Chapter 4.2- The Seadragon's Roar

XXX- RHAENYS

The Queen who never was was a woman of great and deep passions. She loved wholly and fully when she could. She had loved her father, her mother before she was lost to her, her husband, and fairly recently, both her children. She would love to say she loved them equally, but there was no way to deny the fact that Laenor, even with all his precocious mischief worried her less than Laena did. He was just so much more careful most of the time— at least when it did not concern a certain Bronze dragon. She knew that Vhagar went out of her way to irritate and upset Laenor, but that was no excuse especially when the creature he sought to get even with could swallow him whole and never even notice that it had swallowed anything.

Besides the point, though, she loved her children. And she loved her husband. But sometimes the later just got the worst ideas where the former where concerned. “There is no need for this” She pushed. If Laenor was here, she had no idea which course he would support— one that would see him lost to her for years, or the sensible option.

“Yes there is. Viserys is doing just what you said he would. He’s clearly considering arranging a betrothal between Laenor and Rhaenyra herself. This offer to squire Laenor is nothing more than a ploy to get him close so he can get to know him” Corlys said, and her husband was most likely right. She had ignored the age difference and married him because of his wits and ambition, after all. Both of them were fully on display here. He had not been tempered with old age like she had. He still had the desire to leave his mark atop the world. She already had made her mark. She got to see her marks walking about every morn at the breaking of the fast. She got to watch her marks. As they grew old, learned to ride horses, ride dragons, play instruments, paint, engage in beauty in all its forms. And now he wanted to take one of her precious children from her.

“I don’t care what Viserys wants. We are not supplicants to be called at every whim. If he wants to see Laenor, then he can come to Driftmark himself”

“You are the one who said we should bend the knee. You chose this course.”

“I did. And I do not regret it. I just feel that it would be a mistake capitulating so early”

“And this has nothing to do with what happened on his first name day?” Corlys asked, bringing up that horrid time. The look she gave him could have curdled milk.

“Don’t bring that up again, Corlys. I’ve said no and that is it. My son stays here with me.”

“So I assume this means you won’t be agreeing to betroth Laena to the Sealord’s son?”

“Laenor said he’d castrate the boy id you tried to marry him to her”

“Of course he saw this one coming as well. Damn Dragon Dreams. I was going to say no, though. Laena will be Queen, one day, I vow it” He said to her, and she believed it. Damn her, she believed it.