The morning air felt unnaturally still, the flickering candlelight casting dancing shadows on the walls of the locked chamber. I paced back and forth, the unease in my gut refusing to settle. My mother, Princess Rhaenys, sat near the window, gazing out with a pensive expression. She'd been uncharacteristically silent since daybreak, and I suspected she felt the same dread that churned within me.

Footsteps approached, and a key rattled in the lock. The heavy door creaked open, revealing Queen Alicent, flanked by two of her household guards. The look on her face told me something grave had happened.

"Your Grace," my mother said, rising to her feet with a polite bow of her head. I stood beside her, my heart pounding.

Alicent stepped into the room, her features wan and drawn, as though she had shed tears not long ago. "Princess Rhaenys, Lady Lyanna," she began quietly, her voice trembling. "I come bearing sorrowful news. King Viserys has... he has passed on from this world."

The words sucked the air from my lungs. My head spun as I tried to process the enormity of it. My mother drew in a sharp breath, pain etched across her face. She had long cared for him in her own way, despite the complexities of court life.

"How?" I managed, swallowing hard against the wave of grief that threatened to choke me.

Alicent's eyes flickered down. "Peacefully, in his sleep," she said, though her tone held a note of urgency. "But there is more we must discuss."

She glanced at the guards, who moved to shut the door behind her. I felt an instinctive jolt of alarm, my mind racing to recall the courtiers and conspiracies swirling through the Red Keep.

"The king is dead," Alicent repeated, forcing steadiness into her voice. "And with his passing, we must decide the fate of the realm. There is no time to waste. Aegon shall ascend the throne."

At her words, a cold pit formed in my stomach. I exchanged a startled look with my mother, whose jaw tightened. We both knew where this was going—Aegon's claim ran directly counter to Rhaenyra's, and the court was already divided between the Greens and the Blacks.

"Your Grace," my mother began, choosing her words carefully, "the king, in his wisdom, named Rhaenyra his heir years ago. Surely you recall that event. The entire realm was witness."

Alicent's voice rose, though sorrow still clung to her every word. "He changed his mind. On his deathbed, Viserys made it clear that Aegon should be king."

I stiffened, the statement striking me as impossible. How convenient, I thought. How painfully convenient. My mother looked unconvinced, her gaze steady as she regarded Alicent.

Alicent took a breath, her composure wavering. "I know how it sounds, Princess. But the council is unanimous. Aegon is to be crowned. For the good of the realm, I urge you both to swear your allegiance to King Aegon. Bend the knee, and you shall remain in favor. We want no bloodshed if it can be avoided."

I felt anger flare beneath my grief. "You would have us betray the king's true wish?" I demanded, my voice trembling with emotion. "Rhaenyra was named heir by Viserys, in front of the entire court."

Alicent's gaze fell on me. "I understand your feelings, Lyanna, but this is the reality now. Aegon will sit the Iron Throne, and those who stand against him will be dealt with as traitors."

My mother bristled, a fierce light in her eyes. "You lock us away, then bring us news of the king's death, demanding we bend the knee—this is not how I expected to grieve Viserys."

Alicent's shoulders sagged, as though weighed by an invisible burden. "I am sorry for the circumstances, truly. But for your own safety, and that of your House, I implore you: pledge your loyalty to King Aegon."

Silence filled the chamber, thick with uncertainty. My heart pounded as I looked at my mother, searching her face for guidance. We both knew that the next words we spoke could seal our fates. There was no easy choice, no simple solution to the twisted knot of politics in King's Landing.

Alicent waited, her guards shifting uneasily behind her. My mother's hands clenched into fists at her sides, and I could sense her anger struggling against the logic that told her defiance could mean death—not just for us, but for those we loved.

"I have heard your request, Your Grace," my mother said at last, her voice measured. "But I will not answer rashly. We need time. To grieve, to think. We owe King Viserys that much."

Alicent's eyes flickered, but she nodded. "Time is a luxury we do not have, Princess, but I will grant you a short reprieve." She turned to me, her expression softening. "Lyanna, please understand. This is for the realm's stability. A kingdom must not sit leaderless, and we must honor Viserys's last wish."

I said nothing, too many emotions roaring within me to form a coherent response. Alicent dipped her head in a farewell, then made her way to the door. The guards opened it, casting uncertain glances back at us as they followed her out.

When the door closed, my mother and I were left in the quiet of our chamber, the weight of Alicent's news crushing down on us. King Viserys was gone, and with him, the fragile peace he'd tried to maintain.

My mother exhaled shakily, turning to me. "We must be cautious, Lyanna. A wrong move now could cost us everything."

I sank onto a nearby bench, my thoughts a tangled mess of grief, anger, and fear. "But what of Rhaenyra?" I asked, my voice trembling. "What of the king's original decree?"

She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, though I could feel how tense she was. "We shall see, my child. The question is who we stand with—and whether we'll be allowed to stand with anyone but the Greens."

In the hush that followed, I stared at the closed door, realizing it was not just a barrier but a portent of the closed paths and choices ahead. The king was dead. War—or something worse—was on the horizon. And now we had to decide if we would bend or break.

