Changing Destinies

Chapter 41

Aegon and Mansy have a moment. Daemon goes to see Hobert. Helaena and Cregan talk. I hope you guys like it 🥰

Aegon was glad to be done with training, he was much better with the sword than he had been a few years prior, but he was not as good as Aemond and would never be. He did not mind, his brother had always been the one who loved fighting and enjoyed playing with swords and knives. Aegon was good at other things and while he was more than capable of defending himself he would never be a great warrior like his brother and father. His parents did not care, they loved him no matter what, and like his mother and father said he had other talents.

He had almost reached his chambers when a noise caught his attention. He frowned, it sounded like someone was crying. He moved away from the doors and down the halls, coming to a stop when he saw Mansy sitting on one of the far benches, hidden from others as tears ran down her face. He did not remember ever seeing her crying, he still remembered the first time he had seen her. She had been a skinny child, filled with fire and daring. He had never met anyone like her before and when he saw her after so many years he realized she had not changed. She was still the same daring and fearless girl he had first met, and it felt wrong to watch her cry.

"Mansy?" She immediately started drying her tears before standing up and dropping into a curtsy. "Are you well?"

"I apologize, my prince." She dried a few more tears. "I did not realize you were there."

"I do not care about that." He moved closer to her, not wanting to scare her, but needing to know what saddened her so much. "Why are you crying?"

"It is something personal." Even with her eyes reddened by tears, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "Do not worry, it will not affect the way I serve Princess Helaena."

"That is not what I am worried about." He sat down and patted the empty seat next to him and waited until she sat down. "I am well aware of how loyal you are to my mother and my sister, I do not doubt you serve Helaena as well as you are able. But that does not tell me why you are crying."

She gave him a curious look. "Why do you wish to know?"

"I used to cry in the corners of these halls, there was no one who wanted to listen to me or even cared until my mother took me in her arms one night and allowed me to sleep in her chambers. I had a terrible dream and had gone to the queen's chambers, she was upset I was there, yelled at me, and sent me back to the nursery. My mother allowed me to sleep with her and after that day she took care of me and my siblings and I would always tell her about what made me sad. She always made me feel better, even when there was nothing she could personally do to get rid of my troubles and fears." He gave her a gentle smile. "You do not have to tell me and I might not be able to do anything to make you feel better, but maybe talking to me will help you see things a different way."

Mansy bit her lip and he was sure that she would just stand up and leave, but after a few moments, she started to talk. "I went to see my mother today and I discovered that she has been lying to me my whole life. There is a whole side of my mother that I do not know, that I did not even imagine existed."

Aegon had met Mansy's mother on several different occasions and he thought her to be a strong and fair woman, but above all a woman who loved her daughter more than anything.

"Your mother had secrets from you?" Mansy nodded. "And these secrets hurt you profusely?"

"I always thought we told each other everything, I trusted her more than anyone else. My whole life, she was the only thing I had." Mansy's eyes filled with tears, but this time she was able to stop herself from crying. "She hid so many things from me and for no reason."