The morning of their official wedding was messy. But, truth be told, Rhaenyra didn't really expect anything else. Even though she enjoyed official events from time to time, she would very much prefer to stay in bed with her husband all day. But no, Diane kicked Daemon out at sunrise, then told Rhaenyra she could have a few more hours of her beauty sleep and took a nap herself on one of the couches. The princess didn't understand why Diane needed to kick Daemon out so early right until Rhaenyra's other ladies-in-waiting barged in with barely a knock, waking them up again.

'Are you excited, 'Nyra?' Laena asked, helping the princess dress up while Diane and others arranged breakfast for all of them. 'You're going to become a married woman today.'

Rhaenyra smiled and said that of course, she was excited. She was going to marry the love of her life, after all (for the second time but still).

'Did anyone have the talk with you?' Joanna asked then, stealing a grape from the plate that Elinda was carrying.

'What talk?'

'Well, you know. The Talk. About the wedding night,' Joanna explained, blushing at her own insinuation. Diane hid her snort in a cup of wine that she miraculously got from somewhere.

'I bet Prince Daemon would love to tell her himself,' Laena said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively and saving Rhaenyra from the need to come up with the answer. 'And not only tell.'

The princess laughed at that, knowing that Daemon would be all too happy to repeat their wedding night all over again. After all, if they got two weddings, why not two wedding nights?

'Ew, must you be so vulgar?' Ellyn scrunched. 'There are kids here.'

'First of all, I got my blood so I'm not a child anymore,' Elinda stated. 'Second of all, I have three older brothers who have no idea I know how to listen to their private conversations without getting caught,' she added with a small, innocent smile.

'Elinda, you little spy!' Laena laughed.

'You go, girl. You'll find this skill pretty useful when you're older,' Diane chuckled, putting her legs up on the table much to Ellyn's distaste. 'When I got the Talk, I knew like half of it so the other half wasn't very confusing.'

'Why would you get The Talk? You're not married,' Ellyn asked as if not fully believing Diane. After all, young ladies were not supposed to know about these kinds of things unless they were about to get married.

'Nah. But my father is well aware of just what a daughter he raised.'

'Wait, your father gave you the talk?' Laena asked, and everyone looked just as surprised as she sounded. Well, except for Rhaenyra who knew just what a relationship Daemon had with his daughter. It would be very in character for him to try and educate his daughter the best way possible so she wouldn't get hurt or pregnant.

'Yes. I was two and ten... or maybe three and ten. He might have been just a little bit too detailed but at least I got the picture,' Diane chuckled as if it was a really fond memory of hers. And then she added with a smirk, 'Nyra, you do realize you are gonna be my stepmother, right?'

There was a pause, and everyone burst out laughing at Rhaenyra's gobsmacked expression. In the princess' defense, she realized that marriage to Daemon made her even more closely related to Diane than before, she just didn't think about it like that.

'I bet you have an interesting family tree,' Joanna said.

'And very complicated,' Rhaenyra added.

'Velaryon family tree is no better,' Laena said, tying the princess' dress so she could go and have some breakfast before the true wedding preparations began. 'Gets confusing with all the marriages with Targaryens. My grandmother was her own cousin or something.'

'Yes, that's kind of awkward,' Diane snorted.

There was a knock on the door, and then Athelstan peeked inside, 'I apologize for the intrusion but- um- Lady Diane?'

'Yes, dove?'

'May you- the housekeeper has been terrorizing me with the questions about the banquet and I only know like half of the answers, and she's- uh- really scary so-'

'Got it, I'm coming,' Diane said, getting up with a sigh. 'You girls have fun, I'll be back... when I'm back. At the very least I won't miss the wedding of my favorite stepmother,' she added with a mischievous smile before slipping out of the room.

Rhaenyra rolled her eyes but she wasn't really irritated, even though she suspected neither Diane nor Daemon would stop with these particular jokes any time soon.

