Driftwood

by Drusillasvoices

Helaena is saved by Corlys right as she tries to step off the windowsill. She heals with him.

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="afe5e2162372e4b2850d44dd7d5885e8"Helaena Targaryen buried her bare feet in the sand. It had taken a while to get used to the winds, the angry sea and the sand. But most of all, it had taken time to get used to the quiet./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4af70e640f218e111142f30b4b496f1b"Driftmark was unnervingly quiet. The Hall of Nine was her favorite place. The steady dripping of water down the salt-covered walls soothed something deep in her. The smell of salt, sea and wood made her aching heart hurt less./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a69574894fb61d310914d87f6e0bb4f6"Helaena took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her blue gossamer gown was already coated in sand and salt as she sat down on the beach and sighed. She hadn't had a peaceful night for several years. The war had ruined her. The Dance had broken her beyond repair. She had lost everyone. Her husband. Her brother. Her twins and her Maelor. Little, beautiful Maelor./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="378cd6d558835b5eb0c189fe2b43bec5"She had decided right then and there when she saw his head in the chamberpot to end herself. She was about to step off the windowsill when Corlys Velaryon grabbed her from behind./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="193151cffee4f936b2650003001b3adb""Not today, my Queen" he said gruffly and adamantly kept her head to his chest as he carried her down stairwell after stairwell./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ca9a8127405e1151fc6bf6b43e0b5039""Where are you taking me?" She had asked when Kings Landing grew smaller behind style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Somewhere safe. I should have taken you moons ago. Forgive me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="72bca506051593e8f4c0dd5fa15b18ec"She couldn't. Helaena brushed her pale hair away from her face and sniffled. She missed them style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She missed Aemond. His hugs and the way he tended to her. Aegon had never shown much interest, but Aemond had. No one had batted an eye when she grew great with child again. Aemond was the one who held her when she screamed and it was Aemonds eye that filled with tears when Maelor was born. Nobody knew. And that was their undoing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3ad0567c666a7364434c0b321b961268"Two years later Aemond was slain in battle by their uncle. Aegon died of burns and her twins-br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She refused to think about her twins. Never dead. Never. She had not been allowed to see their bodies. Still she desperately clung to the hope that Jaehaera had survived. She knew better./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="89d3e8646b5092b7a9b4b2928b42ce90"The calming breeze blew in from the west and tangled her hair. The smell of salt soothed her aching soul and she got up to walk. The sound of a weak growl made her still. She left her boots in the sand and absentmindedly walked down to the shoreline and patted along the warm waters./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="19c6eb6fb10428561d20711fcb9859cc"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0efaa2fb113d181543173ce2474fe7f2"Corlys Velaryon stood atop a hill overlooking the beach and looked at her. All the way down there by the shore. All alone. As style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He had been selfish when he saved style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He saved her to quell the guilt. He saved her for Rhaenys. For Aemond and for Aegon. He saved her to bring peace to her mother imprisoned in her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /But mostly, he saved her for himself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="84a2e76c391f6c5d80069a5d7a7604ee"Helaena would be his salvation. He knew it. He would never push her. Never force her and never make her stay if she willed it otherwise. But stay she did. For a year./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f00fe8e087c29b1243bb80cc7177050e"She ate her meals in silence. Slept in Laenas old room and prayed. And walked. Always walking. Around and around. She walked so often her footprints were still visible the next time she came around the same way. As though the sand remembered the touch of her bare feet./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a0e6db9fc2be65f32e2bf4f413f16657"Now she was walking again. The nightmares had taken their toll. He heard her screaming every night. Her voice reverberating through the stones, icing his veins and marring his own dreams. Her face grew more gaunt and pale by the day. Her clothes hung off her and she never seemed to keep any food down./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5879fa03240bb1cb4b1ec0eb6b70ae6a"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""No! No! Please! Kill me instead! They're innocent!"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3a5535dfb369516e69b0dd39b6066a04"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I beg you! I will do anything!"/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Do you hear that little boy, your momma wants you dead!"/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Maelor!"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="25de69a9ef62702db542cd3dc7e9ff18"She always screamed for her youngest. He had seen him once. A quiet child, with shining purple eyes, arms tightly wrapped around Prince Aemond's leg./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5207d5ac95379a1700d4f95acb2f1bf2"Corlys looked back down to the beach and found her gone. Before he could stop himself he scaled the cliff and landed softly in the sand. His boots finally ruining the trail Helaena had walked for moons./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ea9bf892dc953349376d5a3e4806add7"Where was she? He kept mumbling to himself as he walked swiftly across the sands. Following her trail and the very delicate smell of lilac./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bb7036014a7247cb2e17469ae4750054"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cb2d6c6de1db5dee557d1267b3d7e460"Helaena heard the roar from miles away it seemed. She had hoped it to be Dreamfyre. Of course it wasn't. She had perished in the Dragonpit. All the dragons had./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8b2c8985438d638009b19131aa550146"Yet, her curiosity got the better of her and she kept her pace. Her dress was sodden all the way up to her thighs now. She welcomed the cold. Her skin always felt to sweaty anyway, too full of memories and trauma. Water was soothing. Calming and deeply relaxing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f234678e1b86441c0a92b78484317901"It was a growl. She had been right. She stood in front of a cave. She knew Driftmark to have caves. But not of this style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She felt the warm air seep out from deep within it. She