Chapter Seven: The Princess, The Queen & The Lady
A/N: Hello! Just in time for the season finale, I have here an update. I should note that I'm expecting updates to be less frequent now, I've planned all through Season 1 territory, however I know that Season 2 won't be until around 2024 (yikes) and I don't want to run out of content.
Anyway, this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but setting up for some interesting future events ;)
PLEASE NOTE that a user currently called eddiesg1rl has plagiarised my fic under the name "My Heart Is A Secret Garden" (this person's username and the story name are apt to change as they have showed no remorse in copying my fic and have continued to upload more stolen fics on their account). This is completely unacceptable, and if you have the time to report it as a stolen work, please do so.
Rhaenyra's bitterness over the hunt for Aegon's second name-day had not escaped Demelza's notice. In truth, Demelza supposed that as Rhaenyra was a girl, she would not have had anything so grand for her own second name-day. Since Demelza's return to King's Landing some months prior, the court had done nothing but praise Aegon simply for existing. Rhaenyra's sour mood was neither unexpected, nor misplaced.
Alicent was expecting her second child with Viserys in mere weeks. Demelza did not envy her best friend, though Alicent had been rather distant with her since her return. The pressures of being Queen must weigh heavily, though Demelza wished they discussed more than simply how their children fared when they met for tea. She strongly suspected that it had been Alicent to tell Otto of Elyana's father, though she did not suspect confronting her about it would go well.
Otto himself was none too pleased by Demelza coming back to King's Landing, but even he would not defy the Princess's wishes. His contempt for Demelza was clear every time he laid eyes upon her, though Demelza held her head high. She was not going to let Otto Hightower have power over her ever again. He may have banished her from the capital, but Rhaenyra had ultimately overruled him.
As such, it was a frustrating development that, on their journey to the kingswood for the hunt to celebrate Aegon's name-day, Demelza found herself occupying the same wheelhouse as Ser Otto. In truth, it made sense. She was one of the closest confidantes of the Princess, and perhaps the Queen. Otto was the Hand and the Queen's father. Nonetheless, it was vexing.
Demelza picked at the sleeve of her dress. The fashions of the capital were much more conservative than those of Dorne, and the fabric thicker due to the cooler climate. She had found herself missing Elyana, though Allydia wrote to her often with every little bit of progress. At two years old, it seemed that Elyana had her grandparents wrapped around her finger.
"How is your daughter, Lady Demelza?" Otto asked, arching an eyebrow. "Little Elyana Sand. She is of an age with Aegon, is she not?"
Demelza did not miss the way he emphasised the child's bastard surname, though she endeavoured to hoist a saccharine smile across her features.
"She is. My daughter proves herself a very clever girl, and everyone she meets is utterly enthralled with her."
"You must miss her dearly."
Demelza laughed mirthlessly. "If this is an attempt to push me into returning to Dorne, Ser Otto, it is completely transparent."
"I have heard that Starfall is beautiful, and peaceful." Otto smiled patiently, even as his eyes flashed with irritation. "Would you not prefer that to the chaos of King's Landing?"
"Oh, I don't know about that." Demelza cocked her head to the side. "I spent many months after Elyana's birth practising swordplay and archery with my brother Calix Dayne. The Sword of the Morning. Perhaps you've heard of him?"
Otto's expression was one of utter disinterest. She knew precisely why he disliked her. In his eyes, she was a wilful, disobedient girl who had shamed herself by bearing a bastard child. Perhaps in Westeros that was the case, but Demelza knew of many women in Dorne who had borne bastard children and had not been viewed as any less for it.
"You don't have to like me, Ser Otto. My father sent me to King's Landing to be a ward, in the hope of fostering good relations between Westeros and Dorne. That is what I have come back to do. Unless Dorne no longer matters to you?"
"Let me be plain, Lady Demelza." Otto leaned forward. "You are an eighteen-year-old girl, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Rhaenyra and I believe, in some esteem with my daughter. You disgraced yourself by bearing the bastard daughter of a Kingsguard. You seem to hold yourself in high regard, with all of that considered."
