"Queen Maekora of House Maltheon, dragon lord of the highest seat in Ashbourne, risen from the blood of Old Valyria, and the Ruler of the Skies."
The announcement of her arrival broke her out of the million thoughts running through her head.
She walked straight ahead, a hand on the sword Truefyre, which was a last minute intimidation tactic suggested by Markus.
Rhaenyra bowed at her arrival to the front of the throne as well as the King and Alicent. Otto simply bowed his head. Viserys and Otto were at conflict ever since he delivered the news of Rhaenyra's "adventure."
The Maltheon siblings all kept their eyes on the King, not even daring to take a look at the Princess standing at the foot of the stairs to the Iron Throne.
Mae took a peek at the Princess who was smiling at her. She immediately looked back at Viserys, who sat comfortably on the chair.
Rhaenyra's face dropped slightly as she realized Maekora did not even smile back or look at her for that matter. None of the Maltheon siblings looked at her, the only one who did was Maecerys, but even then he looked away.
There was no way. They couldn't have found out. If they did, it meant Maekora was aware of Daemon and the brothel situation especially since Maelora had seen her.
Maekora knew.
"It is a pleasure to finally be meeting here, my Queen. Hopefully we can come to an agreement of an alliance."
"Of course. I hope we do." Mae confidently said, a hand on Truefyre, gripping it tightly.
"Well let us get started." Viserys said as he adjusted himself, eyeing the large sword at her side.
"First, I would like to apologize if my proposal for an alliance insulted you before. It was wrong of me to belittle you and the titles that you hold."
"It is no bother now, Your Grace. We understand that we were foreigners and you did not know us. It is quite all right." Maekora assured him.
"Still, it was unfair of me to do such a thing. Which is why we are here. I wanted to formally agree on an alliance between our two kingdoms. We are two Valyrian families, we have dragons, and we hold one of the greatest powers the world has ever known. Our houses are at its greatest height of strength."
"Agreed, Your Grace."
"But I will tell you this."
"Of course, tell me." Maekora says as she looks at Rhaenyra, who was frowning.
"Well, I wanted to let you know that with alliances come marriage pacts, as you might be aware of. Should you have children, then we shall have them betrothed to further unite our houses? The option will stand whenever you and your future children are ready. By extension, if you would like to betroth your children to Rhaenyra's. After all, they would be ruling after her. How does that sound?"
"Let me get this clear. If I were to have a son, and the Princess," Maekora looks to Rhaenyra, "were to have a daughter, the option of betrothing them stands?"
"Yes, and it would still stand if you had a daughter and Rhaenyra, a son. It does not matter the order."
"Right. Our families would be united." Mae confirms as she continues to look at Rhaenyra, not turning away from her.
Rhaenyra refuses to look at her in the eyes, she knew exactly why Maekora was speaking to her and not her father.
"Yes, the children of Rhaenyra and Laenor, would be betrothed with your own. As well as your siblings by extension, if they would like to marry into our family. Further strengthening both of our houses."
Visery's comment makes Maekora's brows raise in surprise. So, the Princess was now betrothed to her cousin, Ser Laenor Velaryon.
It must have been last minute or something that was planned for a while. Something else the Princess may have kept hidden from her.
"I agree with everything, Your Grace."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Uniting with the Targaryens. Something, King Maekor I wanted for his children, to fulfill a prophecy, and for two dragon families to be forever connected with each other.
And now, here was his youngest daughter, agreeing with the Targaryen King, to unite their houses and kingdoms.
"Everything else will be further discussed in the future. As allies, we will not insult your titles, positions, and your kingdom will be separate and stay yours to rule."
"Yes, thank you." Maekora said as Viserys got up and approached the girl, holding out his arm.
"I know this didn't go well previously. So, let us do it right this time."
Mae let go of Truefyre and shook Visery's arm. The Maltheons were now allies with the Targaryens. Maekora had not failed her Father after all. She did what he wanted and she hoped it would be the right thing.
The Maltheons couldn't risk being in conflict with the Targaryens and Westeros. They would never live peacefully.
Alicent sighed with relief at the shaking of hands as she looked at her father, Otto.
Otto already had a plan set in stone. If the Maltheons were to be binded to the Targaryens, they could possibly vouch for the ascension of his grandson, Prince Aegon. They had dragons and were the most powerful lords of their realm, possibly bigger than the Targaryens.
It was perfect.
•
"This court is dismissed." Viserys annouces as they all leave the throne room.
As Maekora continued down a long hall with her siblings, she trailed back to properly unclip her cloak.
