The song of ice and fire

The Apple of her Father's Eye

Lyanna

My sister daydreams too much. Her thoughts are always so far away. She is beautiful, a delicate Targaryen beauty they say. While my raven hair and dark eyes follow my father's, Rhaelle's hair is pale blonde and her eyes are light violet like Mama’s. But she resembles more of Queen Rhaella, Lord Varys mentioned once before. Rhaelle speaks too softly and I used to think that she was a faerie princess when I was younger. She is much too beautiful to be human and sometimes even her behavior isn’t normal.

Rhaelle plays the harp beautifully and she embroiders and paints. The perfect, feminine princess. I am feminine as well, not one for the outdoors or sparring. But Father insisted that I must learn archery and know how to wield a sword. It was tiring and I used to complain about it when I was younger but Father pushed me still even though I was his favourite. Let it be said that no daughter of Jon Targaryen will end up being a wilting damsel in distress while she waits for some knight to rescue her.

I have a love for pretty dresses, jewelry, tiaras and ornate carriages. Like my Aunt Sansa used to when she was younger, Aunt Arya says but not anymore. It is not enough to be pretty or like pretty things. The world doesn’t work that way. To be Queen, one must be wise, strong, calculated and brave. I know my sister knows things. Even the Dothraki handmaidens who serve us tell me that. Rhaelle has been touched by the Unseen ones. It is known….

I never knew what they were talking about. Lord Tyrion says that the Dothraki are a superstitious lot. I never learned their language but Rhaelle does and she is good with languages, like she is good with everything else while I struggle even with High Valyrian despite the hours under Lady Missandei’s tutelage.

There are rumours that Rhaelle can see the future and I didn’t believe it at first but she always knew that it would rain even though the day had started off bright and sunny and that whenever a raven arrives, Rhaelle knows what news it brings before the seal is even broken.

My sister, Rhaelle looks at me and gives a smile and I wonder what it is. I had been too preoccupied with my embroidery that afternoon. We had broken fast together earlier in the day and after a walk of fresh air in the palace gardens, we decided to work on embroidering our mother’s new dress.

“What is it?” I ask her. Rhaelle smiles surreptitiously again and now I really want to know what secrets she has about me.

“Tell me…” I urge her. Rhaelle only keeps quiet and it annoys me when she does it.

I roll my eyes and decide that I will be better off in my own company. I go to the Throne Room and see that it is empty except for the palace guards. I walk past my mother’s chambers and she seems to be quite engrossed in conversation with some of her ladies in waiting.

I walk to Father’s solar and he is by his desk. He smiles as I approach and I smile back at him. He’s nearing five and forty and his hair has a few strands of gray but he still looks quite fetching, handsome even. I go up to him and bend to kiss his cheek.

“And how has your day been Sweetling?” He asks me.

“I’m doing an embroidery for Mama’s new dress.” I tell him as I sit on the chair.

“I’m sure it must be lovely…” He smiles. He thinks everything Rhaelle and I do is lovely. He is much tougher on my brothers and have high expectations of them.

“Dragons and flowers…” I sigh and Father looks at me.

“You don’t seem too pleased.” He remarks. My dearest father knows me and my moods too well.

“Rhaelle is keeping secrets again.” I tell him.

It may sound strange but my father, His Grace, Jon, First of his Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms is the one person in the world I can talk to about anything. Ever since I was a little girl. I would run to the Throne Room even while he was holding court. Not caring for proper protocol, I would jump and sit on his lap and whisper in his ear. Telling Father things I have just seen or heard. Things I wanted to share with him. And he would turn his attentions to me.

“She does that. Your sister means no harm Lyanna…” He says to me, the Northern timbre in his voice when he says my name always makes me smile. Mama loves it too. One of the many things she loves about him.

I see the thick pile of papers on his desk and I grow curious.

“What is this about Father?”

“Some documents Lord Tyrion wants me to put my seal on,” Father replies.

“It’s quite a lot.” I comment and Father nods.

“Aye. Many things for the King to read. Important matters of state…” He then looks at me closely and smiles.

“I want to show you something,” Father says and I listen as my eyes watch him closely.

“Usually, the ones at the bottom are the ones the Hand doesn’t want me to pay much attention to.” Father then takes the pile of papers and and flips it on the desk so that the bottom ones are on top instead.

“So I do this and read them first. It is important that I give every issue my undivided attention.”I smile at Father as he sorts through the papers. He gives a chuckle.

“Now why don’t you help me read and sort them and we can seal the papers together?” He suggests and I nod in agreement. This is far more interesting than embroidery or listening to handmaidens’ gossips.

“Your Mama used to help me with the seals and sorting the papers when I first sat on the Throne,” Father says.

“Then why did she stop?” I ask him as I scanned through some petition asking for reduced rent by farmers in the Riverlands.

"She was pregnant with you by then,” Father says with a smile and shakes his head.

“You were quite a difficult baby when she was carrying you. She got tired too easily and needed to rest in bed more.”

I snort softly when he says that and roll my eyes. Of course I would be more difficult than my brothers, I am a girl. We are more complicated by nature. I pour the wax on the document and stamp my father’s, the King’s royal seal on it. A circular emblem with the three headed dragon and his name on it. I wonder if one day I would have a royal seal like his too.