Labyrinth // Rhaenyra Targaryen (1)

1. Fuck You Too

'How long?' she pushed and Aemma chuckled.

'I don't need mothering, Rhaenyra.' She reminded her.

'Well, here you are, surrounded by attendants, all focused on the babe. Someone has to attend to you.' Rhaenyra told her confidently.

'You will lie in this bed soon enough, Rhaenyra. This discomfort is how we serve the realm.' Aemma told her solemnly.

'I'd rather serve as a knight and ride to battle and glory.' Rhaenyra told her and there was a murmur of laughter around the room to which Rhaenyra shot a glare back at them. She was meant for things bigger than marriage and babies.

'We have royal wombs, you and I. The child bed is our battlefield. We must learn to face it with a stiff lip. Now take a bath. You stink of dragon.' Aemma said kissing her daughters cheek.

+

'So, I said to him, "Well, I believe you might be looking up the wrong end." There was a round of laughter but work was to be done.

'My lords. The growing alliance among the Free Cities has taken to styling itself "the Triarchy." They have massed on Bloodstone and are presently ridding the Stepstones of its pirate infestation.' Lord Corlys informed them.

'Well, that sounds suspiciously like good news, Lord Corlys.' King Viserys told him happily.

'A man called Craghas Drahar has styled himself the prince-admiral of this Triarchy. They call him "The Crabfeeder" due to his inventive methods of punishing his enemies.'

'And are we meant to weep for dead pirates?' Viserys questioned incredulously.

'No, Your Grace.' Corlys admitted as Rhaenyra entered and started filling cups as her duty as her fathers cup bearer.

'Rhaenyra, you're late. The King's cupbearer must not be late. Leaves people wanting for cups.' Viserys mused

'I was visiting Mother.' Rhaenyra told him as she continued pouring. But her father smelt the smoke on her.

'On dragon back?' Viserys questioned Rhaenyra kept her mouth shut. Taelon never got reprimanded for riding or fighting. to be born a woman in this world, Rhaenyra thought with a groan.

'Your Grace, at Prince Daemon's urging, the crown has invested significant capital in the re-training and re-equipping of his City Watch. I thought you might urge your brother to fill his seat on the council and provide an assessment of his progress as commander of the Watch.' Lyman Beesbury told him.

'Do you think Daemon is distracted by his present tasks? And that his thoughts and energies are occupied?' Viserys questioned, he thought giving his brother such a role would keep him occupied and when Daemon was busy he wasn't causing trouble. Taelon was more like his uncle than any of them liked to admit but as Heir to the iron throne, they gave a lot of leeway.

'Well, one would hope so, considering the associated costs.' Beesbury told him.

'Then let us all consider your gold well-invested, Lord Beesbury.' Viserys said sweeping it under the rug but Beesbury was not done. Everyone had their reservations about Daemon.

'I would urge that you not allow this Triarchy much latitude in the Stepstones, Your Grace. If those shipping lanes should fall, it will beggar our ports.'

'The crown has heard your report, Lord Corlys, and takes it under advisement.'

'Shall we discuss the Tournament, Your Grace?'

'I would be delighted.' Viserys told them happily. 'Will the maesters' name day prediction hold, Mellos?'

'You must understand that these things are mere estimations, my King, but we have all been poring over the moon charts, and we feel that our forecast is as accurate as it can be.' Mellos told him.

'The cost of the tournament is not negligible. Perhaps we might delay until the child is in hand?' Beesbury told them.

'Ugh, most of the lords and knights are certainly on their way to King's Landing already. To turn them back now...'

'The tourney will take the better part of a week. Before the games are over, my son will be born, and the whole realm will celebrate.' Viserys said confidently.

'We have no way of predicting the sеx of the child.' The grand maester Mellos reminded him.

'Of course, no maester's capable of rendering an opinion free of conditions, are they now? There's a boy in the Queen's belly. I know it.' Viserys declared. 

Having one son was good, but having Taelon, who was reckless and dangerous, put himself in danger, fought in wars and loved the spotlight, he usually had a target on his back. Viserys wanted a back up son, just in case Taelon lost his head.

But Taelon was skilled and strong, one of the strongest men in westeros, he was charming, had all the ladies all over him constantly. Viserys knew that matching him with a wife would be difficult. That Taelon would have to choose or else his wife would be as miserble as Daemon's own bride.

But Taelon's children would be the next kings of the seven kingdoms after Viserys and after Taelon. he had to be smart about it. The realm counted on it.

Taelon Targaryen ^^^ 🥰