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libraryoffandomsuniverse · 4 months

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Being Rhaenyra Targaryen's husband would include:

Masterlist

Okay this is my 3rd time uploading this, because tumblr was being a whiny bitch. This turned out much longer than I expected and I'm already planning on writing more in this au. I combined book and show canon, although I kept the Velaryons as black. I also renamed some of Rhaenyra's children and gave her 1 more.

This is not team green friendly or kind to Alicent. At all. Reader is a petty bitch who adores his wife and whose love language is murdering their enemies in various secret ways.

Warnings include murder, forced infertility (Viserys), Rhaenyra and Reader scheming for the throne.

You're the oldest son of Rhaenys Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon. Greatness is in your blood.

You're proud - how can you not be? You're the oldest son of the Sea Snake and The Queen Who Never Was, the heir to High Tide and the next Lord of Driftmark. You're the second rider of Silverwing, after Queen Alysanne. You are cunning and clever - everything your parents could wish for in a son. You have a lot to be proud of.

After fighting in the Stepstones and being knighted, you emerge as one of the chief candidates for Rhaenyra's hand.

The brothel incident still happens in this au and Rhaenyra still sleeps with Criston.

When your betrothal is announced, you both agree to do your duty. And although you aren't Daemon or Criston, you are still handsome and a warrior. Doing her duty will not be difficult for Rhaenyra.

You quickly fall in love, much to both your surprise. Rhaenyra falls first, your loyalty and ferocity in defending her sneaks past her defences.

You fall harder, her wit and hidden darkness, the type that matches yours, pulls you in. Her soul speaks to yours and feels familiar on some level.

By the time Jacaerys is born, you're incredibly happy and in love with each other.

Your darling boy is quickly followed by Lucerys, Baelon, Aegon, Gaemon and eventually (after a few years) your twin daughters Visenya and Aemma.

Your royal apartments are rarely quiet because of your children. They adore their mother's hugs, love to hang off your shoulders and follow you both around the Red Keep like little ducklings.

Being the best dressed couple in Westeros. Rhaenyra likes it when you match and often coordinates your outfits to do so. Sometimes it's matching her dress to your doublet, other times it's more subtle like you wearing ruby beads in your locs to match the precious stones in her bodice. It makes her feel like you're on a team and she knows you feel the same way, judging from the little smirk and raised eyebrow you give her when you see her and the maids going through your wardrobes.

You and Rhaenyra love to gossip together. It mainly happens in bed after you make love. She tells you the latest rumours her ladies in waiting told her and you reveal the scandals you heard from your manservant and squires.

You encourage her to be more visible to the common folk. You know that if she has their love, then any attempts to usurp her will fail. Your little family becomes regular fixtures in King's Landing as you explore the city and restart Queen Alysanne's charitable ventures. Rhaenyra starts heading sessions for women to raise any issues.

You know it's working when you hear people talking about the Realm's Delight and the Sea Dragon and praising your efforts in improving their lives.

The sight of you both racing your dragons high in the sky is a frequent occurrence. It started as a way to unwind after the small council meetings. As your family grew, your children joined in, strapped into yours or Rhaenyra's saddles. When they grew old enough and their dragons were big enough, they followed you on theirs.

Dividing your time between Dragonstone and the Red Keep, although visits to Driftmark are also regular events.

Laenor frequently pops in to visit and spoil your children.

Corlys and Viserys both compete to be the favourite grandparent, but you and Rhaenyra know that Rhaenys is the real favourite. For the sake of peace, you won't reveal it.

Despite Daemon and Laena staying in Pentos, you keep up a regular correspondence with them. You even arrange to meet in Driftmark with your children a few years into your marriage. Your children bond quickly, while the adults watch on and tell stories.

Being married to the heir to the Iron Throne isn't easy and there are many people who would see that Rhaenyra never becomes Queen.

As her consort, you consider it your duty to make the path easier for her.

Your first victim is Criston Cole. After murdering Joffrey Lonmouth, you expect him to get punished. The news of Queen Alicent accepting him as her sworn sword leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, particularly when you have to break the news to Laenor.

Along with your pride, one of your greatest attributes is how protective you are of your loved ones. Joffrey was Laenor's lover as well as one of your good friends.

It takes a little while to plan, but one day gossip erupts about Criston being found drunk in a brothel that's particularly debauched, even by the standards of King's Landing.

You seize your chance and tell your goodfather that perception is important, that such a knight like that cannot be allowed to guard the royal family, especially the Queen. Viserys ignores Alicent's protests and Criston is gelded and sent to the Wall.

Speaking of Viserys, you know that any sons he has will be pitted against your wife.

You also know that his health isn't very good.

You decide to help him by giving him a tonic that your mother swears by, along with some lotions and creams. "Two drops of this with your morning meal every day and you'll soon feel better, Your Grace," you persuade him. "And wouldn't it be wonderful if you could meet your future grandchildren?"

Your father told you once you could sell water to a fish, such was the power of your silver tongue.

Viserys' health does improve after taking the tonic and the lotions that are massaged into his skin fix most of his pains.

However you failed to mention that the tonic and lotion both have herbs which cause infertility if used over long periods of time. Your mother only uses the tonic, and does so sparingly.

Viserys and Alicent only have Aegon and Helaena as a result of your actions.

You and Rhaenyra work hard to charm lords and ladies to support your cause.

You go on progress across the realm, flattering and courting all the noble families you meet.

It quickly becomes known that to be one of Princess Rhaenyra's ladies in waiting is a boon for attaining a fortunate marriage. In turn, you surround yourself with ambitious lords and their sons who want to advance their own interests.

It's a delicate dance, but you were taught how to make alliances by your parents, plus your charisma and ability to speak to anyone makes you one of the most popular members of the royal family.

Any attempts Alicent makes to gain allies for her son are countered by you and she can't stand you.

She tried to make Rhaenyra bring Lucerys to her when he was born, but you shut that down. "I wasn't aware that the Queen was in such poor health that she couldn't come herself to meet the newest member of our family," you say with a mocking smile. "The King is already coming to meet his grandson and I'm sure he would wish for Her Grace to join him." The sour look on the Queen's face when she finally arrives, only to find Viserys holding your baby boy, is a sight you'll remember for weeks to come.

You're Rhaenyra's greatest weapon and she despises how popular you are. You weren't supposed to be this politically adept, your children weren't supposed to be that lovely and polite and Rhaenyra was not supposed to be the heir when Viserys already has a son.

She says so to Larys Strong, who decides to do something about it without telling her.

You survive the pathetic assassination attempt because of a loyal servant.

Rhaenyra finds out what happened and she is furious. When she finds out Larys did it? He's a dead man walking.

His body is found in a secluded corridor at the bottom of the stairs. It's fairly obvious that he slipped and fell in a tragic accident - the servants had only finished cleaning and polishing those stairs the day before.

You thank your wife for avenging you with a sapphire necklace and several rounds of insatiable sex that eventually results in your son Aegon being conceived.

Unfortunately Lyonel Strong takes this as his chance to resign as Hand and return to Harrenhall, something you and your wife are unhappy about. You will miss him and his unwavering loyalty and fairness.

You miss him even more when you find out Otto Hightower is returning to King's Landing to be Viserys' Hand again.

The return of her father emboldens the Queen, although you and Rhaenyra are more than a match for them, both during the Small Council meetings (which you are Master of Ships) and outside them.

Eventually though, you decide to take care of the problem, although your wife cautions you to be careful.

A year after becoming Hand again, Otto Hightower is dead. His health had been declining for some time, even before he returned to King's Landing, but the poison you'd had your spies slip into his furniture and clothing certainly made his end quicker.

You knew he had a food taster, so you had to be careful to make it appear natural. A quiet conversation with Daemon had pointed you in the right direction.

Although it appeared to be natural, you knew that Otto's last days were a living hell. A fitting end for such a man.

