Chapter Text
Rhaenys gasped when she opened her eyes. She frantically looked around. She was in her chambers in the Red Keep. She looked at her pregnant belly and from the empty crib in their chambers, Rhaenys could deduce this was her first pregnancy.
She had been sent back as she had been told. But when exactly was this?
The war in Tarth couldn't have begun yet as her husband was beside her.
Seeing him beside her, Rhaenys felt ecstatic at first, then she remembered Addam and Alyn. The boys he had introduced as Laenor's bastards to Rhaenyra when Jacaerys had advised her to have dragonseeds try to claim dragons.
Rhaenys knew as soon as Meleys showed them, they weren't Laenor's. Her boy could barely bed Rhaenyra, her lovely niece who had been called the Realm's Delight. Laneor's tastes had almost made it impossible for Rhaenyra to sire children on her son.
Thankfully, they had eventually managed. However, it hadn't been an easy road, a time when Rhaenyra had become the subject of ridicule and Rhaenys had never felt as ashamed as she had been when one day Alicent had tried to humiliate Rhaenyra in front of the court for her lack of heir. However, Rhaenyra -having gotten used to the Green Queen's barbs- had handled the situation gracefully.
"Your Grace, unlike you I didn't get to have extramarital experience before my marriage. You were quite lucky my father was so accommodating for you, despite the fact that the mourning period for my mother hadn't ended." She had said.
Rhaenys had watched with glee as the court had turned its attention to Alicent, who had grown pale when Rhaenyra had revealed the truth behind her ascension as Queen. Rhaenys had known this would soon be forgotten as the Queen, regardless of how she had come to acquire her title, had given Viserys two sons. Still, it had been satisfying to see the Green Queen's face as she had been revealed as a whore.
Though her good-daughter hadn't finished. She had looked around with mocking innocence and fake shock. "You didn't know, dear ladies? Why? How else could have a worthless daughter of a worthless second son possibly become Queen when her rival, my dear good-sister Lady Laena was of Valyrian descent, rode Vhagar and would have brought the might of the Velaryon fleet and its riches to the Crown?" she had said, both humiliating Alicent further with her lack of worth to the crown beyond her fertility and reminding the court that power had been behind her and to be careful while picking a side.
Rhaenys had been proud but when Rhaenyra, when they had been finally in the safety and privacy of her chambers, had broken down crying, Rhaenys had finally realized she had underestimated the severity of the situation. What Alicent had tried to do that day had been nothing compared to what she had already done. The whispers she had spread about Rhaenyra's ability to have children, countless comparisms between her and her poor mother Aemma...
"She had even mentioned that Laenor might have to choose like my father as he was saddled with a failure like me."
Looking back, Rhaenys had no idea how she had managed to stop herself from having Meleys burn Alicent and every other Hightower to cinders. Rhaenys had known why Rhaenyra had tried to evade marriage so long as as she could despite the fact it had made her look irresponsible. She had been terrified of childbirth and who could have blamed her after what had happened to Aemma, after what Viserys had ordered done to her for the dream of a male heir?
She had taken Rhaenyra into her arms and comforted her. "It will be alright, it will be alright. We will find a solution." She had said to her. That night, after ensuring Rhaenyra was in good hands, she flew to Volantis -where she knew where her daughter and cousin were currently residing.
Daemon, after his many travels, had made many acquaintances, some of whom had had the same taste as Laenor and yet managed to sire children. Her Aunt Saera had accommodated many men who preferred a man to a woman in her brothels and pointed her in the right direction.
After a moon's worth of time spent in Essos to learn every technique available, Rhaenys had gone back to the court. Alicent Hightower had tried to make use of her absence to make Rhaenyra's life harder. Apparently, she had started with cutting her allowance in half again. Not that it had had much effect. Rhaenyra had been married to her son and House Velaryon had been the richest in Westeros. Laenor had always ensured his wife had had the necessary gold to fund her charities in King's Landing and projects.
