The dragon pit stank of sulphur and burnt flesh as Alycia made her way down and into the main anti-chamber, where five small frames stood in a line, waiting as an adolescent dragon was led out from the pitch-black caves hidden beneath the main floor of the pit. She wore her riding leathers, even though her dragon Cannibal wouldn't be caught dead in this pit.
No, her sweet boy was currently roaming the Kingswood, where he'd created a nest years ago, free from chains, along with Jocelyn's hatchling, Ironroar, who the black beast surprisingly had taken a liking to and hadn't eaten. In fact, he seemed to dote on the red hatchling, protecting it and teaching it to fly over the King's Wood and hunt the deer that lived within.
Because of the freedom afforded the hatchling, despite being younger than Vermax, Aedan's dragon, Ironroar, far surpassed him in size and ability. But, much to the older boy's chagrin, it was only the Cannibal's seal of approval that afforded the red hatchling its freedom. Any of the small dragons would be gobbled up if left to the wilds within Cannibal's reach.
Although, the older dragons, such as Syrax, Seasmoke and Vermithor, were allowed much more freedom due to their size and ability to fight off any attacks waged by her black dragon. Even now, Syrax and Vermithor soared together, last seen headed towards Dragonstone to meet up with Silverwing, Vermithor's coil mate. Seasmoke tended to stay close to home, hunting for marine life in the cleaner water outside Blackwater Bay.
Instead of approaching the children, Alycia nodded to the nearest dragon keeper to silently tell them not to reveal her whereabouts. She watched on as Aedan struggled to control the rambunctious hatchling. It took several tries for the dragon to come to heel, causing the other children, except for a dour-looking Aemond, to giggle at their playmate's misfortune.
Aemond's - like many other Targaryen children - dragon egg hadn't hatched. But, unlike his royal cousins, the queen kept him on too tight of a leash to allow him to fly with another relative to Dragonstone to claim a dragon. Leaving the boy feeling left out and jealous of his dragon-welding childhood companions.
But that didn't mean the prince was without redeeming qualities. He was leagues ahead of even his older brother when it came to sword fighting and memorizing Targaryen history. He and Tyland could often be found in the library pouring over dragonlore and histories in preparation for when they would go to Dragonstone to claim their dragons next year, as promised by King Viserys, despite his wife's protests.
Thankfully, the adults had managed to hamper the worst of the teasing by the ringleader Aegon, who the younger boys were eager to follow and tease. However, Jocelyn would always defend her cousin, empathizing with his plight and bringing the younger boys to heel.
After another attempt where Aedan stood tall and spoke deep from his chest, the hatchling halted, standing to attention in front of his future rider. Only then did the dragon keepers give their permission for Aedan to give the command.
"Dracarys, Vermax!" The silver-haired boy called, grinning from ear to ear when the hatchling let out a solid stream of flame, roasting the goat in a couple of seconds. The dragon keeper nodded in approval and led his acolytes away to continue their duties elsewhere while Vermax devoured his meal.
Alycia frowned when she saw a giggling Baelor run off deeper into the pit but stayed hidden, curious about what the boys were up to. Her daughter and Aemond stood off to one side, a scowl on her golden girl's face as she listened to whatever yarn a smirking Aegon was spinning.
Alycia was too far to hear what was being said but soon got the picture when the sound of oinking filled the room, followed by the appearance of a pig with wings attached to it. Scowling, Alycia left her hiding place, marching towards the group where the boys were giggling while an angry Jocelyn screeched at Aegon.
"It's not funny! Fucking prick!" Her daughter spat, pushing the older boy and snarling at Aedan, Alyssa and Baelon until they ceased their giggling.
"You're right, daughter," Alycia said, revelling when the prankster gasped and spun on their heels to look at her, paling when they saw her crossed arms and disapproving frown. The younger one quickly fell into line in front of her, shuffling their feet and head tipped down in embarrassment, "It wasn't funny at all."
Aegon paled but tried to stand tall, muttering, "It was only a joke, Lady Lannister."
"A joke implies everyone is laughing. I don't see my daughter or your brother laughing, do you?" Alycia said, her voice cold and stern.
"We didn't mean to make him sad," Aedan said, his eyes filling with tears, "Aegon said he'd think it was funny."
"Then evidently, Aegon has misled you, nephew. Now, what do we say to Aemond?" Alycia said, not allowing herself to melt in the face of Aedan, Alyssa and Baelon's guilty faces.
