MAW OF THE DRAGON - LUCERYS VELARYON

04. I, Broken, Take Thee, Betrayed

SHE WAS HYPERVENTILATING. She knew she was hyperventilating because it felt like she'd taken a cannonball directly to the chest. Dafney was not given to attacks of panic, nor was she very anxiety-prone, but in this moment she honestly felt as though she would die.

She had never hated Tyland before, she had disliked things he'd done, hated things he'd said but she had never hated him before. In this moment, she felt utterly defenceless and she hated Tyland for it, bordering on loathing.

"Dear sister, please understand," He began, taking a step toward her. "The queen said it would protect you."

"Protect me? If the queen wished to protect me, she would not have set this task for me in the first place!"

"Dafney, do not speak of -"

"The prince is no fool, Tyland, he knows Queen Alicent has not gifted him a live-in nursemaid out of the goodness of her heart." Dafney snapped.

"Maybe so, but no you've no fear of being ruined." He said the thing like this was a favour.

"Ruin me? My dear brother, Prince Lucerys cannot get out bed, he can barely move, how in the seven hells do you expect him to ruin me?"

"Your reputation is protected, though."

"My reputation faces annihilation because of your vaulting ambition, not rescue!" They were in each other's faces now, and Luke was doing all but hiding under the covers. Was this what it was like when he and Jace fought? It made him want to crawl out of his skin.

M ere moments ago, Dafney had looked liable to faint but now she was on her feet and seeming as though she were ready to pounce at her brother at any second.

I t was weird, like he shouldn't be here but had no way of leaving the room.

"I knew I should have sent Jason."

"DO NOT BRING OUR BROTHER INTO THIS!" Dafney was yelling now, at the top of her voice. "JASON would have PROTECTED ME!"

"I AM TRYING TO PROTECT YOU, DAFNEY! DO YOU THINK IT AN EASY THING TO REFUSE THE QUEEN?"

"DO YOU THINK IT AN EASY THING TO BE A WOMAN WHOSE REPUTATION IS ABOUT TO BE SHOT TO ALL SEVEN HELLS?" Her face, flaming red hot now, was bright as the sun. Tyland's was the same.

"WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?"

"RIGHT NOW I WOULD HAVE YOU GET OUT!"

"DAFNEY -"

"GET OUT!" She screeched, picking the book up and hurling it at his head. It bounced off his face harmlessly, before he stormed out the door.

Dafney exhaled, taking deep breathes to calm herself. She quietly retrieved her book, before letting out a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Tyland thinks he's doing what's best, and he can be rather bullheaded when he thinks he's right. But, I, uh, I guess I don't need to tell you about having a pride streak in the family, do I?" She said, turning to face Luke. He nodded.

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm sorry the pride streak in my family has made you the victim of the queen's cruelty." She waved him off.

"She has high expectations, I probably would have lost her favour for some other reason either way." Dafney said, sighing softly.

"My mother is less fickle with her favour."

"Yes, I suppose so, but between them I think I would rather prefer facing a displeased dragon." She said, flopping down on the chaise-lounge.