Castles Crumbling / Helaena Targaryen/ Taelon Targaryen

27. Body Paint

"Have you spoken to the king about an official heirs ceremony?" Otto pondered. Helaena looked up from her crossstitch. She was making a new little outfit for Daphne.

"What do you mean?" Helaena countered resting the needle in the fabric.

"Cyrus Targaryen first of his name. Taelons-"

"Third born son." Helaena confirmed. Otto sighed running a hand over his tired face. How many times must he remind them about the lineage 

"Helaena-" otto tsked. He always seemed to patronize her. She should tell taelon. He would do something about it. He would. He would set otto straight but helaena knew her mother valued her fathers opinion.

"Helaena, i know we had a picnic planned but-" taelon hesitated seeing otto. "Otto."

"Prince Taelon." He answered politely

"Am i interrupting?"

"No." Otto assured. "Just checking in on my grandson."

"Where is Cyrus?" Taelon counted moving to helaena and kissing her head. "Thats pretty." He added touching the fabric.

"Little Daphnes for our daphne." She informed him touching the little blossoms.

"Perfect." Taelon agreed. He stared back at otto as he crept towards the door. "Otto?"

"Yes?" He turned towards them.

"Have a good day." Taelon said in a tone that said he knew something otto didnt want him to or that he wanted otto to think he knew what he was up to.

"Are you alright? What was that about?" Taelon questioned.

"Nothing. Just popping in." Helaena answered.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely." Helaena agreed kissing him again.

"Alrighty then.  So as I was saying, I know we were going to have a picnic, but it's raining outside." Taelon informed her as thunder Cracked across the sky.

"Yeah maybe we stay inside. Paint?" Helaena pondered. "The kids would like that."

"They would." Taelon agreed. "They will need baths up the wazoo after and new clothes."

"Its been a while since you drew." Helaena reminded him. Taelon nodded moving to a sleeping daphne in her crib.

"Where is Cyrus?"

"Just drop him."

"Dont drop him im not ready." Elio corrected

"I think this is a bad idea." Tommen admitted

"Just drop him." Corey repeated.

"He wants to. Im ready." Elio agreed holding his hands out.

"Do not drop that baby." Alicent demanded. Cyrus laughed and laughed.

"I wasnt really going to.... You know taelon and i did this with rhaenyra when she was a baby and she turned out... well a moody little dragon but we didnt hurt her." Tommen offered bouncing cyrus.

"Tommen-" alicent warned.

"I stood up here and taelon down there and he caught her." Tommen offered. "Carying on tradition."

"No!"

"Tommen. Have you seen- what the fuck?" Taelon demanded reaching for cyrus. "Not my baby," Tommen sighed handing him over.

"Boys get up here." Taelon called out. "We are painting with mama." Taelon looked to tommen. "There is a storm and you thought it was good to play toss my baby out the window with my little children?"

"Bad idea on my part."

"Inside!" Taelon called down to them.

Elio and corey ran up the stairs running past taelon to get to helaena.

"Shirts off." Helaena said when they got there. The boys whipped them off spinning them around their heads before the went sailing in opposite directions. "You too." Helaena told taelon, she failed at holding back a smile. "You could get messy. Hate to ruin your shirt."  Taelon chuckled low in his throat and tugged off his shirt. She watched the way his muscles moved.

"Better?"

"Much." Helaena agreed. The boys did finger painting across large canvases. Taelon smeared paint over helaenas cheek and down her neck.

"Careful love," Taelon whispered "or you will need to take your dress off."

" don't tempt me with a good time." Helaena answered with a cheeky grin.

"Boys bath time." Taelon agreed ushering them out the door.