Hello everyone! This is the first original chapter for "Reign of the Dragon Queen"! I have been busy because I am currently taking online classes to get a master's degree in public history. I have not forgotten this story, and I have been working on it and its timeline. You're patience shall now be rewarded!
Enjoy!
Author's Note: Lewd language ahead.
130 AC – 132 AC
While the years 130 AC through 132 AC were marked by two upheavals, the Wylde Rebellion and the Triarchy Civil War, they were also known for several notable events as well. 130 AC saw the births of Queen Rhaenyra's firstborn grandchildren: Prince Baelor Targaryen and Princess Alysanne Velaryon, and 131 AC saw the arrival of the queen's third grandchild, Princess Laena Velaryon. After Laena's birth, another addition to the royal family arrived, but it was not another prince or princess that was born, but a dragon. On the night of the seventh day of the tenth moon, a meteor shower streaked the night sky in a brilliant display. The royal family and courtiers bundled themselves up in furs and thick cloaks before going outside on the main veranda of the Red Keep to watch the shooting stars.
Surprisingly, even Prince Aegon the Elder and his wife and children joined his half-sister and her family and court on the veranda. Thankfully it was an amicable mingling. Four year old Prince Maelor Targaryen brought his dragon egg out with him. The eggshell was grey with sapphire flecks, and it was Maelor's most prized possession at the time. While he was watching the meteor shower, Maelor's egg began to tremble in his arms.
Cracks began to appear on the eggshell after the little prince laid the egg down on the ground. Within moments, the infantile squeaks and hissing of a newly hatched dragon drew everyone's attention from the meteor shower to the hatchling. Just like its egg, the hatchling had grey scales with blue eyes and wing membranes. Prince Viserys's dragon, Ravenscale, who was then the size of a lamb and growing bigger by the day, approached the hatchling. The newborn dragon let out a frightened squeak when it saw Ravenscale, and it scampered behind Maelor's legs, peaking its little head around the prince's calf as it trembled.
Picking up the hatchling, the proud Maelor went around and showed the tiny creature to his family. Because of the astronomical event that was occurring when he was born, the baby dragon was named "Meteor" by his future rider. For his first week of life, Meteor stayed perched either on Maelor's shoulders or in his hands, too terrified to go anywhere on his own. When he was eight days old however, Meteor flew for the first time in the garden during a snowfall, chirping happily and biting at the snowflakes. Soon, Meteor could be seen darting and flying about the trees in the garden and through the shadows and rays of sunlight that filled the hallways just like a shooting star.
That same year, a fortnight after the Black Swan and Admiral Lohar were murdered in Lys, the first of the four Baratheon weddings that had been planned by Prince Jacaerys Velaryon was held. The bride, Lady Cassandra Baratheon, and her family traveled to Duskendale, where they were hosted by House Darklyn, and from there they all set sail to Whiteharbor in the North. Accompanying Cass on her northward journey were her father, younger sisters, maternal grandfather, and extended family from House Caron of Nightsong. Sadly, Lady Elenda could not attend her firstborn's wedding due to being on bedrest after giving birth to her and Borros's fifth child a few days before the Baratheon bridal party set sail for the North. After four daughters, the Lord of Storm's End finally got his heir, a handsome and healthy baby boy who was christened with the name Royce in honor of his maternal grandfather.
Just as he had promised, the Prince of Dragonstone attended the wedding at Winterfell. Princess Baela Targaryen accompanied her husband, their dragons Vermax and Moondancer drawing crowds wherever they went. It was a beautiful ceremony, and Jace enjoyed observing the traditional wedding customs of the North. However, the not so scholarly inclined Borros found most of these customs to be strange and ridiculous. Twice did Borros's maester have to chide his liege: the first chiding happened when Lord Baratheon snorted contemptuously as Cregan announced his name, Cass's name, and his new father-in-law's name before Winterfell's weirdwood tree, and the second occurred when Borros made a crude remark about the couple kneeling before the unworldly tree to recite a silent prayer to the Old Gods.
Despite her father's immaturity, Cassandra obediently followed the traditions of her husband's homeland, though the face that was carved into the trunk of the heart tree did unnerve her a bit. Atop Lady Baratheon's head was a crown of winter roses, the most beautiful flowers in the land. The flower crown had been a gift from Cassandra's three year old stepson, Rickon. After the prayer was done, Cregan scooped up his new Lady of Winterfell into his arms, signaling that the ceremony was over and that it was time to celebrate with feasting and drinking. In Winterfell's great hall, Cass gave Rickon a gift of his own from the Stormlands, a beautiful drinking horn whose rim and tip were capped with gold that was engraved with stags and wolves with a jeweled gold chain that ran from both ends of the horn.
