Chapter Text
190AC
Valaena
You would think that the last stretch of the ride into the city would be easy. Considering I had been travelling for the past few days from Driftmark, I was ready for this whole ordeal to be over. My feet ached in my shoes and I was still green with sea sickness but I dare not tell that to anyone. I’m a Velaryon, ours is the sea. What would my father say if he found out I got sea sick?
Now in the cramped carriage that carried us from the harbour at blackwater bay into the mainland, I did everything to avoid looking at my father. From playing with the hems on my teal and gold embroidered gown, the best I owned might I add, to adjusting the circlet that sat on the crown of my head, digging into my silver coils of hair, to staring out the window hoping to see something that would give me a reprieve from his spiteful glares. At least in the ship there was room to walk around to avoid him and corners that I could hide in. Here, he sat across from me grumpily resting his head on the wooden seat.
The more the carriage bumped along the winding road, the more awkward and stuffy it got in the carriage. My father seemed to feel the same way because he eventually broke the silence with a sigh, “no doubt your mother will be pleased to see you,”
I resisted the urge to scoff at that absurd assumption. I highly doubt that Alyra Velaryon would even notice that my bosom had grown even more since the last time she’d seen me. Still, I kept my response short and respectful, “yes, I too am excited to see her. I have dearly missed her,”
“Make sure you don’t embarrass us. Stay by her side and don’t wander around the Red Keep. The gods know what kind of trouble you might get yourself into,”
As if I could ever find myself roaming around the Red Keep. That ancient castle was overrun with royals and all their secrets. I had no intention of running into any of them considering that I had last been to court good decade ago, it would be so embarrassing to assume anyone remembered me. My mother however lived here and served the Queen Myriah as a Lady in Waiting. Some might find it rather strange that my parents chose to live so far apart but I did not. I believe even after all their years married they could not stand each other and made everyone around them as miserable as them. My mother was extremely pleased when the queen called her to the red keep, she could not leave us fast enough in fact, and the few times we came to visit, she could not wait for us to be gone. I think she resented me as an extension of her mislike for my father. The only person other than herself that she loved was my older sister Vaena.
I always thought it was because Vaena looked more like her, originally of House Fell of the Stormlands with fair porcelain skin and chestnut coloured hair. My sister had skin nearly as fair as her like golden honey with the Valyrian silver hair, only looser textured than mine that fell down her back in beautiful ringlets.
When I was a child, I would sit and watch her brush my sister’s hair and laugh with her about what a beauty she would grow into while she never spared any of those sweet words for me. I was every bit my father’s daughter looks wise. I had his bronze skin and rounder facial features, his dark blue eyes and my corning glory, my thick coily mane of hair that fell to my mid back. Although you would not be able to tell because I had it brushed, pulled, pinned and braided into an intricate updo my mother would most likely just nod at even though my arms still ached from the effort.
“Of course, father,” I finally replied.
The carriage finally came to a halt outside the palace gates, our caravan was let through and into the courtyard. Our household consisted of my Lord Uncle Aethan Velaryon, the head of House Velaryon, his sons who rode on horseback alongside him, my father who decidedly could not ride on horseback due to his poor knees, and I.
Looking out the window box, I could already gather that there was a large number of guests already arriving and a large number of courtesans standing by the doorway to greet them. From my vantage point I was yet spotted any red and black so I assumed the area was free from any royals.
I was proven immediately wrong when I heard a loud roar followed by a great beast soaring through the sky, only about twenty feet in the air. Its large red wings flapped powerfully as it climbed higher and higher. It was magnificent. With gold scales on its belly that glistened when the sun shone on them, I was awe struck. It wasn’t often that we got a dragon sighting on Driftmark.
My father scoffed, “Prince Maekar’s most like. He treats that beast like his own show pony rather than the force of strength that it is,”
I bit my tongue because of course my father who could not even get on a horse these days wanted to talk about how to handle a dragon of all things
Our convoy came to a halt and the carriage door was opened for us, my father allowed me to disembark first before we walked into the greeting hall together while being announced by the herald. The grand hall was just as I remembered it. I was afraid it would seem smaller now that I was fully grown but I was mistaken. The high ceilings and intricate stone pillars were just as intimidating only amplified by all the banners, red and black of the ruling house of The Seven Kingdoms, House Targaryen, hanging from them.
