Chapter Text
Viserys POV
“Your Grace, Prince Daemon had landed his Dragon in the Godswoods, he’ll be here shortly.” His long-time attendant told him while bowing down respectfully. He can see the smile on the old maid’s face. Lady Maya had been his nursemaid since he was born, she also took care of her brother but Daemon had always been independent so it was mostly him she minded until now. She went out of the Princess’ Solar quietly.
He looked towards the door when he heard one of the Kingsguard unsheathe his sword. Daemon’s face was thunderous even from down the long corridor, he knows he will not hesitate to cut all his guards down.
“Stand down, Ser Criston.” He said, his command was obeyed immediately and Daemon went inside without any issue.
He did not even look at him, and went directly to Rhaenyra’s side. He can see his eyes looking at Rhaenyra’s feverish face, the sweat plastering her hair on her forehead, the grimace on her face.
“Get out.” He said quietly. Lady Alicent who had been staying vigil on his side since Rhaenyra fell ill immediately curtsied and almost run out bringing with her the Book of the Seven she had been reading for him for the past three weeks.
Daemon glared at him, obviously wanting him to leave too, he would have seethed but he was just tired. It has been three moons since his beloved Aemma had passed and a month since his only daughter had succumbed to a fever.
“What did you do to her?”
This time he could not control the anger that licked his veins. “How dare you!!! She is my daughter!” he thundered; he can hear the Kingsguard being alert outside the rooms.
“You butchered her mother, the person the whole realm vowed was the love of your life, I don’t need to wonder what you would do to her daughter now that your precious Hand is already whoring his daughter to you.”
Before he could answer there was commotion outside.
“Your Grace, this is highly improper!” he could hear Maester Mellos shout outside.
“I brought healers from Lys, Pentos and Volantis. I also got Maester Gerardys from Dragonstone. I do not trust the rats who butchered their Queen with the health of her daughter.” Daemon spat.
He sighed in defeat. The Grand Maester had been trying everything to break Rhaenyra’s fever for a moon now, he’s desperate enough to try anything. He just nodded tiredly and could only looked on as three foreign female healers and the Maester of Dragonstone came inside with sacks of their equipment.
“Remove this blanket, it’s trapping heat making her fever higher.” One of them said while another one was already discarding the fur off his child.
One of them had led him and his brother outside saying that they will only hinder their efforts while asking for fresh sheets and sleeping gown for the Princess on the maids waiting outside the chambers. He wanted to protest but the woman’s sharp eyes and stubborn tilt of her head stopped him.
“You’re sure they can help her?” he asked his brother who also looks annoyed about being ordered out.
“Helene’s been my personal healer since I was twenty, Alia’s the best in Bravos and the red woman is… well she insisted on coming.” His brother said scowling at him.
He sighed as he saw the Grand Maester vibrating in anger on the corridor, he looked at him sharply and had one of the guards remove him.
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Maester Gerardys POV
He bowed as the Grand Maester stomped away angrily, his army of acolyte glaring at him, no doubt going directly to the King to protest his banishment from the Princess’ side.
He chuckled, he had been serving at Dragonstone for the better part of his adult life, where the blood of the dragons runs as hot as the head of their Targaryen brethren, an angry Grand Maester is about as threatening to him as a kitten.
He entered one of the rooms that was designated to the Princess’ healers, the Volantene Priestess is preparing lavender oils to be lathered on the Princess’ hairs, there are also vanilla soap, and cherry scented creams for her skin. It was not these that she is solely to care for though. It was the big tub made from Valyrian steel that is being heated by Syrax fire on the other room that is her sole responsibility.
When they first arrived at the Red Keep, he had immediately tended to the Princess with the help of the Healers from the East that Prince Daemon had brought with him. They’re knowledgeable and innovative. Some of their remedies are not even heard of in the Seven Kingdoms or are not approved by the Citadel. They were able to break her fever after three days. On the fifth day, the Priestess had them brought the Princess on her bathing chamber where she soaked her in an ice bath for 20 mins in a copper tub then had her transferred to a Valyrian tub being heated by Syrax flames that the Prince Daemon took himself. Princess Rhaenyra opened her eyes briefly then to all of their relief. They continued it for the next three more days until she woke up properly, asking for cake.
The King had wept kneeling on his daughter’s bed, he ordered a feast for the people of the city as per the Priestess’ request. The Bells were sounded in celebration and the whole of King’s Landing celebrated the Princess’ health.
