Work Text:
Rhaenyra, writing in her guestroom in Storm's End
Beloved mother,
If only you could see our family now. Father's foolishness, his weakness, nearly sent this realm into chaos. First the act for which I have never forgiven him; murdering you for Baelon who did not live and hour past your death. Then wedding Alicent, my supposed friend a mere handful a months past your death. Alicent who bore him three healthy sons...and a daughter. Perhaps it would have been easier to love my new siblings had they not been boys...boys who couldn't be dead Baelon...
Boys Otto Hightower had a plan for.
I have oft written to you when I feel to much and need your council. Though now, with so much happened in so brief a time I haven't yet put quill to paper until now. I will rage always that I never had enough time with you. You would be shocked I know, to see me know, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and mother to five children, six had events not gone as they had. My poor little Visenya...
Upon father's death Alicent and Otto Hightower plotted treason and crowned Aegon as King. With both the grief of my father's death and the usurpation of my throne, I went into early labor and lost my long awaited daughter...
War seemed imminent, all things pointing to it unless I "bent the knee" and sent at least some of my children (those Alicent and Otto deemed "legitimate" to King's Landing to be royal hostages...
I would not, I could not, Father had made me heir and in all years since had never recanted. I gathered my people and began to plan, hoping for enough a show of support to make war an unappealing prospect to the "greens" and have them sue for peace on my terms. So very many Lords turned from the oaths they made.
Jace was the one to suggest he and Luke be sent to some as emissaries, to show their dragons and prove false the idea that they were somehow lesser than any other Targaryen.
My thought was to send each with his betrothed, a show of promise for the future already made...little did I know how that would shift things.
Luke, my sweet boy, I sent him to the closer, and I thought easier Stormlands. I foolishly thought that as Lord Boremund had been an honorable and good man, his son would be likewise. How very foolish o f me. Luke and Rhaena were met with derision and by all the gods Aemond was there treating with the Baratheons for his brother, with him Vaghar. Lord Baratheon made a foolish mistake as Rhaena channeling her father and mother both, she and Luke managed to turn things around in the oddest manner possible.
Lord Boros had foolishly asked Luke which of his daughters Luke would marry, right in front of Luke's betrothed. Rhaena however turned it against him and used that very relation he scoffed at to declare that Luke must look the girls over to find the right one and they should marry as Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives had.
Now this would have been enough but Aemond, who look half-blinded when the boy mounted Vaghar the very day of Laena's funeral, was infuriated as Boros had already promised him aide for marriage to a daughter. Baratheon was stuck backpedaling and suddenly he was agreeing to neutrality for both marriages and offering Storms End, where I am now, for "peace talks".
Aemond thankfully, is possessed of the peculiar Targaryen madness and for all he desired vengeance on Luke, he desired Luke more so, or somehow the vengeance warped...I'm afraid I am not certain as there is only so much I wish to know on that subject. Aemond grabbed the nearest of the girls, the eldest Cassandra, Luke having previously chosen the second youngest daughter Ellyn, and agreed to the marriage.
However the marriage he agreed to was somehow, all five of them together. I am entirely shocked that a septon would do so, but having met Septon Lawrence now, I can understand better. He is I daresay more of a genuine adherent to the idea of the seven and wishing peace above all things, wed the five together in hopes of preventing a devastating war. (I will ever and always be gratefull to him.)
So thus when my children returned home, they returned married and with three other spouses. Aemond seemed well satified to have some possession of Luke in this way, instead of by violence. Bless Targaryen madness.
As he was not only my brother but now also my goodson, I wished to try to bond with him to find who he was and see if he might be more willing to accept peace on my terms. Thus with talk, instead of swords and hearts more open due to the connections now wrought, he and I spoke of many things and when he left, it was with the intention of encouraging his brother to relinquish a crown he didn't even want to me.
Rhaenys upon Meleys has since dealt with Lord Boros and he has been a most conciliatory and obliging host. I doubt he will forget any oaths in the future.
This would all be enough, you would think, but with Baela and Jace in the North they found themselves captivated by the young Warden of the North and wed him in the Weirwood of Winterfell. I did scold them, for they had not my permission to wed from me, their mother and monarch but young people will be young people. Honestly Jace has become so serious of late it almost relieved me he could still be so impetuous.
