If you want to support me, check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions on them, so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
[---]
123 AC, Dragonstone
"As a first step to mend this, I announce the betrothal of my grandchildren, specifically, Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaenyra, and Jaehaera Targaryen, daughter of Aegon," her husband finished. Blanching at the proclamation, Alicent barely noticed the goblet slipping from her fingers before pandemonium erupted.
Rhaenys Velaryon had been worried for most of the day about Viserys' family dinner, especially since he had decided to invite the Potters of all people. She wasn't particularly enthused with the prospect, but looking at Alicent, Rhaenyra, and Daemon's faces, after the King announced the betrothal that would unite their families, she had to admit that there might have been some positives to the entire affair.
She had to admit that she understood how Otto Hightower could love and hate working with Viserys. The man easily trusted many of her suggestions, even ones that affected entire kingdoms, much like how to handle the civil war raging in the Iron Islands. However, he could be strangely stubborn about certain affairs, much like this dinner, and his decision to claim a dragon.
She had been worried that a war would start should Vermithor react harshly and injure, or even kill, the King of the Seven Kingdoms, whose life was the only thing stopping the coming succession crisis from turning into an all-out war between Dragonriders. It wasn't that she thought that Vermithor wouldn't accept him, but that the risk was too high.
Dragons were prideful creatures, and Viserys was a crippled king, one who had been manipulated by his own vassals. The chance that a dragon would refuse to claim him and hurt him in the process wasn't impossible. Thankfully for everyone in the realm, most Dragonstone had seen him flying on the back of the Bronze Fury, which deeply settled the pit that he had been forming in her stomach.
These last few weeks alone showed her how everything went out of control so easily earlier in his reign. Otto had manipulated him; there were no questions about it.
The former Hand had steered the realm towards naming Aegon as heir, setting up the pieces and making connections with High Lords, to all but ensure it, and Viserys let him, not realising what the snake's plans were, only for everything to backfire when he remained stubborn on the topic of officially changing his heir.
Making Aegon heir, as unsuitable as he might have been, was the smart thing to do, too. It was a show of consistency given his claim against her own during the Great Council. It would have vindicated his supporters and set a precedent for the rest of his descendants. Alas, Otto had underestimated Viserys' stubbornness on the matter, and it could have destroyed the realm. It still could.
Of course, unlike the former Hand, she had no real reason to manipulate him in the first place. After all, their goals were the same, even if their motivations weren't. They both wished to stop the coming war between the Blacks and the Greens, and Rhaenys, most of all, wished for her grandchildren to become more than pawns of Rhaenyra to ensure her and Corlys's support.
Which was why it had terrified her when she found them poisoned and cursed. The Potters had quickly healed them in minutes, the Lady Daphne staying back while her husband investigated the people responsible. Rhaenys didn't know exactly what had happened, but had a good idea, given her misadventure in Pyke, where a god had fallen.
Similarly, Harrenhal was gone, and given the shaken look on Daemon's face afterwards, he had experienced something very similar to Pyke's fall. All she knew was that a witch was involved who had taken over the entire castle, and that she had brought down Caraxes using the curse of Harrenhal, which was somehow a true form of magic, and not just a stupid superstition. It was very concerning how a witch was able to so easily harm a dragon as large as Caraxes, especially given that the beasts were known to overwhelm most forms of magic.
All in all, they agreed to hide what truly happened, to stop the realm from realising that a man who was capable of slaying a god lived amongst them. Harrenhal was barely more than rubble, and so far, bar news of the fortress's destruction and the investigation that the nearby Lords were doing on behalf of the crown, no one was able to theorise what could have happened to Harrenhal, especially since there were no signs of dragon fire, other than some of the molten stone during the Conquest.
It looked like the disappearance of Harrenhal would remain an unsolved mystery, and hopefully, it would remain that way, for House Targaryen's sake.
As for the dinner itself, things had been surprisingly calm all things considered, other than Rhaenyra glaring at Potter's wife for some reason for most of the meal, of course. Then again, Rhaenyra was a proud and vain creature. Rhaenys wouldn't have been surprised if she had taken some petty slight personally. She knew that the woman had planned on getting the Potters to spread their knowledge of Valyrian Stone to bolster her claim to the realm, but the sorcerer didn't seem inclined to agree. She only hoped that the Potters wouldn't blow up Dragonstone in some other fight, much like devastation followed everywhere they went.
