House of Blood

v. innocent

LAENYRA watched the Kingsguard pull rope around Lady Laena's coffin. The waves crashed heavy against the rocks as everyone listened to Lord Vaemond.

"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."

Laenyra looked over at her aunts, Baela and Rhaena. She couldn't imagine how they felt losing they're mother, Laenyra hoped she would never have to understand that pain.

"As she sets to the sea for her final voyage, the Lady Laena leaves two true-born daughters on the shore. Though their mother will never return from her voyage, they will all remain bound together in blood."

Laenyra watched Otto Hightower examining his pin. He had returned to his position as Lord Hand after the death of Lyonnel and Harwin Strong. They both burned in a fire at Harrenhal. Laenyra would prefer to be there than at a funeral for someone she barely knew, but Laena was family.

"Salt courses through Velaryon blood. Ours runs thick. Ours runs true. Ours must never thin."

Looking up at Lord Vaemond's jab at her mother, Laenyra heard Daemon. His light chuckle became a hysterical laugh.

She looked down at Jace. She knew he didn't entirely understand, but as the guards began to pull Lady Laena to sea, Laenyra watched him looking around.

Everyone was mourning. Some more than others. The Queen simply watched and listened, occasionally glancing at Rhaenyra and her family.

"My gentle niece. May the winds be as strong as your back, your seas as calm as your spirit, and your nets as full as your heart."

Laenyra watched Aegon looking and acting bored. She rolled her eyes. Yes, it was boring, but even Alicent was showing respect for someone she wasn't related to.

"From the sea we came. To the sea we shall return." Her casket was thrown into the ocean.

Later, when everyone met for a gathering, Laenyra sat with Helaena. Elsha and Catelyn were not invited and remained at the Red Keep, leaving Lae yea with her aunt.

She didn't mind Helaena, she was nice and quiet. They both sat in silence together as Laenyra read her book and Helaena played with her bugs.

"Hand turns loom;spool of green, spool of black; dragons of flesh weaving dragons of flesh." Helaena said, catching Laenyra off guard.

For a moment she thought her aunt was talking to her, but she did. it remove her eyes from the insect in her hands.

"Hand turns loom; spool of green..." Helaena stopped and looked up. "Would you like to hold him?" Helaena asked.

Though they spent many years in the Red Keep, they both often hid away from other people. Helaena got strange looks for her odd words and fascination with bugs, Laenyra simply did not wish to talk and wanted to pretend the smug looks weren't there.

"Sure." Laenyra did not wish to be rude.

"He does not bite." Helaena told her niece, seeing her arms extended and her hands tense.

"She's an idiot." Laenyra heard someone say. She looked up and found Aegon looking down at Helaena in disgust. "Her and the bastard would make great friends."

"She's your future queen." Aemond said.

Helaena noticed Laenyra listening to him. "Don't listen to them. Mostly they ignore me." Helaena said.

"That's awful." Although Laenyra did prefer to be alone and sit in silence, being ignored was very different and very infuriating to her. Thankfully her brothers never did, she always thought they looked up to her. "I'm going to get some cake, would you like some?" Laenyra handed back the spider.

"No, thank you." Helaena said.

Laenyra stood and moved towards the food table. She looked around as she stood in her corner.

Lord Larys of Harrenhall kept his eyes on the Queen, as did Ser Criston, who barely left Alicent's side.

Lord Corlys was talking to young Luke. Jace was comforting their cousins as instructed by their mother.

Laenyra did not just judge people when she watched them, she wondered about them. Lord Larys was a quiet man and lacked the strength of his House, but she was sure he had found other ways to get to where he is. That being at the Queen's side.

Ser Criston was a noble man, unbothered by the loss of the Commander.

She didn't wonder about Aegon, he was a drunken fool and Laenyra didn't think much went on in his head.

But Prince Aemond was quiet. He wasn't shy, but he would not speak to her since they had run into each other.

He was always in the Dragonpit, yet he had no dragon. He spent much time in the library reading, but never used any of the information, not that she had see. And he seemed uninterested in his training.

If she could trade studies for a sword, she wouldn't waste a minute.

Her mother, though, she had the same habit of lurking and watching. Laenyra tried to see who she was looking at, but she could hardly see her mother's figure as she moved through the crowds.