Chapter 9. Getting Viserys' Blessing
'Nervous?' Diane asked, brushing Rhaenyra's hair.
'That's an understatement,' the princess let out a nervous laugh. 'There is no predicting how he might react.'
'Well, I don't believe he has something to be angry about. You come to him and you inform him of your decision. He said you could choose who you want to marry, didn't he?'
'Yes. But I'm pretty sure he didn't have his brother in mind.'
'But aren't most of our family married into our family? Or into the Velaryon family?' Diane frowned. 'I had a scroll with our family tree growing up. Father recreated it from his memory. I think he fucked up a few names in the process but that's beside the point,' she said, making Rhaenyra snort. 'What I mean is that between these two families, Daemon is the closest man to you in age who is not exclusively into other men. The King should have seen it coming.'
'I guess,' Rhaenyra shrugged.
Suddenly there were voices from the other side of the door. It took the princess a few seconds to realize that Daemon had come to escort her to the meeting with the King and Ser Criston was refusing to let him in. Rhaenyra took an immediate dislike to Cole as soon as she found out what he did in another timeline, but they hadn't figured out how to remove him without raising suspicion just yet. Diane said that she was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to take him out, and it brought Rhaenyra great comfort for some reason.
'You put on earrings, I'll sort them out,' Diane said, leaving Rhaenyra to finish getting ready.
Diane opened the door, and Rhaenyra could hear the end of Cole's answer, '...inappropriate to visit the princess in her rooms.'
'Don't be such a prude, Ser Criston. I'll make sure everyone will stay clothed,' Diane gave Cole one of her smiles that made others fear for their life if they were smart enough. Cole wasn't. 'Come on in, father,' Diane added, stepping to the side so Daemon would have a room to come in.
'If the princess wants to speak with him, she will come out. It's not appropriate for them to be alone and unchaperoned,' Ser Criston insisted.
'You know, I'm still here, right?' Diane asked. 'If it makes you feel better, I will chaperone them.'
'You can't be their chaperone!' Cole exclaimed, obviously getting irritated.
'Why the fuck not? What do you think we will do? Have a threesome? He is my father, for Gods' sake!' Diane exclaimed, dragged Daemon into the room by the elbow, and closed the door in Cole' dumbfounded face with a bang.
Daemon made a sound as if he was trying very hard not to laugh but it escaped his throat nonetheless. 'See what I have to deal with every day,' Diane complained, gesturing at the door.
Daemon patted her on the shoulder. 'You are doing a good job,' he said, only half-joking because if he had to deal with Ser Criston as often as Diane did, the poor man would have been long dead. Frankly speaking, he was impressed with his daughter's patience. 'You look gorgeous, my little dragon,' Daemon continued, approaching Rhaenyra who rose to her feet to meet him.
'Thank you, Uncle. Does my look say "I made up my mind about my future husband and there is no talking me out of it"?' she smiled when Daemon pushed the strand of her hair behind her ear.
'Let's hope it does,' he smiled, and Rhaenyra leaned forward, putting her head on his chest. 'Everything will be alright, my love. One way or another,' Daemon assured her. He was nervous himself but hid it well. He had no problems with confronting Viserys in the past, but right now it felt different because it wasn't only his fate this conversation would decide. Because he knew he would leave everything for Rhaenyra, and he knew Rhaenyra would do the same, but he didn't want her to sacrifice anything. She was born to be Queen, and she shouldn't be robbed of her birthright because of her choice of a husband.
'Okay, lovebirds, let's get it moving. We still need to ditch Cole,' Diane hurried them up. She didn't know a lot about court rules but she figured if they wanted to get at the King's good side, they at least shouldn't be late.
'How are we going to do that? He seems to be glued to my side lately,' Rhaenyra huffed in annoyance.
Diane smiled, 'Leave that to me. Just distract him for a second, and I'll do the rest.'
'No problem. That boy seems to hate my guts anyway,' Daemon said and then went to open the door for Rhaenyra.
As soon as they moved forward into the corridor, Cole followed them with a sour expression on his face. Daemon stopped him, 'I'll take it from here, Ser Criston.'
'I'm ordered to ensure the princess' safety, and you are not the one to give me orders!' Cole immediately exclaimed.
