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Rating:
Mature
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Categories:
F/FF/MM/MMulti
Fandoms:
House of the Dragon (TV)A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. MartinA Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Relationships:
Alicent Hightower/Daemon TargaryenViserys I Targaryen/Laena Velaryon (Daughter of Corlys)Corlys "The Sea Snake" Velaryon/Rhaenys Targaryen VelaryonRhaenyra Targaryen/Laenor VelaryonHarwin Strong/Rhaenyra TargaryenAegon II Targaryen/Helaena TargaryenAlys Rivers of House Strong/Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen
Characters:
Daemon TargaryenViserys I TargaryenAlicent HightowerOtto HightowerRhaenyra TargaryenAegon II TargaryenAemond "One-Eye" TargaryenHelaena TargaryenDaeron Targaryen (Son of Viserys I)Baela TargaryenRhaena Targaryen (Daughter of Daemon)Jacaerys VelaryonLucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra)Jaehaerys Targaryen (Son of Aegon II)Jaehaera TargaryenMaelor TargaryenLaenor VelaryonLaena Velaryon (Daughter of Corlys)Addam VelaryonAlyn VelaryonCregan StarkJeyne ArrynAegon III TargaryenViserys II TargaryenBorros BaratheonMysaria | Lady Misery (A Song of Ice and Fire)Larys StrongAlys Rivers of House StrongJason LannisterTyland LannisterCorlys "The Sea Snake" VelaryonRhaenys Targaryen VelaryonVhagar | Visenya Targaryen's DragonCannibal the Wild Dragon (A Song of Ice and Fire)Dreamfyre | Helaena Targaryen's DragonVermithor | Jaehaerys I Targaryen's DragonSilverwing | Alysanne Targaryen's DragonSheepstealer | Nettles's Dragon (A Song of Ice and Fire)Caraxes | Daemon Targaryen's DragonMeleys | Rhaenys Targaryen Velaryon's DragonSeasmoke | Addam Velaryon's DragonSyrax | Rhaenyra Targaryen's DragonSunfyre | Aegon II Targaryen's DragonTessarion | Daeron Targaryen's DragonVermax | Jacaerys Velaryon's DragonArrax | Lucerys Velaryon's DragonTyraxes | Joffrey Velaryon's DragonMoondancer | Baela Targaryen's DragonStormcloud | Aegon III Targaryen's Dragon
Additional Tags:
The Dance of the Dragons | Aegon II Targaryen v. Rhaenyra Targaryen EraCanon-Typical ViolenceAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceCanonical Character DeathKing Daemon TargaryenImplied/Referenced Underage SexAegon II Targaryen is Not a RapistTargcest | Targaryen Incest (A Song of Ice and Fire)Daemon Targaryen is Bad at FeelingsNo SmutAlternate Dance of the Dragons | War for Succession Happens Between Different Factions (ASoIaF)SuicideDaemon Targaryen is the father of the Green Targaryens
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of The Red King Universe Next Work →
Stats:
Published:2022-11-08Completed:2026-03-29Words:1,090,187Chapters:140/140Comments:3,740Kudos:8,011Bookmarks:808Hits:428,895
The Red King
VAZero
Chapter 2: Daemon I
Summary:
Daemon is still dealing with everything that happened on the council and trys to play with what he have.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
---
DAEMON I
---
105 AC
---
Daemon Targaryen doesn't know what to feel.
He should be happy. The marriage he hated for a long time would be declared null and he would be freed from the bronze bitch.
However, his dear brother decided to take him out of the trap settled by their grandmother just to trap him into one of his own.
Alicent Hightower.
His brother decided that it would be a great idea to marry his only brother to the daughter of the Hand.
Otto Hightower is a man that Daemon hates with all his guts because of one simple reason.
They are too similar.
Otto Hightower is a second son, who only gets further and further from the succession of his house. Just like Daemon himself.