"Perhaps." Demelza clasped her hands together demurely. It would be folly for Otto to make claims loudly now about Elyana's heritage, so she was willing to call his bluff on the matter. The wheelhouse jolted to an abrupt halt, and Demelza was grateful for the opportunity to leave the Hand's presence and step out into the sunlight.
She would not say that Otto unnerved her, but she certainly did not wish to be in his presence any longer than was necessary. The Hand viewed her as a fallen woman, someone who may tarnish his own daughter's image by association. Demelza inhaled the fresh air and turned the matter from her mind. Otto would always view her with contempt, and there was nothing she could do to change that.
Rhaenyra's dark mood hung over the celebration like a fog. Demelza did the best she could to cheer her friend, linking her arm through Rhaenyra's and flitting from one cup of wine to a wheel of cheese. Food and drink were not enough to keep the restless Princess entertained, so she and Demelza departed the sanctuary of the royal tent to enjoy the afternoon sunshine.
"I wonder Princess, was your own second name-day as grand as this?"
Rhaenyra extricated her arm from Demelza's to examine the man who had spoken to her. Demelza recognised him from the golden lion on a red background. Lord Jason Lannister, a man twice her age. His twin brother Ser Tyland served on the small council.
"I honestly don't recall, and neither will Aegon."
Jason strode over to the pair of them, though he did not so much as look at Demelza. "Lord Jason Lannister."
Rhaenyra forced a smile. "I gathered that from all the lions. This is Lady Demelza Dayne, she is from Starfall."
"Ah, yes." Jason's lip curled derisively as he inspected Demelza, his eyes roaming lazily over her figure in a way that made her jaw clench. "I have heard…certain rumours about you, Lady Demelza."
He turned his attention back to Rhaenyra, not sparing Demelza more than a moment of his time. Indignant, Demelza turned her back and marched off, allowing Jason and Rhaenyra to continue their conversation with her presence. She did not want to feel a burden, though it was becoming increasingly evident the longer she spent in King's Landing what men thought of her. Viserys had said naught at her return, but men like Otto and Jason would have their own opinions.
"You're in quite the hurry there."
The voice made Demelza spin on her heel to face Harwin Strong, though she doubted he would recall her or even know who she was. She inspected him critically, waiting for the contempt or distaste to cross his face. It never did.
"Ser Harwin."
"Lady Demelza Dayne, was it?"
"Yes." Demelza planted her hands on her hips, daring him to sneer at her. "I suppose you've heard the rumours too, then."
Harwin simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't hold much stock in court gossip. Whether you had a child out of wedlock or not is your business, not mine."
Demelza frowned at his nonchalance, observing him closely as he went about his preparations for the hunt.
"But certainly you must think I'm some kind of…wanton woman or disgraced lady."
"I hardly know you," Harwin admitted, looking up to lock eyes with her, "Suffice to say if I did, maybe I would have more of an understanding of the situation. As I don't, it isn't my place to make comment."
"I see." Demelza was secretly pleased at his lack of judgement, though she did not say so. When she cast back toward Rhaenyra, she noticed that her friend had re-entered the royal tent. It was not a place that Demelza wished to be right now, not with prying eyes and wagging tongues. She preferred the thick fumes from the bonfire, the sun beating down on her face. Out here, there were no whispers.
"Lady Demelza." Valko strode over to her, hand on the hilt of his sword. "I did not know where you went, and when Princess Rhaenyra returned to the royal tent…"
Demelza offered a weary smile. "Simply getting some air, Valko."
"You're Valko Sand?" Harwin stepped forward. Upon receiving stony silence in response, he only grinned and continued. "My sister Jocelyn speaks fondly of you."
