Bronze Beauty | Daemon Targaryen

Downward Spiral

Diana sighed as she took her place at the Small Council table. The keep had been tense since all the children had been sent off to their fosterings or begun their duties appointed by the king. Because of this, the only royal children remaining were Dahlia, Alyssa, Jocelyn and Tyson. Who might not be in the keep for much longer, with betrothal contracts and possible fostering being considered by his parents.

Diana had not been included in those discussions. She'd been branded a traitor by her ungrateful children, who were still sulking over her interference. They put on a united front in court, but in private, Diana and Daemon ate their meals and spent their evenings alone.

Rhaenyra and her lot hadn't sent a letter in months. Diana only heard news from Dahlia, who exchanged weekly letters with her young cousins. That was the only way she knew that Helaena flourished under her older sister's care, riding Dreamfyre almost daily and playing in Aegon's Garden with her nephews and nieces.

News from Driftmark was easier to come by. Daemion, her sweet boy, sent reports on Aemond's progress weekly. It seemed the boy enjoyed learning dragonlore under Rhaenys' tutelage and had even made an uneasy peace with the twins.

The Starks were honourable to almost a fault. Diana did not worry about Aedan's safety and made plans to visit him in the spring.

Alyssa had resisted the harsh restrictions that came with being her aunt's lady's maid. Still, she settled into her role reluctantly, following Alycia to court and learning at her side about subterfuge and politics.

The chamber doors opened, pulling Diana from her musings. The other small council members took their places at the table one by one. Otto looked annoyed when he saw that Diana had already taken her seat at the King's side in the chair that used to be reserved for him. Alicent was silent, her hateful brown eyes turned down at her clasped hands as she took her place across from Diana, her queenly facade firmly in place.

After their return to the Red Keep, Viserys' trust in his Hightower in-laws had been shaken. He'd displaced Gwayne Hightower from his place as Lord Commander of the City Watch, replacing him with Daemon. And he had given Diana a seat in the small council chamber as his advisor despite her lack of a proper title.

Day and night, Diana remained at her king's beck and call, listening to his ramblings and turning his mind towards his family and duties. The healers she'd called from Essos were helping slow the spread of her good brother's mysterious illness, but it was evident to all that the disease was terminal. It was only a matter of time before the king died, leaving the realm with a succession crisis.

Much to her husband's irritation, Daemon wasn't used to not having his wife's attention. Although, he made sure to remind Diana where her affection lay whenever possible. But despite his best efforts, Diana could not shake the melancholy her family's indifference caused her.

Her one comfort was her darling Dahlia, her youngest child, who remained loyal and steadfast despite the many changes. Diana knew her daughter missed the freedom their time at the Vale afforded her, away from politics and the stifling social norms of King's Landing.

The sound of shuffling feet and heaving breaths had the members of the councils climbing to their feet, heads bowed as Viserys hobbled to his spot at the head of the table with Ser Harrold's assistance.

"I see I have kept you waiting." Viserys huffed, exhaustion clear in his dull purple eyes as he slowly shuffled through the papers prepared for him by his council. With a benign smile, he patted the hand Alicent held out to him, the touch brief and shallow in its sincerity.

"Of course not, Your Grace," Otto replied, a false smile on his face as he quickly attempted to take charge of the meeting, "As you can see on the first page, the trade guild has some concerns regarding their loss of profit. There's been a decrease since the City Watch began their new patrol routes."