Claw Isle and the Red Keep
The air smelled of both the sea and of pine sap. When it rained, the fragrance of the pines became sharper and more prominent, while the salty air became moist and heavy with its mineral aroma. Now with winter, the air was also tinged with cold, freezing the nostrils of those who breathed it in. But the inhabitants of Crackclaw Point would not have preferred it any other way. It was preferable to the scent of the capital city, which the people viewed as a glorified cesspool populated by beggars and whores.
In this region of the Crownlands, the people eked out a living through farming on the few acres of arable land that was available. In contrast to their more sophisticated southern neighbors, the inhabitants of Crackclaw Point were a more hardy bunch. The noble houses jealously guarded their territories, and xenophobia was rampant. Despite the hardscrabble nature of Crackclaw Point, its people were noted for their loyalty to House Targaryen. However, the feeling was not mutual with the royal family's Celtigar cousins.
House Celtigar resides on the island of Claw Isle. Their dominion over Crackclaw Point is not recognized by the people there, and when the Celtigar's send out tax collectors, they usually return empty-handed, though some never return at all. The reason why House Celtigar's authority is not taken seriously is that during Aegon's Conquest, the people of Crackclaw Point surrendered peacefully to Queen Visenya Targaryen. Because of this, Crackclaw Point were freed from having to swear loyalty to anyone else other than the Iron Throne. The only way House Celtigar of Claw Isle held some sway over their people was through marrying the local nobility, which diluted their Valyrian bloodline considerably due to mixing their Valyrian blood with women from Houses Brune, Crabbe, and Hardy.
Despite the picayune profits from tax collecting, the Celtigar's were quite wealthy. In their stronghold's vaults were gold and other invaluable treasures that their ancestors had brought over from Old Valyria prior to the Doom. During the reign of Jaehaerys I, House Celtigar's wealth had doubled when Ser Phineon Celtigar collected more treasure during his voyages with Lord Corlys Velaryon. But all the wealth in the world could not buy what Lord Phineon Celtigar truly wanted, the same level of respect and adoration that his Targaryen and Velaryon cousins enjoyed. He had tried to strengthen his pedigree by marrying his two sons, Bartimos and Adrianus, to noblewomen who were descended from a distinguished pedigree.
Bartimos had actually been married twice, his wives being Ladies Priscilla Crabbe and Adela Bolling. Priscilla was the niece of Ser Clement Crabbe, one of the co-champions of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen's Fiftieth Year Tourney in 98 AC. Ser Crabbe's fellow co-champion was Ser Ryam Redwyne, the greatest knight of his day, but one of the worst Hand of the Kings the realm had ever seen. Priscilla gave Bartimos one son before dying from childbirth complications. She had named her only child after her uncle. A few years after his first wife's death, Bartimos was married to the great-granddaughter of Queen Elinor Costayne.
Fifteen years apart in age, Bartimos and Adela were twenty-nine and fourteen years old respectively when they were wed in 116 AC. They had four children together: two boys and two girls. Tragically, the couple's first two children were both stillborn, and they lost their third baby to a miscarriage. Only their fourth child, Thea, was born alive and healthy, and she was now a sweet and happy nine year old girl.
The reason why Adela had lost three of her children was blamed on her being half-Rosby on her mother's side; her mother had suffered two stillbirths, and she had lost her life giving birth to Adela, who was her third and only living child. For obvious reasons, Bartimos was very careful to omit his daughter's lineage to House Rosby when he was promoting her to the queen. Regardless of the age difference between the couple, and the children they had lost, Bartimos's second marriage was a happy one. The couple also doted on Thea.
With her father serving on Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen's small council in King's Landing, Thea kept the company of her mother, uncle, his wife, and her cousins at Claw Isle. Lacking any full-blooded siblings of her own, and with Clement being distant with his younger half-sister due to the fourteen year age difference between them, Thea considered her three cousins: Arthor, Dorian, and Beatrice to be her brothers and sister. Thea was especially close with Beatrice, and the two girls were best friends. The two cousins did everything together. They were often seen walking together on the battlements or on the beach if it was not too cold and as long as they were accompanied by their minder, Septa Yilda.
