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Rating:
Not Rated
Archive Warning:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories:
F/FM/M
Fandoms:
House of the Dragon (TV)Norse Religion & Lore
Relationships:
Alicent Hightower/Rhaenyra TargaryenMysaria | Lady Misery/Rhaenyra TargaryenRhaenyra Targaryen/Laena Velaryon (Daughter of Corlys)Alicent Hightower/Viserys I TargaryenAlys Rivers of House Strong/Rhaenyra Targaryen
Characters:
Rhaenyra TargaryenDaemon TargaryenViserys I TargaryenAlicent HightowerOtto HightowerGwayne HightowerCregan StarkRhaenys Targaryen VelaryonCorlys "The Sea Snake" VelaryonLaena Velaryon (Daughter of Corlys)Laenor VelaryonÓðinn | Odin (Norse Religion & Lore)Freyja | Freya (Norse Religion & Lore)Frigg | Frigga (Norse Religion & Lore)Þórr | Thor (Norse Religion & Lore)Baldr | Baldur (Norse Religion & Lore)Criston ColeHarwin StrongHarrold WesterlingAlys Rivers of House StrongFreyr | Frey (Norse Religion & Lore)
Additional Tags:
Alpha/Beta/Omega DynamicsAlpha Rhaenyra TargaryenOmega Alicent HightowerAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceCrossoverSoul BondDark Rhaenyra TargaryenGod ComplexAngst with a Happy EndingOtto Hightower Being an AssholeBad Parent Viserys I TargaryenPolyamoryOpen Relationships
Language:
English
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Published:2024-08-06Updated:2026-02-03Words:150,501Chapters:28/?Comments:211Kudos:519Bookmarks:88Hits:27,525
Salvation Comes in Forms
Ronniekade
Chapter 3
Summary:
The princess finally wakes up and she is not so cheerful about anything considering what happened.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The two soft pairs of violet eyes had woken. Sunlight streamed through the balcony window, making her squint in pain. She groaned as she found herself too weak to move properly. Her head pounded, and she regretted not letting Odin wake up in her place. Despite the pain, she found solace in his supportive voice, urging her to move slowly and take it easy. It was kind of nice.
"Your Grace! You're finally awake! I will go get the maester!" A maid rushed in and immediately ran to fetch him. How she hated that man; he was complicit in her mother's murder. Perhaps Odin was right, maybe retribution was the way to go, but that would come later. For now, she needed to understand what had happened to her. It wasn't Odin's fault... maybe a little, but he didn't choose this either. It wouldn't be fair to blame him. Meanwhile, she would see what the maester or the king had to say.
Maester Mellos arrived with the king, and the Hand of the King along with him. "My child, how are you feeling?" her father rushed to her side, checking on her.
"I'm fine, just a headache, and my body feels sore and exhausted. Can anyone tell me what happened exactly?" She quickly questioned them, eager for answers. Her father smiled widely, looking genuinely happy, which annoyed her more than Mellos' examination and note-taking. Otto interjected with a barely concealed annoyed expression, "Congratulations, Princess, you have finally presented as an alpha."
She was so shocked that her father added, "Yes, my dear girl, we have been blessed. You shall be named heir post haste as soon as you recover. I have already ordered new clothes and placed new beta staff. You will soon train with Ser Harwin Strong. Everything will go as it should."
Viserys was happy—for her or for himself now that he had an heir? She wondered about that.
Calm your mind, little dragon. Focus. Breathe slowly. Odin's voice came to her, clear and reassuring. She tried what he suggested, breathing slowly as she listened to the king and the maester explain her condition.
"Why now? Why have I presented now?" The question was meant for Odin but accidentally blurted out at the men present in her chambers. She really needed to control her instincts better. Mellos said, "Emotional turmoil can often lead to presentation. You have been experiencing a rut for five days now ever since you lost consciousness. All is well in your body, Your Grace. No need to worry."
That explained it, but she doubted it. The death of her mother destroyed her emotionally and made her unstable, but she knew deep inside that the presence of a certain someone must have triggered her presentation. If only the Raven God had come earlier, maybe her mother would have been spared.
