WILDFIRE○J. VELARYON

5○ 130 AC: WAR AND PEACE

Alicent knocked on the door of her youngest daughter's chamber. "Vaera?" The door creaked open, and she entered. "Vaera, dear?"

Alicent looked around the room, not finding her youngest daughter anywhere. She looked back at the door as it creaked, seeing her father's face.

"Vaera's gone." Otto looked stoic as always. "It seems the Princess Rhaenys is gone as well." Alicent got a look of fury in her eyes.

"She took my daughter." Otto Hightowers facial expression didn't change once as he looked at his daughter.

"We'll find her later. Right now, Aegon's coronation is more important." Alicent looked back at her father, anger in her eyes.

"I will not allow Rhaenyra to corrupt my daughter." Otto looked at her, expression still unchanged.

"She won't."

~~~

Vaera looked down at the steps of Dragonstone as Rhaenys followed a guard. She didn't know whether she was happy to be there or sad.

She'd left her family behind. Although most of them only cared for having Aegon on the throne, she most regretted leaving Helaena in King's Landing. If she could go back and change her decision, she would.

She would also have taken her niece and nephews with her. They were kids. They deserved to be left out of the war.

As Rhaenys made her way down the steps, she stopped Vaera. "You should stay here. I need to talk to Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra. Something tells me Daemon won't be eager to see you."

Vaera nodded and stood as Rhaenys walked further down the steps. She saw Rhaenyra and Daemon standing by the fireplace.

"The Princess Rhaenys Targaryen." Ser Lorent uttered. "Thank you, Ser Lorent." Vaera looked down at Daemon, but he didn't look up. In a way, it made her happy. He hadn't seen her.

"Princess Rhaenys. Might we hope for news of Lord Corlys's recovery?" Rhaenyra asked. "Viserys is dead." Rhaenys said bluntly.

Daemon turned around and looked at Rhaenys, disbelief and sadness flashing over his features for a moment, but they were quickly replaced by anger. "I grieve this loss with you, Rhaenyra." Rhaenyra was at a loss for words.

"There is more." Daemon walked closer to the princesses. "Aegon has been crowned as his successor." A pained whimper escaped Rhaenyra's lips.

"They crowned him?" Rhaenyra asked. "How did Viserys die?" Daemon asked. For the first time ever, he sounded sympathetic.

"I could not say." Rhaenys said. "How long ago?" Rhaenyra asked. "A day past, perhaps 2. I was made a prisoner in my quarters while the Queen made her preparations."

"Viserys has been slain." Daemon said, jumping to conclusions, to which Rhaenyra slightly shook her head. "Alicent demanded that you declare for Aegon."

"She did." Rhaenys affirmed. "I refused her." She said. "And yet you are alive." Rhaenys ignored Daemon's comment.

"The High Septon crowned Aegon in the Dragonpit." Another whimper escaped Rhaenyra's lips as she cried for the loss of her father.

"I witnessed it myself just before I fled on Meleys." Rhaenys said. "They crowned him before the masses." Rhaenyra said, distraught.

"So that the masses would see him as their rightful king." Rhaenys continued Rhaenyra's sentence.

"That whore of a Queen murdered my brother and stole his throne and you could've burned them all for it..." Daemon said before looking up.

"Including her." He pointed up at Vaera. "A war is like to be fought over this treachery, to be sure." Daemon looked back at Rhaenys as she paused.