⎯POISONOUS VINE
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Rhaenya's dreams did not stop after their visit to the House of the Undying as she kept having odd dreams. This time she dreamt of Aegon, now knowing his name, she saw what seemed to be his pervious life, the woman before him was beautiful and she held the hand of a dark-haired boy as she smiled lovingly to him. Her dreams then shifted to the Great Hall of the Red Keep where the Iron Throne stood, she watched it that day when Aegon stood there when King Viserys, first of his name declared Prince Lucerys Heir of Driftmark, before the scenery changed and this time, Aegon sat the Iron Throne, with Blackfyre before him and black banners with golden dragons waving in the room.
She didn't hear any words as the scene changed again, to see the woman on the throne dressed in armour and a dress of black and red underneath. She bled as she came down the Iron Throne, with her a man carrying what she knew to be Dark Sister, before the scene changed again. "Aegon, third of his name, King of the Seven Kingdoms!" a voice rang as a young boy was placed on the Iron Throne before it changed again and again, as Rhaenya saw all the monarchs of her house.
It ended with her father, wearing his large red golden crown as he screamed throughout the Great Hall, it terrified her to see the man she came from, as her mother stood next to the throne, a young boy's hand in hers and her belly largely swollen. She wore the slimmer white golden crown with diamonds and figures of dragons which Rhaenya remembered was sold to pay for food and a roof over their heads.
"Rhaenya"
She looked around to find the voice as the scene changed, the Great Hall was now empty, the fires dimmed and the heat of the candles and the smoke of the recently put out flames decorating the Throne room. The Iron Throne was near empty, she saw three crowns laying on them. One larger in the middle, which looked silver with a line of gold and the three headed dragon in the middle. One head was black, one was green and one was bronze. Then beside it was a crown of gentle dark silver, with stones that glistered like the moon, and finally a bruter one, rougher than the other two which seemed to resemble the crown she had seen Aegon wear when he sat the Iron Throne in her dream, but this one didn't have spikes on them, it was a thick band with rubies along it.
Before she could take. a closer look she was snapped out of her dream as she looked at the face of Aegon. He wore different, lighter clothing in a more Essosi fashion. The three headed dragon embroidered on his tunic as Rhaenya had done so for him. They had been travelling for quite some time now, on occasion taking a break as the Unsullied carried on.
"What happened?" she asked as she looked around, assuming someone attacked them if she was awoken abruptly. "You were crying and whimpering, Princess" Aegon said. He had stayed close by her side, a way to try repaying her for her trust and kindness he told himself, but in reality, he did not know what drove him or rather what made him appear here before Daenerys and Rhaenya.
He felt safe, even in the strange lands of Essos he felt safe and comfortable. But there was something about Rhaenya that made him feel things he didn't know he could feel. Rhaenya felt safe with Aegon as well, even though she knew she should be careful with this stranger around her. "I didn't even notice" Rhaenya said as she sat up, looking around herself as she saw the Unsullied, they had recently arrived at Yunkai, the Yellow City, and it was in the middle of a desert, much like most things in Essos. She didn't like the scourging heat, even with the warm blood of the dragon coursing through her veins, she liked to remember the cool shadows and the light breeze of their old home in Pentos.
"It's okay, you are okay" Aegon said holding his hand out as they met up again with Daenerys, Jorah and ser Barristan. Daenerys send Grey Worm, the Unsullied soldier who was made the General of the forces as they started to set up tents. Rhaenya dressed in something lighter, a thin deep red dress with silver belt and necklace with the figure of a dragon on it as she sat with her sister, both their hair braided out of their face, and although Daenerys' hair looked more Dothraki, Rhaenya's looked inspired by the warrior Queens of House Targaryen.
Aegon was dressed in a deep blue outfit with pieces of armour and the three headed dragon as he stood with Rhaenya and Daenerys, the three small dragons near them as Viserion sat on Rhaenya's lap. Daenerys had invited the slave owners of Yunkai to come before them before they'd take the city and while Jorah didn't think it was important enough, Aegon agreed with Daenerys.
"Besides the slaves you'd save doing this, any victory of conquering before arriving in Westeros could help. Lessons learned, Your Grace" Aegon said, remembering the histories and philosophies Aemond would always read and talk about, it hurt his heart which he hated to admit, but sometimes when he looked at the bond Daenerys shared with her twin sister, he missed his own, even Rhaenyra's children he missed.
Aegon looked up when a man was brought into the main tent, carried by slaves which nearly made him scoff out loud as Viserion opened his wings as if to warn the man. "Now comes the noble Razdal mo Eraz of that ancient and honourable house, master of men and speaker to savaged, to offer terms of peace." Missandei said as Razdal walked towards Daenerys and Rhaenya with great speed, but when he got too close, all three of the young dragons screeched at him and he quickly took a step back.
