3º The young lady
Queen Alicent had come to visit Iolanthe the first day they arrived at the Red Keep after receiving the Maester's report that Haelyx had a slight fever from exhaustion. It was obvious that in the greeting in the courtyard she had not been able to examine the girl to her liking. But she took the little girl into her arms and looked at her with undisguised satisfaction that made Haelyx shudder.
-Iolanthe has taken out her father's beautiful hair. I love that shade of red. – Haelyx smiled in the silly way that all parents did when talking about their children. She wasn't lying, but she needed to play a role before this woman.
Haelyx Targaryen was always “harmless” and “neutral”
-She is a truly pretty girl, she will become a great beauty in the future. A suitable bride for Jaehaerys.
-It's possible. But my father may want Iolanthe for Aegon and Viserys…. Maybe even for Joffrey. Still, I would prefer that she marry someone from the land of rivers. I don't want her to stray too far from home. -Haelyx looked at Iolanthe. - It's hard…. Giving birth to a girl and knowing that one day you will have to send her away to get married….
A couple of tears slid down Haelyx's cheeks and she apologized for being too emotional. But she accomplished her goal, giving the Queen a false impression. The Queen saw that Haelyx was not going to get a benefit from Iolanthe, Haelyx wanted the happiness of her daughter and as a mother she could relate. And also as a daughter used as a political puppet by her father
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Haelyx watched Syrax take a lap around the Keep before heading to the Dragon Well and she held Iolanthe tighter against her chest. Caraxes glided through the air shortly after and Haelyx could swear her eyes had met her father's for a few seconds.
But wouldn't that be impossible?
Her father was flying over Caraxes and she was in a third floor window as she headed to her uncle's quarters. It was impossible that her eyes had met those of her father.
- Is it just me or has your father glared at us?
- Have you noticed it too? – Haelyx sighed. – That's why my father is the most dangerous man on the continent, not only is he a great warrior, he also has bestial instincts and a strong connection with his dragon... Honestly, if there were to be a war in the future, my father is the class of a man who would rather be on our side and would hate as an enemy
Edmyn had his hand on Haelyx's waist and squeezed it painfully. They both continued on their way to the King's chambers while the Queen was in an obvious state of agitation and the King ordered that his daughter be received. Obviously the Queen did not want the Crown Princess to be received with all the honors.
-Your Majesty, my King Visery, here is your niece, Haelyx Targaryen appears before you with her husband, Edmyn Tully, to present to you her daughter, Iolanthe Tully. The last lady born with the blood of ancient Valyria. – Mentally Haelyx said Peverell. Iolanthe, Edmyn, and herself were Peverell. But for now Tully had to say to the rest of the world.
The King had lost an eye, but he turned to look at Haelyx and he extended one of the arms he had on her bed to motion for her to come closer. Haelyx's uncle's other arm was covered in bandages and Haelyx could smell the rotting flesh as she approached her uncle. Her uncle's body was slowly rotting and it was disgusting
Haelyx was grateful for the rings that she and Edmyn wore, they would protect them from disease. And the runes embroidered on Iolanthe's blankets would do the same for her daughter.
-You're a beautiful woman. All Targaryen women are beautiful in red, but you shine like a snowflake among roses. – Haelyx smiled as she sat on the King's bed, obeying the monarch's gestures despite the Queen's tight lips. The King's good hand pushed aside the covers and Iolanthe's face was revealed. Her eyes closed hers over flushed cheeks and small, sweet lips.
The King's toothless smile was seen as he gently caressed the girl's face.
-Iolanthe, the name of the last Queen of Valyria. A good name, a strong name that reflects her roots. – The man's fingers brushed the baby's red hair and a sigh left his lips. – A shame she didn't inherit all the Valyrian traits, but she is a very beautiful girl. She will become a beautiful lady and marry one of the boys. There are several available, I seem to remember, my grandchildren... Or my children? It's so confusing
- Dear uncle? --- Haelyx let concern tinge her tone and the King smiled as if he apologized.
-I'm sorry... My mind is a bit scattered these days. The burden of the throne is already so heavy... You know it, with your own throne. – Viserys's eye looked at Haelyx and she tensed briefly. – Rhaenys, you should come more often
Haelyx felt Edmyn tense behind her, she waited for him to calm down a bit. But the Queen was the one who came forward and ended the meeting.
-My King, it is time to take the medicine.
The King took the medicine and they left the room, leaving him alone with a maid.
-Does his mind get cloudy very often?
-Increasingly. – The Queen admitted. – Bad days are rare… But they are becoming more frequent
For a few seconds Haelyx did not see the Queen before her. She saw the young lady whom her father had forced into a widower's room to keep him company. She saw the woman who had given birth to the expected heir but whose birth hadn't mattered because he wasn't the right woman's son. She saw the young woman who tried to do everything right and become little more than a bed warmer for a husband in love with his late first wife. To the woman who had to endure a man much older than her in her bed and to the man who whispered the name of his first wife on their wedding night.
