⎯THE SUN AND THE FLAME
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Dowager Queen Alicent had been placed in a makeshift cell as she cried for her father before she was met with two guards of House Dayne and House Toland, before the new Queen walked in, her orange-coloured dress with the sigil of House Martell embroidered on her dress, stood before her as she looked down, nodding to her guards as she looked over the Dowager Queen.
"For the love my children bear you, I offer you your life, if you will please pledge to me" Nyferia said, her voice was soft. Her children never loved Otto the way they loved their grandmother. Alicent, with her hair bewildered, and her dress ruined, looked at Nyferia as she stood over her. "You—" she started as she scrambled to her feet. "Are not the true Heir of the Iron Throne, you have taken your husband's rightful claim and taken it for yourself" Alicent said. "Aegon was never meant to be King, he knows it, and I know it. But neither was Rhaenyra" Nyferia said as she looked at Alicent.
"The House of the Dragon has taken too much from the people, they took fire and blood with them to Westeros and expected us all to bow and bent the knee" she said as she looked at Alicent. "But House Martell does not bow or bend for anyone. And it's time Westeros knew that" She said as she turned around. "I will give you a day more to decide, or else it shall be Ryzmion who ends your life" Nyferia said before she left, followed by her guards to the tent which held the new Small Council.
Aegon had become her sworn sword, and her Prince consort, as she had named Baela her Mistress of War, and Lord Corlys had the Master of Ships. Aemond had taken the position of Hand of the Queen as he knew the Realm well from his studies. She was yet to find someone for coin and law, but that would come as she looked at the people around her.
"Rhaenyra resides in King's Landing still, but Daemon has gone to the Riverlands who still pledge for Rhaenyra" Corlys informed her. Nyferia looked at the map, she had the Westerlands, the Reach, the Stormlands and Dorne, but she missed the Crownlands, the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale, who all pledged for Rhaenyra. The Iron Islands had been divided as Rhaenys told her they still negotiated with Rhaenyra.
"We cannot count on the Iron Islands; they will seek out glory and the one to offer them the most" Corlys explained. Nyferia listened but did not reply. "Why is Prince Daemon in the Riverlands?" she then asked as she looked up to her Small Council, they all looked at each other but none had an answer. "Is he leading the armies there? Is he defending a large seat which puts Rhaenyra in favour or ahead of us?" she asked as she looked around, but no one knew. "Your Grace, Prince Daemon is not of importance" Lord Corlys said as he looked at Nyferia.
"On the contrary, Lord Corlys, Prince Daemon is of great importance, he is the one who Rhaenyra relies on, he is her greatest ally and strongest supporter" Nyferia said as she looked at him. "He is to Rhaenyra what Aegon is to me" Nyferia said looking around. "And he has seemingly willingly left her side in King's Landing with only the bannermen from Dragonstone and the Crownlands, something is not right there" Nyferia said as she looked around.
"Your Grace, if you let me, I will fly to the Riverlands and find the Rogue Prince" Aemond said looking at his Queen. She gave him a soft smile. "As much as I appreciate that, Prince Aemond, I feel like the information might be better to us than finding the Rogue Prince, no doubt he is entertained by the Lords there" she said as she nodded at Aemond who gave her a firm nod.
"Our best plan in to take King's Landing, take the Iron Throne" Corlys said as he looked around to everyone hoping others would agree with him as well. "Rhaenyra is defenceless without Daemon, now is the time to take it" Corlys said. "No" Nyferia said as she straightened herself. "I am not fighting someone who does not fight back, we shall discuss this. Invite the claimant Queen to meet in neutral ground, there we shall discuss her surrender" Nyferia said as she nodded over a servant to give her a piece of parchment and a quill with ink.
