How dare he???
Rhaena could not understand her feeling regarding her conversation with Daemion.
She felt betrayed, but more than that disappointed with herself.
Why do I even care? He is not mine. I can't have a say on any of this Rhaena thought to herself.
She despised that thought.
She had thought about Daemion... In ways that was not appropriate for a princess, none ever serious of course. But yet...
She could not help but to think of how it would have been if the two of them were betrothed. "As father had wished it so." Rhaena thought to herself. She thought of a wedding in custom of old Valyria rather under the light of seven.
She and Daemion joining their blood— No. it was not possible. Once upon a time perhaps. But now Daemion was grown and young man. A man who had seen more than most princes of their time. "Surely more than my brothers." Rhaena thought with a sad smile.
He will forget me, no matter my feeli... my thoughts about hi—
"Sister?" Rhaena's thoughts was interrupted.
"Is something of matter??" Alysanne asked concerned "You look drained. Are you unwell?"
Rhaena smiled "No sweet sister. I am well." And embraced Alyssane affectionately. "What is it that you wished to talk about?" Rhaena asked as they broke the embrace.
"Grandsire wishes to sup with whole of the family! Even with grandsire Aethan!" Alysanne said excitedly. "He also wishes for cousin and uncle to join!"
A dinner with whole family? Rhaena thought to herself, but there was not much to think of.
Rhaena grabbed Alysanne's hand and smiled. "Then let us tell mother of this."
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Viserys found the raven prince in the training yard. Shooting, strangely straight, punch's at the wall. One at the time.
I wouldn't be surprised if one day they find his dead body in the training yard Viserys thought to himself, smiling to himself.
"What did that wall ever do to you?" Viserys asked amused.
"I'm building focus. Something that a friend taught me."
"Does it work?"
"No."
The two looked at each other. And they busted out laughing. "You always have to listen to everyone's "advices" cousin. It'll be the end of you." Viserys laughed.
"Coming from you? You who threw the jam out of the window rather giving it back to the cook?" Daemion chuckled "Wasting a grape jam is a sin you know."
"Do I need to remind you that you truly believed that only Dorishmen could wield spears after Aegon told you so?" Viserys threw back.
"Spears are not my specialty anyways." Daemion shrugged his shoulders. "You on the other hand, as I recall, are deadlier with a butter knife rather than a sword."
"Care to put that to the test, dear cousin?"
"You wish to spar?" Daemion asked.
"You fear I might best you?"
"No. I fear I might become a kinslayer by the end of it." Daemion mocked.
And the two spared.
Viserys knew could see that Daemion was holding back. Not because he cared for his health, but his mind was elsewhere. Where? Viserys could not tell. And yet Viserys was no match for Daemion.
Daemion swang his sword from his left landing a hit to back of his hand, causing him to drop his sword, and as the sword fell from his hand, Daemion grabbed him by the wrist pulled him close.
In less than a second, Viserys looked up in Daemion's deep violet eyes. His eyes are beauti—
And with swords hilt, Daemion knocked him on the ground. Viserys would have growl if he wasn't so impressed. "Fuck!" Viserys yelled as he grabbed his bruised forehead with his bruised hand. "What was that?!? How did you even—" Viserys left his question unfinished.
Daemion's mouth formed a smirk "A courtesy of Ser Gawen Corbray." And drove his sword in the ground.
"By the warrior. You truly strike the image of the warrior, cousin." Viserys held his bruised hand up and picked his sword up. "You need not to kill me, dragon." Viserys teased. Daemion's lips formed a small smile. As he recalled an amusing memory.
Viserys had never seen Daemion smile, not even in their youth. It is... quite strange. In a heart warming way of course Viserys thought to himself.
"I would not say the warrior Viserys. You fought well... better than a blind child anyways." Daemion laughed.
"You will not laugh when I put an arrow in your eye, Daemion." Viserys rolled his eyes, annoyed.
"You truly wish me to be your first kill cousin?" Daemion raised his eyebrow with a smirk.
"And who said I have not killed anyone before?"
Daemion paused. He slowly spoke."You do not have the look of a man who has killed someone."
"Have you?" Viserys returnt the question.
Daemion picked the swords up and walked to the table. "Yes." Daemion answered.
"Who was —" Viserys was cut short by Daemion.
"It does not matter."
"Come on—"
"I said, it does NOT matter." Daemion turned as he said it.
