"TIME AWAY FROM OLDTOWN WOULD DO ME SOME GOOD.."
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KING'S LANDING, THE RED KEEP.
Shifting around in the uncomfortable carriage, Roselyn frowns deeply as her handmaiden, Minisa, drones on and on, her eye twitching as the lecture. Glancing over at her sworn sword, Ermo, he shared the same look on his face, one that said 'Please for the love of Gods of New and Old, to the Seven and to the Drowned God, put me out of my misery'. Rolling her eyes as hard as she could, she couldn't wait for the carriage or Minisa to come to a stop. It felt like it had been going on forever, but she was sure it was only a few hours at best.
"You will take your handmaiden, Minisa, and sworn sword, Ermo, with you." Hobert states, his tone of voice leaving no real room for her to argue about it.
"Why? Is the Red Keep not safe enough for me?" She asks, furrowing her brows softly.
"No, no, no. Tis' safe. I feel it would be good to have people you know at your side. Besides, it won't hurt to have extra allies there to protect you." Hobert argues, shaking his head.
"You speak as if I am a lamb being sent to the slaughter. Hobert, I ask of you as your daughter-in-law and a person." She asks, "What exactly is it that you are expecting of me to do in the Red Keep?"
Feeling Ermo nudge her side, she jumps for a second, snapping out of her daze. Seeing the dark look on Minisa's face, she instantly cowers in her seat, knowing that she was in for it now. Minisa, whilst not her Mother, was the scariest woman that Roselyn knew in all of the Seven Kingdoms. She swears Ermo could kill a dragon with just one look.
Looking at Ermo out of the corner of her eye, he shares the same fearful look that she had. For once, she really really regretted not listening to Minisa's ramblings. Shifting around in her seat, she prays that Minisa would show her a little mercy.
"I, um, well what?" She mutters weakly, "Um, I am sorry, I wasn't listening, Minisa."
"Ermo, are you hearing this? The girl we helped raised to a respectable Lady, who knows better, that girl has been ignoring what I have been saying! That is completely and utterly unacceptable!" Minisa rants, shaking her head.
"My sweet Minisa, the woman who brings me nothing but pure joy in this world, it is far too early for this." Ermo cuts in, rolling his eyes.
"I beg your pardon?" Minisa asks, her voice deadly calm.
Looking at her Father with wide eyes, she glances back over to Minisa, seeing the dark look grow on her face. Cringing deeply at what was to come, she cowers into her seat, hands covering her ears to try to drown it out. Hearing as Minisa's voice raises in pitch, she presses harder on her ears, muffling out the squeaky lecture. Watching Ermo instantly cower in his seat, she shakes her head at his foolishness for picking a fight with an already cranky Minisa. It was a worse fate than death, especially when there was nowhere to go or escape to.
"Are you kidding me?! We are going to meet the royal family. We need to make a good image, Ermo!" Minisa rants on and on, "How can you not⎯"
"Please do not." Ermo pleads, a look of regret on his face.
"Do not? Do not!? Do not!? Do not?! DO NOT?! DO NOT?!" Minisa shrills, her voice growing louder and squeakier with each word.
"Oh, gods. You did it now." Roselyn mutters sadly, shaking her head.
Cowering into her seat, the loud muffled shrills of Minisa fill the carriage, making her cringe with every squeaky word. Why her? Why? What did she do to deserve this lecture? Why Gods? Why her? Wallowing in her own self pity, she was regretting riding in the carriage, regretting not taking up Hobert's offer to ride in her own individual carriage. Yes, it would be hell. But, it would most definitely be better than what she was currently trapped in.
Feeling the carriage come at a much slower pace, she removes her hands from her ears, peeling back the small curtain of the window with furrowed brows. Peeking out the window curiously, she could see them slowly pulling up the gates of the Red Keep. Her eyes widened at the glorious sight of the dragon sigil on the gates, the cold metal eyes of the dragon stared intimidatingly at her. Gulping at the sight of the dragon sigil, she turns back to her bickering parents.
"Um, Minisa?" She asks, her tone a little shaky.
