A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I have been busy with job applications and other personal stuff. Hope this was worth the wait!
RHAENYS XIII
Rhaenys stood outside of the main gate of Oldtown. She only remembering coming here once, but the brightness of the city had been replaced with the tension that came with being among the last strongholds of the enemy. The Hightower banners flew high and proud against the wind, as the City Watch stood vigilantly on the ramparts. Some aimed their bows and crossbows downwards onto her, but against the power of a dragon like Meraxes, they stood no chance. Not even the scorpions that were selectively placed throughout the city would be no match, as the city was located in an isolated position and on unfavorable ground for defense.
Once the army finally consolidated at Oldtown, fifty thousand men moved south along the banks of the Honeywine. The enemy had emptied the fields of all produce and livestock while burning the rest, showing that they were finally learning how to fight in a proper war. But it mattered little, for the northern Reach, the Riverlands, and the stormlands more than made up for whatever they could not get from the fields of the houses still resisting against them. And with Orys blocking the seas and thus denying Oldtown any chance of resupply, all that they had to do was wait for the people and House Hightower to wither on the vine.
However, if there was a chance that they would be able to achieve their goals without resorting to violence, they would take it. That was when the emissaries returned from the High Tower, upon which Ser Addam Hightower, who would represent his house and was the future ruler of Oldtown, had agreed to meet them on grounds just outside of the Oldtown walls.
However, the emissaries had also made contact with Brandon with, who was currently in the underbelly of the city and observing the city beneath the watchful eyes of the Faith Alliance. Later in the week, they would start sending additional men to penetrate the city and thus begin to foment chaos from within. Jaenyx would oversee that process, something that he already had showed strong ability in.
Ser Addam insisted that he only speak with Rhaenys, as the words of the emissary said that she was the most reasonable. How he came to that conclusion was something that confused her, not until she remembered that they read the dispatches that called her the most likely to be controlled by her brother-husband. She only agreed because she wanted to see Ser Addam's face when he realizes that she was not to be trifled with. Small-minded men… I fear that even with all of the things that is happening right now, there are still many who will never accept the new order of affairs and thus continue to resist.
To show that she was not someone that was easily given to fear, Rhaenys came in her usual gowns while standing in front of Meraxes. She decided not to bring her quiver and bow, for she only needed her trusted dragon to give her the protection that she needed. She only let Aegon, Visenya, and Jaenyx to remain at the camp, which they quickly consented to since they knew to trust her to get the negotiations going. Their mother was still occupied in caring for her grandsons.
Rhaenys finally saw the main gates of Oldtown open and out came the entourage of who she assumed was Addam Hightower. Escorted by six knights wearing his house's sigil, the future ruler of Oldtown wore shining steel armor and had his sword strapped to his waist while holding a lance in his hand. She could make out his blue eyes and brown hair, even though both were hard to see with his helmet on.
And that was all that she needed to see from him. The fact that he is coming to me with weapons and in full armor shows that he is afraid, while I am unarmed and I am not wearing armor.
Rhaenys leaned against Meraxes' neck, relaxing herself as she was assured that the man before was really no threat.
Not afraid? She could hear Meraxes talk.
No. They are more afraid of me, and you know what to do should they try something.
Of course, her dragon affirmed.
Rhaenys saw Addam Hightower approach her after dismounting his horse just a short distance away from her and Meraxes. Like all other lordlings of Westeros, he walked towards her with the confident stride that he was taught to display from birth. Not that it mattered much to Rhaenys, for she had nothing to be intimidated about.
"You must be Addam Hightower. You must know who I am." Rhaenys kept leaning against Meraxes' neck as she addressed him.
Addam Hightower was struck at how comfortable she was feeling, which was evident from how he was at a loss for words. "My apologies, but is this how you treat an official delegation?"
"I came to you unarmed and you decide that it was a good idea to come dressed in full armor and carrying your weapons. That says that you are afraid of me, even though I am not outwardly threatening to you," Rhaenys explained.
Addam, in response, then took off his helmet and unstrapped his sword, both of which he threw to who Rhaenys assumed was his squire. She only scoffed at his response.
"Is this satisfactory for you now?" Addam was already losing his cool from how fast he talked.
"Not yet. You are forgetting how to address royals, or did you already forget that you have been licking Gardener boots as your ancestors did theirs?"
Addam tightened his jaw, not appreciating on how Rhaenys made him remember that no matter his family's wealth and status, they were still under the thumb of the Gardener kings. Not anymore.
"I have not forgotten, but I find it difficult to address someone whose claim is through force and onto a throne that has not existed before," Addam answered with defiance. "You might have killed the Gardener line and have taken Giles Gardener into custody, but you are dealing with the Starry Sept and the faithful here at Oldtown. All of us have much to lose if we surrender to you now."
