Surviving

Chapter 38: The Girl Who Couldn't Hide Anymore

"You can stop following me now, Joffrey. The answer is still no." Naerys chuckled as she reached the bottom of the stairs, hearing the pitter patter of her baby brother's steps a little further back.

When she turned, the hall still remained empty, which only made her sigh loudly as she rolled her eyes.

"Joff...I know you're there..." Naerys taunted as a small hooded figure stepped from out behind the corner.

"But Naer!" Joffrey whined as he yanked his hood back and marched over to her.

"But nothing, Joff." Naerys shook her head with a chuckle. She always adored her baby brother's blind bravery. She narrowed her eyes curiously down at him with a sly grin. "Why do you wish to throw yourself into the middle of this?"

"I want to be like father." He puffed out his bottom lip, looking up at her with doe eyes. "I want to make him proud."

The humor slowly fell from Naerys' face as she knelt down in front of him, meeting his eyes and reaching to cup his cheek gently. She didn't say anything as she studied his face with a sad, weak smile.

Ever since Joffrey was born, she told him tales of their father often. Their real father, but she never told him the truth of Ser Harwin. She told him tales of his bravery and the endless love he had for them all, including their mother. Joffrey was the only one who would listen to her with fascination and admiration while everyone else who knew the truth simply would pretend otherwise.

She kissed his forehead sweetly, cupping both his cheeks now with her eyes beginning to water once more as she whispered. "I see so much of our father in you every day already, Joff..."

"Mother says she sees him mostly in you." He mumbled bitterly and Naerys had to bite down on the inside of her mouth to keep her shaky breaths in. She wished her mother would say that to her. She wished she wasn't forced to pretend like he didn't exist at all. "I can fight, Naer. Tyraxes is getting bigger and bigger every day, and-and-and Luke has been teaching me how to use a sword. He says I'm nearly big enough to wear armor!"

Naerys chuckled to herself, trying to fight off her fragile smile. Her fingers stroked through his dark curls as she whispered. "I fear the day you first put that armor on, my tears would never end."

"But why?" Joffrey scrunched his face with confusion.

She let out a small sigh with a small pout of her own. "Can't you give me just a couple more years of my little Joff before you become Ser Joffrey?"

"I could help, you know. I have Tyraxes!" He thought he saw his window of opportunity, but Naerys was quick to shut it.

"You will help by doing the most important mission of them all, Joff." She lightly poked at his chest with a sweet smile starting to form on her face.

"Doing what?" He beamed.

"You and Tyraxes will be protecting our queen...here on Dragonstone." Naerys tapped the edge of his nose playfully, making him giggle softly. One of her favorite smiles, always managing to warm her heart, even when all she felt was cold. "And we must always protect our queen, mustn't we, my prince?"

He nodded quickly, cheering up slightly, but a part of him felt like it wasn't enough. Joffrey wanted to do anything he could to help his family.

"As a matter of fact..." Naerys reached under her skirts, grabbing the dagger she kept strapped at her ankle. With a small engraved hand underneath three little gems. One blue, one green, one red. She could still remember every last word from her father when he gave her his dagger. It was like she could still remember it like it was yesterday. "...this isn't a toy, Joff."