This was originally supposed to be two chapters, but it felt better as one.
Please read the Part vii chapter when it comes out.
Rhaenar had been beating around the bush enough, that with only a day left until they would begin their journey across the Narrow Sea, she should visit Mero. Her walk was a solemn one, a quiet contemplation having settled across her features as she made the short journey from the Great Pyramid to the Temple of Graces. The world seemed to be tinged in that little bit of sadness, as though everything didn't shine as bright.
But she could feel the warmth of the morning sun on her face, the crispness of the winds of the night fading away into the hot dry air, and the love that the rays of the sun brought. Early morning was a blessing, a welcome of a new day as those who tended to stalls or shops began to set up; some whipping rugs through the air, as others shouted at partners to move the furniture out. Rhae smiled, slipping through them unnoticed as she kept her hair covered, and walked up into the temple.
It was beautiful, the tall Temple holding domed ceilings and fresco paintings inside of the domes; with wide arches looking out onto all areas of the city. On one side, a sunrise, the rich orange tones rising along one wall before meeting in the centre for a detailed sun and moon, and then slipping back into twilight on the other side. The floor was heavily decorated in a Mosaic, perfectly cut and placed pieces of tile in the same shades that were above her.
Rhaenar gasped, turning to see three pools of crystal blue water, bowls holding candles floated amongst rose petals, marble graves settling within the water. She kept walking through, bringing herself to the end where the largest of the marble graves sat, the freshness in the white already letting her know who was buried inside.
It was difficult, thinking that her Mero was laid there and that he wasn't just away somewhere, fighting someone. She pressed her hand along the cool stone, feeling the ridges of the engraving that sat on top. At least he was laid somewhere as beautiful as this, not only having the views but the ornateness of the Temple itself. Rhaenar felt calmer, just by the presence of it alone. "You silly fool." She whispered, her voice barely carrying above the silence. "You didn't deserve to be here, you deserved to be crossing the sea with me."
Rhae refused to cry, she had to be strong. "I'm so angry at you, but I know it wasn't your fault." She shouldn't have distracted him, she should have seen the Harpy. But Rhae was better than blaming herself, she knew that that wasn't what Mero would have wanted for her.
She knew what he wanted for her. "We done it; we're ready to cross the Narrow Sea. We've got the ships, the army, the allies. All we have to do now is cross." Rhae told him. "You would be so proud if you were here, I can practically see the smile on your face." She chuckled to herself. Mero would have grabbed her, made her look over it all for a moment to purely take it in. "But, I have to leave you here, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to return to see you."
"But you've told me to do something, and I think it is time to do it. I've put it off for far too long." Fingers brushed through the loose strands, the comfort of myrrh filling the air. Rhaenar turned at the warmth that pressed into her back, but found nothing.
Rhaenar faced him, greeted with the sharp glint of a metallic blade and a single black ring beside it. He was with her, always. "I'll love you forever." Even when she was in the dead of night, or in a crowded room or sat ninety years from now in the Throne Room. She reached down, pressing a kiss to the marble, feeling the words that ran across the top. Rhaenar reached out, clasping the ring before settling it on her finger where it belonged.
Her tongue swept her lip as she swallowed, soon clasping the dagger that Mero had changed for her. All she had to do was take it and so she did, stepping away from the grave. Rhaenar made her way back through the Temple, shooting a last longing glance to Mero before leaving.
The Heart of the First Queen of Meereen.
She made her way through the streets, back past the bustling merchants who spoke with haste, and encouraging those around them to purchase what they had. Rhaenar entered the Pyramid, stripping the scarf from her hair before loosening the strands, letting them fall around her as she made her way up towards the Throne Room. It was lucky that before she had even visited him, she had called for a meeting. "They're waiting for you, Your Grace." Barristan uttered to her.
"Thank you, Ser Barristan." Pushing on the door, Rhaenar stepped out onto the platform, staring down. Aegon was sat to the side where Tyrion had once sat, his hand running over his mouth as his midnight eyes gazed out over the room. It was the first time they were alone, and Rhaenar was willing to talk to him now. "Aegon." She said, greeting him.
Aegon shuffled quickly, standing from his spot as he watched her approach. Rhaenar's cheeks were flushed, his eyes dropping to the dagger in her hand, jumping away quickly. "Aye! Aye! There's no need for that."
She glanced down, confused for a moment before widening, shaking her head with a laugh. "Oh, no, you have it wrong; this isn't for you." But it could be if he crossed her.
