────────────

────────────

ONE;
『 PURE BLOODED 』

────────────

ㅤ THE WAVES CRASH ASHORE. My footsteps have tracked in the sand for miles, slowly making their way towards the clear blue water. I stand at the edge. My hair streaks behind me, blowing in the wind of the tide. My few moments of peace are ruined by my brother, Lucerys, who throws a shell at me. I manage to dodge it, just barely. The object flies past my head, making a buzzing noise in my ear.

Ever since Jacaerys has left to begin his Knighthood in Winterfell, Lucerys has been bothering me like a foal without a mother. There are plenty of others at Dragonstone for him to pester, but to my displeasement, he has chosen me as his target for childish activities.

"Lucerys," I hiss as he goes to pick up a stick. He stops halfway into the action, freezing with his hand extended to fetch the wood. He slowly turns to face me. The moment he sees the look on my face, he drops his hand.

"I'm just bored." He sighs, dragging his feet in the sand as he approaches me. Our mother had request for us to leave the castle while she discusses business with Aegon- out of all people.

"Lucerys, your wife won't deal with you throwing things at her, I'll tell you that much." I explain to him with an edged voice. He gives me a narrow eye. He's thirteen now, which means soon he will have a wife that won't tolerate him nearly as much as I do.

Thankfully, he doesn't have an argument to counter mine. We begin the journey back to the castle. The stairway is long and narrow, stretching across an entire valley. Lucerys drags behind with heavy feet. It's not because he's tired, it's because he's bored. He's had to run miles upon miles for his training, and yet when he has to walk with me, he makes it miserable just because he doesn't have a sword to play with while he runs about.

As we're crossing the bridge portion, the sound of wings begin to echo around the valley. Two pairs of wings, one black and blue and one a fiery yellow. Lucerys presses his hands to the stone rail in excitement. He points at his dragon, Arrax, the flaming yellow beauty. My eyes follow the dragon next to him- the jet black scaled monster with icy blue wingbones and horns. That's my dragon, Ghaelar, the second largest dragon in this valley.

The two of them fly side by side, riderless. In Dragonstone, the dragons roam free. We do not keep them locked away or chained down in a pit, we allow their wings to spread and for them to take flight. That's what I truly love about Dragonstone- the freedom.

We begin on the rest of our journey after the dragons have disappeared into the clouds. Lucerys continues to lag behind but I do not slow.

Eventually we reach back to the walls that I now call home. We've lived here for nearly four years now. After the death of Laena, Daemon and my mother took refuge together here in Dragonstone. Here is where they got married as well, only of last year.

Baela and Rhaena sit just inside the courtyard, splayed out in what remains of the dying grass. Baela holds a book which she appears to be reading to her younger sister. I wave my hand in greeting, although neither of them care to look up. We don't get along very well, although I understand why. My mother and their father found comfort in one another just weeks after the death of Laena. I understand why they don't like me as they'd like another.

Lucerys runs off to greet Ser Harwin as we enter through the doors of the castle. His footsteps echo down the hallway long after he's disappeared behind the gray stone walls. I walk slowly to the eastern hall, where the room in which my mother and Aegon are speaking in. My mind wanders as I walk. I cant imagine what the two of them would be speaking about. Aegon is almost twenty now, which would make sense for him to begin to question his position. Under the control of his spastic mother Alicent, he'll want to take the throne from my mother, Rhaenyra.

I press my hand to the closed door, then my ear to the stone. The door is made of thick stone and iron, inches deep, therefore it doesn't surprise me when I can't hear a word. My mother is an intelligent woman, but I do fear that Aegon has perhaps tried something. It would paint a target over his back, sure, but if the same ambition runs through him that runs through his mother, he must be willing to do anything for that crown.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps approaching down the hallway. The walls are so thick in this part of the castle that I hadn't even heard the steps until it was too late. I turn and press my back to the wall, only to see Ser Harwin standing there, arms crossed, with a displeased look on his face. I offer a gentle smile, which he does not seem to buy.

"Now, Alerhya, what do you think you're doing?" He raises an eyebrow. He talks to me like a child, still, despite the fact that I'm seventeen now. I shrug my shoulders and slink off the wall, taking a step away from the door.

