She is standing in her mothers room with her brothers as they silently watch her arm be stitched together. "You will scar, but the wound will heal. Valyrian steel cuts clean." The maester tells her mother. Just as her Father bursts through the doors and exclaims "Gods. Is everyone all right?"
Maester Kelvyn explains "A broken nose is the worst."
"I have been betrothed." Annerys says sullenly and as though marriage is worse than Lukes which she supposes it is as Lukes nose will heal but marriage can not be undone.
"Annerys." Rhaenyra sighs.
"To whom?" Laenor questions as he sits down on a chair beside Rhaenyra.
"Aegon, who moments before called us bastards and Mother won't do anything to stop it." Annerys says angrily.
"Anne, you are in no position to complain about this betrothal." Her Mother tells her firmly, then says "Thank you, maester. Leave us."
"Why I wasn't brawling in the passageways, why should I bear the burden." Annerys complained.
"You might want to wear a dress with a higher collar if you wish for me to take your complaint seriously." Rhaenyra says tiredly.
Both her Father and Jace turn and look at her properly and she can tell that she has disappointed them but she's not sure how exactly because how would any of them know what she had done last night and yet they all seem to know exactly what it is she has done.
"What?" Annerys innocently questions as she brings both her hands to her neck as though to inspect it. Her mother takes pity on her and stands, pulls her hands away from her neck and holds them in hers whilst she runs soothing circles on the backs of her hands. Rhaenyra leans down and kisses Annerys on her forehead before she says "Go dress and we will talk later. My dearest girl."
Annerys begins to make her way out of the room as her mother says to her brothers "You as well. You've already found enough trouble today." She hears them say "Yes, Mother." and they follow her out.
They are almost at their quarters when Jace says trepidatiously to her "Did he force you?"
"No." She replies quickly, "No, I was just...I don't know. Anyway it's no different from you and the stable hands daughter, what's her name? Shauna?" Annerys says defensively.
"That's different." Jace blurts out in his defence.
"Why, because you're a man." Anne says mockingly.
"No, because she isn't casually calling us all bastards." He argues.
"Well I didn't know he was until afterwards." She argues which they both know is a weak lie.
"Of course you did, Anne. Don't pretend to be naive. Gods you have always been like this."
"Like what?" Annerys questions.
"Wanting the things you cannot have."He tells her simply.
She punches his arm and disputes his claim "That's not true."
"If you say so." He says as he opens his bedchamber's door and enters and leaves Annerys annoyed standing in the hallway. When Anne enters her room her maid Zella is there waiting to help ready her for the day.
She knew that it had originally been planned that she would break her fast with her Grandparents that morning but was quite certain that after the night's events they would not still be doing that. So she decides to ready at a leisurely pace that morning.
Finally in front of her looking glass she takes the time to inspect her neck and see what it was that had been such damning evidence that both of her parents and her twin had managed to figure out exactly what it was she had been doing that night. So she pushes her hair back from her face so it sits behind her shoulders and she pushes the collar of her robe past her shoulders as she inspects her neck where she finds three purple bruises littered across her throat where Aegon had kissed her the night before. She gasps a little surprised at the sight before she says to Zella "I will wear a dress with a high collar and my hair down today I think."
"Yes, of course, Princess." Zella dutifully replies.
Page boy's had been sent to all of the occupied rooms in the castle and informed them that the royal family would be leaving shortly and she has no desire to see her intended off so Annerys chooses to walk through the halls of Driftmark in search of something to occupy her time with.
She finds herself studying the tapestry as she roams the halls something she has done many times and yet had never taken the time to admire the intricate artwork hung about the castle her Grandfather was a well travelled and accomplished man something which his keep reflects which Anne was now realising she had never really appreciated.
Wrapped up in her musing she didn't notice Aegon approach her until she felt a hand wrap around her arm and turn her around. She gasps in shock as she looks up to see who her assailant is. She notices his unruly, long, silver hair before she sees their face but she still immediately recognises them to be Aegon. So she sighs in annoyance and says "What could you possibly want Aegon?"
He smiles at her, lowers his head so that they are breathing the same air and says "I want you." She had forgotten that he still had a hold on her upper arm until she feels him squeeze her arm gently to emphasise his words.