Upon hearing it, Rhaenys had almost demanded answers from Viserys to understand how he could be so blind but she had stopped. Helping Rhaenyra and Laenor conceieve had been more important, the Green Whore had had her cousin's ear and the last thing Rhaenys had wanted was to get banished herself and leave Laenor and Rhaenyra alone in the Red Keep.
It had worked. Her son gave his wife three sons. Their first-born Jacaerys had been born with her mother's Baratheon coloring and her father's face. He had been everything Rhaenys had imagined a brother of hers would have been had the Gods been kinder to her parents. Their second son Lucerys had been born with silver hair but there had been little of Velaryon or Baratheon in him. He had had the face and sweet nature of her cousin Aemma. Rhaenys had been sure that had been the reason her good daughter had always favoured Lucerys over her other children.
And thus, their duty had been done. Both the Iron Throne and Driftmark had had its heirs. Rhaenys hadn't expected more grandchildren from her son. However, Laenor had surprised her with his desire for another child.
"Jace is for the Iron Throne, Luke is for Driftmark. We deserve a child for us." he had said. Laenor hadn't enjoyed the marriage bed even for duty. However, he had come back to life after the births of his sons. Rhaenys had been glad to see her son content and smiling again. The depression he had been in after Criston Cole had murdered Joffrey Lonmouth at his wedding and gotten away with it had nearly destroyed her son. Thus, maybe she should have foreseen the name of her youngest grandson, who had been a Baratheon looking Laenor with Rhaenyra's chin.
Rhaenys snapped out of her thoughts by Corlys, who woke up not long after her.
"My love, are you alright? Is it our son? Do you want me to fetch the maester?" he asked.
Son.
Their son.
It wasn't a son she was carrying.
It was their girl, Laena.
The daughter they had tried to sell to a man who had cut his wife open to settle a slight against themselves.
Their daughter, who had understood trade, politics and court better than their son did, their eldest and yet she had never been named heir. She had lost the Iron Throne because of the lords but she should have gotten Driftmark. Especially after Laenor had married Rhaenyra.
"I am fine, I just need to take a quick walk." she said. She needed to stay away from Corlys. When she looked at her husband, all she could see was the man who had betrayed his vows and their grandchildren by siding with those who had killed them and by making his bastard his heir over their Baela.
She was thankful that Corlys just accepted her answer and let her be. A part of her was still screaming with the desire to kill her husband but the rational side knew it was a bad idea. Corlys was the head of the second most powerful house in the realm and she would need him in the coming times. She also had every intention of having her babes again so her traitorous husband got to live, for now at least.
She easily found a maid who informed her of the exact date.
"It is the fifth day of the third moon my Princess. The year is 92 AC."
So, three moons before her father's death. Just as Meleys had said. She could change it all, undo all the tragedies that had befallen her family. She laughed, excited at the opportunity given to her. When she felt a kick in her belly, she calmed herself down. She was carrying her baby girl and after all the ways she had failed Laena, she would do better this time.
She needed a plan. First thing to do was to prevent her father's death. Stopping him from going to the Tarth wouldn't be too hard. When he left for war the first time around, Rhaenys had been three weeks away from delivery and her father's death advanced her labors. She was sure she could convince him but that meant someone else would have to take his place.
The most logical choice would be her Uncle Baelon. However, Rhaenys didn't wish for her uncle another untimely death. Years had passed but she was still haunted by the painful way he had died. There was also everything that had come after his death to consider.
Her grandmother had kept Daemon away from his father's funeral, leading his spite to spill all over her.
Jaehaerys had called the Great Council, which had increased lordly powers and destroyed the untouchable image of House Targaryen after her husband had stupidly raised the Velaryon fleet and as good as declared war.
Viserys had become heir and then king which had given him the power to cause every catastrophe that had destroyed their family, with his desire for harmony, no matter how false.
