[The sun hung high over King's Landing, casting warm light across the palace courtyard where the royal siblings gathered. Prince Rhaegar of Dragonstone, clad in a dark red tunic, adjusted his grip on the practice sword as his younger half-brothers, Prince Daeron of Summerhall and Prince Daemon, circled him. Nearby, Princess Alyssa lounged on a stone bench, watching with amusement as the boys trained.]
PRINCE DAERON: (blocking a strike) You're holding back, Rhaegar.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (smirking) Or perhaps you're just getting better.
PRINCE DAEMON: (laughing) Or maybe you're just getting old.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (grinning) Seven hells, Daemon, he's only eight years older than you.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (mock offense) And yet, I feel like I've aged a lifetime dealing with you three.
PRINCE DAERON: (lowering his sword) Speaking of lifetimes… Father told me the Crown Merchant Guild is expanding to Dorne. He wants me to oversee the negotiations.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (raising an eyebrow) That's a big responsibility. You're only three-and-ten.
PRINCE DAERON: (shrugging) And you were named heir at four.
PRINCE DAEMON: (grinning) And I was named a nuisance at birth.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (snorting) At least you're self-aware.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (leaning on his sword) Daeron's right, though. Father trusts you. That's why he made you Prince of Summerhall—so you'd learn to rule.
PRINCE DAERON: (quietly) Sometimes I wonder if he regrets it.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (frowning) Regrets what?
PRINCE DAERON: (hesitating) Naming you heir instead of me. I'm his eldest trueborn son. By rights, the throne should—
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (cutting him off) It's not about rights. It's about what Father promised.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (rolling her eyes) Gods, not this again.
PRINCE DAEMON: (crossing arms) I don't see why it matters. Rhaegar's heir, Daeron's spare, and I'm just here to look pretty.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (grinning) And fail miserably at it.
PRINCE DAEMON: (gasping) Cruelty! From my own sister!
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (ignoring them) Daeron, Father didn't make this decision lightly. He swore to honor my father's line after Summerhall. It's not about doubting you.
PRINCE DAERON: (sighing) I know. But the lords whisper. They say it's unnatural for a king to pass over his own blood.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (snorting) Since when do we care what lords whisper?
PRINCE DAEMON: (grinning) Since never.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (softly) It won't be forever. When I'm king, I'll name you Hand. We'll rule together.
PRINCE DAERON: (smirking) And what if I don't want to be Hand?
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (shrugging) Then I'll name Daemon.
PRINCE DAEMON: (horrified) Seven hells, no. I'd rather juggle wildfire.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (laughing) Now that I'd pay to see.
[The sound of footsteps interrupts them as Queen Rhaella approaches, her silver-gold hair shimmering in the sunlight.]
QUEEN RHAELLA: (smiling) Am I interrupting?
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (bowing slightly) Never, Your Grace.
PRINCE DAERON: (grinning) Just discussing Daemon's inevitable demise by wildfire.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (raising an eyebrow) Should I be concerned?
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (smirking) Only if you value his survival.
PRINCE DAEMON: (dramatic sigh) The disrespect.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (chuckling) Well, save the plotting for later. Your father wants to see you all in the Small Hall.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (curious) Did he say why?
QUEEN RHAELLA: (mysterious smile) You'll see.
[The siblings exchange glances before following their mother, the weight of their positions—and the future of House Targaryen—lingering unspoken between them.]
[The Small Hall of the Red Keep was bathed in the golden light of the afternoon sun as King Aegon VI sat at the head of the long oak table, parchment scrolls neatly arranged before him. The doors creaked open, and the royal siblings filed in, led by Queen Rhaella. The king looked up, his violet eyes warm but weary, a faint smile playing on his lips as his children took their seats.]
KING AEGON VI: (leaning back in his chair) Ah, good. You're all here.
PRINCE DAEMON: (grinning) Were we given a choice?
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (elbowing him) Hush.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (sitting beside the king) Your father has an announcement.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (raising an eyebrow) Should we be worried?
KING AEGON VI: (chuckling) Not unless the thought of responsibility frightens you.
PRINCE DAERON: (sitting straighter) The Crown Merchant Guild?
KING AEGON VI: (nodding) Correct. In three days' time, we will be visiting the guild's headquarters. It's been five years since its founding, and it's time for a full assessment.