Alyssa was the first to speak, her voice weak from holding back tears, "I'm sorry, Aemond, I didn't mean to make you sad." The eight years old's lower lip quivered with unshed tears as her cousin nodded stiffly but didn't reply to her heartfelt apology.
One by one, the others apologized until only a mulish-looking Aegon remained; when he refused to speak, Alycia narrowed her eyes, turned to the youngest perpetrators and said, "The four of you go to the training yard and tell Ser Harwin what has occurred. Tell him you must run laps until he deems you have learned your lesson properly. Go now."
The children whined under their breath but obeyed; Alyssa and Aedan led a pouting Baelon away, leaving only Aemond, Jocelyn and Aegon behind with Alycia. Then, turning to her daughter and Aemond, Alycia said, "The pair of you are free to go to the library or to the training yards. No laps for you; go on."
The pair nodded once before a sullen Aemond followed Jocelyn, allowing the girl to take his hand in hers as they left. Leaving only a scowling Aegon behind, who pretended to be unaffected by his cousin's discipline but didn't make eye contact.
Once the children were long gone, Alycia finally spoke, "Why?" Was all she asked.
"Why what?" Aegon muttered, staring over her shoulder, eyes glazed over.
"Why do you enjoy hurting people weaker than you? I've seen you in the training yard, Aegon. You are rough with your sword and words, especially to Aemond. You go easy on your nephews and niece but are awful to Aemond and Jocelyn. Why?"
The boy's face flushed pink with either anger or embarrassment, but he didn't respond, his eyes still locked on something in the distance. Finally, when the silence stretched out too long, Alycia snapped, "Look at me, Aegon!"
The boy's eyes snapped to her instantly, and weakly he said, "I thought it was funny."
Alycia sighed and struggled to reign in her temper. Aegon was just a boy, a simple, arrogant shit of a boy, but a child nonetheless. Forcing herself to soften, she gently took the boy by the shoulder, frowning when he flinched away from the touch.
"I know things have been hard, Aegon, that people are hard on you." She murmured, more than aware that the names of the people being hard on the young prince were obvious. Alicent and her greens had been relentlessly trying to push a reluctant Aegon forward as heir for a decade now, even though the poor boy didn't want it.
Despite his cruel pranks and jabs at his siblings and other blood relatives, Aegon had always been a sweet, introverted child before Alicent sunk her claws into him, fuelling his fears and driving him to drink and lash out in an attempt to dissuade anyone from thinking he was a threat to his older sister's inheritance.
Rhaenyra, despite her many attempts to bridge the gap between herself and her siblings, had long since given up trying when all it did was cause her siblings internal turmoil and anxiety about what Alicent's reaction would be to them conversing with the enemy. Instead, the heir left the mending to Alycia, Aelyx and the children. Them and -
Alycia's thoughts were cut off when she heard a familiar screech echoing through the massive chamber from outside. Without conscious thought, a huge smile spread across her face. Her parents were home. Even Aegon's usually bored face brightened when he heard Caraxes' unique roar. Together, the pair trekked towards where the outside landing area was, Caraxes being far too large to fit through the front entrance for humans and smaller dragons.
As they walked out into the warm midday air, Alycia looked up and laughed as she watched the massive, crimson serpentine body fly through the air before beginning its descent to the pit. The old dragon hit the ground with an earth-shaking thud and let out a loud whistle roar before calming enough for the trio on his back to dismount safely.
Her father looked the same as always, with his black and red leather jerkin, trousers and boots; at his hip sat Dark Sister. Her mother dressed similarly in dragon riding clothes consisting of a black leather overcoat with red detailing, leather trousers and knee-high boots with a slight heel, both stylish and practical. At her hip was a valyrian steel dagger Father had gifted her for their fifth wedding anniversary.
Alycia's little sister Dahlia stood between the couple, smiling brightly as she stopped to pat and kiss the crimson beast goodbye before following her parents. She was the spitting image of her mother, with her thin frame and brown curls that cascaded down her back in windblown ringlets. The only thing connecting her to her sire was her indigo eyes and sculpted cheekbones.
Dahlia had been born at Runestone seven months after Diana became its regent and had spent most of her time there, save for the few weeks every year the family spent together at the Red Keep.
Like all Targaryen babes, an egg had been placed in her cradle and hatched, revealing a gorgeous purple and black hatchling Daemon had named Syndorian. A smaller frame swooping through the air above was undoubtedly the violet beast.