***

Daemon was in no way nervous while he was getting ready for the wedding. After all, he and Rhaenyra had already been wed, this was just a show for his brother and the court. What he didn't expect was for Viserys to actually visit him in his chambers. After all, the King was still not a fan of their match, even though he seemed to realize there was no going back now and he would just have to make his peace with that.

'Did you come to threaten me, brother?' Daemon asked out of sheer curiosity. Because if so, he might indulge Viserys just this once. The King was looking out for Rhaenyra, Daemon could respect that. What he didn't respect was the fact that his brother looked in the completely wrong direction, trying to protect Rhaenyra, while Hightowers were right under his nose!

'Do I have to?' Viserys asked.

'Not really. I'm taking the duties of Rhaenyra's husband pretty seriously.'

'I have a hard time believing that,' the King said and sat on the chair near his brother. 'Rhaenyra loves you,' he then added.

'As I her,' Daemon immediately said. He wasn't sure about a lot of things in life but in his feelings for Rhaenyra he was as sure as he could possibly be.

Viserys still looked skeptical, 'I know about your reputation, Daemon. They call you Lord Flea Bottom for a reason.'

'Actually, not recently,' the prince said. He started to suspect that Diane might have inherited this title just as the title of Lady of Dragonstone. He didn't mind, he actually found it amusing. 'But regardless, I know how to be faithful, Viserys, and I'm going to be faithful to Rhaenyra if that's your biggest concern.'

'How do you even know what "faithful" is?' Viserys asked and, okay, yes, that was a little bit insulting, but Daemon decided to let it go.

'I was faithful to Diane's mother,' he said instead. 'From the day I met her till the day Caraxes burned her body. And for some time after that because I was in mourning.'

It was only a year or so after Iris' death Daemon started frequenting brothels and earned himself a reputation he now had. He was not ready to commit to anyone else so soon so whores it was. He even tried sleeping with men a few times and, even though it wasn't a bad experience, in the end, it wasn't for him. So in the end he stuck to women... and feminine presenting people who didn't identify with either sex on occasion because Dragonstone and Valyrian faith has always been rather accepting of queer people, and so was he.

But regardless of that, Daemon always preferred relationships with commitment. When he was with Misaria, he was only with her, his not-best choice in this particular woman aside. And now that he had Rhaenyra, he had everything he wanted.

Viserys seemed surprised by this revelation which only proved to Daemon again that his brother didn't really know him.

'May I ask- how did she die?'

'Infection. She cut herself, it didn't seem to close, and then the fever started- she was gone in a week,' the prince sighed. 'I was only four and twenty and already a widower.'

'But- you weren't actually married to her,' Viserys had the audacity to point out.

Daemon shot him a nasty look, 'And whose fault is that?'

The King seemed to realize he had walked right into that one and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The silence stretched.

The prince sighed again, 'I do not know what else to say, brother. I love Rhaenyra, I truly do. There is no hidden motive or anything. I just want to have her as my wife and be her husband.'

'And King Consort,' Viserys immediately added.

'One day, yes. But for all I know, I might not live long enough,' Daemon said. He very much preferred to live well into his nineties this time around, but life was an unpredictable thing. Having Diane around who was constantly telling stories from the other timeline in which he had died when he had been only one and fifty did remind him constantly about his mortality. And it was not a bad thing, actually. The belief in their own immortality is usually what kills men like him, and he preferred not to prove this rule right. 'And if I do, I'll fight tooth and nail for Rhaenyra to have the throne. Not because I want it but because it's her right. And because she will make a truly remarkable queen, of this I have no doubts.'

Viserys blinked in surprise, not quite expecting such a declaration from his brother, but wasn't able to say anything because there was a knock on the door. Daemon allowed whoever it was to come in.

'I swear to the Gods if this housekeeper asks me one more stupid question, I'll-' Diane ranted but stopped as soon as she noticed Viserys. She then smiled and courtesied, 'Your Majesty,' before continuing right where she left off. '-I'll kill her and serve her head as a unique dessert.'

