Realm's Delight (A Rhaenyra Targaryen Villainess Fanfiction)

Rhaenyra the Dreamer

Rhaenyra Targaryen woke up in cold sweat, gasping for air. The dream she had was all too real to be a mere dream. She looked at her hands and touched her face. They were perfectly fine. Still, she could not shake off the feeling of her skin melting in dragon flame and the feel of Sunfyre's teeth digging through her flesh.

A knock to her room took Rhaenyra out of her thoughts. Attendants pour in, informing her that her presence is required in the tourney. Despite being shaken, she got out of her bed and allowed herself to be dressed. When she saw the dress that was laid out for her, she yelled in anger to change the dress, for it was the same dress she saw in her dream. The same dress she wore on the tourney where not long after, her mother died giving birth. The princess demanded instead that a pristine white gown be worn by her to which the attendants acquiesced. The attendants were quite baffled at the princess' show of temper. Not once had the princess ever had a tantrum, but then there are firsts for everything. Nonetheless, the attendants said nothing about it.

Not long after, Rhaenyra joined his father at the box of spectators to witness the tourney held in honor of her father's accession to the throne. The king was quite merry as he drank wine from his cup and engaged in conversation along with boisterous laughter with the members of his small council.

Rhaenyra sat and watched the tourney but cared little for it. The dream she had still lingered at the back of her mind. When at last, Dark Sister was knocked out of her uncle Daemon's hand, only did she begin to realize that her dream was to become her reality.

Soon after, the man who defeated her Uncle Daemon in battle, Ser Criston Cole, approached and gave her the victor's laurel. However, the realm's delight was simply not delighted. This was no longer a surprise to her yet still, she trembled as he asked for her favor. The girl of seven reluctantly gave her favor to the knight of twenty-and-three; an unusual sight as in the princess' dream, she remembered being smitten by him. Or was it? She possessed knowledge beyond any seven-year-old could and understood them well; and so began her quest to change her fate.

As for her mother's pregnancy, there was nothing the princess could do about it for her mother was already with child, the least she could do was to prevent it from coming to term. She already knew it would kill both her mom and her unborn brother; if she could not save both, then she'd want to save at least one of them. Her brother would then earn the moniker, "Heir for a day", courtesy of her Uncle Daemon. Better to leave that title unearned.

And so Rhaenyra, a girl with the body of a child and the mind of an adult, resolved to commit the greatest atrocity early in life: becoming a kinslayer.

She sat in her room at Maegor's holdfast, twiddling her thumbs. Any moment, the process would begin.

A blood-curdling scream and a dozen footsteps soon followed, passing by her doors. Curiosity got the better of her, so she went out to see the commotion. She was not allowed inside her mother's chambers but before the doors closed, she saw her mother in pain and covered in blood as the moon tea snuffed the life out of her unborn brother.

The queen survived but was nearly at death's door. If not for the maesters at the citadel, she would not have recovered. Rhaenyra's father was beside himself with grief at the loss of his unborn son. Even more so was the queen at yet another miscarriage.

The queen had previous miscarriages that no one suspected that this was not one. At least, not yet.

In the meantime, it was reported that Prince Daemon was seen making merry as he was still his brother's heir. While the unborn heir did not earn its moniker, the queen was given another, "unreliable womb."

Upon hearing of this, the King was wroth, for how could his brother make japes at his and his wife's misfortune. To make a fool out of the queen was treason and King Viserys resolved to execute him for this. Yet, Maester Mellos was quick to remind him that no one is as accursed as the kinslayer. At this statement, Rhaenyra would accidentally pour liquid on Maester Mellos' lap instead of his cup. The king relented in his fury and simply decided to banish his brother from king's landing.

The royal couple let their sorrow run its course and soon tried once more to produce an heir. Yet moons had passed and their prospects became even bleaker. The queen would no longer produce children.

In all these, Rhaenyra was a constant companion to the queen. She sought to make her days easier and fill it with joy. She would read stories to her and smell the flowers in the garden. The Queen would go along these activities to humor her child towards whom she felt guilty. Rhaenyra was often left on her own or in other people's company while she focused on giving her husband the heir he sought.

On the other hand, the king had reconciled with himself that he would no longer have male heirs. Yet whispers were rife at court that the King would set the Queen aside, have her join the silent sisters, and find a younger bride to wed. It was naturally unprecedented. The Faith of the Seven has not in centuries dissolved any wedding between the Queen and the ruling King. Not only would it invite instability to the realm but it would result in the bastardization of the princess. Rhaenyra might not be the son Viserys always wanted, yet he loved the child too much to do her this injustice.

Having had enough with the boundless rumors, King Viserys decided to settle the matter of succession once and for all. He decided to turn to the child he already has. He would not let Daemon be king and so he resolved to have Rhaenyra become his heir.

While all these were happening, the young Rhaenyra who already knew her tragic fate ensured that she will not live to suffer the same.

As she mourned for the brother whose life she took, she diverted her energies to many productive pursuits. She studied the laws, histories, and any and all that there is to know in ruling the realm. Between her lessons and more, she also began walking the streets of King's Landing to assess the condition of the kingdom she was to rule—at least she hoped so.

Soon, not only was she the Realm's Delight for her ethereal features, but she was beloved of the smallfolk who saw that her heart is as beautiful as her person.

The king, upon learning of his daughter's visits to town, was most mortified. After the recent death of his child and knowing that he will have no other heirs, he became protective of her. Yet to his concern, Princess Rhaenyra would only remind him that if the Kingsguard could not protect her, her dragon will. If this should still not suffice for King Viserys, then he should have her learn to defend herself. After all, in their bloodline, female warriors were not uncommon. Queen Visenya was a dragonrider, queen, and warrior.

Call it an epiphany, or otherwise, something right then and there dawned upon the King. He would soon give his blessing and have Rhaenyra be taught how to wield a weapon. While initially fearful of the fate she saw, Rhaenyra chose Criston Cole to be her personal tutor and sworn shield. All the while guarding her heart and maidenhood from him.