Diana woke up to the sound of heavy footfalls and the door to the chamber she shared with her lord husband opening with a crash. Sitting up, she only just managed to clutch the soiled silk sheets to her bare chest before Viserys came striding in, three Kingsgaurd and a smirking Otto behind him. Daemon, of course, didn't bother to cover his nude body from the visibly irate spectators and simply stretched his sex-worn muscles slowly while peering at his brother with sleep-hooded eyes.
Holding back a curse, Diana hissed, "What is the meaning of this? Good-brother?"
Darting a narrow-eyed stare at a furious Viserys who looked haggard in his sleeping clothes. Hadn't he even bothered to dress before barging in? Forcing herself to sit up straight and not to show just how uncomfortable she was being naked in front of multiple men who weren't her husband, let alone that snake Hightower, she kept her gaze on the king while he strode forward, murder in his eyes.
"Where is she?" He hissed in High Valyrian, eyes glaring daggers at both her and a slowly sitting up Daemon who was only starting to realize how serious this situation might be.
Darting a confused look around the room at their captive audience, Daemon asked in a sleepy growl, "Where is whom, brother?"
"My daughter!" The King roared, making his guards step forward in concern while he panted with fury at his confused sibling and sister-in-law. "Your degenerate son walked her back to her room, and she's gone."
"Wait," Diana said, choosing to throw caution to the wind and dropping the sheet to reach for the rob strewn next to the bed. Although, thankfully, the guards averted their eyes to protect her modestly, Otto didn't. "The crown princess is missing, and you are only hearing about it now? The next morning?"
Standing up, she ensured her body was covered by the silk robe before striding towards the divider that protected her modesty while she bathed. Then, pausing only to pick up a pair of riding trousers and a white shirt, she went behind the partition to begin changing.
Daemon didn't bother; instead, he picked up his wrinkled clothes from the night before and began to change right in front of his furious brother. Then, pausing as he knotted the ties that held his trousers up, he asked, "Some kingsguard you employ. Only noticing their charge is missing hours after the fact. I assume Ser Crispy is in the dungeons as we speak?"
Viserys ignored his brother's japs as he stared after his good-sister, spitting out, "What are you doing? Just tell me where the children are, and I'll -"
Daemon's eyes darkened at the King's threat, and he stood tall, stepping forward until his nose almost touched Viserys', ignoring the swords levied at him by Ser Harrold and the two other guards that had accompanied the monarch to their chambers, "You do what, brother? If Rhaenyra is missing, so is Aelyx. I will not have you lay a hand on my son over rumours no doubt spread by your cunt of a Hand."
"Your Grace," said cunt simpered, stepping forward, "I warned you that they would be no help in this matter. Perhaps we should -"
It was Diana's turn to cut in, her brown eyes darkened almost to black in her anger, "Should what, Lord Hand? Arrest us? Exile us for our son's supposed crimes? You would love that, wouldn't you? Now," She turned to an irate Viserys, "Two of our hatchlings are missing; I intend to find them. You can all stay here measuring cocks if you want, but I'm leaving."
Then she was gone, slipping past the dumbstruck guards and out the door, leaving a fuming Viserys and a chuckling Daemon behind her.
As she strutted down the hall, the lady paid no mind to the murmurs that followed her regarding her strange attire. Her hair unbound and tunic untucked from her trousers, she cut quite the figure as she made her way down, down, down into the depths of the keep. There was only one place she could think of where the prince and princess could have hidden without being found, and she could only pray she got there first, just in case anything untoward had happened between the young adults.
Checking to see if no one was watching, she ducked down a servants' hall, hidden from view and from there, she continued. Finally, after a few sharp turns, she reached an alcove where a small statue engraving sat inconspicuously in the corner. Using both hands, she pushed hard until the stone moved with a dull creak and stepped into the dark secret passageway.
From there, she travelled down, down, down into the darkest, deepest parts of the keep until she came upon a door marked with a dragon head. Shoving it open, Diana took in the skull of Balerion and strutted towards it. It wasn't until she turned to look behind it that she found her quarry.
Curled up on the cold stone floor, the candles long since burnt out during the night, laid her son and his cousin. Rhaenyra's head lay on his lap while Aelyx slept sitting up against the dais, his fingers curled in her long silver hair in a comforting gesture. Thankfully, the pair were fully clothed and seemingly unharmed.
