( ACT I; the calm before the storm. )
⟵ ◊ ⟶
chapter 3: a charcoal knight & child fantasies.

SEPTA Talla paced as she recited from a book containing scripture of the Faith, her gait eloquent and precise. Nothing less could be expected of a governess to the princesses, but Rhaela didn't care about anything she was supposed to write down to practice her overall script. No, she'd written a handful of sentences with her once fine-tipped charcoal writing utensil before opting for the crude drawings she now was scrawling across the parchment. The underside of her hand was covered in grey smudges, her drawing slightly altered with every non-lifted movement of her writing hand. Even her dress had gained some smudges on its fine blue fabric.

The princess worked diligently on the armor of the knight she drew, imagining it was herself, adding a rough rendition of the Targaryen sigil on the breastplate. She drew wings and a dragon's head on the helm in the same fashion she'd once seen her uncle Daemon wear during a tourney. All manner of inspiration ran through her mind, dreams of courage and honor swirling around her heart.

Her uncle had inspired her long ago, to be skilled with a sword and unyielding to her enemies. A steadfast wall between those she loved and those that might threaten them—

"Have you written anything from the scripture, Princess Rhaela?" Septa Talla half-asked half-scrutinized the girl. The older woman had lowered her book and halted her pacing to look at the travesty that was Rhaela's drawing.

"I suppose I haven't," the girl replied with a half-mutter.

"Bronze over gold," Helaena muttered more to herself than to either of them as she wrote on her parchment. From the look of it, she hadn't been writing any of the words the Septa recited either, instead scrawling unintelligible sentences. Rhaela had noticed the same cryptic message that her sister only ever seemed to say around her. "Old and bold."

"May I be dismissed?" Rhaela asked the Septa politely, ignoring her sister's cryptic words. Despite knowing she could technically leave at her behest, she remained kind to the Septa. If she didn't care about a tongue-lashing from her mother. She was quite used to those.

"You should not be dwelling on such fantasies," the older woman chastised, referring to the knight drawing. "You are a princess. Not a man nor a knight. You will be writing double next time," the Septa conceded in annoyance. With a dismissive wave, she said, "Go on now."

Rhaela dropped the drawing board and charcoal stick before leaping from the cushioned seat she'd been sitting in for far too long. She exited the room with a skip, ignoring the guards posted outside the chamber door that began to follow after her. Off to find her mother, wherever she might be. Likely in her chambers or with Rhaela's father, helping care for him.

Navigating the halls, Rhaela relished in the morning light that managed to grace her skin whenever she passed an arching window. As she walked, she glanced down at the sprawling expanse of King's Landing, the gulls hovering in the salty wind. It was hot as any day, but she'd always been well suited for it. Summer heat seemed to welcome her like a warm embrace.

As she had guessed, the girl found her mother in her father's chambers. Entering the large apartment as a guard opened the door, her violet eyes scanned over the miniature stone Valyrian city that had grown steadily over the years for as long as she could remember. Yet, it hadn't been touched in quite some time, not with her father's ever-declining health. 

Dust and cobwebs had settled in a thin layer over the peaks of the miniature city, the dragon at its peak seemingly the most covered. 

Near the hearth, her father sat in one of the cushioned chairs as her mother used a rag to dab his forehead. Rhaela frowned as she grew closer, always saddened to see his general disposition and the obvious look of displeasure on her mother's face.

"Rhaela," her mother somewhat greeted, not taking her gaze away from the king. No hint of motherly love in her tone. Detached, per usual. "Are you not supposed to be in lessons with Septa Talla?"

"I was released," Rhaela replied, stopping to stand in front of them both. Her hands clasped in front of her dress, idly swaying back in forth in a very much child-like manner.

"And how were your studies?" her father asked in an uplifting tone that was a stark comparison to her mother's, his words seemingly labored. He was in pain, trying his best to be positive for her.

Rhaela smirked, recalling her shenanigans. "She grew upset with my drawings."

Alicent shot a displeased look at Rhaela only momentarily before looking back at Viserys. "You should be paying attention, not drawing. As a princess, you must remain well-versed in your studies."

Rhaela's attention flitted from her mother to her father, who had managed to flash a grin at her. Despite the growing number of missing teeth in his smile.

"And were you drawing knights again, love?" Viserys chuckled. "Dreaming of glory and fame?"

Rhaela nodded, smirking. Her heart soared with the thought of being an anointed knight, valiant and honorable. All her inspiration derived from her Uncle Daemon. Her father had always fed into her dreams, making her hopeful.

