Chapter Text
ꜱᴀɪʟᴏʀ
"You call yourself a king now?" the voice echoed in the throne room as he walked into the room, sending shivers down your spine.
The king referred to the title that was given to your father by the other merchants.
King Fionn, that's what every merchant called him as he gained a reputation in that industry, which you found amusing, as it did not fit him. You imagined it on a heavily bearded man with a big, round belly and a metal foot. The descriptions were nothing like your father.
You and your father, along with the helpers, were on your knees when the herald announced the arrival of the King and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. The king's guards were waiting on the shore when your ship arrived, escorting you to the Red Keep. Draco, your father, told you that he knew the King; however, you didn't know that this acquaintance was to the extent that the King would be sending escorts upon your arrival in the city.
Lots of curses were made in your head as you felt your knees starting to get muscle fatigue due to the duration of the position. Your hands gripped your dress, trying to draw your attention to it rather than to your aching muscles.
"It is merely a sobriquet, my King." Your father replied, not feeling the same uneasiness as you, as the men's courtesy position was different from that of women in the court.
The king looked at you and saw your demeanor a little stiff, struggling to hold the courtesy position.
"Rise," the king said, feeling bad.
The muscles in your lower body started to relax when you stood upright. Your eyes started to travel around as this was your first time in the city. Your eyes landed on the Queen, who was looking at you with a smile on her face, making you a little timid. Then, you looked at her side and felt a little disappointed because it was empty. You saw no girl of your age in the room. You thought they had a daughter. Where is she?
"You're getting fat now, King Fionn," the king said. The surroundings were silent, and no one knew if the king was jesting or serious.
"I can say the same to you, Your Grace. The youth is leaving our bodies." Your father replied, making the king laugh.
"Draco! It's been so long," the king pulled him in an embrace, tapping his back. The atmosphere lightened up when the two men laughed, hugging each other, and you felt at ease compared to the moment you entered the throne room, as you thought your father had gained another enemy.
"My Queen," Draco said, kissing the Queen's knuckle.
"The pregnancy suits you well, Your Grace."
"I hope it ends soon," the queen smiled.
"This must be your daughter, Kaia." The king turned to you, smiling at your presence.
"Your Grace," you said, bowing again.
"I feel relieved that she looks nothing like you," Viserys teased your father, who had his eyebrows furrowed.
"She got it all from her mother," the king nodded, seeing the resemblance of your mother's features on you.
You felt a little flushed at the sudden attention, and your gaze turned to look at the queen, unable to hold the gaze of the king.
"I am Viserys. This is Aemma, my wife," the Queen smiled at you as she caressed her swollen belly.
"My daughter, Rhaenyra, is with her dragon, flying somewhere. I hope you get along well with her."
"I'm certain we will get along, Your Grace." You were excited to befriend the princess, as it was rare for you to see girls of your age.
ꜱᴀɪʟᴏʀ
They led you to your room. On your way, a couple of maids and guards greeted you, 'my lady', although you were not. In their minds, you were some noble because the King had you as his guests. You didn't find it necessary to correct them; they would soon know that you weren't a noble either way.
"This is your chamber, my lady." One of them said.
"Thank you, and please, just Kaia; I'm not a noble." You could tell that they were hesitant about it and just bowed, excusing themselves.
You looked around the chamber as you organized your belongings. It was slightly bigger than the room you had on the ship, and certainly not swaying.
After a few moments, you went outside to stroll around the Red Keep and tour yourself, also in the hope of meeting the princess on your way. You didn't know what to expect aside from the gossip people made about the princess.
"The princess, they say, is rebellious, stone-cold, and a deviant." Gossip you would never rely on. Certainly, the people who were spreading these hadn't even met the princess, nor had they been in the city.
The attention you had was on what was around you, not on where you were going. You caught sight of a small nature on the side of the castle and an urge to go there and sit for a moment.
"Watch it!" the voice said.
"I'm sorry," you stepped back as you almost went out of balance.
"Princess," you bowed the second you saw who you bumped into, without any image of what the princess looked like in your head. You knew it was the princess. A girl around your age with silver-gold hair, and the smell of burnt that hit your nose when you collided with her.
It's Rhaenyra.
For some unknown reason, that the princess herself couldn't explain, her breath hitched when her eyes landed on you. Her eyes scanned you from head to toe. You wore a dress made from the finest fabric that fit your frame perfectly and complemented your skin. Everyone had eyes. Your presence in the city was challenging her title as the realm's delight, and she liked that.
The princess's eyebrows furrowed at the unfamiliarity of your face. She was trying to think who you might be, but couldn't identify you.
