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THE NEWS OF LADY LAENA VELARYON'S tragic demise in the midst of childbirth spread across the Seven Kingdoms like wildfire.
The news of Ser Harwin Strong's dubious death arrived a few days earlier. The official story, or the most convenient one to tell, was that the curse of Harrenhal was still very active within the walls of the castle, which caused a fire so deadly that Harwin and his father were unable to escape.
Lord Lyonel Strong, hand of the King Viserys I, and his firstborn son Harwin suffered violent deaths shortly after the knight's removal from court, which left the youngest son Larys as the only living heir to Harrenhal. Daenys thought it couldn't be a coincidence. Their deaths were premeditated.
"Do you believe in curses?" Daenys asked, glancing up at her mother to catch her reaction.
Alicent swallowed hard. "Why do you ask?"
Daenys shrugged nonchalantly. "Curiosity."
"Dragons exist," Alicent responded, squinting at her. "I am certain that curses exist as well."
Daenys acknowledged her answer with a faint nod and grew silent, ignoring the withering looks that Aemond occasionally threw at her.
She would have found Driftmark a beautiful place, if not for the funeral of Laena Velaryon. The air was thick with loss, grief, hatred and resentment.
"Perhaps you ought to speak with your cousins. They just lost their mother," Alicent suggested. "Aemond. Daenys. Go talk to them."
"I don't know what to say," Daenys muttered, her brow furrowing. "They're in pain."
Aemond rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Why me? Daenys can talk to them, I don't care."
"Both of you, go. Now," Alicent ordered sharply. "Don't make me say it again."
Aemond huffed. "Fine! Come on."
As soon as the funeral rite was completed and Lady Laena's body was delivered to the ocean, the crowd began to disperse. Aemond spotted their cousins huddled in a corner of the balcony and yanked Daenys by the arm, clearly still furious with her.
"Stop pulling me, you brute," she snapped at him. "For your information, I'm still mad at you."
The grip on her arm grew even tighter. "Do you honestly think that I care?"
She couldn't find an explanation for his drastic change of behavior. A fortnight ago, they had shared the same bed during a fierce thunderstorm. It took a lot of strength not to cry in front of him. Aemond had never treated her like that before.
