For almost her entire life, Daella Targaryen has lived as Mellara Rivers, the bastard daughter of Arnold Arryn and cupbearer of Lady Jeyne Arryn. First and trueborn daughter of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Daella had but slight contact with her fami...
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T W E N T Y - E I G H T
And I would die or stay For you right now ─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Hearing a knock upon her door, Daella quickly closed the volume on Valyrian fertility rituals and placed another book in front of it, straightening her spine and turning her head to look at the door after. "Come in," she called out, folding her hands in her lap. Upon seeing the Queen enter her chambers, Daella immediately rose from her chair and curtsied deeply. "Your Grace."
"Sit down, sweet child," Queen Alicent said, waving in Daella's direction. She walked to one of the chairs and after being seated herself, Daella sat down as well. "How are you, Daella?"
"I am perfectly fine considering the circumstances, Your Grace," she replied, making sure to sit up straight and hold her head high. It was not common for the Queen to visit her and it made Daella wonder what the meeting was about. "You should have bid me to the royal apartments, for I would have come to you gladly."
"The tapestries on those walls make me want to puke after seeing them without end for almost my entire life," Queen Alicent said, pulling up her nose in disgust. She looked around, her brown eyes scanning Daella's chambers and instantly the latter hated herself for not cleaning up. There were sheets of parchment scattered all throughout the room, as well as the remains of the first and only time she had tried to cross-stitch a butterfly with Helaena, and of course, there were several books. Still, the mess appeared to amuse the Queen, who let out a good-natured huff. "You understand what will happen on the morrow, do you not?"
"Yes," Daella replied, making her voice a little softer. "Now that Aegon is gone, Aemond shall be crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms."
"And it will not be long before he takes you as his little queen and places a crown upon your head too," the Queen replied, grabbing one of Daella's hands and wrapping hers around it. "That is why I must ask you to look out for him. There will be many who will advise him to rule with a hard hand and I know he is prone to listen to them. I need you to whisper in his ear the virtues of mercy, leniency and gentleness."
Daella tried to imagine it, Aemond sitting on the Iron Throne in his usual rigid and composed manner, staring straight ahead as he listened to the two parties whispering each in one ear. His council on his right side, urging him to show no weakness or trembling hand in his rule, and she, wearing a beautiful handmade dress and a golden tiara waved through her hair, leaning onto him at his left side to whisper the tales of kindness. It terrified her, how easily she could imagine it, and she felt a shiver crawl down her spine.
Snapping out of her trance, she looked at the Queen once more. "I will try my best, Your Grace," Daella said, inclining her head. She knew that there was not a chance in the world that Aemond would listen to her when it came to ruling, for he was too strong-headed for that.
