Chapter 6
The morning came to quick for the three siblings. The sun was shining and the birds were singing and of course the little princess was up starring at the siblings with a cute little frown on her face. The princess didn't wait long, after all she was quite spoiled and the three people on the bed were ignoring her. Well not really, they were sleeping, but there was a woman in her Kepa's bed that she didn't know.
"Kepaaaaa!" She screamed in her high pitched voice.
The response was instantaneous. Her kepa (father) startled and rolled of the bed, taking all of the sheets with him, and hit the floor with a bang. The woman and her kepus (uncle) lifted their heads at the same time banging their foreheads. She heard kepa let out a groan and at the same time the woman and kepus let out moans of pain. She didn't really care, there was a strange woman in her kepa's bed!
"What happened zaldrītsos (little dragon)? Why are you shouting at this ungodly hour? Her kepus asked rubbing the spot where he collided with the woman's forehead.
"There is a strange woman in kepa's bed! " She said and by then her kepa was off the floor and back in the bed with a pillow covering his face.
"Yes there is." Her kepus replayed and his eyes were closing again burrowing further in the sheets. The woman was already asleep her head on her kepa's chest.
"Kepuuuuus, don't go back to sleep! There is a strange woman sleeping on kepa's chest!" She whined and slowly one by one opener their eyes and glared at her. Well it was not her fault! They should wake up. There was a woman se didn't recognize sleeping with them. Someone had to answer her soon or else.
"Yes little one. There is a woman in the bed with us. No she is not a stranger, she is your sodjisto (aunt), mine and your kepus hāedar (little sister). " Her kepa said. An aunt? Nobody talked before about an aunt.
"She came in last night, and after the yesterday events we decided that it will be better if all of us slept together, that is why you are here as well." Her kepa continued. Yesterday events? Oh... Her mother died. The thought brought forth tears in her eyes, her lip started to tremble and she let out a sob.
***
When his little girl starter crying Viserys panicked. He turned wide eyed to his brother only to see he had the same expression he was sure his face was carrying. Their little sister quiet till then sprang into action taking the little girl in her arms and started rocking back and forth. Rhaenyra, who till then seemed very upset about the "strange woman in the bed" was keeping a death grip on his little sister clothes.
" It's alright little dragon, let it out" she said. Kissing his daughter forehead while murmuring consoling words. The girls stayed like that until Rhaenyra's sobs subsided and fell right back asleep.
Their sister put Rhaenyra back under the covers and tucked her in. She then raised a finger to her lips, telling them to be quiet and pointed to the door. They got up and each grabbed one of Viserys gowns and walked into the other room. They seated at the table and his brother sent for breakfast.
"We should continue last night discussion." Said his brother.
"Last night discussion is not important now." Replied his sister. "We need to move fast and make plans for the next few days."
" Plans for the next days?" He asked confused.
"May I speak frankly your Grace?" His sister asked.
"I thought you already were, and call me Viserys, leave the formalities."
"You are sounded from all sides by snakes. Targaryen house is brought to an all time low and with the death of the gentle Queen and your son, you are in a precarious position."
"While I agree that we are surrounded by snakes, this is not something new. And while Aemma's and Baelon's passings are a tragedy, house Targaryen is the royal house and we are strong." His brother said and he couldn't help but agree with him.
"You are also stupid it seems. House Targaryen has only one adult dragon claimed and is true enough, that one dragon alone can do a lot of damage, but a dragon against dragon battle would be devastating. You forget, because of your soft heart you allowed another house to have dragons, and yes they are loyal now, but that can change in an instant and you do not have the fire power for a dragon war. " She explained.
"You are saying that the Velaryons and Rhaenys would betray us." Daemon remarked.
"I am not saying that, I am only pointing out that there is a chance and you are awfully unprepared. It is no secret that the Sea Snake wants his blood on the Iron Throne."
"I do not think that Rhaenys will start a war with us." He said and his siblings rolled their eyes at him.
"He is going to offer his daughter as your new queen. This at least I know, the dream hadn't changed. If you accept you will have another child bride, if you do not you will insult them. It is an impossible situation."
"She is right, now that Aemma's dead, the lords from the seven kingdoms will trow any female relative at you on the off chance that you will make them queens." Daemon said, on his face a thoughtful expression.