Otto Hightower had become hand and used his power to firmly insert himself and his bloodline in the court with access to the greatest power their family had.
No, her uncle couldn't die either. Not just out of political reasons but also out of sentimental and familial ones.
Daemon and Viserys had already started to drift apart with their father being the sole tether that bound them together. If Baelon died again, even earlier at that, Rhaenys feared their relationship could turn out even worse.
The ideal choice would be Jaehaerys. He would be proving his strength to the lords and the court if he went to take care of the Myrish pirates himself. Maybe she could bait him like this. Jaehaerys was a level-headed man in most matters. But he was still a Targaryen and prideful. And if he died... Well Rhaenys wouldn't shed many tears for him, not after his disrespect to her father and definitely not after his actions had led to the civil war.
Rhaenys had been excused from the rest of their grandfather's funeral as her pregnancy had advanced too much for her to stand up for a prolonged period of time. Her swollen feet were quite grateful for the respite.
"Princess, would like anything?" her maid, Caroline asked. Rhaenys refused. They believed her despondency was a result of her grandfather's death. They couldn't be more wrong. She couldn't believe she succeeded. Her father was alive, her uncle was alive. It was Jaehaerys, who had outlived almost all of his children in the first life, who was dead.
A part of felt guilt for baiting her grandfather to go to his death. But she didn't regret it, not when she knew what would come if she didn't change these events. Now the wrongs committed against her family in her first life would be corrected.
Her father would ascend to the throne as King Aemon Targaryen and her mother would be the Queen Consort of the Seven Kingdoms.
Her father would live long enough to meet and spoil his grandchildren.
Her mother wouldn't die of heartbreak in Storm's End.
The first of her objectives was complete. The second was to ensure her husband would never have the chance to supplant their House. The veil had been lifted from her eyes and while she still had some affection for the father of her children, she wouldn't allow him to forget who was the true royal between them.
She would start with giving their girl, her heir, a Targaryen name and the Targaryen last name. Laena had been a Velaryon name and her daughter had never been a Targaryen before her marriage to Daemon. This needed to be rectified. Their marriage wasn't the first one between two heirs in Westeros. To ensure the continuity of both names, usually one child -or two depending on how many children the couple produced- would take the mother's name.
Her pain at her father's death and her early labors had allowed Corlys to take advantage of her grief and make their daughter a Velaryon. Rhaenys was sure her husband's never ending ambition was one of the reason she had been passed over. This time, he wouldn't get the chance though.
Aemon Targaryen might have allowed his daughter her Velaryon match, despite his reluctance, but he would never allow the Seahorse to take the place of the Dragon.
"Rhaena, her name is Princess Rhaena Targaryen. My heir to the Iron Throne." she announced when her family had been allowed inside her chambers.
Rhaenys had chosen her youngest granddaughter's name specifically. While Corlys had favoured Lucerys among their grandchildren for he was his heir, Rhaenys's favourites had been Jacaerys and Rhaena. And so when the time came for her to choose a Targaryen name for her daughter, Rhaenys had decided to choose the name that had been the combination of her and her daughter's names, the only one of her grandchildren that had lived and found happiness after the Dance.
"Her name should be Velaryon as per Westerosi tradition." Corlys objected as soon as he heard his daughter's name.
"Lord Corlys, my daughter is the heir to the Iron Throne and her heir must bear the Targaryen name." Her father said, pinning his good-son with a harsh look. "Surely you didn't expect the future ruler's name to be Velaryon when the ruling family's name is Targaryen."
That was exactly what he had wanted. Rhaenys remembered how Corlys objected to the clause of Jacaerys taking the Targaryen name when Rhaenyra would ascend to the throne while writing the betrothal contract. She should have seen his true nature then but remained willfully blind.
"As for Westerosi traditions, you should remember Lord Corlys that we are of Old Valyria, not Westeros. When the Conquerors took these lands, they allowed each kingdom to continue their traditions and customs. And our family will be no different. We will continue our own customs." Her father continued. "You don't need to worry. The second child you have will have the Velaryon name."
