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Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Category:
Gen
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
Language:
English
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Published:2026-02-26Completed:2026-04-22Words:181,492Chapters:55/55Comments:1,270Kudos:749Bookmarks:160Hits:33,677
The Rat Prince of Westeros
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 39: Rhaenyra
Notes:
Hope y'all been having a great easter! 🐇
Chapter Text
It was a dream for her. Two of her sons were back in her arms, when she thought them lost.
Ikit less so, as Rhaenyra knew the words the Sea Snake had brought, that Ikit would return in the new year. But Viserys they had all thought slain with the Triarchy invasion but her youngest son was now back with them, so achingly alive in her arms as she hugged him so close.
And there was the gift of King Aegon's severed head. Rhaenyra never thought she'd feel such joy in holding her brother's decapitated head in hand, but all she could think of was the misery and fury she felt when she heard of Luke's death, when her little Aegon returned crying hysterically about Viserys being taken and killed. Considering they had tried to kill him, including mortally wounding his dragon, none of them had any reason to doubt his claim.
But now, brandishing King Aegon's severed head, she felt such horrendous glee. He who celebrated Luke's murder, who usurped her throne and made all this absurd death happen. Who's very existence was used to steal her birthright as King Viserys had chosen to cement while being half a corpse, to declare yet again she was the one to inherit once he was gone. And now King Aegon was dead, a threat to her children was removed, and she had less enemies.
However her showing of the head got interrupted when Ikit slapped his twin so hard Jace ended up on the ground, Rhaenyra freezing in place even as some shocked gasps came from the crowd. A moment later Ser Lorent was helping her return King Aegon's head into the satchel, then Silverwing's head swung around to the watching crowd and screamed at them. It was a horrific noise and it was only then that Rhaenyra registered the strange green growths all over the she-dragon.
The crowd scattered, at least having the sense to avoid a temperamental dragon, even as Viserys clung to her skirts as Ser Lorent held the satchel with the betrayer.
"Ikit," Rhaenyra hurried over, her hands spasming as she struggled to decide between scolding or hugging her son who she had not seen for nearly a decade.
Ikit turned to her, clad in that gleaming armour with those bright glowing green eyes, and Rhaenyra faltered when she could fully focus on him. Her vision not blurred by tears now, but even then she was surprised to see so much of herself looking at her. Laenor had always said Ikit had inherited the Velaryon hair and eyes while everything else had been from Rhaenyra. It was now so apparent that Ikit was a man grown, but it was if someone had taken her features and tweaked them slightly. There was a reason she was called the Realm's Delight.
"That was uncalled for," Rhaenyra said after a pause, with Ikit simply standing there staring at her.
Jace meanwhile was getting back to his feet, his lip split with blood on his chin, with Baela helping him back up. She didn't know if she should yell at her cousin either, considering his interference had saved her back on Dragonstone.
"It's fine, Your Grace," Jacaerys said, his expression closed off. "It was accidental."
"Accidental-"
"No it wasn't," Ikit snapped, glaring at his twin.
"Perhaps we can get back to the Red Keep," Baela said with a supremely forced smile. "And discuss things there, including the concerning parts of my note."
It took Rhaenyra a few moments to remember Baela's warning of Alfred Broome, and traitors were indeed dire news. Alicent and her family had caused enough damage in being turncoats.
"I uh, yes. We need to speak of that and the maester can see to both of your injuries," Rhaenyra said. She looked back to Ikit, wanting to embrace him but the way he was eyeing her made her think he would bite her if she tried.
Did he blame her? For being a den mother yet failing to protect Lucerys? Viserys, even? If it hadn't been for Ikit's own involvement they would all still think him dead. Guilt warred with love, and before she thought to act Viserys darted past and immediately clung to Ikit. His excited babbling about King's Landing, the boy beginning to tell him all about the history of the keep even if Ikit already knew it, did well to distract everyone as they went to the wheelhouse.
Viserys clung to Ikit the entire time, veering between grabbing at Rhaenyra or latching back onto Ikit's hand and wanting to be as close as possible with his brother. Rhaenyra understood, as Ikit must have been something from a legend to Viserys. The brother he only ever heard of from stories just like their Aegon, only for him to fly in to rescue him from his captors like a hero from a fantastical tale.