Daemon snorted. If someone displeased Diane, she wasn't shy about it, and, considering a surprised look on Viserys' face, he wasn't quite used to people being so straightforward and voicing their inside thoughts out loud.

'Only head? What with the other parts of her body?' Daemon asked.

Diane smiled, 'A side dish. Obviously. Oh,' she noticed that Daemon had a jug of wine on the table and went to help herself. 'I'm here to inform you that the sept will be ready for the ceremony in half an hour,' Diane took a sip of wine with a relieved sigh. She didn't precisely drink all that often but people were stressing her out today and she hadn't slept a lot last night due to smuggling the High Priest out of King's Landing and back into Dragonstone, so she was running on sheer enthusiasm and any alcohol she could get her hands on. 'Also I need to ask you a question that I was assured is of utmost importance...'

'Sure, fire away,' Daemon waved his hand.

'Tell me, father, would you prefer to sit near a chicken or a duck?'

Daemon blinked. Out of everything he thought Diane might ask, that was nowhere near his mind. 'I would prefer to sit near my wife,' he answered slowly.

There was a pause during which Diane just looked at him, 'I meant food. Like a meal near you on the table. Of course, you're sitting near Rhaenyra.'

'Oh. I honestly do not care.'

'Yeah, I thought so. But the housekeeper made a big deal out of it for some reason,' Diane finished her cup of wine and put it back on the table. 'I shall be off then. Need to check on your wife,' she added, pecked her father on the cheek, and was off like a little hurricane.

Viserys' eyes followed Diane right until she disappeared, and when the King turned his head, he saw his brother looking at him. Intently. With a raised eyebrow.

Viserys cleared his throat. 'I believe it's time for me to go as well,' he said, getting up. 'Give you time to prepare for the ceremony.'

'Of course,' Daemon nodded, watching his brother leave.

He wasn't sure what he expected precisely but all Viserys' self-righteousness was getting on his nerves a little. Because it was kind of ironic that Viserys insinuated Daemon didn't know how to be faithful while obviously ogling Daemon's daughter despite being a married man. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Daemon thought he would have respected his brother more if he owned up to his own transgressions but Viserys was always a bit of a coward so he shouldn't be surprised, should he?

***

The wedding in the sept was... well, what you usually expect the wedding in the sept to be. Daemon wasn't thrilled with the process but he had no problems with proclaiming his devotion to his wife twice so that was what he did.

And after that came the festivities. Daemon found out that he was seated by a duck and was happy that this tremendous problem was peacefully resolved. He took Rhaenyra to dance and, even if their hands wandered here and there slightly more than was appropriate, they were newlyweds so no one could hold it against them.

Viserys seemed to be more or less at peace with the situation (fucking finally) while Alicent looked like she had a stick stuck up her butt the whole time. Rhaenyra didn't care much for her disapprovement though, even though she definitely noticed, and Daemon decided he couldn't give less of a fuck either. They could think what this bitch had on her mind the other day but today was their wedding day and Daemon would kill anyone who dared to ruin their mood.

Diane seemed to have a great time too. She got a seat at the main table as the daughter of the groom but she was barely there, jumping at every opportunity to dance she got. She was pretty good at it too, which made Daemon wonder where she learned to dance like that. Because it didn't seem like this skill was something a kill-for-hire necessarily needed.

'Have you noticed she's avoiding Lannisters like a plague?' Rhaenyra snickered into his ear, making Daemon smile.

Diane wasn't legitimately born but she was still his daughter and his heir, and it was no wonder men of different ages and social standing tried to catch her attention. He supposed some would be stupid enough to ask him for her hand directly but his views on the situation had already reached most of the nobles. Diane wouldn't marry unless she chose someone for herself so it was no surprise some men were ready to jump out of their boots to impress her. Daemon was sure his daughter found it very entertaining.

'She seems to be doing a good job,' the prince pointed out just as Joffrey spun Diane to the dancing floor, helping her successfully avoid one of the Lannister brothers. Laenor and he seemed to be in on it and treated it like a weird sort of a game. If Diane wasn't dancing with someone else and any of the Lannisters were getting close, one of them would jump in to save the day.

