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Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Category:
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Fandoms:
House of the Dragon (TV)Warhammer Fantasy
Characters:
Ikit ClawRhaenyra TargaryenJacaerys VelaryonLucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra)Baela TargaryenRhaena Targaryen (Daughter of Daemon)Daemon TargaryenCorlys "The Sea Snake" VelaryonHelaena TargaryenAddam VelaryonBackground & Cameo CharactersSilverwing | Alysanne Targaryen's DragonOriginal CharactersJoffrey Velaryon
Additional Tags:
Crack Treated SeriouslyCanon-Typical ViolenceThe Dance of the Dragons | Aegon II Targaryen v. Rhaenyra Targaryen EraAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceCanonical Character DeathCharacter Turned Into a HumanIkit got isekai'd as Jace's twinSkaven Species (Warhammer Fantasy)Death to all GreensHuman ExperimentationScience ExperimentsIkit is his own warningSilverwing still has shit taste in male ridersPOV MultipleBackground RelationshipsBackground Character Deathshow canon onlyDragon RidersAnimal AbuseIkit is an abusive dragonriderTho he's fairly mellow compared to his SkavenselfGood Parent Rhaenyra TargaryenNo beta we die like LucerysDysfunctional FamilyCannibalismBlood and TortureCanon-Typical BehaviorBAMF Helaena Targaryen
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English
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Published:2026-02-26Completed:2026-04-22Words:181,492Chapters:55/55Comments:1,270Kudos:749Bookmarks:159Hits:33,636
The Rat Prince of Westeros
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 8: Daemon
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Daemon watched the night sky, eyes narrowed. It was cloudy, the full moon glowing behind the smoky layers. In the high distance he heard Vhagar's familiar roar, but it was not the low keening he had heard from the vast she-dragon after Laena's death. No, something more. Someone had been up to something, and he had a strong suspicion it wasn't Rhaena. Ah, of course he wouldn't be given a peaceful night with Rhaenyra, after so many years. He could almost hear Laena's jeering.
"What is it?" he heard Rhaenyra's sleepy murmur behind him, still in the weak shelter of the boat.
"Do you know where your sons are?" Daemon asked, in lieu of answering.
It was a flurry of activity after his cryptic comment, especially as they made it back to Driftmark and heard a fight had occurred between Rhaenyra's children, his own, and Prince Aemond. Daemon already had a fairly strong idea the meaning behind it, considering Vhagar's calls and her night flight.
Opportunistic brat. He could almost admire it.
Rhaenyra was in a near panic as she hurried ahead to where the aftermath was being dealt with, her time with him entirely forgotten as her motherly instincts took over. Even the king had been roused from his sleep for as they approached the doors of the Driftwood throne room, Daemon could already hear shouting going on within.
She burst through the doors, frantically looking about before catching sight of her three sons. Daemon followed at a more sedate pace, spotting his daughters who looked frazzled yet entirely uninjured. Rhaenyra's sons on the other hand, had various red stains upon them; Jacaerys had bloody scratches along the side of his temple but Lucerys's nose was clearly broken.
However it was Ikit, the odd second-born son of Rhaenyra, that caught Daemon's eye. Blood completely covered his mouth, slicked down his chin, and as Daemon's gaze darted over to Aemond he saw how the boy was slumped in the chair with an old maester poking and prodding at the left side of his face where there was a notable meaty hole where his left eye should be.
The boy must have bitten the little dragon thief's eye out. Daemon huffed out a laugh, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door and ignoring the look Otto Hightower gave him.
Various servants, guards and nobles were also awake and watching the spectacle. Corlys and Rhaenys were standing close to their grandchildren, Corlys glaring at Aemond with unabashed hostility with Vaemond looking uneasy from his position near the stairs.
Rhaenyra meanwhile spun away her inspection of Luke, fine features furious as she shouted, "Who did this?"
"They attacked me!" Aemond shouted back.
Immediately Jace yelled, quickly followed by Baela and Rhaena and Luke. Accusations of theft, threats, explanations and defending their actions. A cacophony of young shrill voices.
