THE FALL OF THE GREENS
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132 AC, King's Landing
Ānogara soared high in the sky, hiding beneath the white and grey clouds that laid like a blanket over King's Landing. If one looked closely up at the sky, they might be able to spot a shadow of something moving around up there, but by the time they did a double take, it would be gone again. While the Cannibal, Vermithor, Sunfyre and Caraxes wanted to be spotted so that Vhagar – if Aemond decided to protect the capital on dragonback – would go after them instead.
This was somewhat of a compromise. Valyria needed to be seen – to show the nobles and the people of King's Landing that she was willing to die alongside those that bent the knee to her – but at the same time Serra had been right to claim that her most important duty was remaining alive to actually sit on the throne they fought for.
Until the gates had been breached and the Red Army managed to get through the capital, Valyria did have one important mission and that was making sure the citizens of the capital saw that their city was under attack – that the rightful queen was coming to take it back – and hopefully that would be enough for children and women at least to seek shelter inside, far away from the upcoming battle.
"Embrot," Valyria commanded and Ānogara quickly obeyed, diving through the clouds which revealed the city below. In the south-eastern corner of the city lay Aegon's High Hill surmounted by the Red Keep that overlooked Blackwater Rush. She could imagine how the castle was in a frenzy right now, preparing to defend themselves from the assault.
Her attention flickered over to the Hill of Rhaenys, in the north of the city, where the Dragonpit dome was located. Vhagar probably didn't reside there since the old dragon had grown to the size of Balerion during the Conquest but she still somewhat expected her to suddenly appear above the dome, releasing its mighty flames upon the city.
Down on the streets, the smallfolk gathered on the streets to see the unmistakable red dragon circle above the city. For years, the sight of Ānogara had been a symbol of hope for the population in King's Landing. Since the death of their beloved Good Queen Alysanne, Princess Valyria had been the one to improve their life by donating food to the poor and creating work so that they could earn money to support their families.
While the people cheered and saw the scarlet red dragon as a sign of hope that they soon would be rescued from the Hightower's reign, members of the City Watch looked for another red beast. The Blood Wyrm released a mighty roar, signalling the beginning of the battle. When everyone was too busy by the sight of the Queen and Prince circling above the city, the Red Army launched its attack on all fronts.
What Queen Alicent and Otto Hightower didn't expect — because they could never see Daemon's strengths, only his flaws — was that many members of the City Watch remained loyal to their former commander. Despite being a terrible Master of Coin and Master of Laws – because governance bored him – Daemon thrived during the year he was in charge of the two thousand men protecting the capital. He inspired loyalty in many of the rank-and-file men of the City Watch by improving their arrangements and equipment. After all, he was the one who gave every man a golden cloak and they'd remain gold no matter how you turned them.
The seven commanders of the city gates that specifically had been chosen for their loyalty to the Greens did not stand a chance against the gold cloaks, who at the sight of Caraxes imprisoned – or killed – them all which allowed the Reds to pass through unmolested. And so the Fall of King's Landing began.
Out on Blackwater Bay, the Sea Snake's ships neared the River Gate preparing to launch an attack from the east. Since purpose for now was over, Valyria commanded Ānogara to fly higher again, disappearing from view in the clouds again.
.•° ✿ °•.
Daemon watched gleefully as their army rode through the city, bringing them one step closer to taking back his menace's birthright. His gold cloaks would bring the Greens to their knees before they even realised what hit them. How those pathetic imbeciles ever believed they could steal from the dragons, he'd never understand. This would show everyone what happened to those that dared trying to tear down the House of the Dragon.
Out of his peripheral vision, Daemon saw Ānogara disappear up in the clouds again and he silently thanked the Gods that she followed the plan. Valyria often gave him a hard time for being rash and reckless, but despite managing to remain calm and collected most of the time, she had moments when her dragonblood took over.
It was one of her many good qualities that drew him towards her in the first place. Her unconditional kindness combined with an undeniable strength. Never in his life had he met someone who could go from hot to cold in a matter of seconds and he absolutely loved it. Loved her...
Realisation dawned on him in possibly the worst moment. Of course, Daemon wasn't completely oblivious to his feelings towards Valyria. If he didn't feel anything for her, Daemon would not have spent ten years being miserable in Essos giving her space to be happy if he didn't. Yet Daemon never admitted to himself that it was love.
Honestly, he didn't even know what love felt like... For a majority of his life, he found the mere concept of loving someone else unconditionally a tragedy waiting to happen. Loving someone meant having a constant weakness that the many enemies he'd made during his life could take advantage of. But Valyria could never be a weakness for him. She was his greatest strength.
