RHAENYRA
Time gets as tangled as sheets when you sleep for long enough.
The room turns light and dark and light again, but she knows not how many cycles it runs through. Were she an Alicent, she could likely refuse to process the implications of what's happened whilst remaining awake. But Rhaenyra is no Alicent; she must look elsewhere for examples.
Her adolescent self is quite generous in that regard. The Realm's Delight spent many a morning and midday abed. Seeking solitude. Avoiding grief. Realizing, after losing her mother, Daemon, Alicent, and Laena to the same chain of events, that she had little better to do.
She lays facedown as often as she can to deter people from disturbing her: the Daemon-with-a-hangover approach.
Daemon.
He promised it would never be like this. Had I known better, I might have married Jason Lannister and been done with it.
He'd promised he'd come for her.
She'd been so stupid. She knew he'd want to come himself. She'd readied herself. Oiled her lips even. Prepared the speech to stop him from trying to carry her the whole way and straining his back without offending him and causing him to do it just to prove he could.
She loves her children. She misses her children. But then she had wanted her husband. Because she'd wanted to be taken care of.
They'll make an Argella out of her yet.
Daemon will not let it happen. He'll die before he leaves me.
He'll die before he leaves me.
Because he's an imbecile.
My husband is an imbecile.
My imbecile husband is responsible for seven children.
That last thought is the most terrifying. Every time Rhaenyra had left for more than a few days, she'd come home to some kind of a disaster. She'd hoped that Rhaenys would be a calming influence. It had been a gamble. She knew they did not get along. Rhaenys did not even like her. But she'd hoped she would bring much-needed reason to the table. Bring her husband and his fleet to the table.
It would appear not.
At first, it is Alicent who is her nuisance. She starts trying to rouse her once the room is bright. Sometimes Aegon is with her. One time, Aegon even comes alone. For this, she does awaken, if only for a moment.
She shoos him away. "Aegon, no. No. Back Aegon." Then she shoos him away with a metal goblet. He returns with 'supervisors' to tell her some stupid story she does not care about.
She resumes her stone dragon impression.
She must stay stone as long as possible. She's a sleeping dragon, but she's also a caged dragon. When she wakes, it will go well for no one.
She lets the maids lead her out of bed for short durations, only under the hopes that she will soon be permitted to return to sleep. No one offers her any clothing beyond nightgowns and robes, and she does not request any.
Sometimes Syrax is there in her sleep, she is sad as well. Poor Syrax, so unused to being alone. She wonders if she can at least make conversation with Meleys, or if Meleys is as imperious and passive-aggressive as her rider. Mayhaps Syrax mocks Meleys behind her back; too bad there is no one to see the mop.
They graciously restore the privacy curtain between the annex and the apartment. She suspects that it is more to shroud their activity than to give her peace or privacy. People mill about when light floods the apartment. Moving items, moving furniture, she thinks she even hears construction. It is not a quiet affair. Finally, someone bars the windows in her sightline, and she understands. A true Rhaenyra-proofing.
I'm flattered.
Her eyes may open from time to time, but she sleeps through all of it.
She does not refuse the tea they offer, the one that smells of milk-of-the-poppy. She has little reason to anymore.
She had not slept for days, in truth. She was always on alert. It was almost a relief to be able to give in. To have no secret to guard, no plans to wait for. Her body had been through so much these past few days, once she gave in, or rather, was forced to give in, it was impossible to pull herself up.
I tried. They tried. Well, they tried poorly.
Sometimes, she does have to fight to stay asleep. She fights time, she fights the world, she fights her own mind and body. Sleep is her new battle. She will not lose until she wakes.
Mercifully for her sanity, Alicent does eventually give up. Light turns dark, and dark turns light again.
She tests how long she can stay perfectly still. She tests this skill in different positions. She dares not count moments. She does not let herself think about her family, she does not let herself think about anything. She tests how long she can think about nothing.
The Grandmaester visits several times. She follows his instructions in the same manner, and with the same motivations she does for the maids. She thinks Cole might have come a few times to taunt her, but she pays him no mind.
They must think her more addled than she truly is. Most of the sleepfulness is her own, after all. Or they simply do not care. It matters not, neither does she, she tells herself.
