Daenerys had anxiously waited at their shared dining table for both lunch and dinner, her heart breaking a little more as each moment without her children passed.

Over the past few weeks she had come to adjust to the change Daeron had undergone while away from her, hoping that time away from Jon would make him see reason again. But Rhaenys' sudden betrayal hurt more than anything. Her sweet little girl had condemned her, she had told her she was a monster, that she was mad.

What had happened to her? What had happened to Daeron? What had happened to their family?

Jon. That was the only possible explanation. After all, Daeron had only turned against her after spending time with his father and Rhaenys had cited Jon's influence as a reason for her sudden hatred of her mother.

How was it that all these years later Jon was still able to rip her world apart? When he had rejected her she had thought she had found a pain greater than no other but her suffering then paled in comparison to what losing her children felt like.

Rhaenys was right. Daenerys had condemned herself to a life of hate after Jon had left but she had always held on to the hope that her children could redeem her, that they wouldn't hate her as the rest of the world did.

Once Rhaenys and Daeron had been born Daenerys' ambitions had shifted. Where she had once wanted to rule for the good of the people she now only wanted to rule to ensure the safety of her children and their dynasty. She had no love in Westeros, she knew that. Her only way of ensuring their reign was to scare the lords into submission. She hadn't wanted to scare her children.

If she didn't have them she had nothing. Drogon was her source of power but he was also her source of shame, fire made flesh, forever a physical manifestation of her power and of the pain she had caused, of the destruction she had wrought.

Grey Worm and her bloodriders were still loyal to her, she knew she would always have their support. But did they still follow her out of love or did they follow her out of fear? The Unsullied had once loved her for freeing them, but were they truly free? They spent their lives serving her in a foreign country, devoid of families or lives beyond those of soldiers. She had brought them nothing but war, nothing but death.

And the Dothraki? They followed strength. She liked to think it was out of admiration and devotion to her ambitions but a part of her knew that there was also fear driving their loyalty. The armies that had followed her across the Narrow Sea didn't do so because they loved her. She had no love, not even from those that were most loyal to her.

All she had really had were her children and now she had lost them. She didn't know how to proceed. Daeron claimed that all he wanted was to leave again but she didn't know if she could let him go. Nothing had hurt more than to have him suddenly ripped from her, not even his attacks against her now. She would rather he hate her and be safe than be out in the world, prone to any number of dangers. When he had last left her he had nearly been killed by a bear.

Was it not a worse fate to condemn him to a life of misery? She had done everything in her power to ensure that her children had a good life but it was clear that he wasn't happy. She wanted him to be happy but the fact that he was happiest without her in his life broke her heart.

And what of Rhaenys? Her daughter hadn't sided with Daeron on everything; it seemed that there was still hope of convincing her daughter to stay with her in King's Landing. But she didn't know how to ensure that Rhaenys wouldn't betray her as well.

She had called her a monster, begged her to change. How was Daenerys supposed to change? Her regime was built on fear, the people had no love for her. The second she showed weakness they would strike. She had no love of ruling this way but it was all she had known since coming to power. She knew of no other way but she knew that she couldn't bear to lose her children.

Rhaenys had asked her to change, she was giving her mother a chance. Daenerys didn't know how to but she knew that when they returned to the Red Keep that she would do everything in her power to show her daughter that she would change for her. She hoped Rhaenys could forgive her and she hoped she could show her how to change.

It was the middle of the day but Rhaenys no longer cared. She couldn't wait.

They had left Dragonstone the day after her outburst and they had all given each other a wide berth. Daenerys seemed to have asked the guards to stop watching her children like hawks so Rhaenys was able to confidently slip away to visit Jon. After over a week with her mother and brother she needed to speak to someone who wasn't obsessed with tearing their family apart.

"Father?"

She found him reading in bed. It was a hot day and his shirt was off. As soon as he lowered the book she gasped. He gave her a confused expression for a moment, then realized she was staring at his scars as he hurried to put his shirt back on.

"Rhaenys, it's the middle of the day, what are you doing here? Is it safe?"

"Father, your chest- what- what happened?"

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and she nervously sat next to him.

"When I was Lord Commander of the Night's Watch there was a mutiny. I was stabbed to death and a red priestess brought me back."

"You- you died?"

He gave her a pained smile. "Only for a few days."

Rhaenys took in a shaky breath, terrified at the thought that her father might not have come back. After a moment she reached over to hug him, tears dripping down her face, partly at the thought of his death but also because of all that had happened with her mother and brother.