With his death, you recommended Viserys make Lyonel Strong Hand again or even name Rhaenyra to be the Hand, as preparation for her future role.

His decision to name Rhaenyra as Hand is one of the only good decisions he's made.

It gives her more experience in governing the realm, particularly when he starts to become more frail.

After several years of this, she is confident in her role. She will be a magnificent Queen and you're truly honoured to be her consort.

#not team green friendly #male reader imagines #black reader #rhaenyra targaryen x reader #hotd imagines #rhaenyra targaryen imagines #my writing

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thevelaryons · 2 months

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CORLYS + RHAENYRA - Power Dynamics

There is a constant power fluctuation that happens between these two, both before the Dance and for its duration. They each have an advantage over each other: Rhaenyra is the Crown Princess/Queen and Corlys is the richest man in Westeros. It's because of these factors they can exert influence over each other. Though it's worth mentioning that they only act when the other is in a vulnerable state.

The first instance is in deciding the names of Rhaenyra's sons with Laenor. Jacaerys & Lucerys are given Velaryon names because Corlys decides it and Joffrey is only given a non-Velaryon name because Corlys relents to Laenor's wishes. Rhaenyra has no say in this matter and it is Corlys' will that rules here:

Laenor’s wish to name the child Joffrey was overruled by his father, Lord Corlys. Instead the child was given a traditional Velaryon name: Jacaerys (friends and brothers would call him Jace). [...] Meanwhile, back in Westeros, Princess Rhaenyra had given birth to a second son late in the year 115 AC. The child was named Lucerys (Luke for short). [...] In 117 AC, on Dragonstone, Princess Rhaenyra bore yet another son. Ser Laenor was at last permitted to name a child after his fallen friend, Ser Joffrey Lonmouth.

I say this because the book specifically emphasizes when Rhaenyra finally does have a say in deciding the name for her child:

As the year waned, she brought forth a small but robust son, a pale princeling with dark purple eyes and pale silvery hair. She named him Aegon.

Rhaenyra's first three sons are bastards and she would be well aware that she needs to appease Corlys in order to have him accept her sons as Velaryons, so the choice of the boys' names is left to him.

There's a lot more political tension underlying their dynamic when it comes to the Driftmark sucession.

When Lucerys was around 11 years old, Corlys fell ill from a fever. Up until this point, Corlys had not named any of Laenor's sons by Rhaenyra as heir to Driftmark. As I've mentioned before, Corlys is the type who views being a Velaryon as separate from the position of family heir. Although his grandchildren have already been betrothed to each other by this point, it's not a firm solution to the problem of the family succession in Corlys' eyes. This is evidenced by the fact that Rhaenyra has to go out of her way to request Corlys to name her son as heir:

Rhaenyra is able to exert her will here, through threat of force, and does seem to have succeeded in getting Corlys' to agree with her wishes. Once again, I'll emphasize that Rhaenyra and Corlys are able to act upon their wishes when the other is in a state of vulnerability.

After Rhaenys' death, Corlys is quite furious with Rhaenyra. It is Jacaerys who works to appease him this time (acting in place of his mother). Corlys is named to the position of Hand and when the Red Sowing occurs shortly afterwards, he brings Addam/Alyn forth to claim dragons. Just going off the timeline of events, it's clear that "Laenor's bastards" was part of the conditions promised to Corlys to retain his loyalty. No doubt, it is also the reason why Jacaerys is so willing to speak up for Addam as the new heir to Driftmark, knowing full well that the next in line would have been his own brother, Joffrey. I've already talked about the politics at play in deciding the succession between Addam vs Joffrey, so I'm not going to get too into that. Though it's worth mentioning that Rhaenyra only agreed to the succession change after Jacaerys urged her to do so. Meaning she must have been reluctant at first:

Not long after Addam of Hull had proved himself by flying Seasmoke, Lord Corlys went so far as to petition Queen Rhaenyra to remove the taint of bastardy from him and his brother. When Prince Jacaerys added his voice to the request, the queen complied. Addam of Hull, dragonseed and bastard, became Addam Velaryon, heir to Driftmark.

Speaking of Rhaenyra's reluctance, it makes sense why she would feel that way. It does not matter that Laenor was gay and neither he nor Rhaenyra had an interest in each other. What matters is the public perception of events. Rhaenyra was Laenor's legal wife. Marilda is claimed to be his mistress. It is Marilda's bastard son that is being placed ahead of Rhaenyra's son who is called trueborn. For any noblewoman, this would be an unthinkable turn of events. In Rhaenyra's case, she's not just any noblewoman, but a Queen. Nevertheless, she must swallow her pride and agree with what Corlys wants. Despite taking action to ensure the succession in favor of Lucerys, Rhaenyra does not do the same for Joffrey. Corlys is the one who holds the power now and Rhaenyra must bend to his will.

It is explicitly mentioned that everyone in Rhaenyra's court plays along with the story that Addam/Alyn are Laenor's bastards. Why? To appease Corlys of course:

Many and more at Queen Rhaenyra’s court must surely have suspected the same. If so, they held their tongues.

Throughout most of the war, it is Corlys that is able to exert power over Rhaenyra, even in matters concerning the succession of other houses. And so it is Corlys' authority that Rhaenyra has to obey, because she cannot risk losing his support, or that of other such lords:

Their deaths left her with a nettlesome problem of succession, however. As it happened, each of the “faithless friends” left a daughter; Rosby’s was a maid of twelve, Stokeworth’s a girl of six. Prince Daemon proposed that the former be wed to Hard Hugh the blacksmith’s son (who had taken to calling himself Hugh Hammer), the latter to Ulf the Sot (now simply Ulf White), keeping their lands black whilst suitably rewarding the seeds for their valor in battle. But the Queen’s Hand argued against this, for both girls had younger brothers. Rhaenyra’s own claim to the Iron Throne was a special case, the Sea Snake insisted; her father had named her as his heir. Lords Rosby and Stokeworth had done no such thing. Disinheriting their sons in favor of their daughters would overturn centuries of law and precedent, and call into question the rights of scores of other lords throughout Westeros whose own claims might be seen as inferior to those of elder sisters. It was fear of losing the support of such lords, Munkun asserts in True Telling, that led the queen to decide in favor of Lord Corlys rather than Prince Daemon.

That's not to say, Rhaenyra is entirely powerless. As the Queen, she does have the final say in matters. Especially in discussions concerning the Greens, it is Rhaenyra's decision ultimately to decide what is to be done. Of course, she does hear Corlys out first before making her decisions:

The Lannisters and Baratheons should be destroyed as well, so their lands and castles might be given to men who had proved more loyal. Grant Storm’s End to Ulf White and Casterly Rock to Hard Hugh Hammer, the prince proposed…to the horror of the Sea Snake. “Half the lords of Westeros will turn against us if we are so cruel as to destroy two such ancient and noble houses,” Lord Corlys said. It fell to the queen herself to choose between her consort and her Hand. Rhaenyra decided to steer a middle course.

One of the descriptions that GRRM himself gave for Rhaenyra is that she never forgets a slight. So I do think part of the reason she was quick to believe the worst of Addam is because the circumstances in which he became heir to Driftmark were already a huge insult to her. The book doesn't mention whether it was Rhaenyra or Corlys that had Addam residing at the Dragonpit but the fact that he was kept out of her sight is an interesting detail. When Addam is suspected of treason, it does give Rhaenyra an opportunity to let out her own grievances.

Corlys and Rhaenyra can't really be described as being particularly fond of each other. However, they do share grandchildren/children in common, and it's obvious they care about them. So it would make sense to say Corlys and Rhaenyra tolerate each other and keep their personal grievances mostly to themselves. Corlys' outburst after Rhaenys death in which he was very quick to wish death upon Rhaenyra certainly says a lot about his own opinions though. But most of their actions are them trying to play nice with each other.