"Noble Lord, you are in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn and Rhaenya Wildfyre of House Targaryen, Queens of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men" Missandei said as she looked at the twins. Rhaenya had not been called Wildfyre since her childhood, a nickname given to her as she was born when her father tried to burn the fleet of the rebellion, while storm had struck when Daenerys came into the world. Barristan and Aegon advised to use it, to show the importance of their cause. A name no one would forget easily. "Queen Daenerys, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, and Queen Rhaenya, Lady of Dragonstone" Missandei said as they looked at the man.
Daenerys had decided once they would claim King's Landing, Rhaenya would rule from Dragonstone as she would from King's Landing, Daenerys, as the eldest was the High Queen, while Rhaenya would be simply Queen.
"Breaker of chains, and Mother of Dragons" Missandei said with pride in Daenerys. Rhaenya didn't show her pride of her sister yet, as she looked at the man before her. "You may approach, sit" Daenerys said as Viserion wrapped itself around Rhaenya seeking comfort from her. One of Daenerys ladies brought out a small chair for the Lord as Missandei grabbed the jug filled with wine as she held it near the Lord. "Will my Lord take refreshment?" Missandei asked and he nodded, not yet speaking a word.
"Ancient and glorious is Yunkai. Our empire was old before dragons stirred in Old Valyria" he said looking at the three small beasts before him. "Many an army has broken against our walls, you shall find no easy conquest here, Khaleesi" the man told Daenerys as she grabbed a piece of meat and fed it to the dragons. They all roared and screeched as they fought for the piece of meat.
"Good. Our Unsullied need practise, I was told to bleed them early" Daenerys said in a stoic tone. "If blood is your desire, blood shall flow" the man replied, trying to intimidate the Queens before him. "But why?" he asked and for a moment Rhaenya saw it as weakness, as if he knew they could not face three small dragons and the Unsullied even with Yunkai's history.
"'Tis true you have committed savageries in Astapor, but the Yunkai are a forgiving and generous people" he said to her as Rhaenya rolled her eyes slightly. "The wise masters of Yunkai have sent a gift for the Silver Queens" Razdal said as he let slaves carry large chests to them. They opened them and revealed bars of gold stacked on top of each other. "There is far more than this awaiting you on the deck of your ship" he said as Daenerys eyed her advisors.
"Our ship?" Rhaenya asked as she looked at the man with raised eyebrows. "Yes, my Queen" he said turning to Rhaenya. "As I said, we are a generous people" he continued. "You shall have as many ships as you require" he continued as the sisters shared a look. "What do you ask in return?" Daenerys asked as she looked at the man. "All we ask is that you make use of these ships, sail them back to Westeros where you belong and leave us to conduct our affairs in peace" he said when Rhaenya stood up.
"Then clearly I shall need to teach you about my House, Lord Razdal" Rhaenya said as she stood before the man, her hands folded into each other as she played with the silver rings on her fingers. "And why is that?" he scoffed slightly. "House Targaryen does not come from Westeros, we come from the Free Cities, of Valyria. Which means I am exactly where I need to be" she said as she stared at him before she looked at the slaves he had brought, their arms thin as they tried to keep themselves held up right.
"We have a gift for you" Daenerys said as Rhaenya joined her again. "Your life" Daenerys said as Aegon smirked. "My life?" Razdal questioned and Daenerys nodded. "And the lives of your wise masters, but I also want something in return" she continued. "You will release every slave in Yunkai" Daenerys said as she looked down at him.
"Every man, woman, and child shall be given as much food, clothing and property as they can carry as payment for their years of servitude" Rhaenya said as she looked at him. "Reject this gift, and we shall show you no mercy" Daenerys finished as they looked at the man. "You are mad, both of you" Razdal said as Aegon took a step down, his hand resting on Blackfyre as he looked at Razdal. "We are not Astapor or Qarth, we are Yunkai and we have powerful friends" he said as he looked at them. "Friends who would take great pleasure in destroying you" he said as he looked at the two of them. "Those who survive, we shall enslave once more" he said as he looked at the Queens.
"Perhaps we'll make a slave of you as well" he said looking at them as he stood up. Aegon took a step closer as Drogon and Viserion roared at the man who quickly took a step back. "You swore me safe conduct" the man said as he looked from Aegon to the dragons, who had grown a little since Astapor. "We did, but our dragons made no promises, and you threatened their mothers" Daenerys said as Razdal looked at Aegon. "What about him" he said looking on easy as Aegon's eyes held a storm of rage. "I made no promises either" Aegon said looking down at the man.
