Chapter 106: Rhaegar’s Promise

Viserys laid out the compensation plan for his children to see. "After the exchange ceremony, you'll keep your honorary position as Princess of Dragonstone, and Dragonstone will be your fiefdom for life."

Rhaenyra listened quietly, holding Rhaegar like a doll, with no visible reaction.

Viserys paused, looking at Rhaegar. "Rhaenyra, if you still want to go ahead with your previous choice, I'll respect your decision and give you the right of first refusal."

Rhaenyra looked at Rhaegar's face and shook her head. "Not enough!"

Being Princess of Dragonstone and having Rhaegar as her protector was already her due. This was not true compensation. She had other conditions in mind.

"Maybe we should talk about the terms together, Rhaenyra," Viserys said gently, not letting her rejection of his initial offer get to him.

Rhaenyra looked at her father, noting his guilty expression. She knew this was her chance to secure her future. If she lost her status as heir, she had to make the most of this opportunity.

Nuzzling her brother's flushed face, she turned to her father and said firmly, "Along with your offer of compensation, I want your promise that you will never interfere with my marriage."

Viserys frowned slightly. Allowing Rhaenyra autonomy in her marriage was already a significant concession. Her demand for complete freedom in choosing her spouse caught him off guard.

"Father, Rhaenyra has lost enough," Rhaegar said softly, bowing his head as if discussing something trivial. Losing her heirship had shamed him, and he wanted nothing more than to fulfill all her conditions.

Viserys stared at his son for a moment before bursting into laughter. Although the laughter was a bit forced, he showed his most generous side.

He opened his mouth to speak...

...

Night

Rhaenyra, in a silk nightgown, sat in front of her dressing table, combing her silver hair. Her eyes were red and puffy as she stared silently at her reflection in the mirror.

Knock, knock...

A knock on her door broke the silence. Rhaenyra looked back and whispered, "Please come in."

She knew only one person would come to her room at this hour. Yet, the door remained still.

Confused, Rhaenyra stood up and walked toward the door. She hesitated with her hand on the handle, wondering if something was wrong.

"Is something wrong?" she asked softly, leaning her head against the door.

Nothing but silence.

Rhaenyra turned the knob and tried to open the door.

Bang...

Just as she was about to open the door, she noticed a small crack forming on the outside. Through the gap, Rhaenyra could see a white shadow standing at the edge of the corridor, about ten meters away. It was Cole who stepped aside to let the visitor in.

Since there weren't any outsiders around, Rhaenyra said, "Rhaegar, if you have something to say, talk to me in person."

Still no movement.

Growing impatient and slightly angry, Rhaenyra said, "Rhaegar, if you don't speak, I'm going to sleep."

After leaving their father's room, Rhaegar had left without a word. She hadn't eaten lunch or dinner, waiting for her little brother to come to her door so they could have a heart-to-heart chat.

The door opened slightly from the outside, revealing a sliver of space. Rhaenyra took half a step back, staring intently at the doorway.

Rolling...

With a soft, metallic sound, a gold coin rolled into the room, spinning in an erratic manner. Rhaenyra crouched down and picked up the coin quickly.

As she lifted her head, two more gold coins rolled into the room. She quickly reached out and grabbed them.

Upon closer examination, Rhaenyra realized that the coins were not like the unique golden dragons of Westeros. They didn't look like the coins from the Free Cities or Essos either.

One side of the coin bore the number 1, and the other side featured a tower encircled by dragons, towering into the clouds to form a magnificent fortress.

Rhaenyra rattled the coins in her hand and asked through the doorway, "Where are these gold coins from? I've never seen them before."

"It's a relic from Ancient Valyria," said a familiar, muffled voice from outside the door.

Rhaenyra recognized the voice and smiled, trying to push the door open further.

Bang...

The door was shut again from the outside.

The voice whispered, "These three gold coins are the compensation I brought you."

"Three antiques..." Rhaenyra weighed the coins in her hand and said with amusement, "A good compensation, I accept."

Although the coins were useless in a practical sense, she wanted to make her brother feel better.

"No! Three gold coins are not worth anything at all," his voice grew agitated. "Father promised you three conditions as compensation, and so did I."

"What do you want?" Rhaenyra asked.

"I don't yet have the right or the wealth to make it up to you, but I will grow up soon. Keep these three gold coins, and when I am older, I promise to fulfill your three wishes."

His words were a bit childish, but his voice was full of determination.

After a day of ups and downs, Rhaenyra's expression grew somber as she sighed softly. She turned around and slowly slid her back against the door until she was seated on the floor.

Holding the three gold coins in her hand, she sat back and thought about what to do next.

She wasn't the only one struggling with the change in the heir position. Besides her father, who initiated the change, her younger brother, who adored her, was also affected.

Rhaenyra leaned her head against the door, closed her eyes, and said, "I'll keep them."

As she spoke, her thoughts wandered. She was afraid. Afraid that this would hinder Rhaegar's growth.

Despite the tumult of her teenage years, she at least had a good childhood, filled with love from her kind father and strict mother.

She had inherited her father's gentle nature and her mother's bravery and pride from the Vale of Arryn family.

But Rhaegar was different. He was born without a mother and began suffering from illnesses as a baby.

Fearing the pain of losing his eldest son, Viserys avoided seeing Rhaegar, leaving him fatherless in all by name.

That changed six months ago. Rhaenyra tried to make up for Rhaegar's lack of motherly love by caring for him as a sister. It was clear that Rhaegar was fiercely protective of her today.

They loved each other deeply. But how would they face each other in the future? Rhaenyra worried that Rhaegar might become paranoid.

The Targaryen bloodline of madness always lurked within each member, waiting to surface.

Rhaenyra stopped talking and thought about the future.

Outside the door, a small figure crouched on the ground, leaning against the door.

He listened for the sound of breathing on the other side. Scattered at his feet were sapphires, ancient books, jewelry, and even a precious space bracelet.

He had hoped to use these to repair the damage done to Rhaenyra, but they didn't carry the same weight as the three gold coins.

His eyes were dark and uncertain as he wrapped his arms around his legs, murmuring to himself:

"Sister, I don't want the throne, but I will hold on to it. Any opposition in the future will have to face dragonfire."

His voice grew steadier, traveling through the door to Rhaenyra. "My promise stands. If you want it, I also want it!"

(Word count: 1,244)