"Imbalance of the humours," Orwyle says from far away, yet still far too close for her liking. "This is a classic case of melancholia. But I must warn you, melancholia can easily turn to mania. It is common for either or both to manifest after childbirth or suffering, but they were likely always lying dormant.
"I don't know," Aegon says. "It seems more like she's trapped in a hopeless situation that has taken a heavy physical, mental, and emotional toll. You might want to leave her be; I think she actually does need to pass out for a few days. Worry not, sister. I've been there. You'll run out of sleep eventually."
"What are you doing here?" Tyland asks. Because apparently Tyland Lannister is now allowed in her room.
"I was kicked out of the other group for laughing at Aemond."
"Go patrol the city then," Cole says.
"Absolutely not. Have you seen my baby brother? It's not safe up there alone. What if my manhood is next?"
Cole sighs. "He might have a point. We need to ensure that does not happen again."
"Well you can count me out as a dragonkeeper," Tyland declares. "Hopefully the family madness only extends to the dragon-riding women. I've consulted with Lord Wylde. Prince Daemon's crimes and sentencing mean he has no authority over the girls' hands, and Pr— His Grace's authority supersedes that of the Sea Snake. Next council meeting, I'm offering a formal proposal for the younger one."
That does get Rhaenyra's attention. She springs upright and throws the first thing she can reach — the full pitcher of water — at Tyland's head.
Unfortunately, after she shooed away Aegon, they'd replaced her pitcher and cup with lightweight wooden versions. Still, he falls halfway to the floor before Cole catches him, and when he helps him upright she can see blood flowing down his face. She definitely hit his nose. She hopes that the Lannisters are one of those twin sets that feel each other's pain.
Aegon points and laughs at him.
She waits for Cole to retaliate, wondering if this is when she'll be forced to wake. But he does nothing. He just smiles.
She resumes her battle for sleep, but she gains little ground. The enemy retreats only as far as the apartment behind the curtain. They start to treat the evil twin and Orwyle leaves to gather supplies. He is followed back in by Alicent.
"Ser Harrold said that none of you are to be alone with her, and here I find all of you alone with her!"
"Ser Harrold's outburst has broken his deal," Cole says. "He's finished."
"He voiced only the same objections that I did," Alicent says. "And his visible presence is essential for our legitimacy, you know that."
Mayhaps some people simply cannot stand overt symbolism of a situation that is already at hand. But Rhaenyra is a symbolic dragon who rides a literal dragon; to her, they are one and the same. She is still slightly awake. "For fuck's sake," she shouts. "Is this really about the chains again? Send him in so I can tell him to get over himself. Also, get the fuck out!"
They do. She does. And they do. Then she resumes her slumber. The room drains and floods with light again. Rhaenyra finally finds herself drained of sleep, and she knows not when it will flood her again.
Fuck.
Aegon was right. What is happening with this world?
Whatever dose they'd been adding to her tea offers only a light fog for her mind; it is not enough to keep her in the clouds once days of sleep had cleared them away. She is trapped in the waking world.
She is trapped in a world where Aegon is correct.
She is trapped in a world where Aegon is correct.
She. Is. Trapped. In. A. World. Where. Aegon. Is. Correct.
Rather than accept that terrifying reality, she opts for a half-awake, numb state. She wills her blood to run as cold as it is able. She wills it to run even colder than it's able when the Greens once again use her room as a meeting room.
Otto whispers from the other side of the curtain. I know it's unsavoury, but it's inevitable. We have a story, we have a plan. Someone needs to do this."
"I will," says Cole.
"No!" Alicent commands. "She deserves some compassion, at the least. Let me talk it over with the boys."
Cole scoffs, but Otto grunts some kind of agreement.
Mayhaps it is the tea. But more likely, something about being in her father's bed makes her reticent to ask questions with potentially dangerous answers.
It is Aegon who delivers her supper. She sits up on her own and does not object; the more she awakens, the more disconcerting she finds the silent maids who rely on physical prompts. The maids that lurk like gargoyles in the corners of the room, she is now only realizing. She does not know how far they would go if she acts out, and her blood still runs too cold and numb to test it.
