Chapter Text
DAEMON
Daemon couldn't help but stare at Rhaenyra as she walked quickly ahead of him towards the King's Chambers, Aegon sitting on her hip. She had matured beautifully ever since he had left for the Stepstones, in both body and mind, as the Rhaenyra he had left behind would never have chosen to be so close to her half-brother, or have forgiven the fact that Daemon himself had left her once again alone in King's Landing, even if it wasn't by his choice. She was a woman now, and Daemon could see the strength and fire simmering behind her eyes.
He caught up with her outside of the King's chambers, just as the King's Guard posted outside opened the doors for her. Rhaenyra entered without pause, looking around the room until she found Viserys, who was sitting beside a bassinet in front of the fire.
"Come meet you new brother and sister, my children." Viserys beckoned them closer, and Rhaenyra and Aegon peered over the bassinet. Daemon walked to his brother, patting him on the back quickly as he also looked at the babies inside the bassinet. They were tiny wriggling things, all red in the face and with pale tufts of hair on top of their heads. He noticed that under the redness of their faces, right on the top of their foreheads near where their hair began, there were redder splotches of skin.
"Brother, have you seen their foreheads?" Daemon asked, moving closer to the bassinet and running a finger over one of the twins markings. He gently lifted one of them, carefully studying the markings. "They have Valyrian glyphs on their skin, Viserys. This one has the glyph for fire." Daemon said, cradling the baby against his chest.
"That's Helaena, brother. And in the bassinet is Aemond. He also has a spot on his forehead" Viserys said, eyes closed as if tired of the world.
Rhaenyra let Aegon down, smiling as the little boy gently ran a finger down his new brother's arm. She motioned for him to pass Helaena to her, and he carefully manoeuvred the baby to her waiting arms, taking the opportunity to wrap an arm around Rhaenyra's shoulders. He could see tears slowly gliding down her face, but chose not to mention it in front of Viserys. He knew that their relationship was a strained one after the death of her mother, butchered by the Maesters at the orders of the Hand of the King and the King himself.
"The glyphs for fire and blood, our family motto. It seems that the Gods decided that we were too thick to continue without their interference, and gave us a dreamer and twins touched by them at the same time." Daemon said, shaking his head as he carefully traced the glyph in the forehead of the sleeping baby boy, Aemond.
"Now all we have to do is figure out what they're actually saying." Viserys said, rocking Aegon in his arms, a rare occurrence since the boy didn't seem to like spending time with his Father. Daemon was suspicious that it wasn't so much about the King, as it was about the company the King kept - namely Otto Hightower.
"We can discuss it later, brother. Between the both of us, we should know enough about Valyrian story." Daemon said.
Daemon received a missive from his brother in the early morning, sharing the news that Alicent had woken up briefly during the night, but still had a high fever and was being taken care of at all hours by the Maesters. Both children had safely made it through the night, cared for by the wetnurses that Rhaenyra had procured for Aegon.
Aegon had clung to Rhaenyra's neck and refused to let go the night before, making his sister take him to her rooms with barely concealed glee in her eyes. In the weeks since he came back from the Stepstones, Daemon had understood how important Aegon had become to Rhaenyra, providing her with companionship and family when before she had been all alone in the Red Keep, surrounded by vipers that wanted to wipe their family clean, if what he had understood from Aegon's babbling was correct - and he was very sure about his interpretation of the baby's words.
Daemon walked to Rhaenyra's rooms, and couldn't help but widen his eyes at the movement in and out of the corridors surrounding her apartments. Maids and guards were moving furniture back and forth, being ordered around by Rhaenyra's ladies in waiting. Rhaenyra herself was standing in the middle of her room, supervising the moving of a crib to one of the rooms connected to hers.
"Something you want to tell me, Princess?" Daemon asked her, raising an eyebrow at all the furniture.
"Aegon had a bad dream, and our Father agreed to a suggestion cousin Rhaenys made at First Meal today, we broke our fast together. So my Ladies are working to bring the children's household under mine, as their sibling who's of age. Ideally, they would be moved under my Father's household, but their thoughts are on the kingdom and not on children." Rhaenyra told him, leaning against his side as he curled one arm around her shoulders.
"The twins and Aegon will live in your quarters now?" He asked her, smirking at Rhaenys' cunning mind.
"Yes, Daemon." Rhaenyra answered him, looking at him as if he had taken a few hits too many on his head and was being particularly slow.
