Chapter 4
"So, Rhaenyra, what do you think of Lady Stark? She seems nice, doesn't she?" Alicent asks, her tone light but probing as they sit together under a tree in the royal garden.
Rhaenyra glanced at her briefly, her fingers idly tracing the edge of her wine cup, as she rested her head in Alicent’s lap, shrugged "Guess so. However, I don't know her well enough to form a detailed opinion. We haven't spoken much," she replies, deliberately omitting the strange, intimate moment she shared with her just the day before. Still recalling the stillness of that night, the way the Stark girl made her feel calm, peaceful even, beside her.
Alicent raises a skeptical brow. "Really? I thought you two had talked. Didn't you both return at dawn from your walk the other night?" The princess knew here well enough, there was a hint of curiosity—even a bit of condescending—in her voice.
She hesitated but answered casually, her tone nonchalant. "It wasn't exactly a walk. We sat beneath the heart tree and... didn't talk much. We stayed silent most of the time."
Alicent tilted her head, clearly puzzled. "You stayed silent until dawn?"
Rhaenyra exhaled and shifted in her seat, finally admitting, "Actually... we fell asleep." Her voice dropped, almost a secret she's not keen on sharing. She got up as saying so, preparing for the storm she knows is coming.
Alicent's jaw dropped, her emerald eyes wide with disbelief. "What?!" she whispered, her voice sharp with alarm. "You're telling me that you and Lady Stark slept outside, alone, all night? Rhaenyra! Are you sure no one saw you? That could be disastrous for you... for both of you!"
Rhaenyra sighed, rolling her eyes as though Alicent's concern is exaggerated. "No one saw us, Alicent. The hour was late, and the godswood is secluded. Besides, it was innocent."
"It doesn't matter if it was innocent," Alicent pressed, her tone urgent. "People don't care about the truth; they care about appearances. Imagine the rumors if someone had seen you—if they think there's something improper between you and Erin..." She paused, a flicker her jaw and eyebrows tightened.
Rhaenyra turned to face her, arms crossed defensively. "You worry too much. Erin isn’t like that, and neither am I. We simply shared a quiet moment. Why does it have to mean more than that?"
Alicent hesitated, her gaze softening but her voice still tinged with unease. "Because in court, everything means more, Rhaenyra. You're the princess. People will twist even the smallest detail into scandal."
Rhaenyra shrugged, though her expression falters slightly. "I won’t apologize for seeking peace in the yard. Erin understands…” she sighs frustrated “I don't know Alicent, there's something in her, that just makes me want to be near her, you know? Like, she doesn’t expect anything from me, and that... it’s comforting."
"As you said, you don’t know her that well yet," Alicent looked at her, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her gown. "I just don’t want you to get hurt, Rhaenyra," she said softly, her words carrying more weight than Rhaenyra initially realizes.
For a moment, the two young women stood in silence, the tension lingering like an unspoken.
_________
That same night they had supper at the great hall, all lords, around the Seven Kingdoms, to come, dance, old men getting all handsy on ladys that could be their daughters, all too drunk to remember it, usual, only that Erin felt too homesick to go.
Not that true, being honest, she had been avoiding, if only a bit, —because clearly the person in-fact had much more important things to do than to look for her— the princess. Not by any grudge or a quick brush-up between them, it was merely the need of Erin to hide from the embarrassment, the weight of what they did settle in in Erin’s mind and would not let go. Besides, she would've already told Alicent about it, and it would mean it would be twice as awkward as expected.
She missed the North though.
They never had these big fancy meals where people whom she didn’t even hear the names of came to start insinuating offers of marriage. She could've hidden in her room and as long as the northerners had ale, it would have been fine.
But no. Not in King’s Landing.
She quickly found out she was the one few of the houses from the North. And the only one as important as the Starks —though being honest, few houses even in the south, were as important as the Starks, not as near the Targaryen of course, but still.
And she had to go. At least for a few hours, maybe last until supper, so that people could see that she was there, and then may slip to her chambers without anyone realizing.
Perfect plan.
The only plan she had thought that was useful to be realistic.
