1.02 - Aelyx
Aelyx - 02
All it took was a single raven to turn the shroud of grief hanging over High Tide into one of tension. I was jerked from my bout when my father stormed into the sparing yard, his face a rictus of rage. The interruption cost me a nasty bruise as I failed to bring my shield up to protect my right shoulder from a powerful overhead swing. I stumbled back growling in pain, even as my father's voice cracked across the yard.
"Enough! Everyone but Aelyx get out." The knights and squires that inhabited the yard quickly scattered, none willing to face the Rogue Prince's wrath. My training partner lingered for a moment watching me with concern, but I waved him off.
"I'll be fine Denys." He nodded before hurrying from the yard under the force of my father's glare. The moment the young Bar Emmon vacated the premises he turned to me.
"Viserys is coming to Laena's funeral" he snarled. I knew this was coming, just as I knew the true reason for his anger.
"He is her kin, it makes sense that he wishes he attend." The look he sent me implied that I was a simpleton.
"He is bringing the court; he is bringing the green whore and her Hightower whelps. She poisoned my brother's mind against me, convinced him to exile me for marrying my beloved Laena, and now she has the audacity to attend her funeral as though she did not celebrate the news of her death." Personally, I felt that my father did a perfectly fine job of upsetting the King all on his own, with no poison from Alicent Hightower necessary. I of course couldn't say any of that, so instead made a noise of vague agreement. With long practice, I tuned my father out as he began one of his periodic diatribes about Alicent and Otto Hightower which quickly spiraled into a litany of abuse heaped on everyone whom he believed had ever wronged him. While outwardly attentive, internally I was turning over the problem the coming visit represented. The simple truth was that beyond a vague distaste for their refusal to properly recognize my legitimization I did not carry any particularly strong emotions towards the Greens. My only real bonds to the Black cause were Baela and Rhaena's betrothals. That being said I was Black by default if nothing else and as such it would behoove me to do what I could to ensure they won the coming war in a far more decisive manner than they otherwise would have. Even without my unique knowledge, any idiot could tell that having so many high-profile members of the two factions cooped up together on an island was a disaster waiting to happen. I of course was aware that said disaster was Aemond's claiming Vhagar. Just the thought of it made my fist clench. Beyond damaging the Blacks and empowering the Greens, by the customs of old Valyria anyone who was not the immediate family of the deceased was required to wait the proper mourning period of a year and a day before attempting to claim their dragon, to do otherwise was considered akin to grave robbing. Just the thought of Laena being disrespected in such a manner set my blood boiling.
Fortunately, I did not anticipate much trouble in stopping Aemond, after all, he was but a boy of ten and far from the psychotic madman who would do his best to light fire to half the Riverlands. I figured that simply blocking him from ever even reaching Vhagar should be sufficient to thwart his ambitions. I did briefly consider trying to mount one of the twins on the great dragon, but the knowledge that Rhaenys would most likely feed me to Meleys if she caught me doing something so obscenely dangerous with her granddaughter stopped me cold. I did ponder the thought of trying to claim Vhagar for myself, I had burned for a dragon since I was old enough to understand what it meant to bear the name Targaryen. To soar through the sky was my birthright and the thought of what I could do with the greatest living dragon was intoxicating. But I hesitated, I was only Laena's stepson and second cousin, and while I could convince myself that she would not mind if I mounted Vhagar I doubted Corlys and Rhaenys would feel the same way. I was almost certain that attempting to claim the dragon would spell the end of my time on Driftmark. Now if I succeeded in the endeavor such a banishment would not truly matter, as a dragon rider finds many a door open to them. On the other hand, should I fail in the venture but survive the fallout I would be cast a drift as I was not particularly welcome in King's Landing or on Dragonstone.
A pair of shadows blanketed the yard and jerked me out of my reverie. Looking up I saw the silver of Seasmoke and gold of Syrax. Rhaenyra had sat with my father at Laena's deathbed but had returned to Dragonstone the following day. Now she appeared to have returned.
"Come, son." My father clapped me on the shoulder "Let us go greet my niece and her…. husband" he finished in a slightly mocking tone.
"I'm hardly dressed to greet the heir to the Iron Throne"
"If I know Rhaenerya she would rather be greeted in filthy clothes than kept waiting."
"I don't really think the princess wants to be greeted by me anyway"
"Just come with me" My father ended the argument and strode from the yard as I trailed in his wake. It was hardly a secret though that Princess Rhaenyra had put as much distance between the two of us as she could without alienating my father, tacitly barring me from Dragonstone and like her father conspicuously failing to make any sort of statement on the topic of my legitimization. Although in her defense the question of the validity of my legitimization was a fairly complex legal tangle, with many arguing that while Daemon was perfectly within his rights to legitimize me as a member of House Targaryen of Bloodstone in his capacity as King of the Stepstones and Narrow Sea, only King Viserys could legitimize me as a member of House Targaryen of King's Landing and place me in line for the Iron Throne. The problem, of course, arose from the fact that the two houses were one and the same. Back on the topic of Rheanyra, I genuinely had no idea if her carefully cultivated distance from me and her general disparagement of bastards was a defense mechanism from her enemies who would be quick to leap on any hint that she tolerated bastardry or if she was actually that much of a hypocrite. I hoped for the former but lent towards the latter.
I was careful to wipe any such thoughts from my face as we emerged from the outer buildings of the castle and began the trek to the structure of the Nest which Corlys had built first to house his wife's dragon and later expanded to include those of his children. Upon arrival, I saw that Rhaenyra and Laenor had brought the children with them. Rhaenyra stood before Syrax seeing to the golden beast's comfort in its own hall with Jacaerys and Lucerys flanking her. Laenor did the same Seasmoke across the further down Joffery clutched in his arms. I wondered if my sire was already planning his murder. My father bounded toward his niece, greeting her warmly and kissing her hand, before leaning down to speak to the boys at her sides. I bowed deeply to your Rhaenyra.
"Your Grace." I then bowed to each of the boys. "Prince Jacaerys, Prince Lucerys, despite the occasion it is a pleasure to finally met you." I noticed Rhaenyra's violet eyes flash as I interacted with her sons and held back a snort. The two boys already all but had bastard pinned to their tunics, spending time with me would somehow taint them, dear cousin. At this point, Laenor wandered over and I offered him similar courtesies. After a few moments of awkward small talk, my father broke the news to Rhaenyra of the imminent arrival of her father, stepmother, and half-siblings. Her rage was truly something to behold.