Dragon Princess || Aegon II Targaryen

𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 18

As expected, the atmosphere in Driftmark was steeped in mourning.

The air felt heavy with an almost tangible silence, a somber quiet. Grief and sorrow were etched into every stone, echoing through the halls and courtyards. It was the first time Rhaenys found herself in such a heavy environment, and she had grown up within the walls of the Red Keep, where everything could be considered dangerous—from the swords to the furtive glances, to the treacherous whispers.

But none of that compared to this.

The pain Rhaenys saw in the eyes of Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, of Corlys, of Ser Laenor, and of the little girls who had just lost their mother in such a brutal manner, was overwhelming. The tears, the hollow stares, the feeling that they were all intruding on such a personal moment. After all, many of those present had never even known Laena, including Rhaenys and her siblings. But duty dictated that they be there, paying their last respects before what remained of Laena was cast into the sea, as was the Velaryon family tradition.

So there she stood, supported by her brother, who held her gently by the waist as she leaned her head against his chest, seeking comfort. Rhaenys listened to Lord Vaemond deliver the eulogy. In truth, Aegon hardly cared and only wished for the ceremony to be over so he could find the servant with the wine goblets. But seeing his sister with such a heavy and sorrowful aura, as she rested her head against him as though seeking solace, he quickly dismissed those thoughts and embraced her with care and respect.

"We gather today at the Seat of the Sea to commit Lady Laena of House Velaryon to the eternal waters," Rhaenys heard Lord Vaemond say, as she watched the knights fastening the ropes around Laena's casket. "To the dominion of the Merling King, where He shall guard her for all the days to come." He continued, and Rhaenys glanced toward Laena's parents, their eyes lost in grief.

Lost, wondering why the gods had taken their daughter from them, why she had been taken before her time. A look so heart-wrenching that it made Rhaenys' heart ache.

"Though her mother shall not return from her voyage, they will remain bound together in blood. Salt runs through Velaryon veins. Ours runs thick. Ours runs true. And ours must never thin," Vaemond continued, drawing a soft, mocking chuckle from Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince, making everyone turn in his direction.

Rhaenys had heard stories about her father's younger brother. Tales of an uncle with more ambition than reality would allow him to dream. Stories of how he spent his entire life coveting a throne that would never be his. A throne that would grant him the power of the realm.

A throne Rhaenys was glad would never be his.

Who would be safe from him? The court? The people? Even himself? No. Rhaenys could see through him. Daemon Targaryen was the kind of man who would never be satisfied, always chasing the next thing that made his heart race and his blood boil. The kind of man who cared little for the consequences, only for emerging victorious and glorified.

Rhaenys didn't consider herself a particularly devout princess, but seeing him there, she would pray to the gods that they never let him come close to such power.

"My gentle niece," Vaemond continued, choosing to ignore the prince's inappropriate interruption. "May the winds be as strong as your back, your seas as calm as your spirit, and your nets as full as your heart," he said, once again capturing Rhaenys' attention as she felt Aegon's hand discreetly and gently brush against her waist in a gesture of comfort.

Nearby, the knights were preparing to lower Laena's casket, waiting for the right moment to let her go. The right moment to allow the family to bid their final farewell.

"From the sea we came," Vaemond said, pausing briefly, as if giving the family time to take a deep breath. "To the sea we shall return."

And thus, Laena was gone, taken by fire and embraced by the sea.