He eased. "It's for someone?" Rhaenar played her cards close to her heart, shooting him a look as she moved past him, sitting on the step. He seemed confused, staring down at her before joining. They were family, and their first conversation hadn't gone smoothly. They looked at one another, their eyes running over each other. "Rhaenar."
"Aegon." Silence surrounded them again. "Did you truly mean what you said the other day about not wanting to become King?"
He nodded, his eyes not having shifted from their shade. "Yes."
"You are the next in line, before Daenerys, and certainly before me." Aegon sighed, shifting back slightly, his body completely open as he eased in comfort. So far, she had no reason to distrust what he said.
"I've thought about it, I've thought about it a great deal in fact." And? "I don't want it, I've seen what power does to our family, and I don't want to have to wrestle with my mind any further." The Mad King, her brother; even generations before their close family had had to deal with the internal struggle, had they been plagued with madness and cruelty.
Rhaenar nodded, understanding exactly where Aegon had come from. She too felt that at times she wrestled with her sanity, feeling that her actions were brinked with madness. It's why she strived to be so free from death, that she desperately tried to keep free from killing others. "Why do you think I keep myself surrounded by advisors? They keep me grounded. Anything I do will be done through them."
"And what about what grandfather did? Killing or removing advisors when they didn't agree with what he did?" She would never let herself get that way.
"Then I want someone to tell me, someone to remind me of who I'm turning into. All I want to do is keep people from being downtrodden on, give them a life we had never had." Rhaenar reached out, placing her hand on his. "I know what the Mad King was, I know what he did." And she knew that she would always be his daughter. "I want to do better."
Aegon nodded. "Then I respect that."
"If you respect that, will you bend the knee?" Rhaenar had never asked that of anyone, but she needed to ask it of Aegon.
His eyes changed, his face recoiling as he looked at her. "You want me to bend the knee? I'm family, I've given you my word."
"It's more than that, you know that. Bending the knee is just a mark of respect." She tried to make him see what she was seeing. He had more of a chance than she did, and Rhaenar didn't know him as far as she could throw him.
"For your enemies."
Rhaenar turned, pulling back her hand before clasping her own together. "I don't know you Aegon Targaryen, I'm not even sure that you are a Targaryen."
Aegon sputtered, anger filling him. He'd given her proof, what more did she want? "What do you want me to do? There's nothing I can do." It clicked, the idea forming in her mind. There was something he could do, and if he was going to prove himself, what better way than that.
"I want you to meet the Dragons; Targaryens have been dragonriders for a large portion of history; if you're a Targaryen, they'll let you sit upon them, if you're not..." He'll be eaten or torched. Though the logic was at times flawed, it remained largely true. It wasn't until the Dance of the Dragons, that the Targaryens had stopped riding Dragons; it was in their blood, it's what made them their house words - Fire and Blood.
"If that's what will make you happy, then so be it." Surprise filled her, but she kept her face cool, standing from her spot before holding out her hand. He took it, Rhaenar helping him to stand before leading him away from the Throne Room. "But what are you going to do if I climb on top of that dragon?"
Rhaenar hadn't thought that far ahead. "Nothing, I'm going to watch you hold on tight." In truth, she would most likely be surprised that he was telling the truth; and amazed. So far she had been the only one to ride a dragon in hundreds of years, to have another dragon rider? It would change the game entirely.
"How do you know they're going to let you ride them?" Aegon questioned as they reached the cavern where the dragons had rested, wading their way through the charged remains of goats and rams.
Rhaenar smirked at him. "You don't." The scent of burnt flesh and smoke settled within the air, burning their noses as they dived into the thick of it. Usually, it was an off limits area, this was the dragons home, but she had a point to prove.
Rhaenys seemed to be the only dragon present within the den, her large red eyes blinking up lazily at them as she watched them step closer. Rhaenar approached, reaching a hand out, letting the female sniff before allowing her to come closer. The scales were rough like stones, but warm as though they had been baking in the sun for hours. "Rhaenys can be temperamental, but she seems pretty calm. Let her sniff you, get to know you before you go charging on."
He nodded. They watched as Aegon stepped cautiously closer to the dragon, his hand stretched out in front of him as though he was about to pet a rabid animal. Rhaenar wanted to giggle, but bit down on her lip as Rhaenys sniffed, Aegon almost harshly pulling his hand back - he was scared. "Here, let me help you." The fact that Rhaenys didn't seem so bothered didn't worry her, it meant that maybe he was telling the truth.