Through it all, Ikit said not a thing. Instead those burning green eyes were entirely focused upon King Viserys. Out of them all Daemon was most curious about the boy. The things he heard about the boy, the sheer intelligence, the odd mannerisms, the way he had defeated a Kingsguard in the sparring ring. Even Laena had confessed a desire to meet with him, intrigued about the various letters her brother had sent. In part of why she wished to return to Driftmark, to settle down, so her children could know her cousins and she could know her nephews. But as life would will, such a thing would only happen now that she was gone.
And now, watching those cold green eyes set in a face so eerily reminiscent of Rhaenyra as a child yet dripping in blood, Daemon had a strong idea he was going to be amused indeed by what was about to unfurl before him.
"Silence!' Viserys's voice echoed through the room, quieting the bickering of children. There again was the odd feeling in his stomach, at seeing his brother leaning against a cane, features pained and one arm missing, as the king hobbled down the stairs. "Aemond, I will have the truth of this. Tell me of what happened. Now."
Alicent bristled from her position next to her maimed son, "What else is there to hear? Your son has been maimed. Her son is responsible."
"It was a regrettable accident," Rhaenyra said.
"Accident?" Alicent asked incredulously. "The Prince Jacaerys brought a blade to the ambush, he meant to kill my son! And when that failed, Prince Ikit mauled Aemond like a wild animal! He tore his eye out with his own teeth!"
"It was my sons who were attacked and forced to defend themselves," Rhaenyra argued back, expression tense.
"Defend themselves? Five of them attacked my son," Alicent shouted. "Five of them set upon him in the darkness!"
"Ikit showed up to stop Jace from getting his head smashed open with a rock!" Baela shouted then. "He arrived just as Aemond was going to kill Jace!"
Daemon huffed a laugh. Made sense, if Ikit had been there from the start then he highly doubted his brothers would be bloodied considering the boy's battle prowess. An attack from behind, when Aemond was pinning down Jacaerys with a rock in hand.
"Aemond threatened to kill us with Vhagar as well, he said he'd feed us to her and mocked the fact our mother is dead," Rhaena added, more tearful compared to Baela's rage. Next to her Rhaenys's face flushed with fury while Corlys's expression grew ever more cold and harsh.
"The bluster of children," Alicent sneered at the girls. "No doubt when he was accosted and accused after what should be a joyous event of dragon bonding."
"'Joyous'?" Rhaenys spoke then, letting out a vicious hiss much like Meleys. Alicent went to glare at her, but faltered at the look the Queen Who Never Was gave her.
After a moment Alicent swallowed and looked away, asking the room at the large, "Where is Ser Laenor? The father should also be in attendance for this."
Viserys scowled "Where is Ser Laenor? Anyone?"
Rhaenyra shook her head, "I do not know, Your Grace. I... could not find sleep after such a day. I had gone out to walk and only learned of this calamity once the act had been done."
Alicent opened her mouth, no doubt to give a snide comment about Laenor, but Rhaenys's gaze was still upon her and the green queen had enough sense to keep her thoughts to herself.
"Your Grace," Alicent tried a different track as she turned to Viserys. "Your son has been damaged, permanently. This cannot simply be let passed as some, some childish squabble! Aemond has lost an eye. Justice must be wrought. Good will cannot undo his mutilation!"
Viserys groaned, leaning on his cane as he said, "And what would you have me do? I cannot restore his eye."
"No, because it had been stolen from him," Alicent lifted her chin, expression vicious as she continued, "There is a debt to be paid. I shall have one of her son's eyes in return for this grievous blow. Prince Ikit may choose what eye is taken, a privilege he did not grant my son."
Murmurs and incredulous looks crossed the room. Rhaenyra meanwhile stood in front of her sons, as a living shield. Yet Daemon noticed Ikit's unblinking stare upon Alicent. He did not even flinch at the threat, even as his brothers panicked and fussed next to him. He was waiting for something and Daemon was so very much intrigued. Corlys stepped closer to Rhaenyra while Rhaenys remained with the girls.
Viserys meanwhile simply sighed at Alicent's words, "My dear wife. Do not let your temper and hurt impair your judgement."
Of course Viserys would choose to do nothing. Simply scold everyone and try to brush everything under the rug and move on. Always he would pick the path of least resistance.
"Aemond's eye is gone!" Alicent shouted, just as infuriated. "That- that boy bit your son's eye from his head and you refuse to punish him! And before that they used a knife to try and kill Aemond! Simply because he sought out his birthright to a dragon! You cannot simply ignore this, Viserys! He is maimed forever."
