⎯⎯AFTER QOREN MARTELL showed his support to the Triarchy against Prince Daemon Targaryen, King Viserys demands a price to be paid. Prince Qoren⏤who didn't hold much to his name⏤offered his second born daughter, Princess Nyferia, as a ward to Queen A...
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Aegon's injured arm hard been placed in a sling and the burns in his neck from Caraxes had been cared for as he stood before the funeral pyre of his son and his good sister. Prince Daemon had not only taken the life of his youngest child, the newly born Prince Vaegon, but he had felt entitled to the life of Aliandra and her unborn child as well.
Dorne had been protecting Coryanne and Qyle, Qoren Martell's youngest children and the siblings of Princess Nyferia as Drazenko had brought home Aenar and Eraella. Aenar held his mother's hand as they stood, both his parents, and himself, wore black to represent their mourning as Dowager Queen Alicent stood with her own father slightly behind. It had still been her grandchild the Rogue Prince took, the only person to not feel any emotion seemed to be the former Hand, Otto Hightower, as Helaena and Daeron stood with Aegon.
Aemond had removed himself further away, it had been his fault. If he had not gone after Lucerys, Vaegon would still be alive. But that was not how Nyferia saw it.
Nyferia, a Princess of Dorne, had now been the eldest living child of the late Prince Qoren, which meant—even with her title as Queen consort—that she was to be the Princess of Dorne. And with the death of her son and sister, Dorne was out for blood. Nyferia dried her tears as she walked away from the burning pyre, Aegon watching her leave. They had not spoken since he found his family in their room, crying, and he did not know what to say, what could he say to a mother who lost her child.
Too soon from her womb and too soon from life, the Stranger had taken him before they could know him properly. Aegon followed his wife, the Conquerors crown on his head as he asked Helaena to look after the children. "Of course," she said as she held their hands, even with their sobs of protest, Aegon continued to follow his wife. "Nyferia" he said, no nickname, but still the same amount of repesct and love.
"When you saw Prince Daemon above Rook's Rest, what did he say?" Nyferia asked turning to him, her eyes spewed a fire hotter than Sunfyre's flames. "Eye for an eye, son of a son" Aegon said, defeated. His wife, the light of his soul, the Sun of his life, had dimmed, she had been heartbroken, and nothing could fix it.
While Prince Daemon saw it as a victory, toasting untastefully the death of the Princeling and the Dornish ruler, Jacaerys had warned his mother that this would not be the end, that she had not seen the rage on Aegon's face, even the horror on Rhaenys' face was enough to have him steer away Vermax back to Dragonstone. "What could they do, Prince?" Daemon laughed when he heard Jace complain. "They have seen what true dragons do" Daemon said.
But Prince Daemon would be mistaken, because when King Aegon, second of his name, and his wife, Queen Nyferia, had stood before each other, they made a silent agreement, they would not have this war end until the heart of Prince Daemon—if he even had one—would be broken like hers had been. No, Aegon had decided, he would personally rip the heart of the Rogue Prince out of his chest, if need be, for what he had done to them.
Aegon took his wife in his arms as they cried, letting tears roll down their cheek. They didn't want anyone else to know their grief, that was for them, they had been the ones to lose a child not the heel lickers of the court. Nyferia then straightened herself as she looked at her husband, whose arm had been held in a sling and part of his neck had burns on them, but the dragon Aegon was, it did not hurt him as much anymore.
"With my sister gone we must take Dorne under our wing, my siblings are too young to take such responsibility and Dorne would want to see justice for Aliandra" Nyferia said as she looked at Aegon, playing with her fingers as she looked at Aegon who nodded.
"We will send Ser Criston, he is from Dorne, and he'd know how to lead them" Aegon said and Nyferia nodded. "What does Aemond think, as your Hand?" Nyferia asked and Aegon looked at his wife. "Aemond wishes to speak with you, he cannot seem to think of this going war otherwise" Aegon said and Nyferia sighed, she knew why Aemond would, he blamed himself but then again, she blamed herself as well. It had been her decision and her choice to leave her children in Dorne. "I will speak with him soon, but first we must think of this war, try to sway allies to our side" Nyferia said.
