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Rating:
Mature
Archive Warning:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories:
F/FF/M
Fandoms:
House of the Dragon (TV)Game of Thrones (TV)A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Relationships:
OC/Helaena TargaryenDreamfyre | Helaena Targaryen's Dragon & Helaena TargaryenDaemon Targaryen/Rhaenyra TargaryenHelaena Targaryen/Original Male Character(s)
Characters:
Helaena TargaryenDaemon TargaryenRhaenyra TargaryenKermit TullyDaeron Targaryen (Son of Viserys I)Aegon II TargaryenAemond "One-Eye" TargaryenAlicent HightowerOtto HightowerJeyne ArrynOriginal Rhea Royce/Daemon Targaryen Child(ren)
Additional Tags:
The Dance of the Dragons | Aegon II Targaryen v. Rhaenyra Targaryen EraAutistic Helaena TargaryenHelaena Targaryen Deserves BetterDragon Dreamer Helaena TargaryenOriginal Character(s)
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of The Bronze Dragon Next Work →
Collections:
Heroes hive👀
Stats:
Published:2022-10-28Completed:2024-10-27Words:301,770Chapters:97/97Comments:984Kudos:2,279Bookmarks:489Hits:168,968
The Bronze Dragon
kornerbrandon, orphan_account
Chapter 6
Chapter Text
The news of my father's betrothal to Princess Helaena changed the dynamics of my grand-uncle's court considerably. A Princess of the Blood was to marry the Lord of Runestone. Such marriages weren't unheard of, of course. Viserra Targaryen had been betrothed to Torrhen Manderly and to hear my father say it, Ser Harwin Strong was one of the potential suitors for Rhaenyra.
I don't know much of what happened after the return. What I do know is that my aunt Nesaena had attempted to talk with my mother about it. According to mother, she was a much different person in her youth.
The trip back to King's Landing was not what would be described as an overly pleasant one, given the news that had been revealed. Daevar was to marry Helaena. It was a good match, he had to admit that, solving multiple problems with one stroke. It would tie the Vale to the crown, placate the Vale lords still angry at his father, and he suspected that his uncle was counting on the marriage to heal the divisions in his court.
Daevar had no intention of playing that game though. If he was going to marry her, it would be for the benefits to their houses, not for anyone else's. He saw Helaena leaning against the side of the deck, staring out at the ocean as he approached her. "Helaena, I-… hello." He said lamely. It was less smooth than his regular approach with girls, he had to admit.
"Hello, Daevar." Helaena replied, gazing out over the horizon. She liked the sea. It had always been calming to her to see it whenever she was in her chambers in the Red Keep. Seeing the ships go in and out of the harbour had been one of the few things that she had been able to enjoy. Apart from her bugs. Sixty rings, two hundred and forty legs. One abdomen and fangs, eight legs and harmful. She turned to him. "It appears we are to be married."
"So it would seem, yes." Daevar replied. "Helaena, I swear on my mother's grave, as long as we are betrothed or married, I will do what I can to keep you safe." He knew it might not mean much right at this second, but it was for the best. He didn't want her running away from him on their wedding night.
"Your mother, what kind of woman was she?" Helaena asked. Daevar resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. He had not known his cousin to speak much of his mother.
"She was… an amazing woman. A strong Lady of Runestone. People loved her. Apart from her uncle Gunthor, that is. As skilled an archer and horse-breaker as you'd find in the Vale." He sighed, standing beside Helaena and leaning over the railing. His memories of his mother weren't the best in the world; he had only been four when she had died, after all. "And she was a close friend of Lady Jeyne. My grandfather Yorbert was Lady Jeyne's regent in her youth." The Royces had a reach that extended across most of the Vale; there was a reason that Queen Alysanne had arranged for his mother and father to marry, after all.
"I would've liked to meet her." Helaena said. She would've liked to have met a lot of people who were no longer with them. Especially several people around Daevar. Still, maybe she would have the chance to know Lady Jeyne better, especially since she was to be a Lady of the Vale in a few years.
"I would have preferred she stayed with us longer." Daevar sighed. No conclusive evidence proving his father's guilt had ever been found, but her death was simply too convenient for it to be anyone else. And as Ser Gerold had always said, the only way his mother's head could have been caved in like that would be with a rock.
He found his mind wandering back to that fateful day. It was early in the afternoon when his mother decided to go hunting. He tearfully begged her not to go, but she simply smiled and kissed him on the forehead, promising to return. And she did… on the back of Gerold's horse the next day with a sheet covering her body. He hoped never to see that again.
"Indeed, cousin. I would've as well." Helaena said, snapping him out of his reverie. What to say at this moment was a bit lost on her; she was not natural at comforting people, and Daevar had suffered much with the death of one parent and the other abandoning him to spend time in Essos after launching a war her father had not sanctioned. Yes, she had heard much and more of Prince Daemon's ways over the years, how he had repeatedly insulted the Vale or launched a war with pirates in the Stepstones for no reason other than to gain a crown, how he had been exiled almost immediately upon his return, and of course, his showdown with Gerold Royce at her cousin's wedding.
