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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
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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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Published:2026-02-26Completed:2026-04-22Words:181,492Chapters:55/55Comments:1,270Kudos:749Bookmarks:160Hits:33,651
The Rat Prince of Westeros
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 17: Edyth
Chapter Text
Life within the Red Keep had improved drastically upon the tender care of Queen Alicent.
A pious woman, dutiful and sure, with warm auburn hair and brown eyes. She was fitting queen, lacking the queer Targaryen traits with their horrible pale hair like bleached bones and strange eyes. It was why the gods cursed Queen Aemma to have all her children die barring one and even then it was a girl. They knew of the Targaryens strange customs and had cursed the woman to not borne any sons. Alicent was far more fitting as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and her birthing three sons made it obvious with which wife of King Viserys's the gods favoured.
Queen Alicent also removed more and more of the unholy Targaryen works, from their era of barbarism and worshiping fire demons, and replaced them with the wisdom and heralds of the Seven.
Edyth never felt more protected when she now talked the halls of the Red Keep to see the great banners showing the Seven Pointed Star now gazing down at her, to see the tapestries and statues of the Seven in their glory now decorating the Keep.
The queen never once missed devotions and sat upon each weekly service in the royal sept. She was well known for paying generous tithes to the septs across King's Landing and helping the holy men and women as they tended to the smallfolk. Edyth believed Queen Alicent was akin to Queen Alysanne, both beloved and dutiful queens who also knew their place, and Alicent would be remembered for years after her reign as one of the greatest queens of the Seven Kingdoms.
It was why Edyth knew the queen was the one who fought for them, for civility and justice, even if King Viserys attempted to flaunt traditions and laws to name his daughter heir. Women were unfit to rule, that was simply a fact and Edyth did not understand why the king did not name his eldest son as heir. When his late wife failed to provide a son Edyth could have understood, yet Queen Alicent had born him three.
She knew of Queen Alicent's attempts to make him see reason yet alas, it would seem the demons of Old Valyria still whispered in the king's mind. If only he agreed to do the right thing then his sickness would vanish and his health would return with the Seven's blessing. Edyth would pray each time she attended a service of a sept for the king to heed the wisdom of his godly wife.
It was something she always thought of when she woke each day in King's Landing, having her morning meal before heading down to begin her work in cleaning the never-ending stream of laundry the keep provided. Walking past the great banners of the Seven and hoping that King Viserys would listen to the wisdom of the Father and that in turn would bless the realm.
Edyth started her tedious daily task of scrubbing and cleaning the sheets and garments. In the room were dozens of other laundresses, steam rising in the air as they scrubbed and washed and put aside cleaned clothing. Those were then taken by others out to dry and more baskets of dirty clothing and sheets and linen were brought in, a never ending stream of laundry. The only garments they did not touch were those belonging to the royal family itself who had their own personal handlers, but all others- lords, lesser Houses, guards, servants, courtly members -were all cleaned and serviced within.
More servants came and went as the women worked, changing the filthy water for fresh heated barrels and tubs. With practiced movements she began to stir the linen within the barrel, the lye soap making bubbles swell. Sweat beaded her temple, easily ignored in the steamy room, and her hair was already pinned back under its handkerchief. Her hands were calloused and tough against the wooden handle of the paddle.
As the horde of laundresses worked as always the room was filled with chatter and gossip along with the constant churn of water and wringing of cloth. Edyth was next to her usual friends, Maryam and Falena, as they cleaned through the horde of sheets and blankets with the constant noise and steam swirling around them.
Most of their gossip was going over the more recent news that had come to King's Landing. Some was of who was having an affair with who, a wife seen in the wrong hallway, which sheets were bloodied and which weren't, a nobleman who had gotten stabbed out in the city by pickpockets, and some acts of drunken debauchery. There was also news from across the Blackwater, which was how Prince Daemon's children, the second oldest daughter and his son, hatched their dragon eggs at the same time. Apparently it had been a source of mutters that the girl, Rhaena, had gone for so long without a dragon yet now there was the announcement that she had a pink hatchling just as her younger brother now had a turquoise one.
