DRAGONS HEART. daemon targaryen

18. additions and plans of death

Roseva walked down the hall in a hurry and pushed open the throne room hall that held Lord Corly's chair, she turned the corner to see the Lord and Princess with the small boy.

"Little dove?", she called and the ginger—haired boy turned to face her with a big smile.

"Lady Roseva", he ran toward her and she opened her arms and let him fall into them.

Roseva cared deeply for the children who were spying for her, even now while she was living in Pentos or in Driftmark — she had spies and they were payed generously by Steffon who took the children under his care after she left but he never met Rewan, he was too loyal to Roseva to suddenly trust the man.

"What has happened? Are you hurt?", she asked the boy and held him arm—length from her and checked his body and face but he shook his head, his curls bouncing in the movement.

"No, lady Roseva. I was in danger, I came here like you said", the boy stumbled over his words, Roseva had tried teaching him some better English but he could never really get the hang of it.

Roseva furrowed her brows, "Why are you in danger, little dove?".

"Someone took me in my sleep, Lady, and threw me into these pits. The children's pits. They make us fight . . . to death".

Roseva's face paled and she swallowed harshly, she turned to Steffon who also seem to grow rather sick upon hearing the words, "Have you heard of such pits?", she asked him but he shook his head. The time he had spent on Kings Landing was always by Rhaenyra's side, he never ventured further than that.

"I have", princess Rhaenys spoke and Roseva stood to her fall height and held the boy by his shoulders to her chest — he was a tall lad now compared to what he was when he was a child. "It's brutal and unseemly. But the children do fight to the death. I spoke with Viserys once about having them banned but he said the Kingdom wouldn't be able to afford to feed it's people if they took away their sources of income outside of the Kingdom".

Roseva held Rewan tighter and shook her head, "Vile. Rewan, you will stay with me and my family".

The boy looked at her, "I can't stay for free".

"And you wouldn't be, you will be trained to be a Knight and when that is done you will protect my children as their sworn guard".

"I like that, Lady Roseva", the boy smiled and as did she but then her face fell when she looked at Steffon.

"You will hold no titles, nor lands . . . nor father any children", she looked away from Steffon when he looked down and turned to the boy who was listening. "Do you understand? If you wish for these then I can place you somewhere else".

"No, Lady Roseva. I will do my duty to you", Rewan then stood tall and nodded making her smile.

Roseva looked to Lord Corlys and Rhaenys who nodded, "Fine agreement, this is", Corlys clapped and stood from his seat and held her shoulder in comfort before leaving the room.

"Come, little dove. I have so much to show you", she took his hand and followed Lord Corlys out.

The boy looked around the building in intrigue it made her heart blossom but she stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing Alicent. Her face fell as did the Queens. Roseva looked at her for two moments before looking down at her red scar on her arm.

"I'm . . . so sorry, mother", Alicent said but made no movement. The Queen had tossed and turned all night, remembering her mothers words echoing in her head and the look on her face when she saw the cut on her arm.

"We will speak no more of it", Roseva spoke quietly as she blinked away her tears, "I understand why but this hatred you have inside of you is only going to get you killed", she then walked passed her, hands nearly touching but both too scared to reach out . . . so they didn't.