She saw the woman who was barely in her forties and was saddled with a leper husband whom she had to attend to morning noon and night. Without the gratification and reward of her own children having some security after her stepdaughter's coronation. To the woman who would fight tooth and nail to keep her children safe.
For a few seconds, Haelyx Targaryen could see Alicent Hightower not as Queen Alicent or the leader of the Greens. She saw the person Alicent was, shackled with her responsibilities, her duties, the kingdom's expectations and frustrations and that she could never do anything to change her situation.
She saw the real person hiding behind the luxurious green dresses, faith and her father.
Too bad Haelyx couldn't afford mercy to this woman. He knew that if she went against Alicent alone she would find a good final fate for her. She would make it end with grace and elegance, with what Alicent deserved after a life of hard sacrifice and disappointments.
But behind Alicent were three forces that Haelyx could not let live in the seven kingdoms if she wanted the Targaryen family to continue to reign safely.
The faith of the Seven, the citadel and the Hightower.
The Hightowers needed to take a hard hit and calm down. They were the house that faith most favored and that had gone to their heads with their whole motto of “We light the way” or something like that. Not all of the Hightowers were bad, but the current lord, Otto, and most of the old ones were. They had manipulated the new generation so much that they were almost useless puppets
The faith of the Seven had gained too much power and they were trying to manipulate things as they pleased and the citadel controlled knowledge and medicine, as well as being too close to the faith. No church should ever control knowledge.
But what should she do now?
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Haelyx was feeding Iolanthe. Her child suckled hard as her little hand gripped the edge of Haelyx's dress. Edmyn smiled as he watched Iolanthe take her nourishment from her mother's breasts.
They both lifted her daughter's head to switch breasts as they listened to a commotion in the garden, and Edmyn rose to shield Haelyx from view from the doorway.
The door opened letting in three maids clearly trying to stop Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra. Sir Cole's white cloak glittered behind them, but the man blushed as he looked at Haelyx's bare shoulders and realized what the Princess was doing.
He turned around and grabbed the Prince, dragging him out of the room.
-Wait a few minutes, Daemon. This is something no man should see. – At the words of his wife, the Prince turned and left the small tower before a maid closed the door while the others apologized to Edmyn for not being able to stop Daemon.
Edmyn reassured them while Haelyx finished and covered herself again to be decent after making Iolanthe burp. Her girl tangled her fingers in her locks despite them being tied up in a braid and Haelyx untangled them with the greatest of care. Edmyn made sure everything was okay before telling the men outside that they could enter.
Sir Criston Cole entered with a soft expression and apologized to Haelyx before returning to duties. The man's skin was several shades darker than he should be and he looked very embarrassed. Haelyx wondered why he was there, following Rhaenyra and Daemon. Queen's control or something else?
-I want to hold my granddaughter in my arms.
Haelyx moved Iolanthe to place her comfortably in Daemon Targaryen's waiting arms. The man fixed his gaze on the sleeping girl and clicked his tongue at her when he saw her red hair.
-The next one will be better. – He said while he continued looking at Iolanthe and she looked at him with her purple eyes between thick eyelashes. – With all the Valyrian colors, not just half. Although she has a good name. The name of a Queen. Maybe in the end she is.
-We do not wish for Iolanthe to be tied to the Iron Throne. I prefer her to be happy. – Edmyn looked at her daughter. He didn't say that Iolanthe would have her own throne. Haelyx and Edmyn had talked it over a lot and had decided that Iolanthe would be the heir. It was easier that way
They had also talked about possible partners for Iolanthe. Since Edmyn had magic, Haelyx had suggested checking the entire population of Avalon for magic. Edmyn could now travel to Avalon by portkey alone, so the job was easier. Haelyx could only go at night, after retiring to the rooms she shared with her husband, but no one suspected a man who disappeared for hours.
There was still work for Haelyx to do, but Edmyn helped her a lot. And the witches had already managed to prove that most of the inhabitants had magic. Edmyn was the one who suggested using that magic to reinforce the shield covering Avalon.
Haelyx thought it was a good idea and went through her mental library looking for the books that would help her with the task.
-Crap. – Haelyx looked at Rhaenyra. He looked like he had a great idea. – Joffrey needs a wife, we can ask father to approve the engagement. Or it may be better to use Aegon or Viserys. But I think Joffrey will be the most suitable for Iolanthe, he is a very sweet boy.
Haelyx understood. Her cousin wanted to marry the last bastard of hers to the daughter of a great house. She the daughter of the next Lord Tully, Lord of the Land of Rivers. That would give Joffrey a certain amount of power and influence. Especially if he stayed at Court. In addition to that Iolanthe was a lady with Valyrian blood more visible than Joffrey with her purple eyes and her features already clearly Valyrian in the timeless beauty that she would become.
Iolanthe's bright purple eyes marked her as a Targaryen, but Joffrey had the brown eyes of his birth father. Together, if a child with light hair and purple eyes was born, the claim and legitimacy of Rhaenyra's children would be far less in doubt.