Since Prince Aemon died and his father, Prince Baelon, became the heir to the throne over Rhaenys, Daemon dreamed of sitting on the Iron Throne as a mighty king. Ambition defines a second son. And both him and Otto have a lot of it.
Daemon desired to be king and Otto desired his blood on the throne. Two men who want the same thing can only hate each other, like two predators fighting to decide who eats the prey.
And of course, both of them are trying to sway Viserys to gain power and go against the other.
But, Daemon is a proud member of House Targaryen. Rider of Caraxes, the Blood Wyrm. Wielder of Dark Sister, the sword of Queen Visenya Targaryen. He will not let the Hightower make a fool of him or his brother.
The Rogue Prince walks through the hallways of The Red Keep at a fast pace, searching for an old friend of his. After a short period of time, Daemon finally lands his eyes on Corlys Velaryon, who is talking to a minor lord that he can't remember the name of.
He gets closer to them with slightly louder steps and a frown. Corlys hears it and turns around to look at Daemon before looking back to the man he was talking to, whispering something. The man quickly looks at Daemon and then walks off with a short bow. Corlys turns to the Targaryen, giving off a short smile.
"Daemon. Having a good day?" The Sea Snake asks, almost with fun. Daemon smirks.
"Cut the crap, Corlys. You convinced Viserys on all of that, didn't you? Do you want to control my life as well now?" The Rogue Prince asks in a low tone filled with irritation. Corlys keeps his chin high, almost challenging Daemon.
"I did not convince the king of that. I only mentioned that you could use a better marriage and the fact that you never consumed it. Otto is probably behind it." The Sea Snake declares. Daemon let out a bitter laugh.
"Otto? Impossible. We hate each other. You could see that on his face. I would be happy with his frustration if I did not feel the same way about this madness." The prince proclaims in a bitter tone. Corlys look intrigued.
"Well, his daughter has been visiting the king often. Maybe he wanted her to seduce Viserys and convince him to wed her." The Lord of the Tides says. Daemon sighs.
"I could see that being done on almost every man, but not my brother. Viserys is too soft, but he would not be convinced to marry a girl because of a pair of teats or a good ride. No. She probably was trying to get to his heart with the sweet words he wants to hear so much. I am glad that it did not work, but I am now stuck with her in my brother's place." The prince says, grunting by the end. Corlys crosses his arms.
"Well, look at that on the good side. The girl is pretty. More than Rhea Royce, at least. And she is humble as well. Easy to deal with." The Sea Snake reflects in a calm tone. Daemon snaps his tongue.
"The thought of diluting my blood is disgusting. In a perfect world, I would have an older sister Visenya instead of Viserys. I would marry her, produce pure blood Targaryens and become a king." The prince proclaims in a bitter tone, putting out his most childish dream. Corlys laughs.
"Ah, Targaryens and incest. It makes me glad that House Velaryon was not a family of dragonlords in Valyria." Say the Sea Snake, looking through the large and close window who gets out to the castle yard. Daemon laughs a bit now.
"Your house only got access to dragons recently. You will see that it is necessary. My ancestors used to say that pure blood makes hatching and taming dragons easier. It is also not good to create your own competition when you marry a dragonrider daughter to a man out of the family. Valyria could not keep a monarchy because of forty fucking families with dragons." Proclaimed the Rogue Prince. Corlys nods.
"I guess you are right. So, will you bed Lady Alicent Hightower or not?" The Sea Snake asks, seemingly losing some of his patience. Daemon looks out the window, thinking.
"I will have to. Viserys will basically force me to. Well, at least I can be happy that Otto will be trying to sleep while I fuck his daughter." The prince declares with a malicious smile on his face. Corlys laughs once more.
"That is one way to put it. Well, I can only wish you luck with that. Make a child in her soon. The more time the Triarchy rules over Stepstones, the more wealth I lose." The Lord of the Tides proclaims in a sudden serious tone. Daemon also creates a stern look.
