Chapter Text
"Meet your little brother," the nursemaid said softly, extending the little bundle towards Rhaena and Baela before handing him to her exhausted-looking mother.
They had been eagerly anticipating the new babe for months now, hoping for another sister if only to have someone to dress up and teach about the world. Father would favor a boy, she knew, and leave them behind, even if Mother said he wouldn't.
Father was smiling, looking at the baby with wonder on his face. "Girls, this is Alysar," he said, petting Mother's hair.
Baela got to hold him first, and that was fine because Rhaena's hands were shaking a little. "He's so little and squishy," she noted, amazed.
The maid helped arrange Rhaena's hands to hold the baby and he made a few noises but then he was quiet, eyes closed as she looked at the barely-there tuft of white hair on his head. She leaned in to kiss him on the top of his skull before he was spirited back to Mother.
Maybe he would be like her, she dared to hope. Maybe his egg wouldn't hatch.
"Shame Rhaenyra had another boy. Born so close together, we might have made a match," Mother mused.
"There's always the older strong boy," Father said. "I suppose. Or that Pentoshi Prince is always talking about his seven sons."
Mother looked tired when she laughed. "True enough. Take the girls. I need my rest."
Father took them down into the manse's dining hall to eat supper. Baela happily chatted about what they could name Alysar's dragon that was enough like Moondancer that everyone knew they were siblings.
Rhaena tried to smile along, holding Baela's hand.
Alysar's egg hatched, of course. Rhaena tried to be good and keep her hurt to herself, but the bitter tears were too hard to hide. "Sweet girl," Mother said, running a hand through her hair and wiping away her tears.
She hid her face in Mother's side. "It's not fair," she lamented. "I wish his stupid egg had never hatched."
"Rhaena…" Mother said. "I know it feels unfair. But I didn't claim Vhagar until I was 15. You still have time. Your father didn't have a hatchling, nor did Grandmother Rhaenys."
She sniffed. "Then why does Father ignore me, if he didn't have a dragon at my age either?"
Mother didn't have an answer for that. "I wish you could be among your cousins where you wouldn't feel so alone. We've been so far from our family for so long… Nevermind that. There may still yet be a dragon for you, my sweet girl."
Rhaena didn't know what she meant by that, still clinging to her as she tried to take deep breaths and calm her tears. "I'm not brave like you, Mother."
"You're too little to be brave yet," she said. "Don't be so keen to grow up. If you're meant to have a dragon, the gods will provide."
Rhaena didn't know if she believed in that. Why would the gods care about her and her dragon? They were gods and she was just Rhaena.
"We're leaving?" she asked as Baela packed her trunk.
"Returning to Driftmark," Father said, sounding ill at ease. "and then to the Capitol to introduce your brother to the court."
Rhaena had heard them talking when no one thought she was listening, about how Mother missed her family and wanted to go home, even if Father didn't want to. How she wanted grandmother and grandfather to meet the baby, and to see Uncle Laenor.
Father eventually said yes, but he said he thought the King still hated him and wouldn't want him to visit. Mother said that was silly, and that he'd be glad to see them all.
Rhaena was excited to see the Red Keep. They said that there was a great library there, with scrolls and tomes she could only imagine. She hoped the maester would let her read some of them.
The baby and his hatchling, who was red like Caraxes, were growing well. She did love him, really, she did, even if she hated how much Father seemed devoted to him.
Driftmark was salty and wet and a little dreary, but she loved it all the same. Grandfather and Grandmother were happy to see them, talking about how big they'd gotten and how pretty their hair was.
They loved the boy, too, but at least Rhaenys didn't make them feel ignored.
"I'm glad he finally let you come home," she heard Rhaenys tell Mother one night when they were meant to be in bed.
"I loved the adventure. He wasn't keeping me from you. He's just afraid of the King's wrath."
"Ha! What wrath? He can't even keep his wife from swiping at his daughter."
Mother was quiet for a long pause. "Daemon ought to go home. To make sure his brother is safe. But I would stay in Driftmark for some time. After we present the babe to court and all of that. What do you think?"
"Your father has been talking about sailing out to the Stepstones, gods take his head. I would love for you and the girls to keep this old crone company while the men make their wars."
A guard passed by and Rhaena had to go to bed by then, but her heart was beating loud at the thought. Driftmark was close to Dragonstone, where the dragons lived…
"Where did you go?" Baela asked when she finally got back to their room. She was tying her hair up the way Mother showed them, trying to be bossy and mature.
"I was just walking around," she said, shrugging. "Father might go to stay with the King," she said in a whisper. "And we might stay here."