There was not much to talk about, but Thea and Beatrice managed, their conversations ranging from what they liked and disliked about the day's lessons, or new embroidery patterns they wanted to try, but lately, the girls talked mostly about their newest interest, boys. For hours on end, the girls would talk about the young males that worked at Claw Isle as stablehands or scullery boys, noting their finer features and what their positive and negative traits were. Right now, Thea and Beatrice were chatting about the blacksmith's new apprentice over some apple tarts that they had filched from the castle kitchens and were now enjoying in the comfort of Thea's bedroom. The apprentice was the blacksmith's grandnephew, and he had been taken on because the old man wanted someone to continue his work when he would pass on. The boy, who appeared to be eleven, was quite handsome with black curly hair and brown eyes.
When the lad noticed that he was being watched upon his arrival and had looked in the direction of the cousins, the girls took off back into the castle red and giggling madly.
"He looks like a Greyjoy doesn't he?" Beatrice remarked before taking a bite out of her tart.
"He does." Thea said after swallowing her morsel. The apples were soft with a warm, sweet taste, and the crust was crunchy and buttery. "Except I think that the Greyjoy's have blue eyes instead of brown."
"Oh." Beatrice said softly. "Do you think he would look better if he had blue eyes instead of brown?"
"I think he would look lovely with any eye color." Thea answered. "They could be pink and he would still look handsome!"
Beatrice giggled at the visual with a mouthful of apple tart, and some of the crumbs spilled out of her mouth. This resulted in both of them laughing out loud. A knock at the door along with a familiar voice calling out to them was heard, and Thea and Beatrice stopped laughing so that they could hide their stolen pastries. The two hid their goodies under the cushions on the couch that they were sitting on at the foot of Thea's bed just as Septa Yilda made her way in. The holy woman immediately took note of the uncharacteristic silence being shared by the two girls, and she gave them a suspicious look.
"What were you two doing?" The slim, middle aged woman demanded with a stern tone.
"Nothing, Septa Yilda." The cousins said together in unison. This caused the septa to chuckle.
"Nothing you say? I heard you two all the way down the hall. What was so special about the color pink that made you both cackle like a bunch of witches if you do not mind me asking?"
"It was about the blacksmith's apprentice." Beatrice said. Thea followed up on her cousin's response.
"We were both wondering what eye color would make him more handsome."
"I see." Yilda said with a soft smile, remembering the days from her girlhood when she was smitten with the opposite sex before she committed herself to the Faith. "Sorry to change the subjects my ladies, but something quite astounding has come up."
Thea and Beatrice were surprised by the news.
"What happened?" Thea asked first.
Yilda focused her attention on Thea. "A letter arrived here just over an hour ago via raven. It was from your lord father, Thea. He has some exciting news for you."
"What is it? What did my papa say?" Thea said, now sitting upright on the couch with Beatrice.
Yilda grinned, her teeth acting like an enamel barrier to prevent what she wanted to say from coming out.
"It is best that you hear it from your mother, Thea." She said finally. "Come with me, and I will escort you two to the solar where your mothers' are."
"What about Uncle Adrianus?" Thea asked.
"He is preoccupied at the moment, but believe me my dear, he is quite excited about the news too."
The two girls all but hopped off the couch to follow the septa, but a look from Yilda prevented them from joining her at the door.
"Before we go ladies, please do remove the whatever plunder you have hidden under those pillows. It is most unladylike to hoard, let alone steal."
Disheartened at being caught by the eagle-eyed septa, the two girls quietly removed the half-eaten apple tarts from their hiding places. Septa Yilda sighed and told the girls to finish their stolen treats before they left for the solar. The three walked briskly to the solar afterwards, with both Thea and Beatrice being excited to hear what this mysterious news was about. Lady Adela and Beatrice'a mother, Lady Vaeya Groon, were talking excitedly to each other when the door opened, and Septa Yilda brought their daughters inside. It was strange to see Aunt Vaeya so happy.
Lady Vaeya Groon hailed from a wealthy merchant family from Lys. Adding more to Vaeya's pedigree, she was also a member of the extended family of the prestigious House Haen; Magister Torreo Haen was Vaeya's first cousin. This combination of wealth and lineage was what inspired Phineon to marry his youngest son to the Lysene beauty. Just like his older brother's second marriage, there was a significant age gap between Adrianus and Vaeya, with the former being fourteen years Lady Groon's senior. However, unlike Bartimos and Adela's marriage, the union between Adrianus and Vaeya was very unhappy.