softly spoke the only Valyrian she had cared to remember. A low growl answered from deep within the cave./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="70e0cc1983060ddb285653bfd4065410"Helaena took a breath. And walked style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The giant black dragon almost bit her. His massive head came careening in from her left and his stinking jaws snapped shut and inch from her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"No!" She barked. She hadn't spoken in weeks. Her voice was raw and hoarse./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6b291b7e41db610dc0997200cd0ab7a1"The green eyed dragon only huffed. Evil green style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You are the one they call the Cannibal. Are you not?" She half asked as the beast slunk away further into the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You can't find food here. Your kind is dead."br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /A huff. Sparks flew everywhere and lit up the damp cave./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ee9160b3f178793340db13a0dc414832"His leg was bent wrong she noticed. And he was protecting style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Helaena hummed. The feeling of him made her forget herself for a style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Dohaeras"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b1777bdae7521eb292d05528dd52461a"He simply stared at her. Eyes narrowing and teeth style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Lykiri"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="1895394c2eecd80df113838a5bb3cacf"Be calm. She spoke more to herself than to him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="17572a2a94dacf2d969c8498f3c0a954"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5fef6f208f6807c26a6d65ee2c081f75"Corlys was terrified. He knew the growls. He knew the smell and he knew the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He stood outside the cave and heard her sing. It sounded like a poem she had put a melody to. High Valyrian. She kept singing to him. Telling the giant dragon to be calm and let her help. He must have listened to her. Because the growling stopped./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="50da5598db15992d507e5f90b63f80be"Corlys held his breath as the singing faded and kept waiting for her to come out. If he interrupted there was no telling what either of them would do./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="fb450fc700915cf3ff9339f1d2cb660b"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d5e020e4a640e92324c310afb65ee3bf""Dagger" Helaena said when the Cannibal finally extended his hind leg to her. A silver dagger was deeply embedded into the thick hide. She could see the black bone through the skin. Not broken. Just very wounded./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="87ef5dbb395185e66c5d2369213de52b"Helaena pulled the dagger out and covered her ears at the answering pained style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The Cannibal took one look at her when she finally looked at him. Green eyes style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Then he leapt for the cave opening and kicked off the ground with another roar that shook the very foundations of High Tide./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="157ad6183fb0179319294d1bcea2ba62"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="aa2fb5c4f9dfdfb079b1cc6ec93a7c51"Corlys threw himself down onto the sands as the gigantic dragon leapt out of the cave roaring in style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Helaena!" He has never actually said her name out loud before. It sounded like the answer to every question he had. Corlys knew fear of a different scale entirely as he watched her leaping out of the cave laughing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4f4728d82b08632f44013626f749673e"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="59991a7144363b910cf0e7dc7a57091e"Helaena knew he was there. She had heard him yelp when the dragon flew through the crumbling style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She tried to help herself. She tried to contain her excitement. Her entire line was broken. She was meant to mourn. She was not meant to laugh. But she couldn't stop./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b2d8f9744a1d3af89f0e306e8c6258b2"The laughter bubbled over once again and she found herself in Corlys arms. He caught her just before she tripped over her skirts. She kept laughing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="30db709acb64cae52871047ced521c26"And for awhile she forgot. She forgot about her dead and the feeling of impending style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Her voice broke. She sounded like her daughter. She had the same howling laugh as Jaehaera./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="77f3b6e1095e67edd9fe5431e32217fc"Helaena was no longer laughing. The tears ran down her cheeks and onto the wet sands. Corlys just held onto her as she shook./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3ffb828f6fe22e897a044749c0909417""Shhh," he said, gently moving her hair out of the way, keeping her from falling to the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"They are all dead. Everyone. They are all gone" Helaena was howling. Screaming./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ae40dffbfe103a83b46e7a7336d1bd70""I know, I know. Gods do I know. I am so very sorry for the part I played in their demise. I will never be able to forgive myself, my Queen" Corlys's voice was low. Full of regret. It made her unreasonably style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You are sorry? You!" She roared. Her curled fists repeatedly met with his chest./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="685b8b36d8f7caef0d69868ba8659ad2""Do you know what they did to me?"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Yes- I" Corlys began. She did not give him the satisfaction of style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"They made me choose! They made me choose which one of my children should die! I picked Maelor. He was young. He would not understand. And then they beheaded Jaehaerys. In front of me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="404045793e12b44bb7c925a410963f02""I know. You scream it at night, Helaena. I know."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="75aee8632eeaa17a75323b4325eddade""How can you possibly know how I feel?" She snapped. Her voice broke in the middle of it. He did know what she felt. He had found his own son burned to death in his own halls. He had lost every child he'd ever had. He was as much doomed as she style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I am sorry, Corlys" she said. Trying to gather her wits and stop screaming./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c5c720766b59f319ba6f7eb3b3999438""Ambition was the downfall of my house" he said not taking his eyes off style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"And love was the downfall of mine" Helaena replied and kept her hands in her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Rhaenyra willingly sent my wife to battle. Knowing your husband would fight her and bring his brother. Still, she sent her. She sent her to her death. And my wife went regardless" Corlys placed a hand on top of her folded hands. She had slid down onto the sands./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5a3cec1594dac887b8980a965b338b68""Maelor was Aemond's son" Helaena said. It felt good to say it to someone. Even if it was just style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What?"