Stranger - hotd Cregan Stark

5

Summer had sent the fig trees blooming again, and Aemond had taken a notice on how his niece, (Whom he liked to refer to as his betrothed in company, but not in her company) took a liking towards the sweet pink fruits.

He gathered a satchel full of them. Packing a sweet elderflower wine alongside them. He wanted to invite Valaena to ride their dragons. They did so often. Nearly twice a week together, especially now that Valaena barely spend any time with Helaena. His older sister was due to give birth soon and had taken to locking even Valaena out on most days. Helaena embroidered so much, that often Aemond caught her fingers being raw with blisters from holding her needle all day. It reminded him of his mother always picking her fingers untill they bled. A habit that he hoped he wouldn't pass onto his children.

He instructed his betrothed to follow him and Vhagar on dragonback. He took Valaena to a cliff, halfway across the bay where he offered her the figs. As a way of showing gratitude, Valaena called Aemond her fondest companion, sending annoyance through him, as he at his young age was already busy with trying to prove that he could be a worthy husband. Regardless of being "one-eyed." The looks that other children his age and older courtiers gave him pained him. He knew they called him Aemond one-eye behind his back. He snapped at her that they were to he wed, and that she shouldn't call him a companion. The princess took to ignoring him for a full week, eventually they made amends by sharing more figs and making fun of Aegon's new hair in the gardens.

On his own nameday, Aemond demanded to have another tourney. He liked to watch the various fighting techniques that Knights used to knock eachother of their horses. Though after an hour or so he noticed that he grew bored. He didn't like how Valaena, now slowly turning into a woman, caught the attention of many of the young (and some older to his distaste) knights. He took up to practice the sword alongside Ser Criston more ever since his fourteenth nameday tourney.

He didn't like that Valaena was away for a full fortnight on her own nameday. She wrote to him, ofcourse, about her brothers and mother. Daemon Targaryen, the rogue prince. Dragonstone, the caves, the beaches. The food she ate. Especially how there remained a shortage of figs on the island. She emphasized on it in both her letters.

Valaena had missed her family dearly, and she was glad to be back, She still felt an ache whenever she returned. Thinking on what could have been, had the Queen not demanded to ward her in the capital. She loved Aemond and Helaena, but never as much as she loved her brothers. She felt resentment towards Alicent for not allowing her to raise her youngest brother Joffrey. Who had seemed to grow immensely everytime she saw him.

"What is on your mind love?" Questioned Rhaenyra her daughter who was staring out at the beach while Jacaerys and Lucerys trained on the rocky sand.  The girl shook her shoulders. "I am all but three and ten now, Helaena is six and ten, but she married at five and ten. Will I- Do I have to marry Aemond in two years?"

Rhaenyra sighted, shaking her head at her daughter. "No Val, we'll wait untill you are of age mhm."

"The Queen says I should marry Aemond as soon as I've bled."

"Did she?" Rhaenyra furrowed her brows then. Inching closer as she wrapped an arm around her only daughter. "She might be Queen, but I am still your mother, You are not to be wed untill I say so."

Due to her nameday celebrations, Valaena almost missed the birth of her aunt's first child. Valaena arrived on Dragonback early in the morning. Having made haste after Aemond had written to her. The Princess arrived just in time to see the first babe arrive. After seeing Jahaera come next. Valaena swore of bearing chidren. She nearly threw up in a vase but held her composure to not embarrass herself.