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⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ °• ☼ CHAPTER FIVE: MYTHS IN THE SKY ☾ •°⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
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ONCE OR TWICE a year, Nessie and her family would visit their great-uncle, Aemon Targaryen. Though he had taken the Black, he was of royal blood and was therefore permitted visitors.
The Wall was thousands of leagues high, so high that when she glanced up, the world spun in her skull. The view made her dizzy, and despite visiting many times, she still tripped over her own feet at the sight. Snow fell around the skirts of her dress and framed her eyelashes—she'd only ever seen snow at the Wall!—she couldn't help but wonder what was beyond. Was it a snowy winter wonderland, a beautiful wasteland of ice and mountains stacked with snow? Or were there truly monsters out there?
Nessie marvelled at the Wall as her family piled out of the carriage. How had anyone—even the ancient races of myth—built anything like this?
"The White Walkers will get you," Rhaegar hissed and pinched her sides playfully. Nessie squealed, leaping away from him and swatting a hand at Rhaegar's shoulder hard. He yelped and then laughed, golden crown slipping on his head.
"Nessie," her father commanded, voice deep and frightening.
Nesaela dropped her hand, letting the long sleeves fall back at her legs. "Sorry, Father," she said. Rhaegar's grin fell and he put an arm around her shoulder, leading her through the gates of Castle Black. It was the Commanding post of the three remaining castles along the wall. The others had been lost during the reign of Jaehaerys the First or soon after. "It had been too much land to cover", Maester Aemon had told Nessie once—but then, she thought, what would defend them from the threat beyond?
"Let's go in," he told her, and Nessie adjusted the crown on her head.
"Okay," she said. Her mother followed them, silver-gold hair pinned up behind her head and a bruise carefully tucked away beneath the collar of her dress. Rhaegar held his grip around her as they passed the staring Night's Watch, each man more rough and frightening than the next. Nessie avoided their gaze, eyes pointed at her feet.
Her father wouldn't go inside. Too many criminals, too high a risk of assassination. Instead, he would stay in the carriage, surrounded by the Kingsguard and his personal soldiers. He would take them this far, and this far only. Aerys brought more and more guards with him each time. Nessie presumed their visits to Aemon would stop all-together soon.
Once they'd passed the onlooking Night's Watch, Nessie was free to bound up the winding stairs to Maester Aemon's room. The wood floors creaked beneath her light weight, dress and warm cloak swishing behind her as she turned the corner of the tower. Her mother and brother stayed behind, knowing how much Nesaela treasured the time with her great-uncle.