"I want it more than anyone. My urge of war is killing me. I am a warrior, not a stout lord that lives for feasts. And with that position proposal, I am more eager than ever. I just hope that Otto has at least raised a fertile daughter and that my children don't look like him. It would be a tragedy worse than the burn of Harrenhal." The prince proclaims in disgust by the end. Corlys grunts and nods.
"Indeed. Well, it is always nice to talk to you, Daemon, but I have things to do. Have a good day." The Sea Snake proclaims in a calm tone. The two men trade nods before splitting their ways.
Daemon walks through more of the hallways, but when he turns around, he bumps his shoulder on someone that he did not want to see now.
"Otto." The discontent prince says in a dry tone. The Hand looks at him with the same lack of emotion.
"Prince Daemon. Looks like you are in a hurry." The Ser points out. Daemon grunts.
"Because I am. I want to talk about going out and taking Caraxes for a ride. Any problem with that?" The prince asks in a slightly aggressive tone. Ser Otto raises his hands before getting closer.
"I am not here to discuss with you, Daemon. We need to talk. Just not now. Not here. See me tonight in my office. We have things to talk about." The Hand asks, walking out before Daemon can answer. Daemon smirks in disgust and continues to walk.
He doesn't walk much before a small figure comes at him. But that one brings a short smile to his face. The small girl of silver hair walks to him with a large smile of pure bliss.
"Uncle! Are you going to the Dragonpit?" Princess Rhaenyra asks, getting close to Daemon. The prince laughs and bends to a knee to get to her height.
"Skoriot iksis aōha Valyrīha, dārilaros? (Where is your Valyrian, princess?)" The Rogue Prince asks in High Valyrian. Rhaenyra's eyes get wide.
"Vaoreznuni. Issi ao jāre naejot ūndegon se zaldrīzoti? (Sorry. Are you going to see the dragons?)" The princess asks back. Daemon smiles once again and nods. He then looks at her necklace.
"Iksan biare bona ao gaomagon skoros nyke tepagon naejot ao. (I am happy that you use what I give to you.)" The Prince says before getting up. The princess nods with a giggle.
"Well, you want to go see the dragons with your dear uncle, princess?" The Rogue Prince asks in the common tongue, offering his hand to her. Rhaenyra eagerly takes his hand. Daemon laughs.
"Did you know that the Red Keep has a lot of hidden passages?" The prince asks. Rhaenyra nods.
"Yes. But I never found one." The princess says in a lower tone. Daemon smirks.
"Well, I will show one to you. Don't tell your father about that, alright?" The prince asks. Rhaenyra nods eagerly.
Daemon takes the princess by the hand and guides her through the hallways until he gets to a specific picture of a robust man with a stern look and a sword. Rhaenyra looks at the painting with curiosity, noticing the ruby crown on the man's head.
"Is that a king?" The princess asks. Daemon slowly nods.
"Yes. King Maegor the cruel. He was a bad person, but an exceptional warrior. He was the person who demanded the creation of the hidden passages. Including one to the future Dragonpit that he did not conclude. And that one is right here." The prince says before getting closer to a pillar by the side of the painting.
He pulls the pillar and it opens in half like a door, but only to a short angle. Rhaenyra looks really surprised with that. Daemon looks at her with a smirk.
"Let's go." The prince says before pulling her to the dark inside of the passage.
After he closes the passage, it is all dark inside. As a little kid, Rhaenyra starts to get nervous and hold tight to Daemon.
"Relax and follow me." The prince says before taking her by the hand and inside the passage.
Besides the darkness, eventual spider webs and the rough solo, the passage is not that bad in the end. Daemon laughs during the walk.
"I remember when my father took me here when I was a kid. He said he and Aemon found it by accident when they were kids and they use it sometimes to go see dragons in the Dragonpit." The prince reveals. Rhaenyra let out a childish laugh.
After an extensive walk, they finally get out of the passage through a wall. The place outside is dark, but there are some torches in the wall. Rhaenyra looks around.
"Where are we?" The princess asks, curious. Daemon walks towards a torch and takes it before looking at her.