"And if a son is born?"
"Rhaena will remain my heir." Rhaenys said. Corlys may have gotten the chance to sideline their granddaughters in favor of his bastards after her demise but Rhaenys would never allow him to sideline Laena, their Rhaena now, this time. "Her namesake should have been Queen in her own right but Aenys was a weak man who disregarded our traditions to gain the favor of Andals. This mistake won't be made again." Rhaenys said.
Her husband did his best to hide his displeasure but Rhaenys could see his anger. Not just at the missed chance of supplanting her house but also at the fact that despite being the wealthiest person in the continent, he was not the most powerful and he would never be. Her power would always be greater than his as the ruling Queen. His house, no matter how high they rose, would never be what House Targaryen was. Still, beneath all that pride and anger, Rhaenys still saw the happiness he felt at being a father.
Corlys ceased arguing upon realizing he wouldn't win and took his daughter into his arms. The love on his face was undeniable and Rhaenys was glad that his ambitions hadn't grown so much that he wouldn't be able to love his Targaryen daughter.
But Rhaenys knew she had to guard her heart. She hadn't forgotten what had happened after Rhaenyra had taken the capital, what she had been shown, how Corlys had asked her to legitimize his bastards. Rhaenys remembered how tightly she clenched her fists. The boys hadn't been at fault but the fact that Corlys's bastards were alive while her babies had returned to the sea had been infruating. Corlys's dissatisfaction with Rhaenyra's reward for the boys and his demands for them almost had her explode in the rage worthy of a Baratheon.
Rhaenyra had offered Adam and Alyn the Arbor, the ancestral lands and titles of House Redwyne. It had been a generous reward. Maybe not as great as Driftmark but a worthy one. The boys had accepted. Neither had had any inclination to take Driftmark or the Velaryon name until Corlys had put it in their heads. She knew Luke and Jace's deaths had crippled Corlys. The image of her grandson falling to the scorpion bolts of the Tirarchy would never leave her mind. However, aside from grief for his blood on his face, Rhaenys had also seen a worry for his legacy.
Corlys would never have let go of the Iron Throne and at that point, Joffrey -as Rhaenyra's eldest surviving son and their last living grandson- was her heir to the throne. Expecting Joffrey to be the Lord of Tides and King at the same time one day would be a heavy burden to place upon the shoulders of a child who had lost too much already. Hence, as Laena's eldest child, Baela should have been made Corlys's heir. But her husband was a proud and greedy creature. He would never have agreed to leave his legacy at the hands of a Targaryen born and raised girl.
Hence, he had asked Rhaenyra to legitimize them as Velaryons and allow Addam to inherit. It had been then Rhaenyra had revealed that she had known the truth all along.
"Lord Corlys, had Princess Rhaenys and my husband not worked so hard to find a way for us to conceive, you would have had no grandchildren from our union. Laenor hated coupling with women. He was loyal to his duties as your heir and my husband but he couldn't do it. Not on his own, not without outside help. Now you are telling me those boys are Laenor's when I know perfectly well that is impossible. I didn't say anything when you first presented them to me, but I am not a fool. I know they are your bastards." Rhaenyra had said, shattering the illusion that had fooled no one.
"I am grateful for your support and understand your worry for your legacy. However, my good mother sacrificed her life for my cause. My grief might have weakened me but it didn't break me enough to forget her and everything she had done for me. I won't allow you to spit on her memory by giving Driftmark, the lands she poured her soul into to improve while you were my father's Master of Ships, to your bastards. You do not need to worry about the name. I shall speak to my husband upon his return about giving Baela and any child she bears the Velaryon name to ensure your line will continue Lord Corlys.
