Elaena Velaryon was the future heir of the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra's firstborn. Her tongue was as sharp as her sword and her will resembled that of steel, she was bound to be the cause of many headaches. She was groomed to be the perfect Queen but whe...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Elaena was inseparable from her mother, choosing to read through her lessons on the floor during small council meetings and serving as a cupbearer of sorts despite the Queen's vocal distaste for it.
"She is a child, she has no place in such settings." Alicent shook her head, pulling her cup away when Elaena attempted to refill it. "She should be attending to her lessons elsewhere."
"If I wanted your opinion on my daughter's place, I would have asked for it." Rhaenyra spat, beckoning for Elaena to join her. "Come, my sweet girl."
"Yes, Mother." Elaena went to her mother's side, smiling as she placed a kiss on her cheek. She did not understand what she did to have the Queen dislike her so much but she refused to grovel for her affections; she got plenty enough from her mother.
"Why don't you continue your lessons? I think we've all had enough to drink." Rhaenyra nodded to Elaena's abandoned stack of books in the corner with a small smile. "Go on."
Elaena nodded and kissed her mother's cheek before settling herself on the ground once more, returning her attention to The Political State of Essos and the World Beyond, a book written by some proud Maester who assumes he knows more about Essos's politics than anyone truly from the nation across the Narrow Sea.
She tried to force herself to pay attention to the words but she found herself staring out the window, looking for any signs of The Cannibal in the sky. He was an unruly dragon, downright refusing to enter the Dragonpit and attempting to burn anyone who tried to force him. Everyone treated him as if he were some monster, but to Elaena he was simply misunderstood, as many things deemed unlovable were.
"Elaena." Rhaenyra turned her head sharply, cutting off Lord Strong who was in the midst of explaining the rising tension between the Crown and Dorne. "Your lessons." She reminded.
"Sorry," Elaena mumbled and forced herself to truly read the words in front of her. It wasn't that she hated the material she was reading, she just wanted to do it on her own time. Septa Cerissa always kept her on strict deadlines, citing that a Queen needs to work well under pressure to rule successfully.
"Perhaps she should join me on my next voyage to Essos instead of reading about it all the time," Corlys spoke up. "I think she would enjoy herself more."
Elaena perked up at her grandfather's words, turning to her mother with a hopeful expression. Rhaenyra looked like prey that had been caught in a trap before glaring at her husband's father.
"I don't think Elaena would benefit from skipping out on her studies." In truth, Rhaenyra just couldn't bear the thought of going weeks without seeing her daughter. She had never gone more than a few hours without seeing either of them; Jace, Luke, and Elaena were always just a short walk away.
"Think of it as an educational trip, then." Corlys leaned in his seat to look at his granddaughter. "She looks excited about the prospect. Laenor would join us, of course." He knew Rhaenyra couldn't refuse now that he'd brought the matter up in front of Elaena herself. He had planned on asking for weeks but he could never find the right time to bring it up.