All in all, Daemon was not a man that she wanted to know too deeply. Seeing as she was to marry Daevar one day, it was likely that she would not be too familiar with him in the coming years.
"I hope you will like the Vale, Helaena. It will be a lot simpler than what you are used to." Daevar said. Runestone was his home, but there was no way it would be able to match the sheer grandness of the Red Keep; even he was capable of admitting that much. "We don;t have any grand cities for one thing."
"I don't mind." Helaena replied. "Father said to me that it is growing near the time that my brothers and I should see beyond the walls of King's Landing." She had heard many times how Aegon the Conqueror and Jaehaerys the Conciliator had made progresses of the realm to ensure the loyalty of their subjects and to assess issues with the realm firsthand.
"Indeed. Whatever happens, I'm sure Kermit will be excited to have some additional company." Daevar said.
"Kermit?"
"Kermit Tully; son of Ser Elmo and squire to Ser Gerold. I've known him since he was a page."
"He's your friend?" Helaena asked. Whenever someone had come up with such odd names, she was curious.
"My dearest friend." Daevar replied, a small smile on his lips. "We grew up together. He will make a fine knight and lord one day. When he eventually learns how to rule himself, that is." He shuddered to think what sort of havoc he was creating for Ser Gerold right now.
"'Rule himself'?" Helaena questioned. What in the name of the Seven did that mean?
"A manner of speaking, cousin." Daevar replied. "Kermit… is not the most disciplined of people. I'll say that much."
"I see." She replied. She supposed she would meet this Kermit Tully soon enough anyway; within a few years at least. The Tullys, as she had been taught, were an honourable house that had bravely rebelled against Harren the Black and sworn fealty to the Conqueror during his campaigns to unite the Seven Kingdoms.
Not far, on the other side of the boat, the recently reappointed Hand of the King, Otto Hightower, watched the two of them talk with an impassive look on his face. With Aegon to marry Nesaena one day, he had always assumed that King Viserys would either betroth Aemond to Helaena, or perhaps find a suitable spouse for her elsewhere, such as Cregan Stark or Kermit Tully. The idea that he had betrothed her to Daevar sat ill with him.
True, the King's reasoning was quite sound. The Vale had been growing restless at Daemon's actions over the years — something he was no stranger to — and any more insults from him would likely leave the crown dealing with a full insurgency. Lady Arryn herself had brought the same grievances before the crown more than once, and Viserys had been unable to overrule her banishment of Daemon from the Vale. In another life, he might've admired the woman. Here, she was proving an annoyance.
And however sound his reasons for betrothing them were, Daevar was still the son of the Rogue Prince, and had already inherited some of his less desirable traits. Otto knew all about the servant girls of the Red Keep he had charmed into his bed over the years, even if none of them had shown up with a bastard in their belly. It was a worrying sign of what he had the potential to grow into one day.
"Thinking on them, father?" Alicent asked, walking up next to him. Like her father, she had been observing the conversation between her daughter and Daevar.
"Yes. You'll forgive me if I say that the King has made a grave mistake in betrothing them." He said. He resisted the urge to shake his head; he was not a man given over to displays of emotion.
"A grave mistake?" Alicent asked, a tone of disbelief entering her vice. "Daevar defended Aemond. He was the only one who would." Something like that stuck in her memory. The entire room had been against her son that night, and for Daevar to take on such a position in direct defiance of Rhaenyra could've easily resulted in his death.
"I say he has made a grave mistake because it now means that two of your children will be at Runestone." Otto explained. "Your youngest son is to be his squire. Now one of your daughters will marry him. Alicent, two of your children will be in his power, and he is Daemon's son."
Alicent had given some thought about that. At first, yes, the thought disturbed her, but Daevar had given no indication he was anything like his father. He might've found the odd servant girl he liked, but that made him no different from just about any other Lord in Westeros. "He is also Rhea's son," she finally said, "and House Royce is one of honour. They have done right by him; far better than what his father could do." Alicent looked back at the boy with sad eyes. She had remembered when she heard the news of Rhea Royce's death, and how Daemon had left his eldest and only son in the Vale. What kind of monster could abandon their own child? She thought.
"I do not doubt House Royce's integrity. Only his." Otto replied gruffly, before looking back at Daevar with a hardened look. "Time will tell who Daevar becomes, but I will not hold my breath…"
Upon their arrival to the capital, Daevar immediately made his way to his assigned chambers. He had intended to sit down and try to process the news of his betrothal properly, maybe even write a letter to Kermit explaining what had happened. The Tully boy would likely bombard him with questions as soon as he returned to Runestone.
Instead, as soon as he entered his chambers, he found Kyra lying on the bed. She had a smirk on her face, and the skirt of her dress had been pulled up to expose her thighs. Daevar was tempted for a moment to have her then and there; maybe that was what he needed to try and process the situation. No! He thought to himself. You are betrothed now. You will not be like your father.
"M'lord looks a bit troubled." Kyra said, approaching him and taking his hands, planting them firmly on her hips. "Perhaps he requires my services?" She asked coyly, reaching her hands up to caress his cheeks.
