ACT II — CHAPTER I
Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀʟɪɴɢ Oꜰ Tʜᴇ Rᴇᴀʟᴍ

────── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──────

Rhaenyra Targaryen never understood why her mother hated her going flying until she had to watch her own daughter do so.

It was nerve-wracking, watching her daughter's life be completely in the hands of an unpredictable creature, one of the most dangerous ones on top of that. But, she knew that it was the only thing her daughter ever wanted, so Rhaenyra never stopped her.

Myra Velaryon was born to fly above the sea. She was born to feel the wind in her hair, to soar through the clouds, to laugh as she saw her siblings waving to her from down below.

In the six years since they moved to Dragonstone, Myra had grown into a warmhearted young woman. At only ten and four years of age, Myra was known throughout the realm for her kindness and virtue. Her warm nature was so well known that the smallfolk had named her the Darling of the Realm.

At the end of her daily flight, Myra and the Cannibal flew towards the entrance to the dragonpit. It hadn't taken them long to secure their bond, however, teaching the dragon to understand Valyrian took close to three years. It took time and a lot of patience, but Myra was able to do it. Now, the pair were as thick as thieves, willing to do anything for the other.

The Cannibal did not warm up to others as he had to Myra. No one else could tame him, not even the most experienced Dragonkeepers. This was evident as Myra and the Cannibal flew down to the ledge in the Dragonmont and the Dragonkeepers faces were fearful compared to their usual stoic ones.

The dragon landed and Myra unhooked herself from her saddle, carefully climbing down and onto the ledge. She turned back to the Dragonkeepers.

"Dohaeragon nyke gūrogon zȳhon sella hen," Myra commanded. Help me take his saddle off.

The first time they put the saddle on the Cannibal was an awful affair. He protested to the greatest extent, and Myra's calming words did nothing to calm him. He was much better about it now, but Myra only ever had him wear it when she was riding. Despite their bond, the Cannibal was still a wild dragon, and Myra would do anything in her power to ensure he did not feel chained down.

The Dragonkeepers slowly approached. The Cannibal began to growl and bear his teeth.

"Lykirī, Maekar," Myra soothed, running a hand along his scales. The Cannibal obliged, but only slightly. His teeth were no longer bearing, but there was an ever-present growl as the Dragonkeepers removed the saddle.

Once it was removed, Myra thanked the Dragonkeepers and turned her attention back to her dragon. The Cannibal nudged her with his snout, as he always did to show his affection.

"Kostā jikagon, Maekar," Myra told him, smiling. You may go.

Immediately upon receiving her approval, the Cannibal took flight. Myra watched him go, as she always did.

"Welcome back, Princess. I hope your ride was pleasant."

Myra turned to the entrance of the castle. Ser Carden Redfort, the newest member of the Kingsguard and Myra's sworn protector, stood with his hands behind his back.

"It was quite, Ser Carden," Myra said, walking over to him and taking off her gloves, "You seem relieved."

"I am relieved every time you return from your flights unharmed," Carden said, trailing after her.

Even though Carden only had ten and two years on her, Myra saw him as a fatherly figure, and he had become a great comfort in her life in the past year that she had known him.

"Maekar would not harm me, if that is what you are implying," Myra replied, "You have nothing to fret about."

"Perhaps he would not harm you, but I still have very much to fret about. He is dubbed the Cannibal, after all," Carden said.

"The Cannibal of dragons, yes, but you are no dragon," Myra remarked, a teasing smile on her face as she walked past him and into the castle.

"Dragons still eat people, Princess."

Myra laughed, "I suppose they can. However, this raises an interesting question. Why were you in the Dragonmont? You're terrified of the creatures, Maekar most of all."

"The Princess Rhaenyra sent me. She wishes to speak with you," Carden told her.

"Did she say what about?"

Carden shook his head. Myra sighed, "Would you let her know that I will speak to her after I change?"

"Of course, Princess."

