The Vengeful Ghost

56. Interlude

this is just a short little chapter bc a few people wanted insight on Daemon and why he made the choice he did. So enjoy this lil chapter. 

Dragonstone

When Daemon carried in Jace's body, the whole island could hear Rhaenyra's screams.

"No! My boy, my son, what the fuck happened?" She yelled as Jace was rushed to the Maester's office. 

"He arrived on dragonback, he was barely awake. He was mumbling Daeron's name," Daemon lied.

"He did this?!" Rhaenyra hissed.

The maester had them leave the room to allow him to assess the wound. Rhaenyra was still sore and pained by her violent miscarriage and she had to lean against Daemon. "Take me to our chambers."

"Of course," He nodded, picking her up. They made it to the room and Rhaenyra soured as she looked at her babe's empty crib. 

"They hurt him, Daemon. How could she do this?"

"She fed the Hightowers and Cole to her dragon, I would not put anything past her."

"But if I was certain of anything, it was the love she had for her brothers. Daeron could not have done this on her orders. He was stabbed in the back, Daemon, what if he succumbs to his wounds?"

Rhaenyra was sobbing. Sobbing for the loss of her unborn child, and the critical state her son was in. Jace was her eldest boy. She'd messed up with Visenya beyond repair, but Jace was the one she had a strong bond with. 

"We must retaliate. This has to be war, Rhaenyra."

"I know," She whispered. "I should have never let you name her Visenya. We cursed this family by naming her after her alive sister."

"Visenya is not our daughter anymore, Rhaenyra. She is a traitorous usurper."

Rhaenyra clenched her eyes shut as she sobbed into her pillow. She would have accepted peace. She never wanted to declare war, she didn't want to see anyone die. She genuinely began to believe that Visenya might be a fair queen. She put an end to the Greens in a single day. If she could stay on Dragonstone with her sons, she would find that pleasing. 

But she knew Daemon would never. He loved her tremendously. But if there was anything Daemon loved more than Rhaenyra, it was his chaos and war. And Visenya would never allow him to be free. For her freedom with her sons, she knew Visenya would have asked for Daemon in return.

Was it worth it?

But it was too late. Her sweet boy lay dying from a wound Daeron caused. Daeron. Her youngest brother, a boy that was devoted to Visenya. So why would he do this?

"Call the banners," She whispered. "Any house that pledges to us, call them. If you want your war, Daemon, you may have it. I hear Daeron has a whore he loves, maybe we should take something from him."

"We need to go after Visenya. She did this, not that Hightower cunt. We go after her. Visenya took your son, I say we take hers."

Rhaenyra's eyes went wide. "That is our grandson! Maegor did nothing wrong."

"Jacaerys is your heir, Rhaenyra. If he dies, it cannot go to Luke because he stands with her. That would mean Joffrey, which would mean there is no heir to Driftmark. Look at this position she had put us in, we have no choice but to attack her. She is no longer our daughter. Our Visenya died before she could draw breath. In my opinion, she is responsible for her death too."

Daemon planned this well. They were now in a precarious situation and with Visenya to blame, Rhaenyra had no choice but to go to war. Daemon would see his wife on the throne, he would see traces of that Hightower blood eradicated. They'd leeched from his brother for decades, and now they'd put his daughter on the throne.

She shared no love for his grandchildren by Visenya, they were just further extensions of Aemond, a half-Hightower cunt like his mother. 

He would not have life as King Consort with Visenya and Aemond in the way. And Maegor was her heir, so he had to go. Jace was just collateral to get what he needed.

Nothing would stop him from putting her on that throne, not even her children. 

"Rhaenyra, maybe you do not have the stomach for this. Let me make these decisions, please. I will do what is necessary and you will not have to lose sleep over it."

"Fine," She whispered. "I do not want to know."

-

Daemon stood on the shore as he waited for Mysaria to exit the small ship. She made her way to Daemon and scoffed.

"Does your sweet know your former whore is here?"

"She knows I am conducting business."

"I hardly call this business, Daemon. I know you want me for my connections. Who is your victim?" She asked as they took a seat on some of the boulders.

"I need to know I have your support before I reveal that."

"That bad? You realize I have lost much of my power, correct?"

Daemon frowned. "How so?"

"A faceless figure that hides in the shadows. They call her the Red Falcon and she paid almost every spy over double what I did. And she offers them more in terms of food and housing."

"You can not find out who this bastard is?"

"No. They have a loyal following. Even rumors she runs a gambling operation. I can't lay a finger on them. I do not know who you want me to have killed, but the killers I still have are not exactly the best. So tell me who it is and I will tell you if I can pull it off."

"Maegor Targaryen."

Mysaria laughed. "You coward. You want to send an assassin to kill a child that isn't even old enough to read?"

Daemon snorted. Maybe he was stupid like his mother. "I do not plan on winning this war by playing by the rules. Don't let them hurt Visenya, I want her to sit and watch however they do so. Maybe take his head and bring it back to me. Either way, I want her to suffer until I kill her myself."

"You are mad, Daemon."

"I lost my brother! Those Hightowers killed him. And my wife lost our daughter, the daughter I actually wanted."

"You had your chance at a daughter, Daemon."

"Yes, and I missed it. Don't you think I wanted to be there? But when I met her at Laena's funeral, she wasn't like Baela or Rhaena. She cried all the time and she clung to Laenor like he was a god. She was an embarrassment. I wanted daughters like my mother, and she was weak. This was my chance at another girl with Rhaenyra."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before taking the Princess' innocence all those years ago. You left her alone, just as you left me and all your other whores."

"Watch yourself. She was never just my whore. I love her."

Mysaria smirked. "But you love the throne more."

"Not for me, for her. She deserves it."

Mysaria stood. "I will find my best men for your mission. But you must know what you are about to do. The common folk loves her, and they love her twins. They spend time in the orphanage once a week and spend time with the commoners. This will have a backlash that will prevent them from ever wanting your queen."

Daemon rolled his eyes. "I do not care what fleas think."

"There will come a day when you do."

also, just because they discussed Blood and Cheese does not mean it'll actually happen. I hate seeing y'all stressed lol