As they traveled to the Red Keep Ikit demanded they tell him everything. Most Baela had already explained but Rhaenyra hesitantly explained further. Ikit looked supremely unimpressed at learning of Alicent's involvement but he wasn't shouting so Rhaenyra tried to reason with herself that Ikit would understand. Even now she didn't know how to approach him, his striking of Jace and now the way he was eyeing her made her fear he would reject her if she tried to embrace him. Out of them all he would always let Rhaenyra hug and cuddle and kiss him without rebuke as he would for his brothers, but she knew she had disappointed many ever since the civil war had started. Or 'Dance' as many had started to call it, after witnessing the terrible twisting fight of Meleys and Vhagar above Rook's Rest.
But she hadn't wanted to cause great deaths, she had inherited generations of peace from her father, who in turn had claimed it from King Jaehaerys. Nearly a century and she couldn't justify being the one who threw it all aside and brought forth great death and destruction. Even when she lost Visenya she had tried to cling to it, remembering the agony of miscarrying her only daughter. Preparing the tiny cold body herself as Daemon abandoned her. Then when she had allowed her sons to act in her stead, to reach out to the Westerosi lords, Luke had been murdered.
Then Jaehaerys had been killed, the same age as Viserys. He had his head severed in his bed but Rhaenyra couldn't celebrate it. Jaehaerys hadn't been the one to murder her sweet boy, he had been an innocent himself and Helaena had not enacted violence. She still remembered how Helaena had behaved in the last dinner with King Viserys, how she had eaten herself sick and cried in the aftermath. There had just been a childish confusion to Helaena, and everyone spoke kindly of her unlike her brothers. That she was gentle, sweet, and kept to herself. She didn't deserve to have her son butchered, anymore than Rhaenyra deserved to have Luke killed.
She had sympathized with Helaena, didn't gloat or take glee in the death of Jaehaerys. Instead she had been appalled, even moreso when Daemon had tried to defend what had happened. She didn't want anyone else to feel the pain she had gone through and she knew that when she no longer had any diplomatic solutions that was all there would be. To fill graveyards, orphan children and widow women. To kill husbands and sons and everyone else. But for that to happen she had to exhaust every other avenue and, after the Triarchy attack, Viserys's presumed death and the thieved crown's gold to leave the Iron Throne destitution, she had finally reached it.
However in the travel within the wheelhouse, when Ikit explained how he had been the one to burn the other half of the Triarchy fleet, it made Rhaenyra realize just how close they had come to losing even more- Vermax had been injured early in the battle, a deep ugly scrape along his armpit and up across his wing membrane that had only just healed fully, and if the fighting had continued for too long it had the potential to have cause Vermax and, by extension, Jace to fall in the battle. Her fists tightened on her lap, noting how Baela had the same expression when Ikit explained his involvement. They had all gotten the reports of the burning fleet outside the Gullet waters, but due to the dragonriders being in the first push battle for hours it had been assumed the ones that had shattered and sank in the narrow sea had been fleeing the battle as it happened and had been destroyed in such an attempt.
Now Rhaenyra knew that Ikit had, most likely, saved his twin brother as well in killing half of the Triarchy's ships upon his own before he went to Viserys's aid.
It was why now Rhaenyra knew with Daeron and Aemond there could be no diplomatic solution. Even if both surrendered they needed to be executed. Both were oathbreakers and dragonriders, even if taken captive there was no ability to trust in their word if they were sent to the Wall to take the Black. She had to take their heads, just like King Aegon's own judgement had been rendered to him.
But for now she kept on a queenly mask, pushing back her own anxiety as Ikit kept conversing mostly with Viserys over his own mother and twin. The notion she could have ruined her relationship with one of her children, because she wanted peace over war, pained her yet if any of her sons wished for the death of his enemies it would be Ikit.
So she kept her hands to herself as they entered the Red Keep, now with the Targaryen heraldry and Valyrian statues restored to their rightful places, instead of embracing Ikit or taking his hand. Jace was sent to the maester for his split lip with Baela, as her bandages needed changed, while Rhaenyra took her two other sons to Aegon's chamber. She also felt Jace felt too guilt-ridden to face his twin yet and Rhaenyra accepted it without words as she led Viserys in hand to where Aegon was.