"Aemma is not yet burned and you are talking about me taking another wife?" He said, disbelief written all over his face.
"It's not us that want you to remarry. We do not give a fuck either way, but they were pressuring you to take a second wife since Aemma was still alive. Now that Aemma's dead, they will be hounding you to take another queen and start producing heirs." His brother had a point, that doesn't mean that he was happy that his brother's words made sense.
"You are my heir! You and Rhaenyra!" Viserys all but shouted.
"But you never made that clear, did you? In your chase for a son, the heir spot was left vacant. Everybody thinks that Daemon is a place holder until you have a son, rumor you did nothing to discourage." His sister said and before he had the chance to respond the maids came in with their breakfast halting the conversation. After they were alone once again, Daemon was the first to break the silence.
"Potential treason and inheritance crisis aside, we meet to take care of the people that were in the room during Aemma's birth"
"Already taken care of. Well... Mostly." His sister said.
"Already taken care of?" Viserys asked a little confused.
"Viserys you really need to stop repeating my words back to me, you leave the impression of being slow." Daemon snorted at her comment, of course he did, the little shit. " I already new what happened, so while you were having a mental time out and Daemon was consoling little Rhaenyra, I catched the maids and midwives one by one and sent them North."
"How the fuck did you do that?" His brother asked.
"With enough money, anybody can be bought." That's all she said and Viserys simply refused to ask anymore questions. It was taken care of, that is all he needed to know." Unfortunately, I can't do anything about the maesters and he already reported to someone else."
"Simple, we kill the maester and the one he reported to."Daemon said and of course that was the solution he came up with.
" I thing that our kingly brother would not be happy if we killed the Lord Hand."
"Why is it always that cunt?" And Viserys was fully prepared to go into another rant about his friend but before he had time to open his mouth, his sister interrupted what surely would degenerate into a fight.
"Not important right now. You have time now to think, both of you should be thinking about potential brides. "
"Both of us? In case you didn't know little sister I am unfortunately still married to my Bronze Bitch. "
"She'll die soon. A terrible accident, you will be positively bereft. " His little sister predicted and Daemon started laughing, his all face alight with happiness.
The rest of the meal passed in relative silence. He is going to marry the Velaryon child, it would be for the best, but no another child bride didn't really appeal to him. A another girl perhaps, one young enough to bear children but old enough not to die in childbirth. No, no. A widow, that was it. A widow like himself, but that means that she should not have any children of her own already. There were not many that fit the criteria. That's it the council and the inheritance could get fucked. He isn't going to marry, he already had heirs. He had his brother and daughter, and even the Velaryon children were an option, and if worst came to worst he could always legitimatize his sister and put her on the Throne.
He didn't realize, lost in thought as he had that his sister eyes started to get glassy, each time he took a decision. He was brought out of his reverie when his brother shot upwards sending his chair to the door. In two strides he was beside his sister, tilting her head back. Looking closely he saw what her brother has seen. The girls eyes were glassy and blood started pouring out of her nose. He got out of his chair and got to her other side. Neither he nor Daemon new what to do. After a few moments her eyes cleared and she groaned. She quickly produced from gods know where a handkerchief and started dabbing her nose. She lowered her head to the table and he and his brother were left standing on each side of her not knowing what to do.
"For fucks shakes Viserys, I told you to think about potential brides not to take a million second decisions and then change your mind." His sister voice was heard muffled from where her head was still on the table.
" I caused this?" Viserys asked
"Yes. You can sit down now, I am alright. My visions are unusual and complicated to explain. I get normal visions of big events."
"Like Baelon's death." Daemon interrupted.
"Yes, like that, but also snippets when decisions are made, mostly decisions affecting our family. I have an affinity for it. Usually only get visions of important decisions but sometimes I get some from Rhaenyra deciding on which dress she would wear. "
"So in which category are this morning decisions placed?" Viserys couldn't help but be curious. Her gift was so different from the usual dreams that it made him want to know everything.
"Important. I know you do not think so, but it is important. Your choice in bride could cause a war to break."
"And the bleeding? Is that a normal reaction?" Daemon asked.
