The Bronze Dragon-A House of the Dragon fanfic

Chapter 24

With Jacaerys' departure from Runestone occurring shortly after that, a sort of routine began to develop for my parents. They would meet with their council and hold court in the morning, before my father would go off for training in the afternoon while my mother tended to her embroidery; she was even learning from Lady Alyssa how to sew her own dresses by this stage. She still wears the same cotton she wore back then, sourced from the Vale.

One of the things that must be remembered is that my parents were frequent guests at the Eyrie during this time. Lady Jeyne and my father maintained a close friendship for most of their shared life, though one must admit that Lady Jeyne's greatest friendship was that of Lady Jessamyn Redfort's. Rumours persist about the nature of their friendship of course, but they can safely be dismissed.

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The Eyrie was not known for warm mornings, even during summer, Jeyne mused. This far up, they would be lucky to get much warmth of anything. Still, the security the place provided was enviable, even if she did feel a bit like one of those ridiculous villains in the stories she read as a child; high up in a mountaintop fortress lording over those below.

She looked over at the other side of the bed to see the familiar form of Jessamyn across from her. Her dark hair was splayed out over the pillow after the events of the night before, though Jeyne noticed she was still to dress herself. She smiled; whenever things felt like they were about to collapse, she could always depend on Jessamyn to be right beside her, as she had been since they were children.

"Staring at me again, Jeyne?" She asked teasingly. "It's very rude of you."

"Not staring, Jessamyn. Admiring." Jeyne corrected, pressing a kiss to Jessamyn's cheek. When precisely she had grown fond of her friend in that way she could not say; only that she was overjoyed that her feelings were returned. It had been some years since then of course; they both had lines on their faces now, and Jeyne herself had a few grey hairs that came from the stresses of ruling.

Jeyne stood up and found the dress that had been carelessly tossed aside the night before when the two of them had barged in. "We must stop doing this. If you are caught in here . . ."

"It's been nearly twenty years, my love." Jessamyn replied, sitting up in the bed as she pulled up the covers over her breasts.

"And it is still precarious." Jeyne reminded her. "I doubt that any of the lords I rule over would understand." She added. Jessamyn looked down. Both of them knew that if their relationship was ever revealed to the wider world, it would bring a calamity down on both of them. But can it be so wrong after all this time?

It was a question that Jeyne had often asked herself over the years; ever since she and Jessamyn had first kissed in an alcove in the dead of late night all that time ago. It was a good thing Yorbert hadn't found them, or Rhea for that matter, otherwise Jessamyn likely would've been sent away for 'corrupting' Jeyne. Much as Jeyne had liked Rhea Royce, the woman could be fiercely traditional at times.

"We need not worry about that, Jeyne." Jessamyn smiled, climbing out of the bed to dress herself. "Those Lords out there supported you when Arnold revolted. What happened to him by the way?"

"Threw him in a Sky Cell and attainted him. He's no longer a knight nor my heir." Jeyne replied. She had been left with a predicament when it came to selecting her next heir, but her choice was clear enough to her now, even if she was not ready to state it publicly. Better to keep the lords on their toes for now, though many of them would probably guess who her choice was.

"You've a look in your eye, Jeyne." Jessamyn said. "So tell me, who will succeed my lovely Lady as Defender of the Vale?"

Jeyne blushed at the compliment. "Well, the only real choice is Joffrey, even if our relation is distant. He's brave, an excellent warrior, and married to Lady Alyssa."