Tale of Two Queens

[012] the sweetness of fatherhood

Later that night, Mera ripped the bandages off her face before cleaning it with spring water as she hissed in pain. The scar had been stitched with six stitches as the wound was blushing red, a stark contrast to the blue toned alabaster skin she had. Funny thing about her skin, it was always toned with a cold blue as she wasn't the sort of happy and shining pale but more of the dull and dead pale.

Mera then readied herself as she braided her hair into two braids before realising her scar had been left for the world to see. 

Some thick bangs would be nice about now.

Mera sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a black silk dress with long sleeves as one of her hands had been bandaged. She had paired the white bandage with one of Helaena's large collars and a emerald clip in the center of her lace collar. It had been surrounded with tiny pearls as Mera's collar was held together in the back by a small black silk bow.

 She hummed before she swung the door open to Ser Eryck's surprise as he greeted her. "Princess."

She scowled as she walked to dinner with him trailing her as her black boots clinked against the stone floors. The warm hue of the dinner hall had been shone through the corridor with Mera squinting as she walked in.

Corlys had been sat at the front of the table with Rhaenys by his side while there was an empty seat across from her. Rhaenyra sat by that empty seat as Jace and Luke sat next to each other with Baela and Rhaena sitting across from them. They had an extra empty seat next to them for their father.

"Mera!"

Corlys said with a small smile as Mera glared at everyone that looked back at her. Baela rolled her eyes at her as Rhaena did before Mera gave them a glare accompanied with the scar that made them turn back around.

She straightened her back as she walked over, her heels clicking, sitting across from the empty seat reserved for her father. Her plate was quickly filled with an assortment of food but at last, a servant placed steak on her plate.

Fuck.

Corlys looked to Mera as he took a bite before noticing her glaring worriedly at her plate. "Is everything alright?"

Rhaenys looked to her as Mera slowly shook her head before grabbing her fork and knife. She held a hiss back as her eyes slightly watered before she sucked her tears away. 

God, her hand hurt so much. It stung and stabbed as Mera clutched her fork before taking her knife as her hand ever so slightly shook in pain. 

She clenched her jaw as she cut her potatoes before taking a bite. Mera wanted to gag as she felt the oil slide down her throat before quickly swallowing with a bitter frown. 

She felt her face sting as she tried not to make any sudden movements, her brothers had already been shocked at the outcome on her face while Baela felt that she had lost her appetite.

"Meranyce."

"Mera." She corrected her grandmother as Rhaenys rolled her jaw and nodded. She looked to see Corlys softly grab her fisted hand before she huffed and said, "I see you are wearing a very particular jewel on your collar tonight."

Mera hummed as she started cutting her steak before Rhaenys softly smiled and said, "Any particular reason? I know Laenor tells me you like amber and sapphires to be pinned to your collar but he didn't mention any elmeralds."

She shrugged as she said, "It was a gift from your husband." 

"And you look beautiful with it." Rhaenys nodded as she looked to Corlys smiling at Mera with a sort of proud look before she looked to Rhaenyra, finding her viciously digging into her chicken.