A few days had passed since Helaena was born, and the news spread quickly through the Seven Kingdoms that a new princess was born.
There are festivities everywhere, with people celebrating the princess's birth, with noble lords sponsoring many of them to curry favor with Viserys and their future ruler—Aegon.
Aegon, too, spent more of his time with his baby sister; he spent some time with Rhaenyra, but not as long as he usually did.
The Realm's delight, of course, understood the situation and kept to herself. She visited her half-sister a couple of times and tried to play with her.
Currently, the realm's delight was sitting under the weirwood tree, holding a book in her hands. She put quite an effort into reading the book, but much to her dismay, "Why can't I focus?"
She furrowed her brows, her heart beating wildly, her instinct telling her that something was wrong. "I am missing something." She muttered to herself.
Her heart felt…. Constricted. But no matter what she did, she couldn't figure out what it was that she was missing or how to get rid of that feeling.
While Rhaenyra was in her mind, trying to solve the problem reeling in her mind and heart, a woman walked behind her.
The woman appeared to be in her 30s with long, wavy silver-gold hair, with purple eyes and a regal aura surrounding her; she wore a black royal dress with red accents.
"Something is troubling you, Rhaenyra?" the woman asked, her voice smooth and fluid, like a river.
Rhaenyra turned toward the woman, her eyes widening when she saw her aunt, Rhaenys Targaryen, the queen who never was.
Rhaenyra was quite surprised to see her aunt here; she had an amicable relationship with her, "Aunt."
"You seem troubled," Rhaenys said as she walked toward the princess.
But Rhaenyra shook her head and replied, "It's nothing"; she didn't want to discuss her internal matters with her and tried to change the subject by asking, "What are you doing here?"
"Corlys wanted to discuss something with Viserys," she explained; usually, the Queen who never was, visited the king every few months, so Rhaenyra didn't think much of it.
She turned back to her book, trying to distract herself, but Rhaenys's next words surprised her.
"You seem quite close with the prince," Rhaenys probed, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Rhaenyra's reaction.
"Is it wrong to be close with my brother?" Rhaenyra asked. Her brows furrowed with annoyance.
"No," Rhaenys replied, shrugging her shoulders. She turned to the side, but her gaze was still on Rhaenyra as she said, "You can be as close to him as you want if you want to give your throne to him."
THUD
Rhaenyra closed the book with a thud, her face contorted into one of anger and annoyance as she growled, "What do you mean, Rhaenys?"
Rhaenys didn't mind the lack of respect from Rhaenyra but got closer to her and said, "You see, the entire realm knows how the prince spotted a White Stag in Kingswood. They already think of him as the heir."
"But I am the heir!" Rhaenyra said, hatred buried deep in her heart, coming crashing down; she clenched her fists in rage while she glared at Rhaenys.
"But the entire realm doesn't think that way," Rhaenys countered.
"They will have no choice but to," Rhaenyra muttered, looking straight into Rhaenys's eyes; she added, "My father, the king, named me his heir; it doesn't matter what the entire realm thinks; I am their next ruler!"
"Oh, but it does matter, Rhaenyra." Rhaenys placed her hands on Rhaenyra's shoulders as she continued, "The lords of the Seven Kingdoms will always support Aegon over you."
"Aegon is not the heir."
"That is not the point; they will try to persuade the king until he changes his mind."
Rhaenyra didn't know what to say; her mind was now a mess, with her heart banging against her chest like a war drum. Her eyes darted around, flickering once in a while.
She knew that what Rhaenys said was true; she would never get substantial support with Aegon present, but she ignored the truth.
She didn't want to hate the only person who tried to spend time with her.
"Aegon will not take away my birthright," she mumbled; she herself found her words ridiculous, but she believed it nonetheless.
SCOFF
Rhaenys scoffed at Rhaenyra's words, "Are you even listening to yourself, Rhaenyra?" the woman asked, "Once the boy learns to hold a sword, he will point it at you; that's a fact, and you know it! Yet you ignore it and try to suppress it!"
"NO! Aegon is not that type of kid!" Rhaenyra yelled, her voice unusually high-pitched, with her eyes moistening at Rhaenys's comments.
"Listen, Rhaenyra, I only want you to have what I couldn't," Rhaenys said, her eyes moistening a little as she relished the day when her cousin was selected to be heir.
"The men of the realm will do anything to make Aegon sit on that throne," she mumbled; the sorrow in her voice couldn't be hidden, "and you being close to that boy is only helping them in their schemes."
SILENCE
Silence descended between them, with Rhaenys observing the heir to the throne.
Rhaenyra was now a mess; her nails dug into her palm while she gnashed her teeth. Her breathing was ragged, and her purple eyes were now blank, as if she were gazing into a distant void.
Rhaenys, observing Rhaenyra, continued, "I will leave now, Rhaenyra." She said, turning around and beginning to walk into the Keep.
But, at the entrance of the garden, she halted, "Remember, Rhaenyra, remember your birthright. And remember the one who is going to take it away from you while calling you sister."
With that, she left, leaving a confused girl alone.
....
'This is so fucking annoying!!' Rhaenyra thought to herself, her body shaking with rage and frustration.
'What should I do!? What Rhaenys said is true. Just by living, Aegon is threatening my birthright!'
She recalled what Rhaenys had said and knew that it was true; unless and until she was the only heir, not many lords would rally behind her.
'But I don't want to hate a two-year-old who genuinely likes me, perhaps the only one in this realm.'
She mumbled to herself; images of the time she spent with Aegon flashed in her mind.
But then she gritted her teeth, her purple eyes shining with uncontrolled fury as she exclaimed, "This is all because of Father; why did he have to marry Alicent!? And why did that woman even marry someone who is as old as her father!?"
SIGH
She sighed in exhaustion, leaning back against the tree. The leaves wrestled against the wind, as if consoling the little girl seeking solace in its arms.