonded? Aemond thought, but he knew this could not truly be the case.
From his studies into Valyrian history and speaking with the dragonriding members of his family, Aemond knew that what Lilyanna had, could not compare to the magical connection between dragon and rider.
The strong, magical, and highly emotional attachment was something while describable in the way that both dragon and rider could feel each other''s emotions and can improve the health of both, it was also so other worldly that you had to experience it for yourself to utterly understand the specialness of it.
I just... I just want it. I don''t want to be a forgotten Targaryen. I want to be like them...
Lilyanna blew out a breath in exasperation as she walked through the streets of King''s Landing.
The princess had decided to wait a few days before requesting an audience with the small council for two more ideas that she had; one for a large city bathhouse and the other was a complete overhaul of the city''s sewage system. She had thought that these would go over better with the council as both ideas would be the city''s improvement, but she was wrong.
Despite her argument that a bathhouse would encourage increased personal hygiene of the Kingslanders along with bringing more people to the city, like Jonquil''s Pool in Maidenpool, Lyman argued that the bathhouse would be an unnecessary expense as they would not only have to clear a spot of land, but they would also have to pay dig tunnels to bring up fresh water for the bathhouse to use.
And most of the council did not see the point of using resources for a building that would be used primarily by the smallfolk of the city. Alicent tried to help her daughter''s case by stating that both nobles and smallfolk alike would be using the town''s bathhouse, and if this were a considered a problem, certain sections could be closed off to only nobility, even adding that the bathhouse could be another revenue stream for the Crown, but this did nothing to change their minds.
And when it came to creating a new sewage system, she was once again undermined by the cost the project would demand. Lilyanna made the argument that while it would be expensive, it would be a necessary expense, citing that the old sewage system was far from useable anymore, giving example of people dumping their chamber pots into the street, along with the discoloration of the Blackwater Rush and the Bay that surrounded the city compared to the sections of water were visible in places like Driftmark.
On this issue, the council was more divided as some were able to see the point that the young princess was trying to make, and none could deny the image Rhaenyra''s statement of overhauling the sewage system would lead to the city ''not smelling like shit, at least not as strongly as it does now.'', that came to their minds.
But when asked by Lyonel Strong how long the construction would take, Lilyanna sighed and said that getting rid of the old pipes and tunnels and replacing them across the city would take two years at minimum and five years at maximum.
This long-time frame instantly killed the support that she had gathered from the councilors, leading to Lilyanna walking out of the small council chamber more annoyed than when she had entered.
Now, she was trying to turn her focus away from her failed pursuits of improving this backwater cesspool of a world she had been forced into, by going to the Street of Steel to hire a blacksmith.
After years of training, Criston had declared that Lilyanna was now old and skilled enough to use real steel, an accomplishment that not even Aegon had been able to gain. At first, Lilyanna was excited, but this excitement soon left her when she realized that her desire to dual wield had come to bite her.
While using wooden swords in each hand was fine, trying to use steel swords that were made to be two handed in the same way was not. Holding and lifting the swords Criston gave her was easy, even swinging them around, but using them to fight was a different matter entirely.
The greater weight of the blades threw her off balance each time she tried to use them, effectively slowing her down and cutting off any momentum she would try to gain with her strikes. The Kingsguard told her that she would get used to the change in time, but Lilyanna was not sure of that.
Criston even said that Lilyanna could use short swords or falchions, swords hat were lighter than the more commonly used bastard, great, and long swords, Lilyanna did not want to give up the reach and distance that longer blades provided.
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So, Lilyanna decided to go out and find a blacksmith that could personally make swords that she could realistically use. But for the second time that day, Lilyanna found herself disappointed when told that desire could not be met.
There was no blacksmith on the entire street that could do as she asked, all were only able to make traditional swords. And the foreign blacksmiths she met with charged her far too much for a single blade. And while she did not like using her status to get things, even when she told them who she was, they did not budge on their steep prices, a few even increased them, wanting to extort the princess.
I should have seen this coming. This is Westeros; it''s not a place where diverse cultures and ideas come together naturally, everyone sticks to what they know and that includes fighting styles and weapons. Lilyanna thought.
And this was proven with Criston who had begun running out of things to teach Lilyanna, lately having her go over the things she already learned during training.
The Westerosi style of fighting is similar to that of the European style, and in both, it''s better and easier to learn shielding with your non dominant hand when wielding a blade than it was to learn how to fight with two swords.
The Dornish have a distinctive style, often using spears, whips, and chains, along with the usual swords, bows, and lances when fighting. But I can''t just go to Dorne and ask the people there for the proper weapons and for some tips.
Not without getting a spear in the ass¡
As the princess was lost in her thoughts, a small figure ran into her, hitting her back. Lilyanna barely moved from the force, but the person behind her was knocked onto the ground, now lying on their back.
"Hm?" Lilyanna turned around and saw that it was a young boy who had run into her.
The clothes he wore were dirty and disheveled, being two sizes too big for him. His hair had not been washed, but Lilyanna was sure that if it had, then the slivery color would have shone brighter in the midday sun. Lilyanna thought his eyes to be brown but realized that they were a dark shade of purple when the sunlight hit them, and he could not have been older than Daeron and Jacaerys, but his gangling frame and sunken cheeks, made him look older.
"I-I am s-sorry! I''d-didn''t mean to run into you!" The boy squeaked, staring at the older girl in fear of what she may do to him.
To him, Lilyanna was scary, not only was she a good deal taller than him, as he only came up to her collarbone. But he could tell from the dagger on her hip and her clean appearance, that she was someone of either wealth, status, or both.
"No need to apologize; it was an accident." Lilyanna said as she held her hand out for him.
The boy looked at her hand suspiciously for a moment before taking it, his eyes growing larger at how easily Lilyanna was able to pull him to his feet, proving that not only was she bigger than him, but stronger as well.
"Are you alright?" Lilyanna asked him.
Before the boy could respond, a voice was heard screaming a few yards away. "Where is he?! Where is that little bastard?!"
When the two turned, they saw four young men each brandishing sticks, looking around angrily for someone. Lilyanna looked down and saw the boy shaking in front of her, realizing just who the group was looking for.
The boy closed his eyes, waiting for the men to see him and for them to carry out their threat when he felt himself being pulled forward. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Lilyanna was dragging him through the alleys, and away from the group.
"You''re¡ you''re helping me?" he asked in shock.
"Of course, I am not going to leave you to get beaten by four men. Honestly, what is even going through their minds wanting to hurt a kid like that?" Lilyanna said without looking back.
He looked down at the ground as they continued to walk, "They don''t like how I look."
Once they were far enough away, Lilyanna stopped and turned around. "Why? You are not the only purple eyed, sliver haired person in this city."
His face twisted into a frown, "I know, but it''s because people are mad at the King!"
Lilyanna blinked, confused as what her father could have done to upset those men. "What did the King do?"
The boy looked up at her, "You didn''t hear the news?" He figured she would have known the danger spreading through the city when he noticed her bright purple eyes and the strand of silver white hair amongst her red tresses.
Lilyanna shook her head, her confusion growing.
"Our beloved Princess Lilyanna had gone to the King and his council wanting to make a new bathhouse and sewer for the city, but the King refused! He said that since it was for us common folk, we didn''t need it! Can you believe that?!"
While she knew that nothing in King''s Landing stayed secret for very long, she was wondering just how this piece of information spread across the city so fast.
I doubt the council had anything to do with this and neither would any of my family, and the only other person I told outside of them was¡ Lilyanna''s eyes widened.
Mysaria!
As the princess came to this realization, the young boy in front of her continued to rant. "And now because of it, people like us are being hunted down so that others can take their frustrations on the King by beating up anyone who shares his features!"
"But not everyone feels the need to do this, right?"
The boy shook his head, "Only those men and a few others I''ve ran into so far. But I know that a lot of people are planning to petition the King about it soon."
Well, I already know I''m going to be blamed for this, even though it''s not my fault. I mean, it''s kinda my fault, I told Mysaria a few days ago, but she has spies everywhere, so she would have known eventually. And it''s not like small council meetings are secret, everyone would have known; it just wouldn''t have spread this quickly, in only a few hours, without Mysaria''s involvement. Lilyanna tried to justify.
"This is a fucking mess." Lilyanna said aloud, throwing her head back and groaning. She then looked at the boy, "Thanks, for telling me¡.?"
"Oh! I''m Trystane! And thank you for saving me from those bastards."
Trystane? Why does that name sound so familiar? "It was no big deal, and I''m Lily."
"It was the biggest deal!" Trystane said before looking away, his cheeks turning pink. "Most people wouldn''t have."
"Well, those people are fucking cunts. You should help others when they have need of it, not leave them to their fates because it easier to watch from the sidelines."
Trystane noticed that Lilyanna eyes darkened along with expression before quickly relaxing. He had seen that look before in the eyes of people who remembered something terrible, angered by the thoughts in their minds.
"Still, thank you, Lily."
Lilyanna gave him a small smile, "Sure."
As she turned to leave, Trystane grabbed the sleeve of her tunic, quickly letting go when she turned her head.
"I-ugh- I. I d- don''t¡ Can you help me? I don''t know where I am." He asked sheepishly.
But Lilyanna smiled at him before taking his hand within her own and leaning him out of the alley. "You should not be embarrassed, King''s Landing is a large city, it is easy to lose your way and get lost. Besides, I was the one who dragged you around, so it is my fault."
Trystane vigorously shook his head, "It''s not, I got myself lost when I was trying to outrun those men who were chasing me."
Lilyanna hummed, "So are you new to the city?"
"No, I just have never left Flea Bottom, well, not without Perkin."
"Who''s Perkin?"
Lilyanna saw how Trystane''s eyes brighten at her question, "Perkin is the best knight I know! He''s the only knight I know, but I know he''s the best! He was a hedge knight before he became a Gold Cloak and now, he''s one of Ser Harwin Strong''s most trusted captains!"
Perkin¡ Trystane and Perkin. Why the fuck are these names so familiar? Is this kid supposed to be important? I think there was a Martell, or something named Trystane and Perkin is a common name. It''s like, I know they are important names, but I can''t for the life of me figure out why. And I doubt this Perkin guy is a captain or that Harwin even knows him that well as I definitely would have heard about him before now.
"Is that right? And how did you meet a Gold Cloak? Most people hate them."
Fuck the police in every world, I guess.
"Yes, he''s always telling me about all the jobs that he is given and the responsibilities he has." Trystane said before his smile fell, "He¡. He found me sleeping in the streets a few years ago after my mother died from the shivers. I was kicked out of our old home since I couldn''t pay the rent. But he¡ he took me in¡ he saved me. Like you did!"
"I''m glad you have someone to take care of you after going through something like that." Lilyanna told him, but could not stop the suspicion she felt at the story.
Why would a hedge knight take in some orphaned kid?
"So, Perkin isn''t home right now?" Lilyanna asked as they entered Flea Bottom.
"No, he will be on duty until tomorrow."
Lilyanna frowned, wanting to meet the man so she could know for certain his intentions and if meeting him would give her the answers to the questions she had, but relented, hoping that there was no greater importance and that Trystane and Perkin were simple peasants and nothing more.
"Can you recognize any-" Before Lilyanna could finish asking her question, a voice called out to her.
"Lilyanna? What are you doing here? I thought you weren''t coming until tomorrow?"
When the two turned around, Lilyanna saw Jayne, one of Mysaria''s child spies running towards her.
"I wasn''t planning on it, but I was helping Trystane get home. I have heard somethings and I''m going to see Mysaria after I''m done." Lilyanna answered.
Trystane looked at the princess, "Lilyanna? I thought Lily was your name, are you named after the princess?"
Jayne let out a snort, looking at Lilyanna amused, "You didn''t tell your friend here who you really are?"
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "You know I do not like it when people treat me differently after learning about who I am, Jayne. Excuse me for wanting a normal interaction with someone."
"I''ve been treating you like a normal person since the day we met."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes again, "I wouldn''t say our first meeting or any since, are normal."
Trystane looked in between the girls for a moment before realizing the truth. "You''re Princess Lilyanna!"
While he first assumed that due to her red hair, warm peach toned skin, and purple eyes that Lilyanna was a dragonseed, he remembered that the youngest daughter of the King was also said to have the same features.
"Oh, dear gods, I was saved by Princess Lilyanna! I have been causally speaking with Princess Lilyanna! I touched Princess Lilyanna''s hand! I ran into Princess Lilyanna! I spoke ill of King Viserys in front of Princess Lilyanna!" Trystane shouted, unaware of the attention he was drawing to them.
He then fell to his knees, pressing his head against the ground and prostrating himself to the princess. "I am so sorry, Your Grace! Please forgive me for what I have done!"
Most of the people on the street stopped what they were doing to look at them. Some were confused but everyone else was amused by not only Trystane''s pleading, but by Lilyanna''s shocked and embarrassed expression.
Jayne fell over laughing, clutching her stomach as she tried to breathe. "Gods! That was fucking amazing!"
"Shut up!" Lilyanna growled at her before turning back to the boy kneeling at her feet, "Trystane, you did nothing wrong, so there is nothing to forgive. Now please get off the ground."
Trystane lifted up his head, still looking both terrified and remorseful. "But-"
"No buts. Now, please can you get up? Everyone is staring at us." Lilyanna said, trying to fight the urge to cover her face with her hands.
Trystane stood up but gave her a low bow. "I thank you for your mercy, Li- I mean, Your Grace!"
Lilyanna sighed, "You can call me Lily or Lilyanna, Trystane."
"But you are a princess and I-"
"Yes, I am a princess, and this princess is telling you to call me by my name and treat me as you did before learning who I was."
Trystane nodded his head, still too nervous to speak.
Lilyanna then looked around, "You can all go back to what you were doing before! The show is over!"
The street picked up again, but Lilyanna was aware that the people were still staring at them, only pretending not to.
Lilyanna looked at Trystane, "Where do you live, Trystane?"
Trystane lead the two girls through Flea Bottom, no longer lost as he was more than familiar with the slums. He still felt nervous, occasionally looking back at Lilyanna as they walked. He admonished himself for not being able to tell that it was a princess of the realm that he had run into, especially the famous advocate of the smallfolk.
Lilyanna was revered by the people not only for the creation of the bank, which allowed everyone regardless of class and gender to use its services, but because according to rumors, she went around the city acting as a maester to the people, not charging a single coin for her work. And now she was seeking to improve the lives of the city''s commoners even more by pleading for the creation of a city bathhouse and replacing the city''s sewers, to her father and his small council.
Despite the proposals being shot down, the simple fact that Lilyanna had thought of them and brought issues concerning them to the council for consideration, only proved that the princess was continuing to think of her subjects, having their lives and best interest at heart.
She is just as nice and kind as people say. Trystane thought, continuing to steal looks at Lilyanna.
It did not take long before the group reached a small rundown hovel that was next to a busy and shady winesink called the Three Crowns. Trystane looked away, ashamed that he had brought the princess to his less than lowly dwelling. "Th-this is where I live."
"And you are comfortable here, Trystane?" Lilyanna asked.
Trystane nodded his head, "It''s better on the inside than the outside."
Lilyanna put a hand on his shoulder, "Then that is all that matters. Do not be ashamed of what you are able to get for yourself, especially not in this world."
Trystane smiled brightly, "I won''t."
While she meant what she said, Lilyanna found herself angry with what she was seeing. Lilyanna had always been aware of the disparity between the nobles and the commoners of Westeros, but seeing firsthand that a boy as young as Trystane was living in such poor conditions and was made to feel ashamed of it, boiled her blood.
Houses like her own had more wealth than they knew what to do with, could spend coin like it was going out of style and would never have to worry about it running out, knowing that they would never have to truly work simply because their ancestors thousands of years ago conquered land that was not theirs and decided that their blood was better than everyone else''s.
And yet they refuse to share any of it, to bring anyone else up with them, not unless they can enrich themselves in the process, it is fucking sickening. No noble is better than any peasant, the so-called elites only have more money and opportunities than them. And yet Viserys and the rest of the small council don''t care. They don''t care that the city looks like an eyesore or that citizens across the realm struggle to eat and shelter themselves. Why improve their lives if there is no monetary benefit for them? Lilyanna thought, finding herself more enraged with her fellow nobles.
"As adorable as this is, you wanted to see Mysaria today, did you not?" Jayne said to Lilyanna.
"I did." Lilyanna said before looking at Trystane, "I was hoping I could see you again, Trystane."
"Really?" Trystane asked, surprised that someone like her would want anything more to do with him.
"Yes, I would. Friends spend time with their friends. So, I would love to spend more time with you at some point in the future. We can even go around the city together." Lilyanna said, smiling softly at him.
"Friends? Yes! I would love to be friends with you!" Trystane exclaimed.
I''m friends with a princess!
Lilyanna chuckled, "I am glad."
The princess returned Trystane''s excited waves goodbye with much calmer ones of her own as she and Jayne left.
"I''ve never seen you care so much about a bastard before." Jayne said once they could no longer see Trystane in the distance.
"Trystane is a bastard?" Lilyanna asked instead of answering Jayne''s question.
She was not surprised that the girl had at least some idea of who he was as Jayne, like many others, made their livelihood from knowing everything about everyone.
Jayne clicked her teeth, "That is the assumption. From what little I know, his mother was not a foreigner, she was a Kingslander, like her own parents before her."
"What do you know?"
Jayne shrugged, "Trystane''s mother was a seamstress before she died, and one of the Gold Cloaks, the Flea, took him in afterwards. Lady Mysaria thought it was strange that someone with such a disreputable reputation like him would do the kind act of adopting an orphan homeless boy as his own."
Lilyanna scrunched her nose, "The Flea?"
"Everyone calls him that, Perkin the Flea, because although he is not a very skilled or courageous knight, he is a cunning piece of shit. He knows who is powerful and who''s not, who he can use and uses them well. He latches onto the strong and suckles from them like-"
"Like a fucking flea..." Lilyanna finished for Jayne, freezing as she realized why Trystane was so familiar to her.
Because he''s Trystane Truefye, one of the Bastard Pretender Kings during the Dance! After the riots of King''s Landing, Rhaenyra lost control of the city and fled for Dragonstone, leading to the Moon of the Three Kings, when three different factions divided the city between themselves, each claiming to be the one true ruler of the Iron Throne.
The Shepard, Gaemon Palehair, and Trystane Truefyre.
Holy fucking shit!
"Lilyanna? Lilyanna? Why do you look so shocked?" Jayne asked when she noticed that Lilyanna had stopped walking and was looking back in the direction if Trystane''s home with a shocked expression.
Lilyanna shook herself out of her stupor and clear her throat before turning back to Jayne. "Do you think that Mysaria will know more about Trystane''s past? About Perkin the Flea? And if not, will she help me investigate it?"
Jayne raised an eyebrow, "My lady will know more about him than I do, and she certainly would help you investigate if asked. Why, do you suspect something about Trystane?"
"I do, and I truly for the love of everything, hope that it is wrong."
Jayne huffed, "For as long as I''ve known you, your gut feelings have never been wrong."
And that is what I am afraid of. Lilyanna thought as she and Jayne continued their trek towards Mysaria''s Manse.
"My lady, I have returned, and I have brought Lilyanna with me." Jayne said as they entered Mysaria''s room.
"I am glad." Mysaria said to the girl before looking at Lilyanna, "I am-"
"Don''t even!" Lilyanna yelled, quickly stalking to Mysaria, glaring at the woman. "You spread word about the proposals for the bathhouse and the sewers being rejected. Why?"
"Why not?" Mysaria asked, smiling as Lilyanna''s face began to twist as she became further enraged. "I told you before, princess; the smallfolk of this land should not be underestimated, and when we come together, we are a powerful and unignorable force."
"I have never underestimated the smallfolk, but you see what your actions are causing, do you not? I had to rescue a small boy who was being chased by a group of men wanting to beat him because of his Valyrian features due to the anger they feel towards Viserys." Lilyanna said hotly.
Mysaria sighed, "An unforeseen and unwanted consequence. One that I have already sent my people out to rectify."
Lilyanna did not know what Mysaria meant when she said this, but she also did not want to know what exactly the woman''s underlings were doing to get the message across that randomly attacking people was wrong. "Still, that does not change the fact that you are inciting discord among the people."
"And now that discord is leading many to petition this injustice to the King, to make their voices heard for the first time in a long time. I made it clear when this partnership began that I will do what benefits me best, even if it clashes with your wants."
"And when Viserys says no? What then? Will the next step be encouraging the people to riot?"
"Why are you so sure your father will say no?"
Lilyanna let out a laugh, "Because, despite his intense desire to be loved and be seen as a good King, Viserys cares more about the opinions of the nobility than the peasants. To him, this will not be seen as a necessity, but a waste of gold. Then he will say no and expect the people to accept his decree because he is the King, and his word is law."
"Even so, the people of this city will make their feelings known. They are tired of being ignored by the nobility, to be treated like their lives do not matter in this Game of Thrones."
"I know, Mysaria, but I do not want to see anyone get hurt over this whole thing. If the people fight too hard on this, the Crown will use force to restore order should it come to that."
"So, you are saying that we just should accept this? To lie on our backs without even trying?" This time, Mysaria''s expression became angry.
Lilyanna clicked her teeth, "I''m saying that I''m saying to wait. Even with my expertise, Viserys will not live to be an old man, and when he dies and Rhaenyra becomes Queen, she will be more willing to listen."
"And I thought you once said that Rhaenyra too does not care for the smallfolk?"
"She doesn''t, but she cares about me, she will listen to me. So can you send word and try to settle citizens?" Lilyanna said pleadingly.
Before Mysaria could respond, Jayne spoke aloud, "We are not children you need to protect, Lilyanna."
Lilyanna turned, staring at the other girl confused, "What?"
"Even if my lady did nothing, word would have reached us all eventually, and all of us would still be angry over the rejection. And it would be our choice to be angry that the Crown does not think we deserve a bathhouse or sewers. You cannot try and shield us from our choices." Jayne said, her steely gaze piercing into the princess.
"But..." Lilyanna knew that she could not change public opinion, but she also knew that protesting would not change anything either, not unless extreme action was taken.
Countless will end up injured or worse. Why shouldn''t I try and prevent that? Lilyanna thought, knowing full well what the Crown''s response would be if their authority was being questioned.
"But nothing." Jayne growled before softening a bit, "Your way of getting change is not working, so we are doing things our way. If it fails, it fails, I''m only glad that the people of this city are finally making their voices heard, that they won''t let you fucking nobles keep ignoring us."
Lilyanna shook her head, walking to the nearby couch and throwing herself onto it, groaning as she tried to become one with the cushions. "You people annoy me greatly. I suppose nothing else I continue to say will move you from this path?"
"It will not." Mysaria answered, resolved in what her actions undoubtedly caused.
"Troublesome woman." Lilyanna muttered.
Jayne had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing at the princess'' put out expression and what she heard her say about Mysaria.
Said woman rolled her eyes before retaking her seat, "Was accosting me the only reason you came here today?"
Lilyanna sighed, "No, I wanted to ask if you could look into two people for me; Perkin the Flea, and Trystane, the young boy living with him."
"I assume that Trystane was the boy you said that you rescued earlier?"
"He is." Lilyanna said plainly.
Mysaria eyed her with mirth, "And is his cuteness what led you to becoming attached in such a short period of time?"
"This is serious, Mysaria. Jayne has already told me that you have had your eye on him for some time."
"I have, but I try to keep track of all the people in this city with Valyrian features; they tend attract attention and cause trouble." Mysaria admitted, "And they can be of importance that others do not consider, it''s because of this that I was not all that surprised a man like Perkin was interested in Trystane. So, princess, why are you interested in the boy?"
Lilyanna clenched her jaw, looking at Mysaria more seriously than before. "I have reason to believe that Trystane may be my-Viserys'' baseborn son."
Jayne''s eyes widened and her mouth fell open, "The King''s bastard?! But that can''t be, Trystane is less than ten summers old, and the King has been sick far longer than that."
Lilyanna shook her head, "His illness does not hinder his ability to sire a child, just look at my own lady mother. The two have been married for almost as long as Viserys'' condition has been made public knowledge and my mother was able to give him five living children. And even after Viserys'' health had already greatly deteriorated, my mother was still... she was still able to become pregnant with Elaera almost two years ago."
"But there is no way that the King of Westeros would have been able to leave the Keep, go into Flea Bottom, and fuck a woman without anyone noticing." Jayne argued.
Mysaria chuckled derisively, "I think the girl before us, along with her older brother and sister, are proof enough that if a member of the royal family truly desires it, just how easily they can sneak through the castle and into the city undetected."
"But one of us in the castle would have seen such a thing."
Mysaria gave Jayne a small smile, "While I appreciate the faith you have in me and everyone else, it is impossible to see and know everything, even when you are actively trying."
"But that is why you suspect that even if Trystane is not the King''s son, he is most likely related to him in some way. And that is the reason why Perkin decided to take Trystane into his care." Lilyanna said knowingly.
"The realm often forgets because of how much the King claims to miss and love his late wife, that before he became King and when he was just a prince, Viserys Targaryen was infamous for traversing the Street of Silk with his brother, both fucking every whore they came across. It was not until the second year of their marriage and Queen Aemma became pregnant and suffered the first of many miscarriages, did Viserys, at least publicly, end his lustful dalliances and kept only to his wife''s bed."
"So, Trystane could either be the King''s bastard outright or the grandchild of one of his bastards?" Jayne asked.
"Most likely."
Lilyanna brought her head down and placed it the palms of her hands, "This whole situation is fucked."
In the original timeline, Perkin waited until the riots to proclaim that Trystane was Viserys'' son, took control of the Gold Cloaks and then used them to take the Red Keep. So, is that what his goal still is; wait until war breaks out and the two sides weaken each other before swooping in to gain power? Perkin was working for someone in this whole plot, but I can''t remember who.
And if this is his plan, then I can''t allow Trystane to stay and continued to be used by Perkin. But what am I going to do with him? I can''t just take Trystane, he''s nine and to everyone else, I''m still a child too. It''s not like I can just take him with me to the Keep and be like; hey, you see this boy here, he''s the King''s possible bastard child slash grandchild, can he live here? I''m sure that will go over great with mother and Rhaenyra.
Mother would definitely be upset and embarrassed if Trystane was Viserys'' son, but mother isn''t in love with Viserys, and her reaction would pale in comparison to how Rhaenyra would react if Trystane was Viserys'' grandson. Especially if Trystane''s possible father was born during the early years of Viserys and Aemma''s marriage.
"I will have someone watch over Trystane and Perkin, and I will try to dig up as much information as possible about the boy''s parentage and we will go from there." Mysaria said reassuringly.
At this point, I won''t have to worry about getting killed in a civil war, all this stress and worry will do me in long before that.
Hours Later
Criston did not know how to feel as he walked alongside the Queen, seeing the small yet joyful smile on Alicent''s lips as walked towards her chambers after leaving the dining hall where Alicent and her children ate dinner with Rhaenyra Targaryen, her children, and her husband.
While it had been some time since the two were openly antagonistic towards each other, these tentative gatherings had come about with the announcement that Rhaenyra was pregnant with twins.
"Your Grace, if I could speak candidly?" Criston asked aloud.
Alicent looked at her sworn protector, "About what?"
"I... I simply worry that after the loss that was suffered, you are allowing the princess'' pregnant state to blind you to her faults." Criston said.
Alicent stared at him in shock before her gaze hardened, "What are you trying to say, Ser Criston?"
Criston cleared his throat, "I meant no disrespect to you, my Queen, but Rhaenyra is not to be trusted. She is a spider who sucks her prey dry after entangling them in her web, Ifear that she is using her pregnancy to ensnare you again."
The knight feared that after the loss of Elaera, Alicent was unknowingly imprinting her motherly feelings onto Rhaenyra''s unborn children, trying to live vicariously through the other woman.
Alicent looked away from Criston, "I-"
Criston continued to speak, unintentionally cutting the woman off, "She is currently stealing the birthright that belongs to your sons. And if she is allowed to ascend the Iron Throne, then the realm will fall into chaos under her terrible rule."
Alicent snapped, "I am aware of the kind of person Princess Rhaenyra is, Ser, I do not need you to tell me of such as if I am a child."
Criston''s eyes widened before he quickly lowered his head. "I apologize, Your Grace, that was not my intention."
The two walked down the hall in tense silence, neither making the attempt to fill it. As they reached the end of the hall, they saw Larys Strong standing in from of the chamber door.
Why is he here? Alicent thought, a shiver of disgust racing down her spine that usually appeared whenever she was in the presence of the man.
"Lord Larys, I must ask why you are waiting outside my bedchamber so late." Alicent said as she stopped in front of Larys.
Her disgust returned when she saw his gaze quickly darted down to the floor, staring at the bottom of her dress, where her feet were hidden from sight. Larys smiled as he looked at her, "I apologize for the unannounced arrival, it has been sometime since we have last spoken, so I sought to correct this, to check on the wellbeing of my Queen."
"I thank you for your concern, but this was not necessary."
"I was hoping we could speak, Your Grace." Larys said, his gaze piercing.
Alicent forced a smile, "I am sorry, Lord Larys, but perhaps we could speak another time, I feel quite tired and was hoping to rest."
Larys took a few moments to respond, "Of course, Your Grace. I wish you a good night."
Larys then walked away, but not before staring at Alicent quizzically, confused by the woman''s demeanor.
Criston turned his head to watch the other man leave, there was something about Larys Clubfoot that unnerved him, and it made him question why Alicent would befriend such a strange man.
"Let no one disturb me, Ser Criston." Alicent said as she entered her bedchamber.
"I will. Good night, Your Grace." Criston said as he pulled the doors of the room closed.
Once she was alone, Alicent sighed, quickly moving to undo her hair. Her good mood was long gone as she was now overtaken with thoughts of Larys, Criston, and Rhaenyra.
Seeing Larys waiting for her outside her bedroom brought the realization that she had not gone to him for information in quite some time. After Daeron was born, Alicent solidified her relationship with the second born Strong, seeing the whole thing as an uncomfortable necessity.
She had no longer been able to trust Rhaenyra, her father''s words to her had never proven to be truer after the princess had him removed as Hand of the King, after Rhaenyra lied to her about still being a maiden.
So, she endured, trying to dissociate as she showed Larys her feet each time he told her something he learned, ignored the sounds of his breathing, of the rustling of his clothing as he pleasured himself across from her.
She was able to endure having lain with Viserys each time he called her to his bed. Staring at the wall and imagining herself from away from the castle as he took her, rutting into her with no care for her own pleasure, and trying not to cry as he would whisper the name of the late Queen Aemma in her ear. Compared to that, Larys was far easier to deal with even if the humiliation she felt was far greater with him than her husband.
But after Rhaenyra''s confession, the Queen had found herself going to Larys less and less. And when she tried to, she would feel guilty mixing with her shame as the thought of the princess would enter her mind when Larys would tell her about her movements and the things she would say.
It has been about five-no six moons since I sought out Larys privately.
And her feelings were even more complicated as she thought of what Criston said earlier. She now questioned if he was right, if Elaera''s death had damaged her so much that she was trying to fool herself into believing that Rhaenyra was becoming her friend again, that she was someone she could trust again.
But Rhaenyra does not want to be my friend. Alicent thought, a warmth pooling in her stomach as she remembered Rhaenyra''s confession, the way that Rhaenyra had been staring at her ever since.
But Criston is right; Rhaenyra is taking Aegon''s birthright. If she becomes Queen, she will have to¡ she will have to kill my children to solidify her claim. She will do it, will she not? Why am I questioning this, she will have to, she must! How can I trust her when she lied to me so easily, when she swore on the life of her mother. She knew how important my own mother was, she was destroyed by her own mother''s death, and yet she treated it all so causally just to protect herself.
Alicent sat on the edge of her bed, placing her head in her hands, everything in her life felt too much but not enough all at the same time.
Life was easier when Rhaenyra Targaryen did not have such a hold on her heart.
The Next Day
When will this be over? I should have just said I was not feeling well today and had Lyonel sit here in my place, it''s not as if that would be a lie. Viserys thought as he tried to discreetly adjust himself to the throne, wincing when he felt the throne cut him on the back of his leg.
And yet another cut from this blasted chair for Orwyle to stitch close.
For an hour, the King had been listening to various petitions from his subjects, all so far had been from different lords and merchants that were looking for the usual; charters, loans, ships, and tax relief.
