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Vaegon Targaryen had never expected to see his family again after leaving the Red Keep to join the Citadel. As the seventh born child of King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne, Vaegon was too far down in the line of succession to be of high importance to the crown. While that might have created resentment in many others, Vaegon had been glad that he hadn't been at the center of attention. He could have devoted his time to history, dragonlore and whatever latest topic that had caught his interest instead of being preyed upon by the vultures of the court and have the responsibility of their house's legacy on his shoulders as Aemon and Baelon did. 

However, the true reason he had severed ties with them was Viserra, the little sister he had loved with all his heart. Viserra, who had been called selfish, was in truth a girl craving for love and attention. Her vanity had been a shield in a court of vipers. Alysanne hadn't seen that though. She had seen another Saera and a vessel she could use to punish the scandalous princess who had escaped to the Essos. 

Viserra had believed her brothers would protect her. She had gone to Aemon first. The heir, the future king. She had believed if anyone could convince their father, it would be him. All she had gotten was a lecture on duty as if Aemon had any right to say that. Duty and tradition demanded Aemon marry Alyssa and yet he married Jocelyn for love. 

Then she had gone to Baelon.

Vaegon didn't approve of what she had tried to do. Trying to seduce Baelon and trick him into bedding her so that he would marry her? That had been going too far but Viserra had been desperate. The wedding had been approaching and their parents hadn't changed their minds despite the fact that the marriage hadn't made any strategic or political sense.

That attempt had sealed Viserra's fate. But his little sister had been stubborn. Instead of doing as their parents had bid, she had decided to take her fate into her own hands. She had snuck out of the Red Keep and tried to run away. Vaegon had believed her destination had been Volantis where she would have seeked shelter from Saera. Saera might have been named a whorish and ungrateful princess but even she wouldn't have turned away Viserra, her blood, especially considering Viserra had been obviously condemned to suffer Saera's punishment.

Their father had sent the Kingsguard after her though. To stop Viserra from fleeing and bring her back to the keep.

Vaegon was sure his father had wished he had demanded to be told of the news privately instead of having his entire family present many times over the years. That would have given him the chance to control the narrative. Alas, even the Conciliator couldn't guess what he would hear.

"Your Grace, the Princess took a horse and started riding towards the docks. We chased her and tried to get her to stop but she didn't. However, she made a wrong turn and ended up at the edge of a cliff."

"Did the horse..?" Alysanne had started fearfully.

"No, Your Grace. The princess managed to stop the horse in time." 

"Then, where is she? Where is my daughter?" Jaehaerys had demanded. Vaegon had wanted to snort. Where had this concern been when Viserra had begged for her freedom, for another marriage, for mercy?

The Lord Commander had hesitated to continue and obviously preferred to stay silent but couldn't ignore the King's question. "Your Grace, we tried to convince the princess to get away from the cliff, to come back with us but she said that she would rather die than be forced to do penance for Princess Saera's behavior."

The temperature in the room had gone considerably cold with that statement. 

"But you managed to bring her back, right?" Alysanne had asked. His mother hadn't sounded like a queen in that instance but a mother who had just realized how she had failed her daughter if she had declared that death was preferable.

"We tried Your Grace but the Princess... She jumped off the cliff." 

That had caused a deafening silence. Then it had been cut off by Alysanne's screams of agony.

The rest of the evening had been more of a blur for Vaegon. Viserra's death had snapped the last chains of love he had for his family. After his baby sister's funeral, he had announced his decision to join the Citadel. Just like the Night's Watch, the Maesters renounced their familial ties but unlike as a Black brother, Vaegon would actually thrive at the Citadel and hone his skills as a maester.

His father had tried to stop him, change his mind but Vaegon wouldn't have had it. He wouldn't have stayed alongside those who had led Viserra to her death.

"And if I refuse to bend to your will, will you send the Kingsguard after me to chase me to my death as well?" he had asked. Jaehaerys had relented then, his guilt at Viserra's death had been too fresh to continue to resist.

Once he had arrived at the Citadel and taken his vows, Vaegon had devoted himself to his studies. He had ignored every letter from his father, mother and siblings, he had only penned one letter to Saera.

"Our sister is dead. Because you couldn't have bothered to choose one of the men you bedded as your husband and compared yourself to Maegor."

Saera hadn't answered but Vaegon had hoped it had hurt. Saera had gotten Jaehaerys's mercy even after openly admitting to her scandalous behavior in front of the court. She had been given the option of choosing one of her lovers as a suitor but Viserra had been betrothed to an old man with no political value and with grandchildren to take his place.

What a just and fair king!

The silence between him and his family had continued over the years.

He had remained out of touch when Rhaenys had married Corlys Velaryon and had her children.

When Jaehaerys had died and Aemon had been crowned.

When Viserys and Daemon had married Aemma and Gael respectively and had children.

He had stayed away from his family and rejected all attempts at reconciliation for years no matter what.

Until his niece had come to the Citadel to demand his presence. 

"Niece." he had greeted her in High Valyrian.

"Uncle, we need your help." she said, choosing High Valyrian over Common Tounge as well. "Uncle Baelon, he is dying. Runciter failed to treat him."

Of course, he did. Vaegon had no idea what possesed the Conclave to choose Runciter as Grand Maester when the man had barely managed to earn his healing chain. He could count over a dozen maesters more suited to the role than him right off his head.

"I know there is a rift between you and the rest of our family because of Princess Viserra's death." she said. It seemed like Aemon had bothered to be honest about his failures to his heir. "You are right to be angry but please don't let more of our family die if you can stop it"

The girl knew how to pull his heart strings, he would give her that. She knew regardless of his anger, he wouldn't allow more of his family to enter the Balerion's realm before their time.

"We seem to be wasting our time, niece. If you want me to make a difference, then get on your dragon. I cannot imagine the Red Queen tolerating me on the saddle if you aren't there."

