It had been nine months since Queen Aemma Arryn and her son Prince Baelon Targaryen died in the childbed, and King Viserys I Targaryen was at a small council meeting, hearing about his need for a wife to sire male heirs.
Corlys Velaryon had offered his daughter, Laena, four years younger than Rhaenyra. She was Rhaenys' daughter. She had the blood of two Valyrian houses and rode Vhagar, the largest she-dragon in the Seven Kingdoms.
Otto Hightower was scheming to marry his daughter, Alicent, who was also Rhaenyra's age, to the older King. Otto was an ambitious man who grinned evilly at the idea of his blood on the Iron Throne.
Viserys was very reluctant to take a younger wife, given he and Aemma were young when they married and began conceiving. Rhaenyra was the only healthy child from their many years of coupling, and he didn't wish to subject another young woman to the trauma Aemma endured as she was dying, but his reluctance reared another problem.
House Targaryen's numbers were small. Viserys were getting sicker and sicker by the second. Rhaenyra refused many suitors and the idea of marriage. Rhaenys is married to Corlys, and their children bear the name Velaryon. And his younger brother Daemon, who may have been married to Rhea Royce, but the couple had no children, nor will Daemon impregnate the 'bronze bitch' as he so unaffectionately called her.
His options were to subject a young woman to a traumatic fate or let House Targaryen die in its cradle. The matter was Viserys' great dilemma until Lord Corlys shared that Daemon hadn't consummated his marriage, nor would Rhea consent to the consummation, but be more willing to end her marriage with the Rogue Prince.
It was with this knowledge that Viserys had an idea.
Otto Hightower and Daemon Targaryen's rivalry for the Hand of the King was no secret and gave Viserys more headaches than he had wished for since becoming King. House Targaryen needed more members, Daemon needed taming, and he needed to plan his wedding to Laena.
Once he received a raven from Rhea confirming Corlys' story, the King annulled the marital bond between Houses Royce and Targaryen.
Viserys sat on his small council one day with Corlys, Otto, Lyonel Strong, Lyman Beesbury and Ser Harrold Westerling. They discussed Viserys's new Queen, whoever she is when Corlys spoke up.
"What if you marry Daemon to another?" Corlys suggested.
"Prince Daemon already has a wife. Lady Rhea Royce?" Otto reminded the Lord of the Tides, who only shook his head and kept his gaze on Viserys.
Just as Viserys was about to respond, two of his Kingsguard opened the doors, and Daemon strutted in.
"Your Grace. I understand this meeting was important." Daemon bowed and sat down, letting his feet rest on the table, much to the shock of the lords, except Corlys and Viserys, both of whom have become accustomed to the Rogue Prince's behaviour.
Viserys got straight to the point. "Yes. I have annulled my brother's marriage to Rhea Royce because their marriage was unconsummated. Both parties and a third person have confirmed this."
Daemon stared at his brother with suspicion. He was relieved he'd be free from his bronze bitch, but what did Viserys want?
"Your Grace, House Royce has been a great ally of House Targaryen since the Conqueror." Lord Lyman spoke up, trying to understand why the King did this.
"I know, but some matters have come to my attention, such as the knowledge that my brother never consummated his marriage to Lady Rhea and that House Targaryen's numbers are dwindling. Should we have a bad year, House Targaryen will fall extinct, so I present a few solutions to this great problem. First, I will marry Lady Laena Velaryon upon her sixteenth name day."
Corlys grinned. His little girl will become the Queen. His grandchildren will be the subsequent Kings and Queens for years to come.
"And Prince Daemon will marry Lady Alicent to help increase House Targaryen's dynasty." Otto's disappointed face turned to shock, and he was not alone.
Daemon glared at his brother. "You free me from one marriage and imprison me in another? And to his daughter, no less?"
Viserys sighed. He was anticipating his brother's reaction. "If you marry her and sire heirs by her, I will give you Dragonstone. If your marriage has made it to a year and there is no child, I will give Dragonstone to Rhaenyra, and should I die and Rhaenyra has no husband or children, you and your children will inherit the Throne."
Otto's ears perked at hearing that. So his grandchildren by Daemon Targaryen, as much as he disliked the dragon prince, would be the Kings of the Seven Kingdoms for years to come! This arrangement may be alright after all.
"And you will coordinate the armies to fight the Triarchy and this Crabfeeder in the Stepstones. Then, should you bring a victory, you can be King of the Stepstones." Viserys added.
"And I get all this if I fuck that comely little bird?"
And with that remark, Otto remembered why he loathed, no, HATED Daemon Targaryen.
Daemon was not nicknamed Prince of the City for nothing. He frequented brothels and had a mistress named Mysaria, whom he claimed to have impregnated when he stole the Heir for a Day's dragon egg. He killed people just for the sake of it. He was everything he didn't want in a husband for Alicent, and there would be no way in seven hells he would allow his only daughter near what Otto considered a disgrace of a royal!
"Fine. I'll put a babe in that girl's belly." Daemon grinned smugly at Otto, who was clenching his fists, resisting the urge to spring up from his seat and kill the Prince.
Once the meeting had ended and the lords were leaving, Viserys asked his brother to stay behind for a moment, and the two Targaryens stood across from each other at the long table.
"I can easily take all those things away, Daemon. So please don't give me a reason to. Alicent may very well be your last chance." Viserys warned, his wheezing voice also tired from his brother's antics.
Daemon bowed mockingly. "Yes, my King."
Underneath, Daemon loathed Viserys. He freed him for a second before locking him to another woman. At least this one will be a pretty one to look at, and any chance to annoy Otto Hightower was worth this marriage to his daughter. He'd ensure Otto never slept a wink hearing the Rogue Prince ravish the maiden Hightower.
It was almost like a mocking song waiting to be sung by the court's bard, and Daemon would threaten to kill anyone who didn't dare sing it.
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The Green Flame
FanfictionViserys Targaryen has a dilemma. He must take a second wife to have sons. And his brother refuses to bed his wife. When Otto Hightower and Corlys Velaryon set their daughters to be the new Queen, Viserys sees the solution to his problems. But hi...
