RED QUEEN | DAEMON TARGARYEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"A pleasure," Lewyn muttered, not sounding even the slightest bit genuine.

"I'm sure," Daemon responded.

Valyria rolled her eyes at the two grown men, sharing a tired look with the twins who tried to hide their giggles. "And this is Baela and Rhaena," Valyria said, walking over to the two young girls who stood over by Moondancer, "Prince Daemon's daughters."

"Welcome to Dorne, my ladies," Lewyn smiled warmly, never one to treat a child coldly no matter who their father was. "You must all be starving and be very tired from the flight here. Supper and baths have been prepared in Sunspear as usual."

"Splendid," Valyria smiled, hoping to ease up the growing tension. Before riding to the keep, Valyria walked over to Ānogara and said, "Make sure Caraxes and Moondancer behave." Ānogara puffed and Valyria chuckled, "Aye, that's right. Make sure Caraxes does not cause any havoc."

The ride to Sunspear went by smoothly and soon they were inside the protection of the castle walls. The stableboys and guards out on the courtyard all watched Daemon with distaste. If they hadn't been welcoming towards her in the beginning because she's a Targaryen, there was a high risk they'd never warm up to the Targaryen who a decade ago fought against them in the Stepstones. On top of that, Daemon was Daemon; no one could call him the most likeable man in Westeros.

Marrying him definitely hadn't improved her own likability amongst the dornish; for the first time in her life she went against what her head told her to do and followed her heart's desires. Now she simply prayed she'd not end up regretting it.

The family dined together and Valyria quickly showed Daemon to the bedchambers belonging to the Princess of Dorne. Then she promised to return once she'd made sure Baela and Rhaena were settled in. She showed the younger set of twins to their new room that had been prepared close to the other children. They'd be sharing for now since Valyria believed they'd need each other close for comfort.

"This is where you'd be staying," Valyria said, leading them into the room. It had two bed's located next to each other – if anyone wished one could pull a drape between them for privacy – and two temporary tubs with water. On the walls hung tapestries that Rhaenys sent from Driftmark. Valyria made sure the pillows and curtains in the room were sea-green in honour of their Velaryon heritage. "I hope it's to your liking."

"It's very nice," Baela nodded, smiling politely. "Thank you, Princess Valyria."

"You don't have to 'princess' me. Valyria is perfectly acceptable," Valyria told them. Sadly she hadn't been able to spend much time with her new step-daughters; especially since Rhaenys had tried to be with her beloved granddaughters as much as possible before they moved to Sunspear. "And if there is anything you wish to change or something you need – you only need to ask."

"That's very kind of you," Rhaena said, standing beside her younger twin sister.

It was not often Valyria felt like a fish out of water; however she did not have much experience in talking to step-children. Recalling the first moons of her marriage to Qoren and how he acted around her twins, she tried to not push too much. Rhaena and Baela spent their childhood in foreign lands and probably needed some time to get used to their father marrying another woman.

"If you need your father, our apartments are close, one of the maids will guide you there," Valyria said. "All of the other children live in this corridor too — I truly hope you will find Sunspear agreeable. Once things here have settled down a bit, we will stay in the Water Gardens for a fortnight or so. I'm positive you will love it there."

When the young twins only smiled slightly in response, Valyria felt like it probably was best to clear the air now rather than later. "I do not want to be your mother," Valyria told the twins before realising how it might have sounded. "That was poorly phrased by me. What I mean to say is that I could never dream of replacing Laena. She will always be your mother. However, I want you to know that the two of you always can come to me if you have questions or things you wish to speak about that you in your hearts wished Laena was there for. And that I considered the two of you family even before I wed your father. Now I shall leave the two of you to get settled and take your bath," she said, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "I will send in the handmaids to assist you with the bath."