The Realm's Angel

Chapter 1

   (Hello everyone! Welcome to my new fanfiction! I just got into "House of the Dragon" so why not make a story? I hope you guys will enjoy this book)!

   It was a glorious day in the Red Keep. The sun was shining and the clouds were high in the sky. Everyone continued their daily duties. All except for two loud children in the castle.

   It was a daily thing for the youngest child of the king to cause mischief with the youngest child of the king's hand. The two always played throughout the castle without a care in the world. They were children after all.

   The older of the children caught up to the younger, picking her up and spinning her around, her giggles and shrieks filling the halls. "Caught you, Yaya!" The older child, Lucius, chuckled as he set down the younger. "You're surely faster than I am!" The young girl, Jahaenya, giggled as she began to catch her breath. Lucius ruffled Jahaenya's long and curly silver-gold hair, the signature hair color for Targaryens.

   The duo turned around once they heard footsteps from behind them. Now of course there were many people around, but the duo knew who those footsteps belonged to. "You're back!" Jahaenya exclaimed, running over to one of the people causing the footsteps. It was her older sister, the king's eldest daughter Rhaenyra. She had been out on drangonback, riding her dragon Syrax.

   The second person causing the footsteps was Alicent, Lucius' older sister and the daughter of the king's hand, Otto Hightower. Lucius walked over to their older sisters with a smile and walked alongside them. "How is the weather outside? Perfect for dragon riding?" Jahaenya asked, excitedly. "Yes, it's a perfect day outside for riding dragons." Rhaenyra answered with a smile. "Oh good. She's been talking about riding Xylyia all day! I nearly tore my ears off!" Lucius exclaimed in exaggeration, causing the older girls to giggle.

   Jahaenya, like almost all Targaryens, was a dragonrider. Her dragon was named Xylyia, and was six just like her rider. For a 6-year-old dragon, she was pretty big. Both Viserys and Aemma, Rhaenyra and Jahaenya's parents, allowed her to ride her dragon only once a day due to Jahaenya's age and her dragon's size.

   The group arrived at their destination, which was to visit the heavily pregnant Queen Aemma. The Targaryen sisters went to their mother while the Hightower siblings stood further back by the entrance. They had just lost their mother not too long ago, so it was still an emotional experience for them. In a way, Lucius envied his best friend for still having a mother. But he didn't want to wish his and Alicent's pain on anyone.

   "Did you sleep?" Rhaenyra asked as she sat down. "I slept." Queen Aemma replied. "How long?" Rhaenyra questioned again. "I don't need mothering, Rhaenyra." Aemma said, fanning herself. "But here you are surrounded by attendants all focused on the babe! Someone has to attend you." Rhaenyra countered. It was very true. When women are pregnant, the only thing everyone is focused on is the safety of the children they're carrying. Never the woman. Jahaenya knew that well enough at only 6-years-old.

   "You will lie on this bed soon enough, Rhaenyra. And eventually you will too, Jahaenya. This discomfort is how we serve the realm." Aemma spoke. "I'd rather serve as a knight and ride to battle to glory." Rhaenyra uttered, causing her mother to laugh. "We have royal wounds, both of you and I. The child-bed is our battlefield. We must learn to face it with a stiff lip." Aemma informed.

   "But that will change right? It doesn't always have to be this way, does it?" Jahaenya asked. She didn't want to live that life, where all she's worth is conceiving children. She didn't want other women to live that life. "I don't know if times will change. But for now, it'll always be this way." Her mother responded. Jahaenya sighed and nodded. She prayed she wouldn't marry a man whose only priorities were keeping his line going.

   (Now that was a good start, wasn't it? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! See you soon)!