Candles glowed like fireflies, the flames seeming to dance around the open space as though instructing the wealthy occupants of what was expected of them. The flames also acted to accentuate the immense wealth that was on display in order to intimidate all those that attended the ball.
Paintings that Naenya, in all her years of running through the halls and rooms of Dragonstone, had never once seen before were hung up so comfortably that one would assume they had been there since before the Targaryens themselves. Ornamentations of pure gold swung from the roof, which was supported by newly decorated crimson-red columns. If a single Lord or Lady had questions of where their place was compared to a Targaryen, they had their answer in these walls. It was hard to imagine a man such a Viserys Targaryen would be able to create such a spectacle, perhaps Damon or Otto Hightower.
While everyone had known for some time that Princess Naenya's, the future heir to the Iron Throne, tour would end with such a ball, it was only a week ago that the King had officially announced it. It was during her last few days at Storms End that the proclamation of the King had arrived to the Lords and Ladies of Westeros. Viserys Targaryen proclaimed that his eldest daughter and heir was in search of a future King Consort. And whether a Great House had a good political match for the princess, whether their sons were too young or already married, they were expected to attend to show their respect regardless.
And attend they did. On the afternoon of the ball, Lords and Ladies from around the realm, both from the Great Houses and the lesser houses that held more power than other small houses, swarmed Dragonstone in a flutter of fine silks and newly acquired jewellery.
And once the sun fell from the sky, and the stars and candles were raised high into the sky they all flocked towards the Keep and amassed at the ballroom to dance. Quickly enough, after some speeches from the King and Naenya herself, ladies were thrown into the air by strong-armed men and twirled around the dance floor until their heads spun. Lords unfit for Naenya's partnership, whether they be too old, too young or from a lesser house, took the ball as an opportunity to find wives for themselves as ladies spent the night scoping out their potential future suitors.
Naenya enjoyed watching them. Like peacocks they seemed to spread out their feathers and strut about. Some preened themselves and others, fixing jewellery and dress fittings, while some shook their feathers at unimpressed lords and ladies. It was all rather amusing, though she struggled to find too much humour in the whole affair. After all, she would have plenty of extravagant courtship endeavours thrown her way once she took herself to the dance floor.
For now, she was content with her goblet of water and a show.
"Does it upset you?"
Rhaenys Velaryon was standing beside Naenya, holding a goblet of fresh dornish wine. The faintest hint of a wry smile was adorned on the Rhaeny's lips as she brought them to the cup.
"Many things upset me," Naenya said, staring down at the dancing Lords and Ladies, "You'll have to be more specific,"
"You never responded to the letter announcing Prince Aegons birth, so I'm told," Rhaenys said, neither Targaryen turning to look at the other, "I can't imagine you'd be too fond. You're a smart girl. You know the lords of Westeros would rather see their Houses fall than see it ruled by a woman,"
Naenya stayed silent, taking a sip of her goblet.
"You're a smart woman. The lords bent the knee to you because they had no one else to rule them," Rhaenys continued on as Naenya remained stone-faced, "They have Aegon now. They will expect certain things, and your father is no fool. He will know too,"
"You speak as if I do not know this already, though I do dispute one thing that you seem to state as fact. My father is a fool. A kind-hearted and gentle King that rules a happy Kingdom well, but a fool nonetheless," Naenya finally spoke, her face remaining unchanging, "He made that obvious when he decided to make me heir and continued to do so once Aegon was born."
After some time, Naenya finally turned to address Rhaenys properly. Standing where they stood, on a bannister above the dancing, they appeared as Gods looking down from the heavens. With their white hair and porcelain skin, a Targaryen could easily be mistaken for having a heavenly glow. Two Targaryen women, watching each other carefully, could appear as battle angels.
"It is why I have been gone from all that I love, all that I hold dear, for almost two goddamn years. You think I did so as some sort of party, Rhaenys?"
"Oh I know what your plan was, though I pause in my belief that it would have worked,"
"I didn't just speak to Lords, but their wives, the future ladies and their sons," Naenya said, a deep frown upon her face, "where I couldn't find an ally in a Lord, I found it in their wife or their child. I showed my value as ruler, and I have dressed my own home up in such heinous ways to marry myself off to one of those Lords. So that I may have even deeper ties to the Houses that wish me gone,"
Hard steely eyes stared deeply into one another, a tension so silent that a passerby would never have noticed the conflict between the two women. Only a dragon would have been able to see through the mist and into the debate occurring within.
"You speak to me as though I have only thought one step ahead of myself. Believe me, I have not, and I am very well aware of the hills I must climb. I am sure you considered your own hills prior to when you were thrown aside, though you did have Lord Corlys by your side. You had a husband, whereas I do not. It is both a good and a bad, I suppose"
Naenya glanced back to the crowds as she took a deep breath.
"Now, I hope to have your counsel through my ever upwards climb, but for now, I must go back to prancing around like a show pony so I may force unending loyalty to me from another House"
"How will it be unending?"
"I will have to marry a first son, of course. Their house must be mine,"
"Even if you do not love them?" Rhaenys tested.
"Especially if I do not love them,"
Naenya placed her goblet onto a nearby table, turning and walking away from her Velaryon relative. She kept walking, her head held high, until she was certain she was out of sight of the Targaryen woman. Once she was, she let herself pause, taking a deep breath as she let out a sigh.
Grabbing a goblet of wine from a nearby servant, she took a sip before handing it back. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she rolled her shoulders back and prepared to continue onto the mating ceremony.
Author typing...
There's still plenty to go! Naenya is having to deal with a lot of bullshit during this one night. She gonna need plenty of wine to get through this (Though, if it's not obvious, Naenya doesn't really drink. She prefers to be the only clearheaded one amongst a bunch of drunks)
I feel like Rhaenys has Naenya's best interests at heart, Naenya is far more pragmatic and realistic than Rhaenyra so Rhaenys would probably respect her for that. But Rhaenys gotta come in and spit facts because Rhaenys wants to know what's in Naenya's head, Rhaenys truly believes a female heir won't actually happen (But like, fair)