CELTIGAR - House of The Dragon

Gardens

The Lady Rhea was accompanying Princess Helaena on her daily walk around the gardens while her children took their nap, their long dresses flowing in the wind, their silver hair in the same braids. They walked with their arms linked and talked about many things. In the distance, they could see Rhaenyra's boat being loaded for the journey home to Dragonstone. The gardens were beautiful this time of year, the smell of flowers filled the warm air and the chatter of people walking by resonated.

"Have the children had nightmares from the ending of the tourney, Helaena?" Lady Rhea asked, genuinely concerned for the children.

The princess smiled.

" No, they haven't. They had a splendid day. I believe they might've been to young to understand what had just happened before their eyes."

Rhea nodded.

"Hm, I suppose", Rhea grunted.

Helaena smiled to herself.

"You must find other friends than my brother, dearest, you are starting to sound like him", the princess teased her friend. "He is the only person, besides you, who grunts this much and expects people to understand him."

Rhea shoved her playfully.

"I have other friends", she laughed. "There's you, and Rhaenyra, and-"

"Rhaenyra's leaving soon. I'm afraid next time we see her won't be so pleasant."

Rhea swallowed hard; many times, it was hard for people to understand Helaena fully. She often spoke in riddles and the common folk found her odd. Rhea chose not to pay attention to those times and loved her sister completely, quirks and all.

The girls heard giggles come from behind them and turned on their feet. Servant girls giggled at the sight of their handsome prince Aemond walking among them. He was using one of his father's walking sticks to help until his broken leg was fully healed.

" Sister, Lady Rhea, allow me to walk with you for a while, hm?"

Helaena turned to her friend with a cheeky grin when her brother grunted which resulted in her friend feigning to ignore her, smiling softly.

" How is your leg, Aemond?" Rhea asked, looking straight ahead.

"Much better, thank you. Your daily visits have helped improve their condition, I'm sure. I was sorry to see you stop them, I was beginning to get used to those", Aemond confessed with a devilish grin.

Rhea kept silent for a while, before bidding goodbye to the princess who was leaving them to wake her children.

" My lady, are you well? You haven't spoken a word since I arrived", the prince asked, worried.

Rhea nodded silently.

"Hm", she grunted, again.

Helaena was right, she did do that a lot.

"There...were matters that required my attention, Aemond. I'm sorry I couldn't see you more these past weeks."

" What matters? I might've helped."

Rhea smiled to herself.

" I doubt that. Your leg would have made it hard for you to ride out to Crackclaw Point and back to King's Landing."

"Crackclaw Point? What were you doing out there? It's quite a journey for a lady."

Rhea shoved Aemond.

" I'm joking, obviously. You can fend for yourself, I know that," Aemond added.

Silence fell between them again.