But this new dynamic quickly becomes just as disconcerting. Aegon is nervous. His smile is fake. "Good evening sister. I see you're finally awake? You're not going to throw anything at me, right? That was a sleep reflex?"
She gives him a half-hearted glare. "You stabbed me with a snake."
"No… I was paralyzed. You could have just drank and not gotten poisoned by a snake you know. That's what I did." He sets the tray down on a bedside table and pulls a chair over for himself.
"I didn't want people handling me in my sleep."
"Would you rather be handled while you were awake?"
"Yes, because it would probably make everyone very uncomfortable, and I might have gotten some more good bites in. How is our baby brother's hand, by the way?"
He genuinely smiles and almost laughs, but then his face falls. The nervous smile returns. She wonders for a moment if he's just going to sit there and watch her eat, but he soon reaches into a bag he'd had hooked around his elbow. He smiles that stiff smile some more. "I went to that sweets shop you apparently used to like." He opens the box and waves it in a circle to display it. "I got an assortment."
The dragonkeepers would give the goats a treat before they were led to the lairs. It was a means of assuring them they were cared for, that nothing was wrong, and that they should take a fun trip into the caves for no reason. The fact that Alicent had not faced her for some time, and had clearly sent her son in her place, does not bode well.
It's too soon for that pretender child's time. Which means I am definitely getting fed to a dragon. Or tortured. Or tortured and fed to a dragon.
Or… how long has she even been here? What's been happening outside? She might prefer the dragon and torture option. She decides that there are far too many unpleasant possibilities that she has no way of guessing, and resolves to focus on the dragon and torture option.
For now.
He picks up on her suspicion, or mayhaps attributes her demeanour to disinterest, and sets the box aside. And then his smile turns genuine. Which, for Aegon, can be just as foreboding. "I also brought you something from me," he says, giving away the fact that he was clearly following someone's directions. He reaches deeper into the bag and pulls out a box; he opens it.
She jumps to her feet and snatches the tray cover for both shield and weapon. "Aegon! No. Back!"
"Relax sister, it's not for you. Well, it is for you. But it's also for anybody. But also for me! This place is so much more fun with you around. That justice I got for you the other day, I would have done it anyway. So I figure… you should get one too."
"What?"
"One free shot!"
"Aegon," is all she can manage. Mayhaps it's time for bed again.
"I'm just saying. You'll enjoy it; I'll enjoy it. I know it will be funny regardless of who you choose! Just make sure I'm there, that's all I ask. Or… at least call me afterwards."
Which dragon will it be? Probably Vhagar. I doubt they'd turn their noses up at the opportunity to have both Daemon's wives die by Vhagar. She would be the quickest, at least. But there's so much sentimentality there, between Grandsire and Laena, that might sting.
"Worry not, sister," he tries to reassure her. "It's not like they can do much to punish you. They still need an heir and a spare, after all. And, no offence, that window is a bit too small to be taking chances with your health."
Oh, good. No dragon plan. They truly are going to kill me by accident.
"Aegon," she tries. "Why are you like this?"
He shrugs. "You'd know better than I would. But anyway, you can use it on anyone! I wouldn't try to use it for an escape though," he warns her. "There is only one after all. And I would discourage you from trying to make a spectacle. But mayhaps for petty revenge, some peace and quiet, or you know, if I get drunk and stumble in."
"How thoughtful. Although, I would probably just go along with it and then kick you in the balls at the opportune time, Aegon."
"Warning noted."
"Good…"
Aegon actually has a thought. "Oh! I almost forgot. You can use it on our baby brother if you wish, but you cannot kill him after. Apparently, if he dies, they're going to kill you and make me into a 'puppet,' they called it. And let's be honest, no one wants that."
Rhaenyra sighs. "Aegon, I already have seven children and a Daemon to worry about. Also, I'm a prisoner. I'm sorry, but I do not have the energy to parent whatever is happening here."
Aegon fakes a laugh and refuses to look her in the eye. Clearly, duplicity does not always accompany depravity. Then again, one could sum up Aegon's entire identity as depravity without duplicity.
