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Realm's Delight

Summary:

His sister was hailed as the most beautiful maid in the Seven Kingdoms, the Realm's Delight, and Aegon believed in it. Rhaenyra had just been given Dragonstone as her seat, and Alicent brought him to visit her in hopes of striking an engagement.

Notes:

I'm not a native English speaker, so the writing may not be that accurate. Feel free to give me any suggestions in the comments!

Work Text:

His sister was hailed as the most beautiful maid in the Seven Kingdoms, the Realm's Delight, and Aegon believed in it. Rhaenyra had just been given Dragonstone as her seat, and Alicent brought him to visit her in hopes of striking an engagement.

Rhaenyra, sixteen years old, was reading by the window, wrapped in a petticoat of russet silk and a gown of dark purple velvet, her silver-gold hair cascading down to her waist. Golden Myrish lace decorated her collar and sleeves, buttons of white pearls lined her vest, and a diamond ring the size of a sugar cube rest on her finger. Aegon was dressed in the fashion of the Reach, with a golden silk shirt embroidered with dragons, loose sleeves tightening at the wrists, clad in a dark satin vest and breaches. He was bent over the desk, staring unmovingly at Rhaenyra's delicate face, her little nose, her soft long hair, her slender neck and her fully grown breasts.

"Mother said we're going to be married. Is that true?" Aegon asked.

Rhaenyra lifted her head and smiled, half playfully and half scornfully. "You're six. Unfit to be my husband."

"I won't be six forever!" Aegon protested. "I can consummate our marriage when I come of age."

"So I must remain celibate in these ten years?"

"I ... you ... don't have to wait so long, I can do it before ... " Aegon blushed deeply.

Rhaenyra sighed, took his hand to sit on the bed.

"It's not that I don't want to marry you. Our blood needs to be preserved this way, and I want my children to be Targaryens," she told him. "But even if you lie with me when you're twelve, it will be six years later, yet I am already a woman, not to mention I might wait even longer. What reason do you have to make me wait for so long?"

"I ... I have a dragon!" Aegon said hastily. "Sunfyre likes me very much, I will ride him when I'm older. Our children will be great riders."

"My uncle Daemon has a dragon; he has ridden her for many years, and he is a grown man."

"Sunfyre will be better than Caraxes!"

"Why is that? Caraxes has seen many battles."

"The maesters all say Sunfyre will be very large when grown, and everyone say he is the most beautiful dragon. Just like you."

Rhaenyra laughed. "You do have your way with women." She pinched lightly at Aegon's cheeks, tilting her head to inspect him properly. "Hmmm ... you should be a handsome man within some years."

"Yes," Aegon embraced one arm of hers. "I will love you very much, give you strong sons and beautiful daughters, and they will all be dragonriders. You will be the best queen, and I will be your prince."

"Prince?" Rhaenyra lifted her brows. "Not king?"

"Didn't father make you the heir?" Aegon asked in confusion.

"Don't you want to be king yourself?"

"Not much ... " he scratched the back of his head in embrassment. "It looks so boring and complicated."

"Seven heavens, I'm afraid this is not what you mother would like to know." Rhaenyra stood. "My stepmother tried everything to put you on the throne, and you don't want it. How ridiculous."

"Put me ... on the throne?" Aegon's eyes widened. "But you are the heir!"

"Indeed, but many consider the word 'queen' should have no other meaning except for 'the king's wife.'" Rhaenyra went to her knees in front of him, looking straight into his eyes in full seriousness. "If I truly marry you, will you be content with being a prince instead of a king?"

"I should be a prince."

"When you grow up and mount Sunfyre, will you fly with me and Syrax all over the Seven Kingdoms? Like Aegon and Rhaenys and Visenya, like Jaehaerys and Alysanne?"

"I will!" Aegon nodded his head heavily.

Rhaenyra gave him a sweet smile, and quickly kissed his forehead.

"You made me feel that marrying you isn't so bad a choice after all, little brother." She said, looking content. "But your will is one thing, your mother's idea and father's will is another. Let me see if I can persuade them first. If they agree, I will consider giving you my hand."

"Oh, great!" Aegon jumped in delight, pressing a kiss on her cheek. "I'll love you very, very much!"

"Don't be hasty. Nothing is certain unless we have father's consent. Now, you will continue to be your proper little prince, and I will be my proper heir."