BLACK SHADOWS [HOTD]

10. her and the devil

year 112 ac

Rhaelena turned out to be undoubtedly right: she was not going to be left alone from that moment on. Yet, she underestimated the extent of her sentence: instead of merely being accompanied by Nylla Corbray at all times, three more spies were added to her permanent court.

The first one was Lorenna Redwyne. A short lassie, with long dark ginger hair, like her last name suggested, much plumper than Rhaelena herself, Lady Lorenna was not frivolous enough to match the Princess's demeanors, but not pious enough to submit herself to confinement within the damp walls of the Starry Sept. She barely spoke, which Rhaelena surely preferred, yet her presence felt like a dark cloud floating above the Targaryen girl's head, ready to shower her with acidic rain at any given minute.

The second one was Heldin Strong, the only daughter of Lyonel, the Lord of Harrenhal. When the brunette was first introduced to Rhaelena, her brows rose in genuine surprise: House Strong seemed to be prospering, sending their daughters to keep the Princess company, despite the infamous curse of Harrenhal. Young Heldin, however, seemed to be quite a believer in curses and devilry of all sorts, for every time bored Rhaelena teased her about the ghosts of Harren the Black and his leal men screaming in agony as if still being roasted alive by the flames of Balerion, the lassie's limbs would shake, and she would run out of the chambers to calm herself down. At times certain sympathy for the poor girl crept into her soul, but never stayed for too long: it was Targaryen's nature, after all. To be amused at someone's suffering.

The third one was a slim, tall thing of barely eleven summers, with long silver hair and dark purple eyes, introduced to Rhaelena as Lady Aena Rogare, the only daughter of a Lyseni noblewoman and Princess Saera Targaryen's bastard son. Though quite a questionable pedigree of the father, he had two things that his lady wife simply couldn't refuse: mountains of gold, poured over his head by his Volanti Queen of a mother, and Valyrian blood coursing through his veins. Careless childish mind, the thick accent in Common Tongue, and utter unawareness of any Westerosi etiquette - Aena was nothing but a misfit of the court, and even her Targaryen blood could not relieve it. Rhaelena found it her most appealing trait.

While Lady Lorenna and Lady Heldin were immersed in hushed conversations, for they preferred each other's company to the one of the Princess, Rhaelena would have little Aena by her side, teaching her Westerosi embroidery and chuckling at her awkwardness. Her alleged second cousin was her entertainment... And assistance, whenever it was necessary, for the princess trusted no one else to bring her little notes to her uncle Daemon on the occasions of her adventurous mood. He gave her a promise back in the Eyrie, after all, to help her escapades at times, when she so desired... And lately, she desired them quite too often.

They were mere acts of secret defiance, for Rhaelena had already learned the lesson: concealing her true nature was in many ways a lot more beneficial than showing it. The King demanded one of Princess's ladies-in-waiting to stay with her during the night as well, and it so happened that every night Rhaelena would disappear in the dark with Daemon, the designated lady-in-waiting was young and gullible Aena Rogare. The girl wouldn't even know of her own betrayal: poor thing would doze off within a few hours of carefully watching her mistress, leaving Rhaelena free to follow whatever twisted desires took over her mind.

That night was no exception. Having disguised herself in a black cloak, her silver hair braided tightly in the back of her head and hidden under the hood, Rhaelena would slowly open a little door in the back of her room. Every motion was well-calculated - the damned thing had a tendency to squeak at times. When the princess caused the door to do so, she would wait for a few minutes, simply to ensure it attracted no unwanted attention. Then, if the coast was clear, she would open it ever so slightly, making the gap barely big enough for her to suck in her stomach and squeeze her body out of the room.