A.N. Hey! I hope you are doing well and enjoying this exciting chapter!

Quick note to say that I had to wait a long time to finally be able to write this chapter. It also took me a long time to write it and make it perfect, and it also took a lot of energy...

So please don't forget to vote and leave a comment to let me know what you think and how you liked it.♡

i could use some good vibes right now.
much love and have fun, Rose xx

The carriage wobbled heavily as it drove over the uneven stones of the streets in King's Landing. Noise from outside echoed into the traveling space, giving Edith a worried headache, while Helaena felt a little sick from the steady shaking of the carriage.

The streets were filled with the townsfolk and people who had arrived at the last minute from the surrounding villages. It was difficult to get through with the carriage due to the amount of people, which no one had anticipated.

Neither Queen Alicent, her children nor her father had expected such a large crowd, especially not such a large crowd in honor of Aegon's death. It was therefore a relief for Alicent's mother heart to see the tears in the strangers' eyes.

Edith, on the other hand, felt truly and seriously sorry for her mother-in-law. She, and everyone else, thought Aegon was really no longer alive. The guilt became all the heavier when she looked at Helaena, because she knew about this secret and found it just as difficult not to say anything.

The three women sat alone in the carriage, as Aemond and Daeron were riding on two horses in front of the carriage to the dragon pit. Otto Hightower, on the other hand, had already ridden up there in the morning to make his own final preparations and supervise everything.

Tired, she stroked her round belly, which was getting bigger and bigger. Time had flown by and Edith would soon have been here in King's Landing for a year and in just a few moons she would have her child.

After everything that had happened, the most important thing, her future child, had taken second place. Edith very much hoped to be able to concentrate more on her pregnancy soon, but with everything that was going to happen after today, she could only hope to have a trouble-free remaining pregnancy and an easy and quick birth.

The worst thing that could happen was that she would have to give birth to her child on the battlefield, in the war she was about to start.

The more that happened, the more often the young woman prayed.

All she wanted was a healthy baby and a family of her own with Aemond, while they had the great task of keeping the peace in Westeros. Perhaps the gods were on Edith's side this time and would protect her and guide her on her way.

Perhaps the gods would also appease Rhaenyra and prevent anything bad from happening, if Rhaenyra was reasonable and realized that she was in the wrong.

"There is a beast beneath the boards." Helaena whispered, almost unintelligibly. She sat opposite her mother and her close friend and looked out of the carriage window with her dreamy gaze, but her eyes seemed horrified and her mind absent.

"Oh, my dear child." Alicent leaned forward anxiously and placed a hand on her daughter's knee. Helaena immediately woke from her stupor and moved away from her mother's warm hand.

Edith looked back and forth between the two women and noticed Alicent's disappointed look as she slipped back into her seat and leaned against the cushion.

"What kind of beast, Hel?" Edith asked cautiously, although she didn't want to hear the answer.

In all the time she had known Helaena, all her prophecies had always come true or even worse, which was why Edith took every word her friend said seriously.

She and Aemond had tried not to hear or ignore these prophecies over the last few days, but the woman with the brownish hair had come to her senses and realized how important the dreamer's words were for her plans.

Unlike them, the blacks had no dreamer and therefore no forewarnings, prophecies or other help.

Another advantage the blues had.

Helaena turned her head in Edith's direction and looked at her through her dark veil. "What kind of beast?" Helaena repeated the words. She seemed just as clueless and didn't even seem to have heard her own words.

One drawback to the whole advantage. Many things often remained unexplained until the right moment.

Edith shook her head and smiled slightly to reassure Helaena. There was no point in urging her friend to remember or ask for another prediction, because unfortunately it didn't work that way.

The predictions came and went as they pleased and not even the dreamer herself could control this.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt and the carriage guard opened the door. Queen Alicent got out first, then her daughter Princess Helaena. Edith got out of the carriage last and immediately caught sight of the dragon pit, which she had not seen for some time.

The first time she had been here was with her father and her half-sisters. It felt like a lifetime ago - as if it had been a completely different life. And somehow it was.

The building was still beautiful, but even here her view was obstructed by the many people.

Ser Colin was immediately at her side, shielding her from the city's inhabitants and guests. Prince Daeron and Prince Aemond followed the women and their guards into the separate entrance to the dragon pit, which was intended only for them and was now closed behind them.

Otto Hightower was already expecting his family and without a word he led his daughter Alicent and his grandchildren Helaena and Daeron to the platform of the pit, where they were expected for the speech.

Edith and Aemond stayed behind in the cold foyer.

"I was right." Aemond said to his wife with a satisfied smile. She looked at him questioningly, not knowing exactly what he meant. "About what?"

