Violent Tides - Chapter 3: Human Connections and Dragons

Rhaenyra takes the time to bond with her siblings during a trip to the Dragonpit.

Bold - High Valyrian

Italicized – Inner Thoughts/Emphasis

A Little More Than a Year Later  

The Red Keep had become a place of celebration within the last few moons, with Aelora’s first name day and the birth of the newest prince, Aemond Targaryen, in the beginning of the new year.

Viserys had ordered a massive feast to be thrown in his granddaughter’s honor. Rhaenyra tried to persuade him from this expensive action, but was unsuccessful.

It did not help the tension that had crept into the family as Viserys failed to show the same excitement for the birth of his second son. In the two moons since, the King had only visited Aemond a handful of times, and even then, he had spent most of those visits to the nursery focusing on Aelora. 

It seemed that only the Queen had any interest in the newborn prince, but Aelora had become attached to her new uncle, often climbing from her own cradle and into his.

Aegon, however, did not enjoy his brother taking both his mother and niece’s attention and had not taken to the infant, scowling whenever Aemond was mentioned. 

“Do you think we should be worried?” Laenor asked his wife as the two of them stood over their daughter’s cradle.

Aelora was currently sleeping, her body facing away from the bright red dragon egg that was sitting behind her.

“Worried about what?” Rhaenyra asked.

“About Aelora’s egg,” Laenor breathed out. “I mean, I was about her age when Seasmoke hatched and yet her egg still sits here, as cold and unbroken as before.” 

“No, we should not,” Rhaenyra responded. “You forget that you are one of the lucky ones, most dragon eggs do not hatch. It did not for me, your sister, your mother, my father, or my uncle.”

Rhaenyra was not worried over her daughter’s egg not hatching, in her mind it was still too early to tell if the dragon inside would be Aelora’s or not. “And even if it does not hatch, Aelora will simply go out and claim one for herself, as is her birthright.”

Rhaenyra could remember the day her own dragon egg turned to stone, she was seven years old at the time, when her dark blue egg had lost its color and hardened. It did not bother her as she simply walked up to her Uncle Daemon and demanded that he take her to the Dragonpit so she could claim one of the dragons there. 

Daemon had been amused by his niece’s actions and followed through with her demand, taking her to the pit at that very moment. It was not long before the young princess came face to face with her Golden Lady.

Syrax at the time, had been much smaller than she is now, being around the size of an elephant. Rhaenyra had stared into the she-dragon's large eyes and knew that she was hers, that they were two souls bound together from that day forward and that nothing could sever their bond.

Laenor sighed. “If you say so, I just worry. I remember how it was for Laena before she claimed Vhagar, and I do not want our daughter to experience that.” 

Rhaenyra rested her head on Laenor’s shoulder. “I know, but she will have us by her side if that is the case, we will not let her feel unworthy.” 

“Speaking of dragons, your brother has been asking me to bring him and Aelora to the Dragonpit,” Laenor said with a grin.

Rhaenyra groaned. “He has been asking me as well these past few weeks. It seems Aegon is getting more persistent.”

A few weeks ago, Aegon had managed to somehow sneak out of the Red Keep and convinced a guard to take him to the Dragonpit. During his excursion, Aegon ran past the dragonkeepers and made his way underground where the dragons resided. It was there that he found and bounded with a small hatchling that he would later name Sunfyre. 

Rhaenyra had found her brother and took him back to the Keep. Once she recounted the story to her father and stepmother, the Queen had furiously berated the negligent knight who had himself tricked by the four-year-old.

It was safe to say that the former guard should keep himself as far away from King’s Landing as possible, lest he find himself a head shorter. 

Aegon was then given much stricter security due to his great escape and since then, he had been begging his parents to allow him to return to the Dragonpit so he could see Sunfyre again. Each time his mother refused, telling him that he could go to the pit when he was older and Viserys went along with his wife decision, so once it became clear that he would not get his parents’ support, Aegon had begun asking Rhaenyra and now Laenor to take him.

“Well, let us fulfill his wish and take him to the Dragonpit. We can even take Aelora and Helaena as well, maybe even little Aemond too, we will make a day of it,” Laenor spoke. 