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Maelor was Aemond's son. He completely lost his mind after they took him. He hunted down Daemon and killed him for it. I hoped for moons he would return. I was told they only found his eye patch and a knife. He died protecting his family."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a487d686f790626167ce19a66a1894f0""I know, and because of them, we have to live. We have to overcome this"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"How?" It was a simple question. She truly didn't know. She had no one else. All gone. She had not heard from her mother in years, if she was still alive. Corlys had no one. They were all alone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="25a0acd49c2ec5fbdf3b95f133ee7e8a""We will survive just as we have this past year. Together." He said and took her hand. He was shaking. She felt the nervousness from deep within him. He was terrified. Terrified that she would push him away./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="60363d5e7a3b15071c3c3518860d5b5d"She rose from the sands and walked. Corlys hand still held hers./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="013fcd5409a838f2c0a6b289fbeb5c90"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="faffb9bd8a7ea2db842e77dba041cfb6"Helaena smiled over her breakfast. It had been moons now. Her weight was coming back. The shine in her hair returned and she ate more fruit than style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"If you keep devouring mangoes like that I will have to order a blockade on the rest of the kingdoms" Corlys mused over his goblet of style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I think you should" she said and swallowed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5012cd784a01962a8cbddb52d2c5b83d"She smiled at him. The strain on his features had gone. The grey circles under his eyes were gone and the shine had come back to his eyes. His dark skin was no longer style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What?"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You look like you have slept well" she said and averted her eyes. She knew he had. He had moved to the chamber next to hears and she could hear him talk in his sleep. The same words over and over and over. "My Queen, you are safe here"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dcc618abc972072b5327494959d4fd63"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4b1b9e535d3138110e2df64a2cf861c3"Helaena grew used to his presence quicker than she'd anticipated. At the cusp of spring they sat together in front of the fire. Her legs were resting in his lap and he absentmindedly dragged a hand up and down her leg, nose deeply buried in a style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Corlys?" She asked suddenly. Deciding to voice her opinion this time. Instead of using it behind a smile as she usually did. The Velaryons were known schemers. There had to be a style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Yes?" Nose still in the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What is the catch to me being here?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="11997bf5ca65d63f4c9fd9f634c917ad"The book dropped./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2e690a4db58163ca062af864d9221bb4"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ec94a2d7f80f183f57d4430a42b660b4"Corlys just gaped at her. Horrified. What did she think of him? Catch?br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What do you mean?"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Why am I here still? You must want something from me!" He felt the desperation in her voice and realized his mistake. He should have told style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"There is none. No schemes. No hidden plans. No nothing." He said truthfully. He became very aware of his hand on her knee. Her dress had slid up her leg. Pale white skin almost shone in the light from the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Truthfully?"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"There is no catch. We needed healing. You needed to get away from that place before it killed you. So did I. I brought you here because you would be safe with me. And you are." He said and removed his hand./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="685b35f6e4926fc16381207c05892e33""Am I?" She asked. He nearly snapped at style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Yes!"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Is that why you keep saying my name in your sleep? Because I'm safe with you?" She asked. Corlys noted the small dip in her voice./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="fd4c8f2d3679d95dd7160924bd4e1a18"He rose from his seat, gently placed her legs back down, smoothed a hand of the soft fabric of her dress and looked at style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He found no anger, no disgust and no horror on her face. For the first time in his life he had no idea what to do. All his voyages, all the wars and all the battles had not, could not have prepared him for this./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b66dd02e12771f0db0f242fbbe71803d"Corlys Velaryon knelt down beside Helaena. Placing his knees on the worn ornate style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You are my salvation, Helaena. You have saved my life just as much as I saved yours."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="616d0c78b6c2cf87999693b3aafe9e33"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f8c7d4d063ff84756ba88e94110539b3"Helaena stared into his eyes. Violet like hers. Kind and full of love and style="box-sizing: border-box;" style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She refused to understand. There had been no scheming. No planning or plotting. He had kept her safe just as he promised and he had let her heal by herself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="67b23a532e8400fe2cfe2efc50261936"She closed her eyes and sighed. Aemond's voice kept speaking inside her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""If you are afraid to lose something, never let it go"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="86091025e94b1413d827260881d4ed4e"She was afraid. She was terrified. She had been for a year. Scared to wake up one morning just for him to tell her to leave for King's Landing. Scared to go back to the city that had almost claimed her life and killed her children./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4111bdb7cbbd7b3b7076b30bfb096361""Say