Post by Don't Wake the Dragon on Apr 16, 2019 22:09:32 GMT
On the first day of the first moon in the year 56AC, the smallfolk of Dragonstone cowered in fear as the Black Dread took to the sky with a roar that shook the castle walls. Had Maegor the Cruel risen from the dead to bathe them all in dragonflame? Had the oldest living dragon simply grown restless? Hours later, these questions would be answered when the Black Dread returned to the castle with the fourteen year-old Princess Aerea Targaryen upon his back. To say that her mother was horrified would have been quite the understatement. Rhaena Targaryen was trembling with rage when she saw that for her mount, her daughter had claimed the very beast that had slain her father, Aegon the Uncrowned.
"Why?" the Queen in the East demanded to know. "Why Balerion? Why the beast that killed your father? You could have had your pick of all the hatchlings on Dragonstone and instead, you take the Black Dread!"
The young Princess was defiant as ever and met her mother's gaze with a determined look. "Balerion didn't kill my father. The usurper killed my father." The girl insisted. "I'm the rightful Queen of Westeros. They may have cheated me out of my Throne, but I will have the greatest dragon of them all." She added.
"You're impossible..." The Queen sighed. "Tell me you haven't done this just to hurt me--tell me you're not that cruel." She muttered. At first, Rhaena feared the girl was simply protesting her upcoming marriage, but the notion that the girl simply hated her had certainly crossed her mind as well.
Mother and daughter held each other's gaze for a long moment until Aerea spoke at last, proving herself more clever than Rhaena had imagined. "You hold Dragonstone by my uncle's gift. Not by right. What's to stop the King from taking it back after you're dead? He's already stolen my Throne... I hate it here, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let him steal Dragonstone as well. With Balerion, he wouldn't dare try it." The girl insisted.
"My brother would never do that to us." Rhaena insisted. Would he? "You can have the Black Dread, but you will wed Ser Victor tomorrow as was agreed upon." She insisted. Ser Victor Velaryon was no great lord, nor was he truly a fit consort for a Princess, but he was loyal and Rhaena knew her cousin would defend Aerea's rights when she could not. Never one for tournaments, Ser Victor was a skilled swordsman and had served as master of coin on Driftmark, so he'd certainly have no trouble managing Dragonstone for his wife. A kind man, he was not terribly handsome, though neither was he ugly. He was a veteran of many battles and had fought against Maegor the Cruel, so his courage could never be doubted. At six and thirty, he was too old for her so far as Aerea was concerned and despite her mother's assurance that his years of experience would benefit her, she had hoped to marry one of the numerous young suitors that had sought her favor when she lived in King's Landing.
In the end, she obeyed her mother in this at least, and on the second day of that first moon in the year 56AC, Princess Aerea Targaryen was wed to Ser Victor Velaryon in the Sept on Dragonstone. While the bride was not pleased at first and made no secret of her displeasure, Ser Victor doted upon her as if she were the most precious creature in all the world and gradually, the Princess warmed to him.
With one daughter wed, the Queen in the East still had to arrange a marriage for Aerea's twin sister, Rhaella. In this, King Jaehaerys insisted that the match be one of a political nature. The wounds of the recent past had not yet healed for many of the faith and while the King's marriage to his sister had been accepted if only reluctantly, Jaehaerys wanted to ensure that the Crown and the faith remained on good terms. To ensure this, His Grace suggested a marriage to house Hightower of Old Town, whose family had long-standing ties to the faith and could ensure that exceptionalism became a doctrine of the faith. The Lord of Old Town offered up a long list of relations he felt would be ideal, but Rhaena declined the first three immediately as they were too insignificant and one was old enough to be the girl's great grand sire. The question of Princess Rhaella's marriage was put off for a time when the discussions became heated between the Queen in the East and her brother, the King.
"You should marry again, Sister. You are still a young woman and I've no doubt we could find you a Lord who would cherish you as we do." The King, her brother had insisted. Rhaena would hear none of that.
"Never again. Force me to marry, and I'll feed his cock to Dreamfyre on our wedding night. Do not doubt me, Brother." Rhaena replied in a tone that did little to hide her displeasure.
"People are starting to talk." Jaehaerys softly reminded her.
"Let them talk. I prefer the company of my ladies. So what? I have no need of a husband. Dreamfyre is all the protection I need and I will hear no more of marriage."
The King knew better than to press the issue any further and instead, offered Rhaena a position on his Small Council as an adviser, which she declined without a second thought. She wanted no part in governing the seven Kingdoms and much preferred the solitude of Dragonstone where she was free to live as she pleased--rumors of her preference for the company of women be damned. It was Maegor that had ruined her--Maegor that had made it impossible for her to love another man when she was forced to lie with the very monster who had murdered her Aegon. Her marriage to Androw Farman had been a mummer's farce and his treachery had hardened Rhaena's heart to stone. Although she knew her brother loved her and wanted her to be happy again, Rhaena knew that such happiness would never be possible--not with a man at least.
