THE BASTARD QUEEN (Jacaerys Velaryon)

𝕄𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕟, 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕟

In all honesty, you'd been avoiding just about everyone for the last week or so.

You'd fought with your mother the most intensely you ever had. Your usual fights would end in your mother acting like it didn't happen, and you pretending you weren't hurt. Now, with this fight, you couldn't do it. You needed closure, and that was something she had to provide you, not the other way around. Right now, looking at her made you feel sick, and at every chance you got, you ran the other direction.

Your siblings were horrible in a different way. Aegon's pitying eyes were the worst, you couldn't handle them. The fact that they had all known the entire time and you were the idiot, made you feel nauseous. Aemond pretended nothing happened, and you appreciated that more than he would know, but when he didn't think you were looking, his soured lips made you want to rip out his remaining eye. Helaena seemed nervous around you, and it broke you to know your sister was not being natural around you. Of your siblings, Helaena had always been the one you had hoped would never leave you, now at her shaky hands you wanted to fling yourself from the nearest window. Rhaenyra was much the same, she did not speak of it, but you could see it in her lilac eyes, the pity. She also tried to push you and your mother together, something you despised. You always found a quick excuse to escape your sister and her friend. They made your skin itch, the pity made you burn.

Jacaerys. Jacaerys had made you feel better, a salve for the itch. But a salve and a bandage does not heal the wound, only protects it from infection. You did not need protection. You did not need to fall into an affair with your friend. That's what you were to each other, and you would not risk sex messing that up. You would perform your duty and provide an heir, but the activities in the woods were pleasure and desire, and nothing else. Frivolous fun. That could not happen again. You would not depend on him, and you would not ruin what you had made by falling for a sham. It was not worth ruining everything you'd built.

You were sitting in your room, a book in your hands, though you weren't really reading, when there was a knock on your door. You paused for a moment, confused as to why the guards didn't just let them in, and why they didn't open the door themselves. You opened it to find Helaena.

"Are you alright?" You asked, at the odd circumstances, she was usually the first to burst into your room uninvited.

She smiled softly, "Yes. I'm fine. You need out of your room," she said dryly.

You scowled, "I am fine. I have a meeting later anyway. The Baratheons are coming in today," you reminded, not taking any pleasure in your sister's pitying look.

"And I happen to know that's not until much later. I'll have you back to greet them," she promised, not taking no for an answer.

You frowned slightly, "Where are we even going?"

"You'll see," was all she said, grabbing your hand.

You rolled your eyes, "Helaena, I am not going somewhere without dressing properly."

She looked you up and down, your simple red dress with a gold bodice, she hummed, "It should be fine."

" 'Laena," you groaned, a smile now on your face as your sister acted her usual self, exceptionally bossy.

"Grab a cloak or something," she added, standing and waiting for you .

"You're insufferable," you added, but doing as she said without much of a fight.

Your guards followed behind the two of you as you walked out of the Keep. In front of the place sat a carriage, horses attached and ready to go.

"Helaena," you warned.