The Rouge's Delight

Aegon

113 AC - King's Landing

The war at the Stepstones went better than how it went in her last life.
Rhaenyra joined in the fighting despite numerous protests from various people, her father included.

Meleys and Vhagar, along with their riders, stayed behind. That left Syrax, Caraxes, and Sea Smoke.

The triarchy defeated most velaryon forces at the beginning of the war. Their strategy was a clever one. Even if they sent their dragons, it was pointless. The archers held their high positions, and foot soldiers held the ground. They retreated to the caves whenever they struck the triarchy on the dragon back.

The master of complaints was not making things easier. Even Corlys was annoyed by his brother. But thankfully, they had more men and more supplies than they did last time. 

But Rhaenyra had a plan. Every time they retreated into the caves, she, daemon, and Laenor shot arrows dipped in wildfire from dragon back, which caught fire once they touched the hot sands. It was a risky plan as they had a lot of things to consider. They had to make sure the arrows didn't burn while they were holding it and ensure their soldiers would be far away during the explosion along with transporting wildfire safely from King's landing.

Luckily, it worked without many complications, and they won the war in just a year.

One good thing that came out of the war was that she had an excuse not to attend her father's wedding to Alicent.  But now the war was over, and she had to go back. And she reached there just in time for Aegon's birth.

                            **********

Rhaenyra's face was perfectly blank as she watched her father holding Aegon. She was not sure what to feel about him. 

But then she took a look at Otto and she saw a satisfied look on his face. He finally had what he wanted. A Targaryen with Hightower blood that he can now plot to put on the throne. And that's all Aegon was to him. A Pawn.

She then looked at Alicent, instead of the happiness that mothers have when their newborn child is placed in their arms Alicent's face was blank and her eyes cold because this child was a burden thrust into her arms. And that's all Aegon was to her. Duty.

And that's when she realised. This was not the drunkard she knew he was just an innocent babe. This was not the man who raped servants he was just a boy whose mother never loved him. This was not the man who usurped her throne he was just a pawn in the games of his grandsire. This was not the man who killed her he was her little brother.

So she vowed, she vowed on the fourteen flames of Valyria that she would  love him and protect him from everyone, even herself.