The dawning sun bloomed amidst the clouded sky while the moon disappeared into the dark and hollow void of the night. Jacaerys was watching the dayspring from the window of his bedchambers, his hands on his face and his elbows on the window. He had not slept after the yestreen's encounter with his uncle and his aunt. The number of nights when he could find comfort in sleeping was decreasing apace and there was one clear reason for it—his uncle. Oh, how he disrelished Lord Larys, and how terrified of him he was at the same time. So much so that he was afeared to even admit his hatred for his uncle in his mind, lest he would be able to read minds too.
Jacaerys heard the door knock and he closed his eyes in predicted frustration. Oh, gods have mercy, he thought, it's my aunt again. "Come in," he bemoaned.
The door was opened, "Good morrow, my prince." Jacaerys guessed right, it was his aunt, though her tone was gentler than the night before. He turned towards her out of polite obligations. Her face was emotionless, but her eyes seemed at ease. Jacaerys wondered if she practised mummery or was she not embarrassed or angered about him refusing her advances.
"Lady Alys," he said her name with a sigh, "I see you are an early riser like me."
She let out a derisive laugh, "All are early risers beneath Ser Simon's roof, my prince. In but a few moments, he will commence his daily march with the men-at-arms of Harenhall in the courtyard. If anyone sent us servants off to continue sleeping, the shouting in the courtyard would awake them like a frightened hen." The promised sounds soon erupted in the courtyard. Jacaerys looked through the window to see his great-uncle giving orders to the swordsmen of the castle while they marched out of Harenhall into the fields and the villages nearby. Jacaerys found himself admiring Ser Simon, he knew where Ser Harwin took his devotion to duties from.
"Well, I might as well join them, I've got nothing better to do." The only reason Jacaerys wished to march in the cold was that he wouldn't have to see his uncle for a short amount of time.
"You may not, my prince," but his aunt crushed all his dreams, "You must join Ser Simon to break your fast, my prince. Everyone will be there: the princess, the castellan, me, my brother—"
"Lord Larys will dine with us too?" Jacaerys couldn't keep the despair to emerge from his voice.
"Of course he will, he's the second son of Lord Lyonel after all," said Lady Alys.
Jacaerys pursed his lips, to think that one day he would have to sit with that monster of an uncle on the same table and dine was so far-fetched to him, but now he must see it becoming real. "I don't think I have the appetite, my lady. Send my best wishes to Ser Simon but tell him I could not make it."
"Oh, that'll be no matter, my prince. I would gladly bring you a meal whenever you wish me to do so," she wooed. Jacaerys widened his eyes. That was one thing he did not want: to spend time with his aunt.
"Now that I thing about it, my lady, I believe I can stomach some morning food," he argued, "Please, lead me to where I must be."
They walked out of his room. His aunt insisted they also have his other aunt join them. "Princess Helaena? Are you awoke?"
They waited for a sound. "Yes," the princess' soft voice came from the other side.
"Would you like to join Prince Jace and me to break your fast?" Jacaerys frowned when she used his nickname, he didn't remember giving her the permission.
The door was opened and Helaena appeared from the other side, under her eyes darkened and her hands injured. "Good morrow, Lady Alys," she greeted his aunt and then turned to him, "Prince Jacaerys." Jacaerys took a moment to look at her eyes, her purple was shifted into one of icy blue, how was that possible? Jacaerys knew not.
Lady Alys crossed her hands, "Good morrow, princess. Come on, we must get going, Larys and Ser Simon await us."
Helaena looked shocked, "Lord Larys? He's here?"
"Of course he is, he longs to speak with both of you," Lady Alys refused to elaborate further as she began walking down the hall. Helaena instantly began following her and Jacaerys went after the princess.
He tried to walk on the same speed with Helaena, but she kept fastening and lowering her speed which made Jacaerys frustrated and confused. "Princess," he murmured, "Pray tell, what has befell you? Has a demon haunted you in your dreams?" She refused to answer him, even to look in his eyes.
"…As a tradition," Lady Alys was lecturing on the daily life around Harenhall, "We would celebrate each day's good fortune with gathering around God's Eye and dancing and rejoicing in delight…"
"My lady," said Helaena, "How fares Lord Larys? Has he mentioned the method he used to come here in such a short time?"
"Oh, Larys is always secretive, princess," said Lady Alys, "I remember when we were but mere children, he would've hid my playthings in place's that he couldn't be able to access to with his deformed feet."
"That has just the worst implications," Jacaerys murmured. Perhaps it was Jacaerys' suspicious mind, but he wondered what a 'plaything' meant in Lord Larys and Lady Alys' dictionary.
Helaena did not seem to hear him, or even if she did, she chose not to reflect on it, for she had her own question, "How do you come to know Lord Larys this close to call him by his name?" she asked out of curiosity.
Lady Alys turned to the princess and grinned, "Do you not call your brothers by name, princess?"
Helaena's eyes widened in shock, "Lord Larys is your brother?!"
"And I'm Lord Lyonel's daughter, yes," she confirmed.
