Chapter 13: 13
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112 AC
Kingswood
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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Laying on a hill in the Kingswood with my sister and brother on either side not a single word has been uttered. I am not mad, more put on the spot and uncomfortable, and felt the need to leave before I said something I would regret. I wanted just blitz the Kingsguard and shove the sword he threatened me with down his throat. Dangerous thoughts that would lead to dangerous consequences, so I took a moment to calm down.
"To be fair, it was kind of funny even if it was insensitive." Lewyn breaks the silence and I slap a hand on his chest.
"Maybe next time she will call you a horny mutt and we can laugh at you." He snorts and pushes my hand away.
"Well, she won't be wrong this time around." Myriah mutters and we both look at her with eyebrows raised.
"I am a horny mutt but Daeron is not?" Lewyn asks the question that immediately came to my mind and she just sighs as she looks up to the clouds.
"If we leave now we will make it back before dark, I am sure if mother has heard about it she is ready to raise their seven hells. You know how she gets about how people called her in the past, the Princess touched a sore spot and it will sting." Yea she made an ass of herself with that comment.
I could tell she didn't mean anything about it, it almost seemed more like an excuse to keep Alicent away. But she still insinuated that I was just aiming to fuck Alicent as if I am some man whore, and Lewyn nailed it. With our moms 'reputation' that kind of comment from the daughter of the King will stick and people will use it against me. They will whisper how I am just after female bodies and I am a whore just like my mom.
I kind of want to crack the jaw of the 'old king' for allowing such things to drift around without speaking up. He even made a comment of his own saying she was no more than a Dornish whore causing his wife to be livid with him. That was when the Good Queen started writing me letters even though I was 'too young' to read them.
"Let's head back, you are right and I don't want to worry her." I am sure the rumor mill has already started a campaign against me as a super slut or something.
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"So?" Mom asks as soon as I sit down after being practically dragged to her room after cleaning up and getting fresh clothes on.
"It was a fun little outing, I enjoyed myself up to the point where she stuck her foot in her mouth." I am restricting my words as best I can with 'ears in the walls' that this castle is famous for.
I could not imagine living here when Varys was in his prime during the events of Game of Thrones.
"Go on, we only heard that you three flew off on your own after landing with the Princess." I sigh and rub my forehead.
"Long story short I offered to take Alicent flying because she has never been and Syrax the only dragon she could ask the rider for a flight from refuses to let her close. I mainly did it to be nice, I knew she would not accept but then Rhaenyra had to jump in and inform us it's not proper for us to be alone. That's the short version of it, I wasn't mad I was just bothered she said something like that." She purses her lips and closes her eyes.
"I see." I can tell she both wants to know more and doesn't.
"So what happened while all that was going on?" My father was invited by Lord Velaryon to talk in person, the whole Velaryon family is here and I can't help but wonder if it's because of us.
The Tourney is not for weeks and they arrived as early as we did, the main reason we are here early is to 'discuss' things. But that translates to getting to know each other a bit better before making any big moves. So the Sea Snake made his move and showed up to join in on the fun with his own brood.
It will be very odd to meet the intended matches for my siblings, they have never talked to them before but are very aware of the high possibility of marriage. Laenor Velaryon is my age so it's not 'bad' but his sexuality blows a hole in any plans for kids. Laena Velaryon is thirteen at the moment so they would have to wait at the very least a full year before marriage.
fourteen is the generally accepted age and I have gotten used to it but also still hold some old sensibilities that make it a touch awkward. I mean in my old world it was illegal at that age to do just about anything but in this world, you got pregnant fourteen year old's drinking wine. To be honest, they still did those things in my old world so it's not that weird it happens just that it's 'accepted'.
"He came by to 'inform' me that the conversation he had with Lord Corlys went well and he is hopeful it will be good for our House. The Crab feeder has even struck at one of the Velaryon's ships and he wants blood in return. He soon ran off to discuss something with some other Lord who is interested in Dorne's resources." So war is on the immediate horizon hinging on marriages between my siblings and the Velaryons.
I expected this, he pulled Daemon into the war for the Stepstones in canon but here it will be us instead. I doubt Daemon will touch this situation with a ten-foot pole with us involved, he even left for Dragonstone when he heard we were coming to Kingslanding. I doubt he will miss the Tourney but it's obvious he wants to spend as little time around us as possible, I wonder how this will change his story.
He is still married to the Royce lady if I remember correctly, but I doubt it will go well. He won't have either of his actual love interests in this go around, Laena will marry Lewyn and ideally, Rhaenyra will marry me.
That just reminds me I need to talk with Rhaenyra sooner rather than later which is what I was trying to avoid talking about.
"I wish for both of my loving siblings to have happy marriages they both get the most out of." I raise a cup to the both and pray a god shows mercy on them.