Little Rickon was fascinated by his gift, and he hugged his stepmother after he had received the horn.
As the year was coming to a close, Lyman Beesbury, the Lord of Honeyholt and Master of Coin on the small council of Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen, resigned as treasurer of the Seven Kingdoms. Dementia was starting to dull the sharp mind that Lyman had retained for eighty-two long years. He spoke less and less during small council meetings, was starting to forget things quicker, and was steadily losing the spark that fueled his no-nonsense personality. Before his mind wandered away completely, Lyman wanted to return to Honeyholt to live out his final years in solitude with his family. But Lord Beesbury did not want to depart from the Red Keep right away.
He requested Rhaenyra to allow him to stay until after the birth of his firstborn great-great-grandchild, the baby that was now growing in the womb of Lady Nell Beesbury. Grateful for her Master of Coin's loyal service and for the role he had played in the Black Conspiracy, Rhaenyra I was more than happy to grant the old man's request. The seat of Master of Coin did not remain vacant for long. A new treasurer was found in Lord Tyland Lannister, the twin brother of the Warden of the West and the former Master of Ships on the small council of King Viserys I Targaryen. Lord Lannister's appointment had been Jace's idea; it was another step in rebuilding ties with the realm's wealthiest noble family.
Rhaenyra's small council was disconcerted about having a former Green becoming one of their peers. However, Tyland appeared to have changed. He did not seem to chafe under having to answer to the queen. Tyland even thanked Prince Jacaerys for arranging his betrothal to Lady Maris Baratheon earlier that year. Sensing his fellow councilmen's disapproval, Tyland stood at the table on the morning of New Year's Day 132 AC before the queen arrived to address his peers.
"My lords and lady." Tyland began, "I am well aware that my presence here in this hallowed chamber has troubled you all. I may not be a mind reader, but I swear that I can see what you are all thinking: We cannot trust him. Why is he even here? To be honest my fellow councilmen, I do not give the slightest damn what any of you think.
I will admit that I did support her grace's half-brother when their father was still alive. But now, I am serving Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen the First of Her Name. I was offered this position on her small council and I took it for the simple reason that one would be a fool to say no to such a lofty offer. As I was appointed by the crown, I shall loyally serve whoever wears that crown. Now that oath I did swear…"
Tyland's speech about pragmatic loyalty may not have won him any friends, but it did ease some of the Blacks's worries. Midway through the year, Rhaenyra's new Master of Coin married the second born daughter of the Lord of Storm's End. This time, Lady Elenda Caron was able to attend, and she brought a nearly six month old baby Royce with her too. Although her father viewed her as being the most clever of her sisters, Maris was also seen as being less beautiful than Cassandra, Ellyn, and Floris, and she was very self-conscious and bitter about that. But on her wedding day, Maris felt like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
She was married in King's Landing's most magnificent sept, and her groom was not only the Master of Coin, but was also the twin brother of head of House Lannister of Casterly Rock. When Tyland draped the wedding cape that bore his house's colors and heraldry: a golden lion on a crimson field, Maris felt a chill of exhilaration climb up her spine.
"Much better than grey and white." Lady Baratheon thought, remembering the wedding cape that her brother-in-law, Cregan, had draped over Cass's back during their wedding late last year: a grey dire-wolf on an ice-white field. "Wolves are fearsome, but lions are stronger…"
After the wedding, Maris began serving Princess Baela Targaryen as her lady-in-waiting. While the wedding welcomed the start of a new chapter for two people, a funeral came to close one person's book of life. Shortly after the wedding of Tyland and Maris, Lord Corlys Velaryon passed away from natural causes at the ripe old age of seventy-nine. He bore three great titles during his long life: Lord of the Tides, Master of Driftmark, and Hand of the Queen. Famed for his voyages all over the Known World, Corlys was also remembered as being a powerful and dynamic patriarch of House Velaryon; some even claimed that he was the greatest Velaryon the realm had ever seen, and that all future successors would never be able to achieve the level of glory that Corlys had.
