Dragonstone

Rhaenyra had sailed home with her soldiers, or those who remained. Syrax was dead and she hadn't heard from Daemon. She sat on the Dragonstone throne for hours, watching as the sun set on an unsuccessful day. Her people, the people she intended to rule, hated her.

'For Princess Laenora!'

They had yelled it clear as day. She had tried to paint her daughter as the cruel one for taking her throne, but they saw her as the cruel one. Visenya had done things the way Rhaenyra was supposed to. Visenya went to court, she took an interest in her duties, and she worked on a relationship with the smallfolk. Rhaenyra could see now that her running off to Dragonstone only hurt her role. Still, she was entitled to her throne.

As was Visenya.

An act that she thought was going to help Visenya. She knew the pain of being belittled for being a female heir, and when Aegon was born, she knew all the lords wanted to replace her. She was trying to save her own daughter from that pain and in turn, she hurt their relationship.

Then, she lost Lucerys by his own choice. He willingly chose his sister over her, his own mother. She should have known all along that no one liked her as much as she wanted them to.

The worst part of it all was that no matter everything they'd been through, she was still extremely proud of her daughter. Visenya secretly plotted for years and no one knew to what extent. Alicent and Otto thought they had a complacent girl in place, but she was plotting their death and had a Hand lined up. She played the long game, and she got everything she wanted. She played everyone for a fool.

Not to mention, she killed the true enemies. Alicent and Otto were gone. Still, she knew that Visenya would always view Daemon as the real enemy. Her accusations against him were always grave, but Daemon was just acting in retaliation for her sending Daeron to kill Jace. Visenya started this war.

The sun had already set and was going late into the evening. She was growing worried, wondering if she needed to consider an unimaginable reality. Daemon was the best she had, if she lost him, then she would lose her largest force. Cregan was leading the Winter Wolves throughout many Red supporting lands, he led her strongest army, but Rhaenyra didn't want to do this without Daemon.

She started to hear a commotion coming from the halls, and Maester Gerardys rushed into the throne room. "Your Grace, it's Prince Jacaerys, he has awoken!"

Rhaenyra rushed down the halls, tears threatening her eyes.

"Where is Visenya? Is she here?"

"My Prince, you are on Dragonstone, the false queen is not here," the Maester spoke, trying to calm him.

Jace finally looked at his mother. "She's not here?" Rhaenyra noticed he wasn't moving much, and she was worried his injury might paralyze him.

Rhaenyra was hasty in sitting next to him, placing her hands on his cheeks. "You are safe here my boy, they won't hurt you. Your sister and her pack of mongrels can't hurt you here."

Jacaerys pulled away from her with a look of confusion. "Hurt me? They never did such a thing!" He suddenly noticed the changes in his mother, her skin looked aged and she looked painfully tired. "Mother, it was Daemon. Daeron didn't hurt me, he wanted to make peace. I was returning with generous terms that he and Vis offered. Daemond stabbed me, Mother. Where is he? How long has it been?"

Rhaenyra stood up, shaking her head. No, he was speaking madness. That option wasn't even one to be considered. "Jace, you must be confused. Daemon was the one that caught you off Vermax."

"Mother, I am telling the truth! Maester Gerardys, how long have I been asleep?"

"You've been unconscious a year, my Prince." The Maester finally answered. "This war, it's claimed many lives. But your attempted murder was considered the first stroke of war."

"Mother, Daeron refused to hurt me. Lord Borros declined my advance, but Daeron had offered generous terms. I should have never trusted him, Visenya was right all along. I told him we could have peace, that Visenya didn't want war, and he stabbed me! He told me that nothing would get in the way of his plans."

Rhaenyra was shaking. This had to be a lie, she refused to believe it.

And yet somehow, she couldn't deny it. Daemon always wanted war. Visenya never did. She was never violent until they killed -

"Oh my gods, seven fucking hells, oh gods!" Rhaenyra couldn't stop her tears. She felt so physically ill like she might vomit. The weight of this revelation was sickening. "She was right about him all along. She was right and I was too blind. All of this, this entire fucking war, its my fault. None of it was justified. I can't -"

"Mother, what have you done?!"

"My Prince, maybe it's best I tell you," the Maester started.

"No, I need to hear the words from her mouth. He used my death to start this war. Mother, what have you done?" He yelled.

"I allowed him ..." she shook her head, crying into her hands. "In retaliation for hurting you, we had Laenora killed!"

