✦ New Faith ✦ Aegon Targaryen

○ five ○

♡

- dinner time -

I sit once again at the small family table, though tonight, everything feels different. The food spread before us is grander, richer, far beyond our usual grey mushy meals. The golden glaze on the roasted meats, the fragrant herbs rising from the dishes-it's all a display of what's to come.

"Is this for me?" I ask, my voice soft, almost unsure, as I glance up at my parents. My father remains silent, his face stoic, while my mother nods slightly, her expression distant. Finally, she clears her throat, breaking the heavy silence hanging over us.

"Tonight, we offer a prayer to the Seven for Tanda," my mother says, her voice steady yet laced with something deeper-sadness, perhaps. "She will soon be betrothed, and I pray the Seven bless her union. May she be watched over by the Mother, the Maiden, and the Warrior."

My father and I echo her words, though mine feel uncertain, like an incantation I'm not yet ready to believe in.

"May she be blessed by the Mother, Maiden, and Warrior," we repeat in unison.

I try to take in the meaning behind the prayer, to feel the divine weight of the Seven's gaze upon me, as if their faces are looking down with favor. I search for comfort in the ritual, but my thoughts are too restless, too scattered. My heart feels heavy, torn between the girl I am and the future waiting for me.

We continue eating in silence, though the richness of the meal cannot distract me from the unspoken words between us. This dinner-this moment-is not just a simple family gathering. It's a farewell.

Even though my parents will accompany me to King's Landing for a short time, I know their presence will soon be a distant comfort. I will be expected to spend more time with Aegon Targaryen, my betrothed, and his family. The thought unsettles me. His house is powerful, and their ways are unlike my own.

Soon, I will stand in the shadow of dragons.