Part Two - The Unwanted Suitor (ii)
“FUCKING CORLYS VELARYON, I KNEW HE WAS A GREEDY CUNT THE MOMENT HE BRIBE THE LORDS TO SUPPORT RHAENYS AT THE GREAT COUNCIL!!” Daemon cursed loudly, Alysse in his arms, repeating the curse words everytime her father used it. (For a gentle child, the young Targaryen was quite happily repeating the creative curse words her father spewed around her in her everyday vocabulary much to her mother’s despair.)
He had flown in from Veiled Island with Mysaria and the twins the moment Rhaenyra had sent the firepit signal for an emergency council. Vaegon, who was luckily in Scarwood and not in Felstrong (he was harassing Olyvar again) came with the dragon keeper on Grey Ghost, the latter now cuddling Baela to sleep as Mysaria dug through the letters her spies in Driftmark sent for more information.
Rhaenyra, however, was ignoring Daemon’s loud rant.
She knew this was important but she couldn’t help but stare at Harwin, his shirt haphazardly laced in his rush to attend the meeting, letting her see the expanse of his naked chest.
She wonders what is it like to sink her teeths into it? She mused, her hands twitching to sink into Harwin's unruly curls.
“Rhaenyra!” She jumped, tearing her eyes away from Harwin in a daze. “Focus child!” She nodded quickly, not noticing the streak of red on Harwin’s cheeks when he realized she was checking him out moments ago.
(Morna, Vaelaena and Joffrey Arryn however did, and made a mental pact to discuss this new development after the emergency council. There’s a betting pool that needs to be updated.)
“The audacity of him!! Look at this betrothal contract, all of it skewed to Velaryon, leaving us at a huge disadvantage.” Vaegon teared into the contract furiously, can’t believe the impudence Corlys Velaryon has while drafting the iron-clad contract. “He even stipulates that future lords paramount of Stepstone Isles are to have the Velaryon surname!” He thundered loudly that Baela woke up from her sleep and started crying loudly.
“You boy!! Where was your mother when your stupid father concocted this stupid plan?”
Laenor gaped at his great uncle, not hearing what he had asked, too distracted by what was in front of him. The moment the Velaryon twins and Joffrey Lonmouth laid their eyes on Olyvar, the three of them had stared raptly at him to the point Layla and Prunella moved to block him from their view.
(No, Rhaenyra (and Edmondo) would not be pleased to have more people chasing Ollie around, especially after they finally eased their shared jealousy over Olyvar’s friendship with Harwin. Nope, they cannot handle another session of Rhaenyra spiraling in jealousy again.)
“M-mother? She, ah, is on a visit to Great Uncle Boremund in Storm’s End.” Laenor said distractingly, stretching his neck to look at the pretty Valyrian stranger who was putting the Rouge Prince’s daughter back to sleep. “She didn’t know father sent us here.”
Vaegon scoffed at the boy’s inattention. First the boy’s here to marry his sweet granddaughter and now he’s lusting over his son?!!
(A part deep in Vaegon’s mind could help but smile because of course Rhaenyra and Olyvar were his; the son he never had and the granddaughter that could have been his. Of course he would want to protect them from the evils of the world.
Hmm, better hurry with the adoption letter for Olyvar before someone dares to steal his heir away from him.)
“Morna, send this letter to Princess Rhaenys in Storm’s End.” Vaegon quickly penned a letter and passed to the lady in waiting. “I’m requesting her attendance so we can untangle this mess as soon as possible. Now, tell me boy, do you even want this marriage?”
Laenor shook his head quickly. “No sir. Laena and her daughter Rhaena were supposed to be my heirs. I was happy…” He trailed off, his hands reaching for Joffrey Lonmouth’s hands, who held it tightly, “but father threatened to send Joffrey away and Laena to be married off again if I don’t get married by the end of the year.”