Rhaenys nodded and moved to climb Meraxes. "Then, in that case, there is nothing more to be discussed. You are choosing to fight, so it is only natural that we show no quarter for those who are obstinate."
"Hold on a moment," Addam tried to stop her, suddenly afraid of what will happen should battle resume.
"Address me properly, then." Addam gulped at Rhaenys' demand. "You are a lord and a knight, Ser Addam, but your conduct right now makes me believe otherwise. Or has your father been neglectful in his teachings regarding how to address your betters?"
Addam cleared his throat. "All right… Queen Rhaenys."
"I shall accept that," Rhaenys turned around to face Ser Addam once more. "Now, what do you have to say that made me stop mounting my dragon and flying back to my camp?"
Addam clicked his tongue before standing straight again. "As you approached us with the intent to negotiate, I believe that you as the initiator should begin." Rhaenys gave him a look of expectation. "Queen Rhaenys."
Rhaenys nodded, satisfied. "Of course, Lord Addam. Here is the situation, which I am sure that you aware of. You are not only outnumbered, you are surrounded and you have no hope of obtaining reinforcements or food. Mern Gardener has been killed along with Loren Lannister, and it will not be long before you and the rest of Oldtown will be taken. That is a fact, as you and the remaining pockets of resistance up in the Kingdom of the Rock are all that is left. Meanwhile, Vevienne Gardener has bent the knee along with Theo Tyrell, while Lord Harlan will be sent north to the Wall to take the black along with Giles Gardener. The Tyrell family will be given Highgarden, while my goodbrother Jaenyx Belaerys has been granted the overlordship of the entirety of the Reach. And with six dragons, any hope of resistance is futile."
Addam remained silent, even though Rhaenys could see that he could deny the facts.
"However, we are willing to be lenient, despite this city being the center of all of the resistance and the very instigators of the war against us without provocation," Rhaenys continued. "We never intended to be royals, but you forced our hand and now look where we are."
Addam bobbed his head. "Understood. But your terms, Queen Rhaenys?"
"Your complete surrender, and it must be done in a grand manner," Rhaenys made clear.
"What do you mean by grand manner?" Addam Hightower asked.
"Well, the manner in which the Faith of the Seven, at least those who are in power, have taken when they decided to wage a holy war against us was very public and dispatches were sent all over Westeros, well at least south of Neck. But with the core of the Faith's armies destroyed and the Faith having no protection besides the walls before my eyes, they have to submit to us. They must repudiate everything that they had ever said regarding about our so-called 'unholy nature' and they have to bend the knee to the dragons. Only then will we show mercy."
Addam Hightower breathed through his nostrils. "Queen Rhaenys, those are terms that we cannot accept. I cannot speak for the Starry Sept because what they did was independent of any temporal influence."
"Bullshit," Rhaenys blurted out.
"I beg your pardon?" Addam was caught off guard.
"Bullshit," Rhaenys repeated. "You seem to believe that those men in white robes are above the world, but they are not because they are still men and thus capable of being tempted. Was it any coincidence that Mern Gardener deposited a huge amount of gold into the Starry Sept's coffers after the holy war declaration from the Starry Sept?"
Addam gulped. "I do not know what you are talking."
Rhaenys did not believe it, but that did not matter to her. "All right, you might not know the details because how could a bannermen be aware of how a king behaves?" Addam's hands formed into fist, making Rhaenys more amused. "Are you going to fight me, Ser Addam?"
To his credit, Addam calmed down and exhaled slowly. "Please continue, Queen Rhaenys."
"As I was saying, this holy war declaration reeks of political interference and considering that you and your house are obstinate, that means that you intend to share the fate of the Faith. All of that can be avoided with your surrender."
Addam blinked rapidly before shaking his head. "If that is your offer, then I am afraid that we should decline. Surrendering without terms will not result in a favorable outcome for us all and you should understand that. Without terms, there is no telling on what you will do to Oldtown or the Starry Sept after we bend the knee. There must be some guarantee on the maintenance of our positions and traditions after all the battles have stopped."
"You will not get those guarantees, the same way that you have not shown guarantees to us when this war started. However you treated us in the beginning will come back around, or is that a truth that you have not learned?"
"We offered you guarantees: your survival in exchange for the lands you conquered and respect for our traditions."
"Which were quite outrageous to start with. But our terms are not that, considering that we have the troops, the ships, the time, and especially the dragons necessary to carry out our promises," Rhaenys pointed out.
Addam gave her a posture of resolution. "It appears that there is nothing more to be gained from this discussion. You will not allow us mercy and leniency, so we will not surrender. You will take Oldtown from our cold, dead hands."