When Rhaenys left in a hurry, Aemon didn't know what to expect. His daughter had changed so much over the years that Aemon could no longer remember the last time when she had been the vibrant girl he had pampered. Her attitude towards her husband, whom she had dearly loved, had cooled considerably. She was much closer to Daemon and Aemma than she used to be, not that he complained about that. The House of the Dragon was the strongest when they were united after all. And most concerningly, she sometimes looked at Rhaena and Laenor as if they would disappear. Aemon had done everything he could to learn what had caused this change. But Rhaenys's lips had remained tightly shut. 

Meleys's screech snapped him out of his thoughts. When he saw not just Rhaenys but also Vaegon, Aemon almost collapsed in shock. It had been years since he had last seen his brother. Vaegon had returned all of his letters unopened, his rage at Viserra's death and Aemon's own complicity in it had never softened over the years. Aemon flinched at the reminder of the sister who had begged him for help only to be turned away by her eldest brother, by the man who was supposed to be her protector.

He wished he could turn back time and undo his mistake but he knew that was impossible. As much as he hated to admit it, Viserra would forever remain a sister he failed, a woman who bore the burnt of his failure.

"Brother." he greeted Vaegon.

"Your Grace." The title sounded more like an insult than anything else from him. "I heard the Lord Hand was in need of my help. Where is he?"

Aemon had the guards take Vaegon to Baelon's chambers immediately. His brother was hanging on by a thread and they couldn't afford to waste any time.

When Runciter had the audacity to object to Vaegon's presence, his rage burnt and he ordered the man to be thrown to the Black Cells. The man had failed to save his brother and acted as if he had the right to object. 

He left Vaegon and the acolytes alone as Aemon was aware his presence would only be a distraction. He went to visit his nephews instead. His heart clenched at the thought of his brother's children. Viserys and Daemon had already lost Alyssa, brave and fearless Alyssa, to the birthing bed along with the brother they never got to know. He didn't want them to experience the loss of another parent. It was a wound that would never close. Hearing that Jaehaerys was dead had been one of the worst moments of his life. He and his brother had burnt down Myr in their rage. He doubted the city would ever recover from their destruction but nothing would bring Jaehaerys back.

He went to Daemon first. His youngest nephew had always had trouble when it came to expressing his emotions. He preferred rage over sadness, revenge over mourning and hatred over pity. Even marriage to Gael and becoming a father didn't change this. Aemon was worried Daemon would hurt himself or someone he cared about if he went on like this and he wasn't the only one. 

He grimaced at the reminder of how his mother came to interpret Daemon's this behavior. 

***

"You want to ignore what is right in front of you if you wish but I won't." Alysanne said. "I won't allow my daughter's children, my grandchildren to be subjected to his influence. Alyssa and Baela will come with me to the Dragonstone."

"Those children are Daemon's daughters and my granddaughters, mother. If you want to take them with you, I fear both Vhagar and Vermithor will stand in your way." Baelon said. His brother was calm, for now. Though Aemon knew the argument could turn into a physical fight with one wrong word.

Baelon loved their mother but there was no doubt he loved his sons more. And for some reason Aemon couldn't comprehend, Alysanne had decided to make Daemon the villain in a story none but her knew. 

"Why do you insist on being blind to what he is?" Alysanne yelled. 

"I know what my son is. An excellent swordsman, a dragonrider, a man who loves his wife even if it may not be the passionate romance I and Alyssa shared, a good father to his daught-"

"ANOTHER MEAGOR, THAT'S WHAT HE IS!" Alysanne screamed. She turned to him. "You disregarded my warnings and granted him leave to try to claim your father's mount and he succeeded. Do you even realize what kind of symbol you have placed in his hands? Do you think Visenya and Maegor didn't use Balerion to make him seem a worthier successor than my brother and father? You gave him a Targaryen princess, my gentle daughter as his bride while Rhaenys has a Velaryon consort. Rhaena only has a hatchling. Viserys and Aemma have no dragons to defend themselves or their children. You gave him the Dark Sister, another symbol of power. Are you really that blind to see you are paving the way for another Mae-"

Alysanne didn't get to finish that sentence for Baelon Targaryen flung from his chair and started choking his mother. Aemon tried to stop him but not even the King could overpower an enraged father.

"Don't you dare compare my son to that kinslayer and rapist. My son loves his family, his cousin, his brother, his wife, his children, his nieces and nephews. He loves each and every one of us. Even you, someone who is utterly unworthy of his love. He would fall on his sword before betraying us in any way, let alone the way Maegor did."

"Baelon." he mother pleaded as she tried to release the hand Baelon wrapped around her throat. Aemon could see his mother pale so he called for the Kingsguard stationed outside the door. He understood his brother's rage, understood why he reacted the why he did. If anyone dared to make the same accusation against Rhaenys, Aemon would have reacted with the same ferocity. However, he couldn't allow his brother to become a kinslayer. 

Ser Ryam Redwyne and Ser Harrold Westerling burst in. They momentarily froze when they saw the scene before them but immediately regained their senses and helped Aemon pull Baelon off the Queen Mother.

The two knights continued to hold Baelon by his arms as they watched Alysanne cough and pull herself up.

"If you dare to compare my son to that monster again," Baelon continued in High Valyrian. The news that Lord Hand almost choked the Queen Mother to death would start spreading one way or another. Aemon wasn't stupid enough to think the guards and the maids wouldn't hear of this. But Baelon would never allow their mother's besmirching of Daemon to spread either. "you will see how similar I can be to that kinslayer." he threatened.

He shrugged off Ser Harrold and Ser Ryam's hands and left.

"Summon the Grand Maester." Aemon ordered. "And leave us."

Once they were alone again, Aemon looked at his mother without pity. She had become bitter and angry over the years. He understood his father's death had been a great blow to her but it was no excuse for her behavior. "You are banished to the Dāriazōgi Castle." he declared. He ignored the look of hurt and shock on her face. His mother needed to understand her behavior would no longer be tolerated. "I allowed you to stay at the Dragonstone but it's the heir's seat, my daughter's seat. Thus, it is unsuitable place for banishment." Dāriazōgi Castle was in Stormlands and it was away from strong seats of power. Also, it was close enough that Aemon could easily keep an eye on Alysanne if she proved troublesome. 

