The Dragon Of Harrenhal - H.S.

Make the effort

The air around them felt almost too heavy to breathe. As per the request of his daughters, Viserys had cleared his schedule for the late afternoon so he could join them for dinner. Viserys had made sure his girls had only the best for the occasion, and their favorites as well - deer for Rhaenyra and hare for Daella. His oldest girl sat at the head of the table, across from Viserys with Daella at his right and, as much as Viserys could tell they were enjoying their food, the air was still tense.

As Daella played around with a piece of potato on her plate, she found herself grateful for the dimly lit room they were in, so that his father would not notice the way Daella lifted her eyes from her food to glance at Ser Harwin, the guard at his post across the room, close enough to defend her if needed but far enough as to not disturb the family dinner. Not that he would be disturbing much of anything. Despite the need for each other, not a single member of the royal family said anything.

That was, of course, until ser Harwin sent Daella the slightest of nods to encourage her to take the leap. They had discussed this dinner before coming over and Daella had told him she was worried about it. Harwin had been kind to her, as he always was.

"You have said it yourself, princess." He had said. "You'll have to be the one to make the effort."

And so, pulling in a deep breath, Daella decided that was the moment to do it.

"Father." She said, her voice echoing around the room as it was the only sound to be heard except the clinking of the cutlery.

"Daella." Viserys responded, his soft and fond as it usually was when talking to his daughters - when they didn't send him into a spiral of madness, that is.

"We haven't spoken much since." She said. She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to. They all knew what she was referring to.

"A regret of mine." Viserys nodded. "We should be free to speak our minds to one another."

"You can say whatever you'd like." Daella said. "You are the King."

Sending his youngest daughter a look, Viserys sighed, looking down at his plate for a moment as he measured his next words.

"I loved your mother very much." He said, as Daella nodded.

"As did I." She said, still rolling her potato around the plate.

It wasn't the apology she expected to get, but all things considered, she supposed it was the best she was going to get. Lifting her eyes again, Daella searched for her sworn shield nearby and she bit back a small smile at the nod he sent her way. She had done it. She had made the effort. She hoped he was proud of her.

"Ser Harrold provided a fine field of tourney knights." Rhaenyra spoke up then, clearly eager to change the subject as she mentioned the knights offered to her earlier that day.

"Oh?" Viserys nodded, interested.

"But in questioning them, I discovered that Ser Criston was the only man among them with true battle experience." Rhaenyra said, to which Viserys made a face about.

He chose not to argue, however. A wise decision in Daella's opinion.

"He'll make a fine knight of the Kingsguard." He said, finally.

"Today at Small Council-" Rhaenyra said, as their father shook his head at her.

"Pay it no mind." He said.

"I thought I might have had some insight." Rhaenyra insisted, exchanging a glance with her sister when Viserys shook his head again.

"You're young." He dismissed her. "You will learn."

And then, Rhaenyra scowled, her eyes falling down at her plate again as she huffed loudly. Daella shifted uncomfortably beside her. Whatever they had hoped to accomplish with this dinner, Daella definitely felt as if they were further away from it than they were at the start of this conversation.

And it only got worse when Viserys spoke up again.

"There is something I have been meaning to discuss with you, my daughters." He said, as both Daella and Rhaenyra lifted their eyes to look at him, more out of duty than interest. "The Small Council seems to think it is a good idea for me to remarry."

At his words, Daella felt a rush of ice run down her warm blood. She shivered at the thought. Remarry? Already? To whom? And what of their mother? What of Baelon? Were they to be forgotten already? She didn't want to forget them. And one look at Rhaenyra confirmed what Daella already knew - her older sister shared the same opinion as her.

"I do not wish to. But it is my duty to the realm as the king." Viserys said, almost as if he could tell what his daughters were thinking. Almost as if he knew them at all. "Whoever I do take as a wife, however, will not replace your mother. Not to me, not to you."

"You will have children with her." Rhaenyra said, her voice sounding as tense as her body looked.

"I have to strengthen the line." Viserys said.

"And replace me as heir." Rhaenyra said.

"That will not happen." Viserys shook his head. "I chose you to be my heir, Rhaenyra. I named you before the lords of all of the realms. They swore their loyalty to you. Whatever happens between me and my wife will not change that."

Rhaenyra nodded then. Still, she looked over at Daella and, one look at her sister told her what she knew to be true. As much as Daella wished what his father had said was true, she also did not believe it to be possible. After all the second whoever new lady popped out a boy with Viserys' blood, whatever claim Rhaenyra had ever held over the throne was over.

Still, they chose not to discuss it just then. After all, dinner was already tense as it was. They did not have to make it worse by reminding their father how the line of succession had been working for the past centuries.