Laena and her family were gathered around the painted table to talk of strategy and how to proceed. Corlys had pledged his fleet to their cause and it eased the worry on the Rhaenyra's face. Nothing of the day, however, shocked Laena quite as much as her brother insisting that their mother send the boys halfway across the realm as envoys. The children had remained mostly quiet as Rhaenyra and her council discussed their options. But when Jacaerys insisted that the boys take the messages, Laena was caught off guard. Why would Jace want to get involved? The look he shot her told her enough. He wanted to help them succeed where she had failed. She should have burned them all; her older brother blamed her for whatever happened next...
"It's been said that as Targaryens, we are closer to gods than to men," Rhaenyra told Jace and Luke, out on the balcony. "And the Iron Throne puts us a touch closer, perhaps. But, if we are to serve the Seven Kingdoms... we must answer to their gods. If you take this errand, you go as messengers... not as warriors. You must take no part in any fighting. Swear it to me now under the eyes of the Seven."
"I swear it."
"I swear it."
"Thank you. Cregan Stark is... close to your age than is mine. I would hope, that as men, you can find some common interest."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Storm's End is a short flight from here. You have Baratheon blood from your grandmother, Rhaenys. And..." she turned to Luke, "Lord Borros is an eternally proud man. He will be honored to host a prince of the realm... and his dragon. I expect you will receive a very warm welcome."
"Our dragons..." Laena interjected, and the trio turned to her in surprise. She had spent days wallowing in her guild and anger and she needed to be a part of their plan. They hadn't even noticed her lingering near the doorway. "I will go with Lucerys, my little brother. I will not sit blindly by as the boys in the family do all the work." Her mother sighed and then smiled.
"Go to it then." Rhaenyra finally said.
"You don't trust me to take a message on my own?" her little brother complained as she readied Starfyre.
"Otto Hightower said that offers have been made, to the very houses we are treating with. There's a chance that Lord Borros has already sided with the greens. I hope that in both of us going, together, we will have a better chance to sway him to our cause." Luke seemed to relax at her words. "If it helps, I will let you speak. I'm merely going to offer extra support and help negotiate if the need should arise."
Aptly named, the heavens poured down on them as they arrived at Storm's End. Arrax was disgruntled by the weather and Luke had to repeatedly calm him.
"Gīda, Starfyre. Kesan māzigon arlī, dōna zaldrīzes. Stay calm, I will return, sweet dragon," she whispered, giving her a pat. Starfyre settled on the ground. Lighting cracked through the sky and a great roar followed. Luke and Laena's eyes fell on Vhagar's monstrous form just outside the walls of the castle, as she let out a great roar, and they shared a look. If Vhagar was in Storm's End, so was her rider.
"Don't think on it, Luke. I'm here..." she reassured him as they approached the guards, even as she swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. She didn't want to see him, she wasn't ready to rub salt into that wound...
"I am Prince Lucerys Velaryon, this is my sister, Princess Laena. We bring a message to Lord Borros from the Queen."
"Prince Lucerys Velaryon, son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Princess Laena Velaryon, daughter of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen." Laena grimaced as they entered the round hall, steeling herself for whatever awaited them. The Round hall was mostly barren; cold feeling, a suitable place to reunite with the man who had utterly betrayed her trust.
"Lord Borros... We've brought you a message from our mother... The Queen." She was impressed with the firmness of Luke's voice; the unwavering look on her brother's face. Aemond smirked at them from across the room, but Laena could see something else in his eye, uneasiness?
"Yet earlier this day, I received an envoy from the King. Which is it? King or Queen? The House of the Dragon does not seem to know who rules it." Lord Borros laughed and Laena fought the urge to go and strangle the smug fuck.
"What's your mother's message?" Luke held out the missive and one of the guards plucked it from his hands. "Where's the bloody maester?" The wind whistled about the castle as the maester read over the paper and leaned in to whisper in Borros Baratheon's ear. "Remind" me of my father's oath. King Aegon at least came with an offer: my swords and banners for a marriage pact." Despite her angry words to Otto on Dragonstone, the news made Laena feel like she had been punched in the stomach; her breath stuck in her throat as she glanced at Aemond. The victorious smirk on his face made her heart race and her blood boil. She wanted to punch him, just as her brother had weeks before. She wanted to carve his other eye out so she would never have to look into it again. Bastard...
"If I do as your mother bids... which one of my daughters will you wed... boy?"
"My lord... I am not free to marry. I'm already betrothed." Laena closed her eyes, silently cursing her brother's honesty.
"So you come with empty hands. Go home, pups, the both of you. And tell your mother that the Lord of Storm's End is not some dog that she can whistle up at need to set against her foes."
