The Bastard Dragon

Chpt 8: Differences

I was sat in my chambers trying to get some peace and quiet. Ever since i returned home, i felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Everything looked the same, but felt different. Everyone seemed the same... But they were different too.

Rhaenyra was looking for a husband, my father had a new family and i had to call Alicent stepmother... Everything was fucked.

Not too mention, i had been absent from my "welcome home" party and no one has even noticed. So maybe some things haven't changed.

I decided to try and get some sleep even though it was only the middle of the day. I closed my eyes ready to sleep until dark.... But that was disrupted by an ugly, harrowing sound echoing through the castle.

A babe crying.

I grabbed the pillow and covered it over my head to try and ignore it... But i could not. I groaned in annoyance as i stormed out of my room. It was easy to find out where the sound was coming from because of how loud it was being.

I walked inside to see the babe unattended. I stood above her as i watched her cry. "Hush. Be quiet" i spat through gritted teeth but she obviously did not listen. The babe reached her hands up as i rolled my eyes.

"I am not falling for that. Grow up. Your a princess... What do you have to cry about?" i said. The baby continued crying as i bit my tongue. "What do you want? Food? Your mother? What!"

The babe still continued to sob. "Fine!" i exclaimed. I reluctantly picked her up holding he far, far away from me. I gave her a disgusted look as i brought her close to my chest. Even though i disliked the creature, i have to admit, the babes head did smell nice as the maesters always said it did.

"So thats what you wanted? To be held?" i questioned as she calmed down. She tried to grab onto my loose hair as i shook her off. Suddenly, i felt something tug on the ends of my dress. I looked down to see a a little boy.

He couldn't have been more than four or five. He lifted up his arms also wanting to be held. "Go away. Go" i said. The boy latched onto my legs as i mumbled curses at him. "I don't like children" i said.

"Up!" he exclaimed. I knew the boy would not leave me be if i ignored him. I sighed in annoyance as i picked him up with my other hand. "There? You both happy now?" i questioned.

The boy chuckled. "Aegon" he mumbled pointing to himself. "I know" i mumbled back. He then pointed to me. "Rhaena" i said coldly. "Rhae" he said. "No. Rh-ae-na" i said. "Rhae!" he repeated.

I let out a small laugh. "Rhae" i said with a soft smile. The chamber door flung open as a wetnurse and a knight walked inside. "Gods be good" i muttered under my breath as they saw me tending to the children.

"Your grace!... My apologies... I only left to grab some blankets... I am happy you are bonding with your siblings" she said with a small smile. "I am not bonding. They're dreadful little creatures" i said putting them both down immediately.

The knight lifted off his helmet to reveal himself. "Ser Criston" i said with an annoyed smile. "Your grace" he said as a smirk tugged at his lips. "I'll leave you too it. And don't leave them alone again. I can hear them all the way from my chambers."

The woman nodded immediately as i stormed out of the room. I heard hurried footsteps follow me as i rolled my eyes. "I heard you had returned" ser Criston said as he caught up to me. "You heard right."

"How are you?" he asked. I stopped in my tracks and turned to him. "How are you? Really?" i questioned with a scoff. "What?" he said. "The last time i saw you, you were a lost puppy following me around, hoping my father would not take your head. Has that changed?" i asked.

"I believe so, princess" he said. "Then who are you?" i asked. "Who do you want me to be?" he answered back. "You know, ser Criston... If i didn't see that white cloak that trailed behind you like a curse, i would think you were trying to charm me" i said.

His face fell as he looked to the ground. "Ha! See! There's that lost puppy i left in Kingslanding all those years ago!" i teased. He shook his head and let out weak laughter. "And there's the rouge princess that fled Kingslanding all those years ago" he said.

Before i could open my mouth to speak, i heard someone cough to announce themselves. Ser Criston and i both turned to see Daemon with a smug smirk on his face. "Princess... Ser Crispin" he said with a small nod.

"It's ser Criston, your grace" Cole corrected with a stiff lip. "Of course... I always forget. So, ser Criston, may i steal the princess from you for a moment?" he asked. Cole gave me an unsure look as i nodded. "I'll see you later, princess."

As he walked off, i reluctantly turned to Daemon. "What was that?" i questioned. "I was wondering where you ran off to. You ran straight to your knight" he teased. "And why are you so concerned?" i spat. "I'm not... I just-"

"I was speaking to him and you embarrassed him. Why are you even here? There's a party for your arrival home" i said. "And your arrival home" he said. I shook my head.

"No one's here for me. No one even noticed i was gone!" i exclaimed. "I did" he muttered. I paused. "Good for me. The one person i truly did not care to notice if i was there or not did."

Daemon muttered curses under his breath as i folded my arms. "Did you need to speak to me about something?" i questioned. He stayed quiet.

"Then leave me be. We're not in the StepStones anymore. We don't have to pretend to be friendly" i said through gritted teeth about to take my leave. Daemon gently turned me around as his smile faded. "Must you always be so disagreeable" he whispered through gritted teeth.

"You are the one insisting on being a pain in my side" i said. He groaned in annoyance as he dragged me into one of the empty rooms. "What is wrong with you?" i shouted.

"You have been like this from the moment you realised i was a threat to you. Stubborn, inflexible and to dense to actually realise i am trying my hardest tolerate you. Which by the way, you make very hard to do."

"Then why bother at all? I never asked you to tolerate me" i said taking a step closer to him. "Because everywhere i turn the gods seem to put you in my way" he said. "Fuck the gods. That is not why you are always troubling me. I do not wish to speak to you and you can't stand it."

He bit his tongue in frustration as i scoffed at his reaction. He knew i was right. "I can certainly understand why that must be troubling for a man like you" i said. "A man who always does the opposite of what he's told because it makes people see him, a man expecting me to do whatever he says-"

"I do not tell you to do anything!" he exclaimed. "You always give me orders!" i exclaimed back. "Then maybe you should listen!"

"I will never listen to you ever! Or anyone like you! Not my father, not the hand and not you. So leave me be" i said. "I will leave you be if that is what you wish... But first i want you to tell me something" he said leaning down to my height.

"You must stop doing that" i muttered refusing to meet his eye. "If i do not give you orders, if i stop being a pain in your side... What do you want from me?" he asked. I didn't know how to answer his question.

"If you truly want to be 'tolerable' to me... Give me a taste of freedom. Something my father could never do nor the rest of his court. That is what i want."

He tilted his head and smirked. "Hm" he mumbled. "And stop making fun of my height" i said with a smile tugging at my lips. I never noticed how green the man's eyes were.

"I can do that, princess... If you promise you won't regret it."