court of lies | robert's rebellion

the fine print

"don't worry mother, your daughter is a soldier"

281 AC, Oldtown

They were close to landing. Oldtown and its mighty Hightower were visible for a while now, the city was waiting for them with all its glory. Their mortal enemies for centuries, bound up with blood by the line of Maekar and Dyanna but still mortal enemies nevertheless, were going to land in their city for the first time in years.

The last that happened, was years ago. The last Dayne who had entered this city with an invitation from the Hightowers, the last Dayne who looked to the city from this angle, the last Dayne that the city had welcomed with respect was Dyanna Dayne, the Princess of Summerhall.

The Queen that they should've had.

She was a remarkable woman who had too much love in her heart and with her stubbornness she managed to convince her husband Maekar -not that it was a hard task for her, no, Maekar was lots of things -stern, angry and stoic, but he was also a love sick puppy when he was around his wife, to attend to the feast of the little Garmund Hightower's fourth name day.

So that her sons could have a friend.

Daeron, Aerion and Aemon, all were a little ...different from each other.

Daeron was the one that was blessed with dreams and cursed with nightmares, the one that was solemn even at his early age, the one that had to endure terrible headaches that could go for days when he was only a boy of nine.

Aerion was the one with the rage -though no one had any idea where that all came from, he was the one with the sword training, he was the one who spent time with the unhatched dragon eggs the most, he would stare them for hours and hours without talking or moving and no one would have any idea what he could be thinking, he was the one with the energy that was just too much for a boy of five.

Aemon was still a baby -just passed his name day, yet he was the quiet one with bright blue eyes. Looking around as he could see and understand everything. As he was bright even then.

Dyanna was bored in Summerhall amongst the loud Stormlanders and stoic Valyrians. She had missed her home. Maekar always loved Starfall more than the little Valyrian city that was made in a castle that they'd been living in. A few months has been spent there, the warm climate and the peaceful environment gave its fruits and now Dyanna was with child again. The Maesters had told her to not go on such a journey but they said the same with the newborn Aemon and everything turned out fine.

Maekar's ancestors had been flying with their newborn babies. A little ship travel wouldn't hurt anyone.

And as they had reached Oldtown, the Lord of Oldtown and his lady wife welcomed them in the harbour. Hightowers didn't like either Targaryens or the Daynes so while Maekar and Herbert sulked and argued and threatened each other with sharp knives, Dyanna and Mellendora just rolled their eyes and travelled through the city.

But then her due time came and a beautiful, healthy girl was born amongst the Hightowers. Maekar always wanted a daughter, and so did Dyanna. Boys were trouble, boys were always a lot harder to raise, and boys were headaches. Especially when you have three and all three are different from the others. But a girl? Maekar felt blessed and he wept at night, in secret. But his love for the Hightowers didn't last long. 16 years to be exact -16 years and Maekar was seen swearing to carve out Garmund Hightower's heart out.

So that he could feel what he was feeling.

How dare he to ask for his daughter's hand?

But Maekar threw tantrums, cursed and threatened everyone, and begged his daughter and in return he got a laugh as a reaction. Daella was his heart, a blessing after three disappointing sons, the most living memory of his beloved Dyanna. He gave duties Garmund in the capital to be able to see his daughter but in the end, Herbert died and Garmund had to go back to Oldtown as its lord and Daella followed him with her first child in her belly.