Rhaenys sighed out of annoyance while rolling her eyes. "Is that your final position?"
"Yes… Queen Rhaenys." Out of nowhere, Addam spit on the ground near her.
Big mistake. At that show of disrespect, Meraxes suddenly roared, scaring away Addam's entourage while making him collapse to the ground. Only Rhaenys raising her hand stopped her dragon from sinking her teeth into his body.
"Not only are you stubborn, you are stupid. And it would appear that after we win, we will have to ensure that the future rulers of Oldtown are not as stupid as you were." Addam trembled at his thoughts. More to her surprise, she saw Addam's trousers getting wet and the smell of urine penetrated her nose. "Disgusting." With that, Rhaenys mounted her dragon and flew the short distance back to camp.
Upon returning to their tent, Aegon laughed hard at what Rhaenys said about Addam Hightower. "That little shit. And to think he will be the next ruler of Oldtown, for now."
"The man is stubborn, stupid, and weak. Such a shame that such a family produced a man like him," Rhaenys pointed out.
"Which makes it more sensible to have Taygor have Oldtown," Jaenyx said.
"Of course," Aegon confirmed. He gave both Jaenyx and Visenya a look, a look that Rhaenys understood and which they knew to leave the tent. He turned back to Rhaenys. "My gods. You made a knight wet his pants. If only I knew everything there is to know about you from the cradle."
"Who says you do not?" Rhaenys raised her eyebrows in jest. "Maybe I was always like this, but I just met a man who found me too much to handle."
Aegon groaned. "How can you think someone like Addam Hightower will be adequate for you? Only one who can ever match you is a dragon, and I am right here."
"Would you like to… show me what a dragon does? I seem to have forgotten," Rhaenys gave him a coy smile.
Aegon did not need to hear more, as he closed the tent and pulled her into a kiss. Within moments, their garments were on the ground and Rhaenys felt Aegon's hands sink deeper into her form, letting out a series of moans from her mouth.
"By the gods, you're perfect," Aegon breathed, as he sank into his lover's lush heat. "Rhaenys…"
From the moment she knew she loved him Rhaenys knew that she was his other half, the only one he would ever love. And that was made their marriage all the more pleasurable.
She mewled as he covered her small frame with his own, resting his weight against her. "Do not tease me, Aegon," Rhaenys said. "I want to feel you"
"You will," Aegon promised, lavishing kisses across her shoulder blades. "I'm yours, Rhae. All yours."
He set a brutal pace as he snapped his hips against hers, his cock thrust deep inside her. Her hands scrambled to hold on to the sheets, every thrust sending her forward. She was reminded on how much smaller she was than he, that it was a wonder she could take him at all, her wet folds soaking his cock. But there was no one else for her, and it made it all the more joyful.
She was all that her husband could think of, her slick cunt and the softness of her skin all that he could feel. By the gods, if only my breath allowed for more moans. They were enough to drive any creature mad, but for her, Aegon was all she needed to please.
Just like the first time they coupled and the most recent one from before they assembled at Highgarden, and just like Visenya and Jaenyx, Rhaenys could never get enough of Aegon. Aegon was insatiable for his wife, for her body and her love, and that was something that she knew how to exploit. There was not a surface or furniture that he had not made love to her on, nor any corner that he had not pinned her against, ravishing her with greedy kisses and a hardened cock.
Rhaenys was the only one who would know the feel of his touch, as his hands cupped her swollen breasts, and his fingers kneaded her sensitive teats, and that was all that she needed from him besides his devotion. She desperately wanted the aroma of milk to cling to her again, for her to carry another child, her body becoming supple and full until Aegon found he was reluctant to share her with another, even his own child. When will it come?
She called to him as no other had and he often followed her to wherever she wanted to go.
"My place is by your side," Rhaenys reminded him, and Aegon had never stopped marveling at her words. He might have been strong before, but Rhaenys was what allowed him to feel all that he could be, which he was showing to her. And all her dreams had come true, for she had someone who could love her till the end of time and had given her a beautiful boy, hopefully followed by many more.
To Rhaenys, everything was right then and this moment reminded her on how everything was still more than right. The world was more than Aegon, herself, and anyone else had ever imagined it could be, as she cherished the company of her husband and her family. She found that nothing was the same without Aegon, as she delighted in things she never had before. Despite watching him with Blackfyre and become the king that she knew that he was going to be, he also showered their son with the affection that he sought, another dragonrider in the making. And it all needed a dragon egg to hatch in his cradle. Something our ancestors have long practiced.