"Take the gold" he ordered but as they stood up, Rhaegal and Viserion landed themselves on a chest each, roaring at them all. "Our gold, you gave it to us, remember? And I shall put it to good use" Daenerys answered as she looked at Razdal. "You'd be wise to do the same with my gift to you" she said looking at him. "Now, get out" Rhaenya said as she looked at the man who quickly scurried away.
"The Yunkish are proud people, they will not bend" Barristan said to Daenerys and Rhaenya as Aegon stood before the small podium. "What happens to the things that don't bend" Aegon said before he turned to the knight as Selmy and Jorah smiled at Aegon's words. "He said he had powerful friends, who was he talking about?" Rhaenya asked as Viserion joined her lap again. Viserion was the one most attached to their bond, seeking affection whenever available. "I don't know" Jorah said with honesty. "Find out" Daenerys said, and Jorah nodded before he left to investigate.
Rhaenya stayed behind with most of the Dothraki and Unsullied as Barristan, Jorah, Grey Worm and Daenerys went to investigate what Jorah had quickly learned about the Yunkish friends. Rhaenya let Viserion lay in her arms as she walked to Aegon's tent as he sat outside it, leaning against Sunfyre who shone brightly in the Essosi sun. "What is it like to fly?" she asked as she looked at Aegon who opened one eye to look at her. "Like nothing you can every imagine, Princess" Aegon said sitting up.
Sunfyre was strapped with a saddle, with the golden three headed dragon from her dreams. "My nightmares are dragon dreams" she said as she walked closer to Sunfyre letting Viserion jump from her arms as they joined Sunfyre. Aegon had told her one could not know the gender of a dragon until they were of age to lay eggs and once, they don't after the age of 7 they may be male presenting. She touched the sigil on the saddle as Sunfyre wasn't bothered by her as Aegon watched her.
"I cried when I saw my father" she said as she turned to Aegon. "I am sorry, Princess" he said as he looked at her as she smirked. "Technically it's Queen now" she joked as Aegon smiled warmly at her. "I met you when you were a princess, you shall always be the Princess of my heart" Aegon said, slight flirting as Rhaenya's face blushed. But then Aegon turned serious again. "Why? You mentioned your father before" Aegon said trying to remember all he was told about the last nearly 200 years.
"My father was Aerys, second of his name, they called him the Mad King" she said as she started to walk, Aegon following her. "From stories my brother told, he grew paranoid and rightfully so, after the conspiracies of his Hand. Tywin Lannister" she said and Aegon rolled his eyes. Of course, he thought, a Lannister at the helm would surely mean troubles. "I am not surprised" Aegon said shaking his head. "They were always too ambitious, too greedy" Aegon said as he looked at Rhaenya. "I know my father wasn't kind, and my brother Rhaegar has blood on his hands as well, but all I have is the memories of others" she said as she looked at Aegon.
"When I was a young girl, I always imagined people lied to us, that my father was a kind King, and loved my mother dearly, and she loved us. That the siblings I had lost were still there, how Rhaegar and his children were still here, perhaps all living together on Dragonstone" Rhaenya said. "Perhaps Viserys would have been kinder" she said as she tried not to remember the cruel things Viserys had done, to her, to Daenerys.
Aegon's jaw clenched as even her father who was known as the Mad King was not as horrid in her mind as her own brother. He wanted to ask, but he didn't want to push and make her uncomfortable. "Are you alright?" he asked looking at her. Rhaenya smiled weakly. "Sometimes" she said as she got even more serious. "Perhaps I can be of help" he said as they stopped, Viserion flying over their heads as Sunfyre kept an eye out for his rider.
"After Viserys wed Daenerys off to Khal Drogo, he and I wed, but as Daenerys got to be with child, I didn't seem to be able to conceive. Not even after nearly a year" she said as she fiddled with her rings. "I always wished for children and all I have left of my memory of Viserys is his cruelty and the fear I will never be able to have them" Rhaenya said as she looked up, a lonely tear falling down her cheek. Aegon turned to her and wiped away the tear. "Not everyone conceives a child in a moment, it can take a while. I am sure you will meet someone who you can share your life with and have children with" Aegon said.
But something in his mind screamed at him, how he could be that someone, and he hated how quickly he had been consumed by her. Her kind smile, her soft features, her love for Viserion, and her love for people wanting to help them was admirable.
"Do you think so?" she asked and Aegon nodded. I could be that someone, he thought, please let me be that someone.
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aegon is a simp