"But my duties as Queen Mother and Dowager Queen?" she asked. 

Aemon raised an eyebrow in mocking shock. "Your duties? You have never once cared for your duties after my ascension as King. You absconded to the Dragonstone right after my coronation and neglected them all." His mother had been grieving, he knew but if she could bother to show up at the Red Keep to stir up trouble or malign Daemon, then she definitely could have tried to fulfill her responsibilities. "Not to mention, I have already had Gael and Aemma take them over. I assure you they are doing an admirable job." 

Initially, he had thought about assigning them to Jocelyn or Rhaenys but his wife's plate was full with the duties of a Consort and his daughter had responsibilities not just as his heir but also the Lady of Driftmark. He didn't want either of them to burn out. His sister and niece on the other hand needed some responsibilities so that their worth wouldn't be reduced to being broodmares. They also had the training for such duties and sharing them would ensure they would still have enough time to spend with their children.

"Silverwing will remain in the Dragonpit. Dāriazōgi Castle doesn't have any and I don't want see petitioners lining up before the Iron Throne to complain about Silverwing having free reign across Stormlands." Aemon said, knowing full well he was bordering on cruelty by seperating his mother from her dragon.

His mother opened her mouth to object but the look he sent her shut down any argument she might have had. When the Grand Maester arrived, Aemon left. His business with his mother was done.

***

"Brother." Gael greeted him. Her eyes were bloodshot but she seemed to be keeping herself together well for the sake of Baela and Alyssa. 

"How are the children?" he asked.

Gael sighed. "Well, they are still too young to understand what is happening or what death means. All they know is their father is sad." 

"Where is he?" Aemon asked. He assumed Daemon would be with Gael and his girls, they were his greatest joys in life and no doubt would be the greatest source of strength and comfort if he allowed it.

"In the Dragonpit."

Aemon was suddenly reminded of how Daemon sneaked out of the Red Keep to visit Meleys after Alyssa's death, the Red Queen being last vestige of his beloved mother. 

"He isn't visiting Vermithor. He went there for Vhagar." Aemon said and made his way to the Dragonpit. Vhagar used to nest anywhere but the Dragonpit after Visenya's death but his brother managed to convince a Conquest Dragon to accept the pit and stay there.

When he arrived, he found Daemon exactly where he expected, watching Vhagar from an acceptable distance. The dragon was grumpier than usual as Baelon was tethering between life and death. 

"He is alive." Daemon said suddenly. He didn't turn around but his voice was hoarse, the only evidence of his grief. His nephew would sooner die than show how hurt he was.

Aemon wasn't surprised to hear Daemon's words. If Baelon died, Vhagar wouldn't be calm right now.

"He is. Rhaenys brought Vaegon from the Citadel. He is tending to Baelon now." Aemon said. His words must have really shocked Daemon, for his nephew turned around to look at him. 

"Uncle Vaegon? The Citadel just allowed him to come when all we recieved for demanding better healers was a reply that said Runciter was the best?" Daemon said.

"It's hard to refuse when a dragon is right outside your gates, ready to burn you at her rider's command." Aemon said. He put his hand Daemon's shoulder. "You should come back to the Keep." 

"I am of no help to father there." Daemon said.

"And you are here?" Aemon asked. "Gael is worried and your daughters need their father."

Daemon flinched at the remainder of how little attention he gave them during the last few days. "I cannot watch him suffer." Daemon whispered. He wanted to remember his father as the strong man he was, he didn't want his last memories of him to be his agonizing moments. 

Aemon understood that. Watching his brother's pain would have been enough to undo him if not for his wife. But knowing Daemon's nature, this wasn't simply a matter of avoidance of Baelon's pain but also his own feelings. "Daemon, you can't keep doing this. You can't shut yourself to a set of emotions completely and put rage in their place. You will hurt yourself or someo-"

"What?" he scoffed. "Afraid that I will be another Maegor?" Daemon asked. Under other circumstances Aemon might have scolded his nephew for interrupting him but hearing his mother's words echo in his mouth stopped him.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice how she looked at me, what she thought of me?" he asked quietly.

Aemon sighed. He was glad that his brother wasn't there. Baelon might have decided to finish what he had started otherwise. "She was wrong and your father nearly made himself a kinslayer as an answer to her accusations. My brother defended you when you needed it because he loved you. Will you really deny him your presence when he is begging for you?"

Daemon didn't speak. There was no good answer to give and Aemon continued. "Trust me Daemon, if you aren't there now, either to say goodbye or to see him wake up, you will regret it one day." Aemon constantly thought of his father's final moments. How he had been struck in the neck with a crossbow bolt, how he had died instantly, how there had been no chance to save him, how none of them, none of his children or grandchildren or his wife had been there for him as he had died. It was a regret he would always carry and the last thing he wanted was Daemon to feel the same about Baelon if his brother died. 

"I don't know if I can bear it." he whispered. 

He took his nephew into his arms. "Yes, you can but only if you stop treating grief, sorrow and any other emotion you don't like feeling as parasites. There is nothing shameful about these emotions."  

He could feel his nephew's head move up and down, sense him nod. "Let's go back to the Keep." he said. He hoped his words would get through his nephew and be the first step to teach him avoiding emotions he deemed to be a weakness would only harm him.

Rhaenys watched as her father and cousin arrived back at the castle. She never imagined her father would be able to succeed in convincing Daemon to come back.

This life had many surprises for her, both good and bad and Rhaenys knew more would come. The more she changed the past, the less alike the life would be to the previous one. Someone other than Rhaenyra being able to soften Daemon's resolve was a result of her changes. The fact that it was her father was another surprise. 

Her father and cousin were very different. Her father was always in full control of his emotions and never let them get the best of him. Daemon, on the other hand, was volatile and his emotions were all over the place. And yet, despite this stark contrast they had striking similarities as well.

Both were fiercely loyal to their blood and loved their family.

