#They didn't do Rhaenyra any favours by aging her up. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fragileheartbeats · 28 days

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"your a woman, you supposed to take Rhaenyra's side!!"

My dude, why would you discriminate for her just because she's a woman? You guys just go blind because she's a woman. You're the one who give her a pass because she's a woman.

I never understood these feminist fight.

Feminism is about equality, but nothing was equal between Aegon and Rhaenyra.

Their childhood and adolescence were different like the earth and the sky. Their age, their marriage, the way others treated them and in short everything about them was unequal.

When reading F&B I didn't care much for Aegon when he was introduced as this lazy, unambitious sot. But as the war progressed I couldn't help but notice his resilience, courage and intelligence and root for him.

Look at what Aegon was like in the earlier parts of F&B. He drank a lot, groped and pinched serving girls, potentially fathered multiple unacknowledged bastards, and was an all-round dick. He wasn’t as fierce as Aemond, as courteous as Daeron, or as gentle as Helaena. He started a fight at the family feast when Jace offered a dance to Helaena (the same wife whom he was serially unfaithful to). While the Greens launched their coup, he was at some degenerate “revels”. When Aemond murdered 13-year-old Luke, he threw a celebration and called it “a good start.”

But after the Dance’s actual battles began, Aegon really lived up to his title! He had Criston Cole capture Duskendale and Rook’s Rest, and then fought on Sunfyre to take out Rhaenys when she fell for the bait. Despite his crippling injuries, he survived. Even after his sons were butchered and King’s Landing fell, he fought on. Aegon and Sunfyre recovered on Dragonstone, with Sunfyre killing Grey Ghost along the way. Then Aegon and his forces took the castle under the Blacks’ noses. He and Sunfyre won yet another dragon battle against Baela. And again Aegon clings onto life in the face of crippling injuries. Then he traps and kills Rhaenyra while uttering a fantastic line "Rhaenyra: My lords will find me. Aegon: If they search the seven hells mayhaps." He returns to KL as King. The various self-proclaimed monarchs and the Shepherd are promptly defeated. It is a hell of a comeback considering Aegon’s state when he left the capital.

It's remarkable how quickly he grows into his role as king and how devoted to his cause he becomes by the end. He is determined to reclaim his father's throne, to restore order to kings landing by putting down the rebellion and punishing the insurgents, make peace with his enemies, he already plans to marry a Baratheon girl not for love but for duty to get an heir again. From the irresponsible, lazy drunk he supposedly was you would expect him to be vain, selfish and hedonistic, someone who only pursues his own pleasure and expects others to do the hard work, but no the hardships and responsibilities shaped him into someone who takes duty seriously. Even though prone to make rash, and imprudent decisions he also had the favourable quality to listen to the counsel of wiser and more experienced people around him and nearly always follows their advice. I think towards the end of the Dance it's painfully clear he is a better ruler than Rhaenyra.

Aegon had a 13 to 4 dragon disadvantage and a 53 to 28 House disadvantage, does this seems equal to you? Yet he still won (now if you wanna tell me "But Rhaenyra's lineage continued" pls shut your mouth because we are talking about the winner of war and the win you guys are so proud of is a fucking joke)

It’s hard for me to call him a bad King because he was given the worst situation of any King in Westerosi history with a civil war where you’re at a disadvantage starting out. The Greens should’ve been steamrolled but thanks to Aegon resiliency and Rhaenyra’s incompetent they weren’t.

People show you who they really are when they are tested and things are not going their way. Rhaenyra was tested and failed to rise to the occasion every single time. I find Rhaenyra utterly, utterly pathetic, without any redeeming quality as a ruler, as a person, as a woman.

By marrying and having kids with Daemon, she pretty much guaranteed a three-way civil war between Daemon's sons, her bastards, and her brothers the minute she dropped dead. So it doesn't matter if it was Aegon who sat on iron throne, this war was supposed to happen.

We saw Rhaenyra rule. She was a disaster. A ruler who puts their selfish desires above duty will always be a disaster. That's what Rhaenyra was: a selfish entitled person who didn't give a fuck about anyone other than herself. It's a miracle she had such decent kids.

Rhaenyra had a better council. The Sea Snake was wealthy and powerful, Rhaenys was beloved by many and respected as well. Meanwhile, Aegon's advisors were mostly Hightower cronies and quite a few were motivated mostly to spite Rhaenyra. Yet she fucked that up.

Rhaenyra literally was kicked out of the throne because people were tired of her reign, no one had this opposition besides Maegor.

People also like to excuse her cruelty and stupidity during her brief reign as a queen because she lost her children during the war. But Rhaenyra was a selfish entitled person long before she became queen or lost any of her kids. She wanted Aemond, who was just a boy, punished for calling her boys bastards, which they were. She murdered and advocated torture to keep up the lie. Let's not forget how she murdered Vaemond Velaryon for speaking up against Lucerys inheriting Driftmark ahead of trueborn Velaryons.

Or how she ignored the entire reason she was made heir by marrying Daemon anyway when she was made heir to keep that psychopath from the throne. All these things happened before Rhaenyra lost any of her children or got usurped. The losses didn't change her. They just worsened what she already was.

She ordered daily executions, established "knights inquisitors" to hunt down innocent children, would not offer peace terms, imposed ridiculous taxes while throwing a lavish birthday party for her son, and then tried to have her allies murdered.

