Hi everyone! Long time no post! I have been busy with my online master's program and work, so I apologize for not posting sooner. Without further adieu, here is the fifteenth chapter of Reign of the Dragon Queen!

133 AC - 134 AC

The fourth year of Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen's reign, the a hundred and thirty-third year after Aegon's Conquest, was a relatively uneventful one, although it did start off on quite a dreary note. Early in the year, a raven arrived at the queen's study bearing a letter that was sealed with black wax. Dreading the news that was written on the parchment, Rhaenyra nevertheless unrolled the scroll. The letter had been written by Prince Joffrey Velaryon's father-in-law, Lord Alyn Beesbury, and he had written to inform the royal family about the passing of his grandfather, Lord Lyman Beesbury. The indomitable Master of Coin and Lord of Honeyholt had died in his sleep at the age of four and eighty.

In honor of her first Master of Coin, the second Black Conspiracist to die after King Viserys I Targaryen, Rhaenyra arranged a memorial service in the royal chapel to pray for the safe passage of Lyman's soul into the afterlife. In mourning of their family patriarch, Ser Roger Beesbury of the Queensguard wore a black armband, and his niece, Lady Nell Beesbury, dressed in black for seven days. As if losing Lyman wasn't enough, Queen Rhaenyra I would lose one of her active councilmen midway through the year in the seventh moon. The loss was especially tragic since this councilman had just welcomed his first child just three months earlier. Married for little over a year by 133 AC, Lady Maris Baratheon had become pregnant by Lord Tyland Lannister shortly after they had marked their one-month wedding anniversary the previous year.

When Tyland shared the exciting news of his upcoming fatherhood with his twin brother back at Casterly Rock, he received a letter from Jason that not only congratulated him, but also hoped that his first child would be a boy. Since Jason only had one son, his twin was second in line to inherit Casterly Rock after Loreon. The Warden of the West preferred to have his family's titles and holdings be passed down to relatives with closer blood ties to him rather than to his cousins and their offspring. On the twenty-sixth day of the fourth moon, Maris gave birth to her and Tyland's child with Princess Baela Targaryen by her side. Unfortunately for Jason, his sister-in-law gave him a niece rather than a nephew.

But while his twin was disappointed with the overabundance of heiresses, Tyland was quite taken with his newborn daughter. The girl was lovely, and she was born with classic Lannister looks: golden blonde hair and green eyes. Lady Baratheon wept when she first laid eyes on her baby daughter. Tyland named his firstborn Tara. She was the firstborn granddaughter of her maternal grandparents, with Tara having been preceded by a pair of twin male cousins, Lords Torrhen and Orys Stark, who had been born to her Aunt Cassandra and her husband, Cregan, just the year before.

Everything seemed to be going so well for Tyland and Maris. Three months after Tara's birth, the Master of Coin took his wife out for a walk in the royal gardens to get some fresh air after a long and dull small council meeting. It was a nice, sunny, and unusually tepid winter day with only a few clouds in the sky that left the beautiful cerulean canvas uncovered for all to see. Arm in arm, the couple admired the frost and snow, listened to the sounds of singing birds and the water dripping from the melting snow on branches, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun as it shined on them. Although it was unseasonably warm, Tyland had red cheeks after both he and his wife went back into the castle.

Lord Lannister's cheeks remained red even when day turned to night. As the sun slipped beneath the horizon, Tyland began to complain of feeling feverish. His fever worsened over the course of the night and through the next day. The fever seemed to lessen when Tyland bathed in ice water, and Maris prayed that this was the end of her husband's sickness. However, this was no ordinary fever, it was the dreaded winter fever.

