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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KING'S LANDING
134 AC
RHAELLA WAS STARING AT THE CEILING of her chambers, laying on the floor, silver hair spread on the cold surface. Her night gown was made of a thin material and she was almost shivering, but the cold was good ― the cold helped her staying awake.
She had a very little amount of sleep in the two days that had passed since Otto Hightower revealed how he had brought away the most important person in Rhaella's life, smiling as the truth rolled out his mouth, sounding almost proud of his work. It had been two days since she was told she had to marry Aemond, otherwise everyone in her family would be killed, just like her mother. It had been two days since she had talked to the others about the matter, since Jace had left the room angrily while she was desperately calling his name.
They hadn't talked since. Rhaella did know he was only acting out of fear, but that didn't mean she was any less hurt by his cruel words.
You and him got along.
Rhaella pinched the skin on her forearm as she realised her eyes were feeling heavy, in the hope it could somehow help her stay awake a little bit longer. She craved sleep, she desired nothing more than put her mind at rest and not think for a few hours, but the truth was she wasn't able to find the peace she was seeking even in dreams. When she closed her eyes, all she could see was Alysanne's rotten body, no eyeballs in her orbits, her ghoulish skin, as she screamed at her ― blaming her for the things that happened.
Sometimes, she dreamt of her mother's figure surrounded by fire, flames devouring her body, her excruciating cry of pain ― a cry which was soon joined by Jace's screaming voice, as well as the ones of all the people she cared about.
Sleep was no comfort, so Rhaella had decided not to sleep at all, even though the lack of rest was about to drive her mad. However, it was still better than those terrifying scenarios her brain made up while she was sleeping. Those kind of images still haunted her mind, but if she was awake at least she knew they were not real. She knew there was still hope, at least for some of them.
Isolating herself from the world as she had wanted wasn't a success. Helaena came to bring her food more than twice a day and would keep her company as long as she could. Baela and Rhaena were there when Helaena wasn't ― all of them surveying her, none of them able to comfort her. Heleana didn't even know the reason why Rhaella was behaving like a ghost, but Rhaella would never tell her. She didn't want to lie to her, but Heleana didn't have to be included in her family's crimes.
Even though she was almost never alone, Rhaella had get used to silence in the past few days. None was particularly eager to talk, even Helaena, whom was usually very chatty, didn't say anything about the kind of bugs that were starting to repopulate the gardens now that the weather was nicer. Rhaella felt guilty, but she needed that silence. It gave her time to think.