Caraxes had deemed both of them as worthy riders.

Rhaenys wondered, in her first life if her father lived while her uncle died, would the darkness that took root in Daemon's heart, the darkness that had her cousin order a child's death, ever come to exist? It wouldn't, for she knew her father would never allow anyone of his blood to mistreated in the ways Daemon had been.

Under her father's reign, a single comparism between Daemon and Maegor would have cost Otto Hightower his head. Being discovered in Viserys's chambers right after Aemma's funeral would have removed Alicent Hightower's tounge and turned her into a Silent Sister. Trying to smash her grandson's head in with a rock would have cost Aemond Targaryen his very place in the House Targaryen and made him a brother of the Night's Watch.

No, her father would protect them, each of them, just like Daemon would. But there was a great difference between their positions. Her father had the power to protect them by any means necessary as king but Daemon had been constrained by Otto Hightower's lies. He had been a Prince of the Blood and Viserys's heir for years but devoid of any real influence at the royal court because of the Hightower.

A terrifying thought struck Rhaenys. Would her father have ended up like Daemon if he had been put in the same situation? Undermined, vilified and distrusted? She didn't want to consider the possibility but she couldn't deny her cousin and father had been cut from the same cloth. There was a reason Caraxes chose her father as his rider and accepted Daemon after her father's death.

"Princess." one of her guards started. "Lady Lelia is here to see you."

"Send her in." she ordered and a woman with fiery red hair and blue eyes entered. 

Lelia Reyne, mother of Jason and Tyland Lannister. When she had learnt her mother had arranged for her to join her household, Rhaenys had considered having her poisoned or arranging another accident to ensure those twins would never be born, more importantly to ensure Tywin Lannister, the man who ordered the deaths of Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys, would never come to exist. 

Unfortunately, the problem she had with Otto Hightower existed here as well. She couldn't just poison a noble and get away with it. Rhaenys was a woman of many talents but assasinations as such needed to leave no trace behind and seem as natural as possible. Not only did she lack the expertise to carry out such an act but she also didn't know anyone trustworthy who could. And after the failure of Blood and Cheese, Rhaenys knew better than to trust cutthroats. 

Arranging Lady Lelia to marry another seemed to be an easier solution. Especially considering the fact that the woman was actually quite smart and proved herself as an invaluable ally. 

"What is it, Lelia?" she asked. 

"There are rumors at the court that say the Queen Mother Alysanne is coming."

Now that piqued her interest. Rhaenys had hoped that once she had removed Viserys from Otto Hightower's sphere of influence, it would be the last of the whispers of Daemon being dubbed as "Maegor Come Again". Unfortunately, it seemed like Otto Hightower wasn't the one who started it, but her own grandmother.

Looking back, Rhaenys wasn't sure why she hadn't remembered this, especially considering Daemon had accused Alysanne of comparing him to Maegor.

"When that cunt saw me with the Dark Sister, she remembered Visenya and the treatment she and Jaehaerys endured at her hands. She saw me on Caraxes and remembered Maegor. She banished me to the Vale, having seen me not as her grandson but as a threat."

There had been political reasons for that, certainly, but Rhaenys was sure Alysanne's fears had played a significant role in that decision as well. Rhaenys shouldn't have forgotten how she had been the true instigator, the rumors had already done great damage to her family in her first life.

Unfortunately, she wasn't omnipotent. She had the Hightowers, Rogares and who knew how many other foes among noble houses along with the Long Night to worry about. Something was bound to fall through the cracks. And Alysanne's power being constrained, first by her self-imposed exile, later because of her official banishment, made Rhaenys complacent about her.

"Do you know where she is?" Rhaenys asked.

"No one knows when exactly she departed the Royal Crest, your Highness." Lelia said, preferring to say the name in common tounge as the High Valyrian was very hard to pronounce for someone with no knowledge of the language. "However, even if she departed as soon as the first letter from the Citadel had returned, she would have made it to the border between the Stormlands and the Crownlands at most."

Rhaenys considered the predicament for a moment, to see if there was any other information Lelia could provide. When she could think of none, she dismissed her. She needed think about how to handle her grandmother. A part of her, the maternal side of her didn't wish to bar a mother from her son's side. Another knew she couldn't trust Alysanne not to start trouble. Her grandmother was proud and not used to facing the consequences of her actions. In her first life, after Jaehaerys had ignored her counsel and made her uncle heir over her, Alysanne had absconded to the Dragonstone and ignored his orders to return to the Red Keep. Alysanne might have been Queen but she had been a consort and Jaehaerys had been the King. She had been legaly bound to obey his orders and yet hadn't. If it had been anyone else, they would have suffered for their disobedience. However, Alysanne had been the love of Jaehaerys's life and he had always been lenient with her. Even after learning of her plans of forcing his hand to name her heir with a show of force during her uncle's funeral, Jaehaerys hadn't punished Alysanne.

Alysanne's intentions weren't evil, but Rhaenys knew her grandmother had caused her family great grief with her stupid choices. They couldn't afford such things at the moment. It was a delicate time for them. Gods forbid, if her uncle died, would Alysanne really refrain herself from causing a scene? She had had no guilt at barring Daemon from his father's funeral for her political agenda in her first life. How could Rhaenys trust her this time?

Another thought occured to her. Could her father have given Alysanne permission to come to the Red Keep? It was unlikely since her uncle had cut her grandmother out of her life and would rather not see her. Not to mention, after all the liberties Jaehaerys had given Alysanne, it was likely her grandmother decided she could just declare her banishment over and come to the Red Keep.

She left her chambers to greet her father and Daemon. She needed to inform her father of this development as it would be up to him how they would deal with Alysanne. 

"Rhaenys." Gael greeted her when she reached the gates of the Red Keep. Her aunt had a relieved smile on her face. She was worried not just for her brother but also for her husband and to see Rhaenys's father succeed in knocking sense into Daemon must have been a great relief.

"Father, Daemon." Rhaenys greeted them, as the Crown Princess she had the deference to do first.

