Beginning of the End | House Of The Dragon

11.1

JONQUIL POV

"Is he dead yet?" When she didn't respond and instead only shot another arrow, shaking her head to clear her thought of my voice I asked again. "Having fun?"

"Well there's no siblings to mother."

"They don't need mothering Lilbet." Another arrow let lose to soar across the room, another perfect shot. "If your so bored without them then why didn't you stay in King's Landing?"

"And be the source of court gossip, no thank you."

"What are you talking about."

"You know what I'm talking about."

"No I'm afraid I do not so if you should be so kind as to explain it to me."

"Because I'm not pretty and perfect like the rest of you. I'm the ugly duckling of the bunch. The plain bastard daughter of a whore who inherited nothing of the ethereal beauty from neither Albion nor Old Valyria. Outcast - thats all that they see."

"Who spoke these lies to you, you are beautiful."

"Compared the the lot of them...that's not what everyone else thinks. Even to mine own mother." She sighed out harshly thoeug her nostrils, causing them to flare.

"Well it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks."

She loved the bow and let it slap harshly against her thigh as she broke form. "It does matter! But it tis over now, I have come to term with it all."   "Besides I'm better at other things." As if to offer proof she rose the bow again, pulled the string back, and released without looking. Bullseye.

I still wanted to argue and to discover how and wjen the insecurities had arrived but before I could start my interrogation a voice interrupted me.

"Good morrow, Lady Jonquil."

I turned abruptly. "Good morrow, Ser Octavian."

"Forgive the intrusion but the Princess Rhaenys has just arrived on dragonback, along with your two children, Madoc and Alysanne. She has requested an audience with both Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon, as well as you and your husband." I didn't even give him an answer, instead a stormed past walking fast at first before picking up my skirts and running. I barely even registered that he was taking Lili back to her chambers for some reason as I felt this sick feeling filling me up from head to toe.

By the time I arrived I was breathing very heavily and had begun to sweat. As soon as I caught sight of them I went around rhe painted table to pull them both into my arms.

"What's wrong? What's happened? Why are you here? Where's Visenyra?" I started barrating, throwing question after question, never giving them a chance to answer we before throwing another one in their face.

"Breath, love. Calm down, give them time to answer, they've only just arrived." It frustrated me that he seemed so calm with the situation when clearly something had gone wrong, if he couldn't tell by the sudden appearance of his children (and not even all of them at that) then couldn't he sense the air around Primcess Rhaenys and see the solemnity in her eyes.

"Princess Rhaenys," Rhaenyra also seemed to be oblivious to the bad news lurking in those sharp violet eyes. "Might we hope for good news of Lord Corlys' recovery?"