Carden escorted Myra to her chambers before leaving to inform Rhaenyra of her arrival. Myra was able to change quickly, as her handmaidens had already put a dress out for her, and she immediately headed for her mother's chambers.

Myra knocked on the door, and Rhaenyra immediately bid her to enter.

"My darling," Rhaenyra cooed from her chaise, "How was your flight?"

"Wonderful, as always," Myra answered, walking into the room.

She walked over to where Elinda sat on the floor with Aegon, her little brother who had recently celebrated his second name day.

"Hello, Egg," she greeted, kneeling in front of him and ruffling his hair.

"How many times have I told you not to call him that?" Rhaenyra questioned, a pointed look on her face.

"More than I can count, but he needs one!" Myra argued, a large smile on her face, "Jacaerys is Jace, Lucerys is Luke, Joffrey is Joff, and Aegon is Egg! Everyone has a nickname, it would be unfair if he did not."

"You do not have one, nor do Baela or Rhaena," her mother pointed out.

"No, we do not," Myra agreed, "The boys must all have nicknames, then. If you have a girl, then I won't have to think of another nickname."

Rhaenyra smiled, running a hand over her swollen stomach, "If you insist on Aegon having a nickname, then so be it. But please, Myra, let it be something else other than Egg."

"But Egg is so charming! No one else is named Egg," Myra said, running a hand up and down her brother's back, "Ser Carden said you wanted to speak to me? Is it something important?"

"Yes, it is," Rhaenyra sighed, sitting up in her chaise, "Elinda, would you mind leaving us and taking Aegon with you?"

"Of course, Princess."

Elinda picked Aegon up and carried him out of the room, the toddler giggling as Myra waved goodbye and made silly faces at him.

"Come, sit, my darling," Rhaenyra beckoned, gesturing to the end of the chaise. Myra obliged, sitting where her mother directed.

"How have you been?" Myra asked her mother, tilting her head slightly.

"I have been fine. I am sleeping well, so there is no need to ask," Rhaenyra answered, a small smile on her face, "I was your age when my mother gave birth to my brother."

Myra looked away from her mother, for only a moment. Rhaenyra rarely talked of her own mother, who died during childbirth, the child not surviving either. It was a sore subject, and it saddened Myra, that her mother had to grow up without one.

"We would have conversations very similar to the ones you and I do," Rhaenyra went on, reminiscing, "I would return from a flight and pester her about her health, and she would assure me she was completely fine. She would try to have meaningful conversations about my future and how I would soon be having children of my own. I did not want to hear a word of it."

Rhaenyra sighed, "I suppose that brings me to why I called you here."

"I know I will have children one day," Myra said, "I do not know why you called me here if that was all you wished to tell me."

"That is not all I wish to tell you, Myra. If you let me finish, you would know that," Rhaenyra said sharply, but the amused look on her face showed she wasn't angry, "When I was a few years older than you, my father told me that I must marry, but I had the choice of my own suitor. Now, this did not happen for a multitude of reasons, but I want to present the same choice to you. You will one day sit the Iron Throne, and you should get to choose who you sit it with."

"You want me to be married?" Myra asked, "How soon?"

"Not anytime soon. I do not wish to say goodbye to you yet," Rhaenyra told her, leaning forward and patting Myra's hand, "But, I figured there was no harm in letting you explore your options now. The son of Lord Mooton is marrying the daughter of Lord Tarly in three weeks time. I would like you to attend."

Myra nodded. That didn't seem terrible, not terrible at all.

"Your brother, Jacaerys, will attend with you, along with Ser Carden, both of your handmaidens, and your brother's footmen," Rhaenyra continued, "While there, try to keep an eye out for potential suitors. It cannot hurt to start looking for a husband now. If you despise every man you talk to there, then you never have to speak to any of them again, if you do not wish to."

"Alright," Myra agreed, as a sly smile began to form on her face, "May I bring Maekar?"

Rhaenyra raised her brow, no longer amused.

