The Art of Love & Hate

Chapter 13

Darya is taken to the king to swear alliance. Aemond questions if his loyalty is to the right person. I hope you guys like it 🥰

The servants had brought her a tub filled with warm water and told her the queen had ordered her to wash. She did not realize her clothes and some of her skin were stained with blood until they told her. She took a quick bath and braided her hair, the robe they had given her was one of her mother's old ones.

"Princess." One of the maids stood near the bed and gave her an apologetic look. "The hand has sent this gown for you."

Darya stood up and moved to the bed, frowning at the gown they had sent to her, and looked at the maid. "That gown is for a peasant."

"Yes, princess." The maid's hands shook. "The hand said this is what you had to wear for your audience with the king."

They wanted to humiliate her, to show everyone in court that she was less than they were. They did not seem to understand that the clothes did not make her a peasant, just like the expensive gowns she wore did not make her a princess.

She nodded at the poor woman, who looked like she was about to burst into tears. "Very well."

The maid dressed her quickly since the gown did not require as much work as the ones she had. The maid bowed once she was done and moved to knock on the door. Two guards walked in and gestured for her to follow. She walked behind them as two guards followed behind her. They entered the throne room and no one announced her, but she saw the way everyone looked at her and made sure to keep her head held high.

"Lady Darya," Otto, who stood to Aegon's right started to talk. "You are in the pres..."

"Princess," The man gave her a confused look and Darya rolled her eyes. "My proper title is princess, even if takes you longer to say it. And I know who I'm in the presence of, so I do not need you to tell me." The man blanched, but she did not care about him, her gaze moved to Aegon. "What is it that you want?"

"You are as wild as always, niece." Aegon looked amused and she saw his expression change as his eyes moved down her body. "Why are you dressed that way?"

"The clothes were sent by your grandsire." Her expression did not change as she stared at her uncle. "I believe his intention was to diminish me and through me my mother."

Aegon looked at his grandfather for a moment, before turning to look at his mother. Neither of them said anything and Aegon looked at her again. "Are you going to swear your alliance to me?"

"No," There were loud whispers. "I have already sword alliance to the true queen and it would be disloyal of me to swear alliance to an impostor."

Aegon's face tightened and he glared at her. "Those words are treasonous."

"So is the fact that you are sitting on my mother's throne." She wanted him angry, she wanted them all to hurt as much as she was hurting. "But you do not see me calling for your head because of it."

"King Aegon is the rightful king!" Otto snapped. "He is the true heir of King Viserys."

"My husband's wish was for Aegon to succeed him." The queen's glare was hateful. "His last wish was for Aegon to be king."

"The things you will try and make people believe to get what you want." Darya laughed, she could not believe how delusional the woman was. Everyone in the throne room looked at each other and the whispers grew louder. "So you are telling me that the king had over twenty years to name Aegon his heir and he decided to do so as he lay on his deathbed with no one else there to listen or bear witness?"