PRINCE DAEMON: (leaning forward) Does this mean Daeron finally gets to manage it?
PRINCE DAERON: (glancing at his father) I am Prince of Summerhall. Traditionally, the title oversees the guild.
KING AEGON VI: (folding his hands) Traditionally, yes. But you're still three-and-ten. The guild's affairs are complex, and I won't throw you into the deep waters before you've learned to swim.
PRINCE DAERON: (frowning slightly) Then why are we going?
KING AEGON VI: (smirking) Because one day, it will be yours. And when that day comes, I expect you to understand every ledger, every trade route, and every merchant who thinks they can swindle the Crown.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (grinning) So this is a lesson in not getting robbed.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (amused) Essentially.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (thoughtful) And what of the rest of us?
KING AEGON VI: (meeting his gaze) You, as heir, will need to understand how the guild impacts the realm's economy. Daemon, because gods know you need something productive to focus on. And Alyssa—
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (raising a hand) Because I'm the only one with common sense here?
PRINCE DAEMON: (gasping) Blasphemy.
KING AEGON VI: (laughing) Because you have a sharp mind for numbers, and your mother could use the help.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (smirking at Daemon) So, common sense and intelligence.
PRINCE DAEMON: (muttering) Unbearable.
PRINCE DAERON: (ignoring them) Who manages the guild now, if not me?
KING AEGON VI: (leaning forward) Lord Tywin Lannister, in an interim capacity. But he has his own duties as Hand. The guild needs a permanent overseer—one raised for the role.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (raising an eyebrow) And when will that be?
KING AEGON VI: (glancing at Daeron) When I'm certain he's ready.
PRINCE DAERON: (firmly) I am ready.
KING AEGON VI: (smiling faintly) Convince me during this visit, then.
PRINCE DAEMON: (grinning) Oh, this'll be fun.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (muttering) For you, maybe.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (standing) We'll depart at dawn in three days. Prepare accordingly.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (nodding) Understood.
PRINCE DAERON: (determined) I won't disappoint you, Father.
KING AEGON VI: (softly) I know you won't.
[The siblings rose, exchanging glances—some eager, some wary—as they filed out of the hall, the weight of expectation settling over them. The Crown Merchant Guild awaited, and with it, the first true test of their roles in the future of House Targaryen.]
[The heavy oak doors of the Small Council chamber closed with a soft thud, leaving King Aegon VI and Queen Rhaella alone in the dim candlelight. The parchment-strewn table between them bore the weight of countless decisions, but none as delicate as the one now looming. The king exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples as his sister-wife settled into the chair beside him.]
QUEEN RHAELLA: (softly) They're growing up too quickly.
KING AEGON VI: (leaning back) Daeron already chafes at being called a child. Soon, the lords will demand we secure their futures.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (folding her hands) You mean their marriages.
[A beat of silence. The unspoken specter of their own union—born of duty, grief, and necessity—hung between them.]
KING AEGON VI: (grimacing) The same arguments, again and again. Some say we should bind Alyssa to Rhaegar to strengthen his claim. Others whisper that Rhaegar needs a bride from a Great House to shield him from dissent.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (sharply) Our marriage was meant to shield him. Or have they forgotten?
KING AEGON VI: (shaking his head) They remember too well. They see a king who honored his brother's line over his own son's and think it unbalanced. A marriage between Rhaegar and Alyssa would… simplify things.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (coldly) As our marriage "simplified" things for Father?
[The king flinched. The memory of Jaehaerys II's stern decree—You will marry, for the bloodline, for the throne—still echoed in the quiet of the room.]
KING AEGON VI: (quietly) I swore I'd never force our children as we were forced.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (softening) I know. But the lords will not wait forever. Tywin has already suggested Cersei Lannister for Daeron.
KING AEGON VI: (snorting) Of course he has.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (raising an eyebrow) And Ashara Dayne's name has been floated for Daemon.
KING AEGON VI: (dryly) Let me guess—by the Dornish delegation?
QUEEN RHAELLA: (smirking) Naturally.
[Another silence. The king reached for a goblet of wine, swirling it absently.]
KING AEGON VI: (muttering) We could delay. Let Rhaegar choose his own path.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (gently) You know that isn't how this works.