"Alright, alright. I am sorry for even suggesting it," Myra laughed.

"Good," Rhaenyra said, "Why don't you run along and go find your brothers? Jace already knows, so why don't you discuss your trip together? Better yet, take a bath. You stink of dragon."

Myra hummed, a smile on her face. She tilted her head as she looked at her mother.

"Are you sure you do not need anything?" she asked.

"I am quite sure, my darling," her mother answered, leaning back in her chaise and closing her eyes, "If you happen to see Elinda, do tell her I wish to be alone for a while."

"I will. I'll speak with you later," Myra said. She stood, quickly patting her mother's shoulder before leaving the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

•⋅•⋅•

"I do not understand why Mother won't let me go with you," Lucerys said, lying flat on Myra's bed in dismay.

The wedding between Trevas Mooton and Renei Tarly was only a week away, and the Velaryon troupe was leaving for it in two days time. Myra was packing with the help of her two handmaidens as Luke groveled.

"Because you are too young," Myra answered, looking between two of her dresses, "Is it hot in Maidenpool?"

"I don't believe so, especially not at this time of year," Laisa Caswell, one of her handmaidens, answered.

"Then I'll bring this one," Myra said, pointing to a dress made of light fabric.

"Jace is only a year older than I am. It's not fair," Luke continued, sitting up on the bed.

"Lucerys, take your shoes off of my bed," Myra snapped. The boy complied, taking off his boots and throwing them on the ground.

The Velaryon girl sighed, "Luke, do you want to go to the wedding or do you just want to be treated as Jace and I are?"

"I want to be treated as you and Jace are."

Myra smiled, "Luke, even if you did go, you probably wouldn't even enjoy it. Weddings are long and boring. I am sure that Jace will return and tell you how awful he found it."

"I agree with your sister, my Prince. When my older brother married, I found the whole thing to be a very dull event," Ellena Piper, Myra's other handmaiden, said.

"You're only saying that because you get to go" Luke grumbled.

"Baela and Rhaena don't get to go either," Myra pointed out.

"Doesn't make it any better."

"Luke, I don't want to argue about this anymore, especially when I cannot do anything that will put you at ease," Myra said, walking over to Luke and yanking him off her bed, "Why don't you go train with Jace, fight with your swords. It will be a good way to help with your anger."

"How about I fight you?" Luke jeered.

"I already trained with Daemon this morning," Myra told him, lightly pushing him out of her chambers, "Now, you can go train with Jace, or you can stay in here, but you can't complain if you're in here."

"I'll go find Jace," Luke mumbled in defeat, "Can I have my shoes back?"

Myra picked up Luke's boots and shoved them into his arms. She gave him a quick kiss on the top of his head, ruffled his hair, and then closed the door in his face.

She turned to Laisa and Ellena and the three of them immediately burst into laughter.

Her handmaidens were both four years older than her and had come into her service a bit over a year before, not long before Ser Carden was named her sworn protector. The two girls were fiercely loyal when it came to the Princess and were willing to do anything for her.

Myra headed back over to them to continue packing. They had managed to finish most of it, even with Luke's constant complaining.

"Rumor has it that you're going to this wedding to look for a husband," Ellena began, a smug look on her face, "Is it true?"

"I wouldn't put much faith in rumors," Myra said.

"So it's not?"

Myra didn't answer. Laisa and Ellena giggled behind her.

"Do you have any idea of who you might want to marry?" Laisa asked, "As in, have you heard word of anyone who intrigues you?"

"I cannot say that I have," Myra lied, "Which dress should I wear at the wedding, the red or the blue one?"

Her handmaidens recognized that Myra no longer wished to speak of the topic, and helped her finish packing.

In truth, Myra had never really thought of who she might want to marry. After all, she hadn't met many other people besides the children in court, who she had not seen in six years.

There was, however, one name that never ceased to leave her mind. Whenever she received even a parcel of news about him, she would think about it for days on end. Sometimes, she would think of what it would be like to be married to him.