Queen Rhaenyra placed the Sea Snake's body on display* before the Iron Throne for a week, during which both commoners and nobles alike could view his body in state and pay their last respects. After his funeral, Corlys was buried at sea onboard the ship that gave him his famous nickname, the "Sea Snake". Corlys's widow, the Queen Who Never Was, flew over her late husband's ship on Meleys's back. Taking one last look at her beloved husband's body as it laid on the Sea Snake's main deck resting on a flag that bore House Velaryon's heraldry: a silver seahorse on a sea-green field, a mournful Rhaenys uttered the command to Meleys.
"Dracerys…"
Rose pink flames quickly consumed the old vessel, spreading across every inch of the weathered wood as if it were a hungry beast. Soon the canvas sails and the ropes and riggings were all aflame. Rhaenys closed her eyes as the dragonfire reached Corlys's body. One by one, the Sea Snake's masts collapsed like fallen trees. Seawater poured through the glowing hull as the fire ate it all away.
All that remained of the Sea Snake after it sank beneath the waves were some of the burning remnants of masts and ropes. Great changes soon followed after Lord Corlys Velaryon's death. Needing a new Hand of the Queen, Rhaenyra I summoned her eldest son, Crown Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, to succeed his grandfather as her second Hand of the Queen. Jace was just eighteen years old when he assumed the role as the second most powerful individual in the Seven Kingdoms after his mother. His ascension was warmly received by the realm, and great things were expected from the Prince of Dragonstone.
New Hand of the Queen aside, it was now time for a new Lord of the Tides to take the helm. Departing from Dragonstone just like his older brother, Prince Lucerys Velaryon and his wife and their two young daughters traveled to High Tide to assume leadership of House Velaryon of Driftmark. Remembering all too well about the Driftmark Succession Crisis six years earlier, Luke was accompanied by a royal entourage that consisted of his mother, stepfather, grandmother, and the Queensguard; the royal dragons Syrax, Caraxes, Meleys, Arrax, and Morning accompanied the family too. After Rhaenys named her grandchildren as the new heads of House Velaryon, Rhaenyra I addressed the Velaryon's.
"Standing here before you is your new Lord and Lady of the Tides." The queen proclaimed, gesturing towards Lucerys and Rhaena. "Before countless witnesses, the late Lord Corlys Velaryon named my son as his heir on New Years Eve 129 AC. Three years before that, an uproar was raised by some of your kinsmen when Lord Velaryon considered naming Lucerys as his heir." The queen gave pointed looks towards certain faces in the crowd, faces that either looked away or down so as not to meet Rhaenyra's contemptuous glare.
"Slander was said, and the offending tongues were removed on the orders of my father the Young King." The crowd shuffled uneasily at the memory, particularly the mute ones. "It is quite obvious that House Velaryon's line of succession has divided you all just as House Targaryen's crisis with me inheriting before my half-brothers has divided the royal court. To prevent anymore friction, I am giving you all three choices."
All eyes were rapt on Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen as she gave her Velaryon cousins their choices: swear fealty to Lucerys, join the Night's Watch, or be burned alive by dragonfire. In a similar veins to the men of House Wylde during the Wylde Rebellion, the mute Velaryon's could not bear the thought of living under the rule of a man whom they believed was baseborn. Instead of choosing death however, they all chose to go to the Wall.* Those who remained swore allegiance to Prince Lucerys Velaryon and Princess Rhaena Targaryen, bending on one knee and kissing the ringed hands of their new leaders after they had both sat down on their thrones. Luke and Rhaena were going to turn seventeen and sixteen years old respectively that year.
Feeling that it was necessary to provide her second born son and his family with a protector, Queen Rhaenyra knighted Addam of Hull and named him as Lucerys's sworn shield. Addam's younger brother, Alyn, was appointed as the admiral of the Velaryon fleet. Princess Rhaenys was leery about having the Hull Brothers at High Tide. She had her doubts about the two men's paternity, but acted cordial towards Addam and Alyn out of respect for Luke. The Sea Snake's passing had opened many new chapters for his family just as his had closed.
Just as death came to end an old life, pregnancy brought more life into the world. Pregnant when she departed from Dragonstone with her husband and son, Princess Baela Targaryen gave birth to her and Jace's second child at her mother-in-law's court. The baby was a strong and healthy girl who was born with a full head of platinum hair and deep indigo eyes. The newborn princess was christened with the name Alyssa, in honor of her father's great-grandmother, her mother's grandmother, Princess Alyssa Targaryen, the second born daughter of King Jaehaerys I and Queen Alysanne Targaryen. The younger Princess Alyssa Targaryen's pure Valyrian features were a source of great pride for her father.