Rhaenys and I have shaken our heads over all this many a time in the past month. She and I have bonded over these events, far more than I thought possible. She'll make a fine hand of the queen I think. It's been helpful really, to have such absurdities to think on in distraction to the more serious and saddening things that plague my mind.
I must say we made quite the impressive sight arriving at Storm's End earlier today, with our flight of dragons and not even the full complement of them, with Daemon, Balea, and Jace off in the riverlands. (I wanted to ensure a presence there even with "peace-talks" happening. Vaghar is naturally impressive in and of herself and Arrax flying in flirty loops about her only emphasized her size.
My lovely Syrax of course looked splendid in I do say so myself and Seasmoke, now ridden by Addam Velaryon, who is of course my late husbands natural son, certainly not his brother, oh no...looking barely visible in the mists surrounding Shipbreaker Bay. Dreamfyre must have been a surprise in our company, but Aegon had already annulled his marriage to our sister Helaena who intends now to wed Aemond and Lucerys, quite likely tomorrow now that war has been averted. I do not even bother questioning these things anymore, my children are safe and seem happy in their choices so I shall let it rest. Poor Helaena anyways, marriage to Aegon could not have been pleasant.
The rest of our party came in ships and I do not envy them the travel in the waters near Storms End.
Lord Borros, now entirely cowed, met us outside with his family. He looked even more pale at the sheer number of us.
The ships from both Dragonstone and King's Landing arrived around the same time, Sunfyre flying alone overhead. It hurt my heart, to see such a thing, for we dragons are not meant to be alone...
---
How the "peace talks" went was something anti-climactic. Which to be honest, I appreciate.
Otto entered the great hall with a sneer, as one might expect. Alicent looked devastated
when she saw Helaena on my side, arm linked through Aemond's with her head gently resting again his shoulder. I do wonder what she expected. She wed her daughter to the son that had no real love nor care for her all to secure a false claim and spite me.
In some ways I think Alicent does not know that a match may be done in duty and be happy...that happiness itself is not a sin. I mourn the girl she was...the girl I thought might still be in there when she sent me that page...but no, she is lost to her "duty" and misery.
The negotiants such as they were, were brief, Aegon and I having already sorted out many things via Aemond. We merely came to the table set up for the occasion in the great hall, said aloud our terms, Aegon's being that he would surrender himself, his grandsire and Ser Criston Cole to me here and now to do with as I pleased, but that his mother be permitted to become a Septa. He announced also his annulment of his marriage to Helaena, he reiterated that Jaehara, Jaehaerys and the child Helaena was pregnant with would not be held accountable for the greens actions. He asked for nothing considering his other Hightower relations, but begged that I give Daeron a chance to surrender. I agreed to these terms easily, ignoring the outcries from the various members of the greens. With that, and equally ignoring the furious shouts from the side of the Green's, Aegon removed the Conqueror's crown and knelt before me, Blackfyre held across his hands in surrender.
I wanted to be pleased, but I truly only felt relief and sadness.
My own soldiers and Ser Borros' seized the Greens, Gwyane Hightower looking terribly confused by the happenings, while Cole and Otto raged and screamed.
My judgements must wait until I am properly installed in King's Landing, but one I felt easy to make now. I went to the still kneeling Aegon, after securing the crown and Blackfyre and rested my hand on his head. "I would not see my kin die, by my hand or order, so brother, I ask that you and Sunfyre make for Essos and find a life there, and my final order as your Queen and as your sister is...find happiness little brother, find some peace."
Oh mother, his face when he looked up at me...Alicent raised him to expect only hatred and disdain from all I think and to be bound to duty...kindness seemed a foreign thing to him. He nodded though and rose and I and mine made no move to stop him as he went out...Sunfrye gave a faint screech as he left but that was all.
Then it was simply to first have the greens present (And Aegon had done his best to make sure as many as possible were here) taken into custody. I am certain there are others, and I shall find them and root them out as time goes by. Now though, I feel weariness come to me, for I am still weak from losing Visenya and weaker still from relief.
Goodnight Mother, I pray from whatever heaven you are in you continue watch over me and mine.