It wouldn't have changed anything; it was her fate, and the people in this room had helped realize that fate, Odin commented once more. He was right. How could she argue with that? They were all responsible. Even if she had been an alpha from the beginning, her father would still have made her mother go through the same events that led to her death because of his obsession with his 'boy'.
Rhaenyra sighed deeply and asked her father, "Did anything else happen? How's Syrax? And where is Alicent? I wish to see her." The last question was directed at the Hand of the King.
Her father answered, "Your uncle has left the Keep. Syrax cannot be located. After you passed out, your dragon made a big show of fire and then flew away, possibly sensing your rut. She will be back, I'm sure. And Alicent can no longer visit you unsupervised. She is a young, unmated omega; it would be inappropriate for her to be alone with an alpha. The court would question her honor."
She grew angry at the last part, "Why not? She is my best friend! There was no issue with her visiting me before!" She screamed at her father. Not only was her mother gone, but now her dragon was missing, and the girl she loved wasn't allowed to visit her.
Calm down, we will fix this when we heal. Patience, all will be well. Breathe deeply. She listened to Odin's voice, knowing he was right.
"Lady Alicent is unwed, and her virtue is precious. You can meet her when you heal later, with supervision." She nodded her head, not wanting to argue. They explained more things to her about what to expect, mainly her father being excited about naming her heir, as if nothing had happened five days ago. Did he think this was compensation for whom she lost? She would sacrifice thousands of crowns to have her mother back, the only parent who loved her as she was.
After they left, she closed her eyes once more and slept. When she stepped forward, she found herself in front of a great lodge, built from solid dark wood. It looked glorious, a place where gods and warriors lived. She looked around, seeing great cabins and a huge open space separating them from the lodge. Her eyes caught Odin cutting some wood with an axe. For the first time, she saw his form. He was tall and muscular, his forearms covered in tattoos she hadn't noticed before. He was skillful with an axe, just from the technique he used. His beard was dark blonde and long. It wasn't hard to imagine that he was once a very handsome young god. Even now, as an old man, he was quite attractive. She truly believed that most court ladies would seek him out if they saw him.
"Want to come and help me?" Odin called out, sensing her return the moment she stepped into his mind palace. She was surprised he noticed when she was a distance from him and hadn't made any noise.
"Sure," she called back, seeing she was now wearing trousers and a shirt similar to Odin's clothes. Finding it easier to move, she ran at him, trying to tackle him. Just as she was about to, he turned around and threw her over his shoulder. She began laughing, and he laughed along with her. After they settled, he said, "We need to work on your reflexes. Now go on, help me cut those. I have a few left, then we can go inside, and I can show you the great hall."
She gripped the axe with both hands, finding it very heavy, and with all her strength tried to cut the wooden plank. She missed by a mile and almost fell over. Determined, she tried again nine times, each time failing and feeling ashamed of her weakness and lack of experience. The Lord of Asgard put a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, "It is not through brute strength that you will succeed, but through thinking. Use technique, focus on the mark." He stood behind her, fixing her posture and pointing her, "Now lift the axe carefully, point at the center you want to cut, lift it up with precision, and then bring it down with force."
Rhaenyra followed his instructions well, finally managing to cut the piece, making her smile widely. She continued until they had what they needed, then helped the old man lift the pieces, and they headed inside.
The princess was astonished. It was a huge lodge, light illuminating the place with a strange mechanism along with a little light coming from the fireplace. The further she walked, the more fascinated she became. There were tables stationed everywhere with seats, stretching all the way to a lone throne made of stone and light materials. After they put more wood on the fire, not that it needed it, the Raven God led her to the throne.
"I've ruled for centuries and tried to take care of my realm, my family, and my subjects. I won't lie, I was not a selfless god. I've done what my heart desired more than most, and as long as I had what I wanted, I felt no regret. In fact, I still don't. My only regret would be that I couldn't save my kingdom, but I tried and died for it. My throne is a testament to my rule and how much I served its interests," he spoke seriously, and Rhaenyra listened well.