"I drew myself. With Uncle Daemon's winged helmet," she said brightly. "I know it was supposed to be making notation of today's lesson, but I had an inspiration. So Septa Talla released me."

"And your sister stayed with the Septa, I presume," Alicent sighed, turning to place the rag she'd been working with back inside the pewter dish on the table nearby. As she turned to look back at Rhaela, her long, auburn waves swayed with her movements. Rhaela's mother was beautiful, but the ever-present frown on her features had somehow become permanent in the form of lines on either side of her lips. "Where she is supposed to be."

"Let her dream, Alicent," Viserys lightly chastised his wife. He tried sitting more upright, but the pain from his movements made him hiss as his face contorted in response. Alicent moved quickly to help, adjusting the pillow behind him as he managed to settle once again. "One mostly missed lesson will do no harm."

Viserys had always come to Rhaela's defense, showering her with the affection and love that Alicent otherwise neglected to give her. The girl knew her father's health was declining and the thought that he would be gone far sooner than later was a daunting reality. One she never wanted to acknowledge. She was unsure what would become of her once he was gone.

She was unsure what she would do the day it was time for him to leave the world. She'd learned quickly from a young age that her mother didn't hold true affection toward her. It wasn't enough for her to not try to seek out, though.

"I am to meet Aemera at the dragon pit today, Mother," Rhaela said, looking at Alicent. A change of subject. She didn't need any more scrutiny from her mother. "Remember?"

Prior arrangements with Rhaenyra had allowed for the two girls to have the visit that day. After the recent incident with Luc, Jace, and Aegon presenting a sow to Aemond as a 'dragon', Rhaela had grown rather crestfallen over her lack of a mount. Her niece's suggestion of visiting her dragon Lyrax had been enough to uplift Rhaela's spirits. 

Alicent pinched the bridge of her nose as if troubled by forgetting the formerly arranged plans. Her mother had protested the plans originally, claiming Rhaenyra's children were not good influences for Rhaela to be around, but she'd pressed hard enough until her mother eventually conceded. 

"A fine idea," Viserys grinned. "The presence of a dragon should be more than enough to lift your spirits. You may not be a knight," her father sighed, head tilting. "But you will be a dragon rider."

The girl wanted to believe everything her father had to say. Yet, it had been twelve years without a single egg to hatch in her presence. Many had been returned to the dragon pit after firdt failing to thrive in her cradle, and then her bedside. Rhaela grinned at her father's words. She looked at her mother, still hopeful. "Might you come with me, mother? I would like you to."

Alicent's frown somehow seemed to deepen worse. "No, my dear, I must stay here and attend to your father and I do not think dragon-stink suits me. The guards will escort you and I will be here to hear all about it upon your return."

Rhaela's grin faltered, but she nodded. Begging her mother was futile. Unless she were losing life or limb, there were better things for Alicent to be doing than standing around to watch Rhaela gawk over a dragon. She'd never much cared being around the dragons given she could whenever she wanted, something Rhaela could not begin to understand.

"Yes, mother," she murmured in reply. Without another word, she went to hug Alicent and then her father. He bid her a good time before she swiftly exited the room. An ache lingered in her heart with every step.

♜

THE journey from the Red Keep to the dragon pit took up what was left of the late morning, with Rhaela's arrival just around the peak of the sun's ascent into the clear blue sky. She stepped out of the small wheelhouse with squinted eyes from the sun's bright light, the retinue of guards surrounding her as she made her way inside. Distant small folk looked on curiously at the princess as she walked through the gaping doors of the dragon pit.

Rhaela's heart skipped with excitement once she spotted Aemera standing in the open area of the pit with her young dragon, her pace quickening into skips as she cleared the space between her and her niece. The deep indigo-blue beast thrashed her tail once she caught sight of Rhaela, seemingly a sentry for her Velaryon niece. Two of the guards followed after Rhaela, the rest remaining near the entrance of the pit. Luckily, they stayed a far enough distance to allow for the two princesses to carry on in minor privacy.

"She's grown so much," Rhaela said by way of greeting to Aemera, who was running a hand along the beast's scaled muzzle as dragon keepers were beginning to arrange a saddle onto the back of the dragon. Lyrax hummed a low growl, perhaps in acknowledgment or warning to Rhaela to refrain from growing too close to her rider. It made Rhaela's yearning for her own mount ache worse. Regardless, Aemera would never let her dragon harm her.