'Right, I am,' Rhaenyra interjected. 'And I'm saying that I do not need your services at the moment. My uncle can look after me just fine.'
Ser Criston looked like he was about to disagree but didn't have a chance because Diane suddenly snatched his sword and ran in the opposite direction. 'Hey!' Cole exclaimed, obviously shocked by the turn of events.
'You better get on that,' Daemon said, holding back a chuckle. 'If my daughter hurts herself, I'll hold you accountable,' he added for good measure.
Cole growled but rushed after Diane anyway. Rhaenyra couldn't help but laugh when the man was out of earshot. Daemon chuckled too, and then led Rhaenyra in the direction of Viserys' chambers. His hand found its way on the small of her back. It was a small, hardly noticeable gesture, but the princess appreciated it anyway. Having Daemon near and touching her calmed her nerves quite well.
Viserys was already expecting her when she walked in. On the other hand, he didn't expect to see his brother so he immediately frowned.
'What's the matter, Rhaenyra?' he asked. 'I thought you wanted to talk in private.'
'Yes, I did, father. But Daemon needs to be here,' the princess insisted. She wanted to announce their engagement with her future husband present so there would be no speculations or suspicions that they were hiding something. Which they did, but no one had to know about it.
Viserys glanced at Daemon suspiciously but said, 'Okay then. What is it?'
'You said it's up to me to choose my husband. I did,' Rhaenyra informed. 'It's Daemon,' she added then in case it wasn't obvious.
'What?' asked Viserys who apparently decided that denial was a way to go.
Rhaenyra reached out to take Daemon's hand who immediately offered it to her and intertwined their fingers. The King's eyes widened almost comically.
'I made my choice, father,' the princess smiled. 'Daemon and I are to be wed.'
'You!' Viserys exclaimed, his face suddenly angry, and pointed a finger at his brother.
Daemon waited a few seconds for the rest of the accusation, but it didn't come and Viserys just kept pointing and glaring, so he asked, 'Is there an end to this sentence?'
It seemed to snap the King out of whatever thought spiral he was in, because he continued, 'How could you?!'
'He didn't do anything, father. In fact, it was my...' Rhaenyra immediately started but was rudely interrupted.
'Otto was right all along!' Viserys exclaimed. Daemon internally cringed. Whatever came after this sentence, it wasn't going to be good. 'And to think I defended you... It was your plan all along, wasn't it? To come here, pretend you changed and then backstab me!'
'How am I backstabbing you?' Daemon asked genuinely. He thought they were pretty straightforward, coming here to him and announcing their engagement. Well, he didn't ask for Rhaenyra's hand beforehand, true, but that was because he preferred to negotiate his future marriage with a person he was going to marry and not with anyone else.
'Using my daughter to get to the throne!' Viserys shouted. 'I didn't think you would fall so low to just get-'
'I don't need a fucking throne!' Daemon's patience snapped. He was done being accused of being power-hungry. Even if he more or less was, it didn't include him sitting on the Iron throne, and others insinuating otherwise was getting on his nerves. 'Despite all the lies this Hightower snake is trying to poison you with, I do not want it! I love Rhaenyra, and it would be an honor for me to be her husband, whether or not she gets the crown.'
'Of course, you would say that,' Viserys shook his head. 'No. No, that's not gonna happen. I forbid it.'
Daemon felt blood boil in his veins. How could his brother dare to stand in their way?! But before he could say or do something, Rhaenyra spoke.
'I believe you misunderstood me, father,' she said calmly, but her eyes were burning with fire. 'I'm not asking you for permission. I'm informing you that I made my choice. I'm going to marry Daemon. Here, or in Dragonstone, or in Essos if you decide to exile us, or anywhere else. I will follow him to the end of the world and be by his side till my last breath, whatever it takes.'
The silence hung in the air, and Daemon squeezed Rhaenyra's hand lightly to support her.
Viserys clenched his jaw, 'You are young and naive, Rhaenyra. I do not question your devotion, I question his.'
Daemon saw that the princess was insulted by the King's words, and she had all the right to be. Because it was fucking hypocritical. Viserys deemed it fine to marry Alicent who had been only six and ten, but didn't want to respect the decision of his adult daughter who was very clearly expressing her wants and desires. She was suddenly too young to know what was good for her.
