A Step You Can't Take Back / Aegon Targaryen

22. Traitor

"Where is grandsire?"

"In the tower of the hand no doubt." Alicent answered. "He has been up there for hours."

"Writing another letter no doubt." Aegon huffed.

"You didn't want to rule with fire and blood." Alicent reminded him. "You want to end this-"

"I do want to end this." Aegon agreed. "I'm going to remind grandfather that. If he doesn't see that, then I will have to remind him how wars are won." Aegon marched off, sera and alicent shared a look before watching him march down the hall.

"Is it awful that Aegon in charge is kind of appealing." Sera blurted out. Alicent stared back at her silently. "I mean he is entirely going to go and shout at your father for doing what in his mind is nothing but-"

"What do you think?"

"Im fond of letters. More ink spilled and less blood. I just doubt rhaenyra is doing the same defensive tactics." Sera answered honestly.

Aegon entered the Tower of the Hand and found Otto writing another letter, Aegon knocked the inkpot into his grandsire's lap, declaring, "Thrones are won with swords, not quills. Spill blood, not ink."

⚔️

"Aunt Rhaenys!" Sera ran to her.

"My sweet girl i have missed you." Rhaenys held her close.

"What are you doing here? It isnt safe- the guards-"

"Meleys is a distance off." Rhaenys interrupted. "I came by horse and no one saw me."

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to warn you." Rhaenys admitted "rhaenyra just got word that daemon sent men-"

"To try and kill my children. Yes." Sera agreed calmly she bit back her rage at the memory.

"Heavens no! He didnt-"

"No he didn't succeed." Sera assured her posture tensed.

"Sera you must know that rhaenyra was furious with daemon when she found out. She would never want an innocent harmed." Rhaenys assured.

"I know. I mean i would like to think that i know her and who she might be. But aunt rhaenys a fight for this crown my crown now is going to end in death."

"Not if you bend. The hightowers will fall and you-"

"My children are targaryen hightower and baratheon." Sera remimded her. "My children are a threat to her claims her power her control. If she gets rid of aegon she would sooner get rid of us to prevent-"

"No! Please you must listen to me-"

"You have to go." Sera countered.

"Sera-"

"I will love you auntie." She assured. "But gregor is coming and i worry what he might do when he sees you."

"I never would have hurt your children or you. That day in the pits. I was just so angry." Rhaenys rasped shoving anbit of parchment into seras hand.

"If you did burn us... i would have come back from the dead and haunted your ass." Sera assured a small smile on her lips.

"My queen..."

Rhaenys rose her hood higher on her her as she left swiftly. Sera turned to gregor.

"Hello ser gregor."

"Who was that?" He already had his hand on tue hilt of his sword.

"Just a begger, gregor. Nothing to worry about."

"If you say so," gregor grumbled.

"I do." She agreed. "Ser Gregor i would like some alone time with my thoughts. Are the children alright?"

"With lady Anne. The blabber mouth that she is." Gregor agreed.

"Wonderful." Sera went to the pits and unfurled the note.

~Seraphina, a war is brewing as you know. Rhaenyra has claimed the Arryns of the vale and the starks of winterfell. If the north descends upon the south there will be no saving you or anyone. Rhaenyra and daemon are preaching aegon to be a traitor. I have convinced her that you and the children will bend the knee and live out your days at storms end relinquishing your claims and your childrens claims if it means you will be free. I told her your lack of love with aegon and she believes it. My darling good at times i feel like you are the only family i have left. Help yourself.~

Sera would have left aegon in a heartbeat but that was before they bonded. Before she started falling for him.

Sera was in the dragon pit when aegon found her.

"I knew she would be here!" Anne declared jumping up. "Its like a hot box in their when the dragons are sleeping. The smoke-" she reached out a hand the steam and smoke of the dragons breath creating a cove of heat. "Its just so majestic dont you think?"

"Thank you for your help Anne." Aegon agreed. She saluted him.

"I am always at your service!" Anne agreed before skipping off.

"What a weirdo." Aegon murmured taking a step into the pits. "Sera? You in here?"

"Hushh," seras voice echoed and he strained his eyes to see through the steam.

"Its boiling in here." Aegon remarked. "What are you doing?"

"It helps me sweat out my toxins." Sera answered. "Relax and rejuvenate." Think about all the things i cant think about when im surrounded by people and their thoughts.

"Really?"

"Its quiet and no one thinks to come in here too. Plus poor circulation. It helps warm me up." Sera answered.

"I could warm you up." Aegon assured sitting beside her on the floor. Sunfyre lifted his beautiful gold scaled head towards aegon. "Hey bud." He whispered rubbing between his eyes and down his long snout. Aegon sat beside her and she leaned into him. A smile curved his face wrapping an arm around her.

Sera couldnt just turn aegon over. Rhaenys wasnt asking for battle plans just telling sera what she knew. Asking for nothing in return. But sera couldnt abandon Aegon and his family. They had become her family too.