𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 | 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧

𝐭𝐨̄𝐦𝐚

meanwhile in rhaenyra's chamber...

"You have wounded me. Weakened my claim to the iron throne, my ability to raise an army, my standing among my own council."

With such bitterness, the queen snapped at Prince Daemon, discussing the schemes he had done behind her back.

"Lucerys is alive—"

"I cannot trust you, Daemon. Whether Lucerys is dead or alive doesn't change anything nor gives you a reason to plot a disgraceful scheme."

The Prince remains silent and seated as if his consequences were a joke.

"I have served you faithfully."

"Have you? Or have you used me as a tool with which to grasp your stolen inheritance? It's always been the fucking inheritance. And not only that—you locked up the girl who saved my boy, who happens to be my missing sister."

The prince hurled the cup off the table aggressively, making Rhaenyra flinch at his sudden action.

He walks over to her, and the two stare at each other for a while; their tempers and demeanor battle over one another.

"When Ser Erryk brought you the crown, did I myself not place it upon your brow? Let me take that cunt of girl back to her mother Alicent where she—"

Rhaenyra slapped his face, and her temper reached its limit from the prince's word choice.

"You're pathetic. Release my sister and let Jace escort her to my chamber."

♕

⸻
Astraea "Lily" Targaryen

I feel something heavy lying on top of my body, and no matter how hard I push it off, it won't listen.

My eyes flutter open to see what or who comfortably uses my body as their resting place.

I let out a shriek as a pale white skeleton stared at me. "Seven hells!"

The stench foul of odor reeks around this cell, causing a nauseous reaction in my body.

"Lily? Is that you!" A familiar voice shouts in the mere distance, Lucerys.

"I'm in here!" I shout with the remaining strength I have.

He quickly enters my cell and pulls the door open, "Lily, I'm apologizing on behalf of Prince Daemon and his behaviors—"

"Don't be Lucerys. It's quite welcoming. To my right, you'll see my new friend Tony. Isn't that right, my friend?" I turned to the left and presented the skeleton.

He lets out the same response as I did, and I can't help but laugh, to laugh at the mere fact of death almost taking my life.

Lucerys gently grabs my shoulder and embraces me, returning my attention to a reality I don't want to entertain.

"I w-was so frightened, Lucerys. Everything felt so against me, against my living. It felt as if I woke up that same day, gasping and crying for a life I didn't wish to be born into. Forgive my words, as I'm still in a vulnerable state. I tend to—"

"Stop, don't apologize or ask for forgiveness for something you're never responsible for. I've noticed how self-neglecting you tend to become when someone or a situation gets too serious, Lily. It's okay to let yourself be selfish for once."

I let go of the embrace and smiled at his words, inflicting a reaction I almost always ignore.

He helps me get up, and we walk outside the dark cell, "You're dragon Virescentia; she's okay. She's in our dragon pit getting taken care of."

"Okay," I replied calmly, knowing she was safe.

A sudden sound of footsteps echoed along the stone floor, "Get behind me." The young prince said as he reached for his sword.

Not long before, a boy comes out of the distance, and I can't help but see the similar features of Lucerys from him.

"Jace!" The young prince runs forward with excitement beaming around him as he hugs who I assume is his brother.

"I can't believe it, you're alive. How I've missed you, little brother." Both brothers embrace each other tightly, and how much they care for each other is evident.

Lucerys lets go of the embrace and turns his attention to me, "I'm thankful to be alive, but if not for her, I'd probably be dead. What are you doing here?"

Jace then glances in my direction, his face still, our eyes lost in dance as if we're long lost souls reuniting in a mere dream we don't want to wake up in.

I break the contact, but he doesn't and replies, "I'm here to escort the lady as our mother asks for her presence."

Lucerys looks back at me and mouths, Are you comfortable going with him?

I nod in response, "I'll go with him, kid. This won't be our last goodbye, I promise."

"I'll see you later, Lily."

I start to head out when I hear the young prince whisper take good care of her; she's been through so much, Jace—I let the two brothers have their moment before they both got out, leaving Jace and I.

Our walk was relatively short as we quickly reached the chamber. He knocks on the door, revealing the queen herself.

"Come in, both of you." She opens her door wider, and I can't help but be in awe at the architecture of her chamber.

"May I?"

Jace puts my attention back as he offers his hand out to me
in response, I placed my hand gently on top of his before we descended the small set of stairs.

"Your Grace, Mother." I let go of his hand quickly, and he held onto it for a few more seconds before leaving the room.

♕

Rhaenyra and I sat close to each other, her eyes filled with tears once she saw my face.

It was awkward initially, but she explained everything from the moment I went missing and how she continued to search for me nonstop.

"I've looked for you everywhere, even if everyone seems to believe you're dead. When I found out that a girl similar to the features of my lost sister saved my son, the gods have given you back to me."

I reached for her hand, and the foreign feeling of familiarity struck me strangely.

"What about my mother? How is she doing?" I asked with desperation.

She took some time to respond, "I'm giving you a choice: you're allowed to go home to Kings Landing to search for answers that aren't my place to say, or you can stay here for some time."

I rethink all that Rhaenyra has said about my life, my past, and now the present.

A devil and an angel tug my thoughts, complicating my decision, but something must be waiting for me back home.

There has to be.

"As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, I'm taking my chances to visit home. And Rhaenyra?"

"Yes?"

"What's my real name?"

"Astraea, your Astraea Targaryen, the next heir to the throne after myself."

authors note!
i'm not very proud of this chapter but i hope it turned out okay :) and i would like to thank you guys for a thousand reads?!? that's literally INSANE. until the next chapter!