Stranger - hotd

5

On the day of Helaena's wedding. The eldest daughter of Queen Alicent had cried herself to sleep, though she felt herself plagued by both dreams and nightmares. The young Princess gasped, jolting awake as cryptic sentences left her mouth. She could not make reason out of most of her dreams. However she did feel her heart beating with such fear, that it made her choke on the air.

It explained as to why she allowed the dressmaker to constrict her breath further as she was fitted inside her wedding gown. Her eyes remained glued to the wall. She didn't hear them asking is she could still breathe. She could not breathe regardless of the corset.

Her nightmares had made it evident that she would not breathe easy for the next few years. Dark storms, a table covered in bloodied cheeses and sour wines, spears dripping with blood and sapphires melting away in fires. She could not make sense of her dreams, other than that she felt terrible due to them. She didn't want any of this, but it was her duty. She would be Queen one day. Her Older sister Rhaenyra would not be fit to ascend the throne, or so her Grandfather had told her. If she wanted to be safe, if she wanted her siblings to be safe, then it would be Aegon. Her brother who would be King. Any worries about her niece Valaena were swatted away with the fact that Aemond would marry her in a few years. Thus creating a strong bond between their houses. A bond that Rhaenyra would bend the knee to.

The wedding ceremony passed as if she were sleepwalking. She didn't feel the words leaving her throat, nor did she feel the bile that rose in her throat when her brother kissed her. She stared at her plate instead of in tje faces of the courtiers that came to congratulate them. She swatted away any touches and ignoring her mother's pleas to smile.

I am a Targaryen repeated Helaena in her head, hoping to find some solace in the words. When in reality all she wanted was to return to her chambers and weep. Be left alone with her insects and books. To sleep perhaps.

I am a Targaryen Repeated Helaena again as she danced with Aegon, her lips pulling in a feigned smile as he drunkenly stepped on her toes. He too sough a way to avoid this. He drank, and drank untill she noticed her mother scolding her brother.

I am a Targaryen whispered Helaena softly as she eyed a cup of arbor red. The expensive sweet wine that her brother had selected for the wedding. It appeared to be the only affair he chose to meddle in. The choice of wine. She watched him dance drunkenly with Valaena, whose eyes kept searching for those of Helaena, hoping to bring her some comfort, but no one could.

I am a Targaryen. Thought Helaena again as she and Aegon were ordered to their chambers after the banquet. She felt like vomiting. Aegon was drunk. She wanted to cry, could he atleast not make it bearable for her. Could he atleast think not to be so selfish. He had it easy. He was a man. He was her brother.

I am a Targaryen whispered Helaena afterwards, silently crying in her pillow.

That night she dreamt of having twins, a purple eyed little girl and boy, whose laughter rung so bright that it stilled some of the pain that Helaena felt whenever she tried to walk.

After a few moons, Helaena found out she was pregnant with her twins. (The Maester couldn't confirm if it were twins, but the Princess knew, as she dreamt of them nearly every night). She locked herself into her chamber refusing to see anyone but her septa, her favorite Maidservant and her younger niece. She would be due to give birth around Aemond's and Valaena's nameday.

Aegon rarely attended any history lessons alongside Aemond and Valaena, claiming that he was a married men, and seeing as he was to become of age this year. He had other duties to attend to. He even rarely attended again after his name day. Valaena and Aemond were now twelve and thirteen, Aegon seventeen already.