'I'm glad she's having fun,' Rhaenyra suddenly said, making Daemon look at her. 'She's been... very busy lately with, you know, everything. She deserves it.'

'Can't agree more.'

The evening went on, and Viserys delivered a speech, wishing Daemon and Rhaenyra all the best. He even mentioned Rhaenyra not only as his daughter but as his heir which Daemon was almost sure was Diane's doing. She couldn't have done it directly but he was pretty sure his daughter planted this thought in the King's head somehow because Viserys was usually oblivious to this kind of things. And him now reaffirming Rhaenyra's position once again seemed just slightly out of character.

After Viserys' speech music resumed, and Diane was on the dance floor again, making Rhaenyra wonder just how much stamina this girl had because honestly! Rhaenyra fancied dancing herself sometimes but after two or three dances in a row, she needed at least a small break. And Diane looked like she could do it all night without even sitting down.

'I mean it is way easier than the battlefield,' Diane laughed when Rhaenyra asked her about it, using the fact that Diane very briefly approached the head table to get some wine. 'Plus dancing at official events is so fun, almost like a game. Even more so when people around me are getting drunk and easy to manipulate!' she giggled, taking a sip from her cup.

'Are you drunk?' Daemon asked with a smirk.

'Just a tad. But I generally handle alcohol better than others so...' the rest of the sentence was intelligible because Diane decided it wasn't a good idea to keep drinking on an empty stomach and sneaked a few bites from her plate. Then she was off to the dance floor again.

One of the Lannister brothers saw an opening and decided to take it just to be beaten by Harwin Strong who bowed and gracefully asked Diane to dance with him. She smiled and - of course - accepted.

'So... you're looking for a wife, Ser Harwin?' Diane stated after the dance started and they fell into step with each other.

'That's quite an interesting way to start a conversation,' Harwin pointed out, only slightly surprised by Diane's question that sounded very much like a statement.

'Do forgive me, but I saw your father urging you to ask me for a dance. And most of the men I danced with today were on the impossible quest for my hand,' Diane chuckled.

'Is it?' Harwin asked. 'Impossible, that is.'

'Maybe not quite but... I do not intend to marry. At the very least, not right now. And besides, I won't be a good fit for you.'

Harwin raised an eyebrow and then twirled Diane around, 'And why is that?'

'You are going to be Lord Strong one day. You need a wife who will stand by you, and give you heirs, and follow you to Harrenhal when the time comes. And I'm not much of a follower. I prefer to lead,' Diane winked.

'How unfortunate that I prefer women who know how to be in charge then,' and oh, the way he said it. In another lifetime Diane might have even considered him but she had much more ambition in her than that. Being Lady Strong wouldn't cut it.

'Well, I might have someone just like that in mind. If I may make a suggestion, of course.'

'I'm intrigued.'

'Laena Velaryon,' Diane said and watched with satisfaction how Harwin's eyes slightly widened. Whoever he thought she would name, he didn't expect Laena. 'She's still rather young, of course, but long courtship has never hurt anyone. And I do believe you've already struck her fancy.'

'You believe?'

'I'm observant. You should ask her to dance. At the very least it's a good pretense to get to know each other,' Diane smiled.

The music ended, and Harwin bowed to kiss her hand. 'Thank you for the dance and a piece of advice,' he said. 'I almost forgot I was blatantly rejected.'

Diane let out a laugh. She could definitely see what Rhaenyra found in this man and what prompted her to have three of his children in another timeline.

They parted ways, and Diane went to get herself another cup of wine just for a man to run into her a few seconds later. It was a good thing that Dragon Claw was secure to her leg and she didn't have immediate access to it, otherwise her war reflexes could have sent this man to Stranger before his time. She hated being startled.

'My sincere apologies,' the man said. He couldn't have been older than five and twenty. Three and twenty perhaps. Give or take a year. He also seemed familiar, and it took Diane only a few seconds to place him. 'I didn't mean to come off quite as straightforward.'