The last days of Lord Tyland Lannister ran as similarly as those of the winter fever's countless victims had. On the second day of the fever, Tyland's skin was as hot and slick as a greased skillet over a flame, yet he claimed that he felt cold, and he shivered terribly. The third day was a terrifying one for both Maris and the maesters as they watched Tyland literally "sweat blood", began to babble incoherently, spoke to people who weren't there, and could not even recognize his own wife and baby daughter. On the fourth day of Lord Lannister's affliction, he passed away. He was only thirty-eight years old…

As Lady Maris Baratheon, now a widow at the tender age of nineteen, mourned her husband's death, Rhaenyra appointed the young widow's maternal uncle, Ser Manfryd Caron, as her third Master of Coin. But while one girl connected to the royal family lost a father to the winter fever that year, another noble girl had lost her mother to the same sickness prior to Tyland's death. Just months into their tenure as Lord and Lady of the Tides, Prince Lucerys Velaryon and Princess Rhaena Targaryen, took in one of their young cousins, Lady Daenaera Velaryon, as their ward. Rendered fatherless after her sire, Lord Daeron Velaryon, had lost his life during the Daughters' War just the year before in 132 AC, the six year old Daenaera became an orphan after her mother, Lady Hazel Harte, succumbed to the winter fever early in 133 AC. Playing with her younger girl cousins, Alysanne and Laena, Daenaera was able to find some distraction from her double loss.

Speaking of the Velaryon Princesses, the duo soon became a trio when their mother gave birth to their younger sister, Princess Megaera Velaryon, later that same year. Thankfully for Rhaena, her labor with Megaera was untroubled, and she recovered from the birth in no time. Megaera was born with pale honey blonde hair and purple eyes, a lovely child indeed. With daughters being born in the eastern half of Westeros, there were more being born in the western half. Lord Ormund Hightower became a grandfather for the first time when his daughter-in-law, Lady Patricia Redwyne, the wife of his eldest son Lyonel, gave birth to a pair of twin daughters just a year after the two were married; the girls had been preceded by a paternal half-aunt, Lady Lilith Hightower, the daughter of Lord Ormund Hightower and his second wife, Lady Samantha Tarly, who had been born two years earlier in 131 AC.

The twin girls were named Priscilla and Samantha, in honor of both Lyonel's biological mother, Lady Priscilla Bulwer, and stepmother. While Lady Sam was touched that her stepson had named one of his daughters after her, her husband was not too pleased about this. Ormund was already leery of the relationship between his son and second wife, and for some reason, the fact that one of his newborn granddaughters was named after Samantha fanned the flames of his jealousy even more. A rift soon formed between father and son. Having firsthand experience with this kind of domestic strife, Alicent was the first of her kin of to notice this rift, and she tried to counsel her cousin as best she could and how he had it all wrong about Lady Sam and Lyonel.

Other than the surplus of daughters, two more dragons were born to House Targaryen. After the births of Baelor and Alysanne, Rhaenyra had placed dragon eggs in their cradles in accordance with family tradition. Both those eggs hatched in 133 AC. Baelor's egg had a pearl like shell, white with a nacreous sheen. Alysanne's egg was red with blue whirls.

The hatchlings that came forth from these eggs possessed the same coloring as their eggshells. Prince Baelor's dragon, "Palefyre", had white scales that looked pearlescent. He also had albino red eyes, wing membranes, and belly scales. Adding to Palefyre's already striking appearance, he also had black teeth, claws, and horns. Many believed that the newborn hatchling was the most beautiful dragon in the world after Sunfyre the Golden.

Plain in comparison was Princess Alysanne's dragon, "Galewing". She had red body scales with a pink belly, black horns, claws, and teeth, and blue eyes. Speaking of Baelor and Alysanne, the two cousins were engaged to each other that same year on their shared third birthday. Two weddings were held that year in 133 AC too. Lord Alyn of Hull married Lady Joyce Wylde, one of the queen's hostages, and Lady Myrine Darklyn's eldest brother, Rodrik, was married to his fiancée, Lady Celia Staunton, the daughter of the Lord of Rook's Rest. Knowing that his youngest daughter could not leave the Red Keep without royal leave, Lord Gunthor Darklyn invited not just Myrine and his Massey in-laws, but also his future son-in-law, Prince Viserys Targaryen.

