BOUND BY DUTY | daella targaryen | hotd fanfiction

I. the second pearl

Kings Landing, 117 AC
(almost 4 years after Princess Rhaenyra's wedding)

The Red Keep remained as grumpy as the last time she saw it almost three years ago. Time did not change the red bricks of the castle, everything looked untouched. As soon as Princess Daella got out of the carriage, the cold and dark night blew through her silverly hair. The sky was full of stars, the moon was shining just like her golden jewerly and embroidery on her red dress.
Her thoughts fled to the castle long before her body. Daella thought only of a warm bed heated by heating plates and with soft sheets. She only vaguely remembered the contents of her old room in the Keep. That made her realise that she was away for longer than she thought. She counted every day for the last two weeks, but now, when she was infront of the big red castle, she only felt anxiety and fear.
Since it was already deep night, no ceremonial march awaited her. The arrival of the Princess was not supposed to be until tomorrow afternoon, but since the wind served them well at the sea, she and her nobility were here earlier. She was honestly glad that they came late at night, at least she didn't have to suffer through a welcoming ceremony full of fake nobilities who only knew about her, that she was the second-born daughter of King Viserys and his late wife Queen Aemma Arryn. The other thing that they were aware of, was her name, that she got after her grandmother from her mothers side.
Before she knew it, a hand grabbed her to welcome her. The wrinkled hand full of golden rings belonged to Lord Caswell. Daella was glad that he was the one who welcomed her. He always treated her family conscientiously and with honor.
"Welcome back, Princess." Lord Caswell said with genuine smile. He sounded exacly the same as the day she left Kings Landing 3 years ago. She honetly missed his warm smile.
Lady Candace of House Tollet, an ally of the Arryns, accompanied the princess through the gate to the Red Keep. Candace had been in the princess's court for almost two years and by the time she became Daella's closest Lady in waiting. And friend. One of the few Daella had in her life. Candace often spoke to her of Vale, where Daella's late mother came from. The young Lady was one moon year younger than her princess.
After some time, Daella and her party reached the castle, which was yawning with emptiness. The sight of the corridors in which Daella used to run with her sister made her feel sad. The castle seemed abandoned, lifeless.
Lord Caswell escorted Princess Daella up the stairs, to her old chambers. Her party was escorted to another part of the castle. As Daella walked up the stairs, she tried to shake off the stress. But unknowingly her subconscious wouldn't let her. She was still anxious about tomorrow. How everyone will welcome her, how she will have to speak with her father. As soon as the princess, Lord Caswell and the two guards arrived upstairs, the princess turned to the Lord.
"I'd like to take a look at something before bed." she announced, walking back down the stairs.
"Your father, his Grace, ordered me to escort you to your chambers immediately after your arrival, princess." he said in a low voice, as if he was afraid he would wake up the whole castle. Daella took off her cloak and handed it to one of the guards.
"Father has been unable to forbid me for three years. His order will wait, Lord Caswell. Sleep well." and after that, the Princess marched down the stairs. The two guards quickly followed her. Daella didn't pay attention to them, she was always under surveillance anyway. Here, at the sea, and even more so in Dragonstone.
The cold corridors and rooms welcomed her like an old acquaintance. The princess was headed to the throne room. Burning torches, the sound of her footsteps, and two guards were her only company until she noticed a figure approaching across from her. The loud clangs of armor could be heard for a mile. In the dark, she wasn't sure who it was. The figure probably went alone, no torch or guard following. Daella began to walk more slowly. In a few seconds, one of the people she least expected was standing in front of her. Her uncle Daemon.
"Well, well," he drawled. "who do we have here? The Little Dragon herself?" a wide smile appeared on Prince Daemon's face. A rarity.
"Uncle." Daella wasn't able to say anything else. She wasn't prepared to greet one of her family members this quick. As she was looking at him from head to toe, he did exacly the same thing.