She wore an ice blue gown she brought from the North that had a square neckline, and golden embroidery traced intricate patterns along the hem of the dress, weaving the forms of a stag and a werewolf in a delicate yet powerful embrace. At the neckline, subtle embossed prints added depth, catching the light like whispered secrets of the fabric.
One of her most detailed and beautiful dresses her dressmaker at home, Ophelia, had done for her.
If she knew what was going to happen that night, she probably wouldn’t have worn it.
_________
The voluptuous grand hall, as always, was spectacular. Two, big, long tables, at each side of the room, with so much room to dance one might be as confused as a ballroom.
Full of people as well, none of the people Erin knew.
So she wandered. Drank some wine she had in her cup, as she stood in a corner, watching some people mingle, dance, and some other, eat.
Erin couldn’t say she had much appetite that evening, especially after she saw a young girl puke her entire food after one single dance in front of her partner's shoes.
Against all odds, she did catch a glance of the princess and Alicent more than once, though of course, they did not hers, she was about to hide behind the imponent column, so they could not see her when a Lord, probably of thirty years old, to her miss fortune touched her shoulder, and with a curious, but laced with something deeper voice said.
“Well, well, has to be Stark it isn’t”
Oh hells yeah.
It was one hundred percent condescending.
She closed her eyes in an attempt to find energy to deal with him. Then she turned her face to find … —she didn’t know which one of the two brothers was— Lannister, with a smug look on his face.
“Well, yes, likewise Lord Lannister” she said sarcastically with a scoff after the clear inappropriate addressing.
“Oh, I must apologize for that, just, it has been exhausting, to be honest to approach you?”
Erin arched her eyebrows.
“Yes? I didn’t know I was being looked for. How so?” She now turned completely to face him, using a perfect mask of politeness which hid only annoyance.
“Well, you look so unapproachable—”
“And yet, here you are” Erin simply answered, tilting her head and sipping wine from her cup. “Why were you here then, Sir?” Erin raised her eyebrows trying to finish this conversation as soon as possible.
“Your house has been from through a hard patch, Lady Stark I'm sure you know that and, well if you want my opinion—”
Asshole. Not even polite talking?. Just boldly offending her without even inviting her to dance first?
“I don't,” Erin spat.
She wasnt going to allow a fucking Lannister was going to insult her house.
“I have my own.” she smiled mockingly at him and gave him her cup muttering with dripping sarcasm “If you would please me with such an honor” and then turned and walked away from him, exhaling heavily through her nose.
When of course someone else decided to discover her just when she was about to leave "Erin!" The name broke through the noise, half a shout, half a sigh of relief.
Her face found Rhaenyra in a Red complicated dress.
She unconsciously smiled.
And then forgot even why she was avoiding her.
And all the awkwardness in her left.
“Hey!” She sighed reaching her through the bustle.
But before she could react Rhaenyra grabbed her hand and lead her to some random hall in the castle and to a room..?
“Rhaenyra what the…”
“Shh”
Rhaenyra shsh her urgently, while closing the door of the chamber, when Erin turned around she found a very beautifully made model of King's Landing and... the free cities, Essos?
Except half of what's probably supposed to be the Red Keep was shattered in the floor .
Erin lifted up her gaze confused “what happened here?” she muttered only loud enough for Rhaenyra to hear.
“It’s my fathers room, I was trying to—”
“Your fathers?!” Erin jumped alarmed
“Stop it okay!” Rhaenyra placed her index finger in the middle of her mouth. “Anyway before I left I tripped and…”
“...The shitshow happened” Erin finished for her, sighing.
“Exactly.” Rhaenyra sighed in defeat “ and I didn’t know what to do, and Alicent was nowhere to be found, so when I found you I thought you might…”
“Yeah” Erin nodded. Her gaze flickered from the model to Rhaenyra, forcing a small smirk “So, where's the glue?”
Rhaenyras eyes lit up “What?”
“You heard me” both of them were grinning now.
Truly, how hard could it be?
An idiot could do it.
_________
Definitely an idiot could not do it.
They had been at least fifteen minutes trying to glue a flat cellling, and not made much progress after their fingers were now stuck together by the glue who minutes ago looked useless, but now was even stronger than a fucking elephant.
