PLAY WITH FIRE, helaena targaryen

play with fire

"there's an ear in the walls."
PLAY WITH FIRE | helaena targaryen

DARIK STRONG had only been a boy when he'd buried his Father and Grandfather, stood alone beside a Mother incapable of understanding his grief for she had never bore any love for the man that she'd been married to. His Mother's anger had always been cold, vengeful and demanding — whispers followed them wherever they went.

It was his Father, Ser Harwin, that was the rumoured lover to the Princess of Dragonstone. The heir to the Iron Throne. Rhaenyra Targaryen. And that was a disgrace, an embarrassment, for his Mother and rightfully so, he knew. To shame his Mother at court had changed her, and in turn, brought her — half Bracken, half Baratheon with a Tully for a Grandmother — closer to the Queen who dressed herself in green.

One hand of each of his parent's had long laid upon his shoulders, pulling him into opposite directions. Harwin, often gentle but stern in reminding Darik of their honour and duty to the heir, and Celia, bitter and hurt, expecting Darik to perform his future duties better than her husband had. Always speaking in his ear that his friend — no, Aegon, the son of Alicent, would never be his friend — was the King's firstborn's son and that the realm should not be passed down to a whore and her bastard.

A bastard, that if rumour were true — it couldn't be denied, they shared the same hair and the same eyes — meant those boys were his half-brothers.

His Father's death hadn't silenced those rumours. The crisis only grew the closer to the King's reign's end got, and although he was Lord of Harrenhal now — young he was, thirteen moons older than Alicent's second-born, Princess Helaena Targaryen — he had still spent a large majority of his life within the Red Keep. Surrounded by the Queen's party, but always noticing those who stayed firm in their loyalty and oaths to the King's first-born child.

Darik Strong had spent those years, since his Father's death, brewing over (what little traits he had gotten from his bitter Mother) his plan of vengeance. His Father's death had been pointed towards several people — Daemon, Corlys, Larys, and even the King himself, but Darik knew his Uncle.

And he knew the Queen, thanks to the words of his Mother. He had watched them exchange looks. Had seen the slip of Alicent's mask. Had heard a conversation that he'd been tempted to throw out in the open.

But revenge was sweet. Bitter, like Celia, and for somebody like Darik, cold.

If somebody was going to sit the Iron Throne, it would be Jacaerys. His apparent younger half-brother. A bastard who wasn't a bastard. But a dragon-rider. A Targaryen and a Velaryon with the same Strong features as Darik.

And if that wasn't enough to sway his support in favour of Rhaenyra Targaryen — as well as the words of Harwin floating around in his head — then the promise of making Alicent and Larys pay for taking his parent from him was.

Helaena Targaryen was a slap to the face that Darik Strong had not been expecting.

— IN WHICH | darik strong held no love for the house of the dragon, but queen rhaenyra was lucky that there was a debt to be paid upon the murder of lyonel and harwin strong. and alicent hightower would pay for it.

darik strong, lord of harrenhal.
" it is easy to fool traitors, is it not? "

+ cast as their respective selves 

PLAY WITH FIRE
started: 31.01.24

NOTE
i only own darik strong and his plot within this. please do not steal - i haven't seen a plot like his and worked hard on drafting it together for readers to enjoy. this is an helaena fic, because she deserves better and a big FU to aegon the usurper for —. so. warnings for all dark themes, which there will be a handful considering this is asoiaf universe.

this is dedicated to my friend, aegonsbane on tiktok — they are the ones who wanted me to use this faceclaim in the first place (he's cute—) and here we are! also, they're just awesome in general.

thank you so much for starting this fic! i hope you enjoy it.