Due to her excitement and her rapidly beating heart, Edith imagined that the room was getting smaller and smaller and that she was trapped. It felt awful and she would have surely lost herself in her thoughts if Aemond wasn't here by her side.

"You look beautiful in that dress, my dear." With his fingertips he stroked the golden embellishment that was on her dark blue dress, then his fingers traveled up her arm over the golden embellishment on her neckline and then down over the buttons on her stomach. "You wouldn't believe how happy I am." He said softly and placed his hands on her round belly.

Edith had to smile and leaned her forehead against her husband's chest. The cold leather of his clothes was pleasant against the ache in her head from the carriage ride.

Time seemed to run and stand still at the same time until their intimate moment was interrupted by Colin opening the heavy wooden door and stepping inside.

Edith looked at her guard with an almost frightened expression in her eyes. "Already?" she asked quietly.

Colin nodded, not looking at Aemond or Edith, but staring at the floor. "The hand just gave me the signal." He confirmed.

"How did the people react to the new announcement?" Aemond asked curiously.

"The announcement will be made shortly. The Hand wishes to have you present to listen." Colin's hand was on his sword at his hip, where other weapons also hung. Aemond had a similar belt on his hip, but he only carried a sword and two knives. "We have to go."

The young couple exchanged a look from which many different emotions showed from both eyes. Then they prepared their new path for their future together.

Edith smoothed out the dark blue fabric and took one last deep breath before Colin opened the heavy wooden door again. The blue bracelet suddenly felt far too tight for her wrist.

The three of them walked through a narrow corridor and then stopped next to a large vault that led into the pit. Colin stood in the vault, while Edith and Aemond stood to the side so that no one could see them.

The same bells that Edith had heard yesterday when she was in the dining hall were ringing now, and with each new chime her heart beat faster and she felt sick. Perhaps she should have listened to her maid Anna and eaten something instead of just drinking tea.

Aemond felt the same tension and excitement as his wife. He had last felt like this when he had claimed his dragon Vhagar a few years ago and suddenly he was just that little boy again.

Edith's nervousness infected him now, too, and he smoothed out his leather clothes with their golden accents and deep blue stitching several times, even though they weren't wrinkled at all.

The Targaryens' emblem had been sewn onto his chest, but the three dragon heads were a pale gray instead of the actual bloody red. Apart from the color, he hadn't been allowed to choose anything about his clothes today. But that would be the last time.

From today onwards, he would have the power and the word and would decide and rule over himself and Westeros.

Only a few meters separated the two of them from their new task, but it wasn't quite that far yet. The couple stood in a corridor with Ser Colin, so that none of those present could yet see the future king and queen. Attentively, they tried to hear and understand what was happening in the dragon pit and waited for Colin's signal.

"People of Kings Landing... today is he saddest of days." Otto Hightower stood on the rise and spoke loudly to the people present. He shouted his words as loud as he could so that as many people as possible could hear him, but neither Edith nor Aemond could understand his words from the distance.

But what they understood well was the whispering of the masses, who continued to speak the words of the hand so that everyone knew what was happening.

"Our beloved king... Viserys the Peacefull... is dead."

Several people present made a horrified sound. Edith could even hear a woman standing nearby crying loudly. Others were talking loudly and upset again, making it hard to understand Otto's next words or what the people in the front were relaying to those in the back.

"Just like our beloved Prince Aegon, who has also passed away unexpectedly, as previously announced."

Again a horrified sound was heard from those present and again Edith wondered if the grief was real or faked like everything else in King's Landing.

"But it is also the most joyous of days... for as his spirit left us... he whispered his final wish: that only a true man can succeed as his heir to the throne... King Visery the Peacefull wished that his second-born son Prince Aemond be installed as his rightful and successful heir."

It wasn't quite what Viserys wanted according to Alicent, for Viserys wanted Aegon as his successor, but he was known to be out of the game.

There was an awkward silence in the dragon pit after Otto's speech and Edith got goosebumps, despite the long warming sleeves of her dress. She tried to make out some of the whispering that arose, but the people were talking so fast and in such a jumble that she couldn't understand a thing.

But then those present suddenly started clapping to show their approval. This loud clapping only confirmed Edith's plan even more and slowly calmed her excited heart.

First, several guards marched past the three of them into the dragon pit, pushing the people apart to form a long aisle.

Aemond looked down at Edith with a satisfied smile and immediately responded to Colin's signal for the two of them to enter. Edith and Aemond stepped under the opening of the large vault and Colin finally stepped aside so that everyone had an immediate clear view of Aemond and Edith.

The young prince couldn't imagine a better new beginning and Edith was the perfect woman to go through this with him. She was extremely clever and almost innocent, but her stubbornness often made her careless and imposing, and she was a true beauty and carried his child under her heart. What more could a man wish for?

"Present... arms!"

