As it happened, all Tyrion had asked of Rhaena was to curb her sister's temper, and if she began to delve too far into the depths of insanity, bring her back. More easily said than done. Daenerys refused to acknowledge Rhaena and would not speak to her, even when Rhaena forced herself to appear humble and apologise to Daenerys for overstepping her place. She made quite a show of begging forgiveness, even kneeling before her sister as she did so. Daenerys remained angry and resentful, but at the very least, she nodded in acceptance and allowed Rhaena to join her in the assault against Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet. This time they would not be taken unawares. This time, they would turn his ships into kindling. They held the Blackwater, the ships crawling over the water to guard the port and keep watch for the dragons, but Rhaena and Daenerys had already learned their lesson from Euron's attack. They would descend from above and bring the wrath of House Targaryen upon him with the sun as their ally. By the time the Ironborn realised they were there, it was too late. Rhaena snarled as she and Rhaegal pulled out of their steep dive and banked off with a plume of fire ripping ships in two, scattering splinters into the water as they created a line of wrecks in their wake.
They crippled Cersei's fleet within minutes, the dragons flying erratically in order to avoid any scorpion bolts aimed at them, and Rhaegal in particular was too nimble to be caught. Now that he was fully healed, there was nothing that could stop him. Rhaena flew on his back fully clad in her armour, wearing the silver jewelled coronet upon her head whilst guiding Rhaegal towards the castle and the city to destroy the mounted scorpions which lined the walls. As Drogon went one way, Rhaegal went the other, two dragons tearing apart the defences Cersei had mounted, rendering all her preparations utterly useless. Rhaena leaned herself back in her seat, guiding Rhaegal to rise up higher so that they could hover above the city and survey the progress they had made. When a burst of fire took her attention, Rhaena turned too late to see Drogon destroy the main gate where their army stood outside, the fire and falling debris crippling the ranks of the Golden Company, the sellswords hired from Essos by Cersei to defend the city. The destruction was extreme and Rhaena stared as Drogon veered away with Daenerys on his back. Did she intend to rule rubble? Gritting her teeth, Rhaena called to Rhaegal who chittered in response and dove, flying after his brother in order to flank him as they circled the city, destroying the last of the scorpions. With no further threat of their dragons being killed, Rhaena rested more easily.
When Daenerys began to pursue fleeing Lannister soldiers, Rhaena had Rhaegal fly underneath them, his smaller frame allowing him to spread his wings and block Drogon who roared sharply and beat the air with his wings, quickly adjusting himself and cutting off his attack before he could strike his own brother. Twisting in her seat, Rhaena watched Drogon climb higher. She could not see Daenerys, but she suspected she had earned her sister's ire once more. She had no regrets. These men were fleeing. They had no intention of fighting any further, so what purpose would their death serve? It was just senseless bloodshed, and Rhaena had promised Tyrion to do what she could for those she could save. Since the bells were yet to ring, Rhaena suspected that Tyrion's plan had failed. He had released his brother, Jaime, from captivity after being caught attempting to pass their army, in the hopes that he could take Cersei away and escape, abandoning the city to surrender. Rhaena could not understand it. How far was Cersei willing to go in order to keep her crown? She should know that she was defeated, there was no question in it. The only question remained was how Cersei would be remembered in history when future maesters wrote of this moment. In Rhaena's view, they would not be kind to her.
Landing upon the wall as Drogon did the same, Rhaena allowed herself to catch her breath as she surveyed the condition of the battle. The Dothraki and Unsullied had pushed far and met little resistance, for who could stand against such a force? They had reached a stalemate, Jon's men facing against one of the last platoons of Lannister men as the sounds of screams and terror continued to rise up throughout the city. Soon, the people were crying out for the bells to ring. The call carried far and wide, across the entire expanse of the city, begging for Cersei to ring the bells and surrender. It was over. Daenerys and Rhaena had arrived as their ancestor Aegon the Conqueror had with his dragons, and they too conquered. It was over. There was nothing more Cersei had left to throw at them, no means to defeat them. Her armies were vanquished, her fleet destroyed, and had no allies left to support her. She had isolated herself, cut herself above the rest and now in the moment of her direst need, she was utterly alone without a friend in the world to save her. Were it not for the fact that Rhaena despised and loathed Cersei with everything she was, she might have felt pity for her. Instead she merely waited, soothing Rhaegal with tender words as she stroked his spines which she knew tickled him, allowing herself a quick smile as he shivered until finally, the bells began to toil. Relief washed over her like a cleansing wave, allowing Rhaena to close her eyes and sigh.
Soon the entire city was flooded with the sounds of bells. Large bells, small bells, all of them ringing and singing clearly to cry out in surrender as the smallfolk wept in gratitude and thanks. Smiling breathlessly, Rhaena turned towards her sister, expecting to be met with a mirrored expression, but instead found only pain and fury. Before she could call to her, Daenerys drove Drogon back into the air, Rhaena's cry lost in the thunderclap of his wings as Daenerys flew towards the Red Keep. Watching her go, Rhaena then urged Rhaegal to follow. Spreading his wings, Rhaegal took to the air and struck furiously in order to close the space between himself and his brother, but it was not enough. Before they were even halfway across the city, Rhaena watched helplessly as Daenerys and Drogon released their wrath upon the city and the keep where buildings were shattered and scattered as the terrified cries of the innocent were lost under the rubble and desolation. Rhaena screamed and Rhaegal answered with his roar, striking once more at the air whilst undulating his body to fly swifter. It was too late, there was no stopping Drogon now. Daenerys did not even need to guide him, he knew what she wanted. Utter revenge upon her enemies, to bathe them in fire and blood as they deserved.
