51 Chapter 51

Chapter 51

RHAENYRA TARGARYEN

The truth was that Rhaenyra Targaryen had known of her pregnancy even before Aenys had confirmed it. She could feel it in her gut. She had seen Alicent go through the same sequence of symptoms when she had been pregnant with Aenar and, for a week or so, had been observing similar changes in herself, like mood swings, constant nausea, and changing palate.

And as she lay there in the bed, resting, she found herself looking out the window, imagining the little life growing inside her at the moment. It was a sense of joy, something much foreign to her. What was this, this sense of protectiveness? Was this what they called a mother's instinct?

Had this been how her own mother had felt, how Alicent felt? And she was so lost in thought that she initially missed the gentle knock on her door, and only when it became a little louder was she broken out of her reverie.

"Who is there?" she questioned.

"It's me, Aenys," came the soft answer, and she beckoned him to enter. By now, the Sun was about to set, and as per the previous plan, they were set to leave the Eyrie by tonight.

Her uncle, Aenys, entered the room now with a thick, burly coat draped over him to shield him from the Eastern chill and gave her a small smile.

"How are you?" he questioned.

"I am fine. The ginger tea helped quite a bit," she replied, pointing towards the half-empty plate of food from earlier.

"Good, that is good. Ask them to bring you more if you feel nauseous," he said as he sat down beside her, and then she began to notice a shift in his demeanor. His eyes were different; the frown which had become a constant part of his expression for some moons now was gone and was replaced with an air of certainty and steadfastness.

For some reason, it reminded her of the time he had faced Jason Lannister; he had seemed nearly just as commanding at that time as well.

"I need to talk to you about something," he began, his voice unwavering as their eyes met, and she nodded slowly.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked her in the eye as he began, her heart thumping as he spoke the first words.

"I have made my decision regarding the whole succession issue," he replied, and she stilled for a moment at those words as he continued to look her in the eye.

"And what is that?" she questioned.

"I know of your fears, of your real fears," he began, and her heart nearly gave out at those words as she realized just what the decision he may have made.

"Yet Rhaenyra, you cannot let your fears control you, dear," he added softly as he held her hand, and she chewed her lips as she looked down, evading his gaze.

"I have already told you before, this is less about fear of Daemon and more because of what is best for the realm," she replied, and he reached for her face and raised her chin as he gave her a smile.

"The throne is yours, Rhaenyra. And it shall remain so, no matter what the lords of the realm may plot and dream. Rhaenyra Targaryen shall remain the heir and one day in the future ascend the Iron Throne just as her father did before her," he said, informing her of his decision, and she shook her head.

"I do not desire the throne, and the whole realm would blee…"

"Then let it!" came the answer, quick and thundering as Aenys's eyes glinted, his face making her stop.

"And the blame for that shall lie on all those who would take up arms in favor of a pretender. We are the House of the Dragon, descendants of the conqueror himself; the lords of the realm rule their little pieces of land by virtue of our blessing. We decide the future of these lands and shall continue to do so for centuries to come," he said resolutely, and she pulled her hand and shook her head.

"You don't understand. I do not want the throne. My ascension would embroil us all into a war with Daemon…."

"War will happen regardless, Rhaenyra," Aenys cut in, and her lips thinned as her fist balled up, for as much as she wanted to deny that. It was true, more so now than ever before.

"A loss at a Grand Council will do little to satiate Daemon's lust. He will not stop. He will not relent. He will come for the Throne regardless of the results of any Council," he added, and she knew that.

A part of her and always known that. She felt her frustration grow as all the piled-up emotions became too much for her, and she found her eyes growing wet.

"When I last met your mother, I made a promise to her," he suddenly began prompting her to look up at him, for he had not mentioned this to her before, and neither had her mother.

"She made me promise to help you, to look after you," he added as he gave her a smile and

"And I intend to keep that promise," he said.

"And what of after all this!" and the thought that she had kept buried all this time finally escaped, the darkest thought that she had never voiced out.

"Do you think the lords will accept me as their Queen? I know little about ruling and governing! What will I do when the Lords of the realm refuse to follow a woman!" she shouted, angry and frustrated by everything,

"Tell me what I shall do then! Write to you in Braavos!" she shouted at him as he sat there.

"You may help win the throne, but of afterward. What if this child inside me is a gi…."

"You won't have to," Aeny's voice suddenly cut in, making her stop instantly as her mind processed those words. She gulped as she saw him smile as he continued.

"After all, I would be rather a poor hand if I lived in Braavos while my Queen sat on the Iron throne," he continued, making his intentions clear, and she couldn't believe him.

"You would…" she managed to eke out after some time, and he nodded.

"My businesses in Braavos don't need me to run them, and so I shall help you rule these lands, aid you for as long as you may have me," he said, and she didn't know what to say.

He was sacrificing his own life for her, giving up his freedom, giving up the life he had built for himself in Braavos just for her.

The dam that had kept her emotions at bay broke down, as her vision blurred and tears began to dribble down her face as she began to cry, her arms latching onto Aenys as she lost herself in his familial warmth. A warmth she had not felt since the death of her mother.