The guards and knights drew their swords from their belts and raised them in the air until the blade crossed with the blade of the guard opposite, while musicians began to play trumpets.

And then Princess Edith and Prince Aemond went off too, and suddenly the trumpets stopped again, leaving the dragon pit completely silent.

No one dared to say anything.

The corridor formed by the guards was just wide enough for Edith and Aemond to walk side by side. Behind the pair, the guards lowered their swords again.

The dragon pit was filled with people and there was barely an inch to spare. It was an incredible number of people, which visibly surprised Edith.

All the people in the dragon pit looked at the young couple curiously. Edith and Aemond walked under the knights' swords with their heads held high, each enjoying this feeling of awe in their own way.

The woman with the brownish hair would have liked to look to the left or right to see the faces of the people she would rule over from today, but she could not. Her head did not turn and so she looked forward and saw the pale face of the current queen.

Alicent stood with her other two children on the rise of the dragon pit, next to her stood her father Otto Hightower and behind her stood Ser Adrik, who held a sword in both hands and kept a watchful eye on everyone.

"It is your great good fortune and privilege... to be here to witness this: a new day for our city, a new day for our realm. A new king and a new queen... who will lead us both." Otto spoke again as loudly as he could, but the closer Edith got to him, the better she could understand him.

His words only made her goose bumps worse, but this time in a positive way.

Her mind longed for this new task as queen. Her body longed for the Iron Throne and her heart yearned for the crown and the recognition and fear that came with it.

The journey to get there felt endless and yet Edith felt a certain sadness as Aemond held out his hand to her. She placed her hand on his and together they walked up the small staircase until they too stood on the rise.

Alicent was still standing right in front of the stairs. With her black dress and pale face, she looked like a beautiful doll, but her eyes showed nothing but pain.

She felt guilty for betraying her former best friend Rhaenyra by crowning her son, but this was her late husband's wish and Rhaenyra must now accept it. Even if Alicent was terrified of the consequences.

Her hair was hidden under an equally black veil, which she pulled to the ground behind her as she walked towards Aemond and Edith. She placed both hands firmly on her son's cheeks so that she could pull his head down and kiss his head.

The mother had difficulty separating herself from her second-born son before she stopped in front of her daughter-in-law.

Edith and Alicent were almost the same height, which made it easier for the queen to kiss her forehead. She then smiled encouragingly at the younger woman. Alicent would have liked to say something, but no words left her mouth.

Instead, she placed a hand on Edith's back and led her closer to the family and to Septon Eustace, knowing that Aemond was following Edith by her side. He would not leave her.

Now Otto approached the three and looked at each of them urgently. Aemond and Alicent lowered their eyes and while Aemond knelt down, Alicent moved aside and stood next to Helaena and Daeron.

Only Edith held Otto's gaze and she looked at him with the same emotionless expression. She was proud of herself for having summoned up the courage and at the same time she showed him that he would not be able to shape her so easily.

The Hightower nodded in acknowledgment and the young woman returned the gesture until she also got down on her knees.

Despite the fact that they were both kneeling, they held their heads high, for they were more than convinced that they were worthy, both of them.

Edith then caught sight of Maester Arwin, who was standing next to Septon Eustace. Arwin handed the older man a bowl and then sought the gaze of the kneeling princess. He had to smile when he realized that she was already looking at him and nervously adjusted his glasses.

Edith's eye contact with the young maester was quickly interrupted, however, when Septon Konstans stepped in front of her and Aemond. First he stopped in front of the prince, holding the bowl firmly in his hands.

"May the Warrior give him courage." The septon proclaimed loudly, dipping his thumb into the contents of the bowl and then stroking Aemond's forehead with his thumb. "May the Smith lend strength to his sword and shield." Septon Eustace repeated the anointing after each of his sentences. "May the Father defend him in his need.

Edith turned her head slightly in her husband's direction and watched what was happening. Aemond suddenly looked tense and relieved at the same time, if that was possible.

"May the Crone lift her shining lamp and light his way to wisdom." Septon Eustace anointed Prince Aemond one last time before taking a step further and stopping in front of Princess Edith.

"May the gods never cease to grant her wisdom." He dipped his thumb in the tincture of the bowl for her as well, speaking his praise of the coronation between each anointing. "May the mother protect her womb and give her fertility and may she give her many worthy heirs."

Edith was already anointed this morning as she was being prepared, but this anointing was so much different. It felt not only powerful, but magical and special.

A privilege that only very few are entitled to.

"May the crown also pass on its glow to her and let the goodness speak through her." The septon's cold thumb stroked her forehead one last time before he handed the bowl to Maester Arwin and received the crown from him in return. The septon then passed the crown on to Ser Adrik.

Edith watched everything very closely because she didn't want to miss anything of this particular moment.

