The unwanted princess - H.o.D.

A mother's words

"My princess." Ser Dalt said as he stepped into Velora's chambers. He waited until the girl paused her sewing and lifted her eyes to look at him before continuing. "Prince Aegon is outside."

"Prince Aegon?" She frowned. "What does he wish for?"

"A word with you."

At Ser Dalton's words, there was a stunned silence in the room. Valora blinked, shocked, as it wasn't really something Aegon would normally do - talking to people; to Valora specifically.

"Send him in." She decided after a second of deliberation.

With a bow, Ser Dalt walked out of the chambers and, after a whispered conversation outside her door, Aegon stepped in instead. He stayed put by the door and Valora let him for a moment, not even sparing him a glance as she continued sewing. She smirked when she heard Aegon shuffling on his feet. For all his faux-confidence and reckless self-righteousness, Aegon was but a boy of twelve.

"What is it that you expect of me now, Aegon?" She asked, still looking down at her handiwork but deciding to put an end to her betrothed's suffering.

"My mother said I should be kinder to Aemond." He said, to which Valora finally stopped what she was doing to lift her eyes up at Aegon instead.

"Well, from where I stand, I think you should be kinder to everybody." She said.

"Mother said in a world such as ours, we must protect our own." Aegon ignored Valora's teasing which definitely made this whole interaction the weirder.

"She is correct." Valora nodded. "Is that what you wish to hear?"

"My mother said I am a threat to Rhaenyra's claim to the throne."

"What?"

"She said the mere fact I exist is a threat to Rhaenyra." Aegon explained further. "Because I am the first born son and she is, well... not."

"Perhaps." Valora shrugged. "But in Viserys' eyes, she is his only child, so I don't see how that is of any importance."

"Mother said the people will talk when Rhaenyra takes the throne."

"People talk about everything all the time."

"She said Rhaenyra might kill us. Aemond and I." Aegon argued. "For we challenge her claim."

"Then don't." Valora said. "Don't challenge her claim. Do you mean to?"

"No." Aegon shook his head. "Would you wish me to?"

"Me?" Valora frowned, her eyes following after Aegon as he moved across her chambers to sit beside her at the feet of her bed. "What I wish for does not matter."

"If I were to challenge Rhaenyra and become king, you would become queen." He said. "Is that something you would wish for?"

"I'm not cut to be a queen." The answer came out quicker than Valora had expected it to. "Of all the children he has, I am the one our father would less rather see sit the throne. In fact, I'm sure he would rather have a sword through his neck than see me as queen."

"What about me?" Aegon asked, to which Valora scoffed.

"He wouldn't want to see you king either." She said. "Would you like to be?"

"King?" Aegon asked, as Valora nodded. "No."

"That's good." Valora nodded, looking away from Aegon when she realized that had been the longest conversation the two of them had had without any insults to each other whatsoever. "Your mother is paranoid. Rhaenyra is... I mean, she doesn't show it, but she likes us, I suppose. But one way or the other, she is not cruel. She wouldn't put us to the sword if we bent the knee to her and just decided to waste our life away inside these castle walls."

"That sounds divine." Aegon whispered, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he too looked at his lap instead at over at Valora.

"We'll be fine, Aegon." She said. "As long as we perform our duties, we'll be alright."

And as it usually did whenever their duties were mentioned, the silence that wrapped itself around them became too much to bear so, without really thinking about it, Valora threw her needlework aside and stood up from her bed.

"I'll ask my maids for some wine, if you care to share it with me?" She offered, the words slipping past her lips before she could even think them through.

Aegon stared at her surprised, but after a second, relented, heaving out a breath as he laid back on Valora's bed and waved a hand around.

"Whatever." He decided, which was more than Valora had ever gotten from him - not that she ever willingly invited Aegon to do something with her that involved keeping her company. "It's not like I have much else to do anyway."