She saw Rhaenyra in the godswood.

The cooks and maids had been bustling around, preparing a small banquet for them to be held in the godswood. Alicent had come once the food was set out, the children running around, save for Gemma, who sat with Helaena by the foot of the weirwood tree, babbling and playing with her dress.

Rhaenyra had kept her distance at first, but Daenys saw her plucking up food delicately, ever so often glancing to where their group stood. Rolf was a perfect mediator for the conversation, always finding a way to keep tensions low where Alicent, Daemon, Viserys, and Daenys were all involved.

"I will not revisit this debate," said Viserys, after Daemon had noted how sweet it had been for Daenys to name her first daughter after their mother– it had always surprised him that Viserys and Aemma didn't name Rhaenyra after Daella or her sister. "You were always Mother's favorite, and Daenys was always Father's favorite."

"Is that so?" asked Rolf, who knew very well that Baelon had only survived the death of Alyssa because of his greatest pride and joy.

"It's no great mystery," agreed Viserys. Rhaenyra slowly approached them, Viserys continuing, "Our mother, she had no regard for custom or tradition, rules. And I, sadly, was no great warrior. She always liked that Daemon was more like her, as our father enjoyed the same aspect in Daenys."

"Yes, poor Viserys," teased Daenys, watching his reaction carefully as Rhaenyra slipped into the group. "Not a good swordsman yet always the best student and now the King, how awful. Our septa never had to chase you around, alas... Daemon and I might've been struck by the heaviest edition of Aegon's Conquest if we weren't Baelon's children. Mother's favorite child... concussed by a book! She'd have laughed."

Rhaenyra cleared her throat, "Welcome back, Uncle." Silence filled immediately. Alicent side-eyed Rhaenyra, Rolf and Daenys both looked at Viserys as he glared down at his daughter, who was meant to be in the Stormlands right now. Good naturedly, Daemon replied, "Thank you, Princess."

Surprisingly, it was Alicent rather than Rolf who changed the subject, "Perhaps Prince Daemon would care for a tour of the gallery? He hasn't yet seen the new tapestries gifted to you by Norvos and Qohor."

Rolf, in Daemon's shoes, would have immediately accepted and been kind to Alicent for offering an end to the tension. Daenys was displeased when both Daemon and Viserys began to snicker. Viserys even spoke sarcastically, "Oh, yes, would you like to see the tapestries?" He roared with laughter, tapping Daemon's shoulder. It was an unseemly mockery towards his Queen. "He has no interest in such things."

"He might find one," said Rolf kindly, always sweet to Alicent. "They are very beautiful. They say the Norvoshi are the most nimble-fingered, and these tapestries depict Old Valyria as I'm sure we all would've liked to know it. Surely someone as successful as Prince Daemon would care to revisit his own history?"

Though he meant well, Daenys knew that this was only worsening Daemon's hidden anger. Rhaenyra intervened this time, "I'd like to see them."

"Then you should not deprive yourself," said Viserys curtly.

"I shall enjoy them alone," decided Rhaenyra, walking away. After a beat, Alicent followed after her. Only when she was out of earshot did Daenys tell her brothers, "That was absurdly unkind to both of them. Particularly the Queen. She's a girl."

"She's a Hightower," said Daemon. "Ah, but I forget, they are your favorite house, are they not?" Daenys's hand tightened around Bloodrain's hilt. "Your children are beautiful, my sweet sister. Especially the oldest two. I find young Alyssa as captivating as the Queen, and I think Aenar has the same calculating look about him as the Lord Hand."

Rolf caught her wrist as she made to draw the sword. "A very kind compliment," said Rolf, staring at Daemon and agreeing, "Alyssa is indeed made in the very likeness of the Queen. The Mother of the Realm should always look like the Mother above, many believe. Our Alyssa has been quite blessed. As for Aenar, I'm sure he'd be proud to know he comes off as pensive as the Warrior of the Realm. He is more serious, our boy."

That, at least, would tell Daemon that he could not try to manipulate Daenys by threatening to reveal anything to Rolf– he knew exactly what Daemon was referring to. Daenys hated that her brother would dare to bring this up with Otto, Alicent, and the rest of the court so close by. Already, she was wishing her brother hadn't come at all.

"So she has," said Daemon, tone changed. He wasn't going to argue on the point any further now that Rolf knew; it wasn't any fun if he was aware. Daenys worried he'd try to get his revenge some other way. "May the gods bless you with another child so good-looking, Daenys. I imagined you'd never want children. Even Rhaenys was surprised to hear of their birth; you once told her that Rhaenyra and Alicent were practically your own daughters. We all thought they were the only ones you were like to have."

