The Dragon's Princess

7.

Six years have passed since the funeral of Lady Laena Velaryon and the events that occurred on Driftmark.

Prince Jacearys was reciting High Valyrian under the tutelage of Maester Gerardys.

"The Conquerors sailed with a great army."-pregnant Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen watched them.

"Se Blakuata Rasho dranot vilinio viartis."

"And landed at the Blackwater Rush."

"Dranot."-Rhaenyra said as she passed behind him.

"Dranot. Dranot. At the end?"

"The mouth."-his mother corrected him.

"Mouth. Ah, come on, Jace. You knew that."

"Dranot vilinio viartis."-Rhaenyra was stroking her pregnant belly.

"Dranot. Dranot. Come on, Jace."-he muttered to himself.

"Perhaps that's enough for this morning."-the Prince protested.

"No, no. I... I want to keep going. Maester."

"Guesi misenakson Aegon undas."

"Aegon... ordered that the trees should be... killed."

"Felled. It is a related word. I don't expect you to learn High Valyrian in a day, Jace."

"A Prince should honor the traditions of his forbears. I want to be worthy of being the Hand to my darling sister who... is brilliant."-Rhaenyra was impressed by her son's devotion to his older sister.

"Well... Unless you're planning to depose your own mother, you have plenty of time to study."

The Targaryen Princess reassured her son when he kept reprimanding himself for making mistakes that he had plenty of time to learn.

"Where is your sister?"-she asked, wanting to know the whereabouts of her eldest child.

"She's been riding on Cannibal. She should be back soon."-Rhaenyra nodded, clearly concerned for her daughter's safety.

But, she also knew that Naella was an experienced rider and could handle herself. She didn't want to overreact, so she simply smiled, nodding encouragingly.

"Leave us."

Rhaenyra dismissed her sons along with the maester as her husband Daemon entered.

"Joffrey, come on."-the boy listened to his older brother.

Daemon wanted to discuss a letter sent to them by his daughter Baela from Driftmark.

"He means to call into question Luke's legitimacy. And by extension Nely and by extension my own claim to the Throne."

Rhaenyra notes that if Lucerys's claim to Driftmark was overturned, Naella's and her own claims to the Iron Throne would be jeopardized.

Rhaenyra was furious at Vaemond's intention, particularly since they expected Alicent and Otto Hightower to side with him.

"Vaemond only cares about Driftmark and the Velaryon line. Not about our politics. Has he made common cause with Otto Hightower yet?"

"That is what we both fear. Rhaenys has flown to court. Surely, she cannot be planning to back him."

Rhaenyra was also concerned that the letter mentioned Rhaenys had returned to court, since they couldn't be sure of her intentions.

"No. Whatever disagreements we may have had, she's not cruel... or stupid enough to do that."

"Disagreements, Daemon? She believes we had her son killed so that we might marry."

"Yes... and yet, she's taken Baela to ward."-Daemon confidently asserted Rhaenys wouldn't support Vaemond.