Terms of Endearment │Part I: The Princess and the Rogue

Chapter 2: Dolls

THE PRINCESS

Once upon a time, there lived a girl called Hana. Hana was the prettiest girl in the whole kingdom, and she wore fancy dresses with gold and silver necklaces and rings, and she had a pearl hairnet in her red hair. There was also another girl called Marya who was very pretty too, but not as pretty as Hana. When Hana and Marya were lit—

"Ah," Mama says. "Rhaenyra!"

From your place on the floor in the corner, right in the middle of a patch of sunlight, you see that 'Nyra has come. It's not nice to have your story interrupted, but 'Nyra's visits are always fun, so you don't mind. She is dressed the way she does when she goes to visit Syrax, which means she will smell funny and make Mama cross.

"You know I don't like you to go flying while I'm in this condition," Mama adds.

"You don't like me to go flying while you're in any condition."

Alicent, 'Nyra's best friend, stands in the doorway. She is very very pretty, you think, with red hair like Hana's and a blue dress that makes her look like a girl from one of the old stories you like to listen to. "Your Grace," she says, smiling.

"Good morrow, Alicent." Mama sighs. She sounds very tired. She has put her coat back on, even though it's so hot in the room and she's fanning herself to try and dry the sweat on her cheeks and her brow.

"Did you sleep?" 'Nyra asks.

Mama laughs, quick and soft. "I slept."

"How long?" 'Nyra takes a seat on the stool beside Mama's feet.

"I don't need mothering, Rhaenyra."

"Well, here you are, surrounded by attendants, all focused on the babe. Someone has to attend to you."

That is when Mama's eyes go to you. "I have my own right here, so there is no need to fear."

'Nyra turns to look, too. Her frown goes away and she smiles, wiggling her fingers at you to say 'hello'. Even though she's your sister and that means you love her, you don't go over to her. She is older, so she doesn't care very much about dolls or stories or little sisters who don't have dragons.

Mama keeps talking to 'Nyra while you listen. "You will lie in this bed soon enough, Rhaenyra. This discomfort is how we serve the Realm." None of it makes sense, but you like the sound of their voices.

'Nyra makes a rude noise. "I'd rather serve as a knight and ride to battle and glory."

Mama laughs. "We have royal wombs, you and your sister and I. The childbed is our battlefield. We must learn to face it with a stiff lip."

Why would a child's bed be a battlefield? My bed is nice and big. And what is a stiff lip? Is it something that Maester Mellos should give his herbs for? Are there bones in a lip? Can those bones break like big bones can?

You have lots of questions, but you don't say what you're thinking out loud, of course. The Maester only said you could be in here if you were good, so you mustn't talk unless Mama asks you something or starts saying things to you.

"Now," Mama says to 'Nyra, "take a bath. You stink of dragon."

'Nyra stands up and bends down to kiss Mama on her head. Then, she comes over to you and gets on the floor so she can give you a hug and a kiss, and she is warm and smelly like Mama said she is. You like the smell, though, because it is what 'Nyra always smells like.

'Nyra leaves with Alicent, and for a while it is very calm. Mama takes a nap by closing her eyes and leaning with her head back, so you make sure to be very quiet when you continue telling yourself the story.