You couldn't help but divert your gaze elsewhere as you felt a little timid under her gaze.
"You are not a Hightower nor a Strong," the princess mumbled, shaking the mesmerization she felt.
"I do not belong to any nobility, princess," you said. A little embarrassment bubbling stomach, as sometimes you wished you were because, if it hadn't been for your father's reputation, you would also experience discrimination and maltreatment like other common people had been experiencing.
In Rhaenyra's head, as her eyes were scrutinizing you, you were too beautiful to be a nobody. Your features didn't look like a common one. Not that a common person couldn't possess the features you had. It's just rare. There must be blood from a certain house that runs through your veins.
"My father is a Strong by legitimacy, if that would make a difference," you said.
Only a few people knew about your father's lineage, but it wasn't a secret. Possibly, your father's position in merchandising overshadowed it, and people just stopped asking and caring about the entitlement. It was King Viserys I who offered to legitimize your father, and Draco just accepted it.
The princess didn't make any comments and just nodded her head in acknowledgment. She stepped forward, putting her hands behind her back and playing with her rings.
"I'm certain you're new here. Has anyone shown you around?" She asked, tilting her head and offering a small smile at you.
"No... I was doing it myself," you said, smiling sheepishly.
"Alright, that's great!" Rhaenyra was excited about your presence and about getting to know you because, for once in her life, she got to meet someone her age aside from Alicent. The Hightower kid would certainly be delighted at your presence as well.
You followed the princess as you walked beside her, mindlessly gripping the lace of your dress. Rhaenyra enthusiastically explained the history behind every interesting place or thing in the Red Keep.
She had her hands behind her, occasionally bouncing on her toes. A small smile crept onto your lips at the sight. With the short period of time you were with her, you could tell that the princess was not what others painted her to be. She's confident; you'd give her that; however, that's one of the good characteristics of someone who's going to sit on the throne someday, if the Queen's unborn babe weren't a boy.
During your stay in the city, the two of you grew closer. You got used to her constant presence at your side. The things that you were used to doing alone, you're doing them now with her. You couldn't be more grateful for that.
"What's on your mind?" you asked, closing your book and placing it beside you, when you saw her just staring at the same page for too long and not making any progress with the reading.
Rhaenyra snapped out of her thoughts and looked at you. "What were you saying?" she asked.
"What's on your mind? You have been staring."
"I'm fine," she said, going back to her book and changing the page for the facade.
Your eyes narrowed at her, not believing her words. "Nyra, you can tell me anything. You know that, right? I'm here... for you," the last words came out in a whisper, as you didn't know if it was appropriate to say it out loud.
"I know you are," Rhaenyra sighed, closing her book. "I just don't know how to put it into words without sounding so self-centered," she confessed.
You had a vague idea of what she was talking about. Ever since her mother, the Queen, was nearing her birth, the princess had been like that. You didn't know whether it was about a growing jealousy over the attention that would soon be directed to her younger sibling or about her worries about her inheritance. Although you both already knew that if the babe turned out to be a boy, they would skip Rhaenyra's name in the lineage of inheritance.
"Just let it out," you encouraged, reaching for her hand to squeeze it. You didn't want her to bottle up whatever was bothering her; you offered her comfort, support, and a safe place to speak what's on her mind. You didn't want her to explode later on.
And it was working; Rhaenyra felt a sense of safety and solace. It made her feel relaxed, and her mind calmed. She looked at you. The glossiness of her eyes squeezed your heart. She felt lost and lonely.
"I don't know what to feel... I–... I don't know if I should be happy that everyone thinks it's a boy, even if that means I will not have the same responsibilities and have to meet their expectations anymore." Rhaenyra said. It came out in a whisper to conceal her voice from breaking and her from breaking down in the presence of the girl she had just met not long ago.
"It's okay to feel that way. You don't have to figure it out now. We're not sure if it's a boy. And if the babe turns out to be a boy and you don't like the feeling you may feel, then I could steal one of my father's ships and get you out of here," you said, offering wishful thinking. You're sure if it was what she wanted, knowing she had it all here.
Rhaenyra smiled at the thought of leaving all of this behind. Running away and starting a new life were no more than wishful thinking; she knew that. But you knew yourself that you would do that without a thought.
She looked down at your linked hands. An unknown feeling started to swirl in her chest. A foreign feeling she couldn't describe. However, she enjoyed it despite its unknown nature. As long as it's you, she doesn't worry about it.
ꜱᴀɪʟᴏʀ
The time has come. The Queen had reached the nine moons that were needed for the babe to come. The king had thrown a celebration prior to the birth of his second child.