He tries too hard to be casual. "I only wanted… to make certain you knew, that you should probably not kill Aemond, is all."
Her father's ghost tells her not to push. But she was never very good at listening to him. Despite her previous comment, she fixes Aegon with her stern stare. "Aegon…"
"I have to go," he blurts.
He stands up, but she calls to him before he can leave. "Tell your mother I would be delighted to break fast with her on the morrow. I find myself growing ever more alert, and am now wanting for company." She considers. "Tell her she is welcome to bring our baby brother — if he is not too busy ruling my Kingdoms."
He nods, and then leaves as quickly as he can without running.
The gargoyle in corner of the annex does not leave.
"What?" she demands, not expecting an answer.
I hate these people. They make everything so unnecessarily fucked up.
She suspects she will not find sleep tonight, not as the dragon stirs. She decides to test how much freedom she is now permitted as a fully conscious person. She finishes her supper and examines both of her gifts so as to not draw attention to the interesting one. The gargoyle, she suspects, never glimpsed the contents of the box.
She doesn't exactly want it, but she doesn't exactly want to give it up either. Knocking someone unconscious could be useful. At the very least, it could be satisfying. But the gargoyles complicate matters. She puts the box away on a bedside shelf and hopes for the best.
Apparently, Cole, Otto, and Alicent had been her 'keyholders,' and the maids must go through whoever is 'on-duty,' to allow her to move about. She learns this a few minutes after she asks the maids to summon someone who will actually speak to her, and Cole steps through her curtains.
He actually agrees to let her out of the annex into the apartment, so long as she is secured to the seating area by her ankle. She is at first surprised by how willing he is to grant her mobility, until he smiles and says, "As long as the apartment is lit so the maids might keep watch, I'd be happy to grant you a longer leash." He seems to takes great pleasure in the transfer, and she is then pretty confident about who applied the short-lived neck restraint.
Even their dogs make everything unnecessarily salacious. Also, Seven Hells, Daemon.
Why. Must. He. Antagonize. Everyone.
She spends the night floating on fog, dreading the clear morning sky. She does try to pace for a time, but the chain gets tangled so often it is not worth the effort. She still accepts the tea that smells faintly of milk-of-the-poppy. It is not of a strong enough concentration to knock her out, and while she might be awake, she would prefer to be numb and awake.
Despite all the work they'd done, all the furniture they'd moved in, all the noise they'd made, all the time they'd spent here, no one had cleared Valyria of the cobwebs. At this point, she wonders if it's a statement. She tries to approach the model and possibly attend to it herself, but the chain stops her just out of reach.
Of course.
She spends the rest of the night leafing through her father's Valyrian texts. The morning does not bring more construction within her suite. But it does bring construction just outside her suite.
They're creating a bubble.
To her credit, Alicent does accept her invitation to break fast. She does not bring Aemond, but she does bring a half-asleep Aegon. She wonders if Alicent hopes to use him as a buffer.
Rhaenyra makes a habit out of crossing and uncrossing her legs to make the chain clatter. She gets some satisfaction from how uncomfortable it makes Alicent. Almost as much satisfaction she got from Cole's consternation at the fact that she is little more than inconvenienced by the 'leash.'
But the repetition starts to wear on her patience, and she eventually cuts off Alicent's meaningless apologies. "Why would I be offended? This isn't my name day, and you're not my husband. Which means these are not a sign that you forgot to get me a present. And even if somehow they are, you're wagging your tongue in the wrong place."
Aegon wakes up enough to laugh.
"What?" But then she does think it over for too many moments, and it does register with her. She scrunches her face in disgust.
Alicent is desperate to change the subject. "I had the clothing you brought with you laundered. It should be delivered shortly. The one you were wearing when… that one is ruined. But your court dress and your red dress are in good condition."
She sighs; that had been her most comfortable one. "Let me guess; they put the chains on, left, didn't give the maids the keys, so the maids ripped it off."
She hesitates, then nods.
Definitely dying by accident. "Seven Hells. I know better by now than to ask you not to do anything fucked up. But at the least, have Aegon supervise next time."
Aegon does not stir at the sound of his name. He's fallen back into his seat with his mouth open and his head hanging over the back of the chair.