She is insanely selfish - am I the only one who thinks she's a very very scary narcissist? Never in the whole course of her life has she had a single concern about others - it's always about herself, her children who she sees as an extension of herself. Even the great narcissist Cersei has shown some small sympathy towards Sansa when she was engaged to Joffrey. She never even bothered to visit or care for her father, instead she was chilling with her creepy uncle on Dragonstone.

She uses and manipulates, and tramples over others and treats her allies like absolute garbage. Corlys Velaryon was first grandcucked, then got his son murdered either by her or her husband, then got his granddaughters deprived of their birthrights and betrothed to bastards. Yet for some reason still supports his great abuser. What did he get in return? Being thrown in the black cells for trying to save the life of his innocent and loyal bastard son.

She inspires zero loyalty and devotion from either her people or the nobles. She insults important nobles who have never offended her, doesn't make alliances, calls the small folk scum and taxes them to death. No wonder they call her Queen Maegor and threw her out of the city. She doesn't make one single selfless and smart political decision. The Vale and the North might have supported her on paper - they hardly did anything until the war was almost over - she had no real allies except some semi-god Rivermen who were scared into supporting her by Daemon.

She is an utter coward and liar. Her youngest son and teenage stepdaughter both took to dragon back before her, as she hid like a coward and sent others to die for her. She took it for granted that others should die for her ungrateful and pathetic cause. She gaslights others into lying about her bastards' parentage and maims/executes everyone who disagrees.

She is a cruel, stupid and atrocious ruler with zero redeeming quality. She filled her council with idiots like Bartimus Celtigar and some Kingsguard/Commander who don't know a single thing about ruling. She listened to the counsel of that child-murderer Mysaria. She never made allies or made sensible political decisions. Her eldest son Jace has ten times her diplomatic skills.

She was extremely cruel during her short reign as Queen. She beheaded people daily, filled the city with terror, imposed crazy taxes including taxes on bastards, imprisoned any dissenters, made people pay to watch executions, threw a feast while people starved and resulted in all the dragons being killed.

She never defends the rights of other women, she thinks she is the special exception to the patriarchy. Just ask Lord Rosby's daughter. She usurps her stepdaughter's birthright in favor of her bastards.

She fully deserved her fate, because she spent her whole life avoiding duty and responsibility, using, abusing and manipulating those closest to her, ruled like a tyrant and led to the extinction of her dynasty.

Tell me one positive quality of this utter failure of a Targaryen has and I will refute you.

Aegon suffered much more than Rhaenyra but he didn't give up, all these events only made him grow and become stronger unlike Rhaenyra who fucked everything up and got worse day by day. He lived in real world and knows if he don't fight for himself no one gonna do that, but Rhaenyra was still on her I'm my daddy's princess so I do whatever the fuck that I want era. like a leech, Rhaenyra relied on others to survive, she was delulu. Oh did I mention she sold her crown and ran away like a coward? Did I mention Aegon had to clean the mess that she made?

And did you guys noticed almost all the rulers after Aegon II are mad, stupid, useless, coward? Just like Rhaenyra.

Now you can disagrees with me, that's ok but don't even try to fight with me about her or try to change my mind because it's not gonna work. Idk about you but I don't want my feminist icon to be someone like Rhaenyra.

Oh and if you wanna use "but Aegon was a rapist" card go read the fucking book or this post.

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simpingland · 1 year

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'Alone' together// Lucerys Velaryon x fem!reader.

Y/N Celtigar and Luke have been betrothed for years, but the reader is having a hard time finding true friendship on Dragonstone. Some tutoring makes Luke change his mind about his wife to be.

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No one could stand Jace when he was ahead in any of the classes you all shared with the Master. That's why you took every lesson so seriously, just so you could take him down a peg or two. And it could be fun most of the time, but in the long run, you and Jace never quite clicked, causing Rhaena and Luke to stay somewhat aloof from you, preferring the favour of the prince to the favour of a pupil like you.

When everyone heard the news about Lady Celtigar's death, you were only eight. Rhaenyra saw in you a child who longed for her mother as she had longed for her own, and made a pact with your father to take you into her care. He agreed, proposing a marriage in return. It was a good idea, Valyrian blood with Valyrian blood, extending and strengthening houses that moved across the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately, though you were the same age as Jace, Baela was also a close child and the idea of her being queen in the future protected Rhaenyra and Jace's reign...so you were promised to Luke.

It could have been worse, they could have promised you Joffrey...or worse...Jace! At least Lucerys, as you found out a few days later, turned out to be a good boy, if a little too childish for your taste. Growing up in Dragonstone had been quicker than anyone expected, but no less hard. The siblings were very close to each other, and they were also very close to their dragons. Rhaena was sweet and pleasant, but there was something about her company that made you feel as if she was there out of obligation. You never had the feeling that you belonged there.

Arguments between the four of you were very common, never worrisome as they were usually the typical ones caused by going on adventures together, by stealing things from each other... although if someone came out crying, it was usually you. You were a studious young woman, always alert and if Rhaenyra found out about all the shenanigans of the group, it was because you told her. They never listened when you justified yourself by saying that lying was not an option for you. At dinners together you were usually the one who was left out of the conversation, even if they were talking about you. If you were lucky and Luke got mad at Jace too, you had the young man sitting next to you as he prattled on about Arrax and how much he hated Jace that day. He never failed to make you laugh. Sadly, that didn't always happen, and it was more common for him to give you the same dirty looks as the rest when you didn't play along.

