Rhaenyra and her family get some news. Plans start being made. I hope you guys like it 🥰
In this story Viserys lived for longer than he did on the show.
2 months later.
The tightening in her chest refused to go away, she had a feeling of doom, like something horrible was about to happen. She had been waiting for Helaena's letter for a few days now and her aunt had not written her back. Darya was sure something was wrong because her aunt always answered her letters promptly. In the last letter Helaena had sent her, she spoke about how Aemond appeared to be happier and was looking forward to marrying her. Then a few days later everything had gone silent and she had not heard anything. Her grandmother was in Kings Landing, she had been visiting at the request of the king.
Darya entered the chamber of the painted table and found Joffrey there, looking at the map with a worried look on his face. Her mother entered through the opposite doors and approached him.
"There you are." She seemed to see he was worried but did not say anything and waited for him to talk.
Joffrey ran his hand over the piece of wood which marked Driftmark on the map. "The Sea Snake is going to die, isn't he?"
Her mother ran a hand over her belly. "Joffrey..."
"I cannot be the Lord of the Tides." Her brother interrupted before their mother could continue. "Grandsire was the greatest sailor who ever lived. I get green sick before the ship even leaves the harbor. I will just ruin everything. I do not want Driftmark, it should have passed on to Ser Vaemond."
Her mother did not look angry at his words. "We don't choose our destiny, Joffrey. It chooses us."
"Grandsire let you choose whether you would be his heir." Her brother was not backing down. "You told us so."
"Do you want to know the truth of it?" Her mother moved around the table until she was standing next to Joffrey. "I was frightened. I was four and ten and I was not ready to be the queen of the seven kingdoms. But, it was my duty and in time I came to understand I had to earn my inheritance."
Joffrey shook his head. "I am not like you."
"In what way, sweet boy?"
"I am not so..." He seemed to be lost for words for a moment. "Perfect."
"I am anything but." Her mother kissed Joffrey's head and gave him a smile. "My father looked after me and helped me to prepare for my duties. Your mother will do the same for you."
Her brother did not seem any calmer and just shook his head before leaving the room. Darya waited until he was gone before moving closer to her mother.
"He hates ships and always will." She gave her mother an amused smile. "I do not think you can teach him to love them."
Her mother shook her head. "He cannot give up his inheritance."
"Because that would mean you would lose Driftmark?" Darya loved her mother, she was the best mother she could have asked for. She was loving and caring, she enjoyed spending time with them and helping them with their problems. But she was not blind to her mother's mistakes. "Is it true what you told him? That you understood you had to earn your inheritance?"
"Of course." Her mother gave her a questioning look. "Why would you ask me that?"
"We have been called bastards since before I can remember. The man who raised me was not truly my father and the fact that Jace, Joffrey, and I are bastards is an open secret." Her mother had made them targets. "Did you realize you had to earn your inheritance after we were born?"
"Do not say that." Her mother cupped her face. "I will never regret you or your brothers."
"Maybe you should." Even while they had not done anything, they were a stain on her character. "You cannot deny your life would be easier if we were not here or if we looked different."
Her mother gave her a sad look and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Lorent Marbrand appeared. "Good morrow, princess."
Her mother let go of her and turned to face the man. "Good morrow, Ser Lorent."
The man gave her a short nod. "Princess Rhaenys had just arrived on dragon back. She urgently requests an audience with you and Prince Daemon."
Whatever sense of doom Darya had been feeling was about to become a reality. Whatever the princess had to say would change their lives forever. Her mother sent for Daemon, who joined them a few minutes later before Princess Rhaenys was led in.
"Princess Rhaenys." Her mother did not seem to notice anything was amiss. "Might we hope for news of Lord Corlys's recovery?"
"Viserys is dead." The princess did not mince words and Darya saw her mother jerk like someone had just hit her. Daemon had been staring at the fireplace and immediately turned around. "I grieve his loss with you, Rhaenyra. My cousin, your father possessed a kind heart." Her mother did not seem able to speak or do much of anything as Rhaenys moved closer to her. "There is more. Aegon has been crowned as his successor."
Darya hurried to her mother when she whimpered and grabbed her belly.
"They crowned him?" Her mother sounded confused like she did not want to believe it.
Daemon moved closer to them. "How did Viserys die?"
"I could not say." The princess's voice was still calm.
Her mother looked at Rhaenys. "How long ago?"
The princess cleared her throat. "A day past, perhaps two. I was made a prisoner in my quarters while the queen made her preparations."
"Viserys has been slain," Daemon said while looking at her mother.
Rhaenyra did not seem to hear him. "Alicent demanded you declare for Aegon."
"She did." The princess answered, even while her mother had not phrased it like a question. "I refused her."
Daemon did not look convinced. "And yet you are alive."
"The High Septon crowned Aegon in the Dragonpit." Rhaenys did not raise to the bait. "I witnessed it myself just before I fled on Meleys."
Her mother still had not reacted. "They crowned him before the masses."
"So that the masses would see him as their rightful king." Rhaenys finished her mother's thought.
"That whore of a queen murdered my brother and stole his throne." Daemon was seething and his anger turned to Rhaenys. "And you could have burned them all for it."
"A war is likely to be fought over this treachery, to be sure." Rhaenys refused to engage with Daemon in anger. "But that war is not mine to begin. I only rushed to warn you out of loyalty to my husband and to my house. The greens are coming for you, Rhaenyra." Rhaenys turned and stared directly at Darya. "And for your children. You should leave Dragonstone at once."