"Addam is of Salt and Sea, a sailor-"
"Baela might be Fire and Blood but she also has Salt and Sea in her veins. She is your legitimate granddaughter through Laena. With Joffrey as my heir to the throne, the next in line for the Driftwood Throne is Baela." She had said with finality evident in her voice. At that time, Corlys had known better than to argue and accepted her ruling. Especially considering what her cousin would do to Corlys for daring to deny Baela what was rightfully hers.
Unfortunately Alicent Hightower's remaining spies in the Red Keep had appraised her of the situation, of the cold winds between her step-daughter and Lord of the Tides. The woman had sent a message to her husband, stating that natural sons of 'Laenor' would be legitimatized and Adam would be recognized as his heir if he declared for her son.
When the offer had first come, Corlys had refused for Daemon had been still alive. Unfortunately, Rhaenyra had been betrayed by Ulf and Hugh at that point and her paranoia had her imprison Corlys. And after Daemon's death and Rhaenyra and Aegon had been ousted from the capital, Corlys had accepted her deal.
Rhaenys would never forgive or forget Corlys for dishonoring her, sidelining Laena's daughters and siding with the Usurpers after they had killed her and their grandsons. Her time to take revenge would come but for now she needed to be patient, for she still had need of Corlys and House Velaryon.
Her father's small council was different than her grandfather's and Viserys's but also more effective. Septon Barth, upon the death of Jaehaerys, had asked to be relieved from his position. A request her father had granted after being unable to change his mind but she knew his advice was still welcome.
Rhaenys had had great respect for Barth. Despite being a Septon, he didn't follow the teachings of the Seven blindly like a zealot. His advice had always served the realm and their dynasty. He had even opposed her grandfather's decision to pass her over, saying that disregarding the established laws of succession wouldn't just affect the Iron Throne but the entire continent.
He had been right. Rhaenys remembered the Arryn coup Ser Arnold Arryn had pulled after the Great Council. He had claimed that King Jaehaerys's will to name Prince Baelon as his heir and the Great Council that had chosen Viserys had decreed that a woman's and her line's claims were to be ignored in favor the closest living male relative. The Vale had been ruled by a Lady Paramount and would have benefitted if she had become Queen. However, Jeyne Arryn's regent Yorbert Royce had honoured the Arryn blood in Aemma as Amanda Arryn had requested and the vote of a Paramount House had gone to Viserys.
This time, none of it would come to pass though. Her father was King, he would never forsake her and her uncle would never rise against her as he had been assured that their House wouldn't be supplanted. Jeyne Arryn's father and brothers were also alive. While she didn't remember the exact circumstances and time of their deaths, maybe there was a way to prevent it.
Another thing to prevent was Otto Hightower's rise. After her uncle's death, Otto had been named Hand of the King and he had managed to hold onto the position like a leech. His removal had lasted eleven years but the man's influence at the Red Keep had never waned thanks to Alicent and nobles loyal to him. Today, he was only a justicar among many but Rhaenys had no intention of allowing him room to rise. It was wiser to nip the snake in the bud.
But that was another day's objective. Today was her first small council meeting and she was determined to leave a good impression. Lord Beesbury smiled at her when she took her seat beside her uncle Baelon, who had been made Hand of the King. The memory of the hunt her grandfather had organized to celebrate for his appointment in another life struck her briefly but Rhaenys immediately brushed those memories away. It wouldn't happen again. Her uncle would live long enough to see Rhaenyra and any other grandchildren Viserys or Daemon would give him grow up.
"Princess, it's an honor to see you among us." Lord Elbert Arryn had said. He was Jeyne Arryn's father and would take her father's former place as Master of Laws.
"Thank you Lord Elbert." Rhaenys said. Her husband was seated at the other end of the table as Master of Ships, with the Grand Maester Elysar sitting beside him. Unlike Mellos, Runciter and Allar, Rhaenys believed Elysar was more trustworthy. He had a sharp tounge, rarely kept his opinions to himself and could stir up trouble in the council chambers with his lack of manners but Rhaenys would prefer a man like him over the obvious Hightower puppets that the Citadel would send afterwards.
