Surviving

Chapter 23: The Girl Who Conquered The Boy

Helaena managed to convince Naerys to join her in the Godswood after supper. The older princess was relatively quiet during supper, her smile was slipping from the moment Naerys had entered the room.

It was like the little bit of light that returned to Helaena's eyes was fading away once more.

"Do you miss your home, niece?" Helaena asked after many minutes of silence.

Naerys' head snapped towards her aunt, thrown off by the sudden question. She was too tired to lie or pretend. Helaena wasn't one of them anyways. Not really. "Very much. I miss not having to look over my shoulder everywhere I turn."

"That sounds lovely." Helaena frowned down at her lap, her fingers fidgeting anxiously.

Suddenly Naerys had an idea. A solution for them both. A way around her unreasonably bitter husband. "Would you care to visit there sometime? It's quite lovely this time of year, especially the sunrises."

"I...I...I don't..." Helaena's face lit up momentarily, but the reality of her situation quickly washed away any optimism. "I could never leave the childr-."

Naerys placed a gentle hand over her aunt's and swallowed her pride. "You could bring them as well."

Helaena shook her head with a pitiful sigh. "I cannot have them all on Dreamfyre with me...I...I'd need another to..."

"We could travel by ship then." Naerys shrugged as casually as she could, but her voice was sounding near urging.

"I would never leave Dreamfyre...perhaps if you were to claim a dragon..." Helaena's smile didn't meet her eyes, but she spoke softly. Almost encouragingly.

"Hmph, as if that will happen so long as I'm trapped here." Naerys muttered. She was so fed up with Aemond's antics. She hated how cold he was towards her from the moment she joined them for supper. Or from the moment he left her alone in their chambers. "I worry I won't even ever see Dragonstone again."

"Wings will not return the dragon to its nest." Helaena hummed to herself.

Naerys grimaced bitterly, removing her hand from her aunt's. She went to turn away when her aunt seemed too withdrawn for anymore conversation, but then Helaena reached for her shoulder.

"The stars will shine the brightest for you soon once more, Naer." Helaena gave a reassuring smile, squeezing softly at her niece's shoulder before leaving her alone. Completely alone. Once again.

She was so tired of being alone, even in her marriage. Aemond had no right to be angry with her when she'd done nothing wrong. She'd started to grow to enjoy his presence when he wasn't being an absolute prick to her.

He said nothing to her the entire supper and the moment she started talking to Daeron, he removed his hand from hers and never moved it back. All she wanted to do after that was flee from that room.

And then he had the audacity to speak to her like some inconvenience. For enduring his family.

As she made her way back to her chambers, she found her anger and resentment fizzling away into something else. Something worse.

She felt sadness filling her heart.

The closest person she had to trust was Aemond, and she wasn't even sure if she should trust him. Sure their more intimate knowledge of the other started with her, but she was in control of everything. She didn't shed a tear for Aemond when she'd left him alone in that dusty, blue room. Though a tear slid from the corner of her eye as she left the queen's chambers that evening.