She composed her letter before stamping it with the Martell wax seal as she gave it to a raven. She returned to her tent as she undressed herself from the tight corset and armour before she laid in her bed, awaiting an answer from Rhaenyra. Somewhere both Queen Nyferia and claimant Queen Rhaenyra were still fearing the wrath of Rogare who had been planning on killing Rhaenyra and the Rogue Prince himself too.
She laid on her bed before she heard someone enter, shuffling and the thuds of clothes dropping to the ground were heard before she was joined by her husband, who rested his hand on her cheek as he kissed the other. Her hands wrapped around his forearm as she basked against him. She felt lonely and her heart felt empty in this war, even with Aegon by her side. She turned slightly letting her nose brush against his as she kissed him in what felt like forever. But while she tried to change the mood, Aegon pulled back.
"My Sun" he said, as he pulled back. He had been grieving still and the thought of his wife conceiving again while the war raged on and the possibility of losing another child in this terrifying time scared him more than his own death. "Please, bless me with your child again, Aegon" she begged him. Aegon pulled away, although he hated to admit her begging for him to fill her with his seed to conceive again made him stir in his underclothes, he had to refrain. "I cannot" Aegon said as he looked at her. "I cannot risk anything happening to you or the child we would conceive in these times" Aegon said resting his forehead against hers. And while Nyferia understood, she wanted to lessen the feeling in her heart, but she respected Aegon and loved him too much to force him or persuade him.
Before she could apologise, a loud cry of their names was heard. They looked at each other before they redressed themselves quickly and rushed out of their tents. "My Queen!" Daeron said as he rushed to them with a letter in his hands. "Lady Rhaena flew to Harrenhal to confront the Rogue Prince" he said handing the letter to the Queen, and she cursed as she let it happen. Rhaena had claimed a dragon after she had gone to Dragonstone with her sister, and when she claimed the green beast she named Morning, she was never not seen in the skies of Westeros.
Nyferia's eyes scanned the letter before she dropped it, grabbing Aegon's arm and dragging him to their dragons. "What has happened?" Aemond called out as Daeron shrugged his shoulders as Aegon tried to question his own wife. Nyferia gave him no answer as she mounted her dragon and Aegon quickly followed her as they flew North. They had settled camp on the edge of the Stormlands and Dorne near Blackhaven. Nyferia made Ryzmion fly faster than ever before before as Aegon watched his wife, flying until she landed in Widow's Watch, all the way in the North. She dismounted her dragon faster than Aegon could land Sunfyre before she called out to Rhaena. "Rhaena?" she called out as she looked around. Soon the daughter of the Rogue Prince appeared as she gave the Queen a smile.
"come" she said motioning her over as Aegon followed closely behind. He stopped his wife. "Please, my Sun, tell me what is happening" he begged her as Nyferia smiled. "Come and see" she said taking Aegon's hand as her own heart pounded in her chest. She followed Rhaena inside a building as men dressed in thick furs stood around, bearing the Stark symbol. Rhaena joined the side of a man whose back was turned towards them. He turned around and held a child on his hip, with silver hair.
Aegon stopped in his tracks, quickly scanning the child as he noticed the dragon's eye. "Vaegon?" he called out as Nyferia held her arms open for the child. "My darling" she cried as the man handed the child to her. The child looked at her in awe and slight confusion as she kissed his cheeks. "Oh, my own darling" she cried as she rocked him in her arms. "How?" Aegon asked looking at Rhaena who turned to look at the man. "Lord Cregan was told by Jacaerys a secret" Rhaena said, as she turned to the Lord of Winterfell.
"When Prince Jacaerys spoke to me of joining his mother in support of her, I told him I could not. The King had named Prince Aegon heir, word of that arrived before he did, and then word arrived of what Prince Daemon had done. We do not kill children in the North" Cregan said as he looked at Nyferia, who cried with joy as Vaegon mumbled to her. "Jacaerys then confessed to me his plan; to bring Vaegon back home as Aliandra had hidden him away and begged Jacaerys to not harm him when he had flown to Dorne with Daemon. Daemon had told him they would use the children as leverage not to kill them" Cregan said.
