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Chapter eight 𓃦 The wolf ring
Daenys will leave in the morning. It's a tale as old as time: someone has to leave first. The sun was barely out and they beat Rhaenyra at leaving. She said goodbye to her mother first. Her chambers already had the balcony doors open and Alicent was leaning against it. The cold morning air washed her hair back, falling on her back.
Her youngest daughter moved quietly, stopping at the foot of the balcony, "mother?"
Alicent turns her face to look at her – a mirror of her own: lines of sleepless nights, eyes far away, like they were both somewhere where they feel happy, "yes? Do not say you are leaving already."
"Cregan received a raven from his uncle," Daenys explains in a quiet almost scared tone, "they are some troubles on the Wall. Some wildings tried to get through and some fight and fuss broke out. Cregan must return to keep everything at peace. I'm sure you will do the same here."
Alicent nods her head, nails digging in her skin, "yes – yes, we will do that."
There's sudden silence. Daenys doesn't know what to say, how to say goodbye. The last time she saw her mother was when she married Cregan. She begged her to come after every birth, every loss, every funeral. Maybe she hates her. Maybe she feels betrayed by her daughter. She wishes to tell her everything – how she feels in the North, how well Cregan treats her, how she feels about her children. She wishes to cling onto her mother, sob in her shoulder. But she does none of it. She stands by the open balcony doors, her lower lip caught between her teeth before she speak, "I must . . . I must leave now. I will go say goodbye to my brothers and my sister and then we will go."
Alicent feels like a fool. Her fingers ache to slide across her daughter's cheek, ask her about the scar on her eyebrow, of how she feels, what she's thinking and doing. But she does none of it – it makes her think it might be for the best and that she'll break if she watches her leave once more. Instead, she nods, "uhm . . . yes – yes, do say goodbye to the family."
Daenys doesn't move to hug her, neither does her mother. There's perhaps a mutual understanding that if they do so, they won't let go. Her daughter nods her head at her mother and slides out of her chambers, out of her life.
There's Ser Criston standing outside the doors, guarding her mother. He bows his head when the fidgeting princess walks outside. She goes to leave but turns to the man, "it was good seeing you again, Ser."
