Kingdom Fall : Aegon II Targaryen

Dinner and Diatribes

The Blacks cut an imposing figure as they make their way through the castle halls once the archery tournament has finished. Naturally Rhaenyra and Daemon head the group followed by their children. Rhaena is holding Joffreys hand, stood next to Baela, then Anne and Luke then Jace behind them.

They are all really quite mad at her Annerys realises as she follows her family to her mother's and Daemon's chambers where they will be having a private supper that evening. Daemon suits anger; he wears it well but her mother has never felt comfortable directing any sort of ire towards her children. So it settles as disappointment and it cuts Annerys deeper than any anger Daemon might display.

"Will you sit next to me?" Annerys whispers into Luke's ear which may be cowardly but it's the easiest option and Anne's always known she was never gooing to be or wanted to be the brave knight who would slay the gargantuan dragon and rescue the princess from the tower, no Annerys is comfortable with the idea that perhaps she is the princess in the tower in need of saving.

"In Jace's seat?" Luke asks.

"Mmmhmm." Anne answers.

"Why? Have you two argued?" Luke responds.

"No, not yet." Anne tells him.

"He hates it when we all swap seats." Luke says.

"I know but just for me will you? Please?" Anne asks him because she perhaps unfairly intends to use her sweet brother as a buffer so that Jace will not get the chance to scold her as she eats her supper and Daemon is less likely to say anything to her as they all eat anyway.

"Okay." He tells her as he comfortingly takes hold of her hand.

They all file into their mothers and Daemons chambers, maids have begun to place food on the dinner table in preparation for their arrival. Luke quickly makes a beeline for what would have traditionally have been Jace's seat and Anne quietly makes her way after him. Once Jace reaches them he says to Luke "come on, move."

"No, I want to sit here today." He tells him with as much stern as he can muster.

"Well you can't." Jace argues.

"Why not? It's just a chair, Jace. Find another." Luke argues back.

Jace calls out "Mother, Luke won't move out of my seat."

Rhaenyra sighs and says "Oh, Jace. There are enough chairs for everyone. Just sit in his."

"But it's the principle of it, he's only sat there to..."

"Jace, just sit down." Daemon says calmly.

As Jace makes his way over to his (new) seat and Luke winks at Anne.

Dinner is a rather tense affair for Anne; she sits there nervously picking at her food. Her mother hasn't said anything at all to her whilst Daemon keeps sending suspicious glances her way and Jace scowls at her.

"Mother, did you know you had a brother called Aegon?" Joffrey is entirely unaware of the strained and uncomfortable dinner he was having with his family.

"Yes of course I know, sweet boy." Rhaenyra says through a forced smile.

"I met him today. He's really fun. Isn't he Anne?" Joffrey says as he spoons cut up pieces of guinea fowl into his mouth, dropping half of his spoonfuls in the process. Jace scoffs loudly in response.

"Swallow your food before you speak, Joff." Anne says because what else is she supposed to say?

Daemon reaches over and strokes Joffs curls affectionately and says "Too much to do, too much to say. Too little time." Joffrey nods at him. Anne knows that Daemon is the more affectionate to Joffrey than he is to the rest of her siblings, Joffrey is young enough for it not to be odd to him to be treated like Daemon's son for he has no lingering affections for any dead fathers and no memories of men that are long gone unlike his elder siblings. Anne knows this because Joffrey had asked her recently why they don't call him Father like the girls do, like Aegon will once he can. She had explained that it was because he was only their step-father but he hadn't understood the concept so she left it alone and hoped that she doesn't end up regretting that choice.