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The plan to sit Aegon on the Iron Throne is going well, by all accounts except for the whereabouts of the future king. Otto makes it known to the Lords and Ladies of the realm, that they must bend the knee to Aegon, even if they previously swore an oath to Rhaenyra. No one is allowed to leave until they show their loyalty, and those who refuse are dealt with promptly.

One Lord attempts to play along and then escape to warn the princess, but he's caught by the Kingsguard.

Even Ser Erryk finds himself questioning his loyalty as he goes around the city and sees Aegon's doings. He sees what a monster the boy is. Bastards flying about the fighting pits. Servants raped and then paid off by the queen. His own wife ignored and used only for her cunt, even if the one he much prefers belongs to his older sister.

Aegon is not fit to be king. He doesn't think so, and Aemond certainly doesn't think so either.

And while Vaemyra sits in the walls of the Red Keep, practically bored out of her mind, she's still motivated by her destiny. Her destiny to sit the Iron Throne, even if it came at a cost. Even if it came at the cost of the only child she could ever have.

The princess still has not seen the unborn babe. It still lies within the dragon pit, where its scales make it seem like it's at home.

Her mind is out of focus, dull, and empty. She pays no attention to her surroundings and stares off into the distance, only snapping back to reality as the queen holds her hand. Vaemyra's eyes blink a few times before she realizes where she is.

Standing in front of her father's corpse, wrapped up in fabric and ready for a funeral and taken care of by the Silent Sisters.

" I know that the Stranger has paid you a visit before... but losing your father..." Alicent trails.

" Yes... quite tragic," Vaemyra surmises as her eyes remain locked on the corpse.

Her eyes produce a single tear, even if she feels no sadness. Even if she feels no guilt. Even if she feels no loss, for both of the lives she lost within the cover of night.

Vaemyra and Alicent soon depart from the former king and head out into the hall where the queen grabs the princess's hand once more.

" If you don't mind, I would like you to accompany me to Rhaenys's chambers," Alicent suggests, " Perhaps seeing you back Aegon will guide her to our side."

The princess forces herself to smile as she nods, though it instantly drops as they walk into the room in which her cousin had been locked up.

" I will do you the considerable courtesy of assuming there is a good reason for the outrage of my treatment here this morning," Rhaenys utters as she stands strong before the queen.

" My sincerest regrets for the lack of ceremony," Alicent starts.

But it doesn't take long for Rhaenys to figure out the events that transpired just hours ago.

" The King," She states, then gets a nod of confirmation, " And you are usurping the throne."

" It was my husband's dying wish," Alicent adds, to which the elder princess scoffs, " Believe it or not, it is of no consequence. Aegon will be king. I came here to ask for your support."

" Well, I must credit you for your boldness."

" House Velaryon has long allied itself with the Princess Rhaenyra, and what has it gained you? Your daughter dead, alone in Pentos. Your son cuckolded. Rhaenyra's heirs are none of yours. It is your husband who grasps so heedlessly to the throne. And even he has abandoned you: gone these six long years to fight a desperate battle, returning grievously, if not, mortally wounded, leaving the Lady of Driftmark to chart her course alone."

There's a slight pause as Rhaenys absorbs the queen's words, and Vaemyra inhales deeply so as to not relive the trauma of her lovely Laena.

" The word of my house is not fickle," Rhaenys utters, then turns away.

But the queen doesn't stop.

" No, but dear cousin..." Alicent says as she approaches the princess and holds her arms, " you more than any soul alive understand what I say now. Princess Rhaenys, I loved my husband, but I will speak the truth we all know. You should've been queen."

" I little thought to hear those words from you."

" The Iron Throne was yours by blood and by temperament. Viserys would've lived his days as a country lord, content to hunt and study his histories, but... here we are."

Rhaenys tries to remove herself from Alicent's grasp, but the queen just pulls her back.

" We do not rule," Alicent continues, " but we may guide the men that do. Gently... away from violence and sure destruction and instead toward peace."