It was Myrine's first time home in three years, and it was good to see her family again. Rodrik's wedding proved to be a massive family reunion for his little sister, and Viserys was overwhelmed with how many in-laws he was going to have when he married Myrine. The eleven year old prince met Myrine's parents, her siblings and their spouses, uncles, aunts, and gods knew how many cousins from both sides of Myrine's family; Viserys lost track after he was greeted by Myrine's maternal second cousin twice removed! Although pleased to see her child, Lady Meredyth Massey nitpicked any slights in Myrine's etiquette and was somewhat overbearing. Prince Viserys learned right away that he was not going to like his future mother-in-law as he observed on how she treated Myrine.

The year 134 AC would prove to be quite an eventful year for House Targaryen. Disease claimed two more lives from both Rhaenyra's court and extended family. Wesley, the faithful manservant and first coconspirator of King Viserys I Targaryen, lost his life to winter fever at the age of seven and fifty. Edmund was at his father's deathbed holding his hand as Wesley took his last breath. Although father and son had disagreed strongly over who should inherit the Iron Throne, they were both able to make peace before the Stranger separated them forever.

Eternally grateful for Wesley's part in the Black Conspiracy, the queen held a lavish funeral in honor of her father's late manservant. Ser Naeryon wore a black armband for three months after his father's passing.

A few months after Wesley had passed away, another raven bearing a black wax sealed letter arrived at the Red Keep. Rhaenyra was greatly shocked when she learned who the most recent decedent was. It was her half-first cousin, Jeyne Arryn, the Lady of the Eyrie and Warden of the East. The Maiden of the Vale had died from a chest cold when she was just forty years old. Jeyne passed away with her dear Jessamyn by her side. Becoming the Lady of the Eyrie when she was just three years old after both her father and older brothers had been slain by mountain clansmen, Jeyne had ruled the Vale for thirty-seven years before that wretched chest cold took her life.

Jeyne never married or had any children, and there were rumors regarding her sexual preferences, and many believed that she was more than just "friends" with Lady Jessamyn Redfort. Although the childless Jeyne had clearly named her fourth cousin, Ser Joffrey Arryn, as her heir, many of the Valemen disputed her decision. The most vocal disputers were two of Jeyne's male cousins, Sers Eldric and Isembard Arryn. Eldric was Jeyne's first cousin once removed while Isembard was a distant relative of the family from the cadet branch of House Arryn of Gulltown. Eldric's father, Ser Arnold, had twice tried to overthrow Jeyne because he felt that women were "too soft to rule", the second time earning him incarceration in the Eyrie's infamous "sky cells".

Arnold was still alive by the time his cousin had died, but being imprisoned in a cell that opened up to the big blue sky above and the distant jagged rocks of the great mountain below for a long period of time had driven the man insane. By the time Rhaenyra had received the letter about Jeyne's death, a great three way divide had formed in the Vale. As one lord after another declared for either Joffrey, Arnold (who's claim was being upheld by his son), or Isembard, unnerving rumors of an impending civil war began to circulate in the Vale. The atmosphere became eerily reminiscent of the Young King's court during the peak of the feud between Alicent and Rhaenyra I. Neither side wanted bloodshed, but no one could come to a peaceful compromise either.

Frustration and despair swirled in the halls of the Eyrie, where Ser Joffrey Arryn resided; Runestone, where Ser Eldric Arryn stayed with his greatest supporters, House Royce; and the manse of Ser Isembard Arryn in Gulltown as it appeared that there was no end in sight to rectifying this succession crisis. Wanting to avoid a blood bath, Ser Corwyn Corbray, the brother of Leowyn Corbray, the Lord of Heart's Home, and a supporter of Ser Joffrey Arryn, took it upon himself to find a resolution for his homeland's succession crisis. As candlelight made the shadows dance in his bedchamber one night, Corwyn wrote a letter to the queen.