She cried and cried in his arms over everything. The loss of her mother. The betrayal of Daemon. The devolving health of her father.

"Alright, alright. That is enough, Rhaenyra," he said as he soothed her and wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"A future Queen shouldn't cry this much," he said with a small smile, and she nodded as she wiped her eyes before a question erupted in her mind.

"But what of the lords and Council?" she questioned and saw his eyes narrow as he answered in an absolute tone.

"There will be no damned Council!"

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RHAENYS TARGARYEN

The Queen who never was sat in her solar, goblet in hand thinking of the life she had led until now, and it all seemed so ordinary. It was much different than the life she had imagined for herself, yet she was content with it.

She had been blessed with two beautiful children, amble freedom, and had generally never lacked for anything. Yet Corlys was different, this had never been enough for him. The Sea Snake, had always sought to better himself, always sought to reach beyond what any normal man would, and such a trait had made him into the man he was today, yet now it had become too much.

In his desire for a higher station and glory, he was about to throw himself into the arms of the second coming of Maegor himself, thinking himself capable of controlling her unruly cousin, endangering not only himself but their children as well.

And she couldn't let that happen.

And so, she drained the cup of its content, gulping down the thick wine as she emptied the cup and walked towards the balcony, and looked down at the slumbering castle beneath her for perhaps the last time.

"I am sorry, Corlys, but I cannot let you destroy this family," she said as she moved back. With a final sigh, opened the door to her solar and found her son standing there. Laenor had grown up quite a lot over the years, and though he was yet to become the man he one day would, he now matched her in height.

Yet, despite his age and height, he couldn't hide the hint of nervousness in his form as he spoke up.

"It's done. I have had both Sea Smoke and Meleys saddled," he informed her, and it broke her heart to resort to this, yet there was no choice. Corlys had refused to listen to reason at all, and she would not let him hand over their daughter to someone like Daemon.

"Good! Go and keep them ready. I shall join you shortly with Laena," she replied and saw her son hesitate for a second as he questioned.

"Is this the only way, mother?"

And it broke her heart to see him like this, yet she hardened her heart as she replied.

"It is," she said as she gently gave his shoulder a squeeze before she moved past him, her steps quiet and measured as she moved towards her daughter's room.

She reached the door and gave a small knock.

"Laena!" she called out softly, yet there was no response.

She frowned as she knocked again, calling her daughter's name yet no response came this time as well.

In the end she opened the door, and entered her room, and found it unusually dark, there was no lamp lit, and just as she was about to call out her daughter's name once more, she stilled mid word.

"La…."

For Laena was not present side the room, no someone else was there. Someone rather familiar, someone who had no place being there.

Corlys. Her husband was there and from the anger and sense of betrayal emanating from him, he had become aware of their plan somehow.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned through gritted teeth, as her eyes no trace of Laena in the room, further confirming her suspicion that he had found out about their plan.

"I think I should be the one asking you that," he retorted as he got up and walked towards her.

"I had hoped that you would not come tonight. Hoped that the notion of your betrayal of this family was nothing more than a rumor," he said through gritted teeth, and she shook her head, exasperated by all this.

"I did not betray this family, Corlys," she said, resigning herself to her fate as she looked him in the eye.

"You did when you chose to join hands with Daemon, putting us all in danger just because of your personal ambition!" she retorted angrily, and he shook his head.

"What I do! I do for the betterment of this family!" he replied in a frustrated tone, and she shook her head, a broken smile on her face.

"No Corlys. You do what is best for Corlys Vealryon," she replied as she gulped and added.

"Where is Laena?" she questioned, growing worried about her daughter.

"She is safe," he replied and their eyes met, and she found them so foreign. They had been happy once, content with their lot in life, yet now as she stared into those ambitious orbs of his she wondered if this was what the lords of the realm saw when they saw him as well.

"You are making a big mistake, Corlys; you would risk all you have attained and built by joining hands with Daemon," she tried to reason with him once more despite knowing in her heart that her efforts were futile.

"Daemon will never sit on the Iron Throne! Never, he is a madman who brings with him only death and destruction."

Yet he remained unmoved and unaffected as he moved past her, ignoring her as he shouted.

"Guards!" she heard the door to the room open and found four guards standing there, armed to the teeth.

"Escort my wife to her chambers," he ordered in a cold tone as he gave her a glance, and as she moved past him, she heard him reply.

"You may have given up on the birthright of your blood. But I haven't." He began, his words making her stop as they both looked at each other.

"I don't care whether Daemon may or may not sit on the Iron Throne. But my blood shall sit atop that throne."

"And I shall do whatever it takes to make that a reality!"

And her hands curled up as she looked him in the eye, as she prayed in her heart for all this to end.

"We shall see about that!"

And with that, she was led away by the guards, and in the darkness of the night, a raven would fly out of the city, the darkness hiding it in its cover as it took course towards the capital, a missive bearing a red cross tied to its leg.

0000

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