Grasping Aegon's hand within hers, she pulled it forward, keeping a tight grip as she lowered it in front of Rhaenys. The female dragon raised her head slightly, letting out a snort at the possibility of having to actually do something rather than laze around as she had been but she sniffed, her large eyes flickering up to Aegon. Rhaenar placed his hand flat, laying it onto her nose where he ran it across, feeling every bump beneath the surface.
He just sat there for a moment after Rhae pulled her hand away, his fingers continually stroking at the nose of the dragon who seemed to be preening beneath the touch. "Alright, if she offers her shoulder, that's your cue."
"Do you ride her?" He asked as he stepped closer to her, running his hand up and to her cheek; the friction cutting above the silence.
"No, I'm paired with Leirion." In that moment, Leirion swooped down to the side of the den, his eyes searching inside before landing on his mother. He squawked, bringing her attention over to him and him only as she grinned, approaching him. "They're my children." Rhaenar said softly as she reached up, stroking his cheek before throwing a quick glance over her shoulder at Aegon before smirking. Leirion was at the perfect height to climb upon, her body clambering up him before resting on the back, gripping either of his horns.
And then he fell back, sending the pair rushing through the air before he turned, soaring up and into the sky, away from Rhaenys and Aegon. Aegon's jaw dropped, his mouth falling wide open as the wind from Leirion's wings rushed into the small space almost knocking him back. Rhaenys cried out, lowering her shoulder as she grew desperate to race her brother.
Aegon hesitated, looking at her before having followed Rhaenar's lead, settling himself onto the back of the dragon before looking around, unsure of what to hold on to. He jolted, quickly grasping anything as Rhaenys threw herself up and out, using the short drop to propel herself up and into the air; beating her wings fiercely.
It was the drop of the stomach that pushed the adrenaline through the blood, the uncertainty of if you can hold on tight enough as you ride faster than any other being through the sky. Rhaenar lived for it, the feeling almost being immortal on the beast - unconquerable. She lived for the bond that she held with Leirion, who knew her better than most.
She glanced behind, watching Rhaenys beat her wings, using her smaller body to gain speed on her brother, Aegon sitting above her. She laughed, moving her body so it was more tucked it, before willing Leirion to understand her needs. In a quick shift, Leirion flew faster than he had, using his larger wings to zip through the air, above the harbours and past the pyramids.
Aegon was truly who he said he was, he was a Targaryen, and a worthy one at that.
They came to a stop on top of the pyramid, both dragons lowering their riders before taking their place back amongst the clouds, toying with each other again as the two Targaryens watched. Aegon was filled with a renewed excitement, a laughter taking hold of him as his hands found the balcony as his feet wobbled on the floor. "It's always that fun?"
"Always." Rhaenar confirmed, grinning maniacally.
Leaning back against the stone balcony, she gazed up, thankful to feel the sun upon her face as her eyes fluttered shut. Aegon watched her for a moment, turning his body to face her completely. "Do you want to know why I'm really here?"
An indigo eye peeked open, awaiting his answer. "Varys believes I can strengthen your claim as Queen if you marry me." Fury filled her body, anger quivering her hand as she grew ready to explode, both eyes flying open to face him.
"So everything I've done would be for nothing because we should rely on your claim? No one over that Narrow Sea cares for claims anymore, more usurpers have sat upon the Throne in the past few years than they have in centuries. Blood claims mean nothing to them." Rhaenar didn't want to see the sense in it, not when she'd have to share the Throne with Aegon, and be pushed out after everything she's done.
He sighed, nodding. "I know that, but it doesn't stop the fact that you're a bastard." As everyone continued to remind her. "It could stop potential wars in the future, about whether it's right that you sit upon the Throne; no one would dare to question it if we married." Rhaenar deflated, it could be a possibility but she didn't want to rest her whole argument just because she married the true heir of the Iron Throne. "Aegon conquered the Seven Kingdoms with his sisters by his side; you could do the same. It'll make you stronger."
Aegon stepped closer to her, his finger hooking beneath her chin, angling her head to face him. "But you would be King, the thing you told me you didn't want."
"And I don't; I would be nothing but a faux monarch, someone to be by your side. It's an alliance that will work in your favour." He tried to reason.
"And what about alliances in Westeros? Surely we would be better off to marry Lords and Ladies there." With Aegon and Rhaenar free, it meant securing a potential two more Kingdoms if need be.