Rhaenyra already knew about this problem, and she tried to educate you on how being friends with your husband was always the best way to be married. The problem was that you didn't really know how to make friends...because no one understood how you loved them, everything you said or did ended up being used against you. And no matter how much you made up your mind that you shouldn't do anything, you couldn't help but stay at the table with Luke after he failed his geography lesson with the Maester. Jace had already left for his dragon with a victorious smile, and Rhaena accompanied him, the Maester would show her how to feed her little Morning.

Luke was more embarrassed than sad, you could see it in the way he looked down at you as you paced the table with the map.

"Don't you have one of your sewing classes or one of those lame things you like to do?" he asked.

"I don't like boring things...I just like to be quiet. It's different. And no, I can stay and help you."

"No need, thanks..." he tried to concentrate on the map.

"You should learn some trick to memorize the map...a song, a rhyme..."

"That's just stupid." He interrupted you and you instantly stopped wanting to help him. Something must have crossed your eyes because Luke felt bad right away. "Sorry...it's just...Jace will laugh at me if he sees me burst into song if someone asks me to point out the Isles of Tarth."

This made you laugh, and Luke smiled at your reaction. It wasn't very casual to see you laugh genuinely, it was always usually out of politeness or only brought on by the Maester, Rhaenyra, or some guard. Although, if he thought about it, Luke had seen you laugh at times when he had focused more on you than on the dinners.

"It's just a trick, you end up memorising it eventually. Besides, by the time you're Lord of Driftmark you'll have travelled more. It will be easier."

"How do you memorise it?"

"Oh..." you didn't expect that question. Perhaps because the answer was so personal. "I think about my family. Where my grandmothers were born...where my uncle died...where my grandfather won a battle...where my mother was a ward when she was my age..."

It seemed like a sad thing, but it wasn't really sad for you. The maps served you like a history book. You'd always had a head for remembering stories, and it was all because you felt too trapped there, too lonely. You enjoyed visits to the castle, something the others hated, for even the dullest Lord had an anecdote about someone in your family. However, if the Targaryen children wanted to know something about their family, all they had to do was open any history book.

"It's very nice, really, though I think I'd go mad if I used your method." Luke tried to lighten up a bit the turn the conversation seemed about to take.

"Right, I think the simplest thing to do is for us to decorate our own map." You suggested.

"I don't have enough inks to make a nice map."

"I do!"

Luke had to follow you at a quickened pace, even though he was even slightly taller than you, your enthusiasm to show him your full artistic arsenal outweighed physics. You let him into your rooms, where he hadn't been for many years, and he was surprised to see that it was more cluttered than he expected. There were piles of books in every nook and cranny, many open and with notes on their sides. You also had a small desk in front of your balcony. When he looked out, he noticed that you overlooked the beach. It made him tender to know that he could watch you study while he trained with Jace.

The afternoon flew by as Luke decorated a map with colours assigned to houses, animals and creatures. He made trees and mountains, and you taught him to draw castles for important towns. On a thinner piece of paper, you wrote the names of all those places and Luke tried to name the points you pointed out and then you checked it by putting the paper over it. And it didn't take him long to match what he said with what it really was. He was so happy that he even gave you a hug.

From that day on, geography lessons were much more fun for Luke, as he spent more time drawing than memorising, and he showed you all the things he was doing. Jace's concentration would be thrown off by your whispering and giggling. Sometimes you would show him the annotations and drawings you had on your map, and you would have fun imagining an tracing a dragon ride.

He started helping you in Valyrian, Luke's favourite subject. And at dinners he always sat next to you, apart from Rhaena and Jace. Luke always did the talking, for he always had more to tell than you, who spent the whole day engaged in something completely alternative to what the others were doing. Day by day, he would let you feel open enough to give him your opinion on the books you were reading or telling him some childhood stories.

One of the days when Jace and Luke were training, Luke remembered that afternoon, and your little desk overlooking the beach. He stopped to look for you with his eyes, and it took him a while to find your figure, but he did. He couldn't see you clearly, but he could make out that you were leaning on your balcony, concentrating on something, with a pen in your hand.

"It would be good if you were concentrating on something, Lucerys," the older scolded him.

"Sorry, you're right...I'm really getting better though." Luke smiled mischievously at her.

"Only in geography, I'm not going to applaud your need to draw trees in the woods." Jace landed a lazy first punch, pulling Luke's gaze away from yours.

"Hey! Easy!" Luke tried to hit him back, but clearly Jace was better than him.

"Oops, sorry...I didn't remember how much of a pussy you've become since you and Y/N are the best of friends."

It was silly, but the fight that was supposed to be a rehearsal turned into something all too real, and Jace and Luke were soon fighting without swords, using shoves and fists. From a blow that Jace threw disproportionately, Luke felt part of his lower lip split. At the sight of blood, both stopped instantly.

Of course they were brought before Rhaenyra by the guard who at the time was unable to stop them. And you, who could hear all the commotion, went down to check what was going on. Both were dishevelled but only Luke was bleeding.

"I want an explanation, right now!" Rhaenyra looked furious.

"Luke is being unbearable, mother." Jace gave her a terrible look.

"It's you who can't stand to be outdone. You're always the most important." Luke accepted the water-soaked handkerchief you gave him. He let out a small whimper as he felt the sting.

"Maybe it's because I'm the heir to the throne, my education is vital. And you only know how to giggle and be a shitty student."

You couldn't take it anymore, he always used that excuse, that he had to be the best to be a good king. Luke had already confessed to you over dinner that the love and admiration he had for Jace causes him a lot of anxiety, because he felt unfit to rule something as important as Driftmark.

"That doesn't give you any right to hit him..." everyone turned to look at you, and Jace was relieved to find himself back in the same situation where you were making a fool of yourself.

