dancing with our hands tied | r. targaryen

lviii.

133 A.C.
SOMEWHERE IN THE RIVERLANDS
•••

CASSANA SAT BACK AGAINST THE STONE-COLD WALL AND BEGAN TO COUNT TO HERSELF. One, two, three. She thought of her mother and father and Laenor. Four, Five, Six. She thought of Rhaenyra and Daemon and Argella. Seven, Eight, Nine. She thought of Elissa, Durran, and Falia. Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. She thought of Joffrey, Lucerys, Baela, and Rhaena. She thought of Silverwing. She thought of Jace. She always thought of Jace. Her love for him. How she lost him. How Aemond had been the one who took him from her.

She thought of Aemond.

Of killing him. Of taking his other eye. Of feeding him to Silverwing.

She'd wanted to die, but now she just wanted revenge. On Aemond. On Beric for leaving her. She thought there was no way her brother would abandon her. She thought he'd get help, but as the days passed and Cassana remained chained, she knew her brother had left her for dead. When she told her parents what he did when she got free, she knew that Beric would be dealt with.

The door creaked open and Cassana's eyes looked up quickly. Her count was quickly forgotten and her guard up, but she instantly relaxed when she saw that it was just Alys who was the occasional visitor when Aemond was away.

"Come for more witty banter?" Cassana requests as she looks up at Alys.

"Actually," Alys says with a small smile, "I come bearing a visitor."

Cassana's brow furrows and she's expecting some burly man to walk through the door until she hears a soft gurgling noise. That's when she notices the bundle in Alys's arms. Cassana rises to her feet, going as far as the chains will allow her, and Alys steps further into the room, closing the door behind her.

Cassana gets her first look at Laenor in a long time and what she notices is how big her son is compared to when she last saw him. She wondered just how much time had passed, how long she'd been imprisoned. But there he was, silver Targaryen hair. Dark blue stormy eyes. He looked like her. Despite his hair, he even looked like Jace.

"May I hold him?" Cassana asks as she looks up at Alys and it's a shame that she even has to ask. Laenor was her son. She'd given him life and yet here she was asking for permission to hold her own flesh and blood.

"Of course," Alys says as she doesn't hesitate to hand the babe over to his mother. Cassana gently takes her son and Laenor is silent in her hold as though he knows he's home. Alys watches the looks on Cassana's face, the softness she has when she looks at her son. She's never seen Cassana like this. It makes her wonder what the girl was like before these four walls became her home.

"He's so big," Cassana can't help but voice, the thought had been echoing in her head, "Jace was a big baby or so Queen Rhaenyra reports. I was a babe myself then. My mother says I was quiet."

"It seems the boy takes after his mother and father," Alys states and since taking Laenor, she looks up for the first time at the woman. She didn't understand her or her motives. Was this a game? Would Aemond return to find Laenor missing and punish Cassana?

"Why have you brought him here?" Cassana questions.

"Aemond is away," Alys states, "I believe he will be for some time. He and Aegon attacked Rook's Rest. They lost the battle, King Aegon was badly injured-"

"Aegon is no king," Cassana interrupts.

"Just as Rhaenyra is no Queen," Alys states, "Not until she takes the throne and is crowned by a Septon before a crowd-"

"She was crowned by my mother before a crowd," Cassana hisses, "She is the rightful heir to the throne. Aemond is a traitor. And a liar and a murderer and you follow him!"