"Jacaerys told me the location of Prince Vaegon and my men and I have been looking for him ever since. We wished to send a raven before Lady Rhaena arrived on dragonback" Cregan said as he looked at the parents reunited with their child once more.
Aegon cried as Nyferia handed Vaegon to him, standing close to each other as if they were afraid, they would lose him again if they moved away. Aegon rested his forehead against Nyferia's head as they held their son.
"My Queen" Cregan said softly, not wishing to disturb them but needing to get it off his chest. Nyferia opened her eyes from her bliss as she looked at Cregan. "I wish to bend the knee to Queen Nyferia of House Martell as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms" Cregan said, unsheathing his greatsword as he bowed before Nyferia. She let go of Aegon and Vaegon as she walked over to Lord Stark. "The North and I are loyal to you" Cregan said bowing his head. "Thank you, my Lord, you will forever hold my gratitude" Nyferia said as Cregan rose again, he had been taller than Aegon had been and definitely taller than she had been.
"Your Grace, it was nothing, you deserve to be with your son" Cregan said as he nodded at the Queen. "What is the plan of action now?" Cregan asked as Nyferia turned to her husband. "I wish to speak with Princess Rhaenyra, grand her Dragonstone where she will be Lady of Dragonstone and her son Joffrey as her Heir. I do not wish for anymore unnecessarily deaths" she said as she watched her son smile as Aegon cooed at him. Cregan nodded. "The North will stand with you" Cregan said as Nyferia thanked him. "We plan to meet on the edge of Stormlands and the Crownlands, and the Reach" she said and Cregan nodded, knowing exactly where she meant. "We shall sail to the Stormlands and meet you there" Cregan said. "I will stay with you" Rhaena said, rather quickly which almost made Nyferia smile. "Then we shall see you both there" Nyferia said as she hugged Rhaena and thanked Lord Stark once more before Aegon gave his wife their son, knowing she would want him with her on Dragonback.
They flew back to the camp as they landed as Aemond and Baela were the first to rush over. Baela, instead of asking why the Queen left, had found the letter of Rhaena, and read her sister's words. "You found him" she gleamed as she looked at Nyferia who dismounted Ryzmion with Vaegon in her arms. There had been no doubt in anyone's mind this had been her son, for the same dragon eye he had at birth glistered in the sun at them.
"This is wonderful news" Lord Corlys said as he joined Baela and Aemond. Aemond dropped to his knees as he saw the babe. The guilt of them losing their son caving in on him. "Come, brother, see your nephew" Aegon said picking his brother up. Aemond looked at Aegon.
"I will never understand why you never hated me for what I had done" Aemond said to Aegon as Aegon held Aemond's face in his head. "Hush, brother, as you see, you have done nothing" Aegon said. "There is nothing to blame you for" Aegon said as he pulled Aemond closer to him as Aenar and Eraella rushed to Vaegon with smiles on their faces. Aenar, nearly seven name-days, and Eraella, nearly four, beamed at the sight of their brother, when a shriek of a dragon pulled them from their thoughts. A small dragon, which Nyferia recognised from the egg that had hatched from the egg Aegon had gifted his son. Around his neck was a letter, as Nyferia walked closer to the small dragon, no larger than a dog, Vaegon gleamed at the dragon.
'My dear Aunt and Uncle,
may you find Vaegon with his dragon, may he be safe and may you find peace once more.
- Prince Jacaerys'
Nyferia turned to Aegon who walked over as she handed him the letter. "We need to stop this war, my Flame" she said, and he nodded in agreement, kissing her head before he turned to his children and chased them as Eraella and Aenar giggled. Nyferia followed as the dragon flew off with Aenar and Eraella's dragons near Sunfyre and Ryzmion. Jacaerys words ringing in her head.
may you find peace one more.
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vaegon is aliveeee