Daemon let out a sigh. Rhaenyra looked at him and instantly knew he was already contemplating Plan B. Which meant they would leave for Dragonstone of their own volition with her future as a Queen uncertain and questionable. Because then no one would be around to stop Otto from convincing Viserys that naming Aegon an heir would be a better decision. Rhaenyra also knew that Daemon was staying silent because he didn't want to decide for her. If they left, it was because she decided so.
Rhaenyra gave Daemon a curt nod. His hold on her hand immediately tightened. 'Then we are leaving,' Rhaenyra declared, looking at her father again. 'If we can't be together here, there is no reason for us to stay.'
'Rhaenyra, you can't be serious-'
'I am,' came a response with a simultaneous, 'She is,' from Daemon.
Viserys looked extremely shocked, and Daemon decided not to waste any more time, pulling Rhaenyra to follow him. 'No!' Viserys exclaimed. 'You are not going anywhere!'
'You gave us no other choice,' Daemon answered.
'You are not taking my daughter!'
'You can't keep me here against my will,' Rhaenyra insisted. 'I want to be with Daemon, no matter where.'
'And what my future wife wants, my future wife gets,' Daemon couldn't help but emphasize that Viserys' protests had no influence on their plans.
'The guards won't let you leave!' the King said, but it was obviously a weak attempt on his part.
'They won't stop me,' Daemon answered, a feral glint in his eyes that turned Rhaenyra on just a tiny bit (who was she kidding, it turned her on a lot). His free hand grasped the handle of Dark Sister.
'Daemon, listen to the voice of reason! You are outnumbered,' Viserys said, finally catching up on the fact that his brother was not pretending and was actually getting ready to fight anyone who appeared in his way.
'And yet I will slay every one of them for her,' Daemon snarled. 'I would kill for her and I would die for her, even though I'm not planning on doing the latter today,' he added just in case.
There was a long pause, and then Viserys' shoulders slumped. It was obvious he gave up. 'Fine, you win,' he said, turning and walking away to sit in his chair.
Rhaenyra glanced at Daemon before asking, 'So... does it mean you support our marriage?'
'It means I'm not going to stand in the way,' Viserys answered. He realized he couldn't talk his daughter out of it, even though he still thought it was a mistake on her part. Daemon was always after the throne, ever since Viserys was named an heir to King Jaehaerys, and he didn't believe his brother changed quite that much. But it was either letting it happen or losing his daughter, probably forever. And the last option didn't seem like an option at all. 'I will announce your engagement later today.'
Rhaenyra smiled in relief. Daemon let go of the handle of Dark Sister. Well, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, was it?
***
Diane noticed Ser Criston shooting daggers at her across the hall and gave him a one-sided smirk. He hadn't caught her earlier that day (that was expected) and had spent a few hours looking for his sword which Diane had ditched when she got bored. So yeah, he was rightfully pissed off with her, and Diane considered it a success. Making Cole's life a living hell was surely making her own days slightly better.
The throne room was getting crowded because apparently, the King was making some big, unexpected announcement. Daemon and Rhaenyra were standing together a little bit to the left side of the throne, quietly talking about something but mostly waiting. Rhaenyra was over the moon, and Daemon's eyes were also shining with happiness, even though he did a good job of concealing it. The only reason Diane was able to tell was because she knew him well enough.
Diane also couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard some of the nobles speculating whether or not Viserys decided to name Aegon his heir. Oh, these fuсkers were about to be so surprised.
The Queen and the Hand, who entered the throne room together, also didn't seem really confident about what was going on. When the King sat on the throne, Diane was all but bouncing with anticipation. She couldn't wait to see them lose it!
'I called you all today to announce important news,' Viserys started. He didn't look all that happy with what he was about to say, but his words mattered more than his feelings on the matter. 'My daughter and the heir to the Iron throne Rhaenyra Targaryen ...' the King emphasized in the last few words, showing he knew about the speculations and was having none of it. Diane couldn't help but chuckle. She always had a mixed opinion on Viserys as a King and as a person but it was nice to see him do right by his daughter once in a while. '... is to be betrothed to my brother, Daemon Targaryen.'