"You weren't there to see it, it would be nice if you stayed out of this for once."

"I didn't do anything wrong, don't talk to me like that." You were getting that high-pitched, agitated voice again that you get when you're feeling overly nervous. Luke could see it, his hand rested on your arm gently.

"It's your fault Luke's an twat now. All you know how to do is be a pain in the ass to everyone, and now you're filling my brother's head with your bullshit."

"What's wrong with you is that you're unbearable and jealous because Baela isn't here to tell you how well you're doing everything."

"And what's wrong with you is that you're such a pain in the ass that your father put you on the first boat that offered to take you off his sight."

"Jace!" Rhaenyra snapped at him. "I command you to stop talking like that. I remember teaching you some manners, didn't I?. Apologize. Right now."

Jace gave a sigh. And with a forced smile, he focused on them both.

"Luke, I'm really sorry I hurt you, maybe I went too far, considering you're also going to spend the rest of your life next to this absolute bore and insufferable woman. It's a big sacrifice on your part."

Jace gave Luke a friendly slap on his shoulder and turned away, forgiving himself. You, on the other hand, had already started to feel the tears forming at the thought of disappearing from your father's sight. It was too delicate of a subject, and you longed for him, Jace had struck another blow too hard.

"Apologize to Y/N, Jace." Luke's voice sounded serious, demanding. Jace turned away.

"By what right are you commanding me around now?"

"I'm your brother, and Y/N will be my wife, your sister-in-law, and we'll all be a family. Show her the respect she deserves, and ask for her forgiveness."

Jace was quiet for a second. Luke's hand moved to reach for your hand and squeezed it, it was cold, but at his touch, it began to warm.

"I'm sorry, Y/N." It was dry, and it was surely not for you, but for Luke. It was still humiliating, and of course, it was you who left that room crying.

You tried to hide your tears from Luke, who was asking you not to leave, but you couldn't even come up with an excuse, you just disappeared from there.

When you didn't show up for dinner, Luke couldn't eat a single bite. Rhaenyra watched as your empty seat provoked something in him that hadn't happened before, he became quiet. Jaxe was also quiet, stressed and recovering from the scold he received from his mother after all that scene. With a nod of his head, Luke had permission to get up and look for you. Your door was open, but inside your room you were hard to find. On the floor, your back against your bed, a candle illuminated one of your maps. You tried to wipe your face a little as Luke sat down next to you.

"You're missing your favourite dessert..." he tried to get a smile out of you, he couldn't. "I'm sure Jace regrets what he said, he didn't say a single word at dinner."

"He regrets a lot of things I'm sure, but never that he spoke ill of me." You told him without so much as a glance at him.

"That's not true. There may be friction, but we're all family."

"Yeah, but I'm not in it. All I try to do is to be fair, to do the right thing. Your mother is a future queen to me, I must always tell her the truth. And none of the three of you seem to understand the great danger you are in every day..."

"I do understand that you do it for us, but soon she will be like a mother to you too." Luke held your hand.

"I miss my family so much...All I really have from them is just memories I didn't even get to live, few years with my mother... I try to love in the present but then I'm faced with this ignorace against my person.Lucerys, every day I feel this sorrow, this silence...I feel so, so lonely."

Then he understood your great passion for maps. And he suddenly felt like a tremendous idiot. I could have been there for you much earlier. But he was convinced that it was a good time to start.

"I've had dreams too...well, they were really nightmares...about being heir to Driftmark and spending my whole life alone. Jace would be here, Mother at King's Landing, Rhaena married, and everyone else would be dead...and you would be left, as always, locked in your rooms, not wanting to talk to anyone."

At last you looked at him, he too had a sad expression. His lip was split at the bottom. His eyes connected with yours.

"I'm sorry you had that impression of me...you...I actually, genuinely like you. A lot."

You watched as Luke smiled mischievously, like his mother did.

"It'll be the only thing I beat Jace at..." he finally got a laugh out of you. "Maybe, we could feel 'alone' together."

"Sounds like a good idea..."

"And we can go to sleep together, but alone." He continued to joke.

"And have lonely blonde and brunette children..." you continued.

"And sail the ocean alone..."

And in unison you both said "but together!"

At the coincidence, you burst out laughing. And more you laughed when Luke got a stitch of pain in his lip from smiling. His little scream was too funny.

"Hey...don't be mean!" he scolded you with a totally fake frown.

"Oh, my prince, I'm sorry! That wound looks bad..."

"Well, the Maester says nothing that can't be fixed with a kiss on the wound in question."

"Haha! Now I really feel sorry for you if you need a kiss from the Maester..."

"I'm afraid you're out of luck, the sages say only kisses from beautiful, blonde women, lousy with Valyrian but great readers with a strangely amusing laugh."

In that light, Luke had made you happier than you had ever imagined. He might still be a little more childish than you'd like, but it was this that made you laugh during dinners and lessons. This dedication to your could be the beginning of a fun and pleasant future, much closer than your inner child had imagined when you read those love stories in your books.

It was you who reached first, and Luke was the first to close his eyes. A tender kiss on the lips, first on his bottom lip, soft and slow, trying not to hurt him. But above was his upper lip, intact, and there you gave him another kiss, more intense, but just as sweet. And Luke pressed his lips together as hard as he could, letting himself be carried away by your soft lips brushing his. When you broke apart, he saw you blush a little, but you immediately laughed at him, who was much more flushed than you were.

"Actually...if I'm going to be your wife, you didn't have to memorise all those places. I would know them for you." You told him as you walked on your way to the kitchen, ready to dine alone with the leftovers from dinner.