"Brother, husband." Gael followed. Daemon flinched at Gael's tone. Obviously aware that, he had caused his wife a lot of grief by worrying her endlessly and neglecting their daughters.

"Go with your wife." Her father told Daemon. It sounded like an order but his tone showed it was more of an advice on marriage from an uncle to his nephew. 

Daemon nodded and left with Gael. As soon as they were out of earshot, Rhaenys immediately opened the topic. "Alysanne is coming to the Red Keep." she said. Her father no longer found it weird that she didn't refer to her as grandmother. 

"What? With what right? I banished her and I didn't lift it even temporarily." Her father said. 

"Jaehaerys would have allowed Alysanne to come regardless and she would have suffered no punishment at his hands for her disobedience." Rhaenys commented. While many of the events that highlighted this had been erased, there were still minor occasions this statement had been proven right.

Her father sighed. "How many people know this?" he asked.

Rhaenys grimaced. Her father was a good king, much better than Viserys and even Jaehaerys but even he couldn't stop gossip. "According to Lady Lelia, the entire court has been talking of this." she answered. "They think her a brave and good mother for risking punishment by coming here for uncle."

"Baelon would rather finish what he started than be grateful to have her beside him." Aemon said, switching to High Valyrian. 

Rhaenys agreed. After learning what Alysanne had said about Daemon and how her uncle had reacted, Rhaenys had wondered if her house was always destined to have a weak spot that could be exploited. In her first life, it had been mostly Viserys, in this second one she had been blessed with, it was Alysanne.

"I cannot order her to turn back, not without causing more tounges to wag about that day and making her a victim." Aemon said, fully aware of the situation Alysanne had put him in. "Do we know where she is?" 

"Close to the border most likely." Rhaenys said. 

"I want you to go and greet her then." Aemon ordered.

"What? Why?" Rhaenys asked, she wasn't expecting this.

"Because there is no one else I can send and because I want her to realize how serious I am in this. Make it clear to her that if she ever does this again, ever disobeys me or undermines my authority, I will banish her to the Free Cities where she can spend her days with the Targaryen who compared herself to the Cruel very proudly." he said.

Saera. One of the people her father had little tolerance for after Viserra's death.

Saera's actions caused a stain upon House Targaryen that was hard to erase and yet despite this, she was the daughter who held Alysanne's heart in her hands. It was obvious from the pleas she had made to Jaehaerys to bring Saera back and the letters she had gone to great lengths to secretly send.

Rhaenys was curious how Saera had gained such a hold over Alysanne, what she could have possibly done to endear herself to her that even her unauthorized attempt at claiming a dragon didn't lower her in Alysanne's eyes. She doubted anyone else in the family ever had such favor with her. 

Rhaenys didn't want to be there. She didn't want to see Alysanne again. 

In her first life, after she had lost the throne at the Great Council and her cousins' trust because of her schemes, Rhaenys had cut off all contact with her grandmother. She had burnt every letter Alysanne had sent without even reading them. Not that she had needed to read them. Rhaenys had been sure Alysanne had been plotting another scheme that would have made her seem like a kinslayer again and preffered to stay out of the Game of Thrones. 

Not that any of her plots would have mattered in the end as Alysanne had died a moon after the Great Council's conclusion. Rhaenys knew only Jaehaerys had appared for her funeral among their family. She and Daemon still had been too angry to do so and Viserys had preffered to stay with his pregnant wife on Dragonstone, who had entered confinement. 

After her return, Rhaenys had done her best to minimize her interactions with Alysanne, which hadn't been hard since she had spent most of her time on Dragonstone. Now though, there was no avoiding her. 

She looked ahead when she heard the sounds of horses. The carriage stopped when she was seen and Alysanne immediately left it to see what was going on. Upon seeing her there, there was a wide smile on her face but the lack of reciprocation wiped it off. 

"Queen Mother." she greeted her.

Alysanne sighed. "Are you all still angry with me? What is this now?" she asked, pointing at her and Meleys. "Are you here to keep me from my son?" she asked.

Rhaenys swallowed a sigh of frustration. "My father will let this defiance slide this time but he wanted me to inform you that another one will result in banishment to the Free Cities." Rhaenys said in High Valyrian. 

Alysanne's eyes widened at that. "What? I just wanted to see my son. He might be on his deathbed and Aemon wants to ban me from his side?" she demanded angrily, continuing in High Valyrian. 

"The King," Rhaenys emphasized. "wants what is best for his brother. Considering the circumstances of your last meeting, I doubt uncle would want to see you beside him when he woke up." 

Alysanne sighed. "It was just a petty argument, no-"

"Petty?" Rhaenys said, as if a comparison between Maegor and anyone else in their family could be named as such.

Suddenly a young woman, oddly familiar left the second carriage. "Who is that?" she asked.

Alysanne turned around to see who she was talking about. A fond smile appeared on her face. "That's Alicent Hightower. Ser Otto Hightower's daughter."

The Green Queen.

She was here, with Alysanne. But how was she here? How did Alysanne even know her?

"During my time at the Dragonstone, after I appointed Ser Otto Castellan, he sent for his daughter. She has been reading to me ever since she arrived at the Dragonstone. She is a delightful young woman." Alysanne said, unaware of the rage building up in her granddaughter.

Otto.

Castellan.

Dragonstone.

Alicent.

"Otto Higthower, the man who believed that I and Rhaena should be passed over in favor of my uncle?" Rhaenys demanded.

Alyssane rolled her eyes. "Still this? The man made a mistake. You and your father are exaggerating. He is a capable administrator, proved his talents as Dragonstone's castella-"

"What gave you the right?" Rhaenys yelled finally but stuck to High Valyrian. "Dragonstone is my seat, the heir's seat. You were nothing but a guest there. What made you think you could just appoint a man I wouldn't approve of as castellan?" she demanded.

Alysanne let out an exasperated sigh. "You don't have to make such a scene. After your father banished me, he removed all those I appointed from their positions." she said with a dismissive tone.