Jacaerys claimed that his daughter's looks were proof that the blood of Old Valyria ran strongly through his veins. Of course, this did not stop the rumors about the Velaryon Brothers being baseborn. The birth of the crown prince's nephew sometime after Alyssa was born would further strengthen these rumors… On the twelfth day of the ninth moon, Lady Nell Beesbury went into labor two weeks early. Although the labor was long and difficult, both mother and son made it through the childbirth with flying colors.
The baby prince was born bigger than what a newborn is expected to be. Grand Maester Gerardys even commented that the premature birth could almost have been viewed as a blessing for Nell. If she had carried her son to the expected due date, the childbirth would have been even more difficult, and would have most likely ended with fatal results for both the eighteen year old Nell and her baby. Prince Aeric Targaryen looked exactly like his father with brown hair and eyes and a pug nose. Rumors of Aeric being the grandson of Ser Harwin Strong began to (quietly) circulate outside of the Red Keep.
Despite the circumstances of his birth, the newborn Prince Aeric Targaryen was welcomed joyfully by his family. Having held his baby nephew and nieces after they were born, it was now Prince Joffrey Velaryon's turn to hold his own child in his arms. The fifteen year old prince proudly showed Aeric off to his family once they filed into his wife's bedchamber to see his baby son. Just as he had wished, Lord Lyman Beesbury got to hold his firstborn great-great-grandchild. Not many men live long enough to get the chance to hold the firstborn grandchild of their grandchild in their arms.
Shortly after Aeric's birth, Lyman departed for Honeyholt via ship. News of Prince Aeric's birth, of course, reached Honeyholt faster than Lyman's ship, and a great feast was held in honor of Joff and Nell's son. Although bedridden for six months after Aeric's birth, Nell felt that it was worth it since she had brought her baby boy into the world. While she wanted to have more children, Nell was not too keen on repeating the fiasco that her first labor was. Nell sternly told her husband that they were going to wait a few more years before they had another child.
132 AC also saw the birth of another dragon. One afternoon after a small council meeting, Queen Rhaenyra was departing from the Chamber of the Sphinxes when she heard a familiar voice calling to her from down the hallway.
"Momma! Momma!"
The voice belonged to the queen's only daughter, Princess Visenya Targaryen. The three year old princess toddled over towards her mother with outstretched arms after her wet nurse had put her down.
"Come here, you." Rhaenyra said cheerfully as she scooped the little girl up into a hug. Noticing Visenya's big toothy grin, Rhaenyra could not help but comment on it. "You are quite happy. What has gotten you all excited?"
"Dwagon, momma! Dwagon!" The princess chirped like a bird.
"Oh! Your egg hatched, my sweet?" Rhaenyra asked, to which her daughter responded by rapidly nodding her head. Journeying to Visenya's nursery and going inside, Rhaenyra saw with her own two eyes the princess's newly hatched dragon. The hatchling possessed white steel colored scales, and from her crest, down her spine, and to the tip of her tail were scales that had the sheen of a polished mirror when light hit them.
She had cloud grey wing membranes, belly scales, horns, and claws. In juxtaposition to the baby dragon's polished, sterile appearance, her eyes were amber like a wolf's. Scattered on the floor with the broken halves of hatchling's egg were the shiny, tattered scraps of Visenya's satin slippers along with some of the princess's toys. The toys all had chew marks on them. The little dragon was now violently gnawing on the backside of a wooden toy horse that had once been Prince Maelor Targaryen's.
The hatchling's aggression startled the queen. Dragons were not usually this aggressive when they hatched, and if they were aggressive, it was usually just because they were being playful. Visenya fussed in her mother's arms, and the queen hesitantly put her child down. Visenya happily crawled over towards her hatchling. The hatchling was too preoccupied with chewing on the toy to notice that the princess had plopped down next to her.
The dragon finally took notice when Visenya extended her hand to pet her head. Amber eyes warily glared at the hand that was hovering over her head. Rhaenyra noticed the change in the hatchling's demeanor.
