In an ideal world, I would have had my cake and eaten it too. But the world was sadly unfair.
Larys would have been a good addition to my ranks, but he was not someone I was willing to trust with my bigger secrets and plans. But he was in a position where he would be able to find those secrets, and who knows how long before he was using them against me? So his purpose became slightly different, but in my favour nonetheless.
I had made it a public spectacle, Larys' execution. Gossip spread like wildfire and the people that gathered to witness were cursing the man's name as he was brought to the Dragonpit.
Larys was executed by dragon fire, his charred remains left to turn to ashes in the wind when Vhagar took flight after the deed was done. She did not eat humans, or at the very least had not eaten humans in the duration I was her rider.
The child and his mother that had helped me rid of Larys and Otto were under my protection now, working in the stables while his mother worked as a handmaiden for me, all the servants did that had testified against Larys. They had helped me, so it was only right I looked after them. And if one of them were to get overwhelmed by guilt and try to confess, I'd have her close by to talk her out of it or deal with it in other ways.
My work with Mysaria continued, except now she had become the unofficial Mistress of Whispers for the crown. She was offered the seat by Father as a way to thank her for bringing the truth forward and supplying them with information that routed a traitor and one possible traitor. She had declined, going back to her duties in the pleasure dens. But she still worked for me in the shadows, getting me the information I needed to go about my business.
As for the rest, I had to put up a mummer's show. I was not a good actor and was afraid I'd be caught in my lies. But my acting surprised me greatly. The tears I cried, the emotions in my voice, all of it sounded so genuine that even I was confused whether the whole plan was a setup by me or did it all naturally happen and I found out.
I had to continue from there. I accusations I threw around, they were not things that could be forgotten so easily. So I had kept my distance, been cold with them. Any conversation that they started with me was kept short and to the point. I had to get a point across, that they had insulted e and I did not take insults lightly. Plus it would also reinforce the thought that they'd think twice before accusing me of something and approach me about the rumours they hear, which would give me time to cover up in case those rumours turned out to be true.
So the time was spent with me practising swordsmanship with Ser Criston and riding on Vhagar to visit Dragonstone and check in on how things were going there. I hadn't personally been there in a while and felt as if I should drop by.
Uncle Daemon stuck around as well. Now that he thought he was a part of my inner circle, he wanted to see just how I played my games. He was especially grateful when the news of his wife's demise reached him one fine day. He did not care for Lady Rhea Royce in the slightest, so her death meant little to him. At my signal, he began his courtship of Laena, and from the looks of it, things were going smoothly. Daemon was the Lord of the Stepstones now, a series of Islands that were once pirate-infested but now completely free of them. He was already earning quite a purse from the tolls collected from trading routes, though the tolls were kept to an understandable minimum. Lord Corlys would not mind Daemon marrying his daughter, and if he did not mind then Aunt Rhaenys would not vocalize her thoughts.
I had initially planned on keeping Lady Rhea alive. She was a good woman and an honourable one at that. But there was no way I found to nullify her marriage to my uncle. So she was an unfortunate sacrifice.
Eventually, though, I did speak with the others. But that was only a week before my marriage to Jason Lannister.
----
I would be lying if I said I was not nervous about what was to come.
Marriage was not something that I put too much thought into ever since I had come to this world. It was all about being myself and playing the right hands to ensure that my succession would not be so easily challenged. Sure enough, this was also one of those plots, but that didn't mean I would not be nervous.
Father had declared that there would be a series of events that would lead to the eventual royal wedding celebration. I realized at the declaration that in the original story, the wedding had been a quick affair since things had gone bloody wrong thanks to a Knight who couldn't separate pleasure from love, which explained why Rhaenyra had worn such a plain dress on her wedding.
The series of events began with a welcoming feast, where I had worn the white dress the original Rhaenyra had gotten married in. It was a feast as the name suggested, to welcome the guests. There was food in plenty, music, dancing, and even acrobats! It was a terrific event and I enjoyed myself greatly, especially the fact that there was no bloodshed this time around.
It had gone so well that even Uncle Daemon had made his condolences known to Lady Rhea's cousin who was attending as the representative of House Royce of the Vale. Of course, I had told Uncle Daemon to be on his best behaviour and even let it be known that he was saddened at her loss, even if there was little love between them. No talks of inheritance were brought up and the man looked happy that his cousin would not be so easily forgotten. Goodwill like that went a long way in these times.