Every time, Myra would quickly shake the idea of them, together, out of her head. It was impossible, after all. They hated each other.

•⋅•⋅•

The journey to Maidenpool was a pleasant one.

The morning of their departure, Myra was awoken by Daemon so that she could get some more training in before she left. For the past five years, he had been training her, Baela, and Rhaena how to fight with swords. Myra was nowhere near the level of her stepfather, and she doubted she'd be able to really defeat anyone, but she could hold her own.

Before they boarded their ship, everyone said goodbye to Myra and Jacaerys. First was Joffrey, now six, running at Myra and holding onto her leg. She assured him that they would be gone for no longer than a fortnight, but it did nothing to put the young boy at ease.

Baela and Rhaena hugged her tightly, expressing how jealous they both were that she got to go. Myra told them that they would hopefully be able to attend events like this next year.

Next was Lucerys, who was still upset about being left behind. His complaining had ceased, but Myra could tell he was still feeling down about being left out.

"I am sure this will not be the last time we attend an event as this one. It is as I told Baela and Rhaena, hopefully you'll be able to attend next year, when you're older," Myra said, smiling.

Luke nodded, seeming to feel a bit better. She hugged him tightly.

Finally, they said goodbye to Rhaenyra, Daemon, and little Aegon, who Rhaenyra held in her arms.

Daemon gave them each a pat on the shoulder, shaking them a bit. He whispered something in Jace's ear, which made him laugh, but Myra couldn't hear what it was.

Rhaenyra held Myra close with her free arm.

"Do watch over your brother," she said, "He has a good head on his shoulders, but you know how his temper can rise quickly."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Myra said. Rhaenyra lightly patted her cheek.

Myra kissed the top of little Aegon's head and, with a final farewell, Myra and Jace were on their way.

It was only a four day journey to Maidenpool, one spent at sea and the rest spent on land. They arrived a day before the wedding, and even though they were exhausted, they made sure to spend time with their hosts.

Lord and Lady Mooton were both very kind and generous, making sure that they had everything they needed. They gave them a tour of the castle and introduced them to their son, the one who was to be married. He was the same age as Laisa and Ellena, and he was just as kind as his parents.

While the castle was beautiful and the people were friendly, when it was time for them to go to sleep, both Myra and Jacaerys were uncomfortable. They had only slept in three places their entire life: Dragonstone, Driftmark, and King's Landing. Getting used to the new environment was difficult, which is why Jace had snuck into Myra's chambers.

They laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Do you want to get married?" Jace asked, after they had been quiet for a while.

"Not anytime soon," Myra answered, repeating Rhaenyra's own words.

Even though she believed she was too young, she did want to be married. Myra wanted to have a family, be a mother. She would be a good mother.

"Do you want to get married?" she asked him.

"I think so," he answered, "I haven't put much thought into it."

Myra thought about marriage often. Maybe Jace didn't think about it because he was a man. Men weren't raised to think about marriage, they were raised to think about the duties they'd have when they became lords or kings.

Although, that wasn't very fair of Myra to think. After all, she was raised to wear the crown one day, to sit on the Iron Throne. And yet, she thought of marriage and Jace did not.

"You'll be a good husband, Jacaerys," Myra told him.

"You believe so?" Jace questioned.

"I do," Myra said, "You're fiercely loyal, which is always a good quality. But, more importantly, you're a good person. Not many people are."

Jace was silent for a moment, before asking, "What makes someone a good person?"

"I suppose I'm not exactly sure," Myra admitted, "But I know you are one. Do not let anyone tell you differently."

Jace didn't say anything after that. Myra sighed, folding her arms over her stomach as she stared at the ceiling.

She didn't know what made someone inherently good. Was it based off the things one was talented at, or how one treated others? Myra could never be sure.

But she knew her brothers were good. All of them, even little Aegon, who could barely speak. They were the best the world had to offer, that she was sure of.