Rhaenys clenched her fists, she had never felt the urge to punch someone so strongly before. Rhaenys knew she couldn't expect Alysanne to understand the magnitude of the damage she might have inflicted without knowing what she knew but after a lifetime of enduring Viserys's blindness of Hightower schemes, Rhaenys had no patience left for such Hightower love. Were these people witches? It seemed like they always found ways to bewitch a member of her family.

"Don't." Rhaenys said, going back to the common tounge. She got on Meleys and left for King's Landing. 

How could she have been so stupid? How could she have believed getting Otto Hightower exiled from the King's Landing would be enough when it hadn't been in her first life?

That f*cking leech! Rhaenys doubted there was a greater curse upon her family than that greedy man.

"That greedy man..." she repeated silently.

Something occured to her suddenly. She remembered a conversation from a few years back, one that she hadn't understood then. But, now...

"Why did you not a give any thoughts to my proposal? That girl was excellent for Daemon." Alysanne had said during Daemon and Gael's wedding.

"Excellent? That girl was everything Daemon would reject in a bride, mother." her father had replied. 

...

"Daemon could have learnt to love his wife."

"Daemon would have hated the girl and both of them would have ended up being miserable in that marriage."

...

"...On the contrary what you believe, I know my duty and responsibilities and one of them is to ensure our house is safe from greedy hands that would take advantage of our blood."

"He is a good man, he made a mistake I know but-"

"Don't defend him, not to me."

Of course her father hadn't been talking of Yorbert Royce. The man who had rejected to make use of the opportunity of having a regent's power could never be called greedy.

It was Otto Hightower.

Rhaenys frantically asked the first servant she saw where her father was. She was sure she was right but she needed confirmation. 

"The King is with Lord Hand, Your Highness."

Her uncle? She had forgotten his condition in her rage. "How is my uncle? Did he regain consciousness?"

"I am sorry but not yet, Your Highness. But it was said Archmaester Vaegon spoke optimistically of his condition."

Rhaenys relaxed. Her uncle would live. Then she remembered the urgency of her situation. "What about my mother?"

"The Queen is in her chambers with Princess Rhaena and Prince Laenor, Your Highness."

Rhaenys started running towards her mother's chambers before the poor maid could even finish her sentence. She didn't wait for guards to announce her and just burst in. 

"Rhaenys, what is happening?" Her mother asked. She was watching Rhaena and Laenor play with their toy dragons and seahorses. Another time, Rhaenys would have sat beside her to enjoy this peaceful moment. 

"My darlings, why don't you go and join Rhaenyra and Rhaegar? I am sure you'll have more fun together." she said and nodded to their governess as a sign to take the children.

Once they left, Jocelyn repeated her question. "Rhaenys, what is happening? Is it Alysanne? What did she do again?" The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms asked. Jocelyn Baratheon was used to her half-sister stirring trouble but her expression said she hoped for otherwise.

"It's Alysanne." Rhaenys confirmed. "Who was the lady she wanted to marry Daemon off to?" she asked. She was sure her mother would have this information. She was her father's most trusted confidant.

Her mother looked confused. "Why is that relevant now?" she asked.

"Mother, please just answer me." Rhaenys said desperately. "Was it Alicent Hightower?" 

Her mother looked shocked for a moment, probably because the offer never became public knowledge and wasn't shared with her. "Yes, it was." Jocelyn confirmed. "Your father was furious when Alysanne wrote about the offer. The daughter of the man who insulted you and Rhaena, a man with nothing to his name except a knighthood he didn't even earn?"

Jocelyn shook her head, obviously finding the offer preposterous. "It was ridiculous. Daemon is very down in the line of succession but he is still a Prince of the blood and a dragonrider. The match was beneath him. Not to mention, politically meaningless. If we wanted an alliance with the Reach, a Tyrell is a better idea. If we wanted to bind Hightowers to the royal family, Lady Bethany, the daughter of the Lord of Oldtown, makes more sense. The only thing that makes Alicent Hightower a candidate is Alysanne's favor." Jocelyn elaborated, unaware of the turmoil her daughter was going through.

Rhaenys nodded and left her mother's chambers and went to her own. 

She wanted to scream at herself. She was a fool, as foolish as Viserys. 

She had removed Otto Hightower from King's Landing, the center of political power and belived she won. 

Instead, she had sent him to the Dragonstone, to the real source of Targaryen power. 

Otto Hightower had spent years at the Dragonstone, gained access to their dragons. 

She could see his plan, she had already lived through it. Marry off Alicent to Daemon, get grandchildren carrying Targaryen blood and then have them bond with dragons to have enough power to usurp the throne one day. 

Otto Hightower took completely different steps in response to his removal from King's Landing and she hadn't known for years.

What was she going to do? 

Rhaenys knew when she looked around she wasn't awake. She was in a dream, for this wasn't the Red Keep she had lived in for the past decade.

She strolled the halls and looked around to see if there was anyone.

"When the Mother Rhoyne offered me the chance to impart you some wisdom, I was honored." Someone from behind her said. Rhaenys calmly turned around to see who it was. There was no need to panic since she was in a dream, she couldn't be harmed. 

Rhaenys looked at the woman standing before her. She was petite but elegant, had dark eyes and hair and olive skin. But what gave away who she was, was her gown. The woman before her was dressed in orange and yellow and had patterns of spear and sun all over her gown.

"You are Elia Martell." Rhaenys said.

Elia smiled. "Yes, I am though I have to admit it's I who should be in awe of you. In Dorne, being a woman was never a constraint and by the time I was born, we were already a part of the Seven Kingdoms so I could admire the Targaryen women without suffering through my mother's disappoval." She said. "You were my favorite. A queen robbed of her crown and yet doing everything in her power to ensure another woman wouldn't endure the same injustice while anyone else would stew in resentment and jealousy."

Rhaenys's cheeks flushed at the praise. Though it would be wrong to say she felt no resentment. Viserys had taken the throne from her for she was a woman and yet the same man declared his daughter heir over his brother - the man who had made him king. Thankfully it took a few days for her to snap out of that mood and come to her senses. Just because a wrong was done against her didn't mean it couldn't be fixed the next time.

