CHAPTER TWO
ROSEVA often felt lost during her time in Westeros. She would venture to the gardens where pretty white and red roses laid — King Viserys ordered them to be bed for her, though she knew the real order came from Queen Aemma.
The woman adored the two of them, though she missed her own family. Serving the Targaryen's was nothing short of an adventure and filled her sense of belonging — she felt loved here and just hoped that she could stay for a little while longer.
"Roseva", Rhaenyra looked back at the lady that was staring down through the window — her eyes held firmly on the men who had come to visit kings landing and to fight in the tournament.
Rhaenyra knew what she was thinking - they could be potential suitors who would try and pine over her for her name and fortune. "Roseva! I need your assistance".
The lady in question snapped out of her worried state and walked over to the princess — Alicent watched her worriedly as did Rhaenyra but the princess knew to be strict when Rose was in this state, to keep her mind on other matters and the Baratheon would silently thank her for it.
"You look beautiful", Roseva looked at the two highborns proudly, "The both of you", she wrapped her arms around the pair and they both held onto one hand each — the three staring at the mirror ahead with smiles on their faces before a knock interrupted them.
Rhaenyra softly groaned, "Come in". The door opened to see a knight step in and bow before them.
"Lady Roseva, your presence is needed in the throne room", his quiet mutter should have left her ears but she had grown accustomed to such tiny mutters with her time spent with Rhaenyra and her snarky comments that she had learned over the years to catch.
Roseva looked at the man with furrowed brows, "By whom?", the question seemed to startle the man and he quickly shook his head which left her more than confused. "Very well. Rhaenyra, Alicent go to the Queen — I shall be there shortly".
Without another word she left the room, venturing the stone walls until she was left in front of two steel doors.
As she pushed them open, the creaking stone awoke the dragon that resides inside — unknown to her of course.
Her feet moved a few steps before she stopped. Dead in her tracks. As Daemon Targaryen sat in the iron throne.
"My Gods, Daemon! Get out of that seat", she closed the door behind her and glided down the steps towards the man she so wished she despised.
"Why my dear, Rose? It's to be mine one day anyway", his usual smirk plastered itself all over his face because he knew how much she hated it - he could tell by the look on her beautiful face now.
The Targaryen man arose from the seat and stepped towards her, a smile on his face now, eyes soft. "I brought you something".
Roseva knotted her eyebrows, eyes in slits as she spat, "Why would I want a gift from you?".
Daemon pretended the words didn't pierce his heart a little and continue to unfold a necklace from his palm. "Because, my Rose, you're special to me".
"I don't want it".
"Turn around"
Despite every fibre of her being wanted to hurt him, slap him even, she turned around — moving her hair to the side. She could feel him, his fingertips dancing around her skin as he put the necklace around her neck — the coldness of it making her skin shiver.
Once he laid it against her skin and moved his hands away, Roseva looked down to see a red rose. My Rose. She didn't know what to say or if she could say anything.
"Look at me", his words echoed in her ear, making her turn around, her hand clutching the rose like her life depended on it. "It's made from the same metal as my sword — that way I know that you're always with me". Daemon then lifted up a chain with an identical rose attached to the bottom of it.
"Daemon", she whispered but he only pressed a finger to her pink lips to silence her short.
"I know you hate me. You have every right to. But I'll be damned if I spend the rest of my life not trying to make it up to you, my Rose".
And without saying another word, he left. But this time he didn't leave knowing he could never come back - he left knowing that maybe, just maybe she would let him back in.
⸺
The Godwoods was the place that the three highborns loved. Roseva in particular loved the roses that were placed for her and made it a priority to manage them herself so they could blossom in her presence instead of someone else's.
"Did you read it?", Alicent ask conspicuously to Rhaenyra who laid her head upon her lap -- Roseva looked back at them from her roses with a smile, she had always admired the bond their shared and only hoped that nothing would ruin it.
"Of course I read it", the Princess tried to sound convincing to nor Alicent or Roseva were buyinh it.
Roseva lifted herself from the ground with a single rose in her hand and walked along to sit in front of the pair, her legs sitting to the side of her, "You best of read it, Rhaenyra, I told you to do it as your punishment for nearly scaring me to death".
