"You gave him a pig!? Jacaerys Velaryon what did I tell you about not following Aegon's example!?"
Rhaenyra was angry.
She had given birth this morning after an entire night of labor, walked a mile across a castle full of people trailing blood and afterbirth for a self righteous queen, had the legitimacy of her children questioned, and now had received a report that her sons had gifted their uncle with a pig dressed up like a dragon to mock him.
"I thought better of you Jacaerys, and to drag Lucerys into your cruelty as well? I thought I had taught you better than that.
He is your uncle, and regardless of what dragon he does or does not ride, you are expected to show him some respect."
"You will apologize tomorrow in the training yard. You as well Lucerys."
They never did get a chance to apologize.
Things went to shit pretty quickly the next morning in the training yard.
Daenys sat with her grandfather, Helaena, and Sir Westerling, watching her uncles and brothers training below.
Sir Criston clearly favored the older boys. Giving Aegon and Aemond one on one instruction while ignoring Jace and Luce.
Her grandfather Viscerys either didn't notice or didn't care.
He chuckled with Sir Westerling "It is good for them to grow up together, to train together."
"Yes, your grace."
"They will be the best of friends when they grow up, don't you think?"
"Yes, your grace."
Daenys and Helaena glanced at each other. Were these men blind?
It was obvious that Cole's treatment of the two sets of brothers was meant to divide them not bring them closer together.
Jace knocked into Aemond as they shifted their training stations.
He started snorting at his uncle, to which Aegon cackled, and Jace smirked proud of himself and the validation he was getting from the older boy.
Daenys cringed. She had heard her mother yelling at the two boys earlier this morning about presenting Aemond with a pig. They obviously hadn't taken her words to heart.
She watched Aemond roughly push Jace back and sneer at him.
It was such an ugly expression on her uncle's face.
His face was much kinder when it was only her he looked at, or when he spent time with she and Helaena out in the gardens.
Helaena liked to collect bugs, and while they didn't fully understand her fascination, they would wander the gardens with her and tell each other stories from their books, or practice their High Valyrian together.
Those times made her happy.
She loved her brothers, and she loved her Aunt and Uncles, even if Aegon was a prick sometimes he was generally good natured and silly with her and Helaena.
It made her sad to see them so at odds with each other.
Helaena slipped her hand into Daenys's.
"It will be alright you know," the older girl whispered, "you're here to fix it."
"Perhaps the younger boys would also benefit from your tutelage." Sir Harwin Strong's voice broke Daenys from trying to understand the meaning of Helaena's words.
Everyone on the dais leaned over to watch as Sir Strong marched up to Sir Cole.
"Let's see it then Strong, my methods against yours." Cole taunted.
Sir Harwin bent down and gently explained something to Luce and Jace, before sending them forward to face their uncles.
The boys began fighting, and it became evident quickly how outmatched the dark haired duo was.
But Cole told Aegon and Aemond not to let up.
He egged them on, pushing them to keep attacking, keeping them beating down on the smaller boys.
Daenys rose from her seat, leaning further over the edge.
"Stop! Is this what you consider a fair fight Cole?" Sir Harwin shouted, clearly disturbed by Cole's ruthlessness towards such young children.
"Why such concern Strong? One usually only holds such concern for their own. A cousin maybe, or a son?"
Sir Harwin launched himself at Criston Cole, landing a couple good hits before other men in the training yard pulled him back.
Cole laughed in his face through a bloodied nose.
All four boys stared on in shock at their mentors' behavior.
Aemond smirked.
Daenys flushed hot with anger.
Helaena hummed. "Can't fix it all."
"What was that!?" She stormed up to him in the gardens later that evening, their usual spot to sit and practice Valyrian together.
Aemond turned to his niece, confused by the anger in her usually soft voice.
He looked down at her, pale sapphire eyes glared up at him.
"What was what Dany?"
"I know they made fun of you yesterday, but they are still just boys! How could you laugh to see them hurt like that?"
Aemond shrugged dismissively "Cole is a dick, but he wasn't wrong. When is a fight in real life ever going to be fair? Strong is the one who looked like an ass out there."
"No, Aemond, you looked like an ass out there."
He bristled. "Me? What the hell Daenys?"
She was pale with anger. "You defend me from vile insinuations from Cole, but when he makes similar claims towards my brothers you stand back and laugh!"
"Because you are special! They are plain and simple and stupid!"
She went to slap him.
He caught her wrist, holding it tightly, shocked that she would strike him.
"Aemond iksā hurting nyke! (Aemond! You're hurting me!)"
"Iksan hurting ao? (I'm hurting you?)" He dropped her wrist.
"Daenys they gave me a pig! They gave me a pig and called it a dragon. I didn't say anything about their parentage. Cole maybe insinuated something, sure. Strong certainly did. But you come to hit me when I didn't even do anything wrong?! I thought you were better than them, but I guess you are all on one team and I am all on my own!"
"They are my brothers Aemond, and you hurt them."
She spoke softer now, rubbing her sore wrist, her blue eyes fogging up with tears.
"The Hand is leaving, and sending Sir Harwin away. All he did was protect them and now he has to go!"
"What are you expecting an apology? Because you won't get one from me, and neither will they."
Normally her eyes looked like gem stones, or like the clear summer sky.
But when she was sad they looked like the sea in a storm. And when she was angry, they looked like ice.
He didn't like it, he decided.
He was sorry, for what he said.
Not for laughing at the Strong Boys, but for making her sad.
For making her angry at him, and turning her eyes to ice.
He was sorry he hurt her.
But he was hurt too! Didn't she get that!
They humiliated him, it was only fair that he return the favor.
They had earned it after all.
He brooded angrily, considering how long he should make her wait before seeking her out.
He wouldn't say he was sorry, no that would be stooping too low, even if he felt it.
But after she had calmed down a bit her anger would melt,
and they would go back to how things were before their fight.
Helaena settled down next to him.
"An eye for an eye and the whole world will go blind brother."
She hugged him gently to her side.
"Do you think she will forgive me Helaena?"
She didn't answer him directly. "They left for Dragonstone this morning."