"Right..." Luke led the way, holding your hand. "Although then you would never have realised how much you really like me."

#lucerys velaryon #lucerys strong #prince lucerys #lucerys targaryen #luke velaryon #lucerys velaryon x reader #lucerys velaryon x you #lucerys Velaryon x y/n #lucerys Velaryon fanfic #lucerys velaryon one shot #game of thrones fanfiction #house of the dragon #house of the dragon fanfiction #elliot grihault

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endless-ineffabilities · 2 years

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Anti-Hero

Daemon Targaryen x f!Reader

It's me, Hi, I'm the problem, it's me

At teatime, everybody agrees

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror

It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

An imagine loosely based on the song Anti-Hero of off Midnights by Taylor Swift ▪︎ read more Daemon & Aemond midnights imagines here: masterlist

themes: reader is Rhaenyra's younger sister (aged 18+), Daemon is not married, incest, fluff

Growing up, attention has never been directed to you, but rather, to your older sister, Rhaenyra. Beautiful, intelligent, the heir to the Iron Throne. The Realm's Delight.

Whereas you... well, you tried.

Years ago, Rhaenyra's betrothal was a serious matter, for it befell upon her find the most beneficial match for the sake of House Targaryen. And she indeed found it, in your dear cousin, Laenor Velaryon.

You knew of Laenor's specific proclivities, and you were thankful everyone let him be, including Rhaenyra. He deserved his happiness, after all, despite being saddled with the duty of arranged marriage.

As for you, as much as you thought of yourself lucky that your father, Viserys, wasn't forcing anyone's hand on you, sometimes you wanted him to at least care.

You are a Targaryen in the end, albeit not the heir, so you thought of yourself valuable in forging an alliance with a great house in Westeros. But the subject was only mentioned in passing. Granted, you didn't favour any of the prospects your father presented.

Nevertheless, you wanted to be seen as someone of value.

You sit in your quarters, staring at your reflection in the mirror. Was your silver hair not as radiant as Rhaenyra's? Perhaps, if you were prettier, you would be more noticeable. Wasn't there a saying about Targaryens? Whenever one is born, the gods toss a coin, and it determines whether the path is to greatness or madness?

Well, Rhaenyra was surely set for greatness, whereas you felt you belonged in the grey area, in the middle. The area for those who don't belong in the stories, who don't get songs written about them.

Simply there.

A knock resounds from your door.

"Come in," not bothering to turn around.

You wait for whoever it is to speak. Was it the handmaiden, the kingsguard? Rhaenyra?

"Hello, dear niece."

You freeze, then run quickly to hug the visitor, "Daemon!"

He chuckles lowly, the sound reverberating from where you have your ear pressed to his chest.

"I had no idea you were returning today."

"I wanted to surprise my dearest girl," he says, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear, "Have you grown taller? Last I saw you, you were this high." He hovers his hand at around waist-height, in jest.

"That's not true," you punch him lightly in the chest, "you saw me just several months ago."

He laughs, "All the same, I wanted to come see you. Your father tells me you've barely left your quarters as of late. Is something the matter?"

"No," you sigh, and plaster on your best neutral smile, but he sees right through it. He knows you like the back of his hand, by heart.

He simply stares at you, and raises his fair eyebrows.

You relent, taking a seat, with him settling close beside you.

"I suppose I haven't been feeling well recently."

"Are you ill?" Daemon worries, pressing his palm to your forehead.

"No, no," you shake his hand away, feeling silly now. Maybe you shouldn't even mention it.

"I just don't feel like I'm enough, and I feel like it's all my doing," the words rush out of you, barely coherent, but Daemon had been listening intently, concerned for you.

"What nonsense is this?" he moves closer, his arm resting behind you.

But then you stand, pacing in front of him, letting everything out, "I just... I will never be as important as Rhaenyra, I will never be the eldest daughter, I will never be the heir."

"None of that matters, and you know it," Daemon leans forward, trying to catch your eye.

"Maybe I just don't try hard enough. Rhaenyra diligently attended her lessons with the Septa, whereas I prefer to play swords in the courtyard like a savage little boy. Rhaenyra is very well-trained, suited for the atmosphere of court and nobility, whereas I am more brash, careless with my words. I'm more likely to trip on my feet, rather than twirl like a princess. I can no longer count the instances where father chastised me for saying something unbecoming of a princess."

Daemon smiles, slight as first, then it widens greatly.

"It's not funny, uncle."

"Well," he shrugs, clearly pleased about something.

"You think me childish. Silly."

"No, no, I don't," he stands in front you. You turn away, but he pulls you back, taking your hands firmly.

You look down at them, joined together, perfectly. You immediately feel calmer, much to your surprise.

"You and I are much alike. The second child, more rogue and rebellious, never quite fitting in. And I do find it strange how someone as radiant, as unique, and as clever as you, could ever think so little of herself."

"Daemon," you get flustered, and you want to tell him that he doesn't need to comfort you.

"Listen to me," he tilts your head upward, "all those things you said are true, yes. You are brazen, outspoken, different. But that is precisely what I love about you."

You finally meet his eyes, as he draws closer, holding your face with both hands now, "You are as splendent as dragonfire, if not more."

You stand there, letting his words sink in, and they work their magic, breaking apart any doubt that had settled within you.

A thought passes, one that may be trivial, but it makes you smile all the same. As much as Rhaenyra may have tried to get Daemon's attention, especially in the past, it was only ever fixated on you.

