Princess Alyssa Targaryen

It had been five years since her marriage to Aegyl Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne. Five years in which Alyssa had learnt more about the greenlands than she had ever thought possible. When she had been a girl growing up on Pyke, her father had always spoken of the Greenlanders with contempt, calling them soft and no fit match to rule the land they lived on. Quellon Greyjoy had been a proud man, a man who had wished to see the Iron Islands returned to its former glory, a man who wanted to bring the old way back and yet he had done nothing to allow that to happen. He had sat inside Pyke, plotting and brooding but doing nothing, some said it was because he was scared of the King and his hand, that he feared being killed by some godsforsaken animal on Pyke, others said it was because Quellon Greyjoy had become soft in his old age and was too tired to do anything more other than grumble.

The real reason as Alyssa had learnt was because he had agreed to betroth his only daughter and oldest child to the heir to the Iron Throne. The day her betrothal to Aegyl had been announced her father had come into her rooms and told her that she must be strong and proud, and that through her, a dynasty would be created that would rule the seven kingdoms for generations to come, bringing the Old Way back through marriage and not war. Quellon Greyjoy seemed most pleased with this turn of events, but her brother Balon had been furious. All of her brothers had taken their father's words about the Old Way to heart, and yet it was Balon who had been the one to seriously consider bringing the Old Way back, her brother had fumed and fumed and raged about it all the night after the betrothal was announced and he had not even bothered to show up to her wedding still angry as he was. That was something Alyssa had never forgiven him for. It had fallen to Victarion to give her away in the Great Sept of Baelor, Victarion the brother she was closest to, the brother she told all of her secrets to and who told her all of his. Oh how she wished he could have remained in King's Landing for longer than he did, but he had left a moon after her wedding to go on some raiding campaign of Essos.

Once Victarion had gone, Alyssa had been forced to confront her fears about her new family. She had heard the rumours of the King, the Queen and even her own betrothed, rumours that claimed that they were all sorcerers or heathens or other such rubbish. It had not taken her all that long to learn that her husband at least was no sorcerer nor was a heathen, instead he was a smart and caring man who had a heart of gold. Aegyl had done everything he thought possible during the early days of their marriage to make her feel more at ease and more comfortable, he had given her, her own ship to sail as part of the royal fleet, and when she had mentioned something about being homesick, after Aemon had been born he had decreed that they would live from Dragonstone. The rest of her husband's family remained largely strangers to her because of this, but from what she had seen, the king was just as intimidating and fearsome as all the stories had painted him as, the queen was kind and sweet. Princess Rhaenys, Aegyl's mother had a sharp mind and even sharper tongue, and Alyssa would admit that she was slightly afraid of her goodmother. Prince Aenar was of the Kingsguard and as such she did not seem him for most of the time. Prince Maekar was a black heart and a rogue, someone who was very, very lively and boisterous, so filled with life where his siblings seemed so serious. Lady Jaehara, Alyssa had met just the once and so she knew not that much about her, nor did Aegyl.

Dragonstone itself, was a lot more cheerful than she had been led to believe, it did remind her a lot of Pyke, in the way the waves crashed over the rocks, and there was a constant smell of the sea. She felt more at home in Dragonstone than she ever had in King's Landing. Then again she supposed that also had something largely to do with the presence of her husband and children. Since Aemon's birth five years ago, she had given birth to three more children, twins Viserys and Baelon both of whom at age three looked more and more like their father with their silver hair and violet eyes than Aemon did with his black as night hair and purple eyes, and Rhaena sweet Rhaena who at two was already a strong willed personality. They all provided both herself and Aegyl countless hours of entertainment, with their antics and little squabbles; Alyssa would have it no other way.

Her husband also seemed to keep a very interesting friendship group, as well as being friends with Lord Marcus Velaryon, a man who was very smart and very, very good looking, Aegyl was friends with Tywin Lannister, the Lord of the Rock, a man who was ruthless in the way he dealt with rebels and trouble makers. That had been evident from the way he had dealt with the rebel houses in the Westerlands during the war of the lions, and in the way he had continued to demand reparations from the houses that had been left standing from the rebellion. Of course there had been one chink in the mighty lion's armour, his father's mistress had been pregnant with a child during the first year of Alyssa's marriage, and Tywin had written to her husband telling him that his father meant to legitimize the bastard and that Tywin feared what this could mean for his own children who were soon to be born. Tywin had asked Aegyl to do all he could to persuade the king not to legitimize the bastard, and somehow Aegyl had managed to convince his grandfather against doing what Tytos Lannister wanted, and though that action had antagonized relations between the two men further, it had earnt Aegyl, his friend's undying gratitude, something that Alyssa felt would come in very handy at some point later on.