"My lords, from this day forward my brother Prince Baelon will serve as my hand and my heir, Princess Rhaenys will be a part of the council as an advisor until the day comes for her to take an official position." Her father declared. "Lord Arryn, you said you had concerns about succession." Her father said, inviting the man to speak. However, there was also an edge of warning in his voice.
"Your Grace, I understand you and Princess Rhaenys have declared Princess Rhaena will remain the Princess's heir regardless of any sons born to her." Lord Arryn started. This was news to many on the council. Andal law dictated a daughter came before an uncle or a male cousin but sons always inherited before daughters. They must have assumed Rhaena's place as her heir was temporary until she had a son.
"That's correct, Lord Arryn." Rhaenys said. She doubted this would lead to an argument over how women were unfit to inherit. He seemed to know better than that.
"Initially I was going to propose an edict to change the laws of succession the Conqueror established. However, upon my investigation I realized there was no such law."
"What do you mean?" Baelon asked.
"Lord Hand, before the Conquest each kingdom had its succession laws written and declared openly and after the conquest, the Riverlands and Iron Islands -the new kingdoms that were forged- also wrote their succession laws and had them approved by Queen Rhaenys and Queen Visenya. However, no law regarding the succession of the Iron Throne has been passed. I know King Aenys passed over Princess Rhaena in favor of Prince Aegon but there was no legal backing, only the Andal tradition favoring his decision." Elbert Arryn said.
Her father and uncle exchanged a worried look. How come no one ever adressed this issue before? Why did the Conqueror leave the succession in doubt when he had two wives? The Andal succession favoured the elder son over the younger but according to the Valyrian tradition, children of the first wife, regardless of age and gender, had the precedence over the children of the second wife.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing Andal customs had been followed instead of Valyrian ones in that case.
"Lord Arryn, I and Princess Rhaenys shall speak with you in my solar regarding this issue." Her father decided. Normally, the discussion for the succession would continue. However, most would prefer a male dominant succession over the absolute primogeniture her father wanted to establish. There was no need to endure a headache about it. Thus, they moved on to other topics.
Still, the circumstances regarding the succession laws remained at the back of her mind. She was sure this issue had never been adressed at during Viserys's reign. Otto wouldn't want it. If he tried it before Alicent gave birth to Aegon, he would run at the risk of ensuring Daemon's ascension as King. After all, even if he could have guessed Aemma would die, he wouldn't be able to ensure Alicent would have a son. If Alicent had only daughters and the succession favoured men over women, then he would have doomed himself. After Rhaenyra had been named heir, he would never be able to convince Viserys to make the succession male dominant and disinherit Rhaenyra without actually uttering the words. No, Otto Hightower had needed the succession to remain ambiguous.
The part of her that wanted to feed the man to Meleys resurfaced. He and his daughter had hidden behind the laws of Gods and men to usurp the throne when there was no law, only tradition backing them. However, Viserys had been king and his word had been law. It should have been accepted, for without any written law the words of the last sovereign should have been binding. Not that, it had mattered it in the face of their greed.
Rhaenys cleared her head of the thoughts of a future that would never come to pass and focused on the council meeting. Such thoughts were for later, when she needed to be enraged enough to scheme ruthlessly.
"Rhaenys." Someone yelled for her with excitement. Looking around she was surprised to see Aemma and Daemon. They were in riding attire and yet she was sure neither had a dragon. With her father alive, Daemon wasn't Caraxes's rider and Aemma had never been allowed to claim a dragon, despite the fact that she had married Viserys and become Queen after the Great Council.
Rhaenys took Aemma into her arms and kissed her cheeks. Her little cousin was lively and bright. Her heart clenched at the thought of what had become of her in her previous life.