Diane let out a laugh, 'Yeah, straightforwardness is a unique quality for a Hightower.'

The man blinked in surprise because they hadn't spoken before and were never formally introduced. 'What gave me away?' he then asked, a small smile on his lips.

'The chin,' she tapped on her own with a finger. 'I've been looking at this chin a lot lately,' she then added because she did have too much Otto Hightower in her life lately. It wasn't surprising with him being the Hand and all, but Gods help her, that man was everywhere. Sometimes too literally.

The man in front of her chuckled. 'Yes, he... can be a lot,' he agreed and then continued, 'Nonetheless let me introduce myself properly. Ser Gwayne Hightower,' he said and bowed to kiss the back of her hand.

'Lady Diane Targaryen. But I believe my reputation precedes me,' Diane smiled, trying to place Gwayne in the great scheme of things. The only thing she knew about him from another timeline was that he was dead. She had never met him in person and had no idea where his allegiances lay. She could assume, of course, that he was with the Greens, and that would be what she would stick to unless proven otherwise, but she was still curious. Did Otto send him to talk to her? Or was Gwayne here by his own decision?

'It does,' the man smiled slightly. 'The men of City Watch are terrified of you.'

Diane laughed, 'Is that so? You don't seem quite that terrified. You're a part of the golden cloaks, aren't you?'

'I am, yes. Maybe foolishly so but I was fortunate enough not to be on the receiving end of your wrath.'

Daemon did sometimes send her to discipline some of his men on his behalf when he noticed his daughter got bored or needed to let off some steam. The golden cloaks didn't take her seriously at first, of course, but Diane fixed it with a hard and very well-aimed crotch kick to the most disrespectful fucker that was followed by a dagger at his throat and a threat that no one dared not to believe. Gossip travels fast in King's Landing and after Diane put a few more men who hadn't gotten the hint before in their place, all the golden cloaks knew to be polite and respectful to her. Or else she might just make sure they would lose a chance to sire any more children.

'Yet,' Diane pointed out with a small smirk.

'I'll make sure to behave myself,' Gwayne promised, and Diane decided he was the nicest of the Hightowers. Well, at least among the ones she met or knew about. Of course, his friendly attitude could be a scheme or an attempt at manipulation but Diane didn't seem to pick up on the usual signs of someone who was pretending to be something he was not. Maybe he was just... nice? A terrifying thought to have, but every family had a freak once in a while. 'If you are not yet tired, may I invite you to dance?' Gwayne inquired.

'I'm never too tired for a dance,' Diane accepted because she saw it as an opportunity to find out more about Otto's son. After all, Lord Hand only had two children: Alicent, who looked like she smelled something foul during the whole wedding, and Gwayne, who seemed rather polite and unthreatening. So Diane took his hand and let him lead him to the dance floor.

'I was rather fascinated to hear that you took part in the War for the Stepstones,' Gwayne proceeded to say. 'Not a lot of knights in King's Landing have even seen a real battlefield and you have fought in the war.'

'To be fair, it was only one battle.'

'Still impressive.'

'Thank you.'

'There are not a lot of women amongst warriors.'

'I bet far more than you think.'

'Maybe. But I've never met one. And I am curious.'

'What about?'

'What prompted you to learn how to fight? To my understanding, it's not in the usual curriculum of a young lady.'

Diane let out a laugh, making Gwayne smile. 'No, it is not. But I wasn't raised as a lady. And on Dragonstone every kid learns how to defend themselves, it doesn't matter if they were born a girl or a boy. And I was good at it so I didn't stop at self-defense.'

It was mostly the truth. She was already quite good when she was her current age in the previous timeline but her skills were nowhere near as good as they were now. After all, no one could expect someone her age to have more than ten years of experience as a kill-for-hire, so it was no wonder people found her impressive.