"Sounds boring. Can't we at least go to King's Landing with him? There are more people. " Baela seemed excited at the thought of court, and that made Rhaena feel it too. Maybe they could have real friends if there were other children around. She knew that Princess Rhaenyra had sons around their age.
"Maybe we can. We can hide when we get there and they won't be able to take us."
That just made them both giggle, and they didn't stop laughing until it was time to go to sleep.
She walked behind her mother, apprehensive at the gathered lords and ladies all craning to get a look at them as they walked into the throne room.
The king was on the throne, looking old and tired but happy to see them, his children in the front row of staring admirers.
Rhaena met the eye of a silver-haired boy, tall and lean, behind his mother the Queen. On the other side, her uncle waited with Princess Rhaenyra and their sons. One of them was as little as Alysar.
"Your Grace," Mother said. "May I present our new son, Alysar of House Targaryen to the court," she said, the baby still in her arms, fussing at the noise. "We are thrilled to be back among family for our son's first months of life."
Father didn't speak, but he watched the King with something like fear in his eyes. "We hope to spend some time in the Capitol and reconnect with the gracious lords and ladies of the court," he said, but to her, he sounded like he was joking.
"I'm glad to receive you, Prince Daemon, Lady Laena. I am glad to see your family healthy. Let us feast tonight and talk particulars tomorrow," he said with a clap of his hands.
She sat with her sister and cousins at dinner, having fun and listening to Jacaerys joke with his brothers while the adults talked at the head of the table. The king's children sat somewhat removed from them, but Princess Helaena had edged over, looking at Rhaena and Baela with overlarge moon-eyes, tentatively excited to be around other girls. "No one wants to see your bugs, Helaena," her brother said with a roll of his eyes.
"I do," Jace protested.
True to her brother's word, Helaena had a spider resting on her hand.
Rhaena squealed, a bit afraid, but Baela and Jace leaned over to look at it, interested in its spindly legs and too many eyes. The princess beamed.
"I hate it when she does that, too," Prince Aemond muttered to her over the din of supper. "They're not scary, it's just not a nice surprise."
"Too many legs," Rhaena agreed. "I can't believe they listen to her."
Aemond nodded. "Animals like Helaena. Even dragons…" he trailed off. She hadn't realized Helaena had claimed a dragon. Envy grew in her stomach as she turned back to her food.
"I saw Dreamfyre in my dreams," Helaena agreed. "And she saw me."
"I wanted Dreamfyre…" he admitted, tone a little sulky.
"You'll have a dragon, brother, but you aren't closing your eye," she chided, before turning to her food and abandoning the conversation entirely.
Rhaena wondered what she meant by that.
She never wanted to leave the capitol. The books and stories she got to read and hear were nothing like Pentos, and nothing like Driftmark. She could sit among stacks of books for hours, trying to forget all her cares amongst the stories of brave princesses and songs of daring outlaws.
"I like this one," a new voice said, and a book was tossed in her direction, landing in front of her.
She looked up to see Aemond Targaryen strolling up to sit next to her. The younger prince was surly and quiet, but Rhaena didn't mind it. He didn't seem to know how to talk to people, but sometimes she didn't either. "Thank you. What are you doing here?"
"Hiding," he said. "You?"
"Hiding."
"Do they tease you too?" he asked, a hitch in his voice.
"Who?"
"Aegon and Jacaerys --" he said, breaking off and looking around before he continued. "They tease me."
"Why would they do that?" She hadn't talked to Aegon, not really, but Jace had been so nice to her. "I can tell them to stop."
His face darkened. "They'll never stop. Not until I have a dragon," he said, surly.
Rhaena had always felt bad about her egg not hatching, but now she felt a strange fear that her cousins thought she was stupid or silly for it. "They pick on you for not having a dragon? But that's not fair!" she protested.
"That's how they are."
A door opened in the distance, and Rhaena looked up to see her mother approaching. "Rhaena, my Prince, it's nearly time for supper. What are you doing cooped up in here?"
"Hiding," Rhaena said, ignoring how silent Aemond had gotten. "Mother, are my cousins going to make fun of me for not having a dragon?"
"Why would they do that, sweet girl?"
"Aemond says they tease him. Prince Aegon does it, too," she said, not sure why he was red faced and tugging on her sleeve. "For not having a hatchling. But I don't --"
"I'll speak with the princes about this," Mother said, stern. "They are lucky to have such special bonds with their dragons. That does not mean those that don't are lesser." She looked at Aemond with a firm, kind stare. "I didn't claim Vhagar until I was five and ten. You both have time, and no need to feel badly. Royal princes aren't immune from being reminded of their manners, though. Now come, to eat with both of you."
Aemond was glowering in embarrassment as he trailed behind Rhaena and Mother, but when Rhaena looked back at him he almost smiled.