Chapter Text
She woke screaming. Fire consumed her and she felt the burn in a way she never had before. Fire and blood. Her words had never been turned on her before and she suddenly understood her father’s words all those years ago, “Dragons are a power men never should have trifled with.”, indeed.
She was disoriented. One moment burning by the order of that cunt of a half brother of hers, Aegon, and his dragon, Sunfrye, the next, well what was this?
She realized she felt very much alive. Alive and on a fluffy bed. Was this the afterlife? The seven heavens or some such? But as she looked around, she realized it was her room in the Red Keep, as it was years ago. She was deeply confused. She got up to investigate what was going on when Ser Harold Westerling barged into her room.
“Princess!” He gasped, “Are you okay? I heard you screaming?” His sword was out, as if ready to defend her.
“What…what day is it?” She tried to orient herself with what was going on around her, but none of this made sense.
“The tourney is today Princess. To welcome the new heir, as your father says.” He looked concerned for her, his kind face screwed up and sad looking upon her. No doubt thinking she was being knocked down a spot with a brother due to arrive. That’s when it hit her.
This was the start. The start of everything. Her downfall. House Targaryen’s. Which meant, she had somehow been sent back in time. Impossible, but she was the blood of Valyria. Who was she to say what magic her gods could conjure? She had a chance, now. A chance to fix things. A chance to live the life she should have had.
After dismissing Ser Harold and ensuring him she was well and it was just a nightmare, she got up to ready herself. As her ladies joined her, Alicent included, to assist her.
She had to stop herself from jumping up and stabbing Alicent with the letter opener on her desk. Being hasty wouldn’t solve this. She could see her ladies were curious as she maintained a solemn and quiet mien, but she had to plan.
Step 1. Convince her father she’s had a prophetic dream. He loves that kind of thing and it drove so many of his actions. If she could sell that, she could change so much.
After dismissing her ladies she made for her father’s room. After announcing her, the Kingsguard let her in.
“Rhaenyra! What brings you here on this joyous day?!” Her father’s bright smile hit her right in the heart. She had missed him so much, had grieved as much for the man in front of her now, as the one he would become, battered down by sickness and the turmoil swirling around him.
“Father…” her face crumbled. She knew this would hurt him, horribly, but this was her one chance.
“Rhaenyra, darling girl, what is the matter?” His face creased with worry.
“I’ve…I’ve had a dream father.” She looked up into his eyes. “The gods, they’ve shown me the future. What is to happen after this day. A horrible future is unfolding father. We have to stop it!”
Her eyes pleaded with him to believe her. His wrinkles deepened, “Rhaenyra…are you sure it was not simply a dream?” His eyes were kind, as if trying to let her down gently. She shook her head fiercely. “No father! This was as Daenys dreamed.” He looked unsure, but she alighted upon an idea then. A dream for a dream! She had knowledge that would prove her true to him.
“I can prove it father. Mere days from now, you would have told me of Aegon’s dream.” His eyes widened. “Of why he conquered. Of the threat from the North.” His shock was palpable. “How…” “I told you father, the gods want me to change the course of the future.”
He sank into his chair. “Sit child. Tell me everything!”
She sat across from him. “It all begins today really. I’m sorry father, I’m so sorry, but Mother…the baby…they will not last the day.” She felt her grief for them engulf her once more and the horrified look on her father’s face, it hurt to have to hurt him here, but he had to know. She cut him off before he could say anything to that though. The rest was too important to get caught up before she even began.
“Otto Hightower has been scheming with his brother. To get Hightower blood on the throne. He will send Alicent to comfort you in your grief. While he tears House Targaryen apart. He gets you to disinherit Daemon based on a rumor. Then you name me heir to the throne. Have all the lords swear loyalty to me. But then 6 moons after mother’s death, they pressure you to remarry. You marry Alicent, and then begin to have many babes, but keep me as the heir to the throne.