"No, I am not done, Roselyn." Minisa cuts in, "Ermo here is not taking this seriously!"
"But, um, Minisa. It's kind of important."
"What is it, Roselyn? What is so important that you have to interrupt me while I am in the middle of lecturing Ermo, huh?" Minisa screeches, her tone more like a chicken than a person.
"We're here." She states, pointing to the giant dragon sigil on the gates.
Chewing on her bottom lip hard, she tries to hold back the giggle that threatened to come out at the instant drain of color in Minisa's face, the sight humorous. Not even the finest of jesters or play writers could top the look on Minisa's face. Closing the curtain of the carriage window, she watches as Minisa instantly starts fixing her appearance, ruffling her hair and smoothing out her dress. Hiding her smirk behind her hand, she sees Ermo do the same.
"Seven bloody hells! Ermo, does my hair look alright?" Minisa pesters.
"It looks fine, Minnie." Ermo chuckles, shooting her a cheeky wine.
Giggling loudly as the carriage comes to a stop, the dangerous look given to her from Minisa instantly shuts her right up. Seeing the carriage door open up, she instantly tenses up, dreading what may be waiting for her outside. Taking the outstretched hand from a servant, she steps out of the carriage, holding up her skirt with her other hand. It was thick with a stench, nothing like back home. Looking around at her surroundings, she hums at the five people standing in the courtyard.
"Welcome Ser Ermo, Minisa." Dowager Queen Alicent greets, "Ah, Lady Roselyn. We were not expecting you to be here so soon, but nonetheless it is lovely to have you here."
"Yes, well, with the war ongoing. I felt as though it would be best if Lady Roselyn should ride with me, where I will be able to keep a watchful eye upon her." Ermo pipes in, chuckling.
"Understable." Dowager Queen Alicent nods, "And word from my brother? Or my Uncle?"
"None so far. But, I am sure a Raven will come bearing some good news." Ermo tries to reassure, a weak smile on his aged face.
Eyeing the three young adults standing behind the Dowager Queen, she shifts her eyes onto the tallest of the group, taking her time in looking at him. He was tall and slim, long silky smooth Targaryen white hair, his features sharp and almost angelic in a way. The thing that stood the most out of him was the leather eye patch over his left eye, a scar peeking out from the leather patch. That had to be Aemond. He was handsome, really handsome even with the painful looking scar over his left eye.
Turning her eyes onto the girl in the middle, she was shorter and more curvaceous than her brother, her features more delicate and soft with gorgeous white curls that were braided back from her face. The soft dreaminess of her face reminded her of those paintings of pretty damsels in fairy tales or myths. This had to be Helaena, the newly crowned Queen who was married to her older brother, Aegon. The woman that Hobert and so many others had been telling her to seek comfort within.
"This is my second youngest son, Aemond." Queen Alicent points to each of them with a warm smile, "This is my daughter, Helaena. She is the same age as you, Lady Roselyn, if I do believe so."
"I do believe so." Minisa pipes in, the two older women sharing a chuckle.
"And this is," Alicent pauses, almost as if she was dreading saying it. "My eldest son, and the King, Aegon."
Shifting her eyes to the last of the trio, she looked at the King with slightly narrowed eyes, her lips curled into a thin line. He looked almost exactly like his Mother did, from the shape of his eyes to the shape of his lips. The only part that was different from his Mother was the color of his eyes and hair, bright amethyst and stark white, the looks of a Targaryen.
Leaning in closer to Ermo, he had that glint in his eyes, one so full of mischief and it made her grin deviously, their eyes having a silent conversation. One that was pointed towards Aegon and his well known reputation and lack of decorum regardless of the situations. Nudging his side softly with her elbow, he leans in close to her hear, struggling to muffle his chuckle.
"Ah, yes, the King. I met him when he was a boy, he promptly fell on his face. All drunk and nearly pissing his breeches like a baby." Ermo jokes, "I wonder if he will do it again, now. That would be a good sight, no?"
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And I am done with the chapter! Stay safe out there guys!
I hope you all are doing okay emotionally and physically! I love you all!
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