He eagerly held her close to him, stroking her hair and whispering gentle reassurances.

"Shh, it's alright. I'm alive, I'm here now. I'm never going anywhere."

"It's not just that, Mother and Daeron are fighting. I can't take it anymore, Father. I know she has committed unspeakable crimes but she's my mother, I still love her and I can't choose between Daeron and her. I don't even know who they are anymore, all they can do is hate each other."

Jon frowned and squeezed her tighter. "It's going to be okay, Rhaenys. They'll sort things out, I promise. Didn't you give Daeron my letter?"

Rhaenys sighed and pulled away, wiping her tears. "Yes but he was only civil on the journey to Dragonstone. When we arrived there he began to attack Mother again."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know it's hard on you. I'm sure with time that everything will work itself out. You all love-"

"They're too consumed with hate. Mother hates the world and Daeron hates Mother. They've lost all ability to love."

Jon gave her a serious look, a look that cut to her very soul. "I haven't seen your mother in years, I don't know how she behaves around you, but I know for a fact that she loves you. And I've seen how Daeron talks about you, I've seen the two of you together, he loves you too. You all love each other, it's just hard right now. I swear to you that it'll get better, everything will work out in the end."

Rhaenys smiled sadly. "I hope you're right. I missed you. You're the only one that doesn't try to turn me against them."

"I want our family to be whole again more than anything and I know that it's possible." He rested a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "But I also need you to know that it's not your fault that they're fighting. It's not up to you to fix what's happening between them. You can't blame yourself for their fighting and you can't expect to be the reason they make up. Do you understand?"

Rhaenys nodded and allowed a few more tears to fall before she rested her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back. "Thank you, Father."

"Of course. I'll always be here for you. And I know that no matter how hard things are your mother and brother love you too. No matter what, we'll always be a family. A slightly broken family, but a family all the same."

Rhaenys genuinely smiled at that, allowing her spirits to be lifted a little. She lifted her head from his shoulder and reached into the pack she had brought.

"Father, do you think you could take me to the market? I brought a shawl."

Jon smiled broadly. "Of course. We'll be careful to avoid the guards so no one recognizes your eyes. I'm sure everything will be alright."

She wrapped the shawl around her head, hoping it would be sufficient to hide her hair and prevent suspicion. After her disguise was in place her father opened the trapdoor and the two descended down the passageways. Jon advised her of every twist and turn before they came across them. Finally they reached Fishmonger's Square.

Rhaenys had never seen anywhere so full of life. She didn't know where to look. There were vendors of all sorts, selling food and trinkets, shouting out their prices and bragging about the quality of their wares. She gripped Jon's arm tightly, intimidated by the sudden assault on her senses.

Jon took her through the market slowly, making sure to look out for guards and to ask Rhaenys what she thought of everything. She had wrapped the shawl around the bottom of her face so her mouth was free and Jon eagerly showed her his favorite places to get food.

He warned her that his tastes were still heavily influenced by the north and Rhaenys found herself trying simple foods that would never be served to royalty in the Red Keep. The idea of pigeon pie didn't appeal to her at first but she found herself enjoying the meat pastry and she enjoyed seeing Jon so happy to be sharing his discoveries with her.

The bread Jon presented her with was much more stale than she was used to but it was clearly some of the best Jon had ever had. She was surprised to see how the smallfolk lived.

When they reached the edge of the market she spotted a run down building surrounded by skinny children. "What's that?"

"An orphanage." Jon replied sadly.

Rhaenys furrowed her brow. "But Mother had the orphanages rebuilt when she restored King's Landing after the conquest. She told me that the children no longer went hungry."

Jon adopted a concerned expression, sad to shatter his daughter's expectations. "I'm sure things are better than they were. I imagine it's hard to make sure every orphanage is well funded."

Rhaenys wasn't reassured by her father's comments as guilt gripped her heart. Jon noticed the shift in her and attempted to reassure her. "I'm sure your mother doesn't realize the state of things. When you're Queen you'll be able to remember this and do better."

Rhaenys frowned for a moment, then nodded. She turned to her father with a hopeful expression. "Can we give them the rest of our coin?"

He gave her a broad smile. "Of course."

Her father did most of the talking while she averted her gaze but she couldn't help but smile when a child reached out to hug her. She was careful not to let her shawl slip as she gently returned the embrace.

As she and Jon returned to the Red Keep, their pockets now empty, both were smiling. Once they reached his chambers it was nearly time for supper. Before Rhaenys had to leave Jon pulled her in for another hug.