Rhaenyra's exercise of power is almost limited (part of that does have to do with her position as a woman trapped in a war because her authority was questioned on account of her womanhood). Corlys is a man and a wealthy noble too, so he can use that to his advantage many times. Rhaenyra as a woman does have to appease him for this reason. But since she is a Queen too, she can exert her own will if she chooses to do so, even if doing so means risking losing Corlys' support.

#valyrianscrolls #asoiaf #corlys velaryon #rhaenyra targaryen #corlys & rhaenyra #meta #reposting my old twitter meta here #I decided to expand on more points

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silver-dragonborn · 3 months

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What is up with the HOTD fandom's obsession with hating on Laena Velaryon? Laena haters screech and stomp their feet simply because Laena committed the unforgivable sin of pursuing a man she was attracted to, getting married to him, and having his babies. Y'all act like Laena forced Daemon to marry her and that she "betrayed" Rhaenyra. No, you're just mad that Laena, a black woman, got"in the way" of your ship and you punish her by writing dozens of fanfiction where she either dies horrifically by dragon fire, dies in childbirth, becomes this wicked seductress who lives to torment Rhaenyra, etc.

Even worse, Laena's stripped of her personality and turned into a yes-man for Rhaenyra without any thoughts or opinions, or her twin daughters are erased out of existence in every single time-traveling fix-it fic. The blatant racism and hatred towards Laena, Laenor, Corlys, and every single member of House Velaryon is tiresome.

"But she stole Daemon!!!"

Laena didn't steal anyone and Daemon's not a prized horse to be taken when he CLEARLY showed interest in marrying Laena in the show and killed her betrothed in the book to marry her.

"But she betrayed Rhaenyra because she knew Rhaenyra loved Daemon!!"

I'm confused. Do you mean to tell me that Laena deliberately went after Daemon with the sole purpose of marrying him just to hurt Rhaenyra? Just for shits and giggles? Yeah. Okay. Keep thinking that.

"Laena and her family are all greedy and grasping for power!!"

Yeah and so is every single House in Westeros. Everyone wants power and Corlys wouldn't be the Sea Snake if he didn't have the wit and ambition to seize power for him and his family. He elevated his House, married Rhaenys Targaryen, had two wonderful children who became dragon riders in their own right and became the grandfather of royal dragon riders. But yeah, House Velaryon are all wickedly evil for DARING to tie their House to the royal family. Mm-hm. Yeah. Sounds about right.

"Daemon never loved Laena! The show is proof of that!!"

I don't even like Daemon, but I mean this from the bottom of my heart when I say that the show did a complete disservice to Daemon and Laena's relationship. Reducing her to second-best and giving her a brutal death instead of honoring the tender final moments between her and Daemon in the book was insulting as hell.

"Laena and Daemon shouldn't have gotten married!!"

You know what? I'll give you that one. Laena was too good for Daemon and she and Rhaenyra should have been dragon-riding girlfriends who held hands, smooched, and had a Valyrian wedding in secret :).

#hotd #hotd critical #anti anti laena velaryon #and this is coming from someone who is strictly team black #both team green and team black are guilty of this #laena is constantly being punished by both teams for having the audacity to romance daemon or because she gets in the way of rhaenicent #almost everyone conveniently forget that laena was rhaenyra's cherished friend in the books and possibly even her girlfriend #we all know WHY people hate on laena #laena haters just rub me the wrong way because this woman is declared guilty for living her life and pursuing her own desires #laena's doing exactly what rhaenyra does but it's abhorrent because she pursued daemon and married him #and this post is not criticizing rhaenyra so TG stans do not comment #I can love rhaenyra and vent how much shit this fandom piles on laena

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1800naveen · 10 days

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HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: ACOTAR EDITION!

TEAM BLACK:

Nesta Archeron: Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen

I have to give one of the best characters to the Queen herself. Nesta is a Rhaenyra stan, canon. (I'm SJM and I approve of this message). Viserys got up from his deathbed to defend his daughter one last time. Papa Archeron was riding the Nesta to fight for his daughters one last time. And both aren't the best dads out there so there's that🤷🏾‍♀️. The things some people can say about either of them is strange (Y'all be showing your true colors at times).

Emerie and Gwyneth Berdara: Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and Lord Corlys Velaryon

For Emerie: Faces significant challenges due to the patriarchal society she lives in, including oppression as an Illyrian female. Rhaenys lost her claim to the Iron Throne because of her gender and it was given to her cousin, Viserys I Targaryen. Both have great roles with the protagonist; Rhaenys being a loyal supporter of Rhaenyra and Emerie fighting besides Nesta and being both her best friend and sister, restoring the Valkyries together alongside Gwyn.

For Gwyn: I'm being honest, I don't have a lot for my girl but I'll try. House Velaryon is one of the houses that survived the Doom of Valyria. They're associated with the sea and ocean; Corlys' nickname is the "Sea Snake". Gwyn is half River nymph so with that side of her, I associated it with the house that has ties to the sea.

TEAM GREEN:

Mor: Queen/Lady Alicent Hightower

For Mor: Que the lyric "She likes a boy, she likes a boy, she likes a boy, she likes a boy. And I'm not a boy, I'm not a boy, I'm not a-". Both are obsessed with the protagonist (Don't blame them, I too am obsessed with Rhaenyra and Nesta). They both have shitty dads which messed them up. They also have a knight/warrior that's in love with them (insert Criston and Azriel).

The thing is Show and Book Alicent is a much more interesting character than Mor. Book Alicent was cunning as fuck and went after what she wanted and I gotta respect that.

Cassian: Prince Aemond Targaryen

For Cassian: Aemond and Alys' relationship reminds me of Cassian's and Nesta's relationship (I dislike both). Both are momma's boys and got dads who don't care about them. Cassian destroyed a village and Aemond burned the Riverlands.

Azriel: Ser Criston Cole

For Azriel: Both are loyal to a woman that isn't in love with them. Both are fighters. And both had a connection to the protagonist but Azriel never became salty with Nesta and cares for her. Criston said "let's go sell oranges" and Rhaenyra said no because why would a royal give up their luxury life? Man became salty and her opp. AZRIEL ON TOP, EVEN THOUGH HE CAN GET ON MY NERVES!

Rhysand: King Aegon II Targaryen

For Rhysand: I'm not going into detail because it will be too damn long so TLDR: Imagine Aegon as a faerie and you got Rhysand.

Amren: Lord Otto Hightower

For Amren: Otto is old, Amren is old. Otto wants his grandson to be king, Amren wants Rhys to be king. (Funny since both Aegon and Rhys said they didn't want to be king but one succeeded in their plan and it isn't Amren).

(All are just jokes, don't take it seriously! Trying to cut the heads so I could put it on the pictures was a pain.)

#pro nesta #pro valkyries #anti rhysand #anti morrigan #anti cassian

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aifsaath · 8 months

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Our Fathers Clad In Red II

“Just so,” his mother said. “Kill the boy, and have Daemon's girl sent to the silent sisters. For the child, it can be a clean death. No need for excessive cruelty.”

“Faithless woman,” Lord Corlys roared. He stood, and Aegon thought he looked like the Storm God of old with his braided silver hair, his weathered face, and his anger enough to sink fleets. “Oathbreaker.”

LINK TO THE STORY BY ME AND @gwenllian-in-the-abbey

LINK TO THE FULL IMAGE

BEHOLD THE ANGRY SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE SEA SNAKE AND THE BAMF DOWAGER QUEEN.

aka

"what if I put some thought into the character's costumes, eh?"

(and yes, we're going with the book!descriptions.)

