【𝟏𝟒】

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The King's Hand, Otto Hightower, had gone to the Queen's chambers to meet his daughter. The sight he saw was one that he expected - his daughter, half crazy and standing in front of the fireplace.

The discussion that went between them was interrupted by a silence that you could cut through with a knife.

"What I did was an ugly thing and I regret it," Queen Alicent finally spoke.

"We play an ugly game," Otto stated, "and now, for the first time, I see that you have the determination to win it."

"What would you have me do?" Queen Alicent asked as her father walked closer to her, "I have a proposal, one that will benefit us in the long run," he stated as the female raised a brow in confusion.

"One that you might not enjoy," Otto added, "will you let me hear it before you make assumptions, father?" Queen Alicent asked as The Hand took a deep breath.

"Wed Aemond to Levana Velaryon."

Queen Alicent laughed, "perhaps I am not the one who is mad here."

"It will give us the upper hand, Alicent," Otto began, "if Levana is wed to Aemond then that is something that we can use to our advantage."

"Rhaenyra will never allow it."

"And yet she proposed that Jacaerys marry Helaena, if I remember rightly?" Otto asked as he placed his hands behind his back, "Princess Rhaenyra will hesitate further advances towards us if Levana is wed to Aemond."

"Both of them also ride the largest dragons alive," Otto added, "that rogue Aemond in winning Vhagar to our side was indeed worth a thousand times the price he paid and if he is married to Levana, we will be formidable."

Queen Alicent thought for a while, "I suppose there is no better match for Aemond than Levana," she chuckled; willfully ignoring her father's comment about the dragons that the children rode, "even as younger children, they were very fond of each other."

"I will bring it up with the King," Queen Alicent stayed, "but he is yet to forgive me."

"He will forgive you," Otto assured, "what else can he do?"

"I injured his daughter."

Otto held Alicent's shoulders, "go to him," he instructed, "be penitent, plead the injury to your son, and keep a grip on your passions."

Alicent nodded.

"I promise you, in time, you and I together will prevail."


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Levana stood beside her younger brothers as their mother's arm was getting stitched by the maester. She placed a hand on Lucerys' head, patting him as Jacaerys leaned onto her shoulder.

It was silent, except for the grunts of their mother as the needle penetrated her skin.

"It will scar but the wound will heal," The maester finally said, "Valyrian steel cuts clean."

Just as the maester spoke, their father entered the room with an unreadable expression.

"Gods," Laenor finally spoke, "is everyone alright?"

"A broken nose is the worst," The maester responded, "Princess Levana will have to be given an ointment for her scratches," he added.

"Thank you maester," Rhaenyra said, "leave us," she requested as the maester gathered his materials and bowed before leaving the family.

Rhaenyra turned to Levana and her brothers with a sign, "you three as well," she stated, "you've already found enough trouble today."

"Yes, mother," Levana responded as she took her brothers by the hand and walked towards the door.

"Levana, stay as far away from this room as possible," Rhaenyra stated as the princess hung her head low before nodding and leaving with her brothers, closing the door behind them.

"Why did mother say that to you?" Jacaerys asked as Levana took a deep breath as they continued to walk through the halls, "I can hear many things, Jace," she responded.

"Sometimes the things that I hear are not nice," Levana said as she pushed open the doors to her chambers, letting her brothers in before closing the door behind them.

"Do you ever tell mother about them?" Lucerys asked as Levana nodded, "that's why she told me to be as far from their chambers as possible."

There was silence between the three of them for a while before Jacaerys asked, "Levana, why did you help Aemond steal Vhagar?"

Levana was taken aback by the question, "I didn't help him."

"But you were riding with him on Vermithor!" Jacaerys exclaimed, "Rhaena was supposed to claim Vhagar!"

Levana took a seat on her bed and sighed, "we cannot do anything about it anymore, Jace," she held her hands up in defeat, "let it go."

"Why do you like Aemond so much?" Lucerys asked, "is it because you look more like them than us?"

The question made Levana's eyes widen in shock, she was quick to embrace her younger brother, "never say that again," she said.

"You, Jacaerys, and Joffrey, are my brothers," Levana assured, "no matter what we look like and no matter what people say," she added as she placed a kiss on top of Lucerys head and gestured for Jacaerys to join in their embrace. The older prince sighed and embraced the both of them.

"I will always be your sister," Levana said, "that is a promise."

"Even when you're married?" Lucerys asked as Levana chuckled in response, "I dare not think of marriage yet, Luke."

"What Lord would be in the right mind to marry me?" Levana looked at her brothers and smiled, "the mere sight of Vermithor will scare all of them away."

Jacaerys looked at her with a sad expression, "if you do get married, you'll have to go away."

"Then I wouldn't mind staying unmarried so that my brothers won't be sad to see me leave," Levana responded as the two boys began to lighten up and smile.

"Then you'll end up old and alone," Lucerys teased as the female laughed, "I do not mind as long as I would see my brothers grow and become strong warriors," she smiled, "great Lords and Kings."

Lucerys looked down, "do you really believe that I'll make everyone proud as Lord of Driftmark, Ana?"

"Luke," Levana smiled, "you are the grandson of King Viserys and Lord Corlys, both are great rulers," she recalled, "I have no doubt in my mind that you will be as great as them, Lucerys."

"And you'll be a great Queen!" Jacaerys smiled, "just like mother!"

"I do hope so," Levana's smile curved downward ever so slightly, "I don't want to disappoint mother."


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[A/N]

Thank you so much for helping QUERENCIA reach 5K+ views! I truly truly appreciate it! Also, thank you for the comments that you guys leave on the chapters! I may not be able to reply to them all but rest assured that I am reading them and your comments just make me so happy! Things will go on a roller coaster ride from here so I hope you guys stay with me and Levana until the end of her journey!

Thank you so much again! 

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