something. Say anything?" He was begging her now. Begging her to take away his misery./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3ab0d8a23175382abecc3fe10c9646bc"Helaena went mute. She always did when her mind grew too noisy. She said nothing. She simply rose from her seat. Placed a shaking hand on Corlys's shoulder and walked away. Walked away from her new, searingly bright, seemingly happy future./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a525eaf861b2a73ca089420e903777a3"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6901b2e4a70b1864cc3d84b87fa1f421"Corlys let her go. He was twice her age. He had nothing but a crumbling castle. She had youth, beauty and a future. He would soon be as obsolete in this world as the name he carried. He did not blame her. He blamed himself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0f4c51e6362dea0786bced95b9a773de"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2b59eabe7be9e9d4eaeb43f7568e2653"Helaena cried. She stood in the moonlit courtyard of High Tide and wept. She had no idea how to style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Salvation./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She was no one's salvation. How could she save him if she couldn't even save herself?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2bf3cfd00ec916729ce2a8dc68c2e0dd"Corlys had been there for a year. Watching her walk. Tending to her needs. Keeping her warm, safe and comfortable. Easing her sorrows and talking her through her trauma and her pain./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dbb2ac6964985f4193e612963eec7689"She refused to give in to it. She should suffer. She deserved it. She had chosen Maelor. She should have taken them out of the city the moment the war broke. She should have done something. Anything to save their lives./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="25792fd82060e282533c25a9854fb0cc"She clawed at her stomach. Remembering the pain and the screaming when the twins were born. She remembered Aemond. Sitting by her side. Keeping her calm. Aegon was never there./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bdaddeeb60a4d0314d82aa414c219edb"Helaena sank to the ground. Her vision blurred and the voices came style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""If you are afraid to lose something, never let it go."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d42c291227b53cec0f5225a833a5bee1"A hand reached out to her through her mind. Dragging her up by her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Stand"/em it spoke to her. Only to style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Aemond./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="858bef6439ecf8d20f4551e32736e536""I am scared" she stared into the nothingness in front of style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Why?"/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I do not deserve this. I should be dead. If I was I would be with them. With you."br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""You have to live. You have to be happy. For them. For me. For us. Do not give in now, you have come so far-"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f6f314121d9874f81f9a2375d65b22b9"The voice died in her mind. Aemond disappeared. Drowned out by the deafening roar from style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The Cannibal landed by her feet./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5038bcf934f301da831c726fe6c6463b"The dragon just looked at her with his evil green eyes. His maw reeked of sheep and fish. She wanted to tell him to go away and leave her to cry on the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The Cannibal had another plan it style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He simply lowered his wing to the ground. Seemingly telling her to climb up and fly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="afe455c06a0ae5a603b149f65991d250"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f1799d9ff796a558443fbb12fff4b020"Corlys stood by the salt covered window and looked on as his Queen climbed onto the dragon in his courtyard. His heart beat furiously in his chest as the beast carried her off to the skies./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="210f1deceb198b9b1a2b888dd2c1cc6c"He had followed her. Always behind her. Just in case her mind got the better of her. He would never be able to fix the wounds. He would never be able to heal her broken heart, but he could lessen the pain. Just as she had done for him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="213d2553fcb7ccb2f91c6f0c9f7be16b"He never understood why she wouldn't let him, until now. He'd heard her speak. She truly believed she was undeserving of happiness. Helaena Targaryen utterly believed she was beyond saving. A plan began to form in the Sea Snake's mind. A bold, stupid and irrational plan, but a plan nonetheless. He finally, truly understood why she had nearly flung herself to her death. Hopelessness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="1ccf1558f273b508c84ec278a6f6fcd8"Corlys waited for her until the break of dawn. Then he gave up. Cursed himself, but gave up regardless. He trudged up the stairs to his chambers and passed out on the bed fully clothed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b8ccf68ead090779122aa856b5a5ff5e"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="777a019aeebde9e979573a4ed67da086"Helaena soared through the skies. The wind was whipping her hair out from her braid and she kept her arms tightly wrapped around the jagged spikes protruding from the dragons back./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="043a2a4f0fb91813e7ee1365ce112fb5"Flying had used to clear her head. Now everything was mess. A total and utter mess. She knew what she meant to him. And what he meant to her. He was her chance at peace and safety. The only reason she was alive. If he hadn't been there to drag her away from the window she would have ended up on the ground in Maegor's Holdfast./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8ebe93d72b62bbf1d6a3b88f9e3606c8"There was no reason he would save her life only to force her to agree to some scheme style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He knew what loss and grief was. They were better together./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="77f74004a34945aa03e00bbcaf011b3e"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="717a5cc6cdab58e89c09138a7d24888d"Corlys's dreams were filled with her. style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Happy and laughing. She had laughed more lately. Laughed at his stupid jokes and his adventures. Laughed at the birds and the children running through the streets of Spicetown. Even his servants had noticed, even though they left her mostly to herself. She didn't seem to mind the silence and quiet so much anymore./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a695f46426fe545e078cb30261dc65a5"Corlys slept soundly as the Queen patted on bare feet through the castle. He still slept when she eased open the heavy wooden door and smiled at style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Safe./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="08317ef8604d032c4b503063cefaa675"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ad7e4bf94f522003a3432e943c02cb96"Corlys found her sleeping in her bed the next morning. His heart nearly fell out of his chest at the sight. She reeked of dragon. Sweat, blood and style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He left her sleeping, arranged for his ship to be readied and once again donned the armor of the Sea Snake./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5befa2186d076adf7fb5d6106a4d2261"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bdc3c32afd81e1528e506b6c2ccd8e63"Helaena slept for an entire day. When she awoke the second day the maids were pouring buckets of hot water into her bronze style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Lord Velaryon figured you'd like a bath, my Queen" the serving girl said and nodded at her ruined style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Is he here?"