House Of The Dragon-For The Queen, Not The Prince

(Third Person POV)

[Outside of Runestone, The Vale]

"Good Morrow, Lady Rhea." Ser Gerold Royce said as he approached the Lady on his horse, "What is today's Quarry? Rabbit?" 

Lady Rhea was wearing her usual outfit, leather armor with bronze coloring as befitting of their House. She was never fond of wearing dresses and only wore them when invited to King's Landing. 

She held onto her horse's reigns, "Deer." She said simply

"Ah." Ser Gerold said, "Might I accompany you?" 

"No, I'll ride alone today." She said, "Do me a favor and oversee Aerion's studying today. I was never good at helping him." 

She then rode past him as the man merely glanced back at her. 

Ser Gerold nodded, "Very well." He said before heading to the castle

As Lady Rhea rode, she felt the strong breeze of the Vale hit her face, feeling an odd sense of liberty. She was never one to be stuck inside the castle for too long; preferring to ride her horse as long as she could manage. Ever since Aerion was born, she had a strong sense of responsibility, tending to her son, and was hardly able to take rides by herself. 

Ser Gerold would often offer to ride with her while taking the young Targaryen boy with her, but she would refuse. She loved the boy, he was her son, but she felt overprotective of him and did not want him to be risked in the rocky terrains of the Vale. 

Despite not being named Royce, Aerion was beloved by the people of Runestone and many of the Vale. They viewed Lady Rhea as a good and honorable woman and even Lady Jeyne Arryn had voiced her fondness for the boy and his mother. But as for his father; that's a different story. 

Daemon Targaryen had not been present in nearly five years of the boy's life. Even when he returned from the Stepstones, he didn't show any signs of concern for his wife and son. He had rather stayed in King's Landing for a bit after reconciling with his Brother momentarily. And even then, Runestone was privy to any news regarding Daemon. Just recently, he was caught in another scandal in which details weren't shared. 

As she rode, Lady Rhea caught the faint whiff of smoke. 

She slowed her horse down as she saw a pile of burnt bones and ashes. This was a few miles from Runestone, past massive hills and cliffs, whatever had happened would've not been able to be spotted. 

Rhea was among enough Targaryens to be aware of what this meant; a Dragon. There had been rumors of a wild dragon in the Vale but nobody had been able to confirm this, it had allegedly been stealing sheep and eating them in isolated places. 

"This looks recent...." Rhea said to herself 

Her horse began to shift nervously, she realized that it was able to feel danger. 

"Curses..." She said as she turned her horse around, "Mayhaps the deer can wait until later.....I ought to cancel this ride.....if a dragon is going about the Vale, I shouldn't be here alone..." 

She began to pat the horses neck as it walked slowly back the way she came from. 

Suddenly, she spotted a lone hooded figure a few meters away from them. 

She stopped the horse and narrowed her eyes, "Who goes there?" She called

The figure slowly lifted its head, a glimpse of white hair and a slight smirk. 

She recognized him; Daemon. 

Rhea felt an immense feeling of anxiety, although momentarily. The scars on her face and neck began to twitch and ache. 

"Husband...." She said as she composed herself, "It has been a long while." 

Daemon looked at her, not saying a word. Rhea concluded that the burnt bones were a result of Daemon's dragon, Caraxes, and not a wild dragon. 

"Have you finally come to see your son?" Lady Rhea said with a scowl, "It has been five years, he's growing quite fast." 

Daemon took a step slowly, the horse suddenly shifting even more nervously. 

Rhea frowned, "No...you don't care about him. I know you don't." She said, "Mayhaps your Brother, The King, has grown tired of you and thrown you out of King's Landing. After all the countless of times he's tried to get you to see him, your boy." 

Daemon got closer, the sly smile still on his face as he stayed quiet. 

"Are you angry, mayhaps?" Rhea continued, "That he disinherited you and made a little girl his Heir? What will you do, I wonder? Will you strike your own flesh and blood down to get what you want? Your own Niece? Or will you-" 

She stopped herself, getting a realization. The scandal that Runestone had been told about was not fully described, but it involved Princess Rhaenyra. Lady Rhea dismissed it and merely thought that it was Daemon being his usual self and the Princess was trying to keep him in control. Something deep down told her it was much more than that. 

Daemon got closer, Rhea's horse jerking its head violently as it began to panic for some reason. Rhea saw a hint of a sinister light in his eyes. 

She knew what that look meant and was not waiting to find out. 

"You..." She said as she reached for her bow that was strapped to the saddle

Daemon reached for the horse's reign, the Horse immediately jumped on its hind legs, throwing Rhea off and as the horse fell off balance, she was crushed by it. 

The horse recovered and immediately began to gallop away as Daemon stood over her, not changing his expression.

Lady Rhea understood immediately; Daemon had come to kill her. She had always known that he did not care for her and wanted power for himself. And since Rhaenyra was named Heir, Lady Rhea was concerned for the well-being of her son's cousin. But since Daemon had not once shown any hostility to Rhaenyra, she concluded that he intended to take her for himself in an effort to sit on the Throne himself. 

And for that, he had to be relieved of his current wife. 

Lady Rhea couldn't move, all she felt was pain all over her body as she coughed up blood. She felt nothing but panic and anxiety as Daemon stood over her. She began to remember the night after their wedding, seeing the Prince's face as he brought his fist down onto her face many times while his member was deep inside. 

Daemon slowly nudged Rhea's arm, tapping it several times. It was as if he was checking if she could move it and since Rhea showed no reaction, he deduced that she was in fact paralyzed. 

Tears formed in Lady Rhea's eyes, "P-Please...." she said softly, "Spare him....spare my boy...he deserves none of this...." 

Daemon crouched down and ran the back of his hand against Rhea's scars on her cheek, his expression slightly softening. 

"Hm...." He said, "Would you believe me if I told you that I regret doing this to you?" 

Rhea closed her eyes as tears ran down her face, "Y-You...vile beast...." She managed, "Do not lay your hands on my son." 

"Our son." Daemon told her

Rhea opened her eyes and glared at him, "You had not been there for him..." She spat, "He may have your blood but you are no father of his. Even if you take him with you, what will he think when he finds out about this?" 

"We may never know." Daemon said as he reached for a massive stone next to Rhea, "The boy will never know." 

"Nobody will."