"Your royal grace, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen the First of Her Name,

I, Ser Corwyn of House Corbray, am writing to you on behalf of your late cousin's heir, Ser Joffrey of House Arryn. Ever since Lady Jeyne's death, the Vale has become more and more divided with each passing day over who should become the next Lord Defender of the Vale. The number of Arnold "the Mad Heir's" followers will soon eclipse that of Joffrey's, and Isembard "the Gilded Falcon" and his sons are using their wealth to buy loyalty and sellswords. Compromise is nowhere to be found, and I fear that it will only be a matter of time before the great mountains of the Vale will run red with blood. You were able to secure the Iron Throne without spilling any blood, and I beseech the crown to aid us in our hour of need.

Ser Joffrey may be a distant relative of Jeyne's, but she named him as her heir, and the late Lady Arryn's word is the law of the Vale. Any help or assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Ser Corwyn Corbray"

Satisfied with what he had written, Corwyn sealed the scroll and sent out a raven by the first light of dawn. When Rhaenyra received and read the letter, she immediately summoned her small council to address the situation.

"I say let Jeyne's cousins fight it out. It is their business not ours." Said Daemon with his arms folded over his chest as he leaned back into his chair. "And if they do happen to kill each other, maybe then the women can finally lay with more comely men and pop out a generation that will actually be prettier looking than their sheep."

The king's words caused the male councilmen to crack up and for the queen and the White Worm to roll their eyes in annoyance. Everyone in the royal court knew of Daemon's contempt for the Vale and its people. His negative views stemmed from his miserable first marriage to Lady Rhea Royce. Although their marriage had been the brainchild of Daemon's grandmother, Queen Alysanne Targaryen, and was lauded as a powerful union between the Iron Throne and the scions of the Bronze Kings of old, it was a match made in hell for the "lucky" couple. Affection was nonexistent between Daemon and Rhea, and the two spent the majority of their childless marriage separated.

After Rhea had died from a head injury she had received during a hawking accident nineteen years earlier in 115 AC, Daemon abandoned his seat at the Stepstones to try and claim House Royce's wealth and lands for himself. However, Lady Royce managed to spite her hated husband even from beyond the grave, for she had named her nephew as her heir to Runestone, leaving her widower with nothing. When the Rogue Prince tried to contest his late wife's will, the Maiden of the Vale, who was thirteen years Daemon's junior, stood up to the fearless warrior, and she sternly told him to leave the Vale. Having no choice, Daemon left the Vale on the back of his dragon, Caraxes. Ever since then, the king consort had a deep, festering hatred for the Vale of Arryn.

"Daemon," Rhaenyra began after she had pinched the bridge of her nose, "this may be an issue amongst the Valemen, but I will not let them kill each other over it. They are our people, husband."

The king consort of the Seven Kingdoms rolled his eyes like an annoyed adolescent, which in turn ticked off his wife. The Hand of the Queen was careful to broach the next subject of this conversation.

"Perhaps we can arrange a great council, mother?"

Rhaenyra seemed to consider her son's idea before she shook her head.

"No, Jeyne had clearly named Joffrey as her heir in her will. There is no need for a great council."

Although he fully understood his mother's reasoning, Jacaerys still wanted to have an open mind about the crisis that had engulfed the Vale of Arryn. "But it is just like what Daemon said, mother, this is an issue for the Vale. If the crown were to intervene, a great council would be ideal since House Targaryen could act as both an overseer and a judge while the Arryn's can debate without drawing an swords."

"Again, Jace, the answer is no." The queen stated firmly. "And like what I had just said, Jeyne made it perfectly clear who she wanted to succeed her. The only thing that needs to be done is to have Eldric and Isembard reined in."

King Daemon made and exasperated sigh and he cast his gaze up to one of the two Valyrian sphinxes that flanked the entrance of the small council chamber. Jacaerys, although frustrated with his mother's stubbornness, loved her and he wanted to enact her will as was his duty as both her heir and Hand of the Queen. The councilmen were more receptive of their queen's plan.

