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TWO;
『 AN ARRANGEMENT 』
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ㅤ DINNER IS SILENT AS EACH MEMBER STUFFS THEIR FACE WITH AN ASSORTMENT OF FOOD. I shove the points of my fork into the chicken breast and idly scrape away at it. My mother and Daemon share a share a conversation about getting me ready to travel to King's Landing, whilst Baela and Rhaena snicker on about who knows what. Lucerys sits impatiently next to me. He's already scarfed down his entire plate. Ser Harwin promised that after dinner he'd take my young brother out to feed the dragons.
I shuffle in my seat when Daemon says my name. "How are you feeling about traveling to King's Landing?" He asks simply. I place my fork down on the place and wipe my hands on the cloth in lap. I take a swig of the wine in my glass before answering.
"I believe it will be an eye opening experience." I recite the words in which my mother had agreed for me to say when anyone were to ask of my feelings toward the situation. I have to answer like a princess, I have to give a practiced answer, one that cannot be decrypted because there is nothing to figure out.
"Indeed," Daemon plucks a grape from the stem on his plate. "Baela, Rhaena, why don't you two go and take Monteus out for a ride?" He asks, although it's more of a command. The two of them exchange a glance then run out of the room. Lucerys sits up in his seat and Daemon nods, allowing him to get up from the table. My brother jolts out of the room and Ser Harwin follows him through the door.
"Alerhya," Daemon says my name in a tone that makes me feel as though I've done something wrong. "You're grown enough to realize now the appearance of yourself, yes?" He asks, tilting his head. I stray my eyes from him for my mother, just for a moment. Her head is craned in the other direction.
"Indeed. I do not carry the tanned skin nor the dark features of my brothers." I reply, gliding my eyes back to his. He presses his fingertips together and leans toward me. The warm candlelight almost makes his hair look brown, but not quite. He keeps his voice hushed, although there is no one else in the room to hear.
"Many moons ago, before I married Laena, your mother came to be in a time of despair. Then it just so happened that you came along." He explains rather calmly, like he's planned these lines for years. I nod in knowingness. I'm not blind. I can clearly see the amounts of my features and who's they equal to be.
"Then my mother married Laenor and he died, as did Laena. Then you and my mother got married. I'm well aware of the happenings, Daemon." I will refuse to call him my father. I see him as nothing of the sort. He has never been there for me, not after Laenor died, not all these years later. The only person he truly cares about is my mother— he barely even pays attention to his own children, which of whom I do truly feel bad for.
My mother and Daemon exchange a hasty glance before they both turn their heads to look back at me. I scoot the chair back and get up, although I have not been dismissed. I know if I ask to leave, they will both decline in a heartbeat.
"Where do you think you're off to?" Daemon asks, narrowing his eyes at me. I take another swig of the wine that my mother offered to me, as a good riddance before my journey tomorrow. I down the entirety of what's in the glass and just a few moments then slam it on the table.
"To pack for the journey that will save your life." I say as I storm though the doors. I've had just about enough of Daemon's halfway parenting. He only seems to care about me and everyone else whenever my mother is around to observe. I'm sure if she wasn't here we'd all starve or perhaps lack any sort of rules or guidance.
Maybe this marriage won't be so bad, I tell myself. At least I'll be able to be rid of Daemon.
I push open the doors to my chambers and begin throwing my belongings into the sack that I'll be taking to King's Landing. I pack much more than is needed for the five days in which I'll be staying. I don't know whether I hope to truly marry Aemond or if I wish to come back, although in that case, the threat of battle will come clawing at the walls of my home. As I pack, tears begin to cloud my vision. I'm shoving the box of my earrings into the sack whenever my door opens. I stop mid-action and stare at the doorway.
My mother stands there, hands crossed in front of her like a proper princess. She shuts the door behind her then strides to the white sofa which faces the balcony that overlooks the sea. She takes a heavy seat and keeps her eyes on the water outside. I take a seat next to her, leaving the task of packing for another time.
"I understand your intolerance for your father, but you must know that he does want the best for you." I feel my heart ache when she says your father. As much as I hate to admit it, that's what he is to me. I am his flesh and his blood.
"If he wants the best for me, then he'd treat me like a daughter, not like a pawn." I say as I face the wall of glass before us. She places her hand over mine, which rests on my leg. She slowly strokes her thumb along the skin of my hand. Her warmth ignites me like a fire.
"I too wish he could see you as you wish to be seen, but Daemon is Daemon. He is a man that can never change." She says quietly. I bow my head slightly. She's said the words which I've known my entire life, though that I've been too fearful to accept. I'm aware she's more than correct in her statement, although somehow I still hope that somehow there may be a fault in her words.