Aegyl had informed her shortly after that, that the woman had died in labour, her child stillborn. Tywin had written to him to inform him that when Tytos Lannister had been informed of his mistress's death, he had closed his eyes and ended his pitiful existence on this earth. Something, Aegyl said had earnt him the unending enmity of Tywin, and that the man had been buried in the crypts of the Rock, but that Tywin would never mourn him. Tywin and his wife Joanna had come to visit them on Dragonstone, in fact they had been here for the past few days, bringing with them their twins Jaime and Cersei, it was almost impossible to tell the two apart from one another, so alike did they seem. Though Alyssa did have a strange feeling about the girl whenever she saw her, she was not sure what it was but something about her felt, wrong.

"What are you thinking about my lady?" Aegyl asked, winding his arms around her.

Alyssa hummed slightly, and leaned back into his embrace. "Nothing my lord, merely pondering our lives."

Her husband chuckled softly. "Have you become a brooding woman since coming to Dragonstone Al? You have not set foot on our ship since Rhaena turned one. Is something the matter?"

It was true, since Rhaena's birth she had not set foot on the Sea Dragon, the ship that Aegyl had given her as a wedding present, instead preferring to remain on solid ground. "I fear you have made me a Greenlander my prince. For I can barely stand to be away from you and the children for long periods of time."

She turned then and kissed Aegyl, he kissed her back and when they eventually broke off for air, they were both flushed. Her husband cleared his throat. "There was a raven earlier today, from Summerhall. It seems Aerys shall be joining us for a time."

Alyssa could see the tension in her husband's shoulders when he mentioned his cousin. Prince Aerys Targaryen of Summerhall, was a strange man, he was be equal turns kind and cruel, and he lusted after Joanna Lannister like nothing else, though he was wed and a boy already. "Does Tywin know my prince?" Alyssa asked.

"Aye he was there when the raven came. He and Joanna shall be remaining in their rooms for however long Aerys chooses to stay here before he heads on for King's Landing." Aegyl replied.

"You mean he will not be staying here for long?" Alyssa asked feeling hope bloom in her chest, the less time one spent in his company the better.

Aegyl nodded. "Aye. His uncle Prince Aelix has summoned him to the capital, for some business or the other. I know not, but I do not care."

There was a knock on the door, and then Ser Brandon Stark of the Kingsguard opened the door and said rather apologetically. "Lord Tywin wishes to speak with both of you my prince."

Alyssa saw her husband nod, and then Tywin Lannister strode into the room, tall and proud as brass. He got to one knee before them. "My Prince, princess." After Aegyl had bid him rise, Tywin spoke once more. "I am sorry for interrupting your personal time, but I was wondering if we could speak of an issue of great importance?"

Alyssa looked to her husband who merely nodded and so they all sat down. But before they spoke about whatever it was that Tywin wished to speak to them off Alyssa asked. "Where is Lady Joanna Tywin? Surely she should be privy to this conversation?"

Tywin Lannister was silent for a moment before replying. "My wife and I have discussed this issue at great length, and as such she agrees with what I am about to ask."

Her husband was growing impatient, she could see from the way his legs were beginning to twitch. His voice was perfectly calm though when he said. " Very well then Ty, what is it that you wish to speak of?"

Tywin Lannister's face was a mask, an unreadable mask at that moment, and when he spoke his voice betrayed no emotion whatsoever. "I wish to discuss the possibility of arranging a betrothal between my son Jaime and your daughter Princess Rhaena. To further the bonds between Casterly Rock and the Iron Throne."

Silence, and then Alyssa spoke. "Surely it is too early, to begin speaking of such things Lord Tywin. Both of our children are still babes, they have much growing to be done before a betrothal should be discussed. Surely you recognise such a thing?"

Tywin Lannister turned to her, and his expression was unreadable, but she could detect the slightest hint of anger boiling there beneath the surface. "They may be babes now, but they will not be forever my princess. The sooner we discuss betrothal options for them, the better the kingdoms will be for it. Relations between the Iron Throne and the Rock have been tense since the days of the first Blackfyre rebellion. I see this betrothal as a chance to end such tensions once and for all."

Alyssa looked at her husband then, Aegyl had been silent for a long time, seemingly pondering what his friend had said. When he spoke his voice was ponderous as well. "So what you are asking for Ty is that in order to better ease relations between our two houses, we betroth are children together when both are still shitting in their swaddling clothes? Is that what you are asking?" Tywin Lannister nodded, and Aegyl laughed then. "Ah very well then, I will not seal the betrothal in writing just yet, that shall wait until I sit the Iron Throne. But until then a handshake will have to suffice."

Once her husband and his best friend had shook hands on the matter, and Tywin Lannister had left sufficiently happy, Alyssa spoke then. "Are you sure about this my prince? Are you sure about betrothing Rhaena to Jaime Lannister? What if you change your mind, or a more viable option comes up?"

