Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed.

You may think of this chapter as an unexpected threat. It's my grandfather's birthday today!

In the Shadow of the Throne

Dance and Die

The door opened to reveal the only person they had seen for the last three days: the jailor carrying the tray with their supper. As always, there was that other jailor who always stayed in the shadow of the door, his sword drawn, as if the two women and the little boy would attack his mate. The thought that they were so feared, even now, gave Rhaenyra some grim satisfaction. She didn't show it in any way, of course – it was beneath her.

As soon as the two men left, she turned to give both Rhaenys and Aegon a stern look. "Eat," she said, curtly, and they obeyed, although they didn't have any appetite. Rhaenyra insisted that they eat and she helped herself to a generous amount of the turnip in butter and deer meat in some kind of stew. They needed their strength. At least the usurper did not keep them hungry.

Rhaenys was clearly pressed hard to eat. Rhaenyra pitied her very much. She had suffered queasiness in only two of her own pregnancies but oh how she remembered it! All those years, and she remembered how fervently wished that she had not been alive, it had been so awful. Rhaenys was always sick or about to be sick. Rhaenyra was quite sure that the bucket they had to relieve their natural needs did not help in the least. They had placed it in the corner farthest from Rhaenys but the smell was still strong enough to make her gag.

All of a sudden, the young woman bolted to the grated window and pressed her face against the bars, taking deep breaths. Even when the nausea was over, she did not turn back. Her shoulders shook. Rhaenyra tried not to look at her because she would start weeping herself… again. Rhaenys was sick with worry for Alaena and Aegyl. Rhaenyra prayed that both were fine… that Gaemon had come back and found them… that Aegyl had managed to avoid the trap they had learned from their captors' boasts had been laid for him… Aegyl, and possibly Alaena, was all they had now. Viserys had probably been killed in the massacre following their capture, his body just another corpse among so many and she didn't dare believe he might still be alive because he probably wasn't… She had seen Aemon falling down dead, a memory that made up scream each time she opened her eyes and weep all day. Aegon's life was probably forfeit, as well as her own. Rhaenys might escape with her life yet, for a traitor or not, she was Aegon's sister. Even Alicent would not wish for her daughter's death. And as far as Rhaenyra remembered, Aegon did what Alicent told him to.

Rhaenyra closed her eyes and prayed for Aegyl, for Viserys and Alaena and yes, even for that bastard child of Aemon's. She had never wished the little girl any harm, she had just wanted to make sure that his relationship with the Dornish girl would not prove a disturbance to their plans.

Now, he could no longer be included in any plans, even if there was someone alive to make them. Gaemon, maybe? Rhaenyra clung to the idea that he would have come back in time to find the children. After all, he and the Stranger had seen each other eye to eye many times, right? And Gaemon had always won.

She clung to it during the long night when Aegon's dragons howled, reminding her painfully of her own Syrax and her sons' dragons, all dead by now; she clung to it when her Aegon asked, only once, "Are we going to die, Mother?" and she did not know what answer to give him, and Rhaenys wept and threw up in turns. She clung to it when in the morning, the door opened to admit six of Aegon's guards. She clung to it even when the three of them were escorted to the throne room where she was treated to the sight of Aegon the traitor seated on the throne that had for so long been occupied by a great king with sharp mind and iron will. Next to the dais, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard looked at her challengingly. Rhaenyra, though, barely spared him a look. What it was that I ever liked about him, she wondered with some distant puzzlement. Sure, he was young and dashing once and I always held fondness for young and dashing men. And now he's staring at me as if he's been avenged? As if we're combatants on a battlefield and I am not a woman herded forward by armed men? Was he always this malicious and I never knew it? He might have been. She had never been interested in his heart and she had warned him not to try and win hers. For all the rumours surrounding her – she suspected that many of them had been Alicent's doing but she had no proof – she had been a devoted wife, as much as her temper would allow. Always a flirt, she had never actually taken a lover while her first husband lived – he had given her three children in a five years span, their last being born a few months after his father's death. Really, what could she seek of a lover that she could not get from her husband? After his death, though… And here she was.

She was actually stunned by her surroundings. She had expected the hall to be packed to the brim with courtiers, Aegon's supporters to cheer her defeat, her sentencing, her death. But it was only the Kingsguard – minus Ser Erryk, - Aegon, and Alicent here.

The guard behind her pushed her slightly forward.