"The dragonpit. In a deeper part of it. Let me show you." The prince says before making a loud whistle.
A potent dragon roar echoes through the walls and makes the ground shake, clearly near. Daemon laughs while Rhaenyra looks a bit astonished.
"Caraxes are always too full of energy. Come on." The prince calls. Rhaenyra follows him through the chamber.
They soon get into a more open area with a lot of high and dark caves only illuminated by some torches.
They walk until a certain cave that Rhaenyra knew very well.
"Syrax!" The princess shouts, running towards her yellow dragon. Syrax lowers her head when she sees Rhaenyra, letting out a soft grunt and a warm snort. Rhaenyra hugs her head and laughs. Daemon looks at the scene with interest before getting to business.
The Rogue Prince walks towards Syrax, who grunts toward him, but is calmed by Rhaenyra. Daemon walks to her chains and starts undoing each one of them.
After Syrax is freed from her chains, she grunts and prepares to walk.
Rhaenyra tries to get in the saddle, but it is difficult because of her size. Daemon helps her sit on it before locking her legs in the saddle. Then, he smiles at his niece.
"Wait for my whistle." The prince says. Rhaenyra firmly nods. Daemon laughs and walks out from that cave, going towards the one he knows the most.
With just a minute of walking through the tunnels, he finally reaches the one he wanted.
Caraxes moves his long neck around and lets out a short grunt when he finally sees Daemon coming to him after the whistle he heard. The prince laughs.
"Emi iā dārilaros naejot gūrogon hen syt iā sōvegon, ñuha raqiros. (We have a princess to take out for a fly, my friend.)" The prince says while laying his hand on the snout of Caraxes, who let out a snort of hot air.
Daemon quickly takes out the chains and gets on top of Caraxes, locking himself on the saddle like he did to Rhaenyra. He then takes the reins.
"Jikagon. (Go.)" The prince says. Caraxes let out a roar before turning around and moving towards the opposite entrance of his cave.
The huge door is locked and guarded by Dragonkeepers on the outside.
"Open the gates!" The prince exclaims. The keepers quickly move out and the door slowly gets up. While the door opens, he lets out a whistle for Rhaenyra.
Caraxes move his serpentine body to the outside, getting his desired space, letting out a hiss.
Without other command, Caraxes flap his wings and get to the sky, letting out a roar in the process.
Daemon smiles when the wind hits his face. Flying with Caraxes is his favorite hobby. It always makes him feel powerful and free, like he is or at least want to be.
Caraxes get higher and higher in the sky and soon Daemon can see the whole King's Landing from above, with the clouds by his side. The orange light of the sunset illuminates the horizon.
Daemon turns his head when he hears a roar of a dragon getting closer. Rhaenyra and Syrax follow them into the sky.
Syrax has only half the size of Caraxes, but her lack of size makes her compensate for that in flight speed. But, the unique body of Caraxes allows him to be much faster than a normal dragon of his size. Because of that, they are almost the same in speed.Daemon smirks and pulls the reins. Caraxes let out a roar while he dives in the air, picking up speed. Syrax follows him.
The two dragons dive into Blackwater Bay, flying just above the water.
Daemon smirks to himself, curious to see how well his niece can handle her dragon. Caraxes roar before flying towards the docks.
Caraxes dodge the ships by mere inches, slightly moving them with the strong wind he creates.
After they cross the boats and fly higher once again, Daemon looks back.
Instead of doing the same, Rhaenyra pulls her reins and Syrax flies above the ships.
Daemon smirks and then decides to fly to the Red Keep. Syrax is soon followed by Caraxes.
The two dragons fly around the castle, getting closer to the ground. Daemon then sees Viserys and some of his kingsguard on the yard, looking at the two dragons.
Daemon let out a grunt. He will get scolded by his brother now, for sure. But he is a man. He will not run away from that.
Caraxes and Syrax soon land on the large and open yard of the Red Keep. Daemon quickly gets out of Caraxes just when Viserys and Lord Commander Harrold Westerling get closer to him. Other guards go to Rhaenyra to help take her out of Syrax.
