章 5: Chapter 5 - The Queen Who Never Was
129 AC
Fifth Day Of The Seventh Moon
Dragonstone
The wind swept through my hair as I rode Meleys above the clouds. I remembered the first time I flew on the Red Queen. The feeling had been exhilarating, and it still was. But times had changed; Father was no longer alive, nor was Mother.
The people I loved had passed from this world, leaving only Corlys and my granddaughters. Fate truly was a bitch.
Then I heard the flapping of dragon wings, and as I looked, I saw Sheepstealer and Seasmoke, ridden by their new riders. Lucerys was present on Arrax, instructing them on how to ride their dragons.
Soon, the sun was setting, and we landed on Dragonstone. As I dismounted, I looked at the new dragonriders.
Nettles, the rider of the wild dragon Sheepstealer, didn't appear to have a drop of Valyrian blood in her veins. She had tamed Sheepstealer by bringing him sheep until he accepted her as his rider. Addam, the rider of Seasmoke, did have Valyrian features, and when I looked at him, I could see the similarities between him and my son.
Laenor and Laena, the two lights of my life, were both snuffed out.
The gods truly were cruel. First, they took away my birthright, and then my children.
But the pain had already washed over me, and I accepted the way things were, no matter how much it hurt to think about my children. The only solace I had left was my granddaughters, Baela and Rhaena.
Baela reminded me of myself at her age, while Rhaena was a sweet and gentle girl.
As we made our way into the castle, a servant approached and informed us that the Queen was awaiting us in the Chamber of the Painted Table.
Upon entering, I saw Rhaenyra standing next to the Painted Table, with Baela at her side. The Queen had made my granddaughter her cupbearer.
Nearby were her advisors and members of the Small Council. My husband was the Master of Ships, while the Grand Maester was Geradys. The Master of Coin was Bartimos Celtigar, and the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was Ser Lorent Marbrand.
There was silence until Rhaenyra rose and walked towards the Painted Table.
She placed a black dragon on the map in the Vale of Arryn, another in the North, then the Riverlands, the Iron Islands and finally the Crownlands.
Next, she took a green dragon piece and placed it in the Reach, the Westerlands, and the Stormlands.
"The realm is divided," she spoke.
"I am the rightful heir to the throne, but the great lords have abandoned me," she spat out.
"Princess Rhaenys here claimed that the Baratheons would support me, but what happened?" she said, making me wince.
"Lord Borros Baratheon married his daughter to my half-brother," she said bitterly.
"The Lannisters have done the same," she continued.
"The houses of the Reach have joined the Greens, with House Tarly's rebellion being defeated by House Peake," she added.
"But House Rowan is the only house in the Reach that has joined my side," she said.
"These lords who have betrayed me will pay a price," she declared.
"But we mustn't lose hope, for my husband has gathered the riverlords," she continued.
"My eldest son, the Crown Prince, has secured the support of the Starks," she added with pride.
A raven had come from Winterfell, written by Lord Cregan Stark, pledging his support to the Queen.
"My cousin, Lady Jeyne Arryn, will support us as well," she said.
The last raven we received from her mentioned the Knights of the Vale gathering at the Gates of the Moon before departing for the Riverlands.
Although it was worrisome that we hadn't received any further ravens, our doubts were alleviated when my other granddaughter, Rhaena, sent a raven explaining that the men had reached the Bloody Gates.
She also mentioned that most of the ravens in the Eyrie had become sick, which was the reason for the delay in communication.
"The flight of the ravens has ended," Rhaenyra said.
"My brother, the usurper, refuses to yield the throne, and now he will face my wrath," she declared.
"I received a raven from Lord Staunton, and it carries grave news," she continued.
"The Kingmaker has laid siege to his castle after marching on Rosby and Stokeworth. Those lords joined his army after which he sacked Duskendale and beheaded Lord Darklyn, who was loyal to me," she said.
"Lord Staunton asks for aid," she added.
"And I intend to aid him," she affirmed.
"That is why, Princess Rhaenys, you will be leaving for Rook's Rest on the morrow," she commanded.
Corlys tried to say something, but I interjected at once.
"Yes, your Grace," I said.
"Mother, I wish to accompany Grandmother," Lucerys spoke up, and Rhaenyra hesitated.
"I wish to aid the houses loyal to us, Mother, and I intend to bring the Kingmaker's head and lay it at your feet," he said, and Rhaenyra smiled.
"Very well, my son, you will accompany your grandmother," she agreed, and Lucerys grinned as he touched his scar slightly. The boy scared me slightly with the amount of hate and vitriol that was present in him against his uncle.