@lemonhemlock @branwendaughterofllyr @duxbelisarius @ara-meyy @theothermaidoftarth @maryonaccross @alicentdeservesbetter @prodogg @notbloodraven

#corlys velaryon #alicent hightower #hotd fanfic #f&b fic #aegon ii targaryen x baela targaryen #baegon #team green #our fathers clad in red #aife draws!#gwenllian writes!#aife writes!

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backjustforberena · 1 month

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A SELECTION BOOK QUOTES THAT REFER TO CORLYS & RHAENYS AS EQUALS (OR AS A TEAM, MOVING AS ONE):

Rhaenys, at six-and-ten, was a fearless young beauty, and more than a match for her mariner.

Rhaenys herself was the first to raise objection. “You would rob my son of his birthright,” she told the king, with a hand upon her swollen belly. Her husband, Corlys Velaryon, was so wroth that he gave up his admiralty and his place on the small council and took his wife back to Driftmark.

the boy’s mother and father were such powerful and influential figures [...]

Thus did Lord Corlys and his wife, the Princess Rhaenys, arrive at Harrenhal in high state [...]

Though Lord and Lady Velaryon were eloquent and open-handed in their efforts [...]

even Laenor’s father and mother saw that they could not hope to prevail.

[...] the Sea Snake, Lord Corlys Velaryon, and his noble wife, Princess Rhaenys, she who might have been a queen. The Lord of the Tides and his lady were still in mourning for their beloved daughter when the Stranger came again, to carry off their son.

With Lord Corlys came his wife, Princess Rhaenys, five-and-fifty, her face lean and lined, her black hair streaked with white, yet fierce and fearless as she had been at two-and-twenty.

The Sea Snake would command the fleet, whilst Princess Rhaenys flew overhead to keep their foes from attacking their ships with dragons.

Only the intervention of the Sea Snake and Princess Rhaenys kept the boy from mounting his own dragon at once.

[...] giving over her command to the Sea Snake and his wife, Princess Rhaenys.

#for my own reference

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house-strong · 2 years

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༄࿔ shadow of the sea snake

summary ; drabble requested by anon as part of my 1k follower celebration.

“i was wondering if I could get no. 8 on the intimacy prompt list for lucerys velaryon?”

"8. telling each other how proud they are of them"

pairing ; lucerys velaryon x reader

notes ; n/a

ruling a castle, an armada, and being pampered for a seat on the queen’s council at the ripe age of nine and ten was a feat unparalleled by any other.

lucerys was trying his best; after the death of corlys velaryon, his grandmother, rhaenys, did all she could to help lucerys settle into his seat as lord of the tides. she was oftentimes his councilor in place for rhaenyra, and did all she could to help amend his predecessor’s sour affairs.

he worked day and night; from sunrise to evenfall.

that was were you found him today.

within a chamber near the hall of nine, there’s a study tucked away in a corner. his nose is buried deep into a thick, aged volume. he’s trying to decipher the words scrawled across the pages in chicken scratch. his words are quiet and mumbling, desperately trying to understand the sprawled letters. you assume it’s valyrian, for the words and pronunciation sound foreign from the common tongue spoken in westeros.

rhaenys offered little supervision during the times he struggled like this – he needed to learn to fly outside the nest, by himself, she said.

“you’re working yourself to the bone,” you say, loosening your shawl that intertwined with your flesh. it was warm in here; a coating of thickened dust settling on top of everything in the room. you scrunch your nose, rubbing at it slightly to subdue the sneeze that would no doubt make itself known. “take a break.”

“the sea snake never took a break,” he responds, his tone dry. he rubs at his temple and when you look over his shoulder, your eyebrows raise at the book he was reading. it looked incomplete, sentences strewn together loosely and with no ending punctuation. you felt bad for him, truly. he had so much to live up to and he had too bear on his shoulders.

“he didn’t,” you murmur in agreement. your hand finds his shoulder and you gently rub at it, doing your best to convey your support through the action. he seems to lean into it, savoring the warmth that splays. “and it got him to an early grave.”

the sentence seems to anvil his thoughts to coherence, forming the once restless mind into something simple and understandable. he stops, raising his head to look at you. his mess of short, raven curls, his baby hairs sticking the the warm sheen of his forehead. there’s small bags under his eyes – clear evidence of missed sleep.

he pushes his chair back just enough, his hand tiredly patting his empty lap. you oblige, carefully stepping over and settling yourself on the flat surface of his thighs. you wrap an arm around him and place a kiss on his temple. he nuzzles his face into your neck.

“‘m proud of you, luke.” your voice is soft and fleeting, seeming to quell the headache that was slowly starting to pound in his head. luke hums in agreement, or rather gratitude, and sighs into your clothes. he stays like this for a moment before he pulls away, gazing at you with tired, dreary eyes.

“thank you for being by my side.” you feel his arm around your waist, his hand splayed against the clothed skin whilst his fingers dance shapes. he bites his lip and drums his fingers on you, clearly restless. “i’m proud of you too, y’know.”

you smile, your hand going to his hair to muss the unruly strands, “for what?”

“it’s not easy to be lady of the tides.” you’re unsure if it was teasing, but his words are light and clearly entertained. his lips curl upwards into a tired smile.

“easier than being lord of the tides,” you quip back. luke gives a tired chortle, “i love you, luke. you need to be easier on yourself.”

you feel him nod against your hold and the anxiety that had bubbled before, slowly dissipates. he murmurs a ‘i love you’ after a moment.

it’s good to know your words are heard, and by the nod of confirmation that he gives you, you hope that he will cease the endless studying that’s starting to take a toll on his well-being.

hopefully.

#lucerys velaryon blurb #lucerys velaryon fanfic #lucerys velaryon imagine #lucerys velaryon x reader #lucerys velaryon #hotd x reader #hotd imagine #hotd blurb #house-strong 1k celebration #my writing

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lemonhemlock · 1 year

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sometimes i don't know if i have cognitive issues or if fire and blood is just confusing and plays tricks on the reader -_- Lucerys is the heir to driftmark in the show, but in the book, did that happen? because it is not said. Is: Corlys gets sick > Rhaenyra asks his father-in-law to name his second son heir > Vaemond and his cousins/brothers and sons are furious > vaemond is murdered > viserys cuts out the velaryon's tongues > viserys cuts himself on the throne and nearly dies > his recovery party > alicent and rhaenyra dispute for the new grand maester. the only time the problem is mentioned is when the greens in their generous terms, offer to recognize lucerys as heir to driftmark, but he is never said as such, just addam.

Sorry if it's long, it's just a question I've had for a long time -_-'

Hi! I searched for the passage you're referring to:

That same year, across Blackwater Bay, the Sea Snake was stricken by a sudden fever. As he took to his bed, surrounded by maesters, the issue arose as to who should succeed him as Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark should the sickness claim him. With both his trueborn children dead, by law his lands and titles should pass to his eldest grandson, Jacaerys…but since Jace would presumably ascend the Iron Throne after his mother, Princess Rhaenyra urged her good-father to name instead her second son, Lucerys. Lord Corlys also had half a dozen nephews, however, and the eldest of them, Ser Vaemond Velaryon, protested that the inheritance by rights should pass to him…on the grounds that Rhaenyra’s sons were bastards sired by Harwin Strong. The princess was not slow in answering this charge. She dispatched Prince Daemon to seize Ser Vaemond, had his head removed, and fed his carcass to her dragon, Syrax. Even this did not end the matter, however. Ser Vaemond’s younger cousins fled to King’s Landing with his wife and sons, there to cry for justice and place their claims before the king and queen. King Viserys had grown extremely fat and red of face, and scarce had the strength to mount the steps to the Iron Throne. His Grace heard them out in a stony silence, then ordered their tongues removed, every one. “You were warned,” he declared, as they were being dragged away. “I will hear no more of these lies.”