The bells tolled throughout King's Landing, a sound both ominous and insistent. My stomach churned with dread as I imagined what they meant: the coronation of Prince Aegon would soon be upon us. There was no more time to deliberate or hide.

Suddenly, the door to my mother's chambers burst open, and Ser Arryk entered, looking grave and urgent. "Princess Rhaenys, Princess Lyanna," he said quietly, his voice laced with tension. "We must go, now. It's the coronation—Her Grace the Queen has locked down the city. I've found a way out."

My mother and I exchanged a glance. We knew the risk, but also knew staying locked away was no better fate. "Then lead on," Rhaenys ordered, her posture regal and unyielding.

Ser Arryk handed us each a cloak to conceal our identities, and we followed him into the corridor. The Red Keep was in chaos: guards rushing to and fro, servants scurrying about with wild eyes, and nobles looking both exhilarated and terrified. We kept our heads down, letting Ser Arryk guide us through hidden passages and back hallways, until we reached the streets.

Outside, the press of the crowd was overwhelming. Throngs of people had gathered, either forced to attend or drawn by morbid curiosity, to witness Prince Aegon's crowning. We tried to slip through unnoticed, but the crush of bodies made it nearly impossible.

"We have to keep moving," Ser Arryk hissed under his breath, but we were swept into the tide of humanity being funneled toward the Dragonpit, where the ceremony was to be held. I clutched my mother's hand, my heart pounding as we were forced to bear witness to Aegon being crowned. The glint of the Conqueror's crown as it was placed on his head was a sight I never thought I'd see.

Rhaenys leaned in close, her voice quavering with anger and sorrow. "We cannot linger. Our dragons—Lyanna, we need to leave this city before they turn on us fully."

"I know," I whispered, my chest tightening. Yet something in me resisted. I felt rooted to the spot, watching Aegon stand before the crowd in all his new power, his face a mix of fear and triumph.

"Lyanna," my mother urged, her grip firm on my arm. "Come with me. There is nothing for us here."

Tears pricked my eyes. I knew she was right, yet an inexplicable weight pressed on my heart. "Go, Mother. Take your dragon and leave. I... I have to stay."

"What?" Her eyes widened, searching mine. "I will not leave you to these wolves."

I shook my head fiercely, voice trembling. "You have to. If we both stay, we're finished. You can escape on Meleys. I can't leave Aemond, my children... I can't just vanish. Please, you must go."

She stared at me for a moment, heartbreak etched across her face. Then, reluctantly, she nodded. "If this is truly your choice, my daughter, then the gods go with you. But hurry—whatever you intend, do it and find safety." She pressed a trembling kiss to my forehead, and then she was gone, disappearing into the throng.

With great effort, I turned from the spectacle of Aegon's coronation and forced my way toward the Dragonpit's exit. Suddenly, a deafening roar shattered the air—Meleys. My mother had made her stand, bursting through the floor of the Dragonpit in a storm of shattered stone and fire, a final warning to the Greens. She locked eyes with Aegon from astride her dragon, then took flight, vanishing into the skies of King's Landing.

I stood in stunned awe, adrenaline flooding my veins. That was when the guards seized me.

"Let go!" I cried, struggling, but their grip was iron. They dragged me through the chaos, the crowd parting like a startled flock. I was shoved forward, forced to kneel on the broken ground before the newly crowned King Aegon and—my heart lurched—Aemond, who stood at his brother's side.

Aegon leaned forward, regarding me with a wary, uncertain gaze, the Conqueror's crown perched precariously on his silver hair. His expression was one of conflict, as though unsure what to do with me.

Aemond, however, rushed forward, pushing past the guards to pull me upright. "Unhand her," he snapped, fury in his single eye. Then he turned to me, voice choked. "Lyanna... what have you done?"

My vision blurred with unshed tears. "I couldn't leave," I whispered. "I couldn't abandon you, or my children. Mother wanted me to go, but I..."

"Your mother has escaped," Aegon interjected, his voice hollow. "And you stayed behind? Why?"

I took a shaky breath, meeting Aemond's gaze. "Because," I managed, forcing steadiness into my words, "this is my home. My family is here. I refuse to run like a traitor."

Aemond's face flickered with relief and fear all at once. "Gods, you stubborn woman," he said, pulling me against him in a fierce embrace. "I thought I'd lost you."

We broke apart as soldiers jostled us, reminding us of our perilous surroundings. The crowds still roiled with shock from Rhaenys's display of power. Aegon gestured to the guards, his voice taking on a hard edge. "Ensure Lyanna is taken to her chambers. She is under our... protection."

Aemond turned, stepping between the guards and me. "She comes with me," he declared. There was no mistaking the threat in his tone.

My heart hammered in my chest. I glanced once more at the shattered remains of the Dragonpit floor, the wind stirring dust and debris in the air. My mother was gone, for now, and I was left here in the court of a newly crowned king, uncertain what fate awaited me or those I loved.

The soldiers backed off, allowing Aemond to guide me away. Arm in arm, we left the ruined spectacle of Aegon's coronation, the silence of the crowd and the howling wind a testament to the fear that had settled over King's Landing. My mind spun with the enormity of it all—this was the beginning of a new and dangerous chapter.

Next chapter will be focused on season 2 and on ward