Sun and Fire ~ Aemond Targaryen

09. Getting Used to the Snake's Nest

That night, Daemma could hardly fall asleep. The irritation she felt from Aemond's words lingered but the discomfort that plagued her went beyond that. Lying under the covers of her new bed, which was comfortable and enormous, she found it difficult to rest. She still couldn't adjust to the idea that the Red Keep was her new home, that she was getting married and that she would have to endure life at court for the rest of her days.

When she was younger, she used to visit the capital frequently with her parents and sister. However this was the first time she was experiencing these feelings. During her previous stays in the city, she had never had trouble sleeping. Now, she felt alone, tense and for the first time, began to sense an unsettling feeling of being watched in her own room.

For some inexplicable reason, she couldn't keep her eyelids closed for more than a few minutes. When she reopened her eyes it was with a certain fear. Her chest felt heavier than before, her body temperature seemed elevated and she wondered to herself: What is happening to me? Did I feel this way before?

In her childhood, she had never experienced such discomfort. This feeling of unease was the most intense she had felt in a long time and the inability to relax was stressful. The room was shrouded in total darkness, barely filtered by the silver light of the moon. From a distance sounds reached her that she couldn't identify, except for the unmistakable sound of waves crashing against the rocks. This last sound was completely new to her, as in Highgarden she hadn't lived near the sea. She recalled that this was one of the few things she liked about King's Landing, so she tried to fill her mind with positive thoughts to start calming down.

She paused to imagine the breakfast the next day with Helaena in the gardens, accompanied by the twins. She visualized the flight on Auryon, the excitement of writing to her family to tell them about her arrival and the warm welcome she had received. She thought about how her ladies-in-waiting would soon arrive to keep her company, along with her beloved scorpion. She let these pleasant thoughts envelop her and, little by little, she drifted off to sleep. She didn't know how long she managed to rest before waking up suddenly, her eyes wide open.

For a moment, she felt that unsettling sensation of being watched again. She thought she heard faint voices coming from the hallway, behind her bedroom door and her body froze in fear. She wanted to find out if it was just an illusion but she didn't dare move. She preferred to stay in bed and convince herself that it was all in her imagination.

She turned in bed until her eyes were fixed on where the enormous door should be. In the darkness, she couldn't make it out clearly. She looked down at the floor, thinking that if someone were in the hallway, she might see light seeping through the threshold but she noticed nothing.

It might have been a simple misinterpretation; perhaps it had been a maid or a guard passing by. There were many possible explanations for the voices she had heard. With effort, Daemma tried to dispel her anxieties and focused on trying to sleep. Though it was difficult, she eventually succeeded. When she woke up to the sunlight filtering through the plush curtains, she realized she had slept later than usual and still felt tired.

Immediately, Daemma got up and quickly prepared herself to meet Princess Helaena, just as she had promised. She chose an elegant dress with a full skirt in a soft light yellow hue, complemented by jewelry and mid-heeled shoes, which she still had to get used to despite her dislike for them. This time the maids had styled her hair in a beautiful fishtail braid that encircled all of her hair. Although she felt the hairstyle was a bit tight, she decided to endure it for the entire day.

As she stepped into the garden, the cold breeze brushed against her face and she was grateful for the hairstyle, as otherwise, the wind would have disheveled her hair, making it difficult to eat in peace without strands getting in her mouth.