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pterodactylterrace · 5 months ago

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Wrath of the Dragon

Title: Wrath of the Dragon

Summary: Fanfix of House of the Dragon Season 2. Some scenes were transcribed and left for the sake of some continuity between the show and the fic. Each chapter will be a rewritten version of the Green scenes in each episode, more faithful to the book and without butchering characters. It's unapologetically Team Green and pure copium. Enjoy.

Words: Aprox 4k

Episode: A Son for a Son

Warning: Death, child death, CA, allusions to CSA. B&C.

*Song used is from Tom Glynn-Carney's band, Sleep Walking Animals. Title: Ghost of a King

~*~

“Aemond… what has happened?” Alicent asked her son as he entered her chambers, dripping wet, his usually well kept hair curled with rain water and sticking to his face and neck.

“Lucerys is dead.” Aemond replies, his lone eye not meeting his mother, his tone emotionless.

“Aemond… what have you done?” Alicent gasps, covering her mouth in horror as realization begins to set in, her face going pale. “Mother, have mercy on us all.” She whispers in dismay.

Aemond turns his eye up to his grandfather, seeming to look through the hand of the king as he speaks. “I have won us the support of Storms End. Floris Baratheon will be my wife.” He continues on, undeterred.

“You only lost one eye, how could you be so blind?” Otto shouts as his daughter weeps.

“T’was a victory, grandsire.” Aemond insists, his voice soft and shaken. “A dragon rider was eliminated and we won the support of Storms End.”

“You slew Rhaenyra’s bastard!” Otto snapped, beginning to pace as his mind tried to untangle the mess presented before him. “Your nephew! Do you realize what you have done? War is now unavoidable!”

“You have brought the wrath of the Gods upon us!” Alicent weeps, grabbing onto her son’s riding coat, the smell of brimstone clinging to him as she clutches him close.

“Hmm.” Aemond hums, pushing his mother’s hands from him and leaving without another word. He didn’t tell them it was an accident. He couldn’t risk letting his family know he lost control of his dragon. Vhagar was their biggest asset, and carried with her a promise of their safety. No harm would befall them while the largest dragon in the world was protecting the city. They couldn’t know she had disobeyed him. He couldn’t risk them finding out.

~*~

What a strange sight to behold. Aemond the fierce, still in his riding leathers, standing in the nursery with a baby in his arms, swaying back and forth as the child grabs at his uncharacteristically messy hair, pulling at the pale silver locks. Aemond has his head tucked low, his nose pressed into the white curls decorating the top of the child’s head, slowly breathing him in.

“Something has happened.” Helaena surmises when she happens upon the scene, Aemond not looking up from the baby as he gives a slow nod.

“I woke him.” Aemond admits, wincing when Maelor grabs at the scarred side of his face.

“You needed the comfort.” Helaena assures him, sweeping past Aemond to wake the twins for the day.

“Good morning. Good morning! The best to you this morning.” Helaena sang softly as she gently shook Jaehaerys’s shoulder, rousing the boy from his peaceful slumber before turning to his sister, curled up on her stomach with her bum hiked up in the air, her mouth wide open as she drooled onto her pillow. “Good morning. Good morning, to you.” Helaena finished singing, kissing her daughter’s cheek to wake her.

“Uncle!” Jaehaerys gasped excitedly, jumping up from his bed. His feet tangle in his blanket in his haste, tripping him as he tries to run to his uncle.

“Uncle?” Jaehaera grunts, still half asleep as she crawls from her bed, barreling towards her uncle with the grace of her father after midnight. Jaehaerys pops up, kicking his feet free from his blanket and joining his sister in her charge, both grabbing onto a leg as they slam into their uncle, though Aemond barely sways on his feet under their loving attack.

“Good morning.” Aemond greets them, absently pushing a loose strand of Jaehaera’s hair back from her face.

“Up, up!” The little girl demands, trying to scale her uncle like he was a tree in the gardens.

