chapter ten
we have lived different lives
DRAGONSTONE
132 AC
SUPPER WAS SOMETHING that Rhaella hated. It might sound odd, but she would rather spend the night alone and eating by her own than being forced to play the big, happy family in the perfect picture Alicent had created for herself. A perfect, false picture of the family she had wished for.
Everything during those moments was uncomfortable and also irritating. It was clear that nobody ― especially Aegon and Aemond ― wanted to be there. Rhaella could understand them, as she was as well forced to grin and bear it while the only people she actually liked in the room were Heleana and, sometimes, Aemond.
Maybe, the only person that actually enjoyed the meals was Heleana. Otto always asked the musicians to play her favourite ballads and he often danced with her, since Aegon always refused to do so. But it didn't matter how badly he treated her, he was always disclosed as a very nice husband, which infuriated her. She couldn't believe Alicent was that blind, she knew she was willingly ignoring how bad the idea the marriage between her children had turned out to be. She always wondered if the Queen sometimes regretted not accepting Rhaenyra's offer. Probably not, since she didn't know Jacaerys and couldn't be aware of the man he had turned out to be.
Rhaella also hated the fact that they were all obliged to pray. She had to pray to some Gods she didn't even believe in because the Queen said so. There was a time in which Rhaella was fascinated by the Sevens. She didn't properly believe in them, she was too young for that, but she was curious to learn more about them. That curiosity faded as soon as her mother died. If there were any Gods above them, Rhaella couldn't believe they would let such a thing happen. Not to a six year old girl. Then, she had learned that unfortunately those things happened a lot more than she thought.
And if the thought of Gods allowing a six year old girl to grieve her mother was unbearable, even worse was the fact that babies could lose their mothers when they were too young to remember them, that mothers could lose their babies soon after birth, that people died in the streets because there wasn't always enough food and meanwhile rich people shoved food down their throat. Where was the Mother, when her children were dying, starving? No God could allow such a thing. Therefore, being forced to pray was torture.
Even if she hated supper, Rhaella knew she had to attend the one Rhaenyra had invited her to. It was the least she could do, the Princess had literally brought her out from a place that was almost like a living hell. Moreover, it was a chance to see her favourite people again. She was pretty frustrated for how things had started with Jace, but she would work to go past the first impression. Maybe Rhaena was right. Maybe he was just nervous because she was the person who was going to become his wife, and that was a pretty big deal. She was nervous too.
Rhaella was also very excited to talk to Luke. The last time they had seen each other, he was a little boy with a adorable curls, puffy cheeks and, well, a broken nose. Now, he was still a very young boy ― he was only twelve years old ― but he had grown taller, his face matured a bit, while he kept the black curls. She was curious to learn if his interests had changed, or if he still was more of a land boy than a sea one ― which was ironic, considering that he would be Lord of Tides one day.
When she walked in the room, holding Rhaena's right arm, everyone was already there. Rhaella blushed, curing herself for being late the first day in her new home. It wasn't a proper behaviour. She only hoped Rhaenyra or Daemon wouldn't mind much.
Almost immediately, Rhaella was met by someone who crushed into her, putting their arms around her waist. Luke was already almost as tall as her, and he was four years younger. “Ella!” the boy exclaimed in joy.
“Luke!” Rhaella replied, surprised, but quickly reciprocating the hug.
“I've missed you” Luke said, pulling apart just enough to look at her in the face.
Rhaella smiled. “I missed you too, little boy” she said. “But you're not so little anymore, uh? A couple of years and you'll be taller than me”
“Arrax has grown as well” Luke stated, proudly. “You should come and see him!”
“Of course”
“Luke, let Rhaella catch a breath” Rhaenyra said, but she was smiling.
The Princess was sitting as the head of the table, her husband on her left. On her right, there was an empty seat and next to that there was Jace. Two other empty seats were placed next to Daemon. Rhaella didn't see neither Joffrey or little Aegon, but she wasn't surprised. They were still to young and probably were already asleep, or almost.
“Oh, there's no problem really. Forgive us for being late, Princess” Rhaella immediately apologised.
Rhaenyra smiled. “Oh, don't worry, you're perfectly in time. Come, we've saved you a spot between me and Jace”
Great. Rhaella smiled nervously and threw a glance at Rhaena, who nodded in encouragement. The girls both took a seat, Rhaella between Jace and Rhaenyra and Rhaena sat next to her father. Luke took his seat at his stepsister's left. After that, the bulters started bringing in the food. A soup of meat and fresh vegetables was served to all of them, along with bread. On the table there were also water and wine.