Helaena nodded but spoke no more. The three then succumbed into a comfortable and awkward silence as they stumbled upon the great hall, where upon a long oaken table, dishes and mails were set. Most of the chairs on the table were empty, except for one, whereon sat the once person Jacaerys hated the most. "Larys, how are you faring brother?!" Lady Alys exclaimed as she embraced her brother from behind. Lord Larys responded with putting a hand on hers and squeezing it. His smile was unsettling and his eyes spoke of mischief and wickedness. Jacaerys frowned at his uncle's act of kindness, it felt wrong to call Lord Larys a kind man and he did not want to start calling him that now.
"I see you have awoken on the right side of the bed, sister dear," he commented, "Come, be seated." Lady Alys nodded and went to sit on the chair facing her brother.
"Lord Larys," Helaena took the chair beside him, "I'm so gladdened to see you here. I have something of utmost important—"
"We will talk, princess, but after we had break our fast," Lord Larys interrupted him, "For now, you are required of utmost attention. Sister, bring her food." Lady Alys nodded as she clapped for some servants to attend Helaena. I thought she was a servant wench, Jacaerys mused. He inevitably had to take the chair beside Lady Alys and be the target of her bleeding gazes that could make a rock tear asunder. It's was an inheritable quality in House Strong, Jacaerys noted, for she had the same piercing gaze as her brother has.
"Halt!" Ser Simon cried as he emerged from one of the halls, "Woe betide anyone who touches the food without my leave," he said as he marched to the chair at the head of the table and sat on it like he was the patriarch of the family.
Family.
Jacaerys widened his eyes in revelation, he realised all this looked awfully like his nightly suppers with his family, but somehow more unsettling and uncomfortable.
"We wouldn't dare to do such things, uncle," Lord Larys' soft tone couldn't hide the wicked humour in his voice, "After all, a modest food is not worth the whips we would receive from you."
"Pah! I know all your acts, you little knaves," Ser Simon laughed heartedly, "You act innocent and all, but it's I that ought to be afraid of you, not the other way around." The three Strongs then laughed together, even Helaena smiled a little.
Jacaerys but was only confused and bewildered. Why everyone looked so happy? Ser Simon was laughing boisterously, Lord Larys' smile grew ever wider and Lady Alys had a mischievous grin on her face. It was all happening before his own very eyes, yet, they felt unreal.
Suddenly, Lord Larys attempted to raise but struggled, Helaena and Ser Simon rushed to help him and he successfully stood up. "Uncle," he asked Ser Simon for permission, which he granted it with a nod. "Dear sister and lovey nuncle," Lord Larys started, "We have been blessed to have a prince and a princess grace our table with their presence. Raise your cups for Prince Jacaerys and Princess Helaena who will always have a place in Harenhall forever and ever more!" he said as he raised his goblet.
"Huzzah!" Lady Alys chanted as she drank her wine, Ser Simon and Lord Larys followed suit.
"What a kind gesture, my lord," said Helaena, whom, Jacaerys noted, was smiling more and more, "I'm honoured to be invited to such tables. A warm and welcoming embrace that I thought I could never possess." That made Jacaerys saddened, not only because he sympathised with Helaena, but also because she wanted to say such words at a family gathering of theirs, with Ser Harwin, his mother, Ser Laenor and his brothers. Not when they sat with a deformed man and a wicked seductress. Ser Simon, though was the best of the trio, was not still a family member worthy of being praised like that.
"We live to oblige you, princess," said Lord Larys.
"And you are free to indulge in us as much as you like," and Lady Alys completed his words.
Ser Simon smiled encouragingly at Helaena, "Harenhall will always have a place for you, princess. My niece and nephew and I, will serve all your wishes." His words perhaps were affectionate for Helaena, but to Jacaerys, they seemed only venomous. Why they would swear such oaths to a princess of the realm who has no association with this castle and its inhabitants?
"Pardon me, Ser Simon, but I fail to see how Harenhall could have a place for the princess; after all, she is neither the bride of the heir nor a member of House Strong," Jacaerys argued. His great-uncle was appalled at his words and turned to Lord Larys for help.
Jacaerys' uncle turned to him, his eyes unamused and his smile scornful, "Pray tell, my prince," he emphasised on his title intentionally, "How can you fathom what the future brings to us? Mayhaps in less than a sennight after this gathering, the princess would be betrothed to the heir of House Strong."
"Oh," Lady Alys wooed, "I'm sure this heir would be very happy to have the princess for life, eh, Larys?" she asked her brother but her gaze was on Jacaerys. He swallowed at the sight before him, the three members of his family all looking at him with knowing eyes, in particular, the siblings.
Jacaerys studied his uncle and his aunt's faces, they constantly traded glances with each other; when one spoke, the other would continue to talk on the topic. Speaking of topics, they started and ended all of them, controlling the talk of the table like puppet masters. It could very well be Jacaerys' paranoia, but it could also be that the siblings had a plan ahead of themselves, and to know what the truth behind their faked smiles was devouring Jacaerys from inside.