Aegon was awake, sitting silently in his room and looking out the window as was his wont ever since they took King's Landing. He went utterly stiff when Rhaenyra entered the room with Viserys, Ikit lagging behind them with Ser Lorent.
Then he went into hysterics, to the point Ikit had to seize him until he stopped trying to run away. Aegon's guilt was so immense he thought Viserys was a hallucination, some spirit sent to torment him despite how much his crying brother tried to reassure him otherwise. They ended up in a heap on the floor, Ikit still holding Aegon and Rhaenyra holding Viserys, as they explained how Viserys survived as both cried. Rhaenyra wasn't much better, still feeling such guilt at failing to comfort her son.
"I should have stayed," Aegon cried. "I left you behind."
"Don't be stupid-dumb," Ikit barked in such a voice Aegon jolted in his grip. The boy looked up at him, as if finally registering exactly who was holding him, even as Ikit glared down at him, "What-what would you have done? Died? That is what would have happened. One prisoner good. Two prisoners messy. You had living dragon, harder to move and control. They would have kill-killed it and you then kept birthkin Viserys. He easier hostage, had only egg and younger. If you stayed you would have died anyway. Then what-what use would you be? Nothing, just a stupid dead thing so shut up with your squeaking and be glad birthkin has returned."
Rhaenyra had nearly scolded Ikit for his harsh words yet, oddly enough, they seemed to puncture through the thick fog of guilt and regret that had been choking Aegon.
"Isn't he great?" Viserys said brightly, latching onto Aegon as he started to happily recount Ikit's rescue of them.
Rhaenyra had never wanted to leave but she was the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and she had to continue their preparations in fighting the enemies of the realm.
She needed Ikit's expertise, knowing all the rumours of his witchcraft and even drank that tonic of his which had healed the grievous wounds Visenya's stillbirth had caused her. Her son was magic and it was why she had to explain yet another loose end to them. So despite it hurting, she reluctantly left her two youngest sons to bond, with her faithful handmaiden Elinda taking watch over them.
Then she escorted Ikit to Queen Helaena's rooms, which besides their first attempt to divine where she had fled when they first took the capital, they had left untouched. If it was some type of code or something else and she always had a feeling her second oldest son would know it.
As she guessed, Ikit's expression contorted the moment he saw the symbol that had been carved into the wood, on the ceiling of the bed, on the walls and on the floor. Gouged into the wood nearly a fingers length deep, an unnatural strength to it. Thick and jagged, numerous flares upon it and holding an ominous aura to the symbols to the point Rhaenyra did not even like looking at the sigil for too long.
"You know this symbol," Rhaenyra said, watching her son closely.
Ikit grunted, "That is for god Khorne."
"I've never heard of a god with that name. Nor why Helaena would have cause to etch it everywhere."
"Bah. He has many. Blood God, Lord of Murder, Lord of Skulls, Hunter of Souls, the Bloodied Hound. War is his domain. War, anger, courage, hatred, wrath. Seems the shattered-broken seer chose to actually do something. Hm, would have thought Great Conspirator Tzeentch would claim her. He enjoys madness and those trapped in fate. But dragonblood runs hot-wild, blood of Conqueror, all Four would be grasping-fighting for her soul. In the end she chose courage and rage after misery and being abandoned by clan and whelp was killed. Khorne offered her fury-strength over all else. She took His offer, she has carved her beginning devotion. Interesting."
The names held a heavy weight that seemed to cling to the air like a physical thing,
"Helaena is no warrior," Rhaenyra said.
"She will be now-now," Ikit corrected her, giving her a sideways look. "Girl thing Helaena you knew is dead-gone, consumed by Blood God Khorne's will. She had no one to train-tutor her, no one to raise-nurture her, prepare her for blessings-claimant. No way to keep herself as herself once accepting god's blessings. Every part of her consumed now, only leaving Khorne's will. And His will is war. Blood. Death. We must find and kill-kill her. She will reveal herself bloody. Khornates always do."
She went to protest but instead simply nodded. Rhaenyra did not know these gods but there was too much to Ikit's words for her to ignore them. If he felt Helaena was a growing threat...