"Sweetling…" Rhaenyra said in a cautionary tone. "I wouldn't do that if I were-"
As soon as Visenya lowered her hand, the dragon reared her back head and as quick as lightning, she lunged towards Visenya's fingers and bit them. Visenya let a frightened squeal that was soon followed by wails of pain. The queen was by her child's side in a heartbeat. Concern soon morphed into horror when Rhaenyra saw that the hatchling's tiny teeth had actually drawn blood. Fury overtook all senses after that.
"You wretched thing!" Rhaenyra growled as she got back onto her feet with a whimpering Visenya safely cradled in her arms. The queen then kicked the dragon. The hatchling tumbled towards the wall, but she soon righted herself. As soon as she was standing on all fours again, the dragon glared defiantly at Rhaenyra and hissed fiercely at her.
Disturbed by this aggression, Rhaenyra commanded the wet nurse to fetch some servants to help corral the belligerent hatchling into a cage while she went to inform her husband about the incident. Daemon was about to leave for the Dragonpit to fly around on Caraxes when his wife found him.
"Ah, look who we have here-"
"Visenya's egg hatched." Rhaenyra said abruptly. She then held out Visenya's wounded hand. "The hatchling did that. Bit our daughter's fingers hard enough to draw blood!"
Visenya nodded at her mother's words, her purple eyes watery and red, her lower lip quivering. The king could not help but kiss his youngest child's injury.
"That creature needs to be disposed of!" The queen said after her husband tended to Visenya's hand.
"Rhaenyra…" Daemon groaned as he rolled his eyes. "We are not going to kill a dragon hatchling."
"But it bit our daughter! Before that, it was tearing up her toys and clothes! That thing is a menace!"
"I will sort this out." Daemon said. He then moved in to take Visenya from her mother's arms. "Let me take her. She needs to see this."
Two male servants and Visenya's wet nurse were departing from the nursery when Daemon arrived with the princess in his arms. All three had bite marks and scratches on their hands and faces. Inside the nursery, the hatchling thrashed wildly about in a cage. She was biting the bars and whipping half the circumference of the cage with her tail. Visenya clung tightly to her father's chest with fear as her dragon writhed about furiously.
"There, there, pet." Daemon said to Visenya. "Do not be frightened." The king set his daughter down on her bed and knelt down so that he could be eye level with Visenya. "Watch what I am going to do.
This is how you teach your dragon to submit to you when they are young."
The king then got up and walked over to the cage. Without hesitating, Daemon opened the cage door and reached his hand inside. The hatchling shrieked loudly and latched her mouth onto Daemon's hand. The Rogue Prince's hand flinched slightly from the pain before he grabbed the hatchling tightly. She continued to bite his hand even as Daemon pulled her out of the cage.
Daemon then flicked the hatchling's head hard. The dragon stopped biting and glared at Daemon. There was no fear in those amber eyes, just shock and simmering fury. Now having gained the little hellion's attention, Daemon gave her a stern talking to.
"No more biting." He began. The hatchling opened her mouth slightly as if to protest before her body was firmly squeezed by Daemon's hand.
"No." Daemon reinstated. Retaining his hold on the hatchling, Daemon then used his right index finger to gently stroke her back and neck. Slowly but surely, the dragon began to calm down somewhat. When he saw how pacified the hatchling looked, Daemon brought her to Visenya.
The princess watched wide eyed as her father placed the hatchling down beside her. The creature stretched her neck towards Visenya's left hand, sniffed it, and then hopped on top of it. Giggling at how ticklish the dragon's little claws were on her skin, Visenya rose her hand up to face level with the hatchling still perched on it. The dragon reared her head back again when she saw Visenya's hand reaching for her head. However, emulating her father, the three year old Visenya quickly smacked the hatchling on the top of her head with a firm "no", causing Daemon to smile proudly.
After that, the little beast was better behaved. Inspired by the baby dragon's ferocity, she was christened with the name "Dyannerys".* According to the ancient manuscripts that pre-dated the Doom of Valyria, Dyannerys had been the name of the Valyrian goddess of war. Although Dyannerys now obeyed Visenya without question, she was still hostile with (mostly) everyone else. Dyannerys did get along with Maelor and his dragon, Meteor, but she hissed at the queen whenever she was around. Just days after getting disciplined by Daemon, Dyannerys bit half the ear off of one of the kitchen cats when it tried to sniff her.