He was the person you felt closest to. The one in whose arms who feel at home in.

Daemon looks tormented, as if noticing the admiration in your eyes, unsure of how to proceed. The dragon in him acts, claiming what he wants. He runs his thumb over your lips, and leans down slowly.

He kisses you. Warm, and... and like home.

He pulls away, and he looks taken aback by his actions. His eyes meet yours questioningly, studying you. Were you okay with this?

Your lips gently lift in a soft smile, and his heart soars at the sight. You keep your hand on the back of his neck, holding on for dear life.

In line with your outspoken, sly nature, you say, "Us Targaryens do have some queer customs, don't we?"

He laughs heartily, before he nods, and draws you even closer, arms wrapping around you, "That may be true, but to hell with it."

And he captures your lips in his once more.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Daemon taglist: @sirlovel @paprikabadger @goawayimreadingbeach @moonmaiden1996 @caspianobsessed @sebastian025 @iilsenewman @padfootsvixen @naelys-the-aster @dreaming-for-an-escape @avalyaaa @loveandlewis

I've missed writing for Daemon! (Not me torn for a deranged uncle and his equally deranged one-eyed nephew)

The midnights imagines continues! I've already thought of specific lyrics from the songs, but feel free to make suggestions!

Taglists for Daemon and/or Aemond works is open!

#daemon x reader #daemon targaryen x y/n #daemon targaryen x reader #house of the dragon #house of the dragon imagine #daemon targaryen imagine #daemon targaryen #midnights #anti hero

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an-abyss-of-stars · 10 months

Text

Rhaemond babies content - Jacaela Edition!

The many faces of

Aethan Velaryon

Aethan is the first born child of both Baela and Jace (he's currently a 1yr old baby in the story, but by the time Vaella is born, he will have turned 2!) He's Rhaenyra and Daemon's first grandchild, and their kids first nephew. Aethan is often thought to take after both of his parents, but mostly his features seemed to have favoured his mother. He inherited her eyes, her nose, her lips and especially her spirit. Whereas with his father, he mainly inherited his facial structure and his brown hair colour (both Aethan and his next sibling will have brown hair, but I'm imagining that their hair is not a simple regular brown. Like maybe in the sun there's a golden-like essence to it)

Aethan was given a Velaryon name when he was born, not because either Jace or Baela felt it necessary to do so, but because when they looked upon their newborn son, they simply felt it suited him. He entered the world quite stoically as far as babies are concerned, barely crying or screaming. He whined only a bit, but once he was safely swaddled and placed in his loving mother's arms, he was sound, quiet and peaceful. Staring up at his parents with big lavender eyes, a clear mix of purple tones he'd inherited from both of his parents.

As a babe, he was doted upon by the whole of his family. His parents especially of course, but all of his aunt's and uncles loved him dearly. And once the family's bridges had been mended, he was truly free to spend time with all of his relatives. His uncles Aemond and Aegon were among the two to spend a great deal of time with him (even if Aemond was reluctant to admit how fond he was his nephew then). And Aethan's little uncles loved him just as dearly, little Aeggie and Vis were very excited to have a new playmate, as were Aethan's cousins little Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. Jaehaera had a habit of stealing Aethan away from his nursery, plopping him down at her little tea table in her nursery and having little tea dates with him. He was very fond of his cousin, and sitting beside delightful stuffed dragons, so he didn't mind at all.

With Aethan's birth, the courtiers who frequented the Red Keep were forced to hold their tongue more than they ever had for Jace and his brunette brothers. For Aethan was a true born Prince of the crown, as well as being Jace's own heir to the throne. Aethan held a great deal of Valyrian blood, and with the Rogue Prince...now made King Consort being the boy's grandfather, it would be most foolish of any Lord to gain dragon Queen or King's ire by insulting their darling boy.

Aethan as a toddler could be seen accompanying many of his family members to different events and duties throughout the day. He'd sit upon his grandpapa's lap for hearings and petitions, he'd sit by his grandmama's side as well as his father's side during council meetings, doing his best to pay attention as he was the next heir after his father...though at such a tender age he most certainly was not paying attention.

He learned Valyrian quite easily from his maesters, as well as, mostly from his parents and grandparents. His mama sat with him often to go over his pronunciation, and his papa regaled him with myths and tales of The Flames in Valyrian to further help his understanding.

Aethan would sit and read with his uncle Aegon, though more often than not he'd remind his uncle that he'd skipped a page or misread a word. With his younger uncles Aeggie and Vis and his cousin Jaehaerys, the boys sought to teach their new little family member how to fight and play their favourite game Conquerors.

And when Jaehaera hoped to snag him away for tea dates, he'd be sure to sweetly invite his aunt Helaena for he always thought she'd enjoy having tea with them...even if some days it was just imaginary. He often enjoyed her sweet presence and attention.

As a result, as a young child, Aethan enjoyed a great many things. He'd learned the ways of his eccentric family and found that he loved them all for various reasons (even his step-grandmother Alicent had been a pleasant force in his upbringing. I never mention her, but I think she's nice to the next gen of little Targs...not Otto tho...Otto scares the kiddos). Aethan was an incredibly bright child, he loved to learn, loved myths, history and philosophy. He loved to read, but more often than not he'd rather read with the members of his family who had the patience for it, his papa or his Queenly grandmama most namely. But he loved to receive his bedtime stories from his grandpapa most of all, for Daemon's retelling of his battle at the Stepstones was the most enthralling tale no matter how many times Aethan heard it.