Luke is not specifically designated as Driftmark's heir in a sentence, but the course of events heavily implies this is the case. Viserys' dishes out punishment for whoever says Luke is a bastard, so, if no one is allowed to admit it, then he becomes the heir by default. Since Vaemond's and the rest of the Velaryons' own claims rest on the fact that Luke is not Laenor's son. Had he been so, there would have been no debate in the first place.

#ask #anon #anti lucerys velaryon #anti corlys velaryon #asoiaf succession crises

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addamvelaryon · 11 months

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Many years later, Corlys Velaryon, the boy born on Driftmark in 53 AC, would take his ship the Sea Snake on nine great voyages, sailing farther than any man of Westeros had ever sailed before. On the first of those voyages, he sailed beyond the Jade Gates, to Yi Ti and the isle of Leng, and returned with such a wealth of spice and silk and jade that House Velaryon doubled its wealth from the profits of that single journey.

— Fire & Blood, The Long Reign

Princess Rhaenyra was a different matter. Daemon spent long hours in her company, enthralling her with tales of his journeys and battles. He gave her pearls and silks and books and a jade tiara said once to have belonged to the Empress of Leng.

— Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon

A great little detail in F&B is Corlys being noted to have brought back jade treasures from Leng. Then we hear about Daemon being in possession of a jade tiara (which he later gifts to Rhaenyra). Daemon 100% got that tiara from Corlys.

It seems to be a habit with these two:

Daemon Targaryen and his army of sellswords and cutthroats controlled all but two of the islands, and the Sea Snake’s fleets had taken firm control of the waters between. During this brief moment of victory, Prince Daemon declared himself King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea, and Lord Corlys placed a crown upon his head.

— Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon

Daemon ends up giving this crown away too:

Prince Daemon had at last returned to court. Wearing a crown and styling himself King of the Narrow Sea, he appeared unannounced in the skies above King’s Landing on his dragon, circling thrice above the tourney grounds…but when at last he came to earth, he knelt before his brother and offered up his crown as a token of his love and fealty. Viserys returned the crown and kissed Daemon on both cheeks, welcoming him home, and the lords and commons sent up a thunderous cheer as the sons of the Spring Prince were reconciled.

— Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon

#valyrianscrolls #asoiaf #corlys velaryon #daemon targaryen #text #they have a rather interesting friendship #especially because they originally used to be rivals!

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ilreleonewikiart · 6 months

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The Doom in Our Blood Comes Back character portrait - Day N 8 Addam the Loyal Addam Velaryon, originally known as Addam of Hull, is one of the main characters of this story. Born on Hull, a little town situated on the island of Driftmark, Addam and his brother Alyn Velaryon , are the son of Merilda, the young daughter of a shipbuilder. At the age of five, he and his brother were recognized by Lord Corlys as his only grandchildren and were sent to Dragonstone to be tried as squires under the protection of Prince Daemon; there Addam met the five princes, children of the Queen, becoming their friend. During the Civil War, Addam aligned himself with the Blacks, playing an important role in persuading Queen Rhaenyra's youngest half-brother, Daeron Targaryen , to betray his brother and join their cause: his strategic contributions facilitated the capture of Oldtown and the downfall of House Hightower. To express her gratitude, the queen knighted Addam and granted him the opportunity to swear vows, inducting him into her royal guard at the tender age of sixteen. Although Lord Corlys personally confirmed that the two young men were children of his deceased son, who died of poisoning, Addam and Alyn's origins remained a matter of dispute among historians for years. Due to Laenor's known sexual preference for men, many started to believe that the two boys - who then became first in order of succession to the title of Lord - were in reality fathered by Laenor's father, Lord Corlys Velaryon, who without direct heirs, decided to use the name of his late son in order to recognize his only male offspring, without offending his fiery-tempered wife, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. However, the Sea Snake always denied such rumours and even on his deathbed he continued to perjure himself that Addam and Alyn were absolutely Leanor's children and not his; still, those doubts never faded and continued to circulate even in the following years. At the start of the first book, we discover that Addam assumed the role of Princess Rhaena Targaryen 's sword shield, with whom is believed he has a secret affair; such affair will continue even after her marriage to her uncle Daeron, and together they will have a son, Rhaengal, who, however, will be recognized by her husband as his. Addam Velaryon etches his name in history as the second dragonrider to form a bond with Seasmoke. Furthermore, he becomes the inaugural member of House Velaryon to wield the Lady of the Sea, a longsword crafted from the molten iron of Criston Cole's former Morningstar, bestowed upon him by Lord Corlys following his investiture. - from the wiki

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ao3feed-rhaenicent · 2 months

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#ao3feed #fanfic #rhaenicent #alicent hightower #rhaenyra targaryen #hotd

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thevelaryons · 2 months

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The Dragonpit

The Storming of the Dragonpit is one of the notable events that occurred during the Dance of the Dragons, and GRRM built it up quite subtly that it almost makes you think, could it have been avoided? Ultimately, it is one of those tragedies that is very much a consequence of character choices that were made.

It begins with Rhaenyra acting on the false accusations against Addam which results in him fleeing from the city, in fear for his life. This is specifically described as Rhaenyra's undoing:

And thus did betrayal beget more betrayal, to the queen’s undoing. As Ser Luthor Largent and his gold cloaks rode up Rhaenys’s Hill with the queen’s warrant, the doors of the Dragonpit were thrown open above them, and Seasmoke spread his pale grey wings and took flight, smoke rising from his nostrils. Ser Addam Velaryon had been forewarned in time to make his escape. Balked and angry, Ser Luthor returned at once to the Red Keep, where he burst into the Tower of the Hand and laid rough hands on the aged Lord Corlys, accusing him of treachery. Nor did the old man deny it. Bound and beaten, but still silent, he was taken down into the dungeons and thrown into a black cell to await trial and execution.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Triumphant

The book previously mentioned that Addam was residing at the Dragonpit, as part of his duties:

It had long been the custom for at least one dragonrider to reside at the pit, so as to be able to rise to the defense of the city should the need arise. As Rhaenyra preferred to keep her sons by her side, that duty fell to Addam Velaryon.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Triumphant

After Addam's escape, Corlys was arrested. Rhaenyra's actions towards the Lord of Driftmark and his heir had a very major repercussion for her:

By ordering the arrest of Addam Velaryon, she had lost not only a dragon and a dragonrider, but her Queen’s Hand as well…and more than half the army that had sailed from Dragonstone to seize the Iron Throne was made up of men sworn to House Velaryon. When it became known that Lord Corlys languished in a dungeon under the Red Keep, they began to abandon her cause by the hundreds. Some made their way to Cobbler’s Square to join the throngs gathered round the Shepherd, whilst others slipped through postern gates or over the walls, intent on making their way back to Driftmark. Nor could those who remained be trusted. That was proved when two of the Sea Snake’s sworn swords, Ser Denys Woodwright and Ser Thoron True, cut their way into the dungeons to free their lord. Their plans were betrayed to Lady Misery by a whore Ser Thoron had been bedding, and the would-be rescuers were taken and hanged.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Overthrown

The Velaryon soldiers would have been well armed and armored. They're specifically described as joining the Shephard (who later leads the attack on the Dragonpit). With their many numbers, its enough to lend great strength to the paltry bunch of smallfolk gathering together in discontent. Some of the Velaryon soldiers were even captured by Rhaenyra and executed, in which their bodies were displayed outside the walls of the Red Keep. King's Landing descends into rioting shortly afterwards.

The Shepherd’s rats were armed with spears, longaxes, spiked clubs, and half a hundred other kinds of weapons, including both longbows and crossbows.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Overthrown

It's rather unlikely that the smallfolk would be armed with such weapons that are typically carried by soldiers in service to noble houses. So these are clearly the Velaryon soldiers that abandoned Rhaenyra previously. It's said that more than half of Rhaenyra's army was made up of soldiers sworn to house Velaryon and many hundreds abandoned her cause. So you can imagine the kind of numbers the Shepard would now have amongst his followers.