There were other, idyllic times when they roamed the walled gardens that surrounded Dragonstone and watched the ravens that soared above. "They're free in ways that we will never be," Rhaenys murmured while she was still a little girl, while Aegon took her gloved hand in his.
"Things will not always be this way," Aegon promised, his hand squeezing hers, "I swear to you, my love."
He was proven right, when he claimed Balerion and she claimed Meraxes, and both were more free than even the ravens that Rhaenys was foolish to emulate.
Aegon was the same boy that she had cherished from when she could understand what lovee was, and the man that she loved. She wanted to worship him at his feet, before taking his on his hands and his knees, allowing her to continue reeding her without end. The cries she let out were ones that she knew made Aegon come alive, and she felt more in his arms than she felt in the whole of her life.
He wanted me. He needed me. He lived for me, and my alone.
Aegon had her in his bed as he fucked her without end, drawing countless orgasms from her. She knew that her cries of delight were his sanctuary, as he buried his face between her legs and allowed her to grind her cunt against his face, for her pleasure. He knew how she liked to be edged, his tongue drawing his name between her folds until her fingers pulled at his hair, and her thighs tightened around his head. She always wanted more, crying when he stopped, though nothing, nothing compared to when he finally allowed her to come.
Then her release was all he could taste, her limitless sweetness thick on his tongue.
And he would swallow it all, the good boy that he was, before licking her clean. His face would be covered in her release and his lips swollen and red, but his love never seemed to mind. For after she had her release, she would tug him up to her, peppering his glistening face with sweet kisses and gentle nips.
There were other times when she nestled against him as they lay, side by side, and mewled at the feel of his fingers buried inside her cunt. He knew her body more than he knew his own, as he memorized her whimpers and her sighs, and the places that made her tremble and thrash in his hold. She liked kisses on her nape and when his hands cupped her sopping cunt after he'd come inside her.
Laying with her was a fantasy come real, one that the both of them had enjoyed.
Aegon often talked about the first things that he would do once everything was settled, all of them entwined with dragons as if he could create a new world through love alone. They were the thoughts that Rhaenys giggled at, before she placed her fingers against his lips while shaking her head. "You are being distracted. Remember who you should please first," she would whisper,
"She's mine," he wanted to say. "Rhaenys Targaryen is my light, my love, my very life." But for Rhaenys, she needed his member more than his words at the moment.
He knew that his wife would call him a fool if she knew, though her knowing gaze and half-tilted mouth said enough. He could hide nothing from her, nor did he wish to. She was his equal in every sense of the word, and when he knelt before her to massage her aching feet and press gentle kisses against her calves, he wished for the world to know that it was devotion, and devotion alone, that moved him.
"Trust me, Rhae," Aegon wrapped his arms around her chest, pressing her close against him. His thrusts slowed, deepening as he sank to the hilt inside her. Her breath hitched as he allowed her to feel how well they fit together, her cunt clenching tight about his bulging member. "I will always protect you." He felt every inch of her and still wanted more. "Adore you."
She groaned as he dragged his cock against her walls, her cunt desperately clinging to his shaft. He felt his balls tighten as his release neared. He wanted to stay nestled inside her, pumping her full of his seed, regardless of the babe inside her. They both dreamed of a large family and more dragons born after Daemon, and Rhaenys often teased that their children would be only a handful of months apart in age.
"And remain at your side," Aegon murmured, catching his wife's lips as she glanced back toward him. Their kiss was heated and open-mouthed, their tongues tangling as their release washed over them. Warm and sticky seed poured inside her, an offering that he never wanted to cease.
Careful not to collapse on top of his wife, Aegon moved to lay on his side, with his arms wrapped around her still. He remained inside her, unwilling to withdraw until his cock was as soft as her silk nightgown. Rhaenys shivered in his hold, their combined release trickling down her thighs.
"I know you keep your promises, but do I have permission to give you a thrashing if I even see you eyeing another woman?" she whispered, pink staining her cheeks. It was her sudden innocence that made him ache to hold her closer still, despite the fact he knew what a tease she could be. She would allowed him to come on her chest and her stomach before and kept it there well past the ball they attended until they retired to their chambers. The sight and knowledge that he'd marked her were one that he held dear, the memory of it enough to take himself in hand when he couldn't have her with him.
"How about kicking me in the balls?" Aegon suggested, his hands cupping her curved stomach. Their future grew would soon inside her again, one that was unpredictable and unsure, yet he knew he would accept it, wherever it took them.
Rhaenys chuckled at his serious, but not so serious jest. "Great idea." But with their energies spent from the intense lovemaking, they soon fell into sleep.
A/N: So now, House Hightower is definitely not surviving the siege. And more lovemaking between Aegon and Rhaenys.