Prologue Part 3: Endgame
Before Rhaenyra knew it, it had been a year since she'd had her dream and all her plans were starting to yield fruit. She was on excellent terms with her Arryn kin and many of their bannermen, Aegon was nearing his second birthday and she'd heard rumors that it was going to be on his birthday her father was going to name him heir and she honestly felt like she might be falling in love with Lord Cregan.
It was right about this time that Cregan sent her a message on Dragonstone saying that, as he was soon to reach his age of majority (at age 16) that he planned to send a formal petition to her father asking for his permission to wed her. This news brought the Princess great joy as she knew, especially with her endorsement, that it would be hard for her father to pass up.
When she returned to Kings Landing two days later, she requested a private audience with her father.
"Rhaenyra, child, what have you wished to speak to me about?"
"My marriage," she replied and then held up a hand as her father looked like he was about to speak. "I know I have a duty to wed and that you have received many petitions already asking for my hand. However, several months ago, while I was visiting my cousin Jayne in the Eyrie, I met the new, young Warden of the North, Lord Cregan Stark. I wound up joining my cousin to secure the North from his Uncle and met his mother and half sister. I have been exchanging messages with all three for months and they have become very dear to me. Soon Lord Cregan will be reaching the age of majority and he wrote to me that he planned to petition for my hand. I would ask that you accept his petition and grant us your permission to wed."
Laughing, the king replied, "Having you ask permission to wed was the very last thing I expected of you my dear as you have always hated and avoided that very topic. I cannot deny that the match is a strong one as he does command much power and he's close to your own age. I actually have received his petition and can understand how you became acquainted with all the time you've been spending in the Vale over the last year. If it is truly what you desire, then I will grant you my blessing. However, I will insist that you wed here."
"Thank you father," the Princess said with a smile as she jumped up to embrace him. "Cregan follows the Old Gods, so while I do not think he will protest being wed here, I do believe he will want to wed before the Weirwood tree rather than in the Sept."
"That will be acceptable. Now, let me write out my acceptance to Lord Stark so you can send it off to him as well as the formal declaration of your betrothal so that I can finally stop being barraged with proposals."
So later that day Rhaenyra flew out to Dragonstone to send the acceptance letter to Lord Cregan as well as a note to him expressing her joy in it. She also wrote to his mother and sister informing them that soon she would be marrying Cregan and how excited she was. While there, she also decided to send a personal message to her Cousin and other kin in the Vale informing them of her upcoming nuptials and how much it would please her if they would attend, despite the slights her father had made to them.
Three days later during a session of court, King Viserys finally made the official public announcement.
"I King Viserys have officially accepted a marriage proposal for my first born child and daughter, the Princess Rhaenyra. She is to wed Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell and Warden of the North in six months time here in King's Landing before our Weirwood tree in accordance with the traditions of the North. I have spoken with my daughter, and she has found the match to be agreeable to her. This is my will and I will not alter it."
Upon hearing the declaration, Otto fumed. The Starks did not follow the Seven nor were they allies of his and Lord Stark's preferences were unknown to him so it was quite possible he would be able to sire babes. Then he remembered that Viserys had also said he was going to make a major announcement on Aegon's birthday three months from then, so, he thought that it was possible Viserys was going to disinherit his daughter and then send her into a glorified exile in the North. With that thought, he smiled.
Alicent herself was dumbfounded. The Rhaenyra she knew hated all talk of marriage and for her to agree to the match, it meant that Lord Stark must have somehow been courting her former friend without anyone's knowledge and she vowed to speak to Rhaenyra privately about it later.
Later that day, Alicent got her chance as she found Rhaenyra in the Godswood reading.
"Rhaenyra?" Alicent asked.
"Yes my Queen."
"Your father said that you've agreed to the match with Lord Stark. Is that the truth?"
Smiling and setting her book aside, Rhaenyra responded, "It is."
"How did that come about? I've heard no rumors of you being courted."
"We met by chance on one of my visits to my cousin in the Eyrie and hit off. He's never officially courted me but we have been exchanging messages for months. Five days ago I received a message from him at Dragonstone, where you know I have been visiting fairy often to feel close to and study my Valeryian heritage, and to be close to my mother and siblings. In the message he informed me that he was sending a formal petition to my father for my hand as he will soon be of age. When I returned here two days later, I spoke with Father and told him that I wished for his blessing to wed Lord Cregan and Father accepted it. I will be 15 in a month and Cregan 16 in four so we both will be old enough to wed and it truly is a good match. Plus, now the council can get back to governance rather than worrying about who will take my maidenhead and put babes in my womb."
"Then I am happy for you and agree with that. My father especially has been strangely obsessed with your marriage."
"Thank you, Your Grace."
A Month Later in the Stepstones (messages delayed due to the war and rough seas)
Word of Princess Rhaenyra's wedding finally reaches Prince Daemon, Lord Corlys and Ser Laenor.
"What the Hells is my brother thinking, marrying Rhaenyra off to the North, let alone claiming she's agreed to it. She's a dragon and the North is so cold. She won't be happy there." Daemon fumed. "I'm betting its one of Otto's plots to get rid of her."
"When was the last time you truly spoke to her Daemon? Nearly three years ago? Perhaps she has met the young Lord and has become fond of him," replied Corlys.
"The Northerners rarely come to King's Landing so when could they have possibly met?"
"Mother has written that the Princess has been spending quite a bit of time in the Vale as of late. Perhaps they met there?" responded Laenor.
"No matter, we must end this war quickly so that I can stop the marriage," and then Daemon stormed away.
Father and son then exchanged a look and went to follow their prince.
Author Note: Yes, Alicent isn't a complete bitch yet, Otto is being Otto and Daemon has a fixation on his niece where he believes she belongs to him.
