Chapter Text
Rhaenyra Targaryen i
The water smashes over the side of the boat, they had to come out even with the start of the storm. The bitter salt bit into the air, stinging her eyes. Rhaenyra blinks, tears welling up. The sea helped her play her role as an bereaved wife, crying had never been a skill of Rhaenyra’s. She had never found a use for it outside of her rooms. She found no use for it at this moment, yet she did grief that man she knew.
The toss of the boat on open water could even cause the steadiest of men to become greensick, yet they still dragged the fleet out to lay their son to rest with his sister. Rhaenys refused to leave his body any longer, or what was left of it; or having these people around. She wanted to grieve alone, which Rhaenyra could understand having never received a moment of reprieve after her mother’s death.
The anchoring of the boat was only noticeable, because of the rattling sound of the anchor shooting to the seafloor, as the boat continued to shake in the wind and water continued to pull them all towards the sea floor. She stands with the Velaryons as the weep for their only son, their last child, their second loss of the year felt like a knife in their backs.
Ordering Leanor’s death was the worst thing she had ever done, but she couldn’t handle it anymore. She had spent half a decade childless and whispers of her baron womb were spoken around every corner of the Queen’s court. While Alicent birthed four perfect white headed, healthy Targaryen babes, Rhaenyra had nothing to show for her failed marriage.
She had run off to Dragonstone a year into it. Rhaenyra would love to call it anything but a failure, Laenor was loving and caring but unable to give her what she needed for her claim, heirs. His heart was elsewhere always, with squires and knights, and she could not affect her claim with the same affairs. Rhaenyra found more love in the skies and with the visits with Laena. She would never wish to cause the pain she has, especially for a woman she looked up to so.
Yet, she stands next to Rhaenys with nothing but salt water ties. Her father’s health was declining and doomed to take him, so she had chosen to cut herself from this childless marriage. Rhaenyra had asked Daemon to kill Laenor, she knew that as she stood across from him as he held his mourning daughters. She watched Daemon as they dropped her husband's casket into the stirring waters of Blackwater bay, as if it too knew their sins.
Rhaenyra knew Daemon would marry her as this, she had not believed it would be before the moon turned or without her fathers blessing. She stood tall with blood on her lips and wine on tongue, even without his approval. Viserys would sooner let the snakes around his neck kill him then admit they exist.
Rhaenyra wanted children, desperately, and she knew her uncle would give her that. He had Baela, Rhaena, and probably a bastard or two fathered on some white-haired whore of Lys. She had a son before the end of the year, Aegon. How she loved Aegon, his gorgeous white hair and perfect lavender eyes. Alicent had not enjoyed her first born, heir, having his name ‘stolen’ as she saw it. Rhaenyra needed a strong and powerful Targaryen name for her heir, as well, her uphill climb would be his too.
She and Daemon continued to have children, Rhaenyra feeling the need to prove her ability after a decade of being childless. Aegon, Viserys and Visenya were proof, her little band of thieves all but perfect Targaryen children. Visenya had been scared and sickly, Rhaenyra would have hidden this if not for Daemon. She was his crowning joy, the Rogue Prince’s Ruby as he called her. Her next, Alyssa, was perfect; the image of her grandmother; Rhaenyra’s father had cried when they were introduced. She had affections for wonderful creatures, quite like Rhaenyra’s sister, this started when Alyssa’s egg hatched to be a firewyrm and in all Daemon's wisdom he had let the three year old keep it.
129 AC brings Rhaenyra and her family back to the vipers’ den that was her father’s court. He was rotting in his own bones, the smell of decay festering around his old, worn body. She tries to talk with her father but his pain is evident, he seems to brighten when met with the sight of her four children and her with-child again. He wished for nothing but to see his daughter and brother, to see his family together again. The halls of the Red Keep had all but been painted green by Alicent; a commoner would think that the Hightower were the ruling house.
She had returned to her step-mother’s children all grown, Aegon and Helaena with three of their own to her horror, in the almost decade since her last visit and all with dragons. That night, she and Daemon decided that they must stay in King’s Landing as her claim was nothing across Blackwater Bay.