Too many dragons in Edyth's opinion. Especially for those in the hold of Princess Rhaenyra, a woman well known for her vile and slovenly ways. If only she were devoted and pious like Queen Alicent, a beacon for how all women should be.
Edyth was of the opinion the king should pass a verdict forbidden Targaryen women from taming dragons. Queen Visenya, Princess Rhaena, Princess Aerea, Princess Alyssa, and now Princess Rhaenyra all showed that dragons simply made them wild and willful, unwilling to take their proper place as women should. Queen Alysanne was an exception, not a norm, as even when she quarreled with her king soon she would understand the errors of her way and be granted forgiveness. At the very least King Jaehaerys had the wisdom to not permit any of his other daughters to take a dragon, and Princess Alyssa had been punished in choosing one by dying from childbed fever.
Queen Alicent was correct in guiding her daughter Helaena, the girl barely riding the horrid beast and with both women attending to the sept with great zeal. It was unholy for women to ride war beasts, best they see to their duties upon the ground, to tend to the hearth and home, and leave warring to the men.
Yet still, it seems the unnatural blood of dragons influenced the poor girl as Princess Helaena's screams had echoed down the halls and waking many thinking she was under attack only a moon past. Instead she had been found in such a violent fit she had dislocated one of her arms and had clawed her face so violently it was if she was crying blood. Maester Orwyle had been close on hand for the next several nights, giving the princess essence of nightshade to help soothe her troubled mind.
Poor girl. Everyone knew Helaena was simple minded and troubled despite her mother's valiant efforts. Edyth prayed to the Seven to help guide her back to piousness.
"She's a sweet girl," Falena agreed when Edyth mentioned it. "And in such a delicate time when she should look most radiant. I pray for her health, I am sure the queen is in diligent attendance. I know Targaryens have their traditions but even so, the wedding of siblings is beyond my keen. She must be suffering from the impending marriage."
"It was that or be wed to one of Princess Rhaenyra's children," Edyth said lowly. "The queen had to pick the better option for her daughter. Targaryens have queer ways, and the Faith accepts this one for the dragonriders so Prince Aegon will be righteous and just. He will treat her well compared to whatever child came from the princess. Queen Alicent raised her children pious and true, they will be grand rulers of the realm."
"You watch yourself," Falena snapped, glaring at her through the steam. "Even here. It is not us to question the king-"
"We know the truth, the crown princess is unfit for the throne. Everyone knows the sinful ways of her. If the king would only heed his wife's wisdom his health would recover," Edyth insisted.
"How many lovers did she have while married to Ser Laenor? Five?" Maryam let out a snort.
"I believe it was fourteen, like those demons the Old Valyrians worshiped," Edyth said with a sneer. "Her way of honouring them, I suppose. Bah. And those firstborn twins of hers, who even knows whom the father is? We all heard how she was at a brothel, I don't understand how Ser Laenor could even stand to touch her! Little wonder it twisted him into his perversions, considering the type of woman she is."
"I did see the silver-haired boy once," Falena said, leaning forward over her barrel. Some of her fair hair was trying to poke out of her cap, sticking to her forehead, as she said, "He was Velaryon, beyond doubt. Yet...there was something wrong with the lad. We all know how he beat the princes so violently in the courtyard!"
"Twas Ser Harwin who attacked Ser Cole so grotesquely before us all," Maryam pointed out as she heaved the cleaned linen from the barrel. "A terrible influence over the poor boy. Little wonder he was mimicking the man. That is not his fault."
Edyth huffed, waving a hand dismissively, "That boy was still mad. Biting Prince Aemond's eye out, biting the queen! She still has that unsightly scar on her arm. How did the king not put the boy to the sword is beyond me. He's mad, like those animals that froth at the mouth and attack everything. An evil child."
"Still a grandson, of course the king couldn't demand such a thing despite the savagery. I just feel sorry for the lad," Maryam sighed as she grabbed the next dirtied sheets. "Poor wee thing, born to a sinful mother and then Lord Laenor with his disgusting perversions and Ser Harwin with his violence. Who knows what terrible things they are doing to those little sweet babes upon Dragonstone? They never had a chance with how their mother is and the men she surrounds herself with."
