Ashes In The Castle ||| Aemond Targaryen

sixteen

Naerys wasn't the heir. Though she was a servant of her mother, the Queen, Jace handled those matters. It was he who tried to put Daemon back in line.

Instead, Naerys defaulted to what she'd been made into. A warrior, a soldier. While her mother laboured, far too early for the infant to live, Naerys left the castle for the Dragonmont.

She wanted to comfort her mother, she did. But there wasn't anything Naerys could do. If the Greens had taken the throne, Naerys knew they likely would want to kill Rhaenyra and all of her children. To take out any competition for Aegon.

Thankfully, Dragonstone was easy to defend. The only way to attack was by sea. That's why Naerys was going for her dragon, to patrol the sky and sea.

Someone could have been trying to attack them with a dragon, there could already have been a fleet of ships sailing. Naerys and Vermithor would be the early warning signal.

The Dragonkeepers retrieved Vermithor for her and Naerys mounted him, taking flight as Daemon and Jace appeared from the castle.

Naerys flew circles around the entire island, her eyes scanning both sea and sky. She strayed a bit, flying further out every once and a while, before returning closer. In case she was needed down below.

She was in the sky for hours. Naerys was terrified for her mother, she was still thinking about Aemond, and she was forcing herself to accept her place in the family.

Only when she saw the jet of flame from the Dragonmont did Naerys land Vermithor. That was the signal, another dragon telling her to return.

The news she received on her arrival was not good.

Jace met her when she landed. He looked incredibly solemn and Naerys knew what he was about to say was going to hurt.

"Mother gave birth to our stillborn sister. They're preparing for a funeral now on the other side. You should get ready."

Naerys felt her heart drop. A sister. Finally. Killed by the Greens. And the pain of losing so many things all at once.

She pulled her brother into a hug and stayed like that for a long moment. He was trying so hard to be strong for everyone even with the pressure of being Rhaenyra's heir.

When Naerys pulled away, she smiled sadly at him and made for the castle. She'd have to change and she needed time alone to process it.

***

The funeral for the baby girl, Visenya, was held on the Dragonmont. It was a traditional Targaryen funeral, where the body was burned. Rhaenyra and Daemon stood beside the bed of wood and fire while the others from the castle were scatted behind her.

Naerys, Luke, Jace, and Joffrey stood together in a small group. They kept each other close, watching on as Rhaenyra burned her youngest and last child. As if there could be more loss on top of Viserys and the throne.

As they watched, though, someone walked up the path. Someone in a King's guard uniform, a white cloak hanging from his armour. Everyone was distracted by the funeral, so the man made it a fair few steps, past the people gathered, toward Rhaenyra.

When her sworn Queen's guard saw the man, they drew their swords, ready to kill one of their former brothers.

Instead, the Knight pulled his helmet off of his head. "I mean no harm, brothers."