Rhaenys was smiling, though she did not feel like it. Here she was, dining with her Uncle, Viserys, and her young aunt, Daenerys. The girl would not - could not, truly - hold her gaze, and Viserys' eyes did not leave her.

There was nothing left of the boy she had once loved. He was not the quick, eager friend she grew up with - nor was he the good-natured Prince the realm remembered. His face was cold when he stared at his sister, and colder still when he looked at her.

And looking at her, he did.

Oh, but he was beautiful. He resembled her late father, and shared similarities with her siblings - the lips, the nose, and the sharp, high cheekbones. Daenerys even had Visenya's smile, when her sister deemed it fit to snap out of her normally grumpy mood.

How I miss her.. how I miss them both.

She dreamt of them last night, interlaced as they were. She knew they would finally give in their passion for one another. She spoke with them, embraced them, kissed them even .. but could not hold for longer. She was so very tired, her journey to Pentos a draining thing, and the frustrating silence was getting on her nerves.

But Rhaenys would not let it show - she was not Visenya, nor Aegon, to make her displeasure known. Instead, she grinned - again and again- at the yellow haired old, fat man who would smile back, at the pretty Uncle who would grimace in return, at the prettier Aunt who's only reaction was to dug her head and blush with embarrassment.

She smiled, and internally screamed.


"He fancies himself a King," said Rhaenys softly. "Tell me, Magister, what has prompted him to grow this - angry?"

What she meant to say was clearly insane, and they both knew it. The accusation had some merit, especially since the Prince would not control himself, and dared threatening the Magister right in front a royal guest.

"Prince Viserys," he said smoothly, "is prone to, ah, childish tantrums, if I may be so bold. Though there is naught to fear for, Your Grace. He is but stressed, these last few weeks had been nothing if not .. a bit tough, I must admit."

Lie to me again, and I'll rip your tongue out myself. No need for my deluded uncle.

Rhaenys raised a single bow. "For whom? The Princess, or Viserys?"

"Your Grace?"

"I am aware of the Khal demanding my aunt's hand in marriage," her lips curled in distaste, "in return for an army."

"A worthy match," said the Magister. "And a worthier dowry."

Her nostrils flared. "You dare. A murdering barbarian - a rapist, by all accounts, marrying a Princess of the blood!"

"I'm afraid, my queen, that it is no choice of mine. The Prince Viserys feels obligated-"

"The Prince Viserys needs to consult me first before any decision is made. He is but a Prince, and I am his Queen."

"Your-"

"I am, by royal decree, my father's heir."

"Your royal grandfather -"

"- was sick, mad with grief. And his declaration had never been legitimised."

There was a silence, then. "I am aware of your .. difficulties to move past such a loss," she whispered, pale lilac eyes taking in the way his breath hitched at once, "and I find myself almost - apologetic."

"Almost," repeated the Magister. If he was angry at her choice of words, he showed it not, his smile never dimming.

Illyrio Mopatis was an odd man, his yellow hair and forked beard making him stand out - there was no speaking of the pink robes he was wearing .. an odd man who had no business been so interested in another continent's politics.

Yet here was he, and here she stood.

"Aegon Blackfyre," she continued as gently as she could, which was not saying much, "it would have been so easy, had Visenya been born a boy, to say, replace them both."

Illyrio humored her.

"And had my son not died," he added amusedly, eyes twinkling. "Yes. I can see it now. So utterly simple, Your Grace. A little prompt Cersei Lannister's direction, another one Eddard Stark's way.. and well, a Civil War or two might just do the trick -"

"Utterly simple, you say."

The man bristled. For an instant, pure fury surged in his eyes, a dark wave of menace. Then they went calm and glinting amusingly and he smiled, a swift, brilliant smile that he turned off again instantly.

"Hypothetically, of course."

"Of course."

Rhaenys laughed. Hers was a warm one, not unlike the Magister's dead son, if his somber face was to be believed. "I like you, strangely enough," she finally told him, "and it is no habit of mine, I assure you."

He inclined his head, pleased. She continued, "I was told you wished for an audience with a Queen. You may speak."

His smile grew threatening.

"Oh, but I must. It is a story I so wish to narrate. There was once a pair of twin, fair haired and fair skinned, with the greenest eyes there is. And both of them loved the other so very, very much-"


She dreamt of them once again that night.

Visenya kept on sniggering. Aegon's expression was one of pure surprised and disgust.

"Oh, don't be a hypocrite," said Rhaenys with a grin. They were in a forest, one of Visenya's creation, she knew. Her sister had always been such an imaginative person.

"I blame them not for that .."

"Don't be a prude. Say it."

He sighed. In the moonlight, his black hair shone almost like liquid, soft and fine. "Fine. I do not hold .. er, making love -"

"Making love, he says. How romantic."

"- I do not hold it against them," he said firmly, reddening. "But cuckolding a king. T'is an honorless ac-"

"An useless king," corrected Visenya, tilting her head mockingly. "An Usurper. He got what he deserves, in the end. The gods may be just yet."

"'Senya-"

"Though, I am nothing if not grateful. They did hand us our kingdom."

"Not so fast," said Rhaenys, noting the way Aegon blushed at the casual use of our. "We still need an army."

The air tensed. "Viserys is grandfather come again," she continued sadly. "I hoped - for a moment only-"

Visenya's hand was quick to find her own, and she kissed them tenderly. "Shh," she whispered. "Sister, hush. Cry not. We always suspected-"

"If only he had come with us to the Water Gardens," she said quietly, "perhaps - perhaps the madness might have -"

A sort of hysterical laughter surged up in Rhaenys' throat, and she choked it back.

"No," said Aegon forcefully. His face was full of concern. "Nothing could have prevent that-"

"Surely, surely," she told them between two hiccups, suddenly feeling the urge to cry, "Daenerys. Dany, you should have seen her .. Oh, Visenya, she looks just like you .. so young .. so fearful .. she would not utter a word in my presence .."

Visenya squeezed her hand, trying to convey what she felt. "Listen to me," she whispered, "you were but a child. You could not have saved them.."

"I could have tried-"

"You are trying, now," she interrupted sharply, "my love, you cannot take responsibility. Robert would have never accepted it. It would have lead to war."

"Damn him."

Aegon's fingers wiped her tears.

"You are not to blame," he said softly.

She felt it then, something powerful was jerking her.. tearing her away with such a force she felt herself crumble.

"Rhaenys-" she heard her brother distantly calling for her, and as she looked up one last time to see a pair of worried bright violet eyes - Visenya's - she realized with horror that she was fading.

"Rh-"

Someone shook Rhaenys awake. Her eyes snapped open to see a too-close face staring down at her, everything around them still shadowed by the darkness of an early morning. She opened her mouth to speak, but a warm hand clamped down on it, gripping it shut. Panic flared until she saw who it was.

Daenerys? Though she was surprised, any alarm melted away immediately.

The girl looked at her with Visenya's eyes. She couldn't help being curious, wondering what her young aunt wanted with her. She nodded, doing her best to convey that yes, she would not scream, until Daenerys finally took her hand away, leaning back slowly.

"Follow me," she said simply, standing. She reached down and helped Rhaenys to her feet - her grip was stronger than Rhaenys had imagined it would be, which did astonish her, for Dany seemed thin and frail, "before Viserys wake."

Any lingering haze of sleep had already vanished from Rhaenys' mind. She knew she should hold some suspicion, having no reason to trust her yet, but the curiosity won out. "Very well," she said at last. "lead the way."