So It Goes... // Corlys Velaryon // Rhaenys Targaryen

41. The Good King

Present day

"What was the real reason you came back?" Rhaenyra questioned.

"I was supposed to ask your father for help... he ignored the letters Vaemond and Corlys sent." Nya remarked. 

"The fighting... at the step stones." Rhaenyra realized.

"Daemon and Corlys did this to themselves." Nya admitted. "But still... is it not better to have an enemy vanquished?"

"You speak like a queen." Rhaenyra remarked.

"No... just a warrior." Nya corrected. "but when your time comes... I dont trust the hand, Otto."

"I dont either." Rhaenyra agreed.

"I am glad Viserys didnt pick Laena." Nya admitted.

"She's practically your daughter, I understand that need to protect her." Rhaenyra agreed.

Practically, Nya thought with a huff.

"I should be getting back, so should you Nyra." Nya remarked.

"You know you are the only one besides Laenor and Laena that call my Nyra." Rhaenyra informed her.

"Do you not like it? Your mother never did. Yelled at me when you were younger, thats not her name." Nya whined out as though Aemma was here to belittle her, herself.

"My mother never called you Nya either." Rhaenyra recalled.

"That's right." Nya agreed. "Nicknames are a term of endearment... there was no endering- ment..." Nya offered with a chuckle. "Between us for a while. But I did love your mother."

"I know... you spent moons here for her last pregnancy. She tormented you constantly yet you stayed." Rhaenyra whimpered trying to fight the tears.

"I didnt just stay for her. I stayed for you." Nya reminded her. "I love you... I love you so much... I'm sorry I couldnt... I'm really sorry Nyra."

"It's not your fault."

"Could we just stay here a little longer?" Rhaenyra pondered hopefully. 'I rather prefer it here. In the woods than among all the chatter. ' Rhaenyra told her honestly as she threw twigs into the fire.

'Your father, however little I like him will be worried by your absence.' Nya corrected gently. 

'His Grace can worry himself to death if he so likes.' Rhaenyra told her smugly. 

"Already is it seems." Nya whispered. 

'Tell me something, Auntie. Do you think the realm will ever accept me as their Queen?' Rhaenyra questioned. 

'They'll have no choice but to Nyra.'  Nya reminded her as their horses neighed and whinnied behind them. "Viserys may have only done one thing right in naming you his heir but the lords came from all the sevens kingdoms to swear loyalty to you..." 

"What if I dont do a good job?"

"Thats why you need to find a council, a proper match, a husband or otherwise to help you. A good king or queen knows what she knows and what she doesnt." 

"What do you mean?" 

 "what makes a good Queen? What's a good king or queens single most important quality?' Nya pondered. Rhaenyra blinked back at her. "It's not a trick." 

'Holiness?' RHaenyra offered. 

'It's good to be holy, to know of the higher power but last moon a septon gave up food because he considered it a pleasure and carved himself out an early grave." Nya corrected

'Justice.' Rhaenyra suggested.

'A good king must be just,  but is it just for a king or leader to put the safety of his family and his people... forgiving a monster over and over again. Is that truly just of him? To abandon his subjects to ignore his family, to an evil that he was too gullible to recognize?' Nya questioned.

'No' Rhaenyra agreed. "I feel as though you have someone in mind for that statement."

'"I do." Nya agreed simply. "What else?"

'What about strength?'

'Yes strength, Aegon the conqueror had strength, he conquered and he did little else. Didnt train his sons to follow his strength and they started their own war. So we have a man who starves himself to death a man who lets his love for his brother turn him into a gullible man and a man who thinks that winning and ruling are the same thing. What do they all lack?' Nya questioned.

"They all lack wisdom' Rhaenyra declared. Nya smiled back at her giving a slow clap of accomplishment.

'Yes. But what is wisdom? A house with great wealth and lands asks you for your protection against another house with a strong navy that could one day oppose you. How do you know which choice is wise and which isn't? A good queen knows what she knows and what she doesn't. A wise young queen listens to her counselors and heeds their advice, the wisest Queens continue to listen to them until the day they die. I want you to be wise and know that I am on your side. Always." 

"Thank you Auntie." Rhaenyra agreed hugging tight to her. "Do you hear that?" Rhaenyra questioned. Nya turned to the noise pulling her blade out as she took a step forward, the twigs cracking under her feet as all went quiet. Rhaenyra held her breath nervously. 

Nya went flying back as a boar charged at them, barreling into Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra stabbed it as Nya got up, the boar fell atop her. 

"You alright?" Nya questioned pulling her up. 

"Hells." Rhaenyra muttered when the boar started to squeal again Nya jumped up stabbing him over and over again, she dove her blade into the boar, killing it for good. Nya looked at Rhaenyra and laughed out. 

"Heavens your father is going to think we were in a battle!" Nya declared. 

"Look at your clothes!" Rhaenyra countered, "Look at your face?"

"Blood cleanser, I'm sure those prissy snobs would have their fat husbands go out and kill something so they could soak in it." Nya pondered. "We are trend setters!" 

"You are too much!" Rhaenyra laughed out. 

"Come on lets get back." 

+

'Is everything all right, Your Grace?' Alicent questioned coming up to a large and crackling fire where Viserys stood, needing solace.

'You know, I... I named her... to protect the realm from Daemon. She was my only child. "The Realm's Delight." I named her out of love because I no longer believed...'

'Believed what, my love?' Alicent questioned and Viserys sighed

'Many in my line have been dragon riders. Very few among us have been dreamers. What is the power of a dragon... next to the power of prophecy.' Viserys told her

'The hour is too late, husband.'

'When Rhaenyra was a child... I saw it in a dream... as vivid as these flames, I saw it. A male babe born to me... wearing the Conqueror's crown.' Viserys told her confidently. 'And I so wanted it to be true, to be a dreamer myself. I sought that vision again, night after night... but it never came again. I poured all my thought and will into it. And my obsession killed Rhaenyra's mother. Something Nymeria likes to remind me as though it isnt killing me already."

'Viserys.' Alicent tried to calm him

'I thought Rhaenyra was the way out of my abyss of grief and regret. And naming her heir would begin to set things right.'

'Oh, it did.' Alicent assured

'I never imagined I would remarry... that I would have a son.' Viserys told her his confidence wavering. 'What if I was wrong?' he heard a horn blowing in the distance the beast had been found. He put a hand on her stomach running his hands along her dress.