The Rise Of A Dragon - Chapter 7: Too Far

273 AC, King’s Landing  

Aerea was surprised when she and Barristan walked out into the training yard and saw Rhaegar standing in the center. 

The prince was dressed the same as his sister; both were wearing black trousers, and a black and red gambeson. 

“Rhaegar? What are you doing here?” Aerea asked her brother. 

She had never seen her brother anywhere near the yard before, Rhaegar usually went out of his way to avoid being there. Even when their father would mock his son for not enjoying battle or fighting, Rhaegar maintained his decision not to receive any martial training. 

Rhaegar then looked towards Ser Willem Darry, the master-at-arms of the Red Keep and the man who in charge of Aerea’s training alongside Barristan and brother of Jonother Darry. “I will require a sword and armor. It seems I must become a warrior.” 

“Ahh, of course, Your Grace!” Willem said, equally shocked as everyone else.  

The Darry knight moved to gather the training sword and armor that Rhaegar requested. 

As this was happening, Aerea quickly made her way to her brother. “You want to train? But I thought you believed that fighting was beneath you?” 

“It was a childish way of thinking, sister. I now understand the importance of being able to fight to defend what is mine. It is my responsibility, my duty to improve my skills.” Rhaegar explained, his eyes becoming sharper and his posture becoming straighter. 

“A-alright?” Aerea replied, confused by the passion and fire she had never before seen in her brother's eyes. 

“That is a good way to look at things, Your Grace.” Barristan said, pleasantly surprised by Rhaegar’s change of heart. 

Soon the courtyard had begun to fill with people; servants, knights, squires, and nobles alike had shown up to watch the Crown Prince’s first day of training as word began to spread through the Red Keep. 

Willem had given Rhaegar a wooden training sword, two arm bracers, and a silver breastplate. 

“Come along, Your Grace. You must learn the basics.” Willem said as he led Rhaegar away from Aerea and Barristan. 

“Let us start our own training, my princess.” Barristan said, pulling Aerea’s eyes away from Rhaegar’s back. 

Aerea sighed as she followed the knight to a pair of straw dummies. 

Two hours passed and those who watched the royal children were impressed by their progress, especially Rhaegar’s. 

Rhaegar was easily able to perfectly complete each of the basic forms and stances despite having no prior experience. 

And Rhaegar took to his new training vigorously, demanding to continue even as Willem said that they were done for the day. 

“Your determination is admirable, Your Grace. But you are not used to such a lengthy period of physical activity, and you do not want to push your body further than it is capable of when you first begin training. You need to rest.” The knight explained. 

Rhaegar’s true feelings were evident on his face, but he accepted the older man's words and handed his training sword to him. 

“You did really well, Rhaegar.” Aerea said as she walked up to her brother. 

“Thank you, Aerea.” Rhaegar said, a rare smile appearing on his lips. 

Before Aerea could continue, the crowd around then had broken out into loud whispers, the middle of the large congregation breaking away, revealing Aerys, Rhaella, and Ser Gerold walking into the yard. 

“It seems the gossip was true; my son and heir has finally taken up the sword!” Aerys said, a proud and wild gleam shining in his eyes, and he stared at Rhaegar. 

“Father.” Aerea and Rhaegar greeted the man with a bow. 

“So, let us see it; how far you have progressed.” Aerys said. 

“Your Grace.” Willem stepped forward, “Prince Rhaegar has just begun his training, I do not believe he has learned enough yet to put on an impressive showing.” 

“I heard that he was able to do his forms near perfectly. Are you telling me that I heard wrong?” Aerys asked, his joy falling away and his temper surfacing. 

“N-n-no, of course not, Your Grace!” Willem exclaimed. 

“Then a demonstration shall commence.” Aerys proclaimed before he began eyeing the squires in the yard, looking for who he thought would be the perfect candidate for his son to spar with. 

So far, not a single person met the King’s eye, hoping to the Gods that they would not be chosen. In the young boys' minds, it was a lose-lose situation; if they fought their hardest and won the King could punish them for humiliating his son, if they held back and lost then they would suffer the humiliation of having lost to someone with only a few hours of training. 

