45. Lightning

4.1K 187 54
                                    

''Good morrow, Lady Rhea.''

''Cousin.'' Rhae answered.

''What's today's quarry?'' he pondered ''Rabbit?''

''Deer.'' She corrected

''Oh. Fine challenge." Gerold offered. "I saw your bags packed."

"Yes." Rhae agreed. 

"I know the capital it lucky to have you and Thorin."

"Thank you." Rhae answered softly. 

"Does the prince know?"

"No, I thought I might surprise him." Rhae offered. 

"A good surprise." Gerold told her. 

"Thank you, for being there for Thorin and I." Rhae remarked. "Keeping everything quiet."

"Of course. I hope the prince treats you two right." Gerold offered as she headed back to the castle. 

 "Thank you cousin."

'Good fortune to you.' He called after her. Birds were squawking in the distance as Rhae rode farther away but suddenly her horse snorted and neighed coming to an abrupt halt

'Husband. What brings you to the Vale?'' Rhae said stiffly as she looked down at Daemon. ''Or have you at last come to consummate our marriage? The Vale's sheep might be willing, even if I'm not.'' Daemon approached her slowly. ''Our sheep are prettier, after all.'' She recalled word of him saying that and thought she might throw it back in his face. ''Or perhaps your brother has at last had his fill of your company. Cast you aside yet again for Taelon. Such a fine king Taelon will make.'' Daemon still said nothing as he got closer, her horses shifted uneasy before him.

''What will you do now? Will you strike-'' Daemon lunged forward her horse bucked sending Rhae flying off getting crushed under his weight. Her horse whinnied as Rhea grunted, she winced, and whimpered as Daemon stepped down on her arm. 

He could never know about Thorin, Daemon would surly kill Thorin, being the heir to runestone. She bit her tongue as she saw fury in his eyes as he picked up a rock budging her.

+

''A moment. I do not wish to see you go.'' Alicent said running up to her father.

''Such is the King's decision.'' Otto reminded her solemnly.

''A decision I most bitterly regret.'

''And yet, you made it possible. You chose Rhaenyra.'' Otto reminded her.

''She swore her innocence, and I believed her.'' Alicent retorted

''You wanted to believe her, as did her father'.

''Your informant was wrong. An honest mistake, perhaps, but I did not foresee this!'' Alicent countered

''You should have.'' Otto warned

'If you had not been so relentless in advancing Aegon as heir!' Thunder rumbled as the rain poured down around them. Alicent glanced to the sky seeing Ragnarok breaking through the clouds. 

'Listen to me, daughter. The King will die. It may be months or years, but he'll not live to be an old man. And if Taelon succeeds him, war will follow, do you understand? The realm will not accept him, he is just like his uncle."

"Taelon is nothing like Daemon!" Alicent spat back.

 ''And to secure his claim, he'll have to put your children to the sword. He will have no choice.'' Otto warned her and Alicent started to whimper 'You know it. You're no fool, and yet you choose not to see it. The time is coming, Alicent. Either you prepare Aegon to rule, or you cleave to Taelon and pray for his mercy.'' Otto hugged her goodbye before he headed off.

+

'' Where is Lord Corlys? He should be here to receive the King.'' Lyonel demanded.

''Welcome to High Tide, Your Grace.'' Laena remarked as she came down the steps to greet them.

''What is the meaning of this, Lady Laena?"" Lyonel shouted through the rain but Viserys was too tired and too weak to deal with such nonsense today. ''Is this how House Velaryon greets its King?''

''My father has but just returned from his long journey and he has hastened to the Hall of Nine to await Your Grace's arrival.''

''Let's just get on with it.'' Viserys said marching past. Nyra was in a bitter mood. She had lost Taelon. He was going to run away with her and now, she lost him. He wouldnt be hers. There was no more Nyra and Taelon and she wanted to weep. Drown herself in her tears. 

+

''An outsider... among the natives.'' Larys strong said as Alicent approached him in the gardens at the capital

''Lord Larys.'' Alicent remarked.

''Malvales. A rare bloom. Indigenous to Braavos. By all rights, it shouldn't be thriving here. Nature... such mystery.'' Larys remarked he gripped to his cane as he looked over at her.

''The weather has been lovely.'' Alicent remarked softly.

''Indeed.'' Larys agreed ''And yet it is a dark day for the realm. Your father was a good man.''

''As is yours who took his place.'' Alicent informed him.

''Yet still, the manner of your father's departure... it feels something of an injustice.'' Larys remarked and Alicent stiffened as the thunder raged on around them. Her gaze shifted to a sopping wet Taelon moving through the courtyard. That man was a God, there was other way to explain it. 

'What do you know of the matter of his leaving?" Alicent questioned stepping forward.

''When one is never invited to speak, one learns instead to, um... observe. You're perhaps in need of an ally?' Larys suggested cautiously.

''I'm the Queen. I have no shortage of allies.''

''Naturally. Princess Rhaenyra, for example.'' Larys agreed sarcastically.

''State your purpose, my lord.'' Alicent demanded.

''Uh... I did wonder if she could be relied upon now that she is... unwell.''

''Unwell? I haven't heard anything.'' Alicent countered

''Begging your pardon, Your Grace, I may be mistaken. It's just that on the very same night your father was dismissed, the Grand Maester delivered a tea to the Princess's chambers.'' Larys informed her.

''A tea?''

'Yes.'' Larys agreed

''That the Grand Maester himself brought?'' Alicent questioned confused.

''At the direction of the King, as I understand it. I do hope she's not unwell.'' Larys said kindly.

''Rhaenyra sailed with the King to Driftmark yesterday at daybreak.'' Alicent but her brain began to spiral.

''Oh, what good news. I must've been in error. Oh, a relief.'' Larys told her taking unsteady steps towards her. ''See, I thought for Mellos himself, well... her condition must be something very serious. What happiness it is to have been wrong.''

+

"Taelon?" Alicent called back to him. 

"Alicent..." he answered dripping onto the floor. 

"Is Rhaenyra-"

"I don't want to talk about Nyra." Taelon countered softly as he pushed his door open and started pulling off wet clothes. 

"Larys Strong-"

"Don't want to talk about Strong's either." Taelon remarked glancing back at her. Tommen Strong... Tommen was weak, Taelon decided. 

"Taelon..." Alicent whispered touching his arm. 

"Alicent, would you like to be fucked?" 


Labyrinth // Rhaenyra Targaryen (1)Where stories live. Discover now