"Then the king should demand they be fostered here, so they can learn the righteousness of the Seven and be brought under the queen's protection," Edyth insisted. "Even with Prince Daeron being fostered at Oldtown he is with the Hightowers and Starry Sept. Princess Rhaenyra is living in sin and debauchery only just across the Blackwater and yet the king won't intervene. We all know she got her husband Laenor killed so she can marry that Rogue Prince. And he killed two wives before he got to her."
"Didn't Lady Laena die in childbed?" Falena asked.
"She was burned by a dragon is what I heard, wouldn't surprise me the Rogue Prince follows customs of Old Valyria where men burn wives they are bored of."
"Oh aye, I remember now. It was ashes delivered to her family, how barbaric," Maryam nodded.
"Well perhaps she did get burned but I'm fairly certain the Lady Rhea was thrown from her horse while hawking and cracked her head while out in the Vale. I doubt a dragon could even sneak in and do such a thing, they're rather noticeable. The first was very much an accident but Lady Laena seems less so," Falena said as she wrung out a wet cloth before frowning at the stain still upon it.
"Serves her right, a woman shouldn't be out hawking. She should have been seeing to her sewing or keeping her home in order and then she'd still be alive," Edyth said. She churned the tub, knocking water across the slick stone floor.
"There's still time for the king to see wisdom," Maryam said lowly, correctly deducing the true cause of Edyth's foul mood.
"I just don't understand why he does not now. To have a woman upon the Iron Throne invites calamity. The last such woman to sit upon was the Dowager Queen Visenya and we know the death and ruin she brought, much less by birthing that wicked child of hers. And he was like the princess, dishonouring his holy marriage and taking another spouse so swiftly when they failed to serve his perverse desires."
"At the very least Princess Rhaenyra waited for her husband to die before taking another, unlike Maegor," Falena lightly japed.
Edyth failed to see the humour, "Yet we already know of her child, that horrible Rat Prince. Remember how she threw sweet Shella from Dragonstone simply for voicing the truth upon his disturbing appearance? What type of would-be queen ignores the truth before her face? Luckily our Queen Alicent took Shella in, as any true noble woman should do. Yet another failure of the princess."
"The rat boy left Westeros and has not been seen for over a year now, most likey to die in Old Valyria like Princess Aerea. He is hardly a worry," Maryam pointed out.
"And what happens if he does return and tries to slay the king and steal his throne as Maegor the Cruel did?"
"Vhagar is the largest dragon in the world, I am certain Prince Aemond will protect us and no doubt will be blessed by the Warrior in such a battle," Maryam said.
Edyth took a breath, accepting her friend's wisdom even if she couldn't help but say, "I will still pray for the Seven to guide the king's wisdom to name his firstborn son as heir."
A groan from Falena, as she continued to scrub at the stain, "I tire of this topic. It is all you speak of lately, it is ceaseless. One would think you were within the courts itself with how you bring it up."
"It's important, I look to the reign after much like how I look to the coming seasons," Edyth insisted.
Maryam gave her a sideways look, "Falena does have a point, you have been utterly consumed by the worry as of late. Perhaps you should go to the sept and seek wisdom and comfort from the Mother."
Edyth grumbled even as she dragged another soaked, yet clean, blanket from her pail and laid it aside for a servant to dry, before she said, "My son is near fourteenth name day, almost a man, and I fear for his future with so many threats upon the horizon. How can he look for a wife and children if such calamity is looming? I simply wish for this lasting peace to last even longer and I fear with the king not heeding his lady wife we will all be in peril for the sins of Princess Rhaenyra if she takes the throne."
"We all fear some days," Maryam comforted her. "We simply need to trust in the gods and good Queen Alicent. She will succeed."
Edyth brooded over that more intensely even as Falena and Maryam began to talk of other things, such as the current fashions of the court and what imports across the sea were most popular. Her worries were bigger than such thing, worry for how the realm would fall to ruin if a woman sat upon the throne considering her history of begetting the accursed and bastards and how Targaryen women could not behave befitting their station. It would not just be Edyth, but her son suffering the consequences. So many children and innocents.
When they paused their work to attend their midday meal, Edyth looked to the looming statue showing the Seven Pointed Star within the servants dining hall and offered a prayer to the Crone to guide the king to wisdom.
She could only hope he would heed it.
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