"It's my duty, my God-given birthright and my crown."
- Mary, Queen of Scots
In which Valyria Targaryen returns to the Red Keep and becomes a key player in the game for the Iron Throne.
....or....
In which there isn't a person in the Se...
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Much like Prince Daeron anticipated, the reign of Valyria Targaryen was a Golden Age for the Seven Kingdoms. Her reign came to surpass the Old King's in being the most prosperous period in the history of the Targaryen monarchy. The realm's first Queen brought many decades of peace, prosperity and justice to Westeros that years later would be called a new Valyrian Era.
Queen Valyria's kindness would never be forgotten and her measures to improve the lives of all her subjects would be remembered for centuries. Peace meant that the crown's treasury grew and Valyria used some of that money to continue the work Queen Alysanne started when she ordered fountains to be built in the city to bring the smallfolk fresh water.
The capital had long been unsightly and dirty compared to many other cities in Westeros which Valyria intended to change because if the Targaryens didn't treat the inhabitants in their own city well, nobles across the realm weren't motivated to do the same. The drains and sewers inside the city were rebuilt and reorganised to lead the waste far away from the capital and all these little projects created jobs for the smallfolk that brought many families out of poverty.
By her side through it all stood the Rogue Prince. Over the centuries, House Targaryen would produce both great men and monsters. Prince Daemon would be known as both. There was not a man so admired, so beloved, and so reviled in all Westeros. He was made of light and darkness in equal parts. To some he was a hero, to others the blackest of villains.
Yet no one could deny the love he held for his wife. For a man who in his youth had been famous for his many nights spent in brothels, jumping from mistress to mistress, there was not once even a rumour that he'd been unfaithful to his wife and queen. While it was not entirely uncommon for their stubbornness to cause an argument between the queen and her consort, their marriage remained a happy one until the very end.
Even after the shaky start to Valyria's reign, it remained a peaceful one without any more rebellions. Princess Rhaenyra remained a prisoner of the crown for many years outside the world until she eventually passed away in her sleep due to a sickness she caught with symptoms very similar to the ones her father suffered from. The Realm's Delight's death was not mourned by many, but Valyria did shed a tear when the news reached her, even though she'd lost the girl she cared deeply about years earlier.
While a few wanted Valyria to kill Jacaerys and Joffrey, for being potential threats to the realm, Valyria decided to take a different path. She sent Jace to the Wall where he advanced through the ranks – since the young man refused to bend the knee – and Joffrey eventually became a Maester.
The Queen's eldest daughter, Princess Elara of House Stark, would give birth to three more children after Rickard: Valenna, Arianna and Jon Stark. Much like her grandmother and mother, she grew popular amongst the northerners and helped her husband through the turbulent years to come with a long winter and troubles from the wildlings beyond the wall.
Princess Cyrenna and Prince Aegon became invaluable advisor's for the Queen in King's Landing. Together they had two daughters: Alysanne and Viserra who both were the splitting images of their mother. Cyrenna and Aegon both liked not being tied down to one castle with responsibilities since it allowed them to travel across the realm and divide their time between family members.
Prince Cassian's reign of Dorne also became one to go down in the history books. The unification of the Seven Kingdoms that began with the marriage between Valyria and Qoren was solidified by their son who held a Great Council at Sunspear, twenty years after his father's passing, where the nobles voted on whether or not they'd bend the knee to the Targaryen dynasty or not; many of the older lords and ladies were reluctant, but eventually many saw the benefits of a reunited Westeros.
Due to Dorne bending the knee through marriage instead of conquest, they got to keep their royal title of 'Prince of Dorne' and the Water Gardens turned into a symbol for a united Westeros. At the age of eight-and-ten, Cassian was wed to Clarissa Dayne, who he had known since they were both children playing in the Water Gardens, and their marriage produced one daughter and heir Myriah and two sons named Qoren and Oberyn.
Princess Aelia of House Martell grew up to be a stunning lady with her silver hair and onyx coloured eyes. Her mischievous attitude never once faltered and at the age of two-and-twenty, she married Benedict Blackmont who both accepted and loved her rebellious nature. Together the pair had four children: Caspar, Lyra, Nymeria and Serra.
Prince Jaeron grew up into the spitting image of his father but despite the uncanny resemblance, the handsome prince was his mother's son throughout. While he definitely inherited his father's skill with a blade, and was gifted Blackfyre after winning his first tournament, Jaeron had Valyria's kind heart and sharp mind. Due to Valyria's dislike for certain Targaryen customs, Jaeron did not marry his younger sister. Instead he was wed to Ellyse Baratheon, strengthening the crown's ties to Storm's End. Together they had three silver haired children: Daeryn, Aerion and Alyssa.
Prince Viserys remained his brother's loyal companion throughout their lives. He never married himself, instead he dedicated his life to the realm and would eventually serve as Hand of the King to his brother. The charismatic young prince certainly had many proposals throughout the years but preferred the freedom and was perfectly content with being a fun uncle for his nieces and nephews.
Princess Daenora, the apple of her father's eye, grew into the spitting image of her mother that caught the attention of many young lords and knights. Unfortunately for them, the Rogue Prince threatened to kill anyone that dared coming near his youngest daughter. No one expected Edwin Arryn, the Lord of the Vale, won the princess' heart and after crowning Daenora the Queen of Love and Beauty during the tourney held to celebrate her eighth-and-tenth nameday, the queen and prince could not deny their youngest daughter her happiness.
Princess Helaena lived the remainder of her days in the Red Keep and never married. Not wishing to force Helaena into anything, Valyria allowed the princess to decide when she wanted to get married herself but that day never came. Instead Helaena was perfectly content with helping her cousins raise their children.
Prince Daeron would grow into a proficient warrior that eventually joined the Queensguard. It kept him close to his family and allowed him to do what he loved. During the last years of Valyria's reign, he served as Lord Commander, a position that he'd later maintain when his nephew ascended the Iron Throne.
Baela became the Lady of Driftmark, succeeding her late grandfather, after marrying Daemion Velaryon, son of Vaemond, thus uniting two factions within the Velaryon family. Together they had one son: Laenor Velaryon.
Rhaena on the other hand married Corwyn Corbray the second son of the Lord of Heart's Home. Being a famed knight and a skilled warrior he caught the heart of the young lady and together the two had two daughters: Laena and Carla.
During the reign of Queen Valyria, House Targaryen's strength only grew. Keeping the promise she made to her father, the dragons never danced, and the House of the Dragon remained strong and united. Over a century after the end of the Valyrian Era, when the threat from the North came with the Long Night, the world of men was prepared and with the many dragons at their disposal, the victory over the dead was assured.
