The Targaryen Queen

Izula Hārēpsa

Princess Lucenya Targaryen sat in her quarters, staring at her reflection as the third child of her mother's first marriage. She was used to being overlooked by the court and small folk. She missed her father and his company. His betrayal had broken her heart even more so when he chose the children of his affair over her.

Out of all his children, she looked the most like him. Even her eyes were a darker hue in comparison to her mother and siblings. Her mother's entry brought her out of her thoughts. "Lucenya, you skipped dinner. Is everything all right?" The young princess looked up at her mother and smiled. "I am well Mother, just tired"

Visenyra sat down and stared at her daughter. Sometimes she swore it was Mekar looking back at her, but Lucenya was of blood and fire, just like her siblings. Tonight, however, she was not sure. The colours of House Martell adorned her daughter's attire. The only thing that showed her ancestry was her eyes and her dragon. While her eldest children favoured the freedom of Dorne, they were dragons. However, Lucenya was a snake. She was beautiful and venomous. She could see the unhappiness in her daughter's eyes the longer she stayed in the court. 

"My darling, shall we talk about your marriage?" Visenyra stated before taking a sip of the Dornish wine that Lucenya favoured. The raven-haired princess frowned. She had hoped to avoid the topic, but at twenty and five, she was still unwed. Slowly, she turned to her mother. "Do we have to?"

The silence Visenyra gave her daughter was loud, but Lucenya hoped to avoid the topic. Finally, the Queen spoke. "There are offers for your hand. These three are the ones I found most acceptable." She rose and made her way to the door. "Think about them Lucenya. I see how unhappy you are here."

As her mother left, Lucenya carefully picked up the letters. The first she immediately threw into the flames. She refused to marry the Lord of House Celtigar. While he was a close friend, she knew that he would not make her happy and she could not be his beard. Glancing at the other two, she froze. House Dayne of Starfall and the Prince of Qarth. Her fingers nervously traced the paper before she opened it.

Prince Jaehaelor was the Yuvaraja of Qarth. She had met him on one of her family's visits to Qarth and they got along quite well. Over the years, they had exchanged letters and the freedom of Qarth was wonderful. She loved Dorne, but she could not live there as the daughter of Mekar Martell, the oath breaker. 

While the small folk loved her and her siblings, she could not handle being in the halls her father often danced with her through. She could not and would not marry into a Dornish house that might compare her to her father. She burned the offer from House Dayne and lowered herself into her bed as she read the marriage offer from Jaehaelor, a soft smile appearing on her face.

 In her study, Queen Visenyra read over the laws that her small council had drawn up to prevent forced marriages. When the door to her study opened, glancing up, she smiled at her three daughters, who stood nervously at the door holding their marriage offers.

"Come in, my sun-dragons" The three entered the room. Lucenya spoke first, "I accept". Visenyra carefully read the offer that her daughter had accepted and nodded. She knew that Vashti would be pleased, as she had initially informed Visenyra of the letters their children had exchanged over the years.

She then glanced at her other two daughters. Daella shifted from right to left as her gown of yellow shined in the light of the fireplace. She placed the offer in her mother's hand and watched as her mother's eyebrow raised. "Really?"

 Daella blushed and nodded shyly while all Visenyra could do was stare. Before she took a large gulp of wine. Lucenya watched her mother in surprise before glancing at the offer and laughing. "I knew you liked the Tyrell boy," Lucenya declared, while their mother only sighed and nodded. "Daella darling, you are aware that House Tyrell has replaced House Hightower". Visenyra watched as her daughter nodded.