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"No, he will return this evening. My Lord had business elsewhere and asked me to tell you when you woke"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f9f95979a3799cfd73cdeb7cdfd1ef6e"Helaena sank down into the tub and nearly moaned when Leera rubbed at her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Did you really fly off on a dragon, my Queen?" She style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I did. He needed it as much as I did" she replied and dragged a cloth across her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"My lord was beside himself with worry. I think he's grown quite fond of you If you don't mind my saying"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Helaena said nothing. She simply sat there in the now murky water and tried to focus on anything else than the reality that had just dawned on her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c710d41e4db46f4569760a4824c124b8"She ate her dinner in silence, the roast duck didn't taste as it had before, neither did the potatoes. The food turned to ash in her mouth, the only thing that quelled the taste was the wine. Which she had several bottles of. All to silence the screaming in her head, the screaming voices telling her to stop being happy. She did not deserve happiness, she deserved the torment she had brought upon her children and her house. Her choices lead to the deaths of her children, as she thought of Jaehaerys and Maelor the last hope she had left of Jaehaera being alive flickered out in her chest./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c70d8899b819b0e3b66f1ab0664975b2"Helaena emptied her goblet of wine, debated bringing another bottle as she rose from her chair but ultimately left it on the sandblasted driftwood table. She wiped at her cheeks when she patted up the stairs again, heading for her chambers and quiet blissful sleep./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d4f7b1c248e1516b0d3e6391bab9d7ab"She fumbled with the buttons on her dress and kicked the dress into a corner when it finally came off, she crawled under the furs and passed out. Exhaustion took her faster now, she had no idea why. Corlys had been gone for a day, and already the castle was strangling. The walls closed in on her and the screaming in her head came back./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b2ba28046810ecd43bc47e9e4b498450"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cb8a182252649cc8cba47c90dba87e74"Corlys trudged up the path to High Tide. He had cleared his head. He could not force his heart to be still or make his feelings anything less than what they were. Pure adoration and wonder. He had thought about her every single second. The strength she possessed was truly something he'd never seen before, how she managed to stay alive he would never know. They shared a fair amount of trauma, that he was certain of. Helaena was so young, wise beyond her years and she should never have been put through any of it. She should have been protected and kept safe. When he stepped off his ship at the docks he had vehemently decided that he'd be the one to keep her safe, whether she accepted his very poorly worded arrangement or not./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="1c0d24b4ae2f788cc2d26b9bf04becdb"He realized he'd missed her the second he smelled the lilac. He followed the sweet smell over to the fireplace. It came from the chair he usually sat it, it took him minute to realize she was sleeping. She had taken the furs from her room, wrapped them around herself and fallen asleep in his chair./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9c29cc4d7cbd02adb0ea26397386aa17"He smiled at the sleeping Queen, noticing for the first time how utterly exhausted he was. Still, he could not leave her here, he didn't want to wake her either. For once, her face was peaceful and not marred by painful memories and style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Corlys bent down and carefully lifted her sleeping form into his arms, he tucked her head against his chest and smiled softly as her arms wrapped around his neck. She was not completely awake yet and he did his best to tread softly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b9565eed2bd2f06460b3e7e0bce3b421"He carried her through the long winding halls of his castle and kept thinking about the way her arms wrapped around him. She was safe, and he wondered if she at last truly felt style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He maneuvered the door to her chamber open with a foot, careful to keep her head tucked in close to him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="52d1b0b7ad0a2e8734218d89afff74fc"He had just gently wrapped the fur around her when she stirred. Corlys quietly stepped back and was about to close the door behind him when she style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Where did you go?" she lifted her head from the pillow and looked at him, her eyes were heavy with sleep, and the button from his shirt had left a small mark on her cheek. She anxiously rubbed at it, waiting for him to reply./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="43dded8b4276060eff801c02c84fdeab"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3f89e3080aa5039001cca6fae7d28c49"The mark on her face matched the button on his shirt. He had carried her to bed and kept her head against his chest. She recognized the smell of him on her hair. She had tried to fall asleep for hours, but nothing kept the thoughts away, so when she finally gave up she had taken her furs and gone downstairs. She had seen the chair and decided to just rest for a bit. She had fallen style="box-sizing: border-box;" /And now, he was standing in front of her, looking at her like she was the only light in a dark style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I went to clear my head," he said and kept looking at the mark on her face. "Where did you go?"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She smiled slightly and let her hand style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I also went to clear my head."