Daemon did not get much more time to dwell on his sudden realisation when a roar so powerful that it could shake the very foundations of the Red Keep, echoed across the entire city of King's Landing. Tightening his hold on the saddle as Caraxes turned in the direction of the sound, he couldn't see the creature responsible for it quite yet and he didn't know if that was a good or bad sign.
But on cue, his step-daughters and nephew arrived, allowing Caraxes, the Cannibal, Vermithor and Sunfyre to circle around above the city, prepared to defend the army from the Queen of All Dragons. Vhagar was the Greens' only true weapon and as seen by the death of Lucerys Velaryon, she'd not hesitate to tear them to pieces if given the opportunity.
A large shadow was cast over the Kingswood as Vhagar neared King's Landing. Even from afar, Daemon could see the bronze coloured dragon with greenish blue horns and spinal crest that was large enough that a horse could ride down her gullet. A hardened survivor of a hundred battles, Queen Visenya's beloved dragon had grown as large as Balerion was during the Conquest. No living dragon could match her for size or ferocity — at least not alone.
Looking over at the three other riders – that all were just as inexperienced as their opponent – Daemon only hoped that they hadn't made a mistake allowing them to fight. Since he first met them, Daemon had loved the twins like his own daughters and Aegon – well, Valyria would be devastated if something happened to him and Daemon hated the thought of his wife being sad.
"Naejot," Daemon commanded and Caraxes charged forward towards Vhagar. At a safe distance from the enemy, he said, "Dracarys," and then quickly after, "Geptot." Caraxes released his fire and dove down to the left, avoiding any repercussions of angering the old dragon. The plan was to provoke Vhagar into following them out over Blackwater Bay since a fight in the sky above the city could be lethal to the citizens below should one of the dragons fall and crash down.
When Vhagar roared loudly and released a cloud of fire, Daemon was reminded of the times he and Laena flew upon their dragons across the narrow sea to Pentos, Volantis, Qohor, and Norvos. He may not have loved Laena – it might have been selfish of him to mend his broken heart by marrying another – but Daemon cared enough for Laena, as the mother of his two eldest daughters, to feel bitter about her now being ridden by the One-Eyed cunt that called himself King.
And unless Aemond surrendered, he and Vhagar would both end up at the bottom of Blackwater Bay before the day was over.
.•° ✿ °•.
As the Reds stormed through the great bronze greats, breaching through the massive curtain walls surrounding the castle, Ānogara landed in the middle of the courtyard. Up in the sky, Vhagar battled against her husband and children. The sight of Aemond fighting for his mother and grandfather broke Valyria's heart just a little, because while she understood the loyalty he felt towards his own family, she hated the thought of him dying by their hands.
However, Valyria could not dwell on that now. Sliding down Ānogara's wing, Valyria unsheathed her sword, ready for the fight to come. Ser Lorent and Ser Erryk, who easily could spot the Queen due to the red dragon, immediately came to her aid, protecting the queen from any Green loyalists that weren't ready to realise that they'd already lost.
The few that managed to get past the Queensguard as they charged through the castle, Valyria managed to fight off on her own. Her first battle being fought inside her own home felt like some kind of cruel irony. The very same corridors she'd played in as a little girl was now a bloodbath where her sword met every man that dared attacking her. Together with a group of soldiers and her Queensguards, she charged down a path that Valyria had walked countless times before: to Maegor's Holdfast.
"My Queen," Ser Erryk called as they got closer to the castle within the castle. "It seems the drawbridge is raised — how are we supposed to get into the Holdfast?"
"Do not worry about that, Ser," Valyria said confidently. "When we are ready to cross, it will be lowered."
Valyria had allies within the Red Keep's walls. Men and women that had seen her grow and that dedicated their lives to serving House Targaryen. Many of the older servants in the household still recalled the good times of Queen Alysanne and King Jaehaerys's reign, even more of them remembered Prince Daeron's charm and compassion. There were many nobles that cared little for the smallfolk – some mistreated them others didn't spare them much thought.
Much like her father and grandmother, Valyria always treated those working for her family with respect. Not once had she yelled or berated a servant for a small mistake nor did she speak to them like they were beneath her. If it came to choosing between Valyria or the Hightowers, very few hesitated – especially now when it was clear who stood on the winning side.
Around her, Valyria could see a few Hightower men — or rather former guards in Viserys's household that had little choice but to bend the knee when the Greens seized the throne – lay down their swords in surrender. Every single life that could be spared from this petty and greedy attempt to gain power lessened her guilt a little.
By the time they reached the holdfast — where the royal apartments were located – the drawbridge spanning the moat had been lowered down, creating a safe path across the dry moat lined with a bed of formidable iron spikes. Across the bridge, Valyria could see Mors, one of her dornish warriors waiting for them, signalling that Maegor's Holdfast had been taken from the inside. Knowing there was a risk that Alicent, Otto or even Larys had learned of the secret passageways going underneath the Keep, she tasked a few of her most trusted men to enter that way and either cut off their escape or launch an attack from inside the walls.