Glancing to her left, Alycia bit back a giggle at the wide-eyed look Aegon sent the trio's way, his gaze darting between the massive dragon who was giving the dragon keepers a run for their money and the couple who walked hand and hand towards them, looking both deadly and deeply in love. She couldn't help but notice how his eyes lingered on a nine-year-old Dahlia, who hadn't visited for a while, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Daughter! Nephew!" Her mother called, her windswept brown curls fighting to escape the braids they were contained in. Her brown eyes sparked as she gazed at them with excitement. Once she was close enough, Diana pulled Alycia into a tight embrace, kissing her cheek before pulling away and turning her attention to an awestruck Aegon.
"And how is my eldest nephew?" She asked, cupping his cheek and brushing a messy piece of greasy silver hair behind his ear. Aegon blushed at her ministrations but, shockingly, didn't pull away. The boy had always been fond of his Aunt Diana, despite his mother and grandfather's hisses of her rumoured depravity. No, the boy had always shined under his Auntie Dy's care, opening presents and eating the sweets she had imported from Essos and the Vale just for him.
Alycia's mother had always been kind to Queen Alicent's children, never leaving them out when giving gifts to her grandchildren or children and always making time to visit and learn about the Hightower broods' interests. Alycia had no doubt that kindness had hidden benefits for the Lady Regent of the Vale, but her mother had always had a softness for children and other innocents.
"Daughter, how beautiful you have grown," Her father looked just as handsome as he did when she was a child, only a couple of new wrinkles at the corner of his eyes betraying his more advanced age.
Slipping into High Valyrian was as easy as breathing as Alycia replied, "You have not changed much since I last saw you, Father. Mother still not letting you grow out your hair?"
Daemon smirked as he reached up to ruffle the short, slopping silver locks of hair on his head as he said, "What makes your Mother happy makes me very happy."
Alycia's nose wrinkled at the implication in his words, but she accepted his warm embrace muttering, "Gross, Kepa."
"You are a married woman with children of your own. I know you are aware of how a marriage stays strong," Father replied, kissing her cheek and dancing out of her reach when she swiped at him, still as agile and graceful as ever.
His eyes finally fell on an apprehensive-looking Aegon who seemed to want to hide behind his Aunt's thin frame as he stared at the infamous Rogue Prince, blood relation or not. But, instead, the boy stood stock still, as if frozen in fear as Daemon Targaryen prowled closer, his eyes assessing as he took the young princeling in.
"Hello, U-Uncle," The boy stuttered, his gaze darting around to not make eye contact, his feet shuffling nervously.
"Boy," Daemon replied, calm, "Let me get a look at you." Then, striking quickly, he took the prince's chin in hand, tilting his head back and forth before letting go and tugging at his green surcoat, testing the muscle underneath.
"You're skinny. Hasn't the master of arms put you through your paces yet? You need some muscles on your bones if you are going to be even a half-decent fighter."
Aegon flushed pink at Daemon's harsh words, but he held his composure, spitting, "Ser Criston has us run drills every day."
Daemon laughed at his words, replying, "Ser Crispin is the one teaching you? The Gods save us from my brother's ineptitude. Let me guess, he has you hitting dummies all day long, barely sparring."
The boy didn't bother to respond. Instead, he jerked his head once in acquiescence. Daemon nodded and said, "Well, boy, that will soon change. Your Aunt and I plan on making the Red Keep our home. I'll whip all you young princelings into shape then."
"We can play!" Dahlia said, giggling when Aegon sent a panicked glance her way, paling when he saw Daemon's glare as a warning to stay away from his youngest child.
Chuckling, Diana reached forward and took Aegon by the shoulder, turning him to face her, "Don't mind him, Aegon. Come, sister, I have missed you. Tell me all about your life in the Vale."
* Line Break *
Diana could barely contain her glee as she did everything but skip toward the nursery. The only thing hindering her movements was her daughter's arm linked with hers. Despite not having been in the Red Keep for almost a year, Diana knew the way with her eyes closed.
The royal nursery was situated deep within Maegar's Holdfast, near the Queen's chambers. When Rhaenyra married, she had her chambers moved closer to the nursery so she could be close to any babe she had. Unfortunately, that brought her closer to a protective Alicent, but Rhaenyra was strong and did not budge, wanting her children to socialize with her much younger siblings.
When Alycia had her children, she petitioned the king to allow her babes to spend their infancy in the nursery with their cousins, and the petition was granted, allowing Alycia and her husband Tyland to move into Maegar's Holdfast, a great honour for the second son of House Lannister.
When Diana reached the nursery, she didn't bother to knock or allow the guards stationed outside to announce her. Instead, she strutted right in and interrupted what looked like an intimate discussion between her son and his wife. Both of their silver heads shot in the direction of the slamming door and widened in shock at seeing a still dragon-filth-covered Diana standing there, her smile wide and arms outstretched.