There were a few literal gasps in the audience which Diane thought was hilarious. Otto looked as if he couldn't believe he wasn't sleeping and the King did indeed betrothed his daughter without even consulting him. Alicent, on the other hand, looked hurt and almost disgusted which Diane couldn't quite explain. Surprise or shock would be understandable, but Alicent looked like Rhaenyra just stabbed her in the back marrying Daemon. And that definitely would be a rich accusation, coming from a person who married Rhaenyra's father without even letting her know beforehand.
The whispering and talking in the throne room only got louder when the King ended his announcement and got up. Otto immediately walked to him, trying to say something, but Viserys just waved him off and rushed to disappear from the public eye as if it pained him to see Rhaenyra and Daemon being congratulated by nobles.
Diane couldn't help but make her way to still flabbergasted Otto and innocently say, 'They do make a great couple, don't they?'
The Hand glanced at her as if he was surprised she dared to talk to him. But she held his gaze, her smile warm but not quite reaching her eyes.
'I suppose there are worse matches for the Princess,' Otto finally managed to say. 'It will surely improve your standing, despite your... less fortunate circumstances of birth.'
Oh, Diane knew what he was doing. He was trying to insult her by reminding her that she was a bastard. Please, what a pathetic and totally unoriginal attempt. If anything, she was proud of her upbringing. It made her strong and smart enough to play all these court games. So Diane said, 'Why don't take the power if you can, right? I'm sure I'm not the only one with such beliefs here, Lord Hand.'
Otto's gaze changed. He looked almost... impressed with her? Well, she would actually love to see him fear her but that was a good start. It was harder to look threatening being a six and ten years old girl in a floral dress than it used to be when she was a four and thirty years old woman in battle armor, but Diane believed she was doing quite fine.
Otto clicked his tongue thoughtfully and said, 'I suppose not.'
***
Diane sneaked out of the throne room soon after, wanting to get into her rooms and get some rest before her evening flight with Rhaenyra. She wasn't able to get far before she was grabbed by her shoulders and pushed into the wall. The impact with a hard stone hurt but she managed to not bump her head so at least her mind was as clear as ever.
'You filthy bitch!' Cole snarled in her face.
'Gods, are you still bitter about the morning?' Diane rolled her eyes. She wasn't scared or even intimidated, to be honest. She had seen and survived so much in her previous life that Ser Criston now looked about as scary as a puppy. 'Don't be a baby, no harm done.'
'Fuck this morning! It was you! You tricked the princess into that marriage!' Cole shouted. 'It's your fault she is with your filthy father!'
Oh, he was having that kind of problem with her. Usually, Diane believed that some people could totally live their whole lives being abstinent and not going crazy, but Ser Criston just might be the exception. So many problems would have been solved if he just got his dick wet and wasn't pining over the woman he couldn't have in any reality.
'I do believe it's rather my father's fault than mine,' Diane answered, completely unbothered by the fact that Cole was pinning her to the wall. He wasn't a threat to her unless he reached for his sword and she was sure she could be faster. 'He is a rather charming man, you cannot not see that. Just the fit for our future Queen.'
'He doesn't deserve to even look at her let alone be with her!' Ser Criston snarled, his fingers digging into her shoulders with more force.
'And who do you think deserves her? You?' she let out a laugh. She was taunting him. She was daring him to do something harsh, something he didn't think through, something that would give her the right to take him out. 'You forgot your place, Ser Criston. She is a star you can never reach.'
Cole growled, and Diane knew he was going to reach for his sword, but wasn't able to prevent it because they suddenly heard a voice.
'Ser Criston, unhand my lady-in-waiting right now!' Rhaenyra demanded, obviously angry. She went to find her friend to share some new gossip and stumbled upon her guard threatening her! Even if she hadn't known prior that Cole shouldn't be trusted, she would have still lost all trust in him in a heartbeat.
'My Princess!' Ser Criston exclaimed, letting go of Diane who looked quite disappointed at such a turn of events. 'That's not- she is disgusting, she is evil! She shouldn't be trusted!'
'The one who is acting disgusting right now is you,' Rhaenyra accused right back. 'I do believe I won't require your services anymore.'
'No, you don't understand!' Cole exclaimed, striding to Rhaenyra and grabbing her by the shoulders. 'It's all Daemon's fault! He doesn't love you, he is playing with you! He sent his bastard to fool you!'