While House Targaryen of King's Landing enjoyed a growth in numbers in 132 AC, the Targaryen's at Oldtown found something to celebrate that year too. Two years after their engagements had been created, siblings Lord Lyonel and Lady Bethany Hightower were married to their respective betrothed, Lady Patricia Redwyne and Prince Daeron Targaryen. The queen gave Prince Aegon the Elder and Princess Helaena leave to attend their youngest brother's wedding. The sibling-couple brought their three children along too. Alicent was excited when she heard that her two oldest children and grandchildren were coming to Oldtown.
Other then turning nine in 132 AC, twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera rode their respective dragons Shrykos and Morghul for the first time. While Maelor rode with his mother on her dragon, Dreamfyre (baby Meteor was kept in a cage that was held by the prince), Maelor's older siblings proudly flew their dragons beside their parents as they traveled to Oldtown. The family made quite an entrance as they descended on the Hightower with their four dragons. So far, the welcoming party that was there to greet the queen's hostages were Alicent, her extended family, and some Hightower guards. Jaehaerys and Jaehaera were the first to dismount their dragons shortly after they had landed, and they both excitedly ran to their grandmother with open arms.
"Grandmother! Grandmother!" The twins shouted as they ran towards the smiling Alicent. She had not seen her eldest grandchildren in three years since the Hightower's had been exiled from King's Landing.
"My dears!" Alicent said as she withstood the impact of the twins' charge and gathered them both up into her arms. "Look how much you two have grown! Jaehaerys, your head nearly reaches my shoulders! And Jaehaera, what a beauty you are blossoming into!"
"Grandma!" Maelor called out as both he and his mother dismounted from Dreamfyre's back. With Meteor's cage in hand, the five year old prince ran as fast as his little legs could carry him towards his grandmother. Releasing the twins, Alicent knelt down to catch Maelor.
"And look at you! Running like a horse!" The former queen said proudly. Meteor squeaked from his cage, and Alicent looked down to see her grandson's hatchling. "You have a dragon now too, and your big brother and sister are now riding their dragons…"
The Queen in Exile sighed wistfully. Unable to watch her eldest grandchildren grow up was one of the ramifications of Alicent's self-imposed exile from the capital. The morning she left King's Landing, the twins were both just above waist level, and Maelor was still crawling around. Jaehaerys and Jaehaera both had that high-pitched, innocent sounding tone in their voices while Maelor mostly cooed. Now all three were growing taller and talking.
Alicent's sorrow was quickly dispelled when she heard Aemond's loud voice.
"Look who we have here!" Boomed Prince Aemond Targaryen as he walked across the courtyard with his arms held out wide. Jaehaerys took off to embrace his favorite uncle while Jaehaera quickly scooped up their little brother and raced to join their older brother. Aemond's greeting to his nephews and niece was nearly identical to what his mother had said to them.
"Look how all of you have grown! Jaehaerys, it will only be a matter of time before you reach my height!" Prince One-Eye's nephew smiled proudly at his uncle's words. Aemond then turned his attention to his niece. "And Jaehaera, you look to be a Queen of Love and Beauty in the making!"
The comment made Jaehaera blush, and she looked bashfully down at her feet. Even though his niece had dropped eye contact, Aemond continued to speak.
"Are your father and brothers on guard about boys now?"
"Not yet, but we will soon." Prince Aegon said in response to his brother's comments. As his younger brother greeted Maelor, Aegon saw a head of dark hair appear over Aemond's shoulder, and Alys Rivers soon appeared from behind the prince. In the woman's arms was her and Aemond's two year old son, Lydus Rivers.
"I believe that our little dragon would like to meet his uncle, aunt, and cousins, Aemond." Alys said in a soft-spoken tone.
"I agree." Aemond said as he gently retrieved his son from his paramour's arms. "Aegon, Helaena, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor, this is my son, Lydus. Say hello, son."
"Hello." Lydus said shyly before leaning into his father's shoulder, where he then began to suck on his finger.
"Isn't he a dear…" Helaena said as she approached her brother. Taking her two year old nephew into her arms, Helaena presented Lydus to her family. As Jaehaera let her young cousin grip her hand, she turned to see that Alys was looking at her. Alys was two feet shorter than the princess's uncle, had an oval shaped face, a pug nose, and a big forehead.*
Her pale skin sharply contrasted with her long, silky, raven black hair; the longest hair Jaehaera had ever seen on a woman (it fell down behind her knees), and thin black eyebrows. Now she was looking at Jaehaera. Alys was grinning at the nine year old princess, her eyes were wide, and the brown irises seemed to glow even though the winter sun was obscured by clouds. Jaehaera's purple eyes were locked on Alys's. It was as if the woman was trying to look into the girl's very soul…
The standoff was interrupted by Aemond loudly announcing the arrival of his younger brother and his fiancée.