"Mother!" Aelyx said, excitement in his voice as he accepted the hug, pulling his mother close to his massive, broad frame and bending down so she could kiss his cheek, "We were expecting you this morning."
"Unexpected storm front, we needed to fly further inland. It delayed us slightly." Diana replied before looking at an exhausted-looking Rhaenyra. Her clothes looked freshly cleaned, and her hair was braided in an elegant but simple updo, "How are you, my darling? I was assured that the labour was fast."
Rhaenyra smiled softly as she stood, allowing the older woman to pull her into a hug, "It was as easy as it can be, bringing a life into this world, good mother."
Aelyx snickered as he said, "She called the midwife a cunt."
Rhaenyra's jaw dropped, and she tried to smack her laughing husband but couldn't reach him from Diana's gentle hold. Diana simply laughed and reached up to play with Rhaenyra's straight silver locks, her eyes warm as she said, "I once threatened to cut off your father's cock while birthing Daemion. He inherited your father's massive head."
The trio was interrupted by a door opening, followed by the cry of a newborn filling the room. A midwife walked in, holding a squirming bundle in her arms, a warm smile on her face as she looked at Rhaenyra.
"He was just fed, princess and his nappy was changed. I think he wants his Muña now."
Rhaenyra instantly held her arms out to accept the whimpering babe and began to shush him under her breath. Humming a tune Diana recognized as a Valyrian lullaby Daemon used to sing to the children when they were small.
"Where is Kepa, Muña? And Dahlia?" Aelyx asked, his eyes locked on his wife and newborn son, sparkling with unadulterated joy as he leaned over his wife's shoulder and began to make silly faces at the babe like the court jester, making Rhaenyra giggle.
"Outside with the boys in the training yard. We ran into Aegon in the Dragon Pit on our way in. Speaking of, I need to talk to you about my grandsons and their behaviour towards Aemond and Jocelyn."
Aelyx frowned and sat up, standing tall as he narrowed his eyes, "What happened?"
Diana smiled as she stared at the beautiful babe with prominent valyrian features. Then, when Rhaenyra saw the longing in her good mother's eyes, she smiled back and handed the babe over. Diana hummed a tune as she rocked the infant back and forth.
"It seems someone has been telling them that in order to be a true Targaryen, they need to hatch an egg in their cradle. And they have been mocking Aemond and Tyland for their eggs going cold."
Rhaenyra gasped in disbelief while Aelyx snorted derisively, his head snapping back in shock at his mother's proclamation.
Rhaenyra gaped for a moment before sputtering, "Not from us. On the contrary, we have always encouraged Aemond and Jocelyn's progress with the dragon keepers. I promised Father that I would fly the pair to Dragonmont myself to claim a dragon when the time came, just as Aelyx did, Uncle Daemon and Father himself with the Black Dread."
Diana pursed her lips but nodded, her eyes far away in thought as she continued to cradle her latest grandchild close to her breast.
* Line Break *
The training yard was chaotic, with seven children sparring and swinging blunted wooden swords at straw dummies. Daemon smirked as he leaned back against one of the stacked hay bales, his indigo eyes locked on his grandchildren and nephews, their forms eager but clumsy compared to the Hightower halfbreeds.
Alycia had wandered off searching for her black beast of a dragon with her son Tyson but had promised to catch up with her parents that night at Daemon and Diana's welcome feast. Daemon smiled as he thought about his wild daughter, the female version of him, but wiser, according to his wife.
Ser Crispen stood tall, his attention focused solely on the older princes, barking the occasional orders as he ignored the others. Ser Harwin, one of Rhaenyra's latest pet projects, according to his children's letters, was also there; his eyes narrowed as he watched the disgraced knight verbally abuse the royal children.
When the children had become old enough to train in the yards, Rhaenyra and Alycia had fought tooth and nail to allow Alyssa and Jocelyn to join their brothers, but it had come at a cost. Helaena had been uninterested in training, but Daemon doubted it would have mattered if the odd girl was; her mother had been horrified to find out Rhaenyra and Alycia were allowing their daughter to 'play with swords and toil in men's work.'
King Viserys had reluctantly given his blessing, but the queen had ensured it would be her man in charge of the children's training. 'To help mend broken bonds and ensure the princes and princesses trained together,' she had said, but everyone knew it had been a precaution to ensure she knew which of her many step-grandchildren would be a threat to her own children if it came to war.