'How dare you say something like that about my intended?!' the princess was even angrier now. 'And how dare you touch me?!' she tried to push him away but he tightened his hold on her, and Rhaenyra knew it would leave bruises. Oh Gods, Daemon would butcher him as soon as he saw the bruises, and she couldn't wait for that to happen.
'He doesn't love you! He just wants to ruin you! He wants the throne!' Ser Criston ranted, sounding more and more like a madman with each passing second. 'I won't let it happen! I-'
For the next few seconds, the time seemed to slow down, and Rhaenyra saw every single motion. She saw how a hand pulled Cole's head back by his hair and then a dagger sliced his throat in one clean cut. The movement was confident, practiced, and fast.
Cole's eyes widened. The blood spilled like a fountain, staining Rhaenyra's dress, hair, and face. Ser Criston made a few gagged sounds. Diane yanked him back by his hair and he fell on his back like a sack of potatoes. Cole made the last few twitched movements, and then the Stranger took his soul.
Rhaenyra blinked, feeling an iron taste of blood on her lips. Diane rushed to her, 'I'm so sorry. It's always that messy when you cut someone's neck.'
The princess wiped her mouth absently, 'That's alright. Are you hurt?' she then asked.
'No, not at all. I had everything under control,' Diane gave her a reassuring smile. 'Are you alright?'
Rhaenyra nodded and then added, 'I want a bath. And then a cake. I really want a cake,' making Diane laugh.
'I can arrange for that. But before we move forward, we need to deal with... the one right there,' she gestured in the direction of the body with her head.
'Oh... yes, okay. What do you want to do?' Rhaenyra asked. She was ready for whatever but she wasn't sure whether or not she would be much help in hiding or disposing of a body.
'We will make a scene. Well...' Diane looked Rhaenyra up and down. 'I will make a scene. You just look shocked and confused as everyone will expect you to be.'
'I can do that,' Rhaenyra immediately nodded.
'And we will tell a story of Ser Criston trying to assault you because of his unreciprocated feelings for you, and me having no choice but to defend my princess,' Diane proceeded to explain. 'We can't say he attacked me because the court doesn't care for me much yet and Hightowers might try to spin it as if I overreacted, and unstable, and all this kind of bullshit,' she added before Rhaenyra could even ask. 'On the other hand, assaulting the Princess is an offense punishable by death anyway so we can say I delivered. And his house will never live this down, which is a nice bonus.'
'That's smart. You are smart,' Rhaenyra said.
Diane smiled, 'Thank you. That actually means a lot, coming from you.'
***
Rhaenyra couldn't help but be impressed by Diane's acting skills. She made a huge scene, screaming and running to get help for her Princess who was "attacked by her own guard"! Diane made sure everyone in the castle heard her and knew what had happened.
Daemon was one of the first at the scene because he didn't manage to walk too far from the throne room and almost immediately recognized Diane's voice screaming for help. He knew that Diane most likely wouldn't cry for help like that unless she was orchestrating something, but still couldn't help the fact that it scared the shit out of him. Even more so when he ran and saw Rhaenyra. She was covered in blood and for one, extremely terrifying second he thought she must have been badly hurt. But then he saw the body of Criston Cole on the ground, and everything suddenly made sense.
Despite that, Daemon still immediately rushed to Rhaenyra, and his concern about her well-being was genuine. He pulled her into his embrace, ignoring the blood, and she flinched in slight discomfort. There weren't many people on the scene yet, only a few guards who were nearby when Diane started calling for help, so Daemon pulled one of Rhaenyra's sleeves slightly just to see angry red marks on her shoulders that would surely turn into bruises.
'Did he hurt you anywhere else?' he whispered as calmly as possible, trying to hold back the rage boiling inside of him. How did he dare touch her?! The bastard got off too easily. He should have suffered a painful death.
Thankfully, Rhaenyra shook her head and then leaned her forehead on Daemon's chest. She had seen people being killed before but not like that, not close by, and she surely was never covered in their blood. She wasn't distraught, she was happy Cole was dead, but Daemon's arms around her brought her comfort anyway.
No one questioned when Daemon escorted Rhaenyra to her rooms that day. And by the nightfall Harwin Strong took a post of the princess' personal guard, vowing to keep her safe no matter the cost.
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