Jacaerys' eyes widened with shock and denial. All of this was just because he wasn't awake to tell the truth. And yet, he found himself grateful he'd woken up or else no one would have known. "You didn't," he whispered.

She couldn't even look at her son. Her guilt was so strong she had to stop herself from jumping from the highest window. She never liked the idea in the first place, but she was blinded by grief, and Daemon had taken advantage of her. She was weak.

"Mother, how could you?!" Jacaerys yelled. "You had a child killed over this? I was stabbed and you let that man order the death of a little girl, an innocent girl? Even if Daeron had stabbed me, I would have never wanted that! She was right, fucking hells! He was always the disease and you want him by you on the throne?"

Rhaenyra flinched like a coward at her son's words. "My boy, I am so sorry."

"Who else?" He demanded. "Who else has died? Tell me, because you are responsible for each one."

"Jacaerys, you just woke, sweet boy,"

"My Queen, there is an arrival for you. A wooden box from Lord Laenor," one of her guards said at the door.

"Laenor?" Jace yelled even louder.

Maester Gerardys cleared his throat. "Not to add fire to this wound, but Prince Laenor revealed himself to be alive, banished by our rightful Queen and King. That didn't help us much."

Jace was seething. "I had to mourn the man I believed to be my father so that you could get the throne?"

The box was placed in front of Rhaenyra and she kept her eyes on her son. "Jacaerys, I made mistakes."

"Those aren't mistakes, Mother. They are worse. They are acts of madness. I can't believe I so blindly followed you both, I hate myself for even worshipping the very ground Daemon walked on."

Rhaenyra looked down at the box and opened it, seeing a damp bag. She slowly lifted it and when Daemon's head fell out she jumped back and screamed, tripping over the chair she was in. The head rolled onto its back, displaying his dead face to the whole room.

There was pure silence. No one moved and no one desired to make a sound but the truth was deafening.

Daemon Targaryen was dead.

"What's in his mouth?" Jace asked.

Maester Gerardys leaned over to look, and a moment later, he vomited into the waste bin.

"It is his cock."

"Visenya did it," Rhaenyra closed her eyes.

"There is no possible explanation for that. He was a battle-hardened warrior," One of the guards said.

Jace looked back at his mouth with a frown. "How did you do it?"

Rhaenyra still couldn't make eye contact with him. "He sent an assassin and she was beheaded in front of Visenya."

Jace slowly nodded. "Then that's your explanation for her doing it. I wish I could have seen it."

-

Jace needed privacy for his wound to be tended to, and quite frankly, he was beyond angry with his mother. His heart ached for his sister in a way it never had. His eyes were finally opened to the mistreatment she always suffered. He never noticed how alone she had been growing up, how differently Mother treated her, and just how much had been robbed from her. A forced betrothal, being sent off to King's Landing as soon as she was old enough.

He saw the little things. After Laenor 'died', he had wanted to comfort her, but Daemon was already sinking his claws in him. Daemon had told him that Visenya wanted to be left alone and women grieved alone. He was a child, he didn't know any better, he didnt know that Daemon was a lying sack of shit.

Now he saw his own part in her pain. How could he ever be okay with being named heir? He felt stupid for being so excited about it as a child. not that he could have known any better at the time.

"Can you send my mother in?" Jace asked after they were done treating his wound.

Rhaenyra entered the room again, the sun finally starting to rise.

"He seems to be doing well, Your Grace. He is in good spirits and moving just fine. I guarantee he will be up and walking tomorrow." Maester Gerardys bowed and left the two alone.

"I want you to list off the names of everyone that has died. Don't tell me if it was by your hand or hers, because every drop of blood spilled is still on your hands."

Rhaenyra nodded. "Corlys, Baela, the Dragonseeds not that you would know them, your Uncle Aegon, and some dragons naturally."

"You are hiding something else, Mother, I can see it."

Rhaenyra twisted the rings on her fingers, looking at the ground. "Joffrey."

Jace leaned back against the bed, staring at the ceiling. "She is stronger than you and better at this rate. My heart breaks knowing that you used me as an excuse to kill my niece. I want to see Visenya, Mother, I need to talk to her."

"You are in no condition to travel, and she would never come here. She's had more children. She had Vharra right after Laeny's ... and she just had Aemma mere days ago."

"And you think her having more children makes up for the fact that you killed Laenora? And right in front of her? You know what, I am glad she is winning this war."