"We'd feast here, the gods, the einherjar, the valkyries, all brought together here as one. We would challenge, win and lose, fight till our last breath for glory and power. There was no shame in it." He then gestured for her to sit on his throne. She complied, somehow feeling right at home, like it was the most correct thing in the world. She could see through his eyes for a moment—the warriors drinking from barrels, eating with their bare hands, the sounds of cheers and laughter, even dancing. People who were so free and content, something that would never happen in Westeros.
Truly a magnificent sight, one that made her hopeful for the moment. Could it be possible to make this a reality? "You are a god, made of flesh and powers. I may be a princess of the blood and a dragon rider, but I can never compare to a god, even a minor one, let alone the king of them. I'm not sure I'm suitable for the throne. I'm... I don't know," she looked down in sadness as Odin's memory faded slowly. He lifted her chin, his blue eye glaring deep into hers.
"You are suitable. There is a reason your body was able to handle carrying myself. Anyone else would have died in an instant. You are powerful, even if you don't know it. The throne is your birthright. Don't you ever let your mother's death go unpunished. If not for yourself, do it for her, so she can see from the heavens and smile upon you. I will not tolerate self-doubt and hatred in my presence. If a god believes in you, then you should believe in yourself as well," Odin's powerful voice resonated, shaking her out of her hazed state, pushing away fear and doubt slowly. He was right. She could do this—for her mother, for herself, for her legacy, and even for Odin. They were in this together.
She jumped down from the throne, slowly tracing the bright runes on it, admiring the craftsmanship and design, unlike anything she had ever seen before. "You will study them, of course, and master them. They are the way to power," he spoke as they walked once again, this time further beyond the throne into a dark hallway, with many chambers across from each other. Odin led her down the stairs to a basement. She followed carefully, hoping not to fall in the darkness.
"Dagaz," Odin uttered, and blue light illuminated the stairs. 'That is amazing!' she almost screamed but held herself back. Once they reached the basement, Odin opened the door for her. As she entered, she found a great office and a giant library with many scrolls, some strange machinery, and different kinds of weapons. She practically ran to them and began to check them out. The swords were truly amazing.
"I will teach you how to use them later. Not just how to fight but also how to hunt, skin, build things, and make tools, maybe even more, since these useless people at your castle failed to educate you on how to survive simply because of their ignorance and stupidity," he scoffed, remembering those weak mortals. They had no magic, no intelligence, and were filled with ignorance.
"You're going to teach me all of that?!" she yelled in surprise.
"Yes, if you want to survive and live, that is," he nodded. She nodded back, excited and willing to learn anything, even though the thought of hunting innocent creatures made her feel uneasy.
"I only wanted to show you this so when I take control, you can busy yourself with my study. Learn your runes, educate yourself, and mainly train so you won't be useless. Go on then to your room, pick any you'd like except for the one in the center—that was mine and my wife's. A lot of memories in there I'd rather you not see," he said, with a touch of nostalgia in his voice.
She nodded her head in slight disgust, not wanting to see a memory of him being intimate with his wife, though she was curious about how she had looked. Eventually, she picked the room with the red door handle. When she entered, she found a few shields and hammers lying around. Ignoring them, she got into the bed and finally slipped into the endless realm of sleep, knowing she had many important things to do tomorrow, and Odin probably had plans as well.
Notes:
I wrote this while playing Alan Wake 2 during the cut scenes, some were jump scares and I almost deleted the whole chapter when I jumped in surprise.
I got distracted by tiktok and watching the Olympics too or so maybe I'd have written more, did you know that I actually ordered some chocolate muffins because of that Norwegian Henrik guy? They were so good, I may begin to train for some kind of sport so I could be at the next Olympics and eat those kind of stuff for free.
Anyway got distracted for a second, hope you enjoyed this chapter, shit is a little confusing considering the mind palace stuff but you'll get it eventually…hopefully, next up both Rhaenyra and Odin have some people/stuff to look for, Syrax girl where are you?
Tell me what you guys think please, if I'm fucking it up or something.
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