We're Burned For Better

Chapter Fourteen

They sat through the tourney for what felt like hours before they were finally allowed to return to the Keep. Aelora fought to keep a smile on her face the entire time, greeted by countless Lords and Ladies from across the realm who wanted to wish her well in her new marriage.

She felt like a puppet, her strings being pulled every which way against her will.

Aemond, somehow, was relatively untouched. If his strings were being pulled at all, he wasn't showing it. Although, he was always good at hiding when it came to things like that.

As the sun began to set, the castle lit up with light. Candles in every fixture, window, and doorway, illuminating the corridors. Elaborate banners and decorations adorning green embellishments lined the halls, people fluttering about. The Great Hall was lined with tables, a great feast meticulously laid out. At the head of the room at the top of the steps, a table for the Crown was set up, overlooking the rest of the room.

Aegon sat at the head of the table, a glass of wine in his hand. Despite the festivities, he looked quite bored to be there. Helaena sat on one side of him, her children gathered next to her. A handmaiden stood behind them, assisting with keeping the children preoccupied. Further down the table from them, various members of the Small Council were sitting, keeping to themselves. Alicent was sitting on the other side of Aegon, with Otto on the other side of her. The two seemed to be in heavy conversation.

Two empty seats sat on the other side of Otto.

Aelora couldn't bring herself to sit with the rest of her family. The idea of being trapped between Aemond and the Hand was enough to sway her appetite, and she was absent from the dinner entirely. She promised the children she'd come visit them in private, and celebrate their name day then. She had yet to get the twins a gift, assuming she had another fortnight to do so. She'd have to make due. Although, she wouldn't mind celebrating them twice. She loved them enough that she would show equal excitement on both today and their actual nameday, regardless of which one was truly their nameday.

Aemond seemed to be absent from the dinner as well.

Aelora thought it odd when she finally forced herself to step into the Great Hall. She'd looked around the room, entranced by all the costumes, when her gaze finally made it to the head table. Aemond was nowhere to be found. Aelora had scowled when she saw their pointed absence, hoping the other Lords were too drunk to notice anything was amiss. Determined to keep her head up high, she had finally dragged herself to the festivities.

Her handmaidens had come to her room to help her get ready, the godforsaken green already laid out for her.

She had pleaded with her handmaidens, going so far as to call them by name to try and sway them. She knew all her handmaidens and servants' names, occasionally using them out of habit. Regardless of her station, Aelora didn't like how impersonal her interactions with her help were. She spoke to them more than anyone else in the Keep, really, and calling them by name felt natural, like they were friends.

But it seemed to make some of them uncomfortable, so she tried to compromise. Calling them "miss" or "sir," it wasn't a big deal to her. Seeing as how they bristled at it, even her main help, she often didn't call them anything at all.

But tonight? Tonight, Aelora had resorted to begging, making it a point to use their names to try and soften their resolve. Whoever had told them to dress her in green had made sure they wouldn't crack, however, and Aelora's pleading was no use.

"Doreah, please," Aelora had tried to reason as she stood in front of her handmaidens in nothing but her shift. "Is it not torture enough that I'm expected to attend tonight? Must I be paraded around in this nightmare, too?"