They sat in silence, Rhaenyra heartbroken by his words. But he spoke no lies. Every word he spoke, she deserved to hear.

"You have to make this right, Mother," He finally said.

"I don't think I can, Jace, it's too late."

"Surrender. Throw away this pitiful claim and swear to her. And take whatever punishment she gives you because trust me, you'll deserve it. But if I know my sister, which I don't know if I do anymore, she wouldn't be cruel. I will go with you, I can tell her that you didn't know. But you have to end this war, Mother."

One of the septons knocked on the door and slowly opened it.

"Your Grace, there was another battle. Prince Lucerys rushed to Tumbleton to aide Prince Daeron. Addam Velaryon followed on Sunfyre and was killed by Prince Lucerys. That leaves us with no dragons besides Vermax."

Jace let out a snicker. "Little Bastard, I bet he thinks himself a war hero now."

Rhaenyra sent him a look. "Do not call your brother a bastard."

"Then do not birth bastards, Mother."

Rhaenyra frowned at him. "I have done nothing but love my children."

"You loved your sons, Mother. Know that this makes Little Aegon and Viserys bastards now because you were never truly a widow. I understand Visenya so much better now. Your actions caused us pain. I just can't fathom how much pain she must have felt, and then for you to send away her only support. I want to see Father, and I want to see Visenya."

Rhaenyra looked out the windows, watching the waves hit the stone. "I am so sorry, Jacaerys."

"You can make this right, Mother. I know that underneath all of that entitlement and ill-will, you are a mother and I think you want to make things right. I think you love Visenya in your own way, even if it is wrong, so make it right. You owe it to Laenora."

Rhaenyra wiped away her tears and nodded. "I know. I will always regret that more than anything else I have ever done. I stay awake at night trying to imagine how that must have been for her, watching her baby girl get murdered in front of her, because maybe if I can feel a sliver of her pain, then I am getting what I deserve."

Jacaerys nodded, struggling to get comfortable. "Didn't Ellyn announce she was pregnant when the war started?"

Rhaenyra nodded. "Yes, she had the babe but it died of a fever. Brella and Daeron have a daughter, and I have not heard word on Helaena but she is due with Aegon's last child. There seems to be a surge of Valyrian offspring in the castle. I hope I get to meet Vhara and Aemma before she executes me. I want to make up for my crimes against my own family. They are right to call me Kinslayer."

"Like Visenya would want you around her daughters," Jace winced.

"What is it?" Rhaenyra asked, leaning forward.

"When I woke up, I was filled with energy and I felt better, but now it's getting much worse."

Rhaenyra nodded, grabbing his hand. "We will make you better, son."

Jace's eyes filled with despair and he shook his head. "No, it's not possible. I think I had one purpose for waking mother. I was never going to survive this. But before I woke up, I swear I saw Visenya."

Rhaenyra shook her head. "Don't you suggest it, Jace, you are not dying. I just got you back!"

"And now I did my task, I told you about Daemon. At least now I can rest easy," He gave his mother a smile, squeezing her hand.

Rhaenyra spent all morning and afternoon with him, watching as he started to decline. "What has gotten worse?" She asked Gerardys.

"Nothing, Your Grace. When he was stabbed, he was stabbed in a lethal place. He was never going to survive the wound, I told you that. This wake was a last surge of energy before the inevitable happened. And if I may be frank, I am glad he did. We have been fighting and losing a war that began based on lies."

"There's nothing we can do for him?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Gerardys shook his head. "His body is beginning to shut down, it's best to just make him comfortable now. Let him go in peace."

"Mother, it's going to be okay," Jace spoke softly. "I would like some parchment to write a letter."

"To whom?"

"Visenya, since I will not see her before ... there are things I need to say to her."

Rhaenyra's hands were shaking as she nodded.

"Of course."

-

When Grey Ghost and Vhagar landed outside the castle the day after the failed sacking of King's Landing, cheers and applause erupted. It was still buzzing news, the Queen ripping out her enemy's throat. Dramatic variations had already been spun, claiming Visenya ate him or that she swallowed the skin she bit off. But her people still loved her, and she owed them for sending Rhaenyra away.

Visenya helped Aemond into the castle, taking him to Maester Munkun.

"I need to stitch his scalp, but I will have to cut the hair."

Aemond glared at the maester. "I am your king, and you will not do that under any circumstances."