"From what Lord Staunton writes, there are no dragons present in the army of The Kingmaker.
"My whoremongering brother who calls himself king is in King's Landing, while my other brother Aemond is in the Stormlands, and my remaining siblings are in Oldtown," she said.
"So this task will be accomplished easily and will mark the first victory of the Blacks in the Corwnlands," she said as the lords cheered.
But I was still worried, I felt that there was something not right as if this was all a trap set by someone.
Jaehaerys Targaryen, the youngest son of my cousin, was named after my own grandfather, the man who took away my birthright and the rider of his dragon as well, Vermithor. The Bronze Fury was the second largest dragon alive after Vhagar and was just as dangerous as the Old Queen.
Ever since the news of my cousin's death came, there has been no news of Jaehaerys, and I was slightly worried about where he could be depsite Rahenyra stating that he was in Oldtown.
Various discussions took place, and then the meeting ended.
I was joined by my granddaughter and husband in my room.
"I will miss you, Grandmother. I wish I could come with you to fight," she said, and I hugged her.
"I will be fine, Baela. You do not have to worry about me, child," I said.
"But I will miss your name day as well," she said, and I laughed.
I was born on the seventh day of the seventh moon, and Father used to say that I was a blessing from the gods. I missed him a lot. He should not have died the way he did. He should have been king as well.
After some time, Baela left, and it was only Corlys and I.
"Corlys, how long have we been married?" I asked him, and he gave a surprised chuckle.
"We have been married for thirty-nine years," he said.
"And I have been faithful to you in those years, have I not?" I asked him.
"Of course, you have, Rhaenys. But what is the matter?" he asked me, holding my hands.
"Then why did you betray me, Corlys?" I asked him.
Upon hearing me, his eyes widened.
"What do you mean, Rhaenys?" he asked me.
"Addam and Alyn, those two are your bastard sons, are they not?" I shouted, and seeing his widened eyes, I understood.
"I was wondering why it was that they resembled our Laenor, and now I understood," I said.
"Rhaenys, let me explain myself," he said, and I slapped him.
For the first time in our marriage, I attacked him.
He was left reeling.
"You betrayed me, and for what? Just so you could lay with some young whore," I said.
"Were I and the children never enough for you, huh, Corlys?" I said.
"My grandfather had told me long back before I married you whether I trusted you, and I still remember telling him I did," I said.
"So why did you betray me, Corlys?" I asked him as tears ran down my face.
"The only reason you ever married me was because you wanted a strong lord by your side," he said.
"And the only reason you married me was because you wanted to gain power and prestige once I became the queen, but then look what happened," I said.
"Were the children I bore you not enough, Corlys?" I asked him.
"Did you not love them?" I said.
"Rhaenys," he shouted.
"I loved Laena and Laenor with all my heart. If need be, I would have sacrificed myself just so I could save them from dying," he said.
"Just leave, Corlys. I do not wish to see your face any longer," I said as he left.
Left alone, I pondered where everything had gone wrong in my life. Was it the day I lost my father, or was it when my children died? I could not know for certain.
And now, in two days' time, I would be the same age as my mother when she passed away. The gods must truly be laughing at me.
129 AC
Seventh Day Of The Seventh Moon
Rooks Rest
A clear sky awaited us as Lucerys and I rode to Rook's Rest. The castle was besieged from all sides, and I saw close to three thousand men-at-arms surrounding the fortress.
In the distance, I could see various ballistas and scorpions positioned strategically among the enemy forces, their dark silhouettes ominous against the horizon.
"Lucerys, be careful of the bolts," I warned, looking at the boy whose face was lit up with a wide smile.
"I'm going to burn them all," he said confidently as Arrax dove down, ready to unleash fiery destruction.
The archers on the ground let loose their arrows, but they did not harm either of our dragons. Lucerys, with the help of his dragon Arrax, bathed them in white flames, scorching the ground below.
My dragon, the fearsome Red Queen, was equally eager to wreak havoc. "Dracarys," I commanded, and red-hot flames erupted from her maw, filling the air with the shrieks of burning soldiers.
We made several more passes over the enemy forces, our dragons' flames reducing their siege engines to smoldering ruins. The men of Lord Staunton cheered for us from the castle walls, their spirits lifted by our assault.
The kingmaker's men began fleeing into the woods. Among them, I spotted Ser Criston Cole, the infamous Kingslayer. I saw Lucerys chase after him until a horn blew, its sound cutting through the chaos.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. I looked up and saw the Old Queen herself, the largest dragon alive, Vhagar. The sight was terrifying, but what frightened me more was that two more dragons were present as well—Sunfyre and the Bronze Fury.