"The Queen Who Never Was, you were called. I always believed you were the Queen Who Should Have Been. When my daughter was born, my husband insisted on naming her Rhaenys or Visenya because of his obsession with the Conquerors and the prophecy." Elia continued. 

Rhaenys rolled her eyes. Rhaegar Targaryen's obsession with the Prophecy almost had her rip her hair once or twice. The woman before her deserved the world for enduring it without complaint for years. 

"I wanted it to be Rhaenys, not after the Conqueror queen but you." Elia said.

Rhaenys smiled bitterly. "I don't know if I am worthy of such honor considering how I messed up." Rhaenys said.

Elia frowned. "Messed up? You didn't mess up. Aenys messed up, Jaehaerys messed up, Viserys messed up, Aerys messed up. Over the years many Targaryen kings messed up. Some worse than others. But you? You ended Jaehaerys's reign before he could do more damage to his family with his desire to be well-liked and his need of being the opposite of Meagor. Your father is a great king. House Targaryen has never been as strong and united as it is now under your father. Oldtown couldn't get access to Targaryen blood to control dragons because you exposed Otto Hightower's misogynist ways to your father. You kept two of the fiercest protectors of your House, your uncle and your cousin alive and loyal." Elia said. She shook her head with a sad smile. "You didn't mess up. You still have the chance to fix your mistakes. I, Rhaegar and Lyanna don't." Elia said sadly.

Rhaenys looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean your mistake? Rhaegar and Lyanna-"

"It wasn't what it looked like. Tell me, if you set Aerys's madness aside, what was House Targaryen's greatest problem from my time?"

Rhaenys took only a moment to think. "The number of Targaryens was low. There was the Mad King and Queen Rhaella. Prince Rhaegar and Prince Viserys and your children." She didn't count Danaerys as the young princess's birth took place after the war was all but lost. But even with her in mind, that was a worryingly small number. Her grandparents had thirteen children and they still had a succession crisis after all the war, sickness and bad luck that had visited their family. 

"Yes, when I was pregnant with Aegon, I knew I had to have a son that time around as the maester had already informed me I wouldn't be able to have another child after him. Not without the childbed costing me my life." Elia said. "Rhaegar declared it would be my last pregnancy as he didn't want a child at the cost of my life."

Rhaenys suddenly saw many parallels and differences between Elia and Aemma. Both had had fragile health. Both had been put in positions where they had to give their husbands a son. However, there was one stark contrast: their husbands. Viserys had cut Aemma open for a son while Rhaegar refused to endanger Elia further. 

"But I knew our situation wasn't that simple. Viserys Targaryen could have let Daemon Targaryen inherit and with the correct advisors and the wife, the Seven Kingdoms would have been fine. But if Rhaegar had no son, Viserys would be his heir. I couldn't allow that. He was already showing signs of madness and Westeros would sooner overthrow House Targaryen than endure a second mad king so soon after Aerys. And Aerys would no doubt force Rhaenys to marry him in that scenario. He didn't like she had Dornish colouring but my daughter was the only woman of Valyrian blood he could choose. " Elia said. "I didn't even entertain the idea a daughter could become heir when there was a male claimant. The Dance was won by the Blacks when it came to the Throne but the Greens triumphed in ideology. No Queen sat the Iron Throne and I knew better than to think the daughter of a Dornishwoman would be given a chance at the crown. They would sooner crown Robert Baratheon than Rhaenys."

Rhaenys flinched. That sounded like a very accurate assessment of the situation. "But you had a son." Aegon Targaryen, who would have been the sixth of his name, had it not been for the Lannisters.

"I did, I had my beautiful Aegon. But I am well aware of the tragedies of life, Princess Rhaenys. My mother lost two children before having me and I was always in fear that my children wouldn't survive to adulthood." Elia said. "We needed a solution and I encouraged Rhaegar to take a radical one."

That confused her. "What do you mean?"

"Were you shown the Tourney at the Harrenhall?" Elia asked. Rhaenys nodded. She hadn't been shown all the details as almost 200 years worth of events would be hard to keep track of but that tourney was an essential part of events.

"After my stupid but well-meaning husband crowned Lyanna Stark as he was quite impressed by her defending of her father's Bannerman, she came to my tent. She was nervous obviously, refused to take a sip from the tea she was offered. She probably thought we would poison her." Elia said. "When she started talking though, I was shocked since the first thing she did was to apologize for my husband's actions, as if she was responsible for them." Elia scoffed. "I told her unless she somehow coerced Rhaegar to crown her over me, she held no blame. She later offered me the crown, said that it was my right as Rhaegar's wife than hers. She was a good girl. Anyone else would have flaunted the crown and Rhaegar's favor. I never saw anyone else like that in the court. We even wrote letters to each other after the Tourney."

Rhaenys remembered seeing ravens fly between Winterfell and Dragonstone. She had assumed- "It was you? I thought it was Rhaegar." 

Elia scoffed. "Princess, my husband isn't interested in a cunt more than he must be to do his duty. He remembered Lyanna Stark after I offered her as a solution."

"What does she have to do with your 'solution'?" Rhaenys asked. She had an idea but just like with Alicent, she wanted confirmation.

"Jaehaerys's peace with the Faith didn't outlaw polygamy. A Targaryen male was allowed to take more than one wife. I proposed going to the High Septon to get a dispention. He would take Lyanna Stark as his second wife and she would produce the spare Aegon and House Targaryen needed."

"It could have led to another civil war." Rhaenys yelled.

Elia looked at her, unimpressed. "Unlike your cousin, who only added wood to fire, I and Rhaegar took precautions to avoid that when we agreed on this course of action. We chose Lyanna because she didn't have a lust for power. I assure you, if she was anything like Cersei Lannister, I would never offer her as a secondary wife. We also decided Rhaegar wouldn't have anymore children with Lyanna after having a son with her. Aegon needed one spare to keep the succession safe from Viserys and I had come to know Lyanna well throughout our correspondence so I trusted her. However, I knew children wouldn't always obey their parents. The situation would have gotten out of hand if she had more than one son."