He left the Priestess alone to complete her chores. Everyone in the Keep left her alone. There is something ominous about her that no one had dared tried to approached or befriend her.
He made sure that the tonic the Princess will be drinking before lunch is ready before going to the Princess’ Room. The Bravosi Healer, Alia is helping the Princess flex her lower legs towards her chest, she had been exercising the Princess’ muscles twice a day. She insisted on the exercise even after the Princess was strong enough to walk. She had already talked about more exercise to the Prince and him.
The Lyseni Healer was busy massaging the Princess’ forehead with mint. He could not understand the purpose of Lady Helene, so far all she had ever done was massage oils and cream on the Princess’ body and put sheer mask drench in different essence on her face. She’s even putting it on her nails as well. She said she is there to provide Holistic Selfcare Healing, something that she did not elaborate on.
“Princess, your bath is ready.” He said.
“Thank you, Maester. I already told you; you do not need to monitor even my baths.” She smiled at him.
“The only reason why I’m here, Princess, is because of you. Please don’t give Prince Daemon a reason to get rid of my services.” He bowed.
“He would never! I would not let him!” she laughed and stood up with the help of her maids and her healers.
He smiled in relief, happy that the Princess is very resilient.
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Rhaenyra POV
She was walking arm in arm with her cousins, Lady Laena had gotten hold of sweet wine from her father’s rooms and Laenor had gone to the kitchens and pestered the cooks to give them lemon cakes and strawberry tarts, he was also able to slip away some candied apples too. She appreciated them trying to cheer her up and make her forget what happened to her mother.
They had spent the night eating and talking about the differences between King’s Landing, Dragonstone and Driftmark. They also talked about the rumor that Vhagar is in Spicetown and how best to sneak out so that Laena could claim her. She offered that she could fly her there with Syrax but they do not know the way to reach the island once in the air.
Then it turned to their shared Valyrian ancestry and now they’re sneaking into her father’s chambers to visit his Valyrian model. They were all wearing their sleeping gowns with heavy robes on top, but they are not the most silent it seems for the maids who are serving the Royal Family in Maegor’s Holdfast were all peeking at them through the doors of the rooms they’re cleaning. She put her finger over her lips as one of the most senior maids from the King’s retinue came out of one of the rooms. Lady Maya narrowed her eyes at her but did not say anything.
She smiled at Ser Lorent and Ser Ryam who startled when they saw them. She giggled and pulled Laena as she threw the King’s doors open before the Kingsguards can announce them.
“It’s here! My father had been building it since he was a boy—” she stopped abruptly when she saw that her father is not alone, Alicent was there wearing an ill-fitting gown that shows her bare shoulders.
Laena looked at the King and his companion with curiosity in her eyes, there is no one else here, no chaperone.
“Hello.” Laenor said looking at the King, then Alicent, then the Princess and back at the King again. “I’m sorry my King, we did not know you have a Lady Companion with you… we should go?” he said this time looking at her.
“She’s my companion not my father’s.” she said.
“My uncle Vaemond always have lady companions at his room.” Laena said unhelpfully.
She wanted to laugh at how pale and at the same time red Alicent’s face is. She was picking her nails when not adjusting the dress collar as it keeps on slipping off her shoulder.
“Rhaenyra, my child… there is a mistake—”
“Why is she here?” she asked loudly, she can hear the murmurs of maids and guards from outside, Laena and Laenor’s voice were not exactly silent and they had already attracted attention.
“Let’s just go and leave your father to his Lady friend, Princess. We’ll see the model some other time.” Laenor said as he tried to take her elbow.
She snatched her arms violently and looked at her father with angry tears in her eyes. “She’s not his friend, she’s mine!”
“Why would you be friend with a Lady of the Night?” Laenor asked confused while Alicent gasped so loudly at the implication.
“Stupid! That’s the Hand’s daughter.” Laena whispered loudly to her brother whose eyes went wide.
“Rhaenyra’s maid?” he asked.
She can hear chocking sound coming from Alicent. She looks like she will faint anytime. “Is this why you stopped accompanying me, Alicent? You have a much higher person you spend your time with?” she shouted.
