Starfyre

1:Rhaenys 1

Heat. That was all Rhaenys felt while sitting in her high backed chair in the Small Council Chamber. Around her, the men in the room were sweating as well, and at the entrance of the chambers themselves, the two large Valyrian Sphinxes stood witness to the discussions. A fire burned in the hearth, despite the heat of the day, and for a moment, Rhaenys wondered why it was lit, though her mind drifted from that wonder from the heat just as quickly. Directly in front of her sat the large Goldenheart table, the centerpiece of the room, all the chairs around it filled with her advisors. Behind her, her husband Tytos stood, and behind him the two Mallister brothers - Patrek and Jason - were at attention, ready to defend her and Tytos if need be.

Her mind turned back to the heat. Was it from the fact that the summer had dragged on since before she was Queen? Was it from the hearth burning in the Small Council Chamber even though it was summer? Was it from her pregnancy, five months along and her fifth pregnancy in less than ten years? It was hard for her to believe that it was truly her fifth pregnancy, but she counted them all in her head, five pregnancies and once this little one was delivered, at least six children - all before her 26th name day. She didn't know, and in the back of her mind, she knew that the source of the heat didn't matter. The summer, the fire, the pregnancy, it mattered not what the cause of it truly was, all that mattered was that she was here, speaking with her council and husband over the details of the tourney that they were planning to welcome her next child or children into the world. Her mind drifted to her brother Aemond, who was in the North, and how cool it would be, perhaps it was snowing there right now....... For her though, the heat would remain.

Rhaenys started to get her senses about her. Her silver-gold sweat-soaked hair clung to the back and sides of her neck, though she knew that no one - not even her husband - would say anything. She was queen, and they wouldn't comment to her about her appearance in front of her, even if she knew that they may comment about it behind her back, even in innocent discussion. And, to be fair to them, they were in the same situation as she was as well in terms of the heat.

Inside of her formed the longing to wear something freer or to remove her dress entirely, and simply lounge and rest in her chambers, or perhaps in a cool bath or pool. She started to focus on her pregnancy to distract her from that thought, and the physical symptoms that came along with it. Her belly grew, as was normal for a woman with her condition, but her breasts and feet did so as well, and on some days, they were sore as well, though today was not one of those days. She also got the odd itching in her eye, though gods be good it hadn't happened yet, and she had given many prayers for it to not happen again....

She sighed from the heat, the act of which roused her back to paying attention to the tasks at hand. The men around her were already looking at her expectantly, though now their attention was less on her, and more on her sigh. Tytos Lannister - the Lord of Casterly Rock and her husband - who was standing behind her placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a questioning look. He didn't speak first though, instead it was her sworn shield and the Lord Commander of her Queensguard, Ser Patrek Mallister, "Your Grace, are you well? Did you require anything? You didn't respond to Ser Daeron's question."

She quietly nodded and smiled, her voice naturally honeyed, "Yes, Ser Patrek, I am alright. I was merely thinking of the heat and the tourney." He gave a short nod to her, the sweat glistening on him like his silver armor, the blue cloak of a Queensguard falling behind him. She shifted her attention back to the rest of the men around her, many of them leaning toward her in case she fainted - another occasional symptom that she had when pregnant, overtired, and overheated - all of which she was. Though for now, there was no sign of a fainting spell coming on, and she felt steady.

Rhaenys took a sip of the weak wine that she had in front of her on the table, the hint of sweetness and subtle coolness of the drink fully reviving her from her temporary semi-daze from just before. She smiled, small, as she knew a bigger one would not do what she wished it to convey. Her mother has always told her to control her emotions to get what she wanted, and she was the queen, still new to her position, but she did want these men to like her and have trust in her, a small smile would do that in her mind..... It also allowed her to show that she was now listening to her Master of Coin, "And I believe you were speaking Ser Daeron? I tasked you with the final budget for the tourney last week, have you completed it?"

The young man nodded. He scratched his scraggly blonde beard, speaking after another few moments, "Yes, your grace," he gestured toward the parchment in front of her. She looked at it and read it as he continued to speak. She listened and read at the same time, able to take in the information, though focused on his words, "As the record states, ten thousand Golden Dragons should suffice given the circumstances of the tourney."