The Realm's Delight

Chapter 20

It is said that there's always a storm waiting to come after a sunny day, and there has been nothing but sunny days for a good decade.

We were over the moon these last few years, the children especially when Aemon, Viserra and Aemond finally claimed their dragons. Now nobody was left behind, nobody would feel like the odd one out. They were all Dragon riders and would be forever remembered as such in the Targaryen family history. And it was right then that tragedy decided to rear its ugly head and strike.

We were still at Dragonstone when the news arrived. With the Stepstones soon becoming the grounds for another war, Laena and the girls were sent back to Driftmark. It was there that Laena had gone into labour, and where Laena had died giving birth to a son that did not survive long after.

None of us wasted a moment after the news. We flew directly to Driftmark from Dragonstone, Alicent and Daeron taking the fastest ship available.

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There were certain customs when it came to funerals in Westeros. It differed depending on the religion followed. For example, the followers of the Old gods buried their dead in crypts, while those that followed the Seven bury their dead with a crystal, after following a period of standing vigil in the Sept.

It could also vary depending on the family customs of the deceased. For example, the Tullys of Riverrun placed their deceased in a boat which would then be sent downriver and set ablaze. The Targaryens burned their dead and the ashes are then interred on Dragonstone or scattered on the wind.

The customs of House Velaryon I was witnessing with my own eyes.

"Skorī gīmī, aōt mērī ivestrilza issa Vestrodī Vaenī, drējoti Laena Aōhoso Velaryoti, jorrāelza jaelagonna ossēnka geltī, hēdrȳ ivestrilzes Merlingi, jāhon keliton issa kostilusy iderēbzi."(We join today at the Seat of the Sea to commit the Lady Laena of House Velaryon to the eternal waters, the dominion of the Merling King where he will guard her for all the days to come.)

Daeron Velaryon, youngest son of Vaemond Velaryon spoke the words in High Valyrian, the tongue of Old Valyria, while the servants worked on the coffin. The customs of House Velaryon were different from House Targaryen, making it clear that not all Valyrian Houses followed the same customs.

Laena was sealed inside a stone coffin, the cover of which was made in her likeness. I found no similarity between the coffin's face and my cousins'. Then again, there was no way that a stone coffin could capture the beauty of an actual human.

"Se jemagon mirre nēdyssy sesīr issa se, Lady Laena se Velaryoti, dīnāe ossēnka zȳhos. Kessa rȳ ābrar nyke pōjāzma ēza jaelāksi āeksia. Mentyri hen sagon ma ziry riñe dōrī. Tolorro henujagon se ossēnka se, ossȳ se pōjāzma. Ābrar ossȳ ābre issi, ābrar ossȳ ābre rūsisi. Ābrar ābrar mentyri voktys issi."(As she sets to sea for her final voyage, the Lady Laena leave two true-born daughters on the shore. Though their mother will not return from her voyage, they will all remain bound together in blood. Salt courses through Velaryon blood, ours runs thick, ours runs true. And ours must never thin.)

The coffin was then tied to a giant stone, which was pushed into the water. Soon the coffin slowly followed the stone, pulled by the weight of it.

"Zōbrie issa naejot se ānogār sagon se jaelarys, zȳhon rȳkī, zȳhon ōrī, zȳhon lirī sa rȳ voktys. Dārion avy jorrāelan, dārion avy jorrāelan."(My dearest cousin, may the winds be as strong as your back, your seas as calm as your spirit, and your nets be as full as your heart. From the sea we came to the sea we shall return.)

The coffin slid off the edge and plunged into the ocean, sinking slowly into the depths where its forever resting place shall be.

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