129 AC
KING'S LANDING
THE YEAR IS 129 after Aegon's conquest.
Viserys I. Targaryen rules seven kingdoms as fifth king to sit on the Irone Throne.
On the third day of third moon of the same year Viserys dies during his sleep in Red Keep.
Upon the death of the King, Queen Alicent and Ser Cristian Cole summon small council members for a metting.
They crown Aegon, even though Rhaenyra was Viserys official heir.
Aegon only reluctantly accepted the crown because his mother, brothers, sister and children would otherwise be killed by Rhaenyra.
That lead to a war.
As Rhaenyra would never be willing to give up her birthright, and two of them had dragons at disposal.
Seven days after Viserys had died, his death was announced.
On Dragonstone Rhaenyra had learned about the death of her father and the betrayal of her siblings.
Anger had made her go into labor, which lasted for three days and brought forth a stillborn, deformed girl.
She swore revenge.
Rhaenyra was crowned queen, using the crown her father and great-grandfather had worn.
Her eldest child Princess Rhaenys of the House Velaryon was made heir of Irone Throne and Princess of Dragonstone in her own right.
Princess Rhaeynes was at time at Storms End visiting.
Prince Aemond was sent to Storms End to betroth himself to one of Baratheon daughters.
Lucerys flew also to Storms End in hope he would arrive before Aemond and take his sister to safety.
Unfortunately they arrived at the same time.
Aemond tried to goad Lucerys into a fight, insulting him, calling him a Strong bastard but Lucerys, sworn not to fight, refused him.
Lucerys barely managed to escape him with his head on his shoulders, leaving Princess Rhaenys in castle with foes.
Aemond decided to make her his hostage and bring her to King's Landing.
There council decided that it would be the best to marry Aemond and Rhaenys.
They believed that Rhaenyra would not be willing to continue war once they had her daughter so firmly in their hands.
Of course they were wrong.
~
Rhaenys wished she could stop dreaming. She prayed to Gods she could stop dreaming.
She was so tired; all she wanted to do is sleep. She wanted to sleep all the day, from dawn until twilight that every evening comes a little earlier and a little more drearily. In the daytime, all she could think about is sleeping.
But in the night all she did is try to stay awake.
When she got to bed she dare not sleep because she could not bear the dreams that come.
~
There is no warm welcome for her as she arrives in throne room to hear what destiny is waiting her.
' Dowager Queen will make you your ward, until you are wed to Prince Aemond, and we hope it is going to be soon ' Ser Criston says
They move her into the royal rooms in the Red Keep and she waits for someon to command her presence.
Aegon holds his court at the Throne Room and every man who can pretend that he is green , or a long-term secret supporter of the Green cause, goes to see him and claims a reward for his loyalty.
Rhaenys waits for an invitation to be presented at court, but none comes.
Alicent orders new dresses for Rhaenys, headdresses to make her look even taller, new shoes to peep below the hem of the new gowns.
Alicent visits her so they could decide on her wedding gown.
'Dark green,' Alicent says. 'It has to be dark green.'
Rhaenys begs her for another color, and Alicent takes mercy on her, she lets her wear dark blue as her wedding gown.
Blue is safer color and doesn't represent any of the sides at war.
They start letting her go to sept, and there she spents most of her time.
Praying for her mother, brothers, Daemon and his daughters.
She is praying that they are well and that they come out of this war victorious.
She prays that they come to her rescue on their dragons.
~
The morning of her wedding day is as cold as her heart.
Rhaenys steps out of her bed and maid pulls her nightgown over her head and then offers her new, all new and trimmed with white silk embroidery on the white linen at the hem, then her blue satin gown.
Maid ties the laces under the arms while the two other maids in waiting tie those at the back.
The door opens and Alicent comes in. She is already in her green gown with her hair tied loosely at the back; later she will twist it under crown. For the first time, she notices that she has a fine scattering of grey hairs among the red, she is young no more.
'You look lovely' she says as she touches her hair.
At her touch, Rhaenys finds her throat tightening, and the tears that have been blurring her view all morning spill down on cheeks.
' Stop' Alicent orders 'There is nothing that you can do but obey and smile.'
~
Aemond is standing at the septas steps when Rhaenys comes in through the west door.
Rhaenys walks alone; one of the ironies of this wedding is that if there was a man of her family to escort her, then Aegon would not be King and watching this wedding with a shy smile on his face.
Ahead od her is Aemond all dressed in green.
She can see his mother looking crossly from him to her, and puzzling as to why this is even happening.
The septon is waiting for them, his prayer book open, his old face smiling down as they walk towards him. His round, lined face shines on her with simple good will as she stand before him. As his kind eyes fall on her face she can feel herself slipping into a reverie, almost fainting, as if she has entered one of her dreams.
In a daze, she takes Aemond's hand and repeats the words.
'I,Rhaenys take , A. . A... A.. .' She stumbles as if she cannot speak this name, as if she cannot wake to this awkward reality.
