The Bastard Queen

a Velaryon funeral

As Alyssa stared at the waters her below she thought of her memories of Laena. She had yet to claim her dragon, if she ever was going to claim a dragon, so she was riding on the back of Caraxes while Rhaena rode with Baela on the back of hers. Alyssa at first had refused to hold onto Daemon in small protest, but quickly found herself holding onto his torso when Caraxes left the ground too quickly for her liking. Alyssa nearly fell of the dragon due to the sudden take of and had hurriedly held onto Daemons back with a sudden tight grip. It only made Alyssa dislike Daemon more when she heard him laugh almost mockingly amused under his breath when he felt Alyssa suddenly cling to his back out of fear.

Whilst her relationship with Daemon had improved over the last little months she had been their, it had taken Laenas death to realise it was only due to Laena herself that Daemon took an interest in her and her possibility. In the couple days after Laenas passing he had ignored not only herself but Rhaena and Baela too. He may have lost his wife, but the twins had lost their mother. Alyssa had only lost a friend, a kind of death insignificant to the twins loss.

The ride itself to Driftmark though was deadly silent. The sisters all mourning the loss of their mother, blood or not. They had bonded over the loss of Laena without their father being present. While Daemon had spent his mourning period behind the meeting and the lords, the sisters spending their last mourning days and nights with each other. All sitting in Alyssa's chambers just shedding tears and speaking of happy memories with Laena. Alyssa could not help but blame herself in those nights. When the sisters would tell their tales of their mothers love and all Alyssa could think was that she was the one who had brought Laena to Vhagar. She had been the one to bring Laena to her death. She could not help but ponder that if she hadn't have brought Laena to Vhagar would she have been able to deliver the child successfully? Or had she in fact saved Laena from what she had called a 'common woman's death?'

The hours that had passed on dragon back however went slower than Alyssa would've wanted. Yet even when she and the others set foot in Driftmark she could not help but wish to suddenly fly back home. If she could even call where they had left home in the first place.

When Baela and Rhaena left the arms of their father to the arms of their grandmothers, Alyssa could not miss the looks of surprise and confusion from Lady Rhaenys and her lord husband. "And who are you?" Rhaenys said, continuing to hold the girls in her arms in a tight grip. As if Alyssa would suddenly go savage and come at them. She does not blame her distrust, her daughter has died and a new face is arriving with the mourning.

"My name is Alyssa Targaryen my lady and lord." Alyssa remembered Laena and the septa's lessons on how to speak to royalty. Mainly Laenas lessons because at least in them she didn't have the fear of being whacked on the back of the head... "and I am Daemon Targaryens eldest claimed daughter." She had learned quickly to say 'claimed' daughter instead of just daughter. They had no true idea of the possibility of how many children Daemon had sired both before herself and after...

Lady Rhaenys gave no indication of pursuing Alyssa's words, though Lord Corlys gave a look to Daemon indicating he might've wished to continue the conversation at a later time.

It seemed all of Laenas family, including Alyssa aswell , had all gathered to witness her be buried in the traditional Velaryon way. Alyssa was let to a rock we she sae all the people circling round the area that Laena would be dropped into. She had respect for house Velaryons tradition of uniting the body with the sea when they died. Just as house Targaryen would burn the body with a dragon when they had died. Yet as the man was speaking for Laena, Alyssa could not concentrated. She couldn't get the feeling of being watched from her head. Yet whenever she looked around she could not distinguish a certain pair of eyes. It seemed all had decided to stare and wonder who Alyssa was. With her white hair and her piercing stare.

The only eyes she could distinguish from the crowd though was the ones belonging to a fellow white haired woman, surrounded by children of brown hair. Alyssa had remembered the teasing words of Daemon when they would spar. If Rhaenyra could get away with showing her acts of pleasure in front of the council, why shouldn't he? The words themselves were a clear indication of the childrens descent, yet the meaning behind them showed a sense of almost proudness from Daemon. Even a slight hint of jealousy. Though as the woman's eyes locked onto Alyssa's own, there was no hint of a pleasure finding woman. Only a woman of power and regolness. Alyssa stared at the woman refusing to back down from the sudden staring contest, and smirked discreetly when Rhaenyra backed down first to look at her eldest son and stroke his head.

The smirk was soon deminished as she heard Daemon next to her. He had dared to chuckle at Laenas burial. So Alyssa did the one think she though was best. She stopped on his toes and did a victory chuckle when Daemons once smiling face turned sour with the sudden pain bruising not only his ego but his foot aswell.

———

Rhaenys smiled with clear amusement on her face, disregarding anyone else at her daughters burial. She had originally turned to Daemon with a sour face, hearing his mocking laugh he dared to make. Yet when she witnessed Daemons eldest claimed child stomp on his foot in defence for her daughter she could not help but think, "she's just like my Laena..." and smile at the girl with a mothers love.