Rhaenyra sat in front of the fire. A scroll in her hand remained unopened; a book lay abandoned by the small table, and she sighed. It had been almost a year since her wedding, and despite her being 20, she still carried a youthful appearance. The only thing that remained different now was her ever-protruding belly.It was her first child due in the first spring of the year. She was excited to meet her own living and breathing child, but it also terrified her to be on the same bed that took her mother. Alicent had remained cold, solidifying the fact that she and Rhaenyra were no longer companions or friends. She now had no sworn shield; Ser Criston had become Alicent's shortly after the wedding. Neither she nor her father could say her opinion, and in the end, like he always did, her father gave in, saying that he was to aid the queen and nothing more.As the months flew by, her father became worse, and as such, he was no longer in control of the council meetings. Outside of the normal ones being held by Lyonel, Alicent had conjured her own council of people that were willing to put her brother Aegon after their father's death. Alicent had also announced that she was expecting another child, and this child too would be born in the spring.Zara remained ever by her side, along with Lyra, the two getting her anything she needed anytime, day or night. Besides her ladies and waiting, they were her true companions. Lyra had been there when she first found out she was a child and had vowed to renew that she would protect this child, treat this child as her own, and deliver this child safely into the world by her own hands or the hands of the midwife."Rhaenyra?" Elinda called, coming around the corner. She carried a tray, and Rhaenyra recognized the smell of jasmine tea."You didn't have to do that." She smiled, taking the tray and helping to place it down. "To be honest, I don't know how Lyra makes me tea at the exact same time every day.""Lyra is very intelligent, my lady." Elinda commented, "She has been nothing but help since you have become with child.""Yes, maybe a little bit too much at times." She chuckled. Rhaenyra had received letters upon letters from Sunspear congratulating her on her soon-to-be new arrival."Any word of Laenor?"Elinda shook her head. "He's still at Driftmark, Princess."She knew that. Corlys had returned to war, the Stepstones were again being threatened by the triarchy, and much to her annoyance, none of the council seemed to care. Saying it was too costly and the problem only seemed small. But Rhaenyra knew different; all of those years ago, her uncle and Corlys had fought to keep the Stepstones from getting into the hands of the triarchy. For if they did that, they would have invaded High Tide, and in turn, they would have had enough power to conquer King's Landing.Daemon. His name sounds so foreign on her lips but at the same time so familiar. She hadn't seen him, or Laena, for that matter, since the night of her wedding. Lenor had said they had both returned to Driftmark to speak with Lord Corlys. At first, Rhaenyra thought that it was to discuss the arrival of the triarchy, but now she wonders, with all these letters going back and forth to her from Laena herself, that they seeked something different than war.Rhaenyra dismissed Elinda, saying that she needed nothing more. But in reality, her heart ached as it was being torn apart. Daemon had been rather close with Laena that night at her wedding, and she would've screamed and choked him to death upon watching as he saved Laena from the roaring crowd instead of her.***As the sun was setting over the horizon, a knock sounded at her door. "Come in," she called, getting up off her bed. The door opened, revealing Zara, her hair wild and sticking up in places.Rhaenyra arched her brow. "What happened to you?"Zara scoffed, pulling a twig out of her hair. "Aegon, the little rascal, ran around the whole Godswood, putting leaves and sticks into my hair as I went to grab him."Rhaenyra chuckled. Aegon was now four, and Helaena was two. Zara still remained Aegon's primary protector, but Rhaenyra had insisted that by the time the children turned five, they were no longer required to be by their side. Zara had protested, of course, saying that neither Alicent nor Viserys took proper care of Aegon, and if she were to vanish, she wouldn't know what would become of him.Alistair, who had become Heleana's protector, was hesitant but agreed that the children would need to have some space to grow and mature. She had been thankful for his support, knowing that it was indeed the right choice for her siblings and future children, who would have Shadow Hounds as their guards."But that isn't why I came to talk to you." Zara clarified, removing the last of the leaves from her hair before coming to sit on her bed. "Alicent wants to wed Aegon to Helaena when they both become of age."Rhaenyra set down her brush. She wanted to marry them. Alicent had always hated Targaryen customs, especially when it came to weddings. saying that it was unnatural and against the faith for something like that to occur. "Are you sure?"Zara nodded. "She was having