You were still beside Rhaenyra as you watched the tourney. It was Daemon's and a knight from Dorne's turn. The two noble ladies were rooting for the prince, while you were rooting for no one. Jealousy swirled in your stomach when you saw how Rhaenyra perked up when seeing his uncle.
You got bored and stood up without them noticing, and went out of the tourney. You went to the Queen's chamber to check up on her and perhaps accompany her, as she was left alone while everyone else was having the time of their lives.
"I thought I had dismissed you so you could enjoy the tourney," the Queen said the moment she saw your presence in the room.
"I'd rather be here than watch it. It's tedious," you said as you invited yourself to sit on the chair across the Queen. The Queen just let her stay as she couldn't do anything to change the girl's mind.
In the short time you'd stayed in the city. You found a familiarity in the Queen's presence. The kind of presence you never had, and were seeking when you were a kid.
"Are you okay?" You asked, worrying when you saw her wince a little as she caressed her swollen belly.
"Yes. Don't worry about me, it's just a little discomfort." The Queen smiled, trying to hide her pain, but you could see right through her.
"You are not, your grace. It is perhaps best if you lie down on your bed," you suggested and started helping her to her feet, as you ignored her protest, saying you should not be tending her and you should enjoy the activities outside.
The Queen stopped talking, and her grip tightened on your hand while her hand was on her belly. You knew something was wrong by the grip of her hand. You shouted to whoever would hear you outside the Queen's chamber when you saw the floor darkened under her, as you helped Her Grace lie on her bed.
You refused to leave her side, even if the King ordered you to. You just found yourself being lifted off the ground by a king's guard when the king ordered for the second time.
"No! What are you doing to her?! You're killing her! Your Grace! Your Grace! Aemma!" You shouted without a thought. You were unconcerned about the punishment it would cause you afterward. You just wanted to ensure she didn't feel alone.
You were placed on the ground once you were outside. The king's guard halted when you tried to slip past him.
The screams and cries of the Queen echoed in the area of that castle. You just sat on the floor listening while you cried, praying as you couldn't do anything. What you feared came true when the Queen's chamber was enveloped in silence, and the king came out with his hands and gown covered with blood.
By the look on his face, he had made a mistake.
You were asked to fetch the princess, and that would mean you would be the one to tell her the sad news. You couldn't do that to her. So, you brought Ser Harrold to deal with you and let him handle it. But before you set foot on the soil, you turned and ran back to the chamber.
You saw the Queen, lying in a pool of her and her son's blood, glazing over. And the babe was tended by the maids on the side of the room. The look they gave you broke your heart. You shook off the feeling and focused on the Queen. You immediately knelt beside her and took her hand with you.
"Your Grace," you called.
"Is it a boy?" she asked, looking at you with a look in her eyes. Hope the babe is a boy.
"Yes, Your Grace... It was-...is a boy." You managed to say as you started to feel the lump in your throat.
"I made it," it came out weak.
"You did, My Queen. You... made it." You affirmed, not having the heart to break the news to her. You didn't want her to think that she failed.
Her grip slightly loosened, and you panicked.
"Please, don't leave me, Your Grace. " You pleaded, pressing her hand on your face.
You looked around for someone to save her. "Why is nobody tending, Her Grace!" you shouted.
"I'll be fine. You will be fine," the Queen whispered, bringing your hand to her lips.
Rhaenyra came, tears running down her cheeks. You stood up, giving her the space you previously occupied. You gave them privacy, as you forced yourself to focus on Prince Baelon. Breathing too weak for your liking. You wiped your face with your sleeves before cradling the babe with the help of the maid.
You brought the babe to the Queen, as you thought the Queen would want to see her son, with Rhaenyra, and the babe should feel the love of his mother, one last time.
You gently placed him beside the Queen, between the two Targaryens. You watched the last moments unfold, biting your lower lip to distract yourself from breaking down, as you already knew this would be the ending. You stood there, watching them.
Everything happened so fast. One moment you were standing there watching the Targaryens, then a moment after, you found yourself taking the babe and giving it to the maid because you heard Rhaenyra's desperate plea as the light was slowly dimming in Aemma's eyes.
"Mom?" you heard her call.
"You'll be a great Queen," then she turned to you, weakly. No words were uttered, but you understood the message.
The Queen closed her eyes. Gone. Her hand between Rhaenyra's fell like a wilted flower. No sound came out of the mourning princess. Instead, you saw the hardened and cold one.
Rhaenyra placed a lingering kiss on her mother's forehead. You would rather see her cry than see what was in front of you. Concealed and in war in her head.
