Dragon Princess || Aegon II Targaryen

𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 28

No one was surprised that Alicent was not at all pleased with Rhaenys' nighttime outing in King's Landing. When she found out what had happened, thanks to Lord Larys, the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms was furious, wondering where she had gone wrong in raising the princess, or if the problem was something else entirely.

Rhaenys had never cared about her mother's opinions or advice. No. Alicent knew that the younger woman was horrified by the idea of resembling her mother, although the queen never understood why.

After all, Alicent was a respected woman, someone who commanded respect. Her power had only grown as she increasingly filled the king's role in council meetings, given his worsening illness. She was a deeply religious woman who did everything to make both her family of birth and her family by marriage proud. She was honorable, never breaking promises, and always doing her best to guide her five children along the right path.

But Rhaenys saw her mother as a jailer, one intent on teaching her how to become the most obedient prisoner possible. Rhaenys viewed her mother as a hypocrite, with virtue as nothing more than a façade to hide her extramarital relationship with Criston Cole or her odd closeness to Lord Strong. She saw her mother's lack of happiness, which made her bitter and always eager to destroy others' joy in the name of something that didn't exist: in the name of honor that meant nothing, in the name of promises that only benefited others, with Rhaenys herself being nothing more than a pawn. In the name of a faith that the princess didn't follow, despite Alicent's efforts to make her devout. And she worked hard to place Rhaenys on a pedestal, far removed from the equally noble people who walked the streets of King's Landing, sometimes barefoot, just trying to survive—working harder than Alicent ever had.

Already prepared for this, Rhaenys pretended to listen to every word her mother said, smiling and acting as though she understood, while in her head she replayed the wonderful, fun night she'd spent at the tavern.

But she wasn't naive. Rhaenys knew that luck had played a big part in keeping her safe. Ser Arryk had been the first to bring her back to reality, nearly scolding her for giving him a heart attack. Ser Arryk, her non-biological father, explained everything to her, reprimanding her for such a reckless act. However, knowing Rhaenys would do it again, he simply asked that she let him know next time so he could escort her—and Aegon as well.

Rhaenys didn't pay attention to a single word. No, none of it mattered. So when Alicent stormed out of the room, frustrated and furious, the princess didn't understand why. What confused her even more was when her mother's presence was replaced by that of her twin brother.

What was Aemond doing in her room? After all, he'd entered her room fewer than four times in his entire life. Since the day he claimed Vhagar, his confidence had skyrocketed, and no one thought he and his siblings were on the same level anymore. No, Aemond Targaryen considered himself the king of the world, the true heir to the power meant for another, the one capable of changing, directing, and bringing order to Westeros.

Perhaps he was the only one who thought so. Even Alicent wouldn't make such a choice, knowing the dark side of her son: a vicious and cruel nature, devoid of any charm. She knew he would act solely based on his own convictions, never considering his house or the ones he ought to serve. She also knew that Aemond would never let Otto mold him. And she knew that if she ever opposed him, her son wouldn't hesitate to cast her aside. She was aware that at the first opportunity, Aemond would eliminate Aegon and anyone else who stood in his way.

He inspired fear—in Alicent, in Helaena, in some of the guards, and perhaps even in Aegon, who had noticed his brother's transformation, despite the fact that he used to torment him. But if there was one person who would never bow to Aemond, never let him think he had any claim to her fear or respect, it was Rhaenys.

No. She looked him straight in the eye, unmoved by the lifelessness in his gaze. She would shout at him if he dared raise his voice. She would face dragonfire head-on if he commanded Vhagar to burn her. She would humiliate him if he ever tried to do the same to her, Aegon, or Helaena.

So his little smirk and eyepatch didn't bother her or provoke her in the slightest. No. If he wanted to be a fool, she'd give him the whole stage.

"You don't know when to stop, do you?" he began, hands clasped behind his back, looking at her with that superior air. "Dragging the good name and reputation of the royal court through the mud," he finished in his soft, raspy voice.

"I'm sorry, dear brother, that I'm not as miserable as you," the princess said, rising and walking to the window, where she had a view of the royal garden. "But, with all due respect, Aemond, the last thing I'd ever want is to be like you—living such a bitter life, constantly trying to prove something to someone. Isn't that exhausting? Always chasing after someone's approval? Living for applause? Living to be looked at with pride, maybe even love?"

"I have nothing to prove to anyone, dear sister. I ride the largest living dragon, I'm the greatest swordsman that ever existed. A man of culture, of philosophy. I don't need to prove anything to anyone."

"And yet you act like there's no one beneath you. After all, you came to me for no reason at all. Just to repeat what our dear mother already said. Well, my brother, I don't care," Rhaenys said, turning away from the window and finally looking at her brother, still standing in the same spot.

"A royal princess mingling with the rabble. With criminals, beggars. Dirty people without honor."

"If only you had a fraction of their honor! Of their strength!" Rhaenys shouted, outraged by Aemond's words. "You have no idea what they go through. None of you do! None of you care! And let me tell you something, Aemond, the smallfolk of Westeros deserve better than us. They deserve people who can lead them, guide them. Help them live. Not just a family constantly seeking ways to exploit them! You know nothing about them! You don't have an ounce of their honor!"

It was strange. Even though it wasn't in Rhaenys' nature to want to hurt anyone, Aemond's look made her pause. Why wasn't he angry? And why was he looking at her with that almost imperceptible smile, as if he was planning something, as if he had just remembered something powerful enough to strike back at her?

Aemond made no effort to hide it. The excited smile spreading across his face and the unusual glimmer in his eye grew more pronounced.

Without releasing his hands from behind his back, he took a few slow steps toward his sister. Rhaenys watched him, analyzing every move, preparing herself for his unpredictability.

"You're right. I don't know them. Aegon knows them. Very well, in fact," he said softly, almost as if he were whispering a secret in the princess's ear.

"If you're about to tell me that he roams those streets at night and sleeps with those women, save your breath. I'm not a fool, and that changes nothing," the princess interrupted, rolling her eyes at her brother's failed attempt.

"I'm glad you don't mind that, dear sister. After all, bastard or not, our nephews are still our blood, aren't they?" he asked rhetorically, knowing she was unaware of this information.

Rhaenys' heart trembled. Probably breaking into thousands of pieces. Probably her love aching. Probably tears fighting to spill out as her eyes fought to keep them in.

Aegon had children? Her... brother... had his own bloodline. A bastard bloodline, yes, but that didn't change anything. She could picture the many women who had shared his bed... or rather, he had shared their brothels. But... children? It wasn't that it hadn't crossed her mind, or that she couldn't imagine it happening. But reality was a different feeling.

How could she have been so blind as to never even consider the possibility? And why did it hurt so much?

"But don't trouble yourself, dear sister. It's highly unlikely we'll ever meet them. Those bastards, I mean... But if you'd like, ask Aegon himself," Aemond said, turning toward the door, though he stopped just before leaving and turned back to the still-frozen princess. "There's one more thing you two can share: the uncontrollable joy of watching your children fight to the death. I know he loves it," he finished before stepping through the door and finally leaving.

He left behind a princess who fully understood his intentions, reaching a conclusion that shattered her heart even more and finally allowed the tears to stream down her face.

Aegon... the love of her life... was a monster.