"What knife?" Ikit suddenly spoke. His voice was harsh and raspy, yet it held a tone to it that made everyone pay attention as if Corlys or Viserys himself was speaking. Daemon's eyes narrowed. Odd level of authority for a boy not even ten years old.
Alicent gave the boy a hateful look, "You know very well what knife!"
"No, I do not. Who says there is a knife? There was no knife."
"Yes there was," Aemond spoke up angrily then.
"Where-where is the knife then?" Ikit demanded, pointing a finger at Aemond. "This knife you speak of, who was stabbed-sliced with it? Me? Littermate? Girl things? You? No, because there was no knife. Only you and your rock to smash open skulls."
"Jacaerys had the knife! He was going to stab me with it, I used the rock to defend myself."
Ikit looked at his brother, glanced up and down his sibling and making the room mimic his gaze to see that Jace was clearly unarmed, then the green eyed boy looked back at Aemond, "But there is no knife on him. Not here nor at place of fight-squabble. There is nothing. You just say such a thing to make it seem like you didn't steal she-beast Vhagar and then beat them when confronted for your theft."
"A dragon can't be stolen, she chose me!" Aemond shouted back, nearly raising from his chair before the maester shoved him down.
"You stole-thieved it," Ikit yelled back, features twisting and looking ghoulish in the firelight with his bloodied face and green eyes. "Grandsire told me girl thing Rhaena would try to tame Vhagar as right of blood of last rider, but only after time of mourning-sadness! That time is not done yet, we all still mourn for the fallen Laena. Her body was only just buried today. But then you went and stole the dragon, on the day of burial. You are a disgrace to Clan Velaryon's hospitality and have given deep insult-offense and then you attacked my birthkin. In the hold of the Sea Snake, Laena's sire. In hold of bree- Queen Who Never Was, Rhaenys."
"They attacked me!" Aemond sounded almost hysterical especially as he noted how so many of House Velaryon were now looking at him, Corlys and Rhaenys especially. Even Ikit's odd way of talking was doing nothing to negate his words, reminding them all of exactly what day Aemond had chosen to tame Vhagar. "It was four of them against me-"
"Yet when I showed up, you had my littermate on the ground with a rock in hand with the others bloodied and backed away. You were going to smash-shatter his skull, which is why I bit you so Jace would not die right there. If there was a knife, then you would've been stabbed-sliced or done so to others, but you weren't nor they. No knife was found on the ground. No knife on littermate. No knife here. There was no knife. You are a liar and a thief."
The boy himself was an excellent liar. So grand in fact, the only thing that gave away the falsehood was Jace and Luke's reactions. If it weren't for them Daemon himself could have believed Ikit's insistence there was no blade, that Aemond was lying about it. There was some intense level of authority within Ikit's voice that intrigued Daemon immensely, as if he spoke with an expectation to be believed.
At the very least Daemon's girls were far more guarded with protecting the lie, Baela furious and so firmly at Ikit's support only fury stained her expression and Rhaena with her features blank but Rhaenyra's other sons were sadly lacking in any ability to spread falsehoods unlike their kin.
However Ikit was swift enough to draw attention back to his accusations, to Aemond, to bring back the offense of Vhagar and the insult towards Laena and House Driftmark with the time of mourning, so Jace and Luke's guilty behaviour wasn't caught, was easily overlooked. He insulted Aemond, to make Aemond shout back, draw the attention like a crowd watching a jousting match so Luke and Jace's guilt was glanced over. Even his own feral act, in biting out Aemond's eye, was being shunted aside for why he had done such a thing.
Smart lad.
And Alicent realized it, looking about the room only to see the way everyone was now staring at her and her son. A victim but one of his own making. That in letting a crowd witness this entire event, her attempt to gain sympathy had utterly backfired on her. That Alicent, in demanding the eye of the future Lord of the Tides upon the same day they buried one of the children of the current Lord of the Tides, had turned every Velaryon in the room against her. Even Vaemond now stood away from her, clearly standing upon the side of his brother despite his well known animosity towards his kin.