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7605c190459bade93aa81f7ac29f42c2"Corlys stared at her, she didn't even have to look to realize it, it was as though his gaze burnt a hole right through her. She didn't understand what he was looking style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Good night, my Queen. Sleep well."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a8d0dee7b206121304c954d400859a6f"Helaena sighed as the door closed. Again she had kept her silence when she shouldn't. She knew what he meant to her, she knew what she wanted but she was too scared to take it, too scared to tell him she'd stay for him. Far too terrified to look on as his eyes softened and to hear her name on his lips./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8fa90973feb6f11e097ddd54de5b6ffe"She wanted to ask him about the title. She was no longer a Queen, if she was anything she was a Dowager. The King was dead. She had no rights, no rule and no land./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="16a38cb9bb4ba77a83beecd798ab132e"She shook her head. She curled up and dragged the furs closer to her face and closed her eyes. She'd tell him everything tomorrow. That she had to leave. That she couldn't possibly take advantage of his hospitality any longer, that despite her safety he needed someone else, someone less broken than her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ebd8010c49c19221126e3d1e6bacbd6e"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""If you are afraid to lose something, never let it go"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9c42c262a2da79194af7d14a1c4a8e84"He was right. She was being stupid, she was denying herself happiness. Survivors guilt the Septa had called it. She felt guilty because she had survived when so many of her family had not./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="569e3bd8ea6d973efcf8a50c3518b209"Helaena rose from the bed, wrapped her thin gown around herself and opened the door to the hallway./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="eca22761fd7f5a2fb21d1141918fff07"Five style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She heard his breathing through the door./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b6f78829ae1d07c40753b14db0ce6373"Four style="box-sizing: border-box;" /It was even, but not even enough that he could be sleeping./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="deae5105a21d9ff0106388b1697fe797"Three style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Was he waiting for her?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="71f61c6c087dbc26a9d403039cc4af47"Two style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Was this real or had she made it up in her mind to deal with her trauma?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="21a3d1c984e95cb1740f49d684a8aea3"One style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The door opened./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cab8fe5b0fff53131f5578e39f71c209"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b7683a4d29b12f890cbff0d5cb0ea1e7"Corlys saw her there, standing barefoot in the hallway wrapped in her gown. The green always suited her, more so than the blue. Her eyes were shining as he looked at style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What is wrong?" he asked when she closed the distance between style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Why do you insist on using my title?" she asked and slightly cocked her head to one style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Are you not a Queen?" he asked back and let his eyes fall. She was more of a Queen than she knew. And he would be damned if he ever called her by any other title./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="65702e53ece42eac59bdf8e7ff208a2b"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="87a0524353938f3abbce19949113cc9b"Helaena did not know if he was playing with her or not. She was a Queen by birth. It was the custom, she knew she would be Queen every since she learned how to speak. She just stared up into his weathered face and tried for once to imagine herself as safe as she style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Do you not know?" Corlys said and gently placed a flat hand on the small of her back, Helaena held her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Do you truly not realize how deeply I feel for you?" his voice was shaking when he style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I do," she replied, voice a mere whisper. She tried to keep herself from saying it. Desperately tried to keep her marring thoughts for spoiling everything "I am not sure I deserve it," she said and cursed herself under her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You deserve the world, let me give it to you" Corlys placed his other hand on her cheek and she found herself leaning into his touch, savoring the warm feeling of his hand against her cold style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Please, let me make you happy again."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="41bb06b22abf57e37c09804e25f6d103"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="37b092941bd9988028cdac69686245de"Helaena wrapped her arms around his neck and shook slightly. He simply held her, pressing kisses to her exposed style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"If I have to go on another day without you I fear for my sanity" he whispered into her ear as her arms tightened around his style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Fear no more, Corlys" she said and looked at him, she moved her hands to his face and gently wiped away the lone tear rolling down his cheek./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="43835182688597f647f4e5f8107afd96"Corlys smiled, truly smiled at her. Helaena just stood on her toes and kissed him. She had thought about it before, but never like this. He was softer than she imagined. His touch wasn't rough or painful, it was nothing like she had feared./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="1796f619126acbc0738464bd14e5a591"He touched her with such care and devotion it seemed like he was scared that she'd break apart between his fingers and float away from style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I am not going to disappear," she said when the kiss brokebr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I could not survive it if you did" he relied and lifted her up. She gently wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked her backwards into his chamber. The smell of lilacs made her smile. He used it as a reminder. A reminder of her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dd69aa9746a63986c86850930e900b69"Helaena's back met with the soft silks of Corlys bed and she found herself... style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Helaena-" her name came from somewhere deep within him, half a question and half a style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She reached up to his face and dragged him down to her, his hair tickled her neck as his hand trailed up her thigh./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9c84977d334f26a5d95391a3c05d7fc6"Helaena closed her eyes as his hands trailed over her, her hands were already roaming over him, desperately tugging at his linen shirt, she needed his skin, the warmth of him to soothe her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /He understood her before she did. He grabbed his shirt by the neck and left it on the floor as she finally softened beneath style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I will never-" he began, she didn't need to hear the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I know."