Familiarity ||| Jacaerys Velaryon

nineteen

Whatever had Daemon distracted did have to do with the children. As not long after they'd begun to speculate on the beach, a knight came to retrieve all of them.

They arrived by the painted table to find Rhaenyra and Daemon standing before them, maids and servants busy fluttering about. One would think they were going somewhere.

It was Rhaenyra to speak, however. Daemon was only standing behind her.

"We've received word from Driftmark, from your cousin Baela. The Sea Snake, your grandsire, has taken a grave wound while fighting in the stepstones. At this very moment, his fate is unknown."

That wasn't the news Alyssa had expected at all. She didn't know how to feel or even what to say. The children looked at each other, Rhaena and Alyssa shared a look despite not sharing that grandfather, and then they all looked at Luke.

He was the heir to Driftmark. If Corlys died, Luke would ascend the Driftmark throne and become Lord of the Tides when he was of age.

The boy looked white as a ghost. "But... he's still alive?"

"Yes. As of this moment, he is. But for how much longer, we do not know. That isn't the only news, though." Rhaenyra sighed and gazed at her children. She was indescribably angry but needed to be composed to speak with them.

"Vaemond Velaryon, your granduncle, is sailing to King's Landing at this very moment. He means to challenge the succession in court, to disinherit Luke in favour of Driftmark passing to himself instead."

Although Rhaenyra didn't say it, Alyssa knew what she really meant. Vaemond Velaryon was going to call Luke's legitimacy into question. And by extension, Jace's claim to the throne. He would be calling all of Rhaenyra's children bastards, calling their legitimacy into question once more.

Luke looked like he was going to be sick. He wasn't sure what it all meant exactly, how to fight his own inheritance being stolen from him.

"The Hightowers rule in your Grandsires stead, we know this from Alyssa's time there. If we do not arrive at court, they will use the opportunity to disinherit all of us. So we are sailing to King's Landing. And we are fighting for Luke."

Rhaenyra walked forward and pulled Luke into herself, kissing his forehead. The boy was terrified.

"It will all work itself out. But we must defend one another in the face of lies and slander. So get yourselves ready. We'll be leaving today."

There was still so much tension and bad blood between the families. But they had to defend Luke and his inheritance.

The children all agreed. They would gather the things they needed and set sail for King's Landing.

***

The journey wasn't a long one. A day or two at most from Dragonstone to King's Landing, which included the boat and carriage ride.

Alyssa passed her time on the boat by watching the clouds in the sky with Joffrey, Rhaena, and Jace. They picked out shapes as they went along and tried to make it fun for him.

Luke looked like he was going to be sick on the boat, which wasn't a very encouraging sign. Especially for the future Lord of the Tides. But he had time to adjust. Hopefully.