Back at the dinner, Harry Potter had given them some odd brown food that tasted surprisingly earthy and sweet, and regaled them with one of his adventures, battling magical beasts and an undead king. Rhaenys, her husband, and Daemon had paled as the story progressed. It was a stark contrast between the people who had seen what the man could do and those who hadn't or were too young to realise how dangerous it was.
The children were mostly excited, with only Baela being somewhat hesitant about it. The girls had gotten closer since they had been healed, but Baela still felt guilty about what she had almost done. The girl's lessons regarding their dragon temper were going well, but her guilt had all but doubled since she realised that the people who saved her were the ones whom she had tried to burn in their home.
It was obvious that the girl wasn't handling things well, that she had nightmares about her actions, especially when Rhaenys had asked her what would have happened if Rhaena had gone to the manse that night, if she had been burned alongside the Potters, as she wanted.
It had been cruel of Rhaenys to ask this of her granddaughter during their sessions, but it was better for her to come to that realisation early instead of growing apathetic to it like her father had. That didn't mean that her stomach didn't drop whenever she looked at Baela's face as Rhaena asked about the Potters.
Rhaenys' thoughts were interrupted by Rhaenyra's screeching voice, which was turned towards her, "This is your doing!"
On this rare occasion, Rhaenyra was correct. It was, in fact, her doing.
She had been the one who had brought up the idea to Viserys, and he had been more than happy when he saw the benefits of it. This was the first match that could have happened with both Rhaenyra and Alicent's blood, since Helaena's marriage, as she happened to be the only girl born at that time, and given the parentage of Rhaenyra's eldest sons, it hadn't been viable at the time.
There was a strange irony that the House of the Dragons, which was once desperate for a male heir, now lacks female members to tie down the growing rift between the two parts of the family. If only her grandfather could see it now, that the unity that he chose over her claim had barely survived a couple of decades at most. It didn't matter now, not anymore. Rhaenys had long given up on the dreams of her blood on the Iron Throne. She had seen what it had done to her family and wished to wash her hands of it all, preferring to focus on her granddaughters.
Rhaenys prepared to answer, but, strangely enough, Viserys spoke up before her on her behalf, "While I have spoken to Rhaenys in length regarding the betrothal, the decision is my own."
Alicent seemed to wish to say something, but it was Daemon who spoke up first, "And what gives you the right to decide my son's future?"
Daemon was oddly calm, but she could see the way his hand was twitching, showing his rage. He had often wished for an heir, and he finally had one in the form of Aegon after Laena's death. When she met his gaze, she knew that he was angry at her for allowing this; he likely even felt betrayed.
It was true that they had started to get along, especially after the destruction of Harrenhal. She still disliked him, but an uneasy peace had formed between them in honour of their shared suffering at the knowledge of what the Potters could truly do.
Given his reaction to her, Daemon must have considered his son's betrothal to be akin to a betrayal. Even if she hadn't already made that suggestion to Viserys weeks prior, she still stood by it. This betrothal had nothing to do with Daemon, but it was the only opportunity to unite House Targaryen before Rhaenyra or Alicent decided to intervene because of their petty rivalry that would likely get their children killed.
Daemon's protest was, of course, a disaster, a challenge to Viserys' authority that he had spoken in anger, to which the king answered with a challenge of his own, "It is my right as your King, Daemon, and gracious as I am, I will let you have some say over your children's fosterage."
Rhaenyra, Daemon, and Alicent's rage had disappeared briefly, being replaced by a moment of shock that Rhaenys shared. She hadn't expected this from Viserys, and they had never spoken of any kind of fostering. If she had to guess, this was likely a reaction to Daemon's challenge of his authority, but also, it did make sense politically. It was likely that Daemon or Alicent would poison the children against one another, in an effort to destroy the match from within, something that Viserys couldn't exactly afford.
For the first time, Aegon, Viserys' firstborn, spoke up, "Neither Helaena nor I protest the match, father, but we are wary of the idea of our daughter being separated from us."
The boy obviously ignored his mother's outraged look, "Aegon…"
However, Viserys didn't seem to care about her opinion and chose to answer his son's request, "As I said, I still haven't decided on any fostering. That will be a topic in the future, but it is my wish that both children grow with one another."
Daemon scoffed in derision, "Your daughters should be honoured with the match. It is my son who will…"
The Rogue Prince stopped himself, obviously having the wisdom not to finish that sentence, even if Viserys caught it, "Are you disappointed with the match, brother? Is my blood not sufficient enough in your eyes? Can you find a more suitable match for your son in the Seven Kingdoms?"