A knock interrupted their moment as they turned to look at the door. "Enter" Aegon said and the door opened to reveal Princess Rhaenys. "There has been a raven with news" she said and the King and Queen nodded, and while Nyferia had not been technically the Queen, only Queen consort, Aegon did not see her less than he had been, not when they had been ruling side by side. They followed Rhaenys until they reached the Small Council room where Prince Aemond stood with Lord Corlys, Tyland Lannister, and Lord Wylde. "Your Grace, a Raven from the Riverlands" Tyland said as everyone stood before Nyferia sat down next to Aegon and Aemond.
Aegon took the letter and read it before handing it to his wife and brother. Nyferia's eyes scammed through it quickly. Prince Daemon had taken Harrenhall after House Strong fell to Caraxes. "Has House Tully declared for Rhaenyra?" Aegon asked, slightly afraid of the answer. Lord Wylde smiled. "No, your Grace, the Riverlands and the North have changed their minds, only the Vale and Dragonstone still stand with Rhaenyra" he said like he had personally made sure people would declare for Rhaenyra. But Aegon had been less than pleased.
"Then how has she not forfitted yet, Lord Wylde" Aegon asked looking at the man. "If the North, the Riverlands, the Stormlands, the Westerlands, the Reach and even fucking Dorne, has declared to me, why? By the Gods why, has she not been defeated yet" Aegon said looking at the Lord who opened his mouth and then closed it again.
"Fear, my good lords" Aegon said as he looked at everyone. "Rhaenyra has one thing we do not, and that is fear, fear for the Rogue Prince, fear of their own children" Aegon said standing up and slamming his hand on the table. "What do you think Prince Daemon will do now? Do you think he will hold back? He is a man of an old tradition, of Old Valyria, if he is willing to spill Valyrian blood, he is willing to spill anyone's blood" Aegon said as he looked at the Small Council. "My son will not die in vain, my Lords, I will not have blood be spilled in vain, the Rogue Prince will pay, dearly and with his own life" Aegon said. "And we shall fight him with the only method he knows; fire and blood" Aegon said as he looked at his brother. "Are you with me?" Aegon asked and Aemond nodded, for his nephew, and for his family.
"My King, as much as you are a dragonrider, and as much as I know you wish Lady Baela on your side as another dragonrider, I do hope you could see that she could not fight her own father" Corlys said trying to defend his granddaughters. "No, my Lord, I do not, but she is of value still" Aegon said.
"Addam is a dragonrider as well, and we have not been the only ones to see the potential in dragonseeds" Aegon said and Nyferia placed the letter before the Lords.
"By degree of Prince Jacaerys, the Heir of the Iron Throne and Prince of Dragonstone, I call upon those of Valyrian blood to claim a unbonded dragon" Nyferia read the small letter attached. "the late King, although peaceful, did not live in the ways of the Seven as many believe, and neither did Daemon" Aegon said. "Many bastards of my house and perhaps even yours, Lord Corlys, roam the Seven Kingdoms, in search of a dragon by the bastard Jacaerys himself" Aegon said as he looked around the room. "It is said Vermithor and Silverwing have been claimed by Hugh Hammer and Ulf White" Nyferia said looking at the men around them. "These men are nothing, but they still claimed a dragon, two large and old dragons as well" Aegon said as he looked at the others.
"But bastards cannot stop us, we must rally our banners to fight the army, however big, Rhaenyra has assembled and fight against her, they have three large dragons we have four, including Vhagar" Aegon said. "We are playing her ways now, with fire and blood we will win this war" Aegon said as he looked around when he could tell the men around him wanted to protest his words, but they had not been the king, they were mere men on the council. What could a man do against a dragon?