After a few moments, Aerys met the gaze of a young boy. He was tall, appearing to be a few years older than Rhaegar with long dark hair and tanned skin, denoting his Dornish heritage. 

But what drew Aerys’ attention to the boy were his eyes; at first glance they appeared black, but as Aerys stared at them, he noticed they were a very dark shade of purple. 

Aerys then pointed his finger in the boy’s direction, “You there boy, what is your name?” 

“My name is Arthur Dayne, Your Grace.” Arthur answered as he bowed to the King. 

“Dayne? Then you a related to the Lord Dastan Dayne?” Aerys asked. 

“Yes, Your Grace. He is my father.” Arthur replied. 

“You are a long way from Starfall then.” 

“I was sent to King’s Landing to squire for a member of Your Kingsguard, Prince Lewyn Martell.” 

Aerys continued to stare at Arthur when a thought formed in his mind. 

“You will be the one who will spar with my son.” 

“Of course, Your Grace.” Arthur answered with no hesitation. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Aerea whispered as she leaned closer to Rhaegar. 

“I will fight him; it is no issue. Worry for me not, Aerea, it is just a simple spar.” Rhaegar said before meeting their father and Arthur at the center of yard. 

Aerea sighed as she walked to her mother who stood alongside Gerold Hightower. There was a large gap between the two and the rest of the crowd as they tried to keep their distance so as not to offend the King. 

“Hello, sweetling.” Rhaella said as she placed her arm around Aerea’s shoulders. 

“Hello, mother.” Aerea said as she leaned into her mother’s touch. 

Rhaella turned back towards the center of the yard, watching tensely as Rhaegar and Arthur prepared to spar. She should have been used to Aerys' strange whims, but it was never easy when it involved her children. 

The Queen hoped that Rhaegar would not be injured during this challenge his father forced on him. 

Aerys moved away from the two boys, going to where his wife and daughter were standing. “Start the match, Ser Darry.” 

Willem nodded his head before walking to Rhaegar and Arthur. “There will be no intentional strikes to harm and the first to disarm their opponent shall be the winner. Do you both agree to these terms?” 

“Yes, Ser Willem.” Arthur answered. 

“Of course.” Rhaegar replied. 

With that Willem took a few steps back, he gave the pair one final look, “Begin!” 

The two took up their stances, each staring the other down. After a few moments, Arthur decided to make the first move, charging the prince. 

Rhaegar barely had time to raise his guard, using his sword to block Arthur's strikes.  

The Dayne was unrelenting in his assault, his furious strikes pushing Rhaegar further and further back. 

With his final swipe, Arthur knocked Rhaegar to the ground. The prince still had his training sword in his hands, indicating that the fight was not over. 

Arthur stood over the prince, raising his sword above his head, preparing to disarm the younger boy and claim his victory. 

As he brought his sword down, Rhaegar quickly rolled out of the way, pushing himself back to his feet once he was a good distance away. 

Rhaegar quickly charged at Arthur, knowing that if the fight continued, he would lose. Rhaegar swung directly at Arthur’s head, but the Dornish noble was able to parry the strike. 

Arthur smirked at Rhaegar and before the prince knew it, Arthur swiped his legs from under him and Rhaegar was on his back once again. Before Rhaegar could respond, he felt Arthur slam the flat side of his own sword against his hand, causing him to drop his sword. 

Rhaegar bit his bottom lip, drawing blood in his attempt to not cry out in pain, to not show any more weakness than he already did. 

The courtyard was silent, only the sounds of Rhaegar’s ragged breathing could be heard. 

Arthur took a step back, staring at Rhaegar for a few seconds before holding his hand out to him. Rhaegar stared at the appendage before taking it and allowing the older boy to pull him off the ground. 

Willem had walked to the two prepared to tell them that it was a fine match before he froze, staring at the King. 

Aerys had a blank expression on his face as he stared at Rhaegar. This did not last long as he turned his attention to Arthur, his jaw soon clenched and a fire burning in his gaze. 

The King said nothing, turning on his heel and storming out of the courtyard. 

