Labour | Helaena Targaryen

01

The day Tiyana Arryn was officially appointed as Lady Helaena Targaryen's lady-in-waiting was one she would never forget. At just fourteen years old, Tiyana felt a mixture of overwhelming excitement and nervousness as she prepared for her new role. It was an honor beyond anything she could have imagined, to be chosen to serve a princess, especially one as mysterious and captivating as Helaena. For years, she had watched the Targaryens from afar, drawn to their silver hair and regal beauty, and now she was about to become part of their world.

Tiyana's heart raced as she walked through the familiar halls of the Red Keep, her footsteps quick and light. Her thoughts swirled in anticipation of what it would be like to serve Helaena, a girl who had always fascinated her. Helaena was strange, different from everyone else, but to Tiyana, that strangeness was part of her charm. The princess would often mumble odd phrases, seemingly disconnected from the world around her, speaking in riddles that no one understood. But Tiyana found those words intriguing, like pieces of a puzzle waiting to be solved.

As she neared Helaena's chambers, Tiyana felt a flutter in her stomach. She had only seen the princess from a distance, observing her in the courtyards or during formal events. Now, she would be by her side, day in and day out, helping her with her gowns, attending to her needs, and preparing her for her future as Queen. The thought made her dizzy with both excitement and nerves.

When she finally entered Helaena's chambers for the first time, Tiyana felt her breath catch in her throat. The room was softly lit, with sunlight filtering through the large windows, casting a golden glow on everything inside. And there, sitting quietly at her vanity, was Helaena herself.

Tiyana's eyes were immediately drawn to the princess's hair. It was even more beautiful up close than she had imagined—long, thick waves of silver cascading down Helaena's back like liquid moonlight. Tiyana's fingers twitched at her sides, the urge to reach out and touch the silken strands almost overwhelming. She had spent so many years admiring Helaena's hair from afar, and now it was right in front of her, close enough to touch. But she resisted. This was her first day, and she could not allow herself to make a mistake.

Helaena turned her head slightly, her violet eyes glancing at Tiyana with a quiet curiosity. There was a softness to her expression, as if she were seeing Tiyana for the first time and yet not really seeing her at all.

"You must be Lady Tiyana," Helaena murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, " A bird with feathers of sun and sand."

Tiyana blinked, momentarily taken aback by the strange words. But she quickly smiled, nodding, "Yes, princess. I am honored to be your lady-in-waiting."

Helaena didn't respond immediately, her gaze drifting toward the window as if something outside had caught her attention.

"The moths... they dance in the light, but they don't know it will burn them," She mumbled, almost to herself.

Over the weeks that followed, Tiyana fell into a comfortable routine as Helaena's lady-in-waiting. She spent most of her days attending to the princess, helping her dress, fixing her hair, and accompanying her on walks through the gardens. Helaena was quiet, often lost in her own thoughts, but Tiyana didn't mind. In fact, she found the princess's peculiar nature calming. There was no pressure to fill the silence with meaningless chatter; they simply existed together, side by side, in companionable stillness.

Tiyana quickly learned that Helaena's odd sayings were not to be taken at face value. The princess would often mutter strange phrases under her breath, speaking of things that made little sense to anyone else. But Tiyana listened carefully, piecing together fragments of meaning in Helaena's words. Over time, she began to see patterns in what the princess said, as if Helaena were seeing the world through a different lens, one that revealed truths hidden to others.