Part Two - The Princess Paramount's Wedding (4)
Well.
That happened.
Olyvar watched in great interest as everyone rushed to catch the King from hurting himself mid-faint.
He wondered if he should make his escape now. Being too close with so many members of the Royal Court is giving him the hives.
He then noticed a woman with a green dress staring at him in surprise and he smiled back in greeting, causing the woman to look very flustered as she hurriedly turned away with red staining her cheeks.
Weird.
Oh look, the King is awake again.
The first thing Viserys saw when he woke up was his uncle Vaegon’s frowning down at him. “Foolish boy, are you trying to kill yourself? No, don’t stand up, you still have vertigo from the fall.”
The king ignored him, instead gaping at the beauty holding his hand. “A-Aemma.” He croaked. “My dearest, beloved wife.” The vision in black and red however flinched hearing the name. “No, Your Majesty, I’m Rhaenyra, your daughter.”
“R-Rhaenyra?” He muttered in confusion and then remembered where he was. He took a long look again, this time comparing his lost wife to the young woman in front of him.
Compared to Aemma, whose Valyrian looks she inherited from the delicate Princess Daella tempered by Vale’s blood in her, the young woman kneeling in front of him looked as if she was one of the pure Valyrian maiden of the olden days, her ethereal looks combined with her enchanting purple eyes making her the most beautiful woman he had ever saw in his long life.
And yet her eyes looked at him not with love but with disregard, as if she was judging him and found him wanting.
He couldn’t help but flinch away from her, swallowing the lump of regret and despair in his throat.
Six years.
Six years apart and this young, beautiful woman had grown up when he had abandoned her.
“Rhaenyra, my daughter, it has been too long indeed.” Rhaenyra couldn’t help but squeak as Viserys pulled her into a hug.
Alicent couldn’t believe her eyes.
This is the brat she helped banish 6 years ago?!
She couldn’t help but feel envious at the sensuous way the girl walked as she escorted her father, forgoing the rest of the pleasantries to get him to the castle, to the carriage awaiting them at the dock, her silver-gold hair and the dragon hair accessories she wore glinted under the afternoon sun.
She hates how plain and common-like she looked beside the young woman’s exotic beauty.
Catching a glimpse once again of the mysterious Valyrian youth that was in her stepdaughter’s retinue, she breathless once more, drinking in his delicate beauty. Oh why couldn’t she marry someone like him, she mentally bemoaned as she entered the lavish carriage, making sure not to sit by her weak husband, instead of being shackled to a sloven pig?!
She looked out the carriage to catch another glimpse of the mysterious youth only to see him laughing with that thrice damned stepdaughter of hers.
That’s so unfair!!
Otto looked with great interest as the Royal procession made their way up to the castle the Princess had renamed Dragon Keep. He noticed that the island looked even more developed than the Veiled Island; from the dock where ships of various sizes and nations unload their cargoes, to the market bustling with trade, the aforementioned glass houses dotting the villages they traveled through were filled fit to burst with product.
It is impressive indeed on how the islands managed to be developed in six years.
He looked critically as they arrived at the castle, surrounded by blooming blossom trees, the accursed dragons draped over the castle rooftops, looming over them. He watched as the princess disembarked from the carriage and together with her retinue, welcomed the Royal court into the castle.
“Welcome, Your Majesty, to Dragon Keep.” Rhaenyra curtsied to her father as one of the servants came forward with a tray full of bread, salt and a wine flask. “Please, partake in our bread and salt.”
“Call me father, Rhaenyra.” Viserys said fondly as he bit into the delicious fresh bread. “There is no need for formality between families.”
Rhaenyra’s sweet smile twitched especially as Alicent mockingly chirped in, “Yes, my dear stepdaughter, we are all family here.”
“Of course. Speaking of family,” Rhaenyra turned and signalled to her ladies in waiting, who pushed the flustered Valyrian youth in front, who was looking like a spooked rabbit. “Let me introduce you to my cousin, Prince Olyvar Targaryen, son of the late Princess Gael.”
Rhaenyra couldn’t help but enjoy the thrill of satisfaction from the loud shrieks coming from the Royal court.
“A royal bastard?!” Otto can feel the shriek in his throat trying to claw out. He knew he should have paid more attention to that bastard Vaegon! In front him, seated on a settee in the room the Princess has assigned as his during the duration of the Royal visit, was his daughter the Queen, who kept twisting her handkerchief nervously, staining it with blood from her torn fingernails. “How did we miss this?!!” He remembered the princess' smug smile as Viserys gushed over his newfound cousin in front of the court after his initial shock, paving the way for the king’s easy acceptance when she brought forward the Rogue Prince’s bastard daughters to introduce them to their Royal uncle.
Damn her!
No matter.
He would figure a way to turn this into his advantage.
He is a Hightower and Hightowers always win.
Rhaenyra rubbed her face tiredly as she finally found her way to her private solar. After making sure the Royal family and the court were safely ensconced in their respective rooms and the guards were guarding the people they marked as problematic, the princess could finally take a breath.
“Tired?” She smiled as her betrothed passed her a cup of tea before kneeling down and helping her out of her shoes. On the settee beside them, Ollie was lying face down, having finally been able to pry himself from his Royal uncle’s tight clutches.
“I can’t believe you outed me just like that, Nyra.” He groused loudly, staring balefully at his cousin.
“Well, at least you already got the awkward introduction out of the way.” Harwin said bracingly as he rubbed Rhaenyra’s aching feet. “At least you can just fade away, unlike us.”
“You’re right.” The young man perked up in delight, looking like he was ready to climb out the balcony to disappear for the next few weeks.
“Don’t even think about it.” Rhaenyra threatened him with a fond smile. “If we have to suffer, you have to suffer too.”
Olyvar flopped back down to the settee, groaning loudly.