Labour | Helaena Targaryen

04

The months in the Red Keep passed in a peaceful rhythm, marked by the quiet moments shared between Helaena and Tiyana. Their bond had deepened over the months, evolving into something that neither of them fully understood but both cherished. They spent nearly all their time together, caring for the twins, walking through the gardens, or simply sitting in comfortable silence in Helaena's chambers. To others, they appeared as the closest of friends, inseparable in their devotion to one another. But to Helaena and Tiyana, their connection was something more—something unspoken but felt deeply in the quiet spaces between words.

It was late one afternoon, the sun casting a golden glow over the gardens, when Helaena and Tiyana found themselves sitting on a stone bench beneath a blooming cherry tree. The twins, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, played nearby, their laughter filling the air with a lightness that made Tiyana's heart swell with affection. Helaena watched her children with a soft smile, her hand resting gently on Tiyana's as they sat side by side.

Tiyana felt the warmth of Helaena's hand against hers, the familiar comfort of their touch. It was a small gesture, one they had shared countless times before, but it meant everything to her. She glanced at Helaena, taking in the delicate features of her face, the way her silver hair caught the sunlight, turning it into a halo of light. There was a serenity in Helaena's expression, a peace that Tiyana had come to associate with their time together.

"You're always so calm with them," Tiyana said softly, her voice filled with admiration, "The twins adore you."

Helaena turned to look at Tiyana, her violet eyes filled with a quiet affection.

"They adore you too," She replied, her tone gentle.

There was a moment of silence between them, a silence that spoke more than words ever could. Tiyana felt her heart ache with the depth of her feelings for Helaena, feelings that had grown slowly over time, like a seed taking root and blossoming into something beautiful and undeniable. She loved Helaena, more than she had ever loved anyone, but she had never said the words out loud. She didn't need to. It was there in every touch, every glance, every moment they shared.

Helaena seemed to sense the shift in Tiyana's mood, and she gently squeezed her hand, her thumb brushing softly over Tiyana's knuckles. 

They sat like that for a long time, holding hands as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm, golden light over the garden. The twins continued to play, their laughter a soft, melodic backdrop to the unspoken emotions that hung between Helaena and Tiyana. It was a moment of perfect contentment, a moment that Tiyana wished could last forever.

To anyone else, they were simply two close friends, bonded by their shared experiences and mutual affection. But to Helaena and Tiyana, they were everything to each other. Their love was quiet, unassuming, built on a foundation of trust and understanding that went beyond words. They had never crossed the line from friendship to something more, had never acted on the feelings that simmered beneath the surface. But those feelings were there, as real and as tangible as the warmth of Helaena's hand in Tiyana's.

For Queen Alicent, the bond between Helaena and Tiyana was bittersweet. She often watched them from a distance, her heart aching with the memory of what she had once had with Rhaenyra. There was a time when she and Rhaenyra had shared a bond just as deep, just as unbreakable, but that time was long gone, lost to the bitter divisions that had torn them apart. Seeing Helaena and Tiyana together, so close, so in sync, brought back memories of a time when love and friendship had been uncomplicated, before duty and ambition had driven a wedge between her and Rhaenyra.

To Aemond, Helaena and Tiyana were perfect together. He admired the way Tiyana cared for his sister, the way she brought a sense of peace to Helaena's often tumultuous world. Aemond had always been fiercely protective of Helaena, and seeing her happy, seeing her so obviously loved by Tiyana, filled him with a quiet satisfaction. He had no desire to disrupt what they had, no need to impose himself on their relationship. He simply observed from a distance, content in the knowledge that his sister had found someone who truly cared for her.