love and duty | daemon targaryen

five

94 AC - High Tide, Driftmark

Peels of high-pitched laughter echoed in the corridors of High Tide, drawing smiles onto the lips of all those who heard it. The sun shone brightly down upon the castle, and the waters of the Narrow Sea were calm as they lapped gently against the white sand shores of the island. Dragons roamed the sand dunes, clicking and shrieking happily as they rolled against the sand and enjoyed the bright sunshine.

The island of Driftmark was at peace, and the members of House Targaryen inhabiting the island were no different. Somewhat.

"Laena! Ow! Stop pulling on my hair!"

Maera's pained voice filled the nursery in the northernmost tower of High Tide, her words complaining yet her voice full of love. The young princess was sprawled across the carpeted ground, a strand of her black hair tightly grasped in the hand of the toddler sitting beside her.

Laena giggled joyfully. A toothy smile spread across her lips as she yanked and yanked on Maera's black hair without mercy. With each complaint and pained yelp that left Maera, more laughter spilled from Laena, the toddler delighting in the presence of her favorite aunt beside her.

"I told you to tie your hair back before you got onto the floor," Rhaenys said, staring down at her sister, unimpressed. The older girl sat on one of the chaises standing before the hearth, facing where her little sister and daughter were on the floor. Her hands rested over the large swell of her stomach, her fingers rubbing soothing circles over the stretched skin beneath the dark fabric of her dress. Her violet eyes were filled with love, a gentle smile curling on her lips.

Maera turned around towards Rhaenys as best she could with narrowed eyes and a scowl. Rhaenys raised her eyebrows in response, daring Maera to refute her. The next moment, Laena pulled taut on the strands of black hair in her grasp, and Maera yelped, falling back clumsily to the ground.

"Mae!" Laena squealed, tugging on the strand once again. Maera winced as she felt pieces of her hair break from her scalp.

"Laena," Maera chidded. She reached out to her niece, carefully extracting her hair from Laena's hand. "You wouldn't like it if I tugged on your hair, hm? It hurts." Laena pouted but did not try to grasp another piece of Maera's hair.

"Very good, Laena," Jocelyn spoke up, giving her granddaughter a warm smile from where she sat beside Rhaenys on the chaise.

The Baratheon woman was dressed in all black, her dark hair threaded with gray and pulled back from her face with a seashell clip. Her bright blue eyes were focused on her youngest daughter and grandchild, her expression full of love and fondness as she watched Maera turn away from Laena and pick up a small dragon figurine on the floor nearby.

Maera turned back around to face her niece, gently placing the figurine in Laena's small grasp. "Here, Laena. A much better toy for a future dragonrider." Laena grinned. At once, she began to roar like a dragon as she held the figurine high above her head. The three other women laughed.

Laena Velaryon, the firstborn child of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and Lord Corlys Velaryon, was born on the 8th day of the 1st moon of 93 AC within the walls of High Tide. It had been a cruel trick of fate when Rhaenys had learned she was pregnant for the second time just one week after she and her family had returned to Driftmark following the King's declaration over his inheritance.

Maera and Jocelyn had been with Rhaenys for the entirety of her pregnancy, and in the weeks preceding her labors, Alysanne and Gael had traveled from Dragonstone to be present for the birth of the newest child of House of the Dragon.

The Targaryen women had stuck close those few weeks before Laena's birth, hardly straying from each other's sides, finding only kinship and hope and love in each other's company. Corlys had joked one night over dinner that there were more Targaryens than Velaryons in High Tide.