Most of those watching quickly left, all thinking and talking about the prince’s spar and the King’s reaction to the loss. 

“You did well, Rhaegar.” Aerea said as she quickly reached the center of the yard once their father disappeared from sight. 

“I lost.” Rhaegar said plainly. 

“You did, but you just started today! You did better than I did during my first spar!” Aerea replied, trying to sooth any hurt feelings her brother had. 

Rhaegar wanted to point out that Aerea was much younger than him and went against Barristan when she had her first spar but held his tongue. 

“Rhaegar! Your hand! Is it broken; do you need the Grand Maester?” Rhaella exclaimed, quickly moving towards her children. 

She took Rhaegar’s face into her hands, her gaze focused on his own hand which now had a bright red blotch on it. 

Rhaegar immediately pulled her face out of his mother’s hands, ignoring the hurt look that appeared on her face, taking a few steps away from her. “I am fine, mother.” 

“If, you are sure.” Rhaella whispered. 

Rhaegar had never been the most affectionate or emotionally vulnerable, but it still hurt Rhaella to see him pull away from her over the years. 

“It was a good match, Your Grace. You did well for your first day wielding a blade.” The royals turned to the side, seeing Arthur standing there with a smile. 

The Targaryens had forgotten that the young boy was there, too caught up in each other. 

“Thank you, Lord Dayne.” Rhaegar replied, “Perhaps you could give me some lessons so that I may become as skilled as you.” 

Both Aerea and Rhaella stared at Rhaegar in shock. As the two people who knew him best, they were surprised that Rhaegar had asked to spend time with another person his age. 

If Arthur too was surprised, he did not show it, smiling at the prince. “It would be my honor, Your Grace.” 

With a deep bow, Arthur took his leave. 

Once he was gone, Aerea turned to her brother, “Did you just make a friend?” 

While his face remained blank, Aerea could see the annoyance shining in his dark purple eyes. She smiled at Rhaegar before playfully bumping his arm with her own. 

Rhaella smiled at the sight, “Alright now. Let us go back inside so you can both clean yourselves up.” 

The mother and her children continued to converse with each other as they walked through the halls of the Keep. 

~X~

Later That Evening  

Only the sounds of chewing and utensils craping against plates could be heard in the room as the Targaryen family ate dinner together. 

It was rare that Aerys would eat a meal with his wife and children, and when he showed up unannounced like he did that night, his presence would cause tension in the usually relaxed environment. 

The atmosphere was even more suffocating as Aerys stared at his children as he ate. 

Neither Rhaegar nor Aerea gave the indication that this bothered them, both choosing to keep their head down. 

“Are you happy with your performance today in the yard?” Aerys asked, breaking the silence. 

Everyone turned their attention to the King and saw that his eyes were locked on Rhaegar. 

“I’m sorry, father?” Rhaegar asked, not knowing what Aerys was implying. 

Aerys sneered at his son, “Your spar against the Dayne! Do you feel good about letting a dirty Dornishmen best you? Letting him make a mockery out of our family name?” 

Rhaella spoke up, wanting to defend their son. “Aerys, it was Rhaegar’s first-time training, his first time fighting. Surely, he will improve as time goes on.” 

“Well, he would not need to improve if he had begun his training when he was supposed to, like all young men! Instead, I let you coddle him!” Aerys screamed at his wife. 

He then turned his glare back to Rhaegar, “Now I have a son that’s so laughably pathetic with a blade.” 

“Rhaegar will get better, father, I know he will!” Aerea said, speaking for the first time that night. 

“Aerea,” Aerys began as he turned to his daughter. “Focus on your own progress instead of your brother’s. All you are doing is proving my point, especially if Rhaegar needs his younger sister to defend him.” 

“No, I do not need to hide behind Aerea.” Rhaegar spoke, “I have chosen the path of a warrior, I will improve, I can promise you that much, father.” 

Aerys stared at Rhaegar for a few moments, not truly looking at him, but through him. “I will believe it when I see it.” 

With that, Aerys stood to his feet and swiftly left the dining room, the door slamming shut behind him. 

Rhaella turned towards her son, “Rhaegar…” 

Rhaegar did not give his mother a chance to respond, immediately standing and leaving the room. 

