glitter & gold | blackfyre rebellion

prologue

"This is it then?", he asked with uncertainty in his voice. He was prepared for this day ever since the moment he had been born. He worked hard and trained hard to earn his place, he had to fight to keep his position against the blood-hungry nobles and fragile Marcher Lords, against his own father and now the day had come that no one would ever dare to challenge him.

He couldn't believe it.

"I never thought I would see this day.", he continued. His wife, a born princess, was right beside him, one hand on his shoulder. She too was watching the room with cold eyes. She had no pity for the man lying dead in front of them. Her good father had been dead for two days now, they had just arrived at the court and the Silent Sisters left them alone to say their final goodbyes to the unworthy King.

Aegon IV no more.

"Some people just seem like they never die.", she talked with her strong accent. 14 years of marriage, 14 years of being outside of the Dorne yet it did little to no none affection on her way of talking. "Some out of glory and some..."

"Wickedness.", her husband sharply continued when she stopped. Not out of respect or something, she just didn't want to speak badly after the death. "Some people are just so evil that people think even when they die their legacy will continue to live. But this isn't the case this time.", his eyes shone with determination. "His legacy will not continue as long as I live. We will create a new order, and start a new era. His words and his actions will not be remembered. The corruption that slowly kills us all will end today and will never return to these lands as I remain its ruler."

"Of course, it won't.", Myriah squeezed his shoulder and used her other hand to turn his head to herself. "You are not your father Daeron.", she spoke delicately. "You never were and you never will. You will be a just king, a good king, a wise king... You will achieve things he couldn't even dream of."

"Ruling is the easy part.", Daeron didn't meet her eyes. "The hardest thing is maintaining the peace and balance within the family. Viserys ruled peacefully yet the Dance quickly followed because he couldn't rule his family."

"It wasn't Viserys who ruled the realm.", Myriah whispered. "It was Otto and then Alicent, he was nothing without the Hightowers and the Dance followed because he was ungrateful because he didn't give them the justice they deserve."

"According to your law, the crown was Rhaenyra's not Aegon's.", Daeron frowned mockingly. "Or have you forgotten it, my love?"

Myriah rolled her eyes affectionately. "The crown was hers, as the true and chosen heir of her father, there's no doubt in it. But he should've either keep her as his heir and rule the realm himself or make Aegon his heir and keep using the Hightowers. He wanted his cake and eat it and it became a dark mark in your family's history. We could never allow this."

"We love our sons equally. Baelor, Aerys, Rhaegel and Maekar... They would never hurt each other the way Rhaenyra and Aegon did and I would never choose between my sons and favour one above the other like Viserys did."

"I know you wouldn't.", Myriah kissed his cheek. "And I would never let that too."

"My prince!", the door opened and the Hand of the Former King, Lord Jon Hightower entered the room. But after a few seconds of confused looks, he corrected his mistake. "My king.", he bend one knee in front of him and Daeron shared a look with Myriah before she whispered into his heir.

"He served the realm fairly but he is not needed anymore."

Daeron looked deeply into her eyes and made a notion for Lord Hightower to rise. "What is it that couldn't wait until I say goodbye to my father?"

Lord of Oldtown sent him a subtle but mocking look. Not even a peasant would believe that Prince Daeron would want to say goodbye to King Aegon after everything he had done to him, his mother and his uncle.

"As your Hand, it is my duty to warn you before this document goes into public."

"What document?"

Jon looked at Myriah but then he realized that she would not leave. "There is no easy way to say this, your grace. Your father had given me the order to prepare the official paper to legitimise six of his natural-born children."

"Is Daemon one of them?", Daeron asked with a whisper after a silence that felt like hours had passed. Myriah took a step away from him to give him space. "Is he on the list?"

"At the top of it, yes.", the Hand answered with a solemn look.

"And you let him do that?", Daeron asked with disgust.

"He was the king and he was dying. As his Hand, it is my job to follow orders, your grace. Not question them but yes, I did state my opinion to his grace and tried to explain to him why this might quickly turn into a disastrous idea as much as my abilities let me."

"And he didn't change his mind?"

"He said that your brother, Daemon, is a pureblood Targaryen and deserves to be recognized as one."

"Over my dead body.", Myriah was the one who spoke while Daeron tried to find words in his anger.

The Lord Hand sent her another look. "His grace also ordered his other natural born children; Aegor, Brynden, Shiera, Mya and Gwenys to be recognized as Targaryens too."

"Daeron you can't let such a thing happen!", Myriah turned to her husband with anger. "The moment they took the Targaryen name, they would become threats to you and to our sons."

"What kind of a son would dismiss his father's last wish?", Daeron asked with a cold look. He wanted to burn his father's body himself but was trying to reason with himself. "What kind of a king would unrecognize a former king's order? What kind of a father would shrug off his own father's words?"

"The kind of a son who had to endure this kind of a father his whole life!", Myriah raised her voice. "The kind of a king who thinks about the future of his realm, The kind of a father who cares about his sons!"

"Your grace,", Lord Jon took a step towards the new king. "This order had not been announced to the public and neither of these names is aware of it. This work had not been put into the process, and as the new king you have the authority to stop it. My advice to you is to pretend as if you never even see this. Or the effects would be catastrophic."

"Why did he do that?", Daeron asked, his blood is hot and his heartbeats rapidly.

"To say a final 'fuck you' to you, my king.", Jon blurted. "He said that he had to deal with you, your mother and your uncle and their ghosts his whole life and now that it is your duty to be tested by your siblings and therefore your sons."

Daeron started to laugh like a madman until Jon left the room with an apologetic look Myriah rushed to his side when he fell to his knees and his laughs turned into tears. "I didn't do anything to deserve this. It was them who had to endure him."

"I know my love.", Myriah kissed the top of his head. Her eyes were focused on the floor. "I know."

"What will we do now?", Daeron broke the hug and wiped his eyes after a few minutes. "I can't -Myriah-I can't dismiss that order and live with the fear of people finding out about it. It is a sin, he was a king no matter what and he gave an order. I can't dismiss it the way Aegon dismissed Viserys'. What will we do now?"

"Now?", Myriah answered a few minutes later. They both were still sitting on the floor with Daeron leaning his back to the table his father is lying and Myriah kneeling next to him. Both were tired and distressed and they had a terrible headaches. "Now we will rule."