"I. . . I'm sorry, what. . . what did you say?" Viserys said as he stared at me in complete bafflement.

"I want you to publicly declare Eagon your heir." I repeated. "It is what almost everyone in the realm wants."

"Not everyone," Viserys said, still shocked, but he breathed heavily to centre himself. "I am king. They'll accept what I tell them to accept. I promised you, you won't be suppl–"

"I'm going to kill Eagon," I interrupted him, and again, Viserys was again shocked into incomprehensibility.

"You, you what?!" He looked so agitated, I worried for his health.

"Kill Eagon. Eamond too for that matter. If you keep me as your heir, I mean. They'll always be a threat to my rule. I'd need to get rid of them to have a chance. Maybe geld them and sent them to the wall if I'm feeling merciful. I won't have a choice."

"They are your brothers!" "Yes." "Family." "I know." And he stared at me, angry, and I stared back, resigned. "And that's what I'm trying to prevent. No command from you to respect my position as heir will hold true after your death. You may trust Alicent and your children with her, but I don't, and the reverse is even more true. The only way to avoid bloodshed is for me to surrender my position as heir. I only had a chance because of your wishes. As soon as you publicly change your mind, I won't have any true claim to the throne and everyone will know it. They'll not see me as a threat anymore. Particularly once they learn the idea came from me." Viserys was steadily growing calmer as I finished my well-rehearsed speech. "Its for the good of the realm."

"Lord Colys won't be pleased," Viserys said, and I breathed an internal sigh of relief. I had already convinced him. "He wanted Leanor to be king consort."

"It was a risk he took by agreeing to the match," I said. "Truthfully, what I am most worried about is what my children will think of this. I raised them to be princes, and I feel like I'm taking it away from them. By refusing to fight."

"I understand that." And the king sighed deeply, looking somehow both disappointed and proud at the same time. "You would have make a wonderful ruler." And that was that.

"What game are you playing, Rhaenyra!" the queen said as she cornered me in my room. Sir Criston, her ever present shadow, right behind her.

I turned to what were apparently my children. "Please go with your father. The queen wants to have a word with me." And Jace and Luke, still looking sombre after our talk, followed Leanor out of the room. Alicent also dismissed Criston. Or tried to. The man was reluctant to leave me alone with his charge.

I choose to help. "Do not worry Sir Criston. If I lose my patience and strangle her, you'll get the pleasure of taking my head in response."

The man took a threatening step forward, but Alicent checked him with a gesture. "She is just trying to get a rise out of you. Don't give into it. I'll be safe enough. She's too cunning to try anything under these circumstances." And that was enough to get a sneering Criston out the door.

As soon as we saw the door shut behind Sir Criston Alicent started. "You are not this selfless Rhyneara. Everything you've ever done has been to satisfy your own wants and desires. So what is really going on?"

"Well, I suppose I've come to recognize you for the unreasonable bitter old cunt that you are," I returned her glare. I had tried. As soon as I woke up in this body I tried to see if I could mend the bridge between Alicent and Rhaenyra. It was no use. The distrust ran too deep, and she was too convinced of her own righteousness. I was an adulterous in her eyes (and I clearly was) and the only correct thing, according to Alicent, was for the world to recognize that fact. And that was on top of the threat I posed to her children, and the breach of trust 'I' committed as a child. "Maybe I could win the war you'd have forced me to fight if I tried to become queen. Maybe I couldn't. But few wars are ever fought without casualties on both sides. I love my children," I lied. Maybe one day, but it was too soon for me. "And I'm not willing to risk their safety, or the safety of my husband for that matter."

"You mean that?" Alicent said, still dubious but at least willing to entertain the notion that I was sincere now that I framed my motivation in a language she understood. Love for our children. "You will not get in Eagon's way?"

"I won't be a problem for you, so long as you don't become a problem for me."

"And why would we become a problem for you? You've thrown away the only real weapon you had in being Visery's chosen successor."

"I am a princess of house Targaryen," I said with all the self-importance I could muster. "And I still ride Syrax. My sons ride Vermax, Arrax, and Tyraxes. But there is no reason you should ever fear them. For they are my trueborn children, of me and Leanor." The message was clear by the constipated expression on Alicent's face. I met her angry gaze evenly, and eventually got my wish.

"So they are Rhyneara," Alicent said, and it was like saying those words physically pained her. "So they are."

I hoped I could trust this concession on her part. Having to exile myself from Westeros to instead enjoy a life of relative luxury in Essos – like Daemon was currently doing – would be mildly inconvenient.

It was ten years later. Viserys was dead. King Eagon II ruled uncontested. Unless you count his own unwillingness to rule, which I didn't.

My little brother had never quite forgiven me for pushing him unto the world's most uncomfortable chair, the poor dear.

Eagon didn't need to be a good king. Just a stable one. Otto Hightower ruled in truth, and he wasn't doing a terrible job. Corlys sulked. Alicent was still a bitch. Daemon had returned to Essos. Leanor hadn't needed to fake his death, and I was still enjoying all the luxuries that a medieval society could offer.

And the daily flights on Syrax. Couldn't forget that. Being able to feel the sun on your skin, the wind in your hair, even the cold biting into your flesh as you flew at a speed of 100 mph on dragonback. . . it almost made everything else worth it.

I may not be queen, but I was still a princess, and that came with its respect and privileges.

I made Syrax land in the Dragonpit and found Otto waiting for me. "Ser Otto! To what do I own the pleasure?"

Nobody was more surprised at how well I got along with Sir Otto Hightower than me. The man had been very gracious in victory. Much more so than his shrew of a daughter. After my talk with Alicent, it wasn't long before he too sought me out. He thanked me sincerely for my wisdom and assured me that if any ever doubted Jace's claim to Driftmark, the crown would stand behind me.

It was clear that now that I was no longer a threat to his ambition, he was very eager to make an ally of me again.

"Potentially troublesome news I'm afraid," Otto said. "I was hoping to ask for your help." A favor? That explained why he came all the way here to meet me rather than simply summon me. I smirked. "It concerns your uncle Daemon." I smirked wider. "It seems he is trying to reclaim his former title as King of the Stepstones."

"He is bored."

"Yes princess, but he is being disruptive to trade along the Narrow Sea."

"Which is a problem for house Velaryon, so I'm surprised you'd want it solved."

Otto was the very picture of wounded innocence. "House Velaryon are valued vassals of the crown. I would never wish them ill." It was bullshit and we both knew it.

"And the real reason?"

"Aemond has gone with him to help."

I stood up straight, any sign of levity disappearing from my expression. "Aemond and Daemon?"

"Yes princess."

"They are working together?"

"Yes princess."

"That is terrifying."

"I am glad you understand princess."

I tried to picture what Daemon was thinking and didn't like what my imagination provided. Eagon the second of name wasn't very much of anything. And Aemond was. A weak ruler with an ambition and capable younger brother was one of those volatile situations that Daemon would gleefully light the fuse on.

"You've always had a good rapport with prince Daemon," Otto said. 'Not as much as Rhaenyra used to', I thought. "I was hoping you could go and talk to him – to them both. And keep an eye on the situation. Be a stabilizing influence. The crown would be thankful."

"Have a ship ready for me come morning Sir Otto," I said. Not that I was planning to risk my skin for king Eagon. I'd go to Essos. Learn what I could. Speak the sense that decency demanded needed to be spoken. But I had no delusions of being able to convince Daemon or Aemond of anything anymore.

I just wanted to know whether I needed to get my family out of the blast radius.