Through Morning's Eye

Thirteen: Enduring

She had spent weeks trying to see Luke's return to Dragonstone, but all memories after the beginning of the war were impossible to conjure. She couldn't see their daily lives through Luke's eyes, she couldn't see Jace's final moments or anything from Joffrey. The war was clouding everything.

How could she conjure up her Father's memories in a second but not her own brother's?

Since her captivity, the black riding dress had turned to shreds. The top portion remained, but the skirt had torn off, leaving just the trousers underneath. And thankfully, the necklace remained on and unharmed.

But the more she thought of her father, the angrier she got. It was not his fault this happened, but his actions with Rhaenyra made it worse. Alicent would always be jealous of Rhaenyra, she did not need bastards to change that. But her father jeopardized everything.

Maybe one day she would understand, love someone so deeply you'd risk everything for them, but she didn't want that. All she'd ever learned from romance was that it hurt. People die, people leave, and people can betray.

She loved people, and now she was losing people. Her father, grandfather, and now Jacaerys. She may as well consider everyone else because they all thought she was dead and she certainly was never going to escape. Her spirit was broken, as was her ability to fight. She'd lost all her physical strength, and she could see her ribcage now. There was no escaping, this was where she would die.

She wished she could talk to the dead, she wanted to ask her father a plethora of questions to get an understanding. She wanted to forgive him, but she felt ashamed of being mad at him. He was the most important person to her, the person she was closest to. Jace's death still had her heartbroken, but nothing compared to Harwin's death. So how could she miss him so and yet want to punch him at the same time?

So as usual, she escaped to her memories instead of coping with her situation.

-

Kristyne woke up to Doyle and Tram dragging her from her blanket and into the same room they waterboarded her. Instead this time her hands were bound and the rope hooked to the ceiling, making her hang from her arms with her feet barely on the ground.

"Something new, yay," She groaned. The position was beginning to hurt her wrist. All this time later it still throbbed with pain.

"I would not get too excited if I were you." They both stepped outside, leaving her alone, but only for a moment.

"Well well."

Kristyne looked up as Larys entered the room. "Uncle. So kind of you to visit me."

"No need for such formalities here, Little Krisyne, we both know I am no uncle to you."

"You could have been in my life had you not chosen the traitor queen, Larys. To abandon your family for them will never not bother me. I wonder if you ever cared for them or if they were strangers to you."

"My father and brother meant no more to me than a stranger on the road, and neither do you. I am here for my own personal reasons."

Kristyne tilted her head. "You must be fucking her then, are you not? For a man of no emotion to be so deeply devoted."

Larys stepped closer. "The arrangement between the Queen and I is one of power. The most addicting feeling a person might experience is power over another. And the queen is quite a submissive woman."

Kristyne scrunched her face in disgust. "I do not need to hear about your intimate relations, Larys."

"It is not so simple, Kristyne. Do you think that is the only way a person can be submissive? It is a game, truly, the game of power. To truly hold power over another, you need to find something strong enough to make them submit, something that is shameful. I have never touched the queen, and yet I hold control."