Fire of the Sea|1| HOTD

.22

Kings Landing, 130 AC

I don't know why I'm so stressed to go to dinner, something in my gut is telling my brain it won't end well. Having the entire family together after the Driftmark incident and the hearing today will be full of tension. I don't want to deal with it or be placed in the middle of them all.

I'm the only one that has love for both sides and they'd use it against me in an argument. Mother always tries to get me to drop communication with Aemond and Alicent but I don't think I would've survived those years without them. Writing to Aemond as much as possible when we were apart was the highlight of my days most of the time.

Sure, life was interesting on Dragonstone with sword training and high valayrian lessons, but not being able to see Aemond for that long made me push aside that happiness and replace it with saddness and an ache for home. And never hearing from Alicent sent me into a spiral of wondering what I did wrong, I thought she'd hate me for leaving but she was just as sad as I was. I haven't seen her much since I'd been home.

After leaving Aemond in the hallway I was ushered to my mother to get ready for dinner. The only thing she was excited for was to see grandsire. That was something I was dreading, seeing him on the brink of death makes me want to jump from the nearest window.

He's not the person I grew up with, he's a shell of his former self being engulfed by the burden of keeping the whole kingdom together. With vipers snipping at his feet and the throne slicing his flesh. The title has taken a toll on him and I pray to the old gods and new that my reign, whenever that my be and for however long, won't be as strenuous as his.

As we all shuffle towards the dining hall we realize grandsire hasn't arrived. I walked in behind Daemon and Rheanyra, they blocked my vision for a moment but when the passed I saw him. Aemond, with a black leather tunic and his piercing eye staring me up and down. When our eyes met he gave me a look I'd never seen from him before.

From other men yes, a look of lust and desire, never reciprocated but seen. I don't know why Aemond would look at me that way, it made me shift in my spot where I had froze, nervy with unknown feelings I shuffled towards the blacks side of the table. I was stopped by a servant, "princess, your placement is over there." She pointed towards Aemond, actually right next to him.

I look past the girl and lock eyes with Alicent, she sends me a wink and smirk, what is she scheming right now? I didn't have time to ponder my thoughts as Aemond walked over and guided my to my seat by placing his hand on my lower back. Something he did when we were younger but now it feels funny.

Not a laughing funny, but a bubbly heated funny, a feeling of excitement radiating through me like a pulse. I don't think I like this feeling but I need to understand what it is before making judgement. Once we got to our chairs Aemond pushed mine in for me and made his way to his own.

Aegon was standing and staring at me oddly, I hadn't payed much mind to him while here. His hair is short and shaggy, the opposite of Targaryen standards, and he has massive eye bags like he hasn't slept in days. He was pouring himself more wine, probably already on his third glass of the evening. Helena was sitting on the side of me and conversing with Otto, he seemed to only be warm with her, she was giggling a bit and then faced me.

"Veasyra, welcome home. The moon has awaited your arrival for years." She always speaks in riddles, I used to sit in the library trying to decipher them but eventually realized that they always reveal themselves in time. Paying her little riddle no attention I try to make conversation but the doors open, guards carry in the king and we all stand.

He's being carried in on a chair by four men, they don't struggle since the man is as thin as parchment. They set him down and return to the doors standing guard. As he's set down he clears his throat, "How good it is to see you all here tonight... together"