"A will must never be questioned." said Gormon, the Master of Laws. "The word of such writs are to be treated with the same reverence that is given to any of the passages from the Seven Pointed Star."

"Same as the word of a king." Rhaenyra I said .

"Same as an uptight queen too." thought Daemon. His wife was definitely his late brother's daughter. Whenever Viserys I or Rhaenyra I set their minds on something, no advisor or family member, perhaps even the very gods themselves, could dissuade them. Seven hells, the reign of the Young King was testament to his stubbornness, the shared frustration of both the late Ser Otto Hightower and his now widowed daughter was the very air that the royal court and servants breathed for the duration of the king's second marriage. Life would have been so much easier if Viserys had married a meek and submissive woman rather than the contentious and outspoken Alicent Hightower.

Daemon felt that he was different from his older brother. A veteran warrior who had also been married three times, Daemon knew which battles to pick and which to avoid if his temper could help it, especially in regards to his niece-queen. Knowing full well that with or without him, Rhaenyra was going to subjugate the Vale lords who were challenging her late cousin's will. Experience had taught the Rogue Prince that it was better to be on Rhaenyra's side rather than against her.

"I shall lead our forces to the Vale, my queen." Daemon finally said, greatly intriguing his wife.

"Quite a change of heart, Daemon." spoke Rhaenyra. "May I ask how this came about?"

In response to his niece-queen's question, Daemon flexed his right arm. "It has been only two years since the Three Daughters War ended, and I feel that my sword-arm is starting to become soft. If there is to be an armed response, I would like to swing Dark Sister around again."

Rhaenyra smiled softly and nodded at her uncle-consort's response.

"Very good," she said, "very good."

And with that, battle plans were drawn and ravens were sent out. Answering Rhaenyra's summons were Houses Baratheon, Caron, Celtigar, Darklyn, Massey and Velaryon. Offers for more armed support from Houses Beesbury, Blackwood, and even Lefford were all politely turned down since Rhaenyra was also going to use four dragons: Syrax, Vermax, Caraxes and Arrax to supplement the sizable force that had been amassed through her summons; Joffrey was going to remain at King's Landing with his grandmother and their dragons to keep watch at the Red Keep. Although she was not a warrior-queen like the first Targaryen consort, Rhaenyra nevertheless donned armor like her husband and sons since she was going to fly to the Vale too to enforce Jeyne's will. As servants fastened on pauldrons and knee guards, Rhaenyra was lost in thought as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

Her first thoughts were about her body size.

"Seven hells I have grown so fat… Queen Visenya was not as wide as I am now when she was my age. Then again, she only had one child rather than six."

Sighing to herself, Rhaenyra then tried to distract herself from her displeasure about her weight to the task at hand.

"I wonder if four dragons is too much? The Vale is not that big. Isembard and his son's will be easily subdued once we arrive in Gulltown. Both Eldric and his Royce allies would bend the knee at the sight of one dragon let alone four. Even the number of banners would be enough for any lord to reconsider his allegiance to the Mad Heir."

The royal bannermen were all related to each other through both marriage and blood to either the royal family, themselves, or both. Another thing that some of these lords also had in common with House Targaryen was that they had ties to the Vale too, or were looking to build ties with them. Both the Lord of Storm's End and his brother-in-law, the Master of Coin, were looking forward to the former's third born daughter marrying Ser Joffrey Arryn and becoming the new Lady of the Eyrie. The oldest (legitimate) nephew of Lord Bartimos Celtigar, Ser Arthor, was married to Lady Alyssa Royce, one of the daughters of Ser Willam Royce, the Lord of Runestone. The couple were the proud parents of a little boy, Gabriel, and were currently expecting their second child together.