“Enjoy your meal” Rhaenyra said.
“Enjoy your meal” everybody replied. Then, they started eating.
Rhaella blinked, confused. Probably noticing her stupor, and the the she hadn't started eating, Rhaenyra leaned in and gently placed her hand on Rhaella's. This startled the young girl, who quietly gasped. “Ella” she called, worried. “Are you feeling well?”
As the Princess asked the question, the family members at the table noticed and stopped what they were doing, wondering if something was wrong with their new guest.
Rhaella's gaze ran through the room as she felt every single pair of eyes on her. She cleared her throat and nodded, feeling a little bit agitated. “Yes, I―I'm fine, shouldn't we―shouldn't we pray?” she wondered.
Rhaenyra smiled softly. “You can pray, if you want. If we do, we do that in our own heart”
“Oh”
Rhaella hated praying, but she believed that it was a custom, that every family of Westeros had that kind of tradition. The fact that at Dragonstone they didn't seem to mind completely threw her off.
“The only times in which we pronunce our prayers out loud is during public ceremonies” Rhaenyra explained. “If we want to rule on the Seven Kingdoms, it is expected from us to swear on the Gods of Westeros, but Faith is a private matter. Do you not feel comfortable with this?”
Rhaella shook her head. “No, it's not that it's just― the Queen always expected us to do so. To pray. But this is great, seriously. I never wanted to do that”
“You're not in the Red Keep anymore, Ella”
The girl smiled. She was not in the Red Keep anymore. “Yeah” she said. “Enjoy your meal” she added. Rhaenyra squeezed her hand with a smile.
The rest of the dinner went by smoothly. Rhaella quickly relaxed as the people around her easily made her feel like she was family, even though she had just arrived. Luke talked about all the progress he made with Arrax ― he had had his first flight a couple of months prior and the excitement hadn't quite vanished yet ― while Daemon promised he would take him and his dragon to fly all over Blackwater Bay once he would be ready. Rhaena said she had received a letter from Baela, who was hoping to join them along with Princess Rhaenys in order to welcome Rhaella. Rhaenyra promised they would arrange everything as soon as possible, as she wished to see her stepdaughter as well.
Rhaella was encouraged to speak and answered a lot of questions concerning her journey ― which hadn't been really interesting and not even long ― and she talked some details of her life in King's Landing. She talked mostly about Heleana, expressing the wish to write her a letter. Rhaenyra looked surprised her cousin asked her the permission to write a simple letter, and she told her she was free to do as she liked and didn't need to ask such things. She even informed herself on Heleana's well-being and, once she learned her half-sister was pregnant, she stated she would write to her soon, as Heleana might need to receive some comfort and advice from someone who was also experiencing a pregnancy in that moment.
Jace didn't speak much. He never willingly started a conversation on his own, and he only talked about his recent swordsfight training session because Rhaenyra asked him about it. Rhaella naturally felt a little bit upset because of his behaviour, but she decided she was not going to have her evening ruined. She finally felt at home after so many years and the fact that Jacaerys wasn't in the mood to talk wouldn't black out the joy which was warming her heart in that moment.
Rhaella felt exhausted. She was finally back in her chambers after dinner, and wanted nothing more than just collapse on the bed and sleep deeply until morning. However, it was the first time she was alone for the whole day and there were a couple of things she had do.
Rhaella stood in the middle of her room, looking around herself in awe. It was truly beautiful, even though it was smaller than the one she had in the Red Keep. Her favourite thing about her room was a giant window that looked out over one of the few fields that were on the volcano and other mountains of the island could be seen from afar. When she had noticed them for the first time, Rhaella had wondered if she could visit them sometime. She would ask Rhaenyra, or Daemon.
The sheets were made of silk and they had the colours that belonged to the Targaryens, red and black. Three pillows were placed on the bed and next to it there were two small tables, one for each side. A soft, big carpet laid on the pavement, a part of it was under the bed, while the rest covered a great slice of the room.
Rhaella took a deep breath, then she walked over the trunk in which she had collected all of the things that once belonged to her mother, mainly dresses, but there were also a couple of jewels. It was the only thing she had left unpacked while she was working with Rhaena. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel like opening it with her friend there. Rhaella never wore her mother's clothes, mainly because she was not old enough for them to fit her, but now things started to be different. She had realised, while she was putting her mother's clothes in the trunk, that maybe some of them could fit her now. She didn't know how to feel about it. Glad, because she could honor her memory by bringing her mother with her everywhere she went? Sad, because she could wear clothes her mother would never be able to wear or even touch anymore?