Viserys had never seen any eyes as cruel as his save for uncle Maegor. When Daemion pulled him close during their spar, his eyes were filled with amusement and enjoyment but now, the man he was sparring with was replaced with another.
"Grandsire wishes to hold the supper at council chamber." Viserys changed the subject awkwardly "He wishes to regard an important matter but still he wishes for our family to sup with one another."
"Regard what?"
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"It gladdens my heart that you have finally returned to your family." Aegon said formally, as they sat down.
"I too am glad, your grace." Maegor answered.
"Father had told of the greatness of the new Red Keep but your vision of it has made it as great as the Lion of Night's temple." Daemion remarked with a smirk.
Truly he takes after you. Aegon thought to himself. The irony was not lost on him.
"Perhaps after dinner you might honour us with your knowledge of foreign gods Daemion." Aegon commented "Let us feast."
"I did not think of as one interested in religion cousin, did you find gods in Yi-Ti?" Aegon the younger joked.
"Oh believe me cousin, I had some free time to study my surroundings." Daemion returned the joke.
"Shall we talk matters of importance?" Visenya asked with a serious tone.
"We shall, my queen." Aegon answered formally.
"Dorne has formed an alliance with the stepstones. They have installed a new pirate king in the stepstones." Lord Aethan spoke.
"Dorne has been funding the stepstones since the king created the throne." Aegon said.
"So you are suggesting we must send an envoy to negotiate terms grandson?" Lord Aethan asked.
"We must remind Dorne of the power we hold. A power that only have ever been seen in old Valeria. Dragons."
"Last time anyone tried to tried to remind them of such a power queen Rhaenys died." Lord Orys Baratheon remind them, carefully.
"And they lost a king for it." Maegor spoke. Daemion and Visenya smirked.
"Attacking Stepstones is declaring war against Dorne! We can not start an open war with Dorne." Visenya spoke.
"So what do you suggest?"
"If the stepstones are burned to ash, Dorne will know the value of having 6 kingdoms as its ally. They ally themselves with mere pirates. Destroy those pirates and what will be left for Dorne to ally themselves with?" King Aegon spoke.
"Uncle Maegor has already assisted grandsire and late Ser Osmund Strong in two campaigns against the pirate king Sargoso in the Stepstones twice! Uncle also defeated the Giant of the Trident but still it was not enough! Nothing will tame the stepstones down." Jahaerys spoke with naïveté that made Aegon to smile to himself.
You have much to learn my boy. Aegon thought to himself.
"Then there should be no stepstones." Maegor said harshly, to everyone's surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"Burn it to the ground. So no one would dare to think of stepstones and it's pirates." Maegor said "the destruction of stepstones will set a wave of fear in motion that Westros has not seen since the days of the conquest."
"And who will lead this campaign?" Lord Aethan asked.
"My grandson, Daemion."
All eyes turned to Daemion. The raven prince slowly turned his head in the direction of the king. His face calm unexpectedly.
Margot eyes grew wide and his fist clinched as if he was going to throw the table out of the balcony.
Aegon believed his grandsons strong wall would definitely falter by his suggestion. But Daemion was calmer than most men, when they were sent to their first war.
Rhaena looked at Daemion. Eyes filled with shock and... worrisome??? And Daemion turned his head to her direction, and looked at her. It did not go unnoticed by Aegon the dragon.
His eyes were not deceiving him. The two were closer than he expected. Of course, they were close as children growing up, but they are not children anymore.
Was Daemion pursuing her??? And if so, is it by the order of Visenya?? To what end?! To use Rhaena's claim to the throne to sit on the throne???
The whole point of this supper was to find a genuine solution and undermine Daemion's fearsome reputation as a deadly warrior. Aegon wanted to prove in front of everyone, Daemion is not as a good leader as some may believe, but yet, he sat here, calm and amused as if Aegon had just ask him to sing a song.
"But the prince is quite young to take on the role of the leader your grace not to mention dangerous surly-" Aethan Velaryon, as the master of ships, argued but was cut short.
"I agree with the king." Visenya stood up "My lord Aethan, you accepted the aid of my son when you campaigned against Sargoso Saan, the pirate king. Daemion is no younger than Maegor when he asides you. I ask you to aid my grandson now."
"Then I shall do so my queen." Lord Aethan said, lowering his head.
Visenya turned to Daemion. "What sat you, my grandson?"
Daemion stood up from his seat. First he looked at Aegon, his eyes filled with...pity? And then looked at Visenya. "For you, grandmother. Anything."