I am mainly worried about Myriah and how she is marrying a gay man who will want nothing from her. I wonder if in this world he will let Myriah give him the Rhaenyra treatment and have kids that are not his. They would need to marry Laena's kids, or at least the next heir to Driftmark will have to. We cant end the Bloodline of House Velaryon by planting our own in its place, Rhaenys would burn Dorne like her namesake.
The queen who never was is aware of her son's preference and will notice the kids are not his unless they all come out Dornish looking. Myriah could get away with silver hair but dark skin and purple eyes are an absolute must for the kids as both 'legal' parents have dark skin and purple eyes. That does not leave Myriah many options on the market to get as her 'doner' and to be honest, I don't really want that kind of life for my sister anyway.
I think I will have to have a sit down with Laenor myself, we will be in the stepstones together so it won't be hard. Lewyn and I will be able to form a strong bond with him over bloodshed and will be able to use it to help our sister get what she wants.
"What thoughts are running through that head of yours? Thinking about making up with the Princess?" Mother seems tired of watching me get lost in thought and stands up and walks around the table.
"Maybe." I guess putting it off will be petty and will get me nowhere.
"Well, I happen to have heard something about a certain Princess and her friend wandering around the Godswood. Apparently, they like to sit around and read in my favorite old spot under the Weirwood. It is nice and private and you can talk without too much worry about being overheard." I purse my lips and realize I have never actually visited a Godswood in all my years on this planet.
Is there another body strapped to a tree up north waiting for 'Bloodraven' to be born to become the new one? I feel kind of uncomfortable walking into the sight of the 'old gods' who use trees to spy on people, but duty calls.
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112 AC
Kingslanding
Rhaenyra Targaryen
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I still don't know how to approach him now, it wasn't this hard this morning. I know he is back and I could just send someone and have a time set up, but I am worried he will reject. His words about not knowing how long they would be staying stung, I don't want him to leave right after meeting. I have not even had time to adjust and feel out how I feel about things.
I am still surprised they actually have three dragons, let alone how I feel about marrying one of them. Yet I ran my mouth and made a mistake when I should have instead just let him be nice and invite Alicent to fly. She would have rejected it anyway, she knew what I said before I said it and she is also fearful.
"Do you hear that?" I turn to Alicent as she closes the book she was reading.
I can hear whistling in a tune that makes it very much from a human, I sit up and am a bit worried about who is approaching. No one comes to the Godswood, it's why I like coming here so much since I can get some peace and quiet. The Kingsguard usually waits outside so whoever it is likely snuck in and that has my heart racing.
Silver hair becomes visible as it ducks and weaves between trees from the side of the path, it looks like the 'guest' got lost. He spots the trail to his side and stops whistling before stepping onto it and heading forward once more with his whistling starting again.
The man who I was so worried about seeing again is walking toward me while looking behind me at the Weirwood tree. His song stops once more as he stops walking and stares into the bleeding eyes of the tree's face.
"Freaky old thing, can't believe people can feel comfortable enough to seek this thing out and pray to it. definitely some forest magic by those little munchkins when they carved the faces on them." I look away from the tree and set the book I was reading onto a root from the tree.
His purple eyes no longer looking at the tree and instead, look into my eyes as she stands a comfortable distance away.
"Princess." He breaks the silence that was building with a slight nod and a formal title.
"Prince." I respond back, I never noticed how much distance these titles put between us before now. "I am sorry if you felt like I insulted you, I didn't mean for it to come off that way." I get it over with in hopes that the sooner I say it the sooner he forgives me and we can put it behind us.
"I can go if you want?" Alicent speaks up likely feeling awkward as the Prince and I stare at one another.
"It's best if you stay, that way no one can say I did anything I didn't do." He smiles at Alicent before letting out a sigh. "You are forgiven, I wasn't even mad but off put in the situation." I nod and keep my face neutral as I feel happy inside. "I mainly left instead of talking because someone decided to draw steel. Not the way I like to talk usually, the only time I talk with steel drawn is to taunt an opponent into making a mistake." I can't say much as the man felt he was doing his 'duty' even if he was being preemptive.
"Well, how about you tell me about one of those times?" I try to bring a new topic up but remember to discuss with my father about the Kingsguard's actions and seeing they do not make the same mistake.
If they do then it's on them if he has them eaten for trying to anger the dragon, and he surely is a dragon the more I look at him. The smile growing on his face as he starts telling a story about 'some time' in Dorne, it makes his Valyrian features shine. Like a dragon's scales looking lustrous in the sun, or when their wings spread, and when they breathe their flame.
Daeron Nymeros Martell looks the most like a dragon when he is smiling, even the threatening smile he gave before he flew off. His eyes that are full of life going almost bright like a flame with his emotion burning beneath the surface. I quite like the way he looks when he lets his emotions show like when he is with his siblings.