Rhaena did not linger in King's Landing after her brief visit and returned to Dragonstone where she brooded once more on the question of her second daughter's marriage. Weeks later, Princess Aerea burst into her rooms with happy news. She was with child and meant to name the boy--she was sure it would be a boy, Aegon after her father.
"Why?" the Queen in the East demanded to know. "Why Balerion? Why the beast that killed your father? You could have had your pick of all the hatchlings on Dragonstone and instead, you take the Black Dread!"
The young Princess was defiant as ever and met her mother's gaze with a determined look. "Balerion didn't kill my father. The usurper killed my father." The girl insisted. "I'm the rightful Queen of Westeros. They may have cheated me out of my Throne, but I will have the greatest dragon of them all." She added.
"You're impossible..." The Queen sighed. "Tell me you haven't done this just to hurt me--tell me you're not that cruel." She muttered. At first, Rhaena feared the girl was simply protesting her upcoming marriage, but the notion that the girl simply hated her had certainly crossed her mind as well.
Mother and daughter held each other's gaze for a long moment until Aerea spoke at last, proving herself more clever than Rhaena had imagined. "You hold Dragonstone by my uncle's gift. Not by right. What's to stop the King from taking it back after you're dead? He's already stolen my Throne... I hate it here, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let him steal Dragonstone as well. With Balerion, he wouldn't dare try it." The girl insisted.
"My brother would never do that to us." Rhaena insisted. Would he? "You can have the Black Dread, but you will wed Ser Victor tomorrow as was agreed upon." She insisted. Ser Victor Velaryon was no great lord, nor was he truly a fit consort for a Princess, but he was loyal and Rhaena knew her cousin would defend Aerea's rights when she could not. Never one for tournaments, Ser Victor was a skilled swordsman and had served as master of coin on Driftmark, so he'd certainly have no trouble managing Dragonstone for his wife. A kind man, he was not terribly handsome, though neither was he ugly. He was a veteran of many battles and had fought against Maegor the Cruel, so his courage could never be doubted. At six and thirty, he was too old for her so far as Aerea was concerned and despite her mother's assurance that his years of experience would benefit her, she had hoped to marry one of the numerous young suitors that had sought her favor when she lived in King's Landing.
In the end, she obeyed her mother in this at least, and on the second day of that first moon in the year 56AC, Princess Aerea Targaryen was wed to Ser Victor Velaryon in the Sept on Dragonstone. While the bride was not pleased at first and made no secret of her displeasure, Ser Victor doted upon her as if she were the most precious creature in all the world and gradually, the Princess warmed to him.
With one daughter wed, the Queen in the East still had to arrange a marriage for Aerea's twin sister, Rhaella. In this, King Jaehaerys insisted that the match be one of a political nature. The wounds of the recent past had not yet healed for many of the faith and while the King's marriage to his sister had been accepted if only reluctantly, Jaehaerys wanted to ensure that the Crown and the faith remained on good terms. To ensure this, His Grace suggested a marriage to house Hightower of Old Town, whose family had long-standing ties to the faith and could ensure that exceptionalism became a doctrine of the faith. The Lord of Old Town offered up a long list of relations he felt would be ideal, but Rhaena declined the first three immediately as they were too insignificant and one was old enough to be the girl's great grand sire. The question of Princess Rhaella's marriage was put off for a time when the discussions became heated between the Queen in the East and her brother, the King.
"You should marry again, Sister. You are still a young woman and I've no doubt we could find you a Lord who would cherish you as we do." The King, her brother had insisted. Rhaena would hear none of that.
"Never again. Force me to marry, and I'll feed his cock to Dreamfyre on our wedding night. Do not doubt me, Brother." Rhaena replied in a tone that did little to hide her displeasure.
"People are starting to talk." Jaehaerys softly reminded her.
"Let them talk. I prefer the company of my ladies. So what? I have no need of a husband. Dreamfyre is all the protection I need and I will hear no more of marriage."
The King knew better than to press the issue any further and instead, offered Rhaena a position on his Small Council as an adviser, which she declined without a second thought. She wanted no part in governing the seven Kingdoms and much preferred the solitude of Dragonstone where she was free to live as she pleased--rumors of her preference for the company of women be damned. It was Maegor that had ruined her--Maegor that had made it impossible for her to love another man when she was forced to lie with the very monster who had murdered her Aegon. Her marriage to Androw Farman had been a mummer's farce and his treachery had hardened Rhaena's heart to stone. Although she knew her brother loved her and wanted her to be happy again, Rhaena knew that such happiness would never be possible--not with a man at least.
Rhaena did not linger in King's Landing after her brief visit and returned to Dragonstone where she brooded once more on the question of her second daughter's marriage. Weeks later, Princess Aerea burst into her rooms with happy news. She was with child and meant to name the boy--she was sure it would be a boy, Aegon after her father.
