✦ New Faith ✦ Aegon Targaryen

○ eighteen ○

♡

They walked together from the Sept to the great hall for the wedding feast, the second most grand ceremony after the vows themselves. Tanda walked in with Queen Alicent beside her, feeling the weight of her new title. The hall was still quiet; only her family and a few other Targaryens had arrived.

"Queen Alicent Hightower and Princess Tanda Targaryen!" a knight called out as they entered.

The title echoed in her ears. Tanda moved briskly to one of the two seats at the head of the table, engaging her family in polite conversation as they settled. She asked her mother about the latest book she was reading and exchanged quiet words about a distant cousin’s marriage to a minor house, all to distract herself from the nerves curling in her stomach.

Over the next hour, the hall filled with guests. When Princess Rhaenyra and her sons entered, Tanda stood to greet them, offering a deep curtsy.

"Princess Rhaenyra, thank you for coming," Tanda said warmly, though she was taken aback by Rhaenyra’s beauty. She must have resembled the late Queen Aemma, but Tanda couldn’t help noticing her sons’ dark curls and eyes, a stark contrast to the Targaryen silver.

"I wouldn’t dare miss my brother’s wedding feast," Rhaenyra replied, resting a hand on her swollen belly. "I apologize for not being at the ceremony."

"No, please don’t apologize. It’s lovely to meet you," Tanda said with a smile.

Rhaenyra moved to her seat, and Tanda resumed her own, feeling the warmth of her smile fade as Aegon stumbled into the hall.

"Prince Aegon Targaryen!" the knight announced, his voice strained as Aegon entered, leaning heavily on two squires. He was laughing loudly, his cheeks flushed from drink.

"And then she said..." Aegon’s words drifted off as he noticed the stares directed his way.

He cleared his throat, shrugging off his embarrassment. "Come on, everyone! It’s a feast!" He pointed to a musician in the corner. "Play us something lively!"

Aegon wobbled over and dropped into the seat beside her. For a while, they sat in silence as laughter and conversation swirled around them, but Tanda felt herself withdraw. She remembered Helaena’s words: You must take the lead.

Taking a breath, she turned toward him, her voice soft and nervous. "Hello, husband." Her voice faltered slightly. "How is Sunfyre faring with the other dragons?"

Aegon glanced at her, surprised, then took another swig of wine. "Ha! He actually likes them. He’s restless, though—I haven’t ridden him in days. I can feel it in my bones," he said with a lazy grin.

She paused, intrigued. "You can feel his restlessness?"

Aegon laughed. "They say a dragon and its rider are bound by soul and all that nonsense they taught us in lessons. But I swear, I can feel what he feels, and he… well, he can feel me."

Tanda smiled, genuinely interested. "That’s beautiful," she said softly.

He scoffed but gave a half-hearted nod, his gaze drifting back to his wine. "Maybe it is."

They lapsed into silence again, but Tanda felt her heart beating faster. She wanted to reach out to him, to find something deeper beneath his bravado, but Aegon seemed to turn inward, as though looking at her too long would bring him too close to something he wanted to forget.

As the servants brought more food to the tables, Tanda stood, clearing her throat. "Let us give thanks to the Seven for this bountiful meal!" she announced, her voice firm. Queen Alicent’s face lit up with approval, and Tanda felt a wave of comfort from the familiarity of her faith.

She began the prayer, her voice steady and clear, reciting words she’d learned from childhood. "May the Mother bless this food and nourish us; may the Father grant us strength; may the Warrior protect us from harm. May we eat with grateful hearts under the light of the Seven." She reached for Aegon’s hand to join in the prayer, but he pulled it back, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

[Small Time Skip]

The evening drew on, and the hall grew more lively, filled with music, laughter, and the clinking of goblets. Tanda sat beside Aegon, watching him as he lost himself in the festivities, feeling a pang of loneliness in her chest. She whispered a silent prayer to the Maiden, asking for patience and wisdom to see her through the night.

As the laughter swelled, Tanda glanced at Aegon and felt a strange sense of pity mixed with hope. Please, let this marriage lead him to something better, she thought, casting her gaze down and gripping the small seven-pointed star pendant around her neck. The Seven had led her here, and she resolved to trust in their wisdom.