Thea could tell that her uncle's wife did not like living in Claw Isle due to her usually possessing a sullen, miserable look. Vaeya had become even more miserable in recent years following the Triarchy Trade Dispute and the downfall of the Rogare Bank, both crises which had greatly affected her family back in Lys. Besides the turmoil that was currently engulfing her homeland, Vaeya also had to contend with her husband's rumored infidelity and that he may have fathered several bastard children on the mainland; unbeknownst to Vaeya's daughter and niece, the blacksmith's grandnephew was rumored to be one of Adrianus's bastards. Adrianus on the other hand could not stand his wife's pouty behavior, her looking down on Westeros's culture and traditions, and her irritability (being homesick and angry over his rumored affairs fueled most of the negative traits that Adrianus did not like in Vaeya). But now, Lady Groon looked quite jubilant.
She got up from her chair and she approached her daughter.
"Come along now, darling. Your aunt and cousin have something they need to discuss in private. Let's go outside to watch your brothers practice swordplay."
Beatrice nodded silently and she let her mother herd her out of the solar. After Adela thanked Septa Yilda for bringing her daughter to her, Yilda bowed her head and made her exit. Now it was just Adela and Thea inside the solar. The Lady of Claw Isle gestured towards Vaeya's now empty chair. The scent of Aunt Vaeya's favorite perfume lingered in the air like a ghost; she often perfumed her hair, which was a custom practiced by women who lived in Lys.
"Have a seat, sweetling." Adela said to Thea, who did as she was told and she sat down in the still warm chair. Just like with Vaeya, Adela had an air of excitement about her.
"What is it, mama?" Thea asked. "What did papa's letter say?"
"Darling…" Adela began. She suddenly got up from her chair and she walked over and kneeled before her only child, clasping both of Thea's hands in her own. "You know who Corlys Velaryon is don't you?"
Thea nodded. "Yes, he is the Hand of the Queen and was grandfather's friend."
"Correct," Adela said, "and because of that friendship your grandfather had with Lord Velaryon, Corlys has given an opportunity for House Celtigar that no one thought would ever happen."
"What is it?" Thea asked. Adela increased the grip on her daughter's hands.
"The queen is looking for wives for her three unmarried sons, and Corlys suggested you as a bride! You will be marrying Prince Aegon the Younger!" Adela said, her smile turning into a grin.
Thea blinked. Being nine years old, Thea knew what marriage meant and she was quite excited. Being married to a prince was a dream come true for any girl, both noble and common. The young girl tensed with excitement under her mother's touch.
"Your father accepted the proposal. You will be married to Aegon when you are old enough darling."
Seeing the look on her daughter's face caused the jubilant mother to embrace Thea warmly.
"My daughter, my only child, will be marrying a prince." Letting go of Thea to wipe away a tear, Adela looked her daughter in the eyes again. "I do not believe that even your late grandfather could have ever imagined this happening to his family. He would be so happy for you my dear girl. So, so happy…"
Mother and daughter then embraced before the warm fire in the hearth.
The next day, another letter arrived from King's Landing. This time, it was written by Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen herself. It said that she was pleased that House Celtigar had accepted the betrothal and that the Master of Ships was quite jubilant about his daughter marrying her fourth born son. The wedding between Aegon and Thea was to be held five years after the engagement in the year 136 AC, when the prince and his fiancée would be sixteen and fifteen years old respectively. In the meantime, the queen stated that Thea was to serve as a companion for her half-niece, the seven year old Princess Jaehaera Targaryen.
Serving alongside Thea would be Lady Myrine Darklyn, the fiancée of Prince Viserys Targaryen. Also, Thea's mother would also become a lady-in-waiting for the queen herself. It appeared that besides an arranging a marriage pact between his daughter and Aegon the Younger, Bartimos was also arranging the reunion of his family at the royal court. Claw Isle buzzed with excitement after the arrival of the royal letter. Three nights after the official betrothal announcement, House Celtigar celebrated their good fortune with a feast, and they invited the other lords of Crackclaw Point.