On the other side of things, Aethan had found so many activities to occupy his time within because of another reason. His dragon egg had never hatched, gifted to him by his grandparents, an egg from the great Syrax and Caraxes, had unfortunately remained cold and dormant.

It wouldn't be until Aethan's 6th nameday. By then, Rhaenyra as Queen had decided to re-initiate a Targaryen custom that her own father had neglected to continue with. And this was the custom of teaching and creating strong bonds with the next Targaryen generation. In the days when Viserys, Daemon and Rhaenys were young children, they used to frequent Dragonstone. Stay for days there maybe even frequent visiting moons, learning together, training together, bonding with one another. There'd be no room for petty strife or parental squabbles infecting their ideas of how they felt for one another. As opposed to the generation of Rhaenyra's, Daemon's, Alicent's children who had grown away from one another and grew to create rifts and strained relations.

So starting at the age of 6, Aethan would frequent Dragonstone more often. To bond with his cousins there, (by that point Vaella would be 4yrs old, and the twins, Daemion and Aelyx would be 2yrs old) as well as being able to see his beloved aunt and uncle as well. It was during one of these visits to Dragonstone, that Aethan at the tender age of 6, had managed to claim the great King of the Dragons, Vermithor.

As time went on, Aethan grew to become a most well rounded Prince. During his stays at Dragonstone he happily trained extensively with his uncle Aemond, relishing in the way that his uncle did not hold back/baby him (as Aethan sometimes felt his own father did, though I'm sure that was just because Jace didn't want to hurt his own kid 😂😂). During these training sessions, Aethan often went head to head with Vaella as well, see Vaella...she was his number one competitor in EVERYTHING. It started when they were little, training hard against one another, an ever growing competition of who could out do who. Once they both had claimed dragons, frequent dragon races were held almost daily as well. This competitive spirit followed them everywhere, whose studies were superior, who knew their family history the best, whose Valyrian was more accurate, whose written word was clearer. They were a terror running wild in the island towns.

Rhaena often worried that the children were competing too much, but Aemond often found it more amusing than not, assuring his wife that the competition was healthy enough. It wasn't a violent hatred, it was a natural sportsmanship, something that was motivating both kids to strive to do better than the other. This behaviour followed them back to King's Landing as well, for the many frequent visits Rhaena and Aemond had there, where they brought their children with them. The rest of the children all happily bonded and played with their cousins and uncles, while Vaella and Aethan were always going at one another.

Whether it was 4yr old Vaella biting 6yr old Aethan's arm because he dared to take the last custard tart, or 9yr old Aethan pushing 7yr old Vaella too hard when she insulted his brown hair and called him "only part Targaryen!"

The day a ten year old Vaella had defeated in a 12yr old Aethan during one sparring match, she'd inadvertently given him a black eye with the blunt handle end of her practice sword. It wasn't a terribly permanent wound, so while Baela may have wanted to be upset, but she loved her niece far too much to actually lecture the girl on the brutality needed for a sparring match. Instead she had turned to her sister, and laughed "you do realize you've simply birthed a mini version of Aemond, yes?" Rhaena had found herself laughing, because she'd always thought the same.

Besides it all, Aethan had taken the wound like a champ, neither crying or acting viciously in retaliation, instead he just stormed back to the castle...where Vaella quickly followed suit screaming apologies with added advice, "you should've dodged left! I told you, your movement was too predictable! But I am sorry, cousin!"

As a young man, Aethan had become quite the stunner. He'd filled out rather handsomely, truly taking after his father and his grandfather. His shoulders had widened, his arms and body toned with strong muscle, and his height had shot up immensely just slightly surpassing his father's 6ft in height, now reaching 6'1 or possibly even 6'2 (more on par with Aemond's height).

Aethan was a most accomplished fighter, having competed in several tourneys, and having won more than half of them by age 18. His bond with Vermithor was strong and well taken care of, as he flew with his mount as often as he could. Often going on trips with his beast either to the free cities to bring his mother, grandmother, aunts, sisters or cousins some lovely gifts. Or over to the North as he'd become great friends with Rickon Stark, Lord Cregan's eldest son (a kind of mirror to how Jace and Cregan are meant to be besties!). They'd often go hunting together, train together, drink and tell tales (he even had grown to see Cregan as another sort of uncle-type figure.)

With the amount of time Aethan spent in the North, it was largely rumoured that he'd most likely marry a Northern girl (something his mother and grandfather were adamantly against, they definitely wanted him to marry Valyrian). But if anyone was paying attention...and Rhaenyra always was, Aethan's eyes had only ever been set on one girl. The only girl in their family that he couldn't ever stop mentioning even when she had returned home was safely away from him. He'd say he hated the bickering, hated the fighting, loathed her competitive and brutish nature. But it was clear to his grandmother, that Aethan was never more alive, burning with true dragon's fire, than when he was in the company of his cousin Vaella Targaryen.

Romantically, Aethan was very fluid. He was a crown Prince, thought to be both handsome and beautiful, with something hypnotically captivating in the contrast of his Valyrian eyes and dark brown hair. Many Ladies of the land had set their cap for him, hoping to be the one he'd choose as his bride...hoping to be his future Queen come the day he became King.

And by this point, Aethan securely taken after his father and uncle Aemond, in the way that he deeply cared about his duties. He sat in many council meetings, stood by for all hearings, petitions and decrees. So the thought of his future and his future wife was not a thought he was neglected. He knew he needed start thinking of ensuring his own line. Whether his marriage would be a match of political alliances or one based on Valyrian purity.