Rhaenyra remained silent as she stared at her husband, thinking over his suggestion, Rhaenyra had a complicated relationship with her younger half siblings, specifically Aegon. 

Aegon was the son their father had always wanted, the one that he killed her mother in pursuit of, the one who Viserys took her closest friend as his new wife to create. Even if Viserys did not dote on Aegon as he did in the beginning and reaffirmed that Rhaenyra would always be his heir, the reason and situations that led to Aegon’s existence still soured any interaction between them in Rhaenyra’s mind.

While she knew that her brother was an innocent child, it was hard for Rhaenyra to ignore the countless others who believed that Aegon should succeed their father and become King. The voices that whispered how because she was a woman, that she was incapable of ruling, but because Aegon had a cock he was suddenly a King in the making.

So, Rhaenyra used the tumultuous relationship between herself and Alicent as reason for not spending more time than necessary in Aegon’s presence. Although this was getting harder to do with Aegon’s advancing age, her father’s desires for a ‘united family,’ and her daughter’s clear attachment to her uncle. 

“Come now,” Laenor said as he saw his wife starting to waver.

“Alicent would never agree to us taking my siblings with us to the Dragonpit,” Rhaenyra said.

Laenor raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you care about the Queen and her wants? Besides, this will be the best way to get Aegon to calm down.” 

Rhaenyra knew Laenor was right, she did not care about Alicent’s opinion, but mostly importantly Aegon would stop bothering everyone if he was taken. Aegon was a member of the royal family and a Targaryen, with the right to claim and bond with a dragon. An Andal woman like Alicent, who looked down on their customs and lacked their dragon blood had no right to deprive her son of such experiences. 

“Fine,” Rhaenyra sighed, acting as if she was truly being forced. “Let us go to the Dragonpit.”

The princess had opened the nursery door, ordering the nursemaids outside to come inside and dress Aelora, Helaena, and Aemond, she then ordered a passing guard to have a carriage prepared for them. 

“You want us to go now?” Laenor asked while this was happening. 

“Yes, if we leave immediately there is less of a chance of anyone trying to stop us,” Rhaenyra answered. 

Soon the group of five had left the nursery and found themselves outside Aegon’s lesson with Maester Colin Fondly.

“I am taking my brother, so today’s lesson will have to be cut short,” Rhaenyra declared as she entered the room. 

Aegon, hearing that he no longer had to sit and listen to the man in front of him continue to talk, rushed towards his older sister. 

Maester Colin was a short middle-aged man, standing a head shorter than Rhaenyra herself with dark brown hair and green eyes. His mouth dropped and he rapidly blinked at the princess’s sudden appearance in the room along with her statement. 

“Wa-wait! You cannot just take the prince, Your Grace,” Colin exclaimed. 

“Are you trying to tell me what I can and cannot do?” Rhaenyra asked, leveling her piercing gaze on the nervous maester. 

“N-n-no, Your Grace! It is ju-st the Queen-” Colin tried to stutter out before Rhaenyra cut him off. 

“The Queen is not here, I am. And I am saying that Prince Aegon’s lesson has ended for the day, so he is coming with me,” Rhaenyra stated. 

Maester Colin quickly bowed his head, submitting to the princess’s order. “Yes, Your Grace.” 

Rhaenyra rolled her eyes at the display and walked out of the room with her brother, neither one looking back as they made their way to the entrance of the Keep. 

“Where we going?” Aegon asked his sister after a few minutes. 

“We are going to the Dragonpit, valonqar.” Rhaenyra answered.

“REALLY?!” Aegon yelled, his mood brightening even further at the news. 

“Yes, really,” Rhaenyra replied.

~X~

After reaching the entrance of the Keep and riding through the streets of King’s Landing, the carriage came to a stop in front of the Dragonpit.

In his excitement, Aegon jumped out of the carriage and ran past Ser Harwin Strong towards the doors of the Dragonpit, he fidgeted in place as he waited for the rest of his family to exit the carriage.