Aemond himself grew tense, pressing back in his chair as judgemental looks cast upon him. The harshest of all were that of Corlys and Rhaenys, their glares burning with offense at what was done upon the day of their daughter's funeral. At the opportunity robbed from their grandchildren. At it being done by a guest within their keep.
Alicent's breathing came tight and fast, eyes big and panicked like a doe with hounds nipping at its hooves. She had lost, there would be no retribution for Aemond's eye and she realized it.
Viserys looked about the room and came to a decision when he saw the unfriendly and judgemental glares being sent to his wife and son, and he said, "So it would seem, my boy. You are correct. It was a horrible act still it was a squabble of children gone beyond what started. Something started by Aemond's own hand and he has suffered the consequences for such a thing. This matter is resolved."
Alicent had no one upon her side, even her father Otto was silent from his position near the throne once the king finished his verdict.
"Thank you, father," Rhaenyra said. Her hand was gentle upon Ikit's shoulders yet those green eyes were fixed, wide and unblinking, upon Alicent.
And Daemon saw it as well, the instant wild desperation and unreasonable motherly fury took hold of the queen. Saw the snap Ikit himself was waiting for.
Quick as a snake Alicent darted forward and yanked the Valyrian dagger from Viserys's belt. An instant later she spun, storming towards Ikit with the dagger raised and expression mad. Daemon finally moved, to intercept Ser Criston even as the room exploded into shouts and movement. Guards drawing weapons, Ser Harrold shouting, Viserys's hoarse voice, Rhaenyra instantly jumping in front of her son to intercept the half mad queen.
Daemon shoved Ser Cristion back, barring his teeth at the Kingsguard who glared back with a hateful sneer, but Ser Harrold grabbed Ser Criston, shoving him back with a sharp bark of "Keep that sword sheathed, Cole!"
"That thing isn't a boy!" Alicent was screaming, straining against Rhaenyra's grip. "It cannot even talk like one! It's profane, unholy, and now it mutilated my son. And you will all let it continue, none of you see the truth!"
"You go too far!" Rhaenyra shouted.
"It's your fault! You brought this thing into the realm, this aberrant, this, this creature! You birthed it through twisted means, a spawn of your sin! This foul unnatural beast!" Alicent shrieked, trying to shove Rhaenyra away.
Then the queen was screeching in pain as Ikit pounced forward to sink his teeth into her wrist. The dagger went clattering across the floor as more shouting filled the air, Alicent trying to yank her arm out of the boy's mouth as his sharp front teeth tore open her skin.
Before Daemon could even think to move, attention still focused upon Ser Criston who was being held back by Ser Harrold, Corlys intervened. He seized Ikit around the middle, hauling the boy back and tearing him free of the queen's arm. Blood splattered across the ground and an instant later Rhaenyra slapped Alicent across the face, knocking the queen backwards. Alicent stumbled in shock, even as Rhaenys darted forward to snatch the discarded dagger from the ground.
Alicent was gasping, clutching her bleeding wrist even as Viserys stared at the blood splatters on the floor. In the corner by the hearth Aemond was shaking, expression panicked, while Helaena was near tears. Aegon meanwhile looked as if he couldn't decide between being horrified or entertained.
Corlys kept a firm arm around his grandson, Ikit's feet dangling above the floor. Rhaenyra was patting at her son's silver hair, looking caught off guard by her own actions in slapping Alicent yet refusing to be apologetic considering the queen had just tried to take a knife to one of her sons. It was something the room at large seemed to share, a strange silence sweeping over everyone as if shocked to stillness by what they just witnessed.
Then Rhaenys stepped forward in the silence, offering the dagger back to Viserys. Her expression was cold. It took some fumbling for Viserys to return the dagger to its sheath, nearly listing over with his cane.
"Thank you, Princess Rhaenys," Viserys managed to wheeze.
Everyone was waiting, unable to move or think as Alicent stood there bleeding. She seemed shocked by her own bloody arm, staring at the bite mark as her limbs trembled. Rhaenys took her place back by Corlys, the two exchanging a look.
Then Corlys decided to speak.
"Queen Alicent," Corlys's voice held barely contained fury, his rage as cold as the shivering sea. Ikit remained in his grip, the boy's features blank. "You have overstayed your welcome and drawn blood in my hall. As Lord of Driftmark, you will be leaving my keep upon the morn for your actions against my grandchild and heir as I rescind my hospitality for the offense you and your son has caused to my family."