Jocelyn Strong was the middle child of Lyonel Strong. She had recently come to court following the death of her husband, Rodrik Ryder. She had a young daughter, Alarra, probably only a scant few years older than Elyana. Demelza arched an eyebrow at the captain of the guard, wondering when and how he had caught Jocelyn's notice. Valko appeared unusually flustered, his cheeks red as he raked a hand through his hair.
"That's…that's very kind of her."
"Come, Valko. Let us fetch some wine." Demelza flounced off to the royal tent, flashing Harwin a smile over her shoulder. When they were out of earshot, she turned the mischievous grin onto Valko. "So, what is all this with Lady Jocelyn?"
"Nothing." Valko said, a little too quickly. "She is a kind woman. That is all."
"Mm." Demelza was not convinced, but she did not press the matter. To the women of Westeros, the nobles of the court, Valko was beneath them. He was, after all, a bastard. Whatever had happened to make him so taken with Jocelyn, she could hardly think that anything would occur between them.
"Princess!"
The cry rang out through the camp, making Demelza whirl around as she tried to find Rhaenyra. A horse galloped by, the rider's silver-blonde hair streaming down her back. Wherever Rhaenyra was riding off to, she was certainly doing so in haste. Another horse followed, this one ridden by Criston Cole. The pair of them disappeared into the woods, making Demelza's lips press together in a thin line.
It had not escaped Demelza's notice since she had returned to court that Criston and Rhaenyra were good friends. They had, after all, discussed her and Elyana before her return to King's Landing. In Demelza's absence and in lacking Alicent's friendship, it seemed that Rhaenyra had turned to Criston as a confidante.
Demelza wanted to believe, with all her heart, that friendship was all that lay between Rhaenyra and Criston. But as she stared off into the woods where they had ridden off to, the dust kicked up from the horses still thick in the afternoon air, she was not so certain.
Night had fallen over camp, bonfires lighting the darkness as Demelza sought out Alicent. Rhaenyra and Criston had yet to return, and though she convinced herself she was being ridiculous, there was a tight knot in the pit of Demelza's stomach. It was the Queen who approached Demelza, concern pinching at her brow.
"Have you seen Rhaenyra?"
"She rode off into the woods with Ser Criston some hours again." Demelza's tight smile convinced no one, especially not Alicent. "I am certain they will be back soon."
"Walk with me." Alicent offered her arm, and Demelza took it with curiosity building within her. She had not spent much time with Alicent of late, but appreciated the chance to see how the heavily pregnant Queen was coping.
"You must not have long now." Demelza indicated the large swell of Alicent's stomach, which made the Queen smile tightly down at her bump.
"Yes, the maesters say only a few weeks."
Though Alicent had the mask of the gracious Queen on, Demelza could tell that she was stressed. She had no choice in this matter. Childbearing was a duty to Alicent, and Demelza pitied her for it. At least in her circumstances, it had been a decision she had consciously made, even when many others had urged her against it.
"Did you tell the Hand that Criston fathered my daughter?"
It had been the question burning at the back of Demelza's mind since she had returned to King's Landing, though there had never been an opportune moment to ask it, until now. By the way Alicent bit down on her lip and dropped her gaze, Demelza already had her answer, though it did not lighten the sting of betrayal.
"Demelza, you must understand, I only wanted to help you."
"Help me?" Demelza frowned, wrenching her arm away from Alicent's. "How could telling your father possibly help me?"
"You were fifteen, unwed and carrying the child of a Kingsguard." Alicent examined Demelza with a mix of confusion and compassion, which only served to aggravate her further. "I thought perhaps Father might have some answers on what to do."
"Oh, he did." Sarcasm dripped from Demelza's words. "Exile me home to Starfall."
"I'm sorry, Demelza." Alicent gripped Demelza's hands in her own, and there was desperation in her brown eyes. Demelza thought it must have been lonely for her, without Rhaenyra and Demelza for company, occupying her role as Queen without any guidance or anyone to speak to. Perhaps Alicent was the one who needed pity, not her.