KING AEGON VI: (setting the goblet down hard) Why not? We broke tradition once—let it stay broken. Let them marry for love, or at least for choice.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (leaning forward) And when the lords ask what binds House Targaryen together, what do we tell them? That we trusted to hope?
[The king's jaw tightened. Outside, the distant clatter of armor signaled the changing of the guards, a reminder of the realm always watching, always judging.]
KING AEGON VI: (finally) Then we compromise. Rhaegar's marriage will be political—but not to Alyssa. Let her wed where she will.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (nodding slowly) Elia Martell, perhaps. Dorne's support would be invaluable.
KING AEGON VI: (grim smile) And it would spite Tywin.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (laughing softly) A welcome bonus.
[The tension eased, if only slightly. The queen reached for his hand, her fingers threading through his.]
QUEEN RHAELLA: (whispering) We'll do better than our parents did.
KING AEGON VI: (squeezing her hand) We already have.
[The candles flickered, casting long shadows across the table—shadows of the past, and of the futures yet to be written.]
[The royal courtyard bustled with activity as servants loaded supplies onto the waiting carriages. King Aegon VI stood near the grand fountain, his sister-wife Queen Rhaella at his side, surveying the preparations. Their children—Rhaegar, Daeron, Daemon, and Alyssa—stood nearby, each dressed for travel. The imposing figure of Lord Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King, approached with his usual measured stride.]
KING AEGON VI: (smiling) Tywin. I trust the realm won't collapse in our absence?
LORD TYWIN: (dryly) It survived your father's reign. A few days without you should be manageable.
PRINCE DAEMON: (grinning) Careful, my lord. That almost sounded like humor.
LORD TYWIN: (flatly) A rare miscalculation on my part.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (muttering) Or a miracle.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (ignoring the quips) The ledgers for the guild's latest shipments are in your solar, Lord Tywin. Should any disputes arise—
LORD TYWIN: (interrupting smoothly) —I will handle them. As I have for the past five years.
PRINCE DAERON: (crossing arms) Temporarily.
[Tywin's sharp green eyes flicked to the young prince, unreadable as ever.]
LORD TYWIN: (coolly) Indeed. Though one wonders how much longer "temporary" must last.
KING AEGON VI: (clapping Daeron's shoulder) Patience, my son. Even lions must learn to stalk before they pounce.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (diplomatic) We're grateful for your stewardship, Lord Tywin. The guild's success owes much to you.
LORD TYWIN: (nodding slightly) A rare acknowledgment from Dragonstone.
PRINCE DAEMON: (whispering to Alyssa) Seven hells, does he ever not sound like he's delivering a eulogy?
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (snorting) Only at weddings. And even then, barely.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (shooting them a warning look) Children.
KING AEGON VI: (ignoring the byplay) We'll return within the fortnight. If the Iron Bank's envoy arrives early—
LORD TYWIN: (cutting in) —I'll remind them punctuality is a virtue.
PRINCE DAERON: (muttering) And then charge them interest for the lecture.
[Tywin's mouth twitched—the closest he'd come to a smile in living memory.]
LORD TYWIN: (to Aegon) Your son has a sharp tongue. A dangerous trait in a future Prince of Summerhall.
KING AEGON VI: (grinning) Lucky for you, he's my problem.
LORD TYWIN: (turning to leave) A burden I'm sure you relish. Safe travels, Your Graces.
[As Tywin strode away, the royal siblings exhaled collectively.]
PRINCE DAEMON: (dramatic sigh) And the realm breathes again.
PRINCESS ALYSSA: (rolling her eyes) You're ridiculous.
PRINCE RHAEGAR: (watching Tywin go) He's not wrong, though. The guild should be Daeron's by now.
PRINCE DAERON: (stiffening) Are you saying I'm not ready?
KING AEGON VI: (stepping between them) I'm saying Tywin Lannister has the patience of a cat at a mousehole. He's testing you. All of you.
QUEEN RHAELLA: (smoothing her skirts) Then let's ensure he finds you worthy of the challenge.
[The horns sounded, signaling the readiness of the royal procession. The family moved toward the carriages, the weight of expectations—and the specter of Tywin's scrutiny—lingering as the wheels began to turn.]