𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐄 ~ aemond targaryen (discontinued)

13 ~ Oathbreaker ~ 13

I thought it best to find Helaena and ask her for a dress to wear. For this to go smoothly, I must be taken seriously and if dressed in armour, none would listen to a word from my mouth.

This dress was black and detailed with a blushing gold threading, stitched along the hems. With a soft neckline, my arms were shethed by the long sleeves, the fabric of the dress reaching the floor. It was a garment Helaena found at the back of her wardrobe. A dress that was too big for her, too harsh on her more delicate, softer features, crafted during her early months of maternity. Though the belly did not gape, it was crafted in a material that allowed some stretch. Other girls might've been offended by that, but this only told me I had built my form correctly. I couldn't expect to be dainty and swing a sword with power. It was one or the other and I had plenty of time, once the Stones were achieved, to look pretty.

The princess had also weaved two thin braids to crown the back of my head, leaving the rest of the short, wavy length to fall at my shoulders. It was a blink of the past, my reflection, fashioned as a princess once more.

The eyes of the court followed my path, like a heavy weight, pressing down on me. The air felt too thick to breath. I heard them whisper. Some of my beauty, others of my disastrous new appearance- manly and un-ladylike. I had learned young, there was not a single thing anyone could unanimously appreciate about you. It was best not to remain hinged on the opinions of others because, like a dog chasing its tail, the cycle would be endless and dizzying.

Otto Hightower, the viper whispering in my fathers ear since the dawn of his reign, now sat proudly upon the Iron Throne. I restrained the strong urge to spit at his feet.

My hope plummeted. Father hadn't shown up. He would not support us like I asked him to. Like he said he would.

The same disappointment was written across the princesses face too.

But upon clashing sight, Rhaenyra and I shared a look. It was the first I had seen her in four years, but that look communicated everything that needed to be said between us.
It is good to see you.
Ive missed you.
Relief from her end. You are safe and alive.

The princess had apparently resented her husband for a small time after Daemon sent me away to fight for the Stepstones in his stead. For inspiring me to contest and conquer what would soon be Luke's. It was what both Corlys and I strived to achieve; the merchant lands to expand the boys claim and worth. His power.

However, whilst Corlys saw his name written in a history book- the title Velaryon, etched in a legacy of fame and influence- I saw the seat of Driftmark as one of potential for the realm. Once Corlys and Rhaenyra were gone, the two brothers would remain, expected to step up to the seats of rulership. Together, as King of the Realm, as the Master of Driftmark, Lord of the Tides, Chief of the Stepstones- Westeros could swell into the greatest Empire the world had ever seen. The Sea Snake's perception was too narrow. With the Stepstones chained by Westeros, Essos could be next.

If it was asked of me by Lucerys, I would conquer each land across the sea until my heart gave out. I would do so because I enjoyed the fight. It was my purpose.

Rhaenyra's tense shoulders relaxed a little knowing I had arrived to defend her boys. It made me smile. I felt indebted to my older sister. She had given me an escape, cutting down the brambles and bushes, revealing another path my life could follow. The princess brought me the opportunity for fulfilment.

Though... there had forever remained a tiny, gaping hole in my chest, in my heart, that I couldn't quite understand or know how to fill. Over the years, it had expanded, echoing a desperate lament for... something. Someone. Somewhere. I didn't quite know what.