Rhaenys watched Elia carefully as she explained and noticed the slight reddening of her cheeks whenever she said Lyanna Stark's name. There was more to Elia's trust than simple letters. Elia Martell was infatuated with Lyanna Stark. Were the feelings returned? Was that why Elia trusted Lyanna not to usurp her son?

"Lyanna's son would marry my niece Princess Arianne." Elia continued. "Dorne would never rise against me and my children. Thus, there would be no ambitious wives and their families trying to take advantage of my stepson and Aegon would take a daughter of Brandon Stark and Catelyn Tully as his wife to bind the North and Riverlands to us." Elia said.

Rhaenys had to admit that necessary precautions were taken to prevent another Dance. However, she was sure Rhaegar taking a second wife would offend many in the realm. Even if Elia's blessing pacified Dorne, at the very least every other Paramount House with a daughter of marriageable age would take offense.

"It still seems risky. Not to mention you had a mad king on the throne. Wouldn't it be better to delay these plans until after you have removed him?" Rhaenys asks. 

"Under other circumstances, maybe but the succession wasn't the only problem we were trying to solve. We lacked allies to depose Aerys. Lyanna was a solution to that problem as well. She was the daughter of the Warden of the North, her eldest brother was betrothed to a Tully and another brother fostered in the Vale with Robert Baratheon. We, of course, knew Stormlands could leave the alliance due to Lyanna's broken betrothal but Rhaegar would compensate them with another bride and even if that didn't pacify them, we would still have the North, the Vale and the Riverlands. When joined with Dorne and our allies in the Reach, we would have enough support and power to depose Aerys." Elia explained.

Rhaenys nodded. She still had doubts about Lyanna Stark becoming a second wife being a good solution to the succession problem but she couldn't deny the power the young woman would bring. 

"What was the original plan?" 

"Rhaegar would take Lyanna as his wife on the Isle of Faces according to her Gods. Then they would travel to Dorne. By the time they would be in close proximity to my kingdom, I would have healed enough to travel with my children. I would sail for Sunspear from Dragonstone and explain the situation to my brother Doran. Then, once Lyanna and Rhaegar arrived, the High Septon would wed them according to the conditions we have agreed to. Afterwards, we would write to the lords of Westeros to inform them of the situation. My husband would also declare himself king and call upon our allies to depose his father. My brother would give him at least half of our forces and Lyanna would write Lord Rickard and Lord Arryn to convince them to lend support. With them, through the betrothal between Brandon Stark and Catelyn Tully, Riverlands would join us as well. With their support, Rhaegar would depose his father and take the throne. I, Lyanna and the children would remain in Dorne in the meantime."

"But that's not what happened." Rhaenys said. It wasn't surprising. This plan depended on too much good luck. 

"No. Brandon Stark was led to believe Lyanna was kidnapped and stupidly came to the capital to confront Rhaegar. You know what happened to him, his companions and his father." Elia said, shuddered as she remembered their torturous deaths. "We always knew Aerys would burn the wrong lord one day and start a war but a lord paramount and his heir? Another heir to another lord paramountcy and heir of strong vassal houses? Anyone could see we were doomed." 

"You were at the capital." Rhaenys said suddenly. According to Elia, she would sail to Sunspear but she ended up at the capital.

Elia nodded. "Another unforeseen complication. Aerys demanded I present Aegon at the court, sent his men to ensure I obeyed. Thus, when the war started, his hostages were already in his hands. My position destroyed Rhaegar's hopes of calling for a parley with the rebels. He had a letter from Lyanna explaining the situation. He hoped he would be able to clear the misunderstanding regarding her and gain the rebels' support to depose his father but Aerys was mad, not stupid. He knew if he allowed me and the children out of his grasp, Rhaegar would have the freedom to plot against him."

"Then he lost at the Trident. Robert Baratheon was declared king and Lannisters..." Rhaenys trailed off. 

A few tears escaped Elia's eyes. "Do you know why we failed?" she asked but didn't wait for an answer. "Because we were overconfident in our plans. Because we thought we made the smartest moves on the board and that Aerys, Tywin, Varys wouldn't be able to outsmart us. Because we failed to divulge our plan to those we trusted as soon as we should have had. I should have written to Doran as soon as Rhaegar and I finalized our plans. Lyanna should have informed her father and made him, Lord Arryn aware of our plans as soon as she recieved the word from us. Rhaegar should have told Rhaella the truth so that she could be our voice if we needed it. But we didn't. We left it all to the last minute to avoid complaints and look at where that led us. I, Rhaegar, Lyanna, we are all dead. My boy is-" Her voice cracked and Elia swallowed back a sob, not wanting to remember how her son was ripped from her arms and smashed to a wall. "My daughter lives as her uncle's bastard and so does her remaining brother. They don't even know who they are. Viserys and Daenerys are across the Narrow Sea with nothing to their name and must depend the pity of strangers to survive."

Rhaenys grimaced at the bleak picture Elia described but it wasn't fully true. At least it wasn't that way right before the Night King destroyed the world. 

"Were you arrogant and of the belief you could fix everything on your own? Yes, so were we. And we dearly paid the price for it. You don't have to. Your situation is still salvagable. Tell your father and uncle the truth. Your father isn't Viserys, he will do what must be done and he is definitely not Aerys, you have nothing to fear from him. Your uncle is one of the greatest fighters your house has ever had. He is not Aemond, patiently waiting to strike for his own gain. Include him as well. Hear their insight. Have your father enact your solutions instead of finding subtle ways to enforce them. Trust your family, princess." Elia said.

The Red Keep started to disappear and Elia was becoming transparent. "You know who is trustworthy and who isn't. Have their help, don't carry this burden on your own."

Rhaenys woke up with a gasp. Not long after, a maid entered. "Your Highness, the Lord Hand is awake."

Trust your father and uncle.

She would.

In her first life, they were the kings who should have been.