Burn Together ❖ Daemon Targaryen

Chapter 22

Laena's funeral on Driftmark was a beautiful affair, and Rhaellanne felt it was a fitting end to her beautiful life. Her body had been placed in a stone coffin by Rhaenys and Corlys, and in the  tradition of the Velaryon house, she was to be sent into the sea as her goodbye.

Corlys had decided not to deliver the eulogy because of his distress, and had given the job to his younger brother Vaemond.

The Velaryons, Targaryens, Starks, and all other friends or family of Laena had gathered at the patio shore of Driftmark castle, where all their funerals were held, and Laena's coffin was placed on a stone platform at the edge. Standing closest to the coffin were Rhaenys, Corlys, Baela, Rhaena, Bennard, Viserys, Alicent, Aegon, Aemond, Heleana, Rhaenyra, Laenor, Jace, Luke, Daemon, Rhaellanne, Baelor, and Lyanna. All of them were reunited for the first time in 10 years and they all wished it had not been in this manner

"Iksi kesīr tubī rȳ se seat hen embar naejot jikagon se riña laena hen lentor velaryon naejot se iēdar, se lenton hen merling dārys skoriot kessa mīsagon zirȳla syt mirre se tubissa naejot māzigon. [We are here today at the Seats of the Sea to commit the Lady Laena of House Velaryon to the water, the dominion of the Merling King where he will guard her for all the days to come.]" Vaemond began to say "Hae issa mazilībagon naejot se embar syt zirȳla mōrī voyage, se riña laena tēmbi lanta drēje āzma talas va se rāenion. Sesīr lo pōja muña kessa daor māzigon arlī hen zirȳla voyage, kessi mirre umbagon hēnkirī isse ānogar. Lopor iksis isse velaryon ānogar. Īlvon dakogon qumblie. Īlvon dakogon drēje. Se īlvon ēdruta dōrī vasrie [As she is set to the sea for her final voyage, the Lady Laena leaves two true-born daughters on the shore. Even if 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.]" As he spoke, he kept his cold, angry eyes firmly on Rhaenyra and everyone there knew the meaning behind his message. Rumours about the parentage of her children were indeed very common, but Rhaellanne could not believe that he was using the funeral of his own niece to take a shot at her. And she could not stand the smug look which Alicent wore either. This was one of her closest friends and not some event to be used "Ñuha rāpa lēkianna. Kostagon se jelmio sagon hae kostōba hae aōha arlī, aōha embar hae gīda hae aōha mind, se aōha net sagon hae lēda hae aōha prūmia. Hen se embar īlon māstan. Naejot se embar īlon kessa jikagon arlī. [My gentle niece. 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.]"

Once he was finished speaking, he nodded at the two men who held the ropes which held Laena's coffin on the stone platform, and they released them, and Laena's coffin was sent shooting off the edge and it plunged into the deep waters before them

Rhaellanne stifled a sob and buried her face in her husband's shoulder in grief and he rubbed her back slowly. For the last few weeks she had been trying to push the thought of Laena's death to the back of her mind, but to stand there and watch her coffin be sent into the sea made it all feel too real and she couldn't bare the thought of her dearest friend being gone, just like that, and she never even got to say goodbye

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The wake of Laena's funeral was a small gathering of her closest friends and family, and it was very quiet and sad as everyone processed her death. Rhaellanne had to cling onto wine to get her through this, but even that seemed insufficient to numb her pain.

"Look at Baela and Rhaena" whispered Baelor beside his mother and she glanced over at the twins, who were sitting alone at the edge of the gathering and had tears still rolling down their faces

Seeing the sadness in his wife's eyes, Daemon suggested "Why don't you go and see them? They are in need of some comfort right now I think"

Baelor and Lyanna nodded and headed over to their cousins, and meanwhile Rhaellanne decided to go and see Bennard, who was standing alone at the stone railing, staring out across the blue sea. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he glanced at her, relief filling his face