Protecting an Heir

47

King's Landing has changed in the weeks following Haella's death. Aemond took it upon himself to throw her body deep into the North, outside of House Umber, more specifically where they reside. Since her death, Alicent made King's Landing almost into a fortress, to guard over her, her 4 children, and her 4 grandchildren residing there.

There's quiet chatter as Daelera and Aegon approached Helaena's chambers. There she sat, hand sewing at something Daelera and Aegon could not yet recognize but at the moment, didn't care enough to try and figure out. They only wanted to find Daelera's eldest son who they had come to see was not in the room. They turned to look at Helaena as her handmaidens around the room bowed at Daelera and Aegon's entrance. They were now a Queen and a King, after all.
"Where's Jaehaerys?" Daelera asked Helaena.
"Attending his lessons." Helaena answered softly, not looking up from the fabric, thread, and sewing needle in hand.
Daelera picked up Elaena and kissed her cheek as Elaena giggled, then setting her back down to play with Jaehaera again, Daelera only putting her hand on Jaehaera's hair for a moment. "And those are where?" Aegon asked.
"What do you both need of him?" Helaena sighed.
"Taking him to the small council. He'll be King one day. He must begin his instruction." Daelera answered.
"Couldn't have said it better, Lera." Aegon smiled as he put his hand on her back.
Helaena looked at Daelera disgusted as spoke once more. "What if he does not want to be King?" she seemed to ask to hide the fact she may have been talking about herself. Helaena never wished to be Queen, and until recently, she thought Daelera felt the same. Not anymore, it seemed.
"Where is he?" Daelera asked her, Helaena's gaze softened.
In truth, she was angry. Angry at Daelera for what she had done to Haella, to her child. And what she had done in the days following. Exposing her and Daelera's relationship to the family to then have Aegon take Daelera as a second wife, as Aegon the Conqueror had done with his sisters. She seemed to enjoy this role of being Queen, whilst Helaena did not.
But while she was angry at her lover, she could never stay angry with her for long. "The library. You must not interrupt his custom." she finally answered.
"Very well." Daelera and Aegon nodded as they both began to leave when Helaena spoke again. "I'm afraid." they both turned back to look at her.
"Don't be. They'd be fools to come with Vhagar and Kaenaxes protecting the city." Aegon reassured her.
"Not the dragons. The rats." Helaena continued. Daelera frowned, confused but had an uneasy feeling.
"The Queen Helaena is an enduring mystery... is she not?" Aegon said as Daelera turned her head to face him. Why had he said that, why did he feel the need to? She didn't know.
Daelera looked at her wife with an apologetic look as her and Aegon left the apartment. "She was right about something though, I've been a bit afraid as well. Not of dragons or rats though. But the snakes."
Aegon looked confused. "You've been around Helaena too much, good sister. There are no rats... or snakes in the castle, I swear this to you."
Daelera nodded, letting that uneasy feeling go as she walked with Aegon to the library to fetch Jaehaerys and bring him to the council meeting occurring. Once arriving in the library, Daelera cheered as Jaehaerys smiled at her and ushered her to pick him up which she did before they all walked their way to where the council were now waiting for them.
"Your Grace." Jason Lannister bowed to the dowager Queen Alicent Hightower as she walked in.
"Good day." she nodded. As she sat down besie her father Otto Hightower, Aegon and Daelera walked in, Aegon lifting Jaehaerys up and over the stairs as Aegon chuckled softly.
"Hello! Jaehaerys must learn the ways of the court if he is to rule one day." Jaehaerys laughed as Daelera picked up to sit in a chair double his size. "Up we go." Daelera smiled, helping Jaehaerys up into the chair as the two of them then walked to the other side of the table, Daelera taking a seat at Aegon's side to the left of him.
"Good morrow, my Lords. Mother." Aegon said as he sat down.
"Daelera, you do not have a seat at this council." Alicent said to the girl who sat across from her.
Before Daelera could vouch for herself, Aegon spoke up. "Daelera is my sister-wife and our best dragon rider. I welcome her, as should you, mother."
Daelera gave a soft smile to Aegon, mouthing a thank you before Aegon smiled at her. "What news?" Aegon asked.
"Our letters to the Vale and the North continue to go unanswered." Otto answered.
"Cunts." Aegon murmured.
"The Stormlands should be ours after Prince Aemond's marriage pact to the Lady Floris Baratheon." Otto continued.
Aegon answered once more, "I anticipate their sworn declaration."
"My brother has given me no answer on raising the strength of the West to mass at the Golden Tooth to support our side... but we-" Jason is cut off as he looked at Jaehaerys trying to take Jason's glass ball, that signals when someone is ready to discuss something. Jason then takes it back from the boy, "yeah, thank you, my Prince. That's, that's very helpful." Daelera and Aegon only smile at Jaehaerys's playful energy.