The next morning, Myra's preparations for the wedding started immediately. Liasa and Ellena helped her get dressed. Myra's hair took the longest time to do. They left her hair down, but braided part of her hair so that it looked almost like a crown on the back of her head.

The wedding was to be held in the Great Hall of Maidenpool, and was to be promptly followed by a feast. When it came time for them to head to the wedding, Myra and Jacaerys went together, both wearing red and black, the colors of their house. As they approached the Great Hall, Myra nervously picked at her fingernails. There was a chance that her future husband was standing just beyond the doors in front of her.

Jace, noticing his sister's uneasiness, linked one of his arms through hers. Myra smiled at him, appreciating the support. Together, they entered the Great Hall, followed by her handmaidens, his footmen, and Ser Carden.

The room was filled with people, and everyone turned to face the siblings as they entered.

"Princess Myra Velaryon, Heir Apparent to the Iron Throne, the Darling of the Realm," a herald announced, "Escorted by her brother, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, Heir to the Driftwood Throne, the future Lord of the Tides."

Myra grimaced. She didn't know they would be announcing their titles. She really wished they had left off the "darling of the realm" part. It made her seem self-righteous. Despite her worries, the people in the hall clapped for their arrival.

She gripped tightly onto Jace's arm as he led her to a corner. Ser Carden, Laisa, Ellena, and Jace's footmen made a circle around them, blocking them from eyesight.

"Did Mother tell you of anyone else who was coming? Someone we may know?" Jace asked her.

Myra tried to remember, "I believe Laisa's father is here, right, Laisa?"

Laisa nodded, "He is. I can take you to him, my Prince."

"Thank you, Laisa," Jace said, before turning to Myra, "We'll be back."

Jace left with Laisa and his footmen, disappearing into the crowd. Now, Myra stood with just Ellena and Ser Carden.

"Princess," Ellena began, "Would it be alright if I wandered around for a short while? I am of the riverlands, as you know, and while my own family is not here, I may see some old friends of mine."

Myra smiled, "Of course. Ser Carden will go with you."

Carden seemed surprised, "But, Princess —"

"I will be fine, Ser. Besides, I should like a few moments alone," Myra told him.

Carden nodded. He and Ellena wandered into the crowd, and then Myra was alone.

She started picking at her nails again. It was an awful habit she had picked up that day five years ago when she confronted Rhaenyra and Daemon. Now, Myra did it every time she felt nervous or uncomfortable, sometimes to the point where her fingers bled.

Myra looked around the room. There were no familiar faces in sight. She regretted sending Carden with Ellena, but she didn't want her handmaiden wandering around on her own.

The Velaryon girl took deep breaths. Rhaenyra had sent her here to try and find a possible husband, and she wasn't going to do that standing in a corner. So, even though she was terrified, Myra began to make her way into the crowd.

She didn't make it far when she suddenly felt someone's presence behind her and a voice speaking in her ear.

"The Darling of the Realm? That seems a bit self-righteous, don't you agree?"

Myra froze. She had not heard that voice in years, and it had changed so much since then, but she could recognize it anywhere.

Slowly, she turned around to face the boy she had not seen in six years.

Aemond Targaryen was staring down at her, waiting for an answer, but Myra found that she could not breathe.

────── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──────

WRITTEN: august 2024
EDITED: august 2024
WORDS: 3,890

AUTHOR'S NOTE! hello! thank you all so much for all the love you've showed this fic so far, i'm so grateful :)

so, a couple of things, at this point myra and aemond are 14, jace is 12, and luke, baela, and rhaena are all 11. it's been like six years since aemond lost his eye and about five since myra claimed the cannibal. i know they're all very young, please blame george rr martin lol

myra gave the cannibal the name maekar, which im not going to explain because she is going to later lol. also the valyrian translations are probably wrong but hey i tried

sorry this is kind of a filler chapter, but i needed to bridge the gap with the timeskip. also im proud of it so i dont care that its a filler chapter!

i hope you all enjoyed the chapter and have a wonderful day :)