"Fiercer, too. Large enough now for two riders," her niece smirked, gesturing to the saddle being situated on Lyrax.

Rhaela's violet eyes narrowed, a smile beginning to creep on her lips. "Are you offering?"

Aemera shrugged, the beginnings of a grin on her features. "Perhaps I am. We could make it quick. Your mother doesn't have to know."

The thought alone was extremely tempting. Rarely did she get to fly, only ever when her mother forced Aegon to take her on young Sunfyre or whenever Helaena made the rare journey to the dragon pit to visit Dreamfyre. The sheer excitement that filled her was enough for Rhaela to agree immediately. "Let's do it."

Glancing at the guards standing dutifully in the near distance, Rhaela pressed a finger to her lips as if to tell them to stay quiet about her doings. Their stoic expressions weren't enough to let her know her secret would be safe, but she truly didn't care. She would soon be on dragonback, the first time in moons.

Aemera beamed before looking at the dragon keepers, who were working diligently to have the saddle arranged on the beast's back and properly secured. Aemera ran a hand along Lyrax, head tilting. Rhaela envied her niece. She'd seen the way she was with her mother, the way Rhaenyra showed love to all of her children.

Sometimes she wished she could move to Dragonstone to be with them, abandoning her life in King's Landing. The idea of being raised by her elder sister almost seemed better.

None of them possessed the silver hair of their family... but Rhaela hadn't thought much beyond it. Their grandmother, the Princess Rhaenys, held Baratheon blood. The reasoning behind their hair color was proof enough to Rhaela long ago that her niece and nephews simply inherited from their Baratheon blood. She'd seen such possibilities in the kittens born from the many cats allowed to wander the Red Keep's halls as a form of pest control. 

Some kittens had been born differently than others. That was how nature worked, Rhaela had deduced.

"There is to be Name Day celebrations soon, yes?" Aemera asked in idle chatter as they waited.

Rhaela nodded, a frown tugging at the corner of her lips. "My own. It means I'm one year closer to fulfilling my duties as a princess."

"Ah," Aemera frowned, seemingly realizing what she spoke of. As if to stifle the awkwardness, Aemera pulled leather gloves from her riding leathers and began to slip them on. "Your betrothal to Aemond. I thought you both got along well?"

Rhaela sighed while idly beginning to push around soft dirt with her foot. "We do when we're allowed to be children. But I'm not ready for marriage, let alone what it means if I am told correctly." She shuffled around some of the dirt into a pile, gaze focused on the ground as she spoke. "Aemond is more than willing to fulfill his duties as he's told me. But I just want to be a knight. And if not that, explore everything there is outside of King's Landing. I don't want to be stuck being everything the world says I should be."

She thought on her crude drawing earlier that day and smiled to herself. Thought about how simple life would be if she could simply worry about wearing armor and wielding a shield instead of impending marriage and its promise of children, as her mother had told her. If marriage and motherhood turned her mother into what she was, Rhaela most definitely didn't want it.

"My mother hasn't betrothed me," Aemera admitted almost thankfully. "So I cannot say I understand how you feel. But I know you long to be a knight. Someone who isn't concerned with dresses and being pretty."

Rhaela nodded. "It's.. a lot. My mother is adamant that Aemond and I marry since it is the custom of our house, but to me, he's just my brother. He seems more willing to perform his duties than I."

Rhaela couldn't expect her niece to fully understand, but she knew she sympathized with her position. Their family held its customs, no matter how strange they might be to the outside world.

"I might have expected you to be betrothed to Luc or Jace if your mother hadn't been so quick to put you with Aemond. It would have strengthed our houses," Aemera murmured.

Rhaela nodded. She liked her nephew well enough, with his kinder disposition in comparison to Aemond. Such a betrothal would have strengthened their ties, but her mother had never had anything particularly kind or positive to say about Rhaenyra or her family. Alicent had been reluctant enough to allow Rhaela to visit the dragon pit that day. 

"Perhaps," Rhaela sighed. It appeared their idle chatter was coming to an end, as Aemera was informed the saddle was secured and Lyrax was ready for flight.

"Are you ready?" Aemera asked her as she began climbing up toward the saddle. Lyrax was seemingly restless, likely knowing they were soon to be flying.

Rhaela nodded enthusiastically, following after her niece to ascend to the saddle on the dragon's back. Lyrax was more than large enough to carry the two of them, but it would require Rhaela to straddle the saddle behind Aemera. Once her niece found her place in the saddle, Rhaela crawled her way up the dragon's wing tentatively toward the saddle. Lyrax shuddered, tail thrashing behind her. The she-dragon was ready to fly.