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c95e12d312f9883dc29b76b64e6d3004"She kept her hands on his shoulders as he gently removed her gown. She tired to look elsewhere, but found such unending peace in his eyes she nearly fell style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Beautiful," he whispered as his hands trailed over her stomach, and for once she thought only of his hands and his warm skin. The only thing in her head was the feeling of him against her and their mingling breaths./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="eb15f1e7878c938edde10c7bd3d23448"She felt the heat mere moments before his finger curled inside her, she kept her legs resting on his back as he gently moved his finger, quietly listening for her sounds of approval. When she finally lost herself in the feeling and moaned his name he smiled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bf6dab93258bf7a03da119a13e4f95aa"He kept moving, and when he added a second finger she had to grab into his waist to keep from forcing him beneath her. Her cheeks heated and he kept looking at her, not looking away for a second./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3b1e639370891d72a6ecec55d992473e"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="97c30f2df9443f254ba83ec8f89c94e6"Corlys believed in as many things as the next person, but this.. the way she responded to his touch made him nearly lose his mind. Her pale cheeks had a tinge of red, she leaned into his touch and almost forced herself down to meet his hand. He lost himself in her eyes, the sadness was gone, the gaunt look was gone. All that was left was happiness and want./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7030accabcb4e64825b5496d0527b7b6"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0d2564e283c5be8f4e96f0787635d6e6"Helaena moaned. She wanted him to move, she needed him to move. Yet, Corlys did no such thing. When she raised her arms to grab onto the headboard he simply moved his hand after hers and entwined her hands in style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She made a quiet sound of desperation when he removed his fingers. The emptiness took her by surprise, she had nor realized how much she needed him, the noise made him laugh./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d3b30e9e5cc2bbfe856da5e24f40df15"Helaena had had enough. She sat up quick enough to force him down into a sitting position. She wrapped her legs around his waist again and placed her hands on his style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Helaena, I can not-"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Shh," she quietly guided his hands to her hips as she lowered herself down on him. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9012d8f534caad2345bfdc171811b019"Corlys' head snapped backwards as she moved on him. She could see the tension in his jaws ease up and his features soften as she rode him. She kept the pace gruelingly slow at first, to ease herself into it, but mostly to annoy him. It must have worked because his hands tightened on her hips and pushed her down. She felt her walls tighten around him and she slowed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d643303f2d1d0ac04ca11a155ee1d732"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="14a913f40f402a819268187bf2bc096f"Corlys looked at her. Sweat shining on her brow, hands tangled in his hair and face flushed with color. Her pale silver hair danced around her as she moved, the ends of it fell over his thighs and tickled him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e7cc7f924658046f0ac4454167295877"He looked at her face, her smile was truly the salvation he had thought it would be. He was saved, and by her he would be forever undone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="05935316c643899c497db28082eb930e"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e32100ea5c6d050fcf3e4ef73331291d"Helaena answered his moans when he came, her legs shook around him and she pushed herself down one last time before wrapping her arms around his neck and guiding him down beside her on the silks./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c08f823a027376bbd51c2debd0643e4b"She was hollow and aching, but something in her had begun to heal, the voices were quiet, and the only thing she heard was the rhythm of his heartbeat where she lay on his style="box-sizing: border-box;" /His hands tracing small circles along her spine, soothing the quivering bit by bit./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b00b174dcaff09230bc4e2a1c5ca010e"She stayed there for the rest of the night. They did not speak, she just lay on top of him with her chin placed on her folded hands and looked at style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"How long have you known?" she asked when dawn broke. She didn't need to style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I first noticed it two weeks after we arrived. It was easier to breathe, I assumed it was because I was finally back home. I used to feel like this when I came home from the sea, only this time the feeling stayed" he said and brushed her hair away from her face. He placed a thumb on her cheekbone and followed the shape of it down to her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"When did you truly know?" he seemed to be avoiding the question./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3dad0e0cac20198009805664d64c530e"Corlys smiled, placed a hand on her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I knew I loved you when that dragon stole you away into the skies. I have never know such fear, Helaena, as I did when that giant thing flew off with you,"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d439874a6e40fe704e0e31c63aecbf3b"Helaena smiled, gently placed a hand on his chest and kissed him again, tasting the salt and the future she could finally style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I knew when you dropped your book," she said finally. "I thought I had made you angry, and then you looked at me like you do now," she said and moved her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What do you mean?"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You look at me like I am your home."