You did not know what to do. Perhaps, you did not need to do something, but to let her mourn her way, albeit unhealthily. You understand.
Baelon's small cries were heard in the room as if he felt her mother gone. That alone brought you once again to tears.
"Where's my brother?" she said. Baelon was gently placed in her arms, and she started talking to him as she walked out of the Queen's chamber to supposedly his room. You followed behind, with the Queen's handmaidens.
She sat on the floor with her back leaning against the bedside, with Baelon in her arms.
"Come sit with us," and you did. You watched the babe as he watched his sister, amazed by the things she was telling him, occasionally cooing.
"He is a great conversationalist," Rhaenyra said, glancing at you.
"Baelon, this is Kaia. Mom liked her company. I do too, very much. I think you'll love it too." Your heart warmed at her words. As time went by, it was getting replaced by sadness as you witnessed the Prince's deteriorating life in her sister's arms.
"I love you already as though we met a long time ago."
The babe started to whine, maybe because of the pain no one knew where.
"It's okay. I am here. You are safe," she said, gently rocking him, trying to make him feel he's not alone and he's safe.
It was not long before the babe took his last breath. It was peaceful, you observed. The babe must have felt the love his mother, sister, and you harbored for him, and that was enough to make him feel safe. Enough to make it peaceful for him to go.
Rhaenyra did not let the maiden take his brother yet. You wrapped an arm around her, and your free hand caressed the babe, as she held his brother closer.
It's not long before the king's guard came, announcing the need for the babe's body for the ritual.
"No, I'll wrap him," she said when the maiden tried to get the dead babe from her.
"Nyra let-..."
"No, I'll do it," she said firmly. You did not protest anymore. You helped her get back on her feet.
You followed her to the med bay, where she prepared his brother's body for Targaryen's funeral tradition.
Rhaenyra's hand shook as she did the process. But the walls continued to build up to conceal what the princess felt. It was not good; you would rather watch her cry than be like that.
She was halfway through the process when the grandmaester stepped in. This time, she did stop them. The princess stood there watching. You watched her back, wishing you could read her mind.
The ritual was done. Everyone left and followed the dead prince for the final process. Rhaenyra stayed behind, not moving from where she stood. Her body shook from the sob that she had been trying to conceal.
You closed the distance and were about to place a hand on her shoulder for comfort when her body collided with yours, making you stumble back a step from the loss of balance. She turned to you, face planted on your shoulder. You felt her hand clutching your dress; you felt a tug on it. Your arms instantly wrapped around her waist. No words were uttered. Only her small sobs were heard in the room.
You did not know how long you two were standing until you heard a knock.
"Princess, you are needed at the hill," the guard said.
"Nyra? They are waiting for you." You gently tapped her back when she made no move.
"Give us a moment," you answered.
Her grip tightened when you tried to pry her arms off you. You heard a muffled "no".
"I can't do it," she said, finally pulling away from you.
"Yes, you can." You placed both your hands on her cheeks, your thumbs gently wiping her tears.
"I'll be there, I promised."
ꜱᴀɪʟᴏʀ
King Fionn was standing one step behind the king. The King, who looked devastated, was mourning. You hated it. He killed the Queen. Everyone knew about it, but no one uttered a word. He's the King, and any word against him was just a whisper in the air.
You stood behind her, beside Daemon. All you could see was her back. Silent tears rolled down your cheeks, which you quickly wiped, subtly. You mourned the Queen who made you feel what it was like to have a mother figure, even though it was only for a short time. You mourned the Prince who, for a short time, lifted the responsibility from Rhaenyra's shoulders.
"They are waiting for you," Daemon stepped in when the princess had not made a move to command her dragon.
"I wonder if, during those few hours my brother lived, my father finally found happiness," Rhaenyra said in Valyrian, which you could not understand, but caught some words.
"Your father needs you..., more than he ever has," Daemon replied.
The Princess stepped forward and looked one more time at her father before looking at Syrax.
"Dracarys," she commanded.
Rhaenyra turned her head away when her dragon blew fire on the bodies of the Queen and the Prince. Your eyes stayed on the ground as you couldn't stomach watching the person you grew to love being burned by dragon fire. You flinched when you heard Syrax shoot fire.
As a sworn oath to the Queen when she asked you to stay with her daughter when the topic of your conversation became 'what-if's' and 'deaths', you stayed with her. You made sure she ate, even just three bites, to remind her to bathe.
"I'm fine. You need not watch over me," Rhaenyra said, coldly, trying to push you away, but you didn't budge.