Rolling her eyes, Diana aimed a gentle kick at her son's boot-covered foot, but that didn't do anything other than jostle the teen slightly; she aimed higher, hitting him in the calf and making him grunt as he jerked awake.
Indigo eyes darted around frantically, searching for the threat while Aelyx clutched a still-sleeping Rhaenyra to his heaving chest. When his eyes caught sight of Diana, they lost some panic but remained wary.
"Mother…" He murmured, gently lowering a slowly waking Rhaenyra to the stone floor, taking special care to not let her head hit the hard surface.
"Wake her up," Diana snapped, standing tall, her face a cold mask, "The King is raging through the halls searching for his eldest daughter and heir."
Realizing the predicament he found himself in, made all the more precarious by his mother's obvious disapproval, Aelyx reached down and gently shook Rhae's shoulder until she woke up, blinking sleepy eyes until she slowly looked around, gasping when she saw her Aunt's imposing figure.
Sitting up with a gasp, the girl looked down in shame, not holding eye contact. Then, wordlessly, she took the hand Aelyx offered her, and the pair stood on sleep-shaky legs. Seeing that Aelyx had no clear plans of releasing Rhaenyra, Diana rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, leading them down the hall into the passageway to Viserys's private quarters.
The walk was silent, with Diana making silent prayers to whatever Gods existed for patience as she tried to come up with an explanation that didn't get her son sent to the wall or exiled for corrupting the Crown Princess.
As they came up to the door, Diana noticed the disapproving stare of the two Kingsgaurds who stood watch outside, but they opened the door nonetheless, revealing a pacing Viserys, a lurking Otto and a lounging Daemon. Queen Alicent would be found cowering in the corner, still in her dressing gown, picking at her nailbeds until they bled.
"Finally!" The King roared, stomping towards a cowering Rhaenyra and silent Aelyx, only to be brought up short when Daemon and Diana moved to intercept him. He glared mutinously at the pair but conspicuously backed off.
Diana could practically feel Otto's disapproval of the King's lack of a spine, but she pushed forward, saying as calmly as possible, "Perhaps we should all sit and discuss this like civilized people."
"What is there to talk about? The princess is ruined by your son. That is treason and is grounds for exile or even death." Otto said, back straight and eyes hard. Diana heard Alicent gasp at her Father's accusation, eyes darting to Rhaenyra in horror, the pious woman too shocked to speak.
This motherfucker…
"You try and lay a hand on my son, and I'll burn you alive." Daemon snarled, his usual cool, calm facade gone in a blink of an eye.
"No one is dying! You!" Viserys snarled, pointing the finger at Aelyx, his face red with anger, "How dare you come into my home, your King's keep and-"
"Please, Father!" Rhaenyra cried, seeming to have found her voice, "Nothing untoward happened, I snuck out, and Aelyx went to retrieve me. It was my fault; he was trying to stop me from getting into trouble."
"That doesn't account for you being gone all night, Princess." Otto barked, stepping forward, her face hard and condemning.
"I have a question, Ser Otto," Daemon asked, cutting in before the Hand could make his accusations, "When did you realize the princess and prince were missing? It seems you knew before the princess' own sworn shield knew."
All eyes turned to the downcast-looking Ser Criston, who flinched slightly under the scrutiny before straightening his back and murmuring, "The Lord Hand came up to me in the early morning and demanded I open the princess's quarters for him. He… did not seem surprised that the princess was gone."
Daemon's eyes burned with withheld fury and victory; he had the snake, "Tell me, Ser Otto. How long did you know the princess and my son were missing before you alerted the King and myself? An hour? More? Just enough to confirm your suspicions and ensure people would assume the worst of the princess and her cousin, no doubt."
"And how did you know?" Diana asked, her voice slippery and full of cunning, "Before anyone else? The children took the secret passageways, and none of the staff reported seeing them gone."
Viserys' eyes were red from fury-caused tears, obviously having put the pieces Daemon had put in front of him together; he turned on his heel he barked, "Is this true, Otto? Did you withhold information regarding my daughter's safety? Have her stalked and followed all for a chance to ruin her reputation?"
"Your Grace…" Otto murmured, his voice soft, attention fully on the vengeful King. "A servant must tell his King an unfortunate truth from time to time, or he's failed as a servant."
Viserys reared back at his words, eyes shocked and betrayed. To him, Otto Hightower had only ever been a loyal, honourable and steadfast Hand. To see this side of the second son was making him question everything.