"Cut it if you must," Visenya spoke, sending her husband a glare. "If it means you healing and not getting an infection, then it will be done. Must I remind you of the first thing you taught me during my attempted training?"

Aemond rolled his eye. "That an infection is just as deadly as an armed opponent."

"Exactly. So don't be a baby or there will be worse punishments than loss of hair," She grinned at him, reaching for his hand. She sat by his side as the maester cut all of his locks off and she couldn't lie, she would miss the hair.

She let him squeeze her hand as they treated his wounds and stitched his scalp. Multiple cuts on his back needed tending and cleaning due to them never being treated. Munkun said he was days away from getting a lethal infection had he been left in that dirty room.

She took the day off to lay by his side as he healed, watching the pained look on his face as he rested. Around evening, she finally got up to tend to the children and spend time with them.

"It's 'Maegor', Vharra."

"Aeggo!" Vharra giggled as Visenya entered the nursery.

"Aunt Vis!" Aerion waved from Ellyn's lap.

"Mama!" Maegor set Vharra down on her chubby legs, running to Visenya. She pulled him into a tight hug and kissed the top of his head.

"Are you okay, my sweet boy?"

"Yep, Grandma had us stay with Aunt Brella and Ellyn while she led court. I tried to follow her like I follow you but she kept telling me it was safer here. Is Papa back?" He asked with a smile.

"He is, but he was hurt and needs to rest," She said, inspecting him for any injuries. "I figured you would have lost that tooth by now."

"It's so wiggly, Mama, I will get it soon."

She kissed his forehead and nodded. "Of course you will."

Visenya walked over to Ellyn, kissing the top of her head. "How are you doing?"

She gave a small nod. "Each day gets a little easier. I hope he comes home soon. Do you think he will hate me if I do not wish for any more children? Aerion is just enough for me and the thought of having another one after the loss terrifies me."

"Whatever choice you make, he will support you, as will I. Everyone is different. I lost my first pregnancy but then I was able to have more, though not everyone is the same. If you wish to only have Aerion, then that just means you get to pour all your love into that little boy."

Ellyn nodded with a relieved smile. "Thank you. Not just for this, but for everything, Visenya. You are a better sister than my own blood sisters, and you have done so much for me. I would like to think I was able to avoid the fate you had with your first because you protected me."

"And I always will. Lucerys killed another dragon and his rider. This war is all but over and we may all have time to relax."

"Speaking of," Brella said, sitting next to Ellyn, "Helaena finally wrote. She had a boy. His name is Aerys."

Visenya's smile was hard to contain. Aegon's last son, his last act of love. "Good. I cannot wait to meet him. I cannot wait for her return."

Rhaenys suddenly rushed into the room, a crazed look on her face. "You need to come to the throne room. Here," She handed Visenya her crown and the act was alarming. Clearly, whatever it was, demanded her authority.

"Go ahead, I will stay with the children. You are part of the council too," Ellyn said to Brella.

Brella nodded and walked alongside Visenya. Visenya's mind was racing, thinking of each worse scenario. "Will you prepare me for whatever is about to happen?"

"Your mother came to surrender." Rhaenys paused before the doors, letting Visenya's Queensguard surrender as they entered the room.

Visenya's fists clenched as she saw her mother on her knees before the throne, Laenor pointing his sword at her to keep her down.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" Visenya seethed. "What game are you playing?"

Lord Tyland, Gwayne, and Maester Munkun entered at that moment. Everyone had been told there was an urgent council matter, but no one expected this.

Rhaenyra looked up at her daughter and that's when Visenya noticed the tears and bloodshot eyes.

"Jacaerys died."

Visenya stumbled back, suddenly blaming herself. She never knew how her magic had resulted, had she killed him on accident? Was her entire spell wrong and she killed him instead of waking him?

"The maesters don't know why, but he woke up before he passed. A last act of energy, they claim. But he told me a truth I do not wish to bear."

Visenya let out a breath of relief. So it had worked. "He told you that it was Daemon that stabbed him, not Daeron?"

She heard Brella gasp behind her, as well as the rest of the room. So maybe she forgot to mention that when she returned, she was very busy tending to Aemond.

Rhaenyra nodded. "How did you know?"

"He told me, right before I ripped his throat out with my teeth."

Rhaenyra dropped her head. "He wanted this, it was his dying wish for me to surrender and try to repair my mistakes. Spare my remaining sons and Rhaena, but I surrender, daughter -"

"It's not 'daughter' to you." Visenya snapped.