After becoming Queen, Aemma had been reduced to a broodmare for Viserys's dream of a son. She had never been given the chance to properly rest and heal. Once Aemma had begged her for some moon tea so that she could go on a few more days without being pregnant. She had delievered it for a week but then stopped. The last thing she could have afforded was Mellos figuring it out and having her family accused of treason. It had broken her heart to abandon Aemma but her children had been her priority.
This time, she wouldn't let Aemma suffer like that. She had already talked to her father about Aemma and Viserys's wedding and he had easily agreed to wait until Aemma was five and ten. Rhaenys didn't know why neither Jaehaerys nor Alysanne hadn't shown any true care for her but it no longer mattered. Jaehaerys was dead and Alysanne had no power beyond what her father allowed as Queen Mother. A part of her worried she would affect Rhaenyra's existence but the Gods of Old Valyria's assurance had only included Laena and Laenor. Rhaenyra's existence wasn't guaranteed and Rhaenys decided to save the life of the cousin who already existed.
"Father will take us to fly on Vhagar. Do you want to join us Mandia?" Daemon asked her. Rhaenys almost cried at being referred to as such once again by Daemon. They used to be incredibly close until her father's death and her uncle being made heir over her created a chasm that hadn't healed until Daemon had taken Laena to wife.
"Of course, I will Valonqar but where is Viserys?" she asked. She didn't believe her uncle would exclude his eldest son.
"He is with Otto Hightower and some Reach knights." Aemma answered.
Otto Hightower.
The man didn't waste any time, did he? He already started looking for weak spots and there was no weaker spot than her cousin.
Finding a way to kill Otto would take time and extensive planning. He was a second son but he was Hightower and had Citadel and Faith behind him. Eliminating him wouldn't be without consequences, even now. She looked at Aemma, who didn't seem to be happy about Viserys's decision.
"You don't seem happy, cousin. Did Otto Hightower do something that you didn't like?" she asked Aemma.
Aemma shook her head. "No, he didn't but the way he speaks and looks at people disturb me."
Even at the age of ten, Aemma could sense the danger but Viserys had always insisted on being a blind fool, despite all the evidence shown to him later in their lives.
"Hightower is a cunt." Daemon said. "Half the things he is spouting are either lies or nonsense and despite that, my brother loves his company for some reason." Daemon said.
"Daemon! You cannot use that word." Aemma said, scandalized about his word choice.
"Why not? He is a cunt. The more people know it, the better it is." He wasn't wrong. If people had known, more accurately if Viserys had known what kind of a snake Otto Hightower was, he might have kept him away from power. "He constantly makes remarks about Rhaena." Daemon said. That had her attention.
"What kind of remarks?" Rhaenys asked. She could guess but if Otto Hightower was actually stupid enough to insult the heir of the heir, then she needed to know.
"Not anything outright but he makes insinuations about how you should be skipped over in favor of Uncle Baelon." Aemma said. Of course, he would.
Andal succession favoured daughters over uncles and male cousins but contrary to the general belief, not every kingdom or house in the South followed this rule. Oldtown always favoured a male heir over a female, even when their precious Seven said otherwise.
Unfortunately for Otto, her father was no Viserys or even Jaehaerys. The second he heard this, Otto Hightower would lose his position and be banished. His offense wasn't worthy of death penalty as many believed a woman was unworthy of the Iron Throne but stripping Otto of the power he had at the Red Keep, no matter how meager it was, and getting Viserys away from his influence was important.
"Aemma, Daemon after our dragon ride, will you come with me and tell my father about this?" Rhaenys asked.
They nodded and Rhaenys allowed herself a victorious smile. It was too early of course. Hightowers were still very powerful and they weren't the only threat. They weren't the only ones with dreams of supplanting their house and gaining control of dragons.
Even with Otto removed, Viserys could easily fall under the thrall of another ambitios man. What her cousin needed was a real friend and looking at Aemma, Rhaenys wondered if House Arryn could do more than providing a bride for her cousin.