Protecting an Heir

17

Only about a few weeks passed from Rhaenyra's arrival to Dragonstone, Laenor is attending to the boys while Malia is looking after the girls as Rhaenyra and Visiera discuss plans for the future.
"If we keep the dragons here, they will not oppose any sort of threat to the people who've decided to build houses around this island." Rhaenyra said.
"I agree-"
"Though, we wouldn't even have to worry of moving the dragons if these people didn't follow us here,"
"Those people? Rhaenyra, those people believe in me and my succession and instead of going off to see world on their own, they followed me because they choose to serve me. I am not here to take something that is rightfully yours. I am here to break the wheel everyone so desperately wants to keep. The wheel that keeps men on the throne." Visiera explained starting to become angry.
"Visiera I believe in you, truly I do. But all of this that you're doing, it's--it's insane. These people are going to follow you yes, they are going to support you through everything. But what happens when someone takes the throne, someone that isn't you. They will go insane and protest that you deserve it. It could cause war!"
"Do you really think that those men, those women and children that were once slaves would want to put themselves back into such a horrible setting like war?! Rhaenyra if you are worried about it that much I will tell Viserys I do not wish to be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, that is your spot to take!"
"You don't understand-"
"Oh I think I do, more than you perhaps."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You are a trueborn Targaryen. I am a Targaryen bastard with Stark blood running through my veins! People would tear the realm apart if I ever sat the Iron Throne, we both know this! I've had it harder than you! I am not only a woman but a bastard-"
"And yet you somehow got the civilians choice in not even one day by saving those slaves and being nicknamed the Mother of Dragons, the Breaker of Chains, the Unburnt, the Lost Targaryen, Mother! You won all those titles in one evening!"
"But you are the Realm's Delight! The Heir to the Iron Throne! The Dragon Queen!"
"You know what they also call me? The whore of Dragonstone, and I've only been here for 3 whole fucking weeks! Rhaenys was right in telling me that people would soon put the kingdom ablaze than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne."
Visiera can see the pain in Rhaenyra's eyes, still hurt by what she said to her but knows Rhaenyra needs her comfort and support.
"I've been betrayed before. I know how it feels to have your heart taken away from you by someone you thought you loved. And I hope you know I would never, ever, hurt you or betray you," Visiera said.
"I'm sorry, Visiera. But I can't do this right now," Rhaenyra said.
"Do what?" Visiera asked calmly.
"What we're doing right now, I just-I can't. Until this feeling boils over or something happens I just can't deal with this. Find a way to keep the people and the dragons under control, their your problem now, I can't do this." Rhaenyra answered.
Visiera was confused and hurt as Rhaenyra walked away tears coming down from her eyes as she walked up the stairs. Visiera slammed her fists onto the table and threw her cup on the ground. Something Visiera wished to not have happened did and she was alone, again. She didn't want to lie to Rhaenyra, lying was only going to get people hurt she thought. She quickly decided now was the best time for all secrets to be thrown away, even the secret/lie she was holding against Daelera but her father, or well, her other mother. She then walked upstairs to her chambers where her children and Malia were. They were smiling and playing around when Daelera looked up and saw Visiera was upset. She removed herself from the room and let the children and Malia continue playing while Daelera and Visiera talked.
"What's the matter, muña?" Daelera asked. Muña meaning mother.
"I've lied to you, your whole life-"
"About what?"
"Who your second parent is."
"W--what do you mean?" she asked kind of distraught.
"Your father...isn't Maryion."
"Then who is?"
"You don't have one..."
"That-that doesn't make sense."
"How do you think Rhae and Nys were born? Maryion was dead before the twins were born."
"Are you implying I'm Rhaenyra's?"
"No! No, not her."
"Than who?"
"Your other mother, your real second parent, is Alicent Hightower."
"Meaning my name is really Daelera Hightower? Are you kidding me?"
"Lera don't be upset with me, you don't know the full story-"
"I don't want the full story, I'm that witch's daughter, I look just like her too it's a wonder I didn't know before!"
Daelera gets mad and starts to walk away.
"Daelera, wait--please!"
"No," Daelera said, her voice cracking as she starts to cry.
Daelera walks out to the sand and the ocean outside of Dragonstone. Visiera cried as now her girlfriend and daughter were upset at her and it was like it was her against the world. Malia walked out to check on them when she saw Visiera crying. Malia smiled at the girls as they played still as Malia cracked the door and stood by Visiera.
"Everything okay?" Malia asked.
"Nothing is okay, Malia. I'm failing, I'm failing as a ruler, as a partner, as a mother. I mean what in the seven hells is wrong with me?" Visiera cried.
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with you, Visiera. You try, too hard for everyone. To try and be the best person you can be to everyone around you. You need to breathe, live life the way you want to live." Malia explained.
Visiera cries still, she turns to face Malia and holds her hands.
"I can trust you, with anything right?" Visiera asked.
"Of course," Malia answered.
Visiera let go of her hands and turned back facing ahead as she said the truth of the matter which is how Daelera was born.
"Before I was Rhaenyra's mistress, I was her friend. We'd mostly hang out with Alicent and at that time, she wasn't my friend she was my lover. We'd been seeing each other since I was eleven. We fell for each other. But 15 years ago, in 105, I started to hang out with Rhaenyra a bit more. At that time, I-I didn't anything romantic for her but since my sister and father had just died and her mother had died too, we had that connection. 'Course Alicent's mother had died before either of ours had but it happened in the same year we just--just connected. Alicent became angry with me and one night she took advantage of me. She raped me, in my own chambers, my own bed. I found out only a couple of weeks later that I was pregnant. She used blood magic on me and she told me she'd be there for me when the time came to have the babies. But she wasn't. She left me alone to raise my daughter and grieve for my stillborn daughter. That is how Daelera was born, Alicent had threatened me if I told anyone she would end me and my daughter. I didn't want that to happen so I covered for her, Daelera became a Martell and I became a broken mother-"
Visiera continued to explain as Malia's eyes sweat with tears. Malia felt for her, though she'd never been raped or had a child, she was raised by her and to see her borken and upset hurt her. She didn't let Visiera finish as she wrapped her arms around her, Visiera felt the need for that hug and hugged her back, the two cried and Malia wiped Visiera's tears away.
"You are not broken. You are a fighter, a mother. You are a protector. A Queen." Malia said.
Visiera mouthed a thank you as she then calmed down. Daelera came back not long after and Visiera explained everything she had told Malia to Daelera. Daelera felt horrible for leaving the way she did and apologized as well as hugged her dear mother. Not long after that Mayliana asked to see Visiera and Laenor in private. The two met in the council room, and Mayliana shared a letter with them, from Daemon. Visiera and Laenor read it as Mayliana with great sadness told them what letter said.
"Princess Laena Velaryon is with the Gods now. She passed a dragon rider's death while trying to give birth to her son-"
She explained as Visiera's mind went blank. She fell to her knees as the memories she shared with her sister started to fade away. Visiera screamed in sadness as Laenor fell to his knees, crying as he hugged Visiera. All the castle could hear were Visiera's screams of "no, please no". Rhaenyra heard her from her chambers and sunk into a ball by her door, crying as she heard her screams. Laena was gone, and now they must all go to Driftmark to say goodbye one last time.