Once they had entered the massive building, the dragonkeepers soon brought out Sunfyre.

“Greetings, Your Grace. We have brought out Sunfyre per your request.” One of the elders said to Rhaenyra in High Valyrian. 

The hatchling let out a loud screech before flying at Aegon, the small dragon wrapping its body around Aegon’s right arm and nuzzling its head against Aegon’s neck. 

Rhaenyra nodded her head to the older man before facing Aegon. “Enjoying yourself?”

Aegon vigorously nodded his head. “Yes! Do you think I can fly with him?”

Rhaenyra chuckled, “Sunfyre is a little too small to ride at the moment, and you will have to learn the proper commands and bond with him before you do.” 

Aegon pouted, but accepted his sister’s words, he then moved to where the rest of the group was standing. Laenor was holding both Aelora and Aemond in his arms while Helaena stood next to him, both infants were drawn to Sunfyre, trying to reach down and touch the dragon. Helaena stared at Sunfyre, but remained eerily still. 

“While we are here, we should go and see Syrax and Seasmoke,” Rhaenyra said as she stood next to Laenor.

“Sywax? Sywax!” Aelora chirped when she heard the name of her mother’s dragon.

Since the two were introduced, Aelora and Syrax had taken to each other, enjoying the others' presence.

“Yes, sweetling. We're going to see Syrax,” Rhaenyra said while taking Aelora from Laenor and carrying Aelora herself.

“Sywax! Rarr!” Aelora cheered, bouncing around in Rhaenyra’s arms.

“How about Seasmoke? You are excited to see him too, right?” Laenor playfully asked.

“Sywax! Sywax! Sywax!” Aelora yelled, clearly showing which of her parents’ mounts was her favorite dragon.

Rhaenyra smiled at her daughter, “Yes, Syrax is better than Seasmoke, my darling.” 

Laenor pouted as his wife laughed at his expense. “Seasmoke and I do not need this treatment.” 

Rhaenyra mirthfully shook her head as she led the group to Syrax's cave, Syrax was sleeping when they entered, waking up when she heard their footsteps. 

“Hello there my Golden Lady. I have brought a few people for you to meet.” Rhaenyra said while stroking Syrax's snout.

Syrax purred under her rider's touch, it was then that the she-dragon saw Aelora in Rhaenyra’s arms, she moved away from Rhaenyra’s hand, gently poking the child with her snout. 

“Hehe! Sywax! I luv Sywax!” Aelora squealed, giggling under Syrax’s playful touch.

Rhaenyra smiled at the love she could feel between her dragon and her daughter, she could not wait until she had more children for Syrax to bond with. 

“Wow… Syrax is huge!” Aegon yelled, he knew that there were dragons larger than Sunfyre, but he had never been this close to one of them.

Laenor laughed and calmly led the children over to his wife and daughter. “Adult dragons often are. I am sure Sunfyre will grow to be just as large.” 

Rhaenyra placed a hand on Aegon’s shoulder, moving her brother in front of her and waiting until Helaena, Laenor, and Aemond were next to them. “Syrax, these are my younger siblings, Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond.”

The dragon looked over the three new humans, her sharp yellow eyes snapping at each one of them.

“They are family, they are not to be hurt, but to be protected,” Rhaenyra said.

Syrax let out a grumble and Rhaenyra knew that as long as she wished it, her siblings would not be hurt by the she-dragon. 

Aelora wiggled her way out of Rhaenyra's grasp and landed on Syrax’ snout.

“Sōvēs Sywax! Sōvēs!” Aelora cried out, pointing towards the sky, and tightening her grip on the dragon. 

Rhaenyra watched in amusement. “Sorry, my brave little storm. Syrax will not fly without me.” 

Aelora pouted. “Sōvēs?”

“No flying just yet,” Laenor responded. 

The two patents were not surprised, ever since Rhaenyra first flew with Aelora shortly after her birth, their daughter had been obsessed with dragons and the sky. Aelora had even noticed the dragon commands that she heard her parents and the dragonkeepers use and now those words were now the ones she spoke the most clearly. They were sure that Aelora would become very fluent in High Valyrian when she was older.