Rhaenys screamed and collapsed on the floor. Aegon's eyes went wide and he stopped dead in his tracks. Rhaenyra followed the direction of his look and a howl escaped her lips. She crumbled on the floor, her body twisting in convulsions that did not obey her will anymore, her teeth drew blood from her bottom lip, her hands got tangled in her hair and tore a few tufts, still it did not relieve the pain. Her tears flowed, her eyes fixed on the fair head on a spear in a sconce of the wall, the head with the golden-silver hair and wide, unseeing eyes. She howled again, mindless of the looks of her enemies, mindless that she was humiliating herself in front of them. She had wanted the Iron Throne, yes, but it had never been for herself only. She had wanted it for him, too. For him and his brothers…

With the corner of her eye, she could see Aemon staring at the head, his own eyes filled with tears but she could not comfort him, she was too devastated herself. And besides, what comfort could she offer? They, too, would die here – her last son and herself.

Some time later – was it a few moments, or a few hours? - they were brought in front of Aegon's throne. He stared at her from above and she wanted to hate him but she couldn't. It was as if her feelings had been cut off her like a limb that has started spreading festering to the rest of her body.

"Are you in pain?" he asked; with the same detached wonder she had noticed about herself earlier she saw that he did not look gloating. He looked pleased, for sure, but there was no trace of the satisfaction Rhaenyra saw in her stepmother's face. Of course, she thought. Like me, she's a mother who lost a son. What they'll do to me will be her doing… and probably no worse than what I would have done to her, had I had the chance. "No," she said, calmly, realizing that he meant the blood dripping from her forehead. I must have hurt myself when I fell down. "There is nothing that can hurt me now."

Her Aegon was trying not to shake next to her; maesters were hovering over Rhaenys who wept and wept to no end. She didn't want to be touched and wouldn't let anyone examine her. She was huddled next to a window they had opened for her to help her breathe more easily.

Why won't you end it already, Rhaenyra wanted to ask. Just to torment us longer?

"I wanted to see you," the usurper said. His eyes went straight to Aegon. Involuntarily, Rhaenyra pulled the boy closer to her. Her wide, fearful eyes went to her brother's face. Her cheeks paled. Her feelings rushed back.

Criston Cole smiled.

"I just wanted to see you," Aegon said again and looked over to where Rhaenys was still pushing the maesters away. "Bring her to me."

The guards stepped closer. Rhaenys held out a hand to hold them at bay, dragged herself to her feet and went shaking but on her own in front of the Iron Throne. Like Rhaenyra, she did not bow.

Alicent who had been standing next to the throne slowly descended the dais and handed her daughter a goblet. "Drink it," she said.

The smell of tansy hit Rhaenyra's nostrils and she immediately realized what was in that goblet. Rhaenys clearly guessed it, too, because she overturned the goblet, wiped the tears and snot off her face with her dirty sleeve, and said loudly, "I won't."

It was the defiance of a child, not a woman grown. Rhaenyra wept once again at the thought of how young Rhaenys was. How young Aegyl had been. His brothers, and even Aemond… War did not recognize justice. It swept away the young ones, the innocent ones, those imbued with promise and hope.

"You will," Aegon stated. "And then, the two of us will wed. It should have happened years ago but…"

"But you married cousin Vaela, didn't you?" Rhaenys snapped, her voice rising uncontrollably. "What does she think of your idea, by the way?"

He looked aside. "She died a few weeks ago."

So the childbirth has proven lethal for her, Rhaenyra thought and then laughed, realizing that Aegon had not said he had a son. What a delicious irony!

"You will drink it, Rhaenys," Alicent said calmly. "And then, we can forget about your ill-fated love affair with a dead rebel."

"He was no rebel!" Rhaenys cried out. "And I'll never forget him, never! And this child, it will be born!"

There was something in her voice that made Rhaenyra bristle with fear. She was the only one, though. Alicent caught her daughter by the hand and shook her, forcing her to look her in the eye.

"Leave her!" Aegon cried out and made a step forward to push the Queen Dowager aside.

Alicent only stared at him, stunned that he would dare. In a whirlwind of motion, the Lord Commander stood between them, pushing Aegon roughly aside. "Don't you dare touch Her Grace, boy," he said, menacingly. "Don't you think I cannot deal with you in the blink on an eye as I did with that useless brother of yours."

"Did you, really?"

The question came from the dais. Criston Cole looked up, confusion written clearly all over his face. "I gave the orders personally, Your Grace. No one escaped. Everyone who moved was killed before we left."

"So you've killed Viserys?" Aegon asked, his voice still dripping ice.