Rhaenyra gave a small nod. "Queen Visenya Targaryen, I, Rhaenyra Targaryen, relinquish my claim as Queen and surrender myself to your judgment and a trial as a criminal to the crown."

Visenya's eyes burned with tears, hearing the words she had not thought to hear from her mother.

"Thank you," Visenya whispered. "Take her to the cells. I will call all the lords of the kingdom, including the Black-allied ones. We will hold a trial where you may admit your crimes and I will decide a punishment. I will give all your loyal lords a chance to hear this atrocity and let them bend the knee for me or die. If anyone wants to support you after hearing you killed your granddaughter for nothing, then I don't want them breathing."

"I didn't know," Rhaenyra said with a shaky breath. "I swear to you I am guilty of everything save for that. I had no idea!"

"You were blind!" Visenya hissed. "The signs were always there! You watched him choke me the week of my wedding and you did nothing! You allowed him to be a more violent monster than he already was!"

"My Queen," Rhaenys whispered, "We should save this energy for the trial. You are still recovering yourself from a violent fight."

Laenor pulled Rhaenyra up to her feet and she held out a satchel. "This has my father's crown and a letter. Jace wanted to see you before he died, it's all he wanted along with my surrender. But he knew he wouldn't make it so he wrote you a letter."

Visenya grabbed the bag from her and sucked in a deep breath, leaving the throne room. She made her way into one of the tunnels before her guards could follow and escaped to one of the only places she'd ever known peace.

She arrived at Blackwater Bay, tears streaming down her cheeks as she walked to Grey Ghost. Memories were flooding her, taking her back to all the times she came here for comfort before she found comfort with Aemond. She loved him and his support, but she needed to deal with this alone. She needed this with the other half of her soul.

Grey Ghost pressed his snout up to her as she fell to her knees crying. "I still lost him. He still died and I allowed myself to be consumed by fucking magic!" She sobbed. Daemon had failed him the same way he failed her, and Visenya felt responsible.

Grey Ghost rested in the sand and she sat against his neck, pulling out the letter.

Dear Visenya,

There are no words for what I truly feel and want to say, so I will start with an apology. I could make excuses for how I was just an impressionable child and he took advantage of that, but I should have known something was wrong. You were my sister, and I fear we never got to experience the close bond of siblings after Daemon came into our lives. I miss the before, when it was us and Laenor.

But now you get that connection with your husband's siblings and part of me is jealous. Being stabbed by Daemon opened my eyes, and I regret I will not be able to say all of this in person. I am sorry. I am sorry for turning my head to his abuse, and I am sorry for being a part of it.

I want you to know before I say this that I do not expect you to spare Mother. If it were me, I would want her dead the same way you must. I also want you to know that even if it had been Daeron who stabbed me, I would never have wanted a child to be killed in my name. I never wanted so much violence and I hate that he used me to kill your sweet daughter. I regret not knowing her better.

But you know as well as I do that somewhere under mother's layers of selfishness she has love. And I truly believe she was naïve to Daemon's plots. But, I do not want you to think I am pleading for her life. If you must kill her, let her go with some dignity. In her own messed-up way, she loves you.

And I love you, Sister. I am sorry for missing out on all the important aspects of your life. I regret not knowing Maegor and Laenora, and now my new nieces mother told me about. Who would have thought you and Aemond, huh? You went from hating each other to clearly *really* liking each other.

Visenya paused the letter to let out a laugh through her tears, uncontrollably crying at this point.

Either way, I am glad I woke up. I hope it helps. I hope that my death has the right impact. But do not mourn for me, Sister. I will get to see Joffrey and Father, my real father. You always knew the truth and yet I was so willfully blind. Please be the one to tell Luke, I know he will not take it well. I miss him. I hear he is a war hero now, that cocky little shit.

With all my love and deepest regret, Jacaerys Strong.

Visenya slammed her fists into the ground, crying out for her brother. Why did he have to die? They could have mended the broken relationship and formed their own trio, just like the one she had with Aegon and Aemond.

But just like with Aegon's death, this one ruined those plans. Her heart beat painfully in her chest, a reminder of all the people in her life who didn't have beating hearts anymore.

How was she going to be okay? She felt like she had lost more people in her life than those she still had left, which wasn't true. She had an army of support in that castle.

But the weight of the lost ones weighed heavier than those who still lived.

And she had no choice but to keep persevering.