He raised a brow. "Do you think that's what Cersei Lannister will be doing? Making marriage alliances." No, no she wouldn't. "She has no one to make alliances with, the Kingdom hates her. She'll rely solely on fear, and on vilifying you."
"So what are you suggesting?" Rhaenar asked him, expecting truth.
"I'm suggesting that we don't have to marry now, we can wait until you've decided what is best for you. But, marriage isn't the only way for you to secure Kingdoms. If you want to be like our ancestors, you'll learn to conquer them; unite all Seven again. When you land on Dragonstone, write to the Lords that are in open rebellion to speak with you, get them on your side." She could do that, she supposed.
"And after?"
His midnight blue eyes shined. "Become a Queen."
"The world will think it's wrong if we marry." The important part being if.
"We're Targaryens, our line has always wed amongst themselves." Aegon moved closer. "If you are not happy with that, we can wed as a political front, and take whoever we wish to our chambers. We stick together from now on, as the only Targaryens left in this world." Perhaps after years of searching, maybe she could find someone who understood her in the way that he did; both exiled children growing in the streets of the free cities, cast out by usurpers who murdered their family and tried to kill them.
She shook her head. "We're not the only Targaryens in this world."
Confusion filled Aegon's face before looking to Rhaenar, the shades of indigo turning infinitely darker. "Daenerys should be waiting for me in the Throne Room, try not to cause trouble, we'll be leaving shortly."
"No promises."
The Throne Room was empty as Rhaenar returned, her dagger still sat to the side as she raced forward, plucking it from the step before moving back to her chair, crossing one leg over the other. It wouldn't be long, but it would be necessary. Her back straightened, her indigo eyes darting forward as the doors opened, Daenerys' small body shuffling in. Daemon wasn't with her, it was just herself; the violet eyes wide as she watched her sister. "Rhaenar."
"Daenerys." Daenerys took the first step up, but Rhaenar held up her hand, pausing her. "Why do you think I've called you here today?"
Daenerys seemed confused for a moment, her shoulders raising. "I don't know; you haven't spoken with me about crossing, but the guards... They talk."
"Tomorrow, the ships will be leaving the harbour to cross the Narrow Sea, and there, they will land on Dragonstone." It wouldn't take them long to get there, but the journey for the rest of Westeros would.
A lightness filled Daenerys, a smile stretching across her lips. "Yes, I've been watching the ships from my balcony. They are here for us?" The Targaryen sigils were now displayed proudly across the sails, and golden dragons rose at the front of the ships.
"For me."
Her face changed, recoiling. "Why are they here for you?"
"Because I am going to cross the Narrow Sea, and take the Iron Throne for myself." Silence settled around them, the tension building as Daenerys really looked at her sister, the cool facade that had replaced any notion of emotion in her eyes. "As a Princess of Dragonstone, I ask that you bend the knee."
Daenerys was angry. "You want me to bend the knee? To a bloody bastard like you?" Rhaenar hoped it wouldn't escalate like this, but it seems Daenerys wouldn't take it sitting down.
"Yes, to a bloody bastard like me who currently holds a large enough army to make the Targaryen name count." To replace the likes of Aerys, Viserys, and now Daenerys.
"And what happens if I don't?"
Rhaenar's hands crossed before herself, straightening herself a little more. "Then I will sentence you to die for your crimes against me."
Fear struck Daenerys, the violet widening. "You can't do that!"
"I can. I've been more than tolerant, and now I've had enough. Bend the knee and accept your new fate, or pay for your crimes." Her new fate that she wasn't even sure she could secure, but hopefully Oberyn would listen.
"And what is my new fate if I bend the knee? Exile?"
Rhaenar shook her head. "You will marry Quentyn Martell, he will legitimise your son and give him a life that we never had."
"You promised me you would never force me to marry someone I didn't want to." But years had passed, and times had most certainly changed from then.
Rhaenar turned, her gaze like ice. "I promised you a lot of things, Stormborn; and in return, you sent a man to murder me. Consider this mercy. Your child will grow up with a name and a title, he won't be seen as a bastard while you are Princess of Dorne."
"I refuse." Then death it was. "You receive everything you've ever wanted, while I am expected to sit there and do nothing? You've kept me in your shadow for years, because you can't handle another woman taking leadership - of being better than you." She ignored the slight, the anger that had clearly influenced Daenerys' hatred for her, for years.
"You think I have everything I've ever wanted? I've sacrificed my life for it all, and none of it will bring back what I want, Daenerys."
