The Dragon & The Rose || Daemon T.

Chapter Eighteen: An Eye for an Eye

Author's Note: HOLY SHIT. This episode was truly just so amazing. HBO is really outdoing themselves with House of the Dragon, and I'm living for it. And I'm also living for writing this story! So as promised, here is the first chapter of the seventh episode's events. Before you all read, I want to preface that in my story Laena only ever had one daughter (Baella) and it was with Tyland Lannister, not Daemon of course. You'll see why this is important later in the chapter :)

I hope you all enjoy! ❤️

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THE DRAGON & THE ROSE - EPISODE SEVEN/PART ONE

The atmosphere surrounding Elaena and her family was dark, filled to the brim with gloom. Not only were everyone's faces solemn with grief, it felt as if the world around them knew it was a day for mourning. Dreary and dark clouds lined the skyline over the sea, and the wind around Driftmark blew quietly.

Elaena knelt before her children onto the stone floor, looking at them all with a gentle seriousness in her eyes. Daemon stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder as he too looked at their children.

"I know you only knew your Aunt Laena for a few weeks before she died," she started, reaching out to hold her daughter's hand. "But she was family. All the Velaryons are. They need all the kindness and love they can get from you three right now, so I want you all to go and offer your sympathies, especially to your cousin Baella."

"What do we say to her?" Viseryn asked, looking uncomfortable. He turned to his older brother with a bit of a nervous look on his face, his lips pressed tightly together. Elaena knew that in their time at King's Landing all the children had grown close, that it wasn't a matter uncomfortability in talking to Baella in general. He was scared about saying the wrong thing to his friend in her time of need.

"Well let me ask you this, my darling," Elaena said softly, "If it were me that died, your mother, what would you want her to say to you?"

Her three children stood silently, thinking about the horrible thought behind their eyes.

"I'd want to know that she was sorry, that she was sad too," Aemon said quietly.

"I'd want her to hold my hand," Rhaena whispered, letting out a small sigh of air.

"Then that's what you say and do," Elaena smiled sadly, giving her a small squeeze on her arm. "You tell her that you're sorry, that you're sad. You tell her you'll always be there for her and you hold her hand. Yes?"

The three of them nodded, looking to each other one last time before turning around to go find their cousin. Elaena stood up from her kneeling position, watching them closely as they approached Baella. Daemon stood behind her, watching them as well.

"We need to speak with Corlys and Rhaenys, offer them our sympathies," Elaena muttered, the wind blowing her hair off her face.

"Yes, but we also need to discuss the manner of their daughter's death," Daemon responded, his voice low.

"This is hardly the time or the place, Daemon," Elaena said, turning around to face him. "They just lost their daughter-"

"I know," he said firmly, his face absolute. "But they deserve to know that their daughter was murdered, and they deserve to know that the ones who did it are sleeping under their roof."