It is awful, she cannot say another word, she cannot catch breath.
She can feel herself sweating, she can feel herself sway, her legs weakening under her.
Rhaenys cannot bring herself to say the name of the man, cannot make herself promised to her family's enemy. She trys again.
Rhaenys gets as far as: 'I, Rhaenys, take thee . . .' before she chokes into silence. It is hopeless, she cannot say it. She give a little whooping cough and raises her eyes to his face.
She cannot help herself she hates him like an enemy, she cannot say his name and cannot possibly marry him.
But Aemond , understands exactly what is happening, and gives her a sharp corrective pinch with his fingers in the soft palm of her hand.
He uses his nails, he digs into her flesh, she yelp at the pain, and his hard gaze emerges from the mist and she sees his anger.
'Say it!' he mutters furiously.
Rhaenys masters herself and says again, correctly this time, 'I, Rhaenys, take thee, Aemond . . .'
~
The wedding banquet is held at Throne Room.
After the feast there is dancing and a little play put on by some skilled actors. There are tumblers, music from the choristers, the king's fool tells some bawdy jokes and then Alicent and Haelena came to escort Rhaenys to the bedroom.
It was decided that bedding ceremony shall be witnessed by three small council members.
Because they did not believe that marriage would be otherwise consummated.
Aemond was against this match as much as his bride and had no interest in her.
They feared if the marriage was left unconsummated that would leave a chance for Rhaenyra to get it annulled.
Aegon hoped that if Aemond and his wife produce a child, it will calm down Rhaenyra and that they will finally have peace.
Bedroom was warm with a long-established fire of smouldering logs and scented pine cones in the hearth, and Alicent gives Rhaenys a drink of specially brewed wedding ale to calm her down.
'Are you nervous?' Haelena asks, her tone as sweet as mead.
'No,' Rhaenys says shortly
'Why don't you help your new sister into bed?' Alicent suggests to Haelena, and she turns back the covers and gives Rhaenys an upward push into the high bed.
Rhaenyes settles herself against the pillows and swallows down her apprehension.
The septon comes in first to pray over the marriage bed.
Behinde him comes Aemond, looking flushed and drunk among a band of men who slap him on the back.
One freezing look from Alicent warns everyone that they are to leave.
Leaving inside only Aemond, Rhaenys and three council members to vitnes.
The table for council members was perhaps three meters from the bed. It was round, but all three observers were sitting on the opposite third of it, in order to verify the proceedings.
'You'll do best if you lie down'Aemond murmured. 'We needn't make this more than it has to be.
Rhaenys nodded.
She allowed him to adjust her legs so he could be between them.
He ran his hands up her legs.
Rhaenys reminded herself that even if he had her in marriage, he had no desire for her as person or body or anything other than advantage.
' You'll need to relax'he said.
' I know 'she spat back
For the first time since their childhood, he looked her in the eyes.
' Are you ready? ' he asked.
She nodded.
He entered her carefully but she still cried out.
' Shh ' Aemond said, his face now much closer.
He began to thrust into her steadily. The give of the bed meant that she bounced along with every motion, back and forth and back and forth. She was glad for her nightgown, and for Aemonds arms caging her, her audience couldn't gawk her torso or her breasts.
She didn't know what to do with her hands. Despite the fact that he was fucking her, she didn't feel they were friendly enough to embrace, and to bring her hands to his face or his hair was far too intimate. Besides, his face was turned away from her, probably to preserve his own privacy.
The last few thrusts were short and hard before he tensed and spilled into her.
He eased himself to her side, taking a few seconds to catch his breath, still not looking at her.
She could hear concil members leave.
Few moments later they were asleep or pretending to be.
~
After of couple weeks of not seeing her husband Rhaenys finally decides to visit him in his rooms.
Rhaenys had news for Aemond
She was pregnant. Only a few weeks along, that was true, but she was pregnant.
It was equal parts good and bad, for she knew this was what they wanted for them, what was needed for peace.
Aemond room was dark when she entered, and it took her eyes a moment to adjust.
She walked towards him in long, quick strides, while he was in the process of unbuttoning his jacket.
'I have missed my course,' she say quietly. 'I may be with child.'
His movements stoped, and he looked at her for several seconds, then down at her stomach.
There is no mistaking the joy in his face. His colour flushes up, he takes her hands and draws her closer to him, almost as if he would wrap his arms around her, almost as if he wants to hold her with love.
'Oh, I am glad,' he says. 'Very glad. Thank you for telling me, I know you didn't want it, and I didn't want it either'
' I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. ' he added afere several minutes of silence
She looked down, weaving her fingers together. ' Yes, well, neither did I '
Aemond nodded, his eyes never leaving her form, until she shut the door behind her and left his room's.
Rhaenys put a hand over her stomach, and spoke to the tiny thing inside of her. It wasn't a person, not yet, but it would be, and she would ensure it was the most loved person in the world.
' Worry not, little one ' she whispered. ' He will love you. I'm certain of it.'
She hoped she wasn't lying.
...