Rhaenyra considers mundane matters to avoid actual matters. "I do not believe I'll have much need for a formal maternity court dress. So I have but one dress then."
"Rhaenyra," she tries to 'remind' her.
Ugh.
She does not push Alicent to speak of whatever she sent Aegon for. She knows her well enough to expect her presence to be enough of a push. And it is. "Rhaenyra… what can I do?"
"What?" That had not been what she was expecting. She did not know what she was expecting, but that was not it.
"What do you want? Just tell me what you want."
"Are you serious? As in, how can you make my captivity friendlier?"
"I…" Alicent is lost yet still determined to push forward. "Just, how can I make you comfortable here?"
"Oh, I see. You are an Andal. Something something, Septon Barth. Let the underlings keep their dignity, the unspoken threat of dragons should be enough. But I am I dragon; I know dragons. No threat goes unspoken forever."
"Rhaenyra," she chokes out. "Please!" Aegon jumps awake at her raised voice.
"Beyond what I actually want — Nothing."
"Be reasonable."
"I don't know. I don't know how to know."
"What is it about being 'free' that you want the most right now? Is it mobility? Activity? Entertainment? Please Rhaenyra, just tell me."
She gives Alicent a dumbfounded stare.
She continues to grasp. "Mayhaps you could sit in the sunlight? We could bring in some plants. We need to bar the windows, but we're still letting the light in. And we can open them wide for some fresh air."
Aegon laughs. "What is she, one of Helaena's lizards?"
That line deserves some kind of congratulations. But, keeping with the troubling pattern, Alicent ignores Aegon and continues. "Let's say it's a day where you have no duties to attend to. What would you be doing right now?"
Rhaenyra smiles. "My husband."
"It's morning."
"And? Fine. Riding my dragon."
"Be reasonable!"
"Fine, riding Syrax." Rhaenyra is still too numb to laugh at her own joke or Alicent's consternation, but Aegon graciously does it for her. He may serve her yet.
"Rhaenyra!" Alicent pleads. "Please just think about it."
She does, for a moment. "I don't know, spending time with my sons? Being an actual mother? You know Alicent, it is a little vexing to watch you have the freedom to mother and yet still refuse to do so."
She'd meant it as an insult, to be certain. But she did not expect Alicent to be quite so devastated. She'd also expected Aegon to laugh again. But he just looks uncomfortable.
They continue their meal in silence until they're interrupted by an urgent-looking Cole. "Your Grace."
"Yes," Rhaenyra pointedly answers alongside Alicent. This earns her a glare. She is still a bit too numb to delight in it, though. Satisfaction is the strongest positive emotion she can manage.
Cole turns to Alicent. "A ship has anchored outside the Keep requesting parlay. A Velaryon ship with an envoy. Our envoy."
Oh, good. How are they going to fuck up this time? It's just a little insulting to be caught in a tug-of-war between two teams that keep dropping the rope. Or, you know, chains. She resolves to use that precious remaining numbness to refuse to care. She'll start right now! I do not care, she tells herself.
"Right," Alicent agrees with too much enthusiasm. "I will handle it."
"I suppose it would be you, Alicent," Rhaenyra says. "You offer no military strength, you're royal by marriage, not blood, and you occupy no formal position. That does make you the most expendable."
Cole knocks her near-finished plate onto the floor.
"Who raised you, Cole? Was it Alicent?"
Aegon does not laugh, because Aegon is once again asleep. Aegon slept through a plate breaking. Whatever Aegon is on, Rhaenyra wants some.
"Leave him," she says, hoping they will not suspect that she means to solicit him for substances. "The gargoyles are here. We'll be civilized."
"You certain you won't start fighting?" Cole tries to goad her. "From the rumours coming from the docks, apparently that's all your family knows how to do. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this is —"
"Ser Criston," Alicent interrupts. "That is enough. Come."
Aegon briefly awakens shortly after they leave. She asks him before she sees him out, and is disappointed to discover that source of his state is simply alcohol and a disturbed sleep cycle. Judging from the sounds, he passes out again in the corridor. No one bothers to move him.
