dolls and dragons
The breeze hit, two children playing in the field, looking towards the sea. Aemond picked at the grass, one of Millicent's dolls, facing face down, beside him. He hated when he was dragged into playing dolls with Millicent. But Aemond loved the company of Millicent, he described her as sweet, caring and loving, something he doesn't get a lot of from anyone, besides Helaena. Spending time with her made him feel like he was heard, loved. Aemond and Millicent were just children as everything came falling apart, before they were born, the hatred pact from their mothers. And now as they are grown, Aemond realizes that Millicent is the most important person in his life and will do anything in his power to keep her, even if it means starting a war, something that never meant to happen, losing her.
"Aemond!" Millicent sings. He sits up and looks at her. The small girl, perfectly braided hair, showing off her dark hair with her white, smiles as she sees Aemond. "My husband, where is our son?" She walks up to him with their fake child. He didn't want to play, she forced him to. She kicks his leg so he can answer.
"I am afraid that our son is resting my dearest wife." He sighs out. Millicent takes the doll from the ground and shoves it into his arms. Aemond held the doll gently as she used force.
"Oh how lovely!" She plops next to him, braids the dolls hair, humming a tune. "Do you love me?" He stares ahead, not realizing that she was talking. "Aemond!" She stares him down. She wanted him to play it right. For the princess who is sweet and gentle, she can be very demanding and scary.
"Can we play knights?" Aemond suggested as he turned to her.
"Why would I play that?" He frowns.
"I always have to play with dolls-"
"Because you are my husband and we have to care for our children!" The small Velaryon girl smiles widely.
"For fuck sake." She slaps Aemond's arm.
"Not in front of the children." The two children turned as they heard the sound of metal clanging. Ser Harwin Strong makes his appearance to get the princess.
"Princess, your father is waiting for you in the dragon pit." Millicent smiles as she remembers why. She skips to the guard. She hands the dolls to him, Harwin smiling as she treats them with such kindness and affection as if they were real. "Are you ready princess?" She nods. She goes to hold his hand.
"Aemond." She turns back to look at her uncle."If you want to be a father Aemond, you must connect with the babe, not leave them behind you." Harwin laughs to himself. Millicent whips her head back and walks away with Harwin. "Ser Harwin?"
"Yes princess?" He hums. Millicent stops walking, making him kneel to look at her. "Is something wrong?"
"Do you remember when my mother said that she is looking for a protector for me and Jacaerys?" He hums again. "I want to propose that you can, I choose you." Harwin smiles. It's honestly adorable, his own daughter chose him. "I know that you are part of the-"
"For you and your brother, I would wish nothing but to protect you both." Harwin puts his hand on her cheek. "Unfortunately I cannot. I will tell you this is Millicent, when you need me, I will be there." She nodded slowly, hurt but she understood. He's part of the city watch. "I can have suitors for you, men I trust."
"Its quite alright." She sighs, letting out a deep breath. Harwin lets go of her, Millicent taking his hand and heading towards the pit. Laenor was waiting for them outside. His face lit up with joy as he saw his daughter. "Father!" She lets go of Harwin and runs to Laenors arms. He picks her up, spinning her, kissing her cheek. Harwins heart skipped a beat. It hurt. Watching his daughter from afar.
"There she is!" He kisses her cheek, making her giggle. "What have you done this evening, my darling?"
"I was with Aemond." She smiles. "By the field."
"Wonderful." He fixes her braided hair. "What do you say to Ser Harwin?"
"Thank you Ser Harwin." Millicent looks at the man. Harwin smiles back at her.
"Enjoy your evening princess, I cannot wait to hear what you name your dragon." He looks at the dolls in his arms. "I am heading to see your mother. I will make sure that your beautiful children stay with their grandmother." Millicent waves goodbye as Laenor takes her inside.
"Wait here." He places her down and beside him. Millicent watches from behind Laenor, they were bringing in her dragon. Millicent's egg hatched shortly after she was born, same day, two hours apart. The dragon was extremely beautiful, such an eye-catching creature. Black with red iridescent scales. Teeth sharp like daggers, a long neck, and very red eyes. The egg came from Syrax and Caraxes long ago when Daemon was in the Keep, but never hatched until Millicent was born. Rhaenyra chose the black egg for her daughter.
"The dragon is growing rapidly, Ser Laenor." One of the keepers spoke with Laenor. The large dragon pulls the chains, fighting the keepers. "We believe it might be larger than your sisters, Vhagar."
"Seven hells." He coughs up. Millicent with such a big dragon, may the gods help them. The dragon roared and they started to poke him to stop.
"You are hurting him!" Millicent yells, racing to the dragon. Laenors heart drops as she runs to the untamed dragon. Rhaenyra will kill him if anything happens to her only daughter.