After some time, the group made their way to Seasmoke’s den at Laenor’s insistence. Since his move to King’s Landing, the Velaryon had visited his dragon every day, often flying Seasmoke across Blackwater Bay. Growing up on Driftmark, Seasmoke was used to being surrounded by water and sleeping on beaches as opposed to spending days at a time underground.

He was able to do this because unlike his wife, Laenor did not have any responsibilities that he needed to attend to as he was not a part of the Small Council, and he only went to court when his presence was required.

When he lived on Driftmark, the only things he was required to do were training his dragon, learning how to fight, attending his lessons with the maesters, and learning his family's seafaring trade.

Corlys Velaryon ran Driftmark the same way he ran one of his ships; efficiently and rarely listening to the input of others. Because of this, Laenor understood Rhaenyra's problems with Viserys over her role as his heir. Despite being incredibly different people, Corlys and Viserys were the same in not seeing their children as people, but as extensions of themselves and their desires.

Laenor inwardly groaned as thoughts of his father crept into his mind, despite being in the presence of the things he loved; his family and his dragon, even someone like him could not escape his duty to his house and the realm.

Ever since he had visited Driftmark after the celebration of Aelora’s first name day had ended, Corlys had been writing to Laenor about the succession. The ravens had all been the same, that Laenor and Rhaenyra needed to have more children and that now would be the perfect time to start again.

At that moment, Aelora was the heir to both the Iron Throne and Driftmark. If something were to happen to Aelora, then both seats would be in jeopardy. And with her condition, it was might be unlikely that Aelora would be able to have children of her own.

Like father, like daughter, I suppose...

Laenor understood the need for additional heirs and spares, but he did not believe that anymore trueborn children between himself and Rhaenyra were possible. Contrary to widespread belief, Laenor and Rhaenyra had slept with each other again in the moons leading up to Aelora’s name's day. They too knew the importance of furthering their family lines, but nothing had come of it.

The act made them both miserable, the feeling growing worse as Rhaenyra remained unpregnant. Laenor could not help but blame himself for this because of his inability to perform, making it clear to him that Aelora truly was a miracle birth.

It was then that they decided to permanently end the physical aspect of their relationship, deciding that for now, Aelora would be enough. Rhaenyra had returned to Harwin Strong and Laenor had found pleasure in a rotation of different men; knights, servants, and squires alike.

Laenor could already see the irritation on Rhaenyra’s face whenever she heard talk of their lack of spares, especially since Alicent had given Viserys three children within the span of four years, and now the hounding letters from his own father were adding to it. 

“Papa! Semoke! Semoke!” Aelora cheered from her place next to Seasmoke, unintentionally drawing her father's attention away from thoughts of secured dynasties and responsibilities.

The silver-grey dragon let out loud chirps as Aelora rubbed the side of his face. Laenor smiled at the scene, deciding to focus on this moment with his family and let go of outside burdens.

~X~

A Few Hours Later  

Viserys inwardly sighed he listened to his wife and daughter argue with each other. 

The King was slumped in a chair inside of his bedchamber, watching as Rhaenyra and Alicent continued to fight. This had been going on for almost an hour, since the moment Rhaenyra and Laenor returned to the Keep with the children.

After the children were taken to the nursery, Rhaenyra and Laenor were summoned to Viserys’ chambers, where Alicent immediately accused Rhaenyra of intentionally putting the children in danger by taking them to the Dragonpit and allowing them near Syrax, Seasmoke, and Sunfyre. Rhaenyra had defended herself by saying that Alicent had no right to deprive the children of being near dragons.

Viserys turned his head to the side and saw that his good-son had placed his head on his palm and was dozing off, snapping himself awake before he could truly succumb to his slumber.

“Enough!” Viserys rose to his feet and shouted, silencing the shouts of the Queen and Crown Princess, and fully waking up Laenor.

“Alicent, Rhaenyra is right. Our children are Targaryens, descendants of Old Valyria, they have the right to know their culture and that culture is dragons. You cannot keep them from it like you were trying to do with Aegon.” Viserys said before turning to Rhaenyra. “And you, Alicent is right to be upset, you cannot just take another person’s children somewhere without consulting their parents even if they are your siblings. Now, this argument is over. The matter is settled, yes?” 

