"when a targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin. one side greatness, the other madness."
in which the rebellious nature of the son of daemon targaryen and laena velaryon leads to him meeting the rumored bastard of princess rhaenyra targaryen and ser...
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The waves crashed powerfully against the rocky shore of Driftmark. A somber atmosphere clung in the air as Rhaerys looked at the stone casing that carried his departed mother. He heard his great-uncle, Vaemond Velaryon, speaking in High Valyrian as some men in armor prepared to lower her into the waters.
But the words did not process in his head. His attention was just focused on the stone casing, hoping that the loss of his mother would go away just as soon as she had entered the waters. But it was only when he heard chuckling that his eyes were drawn away from the casing. His father kept his head down as a steady round of chuckling escaped him. Rhaerys then focused all of his energy on making an apathetic face, though his insides seared with rage.
He felt a strong hand on his shoulder, he looked to the source to find his grandfather standing over him. A sympathetic and understanding gleam in his eyes. Corlys nodded his head to the ceremony as the stone began to be pulled into the water. The stone had to be pulled about seven or eight times before it finally fell into the ocean. Those attempts made it even more difficult for Rhaerys to say goodbye.
Rhaerys looked out to the sea. The saltwater scent filled his senses. It would usually bring a comforting feeling to him but felt... nothing. No comfort. No consolation. No relief. Nothing to take away his pain.
A hand whacked against his side, causing him to let out a low noise of discomfort. He looked at Baela and Rhaena, who nodded their heads to their older cousin. Jacaerys awkwardly stood in front of the bench the three Targaryens shared. The triplets could tell he had no idea what to do.
"Don't stand there like a fool, cousin," Rhaerys spoke up. His sisters clearly disapproved of his words, earning him another smack from Baela. He winced at the strength of his sister's hand. When their eyes met, Baela's urged him to be kinder to the boy and Rhaerys' argued the opposite appeal. However, Baela had been much more influential when she swatted him again. "By the Gods-" "Apologize," Baela instructed in a soft tone. She nodded her head to the boy, who remained in his awkward stance beside them but seemed to exist in his own world.
Rhaerys rolled his eyes. He removed his knees from the seat and sat properly. He looked at Jace, who stared down at his feet. He felt Baela shove his shoulder slightly, causing him to glare at her. Her eyes widened as she waited for him to say an apology or even perform an act of forgiveness. But the young Targaryen boy had no idea what he should do.
Baela took hold of Jace's hand, squeezing it affectionately. The Velayron boy lit up. He glanced at Baela, who offered him an unrecognizable amount of comfort. They remained like that for a few minutes before the triplet's grandmother knelt in front of them. Jace released his hand from Baela's and took a few steps back to give them some privacy. She placed her hand on Rhaerys' and Rhaena's shoulders while locking eyes with her three grandchildren. She pulled them into a brief yet soothing hug.