“Well, this wasn’t gonna to end right” Erin teased as shaking her hands exasperatedly to try to separate her fingers from one another.
“You really just realized that?” Rhaenyra said, brows arched, repeating Erin’s moves.
But before she could answer steps from afar but getting closer each time, threatened their position.
After a quick, panicked glance, Rhaenyra grabbed Erin’s wrist and yanked her into the king’s art storage closet—where he kept his paintings, the MASSIVE bucket of glue, some cement, and, for some reason, a statue of a baby that had scales of a dragon
“Here!” Rhaenyra whispered, slamming the door shut.
They spun to face each other, breathing hard… and then they noticed.
They were glued together.
At the wrist.
Rhaenyra’s mouth fell open, a laugh threatening to escape. Erin saw it coming. Nope.
Survival instincts kicked in.
She had to stop her.
With lightning-fast reflexes, SMACK! Erin slapped her hand over Rhaenyra’s mouth.
With glue.
Silence.
Erin had just glued her hand to the princess’s face.
Rhaenyra’s eyes widened in pure betrayal. A muffled “MMMMFFFFF” of outrage vibrated against Erin’s palm. Erin blinked, processing the sheer catastrophe she had just created. But before she could say a single word—
A voice echoed from the hallway.
“Yes, Aemma, I’m just grabbing the book.”
Shit.
The door began to creak open.
Full panic mode.
Rhaenyra, desperate, did the only thing she could think of—
She slapped their glued hands over Erin’s mouth.
With glue.
Erin’s mouth was now stuck to her own hands.
With all the strength she could muster she tore her hand from her mouth.
She was free.
Though, their hands were still glued, and Erin's hand was still in Rhaenyra’s mouth.
The two of them stood there, frozen in horror, glued together like a failed art project, as the door slowly opened.
A figure stepped in.
A dramatic gasp.
Someone ran towards the door, screaming something they couldn’t hear.
They closed the door.
It was their chance.
Erin, peking towards the door nervously sighed. “I'm sorry” and then pulled her hand out of Rhaenyra’s mouth.
“Oww!” Rhaenyra said with her free hand caressing her skin and lips.
They tried it again.
But not good with their hands.
After a moment, Rhaenyra tilting her head guided her through a secret hallway from the chamber
“Follow me.”
“Why? How do you know this?”
The princess shrugged, “It was made in case of a conquest or some attack, it gives us a free pass back to the kitchens.”
Erin’s mouth was slightly open at this, she didn’t know.
She had something similar in her house.
From the Lord's bedroom, there was a secret escape that was used for his wife and children in case of war.
She flinched.
Her mother and her had to use that way out.
She knew no one would ever seek them here. Nonetheless she looked back from time to time.
After getting and sneaking out of the kitchens, Erin grabbing a snack for them they found themselves in Rhaenyra’s chambers.
“What do we do now? We're stuck” Erin asked after the door was shut behind them.
"I dunno. We'll ask Alicent she will know what to do”
_________
Alicent did not know what to do.
She stood with a hand on her hip and a skeptical look on her face, she asked them a few questions of how this happened, but no satisfactory answer arrived to her ears.
Finally inspecting their hands she gave the final verdict of what they already knew.
She didn’t know how to glue them off.
Erin, ever tired about the entire business, let herself fall into the princess bed.
The princess stumbling, also fell with her.
“Ohhhh!” Rhaenyra complained using her and Erin’s hand to lift herself up, “A bit of heads up next time would be fine you know?” She raised an eyebrow reproaching her, now sitting in the bed.
Erin as making herself a place scoffed “If there's is a next time of us being like this after hours, I swear, I'll hang myself”
Alicent gasped, placing a hand in her mouth, but Rhaenyra punched her forearm with her palm “Oi! You know, I was actually going to say that I at least enjoy your company. Fuck off.” Though all the princess's efforts, Erin could see right through the smile-smirk of the girl
“Rhaenyra!” Alicent scolded as the other rolled her eyes, now resting her hands in the back of her head and lying back in, dragging Erin with her.
“Calm down, Erin knows I'm playing.”
And she couldn’t help but laugh.