2 time jumps in this chapter. They leave for Dragonstone and Aemond looses his eye. I hope you guys like it 🥰
4 years later.
Darya knew that most of the people in the Red Keep did not like her, well, they did not like her mother. She had grown up hearing the whispers that she was a bastard, hearing people talking badly about her and her mother. Her father was a good man, but she did not see him much. He was sad a lot of the time and preferred to drink and stay out of the palace. He would leave her mother, her brother, and her alone most of the time. Her uncles also did not like her, they were cruel to her and Jace. She did not say much about it because they were cruel to their own sister, or at least Aegon was. Aemond loved his sister and he always defended her.
She had been three name days the first time she asked her mother what the word bastard meant. Her mother had looked overwhelmingly sad and asked her where she had heard that word. Her mother had told her those were lies and she should never repeat them. While Darya understood what her mother had said, she wondered if those words were a lie then why they made her mother so sad. The rumors were not as cruel to her, as her brother. While she had brown hair, she had the purple eyes of the Targaryens and the Valyrian features. Her bother Jace had not been as lucky, he had brown hair and eyes, and people said he looked too common to be a Targaryen, so was her youngest brother Joffrey, who was less than 1 moon old. She hated the way people talked about her brother and her mother, they did not deserve it.
Now something had happened between Criston Cole and Harwin because her mother's sworn shield was being sent away. She did not want Harwin to go, he was the one who always played with her and told her stories. Who was going to take care of them if he left? She ran after him when he walked out of her mother's chambers.
"Wait!" Harwin stopped and turned to look at her. "Please, stay."
"I wish I could." He kneeled in front of her and ran a hand over her head. "But I have to go, I cannot stay."
She did not understand. "Why?"
"Because I have to do my duty." He kissed her forehead as tears ran down her face. "Do not worry, I will return soon."
She wanted to cry and scream at him not to go, but princesses could not act that way. She watched him go and stopped trying to stop her tears. She did not want to make her mother sad so she ran to the gardens and hid in the farthest corner. She did not want to see or talk to anyone.
"Are you crying because that man left?" Aemond's voice surprised her, but she did not react the way he wanted her to. Aemond enjoyed scaring her and she did not want to give him the satisfaction. She dried her tears and looked at her uncle, who was giving her a questioning look. "I do not think it is smart for people to see you cry, it would only make the rumors grow even larger."
"Why do you care?" She gave him a questioning look. "I thought you hated me."
Aemond frowned and sat beside her. "Why would you believe that?"
"You are always mean to me and my brothers." Her uncle had never been nice or even polite to her and her brothers. There were times when she could almost believe that he liked Jace, but for some reason, he had never seemed to like her and enjoyed making her suffer. "Why are you here now?"
"I saw you run this way." He shrugged like he was not sure why he had followed her either. "I could tell you were crying, I just wanted to make sure you were not hurt."
"Well, you will be happy to know you will not have to see me any longer." She gave him an annoyed look.
Aemond's frown became even more pronounced. "What do you mean?"
"My mother said we cannot stay here any longer." Mostly because of his mother, but she would not tell him that. "She says we are not safe and she does not want us to grow up surrounded by hate and rumors, so it best that we leave."
For a moment he almost looked sad, but she was sure she was just seeing things. "Where are you going to go?"
"We will be going to Dragonstone." She was hoping things would be better there. "It is my mother's seat after all."
Darya had hoped that her uncles would change their minds and become friends with her and her brothers, but now she could see that it would not happen. Her uncles had been poisoned by their mother's venom. Maybe once they were older and could think for themselves they would understand that she, her brothers, and mother were not their enemies.
Darya Velaryon (4 years old.)
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1 year later
Living in Dragonstone was fun and very different from Kings Landing, it did not feel like everyone was watching and judging them all the time. Jace and her spent time running, playing, and training with their dragons. Darya had also been spending a lot of time perfecting her Valyrian, which was much better than her brother's. Things had been much better for a few moons until they received the news that Harwin Strong and his father had been killed in a fire. They had been unconsolable and her mother had locked herself in her chambers for hours every night. Darya was not sure what was happening, but her mother almost looked heartbroken. Then a fortnight ago they had received news that her aunt Laena Velaryon had died while giving birth. Her father had been inconsolable and had not stopped crying since receiving the news.
Now they were in Driftmark and Darya was very uncomfortable. They were surrounded by crying people and her grandmother looked extremely sad. She felt bad for Laena's daughters, both girls looked very sad as well. Her uncle Daemon was another story, he did not seem too bothered by what was happening. Vaemond Velaryon was saying something about salt coursing through Velaryon blood while glaring at her mother. Everyone's attention was stolen by her uncle Daemon who was laughing, something that made her grandsire Corlys extremely upset. Darya was sure that things would end badly until finally Laena's coffin was dumped into the sea.
After the funeral, she and Jace stood near the balcony while everyone talked around them. She had not missed the looks Aemond had been sending her way. He looked a bit confused but had not made any moves to approach her or Jace.
"There you are." Her mother's voice caught her attention. "Have you two seen your father?"