As he rejected the last of the merchants, Viserys inwardly groaned when a large group of smallfolk stepped forward, knowing that this undoubtedly be a significant issue.
A middle-aged man with black hair and green eyes stepped forward, showing that he was voice of the collective. "Good morrow, Your Grace. My name is Bron. We have come here to ask that you reconsider the refusal of Princess Lilyanna''s proposals."
Viserys looked at the man confused, "Princess Lilyanna proposals?"
"The proposals for the creation of a bathhouse here in King''s Landing and replacing the city''s old sewage system, Your Grace." Bron explained.
Viserys'' expression soon became one of annoyance, "And how is it that you learned of all this, Bron?"
Bron stood straighter, meeting the King''s eye, "Are the matters of governance meant to be kept secret from those meant to be governed?"
Harrold stepped forward from his place at the base of the throne, staring at Bron pointedly, "You speak to the King only with respect."
Bron looked the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard with distaste, but took a step back, aware of Harrold Westerling''s reputation and skill.
I suppose that enough time has passed since that meeting for word to have spread naturally, but I cannot help the feeling that something allowed this to reach the people suspiciously. Viserys thought.
"That is enough, Ser Harrold." Viserys told the knight, watching the man take a step back before looking back at the smallfolk before him. "The Crown does not have the means to take on such projects currently, but know that I and my councilors have you all and your-"
"Don''t have the means to make sure the streets and water are clean, that we can clean ourselves, but you have enough for all your tourneys and feasts?!" One of the men behind Bron exclaimed, openly glaring at the King.
This caused murmurs and whispers to fill the throne room, both from nobles and peasants alike.
Viserys was shocked, never receiving such a reaction from his subjects before, "Now-"
"Why can''t we get anything for ourselves when you nobles spend our taxes on all your fancy balls and nice clothes?!" Another voice yelled from the line of smallfolk waiting for their own petitions to be heard.
The peasants of the room become rowdy, each yelling questions at the King. Viserys found himself overwhelmed, unsure of how to proceed as a mixture of anxiousness, anger, and shock washed over him.
"That is enough! Ser Harrold, take the guards and clear the room. Ser Steffon, guard the King! Today''s petition hearing is over!" Lyonel ordered.
Steffon Darklyn stood in front of the throne steps as Harrold and the guards of the Targaryen Household that were in the throne room forcefully escorted everyone out.
Lyonel looked up at the Targaryen with worry once the throne room was empty, "Your Grace?"
"That has never happened before..." Viserys said to himself, staring at his feet as he placed his hand against his forehead.
Lyonel looked at the room doors, "There are moments when the people do not like the laws and edicts that are made and make their feelings known, but never during court proceedings."
And never so earnestly. I fear this may turn to violence by the day''s end. Lyonel thought.
Viserys immediately stood up, quickly walking down the throne steps, "Lyonel, where is my daughter?"
"Princess Lilyanna?" The Hand asked before calling out to Harrold, "Ser Harrold, do you know Princess Lilyanna''s whereabouts?"
"I believe that Criston and Rickard were guarding the Queen and her children in the gardens for a picnic. I also believe that Princess Rhaenyra along with her sons are with them, my Lord." Harrold said, remembering what his fellow brothers told him that their charges were going.
With his daughter''s location given, Viserys moved as quickly as he could, Lyonel and the two Kingsguard following closely behind.
"Your Grace, I do not believe that Princess Lilyanna had told those people about the bathhouse and the sewers, from what I know the princess does not go into the city, and when she does, it is to the Dragonpit, nor does she interact with anyone outside of the Keep." Lyonel said.
Viserys ignored this, continuing to walk forward determinedly.
At any other time, Viserys would have been ecstatic to see his children, wife, and grandchildren getting along in such a manner as he entered the garden. He noted that Alicent and Rhaenyra were sitting on chairs in adamant discussion, the boys were throwing a ball around a few feet away, and Helaena was sitting on a blanket in front of her mother and older sister as she read from a large book, but his eyes were firmly locked on Lilyanna, the young girl sleeping on the blanket next to Helaena, her head resting on the other girl''s lap.
Rhaenyra noticed him first from the corner of her eye, "Father?"
Viserys ignored his eldest daughter along with the rest of his family who stopped what they were doing to watch him as he moved towards his youngest daughters.
"Lilyanna. Wake up, Lilyanna!" Viserys exclaimed as he stopped in front of the twins.
Helaena jumped at the sound of her father''s yelling, her sudden movement causing Lilyanna jolt, whining as her eyes fluttered open before squinting both at the sunlight and in confusion as to what woke her up. "What the hell?"
"Get up, Lilyanna." Viserys said.
Lilyanna stared at him for a few seconds before slowly sitting up. "Is something wrong, father?"
"Did you tell anyone about your idea for a bathhouse and a new sewage system? Did you make them think that I rejected the idea out of malice?"
Lilyanna''s eyebrows furrowed together, "No? Who would I have told?"
Viserys'' eyes darted around, seeing the confused and worried way that the others were looking at him, causing him to turn his head away, realizing how insane he sounded and came across and that Lyonel was right about Lilyanna''s lack of involvement.
Alicent stood up, gently placing her hand on her husband''s shoulder, "What has happened, Viserys?"
"And what does Lilyanna have to do with it?" Rhaenyra added as she remained seated.
Viserys sighed, but explained what had happened at court earlier, and reluctantly finished the story with how Lyonel had to order the guards to remove everyone from the throne room out of fear of the peasants'' anger turning into violence.
"And then you decided to come here and blame me for it." Lilyanna stated, looking at the man dryly.
Alicent looked at her daughter with exasperation. "Lilyanna."
Lilyanna looked away, glaring at the ground, she knew that this was all coming, but she was still annoyed that Viserys assumed that she had been the one at fault, that he immediately assumed wrong of her.
"Do you believe that this will lead to further action?" Rhaenyra asked, "Or do you believe that the people who came to court was simply an off occurrence?"
"I hope not. I have said my peace with the matter; the Crown does not have the means to take on these projects." Viserys said to her.
"Don''t have the means my ass." Lilyanna muttered under her breath, her vexation growing as everyone knew that her efforts had made her father''s statement untrue.
Helaena, sitting next to Lilyanna heard this and elbowed her sister in her side, glaring at Lilyanna as she hissed. "Stop, father has forgotten his anger, don''t bring it back upon you."
Lilyanna returned the glare, "I didn''t do anything for him to be mad at, I didn''t tell those people to petition him, nor did I tell them to not accept his refusal."
"But your worm friend did, didn''t she?" Helaena whispered, looking at her twin questioningly.
Lilyanna pursed her lips, "She spread the word, yes, and apparently common folk have decided they''ve had enough."
Helaena looked at her parents and sister who were still discussing the situation before looking back at Lilyanna. "And you haven''t tried to stop it?"
"I tried, I went to Mysaria to, but apparently it out of her hands and that I can''t stop the smallfolk from doing what they deem to be necessary."
There was not much she could do; she knew that at this point everything was out of her control. Now she only hoped that whatever happened next would not be too extreme.
Lilyanna Causes a Riot
Three Days Later
Rhaenyra shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she and the rest of the council listened to Corlys give his report. She did not know what her good father was saying, more focused on the pain that was coursing through her body.
The pain she was feeling had been occurring since she woke up that morning, and when Laenor noticed how she was walking, had asked her to stay in bed and send a messenger to relay her absence to the small council.
Stubbornly, Rhaenyra refused, pushing through the pain, and allowing her hand maidens to ready her for the day. She refused to show those men any weakness, to have them mock her behind her back and speak of how her womanly sensibilities had gotten the better of her.
I wish I had listened to Laenor. Rhaenyra thought.
As she looked forward, she saw that Alicent was staring straight at her, the Queen''s eyes trailing across Rhaenyra''s face and upper body, concern etched across Alicent''s features.
Rhaenyra forced a smile and immediately looked away, rolling her attendance ball in its dish, wanting something distract her from both her discomfort and the feeling of having Alicent''s attention.
"... My fleet has reported some activity in the Stepstones. It is unclear yet if the Triarchy wishes to reclaim the islands, but I believe they are readying themselves for battle." Corlys admitted.
"Again, Corlys? I thought after you and my brother staged a war there without my leave, that this would have been put behind us?" Viserys said, his displeasure with the never-ending issue that was the Stepstones, more than evident.
Corlys pursed his lips, fighting the urge to roll his eyes, "The islands were never fortified by the Crown after Prince Daemon relinquished them to you, Your Grace. It is not surprising that the Triarchy would take what they view as our unwatchfulness as an opportunity to take what they believe was rightfully theirs."
Lyman cleared his throat, "The cost to garrison the Stepstones; with men, ships, and watchtowers would have been far too expensive for our coffers. The Stepstones would not have been worth that kind of investment."
Corlys scoffed, "Too expensive? Ten years ago, that may have been true but now? After a girl of twelve summers thought of the idea of creating a central bank of Westeros? Princess Lilyanna has made the Crown richer than it has been in a generation, perhaps even more than. Why was fortifying the Stepstones not thought of in the more than a year since, instead of allowing all that gold to be horded?"
Aegon bit his lip to try and push down the laughter that was threatening to escape him. It was not often that someone talked back or down to his father, and he loved how Corlys made it his mission to do so ever since retaking his position as Master of Ships.
Jacaerys, knocked elbows with his uncle, seeing the amusement on Aegon''s face and knowing what had caused it. Aegon turned to his nephew and the two shared a smile, both enjoying when small council meetings stopped being monotonous and boring.
Viserys stared pointedly at the Sea Snake, "Hording gold? You speak as if you are not the single richest man in the realm, Corlys. Why did you not put your gold into those barren rocks if they are of such importance? Why must the Crown, why must I, deal with things that only you yourself find problems in?"
Before Corlys could respond, the sounds of yelling could be heard coming from the chamber''s balcony, in the direction of the city.
"What is that?" Orwyle asked.
Viserys slowly stood, walking towards the balcony, and pulling the doors open, trying to look beyond the castle walls to see what was going on in the streets of King''s Landing.
Viserys squinted his eyes, seeing the streets filling with people, he could just barely hear what was being chanted repeatedly by the rowdy citizens.
''Viserys the Selfish! Viserys the Selfish!''
"What? Why... Are they..." Viserys asked softly, feeling nothing but dread.
"I believe that the smallfolk have decided to make their feelings known about your refusal during court, Your Grace." Lyonel said stopping just behind the King.
"What... what do I..." Viserys muttered, breathing heavily, grasping the railing to prevent himself from falling over.
The people are rioting? Against me? They think I am a selfish King? Viserys thought.
Since the day he was named heir during the Great Council at Harrenhal, Viserys strove to be the best King possible, to uphold the immense legacy that his grandfather left behind.
But deep down, he knew that he lacked many of the Old King Jaehaerys'' traits; his strength, his willful and stubborn nature, his intelligence, his resolve, and his inner fire.
Viserys had long accepted that he would never be the great King that his grandfather was, so he worked to at least maintain the prosperous reign that Jaehaerys had begun, not doing anything that would lead to the peace of the realm being shattered. And now it appeared that the years of effort would all be for naught.
All Viserys could do was stand frozen in fear and indecision, thinking about all the ways this could become worse, of how his own reign would be remembered, and how he himself would be remembered.
"Viserys. Viserys!" Alicent called out but was ignored by her husband who remained oblivious to the world. The Queen then turned to the rest of the small council, "We need to send the Gold Cloaks to restore order."
Lyonel turned to face Alicent, still standing beside the King, "Chances are the City Watch are already doing all they can now to end this riot before it becomes worse. Although, if most of the city is involved than they will be overrun."
This did not surprise any of council as the City Watch of King''s Landing only consisted of a little over two thousand men, while the city, had a population of about two hundred thousand.
"Then we shall send out Ser Harwin to properly lead his men and send the Red Keep''s guardsmen with him to help restore peace." Rhaenyra spoke out.
"And leave the Keep undefended?" Jasper asked, a tinge of fear bleeding into his voice, "While there is a riot against our King?"
Rhaenyra narrowed her eyes, staring at Jasper with barely hide annoyance, "We will obviously not send them all, but we have the men to spare. With the remaining guards and the walls of the Red Keep as protection, all of us will be fine, but we will not be if the riot goes on long enough and the peasants decide they all wish to make their grievances known directly to the King''s face."
"The princess is right." Alicent voiced, "Ser Harrold, please gather half of the castle''s guards and any knights you can muster; they must ready themselves quickly and be made aware that they will follow Ser Harwin''s authority."
"Right away, Your Grace." Harrold said, quickly leaving the chamber to carry out his orders.
"Ser Criston!" Alicent called out, gaining the knight''s attention through the now opened door, "I must ask you to bring Ser Harwin Strong here. And that he is prepared to go out into the city."
Criston had a look of confusion on his face, but did as he was told nonetheless, "Yes, My Queen."
''Viserys the Selfish, Viserys the Selfish, Viserys the Selfish!'' The Chants of the city grew louder, followed by the sounds of screaming.
Jacaerys moved to his mother''s side, staring out onto the balcony, where his grandfather stood motionless. "Will... will the smallfolk move to kill us?"
Rhaenyra''s head quickly turned to face her son, immediately holding the side of Jacaerys'' face. "Of course not, they would not dare. This little squabble of theirs will soon be put down, there is nothing to fear."
Jacaerys was not sure if he believed Rhaenyra, not with how scared Viserys currently looked. The fact that Alicent and Rhaenyra had to act in the King''s stead despite him being only a few feet away, did not help to settle the young prince.
Aegon took this opportunity to stand next to his own mother, "Does this mean I''m no longer the wayward child, mother?"
Alicent looked at her son bewildered, "The wayward child?"
Aegon nodded, a cheeky smile appearing despite the seriousness of the situation they were in. "Well, I can no longer be the wayward child of the family anymore since Lily started a riot. Anything I do from now on, will pale in comparison."
Jacaerys giggled as he heard this, and Rhaenyra smirked when Alicent''s expression changed from bewilderment to a mixture of exasperation and mild irritation.
Alicent placed her hand against her forehead, "Your sister did not start a riot, Aegon."
"Are you sure? Because from where I am standing, Lily was the one who wanted to give the smallfolk a bathhouse and replace the sewers, father refused, and now those same smallfolk are angry with their King''s decision and are rioting." Aegon stated, his smile becoming more playful.
I suppose this could be the faults of both father and Lilyanna. The eldest son of the King thought.
Before Alicent could respond, Criston entered the small council chamber, having returned with Harwin following behind him.
"Your Grace, I have been informed of the riot and am ready to leave at yours and the council''s command." Harwin said to the Queen and bowing before the small council.
Alicent nodded, "Good. Then we shall-"
"Ssshhh!" Rhaenyra groaned under her breath, feeling a familiar sensation of liquid running down her legs, a tell-tale sign of what was happening within her body.
Of course, it starts now of all times. Rhaenyra thought.
"Rhaenyra?" Alicent turned towards the other woman, staring at her questioningly.
"My labor has begun." Rhaenyra said calmly, her face blank as she clutched her stomach tightly.
Everyone''s eyes widened, staring at the princess in shock. Jasper Wilde was the first to speak, "Now, your highness?"
Rhaenyra started at the man pointedly, "Yes, now."
"And you can''t hold it?" Aegon asked, his face twisting in disgust as he finally noticed the fluids beneath his sister''s chair that were beginning to drip onto the floor.
Aegon flinched when Rhaenyra turned and glared at him, which was enough of an indicator that she found his question to be both stupid and insolent.
Before anyone one else could say anything, Rhaenyra''s grip on her stomach tightened, feeling the oncoming contractions.
Harwin immediately moved to the princess, lifting her into his arms and turning around to carry her out of the chamber.
"Harwin!" Lyonel shouted, shocked by the informality of his son''s actions.
Harwin ignored his father, quickly leaving the small council chamber with the Crown Princess in his arms. Corlys soon left the room with Jacaerys, intent on finding Laenor and informing his son of his wife''s condition.
Aegon blew out a raspberry, "So that-"
"Aegon, leave. Now." Alicent told her son, her gaze still on the doors, in the direction Rhaenyra was going.
Aegon did as he was told, leaving the chamber, the door soon closing behind him. He could hear the council breaking out in discussion, now having to deal with the riot, the King''s unresponsiveness, and Rhaenyra''s labors.
Never a dull day around here... Aegon thought, laughing to himself as he decided to find Aemond, bothering his younger brother always made him feel better.
"Where are my fucking midwives?!" Rhaenyra cried out, another contraction ripping through her.
Elinda Massey, Rhaenyra''s staunchest lady in waiting, stepped forward, watching as the other ladies brought water and towels for the princess to use. "No one was excepting you to go into labor today, Your Grace. The head midwife went out into the city this morn, so the riot is preventing her from returning, and we are not sure where the others are because the castle is in such pandemonium."
"I cannot give birth without them!" Rhaenyra yelled, writhing in the tub she was sitting in.
One of the other ladies spoke out, "Should we get the Grand Maester? He should be able-"
Rhaenyra glared at the poor girl, "No! I will not have that grey rat anywhere near me or my children!"
To Rhaenyra, there was no difference between Orwyle and Mellos, the new Grand Maester did nothing while Mellos cut her mother open like a pig, nothing when Mellos wanted to do the same to Alicent. She would not have someone who a student of the one responsible for her mother''s death, administrating her labor, she would sooner die.
It was at this moment, that the door to her bedchamber opened and Laenor entered the room. The man was wearing armor with the Velaryon sigil on the front and was carrying his sword at his hip. He had a look of annoyance on his face that lessened when he took in the scene in front of him.
Rhaenyra looked him up and down, "And where are you going?"
Laenor walked to the tub, standing beside it, "I was going to help Harwin with the riot along with Qarl, but my father forbade me. Can you believe that? Like I''m still a child who he can force his authority upon. When I tried to push back, he said that you had gone into labor and that as a good husband I had to be here, as if he was there for my mother either time when she birthed Laena and I."
"I am so sorry that me pushing your big-headed children out of my cunt, was such an inconvenience in your quest to getting your sword wet, husband." Rhaenyra said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and her eyes with furious contempt.
"I did not mean-" Laenor began, his expression a mixture of guilt and compassion before Rhaenyra howled in pain. "Where in the seven hells are your midwives?"
"That''s what I''d like to know." Rhaenyra whimpered.
Laenor then turned to Elinda, "Did you call for Orw-"
"Orwyle is not allowed within a hundred yards of me while I am in this state!" Rhaenyra growled.
Laenor looked at Rhaenyra seriously, "I know of your dislike for all maesters apart from Gerardys, but this does not just concern you but the children you are trying to birth as well. You need someone with the knowledge and skill, or you and our children may die here."
The princess was torn between her selfish desire to keep Orwyle away from her while she labored and the maternal duty to put her children''s needs before her own. These two things raged within her, thoughts of her mother''s pale face, her still opened and lifeless eyes, the blood pooling around her and staining her sheets, Alicent holding Elaera''s body in her arms as she sobbed, the image of two stillborn children leaving her womb one after another.
But an idea soon rushed to the forefront of her mind, causing her to look at Laenor with a dazed and feverish impression. "Lilyanna."
Laenor scrunched his nose, "What?"
"Get my sister, she will help me deliver the twins." Rhaenyra explained.
"Rhaenyra, Lilyanna is a girl of two and ten; are you truly asking that she help deliver one let alone two babes?" Laenor asked incredulously.
"Yes, I am."
Laenor sighed, "Rhaenyra-"
"Lilyanna knows what she is doing, she knew about Eleara. Hell, I''m sure that she merely continues her lessons with Orwyle to placate our father. I''m sure she knows more than the Grand Maester, but chooses to hide it."
Rhaenyra had been watching her younger sister for far too long to not be aware of Lilyanna secretive nature; Lilyanna was far more intelligent than she let people believe. Others; Rhaenys, Corlys, the small council, Criston, and Alicent had all noticed as well, although they were all content to watch with the desire to see more of what she was capable of.
"I understand that, but this our children-"
Rhaenyra eyed him fiercely, "Laenor, bring Lilyanna here, or roll your sleeves up and deliver these children yourself."
Laenor turned on his heel and left the room, quickly heading towards Lilyanna''s bedroom. He let out a deep breath as he soon saw the figure of Rickard Throne standing in front of Lilyanna''s bedchamber, letting him know that Lilyanna was indeed inside.
"Ser Laenor." Rickard said to the man in greeting once he came into view.
"Ser Rickard, I must enter the princess'' bedchamber." Laenor said, stopping front of the Kingsguard.
"I shall let the princess know." Rickard said before turning and knocking on the door, "Princess Lilyanna. Ser Laenor says that he must see you."
A loud crash was heard coming from the room followed by a few curses, a moment passed before Lilyanna answered the man. "I''m busy. Tell him to leave, Ricky."
Rickard huffed, since he was made her protector, Lilyanna had taken to calling him Ricky, the knight was not sure why, but he knew not to question his charge''s strange musings.
Laenor glared at the door, "Lilyanna! This is serious! Rhaenyra has gone into labor and none of her midwives can be found, and she is refusing any help from Orwyle!"
A few more crashes were heard before the door was thrown open, and Lilyanna was standing in the doorway, she had an old scarf and apron wrapped around her head and waist, and a pair of black leather gloves on her hands.
Her apron and gloves had splotches of a dried orange-brown substance, but what drew the men''s attention the most was the foul, repugnant odor that was coming from within the princess'' room.
"What are you doing in there?" Laenor asked, covering his nose with his hand. Even Rickard was unable to keep himself from recoiling as the smell hit his nose.
"What do you mean the midwives are missing and Rhaenyra refuses to see Orwyle?!" Lilyanna asked, a manic look in her eye.
Laenor began to breath out of his mouth, the smell growing worse as it lingered. "No one knows where any of them are, and you know how Rhaenyra feels about maesters."
Lilyanna stared at him for a few moments before shaking her head, "Give me a minute."
Lilyanna went back inside, leaving the door open as she took off her gloves, apron, and scarf, quickly going to her desk where her travel bag laid, taking out the things she did not need and putting in the things she did.
As she was doing this, Laenor leaned his head into the room, fighting the urge to gag as the smell became worse, looking inside and seeing a large steel pot filled with the orange-brown substance he saw on Lilyanna clothes, sitting over a fire in the room''s fireplace, bubbling.
"What are you doing?" Laenor asked again, looking between his good sister and the vat.
"Don''t worry about it." Lilyanna said as she walked towards the fireplace, putting a lid over the pot, and using the poker to put out the flames.
"Lilyanna-"
Lilyanna stared at the man, a coldness gleaming from her eyes as she spoke. "It''s not any of your business, Laenor. So, let it go."
As she came closer, Laenor was forced to lean back, and Lilyanna forcefully shut her bedroom door closed behind her, still staring at Laenor sharply.
She did not give him the opportunity to speak again, pushing past Laenor and running to her sister''s chambers, and quickly disappearing from sight.
Laenor sighed, tired of having to deal with stubborn Targaryens, and running after Lilyanna. While he did not turn around, he could hear Rickard''s armor clanking as he followed them.
Lilyanna did not bother knocking on the door once she reached Rhaenyra''s room, simply opening it and walking inside. She was not surprised to see her sister''s nervous ladies in waiting flittering about or Rhaenyra herself gripping the sides of the tube she was sitting inside, her body flushed and sweaty, her face strewn with discomfort.
Lilyanna looked towards two of the younger ladies, "Bring more towels, and a bowl of clean water."
The two hesitated for a moment, looking at each other and then Rhaenyra before moving to carry out the younger princess'' order.
Lilyanna then looked towards Elinda, "Help me get my sister out of the tub."
"Yes, princess." Elinda said, moving to one side of the tub as Lilyanna went to the other.
Rhaenyra blinked as she looked at Lilyanna, "H¨¡edar."
"I am here, sister. I know this is how you usually do things with your midwives, but I want to move you to your bed. Can I?" Lilyanna spoke softly, brushing some of Rhaenyra''s hair away from her face with her fingers.
Rhaenyra nodded her head, grimacing as Lilyanna and Elinda gently took her arms and lifted her to her feet. She bit her lip, almost drawing blood as she was forced to move one leg after the other up and over the side of the tub, hobbling as the two people by her sides carried most of her weight.
It was a relief when her back finally touched her mattress, letting out a deep sigh as she allowed her body to relax as much as possible.
It was then that the door opened and Laenor once again entered the room, the man relaxing when he saw that Lilyanna was inside.
Rhaenyra looked surprised that her husband had returned, "Laenor, what-"
"I wish to stay." Laenor voiced.
Lilyanna looked at him impassively as she stood at the foot of the bed, "I think it would be best if you wait outside, Laenor."
Laenor shook "I want to make sure that Rhaenyra is safe."
Lilyanna scoffed, but her expression remained bored, "You have never wanted to make sure that my sister was safe the first two times she did this. So why now?"
It was clear that Lilyanna wanted Laenor to say how he truly felt about her capabilities, but Laenor did not rise to the bait. "Do not tell me you believe those superstitions that men should be away from the miracle of life, Lily? Is that what the Faith and Queen Alicent have been teaching you?"
Lilyanna''s expression became stony, and when she opened her mouth to speak, Rhaenyra cut her off, "Enough, I do not care for this squabbling! Laenor shall stay, and Lilyanna will act as my midwife, are we clear?"
Laenor looked at the floor and Lilyanna scowled in Laenor''s direction, but neither disputed what the Crown Princess had said.
Lilyanna turned and took the bowl that one of the ladies brought, placing it on the nearby table and using it to rinse her hands. After drying them, she turned back to the bed, lifting the bottom of Rhaenyra''s chemise, "Can I-"
Rhaenyra huffed, "Lilyanna, I asked you to be here, I do not care if you must shove your whole hand up there. Besides, it not as if my midwives ask before they do."
"They should." Lilyanna muttered to herself as she reached forward and slowly inserted her index finger into Rhaenyra''s vaginal opening and feeling around her vaginal canal to check the dilation and effacement of her cervix. After a few moments, she inserted another finger, "When did your labor start?"
"Al-almost th-three hours." Rhaenyra breathed out.
Lilyanna clicked her teeth, upset that she was not called earlier, "That sounds about right; your cervix has dilated about three, possibly four centimeters, so your still in early labor."
"Cervix?" Rhaenyra asked, never having heard the word nor knowing what the word meant.
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"The cervix is a small canal that connects a woman''s uterus to her vagina, that allows fluids to enter and leave your uterus. And during pregnancy, the cervix must dilate and flatten to allow the fetus to pass through the birth canal." Seeing the blank stares she was getting from the room''s other occupants, Lilyanna gave a simpler explanation, "It''s the opening of your womb. It is what keeps the babe inside of you during pregnancy and what slowly widens to allow the babe to be pushed through during labor."
Laenor made a face, "That is... interesting?"
Lilyanna removed her hand, grabbing a towel and wiping her fingers before going to and opening her medical bag, "Do you want something for the pain, Nyra?"
"Are you offering milk of the poppy?" Rhaenyra asked.
Lilyanna shook her head, pulling out a jar with a green liquid, "What I have is nowhere near as dangerous, but more potent. It will make you feel boneless, as if you are floating on a cloud."
Rhaenyra thought about this for a few moments, "I would rather have my kits about me, h¨¡edar."
"If that''s what you want." Lilyanna said before putting the jar back in her bag.
Rhaenyra would soon find herself regretting not taking her sister''s offer for something that would dull the pain.
Mysaria stood on the balcony of her manse, staring at the city.
She had received word from Talya about the City Watch being deployed to put down the riot, with Harwin Strong, Lord Commander of the City Watch, leading the charge.
The Queen''s lady in waiting also informed her about the King being incapacitated with fear and anxiousness at the idea of his subjects hating him, a piece of news that brought a smile to her face.
A laugh even escaped her when Tayla told her that Rhaenyra was in labor, and that the princess had chosen Lilyanna to help deliver her children.
Lilyanna must be happy to be given more responsibility and the chance to prove herself to her family. Mysaria thought, knowing that Lilyanna disliked whenever her knowledge was ignored or disregarded simply because of her age.
Now, the riot was ending as the Gold Cloaks had slowly restored order, forcefully clearing the streets, yelling that on the order of the King, a curfew would be in place shortly, a way to ensure more unrest would not occur.
Mysaria knew that this order was done by order of the small council, as Viserys was still out of commission, drowning with indecision.
Garrat, her faithful attendant walked onto the balcony, standing behind her. "Your guests have arrived, my lady."
"Thank you, Garrat." Mysaria walked off the balcony and out of her room, Garrat following closely behind.
The pair walked through the manse until they reached a set of large black doors. Two attendants who were guarding the doors greeted them and opened the doors for their lady.
"Wait for me, Garrat."
"Of course." The black-haired young man replied.
Mysaria confidently walked through the doorway and entered a room with a long rectangular table, each of its seats filled with the people she had summoned.
Mysaria took the only available seat at the head of the table, "I must thank you all for accepting my invitation. I know that you all had other engagements."
A chuckle was heard in the quiet room and all heads turned to the madam of the House of Kisses, one of the most prolific and high-end brothels in King''s Landing.
Sylvi was a woman of slightly below average height, dark blue eyes, and long brunette hair styled in a long braid that rested over her shoulder. The woman smiled at Mysaria, "Let''s not beat around the bush, we all know you summoned us here to discuss the riot."
"Well, you should let the woman get to that part instead of wasting time." Kella said, looking at the other woman distastefully, Sylvi returned the look, the two now having a silent standoff.
For as long as Mysaria had known the two women, they did not get along with each other. She did not know what the reason was, she always assumed it was because the while Sylvi owned the most popular brothel in the city, and Kella owned multiple well frequented brothels, including the Blue Pearl and Mother''s, so the two women considered the other their rival, but right now she did not care what had started their feud. "Enough, we have more important matters."
Mysaria the looked across the table, "But as Sylvi said; I have brought you all here to discuss the riot. More importantly, what we shall do in its aftermath."
Another laugh was heard, this time coming from a tall man with pale skin, short sandy blond hair, and pale green eyes. He was a handsome man, the type that drew attention from those around him, especially in his expertly tailored red clothes.
This was Daven Hill, rumored natural son of the late Tymond Lannister, the former Lord of Casterly Rock and father of Jason and Tyland Lannister. But most notably, Daven was the head of the Scarlet Song, a large guild of artisans and entertainers, one of the richest in King''s Landing.
Most things that were handmade in the city; art, furniture, sculptures, clothing, and tools, were made by an artisans in Daven''s employ.
"What else is there to do, Lady Misery?" Daven said with a taunting smirk, "The riot is over, there will be a curfew tonight, and everything will return to normal by the morn."
Mysaria maintained her composure, "You are not a slow-witted man, Daven. Today was the first time in over sixty years, since the Winter Plague of 59AC when Rego Draz was killed by a starving mob, that the people of King''s Landing have risen in any form against the Crown. Only this time, the King who rules us is a weak one, my people in the Red Keep tell me how he was by stricken with fear, how he paces about his chambers frightened at the thought of losing his subjects'' love and admiration."
"So, you believe that we can take advantage of the King''s desire to please?" Daven asked.
The man next to Daven asked his own questions, "And how would we be able to do that? Wait until another petition hearing is held? Where King Viserys will surely reject the proposal again, only this time, locking up or executing those who do?"
Greedy Clarton was a small man with beady rat-like eyes, a bald round head with only a few strands of brown hair on the sides, a smarmy face, and was covered head to toe with jewels, gold, and silver. Most of his teeth had been removed and replaced with solid gold ones, only adding to his extensive efforts to show off his wealth.
He rose from a street rat of Flea Bottom to the owner of most of the gambling houses on the Street of Silver. But what made him a man that Mysaria deeply hated was that he was also the owner of the child fighting pits.
While she desired to end his influence along with his life, Clarton had an amount of wealth that made him almost impossible to touch.
Clarton was a paranoid man, using the coin he generated to hire the best muscle he could find to guard him, even now, two large and burly men with axes in their hands stood behind his chair. He also never ingested any food or drink that he had not watched be prepared or was not ingested by a taste taster first.
And a part of her feared that even if she got rid of him, someone far worse and unpredictable would immediately take his place.
Mysaria forced herself to hide the disgust she felt at the man, "Do you think most of the Kingslanders will sit back after toady? No, they will continue to make their anger known, it is why I am proposing that we weaponize that anger."
