The Lands of Always Summer

Four.

Rhaenys Targaryen

Dragonstone Manse, 400 years after the Doom

"Mother?"

Rhaenys asked as she turned to face the older woman who looked so much like her who was currently helping her oil her hair back for the cast to be moulded to the shape of her head. Elia humming lowly and giving her a smile in the looking glass that she was asking for her to continue.

"Where is mother Lyanna and father? Should they not be here for the fitting too?"

"Your father is with Aegon for his own fitting currently, your second mother is cleaning your little sister who threw a blood orange at Alys Ryswell at morning meal which the younger returned earnestly."

Despite herself, she found a small smile appearing on her lips, easily picturing such a scene. Both herself and Aegon had broken their fasts earlier than everyone else in the family this day as they were being fitted for the elaborate headdresses that would be worn for the sacred oaths. There were separate headdresses for the blood oaths, and they would be passed from her father and blood mother to both herself and Aegon. Then when herself and Aegon had babes of their own and married, they would then pass the headdresses to them. For hundreds of years they had been in the family and it showed considering the obvious wear and tear of them. Said to have been designed by Lord Freeholder Gaemon and Lady Freeholder Daenys when their eldest two children were bound as one. Her mother finally combing the last section of hair away from her ear and begin fanning at the strands until they had dried otherwise the cast would not take.

"How is Aegon?"

She asked, having not gathered the courage to ask her brother herself how he felt about everything. Her father knew, as did her mothers and her youngest two siblings, yet her eldest brother was unaware of her thoughts. Rhaenys knew why marriages as such were practised, to keep their blood pure so they could keep control of their dragons. The results of thinned blood from other families confirmed that the less pure Valyrian blood a person had, the less control they had over their dragons. Dragons were not beasts they could take such a risk with. It didn't mean they had to be pleased by it though, and many were not but still carried out their duty. Reaching over for a cloth and soaking it in a bucket and begin to wipe away at her chest and watching as the stain flaked off leaving a deep burgundy pattern on her chest. Only herself and her mother had to keep their stain on longer than everyone else as it took longer for it to develop on their darker skin.

"Aegon is accepting of the changes."

Her mother spoke, the way her voice was clipped confirming she was also of the same mind. Neither of her mothers were Valyrian (although her blood mother did have a Valyrian ancestor), and both were openly against some of the traditions of the Freehold. Yet they were of the Freehold, and therefore abided by the laws of the Freehold. Looking out of the window to see the many guests walking around the grounds and wondering to herself what was occurring outside the gates. Despite Dragonstone Manse being deep within the city, it did not feel or sound like it. Birds were chirping as they flew by, wind was whistling, and there was a faint scent of smoke which was common on the island due to the Dragonmont still being active. A soft knock at the door broke her from her thoughts as she turned around to see her second mother enter the room with an obvious annoyed look on her face.

"Rhaella has not calmed since she went to Winterfell, then?"

Mother Lyanna gave her a glare at the words which brought the grin back to her own face and her blood mothers. Aemon had already told her such a thing was true but if anything, she had only grown wilder in the two years she had been gone from Dragonstone other than a handful of visits. Noticing then she was carrying the attachment that would link to what would be cast to her head once the oils had dried enough. The colours being ones she was very familiar with. For Dragonlord families, these headdresses were shaped and coloured to match their mounts and so hers was magenta, violet, and pale gold. It being placed down on the table in her room at the manse before her second mother walked over to them.