Rhaella leaned forward, placing her arms on the table, and lying her head inside of her hands. She felt like she was failing to keep the cracks from growing in her family. Like everything she did to alleviate the tension just made things worse. 

Rhaella was so lost in thought that she did not hear the sound of Aerea’s chair being pushed back, nor those of her footsteps getting closer. 

She jumped when she felt a hand touch her shoulder, quickly looking up and relaxing when she saw Aerea’s eyes. 

“Father is just in one of his… moods, mother. I’m sure he will be happier tomorrow or the next day, and less harsh upset with Rhaegar.” Aerea said in an attempt to convince her mother. 

No, he will not. Rhaella thought, knowing that her husband would be just as cruel tomorrow as he was today. 

But the people in their family with the exception of Aerys had a habit of not saying how they truly felt or thought aloud. 

“Of course, Aerea.” Rhaella said as she lifted her hand and cupped her daughter’s face. 

Aerea leaned into the touch as she always did, relishing the affection that she was given. 

Little did either of them know that Aerea would be right; Aerys’ mood would take a drastic turn, forgetting the anger he felt towards his son. 

But not for the reason that they would expect or want. 

~X~

Two Days Later  

Once again Aerys had asked (ordered) his children to stand by his side as he proceeded over court that day. 

The King’s temper had cooled somewhat towards Rhaegar, and he had taken to ignoring his son, barely looking at him when he and Aerea entered the Great Hall, climbed up the steps of the Iron Throne, and greeted him. 

Meanwhile Rhaegar had taken to his training with more vigor and determination than he did on the first day, taking Ser Willem’s lessons to heart. He had also followed through on his request of Arthur, taking whatever advice he had given him to improve his swordsmanship to heart. 

Aerys even mentioned having Rhaegar squire for one of the Kingsguard, narrowing down the selection to either Ser Gerold Hightower or Prince Lewyn Martell. 

Aerea thought it was a forgone conclusion; Aerys would pick Gerold. In her mind with how angry he was over Rhaegar losing to Arthur there was no way he would let his son squire for another Dornishmen, especially not one that oversaw the training of boy who bested his son. 

Not to mention, with his reputation and position as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, the White Bull would be seen as the better instructor, giving more prestige to Rhaegar. 

The princess could not deny that she was not a bit jealous of her brother, he had just started his training and he would already be squiring for a famous knight. Meanwhile, she had been training for years and had yet to be given such an opportunity. And she would mostly never be given the chance to squire due to her primary gender. 

I could ask Barristan to make me his squire, he is the one who is mainly responsible for training me. But would father agree? Would I even be able to become a knight? Aerea thought. 

Aerea was soon pulled out of her thoughts when a page quickly busted into the Great Hall, the young man was out of breath was he made his way to the base of the throne. 

“Your Grace!” The page bowed, pulling out a sealed letter and handing it to Pycelle. 

The Grand Maester opened the letter, taking his time to read its contents. A Look of shock appeared on his face and refused to leave it once he was finished. 

Pycelle then turned to Aerys, “Your Grace, we have been given word from Casterly Rock; Lady Joanna has given birth.” 

“Is that not good news for Tywin and House Lannister?” Aerys asked, noting the expression that was clear on the older man’s face. 

Pycelle paused, looking for the right words to describe what he had read. “Lady Joanna gave birth to a boy, but the babe was born... different .” 

“Different?” Aerys asked, leaning forward as he waited for Pycelle to tell him the truth. 

“The babe is a dwarf, Your Grace. His head misshapen and his limbs too short.” Pycelle finally uttered. 

The hall was silent, all inhabitants waiting to see how the King would react to the news of his friend’s son. 

Aerys let out a small chuckle that soon turned into boisterous laughter. The King had tears in his eyes as he continued to laugh, amused by the news. 

“A dwarf?! An ugly, little, and lame dwarf?!” Aerys cheered, “Of course, Tywin now has a dwarf for a son, the Gods have begotten this child on to him to teach him some humility at last!” 

