Bronze She-Dragon

Chapter 13: Dismal

YEAR 129 AC

Nobody noticed how time flew, as several nights had passed since the tragic death of young Jaehaerys. The whole castle was silent as if life itself had stopped, and only mournful weeping was heard from every corner of Red Keep as night replaced the day.

It was dark in the chambers. Daena lay in bed, her hands wrapped around three children. Ceryssa was sleeping on her right, and Jaehaera and Maelor pressed themselves to her on the left. The young woman was now taking care of all the children, as, despite her mourning and undying worry about her son, she was in a better state than her sister, Helaena. Young Queen seemed to have gone completely mad in grief: she did not eat, she did not talk to anyone, did not leave her chambers, nor allowed anyone else to come in. Little Jaehaera and Maelor only cried quietly as they were watching their mother slide into the abyss of sorrow, so they were taken away from her and given to Daena instead. As she felt the warmth of their little bodies next to her, she could barely suppress her crying. Her mind was completely blank, only a few things filling all of her thoughts: what did these poor children do to deserve such misery and pain? What did Jaehaerys feel as his head was blown off? Where was her Lancel? Was he even alive? Her poor, precious boy... Daena had already buried one son of hers, burying the second one would break her spirit, and she would sink into the same madness as her sweet sister. Oh, Helaena... Even more, tears formed in Daena's eyes as she was thinking of her poor sister. The Lady's heart was breaking for the young Queen: this kind girl, the one who wouldn't even harm an insect, didn't deserve this misfortune. And her Ceryssa, her beloved daughter, this little flower, in everything but name a very picture of Helaena. The child ate, yet she did not talk. Not a single word was shed by her ever since her cousin was killed before her eyes, and her brother abducted. Ceryssa didn't leave her mother's side, as for the past few days Daena mostly stayed with the children, not participating in any other affairs. Maelor, luckily or unfortunately, was too young to understand what was happening, yet the emotions of everyone around him made the child very distressed, he would misbehave, cry, and scream, as he was unable to speak his mind differently. At that moment, however, the boy was sleeping peacefully in his sister's arms, and only Daena's barely audible weeping was breaking the silence of the chambers.

"Don't cry, auntie..." She suddenly heard a little quiet voice, which, she knew well, belonged to Jaehaera. "Mother cries all the time, please, don't you cry..."

Daena turned her head to face the girl, giving her a small kiss on the forehead.

"I won't, my dear. I promise." The young woman whispered, her eyes swollen and red.

Jaehaera pressed herself closer to Daena, her head now on her aunt's shoulder.

"They didn't kill Lancel, not in the chambers. They took him somewhere." The girl said, as if having read her elder's mind.

Daena sighed at her words, her breathing was becoming slightly heavier. She was, indeed, slightly relieved at hearing those words, but there was no telling what could have been done to her little boy outside of the Queen's quarters.

"We will find him. Most definitely."

Did she believe in what she had said? She wanted to, yet, realistically, couldn't.

* * *

One of the men was found two days after the death of the Prince. He, who had introduced himself as Blood, was arrested at the very Gate of the Gods, in an attempt to flee King's Landing. A horrifying find was discovered in one of his sacks, as it was the head of the little boy he had killed in cold blood. The man, under questioning and torture, had confessed that it was truly Prince Daemon who had hired him. Daena was hopeful as she heard the news of the assassin being captured, nevertheless, to her deepest disappointment and horror, her own son was nowhere to be seen with so-called Blood. The man only said that his accomplice, a ratcatcher called Cheese, was in charge of taking the Lannister boy somewhere, yet Blood had lost track of him immediately after they escaped the Red Keep. Where the second man had taken Daena's boy, only the Seven knew, perhaps.