"Daemon! How many times have I said that you can't just take my daughter with you whenever you want? You need to understand your limits!" The kings proclaims, frustrated. Daemon open a side smile.
"I am sorry brother, but the princess really wanted to fly with her dragon. What kind of uncle would I be if I can't spoil my niece?" The prince asks while Rhaenyra walks to them, embarrassed. Viserys calms down and sighs. He then looks at his daughter.
"Rhaenyra, go take a bath. I need to talk to your uncle." The king says in a soft tone. Rhaenyra looks concerned.
"What about Syrax, kepa?" The princess asks. Viserys looks to Daemon, who sighs before looking to Caraxes.
"Jikagon arlī naejot se ripo se gūrogon Syrax lēda ao. (Go back to the pit and take Syrax with you.)" The prince says to his dragon. Caraxes let out a grunt before everyone got away from him, with Viserys taking Rhaenyra by the hand.
Caraxes hiss to Syrax before taking the sky once again. The she-dragon soon follows. Both dragons go towards the Dragonpit.
A guard takes Rhaenyra to the inside of the Red Keep while Viserys turns to Daemon.
"You need to go talk to Lady Alicent. Both of you need to get along well for the sake of the marriage." The king proclaims. Daemon smirks.
"We will have plenty of time after we get married. Until then, I want to take advantage of my freedom." The prince says. Viserys let out a grunt.
"I am not making a suggestion. You will have dinner with her today. Only the two of you." The king commands. Daemon frowns.
"You think I am a dog that you can boss around, brother?" The prince asks, getting closer only to be stopped by the guards. Viserys also frowns.
"No. You are both my brother and my vassal. As your brother, I want the best for you. I want you to have a good wife and I think Lady Alicent can be that wife. And as your king, I want the best for the realm. I am done with the rivalry between you and Otto. Now, get to your room and take a bath. Lady Alicent will be in the private dining room soon." The king proclaims in a direct tone, leaving no space for discussion.
Daemon grunts before walking towards the Red Keep.
He can't deny that he is curious to see what that girl has to offer.
---
After a long bath to try to wash away his stress, Daemon wears an elegant but simple black cloth with the sigil of his house on the left side of his chest.
He walks to the private dining room, just to be surprised by the two guards standing in front of the door.
They are here to hear, not to protect. It is clear that Viserys is completely paranoid right now. The guards open the door for Daemon, who walks inside with firm steps.
Lady Alicent is sitting on the table on the opposite side of the door. She wears an expensive and well made green dress that is still simple. But Daemon also saw that the dress was pressed tight against her body to bring more attention to her figure. Probably an idea of Otto, who is trying to make things work, at least.
Alicent looks nervous, moving her fingers against each other. Daemon knows that the girl is shy in front of men. The very definition of a maiden .
The prince could bet his cock that she has never even kissed a man in her life. Well, at least his new toy is not used. Daemon forces a short smile and keeps walking forward.
"Good night, Lady Alicent. I hope that I did not keep you waiting for too long." The prince proclaims. Alicent tries to fix her posture and create some courage to break her silence.
"N-No, my prince. I have been here for just a few minutes. Why don't you have a seat?" The lady asks in a well composed manner. Daemon smirks and takes his seat on the five feet long table.
The table is full of all kinds of food. Meat, grains, wine and other things. The two of them get their food on their plates and start eating.
The silence reigns there for a minute until Daemon decides to break it off.
"So, how old are you?" The prince asks, trying to pull something to talk. Alicent swallows her wine before she can talk.
"I am seven-and-ten, my prince." The maiden says in a low tone of voice. Daemon cuts his pork with his knife.
"Seven-and-ten? You are a grown woman already. Good to know. Viserys married Aemma when she was only eleven. She gave birth to Rhaenyra when she was five-and-ten and never truly recovered from it." The prince says, taking some pork to his mouth with the fork. Alicent nods slowly.
