106 AC
Kings Landing
"Where is my sister," Valera Targaryen demanded to know as Ser Criston Cole came into her line of sight. Marching through the halls, boots clicking against the stones, Valera and Daemon walked hand-in-hand, pretending to ignore the iron coated knight that followed behind them.
Ser Criston Cole stood outside the large oak doors that lead into the Kings private dining room. With his face stern, and hands rested upon his sword; Ser Criston seemed to be in a sort of trance. The Knight was only brought back to reality when he heard the strong distinctive voice of the Princess Valera Targaryen.
"Princess Valera...Prince Daemon..." the Knights greeting was accompanied with a hint of confusion, having not known of their arrival until now. His pale green eyes lingered from the girls bosom where they naturally landed to her swollen belly in an instant. The man's eyes widened in surprise at the realization that she was in a family way.
Not liking the way she was being looked at- or the man in general, Valera repeated her demand with a snap, "My sister?" The girl clenched her jaw and raised her eyebrow in an inpatient manor.
Since their first meeting, Valera had not been in favor of the newest member of the Kings Guard. He was cocky with a sword, believing himself to be better than those he trained with but the Princess knew she could disarm him even in her fragile state. The younger princess, Rhaenyra, quickly became smitten with the knight as he was appointed as her sworn shield.
Gathering himself, Ser Criston cleared his throat and bowed to the couple before going to open the large doors that he stood guard of, "In here, Princess."
"Kostagon sagon caraxes could ipradagon zirȳla," mayhaps Caraxes could eat him, Valera eyed Daemon with a sinister glint in her eye as they walked past the Dornish man. Prince Daemon chuckled at the Princesses comment, accustom to the moodiness caused by the babe.
In the dining room, Princess Rhaenyra was sat on the left side of the table, a light blue and white dress dangled with her feet as they did not yet meet the ground. Septa Marlow sat across from the Princess, the two in silence at they ate their meals. Rhaenyra often dined with her Septa unless her cousins, Laenor and Laena Velaryon were around to accompany her.
Hearing the old creaking doors open, the child instantly snapped her head towards them to see who was entering. Seeing that if was her sister, Rhaenyra squealed loudly and instantly jumped up from her position at the table to run towards Valera and Daemon.
"Sister!!" Rhaenyra exclaimed happily, flinging her small arms around Valeras growing frame with almost no mind to the change. "How I have missed you!" The girl sighed as she clung tightly to her sister and best friend.
Valera smiled as a warm feeling spread through her body, "and how I have missed you, hāedar." little sister. Valera stroked the hair of her sister, admiring the golden tone it had to it. Seeing her sister again brought Valera much joy, having missed her tremendously during her time away from court.
After a strong hug, Rhaenyra stood back and eyed her sister and uncle suspiciously, "Nyke naejot sagon nykeā sodjisto?" I am to be an aunt? The girls question was more of a statement as she raised her left eyebrow at the swollen belly of her sister, eyes flickering to where Daemon stood with a smug, proud look displayed across his face.
Even at the Princesses young age, she was quite intelligent and able to pick up social cues very well. Books many young had trouble reading, Rhaenyra found boring and effortless to get through. The Princess loved to learn, her mind constantly ticking and questions continuously spewing from her lips when she wished to understand something.
Valera laughed lightly and nodded her head in response to her sisters reaction and suspicious flickering eyes. Rhaenyra looked at her with a raised eyebrow, cocking her head to the side now, "should you not be in Dorne? With the Prince."
"She is with the Prince," Daemon told his youngest niece proudly. Rhaenyra looked her uncle up and down with a little smile tugging the corners of her mouth, "the right one now," he said while intertwining his fingers with Valera once more. Rhaenyra stared at the hands as they entangled each other together tightly. Seeing this, the young girl allowed her small smile to rise on to her lips.
The younger girl turned back to the dinner table, beckoning the two other Targaryens to join her as she did so. "Mother did dream you be wed," Rhaenyra recalled; climbing back upon the wooden chair that almost encased her.
Daemon and Valera glanced at each other with soft smiles, and tender eyes, recalling the sweet, empathic nature of the late Queen Aemma and how heavily she supported the twos relationship.
Valera frowned as her heart ached at the thought of her mother, wishing she could be here to walk her through the trials of motherhood. Noticing the change in her demeanor, Daemon squeezed Valeras hand tightly. Something that had become a nonverbal expression of love between the two Targaryens.
"So, mandia," sister, Rhaenyra started after dismissing the Septa, "is Dorne as beautiful as I am told?"
Valera and Daemon entertained the younger Princess with stories of their time away. They described the forign landscape and the different plants they encountered, telling her of the exotic animals and fruits they saw and tried. Valera described the royals in Dorne and how welcome she had felt as Daemon voiced his displeasure towards her words through groans and snorts. Rhaenyra then took turns sharing her activities, regailing tails of flying on Syrax with Leanor and SeaSmoke, playing with the young noble girls and boys in court and reading through half of the castles library. She even began to speak the language of the Dothraki at one point, surprising Valera and Daemon greatly. Afterwards, Daemon enthralling both of the girls as he told them of how he got one of the Dornish men in the City's Watch to infiltrate the Water Gardens for him so he could keep an eye on Valera and the lengths he went to get to her.
Learning of this for the first time, the Princess insisted on knowing who he had sent to spy on her. Once learning the man's role at the Water Gardens, she felt quite uncomfortable knowing all that the man may have witnessed and could have possibly told Daemon; having spent much leisure time with the Prince Qoren in the gardens.
The Princess pushed her anxious thoughts from her head, knowing that if her uncle knew all the details behind Qoren and hers relationship, he would have surely disemboweled the Dornish Prince.
Interrupting the blissful reunion, the large double doors opened wide once more, this time, the slender and graceful Alicent Hightower entered the room. The woman seemed to have been in a hurry, her auburn hair and green dress swept back from her swift steps.
"Rhaenyra dear-" Alicent began to call out for the little Princess before falling quiet as she saw Valera and Daemon Targaryen.
Valera narrowed her eyes with a dangerous intensity. Alicents eyes widened ever so slightly before she regained her composure and began speaking again.
"Rhaenyra, it is time to ready for bed," Alicent announced, crossing her hands behind her back and holding her head high.
"She will stay," Valera spoke bitterly, glancing at her sister who sat quietly, almost ignoring the presence of Lady Alicent, "she will ready when she wishes."
"Doru-borto orvorta," dumb cunt, Prince Daemon muttered, annoyed at the lack of respect the Hightower girl showed them. Rhaenyra giggled at the comment before slamming her hand over her mouth. Alicent gave the little girl a sharp look before quickly being snapped out of it by the harsh words of the Prince, "leave before I rip your eyes from their sockets!"
Alicent gasped sharply and quickly ran from the room, leaving a sinister smile on Prince Daemons lips as well as pleased look on Princess Valeras. Princess Rhaenyra, on the other hand, looked shocked at the words of her uncle.
"That was mean!" Rhaenyra scolded her uncle with a frown and furrowed brow. Standing from her chair in a huff, the little Princess raced after the woman she had become accustomed to.
In the past few months, Alicent had spent much time with the girl, reading, and dining with her as well as accompanying her to the Dragon Pits occasionally... even the beauty of the beastly creatures being a wonder to her. Slowly, Rhaenyra developed an affection for the woman and when asked by her father, she gave him her word of approval for their marriage.
Sighing, Daemon rose from his seat and offered Valera his hand, helping her rise. "Let's get you some rest," the Prince cooed lovingly before leading her to his own apartments.