six months later
Rhaenyra had arrived in King's Landing.
"All hail Rhaenyra of House Targaryen, Princess of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne and her royal consort, Prince Daemon Targaryen." a guard yells as the Princess steps out of her carriage.
Her belly is little, but can be easily seen. Proof that she carries another child in her womb. She looks around, at her surroundings.
"Welcome back, Princess..." a Lord grabs her hand and squeezes them.
"Lord Caswell..." she whispers, looking confused at him.
•••
"You are to affirm your position for Lucerys," Reina hears Daemon's voice coming from the King's chambers. Viserys is ill, on the verge of dying. The right part of his face is bandaged almost all the time, his right eye missing, "to be Corlys Velaryon's successor." Daemon continues.
"Has something happened to Lord Corlys?" she hears her father-in-law weak voice.
"Father..." Rhaenyra's voice is sweet and gentle. Reina does not wish to eavesdrop anymore, but she cannot move away from the door either. "there is someone we wish to introduce you to."
"Daemon." Viserys sighs at which Daemons responds with a single word, "Brother."
Reina admires the relationship between them and she wishes that her brother and her could have had such a strong bond like the Targaryen men.
"Who is that?" the King asks and Reina can hear sounds coming from the children. She assumes his daughter is showing him his grandchildren.
"Father...this is Aegon." she hears the Princess speak.
"Aegon."
"And this...is Viserys." she continues.
"Ah...Viserys. Now that is a name fit for a king." her father laughs and Reina decided that she had listened enough to their conversation.
She turns around, walking away from the King's chambers. The sounds of the babies crying can be heard from the other side of the Keep, but she ignores them.
•••
"So...his sweet daughter is here. 'His only child.'" Aegon speaks with venom in his voice.
"Aegon...it is not her fault." Reina says, feeling bad for the Princess, knowing that the fault belongs to the King.
"Oh, I know. But I cannot stand the sight of her." he hisses, sipping angrily from his cup.
"I like her." she confesses, smiling.
"Do you?" he turns to look at her.
"She is a good woman. I admire her."
"Would you bend the knee in front of her?" he suddenly asks, making Reina frown.
"What do you mean?"
"Would you?"
"Aegon, she is the heir. Of course I will, she will be our Queen in no time." Reina nods.
"What if she will not?" Aegon asks, amused by the whole conversation.
"Aegon, you promised."
"I know I did and I want to keep my promise." the Prince sighs, drinking again from his wine goblet.
The lightning illuminates the whole sky. Reina had always hated storms, it brought her uneasiness and fear. And she was always agitated when the sound of thunders reached her ears.
"I hope you will or at least try to." she sighs and takes the cup from his hands, taking a big gulp from it. Her face scrunches in disgust, making him laugh.
"That is disgusting!" she exclaims, making Aegon laugh harder.
He smiles and touches her big bump, a few weeks and he will hold his second child in his arms.
"I cannot wait to meet her." Reina smiles, putting her hand over his.
"Me neither. She will be beautiful, like her mother."
He puts the cup down and kisses her on her soft lips, before pulling her to lay on the bed. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his chest, before closing his eyes.
•••
The next day, Reina is sitting next to Aegon and his siblings, listening to the Hand's words.
"Though it is the great hope of this court that Lord Corlys Velaryon survive his wounds, we gather here with the grim task of dealing with the succession of Driftmark." he speaks loudly, standing in front of the Iron Throne.
"As Hand, I speak with the King's voice on this," Otto continues, making Alicent nod at his words. "and all other matters."
He sits on the throne and says, "The crown will now hear the petitions."
"Ser Vaemond of House Velaryon. " a dark skin man steps in front of everyone, Corlys's younger brother.
"My Queen." he nods in Alicent's direction, not gaining a reaction from the woman, "My Lord Hand." he turns his attention towards Otto, who nods briefly at him.
"The history of our noble houses extends beyond the Seven Kingdoms to the days of Old Valyria," Vaemond begins speaking.
"For as long as House Targaryen has ruled the skies, House Velaryon has ruled the seas." the man continues, looking around him.
"When the Doom fell on Valyria, our houses became the last of their kind. Our forebearers came to this new land, knowing that were they to fail, it would mean the end to their bloodlines and their name."