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2c748f13a552d965e3ef429cf4bef445"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="19de63108b13d603638fc0b79f2792da""You are my home." Corlys said and tucked her head to his chest. He knew she'd been afraid. Terrified even. Terrified that this was some scheme and ambitious plotting for House Velaryon to rise to power. It was not. He needed her, like the sea needed the wind, like the sun needed the moon./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3f40b97143bb4502866ada6ceab3f91f"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c25ffa536f4487df0257cad9cca13546"Helaena woke up at dawn. The sun streamed in through the stained glass windows and she smiled groggily when Corlys stirred next to her. She wanted a walk. She needed style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She grabbed her gown off the floor and quickly dressed as she walked to her room for a thicker cloak./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8b2dab9694f839eb384218897c23dc06"She meandered aimlessly through the halls of High Tide and tried to revel in the new feeling of hope that had grown in her chest, she was safe, and allowed to be happy. She was style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Helaena found the path down to the shore and quickly found her path around the bay. She walked the path several times, letting her bare feet slip through the sand and warm water. The breeze from the sea tugged on her hair and she breathed easier than before./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f36d602ac958bef591b32fc6efdfc4c8"She was still healing. Her dead were still there. The newfound happiness did not completely take away the pain of loss, but the air seemed lighter, and she caught herself humming as she walked along the shoreline picking seashells./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0b028cdebb81d9bb4da08acc72b78b5e"During her second walk around the bay she found a caterpillar on a rock nearly submerged in the sea and rescued the little thing before it disappeared at sea. She smiled to herself as she counted the legs. It seemed to look at her, and she came to the conclusion that she had been wrong before. They could see./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b40c8555e60f0e7fa0fd580dc9fd6238"The sun was high in the sky when she walked around the bay for the last time. Her feet were so tired, she needed to rest. She had just decided to go back to the castle when a shadow caught her attention. She would recognize that shade of green even in total darkness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3739271ac36ca9f9f93179bbb1ca4876"A small whimper came out of her as Helaena Targaryen ran across the wet sands towards the figure standing on top of the grassy style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She half believe it to be a mirage, she had lost her mind again. Yet, her legs kept moving her forward and Helaena sobbed when her mothers arms wrapped around her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="770d5ae3e6bff283c005992ee7d3400a""My dearest love," Alicent kept her voice low and her arms tightly wrapped around Helaena as her tears flowed freely down into her daughters hair./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="004b246ec54df5efa2d1bd52858402fb"Helaena stopped breathing. She stopped thinking. She only kept her grip around her mother as Alicent's arms stroked up and down her back. Trying to calm down her shaking style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I have missed you so much my sweetest child,"br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Mother-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5b8da2711e3389fa9a2b223b10c5edba"Helaena couldn't understand how her mother had ended up here. She was meant to be imprisoned in the Red Keep awaiting trial. She was meant to be in the Red Keep slowly loosing her mind./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="17603337255349668ce70818934c72fb"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e942cafc548ea76fd61eb8a03ce6109c""It was not safe, I could not tell you," her mothers voice was full of sadness as Helaena scanned her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I know, I am just glad you are here, I do not do well on my own" Helaena admitted, she figured she'd keep her and Corlys a secret lest her mother completely lose her mind./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ce9380096eb757fb1b42e44c569dbef2""Come, you must be famished," Alicent said and took her hand in hers. They walked together into the courtyard and Helaena felt the black bits of her heart crumble bit by bit. The closer they got to the castle the easier her breathing became./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4d0900b6b9d339a00c4e32fec56e375f"She almost didn't dare look at her mother, in case it was just another figment of her imagination that would disappear if she looked at it for too long. She kept her mind wrapped around the feeling of her mothers hand in hers. This was real. She was safe. She was to stay safe./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="81b8825092460b31ed352b7b94705a81"The steps of High Tide were coated with decades of salt, the steps had not been washed in years. If they had been Helaena might have noticed the small footsteps. She walked up the steps and the heavy wooden doors creaked open to welcome her home./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a86d5e10cc2f4b51debd8d7baaefc586"Corlys face met her from where he sat on his throne of Driftwood. She had almost forgotten everything about the throne and the style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Come sit with me," Alicent said from her left and gently guided her over to the chairs by the fireplace./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3b8f58dbf3d364d753f7578dec7f8e32"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="371dad18985630e23805c67136cea2bd"Corlys saw Alicent Hightower nod. He repeated the motion to the guard by the door who quickly walked up the stairs and disappeared. They had planned it this way to keep the young Queen from having a heart attack. It proved to be a wise decision./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a6f53c39e1cc51210a8e41161c9ef779"*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="95b3187573ad9e36f55e995859183b57"Helaena nearly fainted when she heard the footsteps and the laugh. The bubbling, howling laughter sent shivers down her spine. She turned in her chair and the tears she had held in for so long couldn't be style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Jaehaera ran across the stones of High Tide straight into her mothers waiting arms. Her hair had grown down to her waist, the curls bounced as she ran and the smell of her, the lilacs almost made Helaena forget where she style="box-sizing: border-box;" /She cradled her daughter to her chest and breathed in the smell of her, keeping her chin on top of her small head to keep the sobs from overtaking her completely. Jaehaera's small hands tangled in Haelaena's loose hair and she giggled happily as her mother lifted her up into her style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Mother" she said and placed a small hand on Helaena's teary cheek./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bcab1fc807d31745cf2c896f5c8243d4"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""If you are afraid to lose something, never let it go"/em/p
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