Haelyx didn't like this. Iolanthe was her daughter. Her daughter. She had been a puppet in the hands of this woman and the Green Queen in the matter of her marriage. But she would not allow her little daughter to suffer the same fate as her.
-The Queen was talking about Jaehaerys or Maelor. But I don't doubt that Aemond and Daeron could join the list if they are still single when Iolanthe is of the right age. – Haelyx said this to distract attention from Rhaenyra's thoughts. She didn't want Iolanthe to get engaged, yet. It wasn't such a bad idea for her to be engaged to a Targaryen, but that was too dangerous right now.
That seemed to distract the couple.
---- I'd rather my granddaughter become a Flea Bottom whore than let her marry someone blood related to the Hightower bitch. Or put her to the sword myself
- Father!
- Daemon!
Daemon Targaryen looked genuinely surprised to be yelled at at the same time by two women. The sound made Iolanthe start crying though. Rhaenyra took Iolanthe and looked at her lovingly before looking at her husband.
-We'll talk at home. - After that the mother of five quickly calmed the crying girl. There you could see the experience, Haelyx had a hard time calming Iolanthe, she increasingly knew her daughter better and how to calm her down. But Rhaenyra had calmed Iolanthe incredibly quickly. Rhaenyra looked at Iolanthe curiously. - She is beautiful. She takes after her mother in that way.
-Thank you mother.
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The King insisted that they all gather in the hall to dine together, he too made known his displeasure at the absence of Rhaenyra and Daemon's children. The King was very animated and asking how things were going in Dragonstone or in the Land of Rivers
The scars on Edmyn's face glowed in the candlelight with a red hue that showed they were recent. Edmyn and Haelyx were dressed in deep blue with white accents. Haelyx wore a dress with a kind of corset as underwear that would help her recover her figure later.
Compared to the Queen's and Rhaenyra's clothing, it was obvious that Haelyx's was cheaper, but not worse. Haelyx was wearing a two-layered dress. A white lower layer and an upper part that was the overskirt, the body and the sleeves of blue color. It was a novelty dress that had yet to be seen in Westeros where women only wore one piece dresses.
Rhaenyra's and the Queen's gaze fell on the dress.
-Your dress is beautiful, Haelyx. – Helaena smiled. Haelyx wondered how the Queen could always dress so luxuriously and then let her daughter wear such simple and ill-fitting dresses.
Helaena would be prettier in any color other than green. When your hair, skin, and eyes were so light, strong colors often suited you better. That is why the Targaryen house had the colors black and red as a representation of their house
-Thank you, Helena. I like yours too
-I think I'll ask the tailor to make me one like yours, it seems very comfortable. – Helaena's eyes were dreamy.
-It is.
Prince Aemond was looking at his food and intermittently at his sister and Daemon. Daemon was talking with his brother and Edmyn about wild animals and the defenses that should be put up for the winter. The hand of the King and father of the Queen was commenting on the conversation and assuring that everything possible was already being done. Something Haelyx doubted.
-I would like to propose a marriage between Iolanthe and Joffrey. – Rhaenyra's words coincided with a moment when Edmyn was drinking and the poor man almost drowned. His wife slyly hit him on the back to help him. – Following the Targaryen tradition I think it is a good idea for Iolanthe to marry within the family
-Then she could marry my grandsons Jaehaerys and Maelor. Both are proper Targaryen princes. – The jab at Rhaenyra was not disguised at all. – We have to follow traditions. We could even compromise her with Aemond or Daeron. Both lack commitments.
Aemond raised his head and looked at his mother in horror, apparently she did not want to marry a girl seventeen years younger than him. Although it would not be the most scandalous marriage in terms of age difference
-Aemond is seventeen years old and Daeron is thirteen years old. Iolanthe will not be able to marry for at least thirteen years. At that time they will both be very old. But Joffrey is only ten years old. An age difference identical to the one between Haelyx and her husband. We could send him as a squire to the Land of Rivers and so they would meet. – Rhaenyra counterattacked.
-Jaehaerys is only three years older than Iolanthe and Maelor only a few moons. It will be a good marriage.
-I think that as Iolanthe's grandparents we...
-Silence. – The king's words ended the discussion. – Iolanthe is still very young. I am torn to marry Haelyx at eleven years old and Helaena at only thirteen. We'll wait until Iolanthe is older to talk about her engagement.
-Yes father. Rhaenyra mumbled, looking at Haelyx with almost greedy eyes. – Maybe in a few years Haelyx will give birth to more women of Targaryen blood to decide new marriages
-My love, you are so kind. True, we can always wait a little longer and there will be more girls in that….
The door was flung open and Prince Aegon, drunk and naked, entered. He quickly approached the table and greeted his mother while he hugged his grandfather before vomiting on the Queen, the table and those who were not very quick to dodge, as the King, Sir Otto. And Aemond approached to reduce him
For obvious reasons the dinner was canceled after that and everyone returned to their rooms where they received some wine and cheese