CHAPTER ELEVEN
ROSEVA had been in her chambers with Robert, the boy on the floor playing with his makeshift toys with small babbles. Her face was covered in mixture to cover her bruises but the cut on her lip remained.
A loud knock on her door made her look up to see Rhaenyra bursting in out of breath — Roseva had been confused momentarily because she didn't think that the Princess would be back yet considering she was out within the Kingdoms looking for marriage proposals.
As soon as the words exited Rhaenyra's mouth Roseva froze, "Daemon's back", her body stilled and her breathing stopped. Rhaenyra hesitantly walked forward and took Robert into her arms, rocking him gently. "Rose?".
"W-why?", her voice was so fragile and calm despite the way her heart was thumping against her rib cage. Rhaenyra shrugged her shoulders and gestured for her to follow when she began walking out of the woman's chambers with Robert still in her arms — the child gripped her silver hair gently which made Rhaenyra smile down at him.
Roseva followed in a clueless manner, Rhaenyra walked fast as though she didn't want to miss something so important — and to her perhaps this was important, her uncle was back but for Rose she was scared.
Within the last three years Roseva had gotten into a loveless marriage and had a child, she was scared that perhaps Daemon had come back for her but once he knew what had happened since he left he would want nothing to do with her.
The thought was breaking her heart despite telling herself over the last three years that she hated him and blamed him for her marriage to Otto but realistically they were both to blame and she could never hate him — not even if he left her and never came back, she would still love him.
The high people of the Red Keep gathered in the throne room as soon as word came, Rhaenyra pushed past people, one arm holding Robert to her chest and the other holding Roseva's hand so she didn't get caught amongst the crowd.
As soon as they walked down the isle of people in the room, she caught her husband's gaze making her stop which caused Rhaenyra to stop. "I cannot be here, I have to go back", she then tried taking Robert as she saw Otto making his way toward them.
Rhaenyra looked at her confused but immediately her eyes became narrow when Otto walked past her to join Roseva's side with a hand on the small of her back, his grip tightening by the second.
The Princess stopped Roseva from taking Robert for a moment as she noticed the woman gulping slightly.
Then she remembered, Otto knew about Roseva and Daemon and that's why she wanted to go back. Before Otto or Rhaenyra could speak, Steffon came out of nowhere and stood beside the latter with a matching narrowed gaze — his hand rested on his sword on his hip.
"Otto", he spoke blandly before turning to Robert and giving him a pat on the head. Steffon looked to Roseva and kissed the top of her head lightly causing a small smile to rest on her face before he pulled away and stood beside Rhaenyra again.
Roseva hadn't missed the way Rhaenyra looked up at him with practically heart shaped eyes or the way Steffon tried extremely hard not to look down at the Princess as he felt her eyes on him — she thought they were sweet.
Before the man could reply everyone shifted when someone came into the room, it was Daemon Targaryen — whispers immediately dispersed and Otto took the time to let go of Roseva and take his place beside the King.
Roseva let out a breath before Steffon guided her to the end side of the throne room — hopefully out of sight but as people moved it caused a huge space in the room so that anyone could see them. It made her feel extremely vulnerable.
Rhaenyra passed Robert to Roseva gently and the mother quickly began rocking her child — for his comfort and for her own.
Daemon hadn't seen her yet, his eyes darting across the room to see his Rose but she was not in his sight — he cursed the crown on top of his now short hair for being too heavy for him to look properly or perhaps she hadn't come at all.
That thought made him tense.
Roseva had seen him of course, his warrior statue and short hair with a wooden crown placed on top made her knees weak — she hated the effect he had on her even after all these years.
She watched as a Knight held his sword to his chest to stop him from reaching the King, Daemon looked down at it with no emotion before lifting his axe. Viserys looked at it confused before it clanged to the floor, "Add it to the chair", he said with a devious look — tension filling the room between the two brothers.
If Daemon had merely looked to his right he would have seen her, it made her hold her breath every time his head moved but every time it did it wasn't to look in her direction — only Viserys'.
"You wear a crown. Do you also call yourself 'King?'", once Viserys spoke whispers began making their way around the room. Roseva watched as the younger brother crossed his hands over one another in front of him — his way of showing how unbothered he was of the situation.
"Once we smashed the Triarchy, they named me "King of the Narrow Sea", there was a moment of pause as Viserys looked at his brother with narrowed eyes, not knowing what to make of the situation, "But I know that there is only one true King, Your Grace".
Daemon got down on one knee and bowed his head, Viserys turned to Otto who stood near Roseva who was beside Rhaenyra who stood beside Steffon leaving Otto with a nice space next to his wife and son — his face was dark because of two reasons, he had slept with his wife before they were married and he simply just did not like Daemon.
Viserys turned back when Daemon spoke again, "My crown and the Stepstones . . . are yours", he took off his crown and held it toward the King.
The man smiled sarcastically a little before looking behind Daemon, "Where is Lord Corlys?".
"He sailed home to Driftmark".
"Who holds the Stepstones?".
"The tides . . . the crabs and two thousand dead Triarchy corsairs, staked to the sand to warn those who might follow".
Viserys began walking down from the throne, his sword thudding against the hard floor every step he took until he reached Daemon at the bottom of it. The King took the crown from Daemon's hand to inspect it, the latter took it as his chance to turn to the right side of him to see Otto.
Otto moved along with Daemon's eyes watching his every move until he reached Roseva, Daemon stopped for a moment when his eyes landed on her. Finally. But then he looked down to the small child in her arms and hoped for a moment it was his.
But it wasn't right, he didn't look old enough nor have his silver hair. Then he saw Otto place a hand on Roseva's back with a smug smile and his face fell slightly. Roseva watched as Daemon met her eyes, her sad eyes but she couldn't tell what Daemon was thinking nor was it long before he turned his head away from her making her eyes well but she refused to let them fall.
