𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 - jacaerys velaryon

eight

They had not even left Driftmark, when another tragedy struck. Ser Laenor, Jace and Luke's father, had died in a fire. Evaelysse stood behind the door as Rhaenyra told her sons, and she listened to them cry. It wasn't her place to comfort them.

Although she did seek out Jace, to tell him she was sorry.

"It's not your fault." He muttered, kicking the table leg.

"I know." Evaelysse replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I know how it hurts."

Jace looked up, and stared at her in the eyes. "I only lost asked Harwin a few days ago. And now my father, too. In the same way."

Evaelysse took his hand in hers. "It gets easier, with time."

Jace looked at their entwined hands, and then back at her face. He knew what she meant. She had lost her first mother, all those years ago, and more recently she had lost Laena. Only one was her real mother, but it hurt both times just the same.

It was only a couple days later that Daemon sat down with Evaelysse and her sisters, to tell them that he was going to marry Rhaenyra once they got back to Dragonstone. They were not going back to Pentos.

Evaelysse understood. They had to unite their houses, especially at a time like this. And she also saw how much Daemon and Rhaenyra loved each other.

Evaelysse travelled back to Dragonstone on Vermithor's back. Daemon promised her that they would get a her a new saddle as soon as they returned, so for the moment she was stuck with the too-large one. She didn't mind, though.

Daemon and Rhaenyra's wedding was quiet. It was done in the Valyrian custom, with blood and blades and fire. Evaelysse was happy for her father, and happy that Rhaenyra was her mother.

As Evaelysse grew older, her wounds healed, but they scarred. There was a jagged mark across the left side of her forehead, that ran all the way down to her ears. Across the side of her nose was a small crescent.

Her scars, however, did not seem to diminish her beauty. She caught the eye of many of the squires and serving boys as she grew older, despite the afflictions on her face. She enjoyed the attention they gave her, but only returned it to those with dark hair. Brown hair was her favourite.

Evaelysse never took it farther than kissing and the occasional touch, however. She needed to save her maidenhead for her husband, she knew that. Despite Daemon telling her that he wouldn't marry her off, she knew that he would eventually. She just hoped that it wouldn't be to someone like Aemond, or someone many years her senior.

Due to her vast knowledge of Valyrian, she often helped Jace learn. He was slower to pick it up than she had been, but she was patient. And she never minded spending time with her cousin. As he grew older, he had become handsome, and oftentimes Evaelysse found herself staring at him for longer than she should.

She had been given marriage offers, of course, but Daemon denied all of them. They were all too old, or too lowborn, or he just didn't like the look of them.

"One day, you will marry a kind man, who is good to you." He told her. "But that's not now ." He then hesitated, before stroking the side of her face. "Do you remember when we were at Driftmark, for Laena's funeral? Alicent approached me, at the gathering. She offered Aegon."

Evaelysse frowned. "He was already betrothed to Helaena then."

"That is true, but neither Aegon nor Helaena were over the moon about it." Daemon sighed. "I declined her offer, naturally. I'd never marry off my precious girl to one of her demonspawn."

Good. That meant Aemond wasn't on offer, then.

Evaelysse often felt bored on Dragonstone, when she wasn't entertaining a squire or helping Jace learn Valyrian. Baela had gone to ward at Driftmark, which meant that Rhaena was the only sister she had around. She knew that Daemon wished to marry Rhaena to Luke, and by that she assumed that he would betroth Baela to Jace. Evaelysse couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.