"It doesn't matter now." Demelza inhaled deeply, letting the smoke of the bonfires wash over her. "My daughter is safe and well in Starfall, with family that loves her."
"I am glad to hear that." Alicent's smile was genuine now, and for a moment, they could almost be the girls they had been only a few years ago. Before they had become mothers, before Alicent had become a wife. It felt as though it was a lifetime ago, their youth far behind them, though they were both a few years from twenty.
"I've missed your company." Alicent admitted after a few brief moments, and Demelza swelled with the knowledge that she was wanted, no matter what Otto said. She gripped Alicent's hand gladly, resting her head against Alicent's shoulder as the pair of them listened to the crackle of the logs and watched the flickering flames.
Yet Rhaenyra's absence was like a knife in Demelza's side, a knife twisted by the added bonus of Criston accompanying the Princess. It was his duty, as her guard…and yet, there was something that Demelza couldn't quite place, an apprehension that settled in the pit of her stomach. Rhaenyra and Criston were close. The question was, how close?
"You need to pack."
Rhaenyra flounced into Demelza's rooms without announcement, making her raise her eyebrows at the Princess's abrupt entrance. Since they had returned to King's Landing following the hunt, Rhaenyra had explained she had not felt welcome at camp, and Criston had merely kept her company. Demelza had smiled and nodded in understanding, but that anxiety kept a tight hold on her.
"Pack for what?"
"Father has organised a tour of the realm." Rhaenyra rolled her eyes, flopping down on the plush chaise beside Demelza. "Apparently, I need to find myself a husband, so he wants me to spend the next six months on this ridiculous tour."
Personally, Demelza did not see how this was such a silly prospect. As heir to the throne, Rhaenyra would have to wed eventually. It was a courtesy on Viserys's part that she was given a choice in the matter. She would have her pick of husband, with many of the most eligible men of the realm lining up to offer their hand. Demelza did not much care for marriage, but she understood that for someone in Rhaenyra's position, it was a necessity.
"I suppose I'm coming with you." Demelza arched an eyebrow as Rhaenyra rested her head comfortably in her lap.
"Yes. You and Criston." A knowing smirk crossed Rhaenyra's lips, making Demelza's cheeks flare with heat as she swatted her friend with a pillow. She and Criston had been preoccupied since returning to King's Landing, though they had managed several stolen kisses. Valko was exasperated, though aware of the situation, as Demelza had promised herself not to lie to him any longer.
"When do we leave?" Though most of Demelza's company would likely remain in King's Landing, she had the feeling that Valko would not let her out of his sight. She could not say that she blamed him.
"Tomorrow." Rhaenyra was silent for a few moments, and Demelza studied her friend's face, seeing the concentration there. "Do you remember when we kissed?"
"I think so." Demelza stammered, because she certainly did remember. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she hoped that Rhaenyra could not tell how flustered the question had made her. "Why?"
"I wonder if that's what it will be like with my future husband." Rhaenyra's tone was soft, thoughtful.
Demelza had tried to forget the kiss, forget any attraction she held for the Princess that would be so frowned upon in Westeros. But Rhaenyra remembering, discussing it with such fondness…she played absently with Rhaenyra's silver-blonde hair, hoping to distract herself from the mix of feelings that wriggled like worms inside her. There could never be anything between herself and the Princess other than a close friendship.
"Do you want me to help you pick one?" Demelza asked, hoping a jest may lighten the tightness in her chest.
"You do have good taste in men," Rhaenyra responded, easing herself into a sitting position. The knot in Demelza's stomach coiled tighter at the offhand comment, for there could have been none other than Rhaenyra referred to than Criston. She convinced herself that the Princess must just respect Criston as a friend.
Rhaenyra knew of Criston and Demelza's feelings for each other. She encouraged their secret dalliances. Whatever the Princess's feelings for the Kingsguard, they were no more than appreciation and friendship, and Rhaenyra had likely been lonely and in need of a friend in Demelza's absence.
Certainly, that had to be the case.