𝒈𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 ───── a house of the dragon fanfiction.
⚘ written by 𝒍𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒂 . . . 2024
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒐

𝑨𝑬𝑴𝑴𝑨 𝑨𝑹𝑹𝒀𝑵 was an enigma of sorts. Her silky blonde hair nearly blended in with her betrothed, Viserys', yet held a certain delicacy. She held a delicacy. The girl was a saint, an angel of sorts. At times, Kaleyna wondered if she was sent from the Seven gods themselves. It was silly, childish at best, but the younger girl began to observe the future princess from afar, glorifying her every step and movement.

It wasn't long before the future Queen consort acknowledged the child's shadowing presence. Kaleyna had ventured into the gardens at high noon, just a few paces behind the Lady Aemma, peeking out from thin trees and brushes.

The blonde young woman paused in her stroll, the grass beneath her shoes crunching slightly as she stopped. "I take admirers kindly." She muttered with a sweet grin, turning over her shoulder to approach a nearby trunk with careful and eased steps.

Kaleyna dipped into a crouched position, her knees pulled against her chest as she refrained from making any noise to signal her being there, her deep brown eyes screwing shut as her heart grew more rapid with each step she heard the royal take.

The dark green from her dress spilled out into the grass, much to Aemma's notice. "Lady Hightower... I'd been hoping to properly meet you. Viserys has told me much about you from your time here."

Her soothing voice eased the girl out into the open, her eyes wide and curious as the blonde woman looked down upon her. Aemma had to be no more than eighteen at the time, her skin wrinkle-free and her eyes as bright as ever, as if she had only witnessed innocence in this cruel world.

"I'm no Lady, miss. Not yet, anyways." Kaleyna muttered with a crooked smile, stepping out to stand before Aemma, the latter almost two feet her height. She held her small hands behind her back, spinning her hips slightly as she weighed out the awkwardness in her system.

Aemma knelt down before Kaleyna, her light blue dress bundling up at the fabric coating her legs. Her forefinger moved up to gently tap the underside of the nine-year-old's chin with a smile and a scrunch of her nose. "Well, you're as much a lady as any of the ones I've met."

Kaleyna's lips turned up in a small grin, her lashes fluttering open to gaze up at the future Queen - and her future friend.

The sound of steel bounced off of the walls of the training yard, the sharp sounds acting as a sort of ambiance in the enclosure. Kaleyna sat on the steps leading up to the exit of the yard, Aemma's fingers tangled into her thick, brown hair as she braided the loose curls neatly. The wedding between her and Viserys was only a fortnight away.

Padding across the dirt of the training yard was Daemon, his sword clenched in his right fist as he swung at his brother with fervor and gritted teeth. His hair was getting longer, too long. It reminded Kaleyna that he was growing out of his old phases - growing old of her.

She turned her head away, not bearing to watch as the two Targaryens sparred each other.

Viserys' sword met Daemon's steadily, the steel between them just above their chests inches away. The edges of their blades screamed with frustration as they forcefully pushed together.

"Fall back, Daemon." Viserys grunted and furrowed his bushy silver-blonde brows, his knuckles turning white against his hilt. Daemon did the opposite and pushed harder, his full body tensing from the amount of force being exerted. Viserys was only trying to make himself appealing for his future wife. Daemon knew that.

The edge of Viserys' blade glided past Daemon's mouth, the latter refusing to draw his head away as a sign of confidence. The blade furthered its journey downwards and pierced a small slit into his lower lip, a dot of blood rushing to the surface. Daemon's eyes narrowed at the taste of iron on his lips.

Viserys' grip loosened and Daemon thrashed it backwards and into the dirt. The older brother's legs slightly trembled as he bent down to pick it up. "I let you win." He grumbled, striding over to the pair of girls weakly. He flashed a small smile to Aemma, lifting the dirtied palm of his hand to softly caress her cheekbone before exiting the training yard in defeat.

Daemon lingered in the center of the yard, his chest slowly rising up and down as he stared down at his sword. His reflection stared back at him. Shoulder-length silver hair, a bruised lip, and a furious passion in his violet eyes.

Aemma finished the complicated braid in Kaleyna's hair, setting her loose to run up to the fourteen year old prince.

"I say you beat him fairly." She grinned, watching as he studied his sword absentmindedly, his fingers running across the shine of it.

He looked up from the weapon and gave her a ghosted smile back. "Fairly is an overstatement. I was merely making a fool of him in front of his dear betrothed." He nodded over to Aemma, who had taken Kaleyna under her care for the past four months.

A chuckle escaped each of their mouths, a united laughter filling the air. "He is quite fond of her." Kaleyna added, stepping closer to Daemon. The blood from his cut still lingered. She tapped her own lip, "You're hurt."