To prevent a conflict of interest, Bartimos enlisted both his only son, Clement, and his other nephew, Dorian, to participate in the queen's campaign to subjugate the Vale. Clement was also betrothed to the youngest of the Four Storms too. It was quite the gathering. The Velaryon fleet, which was being led by Lord Alyn of Hull, carried the foot-soldiers and knights from the Crownlands and Stormlands, and were due to arrive at any hour. Prior to the departure of these ships, both Prince Lucerys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen did a review of the troops in the Crownlands and Stormlands respectively.

While the military reviews had gone smoothly, Rhaenyra learned from her esteemed cousin that Lord Borros had brought his three year old son out with him during the review. Although the little boy's presence at the review was considered unnecessary by most, it gave the queen an idea.

"Baelor could use an early education on enforcing one's rule too…" She thought.

Before leaving for the Dragonpit with her husband and Jace, Rhaenyra I made a detour to the royal nursery. Her entourage arrived just in time since Princess Baela was putting her son and daughter down for their naps. The boy of the hour, the three and a half year old Prince Baelor Targaryen, was being held by "Black Aly" Blackwood as his father and grandparents arrived with a slew of Queensguard knights.

"Papa! Grandma! Grandpa!" squealed the happy little boy. With Baelor's arms outstretched and squirming against Aly's hold, the woman walked the prince towards Queen Rhaenyra, who happily collected her little grandson from Lady Blackwood's arms.

"Just the boy I wanted to see!" Rhaenyra said before she planted kisses on both of Baelor's cheeks. The little prince giggled as his grandmother kissed him.

"Baelor, how would you like to go flying with me to the Vale?" Rhaenyra asked in a cheery voice. As Baelor nodded his head excitedly, his mother looked horrified.

"Rhaenyra, you want to take my son to the Vale with you? He's nearly four!"

Rhaenyra I turned her happy gaze from her grandson and frowned at her daughter-in-law.

"I know my grandson's age, Baela. What are you afraid of? Baelor flying with me on Syrax? You took him for his first ride with you on Moondancer when he was nine months old! Gods, our grandmother took our fathers out for their first dragonback rides when they were newborns, Baela!"

Her mother-in-law's explanation caused Baela to roll her eyes, an act that earned her a warning look from Rhaenyra via a raised eyebrow.

"Dragonback riding does not concern me, Rhaenyra." Baela said, doing her best to hide her exasperation. "It is you taking my very young son to the Vale with you when a very tense succession crisis is going on. I am afraid for his safety."

Rhaenyra's anger subsided when she heard her cousin/daughter-in-law's explanation, and she calmed down a little. They were both mothers after all, and what both women wanted for their little ones was to be safe and sound. Sympathetic to Baela's fears, Rhaenyra tried to assuage them with a mother to mother talk.

"You have nothing to worry about, Baela. Baelor will be with me at all times. He is going to be with his father, grandfather, and uncle as well as myself; the Queensguard will protect us, and so will our dragons. Baelor could not be in more safer hands!"

But even this did not reassure the usually fearless Baela.

"But he is so young..." Baela began. Rhaenyra frowned again, but before either woman could say another word, Jace stepped in to diffuse the situation between his mother and wife. He took Baela aside, and they walked over to the veranda that overlooked Blackwater Bay to have a private discussion. Although their voices did not carry over the sea breeze that was blowing into the room, Jacaerys and Baela's fierce gesticulations and facial expressions amply conveyed the intensity of their conversation.

Harshly whispered words could be heard intermittently like the first few raindrops of a storm. The argument ended abruptly when Baela slapped her cousin-husband. Rhaenyra paled with anger when she saw what her daughter-in-law had done. If Baelor was not in her arms, Rhaenyra would have all but run up to the princess and throttled her, maybe even thrown her over the veranda itself. Thankfully, none of that happened, but the tension that flooded into that room was intense.

