DUTY, DUTY, DUTY...!

⊱ 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒  ────  princess born to grandeur yet plague with isolation. a gentle creature who faces  madness with kindness.  a melody played on  broken strings.   unburnt softness.  haunted  by  what  once  was  &  what  will  be.  blood  of  the   dragon.

private, selective, mutuals only,  𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧  𝐑𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐞𝐧  rp blog  from  𝒕𝒉𝒆  𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅  𝒐𝒇  𝒊𝒄𝒆  𝒂𝒏𝒅  𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆  by  g.r.r.m.

❛❛  Let  me  not  then  die  ingloriously  &  without  a  struggle,  but  let  me  first  do  some  great  thing  that  shall  be  told  among  men  hereafter.  ❜❜

𝐈.   rules     𝐈𝐈.   about     𝐈𝐈𝐈.   memes   𝐈𝐕.   credits

⊱ 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒   ─   @halfgigas,  @heartofchivalry,  @zaldarias. ⊱ 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒   ─   @skipsong,  @sevynhells ⊱ 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒   ─   @alootus,  @westsgem,  @thygraves

thank you to everyone for the good vibes during this time as i looked for new employment, a second job, and pursue schooling.

i wanted to let everyone know that it has all payed off and i got accepted a position.

                                           The  dragon  rears  it's  head  towards  clutch,  sweet  smile  upon  maw  faltering.  Little  privacy  was  ever  granted  to  the  Crown,  even  here.  Targaryen  tent  hosting  royal  guests  &  yet  —  in  truth,  they  are  still  titles  ;  still  needing  to  remain  guarded.  Truth  &  self  must  be  secondary  to  duty.  ❛❛  I  fail  to  uphold  such  promise,  brother,  ❜❜  there  was  a  practiced  smile,  too  tight  to  be  genuine.  ❛❛  Alas,  may  the  Warrior  give  strength  to  your  sword  arm.  ❜❜  Surely,  amongst  men  &  horses,  the  princess  was  an  anomaly  ;  so  tenderly  out  of  place  in  the  world.  Talons  trailed  over  ridges  of  helm,  eyes  downcast  to  look  upon  the  crown.  In  the  silent  air  consuming  kin,  the  princess  clung  armour  to  breast.  Wings  gripped  tightly  that  arms  trembled  from  force  ;  it  was  if  letting  go  would  mean  that  dreams  become  reality  .  .  .  but,  dreamers  learned  long  ago  that  fate  comes  for  us  all  —  they  are  simply  plagued  to  witness  inevitable.

                                           It  haunted  the  dragon  to  lay  helm  —  to  be  taken  by  the  next  ;  surely  it  was  accursed.  To  lilac  hues,  it  stood  out,  unkindly  .  .  .  it  was  unbearable.  Turning,  skirts  danced  around  form  as  Rhaella  soared  toward  exit  only  to  fall  still  at  Valarr's  words.  Dread  lived  in  throat,  hand  moved  to  chest  —  fingers  trailing  along  throat  before  peering  over  shoulder.  Certainly  not  .  .  .  certainly  he  did  not  speak  of  dragons  to  her.  That  would  be  a  cruelty.  Straightening  again,  hiding  gaze  away  from  him,  the  princess  spoke  bitterly, with anguish.  ❛❛  Why  do  you  wonder  of  such  things?  ❜❜  She  asked  with  slight  disgust  ;  of  misunderstanding.  How  could  one  describe  the  anguish  that  ached  in  her  bones  at  the  mention  of  dragons?  Hypocrisy  coated  words,  the  softness  of  her  voice  was  like  the  final  garnish.  Often,  she  spoke  of  dragons  —  to  her  own  volition.  A  puff  of  ash  left  painted  lips  before  facing  kin.  In  four  paces,  she  reached  for  his  hands  that  were  covered  in  obsidian  armour,  ❛❛  perhaps,  we  would  not  be  fools  clutching  to  former  glory.  We  would  simple  be  glorious.  ❜❜  The  truth  remained.  Her  confession.  An  apology  —  a  proper  answer.