"Oh, cousin Rhaenys will take over this kingdom by storm if she stays in King's Landing. Hopefully your father will start thinking again and make her his Hand." Daemon said, and he could feel Rhaenyra startle under his arm, turning to look at him, her small hand clutching at his doublet. He knew that even with him swearing to her as Heir to the Throne, the rumours about his wishes for power still ran rampant around court. He softly ran a hand down her back, wishing they were alone so he could kiss her worries away, but settled for clutching her hand in his. "I have no wish for power. I'm a leader in the battlefield, but you know better than anyone that I have no patience for the whims of the court and of the Lords. But I never accepted the blatant manipulation that happens on the King's mind."
Rhaenyra nodded against his shoulder before stepping away to put a more acceptable distance between them. They did not need rumour running around court before they could work on turning Viserys' mind on their favour.
"I'll have you know that Aegon is keen on marrying us off soon. He kept telling Father about a river of blood when a marriage between me and Laenor was mentioned by Lord Corlys."
"It's no wonder that he scared Viserys enough for him to let you have free reign over the children. Rivers of blood. What are the Gods showing this baby?" Daemon shook his head. "Does Otto know you were given this power over his grandchildren?"
"Father would tell him at the Small Council this evening. We need to be there, with cousin Rhaenys and Lord Corlys. King's orders." Rhaenyra told him, making him groan. The last thing he wanted was to deal with the Small Council while Otto f*cking Hightower was the Hand of the King.
"I will have Gold Cloaks posted in the doors for your apartments. We can never be too careful." Daemon told her, and she nodded, thanking him.
"If Ser Harwin is free, post him. Laena seems to like watching him train." Rhaenyra smirked mischievously at his face, which he knew must show utter distaste at the thought of young Laena already eyeing Gold Cloaks training.
"Very well. I'll see what I can do to help you both out."
The Small Council chambers were full, and Daemon almost wanted to make a quip about how the Small Council should be renamed to the Medium Council with how many people were inside there. He and Rhaenys were leaning against the wall directly behind Viserys' chair, while Rhaenyra was already sitting in her new chair, to the left of the King. Rhaenyra's cheeks had gone a bright red when her father had presented her with an adorned chair, announcing a special place for the Heir to the Iron Throne in the Small Council. Lord Corlys had also been reinstated as Master of Ships and taken his usual seat on the table.
"Now, we have Princess Rhaenys and Prince Daemon, both of the Blood. I am assigning them both new seats. Prince Daemon will return as Lord Commander of the Gold Cloaks, and will sit in this Council as Master of Defense. He will be responsible for keeping the peace in the city and in the Crownlands, as well as training Knights from each of the Regions, so that all Kingdom knows peace and prosperity. Please take your seat, Prince Daemon." Viserys said, pointing to the empty seat beside Rhaenyra. Daemon prowled to his seat, knowingly making all the other Lords uncomfortable, specially Otto Hightower, who was poised at the seat on the right of the King.
"Princess Rhaenys, we have spoken at length about our families and how to best keep our unity. In this light, and in light of recent events and after talking to my children, I have decided to do something that should have been done years ago, when I became King after the Council of 101. My father, Prince Baelon, always said that this is something you must keep for your family, and I will follow his advice, and that of my son. You will take the seat of Hand of the King, honouring both Velaryon and Targaryen families, and advising me under the light of Old Valyria. Lord Otto Hightower, please rise and give the pin to Princess Rhaenys. Lord Otto will stay on this Council as an advisor." Viserys said, his voice getting louder as the Lords started whispering between themselves. Daemon was shocked to his core, and Rhaenyra probably felt the same, for she clutched his hand under the table, her nails leaving tiny indents on the palm of his hand from how strongly she was holding onto it.
"You will have me leave this position on the advice of a TWO YEAR OLD? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Otto thundered, and Daemon could see the proverbial clouds closing in his brother's face. Viserys accepted mellow manipulation as truth being spoken, but he had always reacted badly to being screamed at.
"Lord Hightower, I am your King, and my decision is final. I have given you much leave, for being the father of Queen Alicent and an old friend, but remember! I am your King, and my decision and words are final. Either comply, or I will have you escorted out of my Small Council." Viserys said, without a hint of the soft peaceful King in his face. At that moment, he was all dragon.
Otto looked around the room, and stopped at Daemon's smirking face. With great force, he rose from his chair, so quickly it dropped to the ground. He took off the Hand of the King pin from his doublet and tossed it at the table in front of the King.
"I will have no part in this farce. This Kingdom will regret this decision." Otto spoke with venom, leaving the chambers of the Small Council.
"Well, is everyone ready to start the day?" Viserys looked at all the Lords, daring them to disagree. None of them said a word, and Daemon shook his head, not being able to believe what had just happened in front of his eyes.