“Of course he did.” Daemon muttered loudly. “Your father is a cunt, Laenor.” After being a father three times over, Daemon doesn’t understand how parents can put conditions and unrealistic demands on the children they claimed they loved so much. Was it so hard to love the children as it is?
(Yes, he was a doting father for his three children. Who knew? He is definitely not ashamed to show the world how gentle and doting he was with his beloved children.)
“Cunt.” Alysse repeated sleepily against her father’s neck. Daemon couldn’t help but grinned as he kissed her forehead, Mysaria glaring at him, having finished summarizing her spies reports. The spymistress came up to him and gently pulled her daughter away, before passing her to Rhaenyra, who cuddled with the sleepy child.
“Tis already late, we should reconvene tomorrow before the public audience, Princess.” Mysaria said demurely, but her fingers signaled otherwise. Vaelaena and Rowena immediately ushered the Velaryon twins and Ser Lonmouth out of the solar despite their loud protests. After their voices faded, the teahouse owner and spymistress passed the sheaf of papers she was holding.
“The Velaryons are currently in trouble. King’s Landing had demanded them to reinstate the payment of taxes they had withheld after King Viserys had rejected Lady Laena’s hand in marriage and they had lost their advantageous connection with Braavos after the previous Sea Lord had passed away. I believe he is looking to leverage the House’s standing over the Hightower’s and gain control of Stepstones through the Princess’s marriage with his son at the same time.”
“Yet another man trying to use Stepstones for power.” Vaegon tsk-ed loudly. “At this rate Rhaenyra will be forced to marry one of the swines if we don't figure out a way out of this.”
“I will not marry cousin Laenor.” Rhaenyra said, trailing her hand over Baela’s hair. “I have no interest in being other people’s political pawn especially when he has no interest in marrying me at all.” She sighed. “We’ll just figure out a way to handle this too.”
“By killing Corlys Velaryon?” Daemon perked up in delight. He had been dying (ha!) to kill the bastard cousin-in-law since the Great Council and even after their temporary truce while conquering Stepstones. Cousin Rhaenys would make a merry widow, he thought gleefully.
“No!!” Everyone said in unison.
Rhaenyra rubbed her head, she can feel the stabbing sensation of a tension headache building in between her eyes. She had started the day by trying to work through some reports from Dustspears on their coal and copper mining before she was distracted by Gwayne Hightower, who was undeterred by her lack of interest, taking her for another walk, bragging about his work at King’s Landing.
It wasn’t till Morna distracting him that Rhaenyra could escaped just to be besieged by two very angry landowners in Golden Haven, arguing about infestation of swamp frogs on their rice fields of all things, making her missed her flight session with Olyvar and Elinda whom she was teaching how to fly with their dragons.
Sigh.
Now listening to the long winding introduction from the Velaryon delegates about the reason why they were here (thank god the twins warned her or she would be stressed out trying to figure out how to handle this), all the young princess wanted was a break and dancing with Syrax under the blue skies.
She was startled from her daydreaming when she felt a poke by her right elbow. Harwin had discreetly nudged her in time for the man, possibly one of Velaryon’s distant cousins, finished with his speech.
Right.
Rhaenyra smiled pleasantly at the man. “It is a great pleasure and honor that Lord Corlys Velaryon had sent a marital offer but I would have to decline it.” She raised her hand when the man wanted to protest. “I’m not looking to get married just yet, I am still young and looking for a place in this world before I can think of starting my own family.”
“I do have a counter offer, I am willing to accept a new trading treaty with Driftmark and would like to extend an offer I made once before to Lady Laena Velaryon; to be a member of my household as my lady in waiting. I do hope when you bring my terms back to Lord Corlys, my cousins and their companion can stay here to get acquainted.” Her smile was sharp.
She watched as the ship carrying the Velaryon delegates took off from the docks later that day, the Velaryon twins and Joffrey Lonmouth standing beside her. “There, we just bought some time to figure out a more permanent solution to our mutual problem. And with this storm,” She said, big droplets rain falling around them, “We might actually have all the time we need.”