"They still are my daughters," she said carefully. "I will not take kindly to those who would insult them." She pressed her glare on Viserys, who seemed sheepish. "I am sure my children are tired by now. Rolf and I will be retiring to our apartments for the rest of the night."

She whisked them away almost as quickly as she'd brought them out. Rolf could feel how upset she was as she put them to bed, though she spoke kindly to her children as always, giving them no indication that she was upset.

"Will I get to see Caraxes?" yawned Alyssa as Daenys put her down.

"Perhaps, my dearest," said Daenys, kissing her forehead. "Let me make sure the dragons are behaving themselves before we go anywhere."

Rolf came behind her, "Your brother is at the door, my love."

With a sigh, she smoothed her hand through Alyssa's hair and beckoned her to go to bed. She clenched her jaw once only Rolf could see, muttering, "If Viserys and Rhaenys had never been watching us like hawks as children, I surely would have killed Daemon long ago."

Her brother stood at her door, apologetic as ever, the torches casting a serene shadow over his face, much unlike the violent thoughts she knew swirled in his head. Once might even think him innocent as a pup here. "Sister," he said. "Might we take a walk?"

She glanced at Rolf, who nodded as if to say he'd be fine without her for a bit. He knew as well as Daenys that whatever anger Daemon had, it was not the sort of thing a Tully could fix. Rolf knew his limits when it came to mending the family.

She kept her sword on her as she slipped out, following Daemon into the hallway. He spoke not a word as he guided her away from Maegor's Holdfast, until they'd finally reached a stretch of the castle meant for guests, which should be devoid enough of guards and company to give them privacy.

"He's a good man, that Tully boy," said Daemon, caressing the hilt of Dark Sister. "He's not like the other ones. His hair is darker."

"He takes after his mother," said Daenys carefully. "It has some red in the light."

"Same as the Hightowers," he observed.

She did not reply to that. "He's not like the Tullys at all. He prefers to hunt and read. He'll be our new master-at-arms. He loves all his children and me. You always hated Otto for being a second son, yet Rolf never wanted to rob his brother of his birthright. He never failed to support him. He stuck around to take care of his nephew and his nephew's children after his brother died– he only left because I wanted to marry him."

"Motherhood has changed you, sweet sister. Those children, they adore you, that much is plain. Alicent's own didn't seem like her very much."

"They are Viserys's children, too. You'd know that if you were ever here. You're always coming and going, never taken your duty seriously."

"And has yours soured you?" he challenged. "Hiding that affair with Otto by marrying a Tully, sitting here birthing heirs– Vhagar must be disappointed in you."

"How dare you? Our own mother had four of us and she told our father she wanted to give him twenty sons. It doesn't make me less of a warrior to have children. I am not different, Daemon. I am who I have always been. I focus on what I desire, what makes me happy. I can do it all. I have sat the Council while you've been absent. I've become a mother and still tended to Viserys's children where he doesn't. I've kept the peace with Alicent and I'm here protecting Rhaenyra's birthright, while you keep forgetting you have a family."

His expression dropped. "I never forget. I would have come sooner. After Dragonstone, I would have come and apologized. By the time I wanted to, I'd heard you married him."

"Don't blame me because you choose not to support your family. You could have come and helped me talk Viserys into abandoning his betrothal to Alicent. I had to marry to secure Rhaenyra her allies."

"To hide your pregnancy, you mean."

"I did not know I was pregnant until I had already decided to marry Rolf. I had a dream the night I stayed in Driftmark. I had a bad feeling. The marriage was already going to happen... I simply made it happen faster. You will not hurt me by mentioning it. If you tell Otto, I'll kill the both of you"

He came to a stop. "I would not say anything to Otto. I am here now. Let me defend my family."

"Then do it, I'm not stopping you. Abandon whatever evil little scheme you have now that you've met Rolf. I love him, Daemon." He turned away, sneering. "I love him. I chose him. Most importantly, he loves me, too, and he's always respected me."

Daemon accused, "He's weak, that's why you like him. He'd do anything for you."

"And you never would," she retorted. "It's why I didn't choose to marry you. You proved time and again that everything would always be as you wanted, never as I did. So what if I married him because he would give me what I desired? So, too, he married me for the same reasons. I have grown to love him. He loves our children, all of them."

