Pawn to Queen (A House of the Dragon Fanfic)

Chapter 14

Daenyra stood next to her sister, watching as their children trained. They had a few hours before they left Kingslanding and were filling their time awaiting the maids to finish packing. 

The Queen grimaced slightly as her own children were absolutely demolishing the Veleryon teens. Rhaegar looked bored, even at five years old, and fighting with his none dominant hand he was obliterating Jacerys. Aemma was also destroying her opponent, Lucerys. She moved like Arya Stark, the water fighting or something. Daenyra had remembered the fighting style from Game of Thrones and thought it would suit Aemma well. 

"Your children are exceptional warriors," Rhaenyra commented. 

"They should be with all the effort they put in. They will make wonderful rulers for Essos one day." 

"Do you plan to marry them? Rhaegar and Aemma, I mean?" Rhaenyra turned to look at her sister. Daeny could see the intention behind her gaze, she wanted their children to intermarry. 

"My children shall marry who they choose if they choose to marry at all." There was no way in hell her children would ever marry Rhaenyra's brats. 

"You are a Queen, they are princes and princesses, it is bound to happen eventually. You too should re-marry soon." 

Daenyra laughed beautifully at the suggestion, "I remember a time when my dear sister would rather taste dragon fire than suggest marriage... I need no man Rhaenyra. I have my heirs and no one alive can challenge my claim as I did not inherit my crown... The world is changing sister and I hope we are not too coated in regret to see it happen." 

"You could marry Daemon. We could be sister wives like Visenya and Rhaenys." 

Shaking her head at the suggestion they turned to see Rhaegar once again disarm Jacerys. He looked to the stands, annoyance shining in his purple eyes. Daenyra smiled at her son's clear disdain for his cousins. They were weak, a disappointment to the young prince. 

"I want to unite our bloodlines, sister," Rhaenyra announced in high Valyrian and Daenyra refrained from rolling her eyes. 

"Our bloodlines are one already. We are sisters, Rhae-Rhae. The same blood flows through our veins. We are all dragons, all of one house." Daenyra replied, switching from the common tongue to High Valyrian with ease.

"I want to ensure that when the time comes, you will stand by me. You will support my claim to the throne."

That caught her attention. Because there was no way in the seven hells Daenyra was going to drag her people across the narrow sea so Rhaenyra could sit on the throne. 

"I will offer my verbal support. But if the claim comes to war, my family, my people, and I shall refrain from interfering... I can not destroy what I have just begun to build by subjugating my people to another war they have no part. I will speak to my Westerosi allies on your behalf, but that is all I can offer."

Rhaenyra looked floored with anger, "You have the resources to win me the throne and yet you would not help fulfill our father's wishes? You have an army at your back and yet you would not stand at my side?!? Would you also support Aegon's claim? He is as much your blood as I am." 

There was a moment of silence, a moment where Daenyra saw just how unfit Rhaenyra was to rule.

"You still have no understanding of the world outside the dragon's den. Answer me this, sweet sister... What makes a queen?" 

"Power," Rhaenyra answered without a moment's hesitation. 

"And what makes a good queen?" 

Rhaenyra didn't answer immediately this time, "Being loved, being chosen." 

"Wrong... A queen is power, but a good queen is the one who knows what to do with it... Do you know why I made my nobles from bastards, whores, and broken men? Because they understand what it means to want, to suffer. A powerful man who always knew power loses respect for what they have and why. A weak man, who understands suffering will always remember who they rule for. Our job as queens is to make the world better and safer for our people. I flew across the Narrow Sea and I saw slavery and pain. I saw babes in the arms of their dead mothers. I saw children working as whores. I saw the broken and beaten and I knew I had the power to change it, so I did."

Rhaenyra didn't speak, simply listening to her sister's wise words. 

"I do not think you respect the power you fight for. I do not think you are ready to be queen. I also do not believe Aegon should ever be in a position of power. One day... when you sit on the Iron Throne I hope you try to understand what that really means. It is not the crown you inherit, it is the people that are handed down. Millions of lives are on your shoulders. Will you be strong enough to leave their lives better?"

"I have to sit on the throne first."

"That is where you are wrong sister. That is where you show your lack of understanding. It is not the crown that makes a Queen, it is the people. If the crown is yours but the people, the histories, all sing of another, are you even queen?"

"Then what do you expect me to do?"

"You should not have left for Dragonstone first of all. You have contributed nothing to your people. Even as a princess you were given the power to change lives and yet you have done nothing with it... I expect if you wish to be treated like a queen, you show the people that is what you are. Not just the daughter of a king, but a queen of her own right."

They fell back into silence, watching Rhaegar and Aemma fight each other. The pace was drastically different than before. Rhaegar began fighting with his dominant hand which discouraged the other princes when they realized what he had done. 

"So you will not help me?"

"Have I not already? Aemond is off the board, he follows me to Essos. Aegon cares nothing for the throne, he just wants me. If you want him gone all you would have to do is free him from his responsibilities, he would never ask for the throne. The North will always stand with me as well as my dear friend Catelyn Tully who is now Lady of Riverrun along with her husband. I told you I would not drag Essos into a dragon fight, I never said I wouldn't help. I am neither black nor green, I am the golden queen and I shall remain gold." 

"You will not pick a side?"

"I chose the Targaryens. I choose to remain a family. I support you because Father has chosen you as heir. But I love my brothers and sisters. I love Aegon, just as you should. Do not let your hatred for Alicent and Otto blind you to your blood. The only thing that could tear down the House Targaryen is itself. A house divided can not stand, remember that. When you go to war, your sons will die, your brothers will die. Be sure the blood on your hands is worth it." 

Rhaenyra did listen to her sister's words, just the wrong ones. 

' Aegon cares nothing for the throne, he just wants me. If you want him gone all you would have to do is free him from his responsibilities, he would never ask for the throne.'

Aegon was the only true challenge to her claim. With Aemond now out of the way all she had to do was be rid of Aegon.

If war came upon them, perhaps Rhaenyra could offer Aegon the one thing he always wanted, she could give him Daenyra.