.INDOMITUS. | Jacaerys Velaryon x OC x Cregan Stark |

Chapter Seven: To Kings Landing, then?

"Are you awake, Seasmoke?" She called out. She looked back to see Baela and Moondancer cuddled together on the sand, a wing covering the majority of her sister. The pearl coloured tail swept Rhaenys's feet from beneath her and she laughed loudly as she landed on her behind in the water. Seasmoke raised their head from out of the water and sneezed, shaking their head and spraying water over the woman. The dragon approached Rhaenys slowly and used their head to nudge her towards the shore where Baela and Moondancer were. Rhaenys and Seasmoke joined the other dragon and rider on the sand, Rhaenys resting her head on the pearl beast's torso.

"I don't understand why you haven't ridden Seasmoke yet, they still have their saddle on" Baela inquired to her sister, gesturing to the saddle on the back of the beast. Rhaenys looked to her dragon, then to the saddle, before returning back to Baela. "It just doesn't feel right, you know? I don't want either of us to feel as though I'm replacing father" the mention of Ser Laenor put a slight damper on the Princess's mood. She still wasn't over the grief she had felt from his passing, but there was also a gut feeling she kept to herself. It was as though the gods were telling her to wait a while before riding a dragon.

Moondancer placed their head on Baela's lap, and the younger woman began to caress their head. "I understand" she spoke softly as Rhaenys stared out into the ocean. The women and dragons stayed that way a while longer, until the midday sun shone down on them. "What did you mean, you know someone who can help?" Baela inquired, moving the now sleeping dragon's head from her lap. She stood and moved to help her sister stand, the two stiff from sitting so long. "Daemon" the name was spat from Rhaenys's mouth as though it were poison, which it was to her. She still felt that somehow the Rogue Prince was responsible for her father's death, and so he was the enemy in her mind.

~~~

{A few hours later, on Dragonstone}

Princess Rhaenyra walked into the cold meeting room of Dragonstone where she saw her eldest boy, Jacaerys, with their Maester.

"The Conquerer and his sisters sailed with a great army and landed at Blackwater Rush" her son spoke with uncertainty as he read from a Valyrian text. His High Valyrian had taken a back seat in priorities after Rhaenys had left for High Tide, something that had affected the entire family. Rhaenyra wondered closer to the table and listened to the Maester as he explained the text. "At the end?" Jace asked, looking to his mother with a smile. "The mouth" she corrected gently. Jacaerys tugged at his hair in frustration, groaning at his mistranslation. "Come on Jace, you knew that" he muttered to himself as he re-read the text. "Aegon ordered that the trees should be... killed"

"Felled, it is a related word" Rhaenyra placed one hand on her swollen belly and one on Jace's arm gently. "I don't expect you to learn High Valyrian in a day, Jace" She reassured him, nodding to the maester in dismissal. Jace groaned and rubbed his eyes. "The Lord of the Tides should honour the traditions of his forebears" he told her, speaking more so to himself. He gave his mother a tired smile, one she gladly returned. "Well, unless you plan to depose your grandsire you have plenty of time to study" Rhaenyra moved her hand to place it gently on his face, smiling as he leant into the hold.

The doors slammed open and then shut as Daemon strode in, anger exuding from him. "Leave us" he ordered sharply as he stared at his wife's son. "Joffery, come" Jacaerys grabbed his younger brothers hand and led him out of the room, leaving the two silver haired adults alone. "A raven from Driftmark" Daemon stated, handing the parchment to Rhaenyra. "Is it Rhaenys? Is she okay?" Rhaenyra opened the letter quickly hoping it was from her daughter.

The last Rhaenyra had heard of her heir was through Rhaenys the Elder. Her daughter had arrived on Driftmark alongside Baela, and had refused to return. The Elder had taken the Younger to ward also, and had said to rhaenyra that the girl wished to be closer to her father. Rhaenys had promised her daughter in law that Rhae was not angry at her, just at her new husband. Rhaenyra had not visited her eldest child per her request, but kept updated in her own ways. She was even delighted when Rhaenys had earned herself a new title from the small folk; the Pearl of Driftmark.

"It's Vaemond Velaryon. He means to call into question Jace's legitimacy" Daemon scowled, showing the letter to his wife. Rhaenyra scanned through quickly, noting the handwriting to be Baela's and not Rhaenys's. "And by extension, Rhaenys, and by extention my own claim to the throne" the princess responded. She began to fiddle with the rings on her fingers, each a different colour. "Vaemond only cares about Driftmark and the Velaryon line, not about our politics".

"Rhaenys, Jacaerys, Luce and Joffery are Velaryon, Uncle. Has he made common cause with Otto Hightower yet?" Rhaenyra asked, handing the letter back to her husband. The two stood at the stone table, and glanced down at the Driftmark platelet. "Hm, that is what I fear. Rhaenys, Rhae and Baela have flown to court" he continued on, looking from Driftmark to King's Landing. Rhaenyra looked up at Daemon and raised a brow. "Surely she cannot be planning to back him? Rhae would risk losing the throne herself if she backed him".

Daemon snorted at his wife's words and shook his head. "No. Whatever disagreements we may have had, she isn't cruel... or stupid enough to do that" he mused, taking Rhaenyras hands in his. "Disagreements? Both Rhaenys the Elder and the Younger believe you had Laenor killed so that we could marry. I haven't seen my sweet girl in years because she thinks you murdered her father". Rhaenyra took her hands back and began to twist the white pearl ring on her finger, the one matching Rhaenys's. "And yet, your good mother has taken the girls to ward".

"Yes, but it is Laena and Laenor's memory she honours. She may have love for the girls, but she has none for us" Daemon sighed once again. Rhaenyra spoke truth, as she always did with him. He reached forward to stroke the swollen belly of his wife and smiled as he felt a small kick. "What choice to we have? Other than to attest his claim?"

"To King's Landing then?"

"To King's Landing"