'That sounds... reasonable. I mean, teaching kids - even young girls - how to defend themselves,' Gwayne said. 'After all, the men in their lives can't be around them all the time to protect them,' he added, and maybe Diane started to like him just a tiny bit.

They continued to dance, and she was able to catch a glimpse of Otto Hightower who was watching them very intently and didn't seem to be very happy about their rather pleasant interactions. So he didn't send his son to get closer to her. Interesting. Otto looked like Diane snatched the piece of his favorite cake right out of his mouth.

'Did I say something particularly amusing?' Gwayne inquired, and she realized she snickered out loud at her own thoughts.

'Oh no, I apologize. It's just... I noticed that your father doesn't look very pleased with us, that's all.'

'Do not mind him. He is generally displeased with me these days.'

'And why is that?' Diane asked because, yes, she was nosy. This information most likely wouldn't be useful to her in any way, but she was curious.

'I had the audacity to say that Daemon Targaryen is not the worst Commander the City Watch has ever had.'

Diane's laugh at that was rather sincere and loud enough to reach the head table which only made Otto scowl harder. Recently he started to realize that he rather underestimated Daemon's daughter when she first appeared at King's Landing, and that was a mistake. He expected her to be abrasive and hot-headed just as her father was, but she appeared to be everything but. She was too confident and too mature for her age, she knew what she was doing and it bothered Otto that he didn't know exactly what she was doing. He prided himself on being the person who saw right through others which made him able to always be a few steps ahead. And he couldn't see through Diane. She was a mystery, wrapped into a tight black dress that showed off her beautiful figure (why the hell did he just think that?) and hidden under a smile that rarely reached her eyes. And she was now dancing with his son.

Otto couldn't understand what her motives were. She had danced with a lot of men that night, most of them of very high standing, and - if it was indeed her way of looking for a potential husband as Otto had initially thought - Gwayne shouldn't even be someone she considered. Diane was young, and beautiful (objectively, Otto added as an afterthought), and even though she was a bastard, she had been legitimized and named Daemon's heir so she was a desirable young woman to marry. And Gwayne was just a son of a second son. He might be a knight and a part of a City Watch but he was still way below Diane's standing. And she was smart - Otto was sure of it - which meant she had something else in mind. She wanted something from Gwayne but what?

He was so deep in his thoughts that he almost missed how his son and Daemon's daughter parted ways, and Diane headed back to the head table. Viserys asked her something, Otto wasn't sure what, but Diane smiled at the King like he just made her day by paying attention to her. Oh, this little whor-

'I haven't had a chance to dance a lot but I do enjoy it very much,' Diane said with a charming smile, taking a cup from Rhaenyra who reached out to pass it to her. 'It reminds me of a battlefield a little, but it's much less bloody.'

'Well, I would certainly hope so,' Viserys let out a laugh, and it was obvious he was enjoying her attention. Diane guessed that Viserys wanted to invite her to dance, but she knew he wouldn't do it so she was trying to come up with a way to still use it to her advantage somehow.

'I saw you dancing with my brother,' Alicent suddenly said, and Diane wondered if her desire to draw her attention from Viserys was conscious or subconscious.

'Oh, yes, Ser Gwayne. He is quite a charming man,' Diane said without missing a bit, and she wasn't really lying. 'Surely not stingy with compliments, that's a rare feature for a man.'

'You would know, you danced with all the unmarried men here,' Otto suddenly commented, and even he seemed half-surprised he said it out loud. Apparently, Diane dancing with Gwayne really struck a nerve.

Rhaenyra (who was very shamelessly listening in on the conversation) thought for a second that Diane was going to murder Otto Hightower right then and there. It was the look in her eyes that wasn't really readable but scary nonetheless. And then her posture changed. It was barely noticeable, but Rhaenyra knew Diane long enough to know. She inclined her head slightly to the side, smiled at Otto, and said, 'Surely not with all of them, Lord Hand. You're unmarried, aren't you?'

It suddenly got really quiet at the head table. Daemon even stopped chewing on the piece of duck he was currently eating.

