𝕿he 𝕿hroned 𝕺ath chapter nineteen. rule in her absence
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── ୨୧ ─
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Saera stood in front of the mirror, her handmaidens fastening the last ties of her gown when the door creaked open.
She turned, expecting a knock or a soft word but was instead met by the tense, unreadable expression of her husband, "Leave us," Jacaerys said sharply.
The cheer usually lacing his voice was absent replaced with something brittle, urgent. The handmaidens, sensing the shift in mood, bowed their heads and quickly slipped out of the room, leaving the chamber in tense silence.
Saera stepped forward, concern knitting her brows. "Jacaerys? What is it?"
He didn't answer right away. He simply stood there, as though trying to make sense of something unspeakable. Then, finally, his voice came low and strained. "My mother is gone."
Saera blinked, confusion flooding her expression. "Gone? What do you mean—gone?"
"I mean," he said, his tone sharper than before, "she's not in the castle. No one saw her leave. No guards were summoned. No dragon was reported flying."
Saera's breath caught in her chest. She stepped closer, her hand instinctively reaching for his arm. "She left the castle without telling anyone? That's unlike her."
She paused, frowning deeply as a memory surfaced. "Although... she was known to do such things when she was younger. Disappear into the night, slipping past the walls of the Red Keep with no one the wiser. Maybe it's just that—an old habit returning."
Jacaerys ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear on his face. "She's not just my mother, Saera—she's the Queen. Her absence leaves a void, and the vultures will see it."
Saera nodded, her voice growing firm. "Then you must rule in her stead, as her heir. Show them you are your mother's son. Hold the council steady. Don't let the lords grow restless or power hungry."
