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DAENYS HATED TO APPEAR WEAK OR desperate. The Mother of Dragons did not beg for anyone's attention, especially on her name day.
"That dress is quite possibly the worst thing I have ever seen, the curtains in my chambers are less hideous. How was she allowed to attend the feast with that attire?" mumbled Lady Clara, glaring at an older woman out of the corner of her eye.
Lady Katlyn shook her head in reproach. "Clara, you cannot say such things about people."
"Why not? It is true. She looks horrendous."
"Because it is rude!"
Daenys tuned out their light banter, focusing entirely on her brother and her lady in waiting. Aemond hadn't wished her a happy name day yet, and from the way Lady Myra twirled a lock of blonde hair in her finger and smiled at him, it wasn't going to happen any time soon either.
Ironically, the more Daenys thought about it, she came to realize that it was all her fault. If she hadn't pushed him away, she wouldn't have found herself in that predicament. Perhaps it wouldn't have made a difference, because arranged marriages were nearly impossible to escape.
She knew it was all her fault, though.
"Lord Stefon keeps staring at you," Lady Clara whispered to Lady Katlyn, tilting her head towards the man in question. "He does not seem happy."
"He is no longer courting me. I have informed him of my doubts, and that I do not feel prepared for marriage," Lady Katlyn stated, her voice trembling slightly. "I regret giving him false hope."
Daenys sighed heavily. "I imagine it was not easy, but it was the right thing to do. What about his brother, Lord Brandon? What did he say?"
Lady Katlyn shifted, not particularly thrilled. "Sadly, he did not take it well either. He seems to believe that we share a meaningful connection."
"Physical attraction is not meaningful. It wears off with time," Lady Clara commented, scoffing lowly.
Meeting her gaze, Lady Katlyn glowered harshly at her. "You do not know if that is all it was."
Lady Clara shrugged without a care. "Apparently, neither do you. Not everything in life is about romance, Kat. Most of the time men only want to use us for our bodies and destroy our lives."
Lady Katlyn swallowed the painful lump in her throat and averted her gaze, trying to maintain her composure. Daenys glanced between the two of them and expelled an exasperated breath.
"No more doom and gloom, please. Today is my name day, I do not want to think about how awful men can be," Daenys muttered. "Let us dance."
Lady Clara frowned. "Without partners?"
Daenys smiled, almost childishly. "The three of us can be partners. Besides, who would deprive the Princess of her wishes on her name day?"
Aemond would do it without a moment of hesitation, but Daenys wasn't going to let him stop her from enjoying herself. The world wouldn't come to an end because her brother chose to focus on the wrong person, would it? She grabbed Lady Clara and Lady Katlyn by their hands and led them towards the center of the throne room, where other pairs were already swaying together.