"Queen Aemma was a good woman. She was only six years older than me. Dying at three-and-twenty is... horrible." She proclaims with a sad tone. Daemon nods back after taking a sip of his wine.
"Aemma was younger than me. I should have married her while Viserys married Rhaenys. It would have worked out better." The prince proclaims in a straight tone. Alicent takes a deep breath.
"I guess so, but the king loved his queen. Nobody can deny that." Alicent says with honesty. Daemon lets out a grunt.
"He did, for sure. But sometimes love can pay a huge toll on you. My father, Baelon the brave, loved my mother. After she died giving birth to my brother Aegon, he changed. He became only a ghost of his former self. He never married again because he did not want to substitute his beloved sister-wife Alyssa with another woman, not even his other sister, Viserra." The prince explains, looking at his wine in contemplation. Alicent nods.
The silence comes back once again.
"Otto told you to wear that dress." The prince proclaims in a firm tone, not making any questions. Alicent shrinks on her seat.
"Well... yes. He said you would prefer that I wore something better to look at. He wants this to work out, my prince." The lady says, confident. Daemon laughs.
"Alicent the innocent. What a rhyme. You think of your father like a child does. You refuse to look at the truth beneath his manners, I can see." The rogue prince proclaimed before drinking more wine. Alicent frowns.
"I know that you and my father don't have a good relationship, but I swear that my father is a good man at heart. And I am not oblivious. You know, he told me a lot of things about you, but I am trying to see if they are true first." The lady proclaims in a direct manner. Daemon is intrigued.
"And what are your first impressions?"
"That is for me to know, my prince."
Daemon laughs before taking his cup to his mouth.
"You are more interesting than I expected. Let's cut the crap. Stop saying 'my prince', it is annoying." The rogue prince proclaimed. Alicent nods slowly.
"If you wish. So, should I just call you Daemon?" The lady in green asks. Daemon open short smile.
"Yes. You should. Let me ask something, Alicent. Is your father happy with how things turned out to happen?"
"No."
"Oh. Direct. I like that. So, tell me, are you happy with a marriage with the infamous Rogue Prince?"
"I don't know. How can I know that if I don't know you much yet?"
"I see. Well, we will get to know each other very well, very soon. Do you know how to dance, Alicent?" The rogue prince asks. Alicent looks surprised.
"Of course I do. My mother taught me before she died. But there is no music here." The lady explains. Daemon smirks.
"I don't care. I just want to see what you can do with those feet of yours." The prince says before getting up and walking to her, offering his hand. Alicent is confused but accepts his hand and gets up.
Daemon places a hand on her waist and holds one of her hands before starting dancing around. He looks at her, who doesn't look back as they dance at a slow pace.
"Look at me while we dance." The prince commands. Alicent looks at him with hesitation, like a prey looking in the eyes of her predator. She slowly gets more comfortable. Just a little.
"I never imagined that you were interested in dancing."
"I am not. I am testing you with it." The prince proclaimed in a plain tone. Alicent looks at him with surprise.
"Testing? What kind of test?"
"That is for me to know, my lady." The prince says with a smirk. Alicent blushes with that and gets back to being silent, but keeping eye contact.
Daemon picks up the pace and Alicent is able to keep it going, still thoughtful. Daemon smirks once again.
"You are very good, I have to say. Most girls of your age can't keep up with that pace. My feet know the sole of feminine shoes better than most."
"I am sorry if that sounds pretentious, but I am not like most women of my age." Alicent proclaims with confidence. Daemon laughs honestly this time.
"I will have to agree with you once again."
Daemon continues with the fast pace, moving Alicent around to see how much she can take on the pace.
Soon, he gets tired of doing so and the dance loses the pace, going back to a slower one, both a bit sweaty. Alicent opens a short smile.
"Looks like someone lost the pace, huh?" The lady says, panting. Daemon laughs between his teeth.
"You can't say that when you are struggling for air, Hightower." The prince says in a mockery tone. The two of them laugh. Daemon ends his smile.