"I was attempting to figure out what business Aegon has with my mother." I spit out his name like it's a curse, which it is. His mere existence threatens my mothers spot on the throne. Even if she has been named queen, for many years now, it wouldn't surprise me if Alicent had managed to twist Aegon's mind into thinking that he's more deserving of the position.

"I see," he says, drawing a breath. "I'm sure we will know soon enough." Hopefully so. The two of them have been in there for nearly the entirety of the afternoon, with no food nor water. Every servant that has attempted to go inside has been sent away with the brush of a hand.

"Come now," Ser Harwin puts his hand on my shoulder. "Lucerys is waiting outside to begin your training." I groan as he mentions the word training. In all truth, I can handle a sword. Though, I believe my mother wants to keep my strength more than on point. Between learning in literature, dragon riding, and training, it's as though I have nearly no time to just be a child.

Lucerys waits in the circular stone arena, staring out at the water. He holds a wooden sword lazily in his hand. Quiet as a mouse, I pick up the other sword and slowly draw towards him. I prick the tip of the wooden blade into his back and his posture shoots up. He spins around in a daze and blinks as he sees his attacker— me.

"Alerhya!" He shouts, staggering backwards. The cool winter wind whips my hair around. Usually I might be cold, but hot blood runs through my stream. I may not enjoy being forced to train every day, but I do enjoy the dancing of battle. I love feeling a sword in my hands and slashing it towards my opponent.

A glow grin spreads across my lips as we begin to circle one another. Ser Harwin stands just outside of the pit with his hands crossed over one another, watching with a firm expression. Lucerys has a misstep in his footing which throws off his movement. I take a stab at him and manage to slash around his ribs. Before I can dig too deep, he juts his sword downward, blocking me. He has my sword pinned.

I try to shake his weapon away, but it's no use. He may be younger than me, but he's stronger. Although, I do have him beat in speed and wit for sure. I duck under our pinned weapons, bringing my sword with me. Lucerys staggers forward and tries to come up behind me, but I can sense him coming. I roll just as his sword would have stabbed me straight in the back. As I roll stick my hand out and grab his ankle. He flies to the ground with a thud. His sword clambers against the stone.

I get up quickly and press my foot to his arm and point my sword into his chest. He stares up at me with an annoyed frown. I smile back. I look to Ser Harwin, who nods deeply as he approaches. I take my foot off of Lucerys and he gets up in the blink of an eye, brushing off his armor with a huff.

"You're getting very good, Alerhya." He says curtly. My smile spreads. I turn my head slightly to look at Lucerys, who stands beside me with his head bowed. See Harwin, his biological father, although my mother refuses to admit so, places his hand on his shoulder.

"Do not fret, dear boy," he says evenly. "Alerhya is three years older. She has more experience. You will catch up soon." His voice is sincere. I stiffen at the thought of my younger brother becoming a better knight than I. It's likely he will, considering he's a man and he will be able to obtain knighthood. I, on the other hand, will have to marry and picking up a sword again will be out of the question.

"You will become great, I promise," I say to Lucerys. He looks up at me with his dusty eyes. Soon enough he will be taller than me. "But, you'll never be better than I." I finish with a sly grin. He rolls his eyes and stomps back to his sword. Ser Harwin picks up the sword that I had been using and follows Lucerys.

I stand at the edge of the pit, watching the two of them spar. Their resemblance is uncanny. I wonder if Lucerys has yet questioned his true father or mine. He and I look nothing alike and neither of us look like Laenor. I have my own ideas of whom my father may be and I believe myself to be correct.

Footsteps trickle down the stairs towards the pit. It's my mother, accompanied by Daemon. I stiffen at the sight. Judging simply by the complex looks on their faces, I can only assume the meeting with Aegon had been miserable. Daemon continues walking toward the pit as my mother stops in front of me. I can sense the words attempting to come from her throat.

"Aegon has explained that he has been crowned as the new heir." She says simply. My entire body tenses. Her lips draw thin after she speaks. I feel my mouth hang open in suspense. "Viserys has decided to name him heir since he is the firstborn son." She explains in little detail, but enough for me to understand what I must.

"That isn't fair." My words soak in anger. She nods her head in knowingness. My mother, who has worked so hard and for so long to prove herself, has now been pushed from her rightful place just because she's a woman.