It was obvious that Daemon wished to protest, but he gritted out, "No, your Grace."
Viserys then turned towards Alicent, "Aegon and Helaena seem willing, and you must admit that you would not find a finer match for young Jaehaera, one that would secure her right as a Dragonrider, by marrying into House Targaryen."
"No, your Grace," the Queen retorted, "I just worry that the children might be incompatible. It would be a shame to doom them to a loveless marriage akin to that of Daemon and Rhea Royce. Wouldn't it have been better to wait until Jaehaera grew up and married her twin, much like the Conciliator and the Good Queen?"
"Careful, my Queen," Daemon said in a cold voice, while standing up threateningly, "One would think that you are claiming that my son is unworthy. That would be a grave insult, wouldn't it?"
Rhaenys could feel the pressure rise in the room as Alicent obviously tensed. It was obvious that Daemon truly hated the idea of sharing blood with Otto Hightower, but the fact that he found Alicent's refusal of the match insulting was baffling.
Even after decades, Daemon's thoughts still eluded her.
Thankfully, she did not have to defuse the situation as Harry Potter spoke up, "Now, now. Let's all just calm down and take a deep breath."
She had almost forgotten that the Potters were there, given how intense the argument became. Daemon was likely the same, as he paled in fear and sat down.
The sorcerer then continued, "That's much better. You seem like a calm and reasonable person, Prince Daemon. Are you a calm and reasonable person?"
What awaited him was complete silence as the Rogue Prince's hands were twitching. He righted himself and spoke up, "I can be."
"That's good. It's a very crucial skill to learn when to react angrily, and when to be rational and calm, like, for example, when you're in the presence of a King, with young children around. Now, I know that some of you don't like the match, but I personally think that it's a great one. After all, it's the only Targaryen match for Aegon, isn't it? It's also the only match that Jaehaera could have in House Targaryen, that is, her age and would also not give her similar complications as the ones between Aegon and Helaena. Trust me, we would have left the realm long before she would birth any children."
Everyone who sat at the table froze, with only Aegon and Helaena seemingly nodding in agreement. The sorcerer must have told them about his children's affliction, but the rest had not known anything, bar the fact that they had been healed.
Rhaenys cursed herself for not having looked more into it, and Aegon was the one who clarified, "The non-Valyrian blood in their veins can cause issues when marrying too closely with someone with the same non-Valyrian blood. I had no plans on Jaehaera marrying someone with your blood, Mother. I will not take that risk, and marrying either of Daemon's sons would make them at a similar age and would ensure that she would remain a Targaryen and a Dragonrider."
Everyone at the table gave the boy an incredulous look. She had seen a very distinct shift in the boy's demeanour since he became a father. It seemed like he was planning on taking parenthood seriously, thank the Gods. The boy spent most nights with his wife, staring at the babes as if they would disappear without him being there.
Given the fact that the Potters had likely told him of the twins' affliction, he would have thought about Jaehaerys and Jaehaera's futures and would have seen Viserys' offer positively, given the advantages that it granted his daughter.
Harry Potter smiled kindly at the boy, "That was very well said, Aegon. It's why I think that this is a good and easy decision in my opinion, even if it wasn't an unbreakable royal command. After all, none of you could ever think of disobeying the king, could you? That would be treason, wouldn't it?"
Everyone nodded at once, even if Rhaenyra was still glaring at Daphne Potter for some reason. The Potters had all but supported the betrothal, and that would stop Daemon from pushing things. The fact that Aegon and Helaena had also voiced their approval of the match would stave off Alicent's attempts to change things.
The sorcerer obviously knew exactly where to push things, to get his way, in a way that a practised politician could. It truly cemented that he was likely some noble in his homeland, or at least, had some kind of important political position, which made him all the more dangerous.
To make things worse, Rhaenys still did not know his motivations. It was something that she and Viserys spoke of for some time, and it had maddened her. Despite his statement that he only wished to explore, he seemed oddly influential in the politics of the Seven Kingdoms, more specifically, stabilising the coming conflict, which he had worked to stave off.
The King being healed and Otto being dismissed and making her Hand without Rhaenyra capitalising on the Greens' loss of influence, had created an uneasy balance of powers, one that Rhaenys would need to maintain for years in the Capital. Their plan to remove the rift between them would take years to pull off, and it was all to keep the realm stable, to stop a war between dragons.