one of her secret meetings where they discussed future marriages for Aegon. They had suggested Helaena, saying that it would strengthen his claim to be married to someone of his own blood."That alone unsettled her. Helaena was a sensitive child; she had known since she first laid eyes on her sister that she was different—something that the realm wouldn't understand. Aegon, on the other hand, was beyond spoiled, and as the years and days passed, she grew more disappointed with her father's and Alicent's neglect for him.Even though she just liked her half-siblings to an extent, she still loved and cared for them in her own way. After all, it wasn't their fault they were born in such a hideous world or had Alicent for a mother. Alicent was just about to turn sixteen when she had Aegon, that didn't excuse the amount of neglect she showed her children, especially her firstborn, for Helaena seemed to be her favorite.Rhaenyra had vowed that she would never be the mother Alicent was. She would always support and love her children, no matter what they said or did. For that's what they were children; they didn't understand politics or to be the air to the Iron Throne.As if sensing that they were being talked about, she felt a large amount of pressure against her belly. She smiled, her worry melting away. The child within her belly, whom she was convinced would be a boy, had begun kicking as of late. Constantly waking her in the middle of the night, but she welcomed it as it was the only comfort she truly had while Laenor was away.Zara seemed to notice as her face melted into a smile. "He's kicking." Zara had told her that she could hear his heartbeat being strong and loud, an indication that he was healthy within the womb.Rhaenyra had told everyone that she just had a feeling that this one would be a boy. Although the first pregnancy seemed to be the hardest, she felt a little discomfort and a little nausea. The maester had commented that it seemed her body was born to bear children. A statement that had brought a frown upon Alicent's face.Though they remained civil around others, when they were alone, the true feelings between the two came to the surface. Rhaenyra had tried to make peace, but every attempt ended in failure as Alicent would cruelly tell her that they were not friends anymore and she should stop with the lies.She now had no sworn shield, as Sir Kristen had made it clear that he was never to serve her again. She, even though disturbed by the fact that he would be serving Alicent, didn't put up much of a fight."So what are you going to do about this information?" Zara said, drawing her out of her thoughts. "Surely you cannot let them marry."Rhaenyra agreed with her, but there wasn't much she could do about the decision. With her father's decline in health, she could see how easily it would be for him to agree to a marriage, even if she were to offer her input. "I fear that even if I had a say in the marriage, Alicent would just find a way to marry them anyway."Zara huffed but nodded.After a long while, Zara left, claiming she was in desperate need of a bath. Rhaenyra laughed while watching her go, but as soon as her door closed, she was left with silence. She decided to reply to all the letters Talon had sent her. She was surprised to find one holding a wedding invitation.Dear Rhaenyra,I know it has been a while since we last spoke. I hope you are doing well, and I am beyond excited and happy for you that you are expecting your first child. A lot has changed since you left Sunspear, but I'm proud to say we've been keeping your legacy intact. But that is not why I'm writing to you. You see, the Northern Kingdom and the Crimson Kingdom have been against each other for 300 years, and with your absence, the war in my kingdom has become even more dangerous. I have agreed to a marriage pact to end this war and hopefully start an era of peace. I wanted to ask if you would please attend the wedding, as I am sure it will do much good to see the Dragon Queen in attendance.Your friend, Elena.Rhaenyra stared at the letter in her hands, reading it over and over again. Elena was getting married! Rhaenyra knew about the struggle between their kingdoms, but she had never imagined that Elena would give in to a marriage pact. Although she changed laws and made it possible for anyone to marry whoever they wished, Some kingdoms still decided to follow their old traditions and laws, adapting old culture with new.She wrote her replies, and she called Lyra to send them off. She had decided she would attend the wedding, but it would take her much longer to get there as she was not able to ride Syrax during her pregnancy past the fourth moon. She would also need to wait for Laenor's return so they could exchange news about their time away from each other.