"The castle is yours, Your Grace," Mors declared, bowing to the queen. In one hand he held a spear that dripped with blood from the fallen soldiers he'd defeated. "Ser Otto is not here – but Alicent Hightower is — alongside Princess Helaena."
Otto Hightower probably had some command of the army, considering he'd be seen as a coward if he hid inside Maegor's alongside the women and children. As the Queen, protected by her Queensguards and Mors, walked through the corridors leading to the Dowager Queen's chambers, the ones that had been spared from the fight kneeled on the ground to bend the knee to the dragon queen.
"Princess Helaena is to remain inside her chambers until the castle is fully secured," Valyria commanded. "I will not see her harmed in any way, is that clear?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Ser Lorent said, turning to bark out orders to some of the lesser knights.
Reaching Alicent's chamber, the doors were opened for her and Valyria entered to find the former Queen kneeling in front of her bed, praying under her breath. On the floor laid a body in a pool of his own blood. Despite the man's face not being visible to her, Valyria could easily figure out who it was by the cane that laid discarded beside the body: Larys Strong.
"If you pray for your army to win, I am afraid they shall go unanswered," Valyria said, making Alicent's head snap up in her direction. Green eyes were filled with a desperation similar to what the Hightower displayed that evening on Driftmark when she tried to take Lucerys's eye as vengeance for Aemond's. "My army has taken the city, the Red Keep and now Maegor's. All your men are surrendering as we speak and those few that continue fighting for your weak claim won't live to see the end of the day."
"It wasn't supposed to end like this," Alicent muttered to herself, standing up slowly.
"No, it was not," Valyria responded cooly. "You climbed too high up in the sky and took a leap, Alicent. But you are no dragon, so you could not fly — and that is why you fell. None of this needed to happen – and it is your choices that led us here."
"With his last breath, Viserys declared Aegon as his heir," Alicent said confidently, keeping her chin held up high to regain something resembling dignity. "My son is King-"
"Aegon never wanted the throne," Valyria snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously towards the red haired woman. "But you never cared about that, did you? You never even cared about him. Only your own ambitions and petty revenge against Rhaenyra. Did you ever believe you could win this? That Aegon would sit the throne and be your puppet after you killed the only ones that ever showed him any love and kindness?"
"He is my son," Alicent practically yelled. "Not yours! Mine! All I did was protect him-"
"Protect him from what?" Valyria cut her off without needing to raise her own voice. "I would never hurt any of your children and you know it. I'm not the mother who beats and insults her son for not being exactly what she wants him to be. I am not the one who risked the lives of all my children for nothing."
Valyria understood that Otto likely was the brain behind this plan to seize the throne while Alicent simply followed her father's commands. Though, she knew Alicent couldn't be considered completely innocent either. "I can see you've dedicated your life to doing your duty, Alicent, and serving your House," Valyria said, her voice growing less harsh. "You've married to improve your house's status, you gave Viserys four children and you've played the part of a dutiful wife and queen for many tiresome years. It is sad that all of that suffering on your part has come down to this."
A ferocious roar shook the entire Red Keep and even from inside Maegor's Holdfast one could hear the sound of something big crashing into Blackwater Bay as a carcass plunged into the sea, hot blood seeping out of a gaping wound in its neck causing the water to boil over her last resting place. The new Queen and former Queen both immediately understood what the pained cry meant.
Letting out a sigh, Valyria looked the Hightower woman in the eye – almost pitying the mother whose green eyes welled with tears – and said, "It's over."
.•° ✿ °•.
All evidence of House Hightower's short reign of the Seven Kingdoms was torn down within minutes of their surrender. When the Hightowers called their banners into war, the beacon of The Hightower would glow green — but now everything green inside the Red Keep was being thrown and burned in red flames.
In the years to come, the short period of time that the throne had been seized from the dragons would only become a single paragraph in the history books. A story that showed the strength wielded by Queen Valyria Targaryen, who after less than a year as heir to the Seven Kingdoms, managed to rally enough allies to end the conflict with only a few drops of blood spilled. A war that just as well could have resulted in savage battles on the ground, the sea and in the skies – where dragons fought dragons – had been resolved in a matter of days.
With Ser Erryk and Ser Lorent trailing close behind her, Queen Valyria walked through the Red Keep, for the first time as its owner, and she couldn't deny how right it felt. The part of her that always longed for the role her father wanted her to have relished in finally having proved everyone that doubted her wrong. Every member of the household that she passed on her walk kneeled on the ground as a sign of respect and submission; many of them had served the royal family for years and amongst the smallfolk no one preferred the Hightowers to the Realm's Jewel.
