Rhaella Targaryen always knew that there was more behind her mother's death than what she was told. Alysanne was a healthy, strong woman, and yet she was gone in a couple of days because of a mysterious illness. Rhaella was only a child when the tra...
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DRAGONSTONE
134 AC
RHAELLANEVER HAD a big celebration for her name day. She couldn't recall her first birthdays, of course, but from what her grandmother had told her things were very simple at Qohor ― a fruit cake with strawberries, which were her favourites, and some small gifts from her parents. When she went to King's Landing, not much changed. There were more people who celebrated with her ― her mother's whole family ― but a tourney or a hunt were never held to celebrate the day she was born. Just a rich feast and, of course, the strawberry cake she liked so much.
She remembered that, for her sixth name day, Jace had gifted her a stuffed animal ― a dragon, obviously, with black scales and green eyes. She still had it and she had brought it with her when she left the Red Keep, it didn't matter that the little toy was now old and ruined.
After Rhaella's mother passed away, Rhaenyra took on the role to organise her name days. She made sure Rhaella had the strawberry cake, gifts from everyone in the family, and she always left two empty spots at the tables. One for Alysanne, one for Haarys.
Name days were fun. Rhaella liked them because the whole family was reunited, everyone laughed and played together, and even Jace, Luke, Aemond and Aegon usually held a truce and got along surprisingly well. After Alysanne's death, Rhaella always felt a bit sad during those days, thinking about her mother who wasn't able to see her own kid grow up. But the people around her always made sure to make her feel loved, and the sadness was washed away with jokes and giggles. Name days were fun. Until they were no more.
The birth of Joffrey, the departure of Ser Harwin, Rhaneyra and her kids leaving for Dragonstone ― everything changed in the blink of an eye. Rhaella was left in the Red Keep, the people she loved the most all gone. She still had Helaena and Aemond, though. Until the Accident at Driftmark.
It got hard, after that. Aemond didn't talk to her for a ages and, even if they managed to make peace after a while, their relationship had changed. Rhaella knew Aemond blamed her for siding with Jace and Luke, and Rhaella blamed him for saying those terrible things about her friends. Alicent stopped trying to be gentle with her ― Rhaella's preference towards Rhaenyra and her boys was as clear as the sun, and the Queen decided to try to take what she wanted in ways that didn't involve kindness. Viserys was getting weaker day by day, he didn't even spend time with his true born children, surely he wasn't going to spend his time with Rhaella, whom was only adopted. Helaena was the only one who never abandoned her, or treated her badly. Sweet, kind, loyal Hel. Rhaella missed her so much.
Following what happened at Driftmark, her name days stopped being celebrated at all. She always got a strawberry cake sent to her chambers, though, and Rhaella yet had to understand if it was Helaena's idea or if the maids had taken pity on her and had asked the chefs to prepare it for her. Rhaella was obviously grateful about it, and wasn't too bummed by the fact that her name day was not even mentioned. Why would she want to celebrate when most of the people she wanted to celebrate with weren't with her?