She did not know what else she said only that a few minutes later Ser Harrold had to carry her out back to her room. She can hear Laena and Laenor try to explain what happened to Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys. She did not even notice their arrival, it was good that they also reside at the Holdfast whenever they’re at the Capital. Two adults will be more reliable than the stories of three teens. Even if her eyes were blurry with tears she can see maids and guards scurry away from the King’s apartments. She’s sure that tomorrow everyone will know that Alicent Hightower had been whoring herself to the King.
She may not be able to completely change the course of things but she’ll be damned if she will not make it hard for them.
But even though her appearance at the King’s chamber is calculated she cannot control how violently betrayed she felt so she put all her energy on trying to demolish her room. She picked up a vase that was gifted to Queen Rhaenys by Aegon, the Conqueror, himself and threw it with all her might against the large mirror on her dressing table. She smiled as it shattered in pieces.
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Daemon POV
He put Rhaenyra carefully on her feather bed, one of the maids turned the blanket down so she can sleep restfully. He braided her hair loosely so that she will not have to deal with tangles much tomorrow.
He watched as her maids silently cleaned the room that Rhaenyra trashed in her anger. They righted upended chairs and stools, discarded broken glasses and collected pastel dresses that Rhaenyra, in her anger, had torn. He instructed them to turn those dresses into pillow cases and asked to have Rhaenyra’s Mistress of Robes to order an entirely new wardrobe for his niece only to be told that she only had Alicent Hightower as a Lady-in-Waiting.
He decided to talk to Rhaenys and asked for her opinion about future companions for Rhaenyra. He wants one girl from each of the Seven Kingdoms, preferably those directly connected to the Lord Paramounts.
He went out of the Crown Princess bed chamber, passed her receiving area and out of her rooms. He ignored Ser Crispin’s glare and went to the Maiden Vaults where a room was assigned to the Volantene Priestess. She was waiting for him in front of the brazier, a bottle of Dornish red sitting on the table. He sat down on the other chair beside her and drunk directly form the bottle.
“She told you something?” The Priestess said, it was not a question but a statement. He sighed, the Red Priestess is an enigma, she just showed up at his manse in Volantis and talked about prophecy and the Lord of Light and some other nonsense about the Promised Prince. She randomly show up at every places he’s been to and even accompanied him at the Stepstone as his personal healer. And when he received the raven about Rhaenyra being in a fevered sleep he found her in the foot of the hill where Caraxes nest and announced that she will accompany him to heal the Princess. He does not trust her fully but knows she’s a capable healer that’s why he also took with him the sharp-tongued Helene of Lys and the ever demanding Alia of Bravos.
He recalled the disjointed way Rhaenyra told him the dream, nightmare really, that kept her bed bound for the better part of a month. His brother marrying the Hightower brat, her birthing three Princes and a Princess. The way they isolated Rhaenyra, the war in the Stepstones, Criston Cole’s betrayal, the farce of a wedding with Lenor, her bastards with Ser Harwin. His wedding with Laena Velaryon and his ten-year self-exile in the Free Cities. The way the queen had completely maligned and undermined Rhaenyra’s authority as Crown Princess and Heir. His brother’s death.
Gods, his brother. Viserys, despite being a foolish imbecile did not deserve to die like that. A literal husk of his self. A living wraith who died alone, without his family to comfort him. The Hightower bitch did not even give his brother the respect of being put to rest before they crowned the drunken raping usurper.
And the death. The death of their children, Luke, Jace, Joffrey, little Viserys and his Visenya.
He will not allow any of it. He will not fall at the God’s Eye, he will not leave Rhaenyra only to be eaten and burn by her own brother’s dragon.
He will climb down Caraxes gullet first before he let a jumped up Hightower bitch to bring down the might of House Targaryen.
He can do it now. He’s the only one who knows the secret passage that leads directly to the Tower of the Hand. He can slit Otto and Alicent Hightower’s throats in their sleep now and no one would even mourn them except his brother.
But no, they do not deserve the mercy of a quick death. Everything that they did to Rhaenyra and his family, on that cursed dream his niece was trapped, they will experience ten-fold.
Starting with ruining Alicent Hightower’s honor. The bitch had whispered the bastardy of Rhaenyra’s children in court, she maligned her and tear her image that she did not have any choice but to escape to Dragonstone for reprieve. He will let her experience all of that and more. Except Alicent will have nowhere to turn to. She does not have her own Castle or Holdfast she can hide in. She will have to endure the sharp tongue and judgmental eye of the Court alone.