"Nothing in this life is fair, Alerhya." She shakes her head. That much is true. I don't know much of the world, but I do know enough to be aware of the truth of the matter that a woman in no way compares to a man. I will never be accepted in this society like a man will be.

"What are you not speaking?" I ask my mother. I can sense that she has something else to say, judging by her posture and her parted lips. She looks from me to the ocean for a few moments. Her hair whips in the wind behind her- a signature of the house Targaryen. In a few moments, she looks back at me with heavy eyes.

"I fear that Alicent will try and invade Dragonstone in light of Aegon being named heir, in order to contain me." She says rather formally. Alicent will fear that my mother will try and declare war on her house in attempt to take back the throne. Her fears are valid indeed.

"And we will be prepared for a fight." I reply strictly. There is no way in the Seven Kingdoms that a war will not break out because of this. Either my mother will declare war on her own house, or Alicent and Aegon will declare war on my mother as they try and take down Dragonstone.

"Alerhya, as much as I do appreciate your willingness to fight," she says with a ghostly smile. "I'm afraid we don't have the resources to win a war against my father and Alicent." She explains in an overly-motherly way. I run my tongue over my teeth as I digest her words.

"We have more dragons. We have a fleet. We can wi-" I've begun throwing resources out in an attempt to make light of the situation, but my mother stops me mid sentence.

"We cannot fight." She drawls out her words in a way that tells me there's no use in arguing. I look to the ground and try and rack my mind for something that could help us fight and to win, but nothing seems to appear.

"But, Aegon has made an offer that I do believe you should hear." She states.

I raise an eyebrow. "Me?"

"He has said that if you agree to marry Aemond, his younger brother, the rest of us will be allowed to stay in Dragonstone." Her words cut like a blade to the heart. I feel feet growing weak. I take a seat on the stone wall, falling into the hard surface with a thud. I plant my hands on either side of my body and keep my eyes strained to the ground. My mother takes a seat next to me. She places a hand on my back.

I have to choose between either caging myself at King's Landing or caging my entire family there. Of course, the sacrifice of myself seems much simpler, though I can't imagine being there alone without my loved ones. The only way we will be able to communicate is through letters. I haven't seen Alicent nor Viserys nor Aemond in over five years now. The last I remember of Aemond he was a boy who allowed himself to he bullied and tormented by my own brothers as well as his own. I cant imagine marrying a boy so scared and afraid.

I exhale a long sigh. "Why does it have to be me? Why can't Lucerys marry Helaena? Or-" My voice breaks in attempt to give my mother other options.

      "Because you're a woman, Alerhya," she takes my cheek in her hand. "And as a woman, you're always offered marriage. And Aegon has offered marriage to his brother." She explains, although I already know the extent of her words. Her touch is warm against the cool air. Her touch has never been cold for as long as I could remember her touch. She's always had a warmth about her, a fire.

      "If you wish to accept, you will ride out tomorrow on Ghaelar and spend five days in King's Landing. If you enjoy the company, you will be wed, if you do not, you shall have to come back before Alicent realizes you're gone and insights war." Neither of the options sound anything close to appealing. Either I sacrifice myself to a boy who is timid as a sheep, or I offer up my entire family just because I'm selfish and I don't want to be wed.

       "Mother I'm scared," I say. "I will have no one there. I will be an eye catch. People will question me when they realize I look outrageously identical to Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen." My words catch her eye. She turns toward me and her posture seems to straighten up. She blinks a few times, slowly.

      "People will question a Targaryen's place no matter whom their parents are," she says, pointing her finger to my chest. "But the Targaryen in question has to be strong enough to fight off the accusations and claims." Her words make the idea of going to King's Landing even more insufferable. I will be there alone having to defend myself. No one will be able to take my side nor make claims for me.

      "If I hate it there may I come back sooner?" I ask as tears begin catching in my eyes. She quickly nods a few times.

       "As long as you come back and warn us immediately, so we can prepare for battle." She replies with stern voice. In a moments notice I've been engulfed into a deep hug that threatens to cut off my breath. Her skin smells of daisies and her touch remains warm. Her hands wrap around my back like they have no intention of ever letting go.

       I try and linger in the moment, to take it in and appreciate it, but the looming threat of having the lives of my family in my hands darkens everything around me.

────────────