Through Morning's Eye

Five: Family Affairs

Aemond briefly looked at her and back at the ground. "Things are changing, Kristyne. My mother says if this babe arrives with dark hair, it will be too far. Helaena's riddles have gotten worse. You must know this is because of -"

"Stop! How is it that you keep trying to speak of something I told you not to speak of? That is not how friendship works, Aemond."

"You are the one that insists this is a friendship, I didn't ask for this!"

"Ugh!" She shouted and stood. It was almost as if he was a good bad friend. Good at being a bad friend, bad at being a good one. Just when she thought she was breaking through, he shut her off. "I'll never get you to admit we're friends, will I?"

"No, because we are not. My mother says I shouldn't spend any more time with you."

Kris stepped back as if she'd been hit. So was this Alicent's doing all along? Was she the reason Aemond had become a prick? Was this all because her father loved Rhaenyra? She had done nothing wrong!

All she did was be born.

"Fine," Kris spoke. "You have said it yourself, I am the only one that is decent to you. So the next time that your brother bullies you and you escape to this tunnel, I will not be here. Your pride is to blame. I have been nothing but nice to you while all you do is mock my family and treat me like a dirty object to be thrown away. Goodbye, Aemond."

Kris held her tears as she walked through the halls to her room, running to her bed once she entered. She thought Aemond was her friend, she thought he just had a hard time showing his emotions. But he was being poisoned by a woman who hated her without even knowing her.

Kristyne could not even count on two hands how many times she had ever interacted with the Queen. She and her father were not invited to the formal dinners or events, and Harwin was not even allowed to stand guard for Rhaenyra when she was in council meetings because he was not a Kingsguard. So how could Alicent hate her?

Her life in the castle had not been easy, as privileged as it was to live there. While she was a trueborn daughter, she was looked at strangely for running around with Jacaerys and Lucerys, as if the people knew. And they knew because Alicent made sure of it, she spoke words that would make her life difficult.

She did not know how long she spent on her bed crying before she calmed down. She stared at the ceiling, holding her pillow to her chest. If she sat in silence long enough, she could hear the hum of her mother's voice and a hand on hers. Not like a physical hand, but almost like a whisper to be spoken, a ghost of a hand. Another moment she knew her mother was with her.

Maybe if she had not killed her mother, none of this would be happening.

A knock interrupted her thoughts and Rhaenyra poked her head in. "Oh, I was hoping your father would be with you. I wanted you both to meet the babe now that I have shown him off to half the court," She said with a small chuckle.

She peeked from her bed to see the babe in her arms and smiled at him. A new brother, even though she could never acknowledge it.

Rhaenyra made her way over to sit next to her and Kris fully sat up so she could see the baby. "He is so little! Look at his nose."

Rhaenyra chuckled and nodded. "I suppose you are not old enough to remember Lucerys, but he was even smaller." Rhaenyra shifted to cradle the babe with one arm and wrapped the other around Kris' shoulders. "Why have you been crying?"

"I lost my only friend," She shrugged.

"Your father has mentioned you like to spend time with Aemond. He is a quiet kid, it is his elder brother I dislike."