Rhaenys, just as Vaemyra, finds her words sickening. Rhaenys forcefully pulls herself away just as Vaemyra forces herself to bite her tongue and hold back her true thought. She forces herself to be the silent yet observing woman she had been for many years.

" Is it in the name of peace that you've imprisoned me?" Rhaenys questions, " And what of my dragon?"

" If we are overmatched, Rhaenyra will be tempted to strike us, and war will ensue," Alicent proclaims, " Without your dragon, she may be persuaded to negotiate," but her words do not sit well with the younger princess, whose nostrils flare at the thought of her children being used as pawns in this sick game, " If it's Driftmark you want, you shall have it, for you and your granddaughters to pass on as you see fit."

And Rhaenys finally smiles as she turns to face the queen once more.

" You are wiser than I believed you to be," She admits, " Alicent Hightower."

" A true queen counts the cost to her people," Alicent adds.

" And yet you toil still in the service of men," Rhaenys interjects, " Your father, your husband, your son. You desire not to be free, but to make a window in the wall of your prison," then leans close to whisper, " Have you never imagined yourself on the Iron Throne?"

And truth be told... she hasn't. Alicent has never once imagined herself on the throne. To her, it is completely out of the realm of possibilities.

" I'll leave you with your thoughts. Ring the bell when you have an answer," The queen says as she leaves the conversation and walks to the door, " Come, Vaemyra."

But before the young princess can leave, Rhaenys turns around and their eyes meet.

" And you... you support this?" She questions, " You'll bend the knee to Aegon?"

" I will support the rightful heir."

But the boy who would be king doesn't even want it for himself. He cowers away within the Sept, only to be dragged out by the twins. Aegon attempts to flea, but is thwarted by his younger brother as they wrestle like children.

" I was hoping you disappeared," Aemond comments as his brother begins to laugh.

" Is our father truly dead?" The elder asks.

" Yes. And they're going to make you king."

Aegon spits in his face, giving him a small advantage as Aemond recoils, but an advantage that does not last for long.

" No! Let me go!" Aegon shouts, " Let me go! Brother! I have no wish to rule! No taste for duty, I'm not suited!"

" You'll get no argument from me," Aemond utters.

" Brother..." Aegon trails as he turns to look the younger in the eye desperately, " You let me go, I will find a ship and sail away, never to be found. Have it, take it. I don't want it. Give it to Vaemyra or keep it for yourself, I care not."

The heir's words stick to Aemond's mind as he and Ser Cole escort his brother back up to the Red Keep. He could have it all, he and Vaemyra could have the crown...

The Prince and Princess have reunited again, but they are not alone. With Aemond comes his elder brother, which makes Vaemyra's smile drop. Aemond goes to kiss his lovely wife, but she turns her head so he only kisses her cheek, forcing her eyes to move over to Aegon as her nostrils flare in disgust.

The heir is quickly taken to his chambers and fed, leaving the married couple to themselves.

" Issa glaesa ( He's alive )" Vaemyra notes.

" Ziry vestragon sīr ( It seems so )" Aemond utters as he looks down into her eyes, " Have you eaten yet, my love?"

Vaemyra shakes her head. Her husband then attempts to lead her back to their own chambers in order to eat supper, but Vaemyra refuses. She takes control and grabs her husband's arm to lead him down the dozens upon dozens of steps and down the trail until they end up at the pit.

Vhagar is larger than life itself and thus has been sentenced to a life outside of the pit, a fate also seen by Drea and Freya, who nest together since they can no longer comfortably enter the pit.

Vaemyra climbs onto her sleeping dragon, who grumbles awake and lets out a puff, which prompts Aemond to mount his. Drea flies off into the night sky without a second thought, and in the dark cover of nightfall, the Dire Shadow disappears.

By the time Vhagar is up into the sky and flapping her wings, Drea is out of sight. Her black exterior and near-silent wings make her a formidable threat. She's almost undetectable. Gone without a trace.