“He has Maelor!” Jaehaerys reminds his sister, tugging her free from Aemond before she can accidentally cause any harm to their little brother.

“No! Me up!” Jaehaera insists, angry tears gathering in her eyes when she was denied a morning cuddle. Her face turns red as she pushes her brother’s hands away, the tears spilling down her splotchy cheeks.

“No need for tears, Jaehaera.” Aemond soothes the little girl, kneeling down and shifting Maelor to one arm, catching his niece in his free arm and lifting her as he stands, letting the little girl stroke at his hair as she calms herself down.

“Jaehaerys, the chamber pot.” Helaena reminds the little boy, noticing how he squirms on his feet.

“I think it’s a bit late for Jaehaera.” Aemond tells Helaena, noting the smell coming from the little girl he held close nonetheless.

“I’ll get her a bath before we break our fast. Would you like to join us?”

“Yes… I think I would like that.”

“Uncle!” Jaehaera gasps happily, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tight before squirming to be let down, rushing off to tell her brother the good news.

“You should bathe as well. Wash the night away.”

“Hmm.”

~*~

Aegon sweeps into the room, heading straight for the blonde toddler quietly playing with their toys by the fireplace, their back turned to him. He peeks over the child’s shoulder and looks up to his sister wife. “Where is Jaehaerys?” He asks, giving his daughter a small pat on the head and scanning the room for his eldest son.

“Attending his lessons.” Helaena replies, not looking up from the golden dragon she was embroidering.

“And those are where?” Aegon presses after it becomes clear she won’t give the information without being asked.

“What do you need of him?” Helaena sighs, adding another deft stitch.

“I’m taking him to the small council. He’ll be king one day, he must begin his instruction.” Aegon explains with a beaming smile.

“What if he does not want to be king?” Helaena questions, finally looking away from the fabric in her hands.

“Where is he?” Aegon asks with a smile that seemed more of a grimace at his wife’s words, crouching down to be at eye level with her.

“In the library. You must not interrupt his custom.” She cautions, Aegon seeming to think on her words for only a moment before stepping around her to look for his son.

“I am afraid.” Helaena admits just as he reaches the door.

“Don’t be. They’d be fools to come with Vhagar protecting the city.” Aegon soothes, giving her a reassuring smile.

“Not the dragons. The rats.” Helaena corrects, much to Aegon’s confusion. His lilac eyes quickly scan the room, as the servants also look for the offending pests, no one finding signs of the rodent's presence.

“The Queen is an enduring mystery, is she not?” Aegon offers to the staff, effectively dismissing her concerns about the pests in her chambers. He takes his leave, making a mental note to hire more ratcatchers, hoping to put Helaena’s mind at ease.

~*~

“Jaehaerys must learn the ways of the court if he is to rule one day.” Aegon proudly proclaims to the Kingsguard as he leads his son into the small council room. “Up you go!” He playfully growls as he lifts his son up the steps, laughing as he places the small boy down. The silver haired boy rushes to the table, his lavender eyes alight as he takes in his surroundings, excited to get to spend the morning with his father instead of the boring maesters.

“Good morrow, my Lords! Mother.” Aegon greets as he rounds the table to take his place at the head of it. “What news?” He asks as he takes his seat with pride.

“Our letters to the North and the Vale have gone unanswered.” Otto begins.

“Cunts.” Aegon scoffs.

“The Stormlands should be ours after Aemond’s marriage pact to the Lady Floris Baratheon. I anticipate their sworn declaration.” Otto continues.

“My brother is raising the strength of the West to mass the Golden Tooth. But we-” Tyland begins pausing when the young prince picks up the yellow ball in front of him. “Yeah, thank you, my prince. That’s very helpful.” Tyland tells the prince as he gently takes his attendance marker from Jaehaerys and places it back in its holder.

“My nephew Lord Ormund musters his forces to sally forth from Oldtown. They expect to march quickly, meeting little resistance until they reach the Riverlands.” Otto cuts off whatever Tyland was about to say next.

