CELTIGAR - House of The Dragon

Tea

The Queen had informed her family of Princess Rhaenyra's coming and had given clear instructions, no one was to greet her before the Queen herself, no one was to make a fuss about the princess and her kin. Although she hated the idea, Lady Rhea Celtigar was a dutiful woman and obeyed her Queen's orders, and as the servant informed her and Prince Aemond of his sister's arrival, they dispersed, the prince leaving his lady's side to go train in the courtyard, and the lady herself making her way to the Sept, deep into King's Landing.

These past months, every time she left the Red Keep on her own, she had to warn the King's Guard and they would send one of them to walk with her, as a way to keep her safe. Those were orders given to them by the King's Hand, and Rhea wasn't sure how she felt about it. All she knew was she did not trust the man and having guards follow her out of the Keep was surely a way for the Hand to keep an eye on her actions. So, this time, she made her way to the Sept, followed by Ser Willard Caldwell, a newly appointed Knight of the King's Guard.

As they entered the sept, Ser Willard stood far from Lady Rhea, letting her roam its halls freely and solemnly. In truth, Rhea was not as religious as the Queen was, but she enjoyed the peace this place brought. When the Hand and the Queen had some Targaryen emblems removed from the Red Keep, to replace them by Stars of the Seven all over the castle, without consulting the King, Rhea struggled with the idea, but could not challenge her Queen's will.

She paced among the halls, greeting some other visitors quietly and, some minutes later, signalled to Ser Willard she was ready to leave.

Back at the Keep, the two of them bid each other goodbye. It was not the first time she had been appointed Ser Willard's protection, and, much like Ser Criston was the Queen sworn protector, she felt the former was now hers. He came from a prominent house in the Riverlands, he was the first one to find his way to King's Landing and his nomination as King's Guard was the pride of his family back home. Lady Rhea felt somewhat comfortable around the man and not as though she was being spied on, although it probably was the case.

It had now been more than two hours since the princess had set foot in the Keep, and the Queen must have greeted her by now, so Lady Rhea made her way to her adopted sister's former quarters.

As she entered, Rhaenyra turned to her, a smile creeping on her face, she strode towards her and took her hands in hers, holding her sister lovingly.

"Rhaenyra," Rhea said joyously. "How I've missed you."

Rhaenyra was pregnant again, her small bump slowly starting to show. The women sat down next to one another, hands still joined.

"How have you been here, sister? Have you been treated well?" Rhaenyra asked, genuine concern on her face.

Rhea paused to think for a while. While she had always felt at home in the Red Keep, and while she felt safe at nights knowing Prince Aemond slept mere feet away, Rhea had to admit the general mood in the castle kept getting grimmer and grimmer as the King's health deteriorates.

"I have no qualms regarding my own conditions here, sister. But I must confess, the days seem darker than they used to," Rhea confided. "As long as the King lives, I feel confident I am still a welcome guest here."

Rhaenyra scoffed.

"That makes one of us, at least," her voice was sad and she looked away for a while, stroking her belly. "Once I am Queen, you will still be welcome in my home, sister. I would never cast you away."

Rhea smiled and tried to conceal her disarray.

"What is it?" Rhaenyra asked.

The younger woman swallowed, thinking hard about how she would put this.

"Not long ago, I heard Otto Hightower speak with the Master of Coin, and they mentioned how they should prepare Aegon to ascend the throne, princess."

Rhaenyra scoffed again.

"Lord Hightower has always wanted to put his own grandson on the Iron Throne, he never accepted my father's decision to name me his heir. He always pressured him to change his will again and declare Aegon as his true heir, casting me aside."

Rhea focused on the princess's words.

"Does that not worry you, Rhaenyra?" She asked, fidgeting with her rings.

"Aegon is unfit to rule, Rhea. Should he try to take what is rightfully mine, the people would rise against him and depose him."

Rhea gulped again.

"I hope you are right. Whatever happens, if the need ever arose, I would declare House Celtigar to be loyal to you, sister." Rhea spoke solemnly.

Rhaenyra smiled, squeezed the younger woman's hand lightly.

"Thank you. Let us hope it never comes to that, dearest sister." Rhaenyra concluded. "You seem to have grown leery of Lord Hightower. Has he done anything to you?"

Rhea averted her gaze from her sister's, taking a deep breath before looking back at the woman next to her.

"I believe the Hand to be deceitful. I believe him to have an agenda of his own and not to have the Crown's best interest at heart, only his. I cannot prove it but I feel-"

"Has he always been making my father's tea, Rhea?"

She nodded.

"I am wary of the Hand's tea, as I have always been, but I have consulted with the maesters, and nothing strange seems to have happened. No poison was ever taken out since-"

Rhea gasped, bringing her hand to her lips. Rhaenyra's brow furrowed, concern growing.

"Since when, sister?"

Rhea's eyes glimmered with tears.

"Since the day my father was poisoned, all those years ago." She confessed, granting her a sorrowful look from the princess.

"Oh, dear child," Rhaenyra whispered, holding her adopted sister close to her. "I am sorry, truly."

Rhea nodded in thanks, Rhaenyra was now aware of the secret which had been eating away at her sister's mind for two years now and it pained her to see how hurt the Lady was.

Rhaenyra's eyes lit up for a second as she began thinking.

"Sister, what do you recall from the day your father died? You were only a small child then, but still."

Rhea thought for a moment.

"I remember shouting, the last morning I ever had a father," Rhea started. "My father was one of yours' most trusted advisors, as I have often been reminded. I do not recall why the shouting occurred, but I remember my father coming out of his study and into our shared room to comfort me after he realised I had heard him shout. I asked him what was the matter and he told me the King had just named him Hand, as-"

Rhaenyra cut her off, her eyes wide.

"As Otto Hightower had just been made to hand his resignation from the post," she added, standing up.

"Yes, the Hand then stormed out of my father's study, I remember him shoving me out of his way. But surely-"

"It is no coincidence, sweet sister."

Both of them looked in the other's eyes, their similar features almost like a mirror. Although Rhea was smaller than the Princess, they truly could have passed as sisters, their eyes were the same colour and their hair, the same shade of silver, were tied in similar braids.

"The Hand and my father were childhood friends, Rhaenyra," Rhea tried to reason with the thoughts rushing in her brain.

"So were Alicent and I, all those years ago. Look where we are now, I am treated as an unwelcome guest in my own home."

Rhea squeezed her sister's hand.

"Be careful, sister. Do not act in a haste," Rhaenyra pleaded the younger silver-haired woman.

The latter paused, nodding in agreement.