Aemond searches for his darling wife and her child, but can't figure out where they could possibly be, up until Drea comes flying straight up into the clouds directly in front of Vhagar, who doesn't shy away. Aemond chuckles as he watches his wife fly on the back of the grand dragon, and accepts her challenge by having Vhagar chase after her.

But the poor old dragon is no match for the younglings, despite being a war veteran. Drea is just too fast. She's just too silent.

Under the night sky is when Drea is the perfect weapon. She blends in with the darkness and barely makes a sound, whereas Freya can camouflage in broad daylight, for her scales match the clouds.

The old dragon's throat rumbles as she soars through the skies, her well-earned temperament beginning to show as she longs to disobey her rider and truly go out and hunt.

But the dragons are then left on the grass to rest, where the married couple reenters the Red Keep for a bath and a change of clothes.

Aemond sits in the hot water with Vaemyra's back pressed against his chest as he peppers gentle kisses along her skin. And he may be content, but his wife is not. Her eyes stare off into the distance as her mind toils over yet again. Aegon is alive, and not only that, but he was found. He was found and brought back to the Keep, and it is certain that he will be crowned king at dawn.

And even when the sun rises as the entire city is gathering in the Dragon Pit for the ceremony, Vaemyra still works another plan in her mind. She knows it is expected of her to bend the knee, but perhaps something ill-fated can happen to her brother before that. Perhaps the heir will meet his doom before the crown is placed upon his head.

Alas, she hesitates. Her kind heart gets the best of her. She hears the faint cries of Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. It pulls on her heartstrings and brings tears to her eyes that sting. She second-guesses herself and her ability as Aegon walks up the steps. She nearly pities him, seeing his tear-stained eyes.

But her hesitation is what leads Aegon to be crowned King.

He stands before the crowd of people as they cheer on their new king. He wears a crown and stands as king, an image that causes something deep within Vaemyra to snap. No more can she be held back by her husband.

Suddenly, the floors begin to crack as a swirl of dust and smoke emerges. Melys appears from the depths of the dragonpit, and it's the perfect cover for Vaemyra. As all are distracted, she grabs the dagger from Aegon's belt and attempts to dig the blade in his heart. Aegon holds her back with all his strength, his eyes showing his fear as hers show fire.

Melys roars, allowing for Aegon to hide away from Vaemyra's grasp. Otto orders the guards to seize and kill her, but Vaemyra acts before they can. The Princess escapes, giving one last glance to her husband before she sprints through the broken stone floor to exit the dome, and her lips cannot help but curl up in a sinister grin as she hears the familiar sound of a dragon roar.

Drea.

Vaemyra watches as her child lands on the ground beneath her feet, her hot breath warning off anyone who may dare to come close as Melys disappears into the skies. The princess climbs up onto her dragon, who then flies up to perch atop the dragon pit, her roars filling the skies as Vaemyra seethes with anger. Drea's roars match the feeling in Vaemyra's heart, though Drea is missing the fire.

One word.

That's all it will take.

Just one word.

Freya appears from the skies and lands on a nearby building, her voice hot and withered as she snarls at the people. The screams of terror fill Vaemyra's ears, only adding more and more fuel to her internal flame.

One word.

That's all it will take.

Just one word.

Vaemyra's eyes are locked on the Red Keep. It glimmers in the sunlight and shows it's eternal beauty, though it's stained by the Hightowers. Vaemyra could end the war before it even starts... but as she looks down at the crowd, her eyes meet that of her husband, of whom has a grasp on her heart she cannot comprehend.

And there it is.

The seed of doubt is planted within her mind and in her heart. How could she burn down a city with her husband still in it?

Vaemyra's choice to flee is one that does not come easy, but she takes to the skies on Drea's back and orders Freya to follow, for none of them are welcome. They are now enemies of the crown.

Yet Vaemyra's family lay incomplete... for there is one dragon still small enough to nest in the pit.

Rhaeyn.

His absence is brought to the front of Vaemyra's mind as her eyes grow wide and her heart grows heavy. Her child, her only son, is still locked up in the pit... where Otto Hightower will certainly have him slaughtered.

































































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