VIII

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                                 Truths
114AC

It was night already, it was also the day after the wedding between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon, and Zora -Naerehra- hadn't yet come out of her chambers, though some maids had brought her food. She had just finished her bath, with no maids in there, she could bath herself alone after all. As she finishes getting dressed, with a black nightgown, with her hair loose, and nothing else somebody knows her door, luckily she was still up so she is fast in answering the door while wondering who could it be that late in the night. As she opens the door, she is faced with a guard, one she saw in the wedding, what could he want?!, the guard spears one glance at the woman's body, obviously nothing how little clothes she wears. He clears his throat before staring at Zora's-Naerehra's- eyes and saying in a monotonous voice.

—The king requests your presence in the throne room. – He doesn't bother a 'good evening' or anything like that, and as he says it he leaves not waiting for a answer, but not before stealing a last look at the woman's body.

Zora decides to not question the king's request, she needed to talk to Viserys either way, better soon than later. She doesn't bother changing clothes, he had seen her in less many times before either way.

As Zora walks on the hall she notice things she hadn't the night before, like all the dragons decor, illuminating the night with its fire, it was really creative and tacky. She finally reaches the throne room's door and as expected there is two guards there, standing like statues, though one moves and get in the throne room to tell the king the woman was there and closes the door, moments later he get out of the room and tell her she is now allowed to get in, but he leaves as he says it, and so does the other guard, which means the king probably dismissed the both of them.

As she gets inside the throne room, she sees Viserys on the iron throne, before walking straight on his direction she closes the door herself, since there wasn't anyone there anymore.

—Why did you did it? — That's the first thing it comes out of the kings mouth.

—Did it what? Please recall me. — She wears a slightly smirk while saying it.

—Lied about you name, origin, parentage? And why did Rhaenyra recognized you? Had she met you before? — As he was saying his voice was getting higher, showing how mad he was but Naerehra stood still, not showing any emotions other than amusement, which made Viserys even angrier.

—To survive. Technically I didn't lied about my  origin, you always knew I was a witch. About my parentage, we never had gotten deep on the subject, which I believe it was why you never got to tell me your had a daughter and a wife. — Her voice was also getting higher, as she went to speak about Rhaenyra and Aemma. She turned to her left, looking around the throne room, avoiding Viserys's eyes, as she finished, now with a calmer voice. — I met Rhaenyra five years ago, she was with Syrax back then already, we were both in a camp, she, because of the dragon and I because I had business with some people around there, I was walking inside the forest to meet with them when she appeared behind me, she asked questions, questions that I would not answer to a annoying child, specially one with silver hair. She kept following me, while picking fruits for Syrax. As time went by, she would meet with me and we got... attached. — She finished now looking at the iron throne.

—Who is 'them' ? — He was curious, but it didn't matter, they weren't anyone important and that's what she answered, truthfully, like the previous questions.

—No one important.m

Suddenly, after a moment of silence Viserys asked:

—Why did you left that night?

She, of course, knew exactly what he was talking about. The night she left, after finding out he was married, not only that, but that he had a daughter.

—I was devastated, I was buying my wedding dress, for our wedding, when I heard that 'Prince Viserys's wife had a stillborn child'. — Naerehra stepped closer to Viserys, with her eyes locked on his, while saying it, with her voice breaking slightly. — Do you have any idea of how much it hurt to know you already had a family of your own while you were giving me fake promises? No, you don't, because it wasn't you who were lied to about such a serious thing for over a year, dreaming about having a family of your own with the only man that had ever showed love to you.

Viserys felt that in his heart, it was like a knife had pierced it, multiple times. Naerehra could swear she saw tears in his eyes, but she didn't cared, not anymore.

Viserys took a deep breath, and ignored her question, he needed to know why she lied about something so simple like her name.

—You didn't explained why you lied about your name, what 'to survive' is supposed to mean?

—Otto Hightower. That man is the reason. My mother's name was Zora, and as you all know Jaeherys was my father, he knew about me, but he had a family of his own already, like you, but unlike you, he didn't need to lie, my mother knew, he was the king after all. One night, the night Princess Daella Targaryen died, Jaeherys went look for a seer, without anyone knowing, he was devastated, she wasn't the first child he'd lost, anyway, he found my mother, or she found him, she told him many things, including that none of his children would be sit on the iron throne, one thing lead to another, and bum, nine months later I was born. —Viserys listened quiet, paying attention to every word Zora -Naerehra- would tell him— But the thing is, Jaeherys may had not wanted anything to do with me, but he let two letters in my mother's bed, one, legitimating me, the other one, saying that he would tell his hand -Otto Hightower- about us, and if she ever needed help, she should contact him. And you must know by now that Otto Hightower wouldn't have helped us at all, but whether kill us, he knew my name, Naerehra, that isn't a common name at all, but we believed he didn't knew my mother's, so when needed, I would say my name was Zora, and when my mother died, I started using 'Zora' to everything, a way to feel closer to her.

Viserys was shocked, he wouldn't imagine most of these things, like that, she was legitimate, her mother's name was Zora, Otto knew about her, and never told him...

Viserys noticed that Zora's -Naerehra's- eyes were getting heavy to he walked until he was in front of her, and held her hands, she got tense, she didn't knew way he did that, and honestly, neither did he.

—I just have one more question, a simple one, after that, you can go to your chambers to sleep.

Naerehra nodded, feeling tired already.

—What is it?

—How old are you, you've told me many things, and though you have told me your age years ago, I believe that was not it. So, how old are you?

Even though feeling tired, Naerehra smiled, assuring Viserys that he hadn't sleep with a minor, nor with a much older woman.

—Don't worry, I'm three-and-ten, though I know I look much younger, but I won't age anymore. That's all?

—Yes — He whispered. — Can you go back to your chambers alone?

—Yes — she nodded. She turned around to leave the throne room, but stopped on her track, whispering, loud enough for Viserys to hear. — Good Night, Viserys.

She hadn't address him as Viserys for a long time, so when she did, he smiled, replying the same.

—Good Night — He didn't said her name, he didn't know if he should address her as Zora or Naerehra, so he decided to use none of them, yet.

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