.INDOMITUS. | Jacaerys Velaryon x OC x Cregan Stark |

Chapter Five: Velaryon Twins

{Rhaenyra's Chambers, Driftmark}

Rhaenyra groaned and strained in pain as a Maester stitched her arm up. Rhaenys had already been checked over, given the all clear with a warning of no horse riding. She had laid down on her mother's bed, cuddling Luce to calm him and Jace sat next to them stroking her hair. Ser Laenor entered the room quickly, looking alarmed as he saw the number of people in the room. "Gods... is everyone alright?" He asked as he walked over to his children. "Pearl, good Gods are you alright?" Laenor embraced his daughter tightly, checking her over before doing the same to the boys.

"The broken nose and the stab wound to the side are the worst '' the Maester explained as he finished binding Rhaenyra's arm in dressing. "Thank you, Maester. Leave us" the princess sighed. She looked at her children and raised her eyebrow. "You as well. You've already found enough trouble today" she said and watched as Jacaerys helped his sister up and out the door, Luce and Laena's children following behind. "Rhae, can I sleep with you and Jace?" Luce asked timidly, not wanting to be on his own. The blonde girl nodded and pulled him closer to her. "Baela, Rhaena" she called to her cousins, making them turn. They looked surprised, they hadn't expected Rhaenys the Younger to remember or care about them after what she had been through. "Stay with us, cousins. We may all do well with the comfort"

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{Meanwhile}

"I should have been there," Laenor sighed as he collapsed in the chair opposite his wife. "Hm, those should be our house words" Rhaenyra mused. Laenor rubbed his hands over his face in despair. "I have fought dreadful enemies, but I could not defend my dear sister far from home and in agony. I could not defend you, or our pearl" he complained as he hung his head in shame. "Laenor... Aemond called our children bastards. He called Rhaenys a bastard" Laenor looked up and saw the rage in her eyes at the word.

"I have failed you, Rhaenyra. Our marriage... I tried. Our daughter, our boys...I do love them deeply. I held Rhaenys as she weeped over a stone egg, taking her flying on Seasmoke when I could. I took Jacaerys to his Ancestral home in the hopes he would learn the way of the tide. I love them all as my own... but mayhaps I have not loved them enough" Laenor thought of all the times he'd spent with the children, and then off all the times he hadn't. "I hate the gods for making me as they did ''. "I do not" Rhaenyra cut him off firmly. "You are an honorable man with a good heart, it's a rare thing" She chuckled. "Gods know the children do not hate you, Rhaenys especially".

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{Rhae's Chambers, Driftmark}

"So... does that mean you're no longer betrothed?"

Lucerys had long since fallen asleep, his head resting in Rhaenys's lap. The remainder of them; Baela, Rhaena, Jace and Rhae were all talking in hushed voices so as not to wake him. "I guess so," Rhaenys hummed. Although she had not been against marrying her uncle beforehand, the events that had been carried out had removed all affection she held for him. "Mother will probably betroth the two of us, or you four together" she wondered what the future would hold for the small family. She knew that as the heir to her mother's Throne she would need to marry a powerful man and have children of her own, but would that man be her brother or someone else her mother chooses?

Rhaena grabbed Rhae's hand, catching the eldest attention. "Thank you for defending me, earlier, I mean. We've only met today and you were betrothed to that boy, you could have gone with him or even claimed Vhagar for yourself. But you didn't" the girl spoke so softly Solaris wouldn't have heard if she wasn't looking. Baela nodded at her sister, agreeing with what she had said. "Vhagar was your mother's dragon, and you grew up with her. The fairest thing would have been to wait until after you had tried to claim her, that's what I told Aemond. He clearly didn't agree" Rhaenys told the girls, a small smile on her face.

Just as the girls were about to speak, a gut wrenching scream echoed through the hall and into the room. The sound of running and the intruder bells filled the air as the children ran to the door. The door opened to reveal a knight, who wouldn't let them through. "You need to stay here" he repeated over and over when they asked questions. The sobbing of their grandmother Rhaenys the Elder was enough for the Younger to bite the knight's hand hard, making him scream and allowing space for just her to slip out and run towards the commotion.

Rhaenys didn't look back as she ran, her legs leading her to the throne room where there were guards putting out a fire. She saw her grandmother on the floor and went over to her. "My son" Rhaenys the Elder weeped as she clung onto a burnt body. A burnt body wearing her father's clothes. "No..." Rhae whimpered, making her grandmother look up at her. The young girl began to shake her head as tears fell down her face. She repeated the word over and over as she fell to her knees and grabbed the body of her father. "Father, please. Come back Father" she begged in the language he had taught her, clinging onto his burnt body and sobbing. She barely felt her grandmother grab onto her and join in with her sobbing. All Rhae knew was that her father was gone, and she had lost another man in her life.

"Rhaenys, sweet girl" Rhaenys sniffled as she called for the girl. She began to pull her granddaughter away from her son's body but Rhae began to fight back. " No I am not leaving him, he needs me. Let go of me, Father!" the young girl sobbed and collapsed into her Grandsire's arms as he managed to pull her away. Despite knowing none of the children, including Rhae, were Laenor's, Corlys and Rhaenys held onto the girl with everything they had. The closest thing they had to their son left. The two shared a dark look, they knew who had done this to their son, but kept their focus on his daughter. They would keep her safe. Seasmoke was heard roaring in the distance, feeling the death of their rider after sharing so much grief. Rhaenys couldn't help but feel sorry for the beast, as her father had told her how strong the bond between dragon and rider was.

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