We made our way deeper into the hall with many Lords and Ladies acknowledging us, well, my uncle really, until we were stopped by my cousin, to the rest of the people present she was the new Lady Tully, to me, she was just Daenara. She curtsied as low as her swollen belly would allow before my Lord Velaryon, he smiled warmly at her and pulled her in for an embrace whispering gently into her ear. My chest came alight with envy but I bid myself to get rid of it. Daenara deserved every bit of love her father held for her. She was not a bother or a burden as I was to mine. She went down the line greeting my cousins and father before she got to me and before I could speak my greeting, she pulled me into her arms.
“Oh, you rotten girl,” she said gently, “I have only been gone a year and you went and grew up on me,”
I embraced her tighter and for the first time in a long time, I felt at home.
“I am quite sure I look the same as when you left,” I chuckled at her dramatics.
before she could respond, my father cut in, “Lady Daenara, it has been a pleasure seeing you but the journey here was rather taxing and we’d soon need our rooms,” he said.
“Oh, yes of course uncle, the steward shall show you to your rooms, I will let you get your rest before the banquet at evening fall,” she gave me a gentle squeeze on my upper arm before excusing herself from us.
“She has done quite well, made herself useful to bear a child for her lord husband. Maybe I will look into finding one for you soon so I may be rid of you once and for all,” my father said before marching past me to follow the entourage.
He walked on not even sparing me a glance as if he had not just completely tilted my world.
- ~
The room I was given was small but adequate. The bed was luxuriously soft and the great big windows overlooked the gardens below and if I looked further out, I could see the city of Kingslanding below the hill. Despite all this, I got no rest. I paced up and down the room thinking over the comment my father had made until one of my lady’s maids came in to help me get ready for the banquet. He had never brought up marriage before, I assume because he simply wanted to think of me as little as possible. When my sister came of age she was taken to every feast and event, suitors from many great houses sent word or called on her directly and showered her with gifts to win her favour up until she got a proposal. Up until I ruined everything.
Of course, I was not naïve enough to think it would not happen to me, I had been mentally preparing myself to be thrown away to whichever lord smiles at my father the brightest. But something about the way he muttered that sentence to me made a cold shiver run down my spine. He sounded like he was ready to just give me away without a single thought. I might even be lucky to be married off to a highborn lord, who knows what types of proposals my father is going to accept for my hand.
What if he marries me off to a random knight? Or a brute of a man? Or an old widower with several children that I am to care for?
I stood up abruptly, causing the maid to stumble backwards and drop the hairpin she was about to fasten onto my updo. “Sorry, but I think I am quite ready now,”
“But my lady-,”
“No please, I need to leave, I need air,” I said and gathered the skirts of my dress to leave.
With zero knowledge of where anything was in the castle, I stated walking down the winding corridors. My thoughts swirling through all the worst-case scenarios and how I could not possible avoid any of them. I must have looked manic to all the courtesans and servants who passed me by while I was talking to myself and practically running but I did not care, I pushed myself forward searching for a door out of the vast building.
A figure in black walked in the opposite direction to me so I sidestepped them to avoid a collision only to have them reach out and grab me by my elbow.
“I’m sorry, please excuse m-,“ my words caught in my throat when I looked up and saw who stood there towering over me.
He furrowed his brow in concern, the care clearly etched in his mismatched eyes, “are you alright my lady?” his voice was soft, mellow and clear. Like a songbird that had drank the finest honey. It had my stomach clenching involuntarily.
Like the idiot I am, I failed to come up with any response for him and stood there gaping like a fish. But could you blame me? I was in the presence of the king’s first-born son, the heir to the iron throne and the man who was the reason everyone was here to celebrate in the first place. The last time I saw Prince Baelor Targaryen we were children. The lanky long-limbed child of ten had filled out his form and was all sturdy muscle and sharp jawlines and sun-kissed tan skin. I had changed a lot as well since then, it would not do me well to imagine he remembered me.
He searched my eyes for a moment when I did not answer him. His lips parted and he gasped softly, “Valaena?”