The girl started fidgeting with the ring she wore on her ring finger in her right hand after the boat that broughther to Dragonstone had sailed. Alysanne had told her it was a gift from Haarys, and Viserys had found it only fair to give it to Rhaella once Alysanne passed away. She had never dared to wear it at the Red Keep, especially if she knew Alicent or Otto would be around. She didn't need them to have another element to take advantage of in order to get what they wanted. Rhaella opened the trunk slowly.
She stared wide-eyed at the contents of it, surprised. The pile of clothes she had put in it was there, but there wasn't only that. On the top of it laid a sword, one she had never seen before. Next to the object there was a small sheet of paper fold in an half.
With trembling hands, Rhaella took the sheet of paper and opened it.
A small gift for my greatest apprentice. I hope your stay in Dragonstone will bring you the joy you need in your life. Ser Harrold.
Rhaella felt her eyes becoming teary as she read the note Ser Harrold had left for her. A small gift? The sword was made with an excellent material ― Rhaella could tell it even if she wasn't an expert ― and the hilt had a beautiful blue stone mounted in it. Rhaella seriously doubted she had been Ser Harrold's greatest apprentice ― she was good with the sword, but not that good ― but she appreciated his words, they warmed her heart. Beneath the Red Keep, beside Heleana, Ser Harrold was a safe place. She longed for their training sessions, in which she could finally feel a bit more like herself, when none was staring at her, judging her actions, scheming to gain what they wanted. Unfortunately, those moments were not as recurring as she wished. Rhaella wondered if Rhaenyra would allow her to train with Jace and Luke, assuming that Jace would want her around.
With a smile, Rhaella put the note back in trunk and closed it. She wanted to try the sword, but she was very aware she was too tired, and needed sleep. She quickly took off the clothes she wore for supper and put on her night gown, then she threw herself on the bed. While she was laying down, she noticed she hadn't blown out the candles on the table in the middle of the room. Rhaella sat up, looking at candles in annoyance.
Die out, she whispered to the flames, but not out loud, she only thought the words in her mind. And the flames did as she asked.
The next morning, Rhaella woke up when the sun was already high in the sky. She found her breakfast, which was already called, placed on the small table on which the previous night there were the candles. Rhaella felt grateful that they let her sleep in, it had been an eventful couple of days and she very much needed rest. She put a slice of bread in her mouth and then took a sip of the cold milk they had brought her. There were also some pastries and Rhaella took one of them after she finished the bread she was eating. They tasted delicious and Rhaella soon ate another one, as she was feeling very hungry in that moment.
Someone knocked on the door. Rhaella invited them to come in and Janessa made her appearance into the room. “Good morning, Princess” the woman greeted her with a slight bow of her head.
“Good morning, Janessa” Rhaella smiled at her. “Do you want some pastry?” she asked. Rhaella wasn't sure but she thought Janessa blushed at her invitation. She certainly avoided her gaze.
“These are for you, Princess”
“But I'm not going to eat all of this food” Rhaella said. “I always used to share it with the maids at the Red Keep. I would love to be able to do the same with you, but if you don't feel comfortable to do so I'll respect your wish”
“You're too kind, Princess” Janessa said.
Rhaella smiled and shook her head. “None can ever be too kind, dear Janessa” she said. Then, she picked up a pastry and offered it to the woman, who took it with a thankful smile.
“Thank you, Princess” Janessa said, then she gave a bite to the pastry. The two girls finished eating breakfast together, as Rhaella asked Janessa a little bit about her life.
Janessa was a little bit shy at the beginning, but then she quickly loosened up and happily talked with Rhaella. She was twenty years old and she came from a numerous family ― she had seven siblings, four sister and three brothers. She had found the job as a maid in Rhaneyra's castle four years prior, in order to help her mother with the expenses, which were a lot considering how big their family was. Her father had passed away and her family needed her help.
“Janessa” Rhaella said. “Do you know where I can find Princess Rhaenyra?”
Janessa nodded. “I belive she's in her chambers, Princess”
“Can you tell me where they are? I have seen a very small part of this place” Rhaella asked. She wondered if it was the right thing to do, go looking for Rhaenyra, but she wanted to speak to her. First of all, she wanted to thank her one more time because she didn't give up on her and fulfilled her promise. Secondly, the previous day she had forgot to ask her about rules. They certainly had rules in Dragonstone, just like in King's Landing.
