Drowned

Chapter 1

"Don't you ever dream?" - M

"My dreams died long ago" - A

Giggles rang throughout the courtyard where four boys trained. above on the Balcony sat a giggling girl in the lap of her grandfather the king as she watched her brothers hit dummies with wooden swords. Her grandfather smiled as he saw the way her face lit up at the sight. He gazed upon her as if she was a star stolen from the heavens and gifted to him. From below her elder brothers waved happily at her for but a moment, and yet her eyes sought another. Her uncle prince Aemond, huffed and puffed at the sight of her. his eyes bore into her head as if arrows wanting to kill. Aegon his elder brother nudged him with a look of frustration as if telling him to move on. But Aemond could not as he constantly found himself spending his hours loathing the girl. who sat upon his father's throne as if it were hers.

The girl who stole all the attention that belonged to him and his full siblings. one of the pieces of a puzzle he could never be a part of. He had the hair and the eyes, the skills and the smarts, and yet his father would never see him as anything but dust. But she, she was a goddess, possessing everything and yet holding not a single thought or skill other than power. She danced in pretty dresses and sang sweet songs but had not a single interesting thought. Always chasing after others in hopes to have something remarkable about herself. A walking daydream. He hated it and he hated her. "Would you stop bitching?" Groaned Aegon as he leaned against Aemonds training dummy "You act as if she is the only reason you are pathetic" Aemond frowned angrily and struck his brother with his sword, causing the elder prince to let out a yelp. "Aemond behave" called Criston Cole from the side and a large smirk painted Aegons face as he blew a raspberry at his younger brother. "Perhaps if you had a brain in that skull of yours Father would see you worthy of love" spat Aemond angrily as he walked off to the side to take off his training gear "You and I both know I could hold all the knowledge in the world and he'd still hate me" Aemond paused from taking off his armor, his eyebrows narrowed and his mouth in a tight frown. He breathed in heavily as he turned back to glance at his brother.

"We are not Rheanyra and we never shall be" 

Aegon suddenly laughed and turned around in the direction of his nephews "Might as well just stop trying" he whispered as he walked over to the boys "Moron" spat Aemond as he placed his final piece of armor away and stormed off back into the red keep. as he walked down the halls the echo of footsteps surrounded him "Aemond!" shouted a voice, and immediately he picked up his pace, go away, he thought, leave me alone. and suddenly right beside him an out of breath girl. He sneered angrily and stopped in his place. Head held high he judged her appearance, untamable silver curls going in all directions, swirling violet eyes that could not decide their shade. Dark skin proving her Valeryon heritage, and the most annoying smile. She hardly even resembled a lady with the way she dressed, clearly his half-sister did not understand the protcol. A black and red dress hung upon his neice's body, it flowed around her and allowed her to easily run around as she pleased. It was not the colors of her house and it was not fit for a princess, it always angered his mother greatly. "Hello niece" he said politely clenching his hand in annoyance "Why did you leave the training grounds so soon?" she asked "I got tired" She hummed happily as she played with her hands nervously before smiling up at him "You did quite well, Grandfather was very pleased with you all" she laughed, and he frowned. His father was pleased with Jacaerys and Lucerys her brothers never him. He had heard how the king boasted about the two as if they were two prized knights, whilst acting as if he and Aegon were nothing but random squires "Grandfather would be impressed with anything your brothers do." he stated angrily glaring down at her as she innocently looked back up at him "I supposed, but thats what makes him so wonderful" his face was turning redder by the minute, his head threatened to blow right off from the steam he refused to let out "Do not mock me neice" he spat.

Aemond once more walked off this time more furious than the last. Alicent his beloved mother had been his destination, right into her warm welcoming embrace. Sweet words lulled him from his anger as he sat in her chamber, his sweet sister Helaena sitting off to the side. "They are nothing but bastards do not allow them to anger you so" she advised, caressing his head so softly his eyes threatened to close "She's not though" he mumbled and Alicent's jaw clenched in anger "She is still a fragment of her mother, a whore" Helaena looked up softly at those words, a frown evident on her face as she gently stroked the butterfly in her palm "To fear her essence is to strip her bare." mumbled the girl "What was that dear?" asked Alicent hoping to recieve a reply but she was ignored and with a sigh, she turned to her most beloved child. "Soon you shall have all your desires...in time my love" She once more embraced him and whispered "in time" and he leaned into her touch allowing himself to imagine his future. A large dragon worthy of respect, skills that knights could only dream of, intelligence to battle the maesters, a bride so beautiful that men would envy him, and his half-sister and her bastards heads on spikes.

.

"My little sea dragon!" Beamed Laenor Valeryon as he scooped up his daughter into his arms. "And my fierce worriers!" he messed up each of his boy's curly hair as they smiled back at him. Lucerys glowed with pride at his father's words and latched onto his leg as though a koala "Father I shall be a knight soon!" chirped Jacaerys happily "Will you now?" questioned his father "Yes father he will! Ser Strong said so!" exclaimed Melusine "Than it must be true! we must tell your mother" he rushed the boys in the hall, all running to reach Rheanyra's chamber first so that they may share the exciting news "Mother Mother!" Shouted Melusine as she rushed out of her fathers arms, pushing her elder brother Jacaerys onto the floor to reach her first. "Jacaerys going to be a knight!" Rheanyra laughed and planted a large kiss on her daughter's forehead, the smile that graced the princess' face was irreplaceble "I cannot believe it, Come here Jace" The boy rose from the floor and rushed to his mother's side happily. "Sorry Jace" mumbled his sister lightly "it's okay" he smiled passing her and jumping into his mother's arms "Our boys gonna be winning Tourneys in no time Nyra" The older princess laughed as she met his gaze prepping her eldest son's face full of kisses "It's only because of his amazing fathers talent" Jacaerys beamed with the praise, his siblings cheering him on from the side pretending to be Jace in a future Tourney.

As the giggles and noise calmed down, Melusine found herself back in her mother's arms. Her brothers and father asleep on the opposite couch across from them. "Do you think it shall be girl?" asked Rheanyra as she rubbed her swollen stomach. Melusine shook her head, as much as she desired a sister she did not believe this child would be her "No, it's a boy" she stated confidently "How do you know?" asked Rheanyra with a soft smile "I just can" chirped her daughter as she gently placed her hand upon her mother's stomach. her eyes were wide and bright at the babe kicked the area where her hand lay "Yes he's a boy, he told me himself" Rheanyra giggled and placed a kiss on the girl's cheek "You know I have a baby too" Rheanyra suddenly looked very interested "Tidewyrm, he sleeps very well but is quite fussy" Tidewyrm was Melusine's Dragon, he was agile and his scales a beautiful blue, he blended perfectly into the sky and was almost the exact same size as Silverwing but still growing. It's believed that Silverwing and Tidewyrm were of the same clutch of eggs, only one had been stolen and somehow ended up in the wild, hatched years after being laid the dragon was free to grow as it pleased. and Tidewyrm did so, never seeming to stop growing. "He's also a very good eater" laughed Rheanyra "Just like me!" Melusine gushed. Rheanyra sighed happily and watched as her daughter laid her head to rest upon her stomach before falling into a slumber.