An intrigued glint flashed through Clarton''s eyes, "Is the White Worm suggesting that we pool our gold and influence in order to gain more from the Targaryens?"
"I am."
A derisive scoff followed Mysaria''s words, their voice carrying a strong accent, "What a foolish idea."
Mysaria turned to a man she disliked as much as Clarton. "You have not heard all of what I am proposing, Aran."
Aran Ostoris was the eldest of the Ostoris triplets, Volantenes siblings who came to Westeros as merchants.
The trio used the little coin they had with them, along with boasting heavily about being of the Old Blood, and the knowledge that their father was once one of the Triarchs of Volantis, to enrich themselves, creating the merchant guild, The Three Kings.
The Three King''s was the largest and richest group of merchants in King''s Landing and was among some of the largest and richest guilds in Westeros.
Aran was a tall and slender man with deep brown eyes, dressed in fine silks and wraps. His dark red hair, sharp jawline, and rich brown skin were the only features that he shared with his two brothers who sat on either side of him, Harlario on his left, and Vyrero on his right.
Harlario was the tallest and biggest of the triplets, having a bulky build, a serious expression on his face, his own red hair was shaved down, with multiple earrings hanging off each ear.
Vyrero was the smallest, his red hair was longer than his brothers, flowing down his shoulders in elegant waves. An impish smile had yet to leave his face from the moment they entered the room, resting his arms on the table, his fingers tapping against the wood.
Aran was also the most temperamental and critical of the three, "I have heard enough. You speak of wanting us to band together to gain gold, power, and influence? My brothers and I already have that and more, so you must see how insulted I feel to be lumped into the same category as bastards, thieves, and whores, even now, having to listen to a whore such as yourself speak on matters you have no understanding of."
I am no whore! Mysaria screamed in her head, her jaw clenched, her eyes burning with rage.
"There is no need for insults. You have come here to discuss the political situation like adults, not bickering children." Connas said appealingly, looking in between Mysaria and Aran.
Connas was a blacksmith on the Street of Steel, coming from a family of blacksmiths who have lived in King''s Landing since the city was founded, their shop considered the top of the top.
He was the oldest person in the room, his hair and beard having long since turned white, but he still carried a muscular and large build from decades of smithing. There was a kindness in his eyes, his voice never rising as he spoke.
Aran turned his eye towards Connas, his disgust evident, "There is nothing to discuss, at least not with you worthless, insipid fools!"
Harlario visibly bristled, "Brother, please, calm yourself."
Vyrero smirked as he looked at the other at the table, "Apologies for our elder brother, this is why we cannot take him anywhere."
Aran scowled at Vyrero, staring down his youngest brother, but Vyrero paid him no mind, not bothering to face him.
Before Aran could berate his brother, Mysaria spoke to him directly, "You speak of having power and influence, but you are wrong; what you have is nothing compared to the nobles of Westeros."
Aran''s face began to turn red with anger, "How dare-"
"Tell me, Aran; how often have you and your brothers been looked down upon, have been treated as lesser than because you are from a foreign land, and are of foreign blood? Have the nobles of Westeros cared that your bloodline is just as, and possibly even more ancient than their own as they mock you? As they take your wares and refuse to pay you? As they use their armies to strong arm you into unfair deals?"
Aran said nothing, he, and his brothers each having their expressions darken, the triplets could not deny that the woman was right. In Westeros, being of the Old Blood meant nothing to the citizens of the continent, not unless you were a Targaryen, Velaryon, or Celtigar, it eventually became a parlor trick the Ostoris siblings used to amuse their rich customers once they realized that the nobles did not care that they too were descended from Old Valyria.
Mysaria then looked at everyone else at the table, "Every single person in this room, in this city, has experienced being toyed with by the nobility, of our businesses almost ruined by some pompous lordling who believes they can do whatever they please. To them, we are all just peasants with more gold than the norm, we have no say in government, we are beholden to the whims of those who could care less if we live or die."
Aran''s scowl deepened, "In Essos-"
"This is not Essos, in Essos you would have a say, you would have true power, but we are not in Essos. In Westeros, you must make sure you do not do too much to, to not become too arrogant and get the wrong attention from nobles." Mysaria then pointed to herself, looking at him smugly, "Here, you and this whore are of equal status and worth. In this current world, neither of us hold true power."
Aran gritted his teeth, and Mysaria knew that the man wanted to kill her for daring to compare him to her, but regardless of his feelings towards he, he knew that she was right, which only served to anger him further.
"You still have not told us how we are going to accomplish this, Mysaria." Halario spoke before his brother could potentially explode.
"We show the Red Keep that peace in this city will not be restored until real change is made for the people who live in it, until we are given true power."
Clarton chuckled, "It is a nice dream to have, but what you are saying is treasonous. I don''t know about everyone else, but I don''t want to risk my life and my businesses if there are no reassurances that this won''t end up biting us in the ass."
"As much as I hate to agree with this short fucker, he is right. I think I speak for all of us when I say I don''t fancy a trip to the Black Cells, Mysaria." Sylvi added.
As Mysaria was about to respond, the doors to the room opened and Garrat entered, the man quickly making his way to Mysaria''s side, bending slightly as he whispered in her ear.
As he spoke, Mysaria''s eyes twitched slightly, somewhat surprised by what Garrat was telling her. When he finished Garrat stepped back, waiting for further instruction.
Kella, after years of friendship with Mysaria, was attuned to the other woman''s reactions and noticing the barely notable twitch, smirked playfully. "Oh, do we have an important guest tonight?"
"Kella." Mysaria said warningly, staring pointedly at the woman.
This only made Kella''s smile grow, realizing just who could have caused this reaction in her friend. "Don''t be so stiff, Mysaria. Will this not help you in convincing the others? Having your cute little princess here in attendance?"
This caused the room to become silent for a moment, Connas was the first to speak, "P-princess Lilyanna is here?"
He, like everyone else in the room, knew that Mysaria and the King''s youngest daughter had some kind of partnership, that the princess would heal anyone that the White Worm would ask of her. But no one knew how deep their relationship went nor the true extent of it.
Mysaria continued to glare at Kella while the other woman grinned at her, eventually, Mysaria turned her head to look at her attendant, "Garrat, bring the princess here."
Garrat nodded his head and quickly left the room to retrieve the princess. The room became silent again, the time feeling as if it were moving slower than it was as the group tensely waited for Garrat to return with the princess.
Eventually the doors opened again, and Lilyanna Targaryen strolled into the room, a hooded cloak covering her body, and her gaze firmly held on Mysaria.
"Lady Mysaria, it seems I have interrupted your oh so important meeting." Lilyanna said pointedly, still staring directly at the woman.
Hours Earlier
"Seven fucking hells!" Rhaenyra cried.
"Bring more towels, the babes are coming now." Lilyanna told Elinda before turning back to her sister, "I need you to breath, Nyra, and when I tell you to, push."
"I know, Lilyanna. I have done this before." Rhaenyra hissed, her words trailing off with pained moaning, and taking in deep breaths.
Lilyanna would have given her usual dry and sarcastic retort, but held back as she knew her sister was only acting this way due to the terrible pain she was experiencing.
Laenor who had been standing next to the bed, looked between his wife and good sister nervously, "What should I do."
"Stand there and keep looking pretty." Lilyanna said, not bothering to look in his direction.
Laenor did not appreciate the jest, "I am serious, Lilyanna. I know that I was not here in the past, but if this labor will be more intense than the others, I want to be useful."
"Laenor." Rhaenyra said, visibly surprised. Her cousin, like most men, did not want to know about the goings on of childbirth, seeing it as a woman''s task that they were more than happy to remain ignorant about. So, she was taken aback by his shift in attitude and how earnest he was being.
Lilyanna stared at him, "Come over here, Laenor."
Laenor moved and walked along the bed, standing next to Lilyanna. "Yes?"
"Look." Lilyanna said softly, pointing down to the opening of Rhaenyra''s legs, where the head of one of the babes was being to emerge.
Laenor looked confused, "What do you want me to-"
As Laenor''s eyes took in the wet and bloody scene before him, his eyes rolled back into his head, losing consciousness before his body even hit the floor.
Rhaenyra jumped at the sound of Laenor''s body falling to the floor, she then looked at her sister, "Did he just bloody feint?"
"Fucking pussy." Lilyanna muttered under her breath, looking at the unconscious man with an immense lack of respect.
"What should we do about Ser Laenor?" Elinda asked, looking between the two princesses and the prince consort.
"Just fold a blanket or a towel and put it under his head. Something tells me he will be out for a while." Lilyanna said before turning back to Rhaenyra.
The next several minutes were hell on earth for Rhaenyra, feeling as if she was being split in half.
Lilyanna looked and saw that more of the baby was beginning to come forth, "Rhaenyra, I need a stronger push."
Rhaenyra grunted, the burning in lower extremities growing worse the longer and harder she pushed.
"C''mon, keep pushing. The head is out, one more big push, Nyra."
Rhaenyra let out a sharp cry, slumping into the sheets of her bed a few moments later, gasping for breath.
Lilyanna smiled as she caught the newborn in her hands, looking over the crying babe to make sure there was nothing visibly wrong with them and using scissors to cut the umbilical cord. "It''s a boy, Nyra."
Rhaenyra smiled softly as she watched her sister holding her child before handing him off to her ladies to be washed and swaddled. "Another son."
She was more than happy to have her third son, knowing that she would love any child of hers regardless of their gender, but there was still a part of her that longed for a daughter, for a little girl to spoil.
Lilyanna laughed, "Don''t give up hope yet, the other twin may still be the daughter you so crave."
Rhaenyra''s eyes widened a bit as she remembered that she was still in labor, that she had yet to give birth to the second child still in her womb. She then groaned, "Why can they not come out at the same time?"
Lilyanna smiled, "Most twins are born minutes or hours apart. It''s why Helaena is five minutes older than me."
Rhaenyra scoffed, "I hope they come out in a few minutes rather than hours. I do not think I could take it if they do."
When Rhaenyra began to groan and grit her teeth, Lilyanna knew that the second twin was coming. "It looks like you have gotten your wish."
More blood began to spill onto the bed, as Rhaenyra cried out, pushing with everything she had. And after a few more minutes, the pain ceased, and the sounds of another newborn crying could be heard.
Lilyanna laughed again, her smile growing as she looked at the newborn in her arms, "It seems I was right; you finally have a daughter, sister."
Rhaenyra gave Lilyanna a tired grin, looking at her infant daughter happily, "Thank the Gods."
When Lilyanna gave the second child to her sister''s ladies, she immediately went to grab an empty bowl, going back to the place at the foot of the bed and holding it there, knowing that she would soon have to prepare for the oncoming after birth.
There seem to be no tears or extra bleeding; that''s good and a bit surprising. I''ll have to monitor Rhaenyra to be sure nothing tears later. Lilyanna thought as she used the bowl to catch the now expelled placenta.
Rhaenyra wanted to close her eyes and go to sleep, but her desire to hold and name her newborns kept her from doing so.
Eventually, Lilyanna walked to her sister''s side, two small, wrapped bundles in her arms, and handing the twins to Rhaenyra.
Rhaenyra''s smile grew, tears forming in the corner of her eyes as she looked at her children. The boy was the bigger of the two, his skin a shade lighter, appearing more like Laenor''s, his silver hair was fewer and sparser, and she saw that his eyes were the same shade of purple as her own as he stared up at her.
The girl was smaller, but she was already proving to be louder and fiercer than her twin just by how loudly she was crying. Her skin was more of a rich golden brown, and the tuff of hair on her head was fuller and thicker than her twin''s.
Rhaenyra began to rock her daughter, gently humming to her, the newborn slowly stopped crying. And when the infant opened her eyes, Rhaenyra was shocked when she saw that her daughter possessed one purple eye and one green eye.
"Heterochromia, like our grandmother, Alyssa." Lilyanna whispered, staring at her niece in surprise.
Father will surely be pleased. Rhaenyra thought as she looked at her twins.
A groan rang through the room, causing the two sisters to turn their heads to the side, watching as Laenor clutched his head, blinking a lot. "What happened?"
Rhaenyra huffed, but was staring at him amused, "You fainted."
"I fainted?" Laenor asked aloud.
"This is why I said you should have waited outside." Lilyanna added.
"Lily, do not act as if you did not find enjoyment in watching my husband collapse. You told him come to your side and watch." Rhaenyra told her sister, not believing that she had noble intentions.
Lilyanna crossed her arms, "I only showed him because I wanted him to realize that there was nothing he could offer in terms of assistance, you act as if I was planning on him dropping like a bag of rocks. I mean, he is supposed to be a war veteran who has killed countless men both with his sword and with his dragon, Rhaenyra, and yet seeing you give birth to the children he himself put in you, causes him to pass out?"
Laenor felt his face burning with embarrassment at the princess''s words, both for losing consciousness and for underestimating both Lilyanna''s abilities and what women must go through to bring life into the world.
"Leave Laenor alone, I''m sure he feels bad enough on his own without your commentary." Rhaenyra said.
Laneor pushed himself off the ground and made his way over to the bed, standing over Rhaenyra and leaning into to see their newborns. "They are beautiful, Nyra. I am sorry that-"
"There is nothing to apologize for, Laenor. Moreover, I am certain that this will become a comical story to tell in the future." Rhaenyra told him, staring at him mirthfully.
Laenor smiled as he lifted his hand and played with the hair on their daughter''s head, "Have you named them, or was I unconscious for that as well?"
"No, I have not." Rhaenyra said before looking down at the twins, "But I am positive you already know what name I wish to give our daughter."
Laenor chuckled, "Visenya it is. And for our son?"
Rhaenyra looked at her newborn son, "I am not sure, the name we thought of before don''t seem to fit him."
"Then perhaps..." Laenor trailed off, staring at Rhaenyra hopefully.
Rhaenyra looked at him blankly for a few seconds before sighing, "Fine."
Laenor''s eyes widened as he peered at his wife in shock, "Really?"
Rhaenyra smiled, "Yes, I have given our daughter a name that have been craving to give to a daughter for so long, it''s only fair that I allow you to do the same with our son."
Laenor smiled brightly, his joy more than evident as he leaned down and kissed the top of Rhaenyra''s head. "Thank you." He then turned his attention back to their children, "Our little Joffrey and Visenya."
Lilyanna smiled at the scene before going to the door, opening it, and telling a servant nearby to tell the King and the small council about the births of Prince Joffrey and Princess Visenya Velaryon.
As the servant went to deliver the news, Lilyanna looked around the hall and noticed how tense and quiet the Keep was.
"Did something happen while we were in here?" Lilyanna asked her sister and good brother when she returned to Rhaenyra''s bedside.
Rhaenyra looked at her sister strangely, "Lilyanna, were you not aware of the riot in the city?"
Lilyanna mouth gaped, "Riot? There was a riot?"
"Yes, there was, during the small council meeting. Although, hopefully, Harwin and his Gold Cloaks have ended it and restored the peace."
How the fuck did I not notice any of this? Lilyanna thought.
She knew that the people of the city were planning to make their displeasure known to the King, but she had hoped that after a few days of silence, that calmer, more rational minds had prevailed.
I should have known better.
"I suppose Lilyanna was too busy in her room with her concoctions to notice." Laenor said to himself.
Lilyanna did not respond, lost in her thoughts, planning to find out just what happened today from a source with ears on the ground.
"Concoctions?" Rhaenyra asked.
Laenor nodded, "She was making something in her room when you sent to me to retrieve her, something horribly foul and pungent. I thought it was more of the scale cream she made for the dragons but when I asked her what it was, she made it clear that I should not ask any more questions."
Rhaenyra turned to her sister, seeing that the young girl was not paying attention to them and was lost in her own world. Not an unusual sight to see Lilyanna in, but Rhaenyra saw the worry and fear in her sister''s eyes.
"Lilyanna-"
"I have to go." Lilyanna said as she moved to pack away her things.
"Lilyanna, wait!" Rhaenyra called out, but Lilyanna ignored her, leaving the room as quickly as she could.
"What was that about?" Laenor asked, still staring at the door that Lilyanna just ran out of.
"I don''t know." Rhaenyra said.
But I will find out...
"Instead of getting the Grand Maester, you had my daughter deliver your children for you?" Alicent asked Rhaenyra.
After receiving word about the birth of Rhaenyra and Laenor''s twins, Alicent had decided to bring her own children along with Jacaerys and Lucerys so that they could be introduced to the newborns.
This was the only reason, no matter how much her mind screamed that she was simply using the children as an excuse to assuage the fear she held since Rhaenyra''s labor began without appearing as if she were distraught.
But as she moved through the Keep with her children, she noticed the stares of courtiers and servants alike on them, more so than usual.
Alicent was able to hear scattered parts of people''s hushed conversations as she walked, mentions of her youngest daughter, and how the Crown Princess ordered her sister to deliver her children as she claimed that Orwyle could not.
Alicent thought these claims to be false, nothing more than ludicrous rumors and gossip of a nosy court that were looking for something to distract them from the dangerous situation that was occurring just beyond their walls.
She did note that Lilyanna was not in her bedroom when she went to get her siblings, but she was not worried. Figuring that Lilyanna was somewhere else in the Keep, the princess had a habit of disappearing for hours, lost in one fancy or another.
When Alicent finally reached Rhaenyra''s bedchamber with the children, she allowed them to surround Corlys and Rhaenys, who were holding Joffrey and Visenya respectively as she went to Rhaenyra''s bedside, both to be sure the princess was healthy and to humorously ask if the rumors were true.
But her amusement turned to disbelief when Rhaenyra told her honestly what had happened, that the rumors she heard were true.
"You know that I do not have maesters attend to me during my labors. And my midwives were nowhere to be seen." Rhaenyra said.
So, it was necessary to call on my child? Alicent thought incredulously.
Before the Queen could say this aloud, Rhaenys spoke, "And your sister was not bothered by what she had seen?"
"No, she wasn''t." Rhaenyra answered.
I am sure after looking after our father for so long, there isn''t much that would frighten Lilyanna about the human body. And I doubt Orwyle hides much from her during their lessons. Rhaenyra thought.
Rhaenyra then looked at Laenor mischievously, "She barely reacted when attending to me I cannot say the same for Laenor however."
"I thought this would be a story for the future." Laenor said, looking at his wife pointedly, not wanting their family to know about how he reacted to the whole affair.
"But it is the future." Rhaenyra grinned.
Lucerys looked between his parents, "What happened?"
"Your father was so excited that he decided to sleep on the floor."
Corlys let out a snort as he realized what Rhaenyra was implying, staring at his son with both exasperation and merriment.
"Is your head alright?" Rhaenys asked her son, but Laenor could see and hear the laughter she was trying to hide.
"I''m fine, mother." Laenor muttered before glaring at Aegon and Aemond, who had understood what Rhaenyra had said and were trying but failing to hide their laughter at his expense.
"Where did Lilyanna go?" Alicent asked, bringing the conversation back around.
Rhaenyra pursed her lips, "We don''t know. After she told a servant to deliver the news, she ran out of here when we told her about the riot in the city. Apparently, she was unaware it before that moment."
"She''s probably avoiding father, knowing that he will not be happy about how she started the riot." Aegon exclaimed, continuing his jest from earlier.
"Your sister did not start a riot." Alicent repeated for nearly the dozenth time.
"And yet she''s not here to defend herself against my claims." Aegon grinned.
Rhaenyra thought about Lilyanna''s expression when she learned about the riot. The perturbed look on her face, made Rhaenyra believe that despite it all being a joke on his end, Aegon was right in a sense; while it was not Lilyanna''s fault that the riot occurred, Lilyanna believed the opposite.
"Why would Lilyanna be at fault? Those filthy peasants are the ones who decided to foolishly revolt." Aemond commented.
The young prince was appalled when he first learned of the riot. To him, the smallfolk should have been grateful that they were even thought about at all. His family were not only nobles and members of royalty, but Targaryens.
They were God''s amongst men, dragons made flesh. So, if Viserys, the head of House Targaryen and the King of Westeros, had made a decision and refused to change it, then the commoners of the realm should have accepted that decision with a stiff lip, they had no right to rebel against their overseers.
"But why were the smallfolk upset that grandfather said no to the bathhouse and the new sewers, he has refused petitions before, and it did not cause the people to riot against him?" Jacaerys asked.
It was something that had been bothering Jacaerys since the riot began, to him it seemed like all of this was an overreaction on the part of the smallfolk. He could not understand why they were all willing to fight, rob, destroy, and kill for things that he viewed as trivial.
Corlys put a hand on his grandson''s shoulder, "It''s not just about the bathhouse or the sewage system, Jace. The people of King''s Landing do not believe that they are being heard, so they sought to force us to listen."
"The smallfolk do not have the political sway or influence, let alone the coin that the nobility has, so the only way they can make their anger known is with their vast numbers. Rioting is not the smartest of decisions, but I suppose cooler heads are unable to prevail when others are so emotional and refuse to see reason." Rhaenys added.
When his grandparents explained it that way, it made sense to Jacaerys, to see this all as the smallfolk''s way of making their displeasure known, but he still believed that a less violent path could have been found and taken.
"So, what will father do now? What if there''s another riot?" Daeron asked, his unease evident in his tone.
Before anyone could respond, the door of the princess''s bedchamber opened and the man in question entered the room.
"Viserys," Alicent spoke, making her way to her husband, "Is it wise for you to be... out and about during this time?"
As the small council was waiting for information about the situation outside the Keep, Viserys had remained frozen in place, staring despondently at the city.
After some time, Alicent quietly asked Harrold Westerling to escort the King to his bedchamber, taking away the uncomfortable cloud of anxious hopelessness that emanated from Viserys in waves.
Viserys brushed off his wife''s concern, "I am fine, Alicent. And I will not be sequestered in my room whilst my daughter lies in bed after giving birth to my newest grandchildren."
Viserys made his way to the bed, standing next to Laenor as they stood over Rhaenyra, "My dear girl, how are you doing?"
"I am well, father." Rhaenyra said, smiling softly.
Viserys returned the smile before looking at Corlys and Rhaenys, making his way to them as quickly as he could. "Ah, another grandson and an adorable granddaughter."
"Their names are Visenya and Joffrey, Your Grace. Joffrey is the elder of the two." Laenor told the King as Viserys took Joffrey from Corlys.
"They are perfect." Viserys said, his smile growing as Joffrey moved against his chest. He then looked back at Rhaenyra, "You have made me an even prouder grandfather, Rhaenyra."
Aegon rolled his eyes at the display. How great, more grandchildren for him to ignore us in favor of.
He did not blame Jacaerys, Lucerys, and now Joffrey and Visenya, for how they were treated by Viserys, but it was hard not to feel some resentment for how he and his siblings were so easily ignored by comparison.
"And I am sure that their older siblings will be getting them dragon eggs for their cradles soon enough." Viserys said to Jacaerys and Lucerys.
Lucerys smiled, "We didn''t think the babes would come so fast, grandfather, but Jace and I were going to go to the Dragonpit tomorrow. Jace even said he would let me choose the eggs!"
"Would it be wise for any of the children to venture into the city?" Rhaenys asked aloud, "Streets are still not safe."
Viserys looked confused, "I was told by Lyonel that the council called for a curfew and is having all the Gold Cloaks patrolling the streets to enforce it. Does that not purport that King''s Landing is once again under control?"
Rhaenys studied Viserys hollowly, once again questioning her cousin''s naivety and ignorance on matters of the realm and its governance. After all these years it was not surprising to the woman, but maddening all the same.
"Despite Ser Harwin''s leadership, the Crown''s forces... struggled to contain the riot." Alicent said, pausing as she looked at the children, "Even with half the household knights added, it only boosted the Gold Cloaks numbers from two thousand to three thousand, which paled in comparison to the size of the mob. Losses were suffered."
"How many men?" Rhaenyra asked.
"Over a hundred, so far." Alicent replied solemnly, "A true estimation has not been reached yet."
"Father," Rhaenyra called, "Something must be done, this is not a situation that can be ignored and will disappear on its own."
Viserys exhaled, feeling the stares of everyone, silently waiting for his response. "If the situation grows worse, we shall discuss what to do during tomorrow''s small council meeting."
Rhaenyra looked at Viserys unconvinced when he said if the situation grows worse, "But father-"
Viserys did not give her the chance to respond as he turned to Alicent, "Alicent, tell Lilyanna that I will be expecting her to be there."
Alicent felt her heart stop, seeing the resolute expression on Viserys'' face, and was suddenly thinking of Aegon''s jests about Lilyanna being at fault for the riot. "Viserys, Lilyanna-"
"Will be in the small council chamber to speak on this matter with us all." Viserys added, disregarding how panic-stricken Alicent had visibly become.
The King handed Joffrey back to Corlys and left the bedchamber, unaware of the tense atmosphere that he had left behind in his wake.
Hierarchy
Lilyanna looked around the room, her eyes peering at each person sitting at the table, knowing only Kella personally, but recognizing Slyvi both from House of the Dragon, and from seeing her in passing on the streets of Flea Bottom.
Mysaria looked at Lilyanna, "What has brought you-"
Lilyanna''s gaze became colder, "Over a hundred Gold Cloaks, forty place guards, and an unknown number of smallfolk, are dead. Did you not say that this would all be necessary? From where I am standing that does not seem to be the case."
Mysaria''s expression did not change as she spoke, "The loss of life was tragic, but as I told you before; the citizens of King''s Landing are tired of being ignored, so they made the choice themselves to riot."
There was nothing you could do about it, is what Lilyanna knew to be the hidden meaning of the woman''s words. She knew that Mysaria was right, that this was not her fault and there was nothing she could do but knowing something and feeling something were two different things.
Lilyanna stared at Mysaria for a few moments longer, adding to the stiff atmosphere in the room before looking back around at the other occupants. "I assume that you have invited everyone here to discuss your plans now that you have gotten your wish."
"I have." Mysaria said plainly, not bothering to lie about what they both already knew.
Kella used this moment to speak, smiling widely at the princess, "You''re just in time, darling. We''ve started to reach a peak, of sorts."
Lilyanna stared at the men of the table, "I''m sure you all know that I am Princess Lilyanna Targaryen, but I am not aware or familiar with most of you at this table, so if you would be so kind as to introduce yourselves."
Clarton let out a chuckle, "Aw, you''re so cute. They teach you how to be so disgustingly sugary sweet in the castle?"
Those who did not know Lilyanna personally looked at Clarton with disbelief, thinking the man foolish for speaking to a member of royalty so causally. Instead of reacting as they thought, Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "No, but they taught me the importance of bathing and cleaning my teeth, something you clearly weren''t if the rancid smell coming off you and all the fake teeth you have, are anything to go off of."
The sharpness and swiftness of the comment caused Daven to cover his mouth with his hand to hide the snort that escaped him. Kella and Vyrero did not bother to hide their amusement, openly laughing at Clarton while others either stared at the princess either stunned, rolling their eyes, or smilng to themselves.
Despite the insult levied at him, Clarton grinned wolfishly at the princess, "Oh, I like you, princess. I''m Clarton, and I own most of the fine establishments on the Street of Silver."
"So, you''re the owner of the gambling houses and the pits, correct?" Lilyanna asked.
"I am." Clarton answered, "I suppose my reputation proceeds me?"
"It does, a man such as yourself could not be so successful without obtaining such esteem." Lilyanna said bluntly, already knowing that she would dislike Clarton on principle alone, it also did not help that he reminded her of the slimy loan sharks she knew from her past life.
Lilyanna then looked at the blond sitting next to Clarton, inwardly wondering if he was related to Jason and Tyland Lannister, as his features were too similar for him not to be.
"I am Daven Hill, Your Grace." Daven said when he saw Lilyanna staring at him, "I am the head of an artisan guild."
Lilyanna''s eyes lit up in recognition, "Scarlet Song, yes? I remember a few years ago when an artist of yours, Samwell, I believe was his name, came to the Keep after my mother commissioned him to make a portrait of herself and my father for their wedding anniversary. It was beautifully done; I often find myself gazing at it from time to time."
Daven smiled, feeling pride in the work that his artisan had done, "Samwell is one of the best painters I have ever known, so course I would only send the best for royalty."
"I am sure, it''s impressive how you managed to create such a large and reputable guild in less than a decade."
As Daven was going to respond, Vyrero cut him off, "If you are so impressed with pretty boy here, then you will be amazed when you learn who we are, princess."
"Vyrero, stop that." Harlario said tiredly, visibly annoyed and embarrassed by his younger brother''s behavior, especially in front of royalty.
Vyrero only grinned, "What? I''m not being that bad."
"Yes, you are, you bloody fool." Aran spat before turning to Lilyanna, looking down at the princess both quizzically and disdainfully. "I am Aran Ostoris, and these two are my brothers; Harlario and Vyrero. We are the owners of the Three Kings."
Lilyanna nodded her head, "Yes, I have heard of your guild as well; the richest and largest merchant guild in King''s Landing. Almost everything that comes in and out of the city is due to you and your ships, you three are also of the Old Blood, yes? Sons of a former Triach of Volantis?"
"We are." Harlario responded, "You have heard much about us, I presume?"
"Lord Corlys had mentioned doing business with you three at some point. Although, I sure you already know that he did not have a very high opinion of you." Lilyanna stated, feeling that the hostility that Aran was showing was not directed at her specially, but at the Sea Snake.
She remembered how Corlys had talked to Rhaenys about the whole affair vexed, not caring that she and her siblings were in garden with their grandsons and were within listening distance as they talked.
Aran sneered, a small growl emanating from his throat, "We are the ones who should not have a high opinion of that fool. Acting as if he is superior to us, as if the Valyrian blood within him does not run through our veins as well. So, tell me, princess, do you share the same opinion? Quite ironic for Visenya with a Cock to to be so egotistical."
"Brother!" Harlario hissed, staring at Aran scandalized, even Vyrero looked at Aran shocked, not expecting his brother to be so blatant and not expecting him to release some of the anger he was holding within himself onto the princess.
A small laugh escaped Lilyanna as she stared at Aran, "Despite what people may think, I don''t find being called Visenya with a Cock, to be an insult, although, you should learn to aim your fury at the one who caused it, instead of someone you just met who happens to know them."
Aran glared at Lilyanna and was going to respond but Lilyanna continued to speak, her smile leaving her face. "And I am the type of person who is willing to look past a lot, but don''t go thinking you can disrespect me. I don''t care if you don''t like me, or if you hate me because of misplaced anger or for some other God forsaken reason, but I won''t tolerate being looked down on by you."
A heavy silence overtook the room, everyone looking between Lilyanna and Aran tensely, waiting to see what the other would do next. But the princess chose not to spare Aran another glance as he faced the last remaining person whose name she did not know, "And you are?"
Connas flinched, clearing his throat as he introduced himself, "I am Connas, Your Grace. I am a blacksmith on the Street of Steel."
"So, you''re the famous owner of the Black Steel forge?"
"I am, Your Grace."
I definitely need to speak with him at the end of all this. Lilyanna thought, hopeful that she would be able to solve the issue with her swords.
"Are you done with the introductions now, princess?" Mysaria asked sarcastically.
Lilyanna took a seat at the other end of the table, now sitting across from the woman, "I was taught to be respectful."
"I think you have shown everyone here that those lessons certainly did not stick." Mysaria said.
"Hurtful." Lilyanna said, smiling at Mysaria before becoming serious again, "But let''s get to the root of this, why are you all here, and what is to be done after everything that has happened today?"
Mysaria explained to Lilyanna what had been discussed before she arrived, to the surprise of most, thinking that the woman would not be so honest with the princess, showing that the pair were closer than first believed.
I should have known this was the goal, Mysaria has never bothered to hide how unfair she thought the whole political system of Westeros was. But fuck, hearing her say it and seeing Mysaria bringing her desires to other like-minded people, is worrying.
"So, now that you have found people to support you, what do you plan to do?" Lilyanna asked, "We both know you will not be satisfied unless concessions are given."
Lilyanna doubted that the small council would agree to meet with any representative the city''s citizens could gather, especially after a riot that left some of the King''s Landing''s Gold Cloaks and men at arms dead. But as she was leaving the Keep, Lilyanna heard through the walls people whispering amongst themselves about the King freezing up when the riot first began, remaining catatonic throughout it all.
Most of the time, Viserys was entirely too easy to predict, he was not a complicated man nor was he good at hiding his feelings behind a political and civil mask like most of his peers. Even so, Viserys could become a whirlwind of unpredictability and impulsiveness when he allowed his emotions to lead him to make choices with unforeseen consequences.
