Up in Flames || House Of The Dragon || - English Translation

CHAPTER 4 - The cracks that run deep within this family

I'm so strung out on you I might relapse.
I'm dying' for a taste, please God don't let this last.

125 AC, King's Landing
(Saera)

Saera's first night in King's Landing had been spent sitting by the window of her room, curled up in her new plush chair and with Artys perched on her knees. The girl had gently stroked his breast feathers until he fell asleep and now the bird kept his eyes closed and breathed deeply.
Saera couldn't figure out what was the real reason why she couldn't sleep: her bed was large and comfortable and the mild temperature of that evening should have gently accompanied her into a deep dream, yet tiredness couldn't get the best of her.
Saera could see the outline of the Capital from her window: the small fires lit in the streets of the city and the silhouettes of the houses illuminated by the light of the moon signaled the presence of a certain nightlife, making her pleasantly aware of the fact that she was not the only one awake that night.
The minutes passed slowly and she soon found herself wandering over the events of the day that had just passed: the arrival at King's Landing, the meeting with the king and dinner with all her family. She thought of her aunt, Jeyne Arryn, and of the words she had spoken to her during their long journey:
"Your dear uncle has informed me that a tournament will be held in your honour. Such a warm welcome would be hard to imagine if it wasn't accompanied by a betrothal as well."
Saera had smiled at those words "I think you are too optimistic, dear aunt."
"Nonsense, my dear." Had retorted Lady Arryn "Prince Aemond is 17 and without a single marriage proposal. It would be silly not to take the opportunity to get a little closer, don't you think?"
And, in the end, Lady Arryn was right: King Viserys' attempts to get her closer to Aemond had become immediately blatant to Saera, starting with the strategic place at the dinner table. However, the prince's absent-mindedness had seemed equally clear to her.
Not that it bothered her: after all, she felt the same. Maybe she was just able to disguise it better.
If she had been more honest with herself she would have admitted that the idea of getting married in the immediate future was not one of her priorities, yet she could not imagine throwing away all the efforts Lady Arryn had put into preparing her for that day .
The reasons that had prompted her to arrive as far as King's Landing were different, however the girl thought that Aemond would have been a pleasant distraction: Saera had observed him well, in the Throne Room, and had immediately recognized in him the charm that the Valyrian blood gave him.
He was tall (much taller than her), had a fine physique and an incredible composure of posture; his hair was long enough to go past his shoulders and he kept it partly tied up, away from his face which features were sharp and almost chiseled. He had a straight and aquiline nose, plus the marked line of his eyebrows gave him a stern look, an impression certainly amplified by the bandage that covered his left eye and part of his face.
This detail in particular seemed to have upset Lady Arryn so much that she didn't lose a single opportunity to point it out to Saera.
"It's a real pity that such an handsome face is crippled by... that." She repeated that countless times, not even trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.
On the other hand, Saera didn't care at all. Not if it would have allowed her to be part of that family.

The next morning, however, Saera was able to get up just before dawn.
The first thing she did before her ladies-in-waiting arrived was to open the window and let Artys fly free, aware that the falcon would return to her just before sunset. In the Eyrie she had never had a proper lady-in-waiting, more like an housekeeper, and the girl wasn't sure how to deal with two different girls at her service.
She tried to do her best, to be perfect, and to join Lady Arryn in the gardens of the Red Keep to have breakfast together. As her aunt had already prepared a gorgeous turquoise dress for her to wear, all the princess had to do was put it on and let her ladies-in-waiting fix her hair.
Saera was escorted into the Godswood and, as she go through the corridors of the castle, she attracted the glimpses of all the members of the court: someone, she was well aware of it, was more benevolent than others.
The princess was well aware of the charm that her appearance had on other people and a part of her had hoped that moving towards King's Landing her silver hair would not cause such a stir but her expectations had been soon disappointed.
It's not the hair. She thought as she walked out of the castle, onto the cobbled street of the gardens. It's my father they're thinking about.
Once she reached Lady Arryn's table, the woman greeted the princess with a warm smile "This color looks great on you, my dear."
"Thank you, aunt." Saera replied as she took a sit "Did you sleep well last night?"
"Like a baby. But, dear, the same can't be said about you." Jeyne looked at her with a hint of reproach in her eyes "Should I ask the Masters to get you some Essence of Nightshade?"
"I'll let you know if I ever needed it." Promptly replied the girl, before taking a sip from her cup of tea "I guess it was just the excitement of the trip."
"I hope so, my dear. I wouldn't want these dark circles to distract Prince Aemond's attention from your beautiful eyes." Lady Arryn gave her a mischievous smile over her cup of tea "After breakfast you could join him in the inner courtyard, I saw him while he was getting ready for training."
"I thought it was planned a trip to the Dragonpit this morning."
"I'm afraid it has been delayed. Princess Rhaenyra will join us for lunch today."
Saera's heart seemed to skip a beat in her chest "I see..."
"Don't think about it, my dear." Lady Arryn continued, reaching across the table to gently touch the hand of her protegee "There is only Prince Aemond this morning."
"Sure." Saera said, flashing the woman one of her best smiles "No distractions."