"I think you have had more than enough of me." she replies cooly, she can barely stand to be in presence after what he had said last night so soon after they had kissed and yet regardless she still finds him handsome and strangely charming. He uses his grip on her arms to gently push her back until she hits the wall behind her with a jolt.
"And soon I will have all of you...but not soon enough." he whispers into her ears and yet again whilst she knows she should find his suggestion offensive and his audacity repugnant she cannot help but want him too. Anne finds herself confused by the duality of emotions she is currently experiencing as she wonders how it is possible to find a man as equally repugnant as he is tempting.
Rather than voice these concerns she instead says "I do doubt that will ever come to pass" because she's sure if her mother does not stop this union she is positive the greens will put an end to it.
Aegon truly smiles at her and tells her softly as if she is being informed of this knowledge for the first time "Annerys you are to be my wife."
"The Queen and the Hand will not stand for it, Aegon."
"It's not their choice though is it? It's the King's and it was his idea, who could ever deny him his will, Annie?" He says with a humorous lilt to his voice. He smiles playfully at her before he says "My Mother does seem to have her concerns but my grandfather seems happy enough with the match, that's if the old cunt is capable of happiness," he lower his face closer to hers so that his lips are softly touching where her forehead meets her nose "or joy," he continues as he glides his lips down the bridge of her nose. Annerys' breaths deepen as his lips continue in a straight path until they reach her pouty lips and he stills before he whispers against the sensitive skin of her lips "or pleasure." Once he begins to bunch her skirts into his fists and pull them up her leg Annerys finds sense once more so she places both hands firmly on either side of his chest and pushes him away and of her. He groans and she quickly turns away from eager to make her exit before she finds herself in any more trouble when she spots her Mothers, Uncle Daemon at the top of the hallway watching them and she's entirely uncertain how long he's been stood their, how much he had witnessed and what assumptions he must be making - assumptions she is more than aware would not be completely unfounded. Upon hearing Annerys gasp Aegon also turns to see what has shocked her, when he notices Daemon Aegon merely smirks and says "Uncle might you leave me and my betrothed to say our goodbyes for I doubt we will see one another again until we are wed."
Daemon ignores the young Prince in favour of addressing Annerys as he says "Princess Annerys you must make haste your mother has demanded your presence in her chambers."
Grateful for the easy route out of the situation she has once again found herself in, Annerys quickly makes her way across the hall and past Daemon. She feels at ease once again until she hears footsteps behind her much too heavy to be Aegons so she concludes that Daemon is to follow her to her mothers chambers and in the somewhat brief and silent walk to her mother Anne has not been able to deduce why in the world Daemon is following her, she is only further confused when he follows her into her mothers bed chambers and takes a seat in the corner, without introducing himself or asking her mothers permission.
Upon their entry her mother stands from the small table where she had been sat at with her head in her hands "Come along and sit with me." Anne does as she is told and approaches the table before she takes a seat her mother runs a comforting hand down her arm before saying "I have had the Maester prepare some tea, Anne."
"Why would a maester prepare tea?" Annerys questions dumbfoundedly because surely if her mother had wished for them to have tea together the preparation of that would not fall under the duty of a maester.
Her mother wordlessly pours the tea and places it before Anne and then says "What exactly happened last night?"
Preparing to lie to her mother Anne takes the teacup in hand in order to give herself a moment, the brew smells a little odd and Annerys thinks to herself perhaps that is why we do not entrust tea brewing to maesters. Just before Anne lifts the cup her mother puts her palm over the rim and says "Answer my question first."
"I do not know, you know this, I wasn't there, you're best asking Jace." She tells her mother and she is almost certain she isn't referring to the fact her two brothers have actually taken Aemonds eye out but rather than admit defeat Annerys decides to drag out this painful conversation for as long as possible so that her mother might not look at her with disappointment for a few moments longer.
"Anne, I need you to be honest with me and tell me it all and tell me it now." her mother says curtly.
Annerys turns to where Daemon is sitting and watching them both "But he is here," Anne tells her mother.