"You should know, my lord," Laena finally spoke, her anger getting the better of her. She stepped forward at last, her voice firm, "that mere days ago, Prince Aemond Targaryen was still betrothed to me, by the grace of the crown." The information seemed to surprise him, and the girl standing a few feet from Aemond. It wasn't necessary to tell them she had been the first to voice the betrothal's dissolution. "Should you choose to blindly follow Prince Aegon," she emphasized his name venomously, her eyes meeting Aemond's violet one across the room, "not only will you be supporting a usurper, but an oath-breaker as well. Nonetheless, we shall take your answer to the Queen, my lord." She dipped into a curtsy and turned, pushing Luke toward the door.
"Wait... my Lord Strong." Damn him...
"Luke, just go—" But her brother turned about to face Aemond.
"Did you really think that you could just fly about the realm trying to steal my brother's throne at no cost?" Aemond asked.
"I will not fight you. I came as a messenger, not a warrior." She longed to commend her brother for his noble response, but more than that, she wanted him to turn heel and flee on Arrax.
"A fight would be little challenge. No. I want you to put out your eye, as payment for mine." He removed the patch and the sapphire gleamed in the low light of the hall. Laena recalled, briefly, the time in her bedroom when she wanted to run her fingers over that scar. Nausea rolled through her and she swallowed the lump in her throat. "One will serve. I would not blind you. Mm, I plan to make a gift of it to my mother." She wanted to pick up the dagger that he tossed toward Luke, shove it through his other eye, and make him regret his words.
"No," Luke answered.
"Then you are craven as well as a traitor."
"Craven? A "fair exchange for a dragon," we're those not your words all those years ago, Aemond Targaryen?" Laena interjected, her arm wrapping around her brother's shoulder.
"Not here," Lord Borros interjected.
"Give me your eye or I will take it, bastard!" Aemond strode toward Luke.
"Aemond," Laena said his name with deathly calm, instinctively stepped in front of her brother; hiding the boy behind her back. The motion was enough to give Aemond pause, his eye glittering menacingly. Her furious gaze never left his as she tore the silver dragon pendant from her neck, the metal chain biting into her skin from the force. She didn't have to look to know it left her bleeding. "Here, my prince, an engagement gift for your new bride?" She tossed the pendant and it clattered to the floor. If looks could kill, the glare Aemond sent her would have struck her dead. He stepped forward threateningly.
"Not in my hall! They came as envoys. I'll not have bloodshed beneath my roof. Take them back to their dragons, now." Borros commanded to his guards.
"Go, go," she whispered, urging Luke out the door, an unsettled feeling in her gut. Arrax roared over the thunder as Luke mounted him, shouting at him to remain calm. The white dragon's nervousness matched her own as she mounted Starfyre and the dragons lifted off into the raging storm.
Laena caught sight of Vhagar in the clouds before her brother did, and she shouted at him to move out of the way. Starfyre and Arrax broke apart, each diving in opposite directions as Vhagar snapped her jaws behind them. Aemond went after Luke and Laena found herself and Starfyre suddenly trailing behind them, desperately attempting to keep up with Vhagar. Lightening flashed and the rain pummeled them as Aemond continued his pursuit.
She could hear the prince laughing as he tailed Arrax and another wave of nausea rolled through her. How could he find amusement in her brother's torment? Did he truly hold that much hatred in his heart? Resentment bubbled inside her as she struggled to follow through the rain. A sigh of relief left her as her brother made the clever decision to fly Arrax down through the large crevice, avoiding Vhagar. Aemond and his dragon pulled up and Laena could only hope her brother remained hidden. And then Aemond was shouting in High Valyrian, Laena could scarcely hear over the torrents of rain.
"You owe me a debt, boy!" Silence followed as Luke and Arrax were lost in the rain and mist. Laena held her breath as she pulled Starfyre back, searching for her brother. Time seemed to slow as Arrax suddenly emerged, breathing fire at Vhagar, and Aehla's heart plummeted as the massive green beast gave chase.
No, no, no... This isn't happening... She could hear Aemond and Luke both shouting, but she couldn't discern their words. Shouting her own commands, she circled Starfyre around Vhagar, attempting to distract her. When the dragon's pursuit continued, Laena shouted for Luke to get up over the clouds, only hoping he could hear her, and commanded Starfyre's ascension.
Laena squinted against the light as she broke through the cloud layer, smiling when she caught sight of Luke, who had done the same. She released a breath of relief as her brother grinned reassuringly at her. They had made it. Everything was going to be okay... Starfyre surged forward, closing the distance between them. Her relief turned to utter horror as Vhagar emerged from the clouds beneath her brother, maw open wide. The dragon's jaws closed around Arrax with a sickening crunch, as Laena watched from mere feet away, unable to do anything but scream as tiny pieces of her brother's dragon fell from the sky, along with her shattered heart...