A Question of Loyalty

Chapter IV

"I remember you at their age." You reminisced those years, easier years in Driftmark where your only care was not to eat too much cake and play with your siblings. Laena was with child again, you meekly rubbed her belly. "They look just like you."

"I was always following you around. Just like Rhaena does with Baela."

"Well, I was the eldest sibling. Still am." You quipped.

"I have the fresh memory of you on top of Silverwing. You were grounded for a moon and then I was grounded for a moon for letting you flee your chambers."

"You enjoyed the ride, didn't you?" She busted a gut.

"I did. It was because of you that I gathered the courage to claim Vhagar in the first place, otherwise I wouldn't even thought it possible."

"I'm proud of you, little sister." She smiled heartily.

"How are things with the Queen?"

"She gave birth to Daeron. I adore that child. It's almost as if he were mine."

"You do have a gift with children. And what about Rhaenyra?"

"We are... still sorting it out." You said vaguely, she was detaching more every passing day.

"You do not sound convinced. Is your heart troubled, Y/N? Don't close yourself off to me. You can trust me."

"I know, Laena. It's... hard. Living with her yet being so far apart."

"Has Alicent's infatuation faded yet?"

"Infatuation?"

"I do not claim to know her, we barely shared a few words when I was in the Capital but that woman, sweet sister, that woman sees the stars in your eyes. When at Leanor's wedding, only a fool wouldn't realize her heart was calling out to you." You regretted your actions on that particular date, you went to her out of desperation, a need to feel something. It doesn't mean that you didn't cherish it, or that you didn't like it. But you played with her strings, and it wasn't something the Queen could just forget.

"Are you still oblivious?" The twins came sprinting in before you could answer to something that you didn't actually have an answer for.

"Oh my beautiful dragons!" Rhaena perched on your lap whilst Baela put her small arms around your neck. "The Capital would do you wonders. Come visit me soon."

"Can we, mother? Please?" They pleaded.

"We will have to consult it with your father first." Laena spoke, you sighed with disdain at Daemon's mention.

"We want to meet our cousins!"

"In the meantime, perhaps a letter would lift their spirits? You proposed.

"Yes!"

"Daemon is reluctant... he still feels spurned by the King, and by most of the Court." Laena declared.

"I wonder why." You mumbled.

"I do miss Laenor, and mother & father. Send them my regards; and all my love."

"It would be good to have you back, we could arrange a feast in High Tide instead. Send a raven anytime and I will see to it." She bade you safe travel, you both lingered in each other's familiar touch.

"I will, I promise."

When the news of your sister's passing reached you couldn't believe your ears, for not so long ago you had seen her... chatted with her. She was alive, she was well. She wanted to come home. She wouldn't have wanted to perish in some foreign land, she meant for her girls to grow up in Westeros.