˗ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎 ˗ ❝ It is difficult to resent pretty things. ❞
𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆'𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 , 𝟏𝟐𝟑𝐀𝐂
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THE RELATIONSHIP VALAENA had with her brothers and uncles was complicated, to say the least. Or more so, the relationships they had with one another as a result of the Velaryon princess.
The best way to describe it would be competitive.
It was no secret that Valaena would always see Lucerys as her favourite. It had been that way from the moment she had first laid eyes on him - she had instantly felt a sense of protectiveness. She shielded him fiercely, mainly because he was further from her in age and one of the youngest in the family. She would comfort him whenever anyone was horrid to him, and it was at these times that she would spit vile words at the perpetrators, surprising for such a young princess but not for a girl who loved her brother so dearly. And as she grew older and the whispers of her brothers' illegitimacy fell upon her ears more often, she only grew more diligent in her protection. It could not be put into question whether Valaena would kill or die for Lucerys Velaryon.
Then there was Daeron Targaryen, her youngest uncle, and closest in age to Jacaerys. Some would say Valaena considered him her best friend and closest confidant, the fairly quiet boy often finding himself alone with the girl, reading or simply listening to her ramble about whatever thoughts came to her head - and there were a lot of them. He found it pleasant to have someone for himself, growing up in the shadows of his older brothers - and he wasn't oblivious to how his closeness with Valaena made them feel. In a way, he felt smug about it, even if being friends with the girl was something his mother didn't seem to approve of. But Alicent rarely ever interfered. She just let her disapproval be known, aware that Viserys would do nothing if she did voice her concerns.
By default, as they were siblings, Jacaerys had a close relationship with Valaena. Just like with Lucerys, Valaena felt the need to protect Jacaerys, something he didn't appreciate as much as Lucerys did. Jacaerys felt, although he was younger, that he should be the one protecting his siblings. He wanted to be the one to shield Valaena from whatever the world may throw at her, and he knew this from a young age, and felt that would never change. He would also often grow annoyed with how much Aegon and Daeron insisted on being around Valaena, trying his hardest to keep the girl to himself.
"Aegon and Daeron have their own siblings - their own sister!" Jacaerys would whine on the days when Valaena would be with Daeron, a frown on his lips as he spoke to his mother. It was endearing to most of the adults, other than Alicent, but she supposed it would be worse if Valaena had been born "plain faced" like her brothers. Most of the court found it delightful how much the boys adored Valaena, and even naively thought that it would help to sever the tensions between the two families.
But how would that work? When the princes - excluding Lucerys - harboured what one could call "puppy love" for Valaena. Their adoration for Valaena only worsened the relationships they had with one another. Slowly, but surely.
