masquerade | house of the dragon

prologue

They had brought the Sea Snake from his journey to Driftmark. When he woke up from the fever for the first time he saw his dead brother's head and the Dark Sister on his neck and he swore fealty to Rhaenyra even though the words didn't mean anything at that moment.

Rhaenyra's coronation was forced and rushed, and smallfolk didn't react to it the way they should. Rhaenyra was away for too long, there were vile accusations made by her name. People whispered in the streets about how her kids were bastards and how she had first cuckolded his husband and then killed him only to be able to marry her uncle. People were surprised to see the women she had become. She was not the Realm's Delight no more, she was more likely the Realm's Nightmare at this point.

Daemon had formed the Gold Cloaks again with his own methods and they were terrorizing the small folk of the King's Landing with their cruelty and demands. They did not pay in anywhere they did and anybody who had a problem with that found himself hanged the next morning. He ruled with fear and brutality. Rhaenyra wasn't aware of that -not that she cared at all, no, she had different problems.

Lord Tyland Lannister knew he was going to die. He was no idiot. The moment he heard about Viserys' death he knew they were late. But he saw a chance and took it to save the queen he believed in. None of the Greens would do something for Aegon but for Alicent? They would give their lives for her cause because they loved her, because they respected her and because they believed in her. Viserys was basically dead for the past six years. And while neither Rhaenyra nor Daemon bothered themselves with writing him letters -let alone visiting him, Alicent was there every single moment of his miserable life. She took care of him, she took care of her children, she took care of her grandchildren, she took care of the small council and the realm. She was basically the ruling Queen -while Rhaenyra was just spending all of her time in her bed with her uncle.

Nobody took Rhaenyra seriously all she did was look at people with surprise, shock and confusion. Some said that she was still in disbelief at what has happened. Because things moved too fast. But now a month has passed, and nothing has changed.

She would attend the council meetings -the formal council hasn't even formed yet, she had surrounded herself with lickspittles and Corlys and Daemon -and most of her allies were her allies because they were afraid of Daemon.

After the Stepstones disaster, the Dornish strengthen their alliances with the Triarchy and the mighty Rogare family. They became too big that the head of their house, Lysandro Rogare claimed himself as the First Magister for Life and it reached to a point that now he was known as the king -thanks to their alliances. And their biggest enemy was the Velaryons -and Daemon. They burned down High Tide like it was child's play. And now they were asking for the release of the grandchildren of their long-time friend. Otto Hightower truly played his cards right before he died -he made sure the Blacks would never see the light of day ever again.

Also the marriage between Lysandro's brother Drazenko and now the Ruling Princess of Dorne, Aliandra Martell made things even worse for the Blacks because they were surrounded by enemies all over the world and the Westerosi nobles themselves were just waiting for an opportunity to rise against them.

With Rhaenys sent to exile in Driftmark and forbade ever to return alongside with Baela and Rhaena -Daemon's own daughters, Corlys was already on the verge of losing his mind. And while Jace was doing whatever he was doing in North in the name of 'making alliances' he had to see Luke's smug face roaming around the castle the whole day. Corlys thought he loved his 'grandchildren' but after six years of deliberately denying he now came to a realization.

Whatever doom happened to House Velaryon was caused by Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen.

And now he had to serve them to protect themselves.