Aethan had bedded both men and women in his time, for attraction to him went beyond the bounds of simple gender norms. But deep within himself, he certainly knew the feelings he had for Vaella that were unmatched by anything else. By the time Vaella had turned 18, she was officially of age for marriage proposals, and as he'd heard it, she'd already been receiving several since she was 16yrs of age.

But Aethan knew Vaella better than anyone, she'd never been fond of the idea of marriage. At least not to the men who had offered themselves to her. She had too much of her father within her, she needed volatility. If she was to marry, she wanted a warrior. She wanted someone capable of defeating her, not just with blunt strength, but with real skill. So when she made the request to their grandparents, a tourney for her hand, but the winner must defeat her single combat.

Well...Aethan wasn't beyond throwing his hat in the ring. Conversations of his own possible betrothals ranged from Lannister girls to Baratheons, to Starks...and certainly talk of Vaella becoming his wife had been mentioned. Contention was drawn as Vaella was his uncle Aemond's eldest, and in Queen Rhaenyra's reign, she hoped to instill that the eldest child, male or female, would be the heir to any seat especially in their family. That would make Vaella the next Princess of Dragonstone...but that would only hold, if Vaella chose to marry a second son...a man who stood to inherit nothing.

Whereas...more likely than not, she would marry a man who stood to inherit something more. Aethan's parents had hoped that maybe Vaella would rather be Queen one day...by Aethan's side. It was a possibility that had given his heart a great sense of warmth, the idea of having his beautiful cousin standing by his side, as his wife, as his Queen.

And as the idea had been mentioned to his aunt and uncle, his aunt Rhaena was not against the match, ever the sweet woman he knew her to be, she was in fact all for it so long as her daughter was interested in making it so. While his uncle teetered on the idea of having to give his daughter up as his own heir...but certainly loved and trusted his nephew as the best viable option, as he was respected and Valyrian...and surely Aemond enjoyed the idea of his daughter one day becoming the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. (Aemond's gotta have a nice little think about it all 😂😂 that's his precious little baby girl to him still.)

Either way, once Vaella returned to King's Landing for the tourney, Aethan decided to join the tourney. A fact that truly angered Vaella when she'd heard that he had. It was during this time that Aethan truly began to see his cousin in this new light, a light he never dared to view her in before. Acknowledging that their bickering and back and forth actually was something that entertained him greatly, it amused him, aroused him. He'd always lived to annoy his cousin, but now he was drawing even more from every interaction they had. Every round of the tourney that he succeeded to move past, Vaella only argued more with him, pulling him into close dark rooms to claim he was only "jesting, wasting her efforts to actually prove a point, to prove herself, to find a truly suitable person-".

That argument had ended with a rough kiss, and with their volatile nature with one another, almost every one of their outburst arguments started leading towards more and more aggressive kisses, grinding, and sexual encounters.

By the time Aethan reached the end of the tourney, he'd beat out every major Lord/house, collected no more than a few minor flesh wounds. And when he finally faced off against the one woman he wanted most of all, he knew better than to go easy on her, she'd never accept the outcome if he did. It was said to be a most spectacular match, as Princess Vaella Targaryen was a beast unleashed with her blade in her hand. But as Aethan knew best, Vaella always fought viciously when she was emotional...but in that state she also left room for very slight minuscule mistakes. Mistakes Aethan knew how to spot and capitalized on, and used to defeat her.

He pinned her twice, once she held her blade at an equally vital spot...but she would not yield. So he separated from her, and worked his way to knocking her sword from her hand, before pinning her again. His true dragon unleashed, he was grinning ferociously when he pinned her down for the second time. To the sound of screaming cheers from nobles and commoners alike viewing in the crowd, Aethan cared for none of it, he just needed to hear her say the words, that she yielded...and that she'd finally accept his offer for his hand.

And she did.

❃ ❃ ❃

Funnily enough, back when I first wrote Vaella's character bio I had no idea what my plan was for her future or for her love interest(s). But once I started thinking about Aethan and Jacaela's other babies and Lucenaera's babies, and I started drawing the lines between who'd end up with who. Aethan seemed like such a fun perfect character to match Vaella with!

Plus I find that the parallel throughline between Vaella and Aethan here feels like it really draws back to the core of Rhaemond in this universe! Like the base relationship isn't starting with real hatred or them being actual enemies, but there is an enemies to lovers element to them, and the bickering and competitive nature between seems super fun to me.

There's also technically a 3rd party to this relationship, a character I decided not to mention here. He will be introduced in this story and then he'll be more important in the sequel story when I focus on adult Vaella. There, I think, eventually with the three of them their relationship will result in becoming more of a throuple than just a straight linear marriage (though Vaella and Aethan's marriage will still be the core.)

Sidenote: when I do make Part 3 of this series, don't mind me if some of these details change when I do get to writing it. These are just my main initial thoughts for these characters now. But once I go into more depth with them, things might alter just a tad!

❃ ❃ ❃

Jacaela kids in order:

Aethan Velaryon (133 AC), baby #2 (137 AC), baby #3 & #4 (142 AC)

Rhaemond kids in order:

Vaella Targaryen (135 AC), Daemion Targaryen & Aelyx Targaryen (137 AC), Valaena Targaryen (138 AC), Naerys Targaryen (139 AC), baby #6 & #7 (142 AC), baby #8 & #9 (153 AC)

#aemond x rhaena #rhaena x aemond #rhaemond #baela x jace #jace x baela #jacaela #rhaemond babies #rhaemond kids #jacaela babies #jacaela kids #he saw her at daybreak #hshad #hotd fic #hotd fanfic

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