With this response, some of the courtiers of the court, those who wished to win the King’s favor, began to laugh along with Tywin’s rivals who enjoyed that the proud man was finally being taken down a peg. 

Aerea found herself appalled with the behavior of the people in the hall, and most evidently with her father. She had seen a few dwarfs in her life, usually performing at feasts, so she knew that Tywin’s son being a dwarf was not something to celebrate. 

“Is Lady Joanna well?” Aerea asked aloud, drawing the attention of the room to her. 

Pycelle jumped when he saw that the princess was looking directly at him, that her question was for him. “I-It was a hard birth, Your Grace. Lady Joanna was left bedridden because of it, almost dying from the loss of blood. I believe that she will live, only needing some time to recuperate.” 

“That is good to know.” Aerea replied, glad that there was at least one positive to the situation. 

“Of course it was a hard birth, she had to push the fat head of her dwarven son out of her cunt.” Aerys remarked with glee. “Perhaps they will have more luck with the next birth.” 

“With what we know I do not believe Lady Joanna will be able to have any more children, Your Grace. Not without dying in the process.” Pycelle added. 

“Oh, what terrible news.” The words were sorrowful, but the grin Aerys had as he said this showed his true feelings on the matter. 

Aerys was giddy, feeling like a small child as he watched the members of his court speaking with each other about Tywin’s second son. 

More like Tywin’s Doom! He thought joyfully. 

For far too long, Tywin had reached beyond his place and tried to undermine him, acting like the true power of the throne. In Aerys’ mind this plight that was given to his friend was a deserving one. 

Aerys knew of the tales that people spoke, that it was Tywin who truly ruled the Seven Kingdoms and that Aerys was but a hollow figurehead. And he remembered how he dealt with those tall tales; by having the tongue of one man speaking those rumors, Ser Ilyn Payne, captain of Tywin’s guard, ripped out with hot pincers. 

But now Aerys was ecstatic, a dwarf for a son was not something that Tywin would be able to brush off like a guard with loose lips. This was something that would follow the Lord of Casterly Rock for the rest of his life, even after death history would speak of Tywin’s legacy, of his children. 

Aerys remembered how he felt when Aerea was first born, the shame he felt for having a child of both sexes. His dream of the future is what changed his opinion of his daughter, showing him that despite her condition she was the one who would propel their family back to greatness, with his guidance keeping her on the right path. 

He could see this potential through her studies, being told by the maesters how she had been progressing further than most children her age. And he was thankful that despite her enjoyment of learning, Aerea was not bookish like Rhaegar, showing a clear talent for the sword from the moment she picked up a blade. 

But now any mocking and japes that are directed at Aerea would now vanish as the attention of the realm would be on Tywin’s son. 

The King was not oblivious, he knew that physical appearance was one of the things that held the most weight in their society. 

Woman were to be graceful, faithful, and beautiful. Along with deferring to their fathers and then their husbands, it was expected of them to give birth to and care for children. And for noble women especially they were expected to give birth to sons that could carry the family name, to inherit their power. 

Men were expected to be strong and wise, perfect leaders that could lead armies and rule their houses in equal measure. They lived in a warrior-based society, so even if you were not a skilled fighter, it was expected that all men, unless they had given themselves to the Faith or the Citadel, could at least wield a blade. 

But the third of Tywin and Joanna Lannister would not be able to do such a thing with his tiny body and even smaller limbs. And even if he were not feeble minded, he would never get far in life due to his appearance. 

For Aerys this was a celebration on three fronts; for the humiliation of Tywin and House Lannister, for Aerea being able to be seen as normal by comparison to the noble dwarf, and lastly Joanna no longer being able to give Tywin any more children. 

“What is the name Tywin has chosen for his dwarf, I mean son?” Aerys asked Pycelle with a smirk. 

“He was named his son Tyrion, Your Grace. He is undoubtedly named after the Lannister Kings of history.” Pycelle answered. 

“Tyrion. What a charming name Tywin has given his son.” Aerys airily remarked, thinking that Tywin named his son after three Lannister Kings to dissuade some of the negative talk surrounding the child. 

But Aerys would never allow anyone to forget the shame that has befallen Tywin, he would never allow the man to forget his place. 

