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family.
[noun.]
1. a group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit:
2. all the descendants of a common ancestor:
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In many legal contexts family denotes "individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption," but in others the definition may be somewhat broader, encompassing groups of individuals not related by these things.
Every family is a social construct with its own rules and values to which every family member has to stick to. Sometimes these values do not cooperate with one's own ideas and perspectives.
Blood is thicker than water - even the first people knew about this saying. However, each family had their own problems and secrets. Secrets that could drive them apart from each other, resulting in missing trust... eventually resulting in things much worse than a divorce or two brothers not talking to each other.
King Viserys had seen it all. After Rhaenyra had married Leanor Velaryon the two of them continued living alongside him and queen Alicent in kings landing. More than a decade had passed after their wedding and since then his wife had brought three beautiful children into this world - Aegon, Aemond and Heleana. All of them being quite close in age.
Rhaenyra had also blessed him with three grandchildren by now - a fourth grandchild being on the way. His granddaughter Rhaella being the oldest child, still younger than Aegon and Aemond. Prince Jacaerys had followed shortly. He would inherit the iron throne after Rhaenyra's reign. Lucerys Velaryon being the youngest sibling until their next brother or sister was born.
The red keep was filled with young Targaryens and Velaryons. The six children - who were all close in age but would refer to each other as uncle and aunt, nieces and nephews - were raised together from an early age. The enmity between Queen Alicent and Princess Rhaenyra was passed on to their children from an early age. Aegon and his brother became bitter rivals to Rhaenyra's children, Princess Rhaella and the princes Jacaerys and Lucerys . The time the children - especially the boys - were forced to spend together only caused to increase this dislike.
Despite their family's relationship, Rhaella and Heleana grew up as close as an aunt and niece with an age gap less than three years could be. When they were younger they would often share the same bed since both of them had been quite afraid of the dark. They would often stay up the whole night, watching the stars and dreaming about the landscapes behind the walls of kings landing. Laughing about their brothers and how annoying they could be at times. Making fun of the septa and how Rhaella would often make sneaky jokes and remarks to annoy her. Heleana showing off all the new insects she had found in the great gardens of the red keep. How none of them was fond of marrying when they were older and that both of them hoped to not end up with an old men who missed half of his teeth. Rhaella loved Heleana as the sister she never had but always wished for.