It leads to war, a civil war that will rip us all apart. Alicent, her son Aegon, on one side. Myself, Daemon, and our children on another. Which was another issue. You married me to Laenor Velaryon to make up for snubbing them by marrying Alicent and not Laena. But Laenor prefers the company of men. So I had to get another to sire children on me. Harwin Strong was the father of my first 3 boys. But everyone could tell. My beautiful boys looked so much like him.
After Laenor and Laena’s deaths, Daemon and I finally wed. We had two beautiful boys together. But I lost our little girl. The day I found out you had died, and Alicent had hid your death for weeks in order to plan for Aegon to usurp me, I went into early labor and lost the babe” She sobbed, her father’s horrified face looking back. “All my children aside from Aegon, my eldest with Daemon, die. Your son, Aegon, the usurper, he killed me. Your other children killed mine own. It was horrible.
In the end, the power of House Targaryen was broken, Father. Barely any dragons left, most dead in the war. And worse, we lost ourselves. I lost myself. I could feel the madness take me over, and it drove my Daemon to his death. He said he had lived too long. Because he had lived to see the day I was no longer the Rhaenyra he knew, the Rhaenyra he loved as no other.” She couldn’t stop sobbing now. How could she have doubted his love for her? He, who had done everything for years to be hers. For him to have her.
“Rhaenyra,” her father’s horse voice sounded in the stillness left over from her tears. She noticed the tears running down his own face. “We will stop this. We will prevent this, I promise you.” She gasped, “Thank you father, thank you!”
“Daughter, all I’ve ever wanted is your happiness. I would not be able to live with myself, thinking I led you to your death.” He hugged her to him. “Now, I think it’s time we bring you into the small council. What actions would you suggest to start, and then we will spend the day with your mother.”
“But the tourney?” She questioned. She knew in this time, the tourney began as her mother labored.
“Fuck the tourney. If your mother is to leave us after today” he struggled to get the words out. She laid a hand on his and squeezed. He looked into her eyes, realizing she understood. Her pain, his, it was all the same.
As she pulled back, she thought. “I would get rid of Otto and Alicent now. Name Daemon your Hand. We’ll tell Daemon the truth, he will understand. You name me heir, and betroth Daemon and myself. We will bring about the rest of the heirs for house Targaryen. I have no shortage of boys when I give birth. House Targaryen will be populated again in no time and you won’t have to remarry.”
He looked at her, “Yes, about you and Daemon.” “Ugh, I knew you would do that, he is not as Otto has whispered into your ear father. He doesn’t want the throne. He just wants to be by your side, to help you. And you need that balance he brings to your softer side. Daemon and I loved one another truly. We bound our hearts and souls in the old Valyrian way. He was my biggest supporter and led my armies. No one was more fierce in defending my right to the Iron Throne. I trust no one as I trust him. He never turned from me, as others did, not until the very end. I gave him an ultimatum, after hearing rumors about a whore he was bedding. I don’t believe them to be true, thinking in my right mind now. But seeing me issuing ultimatums and assuming the worst of him, as you did, which drove him away from you. Ugh, I did that to myself, and it lead him to his death.”
Her father looked at her sympathetically, “you talk as if you lived this life, not just dreamed it.” She looked up, realizing she had messed up, “Daughter…”
“I’m sorry father, I woke up here after dying. I don’t know how or why, only that we MUST change the future.” She pleaded with her eyes for his understanding.
Eventually, he sighed. “It is not for me to question the judgement of the gods. Only they could have done such a thing. This is a chance, an opportunity. And clearly you are the one to lead House Targaryen on this new path daughter.”
He stepped over and leaned down, kissing her forehead. “I’ll explain everything to Daemon. You go speak with your mother, have the chance to say goodbye.” Tears filled his eyes at the thought.
Rhaenyra stood up and kissed her father on the cheek. “Thank you.” She whispered. “No Rhaenyra, no thanks are needed. I’m only sorry about the path I led you down. But I swear to you here and now. I swear on fire and blood, that will not happen again.” The dragon in her father so rarely showed itself, but the rage on his face at the thought of her future was a comforting sight to see.
Walking out, she made herself ready to see her mother again after all these long years, only to say goodbye.