"I'm proud of you. You're a strong and compassionate young woman, Rhaenys. I know you'll make an excellent Queen."

She wore another genuine smile as she hugged him back. "Thank you, Father. I hope we can go back someday soon."

"Of course. Now you'd better hurry back before your mother notices."

She nodded and pulled away, turning to leave before Jon called after her.

"I love you, sweetheart. I promise everything with your mother and brother will improve soon."

Her heart fell a bit as she remembered what she was returning to but his reassurances gave her some hope as she left the tower.

Daenerys' heart filled with hope when Rhaenys joined her at the dining table that night. She didn't know what to say at first. Her daughter had always been a ray of sunshine in her life and now she felt as if she'd been ripped away from her. The girl that sat across from her wasn't recognizable.

When she joined her mother at the table her daughter hadn't met her gaze. Rhaenys typically smiled at her mother, immediately reaching for food and asking Daenerys how her day had been. The two sat in silence for a few moments before Daenerys swallowed nervously and finally spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Rhaenys didn't raise her eyes, staring at her plate without touching any of her food.

"For what?"

"For all of the hurt I've caused you and your brother. I thought I was protecting you-"

"Stop making excuses." Rhaenys finally looked at Daenerys, giving her a harsh glare. Daenerys nodded, ashamed.

"You're right, what I've done is inexcusable. I'm so sorry, sweetling. You're right, I've been consumed by hate. Everything I've done, all the executions, all the conquest, all the suffering I've caused, it's not something I can justify. I've tried to for so long, I thought I was protecting you but I know now that I wasn't. Everything I've done, all the misery I caused, I could have avoided it and I see that now."

Surprise flew to Rhaenys' face as Daenerys continued.

"I know that it's not justifiable but it's the only way I've known how to rule for so long now. After your father left I felt I had no love here. I thought the only way to ensure the safety of our family was to rule by fear. It's all I know how to do, Rhaenys. I want to be better for you. I'm sorry I've been so terrible but it's all I know. I want to change, I want to be a better mother, to be a better Queen."

Rhaenys reached across the table to gently take her mother's hand in her own, running her thumb across her knuckles. Daenerys pressed her lips together and spoke again.

"I'm so sorry, sweetling. You deserve better."

Rhaenys bit her lip before she spoke softly.

"I love you, Mother. I know you love me. I want to believe you can be better, I want to see the good in you. You've done terrible things, things that will haunt me for the rest of my life. It doesn't matter if you did them for me and Daeron, they're still unforgivable."

Daenerys nodded, tears falling from her eyes. Rhaenys took a deep breath and continued.

"You need to change."

"I will, I promise. I want to Rhaenys, I swear that I want to."

A hint of a hopeful smile graced Rhaenys' lips.

"I'm glad to hear that."

Daenerys swallowed nervously again before continuing.

"It's just, I- I don't know how to. I don't know what to do. I want to be better but I don't know how to change."

Rhaenys sighed, pulling her hand away to nervously play with her hair as she bit her lip again.

"It'll be okay, Mother. I know it's going to be hard but I'll be here for you. I'll help you."

Daenerys looked back up at her daughter, fear and hope filling her.

"Thank you."

Rhaenys stood and opened her arms, inviting her mother in for a hug. Daenerys melted into her embrace, grateful that her daughter was giving her a chance to fix her mistakes.

After a few moments Rhaenys broke the embrace and sat down again. Her mother followed suit, nervous to see where the conversation would go from there. Luckily Rhaenys offered her a pleasant tone as they fell back into their typical patter.

"How was your day?"

Daenerys genuinely smiled. "Much better now that I'm finally getting to spend time with you. How about yours?"

Rhaenys bit her lip, wanting to share her adventures with her father but knowing that it would only result in trouble.

"My day was alright, I missed you and Daeron. I miss our family."

Daenerys frowned. "I do, too."

Rhaenys swallowed nervously. "I think that if you're able to make peace with Father that Daeron won't-"

"Rhaenys-" her tone became harsh but she stopped when Rhaenys looked at her with a dark expression.

"I know he hurt you. I know you don't trust him. But he's our father and he loves us. I know he won't hurt us."

Daenerys shook her head. "You've only seen him for a few days, you don't really know him-"

"Daeron spent months with him and you've heard how he talks about him. Please, Mother. He's my father. You know that if you're able to forgive him that Daeron will be able to forgive you, or at least make some peace with what you've done."

Daenerys pressed her lips together.

"I'll consider it."

