Mirror, Mirror / Viserys Targaryen

22. Queen

'We've sent out riders to find Rhaenyra, Your Grace.' Lyonel assured as the night grew dark and there was no sign of the princess. 'Ser Criston went after her, so the hope is that they are together.'

'The girl is a heedless contrarian. If I instead forbade her to wed a Lannister, she would've run off with Lord Jason out of spite.' Viserys remarked. 'A truly great Targaryen King I am. Powerless over mine own daughter of seven-and-ten.''

"You did not!" Regina demanded. 

"I might have." Otto admitted. 

"He is two!" Regina demanded. 

"The king said similarly." Otto agreed. 

"He is a smart man. I want Aegon on the throne, you know I do but he is two. Give him time to grow before you think such thoughts a loud." Regina insisted. 

'King Jaehaerys ruled over half a century of peace while his children drove him to the edge of madness... his daughters, in particular.' Lyonel recalled 'It is tradition, Your Grace.' Viserys took another sip of wine he surely didn't need it but he drank it down anyways. 'Do you wish to hear my opinion on the matter?' Viserys let out a long sigh

'Should I guess? You believe that your son, Ser Harwin "Break bones," the strongest knight in the Seven Kingdoms, is the best match for Rhaenyra.' Viserys hissed

'You flatter me, Your Grace, but no.' Lyonel told him 'It would seem to me the best match for Rhaenyra is the son of The Sea Snake, Ser Laenor.' He offered 'Some years ago, I counseled you to take his sister to wife. My reasoning remains the same. Laenor is of pure Valyrian descent. He shares blood with your cousin, the Princess Rhaenys. And he is the heir to the wealthiest house in the realm. The breach between your houses has not narrowed since I last spoke of it. It would do much to assuage Lord Corlys of any slights real... or imagined.' Viserys pondered the idea. 'We must pray, of course, that Laenor survives the fighting in the Stepstones.' Viserys got up drunkenly and left the celebration, he just wanted to have a good time and celebrate his son. Not all this.

+

'Is everything all right, Viserys?' Regina questioned coming up to a large and crackling fire where Viserys stood, needing solace. But as he looked to Regina he found the happiness and peace he truly needed. He kissed her and a smile curved his handsome face. Regina brought a hand to his cheek feeling the warmth radiating from standing so close to the fire. "You and your dragon blood." She whispered letting her hand trail down his chest. 

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

'Believed what, my love?' Regina questioned and Viserys sighed putting his hand over hers holding it at his heart. 

'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. You have had too much to drink to be thinking so hard about prophecy.'' Regina offered. Who knew the day she decided to stop focusing on prophecy was the day viserys got drunk thinking of another. 

'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.''

'Viserys.' Regina coed, as she tried to calm him. "You didnt kill Aemma-"

''I thought Rhaenyra was the way out of my abyss of grief and regret. And naming her heir would begin to set things right.' Viserys remarked and Regina stayed quiet, things were not set right when rhaenyra was named heir, things spiraled. 

'I never imagined I would remarry, that i would be in love again... 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.

"Oh my sweet king." Regina kissed his forehead. "One problem at a time." She suggested. "Lets get through tonight and then we deal with prophecy in the morning." 

"Good idea." viserys admitted holding onto her a moment longer. 

+

'He may not be white, Your Grace. But he's a big lad.' Harwin remarked as they got closer to the Hart.

'Your Grace... for the kill'. Jason offered his spear and Viserys took it. The hart bellowed and thrashed in their restraints.

'Right here, Your Grace.' A huntsman remarked showing him where to strike. The hart wailed but didn't fall 'One more time, Your Grace. A little bit to your left.' The huntsman told him so again Viserys struck. The hart shrieked before collapsing to the ground. The hunter applauded their king.

Rhaenyra watch as a white Hart came up, stared at her. a white hart was good luck, a prophecy. She was the heir, she would be the queen, it was sign. 

'No.' her voice barely a rasp but the hart understood running off. When Rhaenyra got back to the camp she had blood dried onto her clothes but she walked with confidence and elegance. She was a queen. 

"No!" The mirror shrieked shaking the mirror on the wall. "The fucking future can't come true. I thought this one was different, she is certainly vain enough to believe she is special...." The mirror hissed when the door opened and she faded away. The hand maiden looked around confused. 

"Hello?" She questioned looking around. "Is someone in here?"