Their rioting through the streets eventually leads them to the Dragonpit, as that seems to have been the Shephard's intention:

As the one-handed prophet shrieked his curses at “the vile queen” in the Red Keep, a hundred severed heads looked up at him, swaying atop tall spears and sharpened staffs. The crowd, Septon Eustace says, was twice as large and thrice as fearful as the night before. Like the queen they so despised, the Shepherd’s “lambs” were looking to the sky with dread, fearing that King Aegon’s dragons would arrive before the night was out, with an army close behind them. No longer believing that the queen could protect them, they looked to their Shepherd for salvation. [...] Then he raised his right arm and jabbed the stump of his missing hand at Rhaenys’s Hill behind him, at the Dragonpit black against the stars. “There the demons dwell, up there. Fire and blood, blood and fire. This is their city. If you would make it yours, first must you destroy them.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Overthrown

Eventually the crowd does march on the Dragonpit and kills all the dragons there. Though the Dragonpit was not left defenseless, but having a dragonrider in their midst could have made all the difference in that chaotic situation. That is, after all, the reason why a dragonrider was stationed there in the first place.

The Dragonpit had its own contingent of guards, the Dragonkeepers, but those proud warriors were only seven-and-seventy in number, and fewer than fifty had the watch that night. Though their swords drank deep of the blood of the attackers, the numbers were against them. When the Shepherd’s lambs smashed through the doors (the towering main gates, sheathed in bronze and iron, were too strong to assault, but the building had a score of lesser entrances) and came clambering through windows, the Dragonkeepers were overwhelmed, and soon slaughtered.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Overthrown

Once the Dragonpit falls, Rhaenyra decides to leave King's Landing, as the city is no longer safe for her:

The loss of both her dragon and her son left Rhaenyra Targaryen ashen and inconsolable, Mushroom tells us. Attended only by the fool, she retreated to her chambers whilst her counselors conferred. King’s Landing was lost, all agreed; they must needs abandon the city.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

Wild tales and rumors followed about the deaths of the dragons: that some were hewn down by men, others by the Shepherd, others by the Warrior himself. Whatever the truth, five dragons died that bloody night as the mobs broke into the huge dome and found the dragons chained, and people perished in droves. Half the dragons that began the Dance were already dead, and the war was not yet over. Rhaenyra fled the city shortly after.

— The World of Ice & Fire, Aegon II

The encroaching Green army certainly helped enflame the residents of King's Landing into a panic. On Addam's part, he was tasked with the duty to "rise to the defense of the city should the need arise", and he died fulfilling that very same duty:

The accused turncloak Addam Velaryon, born Addam of Hull, had saved King’s Landing from the queen’s foes…at the cost of his own life. Yet the queen knew nothing of his valor. Rhaenyra’s flight from King’s Landing had been beset with difficulty.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

In an ironic turn of events, Rhaenyra later ends up as the one fleeing from King Landing, in fear for her life.

#valyrianscrolls #asoiaf #addam velaryon #rhaenyra targaryen #addam & rhaenyra #meta #addam being described as rhaenyra's undoing AND the saviour of her city is so iconic of him <3

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wishfulwithwine · 2 years

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Eye of His Storm - Chapter One

Aemond Targaryen x Velaryon!Fem!Reader

She was the pure beauty of Targaryens and Velaryons, only daughter of Rhaenyra and Leaner Velaryon, second child.

He was the scarred, menacing son of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower.

They put together the broken pieces of their lives, and made each other whole.

Warning: series will have INCEST, cursing, smut, violence, ptsd, alcohol and other possible triggers. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF MINOR. 18+ ONLY.

photo from pinterest

Six years.

That was the last time Y/N Velaryon had stepped foot on King’s Landing.

Y/N was a different woman - a girl - when she had been here last.

Before her aunt’s death, before Aemond lost his eye, before her father’s death…

Now she was here for the discussions of the heir to Driftmark.

“I love my brother,” Vaemond insisted, walking up to the throne. “But we must be honest with ourselves”

Princess Rhaenys sat on the throne, while Y/N and Baela stood on either side of her. Her and Baela had remained at Driftmark after their Velaryon parent’s deaths, as their Targaryen parents married each other. Both girls had felt strongly about their parents remarrying so soon after the deaths, so the girls decided to live with their grandparents on Driftmark. Rhaena had decided to live with her father and Rhaenyra, still wishing for more of her father’s attention. While Lord Corlys went out to sea, Princess Rhaenys was thrilled with having the two girls to distract herself from the loneliness. They all leaned on one another for support, as each of them grieved their losses.

“We may greet his ship to find him gone. And who will take the Driftwood throne?” Vaemond asked, bringing up discussions that seemingly haven’t settled for six years.

“My grandmother seems quite comfortable here” Baela stated, raising an eyebrow.

“She presides only in the absence of her husband” Vaemond stated. “On his death, the seat passes”

“To Lucerys Velaryon, as is my lord husband’s desire” Rhaenys stated, as if she had repeated this a thousand times.

“I am the Sea Snake’s own blood, the closest male kin he has left” Vaemond said, while Y/N rolled her eyes, but held her tongue. She knew he was right, but to speak it out loud would have you condemned. Or worse.

In the grieving process, Y/N had become colder - as Y/N felt that she lost the only parent who actually loved her. In the past six years, she hadn’t seen her mother or brothers. They never visited her, and when Baela would visit her sister and father, Y/N opted to stay behind, not willing to leave Princess Rhaenys alone. Her mother never wrote her, not even on her name day, and Y/N’s skin grew metaphorically thicker over time. Sometimes she wondered if her mother forgot she even had a daughter.

“Be careful, good-brother. One could take your words for treason” Princess Rhaenys said, glancing briefly over to Y/N, who’s fists were clenched. To be honest, she did not care about whether or not Lucerys inherited the throne, rather that her father’s legacy was not forgotten.

Lord Vaemond walked closer to the throne, up the steps, as Baela and Y/N shifted to more of a protective stance for Princess Rhaenys.

“I speak the truth, Rhaenys. And you know it” Vaemond said.

“The matter has been decided” Rhaenys said, and Y/N admired her tenacity to keep with her husband’s wish, even after hearing the discussion between them six years ago.

“By a man whose ambition has brought down on us calamity after calamity” Vaemond said. “My brother cares only for the history books. But what of the Velaryon line? Is it to be snuffed out, supplanted by the pups of House Strong?”

Y/N remained silent, as she thought that if she was a man, they wouldn’t be having this conversation. She knew better than to comment on that, however.

“Driftmark is mine, by all rights” Vaemond stated. “And while I would like your support, I do not need it. The winds have shifted. The crown has good reason… to take my side”

“My cousin, the King would have your tongue for this” Rhaenys stated.

“But it’s not a king who sits the Iron Throne these days, good-sister. It’s a queen” Vaemond stated, almost ominously.

“Umbagon gīda, Laex. Kesi daor sagon kesīr bōsa (Stay calm, Laex. We will not be here long)” Y/N said, as she elegantly demounted from her dragon, Laex. The dragon trainers all stared at Y/N and Laex, taking in the dragon’s appearance.

As the newest and largest dragon the Realm had ever known, Laex was a site that most had not had the privilege of seeing. Fully jetblack, Laex was good at hiding, before he seemed to appear from out of the waters, where Y/N saw him and bonded. No one is to know for sure where he came from, but as soon as he appeared, he was at Y/N’s side, at her command. The two were almost inseparable. He was a fairly young dragon, but massive in size.

Y/N named him Laex, after her father. She knew Laenor hadn’t died, as he had come to her room before, explaining what happened with him and Rhaenyra. He left Y/N behind - and most days, Y/N wondered why she wasn’t enough for him to stay. Why wasn’t she enough for either of her parents? Instead of acting out from her pain, Y/N retracted inwards, shielding her true emotions from most.