She watched as her uncle Adrik, her mother's brother, approached Aemond with the black crown in his hand. He proudly wore the metallic armor of a knight, which rattled softly as he walked.

"The crown of the Conqueror, passed down through generations." With pure pride, Ser Adrik held up the crown for all to see. "The crown of the one true King Aegon Targaryen, the Conqueror and Savior." Slowly, he lowered the crown after a moment, stepped closer to Aemond and placed the crown on his silver hair.

It was the first time Edith had seen the crown of the Conqueror himself and it was fascinating to see it on Aemond's head. But that was nothing compared to what she felt when she saw her own future crown.

Maester Arwin now handed the second crown to Septon Eustace and he passed the crown back to Ser Adrik.

The crown was more of a tiara, made of the same black as the crown Aemond wore, only hers had red rubies set into it. It was the perfect crown, even if sapphires would have suited Edith better.

"The crown of the sister-wife of the Conqueror, Queen Visenya Targaryen." Adrik proudly presented this crown to the people before hesitantly placing it on his niece's head.

It felt like a betrayal towards his own sister Aruna at that moment. But Adrik knew he was doing the right thing and was on the right side. It felt all the better to have his niece here in King's Landing as his only blood relative alongside his secret son Daeron.

"Let the Seven bear witness: Aemond Targaryen is the true heir to the Iron Throne." Ser Adrik Tyrell announced these words as loudly as he could, but he was not entirely satisfied and added something else. "With his wife Edith Targaryen, he will protect us and she will watch over us and wrap her arms around us."

The words touched Edith deeply and she could not hide her grateful smile.

As a man, Aemond will always be more important to the family and to the folk, for he was the son of the previous king, he was the true heir and worthy of the throne.

But Edith now knew that she was more important to Adrik than Aemond could ever be to him.

With a thin smile on his lips, Adrik stepped back and made way for Septon Eustace. He first held out his hand to Aemond to help him up, then he helped Edith to her feet again.

A strange feeling settled in the young woman's stomach. It already bothered her that her husband was favored, but she had to learn to deal with it or learn to change it. It was one or the other.

But the feeling of happiness inside her was stronger and the moment far too special to have negative thoughts right now.

She looked up at Aemond with a satisfied expression, but he looked at his family members and the people in front of him, who all kept their heads bowed in respect. Even Otto bowed slightly to the new royal couple.

It really was like the first time he had sat and flown on Vhagar, the tension, excitement and minimal fear he had felt was gone then, just like now when he finally wore the heavy dark crown.

His body tingled and his thoughts raced so fast that he blocked out everything around him and concentrated only on the weight of the crown on his head.

But the loud silence of the dragon pit quickly brought him back from his thoughts and he slowly turned around to finally be able to look into the faces of his folk. Edith only had eyes for him and his new aura until then, when she turned with him and looked into the many faces as well.

"All hail His Grace, Aemond and his Wife her Grace Edith, King and Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and First Men, Lord and Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protectors of the Realm."

The septon's voice sounded even louder now, echoing off the walls of the dragon pit. And these words echoed in the minds of the new king and queen for a long time, as did the bell, which was now rung loudly and strongly again.

One time, two times, three times.

"Aemond the King!" he shouted loudly. "Edith the Queen." The old man added.

And then the last of Edith's tension fell away as the people in front of them began to clap and cheer: They accept their new king and queen.

They were accepted and cheered.

Edith was accepted.

She had never felt more powerful and truly special than at that moment.

Eventually Aemond turned his head in Edith's direction and for the first time he saw his wife with a crown on her head, which Queen Visenya had worn many years ago.

His wife, his queen, radiated the self-confidence and power that he also felt within himself. He took her gentle hand firmly in his and thus went against all the etiquette of a coronation, but that didn't bother him. Not anymore, because from now on he made the rules and regulations.

Edith squeezed Aemond's hand tightly and smiled at him with relief. It was incredible to be able to share this moment with him.

Unfortunately, there were so many people missing who were supposed to be here.

With his free hand, Aemond reached for the sword, which was as black as his crown, and held it high in the air. When the people saw this gesture and the Blackfyre sword, the cheering grew much louder.

Edith thought she would be overwhelmed by the amount of elation she felt. It was even better than she could have ever dreamed, and the best part of the whole thing was that her revenge on Rhaenyra had officially begun.

Queen Edith Targaryen had just declared war on her aunt Rhaenyra Targaryen.

And it was a shame that she couldn't be there to see Rhaenyra's face when she found out.

***

The two of them have finally made it!
It's been quite a long road to get here...

Here's a picture of what I imagine the crowns to look like (I know the crown isn't accurate to Visenya Targaryen's, but think of it this way)

I'm excited to see what you have to say about this chapter and thank you for reading to this point. ♡♡ :)
(of course there is more to come)