The Dragon & The Rose || Daemon T.

Chapter Sixteen: Sons, Grandsons, & Nephews

Author's Note: Wow! You guys are the sweetest (and funniest) readers! All of your comments absolutely make my day when I read them. I'm glad you're all enjoying the story so far, and I hope you're ready for more. Without further ado, here is the next chapter! Happy reading~

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THE DRAGON & THE ROSE - EPISODE SIX/PART THREE

Two Weeks Later

Since the small council meeting, tensions at court had only risen between everyone. While there had been no arguments, quarrels, or deaths, Elaena knew that this pressure would soon boil over. They were all Targaryens after all, they could only play the game passively for so long before true fighting broke out, and it was putting her on edge.

It was because of all this tension that Daemon refused to let Elaena out of his sight, he had become even more strict with her than he was the children. While their children could certainly be harmed and used against them, he was more worried that her more personal feud with Alicent would provoke the woman to act against her. He didn't trust that Elaena could wander by herself in the castle without getting harmed, without needing him just in case. But all she wanted was a moment alone.

She'd been trying to convince Daemon to let her go by herself to the Godswood, as she hadn't in over ten years now, but he wouldn't hear of it. At first she understood this, complying with his wishes so that he would feel safer about it all, but after the fourth time of his refusal over the past two weeks she put her foot down.

"Daemon I love you," Elaena sighed, wrapping a thin red shawl around her shoulders. "But you can't stop me from going."

"I have no intention of stopping you from going, Elaena, so long as I'm with you," Daemon responded, sitting in the armchair before the fire to pull on his boots.

"If you go that means the children go, and I want to speak to my mother in peace," Elaena shook her head, watching as he got himself ready.

"Then just speak to her here while they're all still asleep, I can leave the room if you want-"

"I want to speak with her in the Godswood and by myself, Daemon," Elaena said more frustratedly now, "Dragonstone didn't have a Godswood, so now that we're here I'd like to go there to talk to her. It's where I always used to."

"I never understood your connection to the Old Gods, it's not like you ever cared about them when we were children," Daemon said to himself, shaking his head a little as he stood.

"You don't have to understand it, I'm just asking that you respect it," Elaena said quietly, feeling a bit hurt now. She finished slipping on her shoes silently, avoiding his eyes. He watched her do this with a small sigh, trying to find his next words carefully. He wasn't trying to upset her.

"I'm sorry," he said more gently, walking towards her, "I do respect it, but-"

"But nothing," she exhaled, pleading him now, "I'll take Dark Sister and I'll be aware of my surroundings, I promise. I just want one morning to myself to speak with her the way I used to. Will you please let me do that?"

Daemon stood silently, a million thoughts flashing across his eyes as he looked at her. He slowly put his hands on either side of her face, then pressed his lips on her forehead. "Be careful, alright?"