I return a few minutes later to packing and she helps, folding my things and putting them away in places that will allow the sack to close. We work in silence, aside from the candles flickering around my chambers. Once we've finished, and kisses me on the cheek and allows me to rest. I crawl into my bed and wrap myself underneath the blankets. When I close my eyes, I can imagine only the boyish face of Aemond. It's been many years since I've seen him.
I wonder if he still allows himself to be taunted and laughed at. He never would stick up for himself. He always allowed things to be just as they were. I toss and turn in the bed and eventually drift off.
༻❁༺
THE MORNING SUNLIGHT BLINDS ME AS I SLOWLY BLINK MY EYES IN ADJUSTMENT. I groan as the piercing yellow shines directly into my icy eyes. I furrow my brows together as the pain of the sight pains me for a few seconds. I peel the blankets away from my body and step onto the cool stone of the floor which jolts me right awake. My sack of things has already been taken from where I left it, therefore I can assume that I'm being waited on to get ready.
I dress in my riding gear; a black dress with scales on the side and hints of red, for house Targaryen. A servant enters my chambers and quickly braids my hair into a complex piece of hairs and knots. She also applies blushes to my cheeks and taints to my lips. I clip the pin my mother had passed down to me go my chest. I pull on my riding boots and then glance once again at my chambers. Gods only know when I may see it again, if all goes downhill.
I storm down the hall to the landing area, a giant stone square in which the dragons are landed in after a ride. My mother, Daemon, and Lucerys all stand in a row. Ghaelar has already been tacked up into his mount as well as the sack of my things tied to the mount.
Daemon pulls me into a wildly uncomfortable hug. His hands snake around my back and his white hair whips around me. I shudder as he finally pulls away. Lucerys hugs me next. He wraps around me like a familiar cloak. I brush his hair around with my hand as his arms tighten around me. I whisper some words of advice on how to put up with Daemon while I'm gone and he laughs as he pulls back. My mother hugs me next. She engulfs me into a furnace of a hug. She pulls back a few moments later and places her hand to my cheek.
"Remember," she whispers. "Keep your wits about you. You're brighter than every man in King's Landing." Her words bring a dim smile to my lips. She brushes a strand of stray hair from my face and smiles back. I love to see her smile.
I turn away and begin walking towards Ghaelar, a mountain of black scales with blue details. I stroke his muzzle as I approach. He sniffs my hand with those flaring nostrils of his and makes a purring noise. I run my hand along his neck, up until I reach the mount. I swing myself over him and clip my feet into the stirrups. He climbs to his feet whenever he feels the kick of my foot into his side. He wriggles his wings as he stands, as if preparing for the flight ahead. I make sure my sack is tied tightly to the mount, which it is.
I glance one last time at the line of people. My mother, my father, and my brother. I imprint their faces in my mind before I kick my legs again. Ghaelar immediately takes to the sky, whipping my head back. I keep my muscles tight as we ascend into the sky. If one does not keep their muscles tight, they may fly off and fall to the ground like a mosquito being squashed.
When we reach the clouds, I even Ghaelar out to where we're no longer gaining upward, we're flying without ascending or descending. I glance behind me at the island that floats away, being replaced by dark blue ocean with white, crystallizing tides. Once, I loved the ocean. Now I despise it for separating myself from my family. The air is freezing at this point in the ocean. I wrap my riding jacket tighter around myself, but that is little help.
It amazes me that there was a time in my life where I couldn't ride a dragon. Ghaelar and I had been bonded, but even then, that doesn't assure compatibility. The dragon can still reject you, although the chances are slim. I couldn't ride Ghaelar until I was twelve. It took many years to earn his trust, which I can understand. Now, it is like a second nature to me. When I go even a few days without riding, I feel like a dog who has been kenneled for to long. It is freeing, to be on the back of a dragon, even if the destination which you are headed to is uncertain.
༻❁༺
BY MID SUN, I HAVE ARRIVED AT KING'S LANDING. Flight is much faster than ship. Usually it may take an entire day by sailing. I remember the Dragon Pit, from the time that I lived here, and I still despise it. Keeping such a powerful creature locked away is disgusting to me. Ghaelar lands rather gracefully for such such a giant being. I stroke his neck as the dragon guards begin prodding spear-like devices toward us. I wave my hands in the air.
"Back! Get away!" I yell to them. I will not allow my dragon to be treated in such a way. The men don't listen. I clench my jaw.