Years have not changed him at all, his body remained as powerful and strong as the last time she saw him. His hair was a little longer, Daella only noticed one small fine wrinkle on his forehead, but it was almost unnoticable.
Daemon realised that it was his niece Daella, which he hasn't seen for almost three years. She was now a grown woman. Her face was more adult-shaped, her hair was much longer, even her style of dressing was different. He saw a strong young woman infront of himself.
"I almost didn't recognised you Little Dragon, you look almost like a woman." he said with a big surprise on his face. Daemon came closer, still not believing that it was his little niece.
Daella smiled at him.
"And you almost like a man." Daemon laughed loudly, not paying a damn that it was the middle of the night.
"Whatever could you be doing in this nest of whipers?"
"I could ask you the same thing." Daella said back. It was known that Daemon didn't liked the Keep. He preffered to stay at Lady Mysaria's place.
"Your father named me the Commander of The City Watch, again." stated the Prince. Daemon was still looking at her with his eyes full of curiosity. 'Maybe I really changed as others say' Daella thought.
"Well, he wanted to see me, and I couldn't ignore his letters any longer. So I suppose that I will be trapped here with all this fools for some time." another laugh left Daemon's mouth.
"We will be both." his eyes went after Daella, looking at the guards. Then it shifted back to her.
"How they treated you in Dragonstone?" he asked with curiosity.
Daella firstly looked down and then blinked twice. 'That is a bad omen.' Daemon told himself.
"In short, it was really lonely. It was even more empty than this castle at night. Boredom followed me through every room, every dinner, and every sunset." the Princess looked at him once more. He looked tired, but nevertheless answered her immediately with alacrity.
"You won't be bored here. It's full of intrigues and fakes just like when you left, even if you were only five and ten years old then. You just have to get familiar with the intrigues, Princess."
"Don't worry about me, uncle. I will be fine." Daella reasured him. Her eyes followed him again, she was truly happy to see him. She would hug like when she used to, when she was a child, but she told herself that it would be weird now, when she was older. So instead, the princess gave him a warm smile.
"I will see you tomorow at the welcome dinner, uncle."
"You can only hope that I will be not drunk by then, Princess!" Daemon laughed and Daella as well. The two of them went then by their own, Daella with her guards, heading to the part of the castle where her chambers were.
When Daella was going to open the doors to her chambers she was afraid of what she will going to see. Unfortunately, it was exacly what she feared of. It was her childhood that haunted her at every corner of the room. It didn't mattered that the furniture was different, because this emotion was mostly in the air, in her mind. The princess clossed the door and slowly walked around, looking around. After some minutes she decided that it was the best to go to sleep and don't pay attention to her emotions. Before sleeping she realised that she forgot to go to the throne room. Uncle Daemon made her forget about it. At least he is here with me. she thought. She only wished that Rhaenyra would be here too. Sadly, she was thousands of miles away in Driftmark.
Daella was thinking too much as she couldn't get herself to sleep. This castle already haunted her, made her think a lot about her lady mother. She would do anything to see at least her ghost in the halls. She was thinking like a child sometimes when she missed her more than usual.
As it was her first night here after years, she was afraid that nightmares would follow her through the whole night.
With this thoughts, the princess stood up and dressed her white robe. She walked to the window and opened it. At first it was stuck by the time that stopped it, but after some attemps, she managed to open it.
The wind was as cold as ice.
She wasn't afraid that people might not like her, it didn't mattered to her. The only thing she feared right now was the fact that she will be forced to return to Dragonstone. To the place where she was locked by her own father.
Some say that King Viserys sent his second daughter to Dragonstone, because of the grief he felt after Queen Aemma's death. Others say that he didn't love his daughter. Daella knew that he liked her, but if he loved her? She didn't have a clue. All she knew was that she didn't wanted to go back there.
Where the Targaryens used to be the happiest, Daella Targaryen was the most lonely and unhappy. Dragonstone was filled with sadness and grief.