“My letters to Rhaenyra, has there been any answer?” Alicent pipes up.

“An apology for her dead son?” Jasper Wylde asks flatly.

“None, your grace. Between that and their blockade of the Gullet, we must presume that the Princess has refused the offered terms and war is now inevitable.” Orwyle responds, ignoring the Master of Law’s snarky reply.

“Perhaps his Grace might lend his voice to our outreach?” Alicent suggests, though Aegon is too enamored watching his son steal Tyland’s attendance marker and taunting him with it.

“Stop! Enough!” Tyland hisses, trying to wrestle the ball away from the child.

“In hopes that new terms might, might be negotiated?” Alicent speaks louder, hoping to get her son’s attention.

“Release it at once!” Tyland demands, looking around the room for help. “Would someone please?”

“Is the heir to the throne bothering you, Tyland?” Aegon asks, ignoring his mother’s pleas to continue trying for a peaceful resolution.

“No. No, no, not, not in the least, your Grace.” Tyland quickly responds, letting go of the ball like it burned him.

“Because I think he wants a ride.” Aegon continues, smiling at his son.

“Your Grace-” Alicent attempts to interject.

“A ride?” Tyland asks, confused.

“A pony ride.” Aegon clarifies. “Wouldn’t that be fun, Jaehaerys? Should the Master of Coin be your royal steed?” He asks his son who nods enthusiastically. Tyland laughs awkwardly, his eyes darting awkwardly around the room before landing on the King, a stony look on his face. The Master of Coin quickly stands, realizing the King is serious.

“Your Grace! There are important matters to discuss.” Alicent reminds her son, unamused by the scene unfolding before her. “Despite Sir Tyland’s interruptions.” She adds in, her eyes flashing to her grandson, clearly blaming the boy for the interruption, in spite of her words declaring Tyland to be the problem.

“Very well. No time for amusements, Tyland.” Aegon sighs, nodding for him to take his seat.

“Your Grace.” Tyland replies, as he takes his seat again.

“Off you go, Jaehaerys. Good boy.” Aegon dismisses his son, the cup bearer taking the child’s hand and leading him from the council room. “Where were we?”

“Rheanyra’s blockade has placed King’s Landing under strain. Those pressures will multiply quickly.” Otto continues on, undeterred by the interruptions.

“Well, we should’ve just killed her when we had the chance.” Aegon laments.

“Regrettably the opportunity for surprise has been lost, and with it, the chance to end this conflict quickly.” Otto gives his daughter a pointed look as he speaks. “We must play the board before us.”

“If we are to break the Sea Snake’s blockade, we will need to bolster both the Lannister and Hightower navies.” Tyland points out.

“We do have need for a new Master of Ships.” Orwyle muses, “We could offer the title to the young Lord Dalton Greyjoy.” The Grand Maester suggests as Aemond enters the council room.

“Aemond, what is your business here?” Alicent questions.

“The King summoned me.” Aemond explains coldly.

“You have no seat on this council.” The dowager queen protests.

“Aemond is my closest blood and our best sword. I welcome him.” Aegon easily overrules his mother, much to her clear chagrin as Aemond easily strides to the map of Westeros on the wall.

“The path to King’s Landing is through the Riverlands. We must establish a toehold there, at Harrenhal.” Aemond declares, his long fingers sweeping over the Crownlands and up to the Riverlands as he speaks.

“The River Lords will either declare for me, or they will meet Vhagar and Sunfyre together.” Aegon decides haughtily. “Ah, and-and we can burn the blockade while we’re at it!” He adds in, clearly proud of his idea.

“Rhaenyra has dragons as well.” Alicent protests, her distaste for her son’s idea clear on her face.

“Mine are bigger.” The young king easily dismisses the threat.

“If we lose the dragons to war, there’ll be no calling them back. We must proceed cautiously.” Alicent insists.