"You're wrong." She hissed, shaking those pale curls. Once upon a time, she had seen her sister as sweet, as innocent; but her coin had landed much like Viserys, and Daenerys had grown hateful. Rhaenar could see that now, she could see what everyone had tried to tell her to do.
Rhaenar stood from her chair, taking the first step down. "I'm wrong? You're wrong. You have a loving husband, a healthy beautiful living baby boy, and the ability to have more. Your life was yours to have, to do with as you please, but you overstepped your mark."
"And you have an army! A Queendom! Men willing to die for you." Something that she had worked hard for, she couldn't waste her life in grief like perhaps in the past she would have done - Rhaenar strived to be better, she saw the improvement in lives if she did.
But Daenerys would always have something she didn't. "And I'd trade it all to bring back Drogo and Rhaego; or Mero. I've given and given this world all that I've had, over and over and constantly, it has knocked me to the ground, reminding me to stand up, to do what I believe in. Not for any destiny, or for any namesake, because I see the improvement, and I wish to give that to the world."
"But that will always be your fault, Rhaenar; do you not see? You're so preoccupied by looking behind you, that you forget what's in front of you. Mero loved you, he did; and so did Drogo, but you are a woman who has brought armies together. Why focus on children when you have so much more ahead of you?" Daenerys all but wanted to scream it at her, to show her exactly how frustrating it all was for her. "You will have no weaknesses."
Rhaenar disagreed. "I always have weaknesses, because I allow myself to love all of those who are around me; even those I don't know - from the baker in the street, to the maids who wash our clothes. A Queendom is nothing without having the people to respect you; or to have people who love you by your side."
She tried to remind her, to remind her of the one thing that monarchs loved to forget. "But, part of me will always love who I was with Mero or with Drogo, away from them all. I didn't want this for myself because I wanted to be Queen, I wanted this to make the world better."
"The world will never be better, it will always find a reason to prove why it needs a harsh ruler." Then let it, Rhaenar would only ever show it kindness in return, or a harshness that felt right not only to herself but to her advisors. It brought her to the question that she had asked Daenerys, regardless of their differences. "Will you bend the knee?"
"No." Her head nodded, indigo dropping to the floor in an instant. "You can make this all go away, Rhae. You just have to say the words and I will take my place as rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."
But she couldn't. "These will be my only words to offer to you." Daenerys the Delirious, the Dangerous, the Deadly. Or maybe just the damaged, their childhood had affected them in so many ways. Slowly, Rhaenar took the steps down, keeping the blade firmly behind her back as she faced her beautiful sister.
They could have ruled the world, been the Dragon with three heads if she hadn't have sent an assassin after her. Their eyes met, the shades as different as they were as they got within touching distance. "I, Rhaenar of House Targaryen, Princess of Dragonstone, sentence you to die."
Rhaenar pushed the dagger into Daenerys side, a gasp leaving the girl's lips as Rhaenar's jaw locked. Her heart shattered at the motion, breaking to a million pieces against the floor. She couldn't regret this, not after losing it all. "I'm sorry." She whispered, not entirely sure that she meant it.
This would be but the first act of the new justice, the weight and anger of those she lost resting heavy on her shoulder as her hand quivered at her side, clenching shut. Rhaenar couldn't cry, but it didn't stop the rising restriction on her throat, as though she had done something wrong.
Dany's arms tightened around her. "I know." She whimpered back. Rhaenar didn't let go of her as she pulled out the dagger, throwing it to the side, warmth coating her hands. She couldn't let go of her, the woman she'd known as her sister, who she'd grown up with. She just couldn't. "I'm scared." Dany whispered faintly.
"Me too." Her chest stilled, Rhaenar's eyes darting from side to side as her jaw quivered. It didn't have to be like this, but there was no other way. A cry left her, a quick intake of air as panic flooded her system, the severity of what she had just done. So many people had called for her death, but Rhaenar hadn't; and now?
She glanced down before quickly looking away, the red having stained the soft lilac gown that Daenerys had worn, spilling onto the white doublet that Rhaenar had worn. The first time she killed, and it was her sister. Her head shook quickly, their eyes meeting as she laid her down to the floor. "Oh, gods!" What had she done?
The light faded from the violet, the arms clenched around her loosening before dropping entirely. Rhaenar's eyes widened, before standing to a crouch. Hands patted at Daenerys' body, smoothing anything she could as blood continued to seep from the floor. "Rhae?" A voice called from behind. Like a frightened animal she whirled around, staring at the figure at the door. "What have you done?"