Familiarity ||| Jacaerys Velaryon

ten

Two days after Laena's death, the family was on a ship sailing for High Tide. Laena's funeral would be at the place of her birth, Velaryon tradition.

And yet, Daemon still hadn't rejected the Prince of Pentos' offer. It had been put on hold obviously, told it would take much longer to come to a decision. But it was still on the table and Alyssa hated that.

She was also stuck thinking, for the four-day journey, about seeing everyone again. The King and his entire family, Alyssa's cousins, would be in attendance. As well as Rhaenyra and her sons, also Alyssa's cousins in some technical way.

They'd never met. And Alyssa wasn't nervous, per se. But it was a lot, especially since she'd just lost the second mother of her life.

Alyssa was trying to comfort her sisters on the ride. During that week, they'd all somewhat surpassed the sobbing and crying stage and had transferred into the depression one. Where they laid around and felt numb.

She was sure it would change at the funeral. But while they sailed, their mother's body wrapped in cloth and prepared for her funeral, they laid together on the boat. Looking up at the sky and the dragons following them.

Even Vhagar was. And despite the tragedy of it all, the gods were cruel. Because Rhaena could finally have a dragon when she claimed the big beast.

Rhaena hadn't done it in Pentos because she'd been grieving. She'd most likely claim Vhagar in High Tide, as an ode to Laena. At least that way, her legacy could be carried on.

At the port of High Tide, there were many people waiting. Lord Corlys, princess Rhaenys, Ser Vaemond, and other members of the Velaryon house and line.

Household knights were the ones who handled Laena. They would put her in the sarcophagus for her funeral which was bound to begin as soon as everyone gathered.

Lord Corlys and Rhaenys pulled the twins in as soon as they stepped off of the boat. Alyssa couldn't be sad, she couldn't. Because she was their grandmother by blood.

But still, she felt a path of grief. When the twins were comforted and held close. Alyssa cared so much for Laena as well, she was Alyssa's mother. Yet because she didn't share blood, Alyssa didn't deserve to grieve the same?

Instead, she pressed herself to her father's side and followed the others toward the castle. They were all wearing black, the colour of mourning, and knew the funeral would take place soon.

***

Seeing everyone was just as awkward and solemn as Alyssa expected it to be.

Daemon hardly shared a glance with the King or his family before the funeral. He kept to himself and stayed by the little overhang where the funeral was going to be.

Alyssa paid special attention to Rhaenyra. Much older than she remembered, arms around two boys close to her side that looked nothing like their father. Chubby cheeks and some curly brown hair.

Jace and Luke. Alyssa had only ever read their names in letters.

They leaned up and whispered to Rhaenyra when they saw her by Daemon's side. They hadn't heard much about her.

And then there were Alyssa's cousins in the same age range. Aegon, who was practically the same age as Alyssa but ten times less mature and seemed to already be drunk. Helaena, a dreamy, kind-looking girl Alyssa only remembered as a baby. And Aemond, an even shorter boy who was somewhat unremarkable. There was only a 3-year difference between them all, same with Jace. But they all looked remarkably different being so young.