“No. Fat, old Lord Tully will either raise my banner, or see his burn.” Aegon asserts. “We should fly to Riverrun”

“You are the King, your Grace. You must not put yourself at risk.” Cole attempts to dissuade the hot blooded king before he can make any rash decisions.

“And Vhagar is needed here, to deter Rhaenyra from attacking in retribution for the death of her son.” Alicent spits, giving her second born son a spiteful look, which the prince ignores with a stony face. He had grown used to her microaggressions and passive aggressive comments over the last week and a half since he had returned from Storms End that fateful night.

“Errors were made in the hours following King Visery’s death. We mustn’t compound them. You’ve already demonstrated your might, Your Grace. We must now favor patience, and restraint.” Otto advises. “I send ravens by the hour. Many and more houses will declare for you in time. History and precedent will come to your side.” He continues as Aegon idly spins his marker before him, clearly not interested in passivity.

~*~

“Mama! Mama watch!” Jaehaerys calls out, waiting for his mother to look up from her embroidery before leaping from his bed to his sister’s, looking proudly to Helaena when he lands safely on the feather mattress. He turns around and leaps back to his bed, falling just short and thumping against the side of the bed rather than landing on top of it. Helaena drops her project, rushing over to her son and gathering him in her arms as he begins to whimper.

“My brave little boy.” Helaena soothes as he gathers him in her arms, sitting down in the rocking chair, hugging him close as he sniffles and whimpers into her shoulder. “That was scary wasn’t it?” She asks as Jaehaera abandons her toys, peering over the arm of the chair to her brother.

“I help!” The little girl declares, moving behind the chair and making it rock as her brother tries to hold back his tears.

“I-I want my-my s-s-ong.” Jaehaerys whimpers through his sniffles, his little fist holding his mother’s dress tight.

“You want me to sing your song?” Helaena asks, resting her cheek against the top of his head as Jaehaera rocks them back and forth.

“Dada.” Jaehaerys sniffs, turning his tear lined lavender eyes up to his mothers. “Dada sings it.”

Helaena looks up to her handmaiden, silently requesting her to send for the king while she continues soothing her son.

“Perhaps you two should lie down for your nap after your song? I can tell you are tired.” Helaena suggests, gently wiping the escaping tears from her son’s face.

“Dada sings first.” Jaehaerys insists, his sister jumping up and down behind the chair and chanting “Dada, Dada, Dada!” In agreement.

“So if your father sings your song, will you rest?” Helaena asks, Jaehaerys giving a solemn nod picking up his mother’s hand and wrapping their little fingers together.

“I promise.”

“Yes? What is it? The rats again?” Aegon asks as he enters the nursery a few minutes later, finding Helaena still in the rocker, Jaehaerys half asleep on her shoulder while Jaehaera stood behind the chair, continuing to make it rock back and forth, lost to the rhythm of the movements.

“Dada.” Jaehaerys mumbles sleepily, rubbing at his eye with one hand and reaching for Aegon with the other.

“He wants his song.” Helaena explains as Jaehaera pops out from behind the chair. “They both do. They won’t take their nap without it.”

“Alright, but only once.” Aegon agrees, caving instantly at the pleading, sleepy looks on the twin’s faces. Aegon lifts his tired son into his arms as his daughter quickly clings to his leg, almost making him trip as she latches onto him, giggling as he stumbles trying to catch himself.

“I’m a little dragon, strong and stout.” Aegon begins, stooping down to take his daughter in his other arm, his son resting his head against his shoulder. “Here is my tail, here is my snout.” Aegon continues, patting his son’s bottom and kissing his daughter on the nose.”If I get upset, you better watch out.” He sings, spinning with his twins in his arms, both giggling and clinging to his doublet. “I’ll roar and shout and stomp about.” He finishes, bouncing the twins in his arms while stomping his feet, much to their delight.

“Nooo, the other song!” Jaehaerys insists, refusing to release the collar of his father’s doublet when he tries to set him in his bed.

“What other song?” Aegon asks, craning his neck to look down at his son.

