XVI

906 38 3
                                    

~The Blood of Old Valyria ~Chapter XVI

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

~The Blood of Old Valyria ~
Chapter XVI

Dayraena spent the next few days in the company of Rhaenyra and her family, and towards evening she spent time with Daemon perfecting a healing potion for his grace. Her relationship with the prince had not changed in the slightest, but now there was a stiffness in her conversations with him. The king's brother himself came to her one evening as she worked on the bubbling liquid in the cauldron. He did not apologize, of course, but spoke as if nothing had happened. Dayraena didn't mind, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling every time she looked at the man. She could not reproach him for his views, which she partly shared, but the hatred with which he looked at Alicent every time they met by chance in the corridor or in the library, where the queen came to check the readiness of the medicine, could not leave Reyena indifferent, but she did not say it to Daemon, realizing how her monologue would end.

In the meantime, Rhaenyra was enjoying every moment she could spend with Dayraena. Knowing that they would soon be separated for a very long time, she wanted to walk, talk, and fly dragons with her friend every day. She didn't forget about Alicent either, often taking her for long evening walks in the garden. They dined together with Dayraena, sometimes they were accompanied by Daera or Princess Rhaenys, and once they were joined by the lovely Laena, who was always laughing at something her cousin Rhaenyra said. Laenor wasn't squeamish about the company of girls either. He would bring one of his friends along and they would drink wine, telling silly jokes or having conversations about chivalry and tournaments. Rhaenyra seemed quite content in her husband's company, and Dayraena often spotted them together. A couple of times she caught sight of the princess in the company of Daemon, which she was surprised to see, because she thought that after the rogue prince's harsh words about Alicent, Rhaenyra had a grudge against him. Reyena still decided to inquire about it one evening to which Nyra answered her: "As much of a bastard as Daemon is, he is still my dear uncle, and though he leaves King's Landing as he has done so many times before, now I don't know if I will ever see him again, so I spend as much time with him as I can" 

Lucerius often visited his older sister in the evenings. Dayraena would order fruit and wine to be brought, after which they would sit on the balcony and play cyvasse. Some years ago, Mayreia had given this board game to Lucerius and taught him how to play, and he had taught both his wife and older sister when the younger Gelarion had flown away. And while Dayra learned the rules of the game easily, Dayraena struggled with them for a long time before she beat her brother for the first time. It was an isolated success in four years. One amazingly stuffy evening, Damon joined them. His appearance was quite spectacular, for he had used a secret passage. When the wall began to move, Lucerius was ready to draw his sword, but Dayraena stopped him just in time, and the Targaryen prince's elongated face amused her to the core. Daemon, of course, had not expected to meet anyone other than Dayraena, so he hesitated at first, but then approached the Lord of Fire Island and greeted him.

The Blood of Old ValyriaWhere stories live. Discover now