Throne of Tears and Duty

The Death Close At Hand

Inspired by Lizzy McAlpine's "Doomsday"
High Valyrian in Bold

Rhaenyra had woken up to the sound of Joffery's loud wails. It has been her routine for the past week. She could not blame him since he was just getting used to the environment on Dragonstone and she was right there with him.

When she was younger, her and Daella would visit as much as they could with their parents. They would drag Alicent with them as well.

All you would be able to hear through the halls were little girls giggling while playing a game of knights and princesses. Rhaenyra was of course the knight because she didn't care for it to be any other way.

She was reminiscing on the past, as always.

Joffery brought her out of those memories when he made a small cry. Rhaenyra placed her pinky near his tiny hand and he grabbed it. It instantly made him happy.

"You just wanted my attention huh?" The Princess sweetly smiled at her boy.

Rhaenyra walked out of her rooms down to to the large dining room to see her older boys and Laenor already sitting down but waiting to eat. She flashed them all a sound smile.

"Good morrow, mother" Jacaerys and Lucerys had said at the same time, returning smiles to her.

"Good morrow boys, was your sleep well?" She had begun to ask them since the family's move to Dragonstone. To make sure that she had made a good decision for them and it wasn't just some spur of the moment regret. Rhaenyra was especially concerned to hear their answers today as she had told them of Harwin's death the night before.

They both just nodded their heads at her and she kept hope that it was genuine.

"Well, how about we eat?" It was a simple and silly question that was answered with the quick hands of the hungry boys at the table already at the chicken.

It was quite a hilarious site.
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Daella had been out on Morgra, flying over all of King's Landing. She had been joined by her son on his dragon,Elaehrys. Her daughter was still in the dragon pit bonding with her dragon, Graymist, who was still not big enough to be ridden.

Being with their dragons was a way for them to let out the grief from Arien's death. Their dragons were their peace away from all that weighed on them.

When they had gotten back into the dragon pit, all three of them had stayed a little longer to be there with the dragons before departing.

As Aeven closed the door on the carriage taking them back to The Red Keep. Aemma spoke up. "Do you think he was in pain as it happened?"

The two older people in the carriage had been caught completely off guard by the question. It was so chilling. It was a question made from too much thought. Daella couldn't find her words and all she could manage was a saddening look.

"We may never know, sister. All we can hope is that Father went without tortuous pain." Aeven tried to respond to his sister in the best reassuring manner he had been able to.

Daella tried to think of ways to stir the conversation but she couldn't so she decided to bring up something close to the topic.

"Are you both feeling alright with us traveling to Highgarden for your father's burial?" She wanted to know before they made the trip. Aeven and Aemma both passed their gaze onto her. Their expressions not giving much away which did cause a slight worry in Daella.

"I am quite ok with going to Highgarden. We don't often travel there and it would be nice to see Aunt Lucille,Uncle Davian and our cousins."Aemma was clearly trying to find a positive that was not present in her words before. Aeven agreed with his dear sister that it would be nice to see their extended family in the Reach.