𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍 | jacaerys velaryon

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞: 𝐒𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆

"Mother?" Aelora asks, awaiting for her Mother's response as she knocks on the high wooden door.

After the incident with Aemond, she wanted to go visit someone who wasn't upset. Also, she wished to have more time with her newborn brother, Joffrey. Aelora had always taken interest in babies, for they were good with her. She was good at cheering up crying children, which hadn't gone unnoticed by the adults in her family. Heleana's betrothal had become a recent interest for the Queen and the King. The Queen was supportive of her marrying the eldest, Aegon, but the King kept Jacaerys as a suggestion. Due to this, Aelora's betrothal would soon be a question. If she could control it, Aelora knew who she would want to marry.

"Aelora? Come in, dear."  Rhaenyra responded as Aelora quickly opened the door. Rhaenyra was peacefully lying on a couch, holding her babe as the child slept. The older woman motioned for Aelora to sit beside her wondering what Aelora was thinking.

"What have you been up to within the morning?"

"Nothing quite. I tried to spend time with Valaxon, yet the maesters were against it. May I hold Joffrey?"

Rhaenyra lightly laughed at the girl's request, and gently offered the babe to her. She cradled the young boy in her small arms as Rhaenyra noticed a sad expression on her face.

"Aelora, is there anything bothering you? Did something take place at the Pit?" Rhaenyra asked her only daughter, as she placed her hand on Aelora's cheek to allow her to look at her.

Aelora debated if she should tell her Mother the stunt that the boys pulled, and what they said. Rhaenyra was in a peaceful state of mind, which rarely occurred within the walls of the Red Keep. Aelora didn't want to make her Mother upset at Jace and Luke, and also didn't want to get the two in trouble by their Mother. Yet, she wanted to tell her Mother a small bit of what was bothering her so she can receive reassurance.

"Do not worry, Mother. The only thing bothering me is what was said by my Uncle. He said I wouldn't understand their humor because I was a girl. Does me being a girl differ me from them and from small things in this world?" Aelora asked her Mother as Rhaenyra lightly stroked Aelora's cheek with her thumb and looked down.

Rhaenyra noticed similarities between herself and her daughter at a young age. Both were upset and confused about the distinction of a man and a woman, and how women end up with the disadvantage.

"My sweet dear, do not think like they do. There is nothing that makes you any less special. In this world, women are often given trouble, more so than men. That only makes us stronger" Rhaenyra concludes as Aelora's lips turn into a smile. The girl gave Joffrey back to the arms of her Mother, as she thanked her for her words.

Leaving the chambers, Aelora's confidence reigned with her Mother's words repeatedly playing in her head.

It only makes us stronger.

—----------

Aelora traveled through the stone walls as she headed to find Helaena. She wanted to spend more time with her Aunt, a girl she could rely on. She spends so much time with her boy relatives that Aelora needs to see another girl. Though Helaena didn't share as many similarities with her, she was a great person to converse with about truly anything. Helaena liked it when Aelora would find interest in her bugs, as no one else tried to. Around the Red Keep, people looked upon her as weird, whether for her fascination with insects or repetitive instinct of saying prophecies.

Aelora made it closer to Helaena's chambers as she saw the Queen exiting it, following Aemond. Aemond was covered in dirt and ashes. She had realized that Aemond traveled farther into the Dragon's Pit once again. Hearing the girl's footsteps, Aemond looked behind him at Aelora. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what he should do. He gave Aelora a small smile, hoping she would do the same. Instead, the girl looked at him and looked away from his face with no emotion. She was upset at him and how he reacted. She wanted to act stubborn so later Aemond would come crawling back for an apology. Aelora wasn't simply a girl that he could walk over.