The tea is no longer enough to cool her blood. Now it is all on her. She finds an hourglass they'd allowed to remain within reach, and practices thinking about nothing, and thinking about specific things, for as long as she can. She delays the inevitable for as long as she can.
Roughly one hourglass later, Alicent comes to retrieve Aegon from the corridor. Their muffled vices leak through the door for some time.
Not caring does not mean I cannot be curious, she tells herself. She grabs an empty goblet and presses it between her ear and a part of the wall she can reach.
"This is our chance," Alicent says. "This is our chance to give her the choice."
"Was I still asleep when you mentioned that part?"
"No, but think about it. Whether or not they intend it so, this still gives her the choice in the moment. Just for the two though, Father will not take any further risk. We can make this right, Aegon."
"I'm sure that will convince the Council," he yawns.
"Aemond would give her anything right now. Besides, think of the strategic advantages. And we'd have the irrefutable legal high ground after this. More importantly, we'll probably avoid a bloody war."
"In exchange for quite the risk," Aegon warns. "And you need to decide which of your children you consider the most expendable."
Silence reigns for some time.
Aegon sighs. "Alright, I'm coming. But I'd better not die." Footsteps fade down the corridor.
She turns back around to face the room. But it is not the room she faces.
It's a gargoyle. A displeased gargoyle.
"Ah!" She jumps back as far as she can. Which is not far.
I banned jumpscares during storytime for a reason. And the reason is my somehow-still-beating-heart.
Three and a half hour-glasses later, Otto, Alicent, and Cole storm into her room. The usual team.
"Enter," she says pointedly. In her adolescent voice. Oh no. How far will this reversion go? How much angst awaits me?
Otto does not bother with niceties. "Did you really have Laenor killed?" he demands.
"What?"
"You claimed it was you," Cole says. "Not Daemon. Is that true?"
She does not have enough information about the situation to decide on a lie, so she opts for silence. Hopefully they will glean what they wish.
And they do. Cole smiles. "I knew it. She's a liar."
"That's not impressive," Rhaenyra points out. "Everyone knows that."
Otto tosses a pin at her. Not to her, at her. It lands on the sofa beside her. The Hand pin she'd stolen from the Tower, no doubt. "Did you name the Princess Rhaenys your Hand?" he demands.
"Yes I did."
"When?"
She says nothing.
"Let me try again. How did you come by that pin?"
She shrugs.
"Rhaenyra," Alicent tries. "Did you and Princess Rhaenys sneak into the Tower of the Hand?"
Where is this going?
She gives her a blank stare.
"Rhaenyra," she says softly. "Did you name Rhaenys your Hand because you overheard us talking about the evidence. Did you name her your Hand because you don't trust Daemon? Because you really think he might have done it?"
No information. I have no information to go on. Thank you so much, whoever made the latest plan.
But they wouldn't have the pin unless Rhaenys gave it to them. So at least Rhaenys was behind this. And Rhaenys knows the truth. But this is not the type of underhanded play she would make, which hopefully suggests Daemon's involvement. And as stupid as Daemon could be, he had accepted long ago that her lying skills surpassed his own. If he was revealing one of her last secrets, there must be a reason.
She knows they would never trust an admittal, so she simply averts her eyes in defeat.
Otto claims his victory. "Alicent, send our terms. Cole, you're with me."
No one acknowledges her after that save for Alicent, who gives her a piteous look as she leaves.
I chose a good day to decide not to care, she tells herself. She picks up the hourglass and resumes her work.
She does develop a craving later in to the afternoon, but she cannot reach the box without a key holder. And the key holders are not to be found.
"Scary gargoyles," she calls. She know it's not fair, they are normal-looking women after all, but they do act like gargoyles. And it's not like they could tell her their names. "Could you bring me the box that Aegon gave me last night."
The scary gargoyle that had been staring them down at dinner last night appears in front of her.
With both boxes.
Well, if the gods will for me to have some fun, I'll have some fun. Who will it be?
It takes some time and effort, but she does manage to transfer the strange fang-sac-tweezer-contraption into the candy box. At least it will be less suspicious to retrieve.
I wouldn't make a spectacle… he'd warned.
