as a young girl, rhaenys grew up in the capital under the targaryen's rule and she still remembers her family getting torn apart. princess rhaenys wasn't slain alongside her mother and brother. rhaenys is the rightful heir of the iron throne. she is...
the long night was over but the war was not won. at least not yet. rhaenys and daenerys stood next to each other hand in hand in front of the body of jorah mormont. no words were exchanged but tears ran down both of their faces. they both leaned down and placed a kiss on each of his cheeks. "they'll trust us now. they must." rhaenys started to say in a soft whisper in daenerys' ear. "weve given everything, just as they have." daenerys didn't say anything in response but she leaned her head against rhaenys shoulder since rhaenys was much taller than her.
"we're here to say goodbye to our brothers and sisters." jon's voice boomed through the crowd and the pyres. he was glancing across the fields that had not that long ago had been consumed by the living and the dead in battle. "to our fathers and mothers. to our friends. our fellow men and women who set aside their differences to fight together and die together so that others might live. everyone in this world owes them a debt that can never be repaid. it is our duty and our honor to keep them alive in memory for those who come after us and those who come after them for as long as men draw breath." at that point through the speech, rhaenys and daenerys hands were squeezing each other very hard. rhaenys bit her lip, trying to keep her breathing even and keep the sobs at bay. "they were the shields that guarded the realms of men. and we shall never see them again."
once jon concluded, rhaenys took a step away from her aunt and passed jon a torch before taking one for herself. many people throughout the crowd took their torches and lit the pyres aflame. as they watched the flames grow and the thick black smoke rise, the air filled with the stench of death. rhaenys was trying her best to keep her tears at bay and not to breathe in.
in the great hall that night, the victory feast was sober and quiet even though the hall was filled to it's capacity and then some. from the head of the table daenerys voice filled the silence. "gendry. thats right, isn't it?" she said as she had noticed him walking past the table. he stopped mid step and faced her before stepping towards her. rhaenys was becoming overwhelmed with the tension that was filling the room. "yes, your grace." he said as he nodded slowly.
"you're robert baratheon's son." daenerys said and gendry nodded. "you are aware he took my family's throne and tried to have me murdered?" she continued and her tone remained calm.
"i didn't even know he was my father until after he was dead." he responded and then it was daenerys turn to just nod at him. "yes, he's dead. his brothers are too. so who's lord of storm's end now?" she said and it shocked rhaenys. "i don't know, your grace." he said.
"does anyone?" the room was completely silent. rhaenys kept her head low and was tracing patterns into the wood that was in front of her until jon grabbed her hand. he could feel her anxiousness. "i think you should be lord of storm's end." there were murmurs throughout the hall. "i can't be. i'm a bastard."
"no, you are lord gendry baratheon of storm's end, the lawful son of robert baratheon. because that is what i have made you." the room was silent for a moment, then ser davos stood and raised his glass. "to lord gendry baratheon of storm's end."
"to lord gendry!" the room echoed. the mood in the hall had lighted and was filled with conversation, laughter, and lots of alcohol. the crowd was enjoying themselves and wine and ale flowed through the room freely. tormund was next to jon and badgered him into drinking from the horn he was holding. "come on! all of it!" tormund insisted. jon shook his head with a smile, "no, not in one go." jon said as he couldn't believe how much the people around him wanted him to drink the horn of ale.
"go on, i believe in you." sansa said laughing and rhaenys followed her and said, "come on, it's nothing." jon's eyes widen and he raised his eyebrows while still smiling. "nothing?" he joked.
"we have to celebrate." tormund grinned. "vomiting is not celebrating." jon argued. it was clear to rhaenys that there was no possible outcome where jon would win this argument. the wildling raised his horn and bellowed, "to the dragon queen!" the crowd cheered and daenerys herself stood and raised her mug. "to arya stark, the hero of winterfell!" the crowd cheered again. rhaenys laughed as she watched tormund chug his horn and jon drinking his own.
everyone in the hall had begun to slowly disperse and go about their nights. jon had left rhaenys not that long ago and she had finally decided to go find him. when she walked into their shared room, jon was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head propped on a fist. "are you drunk?" she asked him softly.
he looked up at her and lightly sighed. "no." he said but when he got up to his feet, he stumbled. they both chuckled at his actions. "are you sure, my king?" she said sarcastically with a smile on her face. walking closer to her, he said, "i can't quite put my finger on it, but when people call me by my titles, i don't care for them, however when you do, it makes me feel a certain way." he spoke quietly.
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