"Yet you've not managed a fifth one," said Daemon. "Perhaps his time is done."

She narrowed her eyes. She knew, then, what he wanted his revenge to be. She slapped him across the face, the crisp echo sounding through the hall, as sharp as the bite of steel. "You craven little cunt," she sneered at him. "You'd bring me out here, hoping to find an empty room to plant another child in me just to watch him take care of it as he's taken care of two he knows not to be his? Gods, Daemon, I can't believe I ever considered I might want you for a husband. Perhaps because I was so miserable in Highgarden. But no, I am not miserable anymore. Father and Mother would both be ashamed of you."

For a moment, she thought he meant to strike her back. She would have welcomed it with her sword. She would have fought until one of them killed the other. Then, when he didn't hit her, she thought he'd try to force another kiss on her, which she'd answer with a kiss of steel that'd turn him into a eunuch.

He must have known what she was thinking. And when he didn't argue, she knew she'd figured out his game. "You stay away from my husband," she threatened. "If you do anything to hurt him... if you do anything to ruin his happiness... ourhappiness... if you so much as lay a hand on our children... I will add 'Kinslayer' to my list of names and I will put your head on a spike outside of my apartments."

She ran from him, the same way she ran when he'd first asked her to marry him, when he'd tried to whisk her away against her will. She'd not allow it. She did not stop until she was back in her apartments, Rolf waiting up with concern etched on his face when she shut the door behind her, barring it.

He stared at her worriedly as she went to the only secret passage she knew that went into her chambers and pulled a table and armchair in front of it, keeping the door from opening. That door, that beautiful door, she'd snuck out through it many times as a young girl and woman, but never again would it bring her a sensation of curiosity and bliss.

"What happened?" asked Rolf, carefully tapping her shoulder. "Daenys, tell me."

She hugged him. Her face was buried into the crook of his neck, but she did not cry. She breathed away anger and resentment until at last her voice was steady enough to tell him what had happened. She'd always wanted to live here, always wanted to be close to her family, but for the first time, she told him that she wished to take them all to Dragonstone. They could live there half the year and here during the other half.

He knew she didn't fully mean it. She loved her family, most importantly, Rhaenyra. She'd not abandon Rhaenyra while vipers lingered at court. All the same, he agreed with her. He kissed the top of her head. He'd known for a long time how she felt about Daemon. She'd admitted to him long ago that she'd once considered him, but that he'd never respected her. At the time, Rolf had teased that if that ever became the case, he'd hope he could at least still have some of her if not all.

But Rolf was in no mood to tease now. "If you were to want to go to Dragonstone, I wouldn't oppose it," he admitted, once she was calm enough for him to say what he felt. "I always admired the tales of your brother, but meeting him is very different. I dislike the way he looks at you, the way he feels entitled to you. It annoys me how much ."

His voice was hard, and Rolf never spoke that way. He was rarely angry in general. Daemon had a habit of eliciting rage from people who normally didn't feel that way. Even when Aemma and Gael had been alive, Daenys had found them both getting angry where Daemon was sometimes concerned. Mostly with the way he treated her. It was a pity that had not ended yet.

Daenys slipped out of his arms, cupping his face. Even his jaw was clenched, his muscles tight– he didn't look at her, for he was so upset. "Rolf," she assured him, "I want nothing to do with him. If he ever, ever tries to lay a hand on me with desire again, I will cut that hand off."

"I know you don't want him. I know you would maim anyone who disrespects you. It is not you I worry for, I learned a long time that Daemon was not someone you wanted romantically. You could have sent a raven to him instead, years ago. You could have married him to irk Otto Hightower, yet, you chose me. You chose me, not him. I've always known that and I've always... liked that. He will never make me feel like a small man because I know that when you had a choice, you went to me."

Her cheeks burned. He held her waist tight, possessively, in a way he never had. Rolf was always so gentle with her, even in bed, letting her pin him down and do as she pleased. She was the one who defended others ferociously, while he kept at her side to hold her back if she were getting too upset. For once, he was the one acting like a dragon. She liked that.

"You were my choice, now and always," she whispered. "I love you. I love you—"

He kissed her hungrily, a starving kiss as if they'd never done so. He hadn't even kissed her this desperately when she came to Riverrun and rode him in his bedroom, his entire family gathered outside listening in shock, unable to believe that Rolf, the black sheep of the family, the man who'd never wanted to marry not even a simple lady, was now wedded and bedded to a Targaryen princess.