"The King will fear that this sort of... situation may happen again, so he will want to do everything to ensure that it will not."
Lilyanna scoffed, "Do you honestly think the people will continue to riot? Most people''s will can only take so much before they decide to begrudgingly accept how things in their world are. How long do you think they will continue this path before they realize that the Crown will only just send more men at arms to put them back in their place?"
"If I may interrupt, princess." Daven spoke up, "But the King and his council do not need to how far the people are truly willing to go in pursuit of their desires only what they themselves believe us capable."
Lilyanna leaned back in her chair, "And what makes you think that I won''t tell the King myself?"
Daven smiled, "Would you be here, interacting with any of us, if your beliefs and desires were so closely aligned with that of your father or your house?"
"I would not." Lilyanna said truthfully, "And you are right in a sense; the council does not know how far things will be taken, and I suspect that with the way the King conducted himself, you may be given to opportunity to speak with him. The question is what will you do when or if this happens?"
"You ask that question as if that big brain of yours has not already thought of at least several ideas to help us all get what we want." Mysaria stated, looking directly at Lilyanna.
"Mysaria," Lilyanna sighed, "You want to be respected, to be given power on par with that of titled lords, it doesn''t matter what ideas I bring forth, what I say to you or the King, that just won''t happen. They will always look down on you, in their minds you will always be beneath them. Even if you continue to rise higher and higher, they will still look down on you, whispering terrible things about you in their minds and when your back is turned, and that is simply because of who you were born to, what side of the sheets you were born on, how you have lived your life, and how you managed to make a name for yourself."
The table was still, everyone surprised by the words that left the princess''s mouth. Until Clarton spoke, a joke escaped him, but those who listened closely could hear the apprehension he was trying to hide. "This is all quite dark for a young princess such as yourself to be aware of. Do you spend all your time with all these twisted thoughts?"
Lilyanna shrugged, her relaxed posture contradicting with her words, "Many of you assume because I am princess that I don''t struggle, that I can''t understand the lives you have lived, and you''re right; I will never be able to truly understand the depths of your experiences, but I do know about nobility. I have been treating my father''s illness for years, have spearheaded the creation of the royal bank, have surpassed my brothers and nephews in terms of martial prowess, I have done more than many lords and ladies will do in their lifetimes and yet they call me ''Visenya with a Cock'', they whisper that my father and mother should have done me the mercy of leaving me in the wilderness to die from exposure after I was born. So, I know better than most how fickle and monstrous people can be."
Lilyanna did not give anyone the chance to respond to her small rant as she spoke again, "Now, here is how we can spin this to the King..."
The Next Day
Lilyanna did not have time to do much of anything as she was woken up early in the morning, a maid had been sent to her room telling her that the King had summoned her to the small council chamber.
She had known this was coming; after returning to the Keep, Lilyanna had used the tunnels to make her way to the library. The princess had told Ser Rickard that she needed to do research there after she quickly left Rhaenyra''s bedchamber.
The Knight allowed this, standing outside the library, unknowingly guarding an empty room as Lilyanna had snuck out. Lilyanna had lucky returned to the library only a few minutes before her mother had entered the room looking for her.
Now, walking with Alicent, and Aegon silently towards the small council chamber, Criston and Rickard following behind the three royals, Lilyanna was the only one who was not ill at ease.
Her calm and openly bored demeanor surprised the others, but this did not stop her brother from commenting on it. "Why aren''t you nervous?"
"Why would I be?" Lilyanna asked as she stared forward.
Aegon looked at his sister like she was an idiot, "Because father is angry, angry at you. You didn''t see him yesterday when he said he wanted to speak with you before the council."
"And? Becoming a nervous wreck will not change the fact that father is angry." Lilyanna sighed, "Besides, father just wants to be sure that something like this will not happen again, and I have the solution to ensure it."
Alicent looked at her daughter questioningly and concerned, "Lilyanna, your father is not in the best of moods. I believe it would be best to not draw anymore of his ire by presenting additional ideas and proposals."
Alicent had never seen Viserys in such a state as the one he was in throughout the previous day. It was unnerving to see him so hopeless, and it reminded her of how Viserys was during the first few days after Aemma''s death.
And it was during that state that Viserys had disinherited Daemon after having his brother as his heir for over a decade and deciding to fill the position of heir with Rhaenyra. Decisions that Viserys has maintained ever since, which did not give Alicent much confidence that Viserys would not make a similarly hasty decision involving their daughter.
"Mother," Lilyanna began, reaching out and holding Alicent''s hand, "Everything will be fine, there is no need to worry."
Alicent continued to stare at Lilyanna, tightening her grasp on Lilyanna''s hand, her expression still anxious and full of worry. Lilyanna was surprised that her mother had not taken to ripping the skin of her fingertips as she sometimes fell back into when stressed.
Arryk stood seriously in front of the chamber doors when they arrived, swiftly announcing their presence, and opening the doors for them. Lilyanna could feel his eyes on her as she walked, telling her everything she needed to know about to know about the atmosphere inside as she entered.
Each member of the council was present when they arrived, their gazes falling on the three royals as they walked. Alicent made her way towards her chair on her husband''s left side, giving him a kiss on the cheek before sitting down. Aegon made his way to the corner of the room, standing beside Jacaerys by the small table holding cups and pitchers of wine.
Lilyanna saw that Harwin Strong was in the room, standing on the right side of the table, in the space between Rhaenyra and Viserys'' seats. So, Lilyanna decided to walk towards and stand in the space between her mother and Viserys, her gaze staying on the King as she walked, ignoring the eyes that followed her as she moved.
"Your Grace." Lilyanna greeted her father.
Viserys stared at her for a few seconds before addressing the table, "Now that we are all here, let us begin this meeting." He then turned to Harwin, "Your report, Ser Strong."
Harwin stood straighter, "Yes, Your Grace. As I reported yesterday, there were losses suffered amongst my men. This morning, we discovered that more men had been killed than we first thought, one hundred and forty-three to be exact."
"A hundred and forty-three? How can that many Gold Cloaks and Red Keep knights be felled so easily?" Jasper asked aloud.
"They abilities did not matter, my lord, when facing a mob of countless men, even the most skilled of warriors will be slain fighting so arduously." Harwin answered.
"And no criminals have been arrested in relation to murder and rioting?" Orwyle asked.
"We have taken twenty-seven men into our custody and placed them in the Black Cells."Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Corlys scoffed, "Only twenty-seven men?"
Harwin turned to Corlys, "They were the only ones who could be apprehended, they were the ones who were caught breaking the law. Not unless my men and I were supposed to arrest everyone in the city."
"Harwin." Lyonel called out to his son pointedly, hearing the sarcastic tinge in the last sentence he spoke.
Harwin met his father''s eye, "No rioting broke out in the night after the curfew was enforced and I still have my men patrolling the streets more heavily, but I fear that things are still tense, the people still restless and angry."
"We must do something; we cannot assume that the people will be pacified after yesterday. If the losses our men have suffered are any indication, any inaction will be seen as weakness and give the smallfolk the belief that the Crown will tolerate their continued treason." Rhaenyra voiced strongly, her eyes landing on every person at the table, staying on her father the longest.
"We must," Alicent said, "But we cannot respond too brutally, at the core of this all of this is anger and dismissal. So, there is a possibility that if the weight of the Crown comes down with excessive force, this will become a reoccurring issue."
Everyone looked towards the King, waiting for him to respond to the words of his heir and his Queen, but Viserys turned towards his youngest daughter instead.
"Lilyanna." Viserys said, his voice steady but with an edge to it, "Do you have anything to say?"
Seriously? Fucking cunt. Lilyanna thought scornfully but did not allow her true feelings to show on her face. "Both my sister and mother are right; something must be done otherwise the Crown''s authority will be seen as weak and this could happen again."
"Again?" Viserys scoffed, "This only happened because of your ideas! Because of your incessant need to please the smallfolk!"
Lilyanna had to fight the urge to roll her eyes, maintaining her blank expression. "Your Grace, excuse my words, but there have been countless proposals made with the smallfolk in mind, many that have been rejected over the decades and have never led to unrest. The people are angry because they feel as if they are not being listened to, like their problems are beneath the care of nobility."
"Are you saying that I do not care about my subjects, Lilyanna?" Viserys asked, openly scowling at his daughter.
Lilyanna opened her mouth to respond, to say yes, but stopped when she felt her one of her mother''s hands grab her own under the table and out of sight, squeezing it tight.
Do not talk back to your father, to your King! Lilyanna did not need to look at her mother to hear these words, feeling it in Alicent''s touch and the weight of her gaze on the side of her face.
"That is not what I am saying, Your Grace. I am only stating what the smallfolk are feeling and that I have a solution to solve it." Lilyanna said.
"A solution? Let me guess, build a bathhouse, and replace the sewer system?" Viserys asked sarcastically.
"You could." Lilyanna said drily, "But what I meant is giving the people what they truly seek; a voice. I would propose that the people be given the opportunity to elect representatives who would be given the opportunity to enforce policies for them as a part of this council."
Everyone stared at Lilyanna dumbfounded, none having expected that to be what she would offer as a solution.
"You want the peasants to be members of this council?" Jasper asked aloud, staring at the princess horrified and saying the word peasant as if it were a slur.
"It would not be the first time that the smallfolk have risen above their humble station, my lord." Lilyanna said, "The Citadel and the Faith for example, take in people from all social classes and King Jaehaerys had a foreigner as his Master of Coin during his reign."
Jasper did not back down in his assessment, "The Faith and the Citadel are hardly fair examples to be used, especially as both organizations train its members for years, and none of them do anything outside their field of expertise."
Orwyle gave the Lord of Rain House a look from the corner of his eye, aware of the insult towards his profession.
I would like to see Ironrod having to help the sick and dying instead of using his shriveled cock to kill his wives. The maester thought.
"And the foreigners? They are even worse! And was the so-called foreigner you mentioned not killed by a mob thanks to his fantastic abilities as Master of Coin?"
Lilyanna could not help herself from correcting Jasper, "Well, Rego Draz was actually killed because the shivers epidemic of fifty-nine AC and the people wanted someone to blame for it all, so they picked the rich brown man, but that''s not important to what I am saying. Doing this would give the smallfolk the voice they feel they are lacking."
"By picking several of them off the street? I agree that something must be done, but what you are suggesting is excessive for what was just a city riot." Viserys said, not seeing the point.
A riot should not be referred to as ''just a city riot.'' Lilyanna thought.
"But, Your Grace, what is to stop this from happening again or worse, spreading to other cities?" Lilyanna asked.
Viserys shook his head, "There is no chance-"
"Your Grace, if I may interrupt, the princess is not wrong in her assessment." Lyonel spoke up.
Viserys turned to his Hand, "What?"
Lyonel further elaborated, "I have spoken to my younger son, Larys before we convened, who as you know keeps his ear close to the ground on the goings of the realm. He has heard whispers of smallfolk in Westeros'' smaller cities and towns talking about riots, of their lords being unjust and unfair in their rulings. They compare their lords to you, Your Grace."
Lyonel did not know how Larys obtained the information he did, and how said information usually turned out to be accurate, but he was often grateful for it when it came to moments like this.
"But it is just that; rumors, Lord Strong?" Corlys asked the man.
"Yes, I do not know for certain and neither does Larys. But it is something that we must consider here going forward."
"It is unlikely that this type of behavior will spread across the continent, many lords are quite kind to their subjects. But lords who lack control over their people and those who are more... unpopular, may find themselves caught unaware." Orwyle stated.
"Which is why we must do something, now." Jasper voiced strongly.
"Lilyanna," Rhaenyra called out, tired of hearing the men at the table not allowing her sister to finish presenting her idea. "How many positions are you thinking must be made for the smallfolk?"
"And how far do you desire their power to be? Just in King''s Landing or like the other positions on this council; across Westeros?" Alicent added.
Lilyanna cleared her throat, "I envisioned four new positions be made; a Master of Trade, a Master of Works, a Master of Foreign Affairs, and a Master of Orders. And when it comes to influence, it should be across the continent."
"What roles would these positions fill?" Alicent quickly asked before anyone could interject with their opinions.
"The Master of Trade would oversee all trade in Westeros, both foreign and domestic. The Master of Works would coordinate and manage public works like roads and wells, for example. The Master of foreign Affairs would be a diplomat, a voice of Westeros when dealing with other nations. And the Master of Orders would of course look after and manage minor orders, guilds, and organizations, ensuring resources are equally distributed."
Again, the chamber fell into silence as everyone inside stared at Lilyanna, all equally taken aback and waiting for the King to respond first before giving their own opinions.
Viserys sighed, staring at Lilyanna tiredly, "Lilyanna the positions you mentioned do the jobs of most of the people at this table. What use would there be for them, especially when I don''t see why any should be given to the smallfolk?"
"In all honesty, I have always believed that the small council in its current state is too small to affectively run the realm. Can you say that none of your councilors have not been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that they themselves must do?"
"I cannot." Viserys admitted, regardless of any claims otherwise that the people around him may try to give, he was aware of just how much there was to do to keep the realm from collapsing in on itself.
Lilyanna smiled, "That is exactly why more positions should be added, it would make operations easier to manage. And I believe after speaking with-after speaking with Croll, that there are certain smallfolk who are the best candidates for the job."
"And who are these candidates?"
"Daven Hill, the head of the Scarlet Song Guild, for the Master of Orders, Aran Ostoris, one of the leaders of the Three Kings, for the Master of Trade, Harlario Ostoris, for the Master of Foreign Affairs, and Kella for the Mistress of Works." Lilyanna answered, hoping that no one would ask her about the last candidate she gave and why she gave no introduction for her like she did the others.
But this was not meant to be when Aegon''s eyes grew at the sound of the familiar name, "Kella?!"
Everyone looked at Aegon, but it was Alicent who asked the question, staring at her son suspiciously, "Who is Kella and why has her name invoked such a reaction in you?"
"Uh..." Aegon muttered, looking in between his mother and his younger sister who was glaring at him, silently mouthing to him to be quiet.
"Aegon." Alicent called out, "Answer me."
Aegon looked down at the floor, whispering the truth, "I was surprised because Kella is a brothel Madam. She owns the Blue Pearl and Mother''s."
"What?!" Alicent exclaimed.
"So not just bastards and foreigners, but you want whores to be members of this council?" Corlys asked Lilyanna, looking at the girl as if she had lost her mind.
This caused everyone else besides the King to start voicing their feelings on Lilyanna''s choices, all talking over each other.
Alicent sat back in her chair horrified by what she had just heard. Not only because Aegon would have had to no doubt go to the brothels to be know who Kella was, even after the scolding she had given him when Aemond had revealed that Aegon had gone to his first brothel, and telling him that he was not allowed to go to such establishments again, but the thought of Lilyanna, her little girl meeting a brothel Madam and somehow going to a brothel.
"How, how do you know this... Madam?" Alicent asked, looking at her daughter, afraid to hear what she might say.
"I have not met the woman myself, Croll has, and he told me that she is smarter than most women in her profession. He mentioned that they have had talks about the things in the city that could use improvements when we were coming up for our idea for the printing press." Lilyanna said, easily lying through her teeth.
Should I be worried about how much easier it has gotten for me to lie? I don''t like lying to my mother, but she would not understand, and she will only hinder my efforts if I tell her the truth. I should apologize to Croll next time I see him for throwing him under the bus, though. Lilyanna thought.
Alicent visibly relaxed, the fear that her daughter was doing something sinful and improper leaving her before becoming serious, "Good, that sort of behavior would be unbecoming on a lady, let alone a princess. And I will need to talk to Croll the next time you have him brought to the castle not to speak about those kinds of topics again."
Lilyanna crossed her arms, "I am old enough and mature enough to hear things of that nature mother."
Alicent did not pay attention to this, comforted by the knowledge that her little flower had not begun to follow her older brother''s example. And this reminded her that not only would she have to talk with Aegon once again about where his is and is not supposed to go, but with the guard who had been made his protector, to question him on how he kept losing track of Aegon and why she was not being informed on her son''s whereabouts.
"Princess Lilyanna," Lyonel said, drawing the conversation back to its original topic, "This whole idea is far too radical and will undoubtedly prove to be too convoluted to implement."
"It will be quite unpopular with the lords, Your Grace." Jasper said to the King, "None will be pleased to have peasants in high positions, especially as they would be in four new positions, which would almost outnumber us on this council."
"Outnumber? They are not the enemy." Lilyanna said strongly.
Jasper held firm in his belief, "Of course they are, just look at what the people you are championing for did to our city yesterday."
Lilyanna clenched her jaw before turning to her sister, "Rhaenyra?"
Rhaenyra schooled her features, giving her sister her honest opinion. "Lilyanna, we do not know these people, how can we trust them to have the realm''s best interest at heart? In the highborn Houses there is an ancient fealty, there is honor, I do not believe that the lowborn you suggest would carry these traits."
Lilyanna scoffed, "Fealty and honor? Where was fealty and honor when lords like Jason Lannister were stealing from the Crown and trying to hide their crimes? Where was fealty and honor when one of the lords sent an assassin in the night to murder me in my bed? Those who you claim to be pure and of proper birth can be just as cruel and untrustworthy as the commoners you think so lowly of."
"Lilyanna." Alicent called out, staring at her sternly, "That is your belief, it still does not change the fact that we cannot place the governance of the realm in the hands of those whose abilities and character cannot be verified outside of a simple blacksmith."
Viserys cleared his throat as he addressed the room, "The Queen and Rhaenyra are right; this idea is not feasible nor practical. We cannot risk the order of this council for such an unproven and maddening thought."
"Then let them prove themselves." Lilyanna exclaimed.
Viserys looked at her questioningly, "Prove themselves?"
Think, Lilyanna, think! "Make a council that all of its members are smallfolk and instead of giving them the same power as the small council, give them control over matters in King''s Landing."
"Full control over King''s Landing?" Viserys asked and Lilyanna could see that she was losing him.
"Uh, not full control, they would still be under the small council, any large scale designs would have to pass through the small council for approval, but this coun-this civilian council would be made and work for the smallfolk of the city, allowing the members of the small council to lighten their loads and pass some of the burdens onto them. You would all be able to focus on matters beyond King''s Landing."
"This would still not solve the issue of not being able to trust them."
"This can be on a trial basis, give them six moons, a year even, to prove that this idea can succeed." Lilyanna acquiesced, "If at any moment this becomes more trouble than it is worth than the civilian council will be immediately dissolved."
Viserys thought this over, he could see what Lilyanna was trying to say, that this idea could lead to the council being able to run smother than possible, it would make everything easier to have less important task given to others and have his most important councilors be able to focus on the important things.
But the thought of having commoners on his council went against tradition, it would undoubtedly be unpopular amongst the nobility both in and out of King''s Landing.
But have I not broken tradition when I made Rhaenyra my heir? And this could be the thing to ensure peace returns to the city proper. When this proves to be too much of a bother, then I can end it all easily enough, and the people nor Lilyanna will be able to complain too much as I would have given them a chance. It won''t be seen as my fault that they failed after that.
"I give permission for this¡ civilian council to be created. This will be a probationary, a year will be given to see if this experiment has merit." Viserys declared.
Jasper gaped, "Y-your Grace, you cannot genuinely think this idea is worthy of consideration? It will fail."
"He is not wrong; you are asking us to trust these people and give them some of our own power to do." Corlys stated, his expression becoming annoyed as he thought of two of the people Lilyanna mentioned, "I have worked with the Ostoris brothers before, and they left much to be desired, they will ruin this city."
Viserys shook his head, "If the council fails, then it fails. They will be removed from their positions and this whole idea will be ended and forgotten. And what power are you so afraid of losing? This civilian council will only have influence in the city." Viserys'' expression became colder as he stared at his councilors, and especially Corlys. "Besides, any power you all think you possess over Westeros, comes from I and I alone. So, if I choose to give some of your duties to these people, then I am well within my right to do so."
Viserys looked at Lilyanna, "I am giving you this opportunity, and I will allow you to choose whoever and however many people you desire for your council. But the second that this becomes a problem, I will shut it all down and that will be the last I hear of any power for the people and proposals made in their name, am I understood, Lilyanna?"
Lilyanna bowed to her father, hiding the smile that wanted to emerge, "Yes, Your Grace. Thank you, Your Grace."
Viserys nodded his head, "Pick your councilors within the coming days and have them brought before us. You are dismissed, daughter."
Lilyanna bowed again, turning, and leaving the small council chamber.
"Princess?" Criston said questioningly, seeing that grin on Lilyanna''s face. He assumed that everything had gone well, but you could never be too sure when it came to Lilyanna Targaryen.
"Today is a good day, Ser Criston." Lilyanna said, continuing to smile.
"The King was not too upset?" Criston asked.
"No, he was not. He was even willing to hear me out and take my idea to heart, and he is now given me the chance to prove it successful."
Criston smiled, "That is good, congratulations, Princess."
"Thank you, now if you would excuse me, I have to figure out what I am going to do when the meeting is over, and mother comes to harass me over my behavior in there." Lilyanna said as she started to walk.
Lilyanna heard Criston''s laughter as she left the hallway. Now that she had gotten the King''s approval, Lilyanna had to go and ensure her allies did not screw it up and cause her efforts and the future plans she created, to be in vain.
Larys Strong walked through the streets of King''s Landing, a hooded cloak covering him, and two of his trusted personal guards followed behind him, ensuring that nothing and no one happened upon him. The light from the torches lining the streets glinted off the golden firefly on his cane as he walked, the only thing to denote his status and wealth to others.
Princess Lilyanna, how impressive you continue to prove yourself to be. Larys thought as he heard the discussions of those he walked past.
The people discussed how Lilyanna had gotten several of their city''s most well known and influential peasants'' positions on the small council on a trial basis. Larys held no doubts that the news had spread this fast because of the White Worm''s efforts.
He had been aware of Lilyanna''s comings and goings from the Red Keep, of her giving her services away to the people of the city free of charge for years. It was an open secret; none of the smallfolk would tell the nobility of her activities and Lilyanna would be able to continue helping them. And he knew that Lilyanna and Mysaria had some type of partnership, the truth of which was unknown to all but the two.
It was strange, Larys knew some of Lilyanna''s secrets and Lilyanna had always been suspicious of him, she was good at hiding her dislike of him, but he could tell, she no doubt knew of the spies and servants who were indebted to him, but neither did much of anything with the knowledge they held.
Both were too focused on their own problems and goals, often keeping the other in the back of their minds, but not reacting to what the other did all that much as niether had done somthing that would force them to act. But now, Lilyanna had pushed things too far, this along with Alicent''s recent dismissal of him, left Larys needing to do something to slide the scales back in his favor.
Strange, mother and daughter are so different and yet both are so good at drawing my attention, at piquing my interest.
He was losing control over the Queen, now leaving him in his once unfavorable position of having to give information, for free, to his father, and Lilyanna''s citizen council was bringing the White Worm, his rival, far too close to power for his liking.
Soon, Larys and his men were walking along the winding streets of Flea Bottom, looking for a specific shack of a home. A small smile appeared on his face when he saw the ugly hovel next to the Three Kings, the smile growing when he saw a familiar man standing outside of the hovel, waiting for him.
The man was of average height, with large beady eyes, a scraggly brown beard, a thin and slim build, and a shaved head. He was wearing the black armor and gold dyed cloak uniform of the City Watch, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes keeping track of his surroundings as he watched everyone sharply.
"My lord." The man said when Larys grew closer, bowing to the disabled man.
"Perkin." Larys greeted, "I assume your patrol was uneventful?"
"In a way, the people were agitated for most of the day, but they have relaxed, are downright joyful now." Perkin answered.
Larys hummed, looking past the man and to his home, "How has young Trystane been? How has his training been progressing?"
"He is fine, my lord, and his training is going smoothly, he is picking up my teachings rather quickly. But he said something the other day that left me troubled. I have been wanting to speak with you about it."
"What did he say?"
"He spoke about making a new friend, that he met Princess Lilyanna, and she was very friendly with him, asking about his life and afterwards, myself."
Larys was inwardly surprised that Lilyanna had met Trystane, questioning if she knew the truth of the boy''s origins. "That is no matter; the princess will not seek to bring this to light even if she is suspicious or knows the truth. She knows how something like this could lead to a large scandal for the royal family, she will not risk the humiliation that will spring forth just to rescue a bastard."
Larys was confident in this, Lilyanna cared too greatly for her family to have them suffer such a fate just to save Trystane.
"But if she does?" Perkin asked, wanting reassurance that this whole endeavor will not be made worthless due to the princess''s intervention.
"I will deal with her if such a situation arises." Larys said and Perkin had to suppress a shudder at the coldness he could see in Larys'' eyes as he spoke. Larys cleared his throat, "Now, I have come to you because I have a job for you to do."
"What do I have to do, my lord?"
"My brother and father, I need them removed from the board."
Perkin''s eyes grew slightly, hearing that Larys was telling him.
He wants me to kill his own brother and father? I knew that the Clubfoot was one twisted bastard, but I did not think he would stoop into the filth of kinslaying. Perkin thought to himself.
Larys continued, not waiting for Perkin''s response, "I have been delaying this far too long, I need to empty the position of Hand of the King." And remove any part of my heart that could stand in the way of my ambition.
"How do you want their deaths to be?" Perkin asked.
"Painless if possible. If not, then do it regardless, just make sure that neither can be trace back to you."
"And when do you want it?"
Larys to a second to think, "Within the coming moon or two, with this new council many eyes will be on the peasants the princess will be bringing. You should find the right opportunity then."
"It will be done." Perkin said resolutely.
"You are a good man, Perkin." Larys said, turning on his heel to leave. "Continue as you have been with young Trystane."
When Larys was gone from sight, Perkin took a sigh of relief, happy to no longer be in the Clubfoot''s presence. Larys had proven to be a man with connections and power, allowing Perkin to reap the rewards by being close to him. But this did nothing change how creepy and unnerving Perkin found Larys to be.
Unbeknownst to Perkin, Trystan was not sleeping but had been watching him and Larys secretly through the window.
Trystane had met Larys before, having first met him shortly after Perkin took him in. Larys would ask Trystane how he was and always looked happy to see him, even though Trystane often found his presence to be uncomfortable.
Trystane did not hear what the two men had been discussing but he remembered how Perkin looked when returned home after his patrol. Perkin did not remove his armor as he usually did, keeping it on as he stared out the window, lost in thought.
What''s going on with them? Perkin can''t be scared or Larys. He''s a cripple and Perkin is the strongest knight I know! Trystane thought, still wondering what the truth of Perkin and Larys'' relationship was.
Inevitable
A Week Later
Lilyanna stood in the yard of the Red Keep, waiting for her selected members of the civilian council to arrive. She was supposed to bring them to be introduced to the small council and then take them to the chamber that had been cleared out for the civilian council to use. Two carriages had been sent out to retrieve them from the main square.
"You know you don''t have to wait here with me, I am more than capable of bringing them to the small council chamber. Alone." Lilyanna said, looking at the two women standing on either side of her pointedly.
Alicent looked at her daughter, "I do not know these people, and I will not leave my child alone with people whose character is not certain."
Lilyanna looked at Rhaenyra, "And you, sister?"
Rhaenyra looked thoughtful, "I am interested in seeing the people you have chosen. After hearing about one of their... professions, it has left me curious."
"You should be resting after giving birth to two babes, not standing on your feet."
Rhaenyra smiled, "While I appreciate your concerns, I am fine. I have done this twice before; and I cannot use my sweet children as an excuse."
Lilyanna sighed, annoyed by the insane expectations that were placed on her sister as the heir before looking at the two boys standing next to Rhaenyra, "And you two?"
Jacaerys smiled, "If the civilian council becomes permeant then it will be something I will have to oversee when I am King one day, so it''s best that I familiarize myself with it now."
Rhaenyra smiled, brushing her fingers through her son''s hair. When Jacaerys had asked her if he could come with her to bring him with her and told her why, she felt nothing but pride in him, pleased that he was taking his duties seriously.
Aemond crossed his arms, his lips pursed and his eyes burning with disapproval, "You want to create and give high positions to peasants, peasants for all we know took part in rioting against our family. Mother is right; they are of uncertain character, and they must be vigilantly watched."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes not knowing why she bothered to ask Aemond why he decided to come as he had not been trying to hide how much he disliked the idea of the council for the past few days.
Aemond''s opinions on the smallfolk were like those of the majority of nobility; that they were subjects to noble authority and were meant to stay within their place in society, any who did not, were seen as strange and threats to the social structure.
Rhaenyra looked at Aemond in amusement, "What a gallant protector you are, valonqar."
Aemond looked away, his ears slightly red, "Someone must, Rhaenyra. Our sister is not making sense."
"I''m standing right here, asshole." Lilyanna said, side-eyeing him.
After a few more minutes of waiting, the carriages rode through the castle gates stopping a couple of feet away from the royals.
The first person to leave one of the carriages was Clarton, who jumped down to the ground instead of using the steps, his usual two bodyguards quickly following him. He smiled wolfishly, revealing his gold teeth to the world, the sunlight gleamed off his teeth and the jewelry.
"He''s so shinny." Jacaerys muttered, squinting his eyes slightly as he looked at the man.
I told him not to wear his stupid chains and rings! Lilyanna thought, resisting the urge to face palm.
Luckily for Lilyanna, the other exited the carriages and were not showing off as they walked, causing Clarton to walk forward and bowed deeply to and greeted the royals with them, introducing themselves one after the other.
This might not go so badly.
Alicent stepped forward, showing her courteous disposition, "I welcome you all to the Red Keep. With your newly bestowed positions you will be working closely with the small council, an honor and duty you will no doubt take with the upmost diligence."
Clarton grinned widely, his eyes trailing down Alicent''s body. "That will not be hard to do with such a perfect vision such as yourself within view, Your Grace."
Alicent''s eyes grew wide, and she became visibly revolted. Criston took a step forward, standing directly behind the Queen with his hand gripping the handle of his sword, scowling at Clarton.
Aemond stood in front of Alicent in a comparable manner to Criston, and glaring Clarton, "That is the Queen you are speaking to so causally."
Daven sneered at the smaller man, "Must you act so unseemly? Your disgusting behavior is reflecting on all of us."
I was wrong! Lilyanna thought, feeling the stares of her family members on her, but refusing to meet any of them. She then loudly cleared her throat, quickly moving to stand between her brother and Clarton, a fake smile appearing on her lips. "Clarton did not mean any disrespect; he just talks without thinking. How about we take this to the small council chamber? It''s best that we don''t keep the King and the rest of the council waiting any longer."
A tense silence overcame the yard before Rhaenyra spoke, "That would be for the best, it seems."
Lilyanna stayed behind for a moment, watching as her newly assembled council followed her siblings, nephew, and mother into the Keep, except for Mysaria, who waited back, walking alongside the princess as they trailed the rest of the group.
"Why did you have to choose that fool?" Lilyanna asked the woman, referring to Clarton.
Mysaria glanced at Lilyanna, "Clarton has the most influence in his area of the city. And despite his repulsive personality, you would be hard pressed to find anyone with the same ability to entertain and acquire funding for his exploits as easily as he does."
"I would rather have someone middling than someone superior who has created and heads a child fighting pit." Lilyanna said, her voice filled with disgust and anger.
"I feel the same as you, Lilyanna, but that does not change what I said before about Clarton; he is someone you will need, even if he is of poor character. In this game we play, one must ally themselves with those with which they do not always agree."
Lilyanna huffed, "I hate that you''re making sense right now."
Mysaria smiled, but it soon fell when she looked up and saw the Princess of Dragonstone turning her head occasionally to look at her. Rhaenyra was watching Mysaria and Lilyanna questioningly, obviously trying to figure out what the two were talking about and why they seemed so familiar with each other.
"Your sister is watching us." Mysaria said.
Lilyanna looked at Rhaenyra, meeting her gaze nonchalantly, "She is, she most likely thinks it strange that we are talking as I told everyone that I had never communicated with any of you before."
"You think that is all?"
Lilyanna shrugged, "It''s either that or she''s concerned because I am talking to our uncle''s former lover."
Mysaria pursed her lips, an action that Lilyanna noted the woman did whenever Daemon Targaryen was mentioned in her presence. "I doubt that. I get the feeling that if the princess recognized me, she would have said something earlier."