"It's a Viserys reaction. It only happened a few times, and all of them had been because of him." She said and let out a laugh, his brother spotting a smile as well, but he was worried. He never realized just how important his decisions were. Sure he was king and his decisions could affect the seven kingdoms and... His sister was right... He was an idiot.
***
Daemon was happy. As happy as anyone could be in those circumstances. While he mourned his sister in law and nephew, he knew they were finally at peace. He would never say so to his brother, but he thought that Aemma would be relieved to die. It was an awful thought, but it was true. Aemma has been used as a broodmare since she was one and ten and each failed pregnancy and dead babe took some of the light in her eyes. Viserys didn't realize, or maybe it was intentional ignorance, but Aemma would look at his brother with such resentment sometimes that it left Daemon baffled. He knew that sooner or later if things continued as they were, his brother would have a tragic accident and Aemma would become a Dowager Queen.
His brother didn't looked too keen to remarry and he finally recognized Daemon as heir. It was a big step, even if the affirmation was made in his chambers not in front of the mases. And his sister, his sweet, wonderful sister gave him the best news, his Bronze Bitch will die soon. From the look on her face if his wife didn't die on her own his sister will make it happen. She was a sly one, Viserys didn't catch the look on her face when she said that but he did. The hint of madness lurking around, the decision already made. He loved her. Daemon truly loved the girl, and wasn't that strange? It was less than half a day and his sister wormed her way into his heart. She was everything a Targaryen aspired to be. Politicly inclined, sly, cunning and beautiful. His brother better legitimatize her and give her a dragon, it was unthinkable in his opinion that a daughter of house Targaryen such as her would not possess their name and a dragon of her own.
Her being dragonless was a problem, same as Viserys, and while Viserys refused vehemently to claim another dragon after Balerion's death there was still hope for his sister. Maybe an egg? But that was just cruel. She would be well in her 20's before she could ride them, that if they even hatch. Same problem applied if she chose a hatchling. She was too old already, she was what ten and three, ten and four? No, her only option was to claim a grown dragon. Maybe Silverwing or Dreamfyre, he didn't want to think about the little mad girl on top of Vhagar or Vermithor, or worse a wild dragon like the Cannibal or Sheepstealer.
"Have you given thought about what you are going to do with me?" His sister interrupted his thoughts.
"What do you mean what are we going to do with you? You are staying here, with us in Kingslanding." Daemon said and he saw his brother nodding.
" That was always my intention. What I was asking was, do you want people to know I am your sister or do you want me in the shadows?" The question left him blank. To hide her? Sure she was a bastard, a hidden one at that but she was the sister of the King. To hide her away like a dirty little secret was absurd. Didn't she understand what power she was wielding already. She was the daughter of the Spring Prince, she was the granddaughter of the Old King and sister of King Viserys and the Rogue Prince, she was royal, matter of her birth aside.
"That's absurd!" Daemon blurted out and saw his brother nodding again." You are the sister of the King, we will not hide you in a cupboard and throw away the key."
" Father did. " She replied, and he saw that it still bothered her ,what their father did.
" Father had a reason. A good one. You are a dreamer with to much dragon blood in you. You were a monster babe. The chances that you will survive infancy were extremely slim. And that is not taking into consideration that you are a dreamer. If the Old King knew he would have taken you from your mother locked you in a tower and the only visitors you would have, would have been him when he was in need of your dreams. The Old King was a lot of things but kind was not one of them. " Daemon said with vitriol.
"I know. You are right. So what are we going to tell people?"
"The truth, you are the Spring Prince's daughter."
"Is going to be a scandal."
"Hardly." Viserys began." Our father would not be the first nor the last man to father a bastard and while your legitimazation will make some waves, you are a woman and in their minds you will not pose a threat."
"Legitimazation?" She asked confused and Daemon realized that something was wrong. Did she not expect to be made legitimate by his brother?
"Why yes, I assume you would like that."
"But..." She began." I am already legitimate. I thought you knew. That you have spoken to uncle Vaegon when you realized who my father was." She said and both brothers were struck mute, again.
"My name is Maenera Targaryen, the daughter of the Spring Prince, Baelon Targaryen and his second wife Aelera Snow"