#iraxes

Rhaenyra was sleeping in her bed, alone because Daemon was away on business, when the door to her bed chamber burst open. She shot up in bed, fully awake and grabbed the dagger from under her pillow. She let her hand fall to the bed when she saw her half-brother standing there.

“Aegon, what are you doing here?” She demanded.

“I need to talk to you.” He said.

“That is not what I asked. I asked what you are doing here, on Dragonstone?” She said.

“Not important, what is important is me talking to you.” Aegon answered.

Rhaenyra sighed, “About what?”

Aegon’s face went pale, “I-”

Rhaenyra raises a brow, waiting, “Well, get on with it.”

“I-I-” Aegon looked like he was going to have a mental breakdown, “It’s about the succession!” 

Rhaenyra froze, staring at her half-brother. The succession? But that was already decided, she was the heir to the Iron Throne. Why would Aegon need to talk about the succession?

“The succession? Aegon we both know that the succession is settled.”

Aegon looked at her and sighed, defeated, “I know, it’s just-” He walked over to her bed and sat down, “There’s something else about it, something I just found out tonight.”

Rhaenyra could see the terror in his eyes and that he was shaking. She placed a hand on his, “What is it, Aegon, tell me.” She gently pushed.

“As you know, my mother is still saying that I’m the true heir. Well, tonight I was woken up by a presence in my chambers. It was a woman staring at me then she just disappeared in a cloud of red smoke.” Aegon looked down at the floor, “I flew here, to Dragonstone, to find out who she was. When I got here, Jace found me and I told him everything. He took me to the temple of the Fourteen Flames where we spoke with Lord Vhagar who told us that the woman I saw was the goddess, Iraxes, and that her presence was not a good one.” 

Rhaenyra stared at her half-brother. The goddess Iraxes, she’s never heard of her before. 

“Then what happened?”

“Lord Vhagar spent us to Lady Viserion,” Aegon started to twist the ring on his finger, “She told us our future. She said that when father dies, mother will usurp the throne and put me on it, starting a civil war between you and me, killing almost every Targaryen and almost every dragon. I don’t want that to happen, so I’m telling you in hopes that I can change that fate.” 

Rhaenyra blinked at Aegon for a moment, “What?”

Aegon nodded his head, “I get it if you don’t believe me.”

“No I don’t believe you,” She said, “On the part that it will be Alicent that usurps the throne. It will be Otto Hightower.” 

Aegon looked at Rhaenyra shocked, “Wait! So you believe me?”

“Yes, I do” Rhaenyra said, nodding her head. 

“But what I need to understand is why you are telling me.” She said.

Aegon looked at his lap, “Because you’re my older sister and the heir to the throne and you should know.” 

Rhaenyra shook her head, “No, I don’t think that’s it, there’s more to it than that.”

“Because you’re my sister and I don’t want you to hate me and think I’m weak.” He said, looking as if he was going to cry. 

Rhaenyra frowned. Is that what her brother really thought about her? What has Alicent been filling his head with? She gently gripped his shoulder and had him look at her, “I don’t hate you and I don’t think you’re weak.”

“Really?” Aegon asked.

Rhaenyra nodded, “Can I tell you a story?”

Aegon nodded.

“It is said that long ago, when Old Valyria was nearing its end. That there was a war. Now the war was between two siblings, who very much like us, had the same father, but a different mother. They were brother and sister and they were both dragonlords, said to be one of the very first dragonlords. The sister, who was the oldest, was called Daenora and her dragon was a large, beautiful white and black she-dragon named Silverfyre,” Rhaenyra pulled the blankets over Aegon as she continued, “The bother, who was the younger, was called Valerion and his dragon was a large creme and pale red-orange he-dragon called Valíria.” 

“When Daenora was just a little girl, her father, before he remarried, named her his heir. But then he remarried and had four children with his second wife. Valerion was the oldest and his mother pushed his father to name him his heir instead of his daughter Daenora, but he refused and Valerion grew bitter over his sister.” 

“They sound like you and me.” Aegon said.

“Yes they do. But heres the kicker, when they were young, Daenora and Valerion were the best of friends, but as time went on they began to drift apart until the love they had for one another was replaced by cold, dark hatred for one another. When their father died, Valerion took their father’s lands and titles away from Daenora and she was furious.” 

“And to make the usurpation even worse, Daenora was 7 moons pregnant when it happened. When Daenora found out what her brother had done she went into a black fury and the babe within her became angry as well. For three days the screams of Daenora was heard though the castle as she went through a grueling labor. When the babe was born, it was dead and a girl. Darnora swore vengeance on Valerion saying that he took her land, her titles, and that he killed her little girl.”

Aegon looked shocked, “That sounds awful!”

Rhaenyra nodded, “It was and the war that followed was even worse. So many people and dragons died fighting one another, including Valerion and Daenora’s siblings. The war went on for half a year, until one fateful day. Valerion and Valíria met Daenora and Silverfyre over one of the fourteen volcanos of Valyria. They say that when Daenora saw Valerion she called him a thief and a traitor. To which Valerion called her a whore and a false lord. Then it went quiet, until Valíria and Silverfyre let out roars so loud the ground shock and jumped into the air.” 

“They say the fight that followed by a horrifying one. Each dragon tore and bit the other, ripping chunks of flesh and wing off of each other. No one knew who had the upper hand, until Valíria snapped his jaws around Silverfyre’s neck and his claws tore through her belly. Silverfyre managed to bite Valíria’s left wing and her claws managed to rip off the right. Both dragons fell from the sky and crashed to the ground, alive.” 

Aegon gasped and leaned closer.

“But sadly, Silverfyre didn’t live long. After making sure her rider wasn’t hurt the mighty she-dragon took her last breath and died. It was said that Daenora, mad with grief, screaming and roared for her dragon just as Valerion drove his sword through her stomach.” Rhaenyra poked her finger against Aegon’s stomach as she spoke, “With her dying breath, Daenora demanded that her brother name his first-born daughter after her beloved Silverfyre, just as she had named her first-born son Valarr after Valíria and then she died just like her dragon. With that demand, Valerion remembered the friendship his sister and him had shared. It is said that he cried and sat vigil for his sister and her dragon all through the night and in the morning, Valíria took his last breath and died. From that day forth, Valerion was completely swallowed in grief over the friendship of his sister and him and for their dragons, but he did do as his sister demanded and named his first-born daughter Saera after Silverfyre.” 

Aegon looked at Rhaenyra, “That is an awful story, you are really bad at story-telling.”

Rhaenyra laughed, “Yes, it is an awful story, but there is meaning behind. That the love you have for your sibling never truly dies.” 

Aegon smiled, “I think i get want you’re trying to say. That no matter what happens I’m still your brother and you love me either way.”

“Exactly,” Rhaenyra said smiling.

Later when Aegon met up with Jacaerys before leaving, Jacaerys pulled him aside and said, “To answer you’re question from earlier, yes, I do believe in the paranormal.”