"And here comes Daeron and his fainting bride!" Only Aemond found this to be funny, although his older brother, Aegon, did raise the corners of his lips to form a smile before quickly suppressing it. The rest of the family shot dagger eyes at Aemond.
"Aemond!" Alicent hissed.
"Don't be rude." Helaena added as her younger brother gave both her and their mother an indignant look.
Bethany tensed a little, and Daeron felt his wife-to-be flinch against his arm. But rather than show her displeasure towards her second cousin/future brother-in-law's jape, Bethany forced a smile to appear that she was unfazed. Daeron took it upon himself to step up and ease his betrothed's embarrassment.
"That was not humorous the first time, Aemond." He said, "and it still does not evoke any laughter now."
Aemond, now sporting a sour look, rolled his left eye. Helaena went over to embrace Bethany.
"Cousin you look lovely! I cannot wait to see you in your wedding gown."
This time a real smile appeared on Bethany's face at her second cousin mentioning her wedding gown.
"Would you like to see it?" Bethany asked. "It is made from Qartheen silk and is embroidered with pearls from the Summer Islands."
Helaena happily said yes with a quick nod, and she took Jaehaera with her as they followed Bethany towards the Hightower.
"Wait, mama!" Jaehaera said. She left her mother's side to wrap her arms around her Uncle Daeron. Hugging her uncle's torso, Jaehaera looked up at him and simply said, "Hello, Uncle Daeron," before taking off again to rejoin her mother and second cousin once removed. The hug amused the family while Daeron looked bemused.
"My, my." Daeron finally said. "Jaehaera has become quite affectionate."
Aegon lightly raised the corners of his lips. "Yes, she has. Her two companions have helped her blossom."
"And what are their names again, brother?" Daeron asked.
"Thea and Myrine."
"Ah, yes. The betrothed of our two youngest nephews. Seven help them when Rhaenyra becomes their mother-in-law!"
Daeron's words caused him, his brothers, and their mother to laugh. Afterwards, the gathered family members walked towards the Hightower Pharos. The double wedding was held the following day. In the opulent black marble sanctuary of the Starry Sept, the Hightower siblings were married to their betrothed. The High Septon himself presided over the beautiful ceremony.
Even as she stood before the altar, Bethany could not believe that her innocent girlhood crush had progressed to her marrying Daeron. It felt surreal when the prince removed the wedding cape that bore the heraldry of House Hightower of Oldtown: the white Hightower Pharos with its fires lit on a grey field, and fastened the cape that bore the red Targaryen three-headed dragon on a black field over Bethany's shoulders. But while one Pharos was replaced with a mighty dragon, Lyonel proudly clasped the Hightower cape to Patricia's shoulders, replacing the cape that bore the heraldry of House Redwyne of the Arbor: a cluster of purple grapes on an ocean blue field. Bethany felt her grip tighten on Daeron's hands when the High Septon told both grooms to kiss their brides. She puckered her lips, but it was as if she had become paralyzed since Bethany found herself unable to crane her neck forward to meet Daeron's lips.
Courteous as he was handsome, Daeron leaned in and kissed Bethany. Heat surged through Lady Hightower's body and her skin became a sanguine sea. Speaking of the sea, Bethany's mind began to swim, and she feared that she was going to faint again like she did the night her father had announced the double Hightower betrothal. Thankfully there was no fainting, and Bethany's feet remained firmly planted to the marble floor, and her posture stayed straight and perfect. There was disbelief at the altar, there was surrealism when the wedding capes were changed, but this kiss… it could be described as being transcendent!
As Daeron's lips parted from hers, Bethany's sanguinity began to subside as a sense of maturity blossomed within her. She and Daeron were now married, they were now husband and wife. As the touching scene unfolded, a lachrymose Alicent found herself dabbing her eyes. The past three years had been hard on the Exiled Queen, and seeing her precious Daeron marry the sweet and lovely daughter of her Cousin Ormund resurrected a happiness that Alicent had not felt for a long time. The last time she was this happy was when Maelor was born, which had taken place five years ago in 127 AC.