Jace glared at his cousin-wife after he had recovered from the slap. He balled his hands into fists, and his face became red, but he did not physically retaliate against Baela. Instead, Jacaerys simply turned his back on his wife, and he walked away from her. Seeing her son walking towards them, the still fuming queen ushered for her entourage to follow her out with a nervous Baelor still in her arms. Daemon lingered somewhat in the room, torn between wanting to check on his angry daughter and wanting to journey to the Dragonpit with his wife and stepson.

He chose the latter decision as Baela's companions attended to her. Before he left however, Daemon checked on his one and a half-year old granddaughter, Princess Alyssa Targaryen, who had been placed into her cradle by Lady Maris Baratheon. Despite the commotion that had gone on around her, the infant princess had slept through it all without ever waking up. Pleased by the sight, Daemon departed from the room with a grandfatherly smile on his face. It was time to depart for the Vale.

Dressed in thick wool clothes complete with boots, gloves, and a cloak and hat, little Baelor sat in front of his grandmother on Syrax's saddle. He was tied to his grandmother with a chain harness that was laid across his lap. Baelor kicked his legs in excitement when Syrax began to saunter out of the Dragonpit, and the little boy squealed joyfully when the dragon took flight into the grey, cold sky. Steel grey contrasted against the dark grey-blue of the Narrow Sea below, and despite the biting cold of the wind, Baelor loved every minute of the flight to the Vale as did his grandmother.

Baelor's excitement reminded Queen Rhaenyra of when she took Jacaerys on his first dragon ride when he was around the same age his own son was now. Jace had squealed happily and was in awe of the waves, the clouds, and the seagulls as he and his mother flew around Dragonstone.

"The clouds look like sheep, mommy!" little Jace had said while strapped to his mother's lap during his first flight. Rhaenyra remembered laughing when her firstborn son had asked her if the white caps of the waves were "cloud droppings". The queen recollected on how all of her children had reacted to their first dragon rides, and the stories her three eldest sons had told her on how her grandchildren had reacted to their first rides.

"I wonder if I will be around to hear about my great-grandchildren's first dragon rides?" mused Rhaenyra. However, she did not want to think about any future children that her grandchildren might have when they were old enough. She wanted to enjoy them as they were now. Time had passed by very quickly already.

As the royal host made its way towards the Vale, Rhaenyra leaned down and kissed the top of Baelor's hat.

"I love you, Baelor." Rhaenyra said softly.

Prince Baelor, unaware of his grandmother's kiss because of his hat, and unable to hear her words due to the wind turbulence, held his arms out and squealed out joyously as the wind hit his little body and pushed him against the queen. Invigorated by her grandson's innocence and excitement, Rhaenyra could not help but mimic him by outstretching her arms too. Jacaerys flinched at first when he saw this, but his anxiety eased when he observed how much fun his mother and son were having. Far from the eyes of her court, high in the sky above the Narrow Sea atop Syrax, both Queen Rhaenyra I and Prince Baelor Targaryen bonded over their flight. They were just a normal pair of grandmother and grandson by Targaryen standard up there in that vast, peaceful sky.

Moments like these are fleeting, but the memories they create will last for a lifetime. If only happiness such as this could last forever though...

Shame about Tyland. I was originally going to let him live, but I remembered that because he was living in King's Landing during Aegon III's Regency in-canon, Tyland passed away during the winter fever epidemic, so I kept his fate. Also, Rhaenyra's mentioning of her grandmother taking both her father and uncle on dragon rides when they were just newborns came from Fire and Blood vol. 1.

If you look into the Arryn succession crisis in "A Song of Ice and Fire Wikipedia", it will mention that Lord Gunthor Royce might be Rhea's nephew. However, I disagree with this. Gunthor's page says that he was an old man by the time the crisis began, and Willam Royce, who was killed during the riots in King's Landing during the Dance of Dragons in 130 AC, wielded the sword "Lamentation", a prized heirloom of House Royce. I believe that he was the nephew who Rhea named as her heir to Runestone. Sorry for my rambling!

Next chapter is definitely going to have some action. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review! :)