Alicent rolled her eyes. "For the Seven's sake, Aegon, don't start with your conscience again… Ser Criston had to do it."

Aegon laughed. "Yes but he should have done it properly! The boy lives!"

Alicent and the Lord Commander looked stricken speechless. "He lives?" she finally managed. "Are you sure?"

Yes, yes, yes, Rhaenyra's heart sang.

"Gaemon arrived shortly after you left," Aegon told his Lord Commander. "When they started cleaning the bodies away, they found… When they lifted Aemon's body, they found Viserys and the bastard girl there unconscious. He lay over them, it seems, and so he shielded them from the blows. Those idiots of yours never bothered to check… Now, Gaemon is parading them to all of their supporters, along with Aegyl's little girl…"

That's why we're still alive, Rhaenyra realized and deep relief washed all over her. Aegon was safe. No matter what would happen to her, now preserving her older son's life was essential to the usurper.

"That's even a more pressing reason for us to act," Alicent said and gave her son a harsh look. "You need to have a son by Rhaenys before Gaemon betroths his boy to Alaena and reinforce their claims. They both need to be taken care of as soon as possible."

"No!" Rhaenys screamed.

Her mother held out a hand. Rhaenys cowered back.

"Come with me," Alicent said, impatiently. "Just look at yourself! You need a bath and a good meal. We'll talk later."

"Yes, Rhaenys, go," Rhaenyra heard herself saying. The wild glitter in the girl's eyes scared her like very few things had ever done. Rhaenys was clearly not in her right mind.

With surprising agility, Rhaenys made a few steps backward, somehow managing not to fall down.

"You'll kill my babes," she claimed loudly.

Aegon clung to Rhaenyra's hand. "Mother, what's going on with Rhaenys?" he whispered.

"Be silent," Rhaenyra hissed, scared that even the slightest motion might send Rhaenys over the edge.

Alicent had clearly noticed what was going on, too. "No one is going to hurt you or your children, Rhaenys," she said, her voice softer, loving. "Come here, now."

Rhaenys shook her head and looked around like a cornered animal. "You said… I heard you!" she screamed.

"You've misunderstood," Alicent said calmly. "Do you really believe I'll hurt your little girl? We only mean to have her with us. You are here, aren't you?"

Rhaenys shook her head so fervently that locks of reddish hair, so much like Alicent's own, fell all over her face and clung there, held in place by the tears drowning her. "I don't believe you," she screamed. "It was you who convinced Aegon to claim the crown… it was you who killed my Aegyl!"

Another step backwards, and another yet until she crashed into the window she had huddled under; a moment later she had jumped on the ledge. "Don't come near!" she screamed. Her eyes were rolling wildly, her hair whipped in the wind. Her face had lost its entire beauty, there was no mind in it left – just the feeling of loss, despair, and fear.

Rhaenyra could not believe her eyes. It could not be happening. Rhaenys had truly lost her mind. She was capable of throwing herself through this window – and that would mean certain death. The courtyard down was paved in flagstones. She would kill both herself and her babe in her misguided belief that she was protecting the child.

"Come to us, Rhaenys," she spoke and made a cautious step towards the window. "We will help you. Just come down."

Rhaenys shook her head. Her eyes went to the blond head on the spear and to everyone's horror, she seemed to calm down a little. "Come here, Aegyl," she called out. "Come here and take me. You've always been there to catch me. Come on!"

"She's mad," Aegon whispered, his fingers digging into his mother's hand.

"Do be silent!" she snapped in whisper, calculating ways and chances they could get the girl down.

"Rhaenys," the usurper said, coming near. "Fine. It'll be as you like. Don't jump, all right? You'll be reunited with your Alaena. No one will make you do anything you don't want to. Just stay there. I am coming to get you. Do you understand?"

"No!" she screamed. "Not a step further!"

He didn't make a stop. No one knew what to do. Rhaenys started laughing. "Do you know for how long I've been wanting to shut you up, all of you?" she asked and then her voice rose in hysteria once again. "No! Don't come near!"

They never knew who it was that she thought she had noticed edging closer. She swayed unsteadily and Alicent screamed, rushing to her. Somehow, Rhaenys managed to regain her balance and looked at her mother, vaguely amused. "I wasn't going to jump," she said, her hand going protectively to her belly. And then her eyes went to something behind them and started rolling once again. "No!" she screamed, drops of spittle flying to her mouth in all directions. "You can't have my babe!"

A moment later, there was no one in the window frame.