The Gentle Queen: HOTD

Preparation |7|

"I will do you the considerable courtesy of assuming there is a good reason for the outrage of my treatment here this morning," Rhaenys spat, glaring at Lillian, who had just entered the room.

"My sincerest regrets for the lack of ceremony." Lillian replied, not truly caring that the woman was irritated from being locked in her chambers.

"The king?" Rhaenys asked as she looked over the woman who seemed less tense........... freer "And you are usurping the throne," she added scoffing.

"My husband wished for it; he decided it years ago. In truth, he signed a proclamation, and all believe it or not; it is of no consequence. Aegon will be king." Lillian explained handing Rhaenys the original signed paper, which Rhaenys took and read.

"My cousin signed this?" Rhaenys asked, not believing it.

"He must have been tired of waiting for his self-righteous cunt of a daughter to return and remember he exited and realized he had a good son right for the throne." Lilly shrugged, smirking a little, ignoring the woman's sarcastic chuckle.

"I must credit you for your boldness."

"Your opinion means nothing to me, Princess. My son will be king because I refuse to allow my children to be hurt, and if Rhaenyra sat the throne, I would not be able to protect them... you of all people should understand the lengths a mother would go to protect her children."

"I understand your choices. I do, Lillian, but are you doing this to protect your children? Or are you simply grasping at any power you can now that your husband is dead, and you will have no real authority?

"House Velaryon has long allied itself with Princess Rhaenyra, and what has it gained you... Your daughter dead alone in Pentos... Your son cuckolded Rhaenyra's heirs, who are none of yours... It is your husband who grasped heedlessly for the throne, and even he had abandoned you to fight a desperate battle, returning grievously if not mortally wounded, leaving the lady of Driftmark to charter a course alone.

Rhaenys stared at Lillian, angered and hurt by her words. "The word of my house is not fickle," she stated, turning and walking to the windows, but Lillian walked to her and grabbed her hand.

"Perhaps it is not, but your house's loyalty to Rhaenyra will be its downfall... My husband signed the accord, but Rhaenyra will not bend the knee. You know that very well; war will follow, and I hope to protect the innocents in the crossfire until we have peace.

Rhaenys ripped her hands away from the green queen, scoffing and pushing herself past the woman. "Was it in the name of peace that you have imprisoned me... and what of my dragon?"

"Meleys is safe in the dragon pit. Do you really think so lowly of me that I would harm a dragon, the very sigil of our house?" Lilly countered, scoffing while rolling her eyes.

"You cannot ask this of me. I will not be a Kinslayer!" Rhaenys shouted at the young woman.

"I do not ask anything." Lilly countered, shrugging, "If it is Driftmark you wish for, it shall be yours with the promise that a true Velaryon inherits it to keep the history correct, respecting all that your husband has done for his house."

"I only wish to inform you this is what my husband wished, and this is what the realm needs. A true queen counts the cost of her people. I understand you wishing to not partake, and I will not ask you to. I have too much respect for you. I shall leave you to your thoughts... ring the bell when you have an answer. Lilly smiled gently at the woman leaving the room. 

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"How can you stand to look at me, let alone love me?" Aegon asked his mother quietly from his place in his father's study.

"Why would you ask such a thing?" Lillian questioned her heart dropping to her gut, making her nauseous.

"I am the product of the abuse you suffered... I look like my father... I just cannot understand how you can love me and look at me like you're proud of me." Aegon spat the word father like it was venom, glaring at the floor, his vision bleary from the tears that clouded his eyes.

"Oh my sweet boy, I am proud of you..." Lillian whispered, quickly moving to sit next to him, gently lifting his head so he was looking at her. "I have never viewed you or your siblings as products of your father's abuse. Aegon, you were and still are my child, and you are certainly not responsible for how Viserys treated me."

"But—But nothing, Aegon, you are my son, mine! It does not matter how you were conceived; only that I will always love you. Enough of this doubt, because you and your siblings are the best things in my life, and you, my sweet boy, made me a mother and made the bad situation I was in better. You made me happy to wake up every day knowing I got to be a mother to a wonderful child, and those feelings only developed further the more children I had."

"Thank you, mother," Aegon whispered, hugging her tightly, making her laugh and squeeze him tightly.

"And besides, you and your siblings take after me in everything, and be grateful for that. I mean, have you seen your father? He has not kept up skin and hair care." Lilly joked, making him laugh and shake his head at the horrible joke.

"Don't worry, Mama, I am extremely grateful to have your good looks, and I know Aemond is grateful for your hair care routine." Aegon joked himself, making them laugh.

"That boy has such long locks; it's impressive," Lilly admitted, both laughing together again. It felt good to have a moment without being judged.

"I am about to be king," Aegon muttered once it became silent again, leaning his head on Lilly's shoulder.

"Yes, you are, and I am sorry for not giving you this choice, but I promise I will guide you and help you every step of the way." Lilly swore, squeezing his hand.

"He didn't know he was signing the accord, did he?"

"What?"

"Viserys never cared for my siblings and me. He liked me when I was younger because I was the shiny son he always wanted. He never would have agreed to disinherit Rhaenyra."

"You are correct; he did not know," Lilly told the truth. "He was blinded by Rhaenyra... by his guilt, he killed his 'one true love' and doted on Rhaenyra to make up for it. Viserys knew Rhaenyra was not fit for the throne, that she was cruel and would do more harm than good. He knew this but refused to acknowledge it, but he started to realize she abandoned him when she left for Dragonstone and never visited. He often spoke about not naming you a mistake and Aegon the conqueror's dream, the dream of ice and fire.

"He told me of the dream, which foretold the coming of a great threat from the North—a menace of ice that could potentially destroy the living. It was one of the reasons Aegon sought to unite the Seven Kingdoms under his rule. The Targaryens believed that only a united realm under a strong dynasty could stand against this eventual danger."

"Yes, that is the dream... Aegon, I have done things that one would say are wrong, but I did those things to protect my family.

"Like poisoning the king?" Aegon asked quietly, looking at his mother, not an inch of regret on her face, "The plant you had in your chambers, not a flower, it is an herb, one that is toxic to people, and now the day after the king dies, the plant is gone."

"I have raised you well," Lilly muttered proudly, smiling at him.