Janessa gladly explained Rhaella how to find the Princess' chambers but she told her she couldn't go with her, as she had to come back to her duties. Rhaella thanked her, wore a white and blue dress and walked out of the room. She had sometime before noon, and it wouldn't hurt to explore the Castle a little while trying to find Rhaneyra.
Janessa told her Rhaenyra's chambers were located in the Sea Dragon Tower, a couple of levels lower than he Maester's chambers, which were placed at the top of a tower. Rhaella had read there were also cells in which they were used to keep noble prisoners. As far as she knew, none was held captive in there at the moment and she was glad about that.
The young Princess tried her best to follow Janessa's instructions ― she had always been good to that kind of stuff ― but the Castle of Dragonstone was completely different from the Red Keep. The hallways all looked the same, with that black pitched walls and the same statues which resembled dragons. In addition to this, Rhaella found the architecture very fascinating, it was the purest and greatest manifest of the Targaryen family ― her family ― and she loved witnessing it. She climbed some stairs, it was a tower she was searching for, after all. The worst that could happen was meeting someone to whom she could ask help.
Rhaella reached the top floor of the tower. Janessa had told her Rhaenyra's chambers were not at the top, but the truth was that Rhaella had no idea how high the tower was, so she just kept going up. She was met by another long hallway, lighted up by some torches that were hang on the walls. She found it a little bit unsettling, but the truth was that the whole castle looked a little bit scary. She wondered if she would find the Maester's chambers at the end of it. She was about to turn around and climb down, in order to find Rhaneyra, when her attention was caught by some voices that came from the other side of the hallway. People, finally. She found it absurd that she didn't meet anyone while walking around the Castle.
At the end of the hallway, Rhaella was met by some other steps. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, wondering why the builders of the Castle decided that it was indispensable to put every single room on a different level. She climbed up those steps as well, and found herself in a great hall. It was a round room with four tall directional windows and bare black walls. In the middle of the room there was a large table, largest than any table Rhaella had ever seen. She believed it must be at least fifty feet long, and it was about half as wide. Definitely not the chambers of the Maesters that served in the Castle. Two guards were standing at the entrance, one on each side, and they both slightly bowed their head as they noticed her. Rhaella greeted them back in the same way, then she looked at the people who were occupying the room.
Jace was standing at the right side of the table, looking down at a book which was placed on it. On the opposite side, Rhaella found Maester Gerardys, the Maester who served Rhaenyra and Dragonstone.
“Zaldrīzes rȳbus, lo mērī udrirzi Valyrio eglio ȳdrassua” Maester Gerardys said.
A dragon only listens if you speak in High Valyrian. If there was one thing Rhaella was glad that Alicent did, it was the fact she allowed her to take lessons of High Valyrian with her children, even though Rhaella was dragonless.
Jace nodded at the Maester's words but before he could reply, Rhaella spoke up. “Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor” she said, slowly walking towards the table. A dragon is not a slave.
Jace's head snapped up, his eyes widened at her sight. Rhaella noticed how immediately he tensed up and couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with him. Why was he behaving in such a way, when they were children he promised he would do everything to bring her out of the Red Keep to live with him and his family? Rhaella understood that they were not kids anymore, but she couldn’t understand what she could have done to deserve this kind of treatment from a boy who had always claimed to be her best friend. She always suspected the letters she wrote never made it to Dragonstone, but now she was staring to think otherwise. Maybe Jace had received them, maybe he just hadn't answered.
Maester Gerardys smiled at the Princess' comment, and gave her a nod of approval. “You're right, Princess. A dragon is not a slave. However, some of them are kind enough to let men be their allies, their guide, and those men must know how to communicate with them”
“Men and women” Rhaella politely highlighted. “I'm sorry for interrupting your lesson. I got lost, apparently my sense of direction is not as good as I thought”
“There is no need to apologise, Princess. We have just finished” Maester Gerardys reassured her. “As for your sense of direction, I don't believe you have to worry. A couple of weeks and you will know this Castle as the palm of your hand”
Rhaella smiled. “Thank you, Maester”
“Now, I have to go collect some plants in Aegon's Garden. I'll leave you in excellent hands with the Prince”
“Of course, Maester”
Gerardys vanished quickly, leaving Rhaella and Jace alone ― well, alone with the guards. Rhaella started nervously fidgeting with her mother's ring, wondering if she should say something. Certainly, they couldn’t spend the whole morning throwing subtle glances at eachother, wandering around in the same room but not speaking a word to one another. However, Jace seemed very focused on his book ― except when he slightly raised his eyes to understand if Rhaella was looking at him, a thing that she obviously did, since she was in his home and he should be the one welcoming her.
