Stelsa, the girl crafted from the broken leftovers from the Gods, is far from the expectations of a normal lady. Her father, Aaeron Meryls, and her uncles sought to train her in the way of the blade. Many whisper about her origin - is she bastard li...
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A CHILL FILTERED INTO the room, causing the white curtains to blow wildly in the air. Aemond stared out at the town on the unusually cold day, gray clouds rumbled in the far distance and casted an ominous darkness over the keep. It was fitting considering how the past few days had been. Closing the balcony doors, Aemond glanced over his shoulder to find his sister beginning to twitch in her sleep. Heleana's arms were wrapped around her stomach, hands gripping the stretched flesh. Her pale complexion was far fairer than it usually would be, as she had been bed bound for months now. The flowers scattered around her room helped to ease her mind, giving her time to practice making those dreaded flower crowns. Heleana insisted Aemond wear one, which would explain the growing collection on the chest in his room. The colors were usually blue, contrasting against his platinum hair like the clouds in the blue sky.
A soreness sang inside Aemond's muscles, stiff from the time spent cramped inside his sister's room. The chair was an odd place to sleep, often causing Aemond's neck to rest in odder positions. He often drifted off, only awakening when gentle hands shook him awake. Stelsa would be there, kneeled in front of him as she looked over his face. There were nights Aemond would fall asleep in Stelsa's lap as she watched over Heleana, others where Stelsa would fall asleep on his own. These nights were few and far between in recent days, causing both of them to remain awake throughout the night to tend to Heleana. His sister's discomfort was becoming more frequent the longer the days went on.
Exhaustion weighed heavy on Aemond, causing his patience to hang by a thread. He had been more irritable, remaining quiet in the company of others. Aemond knew he would say something ill if he spoke. Stelsa had taken to the silence too, Aemond noted. There was a crease always present on her brow now, a constant sign of her dwindling patience too. It was only a matter of time before either of them snapped. The weight of the realm weighed heavy on Aemond's shoulders as the dutiful brother, stepping in where Aegon failed. He could only assume the weight on Stelsa and his mother.
The door creaked open as his mother appeared, her eyes looking over her sleeping daughter with a source of exhaustion. It was one that lingered in her gaze most days. "How has she been?" His mother questioned, stepping into the room to look towards Aemond where he stood.
"She has slept soundly since I arrived." Aemond told her, watching the corners of his mother's lips tilt into a smile — one that echoed her sadness. She nervously toyed with her long fingers, twisting the rings on each of them.
"Good, good." His mother sighed heavily as she sat in the chair facing Heleana's bed, one that became always accompanied by someone the past weeks. Despite how well-spirited his sister was in her awake moments, it seemed her mind was cruel in sleep. Something haunted Heleana in her dreams, often forcing her to scream out in agony. She was not easily consoled, refusing anyone's touch as she trembled and sobbed.
