"May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields."
Lucerys couldn't stop crying. He had his sisters skirts in both hands as she tried her best to comfort him. Jacerys wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as he watched Ser Harwin disappear around the hallways. Rhaenyra went out to comfort her eldest son as Ally knelt down to her brothers height.
"It will be alright Luke. We can still send letters everyday. We can plan a trip to go see him as well!" Alaesys knew her words and promises were both empty but she would do anything to stop the child from crying. She stood and pulled him into a hug and he clung to her hip.
Rhaenerya ushered Jace into the room and Alaesys pulled the boy in for a hug as well. Both boys clung to their sister and Rhanerya's heart throbbed at the scene. She wrapped her arms around her three children. Alaesys always said her mother gave the best hugs. She smelled of sweet Lilly's and lavender. Ally could simply lay down and be content with smelling that forever.
Laenor entered the room soon after. He softly grabbed Rhaenerya elbow and whispered something. In her ear. She gave her children a tight lipped smile and leaned down to whisper in Alaesys ear. "I'll meet you in your chambers."
After the family hug had dispersed, Laenor took his sons and made way for dinner. Rhaenerya and Alaesys walked silently to the younger room. The air was thick with tension and neither of them spoke.
Ally knew why Ser Harwin had to make such a sudden exit. She wouldn't dare speak to her mother about it, but she knew. Rhaenerya softly but swiftly shut the door behind the two of them. She eagerly took Alaesys hands and kneeled down in front of her. Her body still ached from labor but she pushed passed the pain.
"Ally, we need to leave at nightfall. I will explain more when the time is right, but for now we must be silent." Alaesys nodded in understanding. Rhanerya smiled again and ran her thumbs over the back of her daughters knuckles. There were unspoken words between the mother and daughter. "I will protect my children by whatever means necessary."
There was something Rhaenyra wanted to say, Alaesys could see it written all over her mothers face. When Rhanerya turned to leave, Alaesys grabbed her arm "Mother?" Rhaenerya couldn't hide the tears any longer. She tried to turn her face away but Alaesys said nothing, just wrapped her arms around her moms middle and squeezed as gently as possible.
Rhaenyra could no longer contain the sob of anguish. She buried her face in Alaesys hair and held her daughter like it was the last thing she would ever do. The two stood in the middle of the room, embracing each other. Rhaenyra kissed Ally's head over and over, whispering apologies.
"My dear Dove, you are always so kind. You are everything I wish I could've been growing up." Rhanerya wipes her face and sniffled to stop the flow of tears. "Come, I'll braid your hair the way my mother used to." Alaesys say at her vanity while her mother combed through her long white locks.
Her hair now reached well past her buttocks and she usually kept it in tight braids or risked sitting on it every time she sat down. Rhaenyra couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of jealousy, since her hair never really grew past her shoulder blades.
"You remind me of my mother. Always putting others first." Rhaenyra sat down her brush and looked at the reflection of them both. "Ally I must tell you something." Rhanerya threaded her fingers through separate locks of hair and started to weave them. "Your father and I have thought long and hard about you becoming my heir. I did not want the position when I was your age. I wanted to climb on Syrax and never look back."
Rhaenyra laughed at the fond memory and Alaesys smiled in return. "I see something different in you. I see a ruler. I see a woman who will rule the Iron Throne with the upmost respect and courage." Rhanerya tied off the end of the braid and placed her hands on Alwsys shoulders.
"What if I don't make a great ruler?" Alaesys looked up at her mother. Rhaenyra shook her head.
"You WILL make a great ruler. You show kindness to everyone. You take such good care of your bothers that you might as well have been the one to birth them." Alaesys scrunched her face up at the thought of childbirth. It sounded awful to her. "I have not been honest with you, but I believe that I owe you the truth. I have further planning to do, but I promise I will tell you everything on the way." Alaesys opened her mouth to say something, to say anything, but Rhanerya was gone as soon as she appeared.
Alaesys looked at herself in the mirror and looked at how beautiful her hair was. Most of the pieces were pulled back to expose more of her face and the rest of her curly locks spiraled down her back. The day was running away from her and she decided a final walk by the Godswood tree would calm her nerves.
The air was warm as always. She had heard winter was such an awful time, everything would rot and die away. The sky was gloomy though, perhaps a storm was on its way. Alaesys gazed up at the red tree. Even the trunk seemed to be saddened. She pressed her palm to the wood.
The birds chirping went dead silent. The familiar feeling of her hair prickled. She took a long step forward without looking behind her and tried to make for the halls where she knew a guard would be able to help her.
A hand caught her arm and before she could scream, she was shoved with her back to the ground and a hand covered her mouth. She had never really felt fear, living in the walls of a castle would do that to you. Her eyes were blown wide with fear until she saw the familiar face of Aemond. He had a dark hood pulled over his head, his face was mere inches from hers.
"I'm going to move my hand, don't scream." It was more of a command than a question. He moved his hand and Alaesys chest rose and fell as she tried to calm herself. Aemond helped pull the girl up until they were sitting across from each other. "I had to sneak away from my mother. I heard you were leaving. I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye..." Aemond couldn't look the girl in the eyes, he instead took interest in the little blades of grass on the ground.
"If it wasn't for your Mother, we wouldn't have to leave." Alaesys felt her face heat up right after the words left her mouth. She knew she shouldn't have said it but there was anger that had been blossoming inside of her for awhile. She halfway expected Aemond to retaliate, maybe even slap her. Instead he dropped his head.
"I know. I'm sorry." Aemond reached into his cloak and pulled out a book. Alaesys softly gasped at the sight of it. It was a copy of the same book that the boys had destroyed. It was a brand new copy and Ally wondered how he had managed to get one considering he rarely left the castle.
"Aemond, thank you..." That was all she could manage to say. Aemond handed her the book and the way it felt in her hands was near perfection. She hugged the book close to her chest and smiled so bright it made her cheeks hurt. Aemond felt his cheeks flush and he reached into his cloak again. This time instead of a book, he pulled out a carved piece of wood, that of which looked to be a dragon.
"Here, I made you this during my lessons." Alaesys laughed at the image of the young prince wielding away while the Maester tried to teach him a history lesson. Alaesys took the figure and ran her fingertip over each groove. The wood was light, almost white, and had a striking resemblance to her own dragon.
"It looks like Cesyja! It's perfect Aemond, thank you!" Ally leaned forward and went to kiss Aemond on the cheek. He jolted in surprise and cause their lips to touch. For a second it felt like a strong fire had bloomed between the two. The children both pulled back and looked at each other with wide, starstruck eyes. "I-I'm sorry my prince-"
"Ally, it's alright." When Alaesys lifted her eyes Aemond was giving her the prettiest smile she had seen. Aemond pulled the girl in for a tight hug, squishing his gifts between them.
"Don't go."
"I have to..."