Gold Rush // Harwin Strong

4. Pathetic

'Welcome to Dragonstone, Otto.' Daemon said happily

'Your occupation of this island is at an end. You're to relinquish the dragon's egg, disband your army, banish your whοre... and leave Dragonstone by order of His Grace, King Viserys...' Otto told him sternly

'Where is the King? I don't see him.' Daemon mused.

'His Grace would never lower himself to entertain such a mummer's farce.'

'Ser Crispin, wasn't it?'

'Ser Criston Cole, my Prince.' He corrected.

'Ah, yes, apologies. I couldn't recall.' Daemon remarked smugly.

'Perhaps my Prince recalls when I knocked him off his horse.' Cole retorted and Daemon chuckled so this cunt was going to keep bringing that up.

'Very good.'

'This is a truly pathetic show, Daemon.' Otto told him. "Are you so desperate for the King's attention that you've resorted to skulking about like a common cutpurse?"

"I'm simply keeping with the traditions of my house, the same as my brother did for his heir." Daemon said innocently.

"Those traditions are for the trueborn children of royalty, not for bastards fathered on a common whοre." Otto corrected

"Lady Mysaria is to be my wife." Daemon corrected.

"This is an abomination. With every breath you soil your name, your house, and your brother's reign." Otto shouted at him.

"Our love does not know titles and traditions." Daemon told him smugly.

"And what of you, men of the City Watch? Aiding the Prince in his treason?" Otto tsked at them.

"The King made me their commander. They are loyal to me. You've come for the egg." Daemon moved grabbing the egg and held it out. "Here it is." Caraxes growled above them.

"Are you mad? You'd never survive this.'

"Well, happily, neither would you." Daemon retorted with a grin.

"To choose violence, here, is to declare war against your King." Otto warned.

"Wonderful." Daemon agreed. Let there be fucking war.

"Even if it ends in the death of your unborn child and its mother?" Otto countered and Caraxes came closer,  Caraxes screeched and roared. Prepared for a fight, dragons trump... everything.

" All of you... sheathe the fսcking steel.' But there was a distant dragon rumbling, they turned to the sky to see wings flapping, they heard Syrax screeching, he roared getting closer.

'What are you doing here, Princess?'

'Preventing bloodshed.' Rhaenyra said dismounting Syrax and marching over to Daemon

"Ser Criston, please escort the Princess to safety." Otto instructed.

"Take care not to startle Syrax, my lords. She's rather protective of me." Rhaenyra warned. "I'm right here, Uncle... the object of your ire... the reason that you were disinherited. If you wish to be restored as heir, you'll need to kill me. So, do it." Rhaenyra told him standing face to face with him and it would have been so easy... to start a war and the crown would never be his. 'And be done with all this bother.' Daemon didn't move, Rhaenyra took the dragon egg and shoved it at Otto. She climbed back on her dragon.

+

"Your grace?" Aelsa questioned knocking on his door.

"Aelsa, please come in." Viserys said and Aelsa was certainly a sight for sore eyes. His mind wracked with Daemon and his tomfoolery but it was like Aelsa's smile melted away his worries.

"I heard the guards heading out." Aelsa remarked.

"Yes. Daemon." Viserys through a tight breath.
"As though you don't have enough to worry about, without your brother causing trouble."

"Agreed." Viserys agreed. "Would you like a drink?"

"I would," Aelsa agreed. Alicent moved to knock on the door when she heard Aelsa's voice inside. Otto would not be happy that there was older and more mature competition.

+

"You announced that we were to be wed? On the morrow. And that I was with child. Your child." Mysaria exclaimed

"Well, perhaps when we are wed, we can make that true." Daemon pondered but Myseria was not pleased.

"I ensured long ago that I would never be threatened by childbirth."

"Good." Daemon agreed. "Children can be such irritating creatures."

"You swore to protect me, Daemon." Mysaria reminded him.

"Dragonstone is quite secure." Daemon told her.

"Until the King decides to reclaim his ancestral seat." Mysaria countered, her blood boiling.  "His men might not put the Prince's head on a spike, but what would they do with the common whοre he claims he's taken to wife and made with child?"

'No one will harm you.' Daemon said nonchalantly.

"I have been sold as property more times than I care to count, beginning in a homeland I can no longer recall. Most of my years have been spent living in terror." Mysaria told him.

"You're safe with me, I swear it.' Daemon didn't see why she was so worried he was the prince.

"You are Targaryen. You can afford to play your stupid games with the King, but I cannot. I didn't come into your service wanting gold or power or station. I came to you to be liberated." Mysaria reminded him.

"Liberated. From what?" Daemon questioned.

"Fear."

+

"His brother-"

"I dont have to woe Daemon. I could Im sure a pretty face and tits does it but this takes time and patience." Aelsa reminded Tyland.

"I know but the counsel-"

"If I rush him he will push back. I need to seem intrigued but not interested. Available but not for sale."

"Aelsa you arent making any damn sense." Tyland countered.

"All you need to know is im good at what I do. Dont worry. Just trust in my abilities of seducing the weaker sex." Aelsa remarked.

"He is the king."

"And Im getting closer and closer to checkmate."