"But Roseva, you know I don't care for the reading", the young girl tried to whine and Alicent shook her head knowing she did not read it like Roseva had told them.
"And I don't care for the whining", The lady quipped and Rhaenyra smiled in disbelief that she ever let Roseva speak like that to her but it was Roseva, she loved Roseva because she had only done right by her.
"When Princess Nymeria arrived in Dorne, who did she take to husband?", Alicent asked the Princess and Roseva watched her carefully -- she would be shocked if Rhaenyra knew the answer.
"A man", she replied and the two ladies shook their heads with a smile.
"What was his name?".
"Lord something".
"Rhaenyra, if you answer with 'Lord something' Septa Marlow will be furious", Roseva scolded lightly but the the Princess only chuckled - not seeing the seriousness of all this stuff but Roseva couldn't be surprised because she got them traits from her.
"She's funny when she's furious".
"But I am not".
Rhaenyra huffed because Roseva was right, the Princess was only scared of two people when they were mad; her father and Roseva -- my could that woman shout.
"You're always like this when you're worried", Alicent pointed out with her own worry for the Princess etched upon her light features.
"Like what?".
"Disagreeable-".
"Annoying-", Roseva laughed when Rhaenyra swatted her for her response and Alicent couldn't help but smile as she watched.
Alicent often envied their relationship -- how open Rhaenyra was to the woman and how close Roseva was to the King and Queen. She wanted that.
Roseva stopped laughing shortly after and moved herself to lay on her stomach, close by Rhaenyra who did in fact looked worried, "What are you so worried about, Princess?".
"She's worried that her father is going to overshadow her with a son", Alicent spoke for her, knowing she wouldn't tell the truth herself.
Though Rhaenyra disagreed, "I only worry for my mother".
"Then don't", Rhaenyra looked down at Roseva with a confused look, "I'll worry for the three of us so you don't have to. If that's what it will take for you to smile". She placed her rose down and reached forward to stretch a smile on the Princesses face before Rhaenyra truely smiled.
Rhaenyra was thankful for Roseva in many ways, she had nothing to worry about with her around, nothing to fear.
"I hope for my father that he gets a son", the Princess then spoke but Roseva couldn't tell if that was completely true because she knew what it meant to be a woman -- the consequences of being a woman. "As long as I can recall, it's all he's wanted".
"Your father loves you, Rhaenyra", Roseva softly spoke. "Do you truly want him to have a son?".
"I want to fly with the both of you, see the great wonders across the Narrow Sea, eat only cake and watch Roseva get married to my Uncle".
"Rhaenyra!", Roseva screeched and sat up with shock whilst Alicent covered her giggles with her hand.
The Princess looked merely unbothered by her own words as she looked at the Lady Rose, "What? It's true. I want you to be married because you're in love, not because you have been forced to".
"I am not in love with Daemon", both Alicent and Rhaenyra raised their eyebrows at that statement but Roseva looked away with a flush. "He hurt me, a long time ago and I cannot just forget that".
"Despite the necklace he gave you?", Rhaenyra asked as she looked at the necklace that was gifted to the rose.
"Despite the necklace he gave me", Roseva confirmed. "Being a woman doesn't grant us with many choices but this one... this one I have decided for myself".
Rhaenyra watched as Roseva tried to convince herself and decided she didn't want to say anything after that, not wanting to upset the woman. She didn't know what it was like to be a woman like Roseva did but she soon would and that thought alone scared her.
Alicent arose from her seat and shut the book she had before walking away, "The hour has grown late, come on".
"Princess Nymeria led her Rhoynar across the Narrow Sea-", Rhaenyra walked along with Roseva and Alicent quickly opened the book again to the right page, "-on ten thousand ships to flee their Valyrian pursuers. She took Lord Mors Martell of Dorne to husband and burned her own fleet off Sunspear to show her people they were finished running".
Roseva watched with mouth agape along with Alicent as the Princess ripped the page from the book, "What are you doing?".
"So you remember", Rhaenyra handed it to Alicent before dropping the page.
"If the Septa sees this book then-".
"Fuck the Septa".
"I should have never taught you that word-", Roseva grumbled under he breath, picking up her rose from the floor as the two girls laughed before they ventured inside.