Fetish / Larys Strong

1. Strong

I know what you're thinking. Yet you clicked on this story... just saying.

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Blyana Hightower was visiting the capital when all hell broke loose.

''Listen to me, daughter." Otto begged Alicent. "The King will die. It may be months or years, but he'll not live to be an old man. And if Rhaenyra succeeds him, war will follow, do you understand? The realm will not accept her. And to secure her claim, she'll have to put your children to the sword. She'll have no choice.'' Otto warned her and Alicent started to whimper 'You know it. You're no fool, and yet you choose not to see it. The time is coming, Alicent. Either you prepare Aegon to rule, or you cleave to Rhaenyra and pray for her mercy.'' Otto hugged her goodbye as he looked to his eldest daughter, Blyana. "Heed to your sister, let her be your strength." Otto offered before moving to Blyana. 

"What do you mean you've been sacked?" Blyana questioned.

"He thought myself spreading lies to get him to rename an heir." Otto mumbled and Blyana crossed her arms over her chest incredulously. "I dont spread lies Blyana." Otto corrected.

"Father-"

"I want you to stay here and look after Alicent." Otto requested.

"Where are you going?" Blyana corrected.

"Old town."

"No. I dont want to be here without you." Blyana corrected, she was a daddy's girl. Otto was always her favorite person, so she visited the capital often to see him and Alicent, but she always felt out of place in the capital among the royals. 

"Blyana... you know why your mother named you Blyana." Otto remarked as he tiled her face to his.

"Because she wanted me to be..." her words faded. She didnt much feel like her name sake.

"Strong." Otto agreed. "Blyana my strong girl. Your mother wanted you to be strong even when we weren't here."

"I will look after Alicent."  Blyana assured as she hugged him.

"Do you know all your treatments? What they are all called, the dosing?" Otto needed confirmation. 

"Of course." Blyana agreed. Otto pulled a scroll out of his pocket handing it to her along with a pouch of coin. SHe opened the scroll. She looked back up at him. He was worried about leaving her, he didn't want her to have a set back and be all alone here. "I love you, Dad, I wish you didnt have to go."

"I love you sweetie, I will write soon. Let me know if you need anything." Otto assured as he kissed her forehead. "The capital could use a woman like you."  Blyana watched Otto mount his horse, he glanced back at her before riding off. Blyana felt Alicent hug her from behind. 

"You are staying, right Bly?" ALicent begged.

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Although Blyana was two years older than Alicent, Otto never saw her as a candidate for Viserys. Blyana was beautiful, and smart, so smart, she loved to read and took to instruments and singing while Otto had the tune of an abandoned piano. He didnt know where she got her voice from but it was a melody to be heard. 

But, Blyana got sick, the maesters in old town didnt think she would survive. The day after her tenth name day she had collapsed to the ground curling up into a ball, hands over her ears, silent tears in her face. 

Otto had dropped beside her asking if she was hurt, she whimpered that the world was spinning. There was an astigmatism in her eyes as they darted back and forth, she couldnt hold her head up with out help. The only thing they found was a target lesion on her back and no idea where it came from. SHe lay bed ridden for moons. Barely eating, barely drinking, she just kept whimpering that the world was spinning and it wouldnt stop. 

Otto watched his daughter withering away before his eyes and there was nothing anyone could do. She took all the pills and tinctures but they thought she had something wrong with her head, her brain. That one day they would wake up and she would be gone. 

She had a nervous tremor in her hand and although walking she needed assistance if she sat perfectly still she could focus her eyes on books. So she started reading and learning, she loved flowers. Her eldest brother would carry her out into the gardens and sit with her making sure she didnt fall over, having a spell. 

Blyana had become a ghost of herself. She used to enjoy sweets and tarts but food made her stomach turn and the bit of extra weight she had on her hips and stomach faded. 

Otto thought her lack of eating, would kill her if whatever her brain was doing to her didnt kill her first. 

Then she started singing again. Otto had taken leave from the capital for moons to tend to her, the council admired his dedication to his daughter but thought he needed to get back to work. Otto didnt want to leave though and his baby girl be gone when he returned. 

"That's Aconite... wolf's bane." Blyana had remarked as Otto lay beside her on the courtyard ground, she pulled the dark blue flower down. "It's poisoness." Blyana added. Otto turned his head to look at her. "Am I dying daddy?" Blyana whispered, he took the flower from her as he shook his head. 

"No." Otto corrected. "You are going to be fine. I will make sure of that." She had spent years in bed, on her balcony and in the gardens at old town. 

Otto was bringing her one of her teas when he heard her singing, her voice traveled and he found that his own worries were bated as a calm set over both of them. 

The only thing that calmed her when she was younger was singing. But seeing her now in the capital you wouldnt be able to tell the pain, the vertigo that had consumed her mind, because she stood tall and walked a straight line, her ribs didnt protrude out, her mind had focus. But that didnt mean she was healthy. Looks can be deceiving. 

"Am I hand interim?" Blyana mused as she wrapped an arm around alicent. 

"That's not how it works, Bly." Alicent corrected. 

"I would be a terrible hand, anyways." Blyana agreed. "Hey, its going to be okay. You and me against the dragons." Alicent nodded as she let out a sigh of relief. Blyana looked curiously to Alicent. 

"Don't get me wrong, Bly, I want him here but... I feel like I can breathe better without him sometimes." Alicent admitted. 

Walking into the gardens Larys looked to Blyana and he stared at her, she had such a crippling beauty.