An HOTD Fanfic-Why Not?

CHAPTER 2: Insider Information

The following morning, Althea sat in the dining hall with Erevan as they awaited the arrival of the king. Everyone was present and engaged in light conversation, though they remained wary of the foreigners seated at the table. Those who had never seen her before could not help but stare, which amused her greatly.

She sipped her tea while staring at Aemma and remarked, "I had no idea that people in Westeros adored staring; where I am from, it is considered quite impolite."

"I sincerely apologize, Your Highness; I did not intend to offend you." Aemma scanned the room nervously now that all eyes were on her. She held Viserys' hand beneath the table as he stroked it to calm her.

She simply hummed and looked at Otto, showing no interest in Aemma whatsoever.

"Are you mature enough to have children?" She assumed that young Alicent was seated on the lap of her mother.

Otto informed her, "I am six and one, Your Highness."

"I do not recall asking your age; all I wanted to know was if you were mature enough to have a child."

"In Westori tradition, having a child at this age, particularly as a man, is considered normal."

"He has yet to answer my question; is he illiterate?" she said, looking at Erevan.

Before anyone could say anything, King Jahaery's name was announced.

"His Majesty, King Jaehaerys I, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men" The door was unlocked, and the man of the hour entered one hour late. The seated individuals rose to their feet and bowed to their king. Althea followed suit in an effort to be respectful.

"You may remain as you were." He sat at the head of the table and scanned the room, his gaze settling on the dark-skinned anomaly who had just yesterday graced their kingdom.

"How was your night, young princess, I'm sure sleeping on the ship might have been uncomfortable, the castle has many rooms to offer." the rest of the room quieted down to listen to the conversation,

"It was fine; I have been at sea for months, so I am already accustomed to it."

"My son mentioned yesterday that you know our history and are a descendant of Old Valyria; therefore, I would like you to elaborate."

"You may not be aware of this, but 900 years before The Doom there was a civil war in the Valyrian Freehold, which, in my opinion, was nothing more than a bunch of pointless politicking, which caused citizens to migrate away from the then-capital, Narquan; it was a valley and not a volcano like Valyria. At that time, Valyria was uninhabitable, there were frequent volcanic eruptions, and the air was so thick with magic that people often suffocated and died upon entering the territory.

Why is there no mention of this in the history books?" Viserys inquired, and his question appeared to be what the majority of the other diners were pondering.

"Because Aegon was a cunt," Erevan, "send a guard to retrieve the history books from my library. Now if you will all just let me finish and ask questions later," she snapped as she buttered her bread, rolling her eyes.

"As I was saying prior to my rude interruption, Valyria was extremely dense with magic, and no one knew why. Before ascending to the heavens, this is where the 14 flames resided, according to legend. Consequently, individuals avoided the area. However, one hundred years later, the war was quieter but still ongoing. My family, the Elandorins, was renowned for its generals, and we were expected to participate in the war. However, the head of my household, Valaandor Elandorin, decided that our family would not participate in this war, and he lost a child as a result. The assassination of his newborn son prompted him to carry out his plans to leave Narquan and find a new home; he desired a place where no one lived and would disturb them, so Valyria appeared to be the ideal location." She took a sip of water while clearly considering something, then shrugged her shoulders.