Chapter Text
Valaena
He remembered me.
It was my turn to gasp as I stumbled out of his hold. He smiled at me. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen but I could not even bring myself to enjoy it. The first thought I had was to check that nobody was watching us. I found that I was in an unfamiliar corridor, alone with the prince.
“No, No, No, its alright,” he said gently, stepping closer to me again, “relax. Its only me,”
I need to leave. Right this instant. “Forgive me your grace, how?”
He smirked, “I should be asking you that since you are in my quarters,”
“My apologies! I really was not looking where I was going, and I was in a rush and I got so lost with all the windy hallways and the castle is so bi-“
“Shh,” he calmed me and placed his hands on my exposed shoulders. That seemed to have the opposite effect on me because the moment he touched my skin, my whole body felt as if it was on fire. “its alright, I need you to relax. Can you do that for me?” I shook my head no and he smiled softly at me.
He began stroking my arms softly, “here breathe with me, in” he took a deep breath in. I tried to follow but looking at him made my lungs constrict. I was going to die here. And nobody would know it was because the prince simply looked at me like I was something precious to him, “and out,” he breathed out and again, I tried to follow suit but failed miserably.
Noticing this wasn’t working, he trailed his hands down my arms until he was holding my hands and then he lifted my palm up to his chest. Even beneath his heavy leather tunic I could feel his heartbeat, strong and steady. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to feel it. To quiet the chaos in my mind with the steadiness he provided. “that’s right, focus on my heartbeat. Now try to take a deep breath again,”
I did and this time it worked. I stood there for what felt like years but was in truth only about five long breaths before I heard him speak again, “What do you feel?”
“Your hands are cold,” I said. I felt his chest rumble with a chuckle and realised what I had said. I pulled my hand away from his chest and with steadier legs, curtsied before him, “your Grace,”
“You do not have to tell me what had you so distressed, but where were you going in such a rush?”
“Um… I just needed some air. And to be alone for a bit before I headed down for the banquet,”
“Nervous?”
“Something like that,”
He looked around the still empty corridor before grabbing one of the torches on the wall, “come with me,” he offered me his free hand. I took it.
He pulled me into a doorway on his left and we were suddenly in a very dark narrow hallway, the only light being the one that he carried between us. I towed behind him deeper into the winding hallway, with no idea how he even knew where we were going and fully aware of what an awkward situation this would be to explain to anyone who happened to see us.
Eventually, the maze came to a stop at what I thought was a wall but Baelor handed me the torch and used both his hands to pry it open. Moonlight spilled through the narrow space created and he ushered me out first. I gathered my skirts and squeezed through the newly appeared door only to find myself on a balcony. It had a brilliant view of the night sky and was decorated with potted plants and trees. Two wicker chairs off on one side and a plush rug on another. It looked both abandoned and well cared for at the same time. I turned to see Baelor walk through the door and push it back into place. Instantly a wall of ivy fell over the door completely hiding it. I understood where I was. The view below was incredible. From way up here I could see all the erected tents on the field outside the castle belonging to the various great and small houses. The people looked like ants as they milled about from tent to bonfire to tent and the faint sounds of music and merriment and dragon calls reached my ears.
“Wow,”
“Welcome to my little sanctuary,” he said and came to stand closer to me, leaning his elbows on the edge of the balcony.
“Its wonderful up here,”
“Yes, I suppose it is,” he said. We fell into a comfortable silence as I took in everything. I could feel his occasional glances at me as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to begin.
“It has been… long,”
“It has,” I responded, “I wasn’t sure you would even remember me,”
“Oh, I could never forget you,” he said which caused me to turn my head sharply to look at him. I could have sworn on the seven that I saw him blush before he turned away from me and cleared his throat, “I mean… we- we had so many adventures when we were younger,”
“Yes, like when I wagered you could not climb up a turret and you did but then failed to get back down and we had to call one of the kingsguard to help you down,”
“You promised not to speak of that ever again!” he said and covered his face with his hands which made me laugh.
“I bought the prettiest brooch with that stag I won,”
He sighed and faced me again, “how is life on Driftmark?”
“Boring, salty,” I replied, “how is life in Kingslanding?”
“Eventful, dreary,” he sighed, “but at least you are here again,”
We both leaned against the ledge, watching the night sky and the liveliness below us for a few more minutes. That was all I allowed myself. Sooner or later, I was going to have this comfortable little Baelor bubble and return to the bleak reality that was my life.
“I must return, your Grace. My father shall be worried about me if I do not,”
“Ah, of course. I hope to see you down there,”
I curtsied and waited as he pried open the door again willing myself to look away from the bulge of his muscles as he strained. “and I would offer you my sanctuary for whenever you need a quiet space to decompress but I’m afraid I cannot let you come here alone, lest I lose you to the tunnels within the walls,” his cheeky smile.