The second day of the celebration saw a tourney being held in my honour. It consisted of the usual things, Archery, Jousting and Melee.
The Archery competition had been won by Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, a 'friend' of Ser Laenor's.
Ser Criston had won the Jousting competition that had ended on the fourth day of my celebrations thanks to how many people took part in the event to showcase their skills. He had also won wearing my favour since he was my guard and a good friend.
But Ser Criston had picked a slight niggle in the competition, so he did not take part in the Melee that followed. The Melee saw a new champion in the form of Ser Tyland Lannister, who had dedicated his victory to me, his future sister-in-law.
Eventually, the final day of the celebration came and I found myself being prepped for the ceremony. It would be taking place in the Great Sept inside the Red Keep, as all royal weddings had before mine.
"You look gorgeous, Princess," one of my handmaidens said. I smiled at her in reply, because I did look gorgeous.
I was put into a dress made of the finest white silk, with a long train that would trail behind me when I walked. The bodice was tight-fitting, with a sweetheart neckline and intricate embroidery done in silver and gold. The skirt was full and flowing, with layers of tulle and organza adding volume and depth. The waist was cinched with a delicate silver belt, studded with diamonds and other precious gems.
At the hem of the dress, there were more embroidered designs in silver and gold, depicting the dragons of my family heritage. The sleeves were long and flowing, with delicate lace cuffs that matched the embroidery on the bodice. The neckline was adorned with a string of pearls and diamonds, which sparkled when hit by the light.
The dress was complemented by a long white veil, made of the finest tulle and edged with lace. The veil was attached to a delicate silver tiara, studded with diamonds and other precious stones, though the tiara was not yet on my head.
My hair was styled in an elegant and intricate updo, with small braids and twists incorporated into the style. It also featured loose tendrils that framed my face.
"You look lovely, Rhaenyra."
A familiar voice had me looking away from my reflection to the reflection of Alicent, who stood at the door with a smile. She was sporting the colours of House Targaryen, a relief. There would be no Green and Black nonsense going on then.
I smiled back at her and she took it as a sign to enter. I dismissed my handmaidens and that left just the two of us.
"I still think this is a little too much for a wedding gown, but I do look nice in it."
"You look more than just nice" the Queen paused. "Rhaenyra... I—"
"No, I Rhaenyra, you Alicent."
The Queen rolled her eyes at me.
"I just wanted to say that I apologize."
"You're the least I'm angry with," I said, "you actually came to ask me whether the rumours were true, instead of assuming and falling for the ploy."
"It's not just that" Alicent argued, "my father... I still can't believe—"
"I'll tell you what my uncle told me about Ser Otto that now sounds like it can be true. He's a second son who will find any way to carve a place for himself in this world. Larys might have fed him the lie through his informant, but a man who practically watched me grow would have come to me too if he didn't have another agenda. Or maybe he wanted to be rid of my uncle and I was collateral. It could also be that your uncle is pushing your father to do these things."
I shrugged and took a moment to catch my breath.
"Regardless of what the reason might be, you do not have to apologize for the actions of your father. He is older than you and certainly has shown that he has smarts in him. He should be the one to apologize."
"Father said some things before he left..."
"What kind of things?"
"That you would have to rid of my children—"
"Speak no more of it" I almost hissed at her. "Your children are my siblings, brother and sister from the loins of my father. I have been there since the day they were born, I held them in my arms, cleaned after them, and played with them. I would never, and I mean never harm a single hair on their heads. Nor would I allow anyone else to do that."
"My marriage to Jason Lannister, the agreement of my firstborn marrying a grandchild of Corlys Velaryon, all of this is to ensure I have the support of the bigger armies, so anyone who opposes my succession will find themselves lacking powerful allies. I do this to avoid a civil war, Alicent. I do this so my siblings and my children do not have to fight each other. I will protect them with every last breath."
"And even if things break out in a war? What then?"
"I will throw my crown at their feet and surrender. I refuse to fight against my kin. I refuse to think about harming any of them."
Alicent said nothing, only hugging me tight and letting out a few gentle sobs. I held her as well, not sobbing but comforting her. I meant what I said, I will not let any of them get hurt or worse.
