black flames in the east | house of the dragons

i

"Vasarez! Mother's giving birth! Our baby sibling is on the way!" Lucerys yelled across the training square, giddy with excitement. If he was honest, he had hoped for a brother, having one sister was enough with her protective ways and how she somehow managed to beat him in everything. Luke loved his sister Vasarez, don't get him wrong, but he was more than happy with just having her as his only sister. Jace would probably agree.

"Already? Really?" She asked, placing the wooden sword down as Lord Strong allowed her to leave with her younger brother to go find their mother.

"I hope it's a boy!"

"I hope it's a girl, I've had enough of you two pulling pranks on everyone," Vasarez smiled, "you're going to get into trouble one day y'know. Alicent' steal bitchy when it comes to her arrogant s-" they stopped, bumping into a man in a white cloak. Sir Cristian Cole. God how Vas hated this man with every fibre of her being. She treated her and her brothers like dog water and they way he treated Rhaenyra? It made her want to punch him.

"What are you two doing." he asked, stern look on his relatively young but aging face.

"Going to see our mother?" Vas asked, standing a bit in front of Luke, "now if you don't mind, we'll be leaving now."  and that they did, running up the stairs and into their mothers chambers where Jace was currently stood.

"Has it happened yet?" the middle brother asked, the two shook their heads, "oh, well, alright then. How was training?" Jacaerys asked, sitting down on a pillowed seat.

"Eh, alright I suppose, Lord Strong taught me this new sword manoeuvring trick where you-"

"There you are!" a man said while bursting into the room, "is your mother back?"

"Not yet! Soon though I think!" Luke said, smiling. All three of the young siblings had always had a special bond with their mothers personal bond, the boys more so that Vasarez. She enjoyed his company though, seeing him as a father figure when Laenor was busy- partying.

Meanwhile, Laenor was leading Rhaenyra to the queens room, her body still weak from the birth of their new un-named son, "we are turning back, she can come to us, alright?" Laenor said, pausing at the top of the stairs with his wife.

"Not unless you wish to carry me down those fucking stairs," she responded, a small smile on her face as her husband laughed, supporting her lower back and arm to help her walk the further distance.

Upon arrival, the three were treated with an almost cold and bitchy welcome from the green queen Alicent, commenting on how the heir to the throne should be resting and not walking the castle while bleeding onto the floors. She was indeed correct, Rhaenyra and the baby should have been resting, but that wasn't something the silver haired princess was willing to get into an argument with. Once Rhaenyra had been seated and Alicent was holding the baby - much to Rhae's displeasure - the king burst in, doors opening as he stood there with a massive and proud smile on his face.

"Where is he? Where's my grandson?" he asked, walking over and shortly taking the baby into his own arms, Alicent looking between the two 'parents'. Viserys rarely looked happier in any other moment, he was always so proud of his eldest daughter and her kids, he would never admit it but they were indeed his favourites, "he'll make a fine soldier, and I do believe he has your nose, Laenor,"

He looked at Laenor with an oblivious smile as he returned the same one before looking between the two women in the room - an awkward tension arising. Rhaenyra walked over to her father as Laenor took his son back, walking towards the door. The two embraced and exchanged a few words before the King let his daughter go and rest.

Upon arriving at her room, she heard her three older kids running about the room, Lord Harwin entertaining them while they awaited their mother. When Rhaenyra and her husband walked in the kids turned to her in excitement, "mother! we chose a dragon for the baby!" Vasarez said, running over to her side with a smile on her face. She was happy to see her fine and well, she knew from witnessing her brothers births they weren't the nicest.

"Might I?" Lord Harwin asked, looking at Laenor, who happily agreed before escorting the siblings out. It was no secret Rhaenyra and Harwin were.. close. And thanks to the favours Rhaenyra had done for Laenor, he wasn't going to deprive them of a moment alone.

"What took you both so long?" Vasarez asked her father, walking beside him while her brother tan slightly ahead.

"The Queen wanted to see your new brother, immediately," he said, a little anger flurrying in his voice.

"Oh," Vasrarz said, the girl was far from stupid. She knew tension was high with Alicent and a gradual split was happening between the two families, it was even shown in their clothes. Black vs Green. If anyone couldn't see it they were probably blinded by the thought of peace.

Laenor looked at his first born, her silver locks resting over her shoulders in braids. She was the only one who faced less backlash about being a legitimate child due to her hair - however Laenor knew he wasn't her father. Rhaenyra was already pregnant when the two married due to her scandalous night with Daemon. But he had never held it against her, in his eyes he was the girls father and she saw him as the exact same.

When the four reached the square the two boys immediately went to train, grabbing wooden swords and fake battling each other without much thought. It was amusing to watch, smacking eachother somewhat lightly as they pretended to be injured our dead but still taking it a bit seriously when thinking about what skills to use when defending or attacking. They had learnt well from Lord Harwin and appeared to have inherited more than his brown hair.

"How about it, Vasarez? Fancy a duel?"

"A duel, father? Against me?" she chuckled, amused, "you must have a death wish!"

Laenor smiled, throwing her a wooden sword. The girl had become quite a swordsman herself, he remembered the first time she went to train, her six year old self yelling a string of insults to Cole when he denied to let her train. It was Viserys who scolded him later to tell him she could if she wanted to - she was of Targaryen blood after all so she had to learn how to defend herself someday. Laenor had always been by his daughters side while she trained, yelling her techniques and how to throw an opponent off-guard, he didn't want to worry for her safety in the future after all.

The two wooden sticks banged off one another as Vasarez caught her father off-guard, he defended himself immediately, stepping to the side in hopes she'd topple. She did, she was only nine after all. Vasarez scowled, hitting the sword into her fathers back as a sudden competitiveness washed over her. She was determined to win this make-shift battle.

"Your majesties! The maids are preparing food," a servant called, stopping the mud covered duo in their tracks. They had been battling for a while now and completely lost track of time, placing the wooden swords down and made their way inside before heading in desperate directions to change out their muddy clothes.

A/N
very short chapter i apologise!!! i didn't wanna info dump in chapter one lol

how r u?? did u like it??

im so nervous to post this fr
i feel like i have expectations to live up to lol

i swear the chaoters will get better! i need to get the book into the swing of the show uk??? may take me till chapter 3 so i apologise

anyway ly all and tysm for the votes and stuff like that 🫶🫶🫶

- mumble <3