                                           Blood  of  Old  Valyria  sat  perched  upon  iron  chair  decorated  in  draconic  shapes  and  coils.  Ancient  eyes  remained  downcast  ─  &  yet,  closed  to  the  world  around  her  ;  her  own  silence  made  her  deaf  to  the  voice  nearby.  Talons  gripped  into  the  iron  armrests  of  the  chair,  anchoring  ─  hurting.  Dragon  breath  came  in  and  out  in  such  harshness,  the  princess  felt  breast  press  against  her  gown  .  .  .  it  was  suffocating,  she  just  wanted  to  rip  it  off  her  skin.  The  ringing  in  ears  morphed  into  the  haunting  cries  or  agony  ;  Summerhall.  The  dragon  flew  up  from  her  seat  suddenly,  the  chair  tipping  backwards  with  a  BANG!  The  sound  startled  herself  before  she  began  pacing  the  room  ─  trapped  &  chained.

                                           If  the  dragon  could  breath  fire,  it  would've  consumed  her ; ash left her maw.  ❛❛  You  will  never  know!  ❜❜  Will  anyone  know  what  plagues  her  soul  .  .  .  the  burden  she  carries?  ❛❛  Do  not  dare  ask  such things!  ❜❜  Outburst  directed  towards  Kira,  at  no  one  .  .  .  at  everything.  Her  own  survival.  Hands  braced  against  standing  mirror.  Rhaella  wanted  to  knock  it  over!  To  watch  glass  shards  spill  upon  the  ground  ;  broken,  like  her.  Crown  hung  low  as  shoulders  began  trembling  from  choked  sobs.  Then,  the  dragon  staggered  and  fell  upon  knees.  Curling  into  herself,  Rhaella  wept  ─  terrible,  agonising  wails.  Now  a  woman  in  all  regards,  from  first  blood  to  childbirth  &  yet  .  .  .  she  was  just  a  girl.  ❛❛  What  have  I  done?  What  have  I  done  to  the  Gods  to  haunt  me  with  life  without  mine  own  kin?  ❜❜

"According to Ser Barristan Selmy, Rhaella had been in love with Ser Bonifer Hasty, a young landed knight." I need you guys to understand that while at this point in her life, a literally crown princess had the freedom to choose love over duty. She chose love. Not only that, she chose love over titles. She did not judge status. She didn't care about a highborn knight or a future lord. No, it was a lowborn knight she loved.

"Following Rhaegar's birth, Rhaella and Aerys had trouble where childbirth was concerned." "Her grandmother, Queen Rhaella Targaryen, embraced her warmly." She could've had a minimum of 11 children. She went through 11 documented pregnancies. Each loss, each devastation, she still held onto hope. Hope means there was something worth fighting for.... and while she could've given up, she still went through with her pregnancies. She could've succumbed to moon tea or other means of removing a pregnancy to avoid the heartache, but she didn't. That, in itself, is strength.

"Notably, Lady Joanna Lannister was dismissed shortly after Aerys made suggestive comments and took liberties with her person at Joanna's wedding to Tywin Lannister." I like to think that Rhaella and Joanna were close friends. Dear friends. While Tywin couldn't do much in this situation involving a King, it was a form a kindness that Rhaella showed Joanna from dismissing her from court. To keep her safe from Aerys. This was a selfless sacrifice. Joanna was one of her last remaining friends in the Red Keep, and yet... she still sent Joanna back to Casterly Rock to keep her safe from her own husband. She could've held on for companionship, but her resolve was greater than her loneliness.

"You will not turn my ladies into whores." This was Rhaella's few times she stood up to the King, despite the repercussions. She didn't care if it had her hit or abused for defending the women of the castle. She protected the ones who couldn't voice it themselves. She became their voices knowing what would come of it; she did it anyway.

"Rhaella did her best to protect Viserys from the worst of Aerys's excesses, keeping her child oblivious to the fact his father was sliding deeper into madness." THIS. THIS. THIS. Despite how easy it could've been to just.... let things happen naturally, or to have the mentality of 'let him see him for who he truly is'. No, Rhaella still had the respect to a child to hide/protect him from the dark truth of Aerys. She still respected Aerys as his status as the father of her children. Despite how easy it could've been to just.... let Viserys see things for how they are, she preserved his childhood innocence to let him have a good childhood despite the circumstances.

"Rhaella crowned Viserys at Dragonstone." This was a little ceremony done for a little prince who lost it all. She, too, lost it all and yet... she would not, could not destroy this little boy's hopes and dreams. His whole life, he was the second-born son and by this point, Viserys was next in line to the Iron Throne. As a sign of comfort for her own son, she crowned him. This, in turn, made the truth of her brother's death, her son's death, her grandchildren's death. Her whole family, and yet- she saved face to make a little boy have hope. To make his last moments with her be a positive one. To STILL shield him from the horrors of what was happening across the Bay.