Rhaenys was happy with it, but someone of Harry Potter's power should have been so involved, not when he had slain the Drowned God. In a single act, he had all but ensured the destruction of the Ironborn's culture after their civil war, something that she would capitalise on. It had been humbling, not just the death of a god, but what came after. A culture that had survived for thousands of years would likely fade away in a handful of years.
She also suspected that he was also likely involved in the second Doom of Valyria, especially given his claim that the corruption was gone, even if it remained an incredibly dangerous place. The fact that Potter didn't mention Valyria when he spoke of adventuring in the Known World was telling.
It was obvious that he had plans that reached far beyond this continent, and it was maddening that he chose to focus so much on maintaining Westeros' stability.
Seeing that the entire matter was settled, Rhaenys looked around and saw Alicent and Rhaenyra looking visibly displeased. The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms must have realised that there was very little that she could do, and spoke up, "Very well. Please excuse me, your Grace. I have lost my appetite."
She glared at her children, and Aegon rolled his eyes, but followed his mother out, while escorting his wife. A few minutes later, Rhaenyra did the same, taking her children and leaving as well, while all but grabbing Daemon on the way out.
In just a few minutes, the only people who remained in the room were Rhaenys, her husband, Viserys, the Potters, and their granddaughters. Potter rolled his eyes, "Very dramatic, these two."
Viserys, who had looked slightly livid at his daughter and his wife's discourtesy, smiled despite the situation, "Imagine them when they were younger. They almost drove me to madness."
"You did the right thing with that match, but you do know that they'll try to push things, right?" the sorcerer commented.
"I'll simply announce the betrothal to the realm. Greedy lords might wish for the blood of the Dragon to run in their family's veins, but they will not attempt anything, not with me being healed and riding a dragon once more."
The sorcerer shrugged, "You're probably right. Now, I suppose it's time for us all to leave as well. That was certainly an entertaining experience. One last thing."
The sorcerer casually threw a small silver ring in front of the king, one that looked like a nesting dragon in a circle. Viserys grabbed it with visible awe on his face at the craftsmanship, "That's a wonderful gift, Potter."
"I think you'll find it useful in your time as King. Consider it a thank you for the dinner."
The king stared at the ring in awe and confusion, especially given how vague and ominous Potter's description of the ring was. Finally, he settled on just shrugging, speaking up, "Thank you, Harry Potter. I am sure that it will prove its worth. Know that you will always have a place in my court should you wish," his expression then turned sheepish, "Do you have more of this… what did you call it… Ah, yes, chocolate?"
Potter burst into laughter and took out a couple of brown bars, and gave them to the King, "That should be enough, huh?"
Viserys chuckled and grabbed the bars and left alongside his Kingsguard, leaving the Velaryons and the Potters alone. The moment the King was gone, Rhaena ran at Potter and hugged him tightly.
He chuckled at her, "I missed you, too, kiddo."
Rhaena glared at him, "You better have. I haven't seen you both for so long."
"You were being punished, remember?"
The young girl looked down for a few moments before perking up, "Yes, but my punishment is done now, and I promise that I will never touch anything without permission again. Thank you for healing me and my sister. Grandfather and Grandmother told us that you were the ones who did it."
"Tell you what, you're right. It has been so long since we spent time together. So, why don't we rectify this with a dinner tomorrow back at the manse? You're all invited, if you want to come. The more, the merrier."
Rhaena buzzed with excitement at the offer. However, Rhaenys froze and noticed her husband do the same. She wondered if it was the same feeling as having a wild dragon invite you to their nest. She knew that Corlys was apprehensive when it came to anything that concerned magic, and given her own experience in Pyke, she was much the same.
However, that didn't come close to the pure dread that was on Baela's face.
She wished to refuse, but Rhaena spoke up for them, "We'd love to come. Right, Baela."
Baela hesitantly nodded, obviously not feeling as enthused, and Corlys placed a firm hand on her shoulder, grounding her before speaking up, "We'll be there. Thank you for the invitation."
[---]
AN: I know that it's a bit of a slow chapter. The idea was mostly to set a few things up for future arcs, while also showing that Viserys has grown as a ruler, but still has his faults. He invited Harry because he knew that his announcement wouldn't be well-received, and knew that Harry would calm things down, especially since he knew that he wanted the realm to be stable for some reason (And there is a reason). I didn't really mention Helaena much since Rhaenys would dismiss her easily, and she was still a quiet girl, despite her adventures with the Potters, but she will get her moments soon. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
[---]
If you want to support me, check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions on them, so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.