"No," Jace answered. "He might be with his friend."
"No, his friend is over there." Darya gestured to where the other man was standing before looking at her mother. "Father is on the beach, he is in the water."
Her mother let out an annoyed sigh, before looking around. "You two should approach your cousins. They have just lost their mother and could use a kind word."
"We have an equal claim to sympathy." Jace's words made her frown and she could not help but stare at him. "We should be at Harrenhal, mourning Lord Lyonel and Ser Harwin."
"Jace," Her mother did not sound happy, but she was not overly harsh as she ran a hand over Jace's hair. "It would not be appropriate. The Velaryons are our kin and the Strongs are not. Do you understand?"
Jace did not look happy but nodded his head and walked to where their cousins Baela and Rhaena were sitting. Darya did not move from her position, she did not like the way her grandmother was looking at Jace and she did not want to be near the woman, especially not today. Her grandmother had always been cold to her and Jace, she did not care much for them and Darya was too tired to try to get the woman to like her. She stayed in her small corner and watched the people around them until her brother Jace approached her saying that her mother had sent them to bed. She had seen her mother walk away, following after her uncle Daemon but she was not going to say anything.
Darya followed her brother and went to bed, only to be woken a few hours later, by her brother and cousins shaking her. "What?"
"Someone has stolen Vhagar." Darya came fully awake but was a bit confused by Baela's words. She did not see how a dragon, especially one as large as Vhagar could be stolen. "Come on."
She was not sure where they were going, but she followed after them anyway. They made their way to the caves and Darya was still a bit confused, not knowing what was happening until she saw Aemond walk in. Her uncle had a swagger which had not been there before and he looked mighty proud of himself.
She still did not understand what was happening until Baela spoke. "It's him."
Aemond just smirked at them. "It's me."
Baela's fists tightened. "Vhagar is my mother's dragon."
"Your mother is dead." Aemond's words made Darya flinch, they were unnecessarily cruel. "Vhagar has a new rider now."
Rhaena took a step forward. "She was mine to claim."
Her uncle did not seem impressed in the least. "Then you should have claimed her! Maybe your cousins can find you a pig to ride, it would suit you."
Darya flinched at his words, hating the stupid prank Aegon and Jace had played on him. Both boys had been very cruel to her uncle, playing on his eagerness to claim a dragon. Her cousins were extremely upset and before Darya knew what was happening a fight broke out when Rhaena threw herself at Aemond only to be pushed down. Baela jumped in, landing a punch on Aemond's face before her uncle punched her back harder, making her fall.
"Come at me again and I will feed you to my dragon!" Aemond said while glaring at both girls.
Darya saw Jace move and reached to stop him, but was unable to. Her brother punched Aemond in the mouth, making him take a step back as he continued to throw punches. Her brother should have known better, their uncle was four years older than him and a better fighter. Aemond landed one good kick, throwing Jace to the ground.
"STOP IT!" Darya did not understand why they were fighting. It was true that her uncle had chosen the worst time to claim the dragon, but there was nothing that could be done. A dragon could not be inherited and Aemond had done nothing wrong. Aemond looked at her and hesitated for a moment. "Do not do this."
Aemond took a step back and that was all Jace needed to throw himself at him, pushing him back and punching him again. Aemond fell and all three children jumped on him, this was out of hand and they would all be in so much trouble. Darya jumped in and tried to pull them apart, receiving an elbow to the eye for her trouble. Aemond kicked Jace away before throwing Rhaena to the side and grabbing Baela by the neck, pushing her aside.
Darya saw Aemond grab a rock and moved to stop him, she did not want him to do something that would get him severely punished, but her uncle saw it as an attack and grabbed her by the throat.
"You will die screaming in flames, just as your father did!" His words were hateful and he was looking at her like he hated her. "Bastards!"
Darya was a bit confused, not understanding what he was talking about. "My father is still alive."
"She does not know, does she?" Aemond lowered the rock and smirked at Jace "Lord Strong?"
Darya's eyes widened when her brother pulled out the blade, knowing that things had gone from bad to worse. Aemond threw her aside before Jace jumped at him, trying to slash him with his dagger. Her brother was not strong enough and in just a couple of moves, their uncle was able to knock Jace down, making the blade fall a few feet from them.
"Please, do not do that." Darya pleaded when she saw Aemond lift the rock over his head as he stood over Jace. Her hand closed around the dagger's hilt and she stood, wishing the insanity would stop. "Just let him go."
Aemond just smirked before she saw him move. Darya loved her brother, even when he and her cousins were in the wrong that did not mean they deserved to die for it. She could not allow her uncle to kill her brother, this could not be Jace's end.
She did not think about it too much. "Aemond!"
He looked up at the same time her hand moved up slashing him across the face and making him fall to the ground screaming. Darya cried and let the dagger fall to the ground, hating what she had done. There would never be a chance to reconcile, the Greens would never forgive this offense. They would all be enemies for the rest of their days and there was not much that could be done about it now.
Darya Velaryon (5 years old.)
Rhaenyra Targaryen (23 years old.)