He pulled her close to him, hands expertly reaching around to undo her sword belt. He used to tease her about all the armor she wore, but now he did away with it as if he'd always known how. She tugged hard at his own clothes, ripping fabrics away and letting him devour her. She dug her nails into his arms, chest, and back, gasping breathily as he bit into her neck, sure to leave a love bite that Daemon would see come morning.

He'd never excited her this much. She pitied the poor guards, who would have to listen to her cries. He pinned her onto the edge of their bed, hands gripping her bruisingly tight as he drove into her like a madman, his lips not letting up on her neck. She shrieked to the gods in delight until he silenced her with another kiss, then again by pushing her face down into the bedsheets, his hold on her hips becoming such that she wished he would always be so dominant.

If she were younger, she would have sworn to give him ten more children simply because of how much he'd excited her. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "You've no idea how much it pleases me to know that I am the one who gets to put a child into you, not Daemon, not even Viserys."

Her knuckles turned white from gripping the sheets as she felt his seed inside her. She knew their fifth child would come from this, for the gods would be cruel to deny them in this moment. Rolf seemed to think the same, for he laughed breathily and pulled her up by the root of her hair, kissing her shoulder and muttering, "There, that ought to do it."

She drew him to her once she'd laid herself down, pressing her naked form to his and wrapping a leg around his waist. She rested her head on his chest, feeling his heart still jumping. In a much gentler voice, he asked, "Did you mean that, about going to Dragonstone? I don't imagine you did, but I am left curious."

"Maybe," she admitted. "But I am not ready to leave Rhaenyra, not when she is unwed and in need of counsel. She was my first child... I cannot leave her to grow up by herself yet. To me, she is still a little girl, one I worry for greatly."

"As do I," said Rolf. "I worry what will happen now that she must marry. You are right about Laenor, though, I too have heard of the boy's nature. It will make it difficult for her to have an heir."

"It will. But it is never impossible. She only needs two or three. I'm sure they can make it happen, somehow. Have man's voice in his ear while he performs his duty, depositing his seed elsewhere then guiding it towards the womb even without copulation. It's been known to happen."

"With men and women who are equally devoted to the task. Nyra is stubborn. You may have always done your duty, but I fear she's never thought of it the same way you have."

"No," admitted Daenys. "That is what concerns me most."

_

She spoke with Rhaenyra the following day, once the girl had come to see her little cousins. Rolf would be occupied most of the day now that he was going to be the new master-at-arms, which meant Daenys would have her hands full with the children.

"Daemon was in quite a mood this morning," said Rhaenyra, cradling Gemma. "But at the very least, it is not so bad as what my father showed me at breakfast."

"Viserys will understand why you returned," said Daenys. "Ignore him. I saw you with Alicent yesterday. How did that go?"

Rhaenyra smiled. "I think we may be able to be friends again. We spoke at length about how we've been feeling... she even told me she is afraid she's disappointed you."

"Neither of you have disappointed me, little one. If it has to do with the proposal, there are reasons I declined. You know me, Nyra, I've never been the sort that wanted to marry within the family. I don't want the same for my children, either. They're Tullys by name, not Targaryens. It will matter how they are perceived."

Rhaenyra grinned down at Gemma. "This one is the most Tully. The others are all dragons. Aenar, he's so pensive but he has a temper like Alyssa and Cliff, who cannot restrain themselves. Gemma is the dearest, sweetest thing."

"Well, she's gaining a bit of her own personality. She can be particular, that one. You'll learn that when you have children." She tilted her head as Rhaenyra grimaced. "I know you don't like the idea, little one, but you must marry at some point."

She scowled. "I know that. But why so soon?"

"Because you are heir to the Iron Throne. I was only a year older than you when I married the first time. Two years older by the time I was a widow."

"But you didn't have your first child until you were nine-and-twenty."

"Circumstances worked that way. I surmise if Viserys had named me his heir in Daemon's stead when he first ascended the throne, I would have actually had to have children with Gareth Tyrell. It's why I chastised Daemon so much for not attending to his marriage. He wanted to be heir to the throne without performing his rightful duty. It is a burden to be borne, Rhaenyra."

Seeing the look on her face, she almost wanted to tell her little girl that she could change her mind. If this duty was becoming too much, if she hated the idea of it... well, it might play right into Otto's hands, but it would avoid Rhaenyra much discomfort. She could give up her rights as heir and tell her father to name Aegon instead.

