"Loyalty is no loyalty when it wavers."
- Lady Alerie of Houses Tyrell and Hightower.
The Tyrells have always been deceitful, even their spouses.
Lady Alerie of Houses Tyrell and Hightower has her alliances elsewhere..
By the Targaryens, and her d...
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IT has been years since Laeherys had left Dragonstone with Lady Tyrell and been brought to Highgarden as a ten moons old babe. Lady Alerie had, upon her arrival, ordered three men to build a secret tower where she would hide the babe with a min, away from suspicious eyes.
Once the tower was done, Alerie ordered for the men's tongues to be removed, so they could not tell her secret to others. As they were low folk, they did not know how to read and write as well, so even that wasn't an option for betrayal.
It may have seemed as paranoid as the Mad King, but everyone slips a few words for a sack of golden coins, Alerie thinks. After all, no one is not loyal. Loyalty is no loyalty when it wavers.
Years had passed ever since and Lady Alerie has birthed her husband 2 children, a boy and a girl. They had named them Loras and Margaery. Though she birthed 2 children, Lady Tyrell always felt she had 3: Margaery, Loras and Laeherys.
Every moon Lady Tyrell visits the Targaryen princess. Whenever her husband asked her where she was going, she told him that she has always needed private time every now and then, to keep her mind sharp.
Today was another trip to the tower and Alerie dresses herself in a silk, teal coloured dress and binds her dark hair in a bun, pinning it together neatly. She rises on her horse and rides it in silence towards the majestic, almost white building.
Lady Tyrell enters through a small ebony door and grabs her skirts within her hands, walking onto the spiral stairs to the top. She knocks kindly on the door.
The door was opened by a young woman of fifteen namedays. Her pale face was unwrinkled and fair, her pale lilac eyes big and innocent. The silver hair covers the young girl's shoulders and back and it was slightly wavy.
She was wearing a long, silver-grey nightgown with wide, long sleeves. The fabric was so thin it was almost see through. Alerie was happy that the child was alone in the tower at this moment, though her long hair does cover a lot.
Lady Alerie remembers Rhaella asking to keep her daughter pure and virtuous like she hadn't been after her father forced her marriage with her brother-husband. She did not want the young princess to be in the same position as her poor, poor mother.
"Lady Tyrell, it's a pleasure to see you," princess Laeherys says, curtseying for her. Alerie steps forward and hugs the young girl tightly.
"How are you, darling. Feeling better yet," she asks, cupping the face of Laeherys. The latter shrugs her shoulders, casting her eyes down. "As well as I can be. I am still feeling a little weak, but better!"
It was obvious to Alerie that the child tries to convince her of being fine so she wouldn't worry, but the health of the Targaryen girl has always worried her. It could be a defect of the centuries of inbreeding in the family, but the health of the child is not that well.
"Just lay in your bed and rest, little dragoness. I have brought you a stack of books for your bookcase, so you won't feel bored," the lady says, unpacking the books from the leather bag and putting them into the wooden bookcase, that fills up one part of the wall.
Laeherys lays in bed again and Alerie sees the book she was reading at this moment laying on the mattress next to her. "What are you reading, Lae," she asks.
The young girl blushes furiously, as if she was ashamed. Alerie grasps for the book and turns it around so she could read the cover while Laeherys tries to grab the book back. "'Legends and tales of House Targaryen', what are you doing with this book darling," Lady Alerie asks.
The princess bites her lower lip, staring down to avoid eye contact. "It was nothing, just a rubbish thought of mine, my Lady." "What was your thought by reading this book, darling? A better question even: how did you get it?"
"From Aleia. I just wanted.. forget it, actually," Laeherys sighs. "Just tell me, Lae, I promise I won't be mad at you." Alerie does suspect the reason why Laeherys would search up on her family, but she was not sure her suspections are right.
"I- I just want to understand my family, know them a little though they are not alive to let me experience them," she murmurs, letting some pearly tears escape her eyes.
"Oh little one.. you could have just told me that," Alerie sighs," I've known your parents and your brothers, and your little sister for a moment. Tell me what you want to know and I shall tell you."
The pale eyes of Laeherys light up with delight and she sits up with newfound energy. "What was my father like, and my mother? Did they love me, and who named me?"
Alerie laughs at the enthusiasm of the princess and sits down on her bed. "Little dragoness, do know that your story might not be a happy one. Do you still want to know?" At that the young child nods eagerly.
"Well, your father was the former King. King Aerys II of House Targaryen. Because of his paranoia and craziness later on in his rule, they also called him the Mad King. Like most of the men in House Targaryen, he married his only sister Rhaella. She was the sweetest woman I've ever met, and I can say I knew her as her handmaiden and friend.
"Your parents first had your brother Rhaegar. The relationship was well between them, probably because Aerys hadn't descended into madness yet and was happy with his firstborn. Rhaella was pregnant with another child when I came into service. Unfortunately, most of Rhaella's children died or miscarried. It left her desperate, almost depressed.
"After Rhaegar she had your brother Viserys, many years later. Few years after Viserys' birth, and she had you. Rhaella was so delighted and she loved you so much, but Aerys-" "What about my father," Laeherys asks when Lady Tyrell falls silent.
Alerie sighs, deciding to rip the bandaid of quickly. "He didn't aknowledge you. He thought that he should wait for a year and see if you were still alive before introducing you to the people. Rhaella was devastated when she heard that, but decided to name you Laeherys. You owe your name to your Queen-Mother."
Laeherys looks down, staring at her mattress. "He didn't love me. In fact, he wouldn't care if I lived or died.."
Alerie wipes the child's tears away lovingly. "I am so sorry, darling, but the truth is harsh. I love you and I don't want to break your heart, but no family is perfect," she murmurs.
The princess nods and fiddles with her dress' sleeves. "Thank you for bringing the books, my Lady." Lady Tyrell sighs, knowing that the child was sad and that it was because of her. "It is my pleasure, Lae. I love you, you know that?"