Rhaenys nodded eagerly. "Please. I promise that he's a good man, I know he only wants to be a father to us, to be in our lives. I swear that he won't try to turn us against each other. He just wants us to be a family again."

"It sounds like you know him and what he wants awfully well."

Rhaenys' eyes widened and she averted her gaze. "It's- I- It's just that we spoke a lot when he was here. We shared a number of views on our family. On how we want our family to be whole again."

"Again? We were never whole. He abandoned us before he had the chance to be a part of this family."

"I know. I'm sorry he left you. But he's here now-"

She tensed as panic filled her voice. "He's here?!"

Rhaenys' clenched her hands into fists, overcome by stress. "No, he's not, I just meant that he's in our lives, in a way. Through the time Daeron spent with him. He's not physically here but he's become a part of our lives now."

Daenerys frowned, suspicious. "Rhaenys…"

Rhaenys looked away, terrified. "He's not here, Mother. He can't hurt us. I banished him from the city, remember?"

Her mother wasn't convinced. Rhaenys could see she was about to call over a guard but she spoke up before Daenerys had the chance to.

"You said you want to change. You can start by letting go of your hatred toward my father. Stop obsessing over him, it's bringing you nothing but pain."

Daenerys bit her lip, thinking it over for a moment before nodding and turning back to her food, noticing that Rhaenys hadn't touched her dinner. She had no clue that Rhaenys was coming from a visit to the market with her father.

"Sweetling, you need to eat."

Rhaenys began picking at her food as the two sat in silence before Daenerys spoke again.

"Is something wrong?"

Rhaenys shook her head. "No, I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"About what changes we should make."

Daenerys bit her lip and nodded, starting to try to think of suggestions. After a few moments Rhaenys straightened in her seat and began talking.

"Mother, I want you to give me complete control of court."

Daenerys raised her eyebrows. "You're still young-"

"Just for a fortnight. You know that I've done well in the past but I need to have the freedom to do what I want without you overshadowing me."

"I thought you wanted me to be the one to change?"

"I do, but I think that I should lead by example. Besides, if all of my ideas fail then you'll be able to take over. I just want to try my hand at ruling for myself."

Daenerys chewed her lip and nodded after considering it.

"I trust you, Rhaenys. And I'll always be here to look over you and advise you, but I won't force you to do anything. Every decision will be yours."

Rhaenys broke out into a genuine smile. "Thank you."

One of the first changes she made was to appoint a number of builders to inspect the city's orphanages, assuring them that she would be grateful for any suggestions for improvement and that she would fund the project in full.

The other major change she made was to welcome everyone to petition her in court, regardless of their status. Her mother usually only heard from lords, leaving the City Watch to preside over any conflicts between the smallfolk. Rhaenys made sure to personally oversee and find verdicts for every predicament the people found themselves in.

Daenerys watched her daughter from the shadows, shocked by the way her daughter was ruling. Old memories of her time in Mereen began to stir in her, memories of a time when she didn't have to rule through fear alone. She was proud of her daughter and hoped that someday she would be able to return to the way that she had once been.

A few days into Rhaenys' reign a young girl came to see her, no older than six. She was dressed in rags and clearly grasped by fear. Rhaenys instantly adopted a gentle tone.

"What can I do for you?"

The girl fiddled with her hands before speaking very quietly. "My mama is sick and I can't get anyone to help her. I know that there's a maester in the castle and I was hoping that he could help my mama."

"We'll make sure that your mother gets help. What about your father?"

"My- my- my father was a traitor." She hung her head, her voice wavering in fear.

"A traitor?" Rhaenys said softly.

"Y-y-yes. He served on the City Watch and he must have done something bad because he was- he was- the dragon- it- he was-"

Rhaenys immediately got up from the Iron Throne and knelt before the girl, tentatively reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. "Shh, it's okay. What's your name?"

"Alys."

Daenerys was filled with shame as her daughter continued speaking to the girl.

"Listen to me, Alys. Your father was a good man. He dedicated his life to protecting you and this city. You don't need to be ashamed of him, okay?"

Alys nodded, tears streaming down her face. Rhaenys pulled her in for a hug.

"Shh, it's alright. It'll be okay, we'll get your mother help and-" Suddenly she took in a sharp breath and distanced herself from the child. Confusion flashed across Daenerys' face as the Queensguard darted forward, a few members restraining the girl and two others rushing to Rhaenys' side. Daenerys immediately ran to her daughter.

A dagger was lodged into Rhaenys' side and blood was seeping through her gown.