Daevar sighed, shaking his head and taking a step back. "Kyra, we have to stop this."
"What?" She asked, confused.
"This." He said, gesturing between the two of them. "We have to stop this."
"But why?" Kyra asked. "Have I done something wrong?"
"No! No, of course not!" Daevar said. "Kyra, you're a lovely girl, and I like you. But the reason we can't do this anymore is because I'm betrothed now. To Princess Helaena." He added, hoping that she would get the message.
Kyra's eyes widened at the news. Clearly word of the betrothal hadn't spread very far. After all, how could it? It was only announced last night. "It's… it's not uncommon for Lords to have mistresses-"
"Kyra, stop." Daevar said, pulling away from her. "My father had a mistress while he was married to my mother. It was a deep insult to her, and I will not be him."
"Well… what will become of me?" She asked worriedly. It wasn't an unreasonable question. She was nominally in the service of Rhaenyra's King's Landing household, but she wasn't sure what the status of that was now. If she couldn't stay here, then she would likely have to get on the next ship to Dragonstone and resume her duties there.
"I will arrange for something, I swear it." Daevar said. "You can trust me, Kyra. I-" He was cut off by the girl storming out of the room. He sighed, undid his sword belt, and sat down on his bed; he had hoped that she would trust him to find someone else to go in the service of, but she was upset right now and wasn't thinking all that straight. She has that right, he thought.
He laid down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he thought of the events that had just transpired. He was to marry Helaena; his cousin. Compared to Rhaenys' proposal to marry Baela, it made him feel less sick in the stomach. Baela was his sister after all; even if that was the Targaryen tradition, it wasn't one he had ever intended to have a part of. At least if he married Helaena, no one in the Vale would look at home sideways.
Maybe a marriage to Helaena wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. The two of them were on friendly enough terms to make it work, and hopefully Kermit wouldn't make her feel too uncomfortable, though he supposed that Gerold would pull him into line if he did. It would also mean that Aegon's betrothal to Nesaena would likely proceed without much interference from anyone.
He sighed again and tried to close his eyes. He needed some rest after everything that had happened.
Helaena had been looking through her collection of bugs when Nesaena entered. The two of them had been born as twins, though Nesaena was older by about ten minutes. She was said to be the prettier of them too, even at their young age. Her hair tumbled past her shoulders down to her waist, and her eyes were easily the deepest violet of any of the siblings.
"Sister, it is good to see you." Nesaena smiled. "You are to marry our cousin, Daevar, it seems."
"So it seems." Helaena replied. She and her sister got along rather well, even with Nesaena being betrothed to Aegon as soon as they were of age for it to happen. They likely wouldn't marry for some years yet, but Helaena figured that her father would arrange for the wedding to occur as soon as Nesaena had her blood, as was the custom.
"He is rather handsome." Nesaena said. She hadn't seen Daevar frequently over the years, but as she had said to her handmaidens, one would have to be blind not to see that he was one of the most handsome men around their age. "I… actually wished to speak with you about it. I would be sad to see you go to Runestone."
"And I would be sad to leave you." Helaena replied. She and Nesaena had often stuck together over the years, along with Aemond. Even their dragons, Helaena's beloved Dreamfyre and Nesaena's young green dragon she named Windfyre, had been close friends during their time in the dragonpit.
Nesaena smiled. "You will be the envy of many a maiden, sister. I think the hearts of a thousand Valewomen broke when father announced the two of you were to marry." Helaena was tempted to ask how hearts would be able to break without killing a person, but she decided not to. Perhaps this was another one of those metaphors that her mother and Daevar were so fond of.
"I am not sure what to think, if I am honest." Helaena said. "I always thought father would marry me to Aemond, like he plans to do with you and Aegon."
"Aegon is the eldest son, and is next in line to inherit the Iron Throne." Nesaena replied simply, "And seeing how I was born before you, it became my duty to become his wife. The task of you, Aemond, and Daeron is to secure alliances for our family."
Helaena paused for a minute, but eventually nodded. As Lord of Runestone, Daevar would be the second most powerful noble in the Vale, and House Royce had a reputation for producing excellent warriors. And considering that her mother was a Hightower, Daevar was no less a Targaryen than her or any of her siblings. "Then… I suppose our own children wouldn't be too different from you or Aegon's." She finally said.
Nesaena resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Indeed, sister. We must do our duties for our houses." She said, "Well, I must be off. I'm meeting with mother and Aegon." She said before leaving.
Helaena watched her leave before turning back to her bugs.
It may be that my mother's conversation with my aunt was completely innocuous. I certainly hope it was; it would paint some of my aunt's later actions in a better light.
Father and mother never spoke much of my grandfather's reaction to Daemon and Rhaenyra marrying. All they have told my siblings and I is that he reportedly flew into a rage upon hearing that they had married; a rage fuelled by Otto Hightower's machinations. After all, the marriage had been without his consent, and he had likely heard stories of what Daemon had subjected my grandmother to. I must admit, part of me can't help but think that he did in fact believe that Daemon had murdered my grandmother, but simply couldn't bring himself to say it aloud.
It would certainly be in line with what else I know about the man.
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