Burn Together ❖ Daemon Targaryen

Chapter 14

The King's health had deteriorated once more after he attended the dance for Laena and Bennard's engagement celebration, and clearly the stress of planning, attending, speaking, and dancing was taking its toll on him, so he had returned to his room for a few days to rest

However, this had given Alicent exactly what she needed. Time away from the King's objections, and a chance to formalise the agreed marriage between Rhaellanne and Genald Baratheon. The former of whom had not been seen in the court for days, meanwhile Cannibal was often spied being flown around with Dremfyre, Silverwing, and Grey Ghost across the bays of King's Landing

Ser Roderick was growing worried for her. She no longer smiled or laughed, and now that she had taken to having her dinners brought up to her room, he had noticed them being returned barely half eaten

"Princess" he said as he knocked one morning

"Come" she replied tiredly and he pushed open the door to find that she was inside sitting in her bay window, still in a nightgown and staring out across the vast fields surrounding the Keep. Whenever she was in her room, she stayed like that for hours

"The Queen has asked me to inform you to be ready in an hour" he said nervously

"For what?" asked Rhaellanne

Ser Roderick said nervously "There is to be a tourney... to, um, celebrate"

"Is that what they're saying?" she sighed "Yes let us celebrate the forced marriage of the dragon ruler to that moron"

"She had given you these to wear" continued Ser Roderick, placing down a folded dress on her table

Rhaellanne got up from her bay window and crossed the room to examine it closer. This dress was quite possibly the most hideous thing she had ever seen. It was emerald green, long sleeved, and had silver flowers embroidered into the fabric

And Rhaellanne knew the hidden meaning behind this dress. The green was for House Hightower, and Alicent clearly intended to reign Rhaellanne in under her control. However, she had always underestimated the bravery and gut of the Targaryen, and Rhaellanne would never let her win

"Tell the Queen I will be ready then" she said, a smirk itching to appear

Ser Roderick nodded and left the room so that she could change. He was worried for her. He had heard of the rumours of the cruelty of Genald Baratheon through the Baratheon guards who stayed at court, and the night of the dance he had seen the way he spoke to Rhaellanne. Rhaellanne was one of his closest friends, and he would do anything to protect her from any harm which might threaten her. That was why he had written to Daemon.

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Alicent was beaming when she took her seat for the tourney. In previous tourneys she was always sat with Rhaenyra and Rhaellanne, however this time she sat in the smaller seat beside the empty King's throne

They had announced that the King would be unable to attend due to illness, and Alicent loved this, the feeling of power and control that she now held. And knowing that Rhaellanne had no power to defy her made her all the more smug

The Baratheon family had already arrived at the tourney and were seated too, and now they just awaited the arrival of the Princess Rhaellanne herself. 

When she did arrive, trumpets began to play as she entered the royal box and Alicent turned her head with a smirk, actually excited to see the look of misery on the princess's face. What she did not expect though, was for Rhaellanne to be standing there looking like a queen.

She had tossed the hideous green dress immediately and instead wore a stunning dress of black and gold. The gold dress underneath had a beautiful Queen Anne neckline and had beautiful vine patters embroidered into the silk, and on top of the gold dress was a black silk cloak almost, which stopped just beside her chest and black silk ribbons crossed over her torso and tied there. The black cloak also had small gold gems sewn into the fabric.