“Welcome back, Princess Y/N” one of the dragon trainers, who Y/N remembered from when she was a girl, but the dragon trainer barely recognized the woman Y/N became. Y/N had made the trip on her dragon, as Princess Rhaenys and Baela were arriving tomorrow by ship.

“Thank you” Y/N said simply, before turning her attention back to Laex, gently caressing his face as if caressing a baby’s. “Nyke jāhor sagon arlī aderī (I will be back soon)”

Y/N left reluctantly, leaving Laex with the dragon trainers, walking up the steps to the dragon pit, where she saw the Targaryen-Hightowers awaiting her arrival. Helaena all but ran to greet her old best friend, knocking Y/N down with her enthusiasm.

“Helaena!” Alicent scolded, as Aemond quickly went to Y/N’s side to help her up. Thankful, Y/N smiled genuinely at him, then brushed off the extra dirt before turning to look at Alicent, Otto, Helaena, and Aegon. To be truthful, the changed appearance of Aemond was causing her feelings to act erratically, so she tried to ignore them, despite his close presence and hand on her hip to make sure she remained steady.

“Welcome home, my dear” Alicent said, with a genuine smile, as she pulled Y/N in to a hug.

“Thank you, my Queen. I have missed you” Y/N replied, feeling a weight lifted in her chest, before she pulled away, although Alicent still kept her hands on her shoulders, analyzing Y/N’s appearance.

“You’ve grown so beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous” Alicent said, as Y/N almost blushed. The rumors from Driftmark were true, Y/N had become a royal beauty.

“Thank you, my Queen” Y/N replied, before looking over to Otto.

“It has been far too long, Y/N. Your presence has been missed” Otto said, with a rare smile, as he nodded over.

“Mother is right, you have grown and become very beautiful” Aegon said, with a smirk, and it seemed that everyone but himself tensed, as he brought Y/N into a tight hug.

“Thank you Aegon. I’ve seen you’ve grown as well” Y/N said, as politely as she could without being disrespectful, before pulling away quickly from the hug.

That left Aemond, who was doing his best to wait patiently.

“Aemond” Y/N said, a soft smile on her face, gazing over his changed appearance fully, before Aemond pulled her into a hug as well. He could smell the scent of jasmine and vanilla, despite the smoke in her hair, inhaling it to memory, before pulling away reluctantly from her.

“We’ve changed your room. Your’s is now closer to Helaena’s” Alicent said, as Helaena linked arms with Y/N, as everyone walked through the castle.

“Thank you. That is very much appreciated” Y/N said honestly, as she understood the subtle distancing Alicent was placing between Y/N and the other members of her family.

After taking a warm bath and getting dressed into a beautiful blue silk gown, there was a knock on her door.

“Come in” Y/N said, as she stood in front of her mirror, trying to attach the necklace she wore everyday.

Glancing over to the door, she was surprised to see Aemond, who shut the door behind him, before strolling over closer to where she was.

“May I?” Aemond asked, seeing her struggle with the clasp on her necklace. He had seen it on her when she emerged from the dragon pit in her riding leathers.

“Please” She replied, holding it out to him, and as he fastened it around her neck, he took it in greater detail, when he turned her around to face him directly.

“It’s a beautiful necklace, byka embar (little sea)” He said, seeing the sapphire pendant, as he grazed her collarbone gently before picking up the necklace in his hands to see it more closely. Y/N smiled fondly at his use of his nickname for her. Even when she was little, Y/N was drawn to the ocean.

“I wear this daily. Sapphires are common on Driftmark for their sea-like color” Y/N said, staring at Aemond’s face for his reaction.

“It is also my favorite, as you already know” Aemond said, looking at her eyes now, as he dropped the necklace to lay back on her chest.

“The stone for the necklace was created from the same as my gift to you years ago” She said, placing her hand on his upper cheek, just gently touching his eyepatch. He closed his eyes, tilting his head down so he could lean his forehead on hers.

“I’ve missed you, byka embar” Aemond admitted, sighing deeply as he closed his eyes and all but drowned himself in her presence. He placed his hands on her waist, feeling like if he didn’t hold on to her, Y/N would be gone.

“I’ve missed you too, issa zaldrizes (my dragon)” Y/N admitted, putting her hands on his shoulders, anchoring herself from the waves of emotion flooding through her.

“Your letters… I wanted to take you away. I wish you could’ve left with us” Aemond said, feeling her soft hands massage over his shoulders.

“It is a political game I must play with my mother. I can’t stand her, yet she would burn the place down if I ever came here without an explicit reason. There is no winning” Y/N said, looking to him.

“It is a never ending one here as well. Mother is… you know” Aemond said, bitterly.

“At least Alicent treats you like you’re her child. Let me guess, you usually hide in the pit with Vhagar? I’m surprised she hugged me while I was still in my dirty riding clothes” Y/N said, as Aemond pulled his head back off her forehead, and started playing with her hair.

“I should hate you. She likes you more than any of us. You’re the child she wished she had” Aemond scoffed.

“Well I’m glad someone wants me” Y/N says, with a sigh as she looked down at her dress. Aemond took one of his hands, and pushed her chin up to force her to look directly at him.

“I will always want you, byka embar. I will never stopped wanting you” Aemond said, softly but sternly, for her to understand how truthful he was being. Words caught in her throat as her breath hitched, as his hand moved, softly grabbing her whole neck intimately.

A knock on the door interrupted the moment, and Aemond huffed with annoyance. Y/N looked at him softly, before standing out of his embrace, both of them looking away awkwardly.

“Come in” Y/N replied, as the door opened, seeing Alicent.

“Oh Aemond! Good to see you both. Y/N, I wanted a quick audience with you, if you weren’t busy” Alicent said, looking between the pair. Y/N smiled, looking over to Aemond, reaching a hand over to his and squeezing it.

“A walk in the gardens later?” Y/N said, knowing Alicent wasn’t just asking politely for her time. Aemond nodded, before closing the door behind them.

“I’ve missed you, little one. How has Driftmark treated you?” Alicent asked, as she sat on one of the sofas, while Y/N sat down across from her.

“It’s been nice. The water is always calming, and Princess Rhaenys is kind” Y/N replied, clasping her hands in front of her. Alicent looked at the girl fondly.

“I wish I could’ve brought you back with us to Kings Landing” Alicent said, sadly, as she had written in her letters over the years to Y/N.

“My mother would have started a war, despite her absence these past years” Y?N said, and Alicent sighed.

“My sweet girl. She does not deserve you as a daughter” Alicent said, bitterly. Y/N reached over, and put her hands in Alicent’s.

“It’s alright. I’m here now, and we can work on fixing things” Y/N said, with a smirk. Alicent raised her eyebrow, intrigued.

“Oh?” Alicent asked.

“Yes. It’s complicated, but I have a plan for these trials… If you dare approve, although I think you will agree…” Y/N said, and Alicent smirked, listening to Y/N’s plan.

The sun was low in the sky by the time Y/N made it out to see Aemond.

“You remembered” Y/N said, as Aemond held her favorite cookies - lemon blueberry biscuits - while he waited at the entrance to the old tree. A guard had informed him when her meeting with her mother ended, and he left the library to come meet Y/N. Aemond gave a small smile, one that his face felt unusual giving, before taking her hand and walking through the gardens. Alicent had done some updating to them in the past few years, but they still held the charm as Y/N remembered.

“I don’t forget anything regarding you. How was your chat with my mother?” Aemond asked, curiously.

“It was good. The next few days should be interesting, if all goes according to plan” Y/N said, with a smirk. Aemond grinned, leading her over to a tree where they could sit.

“Will I get to know of these plans?” Aemond asked, with a smirk. Y/N smiled.

