ELLIPSISM, aemond targaryen

[013] to the sea we shall return

THE NEXT DAY was very cold in Aemma's opinion, but maybe it was because she didn't sleep much because of her night adventure. For that reason, she put on an even thicker black coat than her brothers, trying to hide her tired eyes behind a veil of hair.

Jace and Luke weren't stupid and knew Aemma enough to know something happened, but neither of them said anything to her or their mother. Jace didn't even say anything despite noticing that his cloak was dirty with sand.

He was quiet for his sister to protect her like Ser Harwin Strong wanted him to.

After they got ready, Rhaenyra and Laenor came to lead them in front of the castle to the sea, where the ceremony was to take place. Aemma noticed that it was beautiful there, but the cold wind and gloomy expressions of the people around spoiled the whole impression.

Despite the fact that all the participants of the funeral wore black, Alicent and her family stayed with the typical green color even in the time of mourning. Aemma noticed that Ser Otto Hightower, who often visited the family, was also standing next to her, but now Aemma noticed that he had the Hand of the King clasp on his chest. He held his head up proudly and watched the people around him, coldly looking at Aemma who nervously looked away.

Viserys and Alicent stood side by side, on Alicent's right stood Aegon who yawned shamelessly the whole time. Helaena and Aemond stood by Viserys, with Aemma noticing that Aemond was just as tired as she was, but trying not to show it as much as Aegon.

Admirable.

Corlys Velaryon was a man Aemma heard a lot about but never got the chance to meet. It seemed to her that Corlys didn't have any special interest in her or her brothers, rather he was sticking to his wife who was coldly staring into space from under a black veil while Baela was crying on her shoulder. Meanwhile, Benjen Stark stood by Rhaena and held her hand as the girl sobbed.

Daemon Targaryen wasn't with his daughters to comfort them, he was standing near Vaemond Velaryon who was leading the whole ceremony.

A man wearing Velaryon funeral garb stood by the coffin that Laena (or what was left of her) was in and spoke in High Valyrian.

"We join today at the Seat of the Sea to commit the Lady Laena of House Velaryon to the eternal waters, the dominion of the Merling King where He will guard her for all the days to come."

Vaemond turned to his brother and focused his gaze on Baela and Rhaena. "As she sets to seas for her final voyage, the Lady Laena leaves two true-born daughters on the shore. Though their mother will not return from her voyage, they will all remain bound together in blood."

Aemma, Jace, and Luke didn't know much in High Valyrian and didn't understand the ceremony, but they didn't expect anything special to be said.

So they were confused when Vaemond looked slowly and coldly at Rhaenyra and her children, spitting out every single word."Salt courses through Velaryon blood. Our runs thick. Our runs true."

Rhaenyra hugged her children tighter, nervously looked first at Daemon who was looking at her, but she felt that she didn't have to explain anything to him, because he understood. Something in his eyes indicated only understanding, but no contempt or perhaps hatred, only understanding.

Oh, how Rhaenyra had longed for someone to look at her like that all these years.

Viserys looked at Rhaenyra with a hint of sadness in his eyes, and Rhaenyra at first hoped that Laenor would do something, but her husband just stared at the ground, not really noticing his uncle's words.

Then she looked at Daemon again nervously as if silently asking for help.

"And ours must never thin," finished Vaemond, glaring at Rhaenyra's children, especially at Aemma, who didn't know what he said, but it was enough to see her mother's condition to know that something was wrong, so she glared at Vaemond the same way he glared at her.