***It took a little more than a week for Laenor to return from Driftmark. Although their marriage was a false one, they had come to quickly grow in friendship and understanding with each other, though it was not a marriage based on passion; it was a marriage of true friendship and love.Within hours of him returning, they would quickly settle into her chambers and talk about what the other had missed."Can you believe Alicent wants to marry Helaena to Aegon?" She'd asked him, taking a sip of her tea.Lenor looked at her, surprised. "Does she truly intend to marry Aegon to Helaena?" They both knew Alicent hated Targaryen traditions, especially inbreeding marriages. First, she had to have special crowns made because the Targaryen ones did not fit comfortably on her head, which was an omen if you asked Rhaenyra if she was not the true queen."And what does she hope to gain from this marriage?" He asked, staring into the flames."More support for Aegon." The anger in her voice was undeniable, and as Laenor stared at her, she could tell there was something he was trying to hide. "What is it?"Laenor sighed. "Laena and Damon have married."Shock rippled through her body, although they both knew that it was most likely. to hear the words that shattered her heart into pieces. Her heart ached with so much pain and betrayal, but she offered a tight smile, placing her cup down. "Are you sure?""Yes, my father said that after our wedding, Daemon came to Driftmark, asking for Laena's hand." Laenor looked at her sympathy shining in his purple eyes. "They married quickly, leaving for Pentos soon after."Pentos? Rhaenyra tilted her head. Why would they go to Pentos away from their families and their home? The ache in her chest grew larger; he had left her. Laenor seemed to sense her changing emotions, for he leaned forward to grab her hand.She pushed his hand away gently and said, "I'm fine." She said sternly, resentment began filling the hole in her heart, leaving her feeling numb.Daemon had left her, and by the sound of it, he wouldn't return. He had put himself in exile to escape King's Landing but, most of all, to leave her. She hoped at least Laena was happy with the decision and that one day she would get to see her again. But she wouldn't pretend to be happy about being left in a pit vipers by herself, for he had abandoned her once more for his own adventure.That night, as she lay in bed, Nimbus cuddled close to her. He had begun visiting her more often, especially after the announcement of her pregnancy. On nights that Laenor would not occupy her bed, he would be the one sleeping beside her, offering her whatever comfort he could. She had told him her desire to attend Elena's wedding, and Nimbus, being who he is, had already thought of her pregnancy; therefore, he asked Ranix to use one of his many spells to bring her to Sunspear.It was on most of these journeys that she missed Rhys the most. Especially now with her carrying her own child, she could only picture his family excitedly waiting for the new arrival, but that was never going to happen, for they were suspended in time beyond their years.Ruby often came to the forefront of her mind; she was the age of 10 now and was raised by Elena with helpful support from everybody else within her circle. Nimbus had told her Ruby was as skilled with her words as she was with her bow."Are you alright, sister?" Nimbus's voice was a whisper, as if to offer to not wake the sleeping dragon if she was indeed asleep."Just thinking." She replied, running her hands through his thick fur.Nimbus lifted his head, resting it gently on her bump. "Of?""Everything." She smiled softly, for the initial pain in her heart dissipated, but the doll ache still remained."I think I know something that will make you happy." Nimbus stretched out before shaking his fur.Rhaenyra smiled at him, curious, as Nimbus was not one for keeping secrets. "What is it?" She probed."I went to visit Syrax; the dragonkeepers said that she's laid a clutch of eggs." Rhaenyra's eyes sparkled. The last time she visited Syrax, she was told she was indeed nesting, but she did not expect a clutch of eggs so soon."How many?""Six." Nimbus replied, licking his paw. "An omen, if I do say so myself."Rhaenyra rolled her eyes but considered that the prospect of six eggs meant six potential children. Even though she was sure this child was not Laenor's, something told her that her children would be able to hatch dragon eggs, no matter their parentage. They will be the blood of the dragon, she told herself. They will be Targaryen.Her body relaxed, her hands coming to rest upon her bump, and as she looked into Nimbus's bright green eyes, something told her that she was right—her children would be dragon riders just like her. "You're already a dragon, little one." She whispered, caressing her bump. "You are the future of our house."Nimbus looked at her, his eyes shining with unspoken emotion. He nudged her belly gently with his nose, and he was rewarded with a strong, powerful kick. His eyes filled with pride."He's strong." He complimented, "Just like you."Rhaenyra snorted, "I don't know about that."Nimbus gazed at her, but quickly shook his head. "You are the strongest of us all, Rhaenyra."She looked into his green eyes, expecting to see a lie, but all she could see was pride and wonder. "Thank you.""I will always be here for you." Nimbus promised, "And your children."Rhaenyra smiled as she listened to his breathing even out. She knew that everything would be okay.