As the two girls were firmly seated, Rhaela wrapped her arms around her niece's waist. Heart pounding, she thought she couldn't wait a moment longer to get into the skies.

"Shall we?" Aemera asked, grinning. Ahead of them, the giant doors of the dragon pit were being opened by guards and dragon keepers, the light of the cloudless day beginning to pour into the dimly lit pit. Lyrax hummed as she rose, ready for command.

"Sōvēs," Aemera uttered in their ancestral tongue as she gripped the bars of her saddle, and suddenly they were in the sky.

Lyrax cleared the giant doors in almost an instant, the sound of her dark wings catching in the wind like the sails of a ship. The wind that battered Rhaela's face was instant, but she welcomed it with a joyful cry. Resting her chin on Aemera's shoulder, she watched through slitted eyes and her niece's battering brown hair. The sprawling city of King's Landing began to grow smaller the higher they grew, their path of flight drawing toward the Red Keep.

Lyrax let out a triumphant cry as her wings beat against the wind. Rhaela echoed the dragon's cry and her heart was better for it.

♜

"YOU took flight today," Alicent berated Rhaela through her teeth the moment she entered the dining room. The queen stood with a hand rested on the back of her chair, her head cocked and her brown eyes burning in cool rage. A look that Rhaela was all too familiar with.

Post flight, the princess returned to the Red Keep with a smile plastered on her features and silver hair wind battered and tangled. The guards must have outted her, she realized. What good that lot was.

"What were you thinking?" Alicent pinched the bridge of her nose. Maneuvering around the table where her father, Aemond, Helaena, Aegon, and little Daeron sat, Alicent's auburn waves swayed with her movements.

"I have ridden before," Rhaela defended herself, looking up to her green-garbed mother standing over her with her hands on her hips.

"With Aegon and Helaena and that is all," Alicent sighed. Her signature frown tugged at the corners of her lips as her features contorted into disgust. "You were not permitted to take flight with Aemera. And you reek of dragon."

"Any opportunity on dragon-back should be counted as a blessing, Alicent," Viserys said from where he sat at the head of the table. Aemond and Helaena had turned in their chairs, peering in her direction curiously. Aegon remained disinterested picking at his plate. A maid spoon fed soft food to Daeron where he cooed in a special high chair.

Rhaela couldn't remember the last time her mother had said positive to her. Smiled at her. She wasn't sure her mother had ever said she was proud of her.

Leaving her mother where she stood, Rhaela made her way to her seat at the table next to Aemond.

"How was it?" He asked softly with a small smile. As their mother was returning to her seat, Rhaela was at least able to offer a smile and a nod. Alicent had soured her mood.

"You know, my mother took me on dragon-back when I was but days old," Viserys said from where he sat. A small smile on his features for Rhaela. "Strapped to her chest, we soared on Meleys. Much to the protest of everyone in our family, she did it anyway."

He reminisced on it with a warm expression. "Perhaps one day, when you bear your own children, you might do the same as your grandmother on your own dragon. Though, I'm sure you will hear the same backlash she did." He chuckled.

Rhaela's glance at Aemond was met with an indifferent shrug. That he wouldn't be bothered if she took their children to flight. They would be married, afterall...

"Nonsense," Alicent muttered into her chalice of wine.

"You are very fortunate to fly today," Aemond says.

"I'm grateful for it," Rhaela sighed. She picked at the food servants had placed in front of her.

"Hopefully you did enjoy it," Aegon muttered. "Is not as if you'll get a dragon of your own."

"Shut up," Aemond spat.

"No egg hatched for either you," Aegon carried. The two brothers fell into an exchange of insults that consumed the dinner the dinner table. Rhaela remained silent, eyes trained on her plate.

"Enough," Alicent ground out, interrupting her sons. She grabbed Aegon's forearm at her side, pulling him to his feet as she rose to leave the table. "Aemond. Now."

Begrudgingly, Aemond left his seat to follow after his mother as she dragged Aegon behind her. Soon enough, it was only Rhaela, Helaena, their father, and little Daeron with his nursemaid.

Rhaela sat their for a moment in silence. She wanted to go to sleep and forget dinner. And only dream about her ride today with her niece and her dragon.

"I'm proud of you," Viserys said, drawing Rhaela from her thoughts. She looked up to see him offering a small smile. "You will have a dragon. I have seen it."

Rhaela wanted to believe her father despite everything. So she did.