"Lucerys, we have to leave!" I shouted, my voice barely cutting through the roar of the wind and the chaotic sounds of battle. But the boy, blinded by rage and adrenaline, paid no heed, urging Arrax forward towards the Bronze Fury with reckless determination.
Desperation gripped me as I spurred Meleys to follow him. "Lucerys, we must retreat!" I shouted again, my voice hoarse from the strain. I could only hope to break through his thick-headed resolve.
Lucerys, driven by youthful bravado and an insatiable hatred towards his uncle, charged ahead. Arrax and the Bronze Fury clashed, their roars echoing through the sky as they fought fiercely. The hatred he carried for his uncle was too intense for reason or sanity to penetrate, and it fueled a fight that he could not win.
I couldn't focus on him alone, as Sunfyre and Vhagar closed in to attack me. Although Vhagar was the largest dragon alive, her size made her slow. Meleys, known for her agility, darted through the sky, evading Vhagar's lumbering strikes. However, Sunfyre complicated matters, his golden scales gleaming as he joined the assault, forcing me to dodge attacks from two dragons simultaneously. I found a narrow opening and maneuvered away from them in a quick, desperate move, hoping to gain some distance. But my moment of relief was short-lived.
A deafening roar split the sky, and as I looked up, I saw Lucerys and Arrax plummeting from the heavens. Their bodies were torn to pieces, blood raining down like a gruesome storm. The sight wrenched a scream from my throat, raw and filled with despair.
"You are next, bitch," the usurper taunted, a grin of malevolent satisfaction spreading across his face as he directed Sunfyre towards me. His words were a cruel reminder of the peril I faced.
I tried to dodge his attack, but Vhagar's flames caught Meleys on her wing, and she shrieked in agony, the sound piercing my soul. "Fuck," I muttered, feeling the burn of the flames myself, the pain searing through my right hand and leg.
Meleys' movements became sluggish due to the damage to her wings. We flew some distance away, but Vhagar and Sunfyre were relentless, hot on our trail. My right hand and leg had been scorched by the flames, and pain coursed through my body, threatening to pull me into unconsciousness. The acrid smell of burnt flesh filled my nostrils, mingling with the scent of smoke and blood.
Suddenly, the sky darkened, and as I looked above, I saw the Bronze Fury diving straight at us from above. The rider's eyes, cold and apathetic, locked onto mine, sending a chill through my soul. His gaze was devoid of mercy, a promise of death.
"Dracarys," he uttered, and Vermithor unleashed a blinding torrent of flames upon Meleys blinding her. I struggled to control my dragon, but it was futile. Vhagar swooped in from the side, her massive jaws closing around a chunk of Meleys' wing, tearing flesh and bone with a sickening crunch.
Meleys and I were flailing, spiraling out of control. The sky and earth blurred together in a dizzying whirlwind. I watched in horror as Vermithor closed in, biting down on Meleys' neck. The sickening sound of crunching bone and tearing flesh filled the air, and Meleys' agonized shrieks echoed in my ears, a haunting symphony of death.
Memories from my childhood to this very moment flashed before my eyes—the times spent with my family, the laughter of my children, the warmth of my parents' embrace. A strange calmness washed over me as I accepted my fate. "Father, Mother, my children, I will finally see you again," I thought, a bittersweet smile gracing my lips as I welcomed the cold embrace of death.
Meleys' final, agonized shrieks echoed in my ears as everything turned black. The sensation of falling, the feeling of the wind rushing past me, and the pain of my burns all faded away. In those final moments, I embraced the void, surrendering to the inevitable.
As I slipped into darkness, I felt a profound sense of peace. The battle, the blood, the chaos—all of it was behind me. In the silence that followed, I found solace in the thought that I would be reunited with those I had lost, my family waiting for me in the afterlife.
The world around me faded into nothingness, the pain replaced by a gentle numbness. I could no longer hear the roar of dragons or the cries of battle. Instead, there was a serene quiet, an all-encompassing calm that soothed my tormented soul.
In the final moments, I envisioned a vast field adorned with vibrant greenery. My children, their faces glowing with joy, ran towards me with arms outstretched. Behind them stood my parents, their expressions overflowing with love and pride. The sheer happiness of this reunion brought tears to my eyes, mingling with the blood and sweat from my final battle.
"Father, Mother, my children," I whispered into the void, my voice a mere breath. "I am home."
With those words, I closed my eyes, surrendering to the enveloping darkness. The memories of love and laughter carried me gently into the afterlife, where I knew I would finally find peace.
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