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It all started when Laenor died at his wedding to Rhaenyra.
He got into a fight with Sir Criston Cole and the two ended up killing each other.
Then she went to the dragon pit amidst the confusion and saw Caraxes and Vhagar, fleeing with their knights.
She receives the news that Daemon married Laena Velaryon and doesn't believe it.
"I trusted him with my life and my body, but Daemon just wanted to get revenge on my father. And I begged him to take me, to go to Dragonstone and go against everything and everyone. I was willing to give up the my father and my throne for him! But everything he didn't do for me, he did for Laena! He killed Laena's fiancé, ran away with her, married her, defied everything and everyone for her."
So she had to open her eyes, and see Daemon's actions for what they REALLY said.
"Would he want me without a throne? Laena doesn't have one and he wanted her, fought for her. He didn't do it for me."
But there's not a throne in sight, not anymore.
Her father disinherited her and named her brother heir. He talked about a horrible dream, a civil war, and the death of dragons, just because she was the heir. Rhaenyra accepted, grabbed her things and left.
Viserys believed she just needed time to calm down but...
Rhaenyra never returned.
She disappeared into the air, Everyone started to get worried. Soldiers were sent to search.
She was found, but no one was able to enter the high place where she was.
Viserys went there, tried to beg, but only heard his daughter's voice saying that she was fine and not to worry, that he could go away and be happy.
Viserys tried to insist, but he always heard the same thing.
"I'm fine. You may go. Be happy, Your Grace."
Despair began to take over the king.
"I already told you I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Bye."
And there was nothing anyone said that would persuade her to come down from that high cave. For a long time, it was like that. At first it seemed like just a tantrum but...
Little by little they realized that Rhaenyra had no intention of going down there and planned to live in that place.
Viserys was so filled with guilt and sadness, no longer knowing what to do, he calls Daemon, sending a message to Essos.
After a while, Daemon arrives. Even he is worried about this drastic decision. He goes to where she is.
"Rhaenyra, it's me!"
"Hello, uncle. You too? I told you, there's no need to worry. You can leave, I'm fine."
"No you're not! I know everyone hurt you Rhae, but please don't isolate yourself like that!"
"It's okay. It's serious. Don't worry."
He mounts Caraxes, and goes to the opening. "Rhaeny..."
Daemon gasps and his heart almost stops when he sees what's in that cave.
"Oh. I wasn't expecting visitors."
Rhaenyra was no longer... human. She became a half-dragon.
Its body was covered in scales, wings, horns and a tail.
"What is this? Rhaenyra, what happened to you?"
"Do you remember when you gave me that Visenya book?"
Daemon swallows hard.
"Are you saying that..."
"Let's say I joined my blood with my dragon's. I am Syrax and Syrax is me. We are not two, but one."
He falls to his knees.
"Why?"
She sighs.
"You know, I've reflected a lot on my life. That day, when I saw you leave with Laena, I understood everything. But my father taking my heir's place from me and naming Aegon only confirmed my suspicions."
She sits, in the lair she built.
"I have Syrax and only Syrax. And this was my way of not losing her like I lost everything else. We will always be together."
Daemon feels his lip tremble. He was one of those responsible for her reaching this point.
"I loved you. I loved my father. I loved my mother, I loved Alicent. You were all my world but... But there will always be something or someone that will be worth more. Be it ambitions, be it your duties, be it any dream, be other children. I will never be... I will never be anyone's first choice."
Daemon feels hit in the chest when he hears this.
"Rhaenyra, that's not true!"
She looks at him confused.
"Oh, I'm not complaining. It's okay. It was crazy of me to expect so much from each of you."
Daemon falls to his knees.
"No, Rhae, you don't understand!"
She strokes his head.
"Don't worry. It's not any of your fault. No one has an obligation to love me. No one needs to put me first. If I ever felt that need, it's my problem and my responsibilities. I'm not the center of the world. "
She pulls him gently, towards Caraxes.
"Father and mother always wanted a son. If they had to choose between my life or my brothers, the answer is obvious. Alicent considers her father's and my ambitions more important than anything, and she got what she wanted , your son will be king. And you... You have Laena. The wife you wanted. The wife you fought for."
Daemon is speechless, unable to find a good enough answer to this. He wanted to say that it wasn't quite like that but... How would he defend his actions when he married Corlys and Rhaenys' daughter?
"So I thought a lot and... At least I have Syrax. And that's enough for me. And... What's the point of staying and being an inconvenient burden?"
She points to the place she built.
"See, I've made a home here. I'm fine. And I'm not going to bother anyone else. You can be happy. You all have what you want."
Daemon tries to control his tears with what comes out of her mouth.
"I'm sorry for what I did, for what we made you feel. It wasn't meant to be like this! It wasn't meant for you to feel like you'll never be put first!"
"And like I said before, that's okay. I've accepted that. I can't have love, I can't have a throne, but I still have this power. It's enough."
"No, it's not! It shouldn't be!"
He is already close to Caraxes, and she motions for him to mount his dragon. Caraxes even looked confused when he saw her, after all she was mixed with Syrax.
"Goodbye Daemon. I hope you're happy. And don't be like this. I didn't deserve to be the priority, and that's okay."
He leaves, and cries for half the way, completely shaken.
Guilt was a weird thing.
People would come to that place so much to beg for forgiveness and a new chance, that Rhaenyra decided to change caves and made a lair for herself somewhere else, living there in peace and never being seen again.
Be it the kingdom or her family, there was no one who did not mourn the loss of the princess who was not valued.
You don’t know what treasure you have until you lose it.
In another life, I would be your girl
We would keep all our promises, it would be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay
So I wouldn't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away