Surviving

Chapter 45: The Girl Who Lived

One month ago

Naerys' POV of Storm's End

There he was.

Aem.

Naerys felt like her heart would burst from her chest the moment she spotted him as she and Luke walked into the hall, surrounded by guards. Her breath caught in the back of her throat and she reached for Luke's hand, tightly holding onto him for support. The moment she caught a glimpse of his bad side, she knew the moment she'd meet his eye, she'd lose sight of everything she was there for.

Luke was gently pulled closer to his sister, but when he noticed their uncle across the room, he knew she was scared. Though he didn't understand why, he only knew he had to protect his sister. He stood just enough in front of her to block Aemond's view of her and Naerys felt her cheeks warm at her brave little brother. She'd never seen so much of their father in him until now.

Her eyes remained ahead as they stopped in the center of the hall under Lord Borros' arrogant gaze. Not a single word had come out of his mouth, but his eyes showed no respect or honor to the Velaryon prince and princess before him. And Naerys wasn't blind to it.

However that wasn't the gaze that made her tremble in her place. That gaze was the one that burned right past her brother. Even if she couldn't see him, she could feel him staring in her direction. And she wanted nothing more than to run to him.

But she couldn't.

She was sent on a mission from her mother, the Queen.

She shouldn't.

He betrayed her so easily as if she meant nothing to him, as if she were a game to him.

She wouldn't.

Just as she wouldn't escape the true feelings she felt.

She could feel her heart racing in her chest as her other hand fidgeted with the scroll at her side. She needed to be stronger than this. She needed to keep it together. It felt impossible for her to get a single word out, but when she noticed Luke's turned head, she squeezed his hand, signaling for him to keep focus.

Luke stepped closer to her, shifting his attention to Lord Borros with a straight face. "Lord Borros, we've brought you a message from our mother...the Queen."

"Yet earlier this day I received an envoy from the king. Which is it?" Borros sneered playfully down at the two and Naerys' grip tightened over the scroll. Already she wanted to swing on the arrogant stormlord for being so rude to her brother. "King or queen? The House of the Dragon does not seem to know who rules it."

Naerys wished now more than ever she hadn't hesitated when she saw Vermithor earlier. She wished she took the chance to claim the Bronze Fury and show Borros her fury.

"What's your mother's message?" Borros asked once his laughter finally ceased.

Gods, she hated this man.

Naerys' arm raised with a scroll from her pocket and the guard had retrieved it, delivering it to Borros, who just glanced down at it in his hand. He tapped the arm of his pitiful throne impatiently, looking around the room and Naerys narrowed her eyes at him curiously.

Could he not read?

"Where's the bloody maester?!" Borros called out with an annoyed look on his face.