As a child, you would wait and watch from far away
But you always knew that you'd be the one
That work while they all play
In youth, you'd lay awake at night and scheme
Of all the things that you would change
But it was just a dream
Here we are, don...
"The battle was a fierce one," Daeron said, looking around the room.
"We can tell," Aegon said, sipping on his wine. "But everything went as planned," he added.
"Yes," Daeron replied, lightly touching his face as he surveyed the surroundings.
"is there anything else?" Aegon asked, looking at Daeron.
"I have finally meet the Velaryon Storm," Daeron said using one of raina's titles
"velaryon storm?" Aegon questioned. "Are you talking about Rhaenyra?" he asked. Daeron shook his head.
"Her name is Raina Thunderborn," a man interjected, capturing everyone's attention. "She is a true dragon, and we best remember it," he declared.
"Are you saying Princess Raina was fighting in a battle?" Alicent exclaimed, visibly shocked. She knew Raina had the heart and mindset to protect her people, but the idea of a woman and a princess engaging in combat was unsettling to her.
"The princess was indeed fighting," Daeron confirmed, but he paused, struggling to find the right words to describe the girl's actions on the battlefield. "We may have won this battle, but the princess was after something greater," he continued.
"And what would that be?" Otto inquired, turning to the man.
"Everyone was watching her. She fought alongside her people with remarkable skill," he explained, looking around at the others.
"I myself have had the privilege of meeting the young princess," another man chimed in. "It is said by the people that she defies the laws of nature itself. She will either be the savior of us all or bring our demise," he added.
"She's just a child, a girl," another person remarked. "What could she possibly do?" he questioned, glancing around at the others.
"He is right," someone else chimed in. "She's just a girl. Women don't possess that kind of power."
"Well, my sweet niece does possess that power," Aegon interjected, nodding in affirmation.
"People talk about this girl as if she's the savior," an older man spoke up. "And with the support of the people, she holds immense power. With that power, she will be unstoppable," he asserted.
"I, too, have heard rumors about the princess," another person added, catching Otto's attention.
"What have you heard?" Otto inquired, curious to learn more.
"That young princess has people... an army compared to the size of the sea," the man revealed. "And she has loyal informants in every house, providing her with crucial information. For all we know, someone here could be one of those informants," he added, causing the room to fall into silence. The older man's gaze shifted towards a younger man who nervously twisted the ring on his finger.
"Perhaps we should send a letter to her," Alicent suggested, scanning the room. "We can sit down and talk, explaining that we didn't want to fight. If we can make her see our perspective and convince her to side with us, the rest may follow suit," she proposed.
"Raina will never side with us," Aemond interjected. "In her mind, we took the crown from Rhaenyra, which means we took the crown from her. She will fight until she reclaims it. And let's not forget what happened with her dragon and... her brother," he concluded, his tone weighed with concern.
"And whose fault is that?" Aegon said, looking at Aemond. "I have done nothing to her. There shouldn't be a reason she won't hear me out, at least."
"Hear you out?" Aemond hissed, glaring at Aegon. "You have done worse! You took the crown she was supposed to inherit and raped her! She is not going to 'hear you out!'" He abruptly stopped, realizing what he just said. Aemond sat back in his seat, and Aegon raised his cup to his lips.
"What?" Alicent asked, looking at the two. "Raped her, Aegon? What is he talking about?" she said, looking at him. Aegon stood up.
"Send a letter to Raina, asking to talk," he said. "This meeting is over." With that, he walked out.
Aegon walked down the hall, savoring the last drop of wine in his cup. As he made his way to his chambers, he wasted no time in refilling his cup. Settling down, he reached for the drawer and pulled out a paper, studying the image of the face.
Aegon's eyes traced every contour of her face, a face he found undeniably beautiful. He didn't want this. He didn't want to fight her. He could honestly admit that he had loved her for years, even before that fateful night when he forcefully took her, even before his brother lost his eye. In fact, he realized he had loved her since the very first time he laid eyes on her, though he had been unaware of it then. However, he knew he wasn't the only one who felt this way.
He couldn't discern if Aemond truly cared for her or if he simply desired her because of her status and influence.
And then there was Daemon. Aegon could see that Raina loved him deeply, and how could she not? They had built a home together, created a family, and shared children. Aegon knew he could offer her everything she desired if only she would allow him.
He wanted her, always had and always would. In that moment, he made up his mind.
"If I can't have you," Aegon mumbled, his gaze fixed on her face in the picture, "then no one can... even if it means your demise."
~~~ ↓
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