Rhaenys walked away, leaving all of them in shock and her mother gasped in pain. She doubled over and her hands went under the skirts of her gown, coming away bright red with blood. Darya knew it was too early for the babe to live, her mother and stepfather would be devastated. The war had just started.
Darya Velaryon (15 years old.)
Rhaenyra Targaryen (34 years old. 5 months pregnant.)
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1 day later.
Sadness was a very funny feeling, it could appear in a second and then seem to take over one's entire life. She had watched her mother scream for hours, while the babe inside her fought to be born. She would never forget the blood and the pain in her mother's face. The devastation her mother had felt when the babe had been born deformed and with a hole in her chest. Her mother had been heartbroken and insisted on wrapping up the child herself, before taking her to a small pyre. Darya had been furious with her stepfather, he had not been there when her mother needed him the most. The fury had dissipated a bit when she saw the devastation on his face. Everyone knew that the Rogue Prince did not deal well with failure and sadness. Her mother had named the little girl Visenya and had not shed a tear as she watched her burn.
They had all been shocked when Erryk Cargyll appeared with her grandsire's crown and kneeled in front of her mother. He had sworn loyalty to her and Jace as her named heir before handing the crown to Daemon. Her stepfather crowned her mother in front of everyone.
Now they were all in the chamber of the painted table as her mother entered. She looked much better than she had a few hours before.
"Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, First of her name. Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men. Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm." They all bowed as her mother walked in. Daemon looked at her mother, a small smile on his face. "Your grace."
Rhaenyra made her way to the end of the painted table and Rhaena approached her with a cup of wine. Her stepsisters stood near her mother and Darya hid her smile, Baela was already preparing for her future role as queen.
Her mother looked at Daemon. "What is our standing?"
"We have thirty knights, a hundred crossbowmen, and three hundred men at arms." Her stepfather had immediately up their defenses as soon as they had been informed of Aegon's coronation. "Dragonstone is relatively easy to defend, but as an instrument of conquest, our army leaves a lot to be desired. We have sent word to my loyal men in the City Watch, I'll have some support there, but I cannot speak to the numbers."
"We already have declarations from Celtigar and Staunton, Massey, Darklyn, and Bar Emmon." The master said while looking at her mother.
"My lady mother was an Arryn." Her mother pointed to the Vale on the map. "The Vale will not turn cloak against their own kin."
The maester seemed to think for a moment before turning to look at her mother. "Riverrun was always a close friend to your father, your grace. With Prince Daemon's acquiescence, I've already sent ravens to Lord Grover."
"Lord Grover is fickle and easily swayed." Her mother said while staring directly at Daemon. "He will need to be convinced of the strength of our position and that we will support him should it come to war."
"I am going to treat with him myself," Daemon answered without hesitation.
Lord Steffon Darklyn looked at the map before turning to her mother. "What of Storm's End and Winterfell?"
Bartimos was the one who answered that question. "There has never lived a Stark who forgot an oath and with house Stark, the north will follow."
"Lord Borros Baratheon will need to be reminded of his father's promises." Her mother knew how stupid the man was. The queen turned to look at Rhaenys. "What news from Driftmark?"
"Lord Corlys sails for Dragonstone." The princess answered.
Daemon smiled. "To declare for his queen."
"The Velaryon fleet is in my husband's yoke." The princess said with a smile. "He decides where they sail."
"We shall pray for both you and your husband's support." Her mother was ever the politician. "Just as we prayed nightly for the Sea Snake's return to good health. There is no port on the Narrow Sea that would dare to make an enemy of the Velaryon fleet." Her mother turned to face the rest of the people in the room. "And our enemies?"
"We have no friends among the Lannisters." Her stepfather answered. "Tyland has served the hand too long to turn against him and Otto Hightower needs the Lannister fleet."
Her mother placed both hands on top of the table. "Without the Lannisters we are not likely to find any allies west of the Golden Tooth."
Her stepfather shook his head, knowing she spoke the truth. "No. The Riverlands are essential, your grace."
Darya drowned them all out as she looked at the map in front of her. She could not believe it had come to this, while she had expected it, she had prayed it would not come to pass. They were talking about going to war against their own family. Daemon's voice brought her back to what was happening in the room.
"They have three adult dragons by my count." Her stepfather said while looking at her mother. "We have Syrax, Caraxes, and Meleys. Your sons have Vermax and Tyraxes. Your daughter has Arrax and Baela has Moondancer."
Her mother did not seem impressed by any of it. "Daemon, none of our dragons have been to war."
"There are also unclaimed dragons." She did not like the way he said that. "Seasmoke still resides on Driftmark. Vermithor and Silverwing dwell on the Dragonmont, still riderless. Then there are the three wild dragons, all of whom nest here."
Her mother looked confused. "And who is to ride them?"
"Dragonstone has thirteen to their four. I also have a score of eggs incubating in the Dragonmont." Her stepfather continued without answering the question. She knew that whatever he was planning would not be good. "Now, we need a place to gather, a toehold large enough to house a sizable host. Here, at Harrenhal. We cut off the West, surround Kings Landing with the dragons and we could have every green head mounted on spikes before the fucking moon turns."
Her mother did not seem too sure about the plane and then they were interrupted by Ser Erryk, who let her mother know about a ship approaching. Her mother and Daemon decided to meet with Otto Hightower alone, not wanting her or her brothers involved. She knew that whatever was to come would not be good, things would get a lot worse before they got better. Not all of them would be coming out alive.
Darya Velaryon
Rhaenyra Targaryen