And to cripple them when they showed promise, made evident by how far behind Daemon's grandchildren were compared to their uncles.
Daemon was well aware of his slowly decaying brother's eyes on him, but besides making the required greetings, he was uninterested in entertaining Viserys. A commotion had the silver-haired prince jerking his attention back toward the training yard and frowning as he watched Aegon and Aemond struggle to even land a blow on a smirking Ser Cristen.
Predictably, both boys ended up in the dirt, their faces red with embarrassment, while the other children varied between amused and horrified by the display. Notably, there appeared to be little animosity between the two groups of children, other than the usual childhood rivalries, but no apparent malice or disdain.
Not bothering to hide his amusement at Ser Crispen's apparent favouritism and inept training practices, Daemon stood up straight and began to approach the seething pair of boys wiping the dust from their padded green jerkins.
Aemond was the first to see him approaching and scrambled to his feet with a panicked, jerky movement. Then came Aegon, who stood slower and more hesitantly than his younger brother. Choosing to ignore Crispy Cole's disapproving glare, Daemon came to stand before the princes, his eyes impassive as he took them in.
Both boys were lean, with silver hair and Viserys's watery bluish-purple eyes, but their bone structure was all their mother. They were both reaching the point in a young man's life where he transitioned from boy to man, which showed with their gangly limbs and the red spots that dotted their faces.
Switching to High Valyrian, Daemon said, "If you worked together, one of you could have landed a blow."
He frowned when all he received in response were two furrowed brows, neither boy seeming to comprehend his words. "Does my brother not teach you the Mother's Tongue?" He asked, eyes narrowing into slits at the idea that Targaryen princes of their age and social standing couldn't understand the language of their ancestors.
After a moment, Aemond responded in a heavily accented, stilted voice, "We. Learn. Slow. Uncle."
Daemon winced at how butchered the words were coming from the boy's mouth, but he refrained. Instead, he switched to the Common Tongue and spat, "Stand tall, feet apart."
The princes jumped to obey; their eyes were wary as Daemon began inspecting Aemond just as he did Aegon in the dragon pit. The boy showed promise with his swings and footwork, but he lacked the confidence to follow through, instead looking to a weaker, more hesitant Aegon to take the lead.
"Show me your stances," Daemon said, nodding when both boys began going through their stances, their arms wobbly but in the correct positions. Then, after a couple of minutes, he silently held up a hand, bringing the pair to a halt mid-transition, "At ease. Your arms are weak, but the foundation is there. Go join the others."
"Do you question my method of teaching, My Prince?" The cold, disdainful tone came from behind, causing Daemon to roll his eyes before stunning on his heel to face a scowling Ser Criston.
"Yes." Was all he said before strutting away toward where his nephews and grandchildren stood, watching the confrontation with wide, fearful eyes. Surprisingly, Jocelyn was the only one not looking terrified by the verbal altercation, with her golden curls tied back into a tight braid and sharp indigo eyes that darted between Daemon and Criston curiously.
She really was his daughter come again, despite the tragedy of who her sire was.
"Then perhaps a spar to demonstrate."
The challenge and unhidden vitriol had Daemon stop and turn around with an amused smile. "You want to spar with me? You? Who's spent the last decade hiding behind my brother's wife's skirts, away from real combat?"
"It is an honour to serve Her Grace. Queen Alicent is more merciful and kind than you could comprehend."
"Ha! You're right, Ser Criston. After all, who else would accept a disgraced and decloaked former member of the Kingsguard? Forgiving indeed."
The moron's face turned red with fury as he reached to pull out his blade. Only a hoarse cry from above had him staying his hand.
"Enough, Ser Criston! You know how my brother loves to jab at you. Why must you rise to the occasion every time?" Viserys asked, amusement coating his voice as he smiled from his seat above, rotting teeth in full display.
"A thousand apologies, Your Grace. It won't happen again." Criston muttered, his voice petulant like a child as he turned and bowed to his king.
Viserys nodded, lenient as always before his face dropped, and he scowled down at Daemon, "Brother, with me, please. Children, I do believe you have lessons to get to. I will see you all at supper."
The children murmured their farewells, and as a pack walked away, darting furtive, curious glances over their shoulders as they went in a sea of red, black, gold and green. Daemon winked at a pouting Baelor, who giggled at his grandfather before taking Alyssa's offered hand and skipping away with her.
Once the yard was cleared, Daemon sighed and came to stand tall in the middle. Then, turning to face Viserys with his hands grasped behind his back, he called, "Hello, brother. Did you miss me?"