king for a day ¹ ━━━━ jacaerys velaryon fanfic

19

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ CHAPTER NINETEEN ❜┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌
THE PROPHECY
❛ who do i have to speak to
about if they could redo the prophecy? ❜

EUDORA.

Many people in Winterfell like to say that Eudora gets her features from her mother and her will from her father. And yet she feels like she acquired neither. Her mother's beauty is like summer rain, rare as a white rose in Winterfell, her father is as tough as steel. The girl often found herself wondering if she was too soft or too harsh— wondering if Winterfell made her harsher than she should, which contributed to how she acted at King's Landing. Maybe the Greens made her too soft, too quiet so when her brothers bickered around her she could only sit still and laugh along instead of saying something. Or maybe she did it to herself, maybe Eudora cursed her own future into one where she didn't know what was morally right or wrong.

But the one thing she wished she received at birth was her mother's smile. The soft smile which brought people to feel at ease. Sometimes she felt as if her brother stole the looks, and the only feature that connected Eudora to her mother was her red hair. "Benjen and I," said Eudora, sitting on the sand at the beach with Baela beside her. "We're four years apart, but people said we looked like twins. Our mother called us her little rose buds as children." The two girls laughed at the nickname, seeming it was childish and sweet. "Gods, I miss them."

"Have you been home recently?" Baela then asked, watching as Eudora only shook her head. "How come?"

"My father is not much of a decent man as he was when he was a regent," the Stark explained. "When he was taking his time to allow Cregan to succeed, he imprisoned my father and brothers. I haven't been back for a few years now and it feels like ages."

"And your mother?"

"My cousin knows not to do such a thing to her," she shrugged. "He keeps a close eye, but she's alright— from the last letter I received. Sometimes... sometimes at night I dream I'm back in Winterfell again. I don't miss my father, but my mother and Cregan, I want to see them again."

Baela smiled softly, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. It was hard being away from a mother, the two knew that feeling, Baela more than Eudora. It was a mutual understanding, one mother gone and the other one far away. With wounds still open, that feeling continued to linger. "I miss my mother too."

"I'm sorry about Lady Laena," said Eudora, turning to look at the Targaryen. "It's not easy for a loved one to be ripped right out of your life at an early age. It's not fair."

"It doesn't get easier, but sometimes we have to make due with what we have," Baela nodded as Eudora rested her head on her friend's shoulder. "And sometimes, we have to cherish the ones that are still here," she added as she watched Luke and Rhaena walk along the shoreline, Jace not so far behind them. "These people are the only family I have left."

The Stark looked towards where the Targaryen was looking, watching as Jace walked by. "We'll be fine," she said, hoping her words were true. That it wasn't her wishing tragedy upon such people who've tried to show her an ounce of kindness the past few days. "I swear it."

It wasn't long before Jace asked her to walk with him, Eudora reluctantly taking his offer. It felt awkward between the two, when Jace thought they'd be past that feeling now. But after what Daemond said, he understood where she's coming from. "The view from the shore is lovely," began Eudora as she spared a glimpse towards the prince beside her.

"Right, the view," the Velaryon added, his eyes remaining on her. He shook his head, continuing to listen to the girl's rambles.

"I've wondered what it's like traveling across the Narrow Sea."

"So have I," agreed Jace, kicking some sand around as he walked. "Maybe we could do that together sometime soon, sail across the Narrow Sea."

"Would you like to?"

Jace smiled at her. "I'd love to." This earned him a smile from the Stark, causing him to clear his throat. "Look, Eudora, I know with the situation right now it's too soon to tell. But when all our problems are solved, once we're out in the clear, I was wondering what your cousin, Lord Cregan Stark, would think about– well, uniting our houses together."

"Uniting our houses, how?"

"When you said you already had an idea of who you planned to wed," he began. "Who was it– if you don't mind me asking?"

The girl stopped walking, taking a quick second before she grinned. "It's— I just always thought I'd, well, I'd be with you. It's crazy I know, but my father always thought I'd marry a Targaryen. My mother knew it would've been you through our letters. She liked to think that though distance keeps us out of reach, it brought some bond to be reckoned with. In some way I thought it was fate, or destiny– one or the other. I tried not to lose hope, but it's a silly fantasy."

"Well it isn't," Jace told her, stopping in his tracks as well. "I know it's still too soon, but–"

"Jace, we don't need a wedding just for us to be together," Eudora laughed, holding his hand and intertwining their fingers together. "This is enough."

—

HELAENA.

With every passing hour, Helaena paced around her chambers, her children sound asleep. Who knew where her husband was, or her mother, or her brother. With every passing hour, the visions she had seemed too good to be true. It was past midnight, and she couldn't get any sleep. Helaena feared the thought of the events that are to happen, the events that might happen, and it all would start tomorrow during the coronation of Aegon. When she looks at her children, she knows that there must be something she could do to escape the horror. She wasn't as religious as her mother, but this was one of the only times she hoped the gods spared her some grace.

"It doesn't even have to be me," she whispered with a heavy breath. "Just the children."

She grew restless, her eyes wide and scanning her room for something, anything that would bring her some peace of mind. If Eudora was able to effortlessly leave, then why couldn't she? Maybe it was easier because she had Jace to guide her, Helaena didn't know anyone who would do such a thing. She was Aegon's wife, all of Rhaenyra's followers are either dead of have fled, and ironically those were the people who would've showed her a path or a clue out of her situation.

Maybe Helaena's fate was to suffer through this, be the bearer of the consequences of her mother, her grandfather, and her brothers. Maybe she deserved it, maybe she wronged her sister for not picking a side sooner so now she has to succumb to what is given to her. It was fair, right? "This is how it's supposed to go," she mumbled to herself, a few tears running down her eyes. "This is how it should go."

In the midst of her confusion, her door silently creaked open. "Helaena?" called Rhaenys, slowly walking into the room, Ser Erryk following behind her. She tried not to say a word, Rhaenys holding a finger to her lips. "We need to leave."

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