"Millicent!" The keepers held him back. The chains that held the dragon dropped and Millicent raised her arm. The dragon tilts its head, placing his nose on her hand. He knew. The dragon knew he belonged to her.
"They're bonding." The keeper says.
"Sweet boy." Millicent pets the dragons face. "You are mine." She whispers to him. The dragon purred by her touch. "Scatha." she whispers again. "I shall name you Scatha." The dragon blinked at her, ran his face on her, wanting more attention from the girl. "Father." Laenor walks behind her, admiring the dragon. "Isn't he beautiful."
"Very. Suited just for you." He kisses her head. "Lets not tell your mother that you ran up to him, yes?"
—
Laenor had dropped off Millicent to see her grandsire, as she does daily.
"Isn't that the realm's beauty I see?" Viserys smiles as the doors open to see his granddaughter. Millicent laughs as she gives her grandsire a hug.
"Realms beauty?" She sits next to him, the help setting her paints ready for her.
"That is what they say about you." He pokes her nose, making it scrunched up. "They are right." Millicent and Viserys had always had bonding time together, as he chiseled his tiny sculptures, she would paint. Viserys loved his granddaughter, she was so sweet and at times, witty, like her mother. He would look over his shoulder to see the girl sticking her tongue out as she paints, laughing to himself. She was truly like Rhaenyra.
Alicent hated that Viserys spent more time with his granddaughter than his own daughter. She has so much jealousy for the little girl. Everyone cherished the bastard girl then the real princess Haelena. It wasn't fair, what was so special that Millicent had and not Haelena?
Millicent was quiet, painting away. It is what she liked to do the most, other than reading and singing and playing around with Jacaerys and Aemond. She is a very smart girl, she knew how to wrap someone around her tiny finger if she wanted, even from a young age.
"Look Grandsire!" He looks away from his sculpture to look at his granddaughter. She drops her brush down and runs to the side to show her the picture she had made. "It is us, riding our dragons." Viserys picks up the wet paper and smiles.
"It is a wonderful piece Millicent. I shall have it hung in my chambers." She claps. The doors opened and Laenor appears.
"Sorry to cut the time short your grace, my daughter needs to bathe and go to bed." Viserys kisses his grandchild on the head. She skips to her father. "Clean up your mess before you leave."
"Please, Laenor, let her be. That is why we have the help." The women start to pick up the mess. Millicent goes and helps them.
"Yes your grace, but Millicent needs to know that she can also do it on her own. She needs to learn to respect others, not take those for granted." Millicent hands over the brushes to the woman and goes to her father.
"Before you go, what is the name of your dragon?"
"Scatha." She smiles. Viserys' eyes arched.
"Scatha? Meaning injurious, criminal, thief, assassin?" He whispers to Laenor if he heard correctly.
"She loves to read." Laenor and Millicent head away and head to their side of the keep. Millicent runs in the halls, away from Laenor, who is running after her. She laughs as she was ahead of him, looking back and then she falls down as she crashes into someone. Millicent picks herself up and looks up to see Larys Strong. Her face falls to the cane.
"I am-am..." She starts to stumble her words.
"It is quite alright princess." He smiles down. "Do not afraid."
"I am sorry." He rests his weight on the cane, still looking down at the young girl.
"No need to apologize." He chuckles. Millicent didn't feel good as she was near him. She hoped that Laenor was near.
"Millicent!" Laenors voice appeared back in Millicents world. She could finally breathe as he picks her up. "My apologies Ser Larys, did she hurt you?"
"Oh no no." He waves off. "She was just being a child. No need for her to get in trouble for that." Millicent wraps her arms around Laenors neck. "What a fast runner she is."
"That she is." Laenor coughs. "Excuse us." Larys slides to let them pass. He watches Millicent until she disappears into the darkness.
—
Millicent lays in bed, hair down and waiting for her mother to come in. The doors open and she sees her mother and Jacaerys.
"Mother!" She sits up and kisses her cheek.
"Ready for bed?" She nods.
"Good night Jace." Millicent places a small kiss on the boy's forehead.
"I heard that you named your dragon." Rhaenyra tucks her into bed. "Scatha is a wonderful name."
"I wanted him to be scary." She giggles under the sheets. Rhaenyra laughs. "He is beautiful."
"I believe he is." Rhaenyra sits next to Millicent. "Your father cannot sing to you tonight, I will take his place." Millicent puts her head on her mothers lap. Rhaenyra starts to sing in high Valerian, stroking the white and black hair of her daughter. Millicents eyes start to shut, trying to hear her mothers sweet, smoothing voice. As Millicent goes to sleep, Rhaenyra quietly pulls away, putting Millicents stuffed toy into her arms. "Good night my sweet girl." She kisses her head and leaves with the sleeping boy in her arms.
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