“Maybe” Y/N replied, taking a small bite of the cookie. Aemond couldn’t help himself when a few crumbs ended up on her cheek, that she hadn’t noticed, and brushed them away with his thumb. Y/N looked at him, staring into his eye as he stared back.

Even years later, Y/N still felt that she could drown herself in Aemond’s eyes, the most beautiful shade of purple she’s ever seen. His face had changed drastically over the years, becoming more angular and sculpted from his child plump face. His cheek bones and jawline were defined, and his chin looked strong. His hair was longer, silkier even, just like hers.

As Y/N regarded Aemond, he stared over her longingly, not wanting to scare her with his gaze but also unwilling to look away. He hadn’t felt like this with any other maiden.

“Do you realize how beautiful you are? We could’ve had all this time together” Aemond said, his hand lingering on her face. His thumb moved over to pull on the center of her bottom lip, like in Targaryen marriage custom.

“I could’ve been your wife, issa zaldrizes” Y/N said, dreamily, as she looked up at him through her lashes when he tilted her chin upwards. He bit his lip, the thoughts running through his head.

“A few kids by now, byka embar. I can see you all round and swollen with my seed” Aemond smirked, moving his other hand to her wrist, Blushing brightly, Y/N leaned more into him, shielding her face in his chest. Aemond chuckled, as he ran his fingers through her hair. “I’d barely let you leave our bed, my little dove. Your body would be worshipped as my temple” He whispered, his lips and breath hot underneath her ear.

“You can’t say things like that” Y/N said, leaning to look up at him again. His smirk remains.

“You’re mine. You’re going to be my wife, even if I have to kill all of Westeros” Aemond stated, with such determination etched into his face.

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kellyvela · 2 years

Text

In a conversation late last month, Martin, the man who over the past three decades meticulously constructed the “Thrones” universe in his various books, discussed why he felt strongly about this idea; his ambitions for future spinoffs; and how his work-in-progress books will diverge from the controversial ending of “Game of Thrones,” the TV series.

These are edited excerpts from our conversation.

Two writers worked on the development of your Targaryen story and it didn’t go anywhere. What made you keep pushing for it?

GRRM: I did not want to drop it. There was a lot of material already written on it, and it had everything that I thought we needed for a successful successor show. It had all of the intrigue around the Iron Throne. It had the great houses contending. It had dragons — a lot of dragons — and battles and betrayals.

“House of the Dragon” has thematic overlaps with “Game of Thrones” — family rivalry, the battle for the throne. In what ways is it different?

GRRM: “Game of Thrones” and my book version of it, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” is, in some ways, a classic high fantasy in the mode of Tolkien and many, many writers who followed. Now, yes, it is true that in a sense, I’m deconstructing those tropes, those myths, the things that were hallmarks. But I’m also following them to some extent. “House of the Dragon” is more like historical fiction with some dragons thrown in. It’s like a Shakespearean tragedy.

It’s been just over three years since “Game of Thrones” ended in a way that disappointed many fans. What did you make of the ending?

GRRM: One of the things in the later seasons of the show was, How many seasons was it going to be? And [the “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss] for years were saying they wanted to wrap it up in seven seasons. Well, seven became eight because the eighth season is really the second half of the seventh season — it’s kind of one long season.

But I never felt that seven or eight seasons was enough. I campaigned for 10 seasons, and we could have gone to 12. There’s enough material — and there certainly will be enough material once I finish these last two books — to sustain 12 seasons.

But I lost that battle, and we went with eight. I think one of the big complaints about those last seasons is not only what happened — although there are complaints about that — but also that it happened too suddenly, and it was not set up. And if we had 10 seasons or 12 seasons, I think that would have worked better.

Considering the backlash, what’s your level of concern, for the new show, that people are either going to be too fatigued to return to the “Thrones” universe, or will relish in bringing the knives out, no matter what?

GRRM: I do see comments online from people, and sometimes they email me directly. I’m also concerned about a similar thing with my book. As you know, “The Winds of Winter” is very, very late — the last book was 11 years ago, and people are very angry about that. But how many people?

“House of the Dragon” and any other spinoffs that are coming, and “The Winds of Winter” when it comes, are going to face some immediate backlash, and some resistance from people who don’t even want to give it a chance.

Let’s say “House of the Dragon” is a hit. What would be your ideal ambition here? An entire fleet of “Thrones” TV series?

GRRM: Well, we are developing a number of other spinoffs. There’s the Jon Snow sequel show, and the rest are all prequels. There’s “Ten Thousand Ships” about Nymeria — that’s like a thousand years before and about how the Rhoynar came to Dorne. That’s an “Odyssey”-like epic. There’s the nine voyages of Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake. That would take us to places in the world that we’ve never seen.

We have some animated shows going, one of which was set in Yi Ti, which is basically the fantasy version of Imperial China or the Far East. We got a terrific script on that. Obviously, not all these shows we’re developing are going to make it to air, but I hope that several of them do.

Is there a model you admire? Something like Marvel?

GRRM: I do like what Marvel is doing because I like the variety of the shows. Another model that I think was interesting was the old “Mary Tyler Moore Show.” That show generated a number of spinoffs: There was “Rhoda,” about her friend. Phyllis got her own show. And the one that really excited me was “Lou Grant.” They took this character from a sitcom and they made him the hero of a serious journalism show. That’s pretty amazing to take a character who is a comic foil and make him the center of a serious show. I’d like to see a range in our shows.

Before “House of the Dragon” was given a green light, HBO shot an entire pilot for a show that takes place 1,000 years before the events of “Game of Thrones.” It was eventually canceled. What went wrong with it?

GRRM: Well, I have not seen the pilot. For whatever reason they won’t show it to me, so I don’t know. It was, in some ways, more challenging because on that one, they’re really, really going back into the past. The Long Night is mentioned in my books here and there, but it’s an ancient event that people tell stories about — it’s like the Garden of Eden or a biblical flood. I remember when we were first developing it, I said, “You’re going back so far — if you decided to do a ‘Sopranos’ prequel, then you would be talking about the Etruscans, the ancestors of Tony Soprano. You might be talking about cave men.”

Tell me about your level of involvement in “House of the Dragon” versus your level of involvement with “Game of Thrones,” the original series.

GRRM: I am a lot more involved in “House of the Dragon” than I was in the later seasons of “Game of Thrones.” Now, mind you, I was very involved in the early seasons of “Game of Thrones.” Seasons 1 through 4, I mean, not only did I write a script, but especially like Seasons 1 or 2, I was giving a verdict on all the castings. I was reading the scripts. I was talking to Dan and David. I visited the set. But as the years went by, that involvement became less and less.

Will your upcoming books diverge from “Thrones,” the TV series?

GRRM: A lot of this story comes to me as I write it. I always knew once the show got beyond my books — which honestly I did not anticipate — they would start going in directions that the books are not going to go in. Now, as I’m writing the books and I’m making more and more progress and it’s getting longer, ideas are coming to me and characters are taking me in directions that are even further from where the show went.

So I think what you’re going to find is, when “Winds of Winter” and then, hopefully, “Dream of Spring” come out, that my ending will be very different. And there will be some similarities, some big moments that I told David and Dan about many years ago, when they visited me in Santa Fe. But we only had like two, three days there, so I didn’t tell them everything. And even some of the things I told them are changing as I do the writing. So they will be different. And then it’ll be up to the readers and the viewers to decide which one they like better, and argue about it.

When will the books be done?

GRRM: No comment. No comment. No comment. I get in trouble every time I do that. I mean, going back like 10 years, I said, “Oh, I should be done next year.” And then it’s not done next year. And then: “George lied to us.” I’m no good at predicting these things. And some of it depends on how many other interruptions there are and all that. I’m in a pretty good place now, so I’m optimistic. But I’m not going to make any predictions.

#grrm #asoiaf #game of thrones #house of the dragon

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