MAW OF THE DRAGON - LUCERYS VELARYON

06. What The Water Gave

HE WAS STILL. Jace had read and reread the letter at least a dozen times, searching every line for a sign there was hollowness in the words. It was not the queen who had written him, asking for surrender, but his brother's supposed future bride, asking for his help in getting Luke out of King's Landing.

He didn't know how to take this. His mother had urged them not to be caught up in false hope, but Jace couldn't help but feel this was different. If it turned out to be a trap, well, he'd deal with that when the time came.

At the very least, if it indeed turned out to be a trap, then he could avenge his brother and hopefully bring their mother some much deserved peace.

Hearing his mother enter the room, he secreted the letter away under his pillow and turned to her.

"Jace, your father said a letter arrived earlier, have you seen it?"

"It was from Alicent. I assumed you wouldn't want it." He lied, hoping his mother wouldn't notice. Rhaenyra let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You were correct. I do not wish for any more correspondence from her. What did you do with it?"

"Threw it in the hearth. I know how worked up you get when you read them and I didn't want you to be upset." She gave him a smile.

"I appreciate your concern, my sweet boy. But please, please do not feel as though you have to protect me. It is I who should be protecting you." She said, crossing the room to hug him and kiss his forehead.

"But someone needs to protect you sometimes." Jace said, holding her tight.

"I can protect myself, and I have your father as well. I am not in dire need of defence." She assured him, gently stroking his hair. "But come now. It is time for dinner. And after that, your father wants you to sit in on the war council."

"You know, if I must really be honest, it is slightly humiliating to have my future wife pull up my pants." Luke huffed, falling backward onto the bed.

"Oh? More or less humiliating than my having to give you sponge bathes?" Dafney asked, barely containing the chuckle that ghosted past her lips.

"You know, just because I am spoiled for my choice of humiliations, they need not be ranked." He said, shuffling himself into a seating position. There was quiet, then, as he watched her ready herself, she had no ladies maid here, on Alicent's request, of course.

He had to admit, in other circumstances, it would not be so bad, the idea of marrying her. She was by no means unpleasant to look at, and she was kind, more so than he had expected for a Lannister. The Lannister Lions were known to be proud and haughty, and though she did not lack these traits, they were definitely not as pronounced in her as they were in her brothers.

"I suppose you are right. Come now, we are expected, and though I loathe the entire thing, if we keep your uncles and Alicent waiting, they'll send someone to drag us to dinner." She said, helping him to his feet. The dowager queen had suggested Dafney and Luke should join her, King Aegon, Queen Helaena and Prince Aemond for dinner on the eve of their wedding to 'celebrate.' But Dafney knew it was only yet another indignity heaped upon them.

Getting him down to the dining room was an exercise for sure, as she basically had to carry him down the stairs and upon the sight of him hobbling into the room, King Aegon launched into a laughing fit he would not come down from for a solid minute. The entire time, Dafney pictured stabbing her dagger straight into his neck to shut him up. Luke was doing his best to ignore it as Dafney set him down in a chair before taking the seat next to him.