Otto blinked, visibly confused at such a turn of a conversation. 'I'm a widower,' he said.

'In the context of our conversation it's the same thing,' Diane's smile never wavered and she took a sip of her wine, not breaking eye contact with the man. If he wanted to play this game, she was sure she could play it better. 'But I suppose I can't expect the man of your... respectable age to keep up.'

Rhaenyra thought it was the best entertainment ever to see Otto's face go through a range of emotions. He definitely didn't expect her to go there. And Diane was still smiling as if she just said the most innocent thing ever as if she truly didn't understand the implications of her own words.

When Otto suddenly got up, no one seemed to expect it. Well, maybe except Diane who looked at him with something akin to expectation. She knew Otto knew what she was doing, she just wondered if he would take the bait or wave her off. She didn't think anyone would truly notice if he decided to take a cowardly way out.

Otto walked out of the table and stopped in front of her, extending his hand, 'Would you like to dance with me, Lady Diane?'

Diane's smile widened and she took his hand, 'With great pleasure, Lord Hand.'

Otto led her to the dance floor, and Daemon finally remembered to continue to chew. He looked at Rhaenyra who looked right back at him, and he could tell they both were quite flabbergasted by such a turn of events.

'I am... confused,' were the first words Rhaenyra said. 'What has just happened?'

Daemon didn't have an answer to that so he looked at his brother and his wife to check their reactions. And Diane's intentions - well, at least some of them - suddenly became very clear.

The look of pure shock on Alicent's face that she tried to conceal and failed was entertaining. Her father invited someone to dance with him! And Daemon's bastard daughter of all people! Why would he do that? What was he thinking?!

Viserys on the other hand was eating his meal but the expression on his face was downright jealous. He wished to dance with Diane but he couldn't do so because he didn't dance as a rule even with his wife so he couldn't invite another woman. That would be outrageous! But it didn't mean he didn't want to. And his Hand just went and invited her! Just like that! And Diane looked very happy with that invitation which in turn made Viserys very unhappy.

Daemon elbowed his wife and prompted her to look in the same direction. Rhaenyra turned her head and giggled quietly when she realized what was going on. Diane's scheming was more entertaining than street plays, honestly!

Otto was very aware that people were watching. After all, he hadn't danced with anyone since his wife died (not like he had danced much with her but it happened on a few occasions) and now he invited no one other than Daemon's daughter. Otto realized that it might just end up being the biggest gossip in court for the next few weeks and he wasn't happy about it. He should have ignored Diane's bait. But the way she said it, the way she looked at him with her self-satisfied charming annoying smile told him that she was subtly insulting not only his dancing abilities. And he was a proud man so he had instinctively wanted to prove her wrong without thinking it through.

'You know, dancing is supposed to be enjoyable,' Diane said with a slight mockery in her voice, pulling Otto back from his thoughts. 'And you look like you're escorting me to a funeral.'

'The evening is not over yet.'

Diane snorted, and it was such a genuine sound that it took him off guard. Did she really just find what he said funny... in a good way?

'That's true but I think if anyone wanted to cause drama, they would have already done so. I suppose we're in the clear,' Diane said with a smile.

'What are you playing at?' Otto demanded. Sort of. It was hard to be intimidating while also trying to keep up with the dance.

'Nothing. I'm just having fun. Or are you still unhappy with me about your son? I mean... he invited me and he was nice enough so there was no reason for me to refuse.'

'I'm not unhappy with you,' Otto decided to clarify for some reason. He felt a lot of mixed emotions towards her at the moment but "unhappy" probably wasn't the best descriptor. 'Even though I find your methods of finding a husband rather unbecoming.'

'Who said I'm looking for a husband? If I was, I wouldn't have wasted time on your son.'

'Let me guess, his standing is too low for your liking?' Otto snarled at her. Of course, Daemon's daughter would think too much of herself. She might be legitimized and heir to Dragonstone now but she was still a bastard and Otto was very damn sure she would lose her inheritance as soon as Daemon had a son.