All of a sudden, someone shoved her into a room, the door closing behind her. The only light coming in through the window, revealed the face of Rhaenyra.
"What are you doing, Princess?" Mae said, gently pushing Rhaenyra off of her.
"Talking. Why are you acting this way?" Rhaenyra asked.
"You know exactly why. Did you enjoy your night with Daemon?"
"I can explain-" Rhaenyra tries to argue but Mae is not having it.
"You don't have to explain!," Mae yells, "Look Princess, I thought we had something. For fucks sake, we promised each other that we would tell each other everything and to be together. And you threw it all away for your uncle of all people."
"We didn't do anything, I swear it. It was nothing compared to what I felt with you." Rhaenyra tearfully tries to explain herself, but her words meant nothing to Maekora.
"So you admit you were with him before you came to me?"
"I was-"
"That is all I need to know." Mae says, trying to open the door, but Rhaenyra stops her.
"I am sorry, Mae. I really am. I didn't mean for this to happen. He took me to the brothel and the way he was talking to me and looking at me, only reminded me of you."
"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, Rhaenyra. So because he reminded you of me, you were going to fuck him and just keep it a secret from me? I mean seriously did you think I wouldn't find out about this. This whole thing was stupid."
"No, please let me explain." It was hopeless for Rhaenyra, Mae already made up her mind.
"There is nothing else to explain! You lied to me, you kept things from me! It hurts even more to know that you were with him before we shared a bed together. I mean did you really take me for a fool, thinking I would not find out?"
"You could never be a fool."
Mae wipes her face, as she takes a deep breath, and a soft laugh breaks out of her. Rhaenyra's brows knit together in confusion, wiping her own tears.
"You clearly must have thought I was a fool. I trusted you! I really did. I took a chance of being together with you and then you pull this!"
"Please, I swear it to you. I love you! Let me make it up to you, please," she lets out a painful sob, "Please, Mae."
She got on her knees, grabbing her hands, begging for forgiveness.
"I do not ever want to hear from you again." Mae opened the door, as tears poured out of Rhaenyra's eyes.
There was no excuse for her actions.
She lingered for a moment, looking ahead of her.
"And don't worry, I will still happily go through with our children's betrothals as it will be the only piece of me that will ever want to be associated with you."
"Mae, please," Rhaenyra shakily calls out to her. Just before leaving Mae had one last thing to say.
"You will refer to me as Queen," Mae's voice cracked as she walked away.
Rhaenyra had no choice but to watch her go, her heart broken again. She was alone again. There was no excuse for her behaviors, she chose to be reckless and in turn lost the girl she wanted.
Maekora was angry. She felt like screaming at the top of her lungs. On Rhaeny's Hill, Maxis, her dragon, was roaring in anguish. Her cries rang out across the city as the people of Flea Bottom covered their ears. Her roar was louder than any of the other dragons.
In the Dragonpit, Syrax was groaning in sadness and growling.
Each dragon was feeling the pain and emotion that was their rider's relationships with one another.
Mae made it back to her chambers where her sisters Maxine and Maelora sat on the bed, waiting for her.
"You are back!" Maxine says with a sigh of relief, immediately noticing Mae's face wet with tears.
"What's wrong?" Lora asks, as she helps Mae take a seat on the bed.
"I spoke with Rhaenyra." Mae reveals as she unties her belt, that held Truefyre, and gently placed it behind her.
"What did she say? Was everything...true?"
"It was. She was with him. It only convinces me more that I was just..used to fulfill her lusts. She never wanted me and I was foolish to think that she ever did."
"Look, Maekora, I do not know your relationship with the Princess, but I do not think that is true." Maelora argues.
"Why do you say that?"
"If Rhaenyra did not love you, she would not have written to you for 2 whole years even after you left. She held off on marrying anyone, so she could marry you. She spoke to her father about discussing a proper alliance with us. She did everything so that we could be, allied with the Targaryens."
"She did all that, yet she still went with Daemon and lied to me. And did you hear? She has been betrothed to Ser Laenor, and she didn't tell me that either."
"Maybe, she was waiting for the right time to tell you." Maxine tries to explain, but is met with nothing but laughter.
"WE SLEPT TOGETHER! WE SHARED A BED," Mae grew increasingly frustrated and angry, "If she wanted to tell me, she would have said something before we tore each other's clothes off."
The sisters do not say dare to utter another word. Maekora grabs Truefyre, putting on the belt.
"I do not even want to think about her."
"We can spar outside with the boys. Just to lighten your frustrations." Maxine suggests as she grabs her own sword, a small blade forged from Valyrian steel.
"That sounds great. We should join them, sister." Maelora tells her.