His own finger came to poke the blood away. "It's no less than a scratch. I will be perfectly alright, 'Leyna."

She gave him a knowing look, her lips pursed in a fine line as she eyed him. "I wish you wouldn't call me that. I'm not five."

"Close enough." His cut lip turned up into a smirk as he teased the younger girl. "You have much more time until you're grown, Kaleyna. You're merely a child for now."

She would be lying if she said the comment didn't sting a bit. In truth, she was still a child. But, she hated how he compared their ages so often.

"Speaking of children," She started, changing the flow of the conversation. "Uncle Otto's first born daughter is along the way. It will be nice to know someone else in court when she comes of age. It's a shame Relaenys lingers in the crownlands with my brother and his wife." She spoke of Ormund's infant daughter, aged only one year. She recalled his letters speaking of her pale blonde hair and striking blue eyes - true features of a Valyrian descendant.

Kaleyna was jealous of her niece, to say the least. She was donned with the dullest of features, with deep brown eyes and thick hair of the same boring color. And if the young Relaenys was anything like her mother, Valaena, she was to be beautiful with age.

"It won't be long before you have your own niece or nephew." Kaleyna added, sparing Aemma a glance as she played with the jewelry dorning her fingers.

Daemon huffed and set his sword against a nearby wooden table, leaning his body beside it as he folded his arms in distaste. "I do not wish for more family. Let alone, children by Viserys."

Kaleyna's eyes narrowed at his remark, moving to sit atop the table beside him. "Why?" She asked curiously, watching him from his side profile.

"It'll just be another pathetic excuse for my brother to cast me aside, as he always manages to do." Daemon confessed, lowering his eyes to the ground beneath his shoes. "You simply cannot understand that, Kaleyna."

Her shoulders sagged in disappointment. "I can't understand that?" She repeated with confused eyes. "Daemon, I've lived in my brother's shadow my entire life, too. You don't see me throwing a fit about it, do you?"

The teenage boy scoffed with a half-amused smile. "Please. Spare me the trauma you've induced, 'Leyna." He shook his head, shutting his eyes momentarily before turning his head to face her head on again. "Your brother is not the heir to anything worthy. Your status is not threatened. Mine, on the other hand..."

"You are the prince. I would assume that is something of note to most." She retorted, clearly offended by his sulking. "I would do anything to be in your position, Daemon."

She lifted herself off from the surface of the table and stormed towards the door that Aemma still sat in front of, the dirt beneath her shoes crunching with anger. The blonde's head darted up at the sound, her grey eyes watching as the young girl opened the door back to the castle, quickly following suit.

The wedding was in joyous effect. The royal couple swayed across the throne room's floor, their hands and eyes acting like magnets as they danced. The band in the corner played on, the strings of the ensemble sending the guests into an excited frenzy. The lords and ladies of the court clapped along to the tune, watching as their future Queen and King smiled widely, their affections not unnoticed.

Kaleyna and Daemon stood by the chaos that was the refreshment table, drunken lords boasting about their lands and whores through slurred words. The prince poured himself a goblet of the nearest jug of wine. Kaleyna's eyes drifted to the beverage with a lifted brow. "How do you even enjoy that stuff?"

Daemon took a large sip, the apple in his throat bobbing up and down as he swallowed before exhaling. "Your tastebuds will grow accustomed to it. Just avoid the Dornish wine, it's bloody awful." He grinned, offering the goblet to her teasingly.

She grimaced at the drink and lightly pushed it back to him, the wine just barely splashing around in the cup. "I'd rather wait until that... habit... kicks in."

The boy shook his head with amusement and took another small sip before setting the goblet down beside him, his eyes straying to the dancing couple. "I rue the day I wed. Did you know my dear brother has already found me a wife, if you can even call her that. She's a ghastly thing. And a Royce, she is. I quite despise women of the Vale."

"You're to be engaged? Already?" Kaleyna's eyes slightly widened at the prospect of her longest friend getting married.

"We won't marry until we're of proper age, but the idea is still sickening." He corrected, his words more bitter than before.

Kaleyna's eyes studied his face, the disgusted look upon it and the age of him growing more prominent with each second. "And do you think you'll grow to love her?"

His head slowly turned to face her again, his uneven smile fading at her words. A breath passed between them before he answered with a small, "No."

Kaleyna grasped the goblet from beside him and took a short sip, a sour expression crossing her face. It was at that moment that she learned just how close she was to having the same fate.

𝒈𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 ───── a house of the dragon fanfiction.
⚘ written by 𝒍𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒂 . . . 2024
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒐

words . . . 1880.
written . . . 6.23.24.
published . . . 8.6.24