Lilyanna laughed, "She would have; Rhaenyra is not the type of person to keep quiet on such things. She would have asked you outright if she was truly suspicious."
Mysaria did not know how to feel about the Rhaenyra not remembering, it made sense why she did not, Rhaenyra had only seen Mysaria once before about a decade and a half ago, and even then Rhaenyra only stared at Mysaria for a few moments before the older woman retreated inside castle, and the princess returned her attention to her roguish uncle.
She should be glad that Rhaenyra did not remember her as it made things easier for Mysaria and would certainly make it harder for her to be a part of the new council, a fate that Kella was already experiencing if the looks the other royals and Criston Cole were giving her were any indication.
But Mysaria could not deny the indignation and resentment that bubbled beneath her surface at the knowledge that she was not important enough to be remembered by the princess, and that even if she were, it would only be due to her past connection to Daemon.
I am no longer a whore; I have left that life behind and have built for myself a new path. And I will never go back to that life. Mysaria thought.
Viserys did not know how to truly respond to the small council meeting that he was currently sitting in. He knew that Lilyanna''s idea was unpopular with his councilors, all including his eldest daughter and wife, were either reluctant or outright against it.
And he could see why; most of the people Lilyanna had chosen were not conventional, either not running legitimate or proper businesses, having controversial pasts and births, or lacking the right temperament and attitude towards the nobility in the room.
Even just a few minutes of watching the group introduce themselves was enough for Viserys to know that this whole endeavor would be a problem. But he promised Lilyanna to at least try and see this through, and it was beginning to show some time of benefit as the atmosphere in the city had cooled considerably since the announcement.
There are no whispers of another riot, which is good enough. Viserys thought, seeing this all working in his favor so far.
The King then cleared his throat and stood up, "I welcome you all. It has been drawn to mine and the small council''s attention that the needs of the smallfolk were not being properly met. And as you have been informed, a new council has been created to deal with matters concerning the city and its people, on a trial basis, a council you all have been handpicked to head. The responsibilities that each master you see before you that affect King''s Landing shall be given to each of you to head, along with other specific duties for you all to head."
Viserys then looked at Lyonel, "Has the chamber been cleared for them to use?"
"Yes, Your Grace. And I have spoken to each member of this council, making sure any documents that they may need are there as well." Lyonel answered.
A small room below them had been thoroughly cleaned and rearranged so that the civilian council could use it for any meetings they would have and because of its proximity to the small council chamber.
"I still do not believe that a whole chamber is necessary, any laws or matters they wish to be implemented, will have to go through this council for review." Corlys said aloud, his arms crossed, looking at the commoners across from him.
Aran could not stop the glare from forming on his face in response to Corlys'' words, knowing that the words were intended for him specifically. Aran forced a smile, but his hatred for the Lord of Driftmark made the expression look dark, full of menacing intentions instead of warm and friendly, "Excuse my interruption, Lord Corlys, but I am sure that you and everyone else on the small council would not want my fellow councilors and I to come to you with every little problem. And not having a place in the Red Keep would mean that we would have to conduct our business in the city, and that would hinder efforts to watch over us."
Corlys could barely keep the sneer off his lips, "I was not aware that you need so much hand holding, Aran. However, I shouldn''t be so surprised that you are unable to do such complex assignments after the last time I saw your professionalism in action."
Aran glared venomously at the lord, and neither Harlario nor Vyrero, could hide their own anger, the room growing tenser as everyone looked between the siblings and Corlys.
There is definitely more to this story there than just a business deal gone wrong. Lilyanna thought, remembering her first meeting with the Ostaris brothers and Corlys'' reaction to her choosing them to be a part of civilian council. "Father, perhaps I should take your new councilors to their chamber? Have them become situated with the space and their duties?"
"Of course, daughter. That would be helpful." The King said, seeing this as the opportunity Lilyanna was giving him to end the council meeting and separate the people in the room, specifically Corlys and Aran.
Lilyanna bowed to her father before leading the commoners out of the small council chamber, and Viserys was quick to end the meeting before any of the men could voice their displeasure with their newest associates.
Soon it was just the King, his eldest two children, his grandson, and his wife left in the chamber and Viserys leaned back in his chair, holding his forehead as he groaned loudly.
"Are you alright, husband?" Alicent asked concerned.
"I am fine, Alicent, only tired. These last few weeks have drained me, hopefully all this stress and tension will be behind us." Viserys responded, "But I doubt it, if this meeting was anything to go by."
"It is only the first day, father. I''m sure that this council and the civilian council will be able to cooperate with each other." Rhaenyra voiced, but Viserys could tell that his daughter was trying to placate him, seeing the flash of uncertainty in her eyes.
I wish I could escape all this, to not have to deal with any of this, even for a moment. Viserys thought, once again, feeling the weight of the Crown and its responsibilities upon him. He felt that if he was younger and healthier, then he would have been able to weather this all better, to not be caught so off guard and unprepared.
I long for when I was just a simple prince, when all this politicking was a faraway future for me. The people loved me for me, they did not hate me for making choices that are best for the realm, when I did not have to bend over backwards to please anyone.
With this thought, the King started to think more about the last time that he did not have to worry about the duties that came with being King of Westeros.
"I suppose when I was Prince of Dragonstone." Viserys whispered, not aware that he was speaking aloud.
"Viserys?" Alicent asked.
Viserys smiled as he turned to his wife, "We should go on a holiday to Dragonstone."
Alicent looked at her husband surprised, "A holiday? And to Dragonstone?"
"Yes, it will be perfect; time away from King''s Landing and all its problems and minutiae will be good. It would also be a good opportunity to have the children leave the city for a change, see the second seat of our house." Viserys then looked at Rhaenyra, "Rhaenyra, you said that you were planning on going to Dragonstone soon? We can join you then."
As the Princess of Dragonstone, Rhaenyra ruled over the island in her own right, but as her father''s heir, she also had duties that required her to be in King''s Landing. So, she would routinely travel to Dragonstone, usually staying for a moon or two, so that she could attend to her responsibilities and allow her subjects on the island to see her.
"I was, but father, with the civilian council in its infancy, do you think it wise to leave the city for a substantiated amount of time?" Rhaenyra asked.
Viserys disregarded this concern, "This would give the civilian council a chance to rule the city without the prejudices of most of the small council, as I would think it best if the court comes with us. And for good measure, Lyonel can stay in King''s Landing to rule the city in my absence while watching over the civilian council."
"It would take a considerable amount of time to plan such a trip if the court would also be joining us and the visit to Dragonstone would have to be longer than a moon if that is the case." Rhaenyra argued, not keen on the idea of having to prepare the castle on Dragonstone for such an event and on short notice.
"Then the family shall leave first and whoever is able to join us, shall leave with us. The court is not required to follow the royal family wherever we go, and we shall plan accordingly."
Except every noble will want to come, especially as this will be the first time that you will be leaving King''s Landing in years. Rhaenyra thought, dreading the amount of planning that she would soon have to complete.
Viserys then looked at his grandson, "And it has been some time since my grandsons have been to Dragonstone, has it not? Would you not like go, Jacaerys?"
Jacaerys grinned, "I would, grandfather. And Luke and I can give the others a tour of the castle!"
Viserys turned to his son, "Aegon?"
Aegon shrugged his shoulders, "I guess that would be fine."
"Just fine? Dragonstone is the last pillar of Old Valyria left in the world; it contains the histories of House Targaryen." Viserys said, looking at his son and finding it shocking that Aegon was not outwardly excited.
"King''s Landing has those things too." Aegon said, looking away when he noticed Viserys shaking his head in disappointment due to his response.
To him, why would he want to go a place that has been said to be cold, dreary, and isolated? A glorified fortress of an island that the Valyrians of old once used as a watchtower before the Targaryens made it their new home to escape the Doom.
And this is all so tedious, especially as father is just using this as an excuse to leave the city. Wanting his children to experience their heritage and travel? What a load of shit. Aegon thought, seeing this all for what it was; Viserys all but running from the hardships of Kinghood.
And yet this is what everyone in Westeros wishes for; to seat the Iron Throne. All you''d need to do is look at our King to know that the power of the Crown is not worth it. You''d have to be stupid or crazy to rule over this country and family. Aegon shuddered, knowing that there were those, including some of his own family, that expected him to one day take the burden when he was more than fine with letting Rhaenyra have it.
"Viserys, are you sure that traveling would be a good idea? With your health deteriorating as it is, making a long trip, especially to an island like Dragonstone, could make your constitution worse." Alicent said, placing her hand atop her husband''s.
"Lilyanna and the maesters will be there to look after me." Viserys said before smiling at Alicent, his expression meant to be suggestive and enticing but failing to inspire either in the woman he was directing his gaze at. "Have I not proven to still be quite capable of many a task as of late, my dear? Even with my illness, I can still take and experience my favorite pleasures."
Alicent did not respond, giving Viserys a strained smile, her eyes losing a bit of shine as she felt Viserys squeeze her hand, oblivious to her hidden feelings.
Aegon''s expression twisted in barely hidden disgust, for once, wishing for the days when such implications and innuendos would have gone right over his head, being too naive and innocent to notice them.
No one wanted to think of their parents having sex, and this was especially true for Aegon as the image of his father''s rotting, old, and mutilated body writhing on top of his mother''s flashed through his mind.
Although, all I have is the image, its undoubtedly worse for mother who must experience father fucking her. Aegon thought, knowing that Alicent had laid with Viserys at least five times to have himself and his younger siblings. And he knew that they were still sleeping with each other as Viserys made his desire for more children known to all.
And Aegon wondered if the stomach-turning thought of Alicent and Viserys together is what was causing Rhaenyra''s anger when he turned in her direction.
The princess was not doing a particularly good job of hiding her clear repulsion at the sight in front of her, her eyes moving between the King and Queen''s faces and their joined hands. Aegon was sure that if Rhaenyra could light things ablaze with just her eyes, then Viserys and Alicent would have been reduced to ashes by now.
A nauseating feeling bloomed in Rhaenyra''s stomach at the reminder of the cursed knowledge of Alicent and Viserys'' marriage. She knew that the couple were trying for another child, her father not satisfied with the six he already had, no doubt imagining himself to be a great father, willfully ignorant of his failings in that regard. But seeing Viserys lust for Alicent angered her in ways she did not know possible.
As terrible as it sounds, I am glad that Alicent has not fallen pregnant again and I hope that she never will. Rhaenyra thought, reeling with a mixture of jealousy and rage.
While she would welcome another sibling, Rhaenyra was not sure if she could tolerate another sibling that Viserys would quickly lose interest in, having to again see the heartbroken and angered look on Alicent''s face when Viserys would make it clear that her child was only another body to sure up the succession, another babe in his quest to compete with the late King Jaehaerys.
Trying to have more children then the Conciliator will not make you on par or even better than he was as a King. Rhaenyra thought bitterly, quickly looking away from Alicent and her father, irritated by it all.
Aemond crossed his arms, watching Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Daeron following the instructions of the dragonkeepers as they strived to strengthen their bonds with their dragons. It was the children''s regular lesson in the Dragonpit, and as usual, only some of the young royals were in attendance.
Helaena had gone with Alicent to one of the city''s local orphanages to read and give food to the young children that lived there. A new development, one that the Queen was eager to continue when the people of King''s Landing rioted, although Helaena most likely would not have come to the pit even if she did not have other plans.
Helaena''s bond with Dreamfyre was strong, and in a short time, she had learned to command her dragon with ease, with Dreamfyre rarely fighting back against her. So, Helaena often skipped these dragon rearing lessons as they were not something she needed in comparison to her nephews and youngest brother, all three having hatchlings that were quite willful and resistant to the commands of their bonded humans.
Aegon, having a dragon that was large enough to fly and arguably the strongest bond with his dragon out of the children, only truly came to these lessons to support his nephews and brother, immediately leaving to Sunfyre''s cave, going on rides above the city.
Lilyanna was currently in the middle of a civilian council meeting, wanting to help the newly established group become accustomed. And unlike her siblings and nephews, she only came to the Dragonpit when asked or if she wanted to do something with her family''s dragons.
Unlike Aemond, Lilyanna did not see the point in attending lessons in the Dragonpit when she lacked a dragon of her own. She knew the proper commands from the High Valyrian lessons they all took with a maester, had been thought how to use a saddle and reins by the dragonkeepers years ago, and she never had an issue with approaching dragons before, with her being so strangely loved by the creatures.
A Targaryen without a dragon was a pitiful sight to behold, and Aemond was not content with being left behind in such a manner. So, Aemond studied the histories of Old Valyria vigorously, paying specific attention to the chronicles of Dragonlords, he made sure to practice his High Valyrian extensively, not content with his pronunciation and understanding of the language being passable, not when Helaena and Lilyanna spoke it fluently. And this competitiveness only growing within him when Lucerys started joining them for these lessons, taking to them even better than the twins, a trait that Viserys had once compared to Rhaenyra.
And Aemond made sure to take their lessons in the Dragonpit with the utmost seriousness, to always listen and ask questions of the dragonkeepers, even as the others were fooled around, confident in their bonds.
"Dohaer¨¡s, dohaer¨¡s, Vermax!" Jacaerys commanded his dragon, the words heavy and awkward on his tongue.
Vermax, his usual ill-tempered and vicious self, did not listen to Jacaerys command, snapping his teeth at the boy, causing Jacaerys to fearfully take a step back, bumping into the dragonkeeper behind him.
"R?b¨¡s!" The elder dragonkeeper exclaimed, drawing the dragon''s attention to him. Vermax stared at the man, grumbling, and screeching quieter than before.
The dragonkeeper looked at Jacaerys, switching to Common Tongue as he spoke, "You must remain firm when commanding Vermax, my prince. Dragons are unpredictable and stubborn; they will not follow the orders of one they believe to be weaker or lacking in conviction and strength. Try again, and do not show even an ounce of fear."
The bond is supposed to be strong; how can he fear his own bonded so? Aemond thought, not understanding Jacaerys'' panic, confident that if he were in his nephew''s position, that he would not react in that way.
Jacaerys nodded his head, taking a step forward a meeting his dragon''s eye, "R?b¨¡s, Vermax. R¨¡pir¨©, r¨¡pir¨©."
Vermax stared at Jacaerys for a few seconds, but would ultimately do as he was told, no longer crying out as he calmed down.
"Well done." The dragonkeeper praised.
"Daor, Arrax! Embrot, embrot!" Lucerys yelled a few feet away, watching as his dragon jumped on top of Tessarion, clinging to the she-dragon''s back.
Tessarion was not bothered by the actions of the younger dragon, continuing to eat the sheep that was brought out for her.
Daeron laughed at the sight, "It''s fine, Luke. Arrax is not bothering her."
Lucerys sighed, "That doesn''t mean Arrax can go jumping on other dragons, remember what happened with Dreamfyre."
The incident that the younger prince was referring to, was a few moons ago when Helaena and Dreamfyre had returned from a flight and Arrax tried to jump on the older dragon in the same way it did Tessarion.
Unlike Tessarion, Dreamfyre was not amused by Arrax''s actions, quickly bucking the hatchling off and breathing fire in his direction. Arrax had been able to avoid the torrent of flames, and Helaena was able to calm Dreamfyre before the dragon could try to burn Arrax a second time. To this day, Dreamfyre still did not like the younger dragon''s presence, snapping and hissing when Arrax was in sight of her.
Aemond could not stop the jealousy that formed in his heart as he watched the younger boys and their dragons, yearning for what they had.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
About an hour passed, and as the dragonkeepers were leading the young dragons back to their caves, Aegon returned from his dragon ride, emerging from the pathway that the riders and dragonkeepers used to make their way underground.
His long hair was wind swept, his skin red from the harsh winds hitting his face, but despite his disheveled appearance, Aegon looked relaxed and happy. But Aemond could feel his suspicions rising when Aegon turned in his direction, smirking at him.
Aegon walked towards his brother, putting his arm around Aemond''s shoulders, "Brother, it''s good you made your way here today."
"It is?" Aemond asked doubtfully, well aware of how Aegon viewed his presence in the Dragonpit.
For the last few years, Aegon would go out of his way to remind Aemond about his lack of a dragon, bemoaning his attempts to claim one and how seriously he took the topic.
"Of course." Aegon said before looking at their nephews, "If you weren''t here, it would be much harder to give you the present we got you."
"Present?"
Lucerys smiled, immediately running off and disappearing from sight, clearly going to get the present, and Jacaerys moved to stand on Aemond''s other side, his smile equally as wide as Aegon''s.
Aegon''s smile grew, playfully shaking Aemond, "We found you a dragon!"
As he listened to the conversation, Daeron''s face became pale and his eyes widened, quickly speaking up. "Aegon, you can''t."
"I can''t what; give our brother, the only one of us without a dragon, one of his own?" Aegon asked.
"Aegon-"
"Don''t tell me you want to refuse Aemond what he has wanted for so long, Dae? What a cruel little brother you are." Aegon was smiling, but his eyes became sharper as he stared at Daeron.
Daeron opens his mouth but quickly closed it as he saw Lucerys returning to the pit from behind Aegon and Aemond, with the ''dragon'' in hand.
"You found me a dragon?" Aemond asked, and while he knew that his brother could not be telling the truth, he could not stop the twinge of hope from bleeding into his voice, and his desire for a dragon of his own overriding his sense of logic and cynicism.
"We did, you are the only one of us without one and we felt badly about it, so we found one for you." Aegon said.
"How?" Aemond asked.
"The Gods provide." Aegon grinned, using his arm to turn Aemond around as he, Jacaerys, and Lucerys spoke in unison. "Behold; The Pink Dread!"
At the other end of the rope Lucerys was holding, was a large pig with fake horns, wings, and teeth glued to its body. The pig grunted and whined as Lucerys tugged the rope, causing the animal to move forward.
All Aemond could hear was the sounds of his brother and nephews'' laughter as he stared the pig, consumed with anger, sadness, and humiliation.
Aegon then leaned closer, his breath brushing against the side of Aemond''s face. "Be sure to mount her carefully, brother. The first flight is always the roughest."
The laughter continued as Aegon, Jacaerys, and Lucerys began to oink and squeal, mocking Aemond further as they left the Dragonpit, leaving Aemond behind with the Pink Dread.
Daeron glared at their backs as they left, disgusted by the cruelty the trio showed before nervously bouncing on the heels of his feet, looking back at his brother. "Aemond? Are-are you... You shouldn''t listen to them, they were being-"
"You knew." Aemond said, still staring at the pig, his back to Daeron.
Daeron cringed, "I told Aegon not to when he... when he said he was going to the pig yard. And I tried to dissuade Jace and Luke when they began to make the wings and horn-"
Aemond finally turned around, scowling at his younger brother, "But you did not think to tell me what they were planning? Is it because you thought it was funny too?"
"No!" Daeron exclaimed, stepping closer to Aemond, "What they did wasn''t right, and I don''t think it was funny, I just-"
Daeron was not able to finish as Aemond quickly slapped his hand away, giving him a final glare before running off into the tunnels below.
"Aemond!" Daeron yelled in vain, watching as his brother disappeared into the caves.
What do I do?! What do I do?! Daeron thought, he wanted to go after Aemond, but Daeron had only gone into Tessarion''s cave by himself, when he went to the cave of other dragons, he was always in the presence of said dragons'' riders, knowing how dangerous it was to go near the creatures alone.
Aemond was not sure where he was going; his desperation to be as far away from Daeron and the embarrassment of it all, fueling his movements. Before he knew it, Aemond had found himself at the entrance of Dreamfyre''s cave, watching as the light of nearby torches bounced off, she-dragon''s pale blue and silver scales.
He could not help but be reminded of when Helaena claimed Dreamfyre, what was a monumental and joyous occasion for his sister, was sorrowful and heartbreaking for him.
Dreamfyre''s eyes snapped in Aemond''s direction, slowly lifted its head to stare at him properly, meeting his gaze sharply and closely.
Should I, can I... Aemond slowly walked into the cave, his arms raised in front of him in a passive demeanor as he approached.
Dreamfyre growled, the force of which echoed and shook the walls of the cave, a warning if ever one could be heard. But Aemond ignored it, resolutely walking deeper into the cave and closer to the dragon. Dreamfyre''s body became tense, it growls louder before it opens their mouth, revealing the now glowing expanse of her throat.
Fear gripped Aemond, the young boy quickly turning around and running out of the cave, reaching the entrance just as a fire rushed above him, narrowly missing his head as he threw himself to the ground. Aemond clamored away, tripping and falling over himself in his attempt to escape the tunnels and distance himself from the incensed beast.
Just as he reached the top floor of the Dragonpit, Aemond felt a pair of hands quickly take hold of his shoulders. Aemond flinched in surprise, relaxing somewhat as he saw the helm covered face of Arryk Cargyll. He could see Daeron behind the Kingsguard, standing in the same place that he left him, the dressed-up pig still milling about.
"I am taking you both to the Queen." Arryk said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Aemond sighed, closing his eyes as he felt Arryk leading him and Daeron out of the Dragonpit and towards the carriage, dreading the upcoming lecture from his mother.
An Hour Later
"Don''t put too much honey, we don''t want it to overpower the other ingredients." Lilyanna said, watching as Helaena put a spoonful of honey into the cauldron.
Helaena blew a strand of hair out of her face, "I know what I''m doing, Lily. Or did you forget how hopeless you would be without my expertise?"
Lilyanna pursed her lips, stirring the concoction, "I still don''t understand how no one has noticed the full-on bee atrium you''re keeping in your closet."
Helaena shrugged, "Just be glad they haven''t, otherwise you would be struggling to find fresh honey in this city."
"That''s true." Lilyanna said, looking at the orange-brown liquid beneath them.
Lilyanna had spoken to Visenya, the woman being the one who gave her the recipe for the medicine they were making. At first, Lilyanna was confident that she would be able to make it on her own, but this ceased to be when she realized many of the ingredients came from animals and insects, two things that she was not familiar in dealing with.
It''s a good thing I have a sister who''s basically an entomologist and zoologist all wrapped up in one. Lilyanna thought.
"How much longer do you think we will have to keep giving this to mother?" Helaena asked.
"Helaena, we''ve talked about this; until Viserys is too weak to do much of anything."
Helaena sighed, "I know, it just feels wrong to keep sneaking this into her food when she''s not paying attention. You know that if mother knew the truth, she would be furious."
"Well, it doesn''t matter how she feels, this is necessary!" Lilyanna yelled, her anger getting the better of her. "I will not watch her give birth to another child that her foolish husband will ignore. I will not leave her and that child''s fate in his hands."
"I know, but mother is blaming herself, don''t you see? Every time she sees her moonblood, every time she goes to Orwyle and receives his ill tidings, she blames herself for not falling pregnant. And it will only be a matter of time before father starts to blame her too. I hate seeing her in this state." Helaena said, her voice cracking with emotion.
For almost a year, Lilyanna and Helaena had been making and secretly administrating an effective contraception for Alicent, the woman unaware of what her daughters were doing.
After the death of Elaera, Lilyanna knew that it was only a matter of time before Viserys called Alicent back to his bed, expecting her to resume her wifely duties. And Viserys had made it clear that he wanted more children, wanting to fill the Red Keep with them, to have as many as Jaehaerys and Alysanne.
This enraged her, filling Lilyanna with an immense desire to punch Viserys in the face for his selfishness. And this is what led to her seeking Visenya and Helaena''s help in preventing Alicent from becoming pregnant again.
Lilyanna stopped stirring, meeting her twin''s eye, her expression becoming solemn. "It hurts me too, seeing mother like this, but I can''t just stop, you didn''t hear Viserys that day when I confronted him about Elaera. He claimed to forget how harrowing childbirth was because of us and our brothers. He forgot how terrible it all is, after he had Mellos cut Aemma Arryn open in order to save the son he dreamed of, and after Baelon died just hours later. The woman and son that he loves more than us, and he is able to forget so easily, to not care about doing the same to our mother."
Helaena shook her head, "The King does not forget, Lily, the experience has forever broken him. He holds Elaera in his heart, I know he does, he is just not good at showing it."
"If it was Rhaenyra who died, he would morn openly."
"And if Aemma had lived and Baelon did not, he would have still expected her do her duty and let him impregnate her, to try again to birth his heir, no matter her own feelings. You cannot blame him for doing what men have done for centuries."
"Of course I can." Lilyanna scoffed, "Our mother has given him three fucking sons and yet he did not make Aegon his heir, the son he so desperately wanted, because of his feelings for Aemma, for the guilt he has in taking away Rhaenyra''s mother. This is not about duty and responsibility, plenty of men will not force their wives to have more children than is necessary, especially once their sons are born. It''s the same as Jasper Wylde; he does not have almost thirty children and has had four wives because of duty, it''s all because of ego! Viserys, Jasper, and men like them, do all of this to prove their manhood in some worthless competition with themselves and each other."
To Lilyanna, Viserys was a man obsessed with legacy and dreams, a man who cared deeply about the opinions of others and how he would be remembered in history, his current actions more than proving this.
Vexation filled Lilyanna''s body as Helaena tried to defend him and his actions, but Lilyanna knew that her sister''s words stemmed from a place of pity and empathy for Viserys and what he has been through, even if Lilyanna thought Helaena was giving their father too much grace.
Helaena reached over and held one of Lilyanna''s hands, "Lily-"
A knock was heard at the door and Rickard''s voice followed, "Princess, Prince Aemond is here to see you."
"Aemond?" Helaena asked aloud, turning towards Lilyanna who shrugged in response, just as confused as she was.
"Let my brother in, Ricky." Lilyanna called out.
The door to her bedroom opened, revealing Rickard''s bulky frame, the man leaning against the door as Aemond moved passed him.
The door soon closed behind Aemond, the prince standing awkwardly by it, looking between his older sisters bewildered, his expression becoming one of disgust. "What are you two doing and what is that smell?"
"I asked Helaena to help me make more of the dragon muscle relaxant. The ingredients boiling together are what are causing the smell, once we''re done cooking the paste, I''ll add rose water to get rid of the smell." Lilyanna said, the lies coming off her tongue with ease after years of practice.
"Rose water truly works that well?" Aemond asked as he got closer, standing in front of them, a move he regretted as the smell became stronger.
"A lot of rose water." Helaena said pointing behind Aemond to the four metal buckets filled with water sitting near Lilyanna''s bed.
Lilyanna''s eyes trailed over Aemond''s body, she reached forward and gently rubbed her fingers against his cheek. When she pulled her hand back, Lilyanna saw the black grime that now coated the tips of her fingers, "Why are you covered in ash and dirt?"
Aemond looked away from Lilyanna''s piercing and questioning gaze, his eyes falling to the floor as he clenched his fists and bit his lip. He had just left Alicent''s chambers and as he thought, Alicent had berated him for running into Dreamfyre''s cave and almost getting burned in the process.
But she softened when he told her about Aegon, Jacaerys, and Lucerys tricking him into thinking they found him a dragon, only to give him a pig dressed as one, with Daeron readily validating the story, telling them both how and where the other boys got the pig and how they dressed it up and brought it to the Dragonpit.
Alicent had softly told Aemond that he would one day have a dragon, but that such a thing would not happen if he got himself killed trying to force the issue so strongly.
"Aemond?" Helaena asked, looking at him worriedly, "You did it again, didn''t you?"
Aemond''s silence was enough of an answer for the two girls as this was not the first time, he had gone into the bowels of the Dragonpit unaccompanied.
Lilyanna put her hands on her hips, staring at him admonishingly, "Aemond-"
"I have already been scolded by mother; I do not need the same from you." Aemond voiced before his sister could finish.
Lilyanna maintained her posturing, "Well? Are you going to tell us why you went into Dragonpit despite there being no available dragons there for you to claim?" Something you are well aware of."
Aemond retold the story for the second time that day, the emotions still fresh in his mind as he spoke, not making eye contact with Lilyanna or Helaena.
"I''m going to kill those idiots."
Helaena gave her twin a blank look, "No, you''re not."
Lilyanna glared at her, "Well, I need to do something! I refuse to let Aegon, and our nephews get away with treating Aemond like this."
How could they think giving Aemond a pig was funny? And why did this even happen? Aegon and Aemond are not best friends, but their relationship isn''t as bad as it was in the books and show. Right? Lilyanna thought to herself.
"You are so sure they won''t be punished, but I doubt that mother and Rhaenyra would let that happen."
"I should hope not, but still." Lilyanna said, calming down a bit.
"Why do you care so much?" The two girls turned in Aemond''s direction when they heard the question he asked Lilyanna.
Lilyanna looked at him, "Why wouldn''t I care?"
Aemond clenched his fists, "Having a dragon has never bothered you. So why-"
"I care because what they did was cruel and heartless. Our brother and nephews all know how much you desire a dragon, and they used this to mock you for some cheap laughs at your expense."
Aemond crossed his arms, looking away from Lilyanna again, uncomfortable with the intensity in her gaze.
"And it''s worse because those three just happened to get lucky and have their dragon eggs hatch. Most of the dragonriders in our family had to go out and claim a dragon; like Rhaenyra, father, and cousin Rhaenys. It''s pathetic that they would be so proud of themselves for such a small accomplishment."
Helaena pinched Lilyanna''s arm, in response to her last sentence, causing Lilyanna to yelp in pain and surprise. "You don''t have to go that far in defending our brother."
Lilyanna rubbed her arm, pouting exaggeratingly. "You could have just said that instead of pinching me too."
Aemond smiled, a small laugh escaping him, "Thank you, Lily."
Lilyanna waved this off, "There''s nothing to thank, Aems. Besides, if Helaena is right, you will probably be given the chance to get the last laugh."
"What do you mean?" Aemond asked.
Helaena answered this time, "Father wants us to visit Dragonstone as a family."
Dragonstone? Aemond licked his lips, trying to act casually. "He does? Did he say when we will be leaving?"
"I believe that we should be leaving in a fortnight at the earliest and a moon at the latest."
Why can''t we leave sooner?
Lilyanna, seeing through this, rolled her eyes. "You don''t have to hide, your excitement, Aemond. You now have the possibly of claiming one of Dragonstone''s many dragons."
"You mean, we have the possibility, sister." Aemond said strongly.
"You''re never going to let this go, are you?" Lilyanna asked rhetorically, going back to stirring the pot in front of her.
When Aemond spoke of dragons when in his sister''s presence, he would always speak of what kinds of dragons they would both have, unperturbed by what he saw as Lilyanna''s lack of desire to correct her mindset towards getting a dragon for herself.
"I won''t." Aemond said truthfully, "And why are you not happy to be going to Dragonstone? It is the home of our ancestors, where the Conquerors were born and launched their conquest of Westeros."
Aemond loved reading the historical events and legacies of House Targaryen, proud of the blood that ran through his veins. It was one of the few things that made Aemond feel good about himself, letting him think of how history would remember him when he was dead and buried, and if he would be mentioned in the same breath as his ancestors.
Lilyanna clicked her teeth, "It is not the trip itself that I don''t like, but the timing of it all. The civilian council is just getting off the ground, I should be here for it but no, now we are going to be over a hundred leagues away.
Aemond glowered, "That is what you are so worried about? Your gaggle of upstart peasants?"
Knowing that her sister was going to say something nasty to their brother, Helaena swiftly interjected, "You''re the only person I know who is upset to go on a trip and not have to work."
"Because I have things to do!" Lilyanna exclaimed, "And you say that as if I''m always busy doing things."
Helaena crossed her arms, smiling playfully, "And when was the last time you didn''t spend even a single day, going to lessons, studying, training, or working on your little projects?"
Lilyanna grinned, "When I killed that assassin."
Both Helaena and Aemond stared at Lilyanna blankly, and Lilyanna could tell that neither found her joke to be as funny as she did.
"What?"
Helaena and Aemond the looked at each other, before looking back at Lilyanna with condescending expressions, as if visibly questioning her intelligence.
"That joke would have killed with Mushroom." Lilyanna muttered.
Helaena huffed but was unable to keep the smile of her face as she bumped Lilyanna''s shoulder with her own.
Aemond rolled his eyes at the jokes, but eventually looked at the floor, scuffing the ground with his boots, and his voice becoming quieter, "Do you really think I have a dragon? That the ones on Dragonstone will accept me as a rider?"
Lilyanna placed a hand on Aemond''s shoulder, "Of course you will have a dragon, Aemond, you have everything a dragon will want in a rider."
Aemond''s cheeks and the tips of his ears turned a dusty shade of red, his sister''s sincere words falling over him like a healing balm.