It was not ideal, but Daenys worried that it would come back to slap Rhaenyra in the face if she went ahead with something that she wasn't happy with. She'd bear the burden as painfully as Viserys and never truly be happy with her spouse, perhaps not even her children. It was high time she evaluated whether this duty was for her or not.

"My girl," said Daenys, while Rhaenyra tried to change the subject by baby-talking to Gemma. "Listen to me. That idea your father had of betrothing you to Laenor, that was my idea. He slighted Lord Corlys by not marrying Lady Laena, and I think this is our best course. There are those who would tear you down simply because you are a woman. It is a cruel thing, but one that cannot be ignored. It is an unfair fight and you must not give them more to use against you."

"I don't want to marry him," said Rhaenyra honestly. "He is kind, but he... he doesn't even like women."

"The Velaryons would be strong allies and fierce enemies if they were to feel even more insulted. Short of marrying a Redwyne or Greyjoy, I don't see how we could oppose their power at sea. This is a monumental moment in history. For years, it will be spoken of how a woman ascended the Iron Throne. It would be ideal to have a Valyrian husband, an ally in the water where we hold the sky."

"I won't love him," countered Rhaenyra. "Not truly. Not the way you love Rolf or the way my father loved my mother, the way Jaehaerys loved Alysanne."

"Not everyone loves their spouse, especially not at first. But love can grow. I liked Rolf when I met him, but I didn't love him for certain until a year ago. I know how awful it is to think of yourself being denied love... I wish your father had chosen Laena in the first place. You've been saddled with this duty to make children where it will be difficult to do so. But I don't think there is another plausible option."

Rhaenyra stared off at the far wall, shaking her head, upset. Daenys had always tried not to lecture her girls, for she knew how little a child wanted to listen when being talked at so sternly. There had never been need to, before. But if Rhaenyra was not understanding how crucial this was, then Daenys had to try and talk sense into her.

"We will always support you, my dear," promised Daenys. "We will carry all the weight we can. But unfortunately you must pull the greatest weight, as our future Queen. You must try hard to make heirs no matter how impossible it will seem. With Laenor, you'll certainly have children that are dragonriders."

"I don't want to," she repeated in a small voice. "I don't want to, Aunt Daenys."

Pursing her lips, she chose to say, "Then you can choose to say that to your father. It will be a terrible thing to give up your position, I know that. But you must question whether you want the crown more or your freedom."

Rhaenyra began to tear up. "What are you saying?"

"The truth, my girl. Otto Hightower and I... I'm sure you know we were very close for a time. But he wanted me because we thought your father would name me his heir. When he didn't and wished to take me to wife, Otto began to scheme. Otto and I both knew the truth, and I wanted to be heir only to protect you from the disappointment you were going to face if your father sired a son. I thought, if I were heir, I could handle it with grace when your father inevitably remarried, had a son, and named him heir."

She furrowed her brows as Daenys continued, "Obviously that didn't happen. But I swore still to always protect your right as firstborn, to defend your title as Princess of Dragonstone. I regret that your father did not see your potential sooner. Yet, truthfully, Rhaenyra, you must take this more seriously if you're going to accept this role. It has been four years since your father named you, and you are refusing to wed despite how important it is. I never, ever wanted to see you pressured the way me and your mother were, the way all my aunts were. But unfortunately, it is different now that you will be Queen. You have to marry someone sooner than late."

She could see Rhaenyra's eyes burning with hurt. Daenys knew that Rhaenyra must have thought her the last person who would ever be so insistent. Hadn't Daenys always been an example of defying tradition and duty, as her own mother had? Hadn't she always taught Rhaenyra to fight her way out from under the thumbs of men?

Yet life was not perfect, nor was the situation they were saddled with. She knew Rhaenys had had the same talk with Rhaenyra before– all of them knew how difficult it would be for the realm to accept her as Queen. But if she wanted it done, she had to make her own sacrifices. Being stubborn was not going to help her, in this case. Would that it could.

"I'm sorry to tell you this," said Daenys. "Truly, I am. But you have to marry, preferably Laenor, and begin strengthening your claim with heirs. Otherwise, you must tell your father that you want freedom to choose a better husband, that this duty is taking away your happiness... and let him saddle someone else with it. I don't want Aegon to be king simply because he is a boy. I want you to be our Queen. But I will not see you destroyed because your father realized too late the blessing he had."

Her explanation could not take away the cut of her first few words. Rhaenyra was quick to hand Gemma back to her, slipping out of the room with a gasp that sounded as though she might have started crying.