Stepping out on the courtyard, the sun shone brightly making the rubies in the Conqueror's Crown glimmer. Silver locks fell freely around her shoulders — her braid having been messed up to the point where she simply let it loose – and it created an almost godlike halo. The people of Westeros were not used to seeing a woman in armour, but none could deny the powerful image the new queen created.
"Mūna," Cyrenna and Elara called, gaining her attention. Stopping in her tracks, Valyria turned to see her daughters approach her with quick steps. The mere fact that they both were up and walking without any issue made her shoulders sag with relief. They were safe now after all.
The twins both curtsied to their queen before being brought into a hug by their mother. Pulling back, Valyria inspected their faces closely to make sure nothing was wrong. With the exception of how their eyes seemed a little red, she couldn't see any reason to worry. "Aegon?" she asked.
Without needing to elaborate, Cyrenna understood what she was asking and said, "He's alive and safe too."
Valyria nodded, releasing another sigh of relief. "And Daemon?" Ever since she departed from her husband in the camp, Valyria feared he'd do something reckless and get himself killed to secure the throne for her.
"He should be on his way through the city now," Elara explained. He's rallying the gold cloaks that helped us take the city."
"Helaena is in her chambers," Valyria told them. There was one more person she wanted to ask them about but she couldn't bring herself to because deep down she already knew the answer and right now she needed to be strong. "Could you two locate Aegon and bring him to his sister. I do not want Helaena to be alone right now and I think Aegon may need a sibling at the moment."
With a few parting words, the princesses and the queen went their separate ways. Valyria headed towards the throne room, a path she'd walked many times before but never with the intent to climb those steps and sit upon the throne. Trying her best to ignore the sight of Hightower men — alongside a few of her own — laying dead in the corridors, she kept her head held high and her face void of any emotion. Mourning the deaths of enemy men would only bring her unnecessary suffering.
The tall oak-and-bronze doors were pushed open by two men, revealing the Iron Throne located on the opposite end of the long hall. As a child, Valyria found the cavernous hall with high, narrow windows and a gallery to be enormous and intimidating. As an adult, those feelings had not changed much. The same went for the monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and twisted metal that was the object of every conflict within their family these last decades.
Ser Lorent and Ser Erryk both waited outside as Valyria strode towards the throne slowly. In the upcoming years, she'd have to walk these steps countless times with hundreds of eyes observing her every move but now Valyria could only feel relief that no one watched as she slowly climbed up the uneven stairs.
Finally she reached the top and turned around to face the empty hall. Slowly, Valyria lowered herself down to sit on the Iron Throne for the first time. She could only imagine a sea of faces standing there, all looking up at her. Even alone it was a powerful feeling to sit up there – despite it not being a comfortable seat.
Because of the fanged steel behind her, leaning back on the iron seat of the throne was impossible – exactly like Aegon the Conqueror intended. He did not create a seat made out of his fallen enemy's swords to make a comfortable chair radiating beauty. No – he wanted a symbol of power and believed that "a king should never sit easy."
The tall doors opened once more, revealing none other than her husband. With the exception of some blood stains on his armour and sooth staining his silver hair, Daemon looked exactly the same as he had when she left him in the camp hours earlier.
With a smirk spreading across his face – one that Valyria could see even from afar – Daemon sauntered towards her slowly, "What are you doing up there, wife?"
"Sitting," Valyria responded casually. "This is my chair now."
"How can the Gods be so cruel," Daemon teased as Valyria rose to her feet and descended the steps. She fought the instinct to run towards him, fearing that she'd fall down and get impaled by a sword if she tried, which would make her reign short.
Once her feet touched the ground, Valyria no longer needed to hold back and she wasted no time closing the distance between them. Daemon met her halfway, catching his wife as she jumped up to hug him. Their armours clashing together created a loud clang that echoed inside the otherwise empty hall. With his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, Daemon spun around, burying his nose in her neck to inhale the familiar scent of winter roses.
Without letting go, Valyria leaned back enough to see his face. Orchid met amethyst for a few seconds before Valyria brought him into a deep kiss. Daemon's lips moved against hers roughly while one of his gloved hands came to rest at the back of her neck. Valyria had no problem meeting his ferocity as she got lost in the moment. They did not break apart until their lungs screamed for air.
"I love you," Daemon murmured, lips hovering just over hers. Eyes widening in shock, Valyria thought she'd misheard him. Lowering her back to stand on the ground, Daemon used both hands to gently cup her face, "When the battle started all I could think about was that I may never be able to tell you that I do love you, Valyria Targaryen. More than anything else. I have for years now and I'm a fool for not telling you sooner-"
Valyria silenced him with another kiss, this one gentle and full of the love and happiness from hearing him actually say those words. "I love you too."