"I will accept your judgement," she finally said when it became obvious he wanted an answer. "Mysaria believes Helaena has traveled to Storm's End, as Lord Borros Baratheon is allied to the Green cause but we have heard nothing else besides that. As of now our main concern is locating Vhagar, awaiting Hugh's word for his victory against Prince Daeron and Oldtown, and dealing with the empty treasury. The high taxes are helping some, but it is causing a great deal of civil unrest and restless smallfolk is entirely what we do not want in this war."
"I can-will solve gold problem," Ikit shrugged, seemingly unbothered, as he looked away from Helaena's torn room.
"There is nothing left and it has been a hundreds of thousands of gold dragons thieved," Rhaenyra said. "However, if you know where the gold had been split up or can...use your magic to take the knowledge from Tyland's mind as he is being held captive-"
"Bah. Nothing like that. I will reach to Braavos, merchant city."
Rhaenyra sucked in a breath, "We can't afford a loan, as we have nothing to counter weight. The Iron Bank has said as much due to the uncertainty of the civil war."
"Mistake what I say. No, I will send word there to begin auction to forge a suit of Valyrian steel armour for highest bidder. Bidding go for one week. We will get much gold, yes-yes."
Her eyebrows shot up when she registered Ikit's words. She knew he was clad in Valyrian steel, had become famous for being the sole person in the world who could create it instead of simply changing pre-existing weapons. But even then he alone had a suit of armour forged in the enchanted metal. When it came down to it, Valyrian steel armour was even rarer than dragons. The bidding war in Braavos would be complete madness and it made sense he would reach out to the birthplace of the Iron Bank of Braavos to cause it.
"That is...an extremely good solution," she managed to say, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "We can go to the rookery now if you will."
Ikit nodded and went to pass her and Rhaenyra grabbed his wrist. He didn't knock her away like she feared and Rhaenyra moved, taking both his hands in hers. She met his gaze, having to now look up at him.
"Ikit....My son. I know I...disappointed a lot of people when this war happened. I know I failed you, failed all my children. Failed Visenya and Lucerys," she said quietly, even as tears filled her eyes. "I know people wanted me to reign fire and blood on my enemies but for the good of the realm I couldn't. Not until I knew there was no other option."
"That gone when they stole-thieved crown," Ikit said, frowning at her. "When they killed birthkin Lucerys."
"I know. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I failed to protect you all. I love you so much but I was weak and I know it. But I swear, I will not rest until Aemond is dead, until Daeron is, their deaths is what I will demand even if others may cast themselves before me," Rhaenyra said, looking him as her hands tightened around his. "Until this war is over and all our enemies are subdued, I will not rest. I will continue to fight until my last breath upon which I will die cursing our enemies to the frozen hells. I have failed you all, I won't do so again. I swear upon the Mother Syrax and any other god who hears me now."
A deep shift happened in the air and if she had been paying attention she might have seen the torches flickered as her oath was heard by others unseen.
Ikit eyed her closely before he finally grinned, "Good. I don't have to eat-eat you now."
It was an odd threat like all of his and it was so very much him. And so Rhaenyra hugged him, the coolness of his armour against her.
"I love you so much, my brave vicious Ikit," Rhaenyra said, pulling back and kissing his cheek. "I'm so proud of you. My smartest, strongest son."
Ikit was flustered, his ears red and more of the hue beginning to stain his face. His features twisted before he looked away, muttering, "We go now to ravens, den mother."
"Of course."
Feeling far lighter Rhaenyra kept close to her son as they made their way to the great cawing mass of ravens, housed in one of the towers of the Red Keep. Ikit was brisk and quick as he scribbled out his offer to Braavos, with Rhaenyra adding her own signature and using her royal seal upon the wax as they sent their ravens.
Once done Ikit also let out a small laugh, pointing out the great window towards the immense sprawling harbour of King's Landing.
"Look, see ship there?" he asked.
Rhaenyra leaned close, following his pointing and seeing the form of a ship heading into the harbour from Blackwater Bay. It looked tiny at their height. A flag at the crow's nest bore a sharp, overlapping triangle, a personal herald she didn't recognize but she certainly recognized the brand sigil upon the sails to show the ship was hailing from Volantis.
"Do you know them?" Rhaenyra asked.
Ikit's smile was all teeth, "From Vaelora thing, shipment of my Skryre weaponry. Right on time-schedule."
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