“That is rather fair. A tour through the more public parts of the castle would be much more suited,”
“Then I shall comply to that,” he said and I realised what I had just said.
“Oh no, I did not mean that you had to-“
“Amuse me this once. When the festivities are over, before you disappear for another decade, allow me to take you around the castle. Refresh your memory of it a bit,”
I could not refuse. Not when his violet and brown eyes twinkled with mischief when he spoke. Not when his voice sounded like a dreamlike melody I wanted to hear for as long as possible. I nodded to end the discussion and went through the door.
We walked through the tunnel, back into the corridor and all the way to the great hall in perfectly comfortable silence. It was not until I saw the first sight of people milling about that I remembered who I was with. I stopped abruptly before we turned the corner to where the vast majority of the crowds were.
“I think it is best we part ways here,” I said.
He stopped and turned to face me, then looked back at the crowd inside, a small smile playing on his lips as if to reassure me. “I understand, I have to speak to my brother any way,” he said and bowed to me before turning on his heel and walking away.
I let out a deep breath and risked one more peep into the room. No sooner had I done that than I locked eyes with the one person I would rather not see after the few minutes of heaven that I had just had.
My mother.
Her eyes were already storming and she looked like she was going to break the wine goblet she held tightly in her hand. She looked around making sure no one was looking at her before she mouthed angrily, “COME HERE! NOW!”
It was not hard to spot the source of her irritation as my father was standing right next to her looking vexed at his own cup of wine. Why me?
“Gods be good, where have you been?” my mother said as soon as I was within earshot. She reached forward and plucked a leaf out of my hair
“You were strictly to be here an hour ago. Imagine if the royal family takes this as a slight towards them?”
“I highly doubt the queen would notice I was missing,” I said under my breath.
“Well, I noticed,” she said viciously
I bit my tongue. Our lovely mother-daughter reunion was already off to a great start.
“Mother, it is so wonderful to see you,” I said, wanting to defuse the situation.
She looked at me up and down, studying every inch of me to note how different I looked since she last saw me. She scarcely visited Driftmark, claiming the court here in the red keep was more suited to her sensibilities than our castle by the sea. And when she did, her attentions went strictly to Vaena. The last time she saw me, she told me to stay away from her as I brought her much suffering because she was forever reminded of what I had done. I thought that was fair, even I could not forgive myself.
“Your father has told me of his plan and I do agree with it,” she said and sipped on her wine, “I seem to have been too preoccupied with my affairs here in the castle and with your sister. But it is high time we found you a husband and sent you off,”
My stomach dropped. I was hoping for at least a gentle introduction to the topic, “I understand,”
“Good. There are very many gentlemen of high birth here. Surely, if I speak to some people we will be able to get you a match,” my father chimed in, already looking around the room.
“Ah, Lord Rayton Crane recently lost his wife and does not have an heir,” my mother said.
I looked in the direction she was pointing only to see a stout, balding man surely older than my father guzzling down a flagon of wine and laughing loudly, slapping his round belly.
“Ah yes, that is good. He will settle for anything. Come, I will introduce you,” my father said, already gripping my wrist.
Tears sprang to my eyes, and my knees became weak. I truly believed I had done nothing to deserve this yet could not stop it from happening. Looking around frantically, I could not see anyone to save me, everybody was making merry and chatting and dancing, not one person spared me a glance as I was being dragged to my doom.
“Good evening my lord,” my father was cut off by a gentleman in his path.
He had golden blonde hair, clever brown eyes and a smile I must say was pleasing to look at. He wore a finely embroidered gold tunic with bellowing red sleeves that flounced around him like a peacock’s feathers when he waved his arms.
“Ah my Lord Lannister,” my father said and then looked back at me with a fake smile, urging me to do the same, “what a pleasure to see you here,”
“Yes, I suppose it is,” he said and then looked firmly at me, something about his stare made me uneasy. Maybe it was the way his beard elongated his face making him look somewhat like a rat. Or the way he licked his lips, almost subtly but I could tell he was doing it for my benefit. “and who is this?”
He did not bother asking my father’s name. I suppose the colour of our hair and the sigil on my father’s vest spoke for us.
“This is my daughter, Lady Valaena,” he urged me forward, practically throwing me into the man’s arms. I stumbled a bit and the hastily curtsied when I caught my footing.
“My Lord,” I said, trying to keep the trembling out of my voice.
“My Lady, let us dance,” he told me. Not asked. Told me.
He took hold of my hand and dragged me to the centre of the floor. I had to work to keep up with all his prancing and spinning and showing off. It was absolutely insufferable but each time he looked at me I gave him a tight smile, trying my hardest to seem interested meanwhile I was counting down the seconds till I could be away from him. He smelled of liquor and harsh rose perfume that made my eyes water and his hands on my waist trailed down dangerously low. I felt the bile rise up in my throat and tried to push off of him but he held me tighter.
“Relax will you. Let us have some fun, yes? I do not bite,” he whispered to me.