"So something has happened then." Her mother sighs. Rhaenyra then leans across the table closer to Annerys and sweeps a loose piece of Anne's hair gently off her face. She smiles reassuringly at her daughter and says "Daemon can be trusted, Annie, I promise." But sensing that has not done much to ausage her daughter's discomfort Rhaenyra continues her enquiries with a different method "you must only drink this tea if you require, do you know what it is?" Annerys shakes her head and her mother continues "this may rid you of any issues you might find yourself having following an...evening spent with a man."
Once Annerys has figured out what the tea is for and why her mother might believe that she is in need of it she says "Oh," as she feels a blush warming her cheeks.
Rhaenyra stands and moves towards Annerys once she reaches her she leans against the table in front of Anne then lifts her hand to Anne's head and combs through her dark curls with her fingers. "Drink it Dõna Rïna." Her mother tells her gently.
"I do not need it, mother."
"Anne, do not lie to me." She tells her daughter tiredly.
"I swear it."
"Are you certain you know what it is I am asking Annie?" Her mother questions her daughter worriedly.
"Yes. I didn't...We only..." Annerys stops herself far too embarrassed to continue that sentence in front of her mother.
"Say it all so that we might be clear, Annerys." Her mother tells her. Annerys quickly casts her gaze to where Daemon is still sitting as her embarrassment continues to burn through her. "Anne." her mother says softly.
"We only kissed mother I promise." Annerys says clearly upset from what she would argue to be an unfair inquisition but her mother would argue a necessary evil to ensure the health and the safety of her only daughter. Rhaenyra pulls Annerys into her arms and places three kisses to the crown of her head before Anne says "Will I really have to marry so soon."
"They will wait the year until you are sixteen and summer will be fully fledged by then. There will be a great and long celebration, there has not been a royal wedding in an age and mine and your fathers was cut rather short. It will be a joyous affair." Rhaenyra attempts to appease her daughter. Rhaenyra realises it has done little to help perhaps only hinder as she feels Annerys sob into her chest so she says "Perhaps the Greens will refuse the match I doubt they are anymore happy than we are about the union, they had once refused the union of Jace and Helaena." her mother explains
"No, Otto Hightower is content with the marriage it seems." Annerys sulks.
"What makes you say that?" Rhaenyra asks mildly.
"Aegon said so." Annerys answers glumly.
As though he was a hound whose ears had shot up at the sound of their dinner being readied, Daemon suddenly says "Aegon told you this?"
Anne lifts her head up from her mothers chest and looks at Daemon before saying "Yes? I don't believe he was lying."
He looks thoughtfully as though he's silently coming to a conclusion about this new information he has received "Hmm very good." before he stands and says "You must excuse me, the hour grows late and I have matters to attend to," and then he is gone.
"What was he doing here?" Anne questions her mother.
Her mother simply smiles and says "He is my Uncle and he is on our side."
She sits with her mother for a while until the day darkens and she is sent to her rooms. On her journey back she runs into her Father in the hallway staring melancholy at a portrait of him, his sister and his parents. She breaks him out of his daze when she asks "I could not imagine losing Jacaerys or any of my brothers. I'm so terribly sorry for your loss Father."
"Anne." Laenor says softly "You should be in bed."
She nods in response yet she still stands there staring at her father's tear filled face. He turns to her and smiles sadly "I hope you will think of me as a good father, Annerys."
Annerys bounds into his arms and wraps her own around him tightly as she thinks of all the time she had spent mourning a man that could never truly have been a father to her rather than cherishing the one she has "Of course i do, perhaps we should go sailing when we reach Dragonstone again it may bring you some respite from your sadness."
"Whatever you want sweetling." He says into her hair. "I must go now and you should go to your brothers and stay with them tonight." He says as he strokes her hair. She bids him goodnight and leaves.
Rhaenyra is quite leniant and permissive to Annerys because she is her only daughter and she wants to be as good of a mother towards Anne as Aemma was to her but also because so much of Rhaeanyra's life has now been spent without a mother that she wants to ensure that Annerys and herself have a really strong relationship which has led to Annerys being a little spoilt, which we will definitely see more of in later chapters.
Daemon and Rhaenyra at this point have agreed that they will marry so thats why he's there and taking an interest. Daemon definitely see's Aegon interst in Anne as a possible strength for them and an opportunity to exploit since he has already so easily told Anne about Otto's thoughts.
This was the last time that she see's Laenor as she comes across him just before he leaves.