She had been treating you like this for the past two days. It stung, but as quickly as it came, you shook it off. Nothing she could say or do would make you leave her.
You hummed, glancing at her before continuing to read the book in your hand. You smiled at yourself, satisfied with your work, when you heard the clinking of the utensils.
The princess would be lying if she said that it didn't annoy her the slightest. However, deep inside, she's grateful for your presence. She, in fact, was silently enjoying it.
You closed the book, placed it on the small table beside you, and then stood when you noticed she was done with her meal. Thinking she needed space and rest, you paid your courtesy before walking towards the door.
"Kaia," you heard her call before your hand touched the door.
When you turned around, you saw her looking at the floor, her lower lip between her teeth, fidgeting with the ring on her index finger. She looked so small.
"I'm sorry," she said, avoiding your eyes.
"I've been unfair and unkind to you when all you did was to offer me comfort and kindness."
"It's alright... Come here," you said, opening your arms, but the princess was reluctant to take it as she was thinking she did not deserve it. You knew that look. The look you grew hating as you thought otherwise.
Sensing it, you walked back to her and pulled her into your arms. Her body relaxed, and she finally let out the feeling she had been holding in since the death of her mother and brother.
No words left your mouth as you held her in silence. Only occasional sobs could be heard. Rhaenyra was grateful for your solace and for not saying the words she was tired of hearing.
"Do things ever going to get better?" she pulled away from your arms. Tiredness etched her face.
"Maybe they will, maybe they will not. We cannot know, princess," you replied, not wanting to get her hopes up about everything. A little disappointment bubbled in her stomach with the answer. However, she couldn't condemn you for it, as you were no different. You were mourning as well. She knew the bond you had with her mother, the love her mother harbored for you as if you were her own.
A light bubble lightened in your head when you thought of something for the princess to elude the world, even if just for a little while. However, you were unsure whether she was into that activity. But it was worth the shot.
"Come with me," you declared, not waiting for her response. You grabbed her hand and pulled her. Rhaenyra protested, but you ignored her. Confusion was what she felt as to where you were going to take her.
Your own action had made your heart skip a beat. You were anxious about your action, but it disappeared when she did not do anything to pry her hand. You even felt her pull slightly to adjust.
You reached the dock, and you talked to someone, who Rhaenyra thought was one of your father's people, in a language she couldn't understand.
"Where is father?" you asked.
"Forgive me, I do not know, my lady."
"Can I borrow one of the ships?"
"What for? Does your father know?"
"He doesn't need to know... I promised the Queen I'd stay with the Princess, and she's been unhappy lately. I just want to help. Please?" You even felt Rhaenyra pull her hand and intertwine it with yours.
You frozed.
The man noticed your sudden reaction, looked at the Princess, then at your linked hand, before speaking to you. The glance made you anxious, and you tried to let go, but Rhaenyra gripped your hand, clearly loathing the idea of losing your warmth.
She ignored the look you gave her and smiled at the man, as if nothing was happening. You both looked flushed. The caretaker just gave you a knowing look but did not utter a word.
Rhaenyra, on the other hand, noticed your reaction and smiled proudly at herself, not caring if the man was watching.
"Ah, I see," the man said. You gave him a dead look, but it did not cover the redness of your cheeks.
"Follow me," the man said, with amusement in his tone.
She looked around as you two started walking, following him. You two were greeted by the ship's caretakers, guards, and maids.
"Should I be frightened for my life?" Rhaenyra asked, turning to you, a jest lacing her voice. She still had not let go of your hand, even though the entwined fingers were slightly loosened.
"Shouldn't it be me? You have a dragon I can hear roaring from where she is, ready to fly here and attack when you feel it," you retorted, raising an eyebrow at her in amusement.
You may seem defenseless, but beneath your dress, your daggers are hidden, secured by the belt around your thigh. Though it was nothing compared to the dragonfire, it will not save you if the dragon attacks.
"You misinterpret her roars," she said, smiling.
You looked at her, confused, and clearly had no knowledge of the depth of the bond between the dragon and its dragonrider.
Syrax senses what the Princess feels, but you didn't need to know that. Despite the actions earlier, the princess was still uncertain if she was hallucinating or if she had interpreted your actions correctly. She wished it were the latter, as she would die in despair if it were the former.
"My lady, Princess," the man glanced and said, "The ship is ready whenever you are."
You saw enough maids and guards queued on the dock to accompany you two in your activity. Though you wanted to be alone with the Princess, you did not want to risk her safety. You would not forgive yourself if something bad happened to her.
You smiled, thanking the man.
"Have you ever sailed a ship?"