“The ghost king!” Jaehaerys reminds him as though it is the most obvious thing in the world.

“And you promise you’ll sleep if I sing you that one?” Aegon asks, both twins nodding as he sets them on their beds.

“I saw the ghost of a king today. I saw the ghost of a king today.” Aegon begins as his children pull their blankets up to their chins. “Ivory bone and two babes in his arms. The weight of the world having killed his charm. Cuts at the trees and hunts the deer. Reared for slaughter when the bows are near. He said hey I got kids now a house and a wife. This is my new death now this is my life.” Aegon pauses, Jaehaerys giving him an offended look when he tries to cut his song short.

The king can’t help but chuckle as he continues. “ And I, Know you, You, I know you, You. Turns out the lights to escape from the moths. Sits in the dark with a painting awashed. With the life that he wishes would meet him in death. Remembering tales as he takes his last breath. So take all the money and choose a new door. Cause change isn't change when you know whats in store

Oh it might seem you don't know who I am anymore. But you're the only one who knows the person I was before…” Aegon’s voice slowly drifts off when he sees both twins have lost the battle to stay awake, taking a moment to admire the two pure lives he helped to create. “Sleep well.” Aegon adds softly, pressing a kiss to their foreheads as Helaena tucks them in properly, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning to leave. He pauses at the doorway, looking back and peeking in at the sleeping Maelor, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest, his long white lashes kissing his chubby cheeks and a mop of silver curls sticking out at odd angles from his head.

“Do not wake him.” Helaena insists, seeing Aegon hovering over the baby. Aegon flashes her a smile over his shoulder, leaning in and kissing the baby’s forehead before leaving to attend court.

~*~

“You know the Keep. You know of it’s hidden passages.” The voice of a cloaked figure breaks through the quiet of the night.

“Who are you?”

“You are a ratcatcher in the Red Keep, yes? Tell me, does the crown pay you well for your services?” The figure continues on, staying just out of the light of the fire, a larger figure looming behind him.

“They pay well enough.” The ratcatcher finally replies, unsure if this was a trick to land him in trouble with the crown.

“I can pay you better. And you don’t have to kill anything. Just lead the way for my friend here.”

“Lead him where?”

“The true Queen’s son has been slain by Aemond Targaryen. The scales must be balanced. A son for a son.”

“You want us to kill Aemond Targaryen? What if we can’t find him?”

“Then you go to the Tower of the Hand. To the Dowager Queen’s chambers.” Daemon instructs, a smile curling on his face.

~*~

“Mama, come on.” Jaehaerys sighs, tugging at his mother’s dress. “It’s time to go see grandmother!” The little boy reminds her, taking his sister’s hand as she runs to the door, eager to see her grandmother and get a treat before bed. Helaena collects Maelor from the wetnurse, thanking her and tucking the child close to her chest, following after her twins as they rush off to their grandmother’s chambers.

“Drag!” Jaehaera gasps, pausing before crossing the dry moat and staring up at the twilight sky as a dark shape passes over them.

“Vhagar! Uncle!” Jaehaerys cheers, waving up at the dragon patrolling the skies, looking back to his mother. “Did he see me?”

“I don’t know. We will have to ask him later.” Helaena tells her son, smoothing his hair back from his face.

“UNCLE!” Jaehaera screams out, jumping and waving her arms over her head. “UNCLE!!!”

“We mustn’t distract him. He is busy keeping us all safe.” Helaena explains, Jaehaerys quickly takes his sister’s hand.

“I’ll keep you safe too!” The little boy declares, proudly marching over the drawbridge, leading the way to his grandmother’s chambers. Jaehaera slips her hand from his, racing her brother up the stairs and bursting through the door.

The air felt wrong as soon as Helaena entered the room. First, she saw her mother’s handmaiden laying on her bed, her eyes wide and unfocused. It took the Queen a moment to realize she was dead. Before she had a chance to grab her children and flee, she heard her own guard give a shout, turning to see a large man pulling a knife from the guard’s throat, blood staining his white cloak as he fell to the ground, never even having the chance to draw his sword.