"Pray tell, princess," said Lady Alys, before she continued, she made sure to glance at her brother, "Is the food to your liking?" Jacaerys frowned at the odd and unexpected question.
Helaena looked at the plate before her and pondered for a moment, "Barley and oats, so different and alike at the same time. I like it."
"Hmm," a wicked smile carved its way on Lady Alys' face, "I wonder who chose to name them so differently, when they have more in common than we think," she locked eyes with her brother while saying that. Lord Larys had an expressionless face, neutral to the core.
"There is much difference between barley and oat, sister," said Lord Larys, "First and foremost, barley is majestic whereas oat is wild. Appealing to one's eye, is the cereal from which grace rains, not the bastardised version of it." Jacaerys again frowned, somehow he did not think they were talking about barley and oats.
Lady Alys slowly raised from her seat, "You mistook to ignore the one's eating it all, Larys. What if he's on the same side as the wild oat is?" she asked as she put her hand on Jacaerys' shoulder, which sent shivers down his spine.
"Have you not seen how he smiles when seeing the barley, or do you think all those were happenchance?" Lord Larys asked, "She's the light of his plate every day, sister. The wild oat could replace her while she had the chance but failed to do so." Jacaerys widened his eyes in fear, he might have known what his uncle and aunt were talking about. Lord Larys certainly saw his sister's attempt at seducing Jacaerys from the shadowy corner of the room. Did they plan it?
Lady Alys put her hands away and began walking to Helaena, "What do you think of all these, princess?"
Helaena looked at the barley and oats before him, "Barley is soft, easily broken by one chew. Soft hands are required to hold her together—" Jacaerys felt his cheeks reddening when she used 'her' to refer to the cereal, "—on the other hand, the oat belongs to the wilderness, it's roots are free from chains and boundaries," she sounded so otherworldly when speaking, but she ended her speech abruptly, widening her eyes and blushing in embracement. As if she just had returned from an uncanny atmosphere, "I…don't know what pushed me to utter such flowery words, I may have mistaken what you were talking about altogether."
Lord Larys raised from his seat and crawled towards the princess, "Your words, princess, are more important than any of lives in this table. Fret not to speak," he said as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"My brother is right, princess," Lady Alys reached her too, offering her candy, "You are wise beyond your years, an ethereal beauty both in looks and in mind," she praised her. Helaena again blushed, but now had a faint smile on her face as she accepted the candy.
Jacaerys looked at the scene before him with an opened mouth. Lord Larys and Lady Alys surrounded Helaena and spoke sweet words in her ears. They were offering her poisoned honey and she was accepting it willingly. Jacaerys felt helpless against his devilish uncle and aunt and so, he leaned back on his chair, brooding over his situation.
The feast continued, with faked smiles and feigned happiness from the members of House Strong. Jacaerys felt the table was placed in a bubble, where reason could not prevail. While he had escaped this illusion of a happy feast, he could see Helaena indulging in a fantasy unreal and nonexistent. She never had a family gathering before, Jacaerys suspected, and so was falling for this staged one completely. She was a tragic tale in herself but Jacaerys was worse; he knew she was in pain, even if she smiled, but he could do nothing to help her.
"Lord Castellan! Lord Castellan!" a pageboy ran to the hall with a piece of parchment in his hand, "A letter… from King's Landing."
"Give it to me, boy," Ser Simon ordered. The boy gave the parchment to him and Jacaerys' great-uncle began reading it. His face descended into a frown as he put the letter away.
"What was it, uncle?" Lady Alys asked.
Ser Simon put a hand on his chin, "His grace the king has sent this letter to all the corners of the realm declaring that two of his royal brood, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon and Princess Helaena Targaryen have gone astray. He demands all of the lords of the Seven Kingdoms to dispatch men to search for the missing prince and princess."
"Should we not inform my father of our stay in Harenhall?" Helaena asked.
"No need, princess," Lord Larys answered, "Your family will eventually find out; only a dragon can sense his kin and your kinfolk is abundant on dragons," he turned away from the table, "But in the meantime, wasn't there something you wished to tell me about?"
Helaena raised from her seat, "Yes!" desperation was clear in her voice, "Might I tell you now?"
"Follow me," Lord Larys beckoned her, "We shall speak in the Godswood." And with that, the two were gone.
"Well," Ser Simon started, "I better ready my horse; today I will tend to some villagers' problems," he said as he walked to exit the castle too.
There remained only Lady Alys and Jacaerys. "I gather you enjoyed the food, nephew?" she smiled scornfully.
"I did, aunt," Jacaerys finally surrendered.
Lady Alys chuckled, "Good, in no time you will call Ser Simon uncle and my lord father grandsire. Perhaps we shall see the day when you called Harwin father." His visible dismay at the temptation to call his true father by his title prompted her to laugh wickedly as she wandered off to wherever she wanted to go, leaving Jacaerys all to himself.
Now, Jacaerys sat on a chair, elbows on the empty table and hands on his face. The illusion was broken, but it was to no avail for Helaena, only pain for Jacaerys.