"I did not expect to actually have some fun out of that dinner. I feel like a child and a fool at the same time, dancing around with a teenager in a dinner chamber without any music. Not fitting for the Rogue Prince, I guess." The prince proclaims in a serious tone. Alicent keeps a bit of her smile.
"Well, you are four-and-twenty. That is not old at all. Everyone has an inner child, I guess." The lady in green says. Daemon looks her in the eye, getting his face closer to hers. Alicent stops smiling and gets nervous once again.
"Well, let me do something less childish." The prince says before leaning in to kiss her. Alicent reacts by turning her face to the side, making Daemon kiss only her chick. She trembles under him. Daemon laughs before taking his mouth near her ear.
"Come on, Alicent. It is just an innocent kiss. You are my bride, after all. I will get it eventually. Who cares if it is sooner or later?" The prince says in a low tone before kissing her ear. Alicent trembles once again and she loses resistance.
When Daemon kisses her cheek once again, going towards her lips, Alicent pushes him back before nervously running out of the chamber.
After the door is closed once again, Daemon is left behind with a smirk.
She has more wits than he expected, which is a good thing. He hates uninteresting women. He raises his chin before getting out of the dining room.
It is time for him to visit his future good-father.
---
Daemon took a while to find it, but he soon managed to find the office of Otto Hightower. He doesn't care about knocking first, he just opens the door immediately. Otto is here, writing something on his desk. He looks up, irritated.
"Don't you know any manners, Daemon?" The Hand asks, frustrated. Daemon quickly closes the door before looking at Otto with a frown.
"Cut it. You told me to get here, what is it?" The prince asks, impatient. Otto makes a sign for him to sit. Daemon grunts, but he seats.
"I wanted to discuss the engagement, but I have a more important topic to talk about with you. The dinner. What the hell did you do to my daughter?" The Hand asks, almost not controlling his anger. Daemon smirks with pure fun while he relaxes on his seat.
"We just talked and played a little bit. Nothing harmful."
"Don't play with words with me, Daemon. Alicent told me that you tried to kiss her. Thrice."
"Well, I really wanted to kiss her ear on the second one. I did not miss the mark." The Rogue Prince says naturally. If a gaze in the world could kill, it would be the gaze of Ser Otto Hightower.
"Daemon, there is no problem if you and her just kiss, in practice. But, it needs to be consensual, got it? Never try to kiss my daughter against her will. Never. Got it?" The Hand proclaimed, his anger almost leaking out of his body. Daemon raises his hands.
"In my defence, she clearly craved my touch. And once she resisted, she got away. I never tried that hard, to be honest. You are just jealous that I might steal your daughter from your hands once I marry her, right, Otto?" The Prince asks in a soft but venomous tone. Otto's face starts turning red.
"Hold your tongue! I am the Hand of the King and I shall be respected as such. And my daughter will never be a puppet of a rogue like you! I raised her to be a great woman with a sharp mind." The Hand proclaims, getting up from his seat as he tries to control his temper . Daemon laughs and gets up a bit slower.
"Sadly, I don't care about any of your words, Hand. Only the truth matters. And the truth is that I will take your sweet little tower and turn it into a lair worthy of a dragon." The prince says in a mockery tone.
Before Otto can answer, someone appears at the door that Daemon left open. A messenger.
"My apologies for the intrusion, my lords, but I have been searching for prince Daemon. Your grace, King Viserys, is asking for you in the throne room, my prince." The messenger says and then bows before leaving. Daemon and Otto stand in silence before the first walks out without a word.
---
Daemon arrives in the throne room. His steps echo in the empty room. Viserys is sitting in the middle of the room, without his crown and looking to the throne. Daemon walks firmly towards him.
"Here we are. Same place. Same men. The day you named Rhaenyra your heir. I am here to be punished once again, brother?" The Rogue Prince asks, bitter. Viserys turns around and frowns.