"All right. Let us join them."
•
They make it to the yard, where they see their brothers sparring each other with their swords. A crowd gathered to watch the silver-haired princes fight against each other.
Many of them were chanting the eldest brother's name, Maegor. A name that many of the small folk would never have found themselves chanting in a million years.
"Prince Maegor!"
"Maegor the Great!"
"Maegor the Mighty."
Although Prince Maegor was a klutz and a goofball, he still owned up to the reputation he earned back in Ashbourne as an angry prince, who knew his way with a sword.
Maecerys was the only one wearing a black helmet that had wings on the sides, resembling a dragon. As well as leather armor, knowing his older brothers, they would not hold back on him.
A good swordsman he was, but he didn't dare to wear no armor when fighting against his siblings.
The crowd dispersed when Maekora walked her way through them, a real challenge incoming.
Nobody had ever seen Maekora work her way with a sword before, only her siblings and the people of Ashbourne.
The air filled with whispers and mutters from the crowd.
"It's the Queen."
"The Queen of the Dragons."
"And the Maltheon princesses."
Rhaenyra had heard that the Maltheon brothers were sparring in the yards, knowing that someone else was to attend, she asked Ser Criston to come with her.
They hid in the shadows and in the back of the crowds to watch as the match was about to begin.
"You have come to join us?" Markus says, his tunic slashed, but suffering no injuries.
"It will be just me sparring against you, brothers. I have a lot of anger to get rid of." Maekora tells them as she unveils Truefyre. Truefyre was such a large blade, but it was perfect to spar with.
Maegor turned to his brothers, who gripped their swords, ready to fight their youngest sister. Rhaenyra fiddled with the ring on her finger, watching the interaction. Ser Criston laughed to himself. There was no way Mae could win such a battle.
3 young men, against an angry Queen, who would win?
"No holding back on me, brothers. Try to take me down." Mae's lips curve into a smile.
When none of them moved a muscle, she struck first.
With lightning speed, she dashes forward, closing the distance between her and her brothers in an instant.
Her movements were precise and filled with grace.
The blood of the dragon running hot through her veins.
The first one she takes down is Markus. With a swift twist of her wrist, she disarms him, sending his sword clattering to the ground. She aggressively kicks him in the chest, Markus falling backwards.
Maelora and Maxine exchange startled glances, their little sister was winning at such a fast pace.
Rhaenyra watched on, silently cheering her on as Ser Criston was rolling his eyes. He despised the Maltheon girl.
As much as Rhaenyra felt awful for what she had done and Maekora told her to stay away, the Princess did the opposite.
Maegor and Maecerys look at each other and ultimately charge at Mae, swords raised.
Mae blocks all of their strikes with precision and elegance. Everything felt as if it was happening so fast. She darted their attacks, and landed a powerful blow to Maegor's chest, making him stumble backward.
He gasps for breath, as he tries to get up, but gives up in the end. Maekora turns to Mace, raising Truefyre at his throat, barely touching him.
"Dead, brother." Mae says as Mace surrenders and drops his sword, raising his hands.
The crowd hesitantly claps and cheers for the Queen, gifting her a black helmet of a dragon. She thanks them as she walked to Maegor.
"Feel better?" Maegor lets out, his voice faltering.
"Yes, I surprisingly do feel better." She helps him up, and they all recover fast. They were impressed with Maekora's skills. They had not disappeared at all as she had refused to fight with a sword since the battle at the Beyond, that left her scarred.
Maecerys and Maxine continue to spar each other, this time with wooden swords, Markus overseeing them.
Maegor and Maelora take a seat next to each other by a wall, and drink from a flask.
Mae goes to sit next to them, and rests her feet.
"I did not think Mae-I mean the Queen, knew her way around with a sword. It is quite impressive." Rhaenyra says as she watches her take a seat, in awe.
"Perhaps, we do not know much about the so called Queen." Criston retorts, who is watching the sparring match between the Maltheon siblings.
"So called? She wears a crown on her head and rules a massive kingdom."
"And who knows if she actually rules a kingdom, for all we know, she could be a massive fraud and a liar manipulating all of us. As well as the King."
Rhaenyra turns to him, not happy with his comment.
"Apologies, Princess. I did not mean to speak ill of the Maltheon girl. I know she is your friend."
"The Queen," Rhaenyra corrects, "And yes, she was my friend. And I ruined it."
Ser Criston does not question it any further, as the Princess walks away, leaving the yard.
Maecerys watches as they walk away, catching a glimpse of Rhaenyra as she turned the corner.
He decided to make the brave choice of following her.