Of course Aegon would say that. As chaotic as he is, he's still a Hightower. But Rhaenyra does need to start making shows of defiance, preferably whilst she's still almost numb. This could be her chance.
I will not give them my cooperation; I will give them nothing but a headache, she had resolved before that first fang poisoning. But she'd ended giving herself the biggest headache. No. She will save any further resistance for when there were witnesses. She will not waste her strength.
Let the realm know that Rhaenyra Targaryen did not go quietly. Dragons do not go quietly. Dragons are very selective about their people, and I did not select these people.
But she does not know when she will be given the opportunity to do so, so she resolves to continue not caring until then. She does keep the candy box close though.
The opportunity comes sooner than she expects. It comes two hourglasses after her supper is delivered, as she's wondering how she's going to go to bed without a keyholder. The usual team storms into her room. She does not even have time to be sarcastic, because Cole heads right for her.
Fires light fast when they need to, so Rhaenyra is able to snatch the fang before Cole reaches her and hide it in a pocket just as he grabs her. He rushes her over to the gargoyles. "Get her changed. I don't want any pockets. I don't want any long sleeves. I don't want anywhere she can hide anything."
Oh, come on.
She sees it coming in his smile. She offers no objections because she knows that he wants her to. Besides, it means they're going somewhere. Perhaps somewhere with witnesses.
Alicent, however, does object. "You don't need to be so aggressive!"
"I am taking absolutely no chances," Cole declares. In his baffling enthusiasm over her neck — that is definitely Daemon's fault — he misses a crucial step. Or perhaps he never even considered it. She does not bother to correct him. It's not enough to escape, but it is enough to fight and cause a scene.
"I am inclined to agree with Cole," Otto says. "No room for error."
They cover her with a shawl first. Which means they're either going outside, or they're either going among witnesses. Either way, she resigns herself, time to wake the dragon.
But they do not take her through witnesses. As she suspected, it seems they are trying to keep several floors of the Holdfast contained. They walk freely through those corridors and down the first few flight of stairs, until they encounter a score of Hightower soldiers. They position themselves to surround their party.
She does not struggle yet, because there is no one to struggle for. No more pointless headaches. They reach the bottom floor of the Holdfast, and they lead her to the door to the —
Fuck. They lead her to the tunnel entrance.
That which once enabled my liberation now enables my imprisonment. Oh, cruel irony, she would have lamented had she cared. Which she still does not, she tells herself. Caring is for later.
Their trip is long, and winding, and unfamiliar. They eventually emerge at the back of the palace grounds to a path that is wide and cobbled; the width of several streets at least. A drop into the ocean lies at their front, and a high wall lies to their back. They walk along that spacious edge for a time, putting distance between them and the door.
Then Otto stops the procession, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and the Hightower host splits in half. They leave all the torches behind.
Rhaenyra soon discovers why. It takes some time for her eyes to adjust to the moonlight, but soon she can make out several silhouettes ahead of them. As they approach, she identifies every member of the small council and Kingsuard, including an uncomfortable and confused Ser Harrold.
Also, there's a fucking Septon.
Neither Aemond nor Aegon are among them, but she soon spares little concern for assessing those around her. She's more concerned about where they are now standing, and what they are standing on.
They are standing on a pyre.
It's a makeshift pyre, cobblestone covered in straw tinder and what smells like torch fuel, but a pyre nonetheless. And it's a large pyre. Large enough for the whole small council, remaining Kingsguard, and ten Hightower men. She only then notes that Alicent is wearing a very old dress, likely wary of the oils they traipse over. Rhaenyra is no longer annoyed that they put her in a borrowed dress, at the least.
There's a pillar at the centre and she can only assume it's for her. She is the most blasphemous among them, after all. She makes no effort to theorize what is happening beyond that. A length of chain is already secured to the pole. Not her fancy, delicate gold ones, but sturdy, thick, iron links. Cole attaches the free side to her ankle, attaches a comically sturdy lock from his bag, and then he throws the key off the cliff.
I do not care. I do not care. I do not care, she tells herself. She is less concerned with protecting herself from fear and more concerned with preserving her sanity.