Rhaenyra watched the interaction with an ache in her heart, all she could remember as a kid was wanting Roseva and Daemon to get married and take her with them to Dragonstone where she could live with all their children — asking her mother to stay with them to abandon their roles at the Keep and just live happily together.
But then Daemon got married, her mother died and now Rose was married with her own child, she knew her dream was a false reality but she still wished, even now, that something could change and Roseva and Daemon could wed anyway no matter what anyone says about them.
Everyone watched silently as Viserys then stared down at his brother, "Rise", he eventually said and Daemon did so, standing still before Viserys reached forward to pat his shoulder — Daemon took this movement into his heart and bowed his head into his older brother's chest.
Roseva smiled gently at the gesture knowing Daemon always looked up to his older brother and always wanted his approval no matter how he acted out and pretended he didn't care — he did care, a lot actually.
The crowd of people began to clap at the reunion of the brothers, smiles on their faces — you would think that they knew them personally by the way they were smiling but they only saw what was on the surface. Not what was buried deep within.
Viserys began to lead Daemon away, the rogue prince turned to Roseva one last time but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking down at her child in her arms with a fond smile while Otto kissed her head — if he had looked away he wouldn't of noticed her flinch under his touch nor the cut on her lip now her hair was out of her face.
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and anger but before he could say or do anything he noticed his niece — Rhaenyra giving him a look and nodding her head to the side to incline the idea that she needed to speak with him alone, he nodded his head once and she quickly joined his side as Viserys led them out — the old man oblivious to the their silent communication.
⸺
Before long, the King and Queen began conversing with Daemon outside, but before that Rhaenyra found him in his chambers and told him everything that had happened over the last three years.
More specifically that Otto threatened Roseva and her family, that he knew of what happened between them, that Roseva then married Otto and birthed Robert and that he had been hurting Rose for two years.
Amongst the conversation, Daemon could only mutter a few "Cunt"'s here and there. He was beyond furious — he wanted to grab Otto by the neck, force him to his knees and cut off his head with Dark Sister and watch with satisfaction as he head rolled.
However, he knew he couldn't because the King would force him away for good and Roseva would be stuck in Kings Landing as another fat lord wedded her.
It was cruel how inconveniences kept getting in their way.
Roseva watched from the bench in the gardens as Rhaenyra walked over to her family, she turned away when Daemon looked at her from afar — he was always so far away from her but this time it was her fault. She was so ashamed of herself.
Robert fidgeted in her arms so she placed him down on the floor and he began crawling by her feet. A few moments later, boots came into her visions and hands picked up her son — she looked up quickly but visibly relaxed when she saw it was Daemon.
Daemon swaddled the boy in his arms with a bright smile on his face — it made her heart swell and it also made her want to cry. "Who's this little guy?", Daemon of course knew who he was but he didn't want to pressure Rose into telling him things if she didn't want him to know.
Roseva hesitantly smiled, "Robert . . . Hightower", her brown eyes darted between her son and the man she loved, they were wide and full of anxiety. But then Daemon smiled down at her and her eyes softened.
"He's beautiful, Rose. Just like you".
She blushed under his gaze and words which made him smile brighter but she looked up when he brushed his thumb over her lip, most people had gone inside now, Rhaenyra and Alicent were the only ones left in the gardens, conversing in a friendly matter for the first time in a long time.
"What happened?", he asked, his smile now gone as he let his thumb fall from her face as Robert attached his own small fingers around it and looked up at the rogue prince in fondness that made both his and Roseva's hearts swell.
He had his mothers eyes.
"I fell", she told him as she avoided his gaze, it burned into her skin as though it was his dragon breathing fire over her. It made her feel hot and sweaty — her hands became clammy as she wiped them over her black dress.
Daemon rolled his eyes, "Hmm".
"What?", she demanded, her eyes snapping to his.
"I can always tell when you're lying".
She looked away from him once again and said nothing, the only sound that was heard was the distant chattering of the distant friends and the babbles coming from Robert until he spoke again, "You look tired, Rose", his eyes took her in until they fell on the rose necklace around her neck.
He reached forward and brushed his thumb over it, the chained bracelet of his own that matched resided on his wrist. She gulped as she looked down at her necklace when he once again pulled away and went back to comforting her son. "It's . . . been a long three years. A lot has happened since you left".
"I guessed that when I saw you with that cu-", he stopped in his tracks and looked down at Robert then back at her, "-Idiot, Otto", his voice held disdain but she couldn't blame him, she was married to the man and she felt sick.
"Please don't start, Daemon", she sat down on the bench again and he followed suit, shifting Robert onto his lap — the boy rested his brown curly locks onto the mans chest and closed his eyes, falling asleep. He could never do that with just anyone, not even Otto, he only did with his mother and now, she guessed, Daemon too.
Daemon looked at her with pity, "I'm not trying to start anything, Rose, I . . . Rhaenyra told me about some things".
"Rhaenyra is dramatic and needs to learn to keep her mouth shut", Roseva snapped as her head turned toward him with fire in her eyes. "You don't get to come back and ask questions about my marriage, go home, Daemon, to your wife. You focus on your marriage and I'll focus on mine", she stood quickly and carefully took her sleeping child from the man's arms and swiftly walked away from him.
Daemon didn't know what he had done wrong when he watched her leave, long wavy hair flowing down her back. Roseva couldn't speak about what was happening to her, she wanted to take Otto down but she couldn't believe that Daemon was the way to do it — he left her and she couldn't keep relying on him to come and save her.
Roseva Baratheon had to save herself. And save herself she shall.