The Art of Love & Hate

Chapter 26

A little tiny time jump. Darya realizes that her coin might have landed more wrong than she first thought. I hope you guys like it 🥰

2 weeks later.

Darya laughed as she ran through the gardens, she could hear Jaehaerys, Aegon, and Viserys laugh as they tried to catch her. Their happy giggles made her smile and forget about all the problems in her life. For the past fortnight, she had spent a lot of time attending meetings, taking food to the people in the city, working with her mother, and making sure everything was prepared for the wedding. The only time she had for herself she spent it playing with her brothers and cousins. The children enjoyed running through the gardens and playing hide and go seek, their innocence and happiness was contagious and it was the only time when all her problems and responsibilities melted away.

"I got you!" Jaehaerys yelled as he got a hold of her purple gown. Darya stopped and turned to face the little body, he had a determined look on his face as her brothers approached them. "ATTACK!"

All three boys yelled as they took her to the ground and jumped on top of her, laughing hysterically. Darya tickled them, making them laugh harder as they rolled on the ground. She could see Helaena, sitting a few feet away, her aunt was smiling as she watched them. Jaehaera was sitting by Helaena's feet playing with her dolls.

"You four seem to be having fun." Her mother's voice made the boys jump off her and Darya stood up. "I should have known you would be with them."

Darya shrugged. "We were just playing a little."

"I can see that." Her mother looked at the boys and raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you three supposed to be at your lessons?"

"Yes," Aegon answered. "But the maester is very boring."

"Yes," Jaehaerys nodded, agreeing with his cousin. "He talks a lot about boring stuff that we do not care about."

"Well, all that boring stuff will help you three in the future." Her mother answered as she ran a hand over Jaehaerys's hair. "You three are princes of the blood, once you are grown you will become great lords and represent me, so you should learn as much as you can."

The three boys nodded before finally leaving to return to her lessons. Her mother smiled as their three guards fell in step behind them and Rhaenyra turned to face her. "I received a letter from Cregan Stark."

"Cregan Stark?" Darya dusted off her gown and started pulling leaves out of her hair as she looked at her mother. "Is he not still in the North?"

"No, he is on his way to Kings Landing and will be here in a sennight." That surprised Darya, she had no idea why the Northern lord would be coming to Kings Landing. "According to the letter he found out that Jace was on his way to see him and he started heading towards the Eyrie. After finding out that Jace was killed he started heading to Dragonstone, but we arrived in Kings Landing before he made it to the Riverlands. So now he is heading here."

Darya nodded. "Will he be invited to the wedding?"

"Of course," Her mother intertwined their arms and started walking slowly. "He is a very important lord and one of my main allies, the only reason I did not invite him from the beginning was because the North is too far and he would not have been able to make it in time."

"Aemond will not be happy." Her mother gave her a questioning look. "The reason Aemond attacked me at the Storm Lands was because Otto lied to him and told him that I had asked you to annul our betrothal and betroth me to Cregan Stark. As far as Aemond was aware I was betrothed to the northern lord."