Alicent screamed through her gag, jerking at her wrists binding her to her chair as someone else snatched Maelor from Helaena’s arms, holding a knife to his throat while the large man grabs hold of Jaehaera’s arm and drags her to the other side of the room.

“No! Leave my sister alone!” Jaehaerys yells, holding his sister’s arm and smacking uselessly at the man’s wrist, trying to make him let go.

“Scream and you all die.” Cheese warned the Queen as Blood snatched Jaehaerys by the arm, wrenching his grip from his sister and shoving the little girl to the ground.

“Who are you?” Helaena asked, her voice shaking as she instinctively reached for her children, stopping when Blood yanked Jaehaerys’s head back by his hair and held his knife to the boy’s exposed throat.

“Debt collectors.” Cheese replied. “An eye for an eye, a son for a son. We only want one, t’ square things. Won’t hurt the rest o’ you fine folks, not one lil hair. Which one you want t’ lose, Your Grace?”

Helaena’s blood ran cold as his words sunk in, her mind racing with how she could possibly save her children. “Me! Take me!” Helaena pleads, falling to her knees. “Please. Don’t hurt my children. They’ve done nothing. They are innocent.”

“A wife’s not a son.” The large man holding Jaehaerys replied. “It has to be a boy.”

“You should choose quickly, Your Grace, before my friend grows bored and decides to entertain himself with your little girl.” Cheese goaded the sobbing queen. “Pick, or we kill them all.”

“Maelor.” Helaena forced out, on her knees with tears streaming down her face. He was but a babe, he didn’t understand the danger he was in. It would be over quickly. The babe would never know what was to befall him.

“You hear that, little boy?” Cheese whispered to the child in his arms. “Your mama wants you dead.” Then he looked to Blood and gave a nod. Helaena followed his gaze and screamed as Blood struck off Jaehaerys’s head with a single blow before her very eyes.

Time stood still as the little boy’s body crumbled to the floor, blood staining his clothing and pooling on the floor. Helaena gathered what was left of her son in her arms, sobbing and clinging to the little boy as the guards began to beat at the door, trying to gain entry. The bar finally splintered under the force, the Kingsguard rushing into the room, Otto and Aemond with them, having heard the Queen’s screams.

“Uncle?” Jaehaera asks unsurely, tearing her eyes from her mother and looking up to Aemond, her little body shaking as she holds up her arms to him. Aemond quickly picked up the little girl, tucking her face into his neck, trying to shield her from what she had already witnessed.

“He waved.You see him?” The little girl asked against his neck.

“Yes, Jaehaera. I saw him.” Aemond lied to the little girl as Otto unbound his daughter. The dowager queen pointed with a shaking hand to a painting, jutting from the wall at an odd angle, a trail of blood leading up to it. The Kingsguard pulled at the painting, revealing a hidden tunnel behind it, the trail of blood leading into the darkness. Arryk grabbed a torch, leading the way into the tunnels, a second knight followed, leaving Criston behind to guard the rest of the family.

“Your Grace?” Cole murmured softly to Helaena, kneeling next to her and gently taking the boy’s body from her arms, letting Alicent lead the queen away from the horrific scene. He pulled off his white cloak, laying it over the boy’s body, staining his cloak with the boy’s blood as he was tucked in for the very last time.

“Commander, we lost them. The tunnels are a maze.” The Kingsguard relayed as he came back in through the painting. “Ser Arryk is continuing to search, but we cannot find them in the labyrinth.”

“Tell the King.” Criston directs, his dark eyes staring at the blooming blood on his white cloak. “Tell the King his heir is dead.”

#house of the dragon #hotd #hotd fanfic #aemond targaryen #aegon ii targaryen #helaena targaryen #alicent hightower #otto hightower #criston cole #pro team green #pro team green fanfic #tom glynn carney #sleep walking animals

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