The birth of Tyrion Lannister was proof that Tywin was an arrogant man who thought to make himself greater than the king, a feat which was only allowed by a god, bringing him back down to his rightful place. 

~X~

Aerea let out a sigh as she wrote yet another letter to Jaime. 

She wanted to write to her friend and apologize to him and his family, she knew that tale of her father’s harsh words would soon spread throughout the realm, if not then it already had. 

But she was not sure if Jaime and the rest of the Lannisters would even want an apology from her of all people, so she continued to sit at her desk staring at the blank parchment paper. 

Before she could further spiral, Aerea turned as the door to her bedroom opened and her mother gracefully entered. 

“Aerea, what are you still doing up? Its late.” Rhaella admonished, her hands on her hips as she stood over her daughter. 

Aerea let out a sigh, resting her head against the back of her chair. “I’ve been trying to write to Jaime.” 

“About what?” Rhaella asked as she took a seat at the edge of Aerea’s bed. 

“About his brother.” Aerea whispered, slowly turning to look at her mother. 

Aerea knew that everyone in the Keep would be gossiping about the news, about what Aerys said when he learned it. She knew that Rhaella would undoubtedly be angered over what her husband said about her best friend’s child. 

Rhaella stared at Aerea for a few moments, so many thoughts swirling inside her mind. She then sighed and patted the space next to her, indicating to Aerea that she wanted the girl to sit next to her. Aerea followed the silent command, leaning her head against Rhaella’s shoulder once she sat down. 

“You don’t need to send an apology to the Lannisters.” Rhaella said, knowing what Aerea was trying to do, reminded of Aerea’s act with the Glovers. 

“But-” Aerea began but was cut off by her mother. 

“But nothing. It was your father’s words, it was his actions, you do not need to take responsibility for them.” Rhaella said. 

“But father won’t! And no one else will either.” Aerea argued, a righteous anger fueling her. 

It did not feel right to her that Aerys could act the way he did, and no one did anything, no one said anything about it. It her heart this was wrong, but she was also angry at herself for not doing anything either. 

Rhaella then grabbed the sides of Aerea’s face and pulled her close, a mixture of anger and fear shined in the Queen’s eyes. “Stop Aerea!” 

Aerea froze, she never seen her mother react in such a manner, never heard the woman raise her voice to anyone much less her children. 

Rhaella closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself down before opening her eyes again. “Aerea, I know. I know better than anyone who you feel, but this is the world we live in. Your father, he is not... he... he struggles, and he does not always do or say the right things, and because he is King, he will never be punished for it, but he is still your father. He may not care for others, but he cares for us, for you, and he will fight for us more fiercely than any dragon, never forget that.” 

“I know he cares, but I hate how he treats you and Rhaegar and everyone else! I just... I... how... how can he love us but be so cruel?” Aerea asked, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. 

Rhaella moved her hands down Aerea’s face and onto her shoulders, pulling the girl into her embrace.  

“How could father say all those things about Tyrion? How could he with all the things people have said about me?” Aerea asked, her voice mumbled because her face was buried in her mother’s chest. 

“Men are complex creatures; they can be charming and loving to some but monstrous to others. It's just their way.” Rhaella replied, combing her fingers through Aerea’s hair in a soothing matter. 

“But Lord Tywin is father’s friend.” Aerea whispered. 

“I know. But sometimes we say things we do not mean or are needlessly cruel to feel better about ourselves, about the ways we fall short.” Rhaella answered. 

She wanted to give Aerys at least some reprieve in their daughter’s mind. Rhaella despite the hatred she held for him, did not want to completely show the terrible man he was. 

At least to not destroy any more of Aerea's innocence. 

“But father is the King!” Aerea exclaimed, not believing what she was being told. 

“Even Kings can be insecure.” Rhaella suggested. 

Aerea said nothing, burrowing her face deeper into Rhaella’s chest. She did not know how to feel, trying to reconcile with the man she knew, and the one Rhaella described. 

It all felt above her, like it was something that she would never be able to understand even as time passed, and she grew older.

Something that she would just have to accept like everyone else around her did.