THE LADY OF THE VALE

Chapter Six

Lady Alysanne

My hands were placed on the deep mahogany wood of the targaryen ship as we sailed home. I looked above my head as Aegon, Aemond and Helaena flew above on their dragons rather than taking to ship. Jealousy rang through me as I wished to have a dragon also. I wanted to be up in the skies, I wanted to touch the moon, I wanted to be closer to my mother.

'you will have a dragon in time, my dear Alysanne' The Queens voice came from beside me as she too looked up to the skies above. She did not like the animals, she never had but she knew we did, she knew it was what me and Aemond desired more than anything. Now I was left alone in that desire for he had Vhagar. The Queen placed a caring hand over my own as it rested on the short walls of the ship deck. I turned my head to look at her as she gave me a motherly smile.

'I wish to thank you for the defence of our family yesterday, you may not be my blood but you are a daughter in my eyes' The Queen told me, she was correct she viewed me as a daughter as much as I viewed her as my mother for I spent more time with her than any of her children did. The only person who could perhaps rival me was my dear friend Helaena although she was strange and often only spoke in riddles that were hard for us to understand.

'You are the only family I know, my queen' I whispered to her as tears glossed in my eyes. I wished for my mother always, I wished to be riding a horse in the fresh air of the Vale, I wished to be back in her arms as we sat by the fireplace and ate the deer we had hunted in the day. I wished for the feeling of home to return, but it never did for Rhea was my home and she way gone forever. The Queen pulled me into a hug as she clasped a hand around my head and stroked it with comfort and care. I calmed in her embrace.

-

When we made our return to Kings Landing in the evening I went straight to my room having my servant girl go fetch me a plate from what the kitchen had prepared for supper while I changed into a pale pink long linen night dress. I let my waist length hair loose from the braids it had been in and the waves of brunette cascaded down my back. Lighting the candles decorated around my quarters I heard a knock at the door, likely my serving girl with my plate of food.

'Come in' I yelled to the door not bothering to look at who was walking through them.

'Lady Alysanne, I bring you your supper'

Prince Aegon

When the servant girl came rushing into the family dinner telling the Queen of Alys' request to have a meal taken to her chambers rather than join in on the dinner like she usually did I had a feeling something was wrong. Instead of allowing the servant girl to take the food to her I got up from my seat at the table and took the plate myself ignoring the shouts from my father and mother. I had been meaning to speak to her ever since the incident of last night, the way she came to my defence in front of my father the King. She put her neck on the line speaking like that about his beloved grandsons. The warmth in my stomach and the tingly feeling I felt as she grabbed my hand was something I would never ever forget. I would never ever forget that night.

I came into her room following her instruction after I knocked upon the black wood doors of her chambers. Her room was smaller than mine but was still large, its windows looked out to the dragon pit on Rhaenys Hill and had a balcony also on the other side looking out to the sea. We had spent many days of our young lives looking out that balcony to the seas below talking of our dreams to see the world, talking of our every thought and feelings. Well not all of them, she did not know that I was truly, madly and deeply in love with her.

She stood wearing a pink night dress and her brunette hair was sat prettily down her back. She was gorgeous in every single way. A true valyrian goddess despite not having the white hair typical to our family but she did not need it. Those sparkling lavender eyes which held so much light within the were enough. When she turned her face became aghast as she had clearly not been expecting that it would be I bringing her meal. I smirked as the smile grew on her face, from ear to ear in beamed lighting up my world like the sun even in the dark lighting.

'Aegon?' She questioned me with a tilt of the head.

'Could not let you go hungry Lady Alysanne' I spoke walking over the the table in her room placing the food on the table and taking a seat, she took one opposite me and began to look at the food on the plate playing with it in her fork but not taking a bite just yet.

'What's wrong, you always come to dinner unless you're upset' I whispered for the silence was one that way thick. She raised her head looking into my eyes with her sweet ones. Gods you would never see another woman so perfect than the one sat in front of me. The skin on her bare arms glowed in the candle light and I began to get flustered at my thoughts of her.

'Nothing in particular, just the events of yesterday are ones I find overwhelming' She admitted with a shrug of the shoulders. I could not tell whether she had been talking about seeing her father again, or from witnessing Aemond lose an eye. Guilt coursed its way through my body at the fact that I had not been there to protect her, jealousy had also coursed through my veins at the fact she was with Aemond, protecting him like she often did. It was guilt that won the battle between them this time however because I had not been there to protect her. Instead I was drowning myself in cups of wine as a cure of boredom for the day. When I first heard what had happened I ran to her, checking every inch of her too make sure she was ok.

'I'm sorry I was not there to stop the attack' I whispered hanging my head low not wishing for her to see the guilt that was on my face.

'You do not need to be sorry Aegon, no one could have known that they would bring a blade to the ambush. Although I am thin and boney I will have you know I can fight well' She teased me and soothed my nerves. The little mischievous grin she gave me was one of my favourites. The way the apples of her cheeks would bunch up and turn rosy in the glow of the candles, the way her nose would scrunch slightly and her lavender eyes would sparkle. She was one of my favourites.

For the rest of the evening we talked while she ate her food, we laughed and gods did I love to hear her laugh. It was sent from the heavens above and I loved it when it was I who caused its sweet symphony. When the hour grew late I decided it best to return to my own chambers and let her get her rest.

Lady Alysanne

When we reached the door, I placed a gentle kiss on the cheek of Aegon for tonight he had comforted and helped me in ways he could never understand. He ate with me, he distracted me from my thoughts and he made me laugh in hysterics. He was what I had needed this evening.

'Thank you' I whispered as I removed my lips from his cheek and looked into his deep purple eyes. His cheeks were flushed red and I could tell I had surprised him. Without another word he left the room and I stood with a heart that was beating quicker than it ever had before. I stood with butterflies in my stomach and heat in my own rosy cheeks.

As I lay in my bed the only thoughts in my mind were of Prince Aegon.