THE LADY OF THE VALE

Chapter Four

Archmaester Gyldayn

Following the events of the training yard the Princess Rhaenyra decided to leave Kings Landing with her husband and children taking up her castle in Dragonstone. Ser Harwin Strong was exiled back to Harrenhal. Only a few weeks later both Ser Harwin and his father who was acting Hand of the King burnt in fire caused by unknown reasons. Ser Otto Hightower was called back to Kings Landing.

120 AC

Across the Narrow Sea in Pentos, Lady Laena Velaryon lost her life to her dragon Vhagar as she tried to ride her one last time before she passed due to childbirth. Her death signalled the return of Prince Daemon and his two daughters Baela and Rhaena Targaryen. It signalled the reunion of the Targaryen family for the first time in six years.

When the Targaryen gathered on Driftmark on the day of the funeral there were so many dragons on the cliffs that it looked like the days of Old Valyria. Front and centre was the King and his family. Prince Aegon stood beside him and next to him stood the Lady Alysanne seeing her father Daemon for the first time in six years, for the first time since he claimed her mother was a whore and she was not of his blood. It had been clear to see that the two shared no love lost. On the other side of the King was the Queen Alicent, Princess Helaena and Prince Aemond.

Lady Alysanne

The salt winds of the shores of Driftmark danced through my curled hair as I watched the coffin of Lady Laena be prepared for sea burial. The top half had been pinned back to prevent it from getting in my face as I anticiapted the harsh winds. My cloak was one of deep sapphire blue, the sleeves were long and flowy in a balloon style I had come to love on myself. White was the colour of the simple silk dress I wore beneath if with my thin golden chain belt laying around my waist. I had had it changed slightly from the usual design and had two golden dragon heads facing each other as the front clasp. It was the only piece of jewellery I had which paid homage to the House Targaryen rather than the House Royce. I will never forget the way Aegon's face lit up when her saw it around my waist a few weeks ago, the way he held it in his hands fiddling with it and causing my breath to get stuck in my throat and heat to rise up my body. 'It looks like sunfyre' Thats what he said, it was true in that moment I realised the dragon heads that I had requested looked like his own. He was subcontiously always in my mind. 

As Vaemond Velaryon spoke Valyrian words to his late niece I watched on. For the first time ever today, I had seen my sisters. They were pretty girls with pale white hair but our features were not all that similar. They took after there mother and once again they showed that the children of Rhaenyra had clearly not been Ser Laenors. I listened as Vaemond made his own digs at the two brunette boys while their mother held them close. Those boys could not understand the valyrian but those who could knew exactly what he was referring to. I glanced at her as she stood just beside me, about a metre away. That was until I heard the laugh from my father who stood almost opposite me beside the grave of his late wife. If there had not been witnesses I would have assumed he murdered Laena, the way he did to my dear mother. Anger rose in my body as I met his eyes for the first time since he abandoned me.

Daemon

My daughter Alysanne had grown a lot in the six years since I had rejected her as my own, a decision which I do not regret. I wished for nothing to do with the mini bronze bitch although I had to say she did not take after her mother in looks. She had Targaryen beauty that was clear to see, her face was one which looked like it had been hand crafted by the gods. She did not wear the colours of Runestone either, she rather wore the colours of blue and white which was a statement in itself at a funeral. I suppose she had been learning under the poison on Alicent Hightower. Her glare was hard and strong as she stared me down. She only broke her gaze when the Prince Aegon looked at her to see if she was okay, I watched as she gave him a sweet smile back nodding her head slightly. It was an interesting sight to see for it was clear to two shared a deep connection. Perhaps it would be useful to know in the future, Lady Alysanne was the Princes weakness.

When the swine Aegon puffed out his lips in boredem, Alysanne lightly tapped his hand which hung beside him and gave a subtle shake of the head causing him to stand up straight. It was clear to me then that the Lady of the Vale had the thirteen year old Prince wrapped around her little finger whether she understood so or not.

Lady Alysanne

I watched in awe as the dragons flew over head landing on the cliff just above the balcony Sunfyre landed the closest to me and shook his head almost as if he was nodding when he saw me. Although Sunfyre was not my own dragon, I had grown a bond with him in all my times in the dragon pits with Aegon and watching the young dragon grow. I stood beside Queen Alicent as we both watched Rhaenyra enter the balcony with curiosity, I saw her look at my father once before she made her way to Jacaerys. I looked around and spotted my sisters Baela and Rhaena sat beside each other in mourning on a bench, holding one another's hands in comfort. I think I felt envy, envy at the fact that Daemon could accept them and not me but nevertheless they did nothing wrong. Lifting up my white silk dress I began to walk over to them, I wished for them to at least know I was family. The fear of being rejected by them was still heavy in my heart however.

'I am sorry for the loss of your mother, it is a pain I understand all too well' I sympathised with them as they raised their heads to look at me. It was true I remember when my mother was murdered and the way I felt afterwards and even now. There is this hole in your heart that is missing forever, you can't even begin to understand it unless you have been through it yourself. Part of me believes it is why the Queen took such sympathies to me when she first met me for I was a girl like her with no mother figure. I was a Targaryen lost in the world, the Queen Alicent saved me that day.

'Thank you, sister' Relief flooded my body and a small smile made its way to my face at the words of Rhaena. She seemed a sweet girl and a one of her mothers beauty.

'Even though we do not know each other, I wish to tell you that I do not hold the acts of our father against you both. You are my sisters and my blood, should you need anything you will always have a friend in me' The girls nodded there head and thanked me before Jacaerys came over to offer his own condolences. I took this as a sign to leave them to it. I joined beside Aemond and Aegon as they watched Helaena take interest in some sort of bug I imagine. That was one of her joys other than flying on Dreamfyre who she had claimed a few months ago. That left only Aemond and I without dragons.

'She's a weirdo' Aegon said, 'She's our sister' Aemond replied as I joined beside Aegon as he sipped away as his gold cup likely filled with a red wine. I assume he saw the unsure look on my face as he asked me if I was okay. I took a glance to my father before I met the purple eyes of Aegon.

'Why couldn't he love me? What about me was so terrible that it took one look to decide that he didn't want me in his life?' No matter how much I hated Daemon, there was always the pain of his rejection in my heart. I was not enough for my own father and that stung. Aegon lifted a hand and brushed a loose curl behind my ear.

'I don't know, I don't understand how anyone could not love you Alysanne' My heart nearly burst at his words as I blushed furiously before pulling myself together and looking once again at Helaena.

I grabbed a drink as I began to make my way back the Queen Alicent to hand it too her when an hand grabbed my upper arm turning me to face the culprit. Daemon. I rolled my eye and sighed before I began to walk away. He pulled me back once more.

'Daughter' He said and I scoffed.

'After six years you finally admit it' I sarcastically smiled at him.

'We you had to get your beauty from somewhere and it was not from the Bronze Bitch, that leaves only I' He smirked with arrogance for only a moment before I took the wine in the cup I had been taking to Alicent and threw it over him.

'You are not my father, you're simply a man who lent his cock' I said this time walking away from him and not being pulled back.

The loud roar of an unseen dragon brought the evening to a close as the sunset. This night had been a one of many emotions and in truth I was ready for bed so I headed back to my chambers. Queen Alicent smiled at me proudly when I walked past her.