The moment Lilyanna said these words, Helaena''s eyes glazed over, her voice becoming quieter, taking on a dreamy tone. "He will have to close an eye."
Lilyanna unknowingly tightened her hold on Aemond''s shoulder, the color draining from her face and her breath hitching as she looked at Helaena, terrified. "W-w-what did you just say?"
Helaena looked at her sister confused, "I said something?"
Lilyanna did not respond, still staring at Helaena fearfully. Helaena rarely had clear and cognitive dreams, and she would often whisper strange, and cryptic words that would describe what she saw hours after she had these dreams.
Usually, Lilyanna was nearby to hear what Helaena would say, helping to decipher them, but this time, Lilyanna already knew what the words Helaena had spoken meant.
I thought- Is Laena already dead? Will Aemond try and claim Vhagar? Of course he will, Aemond has a complex. Lilyanna thought.
"Lily?" Aemond said, drawing his sister''s attention to his grimacing face. "Can you let go?"
"Sorry." Lilyanna said, letting go of Aemond''s shoulder.
Aemond rubbed his shoulder, looking at his sisters suspiciously. "What is wrong? You reacted strangely to Helaena''s words, why?"
Lilyanna smiled, working to hide her worry, "It wasn''t that I just thought she said something else."
Aemond''s eyes narrowed, and he turned to Helaena who only stared at him passively, making his suspicions worsen.
What are they hiding? Aemond thought, curious as to why about Helaena''s words had caused Lilyanna to become uncharacteristically afraid.
But Aemond knew his sisters well enough to know that he would not get any answers from them. The twins kept each other''s confidence and were often seen speaking to the other in ways that were only understandable to themselves, a phenomenon that many wrote off as being the closeness that twins share with each other.
Aemond did not stay long in Lilyanna''s room as he soon grew bored watching his sisters working on their foul-smelling mixture.
Once he was gone, Helaena turned to her sister, "What did I say earlier that terrified you so?"
Lilyanna stared at her sister for a few seconds before releasing a resigned breath. She then repeated Helaena''s words and explained the significance of them.
When Lilyanna finished, she looked away, "Have you seen- Do you think Laena is dead?"
Helaena swallowed, "I-I don''t know. Word would have reached the Crown and the Velaryons by now, yes? Don''t you know when she is supposed to die?"
Lilyanna crossed her arms, "No, I don''t. If it were like the books Laena Velaryon would already be dead and show only mentioned the year it happened."
"This year?"
Lilyanna covered her face with her hands, cursing herself. "This year, I-I forgot. I can''t believe I forgot something so important; I thought, I thought everything I''ve done would have changed things."
Lilyanna walked away from the fireplace, sitting on the edge of her bed, her hands moving from her place to gripping the front of her hair. "What is wrong with me?"
Helaena sat down next to her sister, rubbing her hand along Lilyanna''s back comfortingly. "Not everything you do has changes on other things. We still have time to change this."
Lilyanna looked at Helaena, her eyes growing sharp, "And how are we supposed to do that? Laena and her family are in fucking Pentos. Should we tell the King, and her parents that oh, Laena is going to die from childbirth fever or in the flames of her dragon, so we need to go and stop it? Then if that fails, we can tell Aemond not to claim Vhagar because our nephew will cut out his eye?"
Helaena looked down at her hands, "We could tell them about me."
"No." Lilyanna spat.
Helaena sighed, "Lily-"
"I won''t let you become a tool that our family thinks it can use. And even if we did tell them; do you think they would believe us?"
"Rhaenyra suspects I am a dreamer. It''s why she took your dragon egg and let you give it to Luke, why she wanted to listen to you when you tried to save Elaera. I am positive she knows."
For some time, Helaena had been imploring her to trust their family, that they should tell them everything, but Lilyanna was hesitant to. Both because she found it hard to do so, focusing on their family members'' faults and characters, and because she viewed saving their house as her responsibility, her burden to bear.
Helaena stood up, seeing that her sister was not hugging to budge on this issue. "We still have time, we can fix it, like we have done before."
Lilyanna nodded, "We can do this."
Lilyanna forced herself to believe her own words, hoping that her choice would not condemn a woman to her death.
Alicent angrily stalked down the hall, Criston following quickly as she was singularly focused on the approaching door of her son''s bedchamber. The Queen did not bother to knock as stormed inside, slamming the door shut behind her.
Aegon, who laying in his bed napping, jolted at the sound of the door closing, his eyes building wildly as he sat up. "Mother?"
"Get up." Alicent hissed.
Aegon looked confused but did as he was told, slowly pushing himself out of the bed and standing to his feet.
"Why did you give that gift to Aemond?"
Aegon slowly blinked, still under the effects of sleep, "Gift?"
"The pig! Why would you trick your brother and give him a pig?!"
Aegon shrugged, looking away from his mother''s eyes, "Because it was funny."
Alicent scoffed, her eyes still burning, "Funny? Your brother certainly did not find what you and your nephews did funny."
"That''s because he''s a twat." Aegon muttered.
Alicent slapped the back of her son''s head in anger, "Don''t not speak of your brother like that again."
Aegon rubbed the back of his head, scowling at the floor.
Alicent began walking towards the door, "Now come."
"Come where?"
"You are going to apologize to Aemond and then you will return here. And you will not be able to go anywhere unaccompanied, and certainly not into the city or the Dragonpit."
Aegon''s eyes widened, "That''s not fair, you can''t keep me from Sunfyre!"
Alicent turned back to her son, still glaring at him, "You are my child, I can keep you from doing whatever I wish, and I do not care if you find it fair."
"For how long?" Aegon asked almost desperately.
"You sought to bully your brother over his lack of dragon, so you will know what it feels like to be without one. You will not go near the Dragonpit until I say so." Alicent then opened the door, standing against it and waiting for Aegon to leave the room.
As they stepped outside, Alicent saw Rhaenyra, Laenor, his parents, and their children walking down the hall.
Corlys was holding on of Lucerys'' hands, listening as the boy rapidly spoke to him, while the other three adults were speaking to Jacaerys.
When Rhaenyra noticed Alicent and Aegon, she smiled at the pair, "Valonqar, Alicent. How are you both this day?"
"We are going to see Aemond, princess." Alicent''s mouth remained downturned as she glanced at Aegon, "Aegon has something he needs to tell his brother."
"Tell him what?" Rhaenyra asked, noticing the anger in Alicent''s voice and the way Aegon refused to look at anyone, crossing his arms sullenly.
Alicent raised an eyebrow as she looked at Rhaenyra, then to Laenor, and finally the young boys with them. "Did your sons not tell you what they and Aegon did to Aemond?"
Laenor looked at his sons, "What did you do to your uncle?"
Jacaerys, who understood the severity of their prank, grew nervous, his eyes widening and he struggled not to fidget under the gazes of his parents, grandparents, and Queen.
Corlys spoke next, "Well spit it out. What did the three of you do?"
Lucerys perked up, "You mean the Pink Dread?"
Jacaerys quickly turned to his brother, "Luke, don''t-"
But it was too late as Lucerys excitedly told everyone about the prank, leaving no detail out in his retelling of the events.
"You did what?!" Rhaenyra yelled, glaring at her sons once Lucerys was finished.
Lucerys flinched at the sound of his mother''s voice, "W-"
"Why would you do that to Aemond?" Laenor asked this time, his voice was quieter than his wife''s but no less angry.
"It was a joke, it was funny." Jacaerys said lowly, trying to defend himself and his brother.
"Was Aemond laughing?" Laenor asked.
"But-"
"There is no but, what you three did was wrong." Rhaenyra said, cutting Jacaerys off, "If the roles were switched and Aemond had did that to you, would you have found it funny?"
Jacaerys looked at the floor, unable to respond to his mother''s question.
Rhaenyra sighed, "I raised you both to be better than this, I''m so disappointed in you both."
Corlys placed a hand on Lucerys shoulder, never liking to see his grandsons especially Lucerys, upset. "I''m sure the boys now know that they did was wrong."
Rhaenys shook her head, "Do not try to give them a mild reprimand, husband. It is a privilege to receive a dragon egg, and especially to have it hatch for you, mocking another for their lack of dragon is a grievous insult."
"W-w-we''re sorry." Lucerys stuttered, feeling tears spring to his eyes at the idea of his parents and grandmother being disappointed in him.
Rhaenyra remained resolute, "We are not the ones you should be apologizing to."
"We''ll apologize to Aemond." Jacaerys said quietly.
"You most certainly will and do not think either of you will not be punished. Honestly, what were you three thinking?"
"It was Aegon''s idea." Jacaerys added, ignoring Aegon''s squawk of indignation at Jacaerys trying to hoist most of the blame onto him.
Rhaenyra scoffed, "Did Aegon hold a sword to your necks and force you to dress up a pig and give it to Aemond? Did he threaten to hurt you if you did not snort at Aemond as you laughed at him?"
Jacaerys looked away from his mother''s eyes again, "N-no."
"Then what does it matter that is was Aegon''s idea, when you both thought it alright to go along with it?"
Aegon, still not understanding why everyone was so angry, spoke up, an action he would soon regret. "Why does any of this matter? It was a joke, it''s not like you see Lily throwing a tantrum like Aemond does every time her not having a dragon is mentioned."
Rhaenyra quickly turned to Aegon, there was an anger in her eyes that Aegon had never seen directed at him before. "It matters because I am raising a future King of Westeros and a Lord of Driftmark; not two bullies who think they can get away with mocking anyone much less their uncle in such a way!"
The hallway fell into a tense silence after Rhaenyra exclamation, Laenor placed a hand on Rhaenyra''s back as she regained her composure.
She then turned to her children, "Come, we are going to Aemond''s room so you can apologize to him right this instant."
"Yes, mother." Jacaerys and Lucerys replied.
"And you two will never do this again. Your uncle should not be belittled for something like this." Laenor added.
"Yes, father."
Rhaenyra then turned to her brother, "I am sure that your mother has spoken to you already, but let me reiterate, that you will not do anything of this magnitude again, and I do want to hear a single word of you bullying Aemond about this topic again. Am I understood, brother?"
Aegon opened and closed his mouth, resembling a gaping fish, "I-I understand?"
Even Alicent herself was shocked, having never witnessed Rhaenyra reprimand any of her siblings. Rhaenyra had always been fine with leaving this to her siblings'' parents, understanding that it was not her place to do so, but her outrage had gotten the better of her.
The three children walked morosely towards Aemond''s bedchamber, the adults following behind them, moving as if they were criminals being led to the rope, knowing that their apology would mark the start of whatever punishment their parents wanted to give them.
The Next Day
Aemond looked at his sisters confused as he watched them slink into the hall, questioning the gloves they were now sporting. Most of the family had already arrived to break their fast, but for some reason Aegon, Jacaerys, and Lucerys had not yet arrived.
"Girls, have you seen your brother?" Alicent asked as they took their seats.
Lilyanna''s response was to look at Aemond and Daeron before looking at Alicent.
"You know I meant Aegon, Lilyanna." Alicent said dryly.
"We haven''t seen him since yesterday." Lilyanna finally answered before leaning across the table and filling Helaena''s plate for her.
"Where are the boys? The servants should have gotten them ready by now." Rhaenyra asked aloud.
Just then the doors to the hall opened and said trio of boys walked into the room, causing almost everyone inside to stare at them in shock.
Aegon, Jacaerys, and Lucerys'' hair, heads, necks, and hands were covered in bright pink paint, and with how the paint seemed to disappear into their clothes, suggested that most, if not all of their bodies were of a similar color.
The silence was broken by the sounds of Daeron''s guffawing, "W-what happened to you three?!"
Aegon glared at his brother, "We weren''t pink when we woke up, but we somehow ended up turning this color."
Lucerys broke away from the other two, running into his mother''s arms, "Mother! Is something wrong with me? Am I going to be pink forever?!"
Rhaenyra''s eyes widened as she was unable to respond for a moment, "I am sure that is not the case."
Aemond bit his lip to keep himself from laughing, but as he looked at his older brother and nephews, he remembered Lilyanna''s words and the gloves she and Helaena were now wearing, and it suddenly clicked in his mind as he turned to them.
Alicent, was thinking the same as her second son and quickly turned to her daughters, "Helaena, Lilyanna."
"Yes, mother?" Helaena and Lilyanna said in unison.
"Why are you two wearing gloves?" Alicent asked knowingly.
"Gloves have been very fashionable as of late, mother." Helaena said, looking at her mother innocently.
"Then you would not mind taking them off?"
Helaena and Lilyanna stared at their mother blankly, making themselves look more closely related than usual.
"Take them off." Alicent ordered.
Reluctantly, the twins did as they were told and removed their gloves, and when everyone looked at the backs of their hands, they were completely clean.
Lilyanna shook her own hands for extra effect, "See, mother? We-"
"Turn them over."
Lilyanna blinked, "What?"
Alicent looked at her youngest daughter sharply, "Turn. Your. Hands. Over."
When the girls turned their hands over, they revealed that their palms and fingers were now stained pink, although the color was far more faded than the one on their brother and nephews, with large swatches of clean skin bleeding through.
Aegon pointed at his sisters, turning his anger onto them, "You! You two did this to us!"
Lilyanna shrugged unfazed, "Guilty."
"Why would you do this to us?" Jacaerys asked, not knowing what they could have done to warrant this reaction from the girls.
"Is it not obvious?" Rhaenys said, looking at the girls, "You three gave Aemond a pig and told him it was a dragon. Now we have three little pigs right here in front of us."
Lilyanna chuckled at Rhaenys'' words, finding humor in the unintended reference that the older woman made that only Lilyanna could understand.
Viserys looked at his younger daughters, "You two should not have done that, from what I hear your mother and sister have already given them suitable punishments."
"Oops?" Helaena said, causing Lilyanna to grin.
Aegon looked at his mother, "So? What punishment are you going to give them?"
Alicent looked at the girls, "Your father is right; you should not have done this."
"They shouldn''t have given Aemond a pig." Lilyanna replied.
"No, they shouldn''t have." Alicent agreed, "You two will be helping the dragonkeepers clean out the caves for the next week."
"Yes, mother." The twins said, knowing that they were getting off rather easily.
"What?!" Aegon exclaimed, "How is that fair?! They turned us fucking pink!"
"That is enough, Aegon." Alicent said, "You would not be pink if you did not start all of this by playing a terrible jape."
Laenor lifted one of Lucerys'' curls, seeing that it was pink all the way from the ends down to it roots. "How did you two manage to do this?"
Lilyanna smiled at the man, more than happy to explain her and Helaena''s plan. "We heard about a similar prank that involved pink paint, so we grabbed some and waited until they fell asleep and snuck into their rooms. We didn''t paint their bodies; that would have caused them to wake up and catch us, so we replaced all of their soap with the paint."
"Ah, Aunt Saera." Viserys said wistfully, remembering the story his father had once told him of a ten-year-old Saera sneaking into the White Sword Tower, stealing all the cloaks of the Kingsguard and dyeing them a gaudy shade of pink. The Kingsguard did not have replacement cloaks, so the seven men were forced to wear them for days before new ones could be commissioned.
Alicent looked at her daughter tiredly, "You should not be so proud of your actions, Lilyanna. What you two did was petty, vengeful, and immature."
While Lilyanna would have normally felt chastised, she was unable to feel anything other than proud when Aemond mouthed the words thank you to her when their mother was not looking.
Rhaenyra looked at her sister with a similar expression as Alicent, "This is not permanent, is it?"
Helaena shook her head, "It should come off after a few washes."
"Should?" Jacaerys asked.
Helaena''s response was to smile at her nephew, causing despair to bloom in his gut at the thought of being pink forever.
Luckily for him, Lilyanna assuaged his fears, "It will come off, Helaena and I just didn''t have time to wash all of it off our hands before Talya was calling for us."
Aegon was still glaring at his sister as he took his seat, "I still don''t get what is wrong with you two? The pig was a damn joke, this was too far."
"You don''t have to understand, Egg." Lilyanna said, "All you need to know is that no more jokes about Aemond and his lack of dragon will be tolerated."
Aegon leaned close to Lilyanna, trying but failing to intimidate her, "Or what?"
Lilyanna grinned openly at her brother, baring her teeth at him venomously. "Or this will be child''s play to what I do to you next."
Aegon leaned away from his sister as much as he could, a shiver racing through him. He had never felt afraid of Lilyanna before, but this time he felt instinctively like a small animal in the face of a predator, realizing that there was no escaping their fate.
"Whatever." Aegon muttered as he turned away, beginning to pick at his food.
I''m not afraid of Lilyanna and I''m not afraid of what she may do to me. Aegon thought, although, he did make sure to avoid Aemond for the time being, just to be safe.
Dream Chasers
Three Weeks Later
Helaena Targaryen hated being a dreamer.
She hated how much she feared going to sleep at times, worried about the terrors she would be forced to endure, having to shift through the muddied recesses of her own mind, and waking up breathless from premonitions that she did not fully understand.
Her dragon dreams were a secret from most of her family, but even Lilyanna, the one person she told everything to, did not know Helaena''s true feelings on being a dreamer. Or at least, Helaena assumed that Lilyanna did not know as she has never told her twin and was not planning to do so.
And while Lilyanna did not know this fact, she was still an expert and reading Helaena, so Lilyanna knew that something was bothering her sister as she kept glancing at Helaena.
Helaena ignored the worried looks and Lilyanna did not voice her thoughts, both knowing that they would not be able to speak until they were alone, not wanting Rickard who was walking behind them to hear.
Is it about the potion? Lilyanna thought as the twins had just come from their mother''s bedchamber, having tea with the woman and once again giving Alicent the potion without her knowing.
Once they entered Helaena''s bedroom and the door closed behind them, Lilyanna immediately spoke, "What''s wrong?"
Helaena sighed as she sat down on her bed, "My dream has become clearer."
Lilyanna clenched her fists, "And?"
"It''s as you said; Aunt Laena will die a dragonrider''s death." Helaena said, shuddering as she remembered how Laena accepted her faith, the heat of Vhagar''s flames on her skin, the look on Daemon''s face as he realized he was too late.
Lilyanna started to pace in front of her sister, "Okay, we still have time. From what we know of your dreams, the clearer they become, the closer they are to coming to fruition. And your dream has gotten pretty fucking clear. Shit."
"We still haven''t figured out what we should do, and it''s been weeks, we''re running out of time. This could all happen tomorrow or a week from now, and we don''t know." Helaena said, bringing her knees up to her chest.
If I am to be cursed with these dreams, why could I not have been cursed with knowing the exact moment they occur? Helaena thought.
"Let''s go."
Helaena looked at her sister in confusion, "Go where?"
Lilyanna looked at her sister lowly, "To Narnia, Helaena. Where do you think I mean we should go?"
Helaena continued to stare at her sister, "What''s Narnia?"
Lilyanna glared at her twin, "Helaena, that''s not important! What''s important is that we must go to Pentos."
"And how would we do that?"
"I don''t know, how about we fly there on the giant husband eating dragon that you bonded with?"
Helaena frowned, "You know I don''t like it when you call Dreamfyre a husband eating dragon."
"Helaena, it''s a fact; did she not eat Androw Farman? And was he not Rhaena''s third husband? I have no doubt that she has probably developed a taste for them."
"That''s beside the point, it was a one-time thing and Dreamfyre only ate Farman because Queen Rhaena copped up his body and fed it to her. You make it sound like Dreamfyre goes around looking to free women from their terrible spouses by eating them."
Lilyanna shrugged, "I mean, you could go around with Dreamfyre, freeing women from their terrible spouses. Might I suggest starting with mother and the King?"
Helaena crossed her arms, glaring at her sister, she had never found Lilyanna''s jokes about horrible things happening to Viserys funny, even though Lilyanna was rarely serious about her comments.
Lilyanna cleared her throat, "Right, we''ll circle back to that amazing idea later. As I was saying before all that, we should fly to Pentos on Dreamfyre, possibly in the next day or two."
"Weren''t you the one who said that no one would believe us if we told them about my dragon dreams? Even if no one stopped us from going or we managed to sneak away, how would either of us convince Daemon and Laena about my dream?" Helaena asked, bringing up good points that Lilyanna could not deny. "And despite our blood relation, they do not know us, so they don''t have a reason to trust us, and I highly doubt that Daemon is going to let two of Otto Hightower''s grandchildren anywhere near his wife and unborn child."
Fuck, she''s right. Lilyanna thought as she began to pace again, trying to figure out what their next step should be.
Helaena sighed, knowing that Lilyanna would not like what she said next, "Lily, I think we have to tell someone about me."
Lilyanna shook her head, "Hels, we-"
"Lily!" Helaena exclaimed, causing Lilyanna to jump slightly and stare at her surprised, "This is not a condemnation about you or your abilities; I know that you find it hard to trust others and believe that only you can save us all because you know best, but we can''t do this alone, you can''t do this alone."
Lilyanna clenched her jaw, she wanted to deny Helaena''s words, to tell her sister that she can and will do this without jeopardizing everything that she was worked for, but she could not because she knew that Helaena was right. And while her desire to prove herself was strong, along with her natural untrusting nature wanting to emerge, the lives of a mother and child were currently at risk. Her selfishness could lead to Helaena''s dream coming true and Laena and her child dying.
This isn''t the same situation as mother and Elaera, or maybe it is. If Viserys, the fucking dream obsessed asshole that he is, knew that Helaena was real dreamer unlike himself, maybe he would have listened to me, and I would have six living siblings instead of five.
Lilyanna sighed, looking at Helaena wearily, "Fine, who do you think we should tell?"
She''s definitely not going to like this. Helaena thought, but was able to relax now that she knew Lilyanna was trying.
I definitely don''t like this. Why did I let Helaena talk me into this bullshit? Lilyanna thought as she and Helaena stood in Viserys'' bedchamber, looking at the three adults in front of them, wearily, and annoyed.
The twins had gone to their father for audience, asking the King that Rhaenyra and Rhaenys be brought as well because the topic the two of them wanted to discuss with him involved them as well.
Viserys broke the silence when he realized that neither girl was going to begin the conversation. "Helaena, Lilyanna, what is it that the two of you wished to discuss with us?"
Helaena looked at Lilyanna, "What are you waiting for? Tell them."
Lilyanna looked at her twin flabbergasted, "Me? What do you mean, I should tell them?"
"You''re better than me when it comes to this kind of thing." Helaena answered.
"It''s your fucking ability, so you should be the one to talk! We wouldn''t even be here if you weren''t so adamant on telling them!"
Helaena huffed, "Why can''t you just do this? You''re being very immature right now, no wonder I am the firstborn twin."
Lilyanna scoffed, "Those five minutes mean nothing and you know it! If you were really so mature you would do this yourself instead of trying to push all the responsibility onto me like a coward."
"Who are you calling a coward?"
"The coward standing next to me that I had the unfortunate fate of sharing a womb with."
Before the arguing could continue, Rhaenyra interrupted her sisters, "Girls, let''s try not to get distracted. You wanted to speak to us, so speak."
Helaena and Lilyanna looked away from their older sister and towards each other, having a conversation with just their eyes. After a few seconds, Lilyanna rolled hers before facing forward, "We wanted to tell you that Helaena is a Dragon Dreamer."
Really? Helaena thought, looking at her sister pointedly with how blunt she was.
You don''t have any right to judge me right now, if you have a problem with my delivery, then you should have told them yourself. Lilyanna thought, catching the look Helaena had sent her.
Neither Viserys nor Rhaenys believe what Lilyanna had said, showing such on their faces, but Rhaenyra''s eyes widen slightly, and she had a look of vindication, as if something that she had suspected but never said aloud, was finally admitted to be true.
Viserys sighed, looking at his daughters, speaking in a slow and patronizing tone, "Now I know that dreams are of significant importance to our family''s history, but there is a difference between normal dreams and those that predict the future, my dears. I too had found myself desiring to be a dreamer like Denys and had taken every dream I had as proof, but I have grown from those fallacies."
Lilyanna stared at Viserys deadpanned, an expression that the King had gotten used to getting from the young girl as of late. Lilyanna then turned to Helaena, "Helaena, tell them about the dagger, word for word."
Viserys frowned, "Lilyanna-"
"From my blood, come The Prince That Was Promised, and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire." Helaena said aloud, her voice taking on a tranquil and faraway inflection.
Viserys gawked at Helaena and Rhaenyra''s clenched her fists, but it was Rhaenys who spoke first, staring at Helaena and Lilyanna strongly, "You have seen Aegon''s Prophecy, haven''t you?"
Viserys quickly turned to his cousin, "Ho-how do you even know about the prophecy, Rhaenys?"
The woman rolled her eyes as she looked towards the King, "You forget that I was once heir to the Iron Throne, cousin. Our grandfather showed my father the prophecy on Aegon''s dagger after my birth, and then my father told me before my wedding."
Rhaenys was never quite sure if she believed the prophecy of a great calamity that would one day threaten the world. A dream that had come to Aegon the Conqueror, which led the man to begin his conquest of Westeros, unifying the continent under Targaryen rule, as to ensure that House Targaryen was in the position to one day protect it.
While she knew their family possessed magic, they would not be able to claim and bond with their dragons if that was not the case, to her, Aegon and his sister-wives conquered Westeros simply because they could, because they desired an empire like the one that Old Valyria once was before The Doom destroyed it.
But Rhaenys could remember the seriousness of Aemon Targaryen as he told her about the prophecy, and how as Queen, she would be responsible for ensuring that the prophecy would be passed on to further generations and that said generations would be able to prevent it.
"As rulers, we must do what is necessary to protect this Kingdom, Rhaenys. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how much we must give up. That is our duty, it is a heavy burden to bear, and I hate that you will one day have to take it on, but I know that you do what is best for Westeros." Aemon had told her hours before she rode Meyles to her wedding.
It was her father''s words along with the love she had for her cousins that kept her from truly fighting for the Iron Throne after the Great Council, after Jaehaerys died and Viserys ascended. To Rhaenys, it was the last thing she could do for Aemon, to honor the desire he had to do what was best for the realm, and the thing that would keep the realm together at the time was a male monarch.
Helaena turned to Rhaenys, "I... It is bleary and hard to interpret, but yes, I have seen glimpses of the Night. I see plenty of visions of the future."
"You have been able to do this all this time?" Rhaenyra asked knowingly, "That is why Lilyanna gave Luke her dragon egg, and why you were both so sure it would hatch? Why you were both so sure that... that Elaera would die the day she was born?"
"It is. Some of my dreams like the ones with Arrax and Elaera are clear to me, but others are not, but luckily, Lilyanna is usually there to help me interpret them as best she can."
"But you already knew that Helaena was a dreamer, didn''t you?" Lilyanna asked Rhaenyra.
"I did, but I had no proof. You two are not the easiest to divulge secrets from." Rhaenyra said, smiling somewhat.
"Why?" Viserys asked, staring at Helaena as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Why did not neither of you say anything about Helaena''s gift?"
Lilyanna crossed her arms, "It wasn''t necessary to do so before now."
Viserys frowned, "Not necessary? Do you not understand what this means? Your sister has an ability that has not been seen since Denys the Dreamer, since Aegon the Conqueror! Do you not see how selfish it is to not use these dreams for the benefit of our family? Who knows how many things could have been prevented if you had both spoken up sooner?"
Lilyanna glared at her father, "This! This is why we didn''t tell you; Helaena is not some tool for you to use whenever you want. Do you think she wants these dreams? To have to deal with the horrible things she sees whenever she closes her eyes? To not be able to sleep peacefully and soundly? To find herself in a near constant haze? This isn''t a gift for her, it''s a curse!"
Helaena placed a hand on Lilyanna shoulder, causing Lilyanna to relax at her touch. She appreciated her sister coming to her defense so fiercely, but Helaena understood that getting angry with their father would only cause the man to double down and return that anger with his own.
"Helaena isn''t a tool, none of us think that." Rhaenyra said before looking at their father, "Right, father?"
Viserys cleared his throat, "That is right. I did not mean for you both to think that."
Yeah, right. Lilyanna thought sarcastically, still not trusting Viserys not to try and use Helaena''s dreams for his own desires and call it duty.
"We should not be focusing on why they kept this secret, but why they are revealing it now." Rhaenys expressed, "You had a dream, didn''t you, Helaena? One that either involves the three of us, or a dream that could come to pass without the three of us interfering."
Helaena looked at Lilyanna, who then took one of her hands and gave it a tight reassuring squeeze. Lilyanna smiled softly at her too, giving Helaena the strength she needed. "It''s a bit of both."
Helaena explained everything that she could remember from her dream; how Laena struggled through childbirth, how the babe refused to turn within her womb, the healers informing Daemon how it was possible to save the babe by cutting Laena open, but Daemon not entertaining the idea, to Laena resolving to die a dragonrider''s death, her walking to Vhagar and commanding the dragon to incinerate her and Vhagar reluctantly complying, burning Laena alive in front of Daemon.
A tense silence filled the room, Rhaenyra placed a hand over her mouth, a shuddering breath escaping her, Viserys'' eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing as he failed to find the words. And Rhaenys'' expression became stony, clenching her fists so tightly that her veins her bulging her skin turned white.
My daughter, dead? Rhaenys thought, "Was¡ was that all you saw?"
Helaena looked at Lilyanna nervously, unsure if they should tell them what happened after Laena''s death.
Lilyanna decided that it would be best to tell them. "There''s a funeral on Diftmark afterwards. Aemond will use the opportunity to claim Vhagar after Laena is laid to rest."
"That does not sound bad; your brother has desired a dragon since he was old enough to know what a dragon was. Although he could have perhaps waited a day to do so instead of right after the funeral ends." Viserys said.
Lilyanna continued, "When Aemond returned from claiming Vhagar, he found Jacaerys, Lucerys, Baela, and Rhaena waiting for him."
"What happened next?" Rhaenyra asked, knowing that her sister would not be mentioning this if something serious had not happened. Her voice cracked slightly, still processing the information that her cousin may die soon.
Lilyanna met her older sister''s eye, "Baela and Rhaena were upset because Vhagar had been Laena''s dragon. Rhaena had said that Vhagar was hers to claim because of this and called Aemond a thief. Aemond said she should have claimed Vhagar before then and that she should ask Jacaerys and Lucerys to find a pig for her to ride. This caused Rhaena to try and hit him, and when Aemond shoved her to the ground, Baela punched him in the face."
"And a fight ensued?" Rhaenyra asked, already knowing the answer.
"And a fight ensued." Lilyanna parroted, "Jacaerys and Lucerys joined the girls, and they began to fight Aemond. Aemond had started to overpower the four and soon threatened to smash Jacaerys'' head in with a rock, this caused Lucerys to grab a knife that Jacaerys had brought and used it to cut Aemond, cutting out Aemond''s eye."
Rhaenyra buried her face in her hands, "Seven fucking hells."
"So, I think you can all understand why Helaena and I came to you for help."
Viserys looked at Helaena panicked, "Can you tell when your dream will come to pass?"
Helaena shook her head, "No, but Lily and I have found that most of my dreams usually happen around a moon or two before they are supposed to happen. Some, like this one, become clearer and come to me more frequently, days before."
"Then we have to act now." Rhaenys claimed.
Lilyanna nodded her head, "Helaena and I want to go to Pentos."
"To Pentos?" Viserys asked.
"I want to help Laena during childbirth."
"Lilyanna-"
"Father," Rhaenyra spoke, her voice taking on a steely tone. "Lilyanna has more than proven that she knows what she is doing in matters such as this, or did you forget who delivered my twins just a short time ago? We can''t let this be another Elaera."
Viserys visibly tensed as he heard Elaera''s name, and a pool of guilt filled his stomach as he saw the accusing and saddened expressions on his daughters'' faces. He did not respond, not knowing what to say as he knew that this was just another thing that his children could never forgive him for.
"We want one of you to come with us so you can convince Daemon to let me help Laena. He would not trust us anywhere near her if we went by ourselves, and I''m not looking to face the wrong end of Dark Sister." Lilyanna said.
"Daemon would not do that; you are his nieces. If things are explained to him properly, my brother will see reason." Viserys argued.
"He will not see my sisters as your daughters, but Otto Hightower''s grandchildren." Rhaenyra stated, "But you are right, father, things must be explained to Daemon. Rhaenys-"
"I will go with the twins." Rhaenys interjected, "And we will leave immediately."
"Lily and I wanted to leave tomorrow." Helaena voiced.