Since the Prince didn't seem interested in starting a conversation, Rhaella came to the conclusion she had to. If Jace really didn't want her around, at least he could indicate her the way to the library. Rhaella only hoped she wouldn't get lost again.
“You're having High Valyrian lessons?” Rhaella blurted out. Great. That was a very smart thing to say, Ella, seriously.
Jace looked up at her, his brown eyes finding her blue ones. Their eyes locked for a moment, but then he lowered his gaze. Jace cleared his throat and nodded. “Learning the language of our ancestors is fundamental, especially for a future ruler”
Ruler. King. It hit Rhaella in that moment that, if she married Jace, she would become Queen one day. Unfortunately, the figure of the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms was too associated with Alicent Hightower, at least in her mind, the only Queen she had ever known. A sudden fear of becoming exaclty like her gushed through her body as she shivered. Jace gave her a worried look, furrowing his eyebrows.
Rhaella tried her best to compose herself. Alicent was not there. Otto and Ser Criston were not there. She was safe.
Rhaella nodded, putting on her best smile, but she could see that Jace understood something was wrong. “You're right, my Prince” she agreed. “It's great to see that there are people who still care about our lineage”
Aegon, for instance, didn't. He was always sighing and grumbling whenever they had to attend a lesson, and this made him earn a lot of slaps on the cheeks by his mother, who was trying to learn the language as well. On the other hand, Aemond was really interested in learning High Valyrian, just like he was interested in the study of history and philosophy. He had a greater love for swordsfight, but he still enjoyed reading the manuals his preceptor gave him, and he was excellent in every subject.
“I―I suppose you used to take these lessons as well” Jace carefully said. “At the Red Keep”
“Indeed” Rhaella replied, glad that he made an effort to carry on the conversation. “With my cousins”
“Prince Aegon and Prince Aemond, yes” Jace said, bitterness in his voice.
“And Princess Helaena” Rhaella added. Helaena was not really interested in High Valyrian, she would rather spend time with Dreamfyre or with her bizzare creatures, but she was very good at speaking the language. Jace nodded, looking embarrassed about the fact that he forgot about his aunt.
Silence fell again. Rhaella looked out of the windows, staring at the blue ocean. It was truly beautiful, and a lot closer than when she was at the Red Keep. King's Landing had a dock, but it was far from the Castle. She wondered how it felt, to fly above the sea. She had basically given up on the idea of flying on her own dragon, one day, but she couldn’t help but daydream about it sometimes, especially during those kind of days in which the sun shone brightly and the light wind breeze seemed so refreshing.
“I―I was searching for your mother” Rhaella finally said after a while, turning towards Jace. “I believe I ended up in the wrong tower”
“This is the Stone Drum” Jace explained. “We're in the Chamber of the Painted Table. My mother's apartments are in the Sea Dragon Tower”
Rhaella nodded, approaching the table slowly. Once she reached it, she realised it was bigger than it seemed. Inscriptions were carved into the black stone, the names of the cities of the Seven Kingdoms, the whole map of Westeros was engraved in that table. It wasn't exactly easy to ready it, since everything was black, but it was certainly a magnificent piece. Aegon the Conqueror had planned his invasion of Westeros. It was a strange feeling, knowing that she was standing where he stood once, a long time ago.
“May I ask you why you were looking for my mother?” Jace wondered as Rhaella didn't carry on the conversation.
“I was meant to ask her about rules” she explained. “I forgot about it last night, and for this I deeply apologise”
Rhaella was never one kneel to follow rules, especially the one made by Alicent Hightower. However, now she was in a completely different situation. She didn't care about what Alicent thought about her, she didn't care about the punishments she would be given by the Queen if she didn't do as she wished
― like being closed in her chambers for days, or not being able to participate to tournaments and celebrations, especially if she had a lesson with Ser Harrold about swordsfight. But Rhaella she cared about Rhaenyra's opinion. She wanted to stay there, on Dragonstone, and if she wanted to do she had to be obedient.
“Rules?” Jace was confused, Rhaella could tell it, as he tilted his head slightly while asking the question.
“What kind of rules are you discussing about, children?”