***
My initial thoughts on the tiara were that it was a little too much for me. But once it was on my head, I saw the vision of the guy that made the dress and the entire outfit for me. The tiara sitting atop my head completed a sort of regal and elegant look that was fit for the future Queen.
The guests watched me walk down the aisle towards my husband-to-be. Thankfully Jason Lannister had not been indulging his alcoholism in these seven days and was being an overall decent man. He might not be that bad to be married to if I were to stop his alcohol abuse.
My father's grip on my arm was a gentle one, but from time to time he would give it a little tenser squeeze. He was trying not to cry, much to my surprise. Viserys Targaryen was a girl dad after all.
A hymn was sung when I was walking down the aisle, and when I reached my husband, the hymn was replaced by a prayer. Vows came next, where Jason and I took each other for husband and wife. The cloak of my house was removed from my shoulders, replaced by that of House Lannister, symbolizing that I had moved from the care of my father to that of my new husband. The ceremony ended with a kiss.
A feast followed the ceremony where I was greeted by the Lords and Ladies of various houses who congratulated me on my wedding. Lord and Lady Hightower were there as well, their smiles tight but appearance formal. Ser Otto was not there.
Eventually, the time that I realized I most dreaded had arrived, the bedding. Jason, my new husband, was being taken by the ladies while I was being carried by the Lords. There were hands that touched me in awkward places, and even more, hands that ripped my dress, but apparently, that was the norm for these weddings.
Eventually, we arrived in my chambers, where the bedding would happen. The Lords and Ladies had left, leaving just Jason and me alone.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
"No, just a little flustered... so many hands."
I shivered, much to the amusement of Jason.
"Allow these two hands to be the only ones to touch you from today, my Queen."
The Lord of Casterly Rock was not drunk, yet his speech was still slurred like he was. He was not clumsy as he undressed, carefully and meticulously ridding me of every last piece of cloth or jewellery I wore. He practically threw my nude form on the bed and I watched as he slowly undressed himself. He was putting on a show for me, and I couldn't exactly move my eyes from it.
The events that happened next were not of my design or within my knowledge.
I had been too occupied with Jason to notice that the secret passage route had opened. I was too distracted to warn Jason when a hand reached out and grabbed the man by the hair. I was too stunned to even make a noise when a knife buried deep inside Jason's throat, effectively ending his life.
I could only stare in disbelief as the life went from Jason's eyes and he fell dead. My sights went to the killer, and the revelation shocked me even more. I also realzied that I had not seen him the entire day, not at the ceremony or the feast that followed.
"Rhaenyra" Tyland Lannister stood there, looking very proud of what he had just done. "You can have both now, the might of the Westerlands and me. I told you I could find us a way."
"You just killed your brother" I whispered, unable to believe what just happened.
"I did it for you. I did it for us."
The man rushed to kneel by the bed and grabbed my hands. I quickly pulled away and hid my body under the covers.
"You killed your own brother, you just... you just killed him!"
"I did it so we can be together!"
"You told me you loved him, you told me you loved him the most out of anyone else."
"I love you more, my Queen!"
"How long will that last?"
My question made Tyland flinch.
"How long before you love someone more and kill me too?!"
"Never! I could never imagine hurting you! I did not even believe the lies Otto Hightower said about you. I love you and only you, nothing will change that."
We stared into each other's eyes, me looking for deceit in them. I saw none.
"You'll be executed for this."
"Not if they never find the body."
It was then I noticed another figure in the room, a very familiar woman in white. I swallowed and thought about my next step.
"Swear to me."
"What?"
"Swear to me that you will never harm me, go against me or even think about another woman. Swear it to me on the Old gods, the New gods, the Valyrian gods. Swear it to me by all the gods!"
"I swear it!" Tyland was already kneeling by that stage, "I swear by all gods old and new and Valyrian that you are the only woman for me, the only woman who deserves my love and attention. My loyalty is to you, your interests are my interests, and I will forever pledge my life to you."
I grabbed the man by his collar, pulled him in close and kissed him. I felt him melt into the kiss and ease up, so I pulled him onto the bed and over me.
"They would need signs of it" I whispered to him and he understood.
He was quick to undress and even quicker to slide his entire length into me solely. The pain was what I felt, clinging to him until I was comfortable enough for him to start moving. My eyes met Mysaria's who was dealing with the body. She smiled at me, bowed and left through the secret passage, the men she brought along following her with the body.