"It depends. The guards told me about your dinner with Lady Alicent. You don't have any sense of decency, Daemon?" The king asks, frustrated. Daemon grunts.
"I was only testing the waters with her. And what difference does it make? She will be my wife in a few moons. Is that worse than going to a brothel to fuck a whore?" The Prince asks. Viserys sighs.
"Daemon, Lady Alicent is not a woman that you can seduce after your first talk. Take it slow at least. I want both of our marriages to be done as smoothly as possible. Do you understand?" The king asks. Daemon smirks a bit.
"I do, brother. I will... try to take a slower pace." The prince says with second intentions in mind. Viserys frowns with the emphasis on the word 'try'. He then sighs and looks back to the throne.
"I think that is the best I can take from you, in the end. At least your marriage will probably work out, right?" The king asks, uncertain. Daemon snorts while he walks towards his brother.
"Maybe. I have a positive opinion on her now, but I am still not sure of that. But I can at least make an effort during the bedding. The future will depend on the next few moons." The prince says, stopping by the side of Viserys, also looking at the throne.
They stay like that for a minute. Viserys looks at Daemon with the side of his eye, thinking. He then finally turns toward him.
"I have something to tell you, brother." The king says. Daemon looks at him, intrigued, but says nothing. Viserys takes a deep breath.
"After I was named Prince of Dragonstone, our grandfather, King Jaehaerys, told me something. He told me about a dream that Aegon the Conqueror had before the conquest. Aegon dreamed of a terrible winter. An undead enemy that will come from the far north to start a war against the living. That dream motivated Aegon to conquer Westeros, to unite them for that future war. That is a dream passed down from a king to his heir since then. King Aegon told King Aenys. King Aenys told Prince Aegon the Uncrowned and his wife, Queen Alyssa Velaryon. She told our grandfather and he told our grandmother, our uncle Aemond, then our father, and then he told me. Since then, I have shared it only with Aemma. And now, I am sharing it with you." The king proclaims in a thoughtful tone. Daemon looks surprised for a second before creating an angry look.
"Dreams didn't make us kings. Dragons did. You really want me to believe that a fucking dream caused all of that?" The Rogue Prince proclaims, skeptic. Viserys sighs.
"Daenys and Aegon. Daenys the Dreamer saved our house from the Doom of Valyria. Aegon the Conqueror gave us power over Westeros. It is all destiny, Daemon. A dream came true, why not the other?" Viserys says, confident in what comes out of his mouth. Daemon still looks doubtful.
"Why are you telling me now? I am not your heir anymore. Rhaenyra is." The Prince proclaims, still bitter. Viserys snorts.
"Rhaenyra is only eight. Too young for that. I am telling you because you will be the most powerful general in Westeros. She will need you by her side, as a powerful commander." The king proclaims with determination. Daemon looks at him with a serious expression.
"That dream was made over a century ago. You are too pretentious to think that will happen now. It might be two hundred years in the future!" The Rogue Prince says, angered. Viserys stood on his posture.
"It can happen tomorrow or a thousand years in the future. It doesn't matter. Westeros must not get weaker, Daemon. I trust you with that secret. I need you to help me to keep the realm strong for not only the Second Long Night but also all enemies we will come across in the future. I might not live long, too. More and more problems appear on my body with each day. I need you, Daemon. You will accept that mission, brother?" The king asks, hopeful. Daemon's expression gets more soft when he looks at his sad old brother. Daemon opens a true smile.
"I will do my best, brother." The prince promises. Viserys smiles and hugs his brother.
While hugging Viserys, Daemon can only think of one thing.
A strong realm under a strong ruler... Rhaenyra will never be one. It must be him;
And so, an ambition ignited in the Rogue Prince's heart.
An ambition that will paint everything in red.
---
Notes:
So, here is Chapter 2. I tried to play with Daemon on this one. He might feel a bit too soft here, but is just the Game of Thrones. You can't be true to yourself all the time.
Next chapter is... ALICENT I
I hope to see you all next time!
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