"Me? Aemond?!" Alicent shouted, clutching her wrist. "That thing attacked me, it bit out Aemond's eye! And yet you all-"
"Alicent," Otto finally intervened. His grabbed his daughter by the arm, carefully pulling her back. "You are hysterical. Perhaps a draught to help you sleep, the night has been long and stressful. You are not thinking proper and we must rest for the voyage tomorrow."
Alicent looked like she was about to argue before she looked about the room and seemed to realize what picture she portrayed. How everyone was staring at her. An overly emotional, mad queen, one who attempted to assault a child. Not just any child, an heir to the keep she was a guest within after her son had disgraced the mourning period of the death of a daughter for the lord and lady of the House. Her son's own lost eye was now faded away, in the face of her blatant violence and mad attack before everyone.
Her face grew sallow and wan, looking as if she was about to burst into tears as she realized her dignity was lost.
It was Aemond who caused an end to things, approaching his mother to say quietly, "Do not mourn me, Mother. It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye but I gained a dragon."
"Thief," Ikit said loudly, making Aemond flinch. Alicent hastily wrapped her arms around her son, as if hoping to shield Aemond from the judgemental stares of everyone.
"This matter is settled," Viserys said, his voice harsh and unyielding. "I apologize for this offense, Lord Corlys. We will leave Driftmark upon daybreak."
"As you say, Your Grace."
It was an almost confused, subdued exit of the room, with the crowd slowly dispersing as the drama and violence faded to nothing. First it was Queen Alicent and her lot, with Viserys shuffling back to his guest chambers.
Daemon watched them go then saw how Corlys tended to Ikit, helping to wipe off the boy's bloody face as Rhaenyra fussed over Jace and Luke's injuries. Rhaenys watched him but Daemon nodded his head towards his daughters, so the Queen Who Never Was went to see to her grandsons.
Meanwhile Daemon helped his daughters back to their room, even if in Baela's case she was furious and resistant to sleep even as they entered the bedroom with her still ranting.
"But what about Vhagar? We just do nothing about that grubby little thief?" she asked angrily.
"The chance has been and gone," he said. "The boy saw an opportunity and took it."
"She belonged to Mother, she belonged to Rhaena!"
"And yet she was taken and she will go to King's Landing upon the morn," Daemon said. It was a wily move and perhaps the boy was right- an eye was a fitting exchange for a beast like Vhagar. He would have preferred to keep Vhagar close but he was still in a good enough mood after his time with Rhaenyra. And then there was that incredibly intriguing son of hers. Marvelous display of lies and manipulation, to make Alicent and her son seem hysterical and disgraceful. It was like the entire room forgot Aemond's eye had been torn from his skull. He was quite interested in talking to the boy more and already his mind was swirling with possibilities, especially in light of Rhaenyra's continued affection for him even after so many years had passed.
Rhaena meanwhile was silent, expression downtrodden and grieving as he gently tucked them into their beds. Still in the same chamber, but the twins were resistant to being separated with their mother's passing. The candles cast a soft golden glow across the room.
"I should have tamed her," Rhaena muttered as she settled against the pillows.
"There will be other dragons to try. And there is still your egg," Daemon nodded to said egg which was over by the empty hearth. "Who knows what the future will bring, hm? You could hatch one yet. Or we can find one of the few unclaimed ones upon the mountains for you to try your luck with."
"As long as we don't fight like that again, he was going to kill Jace and Luke," Rhaena clutched her blankets close.
"Pity for the boy, if the green brat had died then you'd get your chance with Vhagar. He should have aimed for the throat."
"I thought he was going to, there was so much blood and before that there was the k-" Baela quickly fell silent.
"A knife, perhaps?" Daemon asked, amused.
Baela glared at him, "It's like our cousin said, there wasn't a knife."
"Of course not."
"But..." Rhaena hesitated before confessing, "After Ikit bit out Aemond's eye, I saw him swallow it. What does that mean?"
Baela said nothing.
"Well," Daemon said lightly, as he snuffed out the candles to cast the room in darkness. "I would say it means we should hope we don't look as tasty as Aemond to the lad in the coming future."
Then he went to bed.
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