They wait there in awkward silence. Ser Criston does not leave her side, so she claims the pillar for leaning before he can. Apparently, no one is very comfortable standing on a pyre by a cliff, because most of the others drift towards the wall. It still leaves them on a pyre, but at least with a place to lean. She spots Tyland there, finally, with a bandaged nose.
She and Cole are now the only ones not standing against the wall. Which means they are the only ones to come face-to-face with Sunfyre.
Sunfyre lands on the cobblestone path just outside the pyre, effectively blocking their way back to the tunnels. They are surrounded on three sides now.
Aegon's shadow waves from the saddle. "Hey Rhaenyra! Worry not. I'm here because I'm the most expendable, and you're here because you're the least expendable. I do believe that means we cancel each other out. You and I are safe."
Rhaenyra sighs. How did we come to this?
I do not care, she tells herself.
Cole starts to look jealous of her leaning pillar, but he is too proud to ask for a turn. Or too smart. She leans further into the pillar and studies Sunfyre. She thinks about counting scales, but the moon is not bright enough for that tonight, so she soon turns her attention to the stars. She only then realizes that she has not been outside for many days. She counts the constellations she can find. She wonders how long it will be before she sees the stars again. Before she breathes the fresh open air again. Seven Hells, before she sees a dragon again.
She tells herself she does not care.
She continues to search the stars. Cole and Sunfyre grow alert and turn their attention behind her. She tells herself she does not care. The Septon and some of the council members step back into the middle of the pyre; she tells herself she does not care.
A new source of wind rustles her hair against her neck; she tells herself she does not care. The ground shakes for just a moment; she tells herself she does not care.
Cole huffs and she turns ever so slightly to find him glaring at her. She tells herself she does not care, but he twists her around to face the last remaining exit along the path. She discovers that it now too is blocked. And this time, she cannot tell herself she does not care.
Because the path is blocked by Caraxes.
Author's Notes
Hi all! Bear with me as I figure out how to navigate this site. I'm an AO3 native who decided to join for those sweet sweet chapter analytics so I'm a bit new to this interface.
The chapters I'm posting right now are Part 1 of a fic I'm currently working on. They're appearing so quickly because they're actually already finished. This fic has four parts, and I've taken a hiatus between part 2 and part 3 to review my previous work and do some much-needed editing. So what you are seeing here are the chapters after I've refined them! Feel free to offer critiques of the writing; that's what I'm here for!
P.S. I'm also in DIRE need of a beta reader. Especially to ensure that readers can understand what's happening and that it's clear who's speaking.
We're getting close to the end of the finished chapters. Afterwards, I'll resume weekly updates in June!
The Black Widow
Prologue: Promise Me
Part 1: Green Council
Canon Divergence
1. Cake —Alicent
2. Promises — Rhaenyra
3. Windows — Alicent
4. Vipers' Nest — Rhaenyra
5. Messages — Jace
6. Secrets I — Rhaenyra
7. Secrets II — Rhaenyra
8. Rogue Agents — Baela
9. The Childbed is Our Battlefield — Alicent
10. The Key to the Seven Kingdoms — Jace
Part 2: Black Queen
Character Arc Divergence
Black / Daemon-centric
1. When the Sea Takes You
2. Not-So-Sleeping Dragons
3. The Princess and the Queen
4. Toddlers on Toy Dragons
5. Dreams Didn't Make Us Kings
6. Black Bride
7. Black Wedding
8. Never Get Involved in a Land War in Essos
9. In Her Honour
10. In Her Name
11. The 'Cactus' and the Mummy
12. The Last Storm
13. Beware Our Sting
14. Storm's End
15. Playing with Fire
16. Smoking Sea
17. The Queen-in-Chains
18. Aegon's Best Day Ever
19. King Breaker
20. Hearts as Embers
21. Ghostly Flame
22. A Future Promised in Glass I
23. A Future Promised in Glass II
24. Epilogue
Part 3: Storm Queen
Coming in June!
Green/Rhaenyra-centric
Coming soon (outlining in progress)
Chapters will update as written
Part 4: Title TBD
The final part
War of the Wife Guys
Consort Crisis
Absolute insanity
Daemon says it's Daemonin time