𝑽𝑰 𝑬𝑻 𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑴𝑶 - Aegon II Targaryen

TWELVE

12|HER FATE

Time was an unwelcoming thing. The last few years Laela had spent at Red Keep had passed by in the blink of an eye. She was thirteen years old, promised she would not need to wed until she was sixteen years old. That birthday had just passed. The castle was booming with life, preparing for the large wedding that was to be held in five days time. She was not ready. She needed more time. But time was a cruel thing that chose to run while she wanted to walk.

Laela rasped her knuckle against the wooden door, reluctantly agreeing with Rhaenyra and Alicent to get to know her husband-to-be. She heard a crash from inside the room, throwing aside any respect, she pushed the door open. Laela paused in her steps, noticing Aegon hovering over a maid, his hands forcing her down against the bed.

"Laela." Aegon grinned over his shoulder, words slurring as he rolled off the maid, laughing at her terrible timing.

"Are you okay?" Her question was directed at the trembling maid, noticing her scurrying to get off the bed and away from the drunken boy. "Come here."

The maid quickly moved closer to her, head hung low with shame. Laela lifted her hand, gently stroking it through the young girl's hair.

"Are you going to take her place?" Aegon gave her a half-lidded stare, eagerly gesturing to the now empty spot beside him.

"What did he do to you?" She ignored his leers, focusing solely on the girl before her. "Did he?"

"He almost." The maid sniffed, trying to fight back her tears. "Thank you."

"Laela." Alicent appeared in the doorway behind her but she kept her focused on the clearly drunken boy barely awake in his bed.

"We get married in five days." Her voice quivered. "I can't believe I thought you had changed. I even thought about actually giving you a chance." Laela let out a self loathing breath. "You are a worthless piece of shit, Aegon. And you don't even have the balls to look at your soon to be wife. To see the damage your drunken fun has caused." With a deep breath. "I hate you."

Laela turned her back on him and fled the room, leaving Alicent to deal with her son. She fought back the tears, tried not to think about how they were growing closer, learning to respect one another. But now, he ruined that. He became just like the rest. He was the reason for her tears.

"Aegon! Get up!" Alicent screamed down at her son, ripping the blanket off his body. In his drunken state he had passed out, barely sober enough to heed Laelas words.

"Mother?" Aegon rolled over with confusion, pulling the blanket back over his body. "What is it?"

"What is it? What is it?" She repeated. "That's all you can say for yourself?"

"It was nothing." He mumbled, trying to fall back to sleep. "It was just harmless fun. Laela didn't need to go and get upset about it. I just wanted to taste the forbidden fruit one last time before I am wed."

"Think of the shame that brought upon her."  Alicent seethed as she looked down at her eldest son. "You could try to love her. To base your marriage on support for one another. To trust her and she you. Not begin your marriage with infidelity."

"Like you love father?" Aegon mocked her, seeing how far he could push her.

"I want better for you." She stated, stopping from her pacing to face him. "For your children to grow up in a loving environment."

"Because I can take great inspiration from my own?"

"This is not about you." Her words were harsh, filled with anger as she tried to calm herself. "This is about Laela. I will not allow you to treat her as such. You will try, Aegon. Even if it kills you."

Laela threw herself down on her bed, hand clutching over her heart. She wanted it to stop. She hated that he had this much control over her. She hated that her life was officially ending. And she hated the plain white dress hanging by her bedroom window. A painful reminder that she was to loose herself in order to join the family.

"Laela?" Helaena peeked her head in the room, eyes instantly finding the grieving girl on her bed. She slipped into the room quickly, ensuring the door was locked behind her. She sat down gently on the edge of the bed, hand reaching out and gently stroking over Laelas curls. "What happened?"

"What hasn't happened?" Laela laughed mockingly at herself, voice filled with self loathing and hatred. "I found him. I found him with a maid five days before our wedding. Oh, and the maid wasn't willing. Is this what I am to expect? To be held down while he has his way? And don't even get me started on that ugly dress. It's so plain."

"I can fix it." Helaena said nothing else, standing from the bed and grabbing the wedding dress. She sat down by the window, grabbing Laelas embroidery set and getting to work.

Laela watched her curiously, sitting across from her with a book. This became their routine. Laela would sit by the window reading, hiding from her betrothed while Helaena worked on the wedding dress. It was to be a surprise. She knew it could not be worse than it already was.

Finally, she stood in front of her floor length mirror. Her hair pulled back in a loose bun, a small tiara wrapped into her hair and body adorned in the wedding dress. Her eyes were glossy, fingers tracing over the weirwood leaves that covered the skirt of the dress. It mirrored the dress Helaena had made her once before. She felt like herself.