Silently, hand folded in front of her in penance, Rhaenyra stepped towards her father, taking his hand in both of hers while she murmured, face sincere, tears streaming down her cheeks, "We only went for a walk, Father. We were not gone all night. We sat in front of the black skull and prayed, for Mother, for your health. That is all."
Viserys' eyes softened upon his daughter's morose face, her once bright presence diminished by gossip and scandal. Diana could tell just by looking at him the man didn't see the half-truths in his daughter's words.
The pair hadn't coupled, but they had been out long before morning, and Diana doubted all they did was pray. But the story seemed to be enough for Viserys, who nodded and squeezed his daughter's hand. Then, though suspicion clouded his eyes, he still glared daggers at a silent Aelyx.
"Father," Rhaenyra continued, voice soft and pleading, "You once told me that I could choose my own husband. I know I have disappointed you in the past with my indecision, but…."
"But what, child?"
Gulping down a deep breath, the princess steeled herself and stood tall, "Aelyx and I love each other, Father. We always have, and I want to marry him and reunite the Targaryen family again."
Diana could only hold in a smirk as Otto's eyes widened a fraction, his blank mask breaking slightly as panic seemed to take over the older man. Marrying Aelyx would cement Daemon's family to Viserys', giving Rhaenrya even more dragons to her cause.
How could he get rid of Daemon like he had done in the past if he was both brother and a good brother to the King? Moreover, if Rhaenyra and Aelyx married, Daemon and Viserys would share grandchildren.
Viserys frowned as he stared back at his daughter, his eyes thoughtful as they darted from her to Aelyx, to Daemon and Diana and back to a disapproving Otto. The silence in the room was stifling as they awaited the King's verdict. So suffocating that the customarily composed Aelyx struggled to stand still, his fingers tapping slightly in their tight hold in front of him.
When the moment stretched until almost two minutes had passed, Otto tried to step in, "Your Grace -"
"Silence," Viserys said, raising his hand and stopping Otto mid-sentence. Then, turning back to a wide-eyed, tearful Rhaenyra, he asked, "Are you certain this is what you want?"
"Yes, Father," Rhaenyra whispered through her tear-tightened throat. Then, jerking her head, she turned to stare at a solemn-looking Aelyx; she smiled at him tearfully and said, "I want him. You always said Targaryens were meant to burn together; that is why you chose Mother."
Viserys sighed but nodded slowly, looking pained as he said, "Then it is so. In three moons' time, you will be wed."
"Your Grace!" Otto sputtered, looking panicked, "You cannot -"
"I can, and I just did, Otto. Come, we have much to discuss." With a flick of his wrist, everyone else was dismissed, leaving the Hand and the King alone to speak.
Rhaenyra glowed as she took Aelyx's arm and allowed him to lead her out of the King's chamber. The young princess overlooked the glower that followed them from under Ser Criston's dark hair. Sullenly, the knight followed his charge, glaring daggers at Aelyx, judgmental eyes taking in the new, young couple.
Diana and Daemon followed behind, arm and arm, a united front. Even as the door closed behind them, Diana could make out the sound of Viserys' verbal lashing as he spoke harsh reprimands to his Hand.
Otto tattling to Viserys had been a gamble, one that, for once, hadn't paid off for the Hightower cunt.
Murmuring under her breath, Diana said, "I will send ravens to House Velaryon and back to Runestone. We must prepare; the Hightowers will not take this defeat lying down."
"Did you see how angry my brother was at his precious Hand?" Daemon murmured into her ear, his smirk obvious, "And here I was thinking my brother's flame had been completely snuffed out."
Diana giggled as she looked ahead, seeing how Rhaenyra clung to Aelyx's arm, both of the pair exchanging lovestruck eyes.
"This is a good thing, right?" She murmured, "They will be happy? We'll keep them safe?"
"Yes, sweetheart," Daemon murmured, kissing her on the forehead, "We will keep them safe. Our son will be Prince Consort, and after him, our grandchild will be King or Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."
Nerves roiled in Diana's stomach as they finally returned to their chambers. Taking extra care to ensure the children each returned their own. War had always been a possibility in her mind, but with the joining of Aelyx and Rhaenyra, they were cementing their allegiance to the future queen, with no chance of backing out or claiming neutrality.
We are in the game now… the only option is to win. Or die trying.