Rhaenys nodded her head in agreement, fighting her desire to run to Meleys and fly to her daughter and granddaughters right this very moment.
Rhaenyra sighed, "How are we going to tell your mother that you are going to another continent."
Especially a continent that has Daemon on it. Rhaenyra thought, knowing how much Alicent disliked her uncle, a feeling that was more than mutual.
"We won''t tell her. Do you honestly think that mother will accept us telling her that Helaena had a prophetic dream, so we must go to Pentos to save our aunt''s life?" Lilyanna asked, "Mother is not a woman who puts stock in magic or anything Valyrian to be honest."
"And tell her what instead?" Rhaenyra asked.
"You will figure it out, Rhaenyra. Right now, Helaena, Lilyanna, and Rhaenys should prepare to leave by the morning." Viserys said.
Rhaenyra frowned as she turned to her father, "What do you mean I will figure out what to tell her? Alicent is your wife and Helaena and Lilyanna are your daughters!"
Viserys coughed into his hand, unable to meet Rhaenyra''s gaze. "Alicent will take the news better if it comes from you. I am sure she will prefer your gentle and more comforting approach."
Lilyanna could not stop herself from snickering at this, as it was obvious that Viserys was afraid of Alicent''s reaction and was throwing Rhaenyra to the proverbial wolves to avoid Alicent''s questioning and anger.
Rhaenyra grinded her teeth together, feeling that it was typical of Viserys to avoid confrontation by making her do what he should be doing instead. Although, she could not deny that Viserys would likely find a way to anger Alicent further if he were the one to speak to her.
Alicent was no fool, anything Rhaenyra would say would immediately be questioned and seen as suspicious. She thought about telling the Queen the truth, but she was unsure of how Alicent would take it.
What in the hells am I going to tell Alicent?
The Next Day
"What do you mean that my daughters have left the city Rhaenyra?" Alicent asked the other woman, staring at her coldly.
Rhaenyra had gone to Alicent''s chambers that morning, having come back from the Dragonpit a few hours prior. Before the sun had risen, she, Helaena, Lilyanna, and Rhaenys had used the tunnels to sneak out of the castle and make their way to the Dragonpit, something that surprised Rhaenyra as she did not know that the other three knew about the secret passageways.
Rhaenys scoffed when she asked this, telling her who did she think Daemon learned about the existence of Maegor''s tunnels from. And Rhaenyra was unsure how to feel about how Rhaenys knew that Daemon was the one to show them to her, so she quickly asked her sisters and Helaena only said that she saw the tunnels in a dream.
Rhaenyra had watched as Dreamfyre and Meleys took off into the sky, waiting until the two dragons disappeared over the horizon before returning to the Keep.
"Helaena and Lilyanna left King''s Landing with Rhaenys, they have gone to Pentos." Rhaenyra said bracing herself from Alicent''s reaction.
"They went where?!" Alicent yelled, "Why would they go to Pentos with Rhaenys, why would you let them go to Pentos?!"Stolen story; please report.
Rhaenyra told her old friend the truth; about Helaena being a dreamer, to the dream she had of Laena, and even what Lilyanna had told them of Driftmark and Laena''s funeral.
It''s better I tell her now, I do not know how long it will take for Helaena and Lilyanna to return, but we are supposed to leave for Dragonstone in tomorrow. Alicent will be furious if we get to Dragonstone, and they are not there. Rhaenyra rationed.
Alicent looked at Rhaenyra as if she had lost her mind, sneering at her as her body shook with barely contained rage. "A dream? You are telling me that you, Rhaenys, and my husband, decided to take my daughters to Pentos, to have them around people they do not know and cannot trust, over a dream? Are you even hearing yourself right now?"
"Alicent, I know that it sounds insane, but it is the truth. Have you not wondered why Helaena and Lilyanna are always so sure when it comes to certain things? Why is Helaena always lost in her own mind? It''s because she is a dreamer."
Alicent shook her head, turning away from Rhaenyra, "You know your father claimed to be a dreamer once?"
Rhaenyra clenched her fists, knowing about the dream Viserys once had of a son bearing the Conquerors crown, of the dragons all roaring as one as said son ascended the Iron Throne. "I know, you don''t have to tell me how that story ended."
Alicent ignored this, "He told me, ''What is the power of a dragon next to the power of prophecy?'' Now it seems he is once again allowing his obsession with creating a grand legacy for himself to consume him by trying to force this through my child. And you are enabling this, I thought after everything... why am I even surprised?"
Rhaenyra stepped forward, standing directly behind Alicent. "Don''t compare me to my father, I did not agree to this plan for some sense of grandeur, but because the lives of my cousin and her child are in danger. I know that you don''t believe in dreams or magic, if this were a decade ago, I would be thinking the same, but I have seen differently."
"So, that gives you and Viserys the right to dictate what to do with my children without my knowledge and say? If I had done this to you, you would hear none of what I had to say in defense." Alicent said as she turned her head.
"You are right; I would not care what you had to say, I would have been furious if I were you." Rhaenyra agreed, "And I promise not to do such again, Helaena and Lilyanna had only gone to my father and I because they were afraid that you would not believe them."
"I wouldn''t have." Alicent said softly, the admittance a bitter taste on her tongue, seeing that her daughters did not feel like they could tell her this. "They would have found a way to leave even if they had come to me, wouldn''t they?"
Rhaenyra smiled, an amused breath escaping her, "I think we both know that Lilyanna finds rules and decrees to be nothing more than suggestions and has taught Helaena to think the same."
Alicent shook her head, trying to smile but it falling as she looked at Rhaenyra, "If anything were to them-"
"They will safe."
"You cannot promise that."
"They will be safe, Rhaenys will not let anything happen to them." Rhaenyra repeated, "And they will return, I can promise you that."
Alicent sighed, her thoughts and emotions still swirling around inside her, not sure that to say in the face of Rhaenyra''s stubborn words.
"Alicent-"
"Just¡ just don''t ever do this again, Rhaenyra." Alicent said quietly, "I can''t have two of my children disappearing like this again without me knowing, no matter the reason."
"I won''t." Rhaenyra replied.
Alicent started at Rhaenyra for a few moments, she opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it, shaking her head before walking past Rhaenyra and leaving her own bed chamber.
Rhaenyra sighed as she watched Alicent leave, staring at her from the now opened doors, and ignoring the way Criston would turn his head to look at her as he followed Alicent. Rhaenyra knew that Alicent was going to confront Viserys about this, something that the King wanted to avoid. This did make Rhaenyra feel slightly better as she imagined Alicent yelling at Viserys.
But seeing Alicent so resigned and defeated, quickly killed this feeling within her.
Alicent was scared for the well-being of her children and now felt as if her being Helaena and Lilyanna''s mother did not matter. Alicent was not wrong when she said that if Rhaenyra were in her position that she would not have reacted as tamely as she did.
I think I would have preferred Alicent continuing to scream at me, then seeing her so sad. Rhaenyra thought as she finally left Alicent''s bedroom.
Hours Later
Lilyanna could not deny the freedom she felt as she rode through the sky on Dreamfyre''s back. Despite what others may think due to her lack of issue with having one of her own, Lilyanna enjoyed being able to ride atop a dragon, having no problem doing so on the back of one of her family members'' dragons, she too finding the experience to be incomparable to most other things.
But her enjoyment was diminished as she remembered why she, Helaena, and Rhaenys had flown across the Narrow Sea.
When they finally saw Pentos in the distance, Lilyanna compared its size to that of King''s Landing, but that was the only trait the two cities shared. Pentos had many square brick towers, walled estates, tiled roofs, and massive high walls. And Lilyanna noted the smell of unwashed bodies, rotting food, and human excrement was minimal, and nowhere near as strong as the scent that came from their own capital city. Along with the streets not being as filled with people, nor as dirty.
"Where are they staying?" Helaena asked aloud, yelling over the sounds of the streets below them and the wind brushing past them to get Rhaenys'' attention.
"With the Prince of Pentos. Laena had written to me that they were guests in his estate." Rhaenys shouted back.
Helaena looked at the ground and back at Rhaenys, "And where is that?"
"We don''t need to know where the estate is, we just need to find Caraxes and Vhagar. Daemon and Laena won''t be far from their dragons." Lilyanna stated.
"Let us hope." Rhaenys said.
It did not take long for them to spot the large form of Vhagar near the northern part of the city, the dragon was resting on the sparse ground, with the smaller Caraxes nearby.
The Blood Wyrm lifted its head as it saw them approaching, roaring at them in greeting, his deviated septum giving his roar a sound and quality that Helaena and Lilyanna had never heard before. Vhagar''s head snapped in their direction, quickly rising, she did not roar as Caraxes did, only silently staring at them as they landed.
As they dismounted, Lilyanna looked at Vhagar in awe, "You''re telling me that when she was around our age, Laena walked up and claimed that thing?"
Calling Vhagar huge felt like an understatement, the dragon more than eclipsed the palace nearby, their scales, horns, wings, wing bones, and spinal crest were the color of bronze, and its teeth and claws were longer and wider than longswords.
Lilyanna could more than understand why the Greens were on equal footing with the Blacks in terms of raw power, despite the Blacks having more dragons as she looked at Vhagar. And she could understand why it took Daemon and Caraxes committing what was essentially a suicide charge to take down Aemond and Vhagar at the God''s Eye.
"It''s scarier when you remember that Balerion was bigger than Vhagar is now." Helaena added, equally awed.
"Our aunt is bloody mad." Lilyanna whispered, "Aemond too, only madness would let you think trying to command such a monster, is wise."
Just as Rhaenys was going to tell the two that they did not have time to admire the old dragon, a group of armed men ran out of the palace, their swords drawn as they stopped a few feet away, trying to keep their distance from the two unfamiliar dragons and the people with them.
"You are trespassing on the estate of the Prince of Pentos!" The man at the head of the group shouted, "State your business, now!"
A derisive scoff could be heard from behind the group, "Is it not obvious? Who else but Targaryens do you fools know that can ride dragons?"
The armed men parted, making a path, and revealing their Prince, Reggio Haratis, along with the man who had spoken, his heavily pregnant wife, and their twin daughters.
Daemon Targaryen was tall, taller than most people in the yard, with broad shoulders, long arms, and a flat stomach. He had the classic Valyrian appearance; long platinum blond hair that reached past his neck, dark purple eyes, a strong jawline, and pouty lips that made him nothing short of handsome.
Daemon looked at Rhaenys first and raised an eyebrow as he looked at the two girls standing next to her. "Cousin, what a surprise. Did you get lost?"
An elbow nudged Daemon''s arm in reprimand from the woman next to him. "Daemon don''t be rude. Although, I cannot say he is wrong, what brings you all the way here, mother? You did not write to tell me you were coming."
If Daemon was very handsome, then Laena Velaryon could be described as exceedingly beautiful. Laena had a great mane of silver ringlets that fell down her back, plush lips, rich golden-brown skin, cheekbones, and the same lilac purple eyes as Rhaenys.
Rhaenys'' eyes softened as she took in her daughter, seeing her healthy and alive. It caused a sliver of doubt to form in the back of her mind, thinking that Helaena and Lilyanna might have been wrong, but she squashed that thought, knowing it was not a risk that she could take. "It was a last-minute decision, one that I-we must speak to you about."
"We?" Laena asked as her eyes left her mother and fell on the girls, she smiled, but her confusion was evident. "And who might these two be?"
"They are the King''s daughters." Rhaenys replied, "What we need to discuss involves them."
"Really? And what would we need to discuss with the Queen''s spawn?" Daemon asked, looking at Helaena and Lilyanna with disgust.
Rhaenys rolled her eyes, "Perhaps we can go inside, and you can find out?"
Daemon crossed his arms, continuing to stare at Helaena and Lilyanna. Helaena began to pick at her fingers under the weight of Daemon''s gaze, a trait she learned from their mother. Lilyanna, pulled her sister''s hands apart and held one of them, stepping in front of Helaena and blocking her from view, much to Daemon''s amusement.
Reggio cleared his throat, gaining everyone''s attention, "I would be honored to welcome more of Westeros'' royal family into my humble abode."
Humble abode? You live in a castle that''s the size of four manses. Lilyanna thought.
"And if what you must speak about is of such importance, then who am I not to offer entry for my esteemed guests?"
Rhaenys walked forward, immediately hugging Laena, and speaking to the younger girls who were standing with Laena when they released.
Baela and Rhaena Targaryen looked more like their mother than their father, sharing the same fine features, silver hair, both slim and short of stature. They had Daemon''s eye color, and the twins were not identical, Baela''s curly hair was cropped short, stopped just a little below the ear and her skin was slightly darker, and Rhaena''s face was longer, and her nose was flatter. The two would glance at Helaena and Lilyanna, curious as they had never met any of their cousins before.
The group began to walk into the palace, but Helaena stopped walking when she realized that her sister was not following them. Lilyanna was staring at Caraxes and Vhagar, and the two dragons were staring back, the three lost in the eyes of the other.
"Lily?" Helaena asked, gently shaking Lilyanna arm.
Lilyanna jumped slightly at the touch, turning around to see who touched her. "What''s wrong, Hels?"
Helaena pointed to their family and the Pentoshi, gesturing to how the group was leaving them behind.
"Oh." Lilyanna said lamely, turning back towards the two dragons.
"Do you feel something with them?" Helaena asked.
"Kind of." Lilyanna replied, "But don''t know how to explain properly, but it''s the same feeling I used to get around Dreamfyre and Meleys."
"What?"
"Familiarity."
When Lilyanna first met the two she-dragons, it felt as if she was seeing old friends again, which was different compared to the other dragons she had met. She did not know why, as she was sure that she would remember meeting two giant fire breathing lizards.
Helaena grabbed Lilyanna''s hand, "We can figure it out later."
Lilyanna allowed Helaena to pull her along, ignoring the suspicious way Daemon kept looking back at them as she glanced at Caraxes and Vhagar.
Bold and italicized for Laena''s words and Italicized for Daemon''s words (Will be obvious when used)
"Do you truly expect us to believe this nonsense?" Daemon asked with a sneer, "I know my brother is obsessed with proving our family to be prophets, but I did not think he would suck you into his madness, Rhaenys."
"I would not be here if I did not believe, Daemon." Rhaenys commented, "Helaena has already told Viserys, Rhaenyra, and I about previous dreams she has had."
Laena had not said anything since they entered the room, and she was told about Helaena''s dream concerning her and her unborn child. She rubbed her stomach, lost in thought as she did not know whether to believe it all or not. Rhaenys was not a liar; her mother would not have come to Pentos unless she was sure the dream was true.
"Dragon dreams are not real; they are the belief of those who try to explain the reasonable with tall tales." Daemon growled, "And I certainly won''t entertain a dream from two little Hightowers."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, finding this back-and-forth tedious. "Helaena, tell them about the conversation they had about coming back to Westeros."
Daemon turned to Lilyanna glaring at her, "What are-"
Helaena cut him off as she did what Lilyanna told her, "You are considering Prince Reggio''s offer. We have a good life here, we''re free to do as we please, welcomed, and feted. And eternally guests. Precisely. We are without responsibility, the political scheming, the endless shifting of loyalties and succession is none of ours."
Laena''s eyes widen as she remembered the conversation Helaena was repeating word for word as Daemon jumped to his feet, taken aback, "What the hell?"
Helaena continued to recite Laena and Daemon''s words, "They are using us. It''s refreshing, isn''t it? A simple transaction; we have dragons, they have gold. We are more than this, Daemon. We are not minstrels or mummers who play at the pleasure of an alien prince. We are the blood of Old Valyria; we don''t belong here. Valyria is gone. We don''t belong anywhere. I want my child to be born where I was born, on Driftmark, in my lord father''s castle. I want my daughters to be raised in their homeland with their family according to their birthright. And at my end, I want to die a dragonrider''s death, not that of some fat country lord."
After a few moments, Lilyanna spoke, "So, do you believe us now, or does my sister need to recite even more conversations you two have had that she can''t possible know of otherwise?"
Daemon looked away from the two of them and towards his wife, his gaze falling onto her rounded stomach.
Laena reached over and gently held one of his hands, "Daemon, she could not have known about that conversation. We have never met Helaena and Lilyanna before now, neither of us have written to anyone in King''s Landing for over a week."
Daemon''s jaw clenched, allowing Laena to hold his hand, and looking at the two girls from the corner of his eye.
This is extremely dramatic. Lilyanna thought, annoyed that Daemon was seemingly trying to find any way he could to deny what was now undeniable.
Laena took her husband''s silence as confirmation that he was willing to listen as she turned back to her mother and nieces. "What can be done?"
Lilyanna sat up, "I recently helped Rhaenyra deliver her twins."
Laena let out an amused breath, "Yes, Laenor wrote to me about that, and my father wrote to me about you causing my brother to faint."
"I didn''t cause that coward to faint." Lilyanna muttered, "Regardless, I believe that I can do the same for you. The problem that occurred in Helaena''s vision is that the babe refused to turn, and because of that they were deprived of air for too long, I can prevent that."
Lanea smiled, "Thank you."
"You seem quite confident in yourself." Daemon spoke, staring at Lilyanna blankly.
"I am." Lilyanna said plainly.
Daemon''s gaze grew colder, "Let''s hope that your confidence is not misplaced."
"And if it is?"
Daemon smiled at her, and Lilyanna felt a shiver race down her spine as she watched how the man in front of her straightened his posture, his hand lazily resting on the pommel of Dark Sister, and his smile having more teeth than necessary.
Laena sighed and placed a hand on her forehead, "Daemon, stop threatening little girls."
"I''m not threatening anyone." Daemon argued, still smiling sharply at Lilyanna, "I am promising, that if she fails, then I will use Dark Sister to make her into a real girl."
Laena removed her hand from her face and glared at Daemon, she had long since gotten used to his abrasive and callous attitude towards others, but that did not mean she liked it.
Helaena turned to her sister, "What does that mean?"
"He wants to use his fancy sword to castrate me." Lilyanna said without delay, staring at Daemon with a bored expression, unbothered by the threat.
From what I know of Daemon''s character, him making threats is usually just that, threats. It''s when he doesn''t open that big mouth of his that you have to worry about what he does.
Helaena turned, looking at Daemon with disapproval and anger, "Well, that wasn''t very nice. He should keep such thoughts to himself and remember that he is speaking to two of his King''s children."
Lilyanna snickered as she watched the incredulous expression on Daemon''s face in response to her sister''s words.
"So, we just need to wait for my labors?" Laena asked, bringing everyone back to the important topic of discussion.
Lilyanna nodded, "There is nothing that can be done until then; a nuchal cord developed during the birth which is what led to the delay in the labor that took both of your lives in Helaena''s dream. It can be corrected during your labor when the babe must be turned, trying to do so now would have no effect."
Laena looked at Lilyanna blankly, "That''s good?"
Lilyanna smiled as the reaction reminded her of Laenor''s when Rhaenyra was birthing Visenya and Joffrey.
Hopefully, this birth will go as smoothly as that one did. Although if it doesn''t, at least Daemon will kill me before mother has a chance to.
A Few Hours Later
"So, you''re our cousin?" Helaena turned around when she heard those words, seeing Baela and Rhaena standing a few feet behind her.
Who she assumed was Baela looked at her suspiciously, using her body to partially block Rhaena from view, but Rhaena leaned her head to the side, giving her a tentative smile from behind her sister''s back.
"I am." Helaena replied, leaning against Dreamfyre''s neck, scratching it as Dreamfyre growled at the younger girls when they approached, claiming the dragon down.
Helaena had left Lilyanna with Laena and Rhaenys, having grown tired of Daemon''s gaze, it had reminded her of how Viserys looked at her when she revealed that she was a dream.
Amazed, questioning, and greedy.
"Why did you come here? And what did you have to speak with our parents about?" Baela asked.
Helaena looked away, "I''m not sure that I should be the one to tell you."
Rhaena frowned, "No one is telling us anything, we deserve to know if something is wrong."
"My sister wants to help your mother deliver your new sibling." Helaena finally answered, choosing to leave certain things out.
"Why? We have healers."
"My sister wants to test her skills. She''s become very confident in herself since helping our sister, Rhaenyra, deliver her youngest children almost two moons ago."
Helaena was relieved when Baela and Rhaena seemed to believe her, not asking anymore questions on the subject.
Baela looked away from Helaena and towards the dragon behind her. "That''s Dreamfyre, right?"
"Yes, she is." Helaena said, scratching Dreamfyre''s jaw again, "You know about my dragon?"
"Uncle Laenor and our grandparents often write to mother about life in King''s Landing and Driftmark." Rhaena answered, "And Uncle Laenor tells her a lot about all of you."
Helaena hummed, "Do you wish to touch her?"
Baela grinned and ran towards Helaena, only glancing at Helaena, and when the older girl nodded her head, she placed her hands on Dreamfyre.
Dreamfyre purred under the touch, much to Baela''s amazement. "She''s so much bigger than Caraxes."
"But not as much as Vhagar." Helaena said before looking at Rhaena, "Do you not wish to touch Dreamfyre?"
Rhaena flinched before slowly making her way to where her sister and cousin were standing. She looked at Dreamfyre slightly afraid but also amazed. "Sh-she is my namesake''s dragon." Rhaena hesitated as she placed a hand on Dreamfyre, relaxing as Dreamfyre remained calm, continuing to purr.
"I thought you were named after grandmother?" Baela asked her sister.
Rhaena looked at her sister blankly, "I am, but the first Rhaena was also named after her own grandmother, Queen Rhaenys."
"I knew that." Baela looked away and muttered.
Rhaena rolled her eyes, "You wouldn''t have asked if you did."
Baela glared at Rhaena, and the two began arguing with each other. But they soon stopped when they heard Helaena laughing.
Baela frowned, "What''s so funny?"
Helaena shook her head, a bright smile on her lips. "You two reminded me of myself and Lilyanna."
She could see the love between the younger girls, knowing that the words carried no real intention behind them, a lot like how she and her own sister would often argue with each other.
"How is it to fly with Dreamfyre? Rhaena and I have flown before but only on the backs of our parents'' dragons. My dragon, Moondancer, hatched from my cradle egg, so she''s too small to fly." Baela asked Helaena.
"It''s like nothing else." Helaena said, looking into Dreamfyre''s eye as she smiled. "Flying together is a true solidification of our bond; I remember feeling far closer to Dreamfyre after our first flight."
"That must be nice." Rhaena said, her gaze falling to the floor.
Unlike her sister''s, Rhaena''s dragon egg refused to hatch, remaining cold and dormant, and despite her constant hopes and attempts to hatch it, Rhaena knew that no dragon would emerge from it.
She tried to find strength in her mother''s words, that just because her egg did not hatch, did not mean that she would never become a dragonrider, but seeing the rest of her family with their own dragons, made it hard for her to believe Laena. This always made her feel as if she did not belong, like she was the piece that did not fit properly with the others, and this was not helped by her father''s favoritism.
Rhaena knew that having a dragon was not the only reason that Daemon preferred Baela over her. Baela may have had their mother''s looks, but she was their father''s miniature in terms of personality and temperament, along with having the same hobbies and interests. Rhaena could not help but feel that her own lack of a dragon is why Daemon never really bothered to try and bond with her like he did with Baela.
She had told Laena about her feelings, and her mother reassured her that her father did love her and that she was not a disappointment to him. That Daemon was not a man who was good at vocalizing his emotions and simply struggled with showing his feelings.
I don''t care if he struggles, I just want father to say that he cares. Rhaena thought to herself.
When she looked back up, staring at Dreamfyre, Rhaena knew that she wanted want Helaena and Baela had more than anything. She did not want to be outside looking in, to finally see what she has been missing for so long.
The Next Day
"My prince please, I must advise you again that allowing this child to watch over your lady wife, is not a sound idea. She knows nothing about childbirth or medicine; you cannot trust the lady and her babe''s lives in her hands." The head healer said to Daemon.
In the early hours of the morning, Laena had begun her labor, Lilyanna immediately rushing to the woman''s bedside. Despite his reservations, Daemon reluctantly allowed Lilyanna into the room, standing by the door, and never taking his eyes of her and Laena as she worked.
Word had spread of his wife''s condition, and the midwives that Reggio had in his employ had quickly converged, offering their services to the princess, something Lilyanna accepted. The healers, on the other hand, were not as accepting of a twelve-year-old girl delivering a baby, making their displeasure known when they were refused entry into the bedchamber.
Daemon stared at the man coldly, "I will not repeat myself, you shriveled little cunt, that brat in there will be looking after my wife and you and the rest of your ilk can fuck off."
With that, Daemon slammed the door in the men''s faces and went back to leaning against the wall, his attention returning to his wife and Lilyanna. "You remember what I told you, little Hightower?"
Lilyanna stared at Daemon for a few seconds, "Are you always so pleasant or have I somehow brought this out of you?"
Daemon''s expression darkened, unfolding his arms, and placing a hand on the pommel of his sword as she pushed himself off the wall.
"Enough." Rhaenys hissed at Daemon before turning to Lilyanna, "Focus on my daughter, Lilyanna."
The elder princess had refused to leave her daughter''s side once Laena had begun her labors, holding her hand for the last few hours. The woman''s fear was palpable even if she did not admit it, wanting to be there if anything went wrong.
Lilyanna did as she was told, turning back to Laena as she wiped the sweat from the woman''s forehead. So far everything seemed to be going well, but Lilyanna knew how quickly things could change during childbirth, so she did not allow herself to become complacent.
"Bring more towels." Lilyanna told one of the midwives as more blood flowed from Laena''s legs.
Laena groaned as another contraction ripped through her body, squeezing her mother''s hand tightly as the pain intensified. Right now, it did not feel as bad as it did when she gave birth to the twins, and she was trying her hardest to relax, but the idea that she could die here refused to leave her.
Death was something that all women knew could come for them during childbirth, they were taught to make peace with the possible of dying so that they may bring life into the world, but this possibility never felt more real for Laena than it did now.
I am supposed to die today. Laena thought, squeezing Rhaenys'' hand again, ignoring the look of concern she sent her way.
"Are you feeling well?" Lilyanna asked, and Laena could see the way she and everyone else in the room was now looking at her; perturbed and confused.
It was only then that Laena realized the reason for the looks was because she was laughing aloud. But she could not help but find this all amusing in a morbid sense; she was supposed to die today, her fate seen by a twelve-year-old girl, and the only thing that was keeping her from this fate was another twelve-year-old girl who was more knowledgeable than most trained maesters.
It''s so ludicrous, but here I am.
Daemon clenched his fists as he heard his wife''s laughter, not knowing what to do and feeling completely useless. He could not lessen Laena''s pain, he could not make the delivery faster, ensure that their child was born healthy and alive. All he could do was stand there, watching the scene in front of him, hating every second of it.
Another hour passed, and Laena''s contractions grew closer together, and despite feeling her cervix widening, Lilyanna did not see any sign of the child, meaning that they were in the wrong position.
Relax, we still have time before it becomes serious. Lilyanna thought to herself before looking at the midwives, "I need your help getting her onto her feet."
Lilyanna looked at Laena, speaking to her softly. "Aunt Laena, I need you stand, babe isn''t going to come while you are on your back."
Laena nodded tiredly, allowing the midwives to help her stand, feeling agony with each movement that was taken as she was moved to the foot of the bed.
Rhaenys had let go of Laena''s hand, reluctantly allowing Lilyanna the midwives to surround Laena as she stayed at the top of the bed, staring in her daughter''s eyes.
"Place your hands on the bed posts." Lilyanna said, gently moving Laena''s hands to the posts, placing a hand on Laena''s back and pushing the woman down carefully so that she was now standing at an angle.
She then went to her bag, pulling out the green liquid numbing medication and a spoon, opening the jar and pouring it onto the spoon before holding it in front of Laena''s face. "Drink this; it will numb the pain."
Laena leaned forward and slurped the concoction, a grimace appearing on her face at the medication''s offending aftertaste.
After a few minutes, Lilyanna saw the effects that the medication was having on Laena, causing her body to relax and the signs of pain leaving her face. She then turned to the midwives, "You two, hold her arms in place, and the rest of you help me turn her onto her side."
Laena groaned, while she was not hurt by everyone moving her this time, it still felt strange and unnatural to have her upper half remain straight while her bottom half was turned to the side, especially with her large belly in the way, hindering the group''s efforts.
Lilyanna pushed her hands against Laena''s stomach, massaging the skin deeply with her fingers, trying to turn the child this way as even just being slightly off would prevent them from emerging.
Every few minutes, Lilyanna would stop massaging Laena''s stomach, bending down to check and see if the crowning had begun. When it finally did, Lilyanna was smiling from ear to ear as she watched the head beginning to show.
"They''re coming, breath deeper and get ready to push when I tell you to." Lilyanna said as she stood back up.
More blood began to trickle down Laena''s legs, pooling on the ground and around her feet, the sensation causing Laena to shiver.
"Breath, now push."
Laena pushed, the action feeling strange as she was not in agony, but she could feel the struggle it took to push along with the sensation of her child trying to come forth. She likened it to having a limb fall asleep; you could still feel that part of your body while at the same time it was numb and heavy.
She pushed each time Lilyanna told her too, gritting her teeth and tightening her grip on the bed posts as she struggled.
Lilyanna looked and saw that more of the baby was beginning to come forth, "I need a stronger push."
Laena grunted, pushing the hardest she could before she slumped onto the bed, breathing heavily as she could finally relax.
Lilyanna caught the newborn; she did not take the time to look over the baby as she quickly realized that the child in her arms was silent, their eyes were closed, and their chest was not moving.
Daemon stalked forward, "What is wrong with my child?!"
Lilyanna ignored him as she lifted the newborn to her shoulder, patting their back and then using her hand to rub circles and repeating this process. She threw her head back, relieved when a cough followed by loud cries were heard and she could feel the babe''s chest moving against her own.
That was way too fucking close. Lilyanna thought as she adjusted the babe so that they were now laying on her forearm. But once she did this, Lilyanna''s eyes widened when she truly looked at the child for the first time, taking in the finer details of their appearance through the blood, vernix caseosa, and amniotic fluid they were covered in.
What the fuck?
Rhaenys walked towards Lilyanna, standing beside Lilyanna as the young girl''s expression remained frozen in shock. "What is wrong with..."
What in the seven hells? Rhaenys thought as she looked at her newest grandchild, her expression the same as Lilyanna''s.
Daemon raised an eyebrow as he moved to stand on Lilyanna''s other side, looking down at his newborn child, wondering what could have caused Rhaenys, his normally reserved cousin, to lose her composure.
Huh... Daemon thought, looking at his youngest child in disbelief, never having seen anything like it.
"You are all scaring me, what is wrong with my babe?" Laena asked as she was lying on the bed again.
The expressions of the three in front of her were of dumbfoundment, each completely shocked into silence, doing nothing but heightening her nervousness and fear even more.
Laena glared at the three, "Can someone tell me what is wrong with my child?"
Lilyanna blinked, clearing her throat as she turned around, "Let me wash him for you first."
I have a son. But that can''t be the reason for their shock, so what is going on? Laena thought as she tried to calm down.
Lilyanna quickly returned with the newborn wrapped in a red blanket, glancing between mother and child as she placed them in Laena''s arms.
Laena did not waste time removing the blanket from most of the babe''s body, and when she did, she understood the shock that her husband, mother, and niece had experienced.
The newborn had silver-gold hair and the parts of his skin that Laena could see were the same shade of brown as her own, but it was the rest of his body that was concerning. Most of his body was covered in bronze dragon-like scales, small leathery wings on his back that resembled that of a bat, and a small stub of a tail that matched the color of his scales.
"Oh..." Laena whispered, encapsulating the feelings of the room.
Return
The Next Day
"He, he is healthy, even with all of his... physical traits?" Rhaenys asked Lilyanna.
"He seems as healthy as the average newborn." Lilyanna responded as she looked over the child in her arms, not seeing any health issues beyond the obvious.
The palace of Prince Reggio had been quiet, almost somber as word had reached its occupants of the babe that Laena Velaryon gave birth to. It was as if those outside of the Targaryens were mourning, none believing that the child would live long, whispering to themselves that it would have been a mercy for the Gods to quickly take back the mistake that they created.
They all knew better than to say such things where any of the dragonlords could hear them. Although, said dragonlords were too busy watching after the child to pay much attention to their hushed conversations.
"I think it''s clear that scales, wings, and a tail are not average in newborns." Daemon sarcastically added.