'Not really. I don't care much about that,' Diane shrugged, then looked him right in the eyes and added as nonchalantly as humanly possible, 'I just prefer older men.'

Otto stared at her. She stared right back with the same smile that was starting to get on his nerves. Because he was sure she was toying with him but in a way he did not expect and couldn't predict, and she kept pulling the metaphorical rug from under his feet which was disconcerting. Because he loved being in control, he had to be in control, but Diane made him feel powerless. Not completely, of course, but she was the most unpredictable person he had ever met apparently, and you can only have so much confidence when you are flying blind.

And what with that fucking remark? Otto could interpret it in so many ways and for the life of him, he couldn't understand why she said that to him. He couldn't care less what she preferred... but she said that while they were discussing his son... while she was dancing with him (which she tricked him into doing) so...

Surely not. Ha. No. No way. Women didn't flirt with him, and Daemon's daughter wouldn't have done that. Of course, she wouldn't have. She was what? Seven and ten? She might be a pain in his backside but she wouldn't have... unless she wanted to seduce him or something and then run crying to her father that he did something to her...

'If I knew my words would have this effect, I would have waited till the dance was over,' Diane snorted, pulling Otto back from his thoughts. He blinked and realized that they weren't on the dance floor anymore and that she apparently pulled him aside to one of the columns. She was still holding onto the sleeve of his coat. It was nothing inappropriate, but Otto felt an immediate urge to snatch his hand away. Diane let him go. 'Is it really that shocking?' she teased, inclining her head to the side.

Otto cleared his throat. He didn't know what to answer to that because he felt kind of stupid. Trying to outthink a seven and ten year old girl sent him into such a deep thought spiral that he literally froze. In public. And Diane had to pull him away to a less public space - which he was sure would cause even more gossip than him just dancing with her - to probably save him some dignity. Or not. Otto had no idea what Diane wanted from him.

'I apologize,' he said through gritted teeth because anger was much more comfortable for him than confusion. 'It was not my intention to do so.'

'Don't worry, all good,' Diane was still smiling, and Otto wanted to wipe this smile right off her face. He decided not to give much thought to the method he wanted to use for it though. 'You did show me that you can keep up with me. More or less.'

Otto used all his self-restraint not to growl at her. She was so freaking infuriating. He wanted to strangle her. And she kept looking at him like she knew exactly what he was thinking and enjoyed it immensely.

'You should know your place, Lady Diane,' he said instead, and if she perceived it as a threat, he intended for it to be.

'And you should not freak out when someone flirts with you, Lord Hand,' Diane answered right back. 'But we'll have to make peace with what we have, I guess.'

And then she walked away from him as if she lost interest in their conversation, and the only thing that Otto's brain seemed to be able to focus on right now was the fact that she had in fact flirted with him.

***

Rhaenyra thought that her father just might break his silver knife in half with the force he was clutching it when Diane and Otto suddenly stopped dancing and she pulled him aside. Literally pulled , and Otto, who went willingly, seemed to have no objections to her doing so. They didn't go far though, only out of the way, so Viserys could still see them. And if the looks could kill, Otto would have been a pile of ashes by now.

Rhaenyra glanced at Alicent who was looking down at her plate, obviously taking the "if I can't see it, it's not happening" approach, and then looked at Daemon who was surprisingly calm. He was drinking his wine with a little bit more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary but otherwise, he was doing great.

Still, Rhaenyra didn't want her husband to think too much about what Diane might or might not be scheming with the Hand, so she leaned to Daemon and whispered, 'Let's get out of here.'

The prince immediately focused all of his attention on her, 'Right now?'

Rhaenyra nodded. A mischievous smile appeared on Daemon's lips, 'Say less.'

He then took her hand, and they slipped out of the back door. They were long gone when others noticed their absence, and no one really addressed that. After all, everyone was aware of where they went and their sneaky departure only proved that their union was one of love, considering how eager both Daemon and Rhaenyra were to continue their night in a more private setting.

And besides, the court now had much more interesting gossip to talk about.