Aegon Targaryen x OC | Tempestuous

rebirth

flashback to Laena's funeral

It was windy on Driftmark, the weather had shifted since Rhaenyra, Leaner and their children arrived from Dragonstone. Alyssa spent the time after Laena's funeral with Jace and Luke, for they did not understand why Sir Harwin Strong did not have a funeral as such.

Alyssa sighed, it must have been the fourth time she was explaining it, "Boys, he was not noble. It wouldn't make sense."

"So, he was like a fath..." Luke began before Alyssa cut him off, "Don't Luke, someone might hear."

Alyssa looked around and her eyes narrowed on Aegon and Aemond. They were dressed in green like their mother and standing together silently around the fire. Even though none of the children had been that close since Rhaenyra left for Dragonstone and Daemon and Laena left for Pentos, Alyssa thought it would be appropriate to say something to her cousins but did not know what to say. She could see Baela and Rhaena weeping across from her and her brothers and was desperately thinking of what she could possibly say to ease their pain. But there was nothing, she could not conjure up a single word of comfort, nor her condolences. She found herself speechless and stagnant. So it was Jace instead her led the way up towards the girls. He held Baela's hand which Alyssa found so sweet, he was always so kind and gentle. They did not have to exchange words to share their feelings today.

The sun had set and Alyssa took to sitting on one of the lower walls and watching her extended family to pass the time. She could Aegon from where she was holding a cup of wine near the staircase that led down to the beach. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, how could a child only a few years her senior drink that much already? Or was he truly so distraught about Laena's passing. Alyssa doubted that. She wondered if Alicent knew. Alicent, the woman so fixated on the idea of perfection in her family and appearances. Did she know what her eldest son got up to?

Her eyes also fell upon Helaena, who calmly as ever was playing with a spider in her hand. Alyssa couldn't possibly understand her, no one could it seemed. She was different to the rest of the Targaryens. She did not possess that fire that bound them all together. Instead she was calm, she never sought out trouble and she kept to herself and her ramblings.

After a time Rhaenyra called upon Alyssa and her brothers to go to bed and they did. But as they walked back inside the castle at Driftmark she noted Otto Hightower pulling Aegon inside along with his cup. Alyssa was surprised really, Aegon and Aemond had once made her brothers' lives hell when they still resided at the Keep, constantly murmuring rumours about their parentage and supposed bastardy. Perhaps they had found the respect to prohibit themselves from those behaviours at a funeral.

It was as if Luke could read her mind, "Isn't it strange that Aemond and Aegon haven't said anything about us?" Luke questioned his elder siblings.

"About what?" Jace looked confused.

"You know, our hair? Harwin Strong?" Luke clarified painfully obviously.

Jace nodded, "It doesn't matter what they think, our mother will be the Queen one day."

"Jace is right, I wouldn't worry about what they have to say." Alyssa reinforced, leading them back to their rooms.

"That's easy for you to say Alyssa, you have silver hair. You look like a Targaryen, we don't." Luke rebutted.

Alyssa stopped suddenly in the hallway, "Yes, but they still whisper about me as well. They say things... about mother and Daemon of all people." She muttered under her breath. It had become painstakingly obvious to her throughout the day that her mother had been spending a lot of time with Daemon. Maybe it was true then, maybe they were rekindling something from the past that the funeral of Daemon's wife had reignited.

Jace stopped beside her, "You don't actually think so, do you?" He was in disbelief, Alyssa had chosen to keep the rumours she heard to herself as to not give her brothers more grief to worry about. Besides that, she didn't want them thinking that they weren't siblings.

"I do, don't you think it's strange that I am the only one with Targaryen features amongst us? I look nothing like Sir Harwin nor Laenor." Alyssa responded.

After a few moments of silence Luke spoke up, "But that would mean that we're not siblings, Alyssa." He frowned.

She turned to face him, "Luke, we are always going to be siblings, it doesn't matter what happens in the future or what happened in the past." She kissed him on the forehead and they continued walking up to their rooms.

It must have been the early hours of the morning when Alyssa was suddenly awoken. She could make out a figure next to Jace's bed which was next to hers. Before she could even register what was happening and sit up Jace was at her side grabbing her arm.

"Alyssa, wake up, we have to go!" He exclaimed.

Alyssa rubbed her eyes, struggling to see anything in the dark, "Why, what is it?" She questioned noticing that Luke, Baela and Rhaena were all behind her brother.

"It's Vhagar, somebody has taken her!"

Alyssa got up at once and followed them down, trying to keep up as her siblings and cousins ran out. They had barely reached the shinning moonlight when suddenly they saw Aemond walking towards them.

It was all a haze to Alyssa, she recalled the insults they all hurled at each other and the sudden fighting that broke out. 

She ran in front of Jace and Luke to protect them but Aemond pushed her aside to the ground. It was all black for her, but suddenly she lifted her head with an awful sharp pain piercing her. She could see her cousins similar to her on the floor and her brothers fighting Aemond. A single question circled around in her mind; how could he, of all people have bonded with Vhagar?  

Before she could even react, a knife was pulled and Aemond was on the floor. Alyssa got up suddenly and grabbed Jace and Luke who were bleeding just as the guards arrived.