"My nephew, Lord Ormound, musters his forces to sally forth from Oldtown. They expect to march quickly, meeting little resistance, until they reach the Riverlands." Otto explained.
"My letters to Rhaenyra, has there been any answer?" Alicent asked.
"An apology for her dead son?" Lord Jasper Wylde murmured.
"None, Your Grace-"
"And what of my letters to Visiera, any answer there?" Daelera asked.
"An apology for her dead daughter?" Jasper murmured again.
"Again, nothing, Your Grace. Between that and the blockade of the Gullet, we must presume that the Princess and former Queen of Essos have refused the offered terms, and that war is now inevitable." Grand Maester Orywyle explained.
Daelera sighed and again looked over to her son who uttered a "na-na" as he pulled for the ball that Jason so desperately tried to keep. "Perhaps Your Grace might lend his voice to our outreach..." Alicent tried to bring Aegon into the conversation but he too, as Daelera had, were now occupied with smiles and watched Jaehaerys fight for the ball, this caused Jason to become a bit angry.
"Stop! Enough!" Jason said quietly to Jaehaerys, but he didn't stop.
"...in hopes that new terms might, might be negotiated." Alicent continued.
"Release it at once! Would someone please?" Jason snapped at Jaehaerys which finally allowed Jason to take back the ball.
"Is the heir to the throne bothering you, Jason?" Daelera asked.
"No. No, no, not, not in the least, Your Grace." Jason stuttered.
"Because I think he wants a pony ride." Aegon added.
"Your Grace-"
Alicent tried to get Aegon to focus but his mind was on his nephew whom he helped Daelera cover up to be his "son".
"Uh, a ride?" Jason was confused. "A pony ride. Wouldn't that be fun, Jaehaerys? Should the Master of Coin be your royal steed?" Jaehaerys nodded, taking back the ball as Daelera and Aegon laughed.
Aegon looked at Jason, ushering him to do so. But before he could, Alicent looked at them. "Your Graces! There are important matters to discuss... despite Sir Jason's interruptions."
"Very well. No time for amusements, Jason." Aegon smiled.
"Your Grace." Jason bowed his head before taking his seat again.
"Off you go, Jaehaerys. Good boy." Daelera smiled as Jaehaerys smiled at her, then taking a handmaiden's hand who ushered him out of the room. As the door closed, they then continued as they had before.
"Where were we?" Aegon asked.
"Rhaenyra and Visiera's blockade has placed King's Landing under strain. And those pressures will multiply quickly." Otto answered.
"Well, we should've just killed them when we had the chance." Aegon said, Daelera's breath sharpened.
"Visiera has never been easy to kill, ask her dead enemies-"
"Even then... the dowager Queen is right. But, regrettably, the opportunity for surprise has been lost, and with it, the chance to end this conflict quickly. We must play the board before us." Otto stopped Alicent from continuing further.
"If we are to break the Sea Snake's blockade, we will need to bolster both the Lannister and Hightower navies." Jason said.
"What of your brother, Tyland?" Aegon asked.
"Lord Tyland is married to the Queen of the North, Seyra Stark. So long as we have no answer from her, we will surely have no answer from him." Daelera answered.
"We do have need for a new Master of Ships. We could offer the title to the young Lord Dalton Greyjoy." Orwyle stated as Aemond walked in.
Alicent seemed confused. "Aemond. What is your business here?"
"The King summoned me." Aemond answered.
"You do not have a seat at this council-"
"Aemond is my closest blood and our best sword. Need I remind you who controls who comes into and out of the room, mother?" Aegon cut Alicent off.
Aemond walked over to the map hanging behind Alicent and Otto and pointed. "Path to King's Landing is through the Riverlands. We must establish a toehold there, at Harrenhal." Aemond spoke.
"The Riverlords will either declare for Aegon, or they will meet Vhagar, Sunfyre, and Kaenaxes together. Ah, a-and we can burn the blockade while we're at it." Daelera added.
"Rhaenyra has dragons." Alicent replied.
"Ours are bigger." Daelera answered.
"If we lose the dragons to war, there'll be no calling them back. We must proceed cautiously." Alicent tried to persuade Daelera.
"No. Fat, old Lord Tully will either raise our banners or see his burn. We should fly to Riverrun." Daelera snapped.
"You are the Queen, Your Grace. You must not put yourself at risk, just as His Grace must not either." Lord Commander Criston Cole said to Daelera.
"And Vhagar is needed here to deter Rhaenyra and Visiera from attacking in retribution for the death of their son and daughter." Alicent added.
"Errors were made in the hours following King Viserys's death. We mustn't compound them. You both have already demonstrated your might, Your Graces. We must now favor patience and restraint." Otto explained. Aegon only sighed. "I send ravens by the hour. Many and more will declare for you in time. History and precedent will come to your side." Aegon and Daelera only nodded before both standing up and beginning to leave.
Daelera turned, "Though, you should know, as much as I should believe otherwise, I doubt Vhagar alone could stop Visiera's 8 dragons. That doesn't include the other 13 residing there. If Visiera wanted to act, she would have by now. Time is on our side... for now. We should keep it and take advantage of it whilst we can." everyone nodded.