Reina sighs at the whole speech, not finding it very interested, waiting for Rhaenyra's turn to speak.
Aegon grips her hand, being as bored as his wife.
"I have spent my entire life on Driftmark defending my brother's seat. I am Lord Corlys's closest kin, his own blood. The true, unimpeachable blood of House Velaryon runs through my veins." Otto nods at his words, Vaemond's eyes set on the Queen.
"As it does in my sons, the offspring of Laenor Velaryon." Rhaenyra interferes, "If you cared so much about your house's blood, Ser Vaemond, you would not be so bold as to supplant its rightful heir. No, you only speak for yourself and for your own ambition."
"You will have chance to make your own petition, Princess Rhaenyra." Alicent interrupts her, making her look up at her former best friend, "Do Ser Vaemond the courtesy of allowing his to be heard."
Vaemond smiles and turns to look at Rhaenyra, who turns her head from his, looking straight at the Iron Throne.
"What do you know of Velaryon blood, Princess?" he asks, smirking at the woman. "I could cut my veins and show it to you and you still would not recognize it."
"This is about the future and survival of my house, not yours." he looks instantly at Lucerys.
"My Queen, my Lord Hand." Vaemond turns to Otto once again, "This is a matter of blood, not ambition. I place the continuation of the survival of my house and my line above all."
"I humbly put myself before you as my brother's successor... the Lord of Driftmark and Lord of the Tides." he finishes his speech with a proud smile on his face.
"Thank you, Ser Vaemond." Otto nods and the man steps aside, after casting one more glance towards the heir.
"Princess Rhaenyra, you may now speak for your son, Lucerys Velaryon." the Hand says, allowing Rhaenyra to step in front of the hall.
Alicent watches her with disinterest, "If I am to grace this farce with some answer, I will start by reminding the court that nearly twenty years ago, in this very..." she is being interrupted by the doors.
A guard steps in and shouts, "King Viserys of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm."
Aegon looks shocked at his father. Of course he came, he is his daughter after all.
Otto sits up from the Thorne, looking as shocked as everybody else. Alicent watches her husband breathing heavily, on the verge of crying.
The King walks slowly, with the help of his stick. His right part of his face it is covered with a gold mask, to hide his missing eye.
Viserys limps towards the Iron Throne, looking at his daughter. "I will sit the throne today." he annouces Otto.
"Your Grace." his Hand nods.
He cannot climb the stairs properly and a guard approaches him in order to help him, "I will be fine. I will be fine." he repeats, not accepting the man's aid.
His crown falls off as he struggles to walk to the throne. Someone lifts it from the floor, making the King sigh, "I said I am fine."
He turns around, seeing that the person who wanted to help is his younger brother, Daemon.
"Steady." Daemon says, letting him lean on him for support.
Viserys sits down and his brother places the golden crown on his head, right where it belongs.
"I must...admit...my confusion" the King pants, breathing heavily from the effort he made to climb the stairs.
"I do not understand why petitions are being heard over a settled succession. The only one present... who might offer keener insight into Lord Corlys's wishes is the Princess Rhaenys." he continues.
Rhaenys looks at him with a gentle look, "Indeed, Your Grace." She walks in the center of the room.
"It was ever my husband's will that Driftmark pass through Ser Laenor to his trueborn son...Lucerys Velaryon" his cousin says. "His mind never changed. Nor did my support of him."
Aemond scoffs at her words, feeling nothing, but hatred towards his nephew. The incident from years ago still haunting him to this day.
"Trueborn son..." he whispers, amused, making Alicent turns his head at him, giving him a look. Warning him to shut up, in silence.
"As a matter of fact, the Princess Rhaenyra has just informed me of her desire to marry her sons Jace and Luke to Lord Corlys's granddaughters, Baela and Rhaena." Rhaenys talks, the Queen watching her with widen eyes. "A proposal to I heartly agree."
Otto looks around, shocked and worried. There is too much information and news for him to proceed.
"Well...the matter is settled." Viserys speaks, while Alicent looks down at the ground disappointed.
Reina is not surprised about the whole situation, not caring about the successor of Driftmark nor about Vaemond or Lucerys.