Towers fell, crumbling into nothing and striking the ground where the smallfolk attempted to flee, sobbing as they clutched at their children as the chaos unfolded around them. When they looked up and saw the great black dragon descending towards them, mothers prayed and fathers attempted to shelter their families, but they knew there was no running and no hiding from such a monster. They closed their eyes and prepared to meet their fate. As the rippling snarl of Drogon filled the air, another cry rose against it, shrill and bright, causing many to dare open their eyes in order to look. What they saw was something the smallfolk would speak thereafter for many generations to follow. The smaller dragon crashed himself against his brother, slamming his entire weight against the black dragon's chest to throw him off balance and away from the smallfolk so that its fire spewed into the air, choking from the collision as Rhaegal screeched once again and snapped his jaw at Drogon's neck to bite at him, distracting him from the people and the city as Rhaena bellowed at her sister to cease this madness, though her voice was lost in the wind. Upon Drogon's back, Daenerys glowered at her sister with an undying hatred.
The dragons grappled at one another, but Rhaegal's size made him difficult to reach as he snapped and scraped at his brother. Their infant days of playfighting were none-existent here. Fury and bloodlust held sway, and so when Drogon turned his head, he breathed a torrent of flames against Rhaegal to rip him away. Rhaena cried out and almost lost her grip upon Rhaegal as he tumbled, screeching before he managed to spread his wings and straighten, gliding over the rooftops of the buildings below him as the people continued to run for safety in their terror. Rhaena pulled Rhaegal around again as Drogon aimed another column of fire at the keep, passing over the city to further the wanton destruction. They attacked again, strafing Drogon with a clip to his flank before banking around once more, drawing him away from the city and higher into the air as he gave pursuit. Twisting in her seat, Rhaena looked down as they ascended to see Drogon's snarling face staring at her. Before now, she had never found him frightening, but as of that moment, Rhaena realised just how terrifying and terrible dragons could be. It was as if Drogon had been infected with his rider's own madness. Perhaps he had. He had always been the most aggressive of his clutch, and now Rhaena herself was at risk of being consumed by a creature she considered family. There was no other choice. Rhaena could not allow Daenerys to destroy all of King's Landing. They did not come so far and endure so much simply to demolish everything they had worked for their entire lives, even unwittingly. Daenerys was simple in an episode of insanity. Their father had experienced them too. When it passed, she would realise what she had done. The more Rhaena could minimise the damage now, the less her sister might feel guilt.
Urging Rhaegal onwards, together they sought to take Drogon up beyond the clouds and away from the city, however as Drogon managed to climb higher with them, his fired a bolt of flames directly upwards. It seared across Rhaegal's underbelly, causing to cry out and arch over his head as Drogon then snapped at his tail, chasing it. With the rush of going over her own head, Rhaena cried out and clung to Rhaegal with everything she had as her dragon then spiralled, twisting himself around to collide with Drogon once more. They fought, battling one another in the air as sister turned on sister, and far below them, the smallfolk and both armies watched in horrified fascination. Perhaps the one who stood afraid most of all was Tyrion, praying and pleading silently for Rhaena to break free and escape. Nothing was worth her dying. He should have told her to fly away when she had the chance. Yet she had stayed, and now she was risking her life fighting against Drogon and Daenerys, all for the sake of protecting the people of King's Landing. If that was not the true essence of a leader, then Tyrion did not know what else could equal it. The dragons continued to fall, a cotorsion of limbs and wings.
It was all Rhaena could do to hold on, pressing herself flat against Rhaegal as they continued to fall until she realised they were descending upon the Red Keep itself. Drogon had Rhaegal pinned beneath him, brother screaming against brother. Drogon was going to crush Rhaegal on the castle. Now Rhaena knew Daenerys had completely lost her senses if she was willing to kill one of her own dragons, whom she had always referred to as her children. There was no saving her now. "Rhaegal!" Gasping fearfully, Rhaena forced herself to let go with one hand as Rhaegal whined, realising that they were about to make impact. Steadying her breath, sparks of fire began to crackle into life at Rhaena's palm, struggling to hold on with just one hand upon her dragon, but there was no other way. Thrusting her hand upwards, she sent a ball of flames directly into Drogon's face, causing him to shriek and shake his head from shock as the flames filled his nose and blinded him. Instinctively he released his brother and Rhaegal all but flung himself onto his belly in order to stop his descent. He succeeded, but the roll tossed his own rider from his back and Rhaena fell from him, crying out as she tumbled against his spine all the way down his tail. Rhaegal cried out for her, struggling to gain back his control as Rhaena clung onto his tail but the winds were too fierce and her grip not secure enough to hold her. She slipped, and she fell.
Perhaps it was the favour of the gods that meant they were so close to the keep when Rhaena fell. She struck debris, hard enough to wind her but no more, and tumbled with it as she slid down a broken section of a wall which had collapsed inwards and found herself crashing to the ground inside the Red Keep itself. Pain shot through her leg, but she was alive. Gasping for air as she rolled onto her back, Rhaena barely had a moment to open her eyes before she saw the stones crashing towards her. Yelling with a start, she rolled herself out of the way as swiftly as she was able, scrambling to get onto her feet before searching for a way out. With the entire place threatening to collapse on top of her, Rhaena turned tail and fled as swiftly as her limp allowed.