Lilyanna shrugged as she handed the child back to Laena, "They''re not. But I wasn''t lying, besides his dragon-like features, there is nothing wrong with him. Only time will tell if any complications arise from them."
"Has this happened before?" Helaena asked looking over Laena''s shoulder at the child.
Lilyanna nodded her head, "There were a few cases of children being born with dragon-like features in texts written when the Freehold stood strong, but the most the most recent was that of Maegor."
"Maegor the Cruel?" Laena asked, confused as she thought of her old lessons as a child, and was sure that the third Targaryen King had no children.
"Yes, Maegor, he had three children with three of his six wives. The first child he had with his second wife, Alys Harroway, was born eyeless and their body and limbs twisted, the second child he had with his fifth wife, Jeyne Westerling, was born without legs and arms, but with both male and female genitals, and his third and final child who he had with his fourth wife, Elinor Costayne, was born eyeless and with dragon wings." Lilyanna explained.
Helaena looked at her sister, "Wait, so you having two genitals is a dragon trait?"
"Dragons have no fixed gender; they are as changeable as flame. Calling dragons, he or she is just something we humans do to bond with and give ourselves some sense of understanding them, along with determining which dragons lay eggs the easiest. Why is that part of my explanation the one you latched onto?" Lilyanna asked.
"I just didn''t know that was why you are the way you are. I never heard of any child being born that was like you." To Helaena, this seemed fascinating that there was a possibility of people in their family being born looking like dragons.
And she also found it amusing in a tragic way that the very thing that made Lilyanna ostracized by the world, is what made her of a dragon then everyone else in their family.
Is this why dragons are so fond of Lily? Because they think she is one of them? Helaena thought.
"That''s because most people do not remember or think about Maegor''s reign outside of him being a terrible person. And in the case of Maegor''s children and in all the cases I have read about, every child that is born with these features is either stillborn or dies immediately after birth. Most are usually missing body parts and organs, and their disfigurements make it difficult for them to pass through the birth canal without suffocating or being crushed to death."
"Until you and my son." Daemon stated, "Why is that?"
Lilyanna pursed her lips, because she herself did not know why she and now his son were the only ones in their races'' recorded history to be born with these conditions and survive their births.
It''s not as if I can tell Daemon of all people that I''m from another world and have been reincarnated by the Fourteen Valyrian Gods who gave me this body to carry out their will. But why is this child alive? It can''t just be because of me delivering them, if they have had these dragon features all this time, then they should have been stillborn regardless of what I did. Or is this another instance of the changes I''ve been making having ripple effects? Lilyanna thought.
Helaena''s face then scrunched, "Does this mean our ancestors truly did mate with dragons as the old tales said they did and that is why we can bond with dragons?"
Laena laughed at the thought, "I don''t think you have to worry about that being true."
"We should hope not." Rhaenys muttered, thinking about the many tapestries in the walls of the Red Keep and Dragonstone that depicted humans and dragons sleeping together.
"It could be from Valyrians of old fucking dragons, but the best bet would be a combination of blood magic and incest." Lilyanna argued.
Blood magic. Daemon thought, an amused huff leaving his lips, if this was a day ago, he would have laughed at the idea. "You think magic is what gives us our bond with dragons?"
Lilyanna looked Daemon in the eye, "What other cause could it be?"
"I would figure a girl obsessed with proving herself a maester and with such a... faithful mother, would write off the idea as children''s tales and heresy."
Lilyanna rolled her eyes at Daemon''s barely hidden insult, "How else would you explain people in our family being able to bond with dragons in the first place? To give them orders? To know each other''s feelings? Only some type of magic could make sense of any of this. Besides, my sister can see the fucking future, it would be foolish of me not to consider the supernatural and magical to be real."
That and the fact that I''m being haunted by three very weird ghosts helps with that belief.
"Incest is a necessity to our house''s survival, it''s what keeps our blood pure and-"
"And is what keeps dragons within our house." Lilyanna finished, "I also suspect in conjunction with our ancestors using blood magic to create the dragon bond, that the practiced incest was to make sure that the magic in our blood carried over to future generations. Hmm, it could a trade-off of sorts; in which we marry and have children with relatives, and our connection with dragons remains strong, but we risk the possibility of mental disabilities, diseases, genetic disorders, weaken immune systems, and high infant and child mortality. It really is fascinating how..."
Laena leaned her head towards Helaena, watching Lilyanna continue to speak. "Does she do this a lot?"
Helaena smiled, "My sister is quite bookish; once she starts on a topic that she finds interesting, it can be hard to get her to stop. If we let her go on, she will until she physically cannot."
"How sweet." Daemon said sarcastically, watching as Lilyanna continued to speak her theories aloud, unaware that everyone else had long since stopped listening.
Helaena looked down again at the newborn in Laena''s arms, "Does he have a name yet?"
This drew Lilyanna''s attention as she stopped talking, she too was curious about what the newborn''s name would be, knowing that they could not refer to him as ''the newborn'' or ''the babe'' forever.
Daemon walked over to his wife, reaching down, and moving his finger against his son''s cheek, feeling the warmth on the patch of bronze scales that were there. "How about Aegon?"
Helaena and Lilyanna gave each other a look, they could already hear the rant that Alicent would go on the moment this news reached Westeros.
"Daemon, there is already a living breathing Aegon in our family, it would get confusing." Laena stated.
Daemon scoffed, "We would not be naming him after the Hightower yelp, but after Aegon the Conqueror."
"No." Laena said plainly, knowing that while her husband may admire the Conqueror and wanted to give their son his name, she also knew that he was suggesting the name as a slight towards the Queen and her eldest son, as if to denote that their son was better and that Alicent''s son was not worthy of his name. "How about Corwyn? After my father''s father."
Daemon stared at his wife blankly, "Our son should have a name with a legacy behind it, one that shows strength and might. What did your grandfather do, what was he known for besides siring Corlys and dying prematurely?"
Daemon was unfazed by the glares coming from both his wife and his cousin, standing by what he said. This was his firstborn and possibly only son, and as his son, Daemon wanted his son to have the best that he could offer him.
Laena clenched her jaw, "Fine. How about Aethan then? After the lowly Corwyn''s grandfather?"
"The second lord admiral and Master of Ships, a renowned warrior, a pirate slayer, and the father of Queen Alyssa Velaryon. While I would prefer a Targaryen instead of a Velaryon name, this one would be acceptable."
"I am so happy that you find it so." Laena drawled.
Daemon ignored this as he smiled, "Aethan Targaryen, our firstborn son. A strong and mighty dragon, just like his mother."
Laena rolled her eyes but could not keep the smile off her lips. In their decade long marriage, she often found it hard to stay mad at Daemon for long, particularly when he smiled so boyishly and spoke so charmingly to her.
"What the hell just happened?" Lilyanna asked her sister in a low tone, confused about how Laena and Daemon could go from arguing to staring at each other lovingly.
"Weird married people things." Helaena answered back, just as confused as Lilyanna.
This caused Rhaenys, who had been listening to the two girls'' conversation, to snort, finding herself amused and tepid about the whole affair.
The next day, Daemon said nothing as he stood in the doorway of his bedchamber and watched Laena introducing Baela and Rhaena to their new brother. Laena was showing the girls how to properly hold Aethan without hurting him as they were each looking at Aethan''s features, gently poking and prodding him.
"You must be careful with him and not hold him too roughly. Your brother is more sensitive than most." Laena told her girls.
"Because of his wings?" Rhaena asked, looking at the small bronze wings on Aethan''s back. Holes had to be cut in the newborn''s clothes for him to wear them properly, keeping his wings and tail from being trapped against his body.
"He''s like a dragon; will he even need a dragon egg? He can just fly himself!" Baela exclaimed, smiling as she poked one of Aethan''s wings.
"Your brother will be getting a cradle egg." Laena stated with a smile, "And I doubt Aethan can fly with his wings; you''ll have to ask your cousin to be sure."
What Laena did not tell her daughters is that she had already asked Lilyanna whether Aethan''s wings were functional. Lilyanna told Laena that Aethan''s wings appeared too small and fragile to be capable of flight, and that she doubted this would change as Aethan grew older. But she also said that because this was something that she had never seen before, she could not fully write off the possibility, no matter how unlikely.
As Laena gently handed Aethan to Rhaena, she looked up, meeting Daemon''s eye. She smiled when she saw him, "Husband."
"Wife." Daemon replied.
Laena stood, "We need to talk."
"What did father do this time?" Baela asked aloud, assuming like the few other times that she had witnessed her mother asking to speak to her father alone, that it was to chastise him for something he did.
Rhaena laughed when Daemon pursed his lips in response to Baela''s question. Daemon turned to Laena, giving her a lazy smile, "Well, what I have done this time?"
Laena huffed, "There is nothing for me to berate you for, I just want to speak to you about something important."
Daemon then looked at their daughters, "That means I definitely did something."
Laena walked out if the bedchamber and onto the room''s balcony, ignoring Baela and Rhaena''s giggling.
Daemon closed the balcony doors behind him as he followed his wife. "What did you wish to speak-"
"I want us to move back to Westeros." Laena said strongly.
Daemon sighed, "Laena, I thought we decided-"
"No, you decided." Laena argued, grabbing onto the railing tightly as she looked over at the horizon. "I... I can''t keep doing this, being some wanderer who performs at the behest of princes and rulers for shelter. This cannot be the life we give our children any longer."
"We can go where we want, do what we want, we are free, Laena! Is that not what you wanted when we first wed, freedom? I have given that to you and more, we have made a life for our children where they want for nothing, where they are not forced to abide by the rules of Westeros. What has changed that you suddenly want differently?"
"What changed was me almost dying, Daemon!"
A tense silence overcame the couple as Daemon stared at Laena while Laena pointedly refused to meet his eye.
Her body shook as she struggled to find the words, "I... was supposed to die, Aethan and I w-were supposed to... I wou-would have left t-this world having never seen my parents, my brother, and Rhaenyra again; I would have never seen Driftmark with my own eyes again, I would have returned there in a casket. I would have left you, Baela, and Rhaena behind."
Daemon looked away from his wife, not knowing what to say or do as he watched Laena struggling not to cry. He was not a man who showed emotion so easily nor was he a man who found it easy to comfort others through their emotions.
"You saved me from a marriage that I didn''t want to a man who was unsuitable for me, you gave me the freedom I always wanted but couldn''t get as the Sea Snake''s daughter." Laena said, giving her husband a tired smile, "But I can''t do this anymore, I want to go home, I want to be with my, with our family again. And I know you do too."
Daemon scoffed, "What makes you think I want to go back? I am happy with our life."
Laena shook her head, "If you are truly happy, then I will not fault you for that or force you to leave this life behind, but I am done. I am going back to Westeros with my mother, and I am taking the girls and Aethan with me."
"Laena-"
"Daemon please, you are not changing my mind on this."
"You say that you do not want to force me into anything and yet you wish to abscond with our children because you are afraid? How am I supposed to take this any other way? How am I not supposed to your selfishness in-"
"Selfishness?" Laena asked incredulously, staring at her husband crossed and taken aback. "I am not being selfish! Have you not thought about how constantly moving around, having no place to ground us affects our children?! What if something happens to us and they are left alone, in a foreign land, with no allies or family around to rely on?"
Daemon frowned, "That won''t happen. And even if it does, should you not have faith that we raised our daughters to be capable of fending for themselves? And what about Aethan? Do you honestly think that he will be able to survive in Westeros? He will be seen and treated like a monster there, no one will care that he is a Targaryen, that he is the son of prince and nephew to a King, his appearance will ensure that no one will want anything to do with him."
"That is why he needs his family." Laena spat, "Do you think Aethan will not be treated the same here in Essos? That the people here will not view him the same? At least in Westeros he will have House Velaryon and Targaryen at his back. And what about Aethan''s health?"
"His health?" Daemon asked.
"Our son has wings, scales, and a fucking tail. Even if he seems healthy now, that could change in the future and then what? The healers and midwives here have no idea what to do with Aethan, and I doubt this will be different with any maester, but Lilyanna has shown to have some idea, and last I checked she does not live in Pentos."
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Daemon''s expression darkened and Laena did not know if this was caused by him being unable to deny that what she was saying was true or because she mentioned Lilyanna. Despite what they have done for them, Daemon has not warmed to his nieces, being especially rude and demeaning to Lilyanna.
Daemon moved closer to Laena, standing next to her as he looked over the balcony, "We decided to leave, to get away from the games and politicking that Westeros brings. If we return, then we will be sucked back into it all."
Laena reached down and grabbed one of Daemon''s hands, "And despite your words, you cannot tell me that you don''t miss it. Daemon Targaryen strives in chaos, in the unexpected, a life of a fat country lord is not for you. Westeros has its problems, and yes, we will be forced back into the game of thrones, but I would prefer that to living the rest of my life in a foreign land, away from the people I love, and surrounded by people who seek to only use me and my dragon. And I know that deep down you feel the same as I."
Daemon huffed, clenching his jaw as he looked at his wife, "And what of my kingly brother? Going back will mean having to rely on Viserys once more, admitting that I cannot..."
"Cannot what?" Laena asked.
That I am a man who cannot care for my own wife and children. Daemon thought, "It does not matter. Will you make me suffer such humiliation?"
"Your brother does not seek to shame you, Daemon." Laena said, her expression softening, "I am sure that he would love to see you and have you in his life once more.
"Yes, I''m sure that Viserys will love to have his roguish brother back to cause him more headaches and problems." Daemon drawled, "Did you forget that the last time we were in Westeros, I killed your betrothed, married you without his leave, and ran away, yes?"
Laena raised an eyebrow, "You say that as if that was the worst thing you''ve ever done that Viserys has forgiven you for."
This caused Daemon to smirk, and said smirk widened when Laena playfully rolled her eyes at him, briefly diffusing the strained air between them.
After a few moments, Daemon sighed, "I suppose I must write to my brother to inform him of our travels."
Laena''s eyes grew wide, "Truly?"
Daemon said nothing as Laena moved to hug him from the side, continuing to stare out into the distance as he relaxed in her arms.
"Thank you, Daemon." Laena said softly.
Daemon kissed the side of Laena''s head and wrapped one of his arms around her waist.
The moment was ruined when Daemon saw something both shocking and irritating in the distance. "What the hell is that girl doing with Caraxes?"
Laena lifted her head from Daemon''s chest, looking at him confused before following his gaze. Yards away, Lilyanna was scratching Caraxes'' head as the dragon pressed himself against her body.
Caraxes looked calmer than he usually did, something that before now could only be seen when he was with Daemon. And while neither could see her expression, Daemon and Laena were sure that she was enjoying Caraxes'' affection.
Laena giggled, finding amusement in the situation. "It seems Laenor was not lying in his letters."
"What are you talking about?" Daemon asked.
Laena explained to her husband the different interactions that Laenor told her he has witnessed between Lilyanna and every dragon she has come across.
Daemon growled, "You''ve got to be kidding me."
Laena looked him before smiling knowingly, "Daemon, don''t tell me you are jealous of a girl barely older than our daughters?"
When Daemon glared at her, Laena could not stop the laughter that escaped her in response.
First a dragon dreamer, and now this? Why would such gifts be given to two Hightower half breeds? Daemon thought, a deep vexation settling within him.
Daemon ignored his wife as she spoke, continuing to watch as Vhagar joined Caraxes and Lilyanna.
Things were changing, things had already changed, but he was not there to see them. He may have told Laena that they were going back to Westeros, but he did not know how to feel about returning after being away for over a decade.
He was not confident like Laena was that everything would be fine, but he would be dammed if he allowed anyone to see this.
Laena was not wrong when she said I strived in chaos. Perhaps, it has been far too long since I have reminded people of who I am.
Lilyanna walked out of the palace; her eyes firmly locked on the dragons nearby.
Why do I feel so drawn to these four? It was one thing when it was just Dreamfyre, it became weirder when Meleys was added to the mix, but now Caraxes and Vhagar too? Lilyanna thought to herself.
The young girl did not get far before the Blood Wyrm quickly crawled towards her, making deep shrill chirps as it did.
"Hello there." Lilyanna greeted the dragon in High Valyrian, "You are not going to treat me like your rider does, are you?"
Caraxes bumped his snout against Lilyanna stomach, closing his eyes as he happily rubbed his head against her body.
"Well, that is good to know." Lilyanna said, smiling softly as she scratched the side of the dragon''s head.
After a few moments, a deep, ground shaking growl sounded out from behind her, and when Lilyanna turned her head, all she saw was bronze scales."
"Vhagar." Lilyanna whispered the dragon''s name, looking at the creature with a mixture of reverence and fear.
Did she get bigger or is it because she''s so much closer now?
Vhagar was not looking at the human but the smaller dragon in front of her. The she-dragon growled again, louder, and deeper than before. Caraxes returned the growl with a distorted roar of his own, baring his teeth at the older dragon.
Vhagar stood on her legs, no longer lying down on the ground, and roared at Caraxes. Lilyanna could have sworn that she temporarily went deaf due to the terribly loud sound, feeling her bones shake because of her proximity to Vhagar.
Caraxes growled, but turned around and stalked away, stopping a few yards from Lilyanna and Vhagar. He lay down near Meleys, continuing to growl at Vhagar, but the sound was more like a hiss as he stared at Vhagar.
Wow, I don''t think I have ever seen a dragon sulk before now. Lilyanna thought, wondering if this was something that happened often between Caraxes and Vhagar.
Vhagar moved closer to Lilyanna, smelling her deeply before pressing her snout against Lilyanna. Like Caraxes, Vhagar also rubbed her head against Lilyanna''s body.
Lilyanna huffed as she scratched the underside of Vhagar''s mouth, "If I didn''t know what you were capable of, I would think you''re nothing but cute old lady. Is this how you lure your prey into your clutches?"
Vhagar purred, blowing out a stream of warm air from her nostrils, causing Lilyanna''s nose to pinch at the smell. "What do you eat for your breath to smell so foul?"
Vhagar bumped Lilyanna with her snout, knocking the girl to the ground and Lilyanna could have sworn that Vhagar was staring at her amused when she fell.
"I know, I know, I should keep my opinions to myself if I have nothing nice to say." Lilyanna said in response.
As she lay on the ground, her view of the sky was blocked by the appearance of three figures walking into her eyeline and standing above her.
"It''s been a while since you three have visited me." Lilyanna said as she sat up.
At least they haven''t snuck up on me this time.
She was ignored by the three Conquerors as the eldest of the three reached and touched, Vhagar, and to everyone''s surprise, Vhagar was able to feel Visenya''s hand, purring in delight as she moved closer to her former rider.
"I missed you, old friend." Visenya whispered, smiling brightly as she continued to pet Vhagar.
Lilyanna''s mouth dropped open in shock, "Vhagar can see you? Can you touch Vhagar? Dragons can see ghosts?!"
"How are you doing that, sister?" Aegon asked, looking between Visenya and Vhagar fascinated.
"I... I don''t know." Visenya answered, closing her eyes as she leaned her body against Vhagar, astonished that she could feel the dragon''s warmth. "There is still so much that we do not know about the bond the Gods created between us and Lilyanna. This could just be a facet of it that we are only just now discovering."
"Now that I think about it, we never come and see Lilyanna whenever she is in the Dragonpit, or most places truly, we always wait for moments when she is alone, so she doesn''t look like she is talking to herself and has gone mad." Rhaenys voiced, before smiling at her older sister, "Still, it is good that you are able to experience this, Visenya."
She could not help but think of her own dragon, Meraxes, finding herself missing her former mount as she watched Visenya and Vhagar. Melancholy formed within Rhaenys as she remembered Meraxes'' fate, knowing that her dragon''s life, much like her own, was snuffed out too soon.
Visenya stared at Rhaenys for a few moments before reaching down, grabbing her sister''s hand, pulling Rhaenys close, an arm wrapped around her waist as she placed Rhaenys'' hand on Vhagar head. Just like with Visenya, Rhaenys was able to touch Vhagar without her hand placing through the dragon and Vhagar was able to feel Rhaenys'' hand in kind.
"Oh." Rhaenys breathed, her eyes shining with mirth, "I didn''t think we would be able to interact with the world like this again."
"I think it is only with dragons." Aegon said softly, "But perhaps, things we have bonds with, some kind of connection, can be viable to us once more."
"Why does weird shit always happen when you guys accost me?" Lilyanna asked, still shocked by what she was seeing.
Rhaenys smiled playfully, "I think you meant to ask, why do all these amazing and exciting things happen to you when we come to visit you?"
"Yeah right." Lilyanna muttered as she rolled her eyes, "Is this why dragons are so found of me? Because they can sense your souls surrounding me all the time? They can feel the bond they once had or something?"
"If that was the case of a bond only Vhagar would be so besotted with you as she is the only living dragon who has ever bonded with any of us." Visenya said, her expression becoming thoughtful and analytical, "But you may not be entirely off; the dragons could be so taken with you because of your dreams."
"My dreams?"
"Those dreams you had in the black void, some of them involved our children and descendants. Perhaps it is through you that Meleys, Caraxes, and Dreamfyre feel this bond to their deceased riders. Or it could even be what you said the other day; that all the dragons you have met like you so much is because they believe you to be one of them because of your sex."
"Am I going to have to deal with more dead relatives?" Lilyanna asked cautiously, "And you don''t believe that me being intersex is why dragons lose their minds around me, do you?"
Visenya looked back at Vhagar, "I don''t, animals can notice things that we humans often cannot see, the most likely explanation is that dragons can feel that you are not an average human, they can sense the magic that was used in your creation. Who better to see a champion of the Fourteen Flames than the very beasts that said Gods created in their image?"
If the Gods are so powerful that they can pull me from my first life and have me reincarnated in this world, then why couldn''t they give me a crash course on the body they were throwing me into? Or at the very least tell Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys so they could tell me in their place? Lilyanna thought, once again finding herself annoyed with the Valyrian Gods.
"Do you think I will have a dragon of my own?"
Aegon raised an eyebrow, "I thought you did not care if you had a dragon or not? Is that not what you often tell your younger brother whenever he asks?"
Lilyanna shrugged, "I said I would be fine with not having a dragon, and I am, but that doesn''t mean I''m not curious about it''s like. And if it will even be possible for someone like me."
"Dragons are the ones who chose their rider, it''s not truly known how, but we were taught that dragons can see within potential riders their hearts, their true selves, and the dragons can then decide if that rider will be the one that best suits them." Rhaenys explained, leaning into Visenya''s embrace.
"Would that kind of dragon even exist, one that could see everything about me and decide they want to deal with me?" Lilyanna asked.
"You are not some burden to be endured, Lilyanna." Rhaenys said softly, "And I have no doubt in my mind that there is a dragon out there for you."
"You are going to Dragonstone, are you not?" Visenya asked, "You can see if any of the dragons who live there are a match for you."
"Maybe." Lilyanna muttered.
Why am I even thinking about this? If it happens, it happens, I should be wasting my time thinking about something like this.
As she was distracted, Vhagar moved forward, pushing Lilyanna into the dirt as she rested her head on top of the girl, only allowing Lilyanna''s head to poke through.
"Ugh... Vhagar... Why?" Lilyanna strained, finding it hard to breath with such a heavy weight on top of her. "Don''t laugh, help me!"
Lilyanna''s cries were ignored by the Conquerors who were content to simply watch Vhagar crush the young girl with its affection.
"I hate you guys..." Lilyanna hissed, lying her head down as she was forced to accept her fate.
Dragonstone
"Rhaenyra, how is any of what you just said supposed to make sense?" Laenor asked his wife, staring at her with a mixture of different emotions.
"Helaena can really see the future?" Lucerys asked, his eyes full of awe, "Can she see everything? Does she know everything? How does-"
Jacaerys leaned over and covered his brother''s mouth with his hand, ending Lucerys'' barrage of questions.
The royal family had just reached the island earlier that day, and with no sign of Helaena, Lilyanna, or Rhaenys, Rhaenyra was left to inform everyone who did not know, the truth.
It was also left to her as Viserys had holed himself inside the castle''s library from the moment they arrived, deciding to reimmerse himself the history that lay within it.
"As ludicrous as it sounds, it is the truth. That is why Rhaenys, Helaena, and Lilyanna are not here with us." Rhaenyra stated with a sigh.
"So, you''re telling us that the reason Helaena is so strange is because she can see the future?" Aegon asked.
"Yes." Rhaenyra said dryly.
"And she kept this from us?!" Aegon exclaimed, "There have so many times when seeing the futures would have let me get away with so many things! And Lilyanna, that bitch knew too! She''s probably been telling Helaena to hide her dreams, keeping them all to herself!"
Aemond stared at his brother blankly, "Are you an idiot?"
He was not surprised that Aegon would want to use such an ability for selfish reasons, but Aemond thought that Aegon at least had enough tact not to say so out right.
"Even if Hela did tell us she was a dragon dreamer, I don''t think she would tell you the future, knowing how you would abuse it, Egg." Daeron voiced, smiling at Aegon.
Aegon crossed his arms, "You don''t know that."
Daeron laughed before looking at Rhaenyra seriously, "But why didn''t Helaena and Lilyanna tell us? Why did they hide it?"
Did they not trust us? Daeron thought.
Rhaenyra sighed, "Helaena was worried about not being believed, that we would find the truth too outlandish. It also does not help that our sister has no control over her gift; her dreams come randomly and most without clarity."
"Her riddles." Aemond said aloud, having an epiphany as things began to make sense in his mind. "That is why Helaena speaks those mutterings of hers; they are remnants of the prophetic visions that she has. And that is why Lilyanna always becomes so serious whenever she hears them."
Why else would Lilyanna focus so intensely when Helaena finds herself in that state? I had figured they were hiding something, but not something like this. Aemond thought.
"Wow." Jacaerys muttered, his voice taking on a noticeable awe, "Helaena must be a strong dreamer to have so many visions constantly."
The only other person that he could compare his aunt to was their ancestor, Daenys the Dreamer, the woman who had a dream foretelling the Doom of Valyria, allowing House Targaryen to be one of only three Valyrian families to escape the calamity.
But Daenys was only truly known for that one dream, Jacaerys did not know if the woman had any others that were simply never record or if it was only the dream of the Doom she was given.
Before the conversation could divulge any further, Laenor spoke up, "Children, can you leave us alone for a moment, I need to speak with Rhaenyra."
The room fell into silence as the boys looked at the older Velaryon, seeing the uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. Even Rhaenyra was surprised by how Laenor was acting, not understanding what could have upset him so.
"Wow, Rhaenyra, what did you do?" Aegon asked, half questioningly and half-jokingly.
"Get out." Rhaenyra immediately said, not even bothering to look in Aegon''s direction.
Aegon snickered but stood up and led his nephews and brothers out of The Chamber of the Painted Table.
Once they were alone, Rhaenyra turned to her husband, "Laenor?"
"How could you keep this from me?" Laenor asked.
Rhaenyra looked confused, "Helaena''s dreams? I did suspect from some years but-"
"Not that, I mean, yes that but..." Laenor took a deep breath before continuing, "My sister''s life was in danger and instead of telling me, you kept that from me."
Rhaenyra frowned, "Helaena and Lilyanna only felt the need to tell myself, father, and Rhaenys."
"And did you tell your precious Queen? Because I did not see Alicent with us and the children when you revealed all of this?"
"That is different." Rhaenyra replied defensively, "Alicent would have noticed that two of her children were missing, and keeping it secret from her would have been disastrous."
"Well, it feels like you did not care enough to speak to me about this!" Laenor exclaimed.
Rhaenyra''s eyes widened, "Laenor-"
"I know that we don''t have a normal marriage, but I at least thought that we are close enough to tell each other important things, to not keep secrets. My sister could have died, and I would not have known about it until it was too late. You, your father, the twins, and even my own mother, did not feel it crucial to bring me into the fold, do you have any idea how that feels?"
Right now, Laenor wanted to climb onto Seasmoke and fly to Pentos and see with his own eyes that Laena was still alive. He was scared that Helaena and Lilyanna would fail in their mission, of any unforeseen problems that could present themselves.
But most of all, he felt angry that he was not seen as not needing to know the truth by both his wife and his mother. Laenor knew that he was not always taken very seriously, and usually he did not have a problem with this, but was he that much of a joke that they thought it was better for him to be left in the dark? Even when the matter at hand concerned his own sister?
It''s been two days since they left, has Laena given birth? Is she still alive? No, a letter would have been sent, surely if Laena died, right? What is taking so long for them to send a response? Laenor thought.
"Laenor, it was not my intention to make you feel inconsequential or to hide anything from you." Rhaenyra said, resting a hand on Laenor''s arm, "I just... we did not think you believe the truth. And time was of the essence that having Rhaenys and the girl head to Pentos immediately was of the utmost importance."
"And afterwards?" Laenor asked, "You told Alicent, why did you tell me then as well?"
Rhaenyra sighed, looking away from him sheepishly, "In all honesty, I did not think about how you would feel. I must admit that it escaped me before now."
Laenor let out a snort, "I feel immensely loved by you, dear wife."
"Hush." Rhaenyra murmured, feeling worse than she did before, "I do apologize, Laenor. I should have realized that you wouldn''t wish to be left in the dark, especially in something regrading Laena."
"That''s all I ask." Laenor said before he started to think of something else, "If my mother did not tell me about Laena, then she most likely would not tell my father."
"It is not as if she would have needed to, Corlys is still in King''s Landing and won''t be traveling here with the rest of the small council for the next few days at the earliest." Rhaenyra stated.
The only reason the royal family had even left the city when they did was simply because Viserys had grown tired of waiting, wanting to finally arrive at Dragonstone, no longer having the patience to wait for the rest of the court to travel with them after a moon of preparations.
"Then I will have to have a discussion with her about keeping secrets from me." Laenor said, crossing his arms.
Rhaenyra chuckled, "Good luck with that."
"You don''t think I will?"
"I think the second you meet your mother''s gaze, you''ll lose your resolve, wilting like a flower before you could get a single reprimand out of your lips."
Laenor glared at the woman, but before he could get an insult of his own out, the doors of the chamber opened as the maester of the castle entered.
Gerardys was an older man of average height, short brown hair with a few sparse strands of gray, wrinkled cheeks, and was wearing the traditional robes of his profession.
In his hand was a letter, with the stamp of House Targaryen used as its wax seal. Gerardys bowed before speaking to Rhaenyra "Your Grace, a letter has been sent to you from Prince Daemon."
"Daemon?" Rhaenyra asked as she took the letter from Gerardys'' hands, "Why would he be writing to me?"
In the decade since she last saw her uncle, she had received no correspondence from him, nor did she send her own. Rhaenyra wanted to blame this on Daemon and his family constantly being on the move, but Rhaenyra knew that at least for herself, she did not know what to say to her uncle, remembering the last thing she said to him during her wedding.
Rhaenyra had also come to the realization some time ago that she did not want to say anything to Daemon.
Why should she be the one to reach out when Daemon tried to use her in a ploy to not only anger her father, but to place himself closer to the throne? Who did nothing when she was forced by Viserys to marry Laenor due to the mistake he tricked her into making?
Reluctantly, Rhaenyra opened the letter, and as she read it, Rhaenyra found herself surprised by its contents.
"What''s wrong? Did something happen with Laena and the babe?" Laenor asked as he watched Rhaenyra''s expression.
"Laena is fine, and she has given birth to a boy named Aethan." Rhaenyra said, still looking over Daemon''s letter.
"But?" Laenor asked, sensing his wife''s hesitation.
Rhaenyra went on to explain Aethan''s appearance to Laenor, mentioning the babe''s wings, scales, and tail. Daemon had also stated that Lilyanna had said Aethan was healthy, but that even she had no idea how Aethan''s dragon traits could affect him later in life.
"How-how is that even possible?" Laenor asked.
While the Targaryen family often boasted about their ability to command dragons, of having the blood of the dragon, Laenor did not think it was supposed to be anything more than an exaggeration, at least before now.
"They don''t know." Rhaenyra said.
"Did Daemon say anything else?" Laenor asked, wondering if the man had written any more shocking news.
"Yes." Rhaenyra said softly, "Daemon and Laena are coming back to Westeros with their children; permanently."
"They are?" Laenor exclaimed, a wide grin filled his lips at the thought of seeing his older sister and knowing that she would not be leaving again.
While Laenor had become overjoy, he failed to notice the apprehension that colored Rhaenyra''s expression.