ʀᴇᴅᴀᴍᴀɴᴄʏ || ʙᴇɴᴊɪᴄᴏᴛ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋᴡᴏᴏᴅ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ

ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴅ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ - 126 ᴀᴄ

Walking the halls of the Red Keep, lords and ladies bowed at the sight of the oldest child of the Princess Rhaenyra. Princess Daenys knew these bows were not genuine. Sideways looks and whispers made Daenys uncomfortable, as she knew these whispers contained the rumors that she and her brothers were not the biological children of their father, Ser Laenor Velaryon.

Daenys possessed the looks of a typical Targaryen, silver-white hair and purple eyes. Her brothers, Jacaerys and Lucerys, possessed the Targaryen purple eyes, but not the hair. Instead they possessed chocolate brown hair and similar looks to the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

Daenys, on the other hand, looked similar to the King's younger brother, Prince Daemon. Regardless of their looks, Daenys loved her brothers with her whole heart. She did not care if they looked different, they shared the same eyes, the same mother, and the same home. They were also dragonriders, like true Targaryens.

Walking down the steps to the training yard, she saw her brothers practicing their swordsmanship with an unfamiliar boy. She walked to them, smiling as they stopped and noticed her.

"Sister! What brings you away from your books?" Jace said, jokingly.

The girl of ten and two chuckled. "I'm off to see Merrax. To enjoy the fresh air away from these people." she said, dusting off the dirt from her coal gray riding leather.

She turned to the unknown boy, "Who is this?" she asked her brother.

"This is Ben, he accompanied his father into the city today! His father is with grandsire." Luke answered. Daenys smiled at her youngest brother and looked at the boy once again, he bowed gently. "Princess, it is an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine, Lord Ben. I must go, before Merrax becomes inpatient." Daenys said formally, walking to the carriage that was waiting for her. Jace yelled after her, "Do not be late! Or Mother will be angry!" 

❥・・ ┈┈┈┈┈‪༚༅༚˳ . ୨୧ . ˳༚༅༚┈┈┈┈ ・・❥

Flying the skies with her dragon, the feeling of the cold air rushing past her face, the adrenaline of going faster or higher, that was her peace. The peace between the chaos.

The she-dragon Merrax dropped Daenys off at their familiar patch of hill. Daenys hopped off her dragon's large, silvery back, opening the satchel on her side. The girl took out a beautiful black bow, decorated with blood red scales and two black dragon heads on each end, both adorned with blood red gemstones for eyes. She took out the matching black quiver full of arrows and tossed it around her shoulder. She had gotten this set as a gift on her tenth name day. She knew this gift was from her real father, although always sent without a note, she knew her mother always let Daemon know about his firstborn's wellbeing through ravens sent to her aunt, Lady Laena.

Daenys walked to the worn out target she'd practice on day after day. Nocking an arrow and pulling back, she let go, piercing through the middle of an arrow that had already hit the bullseye. She breathed out and smiled proudly. She had read stories of Queen Visenya who was skilled in various arts of weaponry, the one who caught her eye the most was archery. So she was determined to be good, to prove she could wield a weapon just as good as a man, as Visneya proved once before.

Daenys could spend hours a day, sitting in silence with a book in her hands or practicing her archery, all she needed was the quiet piece of hill and her dragon to keep company. But sheknew she could not stay for long, as it was Prince Aemond's eleventh name day and Queen Alicent demanded a feast to honor her son.