I pull up on the handles of the mount and Ghaelar flaps his wings, for just a few beats, but it's enough to knock the men backwards on their feet. I quickly untie the sack from his back and throw it over my shoulder. I storm over to one of the dragon guards, who staggers to his feet.
"My dragon will not be treated in such a way," I raise my voice loud enough for every man in the pit to hear. "He will have his freedom here." My tone is nothing short of aggravated. One of the dragon guards, who wears a decorated plate over his chainmail approaches me. He must be the leader of the group, considering his cropped hair and the signature of his costume.
"I'm afraid that you cannot make those orders here, Princess Alerhya," he bows his head in greeting. "Aegon is in charge of those decisions." He explains. I've decided that I have had enough of bitchy men for one day.
I walk back over to Ghaelar and unbuckle all of the straps of the mount. It tips over and falls off the black scales, landing on the stone pit with a thud. I approach Ghaelar's muzzle and he stands straighter. I point to the sky.
"Sōvegon!" I command. It means to fly. He bats his wings gently then takes to the sky. The lead dragon guard runs to my side in a frantic motion and stands beside me with his mouth hanging open.
"Touch my dragon again and I'll have him burn your flesh off, then I'll allow him to eat it in front of all the other men in this pit." I go into extra detail about his gruesome death to make it even more believable. Of course, if I were to do it, I'd be in a mountain of trouble, but since I'm a Princess, my threats shouldn't be taken lightly. He blinks a few times, like a deer that's been targeted by an arrow. I offer up my best annoyed grin then begin ascending the stairs out of the pit.
The moment I reach the top of the stairs, my eyes land on a man directly in my path towards the castle. His hair is white as snow and his skin light, but not quite as light as my own. His eye is a piercing blue, the type that could cut flesh. His other eye has been covered by a brown leather patch, although a scar sticks up from the top and the bottom of the leather covering his eye. He stares straight through me. A shiver runs through my body.
"That was quite the entrance, Princess Alerhya." He says. It's taken me this long to recognize him. His voice still rings the slightest amount of remembering. He's lost his freckles, his face has morphed into something so beautiful and sharp. I cannot believe I stare at this Aemond, when just years ago I stared at the boyish shy version of him. A few moments have passed as I've recollected just who the man before me is.
"Your guards were being unreasonable." I reply with a strict tone. He glances over my shoulder, at what I can only assume is a group of stunned men trying to work out what just happened. He looks back at me. His eye cuts through me harshly.
"I'll make sure they allow Ghaelar to have the freedom of the sky whilst you're here." He confirms with a cool voice. His voice had grown octaves deeper, but I can still recognize the way his lips fold whenever he produces an S.
"It surprises me that you remember Ghaelar's name after all these years." A slight grin turns to lips. He clenched his jaw for a brief moment, then releases the tension in his cheek.
"I remember a lot about you, Alerhya." His words run through me like a galloping stallion. I glance over his shoulder to see Alicent and Viserys, accompanied as well by Helaena and Aegon. It's been so many years since I've seen them. Alicent greets me in an icy way and Viserys acts the complete opposite. He hugs me tightly and marvels at my looks and my wit. Helaena and I exchange a few kind words. We had used to be the best of friends, back whenever my mother resides here. Aegon approaches me next, with a sly grin.
"I'm pleased to see you've accepted my suggestion of traveling to King's Landing." He says in a pitched voice. I didn't really have a choice, I want to say, but I manage to bite back the words tearing at me. His smirk is annoying, as it always has been. He's a bitch of a brother, although that's not something I can say aloud.
"Indeed. Deepest gratitude for allowing me stay here." I try and keep my voice smooth. He pulls me into a disgustingly long hug, just to spite me. When he finally releases me from his grasp I shoot him the most improper glare of my existence. Viserys takes my shoulder with his hand and begins leading me up the path to the castle. The rest of the family trails in front.
"I'm most excited to have you here, Alerhya." He says sincerely. I offer a smile in return. He somehow looks even worse than he did whenever we first left King's Landing. His hair is thin and receding. He looks sweaty even in the coolness of the winter. His eyes are clouded and his cough sounds like one that could kill an individual within at least ten feet.
"I hope that you and Aegon do end up wed. I think it would be a great match." He says. I stop in my tracks. Aegon? I run his words though my head. I hadn't come here to marry Aegon. I came here to marry Aemond.
"Are you alright?" Viserys asks. I snap from my thoughts and regain my footing.
The marriage to Aemond must have been a cover, I decide. Aegon wants me for himself. I shudder at the thought.
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