Longing For Your Warmth

Chapter Twenty One : Lord of The Tides

Driftmark had been buzzing with excitement since news had arrived and the royal family was no exception. Addam knew that Princess Visenya's coronation was melancholy, much like her mother's, as her brother's ghost hung heavy in the air. But the now Crown Princess had put her feelings aside for her younger brother.

Today was the day Lord Corlys would be stepping down as Lord of Driftmark and Luke would be taking his place. The castle was alive the whole morning with preparations. Queen Rhaenyra was taking the time to attend the ceremony, usually The Crown didn't need to present for such ceremonies. To be completely honest, there usually weren't many ceremonies needed for such things.

In Westeros most children only took their father's place after he passed, it was how succession worked here. But the Valyrians were nothing if not strange. He didn't know what their succession laws were like in Old Valyria but it seemed as though they followed the Faith's succession laws.

Lord Corlys however was very much alive, and he was now The Hand of The Queen, a position that required his full attention. Therefore, his Heir Prince Lucerys would be taking up his duties as Lord of The Tides and The Admiral of The Velaryon Fleet. It was something the young Prince had been preparing for his whole life, Addam only wished it hadn't occurred so soon after the Battle of the Gullet.

Many saw the battle's outcome as a victory, seeing as The Velaryon Fleet dominated the Triarchy and continued to control the trade to and from Westeros, but to The Royal Family? It was their greatest defeat. Ulf White and Hugh Hammer seemed to think of themselves as victors, and the Queen did reward them all, but Addam didn't feel at all like a hero. Their strategy was made by Jace, he had rallied them, urged them to fight and led them to success. It was his love and devotion—his loyalty to his brothers that ultimately took him away.

It was beyond admirable. Jace was in the clear, he was chasing off the majority of the Fleet. But the Prince of Dragonstone, his heart as gold as his Mother's crown, would not have left his own behind. He fought for them and while he and young Prince Viserys were lost, Prince Aegon lived to shed light on his elder brother, the Prince who should've been King.

And now his death fueled the fire behind the Queen's eyes. Queen Rhaenyra was furious. It wasn't the kind of fury where she screamed and cursed death upon the Greens, no. It was the silent fury, the kind where she stayed up late with her Consort, Hand and Grand Advisor as they plotted their revenge. Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys wanted blood as payment for the death of their beloved grandson, but Daemon and the Queen urged them to wait. To bide their time, so that when the Greens relaxed, and began to relax, that would be the moment they attacked.

In their time of waiting, The Queen declared that she too would fly to Driftmark, to watch her second eldest son claim his birthright. So that was how Addam found himself now, at Driftmark's grand cathedral.

Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys stood in the centre on a stage, with Luke and Rhaena before them. Rhaena, being Luke's betrothed, would ascend with him as Lady of Driftmark, and while the title didn't quite triumph the fact she was a Targaryen Princess, it did add on to prove her capability. The Crown's representatives weren't small, The Queen and her Consort stood to the right side. They stood amongst the rest of the Driftmark nobles, their own way of refusing to take attention off of Luke. To the Queen's side stood Princess Visenya, the now heir, she held her younger brothers to her side, Prince Aegon and Prince Joffrey. The Arryn Ward had flown back to Dragonstone alone (much to the Queen's horror and the King's amusement ). He had stayed for the memorial of the Prince of Dragonstone, and now he stood proudly beside his sister in support of their brother.

Addam and Alyn stood opposite Luke and Rhaena, behind Lord Corlys as they represented the extended relatives of House Velaryon. They were surrounded by many of the not as well known Velaryons and they were made increasingly aware of their distaste of them. Addam shrugged them off, his whole life wherever he spent he was stared at, mocked at. This didn't bother him, these Velaryons only had riches to show for their claims, he and Alyn had their friendship with Luke. They had much more than riches, they had trust. The trust the Crown put in them, the trust Luke placed on them.