𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝐀𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐞𝐧

TWENTY

That morning, the castle was silent. Danera woke up early, feeling nauseous, walking out to their shared balcony for air. She looked back at her sleeping husband, smiling with her hand rested on her stomach. Danera was beginning to like the idea of having a child. She still felt terrified and unprepared, but with Aegon by her side, she felt safe. As she made her way back to the bed, a quiet knock startled her. "Yes?" She asked, confused. Set Cristen entered the room, a slightly alarmed look on his face. "Sorry to bother you at this hour my princess, but could you awake the prince and ask him to come to see his mother?" Daneras stomach dropped, this could only be something bad. "What has happened? Is everyone alright?" Danera replied, her voice trembling. "All is well, the queen and king just want to speak with their son" Cristen replied, looking at his feet. "Oh" was all Danera could say, feeling uneasy, "I'll wake him, he will be there shortly, thank you Ser Cole." The guard turned and left without meeting her eye.

"Aegon, Aegon!" She started to raise her voice. "What is it my love, are you okay?" He mumbled sleepily. "Your mother wants you, I'm, I'm worried" Danera managed to get her words out. Her heart was pounding now. Aegon rolled over and barely opened his eyes. "What do you mean they want me?" He asked, confused. He opened his eyes and began to feel a panic seeing the worry covering Daneras face. He sat up and immediately hugged her, "hey, hey, it's just probably some silly development in the steps tones it'll be okay" he reassured her, hoping he was right. "Oh yes, probably" his wife replied, feeling slightly breathless from her panic. "Calm down" he stroked her back, "I will see what it is and come straight back, you wait here and try to calm yourself, it's not good for you or the baby" he tried to soothe her. He hated feeling out of control in moments like this. Aegon kissed his wife gently on the forehead before settling her back into bed. He got up and ready before making his way to his mother and father.

"Ser Criston" he nodded at his mothers guard, he had waited at the end of the corridor for the prince. "What's all this about" he asked, but Criston wouldn't look at him. "The queen wanted to speak to you my prince, she would not explain why" Criston replied. Aegon picked at his nails in worry as he followed the knight down the queens guard down the  dark corridors, the sun had only risen an hour before, much of the castle was still quiet.

Ser Criston knocked at the queens chambers, opening the door shortly after. "The prince" he announced as Aegon entered, only to be greeted with his mother and grandfather Otto. "Aegon, dear" Alicent spoke, he could tell his mothers smile was forced into her face. Otto following Aegons every move as he sat in front of them. His mothers eyes were red, like she had been crying profusely. Then it hit him, the moment he had dreaded his whole life, his father was dead. Aegons eyes grew wide as his mother teared up, "no" was all Aegon could say, but this fell on deaf ears. Not because he didn't want to hear the news, but because he didn't want to know what they would say after. "The king" Otto began as tears began to fall down his daughters cheeks, "has passed." Aegons breath hitched in his throat, he didn't know whether to run to Danera now, to take her away from what they were about to endure. "Have you told his heir" was all Aegon could think to say, he didn't want this, they knew that. "We are" Alicent spoke, her voice cracking, " your father, he wanted you on the throne." Aegon scoffed, almost laughing. He knew they would try and justify this, but really, trying to say his father changed his mind was laughable. "Your father spoke to me before he passed" the queen gained back her composure, "he said you would be the one to unite the realms." Aegon refused to look at them, frozen in his spot but wanting to run. "The coronation will be held as soon as possible, to ensure the people's support" his grandfather spoke, no emotion in his voice. "I will not be your pawn in this stupid game" Aegons anger finally coming out. "Do not pretend my father wanted me to be his heir, he had years, he had my whole life, Daneras mother is the heir and I will not take that away" he shouted at them, looking his grandfather directly in the eyes. Otto simply smiled, tears forming in Aegons eyes. "You will be king" Otto said plainly. Aegon stormed out of the room, Criston moving to run after him. "Do not chase him, Ser Cole, just ensure they do not leave this castle, lock them in if you must" Otto instructed as Criston nodded once in response.

Aegon began pulling at his hair, running back to his wife. How could they do this, he thought he had more time. He had to get Danera and their baby away.

The door slammed open as Aegon entered, Danera sitting up looking terrified. She could see from the look on her husbands face she was right, the king was dead and they were going to take her mothers throne. "Danera" Aegon breathed, falling to his knees. Tears ran down Daneras face as she got up and ran towards him, kneeling beside her husband. "We need to go, now" Aegon said quickly, looking behind him. But before Danera could reply they heard guards stop outside their door, trying to listen in. "Aegon" she whispered in reply "I don't think we can" she sobbed, falling to the floor, Aegon wrapping his arms around her, his own tears falling into her long tangled hair. "What will we do" he asked her, knowing she didn't know the answer. "You have to take the crown" she sobbed.

They sat there, breaking the silence every so often with a sniff or a sob. Thinking about what they were about to be involved in, the war they were about to bring their child into. Aegon pulled himself together slowly, cupping his wife's cheek with his large hand. "What if I pretend to take the crown?" He whispered, looking into her eyes. "When I am king, they will have no control of me, the guards will be in my command at least, if we pretend to comply,  to do what they want, for now" he continued, Danera looking back at him with furrowed brows. "But you don't want that, we don't want that" she spoke quietly, her throat aching. "We can ask Elena to go to dragon stone and warn your mother, to explain what we are doing, then once they believe we are truly on their side, we will escape" Aegon said confidently, belief the idea would work was the only think keeping him going. "What if they never get the message?" Danera replied, still worried, but knowing this was the only option. "Send two servants then, Ser Ewan has been loyal to me in the past, he was the only one to show pity when he found me drunk, I think he saw my mother hit me on a few occasions and unfortunately understood my reasons" Aegon replied, Danera flinching when he spoke about his mother. How could Alicent do this to them, to someone who was once her friend. "You must go straight to Aemond and Helena's rooms, we can trust them to protect you, I wouldn't put it past my grandfather to hold to hostage and force my compliance" Aegons voice became stern, his eyes still full of anxiety. "Okay" Danera replied with a wobbly tone.

They both stood up, Aegon helping his wife to dress, kissing her gently every so often. Reassuring her that the plan had to work, and that he would never let any harm come to her or the baby.

A/N ~ ohhhh shitttt, so it's finally happened, Viserys is dead. Aegon doesn't want the throne and is totally team black, he hates his mother and grandfather and will never bow to them, but Danera and the baby aren't safe whilst they are in the castle...