Alicent and Rhaenyra looked at each other and then the King. “Yes, Your Grace.”

“Good,” Viserys said cheerfully and retook his seat. “Now, tell me how my children and granddaughter faired around Syrax and Seasmoke.” 

Alicent gritted her teeth under her smile as Rhaenyra and Laenor recalled her children’s experiences with Syrax and Seasmoke to Viserys. The King smiled and laughed as he heard about Aegon’s attachment to Sunfyre along with Helaena and Aemond’s excitement.

The Queen knew Viserys would allow more trips to the Dragonpit between Rhaenyra and her children, regardless of her own wishes.  

More chances for Rhaenyra to feed them to her dragon and get rid of all threats to her sinful rule. Alicent thought. 

All she could do was stand there and smile while the Valyrians before her continued to do what they were best at; ignoring the world around them and believing themselves to be better than everyone else.

~X~

After her day in the Dragonpit with her husband, daughter, and siblings, along with being in the presence of her father and stepmother, all Rhaenyra wanted to do was sleep when she finally entered her room, quickly preparing herself for bed. But the Gods had other plans when just as she grabbed her covers and was about to climb into her bed, she heard a quiet knock at her door.

Rhaenyra let out an audible sigh, releasing her blanket and walking to the center of the room. “Come in.”

After permission was granted, the door opened and Harwin Strong, commander of the City Watch quickly entered, closing the door behind him.

“Princess,” Harwin said, his eyes taking in the beautiful vision that was Rhaenyra Targaryen in her nightwear. 

“Ser Harwin,” Rhaenyra said, walking over to the man, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him deeper into her room. 

“What are you doing here so late at night, Harwin?” Rhaenyra asked Harwin, her hand trailing up the muscular expanse of his arm.

“I needed to see you, Rhaenyra. I have missed you; we have been apart far too long for my liking,” Harwin answered.

He then lifted his hand up to Rhaenyra’s face, gently pushing back a strand of hair that had fallen astray, behind her ear. Rhaenyra leaned into her lover’s touch, smiling as she stared into Harwin’s warm brown eyes.

“You saw me yesterday; you could not have missed me that much.”

“Aye, but I have. Spending a whole day apart was absolutely torturous, my princess. I crave you at every moment and will continue to do so until my final breath,” Harwin lovingly whispered. 

Rhaenyra hugged Harwin and buried her head in his chest, allowing herself in be bathed in Harwin’s love and his grounding embrace. She enjoyed moments like this, ones where she could forget that she was a princess of the realm, the princess. In Harwin’s presence away from the constant pressures and damming whispers, Rhaenyra could just be a young woman in love.

There were times when she would imagine how different her life would be if she had made different choices. Rhaenyra did regret falling for her Uncle Daemon’s charms and lying to Alicent, but a part of her was glad that these decisions led to her marriage with Laenor because without it she would not have Aelora.

She was not sure if she loved Harwin or if she would find herself doing so in the future, but she did imagine what it would be like to be married to someone like Harwin Strong, someone who would have cared for and appreciated her the way a woman deserved to be.

“I crave you as well, Harwin,” Rhaenyra whispered before wrapping her arms around his neck and surging upwards, smashing their lips together.  

Harwin returned his lover’s intensity, grabbing Rhaenyra by her hips and pulling them impossibly closer, as if afraid that the woman in his arms would disappear if he were to loosen his grip.

Rhaenyra pulled back from the kiss, moving her head to the side of Harwin’s head, resting her lips against the shell of his ear. “Take me to bed, Harwin.” 

Who am I to deny a princess? Especially one as alluring as Rhaenyra Targaryen... Harwin thought.

Harwin followed through with his princess’ demand, lifting Rhaenyra into his arms and walking them over to the bed.  

That night they were not the Crown Princess of Westeros and the heir to Harrenhal, but two young lovers enjoying the other’s company away from the constant pressures of the outside world.