"Again. I hereby reaffirm Prince Lucerys of House Velaryon as heir to Driftmark, the Driftwood Throne, and the next Lord of the Tides." the King annouces, making Rhaenyra smile and squeeze her son's hand.
Reina smiles at the sight. The mother's love clear in her violet eyes.
"You break law... and centuries of tradition to install your daughter as heir." Vaemond speaks up, anger in his voice.
He takes a step forward, looking straight into the King's eyes, "Yet you dare tell me...who deserves to inherit the name Velaryon."
"No. I will not allow it." he shakes his head, breathing heavily.
"Allow it?" the King asks, clearly annoyed by the man's attitude.
"Do not forget yourself, Vaemond." he says.
"That is no true Velaryon, and certainly no nephew of mine." Vaemond shouts, seething with anger.
Aegon grabs Reina's hand.
"Go to your chambers." Rhaenyra orders her children, "You have said enough." she turns her head towards the Velaryon man, clearly getting angry at the his vile words.
"Lucerys is my true-born grandson." Viserys says, his tone firm and stern. "And you...are no more than the second son of Driftmark." he continues and Vaemond gets even angrier hearing his words.
"You.. may run your house as you see fit...but you will not decide the future of mine." the Lord says, eager to protect his claim.
"My house survived the Doom and a thousand tribulations besides. And gods be damned..." he shakes his head, "I will not see it ended on the account of this..."
"Say it." Reina hears Daemon whispers and she can see that the Targaryen man gets angry at the way Vaemond speaks towards his wife and children.
"Her children...are bastards!" he yells and turns to look straight into the Princess's eyes.
"And she is...a whore." all the people from the room gasps, including Reina. How could this man disrespect the Princess in this way?
Aemond smirks at the man's words and Viserys stands up from the throne, pulling out his dagger.
"I...will have you tongue for that." he warns him.
Gasps fill the room as Vaemond's head is cut in half by Daemon's sword. Helaena covers her ear in fear, while Alicent takes her in her arms.
Aemond smirks at his uncle and Aegon has a disgusted look on his face.
Reina watches the headless body laying in a pool of blood, almost throwing up. Her husband acts quietly, pulling her behind him, trying to protect her from the terrible sight.
"He can keep his tongue." Daemon says proudly.
"Disarm him!" Otto yells.
"No need." he wipes the bloody blade on his clothes and takes a step back.
Viserys falls back on the Iron Throne, groaning from the unbearable pain.
"Call the maesters!" Alicent shouts, running towards him, taking her in her arms.
"Father."
"Please, my love. You must take something for the pain." Alicent pleads him, letting him lean on her body.
"I will not cloud my mind." he replies, wrapping his arm around his wife. "I must put things right."
The guards help him out of the room and everyone stands there, stunned about the whole scene.
•••
"He wants us to dine together!" Aegon says, exasperated.
"Come on, it will not be that horrible. They are your family." Reina tries to calm him down.
"She is not my family!" he exclaims.
The woman sighs, rubbing her belly in a gentle way. "Daemon reacted without thinking today."
"He did what he needed to. He protected his wife, even if the words were true."
"Aegon!" she warns him, "Do not say that about your sister!"
"Sister..." he scoffs, "Sister."
"Her children may not be Laenor's, but they are Targaryens either way and she loves them." Reina says, not seeming offended by the fact that Rhaenyra had children with another man other than her husband.
"With brown hair." Aegon says, "They are Strongs, not Targaryens!" he exclaims.
"Strongs?" she asks, she never knew who Rhaenyra's sons father was, and she didn't really think about it much.
"Yes. Larys is their uncle, that is way he swore to protect Rhaenyra and her children with his life. Harwin Strong was their father."
"What happened to him?"
"Harrenhal burned down a long ago. He and his father burned down along with it. Some say he was killed by his own brother." he shrugs.
"By Larys?"
Aegon nods and looks at Reina's worried face.
"Either way, they are your nephews."
"Not after they maimed my brother." he says, sitting up.
"Get ready for this wonderful dinner." his voice is loud and sarcastic, making her shake her head.
A/N: Okay only a few more chapters and this story is over!! I hope you like it this far and I thank you all for your votes ❤️❤️