Rhaella and Jace both turned towards the door. Rhaenyra walked in, holding a young, blonde boy in her arms ― Aegon, probably ― followed by Daemon. “Here you are, Ella. I was wondering where you ended with. I know this Castle is not the easiest to orient into”
Rhaella blushed. She already made Rhaenyra looking for her. She probably made her walk all around the Castle. “I apologise, Princess. I shouldn’t have left my chambers alone”
Rhaenyra handed Aegon to her husband, a smile on her face, then walk towards the table. “There is no reason to apologise, Ella. You are free to go where you please, this is your home now”
Rhaella was threw off by her words. “Do you mean I'm allowed to leave my apartments alone?”
Rhaenyra furrowed her eyebrows. “Of course you can, why wouldn't you?”
Rhaella swallowed. “I did not have the permission to do so, in King's Landing. The Queen didn't want me to” she explained. She left out that she did that anyway, it was probably the best. She noticed a shadow passing through Rhaenyra's eyes. If it was simple disapproval, or anger, Rhaella couldn't tell.
Daemon sighed. “Alicent has always been a maniac of control” he commented, rolling his eyes, walking closer to Rhaella. “But she's not here now” he added. Aegon bubbled something which made both of his parents chuckle. Rhaella's tension left her shoulders a bit.
“So, what rules were you discussing?” Rhaenyra asked, going over to Jace and putting an arm around his shoulder.
“I was just asking the Prince about the rules I should know to live here”
“I'm afraid I don't understand, Ella”
“Rules about how I should behave, Princess” Rhaella said.
Rhaenyra gave Daemon a worried look which lasted only a moment, then she looked back at Rhaella and smiled. “There is no such a thing here, the only rules you have to follow are the ones of common decency. And maybe don't lean out the windows if they are open, it might be dangerous” she explained. “As for the surroundings, you can wander around the Castle or on the beach if you want to. But you should never go too far, as you know we share this island with wild dragons and I'm not sure they would listen to us, even if we speak High Valyrian. And please, call me Rhaenyra”
Rhaella felt both confused and overwhelmed. How was it possible that the life she had in King's Landing was so different from the one her cousins were experiencing in Dragonstone? Was she now finally free? It seemed a too good to be true, it seemed a dream, the fact that she didn't need to worry about not getting caught if she simply wanted a breath of fresh air. “Thank you, Princ― Rhaenyra”
Aegon babbled something again, stretching his little arms towards Rhaella. The girl took a moment to actually look at him. His hair were silver and his eyes were deep blue. He looked exactly like a Targaryen and was a lot different from Jace. The two if them didn't seem to have the same mother. Aemond's voice came back to her in a whisper and she noticed the differences between the two brothers. Bastards. Strongs.
“It looks like someone is eager to meet you” Daemon said with a smile.
“May I?” Rhaella asked. Her uncle nodded and handed her the baby. She had never held a baby ― well, she had held Luke but she was four, she wasn't sure that it counted ― but it wasn't a hard as she though, even if Aegon was at least one year and half old and was pretty heavy. The little boy began to play with locks of her silver hair, making her chuckle. “Hi little one”
“I'd say he likes you” Rhaenyra said, rubbing her belly gently.
“I like him too” Rhaella said with a smile. “Rhaenyra, may I ask you something?” she said after some moments.
“Of course”
“Is there a library here?” Rhaella wondered.
Rhaenyra nodded. “Of course. It is located next to the Maester's chambers, on the top floor of the Sea Dragon Tower. Would you like to visit it?”
Rhaella nodded. “I would very much like it, if that's allowed”
“Of course it is” Rhaenyra said. “Maybe Jace can escort you there”
Jace, who hadn't said a word since his mother and stepfather had walked into the room, shook his head. “I―I actually need to go... I―I have a lesson. Of swordsfight” he said, wiggling out from his mother's gentle grip and walking towards the door.
Rhaenyra gave him a confused glance. “A lesson of swordsfight? Now?”
Jace nodded virgously. “Yes. Yes. I'm very sorry. Maybe the next time?”
“Sure” Rhaella whispered, but he was already out of the room.
“I'll take you there, don't worry” Daemon said.
Rhaella smiled at him and tried her best to hide her disappointment. She was glad to spend some time with her uncle, but now it was clear. Jace didn't want anything to do with her, and she didn't know why.
A/N next chapter is going to be a very interesting one!! I also wanted to say that I think some of you may have lost a chapter since I published two of them the last time. I'm saying this because chapter eight has less visuals than chapter nine and I find it strange. Anyway, let me know what you think about this one! The next two chapters are my favourites as for now so stay tuned!
Love, Sof <3