Her husband stood up then and walked to the window. His voice was soft when he replied. "A more viable option you say? Such as what? Marrying Rhaena to a Stark? No we already have ties to the Starks, and besides I do not wish for them to have more power than they already do. The Arryns, Jon Arryn has not had a child yet by any of his wives, and Elbert Arryn is betrothed to some Royce girl. The Tullys and Tyrells would be an insult to our little girl. No Tywin and his son are the best option and they will heal the wounds that my grandfather has never bothered to heal. Besides," her husband said turning round to face her then. "They are both still babes now; there is plenty of time left before we have to make anything official."

Alyssa nodded, still feeling slightly uneasy about the whole thing, but in the end she let the matter drop. Two weeks later, Prince Aerys arrived with some forty men from Summerhall, his wife Princess Rhaella and their son Prince Rhaegar remained in Summerhall, for Aerys said that he did not wish to be burdened by extra luggage on the trip. Alyssa watched as her husband entertained the Prince, drinking with him and joking with him, all the while his grip on his knife tightened at the dining table. Aerys Targaryen had always had the air of thinking he was greater than he actually was, he was uncouth and loud and just a tad mad, and Alyssa feared for his wife and child, being raised in the same house as him.

Tywin and Joanna were present for most of the time that Aerys was at Dragonstone, though both tended to keep to themselves, saying little during the feasts and during the day time, preferring to go exploring of the islands around Dragonstone. Alyssa did not miss the covetous looks Aerys sent towards Joanna, and she felt sorry for her friend, Aerys truly was a depraved man to think he could stand a chance with Joanna when Tywin was there. The mighty lion of the Rock was often seen fuming silently after the meals, especially those that involved dancing, where Aerys would press himself closer than was acceptable to Joanna.

Thankfully, the children seemed oblivious to all the tension going on around them. Aemon, Viserys and Baelon would all report cheerfully back to her of the games they and Jaime Lannister would play, whilst Rhaena would gush about the lovely things she and Cersei did. Of course towards the end of Aerys stay with them on Dragonstone, the true reason for why he was here came up. She, Aegyl and Aerys were sat in Aegyl's solar, cups of hippocras in their hands, a peaceful silence after the farewell feast had ended, the children were in bed as were Tywin and Joanna.

Aerys spoke then breaking the silence, his voice slurred from the wine. "Thank you for treating me so well coz. I did not expect such nice treatment from you or your savage of a wife."

Alyssa felt Aegyl tense next to her, and she laid a warning hand on his arm. "You are most welcome my prince." Alyssa replied.

"I was not speaking to you woman. Now Aegyl, I have had enough of toying around the edges of this. You must know why I decided to stop by Dragonstone on my way to the capital. And it was not just to say hello." Aerys stated.

Aegyl was silent for a long time. "I did simply think you were here to say hello coz, before you went to assume a council position on my grandfather's council."

Aerys snorted then. "Then you must be a fool. Your grandfather is ailing you fool. Though I am sure you are aware of that. No I have come to discuss the betrothal of your daughter and my son."

The silence this time was filled with tension, Alyssa felt her tensing inside, the dread, the thing she had feared the most, sending her little girl off to Summerhall to be a plaything for Rhaegar Targaryen. Aegyl spoke then his voice hard. "I was aware of no such betrothal coz."

Aerys snorted once more. "There is no betrothal at the moment you fool. But soon enough there will be. Think about Aegyl, the chance to reunite the bloodlines of our ancestors, a chance to create a supreme dynasty that will tower over all others. The Targaryens will be great again."

Her husband spoke once more, his voice cold. "Our family is already great coz. We rule the Seven Kingdoms, there is peace in the realm and our lords are happy."

"You are a fool if you believe that Aegyl. Your grandfather and the savage he has as hand have made our family a laughing stock. We no longer command fear the way we used to. A wedding between your daughter and my son could make such a thing possible again."

Alyssa felt herself sinking; her worst fears seem to be coming true. Aegyl though remained stoic, and his voice was still hard when he replied to his cousin. "I am afraid that it is you who is delusional coz. But that is neither here nor there. My daughter is not yet out of her swaddling clothes, and you son is by far too old for her. No I am afraid I cannot agree to a betrothal between the two of them."

Aerys stood up then his face flushed, his voice was loud when he spoke next. "You would refuse an offer from the dragon? Have you lost your sense coz? Or have you already agreed to wed your daughter off to Tywin's get? You fool, to contaminate the blood of the dragon with the blood of lions." Aerys spat then and said. "You will not have many allies left once this comes out." He had said that last part so loudly that Ser Brandon had burst into the room his sword drawn.

Aegyl was calm when he said. "Ser Brandon, I fear my cousin has drunk more than he can handle, please see him to his rooms."

The next day Aerys departed for King's Landing, and a raven came from the capital asking for their presence as well, for the King was unwell and wished to see them all before he departed from the world.