𝑨 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 // 𝑨𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝑰 𝑻𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒚𝒆𝒏

81. Monsters In The Sept

The fire crackled and hissed in the stone fireplace, its warm, orange glow casting dancing shadows on the walls. The heavy dark curtains were drawn, casting a solemn gloom over the room. Alyssa sat on the couch by the fireplace, a sad and mournful Rhaegar in her lap.

The room was silent and sorrow-filled, the absence of Aelys's lively presence keenly felt. The couch seemed vast and empty without her, lacking her usual infectious energy.

Alyssa sighed deeply, feeling a pain in her chest at the end of her inhale. It had only been four days since her sweet girl's burial and it did not get better, the weight on her shoulders, the pain in her chest or the sting in her eyes. None of it had left. The little progres that Kiss between her and aegon had made was to be forgotten. As they sat in the couch, he was probably drunk or hungover. Mayhaps both.

Every time she felt that anger rise in her, she forces it down, feeling like a real hypocrite when she herself could hardly sleep unless her every nerve was dosed with milk of the poppy. The few times she had tried to fall into a deep sleep without it, she was given back the same result.

She let her fingers move in a soothing rythm through Rhaegar's hair. Feeling the warmth of his head against her chest, the steady rhythm of his breathing a small comfort in the grief that filled the room.

She continued to rub his back in slow, gentle circles, trying to offer solace to her son through her touch. He was young yet to fully understand the weight of their loss.

Her eyes moved to Baelon who was seated on the rug by the fireplace, his cheek pressed against his knees. In his arms, clutched tightly against his chest, was the soft toy Aelys had cherished when she was alive. It was now an heirloom of sorts, a tangible piece of his sister that he couldn't bear to part with. Alyssa observed his somber expression as he held onto the toy.

Her heart ached at the sight of her son's pain, but she knew there were no words she could say to ease his loss. In the silence of the room, she could only hope that he found some comfort in the soft toy that had been Aelys's constant companion.

She felt sad for him while he st alone on the floor, so far away from her, so young and yet he had endured the death of his sister. Her voice broke the heavy silence that hung over the room. It was soft and gentle, as if she was afraid of shattering the melancholy atmosphere.

"Baelon," she called out. Baelon lifted his head from his knees and looked at his mother. His eyes, heavy with the weight of his sorrow, shimmered with unshed tears in the firelight. "Come here."

He released the toy from his grip and slowly got to his feet. His small feet shuffled across the rug as he slowly made his way towards Alyssa.

As he approached the sofa, she held her free arm open, inviting him into her embrace. Rhaegar was still in her lap, clinging to her, his head nestled against her chest.

Baelon climbed onto the couch, curling up against his mother, seeking comfort in her embrace. Alyssa wrapped her arms around both her sons, holding them close, offering what little comfort she could in their shared grief.

"I miss her," he mumbled, his head tucked into Alyssa's shoulder. "Aelys. I miss her so much."

She pulled him closer, her arms wrapping tighter around his small frame. Baelon and Aelys had been inseparable, their bond as siblings and playmates a source of immense joy for the young boy. They would spend hours together, running through the gardens, playing hide-and-seek, or simply inventing imaginative games only they understood.

With Aelys's death, Baelon missed not just his sister, but his constant companion and playmate. The emptiness left by her absence was a heavy void for him to fill.