Viserys dies within the week, Rhaenyra’s labours start when she receives the news. She laboured for four days, while Otto Hightower tries to gain support for Aegon, the elder. Her brother, smarter than his grandsire, runs into King’s Landing’s Flea Bottom and is never seen alive again. Daemon sits the Iron Throne while she labours, causing claims of his own succession to the throne. He had Otto, Maester Orwyle, and Cristion Cole into the Black Cells for treason before Rhaenyra had woken after the birth.
They named their early boy, Aemon. Daemon had wanted for a son named Baelon, after his father, but Rhaenyra could not bear to watch another sickly little boy named Baelon die again. She had held her brother as he faded for this earth to join their mother and Rhaenyra would rather burn with him then watch such a thing happen again. Aemon was a fighter, however, living even with her fears.
She burnt her father in tradition, standing on the same hill, saying the same word as she wished for a kinder world. His ashes were placed next to her mother, and brother, in Dragonstone while she was crowned atop Rhaenys’ Hill in the Dragonpit by her Husband and lord Protector of the Realm. She had dragged Alicent and her remaining children, ‘the greens’ as they were called, to watch Jaehaerys’ Crown be placed on her head. Rhaenyra had to make a show of unity out of the split house.
However before the sun had set Aemond went looking for Aegon and Daeron left back to Oldtown; they are seen less and less over the years only returning for events demanded of them. Helaena had become a dear friend of Rhaenyra; she knew her sister was doing it as a means of survival, she enjoyed it nonetheless. Living the girlhood dream of having a sister, she had once thought Alicent was. The ‘Green Queen’ lets herself rot in Maegor’s Holdfast, only being seen for matters of great importance, in the Royal Sept, or with her less than joyful grandchildren.
Rhaenyra was left with a pit of snakes, they had weaved themselves into the foundations of her father’s court. The snake charmer, Otto Hightower was saved from the sharp edge of Dark Sister only by her mercy, she believed a life disgraced as a second son back in Oldtown was worse than death. Otto only thanks the Seven for her grace, Daemon suggests he puts his love for his Gods to good use and joins the Faith. Tyland Lannister, son of a Great house, was sent running back to Lannisport before her father was burnt.
Rhaenyra had to let her husband run free at some point, he piled heads to the Keep's doors including that of Grand Maester Orwyle and Jasper Wylde, Master of Laws. The Conclave had been outraged, they accepted Rhaenyra’s choice of Gerardys in the end though. Ser Criston Cole had been killed before making it to the cells, he had called her ‘The Bitch Princess of Dragonstone’ and Daemon that cut his tongue out through his skull.
Rhaenyra reforms the council, calling Rhaenys to be her Hand and Corlys to be her Master of Ships. They accept even after their heartbreak at the death of both of their children; presumably at her and Daemon’s hands. Lord Corlys, however, asks her to name two bastards, his grandson the bastard children of Laenor. She takes the insult of the chin after he accepts her request for Driftmark to pass to Baela not the Bastards.
Rhaenyra calls Harwin Strong back to court, he answers forever her faithful sword, bringing her eldest daughter. He takes the mantle of Lord Commander of the Queensguard, without being a white cloak and with a wife, however his stay was short lived with the news of his brother’s action they both returned to Harrenhal. Ser Erryk Cargyll took his place as Lord Commander.
Master of Coin, Lyman Beesbury, and Master of Whispers, Larys Strong, continue at their posts for a time before Beesbury’s death. Bartimos Celtigar takes up the mantle of Master of Coin. Rhaenyra had no use for a master of whispers but Larys was faithful and Harwin’s brother, he became an issue after before caught exchanging council secrets with the Queen Dowager for the view of her feet. Alicent’s seat of the council was never retired, so she had no need to do such a thing.
Rhaenyra’s reign was started with blood and continued as such with the news that Aegon, the elder, was found dead on the street of silk after a riot. Alicent Hightower is devastated with the news and blames Daemon for his death, saying that her father warned her of such cruelty at the hands of the Rogue Prince. Aegon’s eldest child, Jaehaera, seemed to believe that Otto Hightower had ordered her father's death. Helaena, however, seems almost confused at the news, though she is sent into labour with their last child, Alysanne, at the funeral.
Rhaenyra had continued her reign as she wished, bringing better lives to the smallfolk of King’s Landing and most of Westeros. Cleaning the streets, housing the poor, feeding the hungry while creating wealth only seen in the coffers of stingy monarchs. She had spent seven years growing a dynasty of her own and a reign for its own history book; her firstborn son comes to earn his first place in 138 AC.