This joy seemed to erase the weight of the sorrow and negativity that Alicent had accumulated over the years during her husband's reign as the tensions between the dowager queen and Rhaenyra intensified. Helaena, who was sitting on her mother's left, heard the queen sniffle, and she turned to look at her.
"Mother?" Helaena whispered as the High Septon began his last sermon. She laid a comforting hand on her mother's back.
"Oh, do not mind me, sweet girl…" Alicent said after wiping away a tear from her right cheek. "I am just so happy for your little brother. Do they not look perfect together, Daeron and Bethany?"
Helaena turned her gaze back on her brother. She smiled when she saw a him.
"They do." The princess said softly.
"I hope that I will be able to find a girl like Bethany for Aemond in the near future. Gods know that Aemond is too besotted with that wretched Alys to look for a decent wife himself…"
Helaena winced as she heard her mother hiss Alys's name. Aemond was only two seats away from Alicent on her left (the twins and Maelor were sandwiched between their mother and uncle), and his older sister feared that he would overhear what their mother had just said about Alys. Looking over her shoulder, Helaena saw that Aemond's attention was rapt on the ceremony. It did not look like he had heard anything other than the High Septon's sermon. Alys Rivers looked unperturbed too, however, she appeared to be bored by the wedding ceremony (little Lydus was sleeping against his mother's chest).
Helaena quickly swept her her concern under the rug when the High Septon finished his sermon to initiate the closing prayer and song for the wedding. At the ceremony's conclusion, the two couples walked down the aisle as the audience clapped, a great thunderous noise that sounded like as if a powerful deluge was falling upon the Starry Sept's roof. But Daeron and Bethany did not care about the noise, they were both happy, their hearts full of mirth and affection. More cheering greeted the four newlyweds after they had exited the sept.
Waiting on top of the cathedral's roof were Dreamfyre, Sunfyre, and Tessarion. Vhagar was too big to join her kin, so she flew around the district where the Starry Sept was located. Both the double wedding and the presence of these four mighty creatures had drawn in a colossal crowd. The Blue Queen flew down low just above the gathered crowds and let off a triumphant roar as if she were saying congratulations to her rider and his second cousin-wife.
"Tessarion sounds happy!" Commented Bethany as she watched her second cousin-husband's dragon ascend to the sky.
"She certainly does." Daeron said. "Perhaps my lady wife would like to go for a ride on Tessarion tomorrow morning? Our first ride as husband and wife?"
Bethany smiled softly when she heard the prince call her his wife. She gently squeezed Daeron's hand.
"That sounds lovely, husband." She said coyly. "But first," Bethany began as a torrent of confidence filled her, "we need to enjoy our wedding night!"
That torrent of confidence soon evaporated and Bethany became sanguine again. She could not believe that she had just said that! Her mother had would be rolling in her grave if she had heard what her only daughter had just said. Daeron looked at his bride wide eyed before he chuckled goodheartedly.
"If that is your wish my lady, then we shall gladly do both!"
Bethany's embarrassment steadily ebbed away as she heard what Daeron had said. Love and appreciation for her princely husband soon filled her. Hand in hand, the couple walked to their wheelhouse, which would take them to the Hightower where the first of many feasts would be held to celebrate the double wedding. Just as the Pharos helped to guide ships into Oldtown's harbor, it seemed to be guiding the newlyweds back home where they could begin their married life. House Hightower's words, "We Light the Way", rang true just as they did when Bethany's father had said to them during the betrothal announcement two years before.
*: Corlys Velaryon's body was placed in state during the Regency of King Aegon III Targaryen in the canon storyline.
*: Same fate that some of the mute Velaryon's chose in-canon.
*: Name was inspired by the Ancient Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana. Her Ancient Greek equivalent is Artemis. I was originally going to name Visenya's dragon "Huntress" until I thought of Diana, and decided to put a Valyrian twist to her name. Another potential name was "Dyanneryn".
*: Physical appearance of Alys Rivers was inspired by the Baroque painting "Mary Magdalene and the Smoking Flame" by Georges de la Tour (1640). Giving her a pug nose hints at her rumored blood ties to House Strong of Harrenhal.
So much going on in the life of House Targaryen on both sides of the continent! There is a Baratheon-Stark wedding as well as a Baratheon-Lannister wedding, Jace is his mother's second Hand of the Queen, Luke is now the Lord of the Tides, and Joff has become a father. This alternate fic has allowed all of the major and minor players of the Dance of Dragons to live to watch their families grow and thrive.
Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! :)