As Thea happily supped on her favorite foods: boiled turbot with an herbed cream sauce and fruit and custard tarts, her uncle and the other lords toasted her as "Princess Thea." But while the Celtigar's were euphoric, the Crackclaw nobles were a little apprehensive about the engagement. The villages near Claw Isle did not recognize the authority of the Celtigar's, even with Bartimos serving as the Master of Ships for the queen. But now that his only daughter was engaged to a Targaryen prince, the nobility feared that House Celtigar would use their newfound royal connections to try and finally subjugate Crackclaw Point and make everyone swear allegiance to them. This possibility was not lost on Lord Adrianus Celtigar.
He was fiercely proud of his Valyrian heritage, and he wanted House Celtigar to gain the prestige and glamour that the Targaryens and Velaryons had. Ever since the establishment of the Targaryen Dynasty, the Celtigar's had tried to make a name for themselves in Westeros and to get closer to the royal family. Now with his niece's royal betrothal, Adrianus hoped to finally bring his House out of the shadows of obscurity and to make them a notable item in the politics and intrigue of Westeros. There was only one downside to this, however. Since Thea had been a toddler, her father had been planning to marry her to her uncle's youngest son, Dorian.
The two cousins were fond of each other, with Dorian being a big brother figure to Thea. Both Bartimos and Adrianus figured that their children would make a good match, especially since they both possessed unique lineages. But since his niece was now engaged to Prince Aegon the Younger, those marriage plans would have to be scrapped. It was bittersweet since Adrianus was looking forward to marrying Dorian to Thea, but it was mostly sweet since something better came along. Speaking of better, Thea marrying a prince would open doors to powerful noble houses that both Adrianus and his brother could marry their other children into.
A ship bearing House Targaryen's heraldry on its sails had been dispatched to collect the queen's future daughter-in-law and lady-in-waiting, and it was due to arrive within a week. The guards on Claw Isle's battlements kept a sharp lookout for the ship, while servants scurried about the castle to pack Thea and Adela's belongings for their trip to their new home. The reality that she would eventually be leaving Claw Isle did not hit Thea until she saw the servants carry out chests that were filled with her clothes, shoes, and other personal sundry items. To ease their mutual nervousness, both Adela and Thea would practice royal etiquette and read letters that they received from Bartimos and from House Bolling, Thea's maternal family, congratulating her on her betrothal. Beatrice joined her cousin and aunt during these sessions.
The impending separation of Beatrice from her cousin, and only friend, was a source of great distress for the young girl. It was hard for Thea as well. Beatrice was like the younger sister Thea had always wanted, and it was going to be difficult adjusting to life at the Red Keep without her. The two cousins began to spend more time together, even sharing a bed at night. During Thea's last night at Claw Isle, Beatrice cried into her cousin's chest as the former comforted her.
"I don't want you to go…" a lachrymose Beatrice had uttered repeatedly as she was held by her cousin. "I don't want you to go…"
Early the next morning, Adela and Thea got up, had one last breakfast with the family before finally going outside to board their ship. Beatrice and Thea hugged one last time, and tears began to flow. Mother and daughter waved to Adrianus and his family as their ship slowly began to depart from the dock. Thea kept waving to her cousin, and when one arm became tired, she waved with the other one. The two cousins continued waving to each other until they were both just specks on the horizon.
The journey was a slow one. It was freezing out on the deck, and Thea spent most of her time indoors inside her cabin with her mother. Every now and then, the two would go outside to get some fresh air, and would feel sorry for the sailors and deckhands who had to work outside in the frigid, salty air. The food did not make the voyage any easier either, with meals consisting mostly of hardtack and dried meat that was washed down with ale (Thea drank a watered down version). The excitement of meeting her fiancé when reaching King's Landing soon morphed into Thea desiring for better food when disembarking.
Roughly a week after leaving Claw Isle, the capital city was spotted by the crow's nest. Thea and Adela came out onto the deck to watch their steady approach to the city docks. Their ship was not the only one arriving at that time. Another ship was sailing up through Blackwater Bay on the Celtigar's port side. Atop its mast was a flag bearing the heraldry of House Darklyn: a field of yellow and black diamonds with a red bar depicting four white shields that represented the five Darklyn men who had served in the Kingsguard, including both Sers Steffon and Robert.
"Prince Viserys's betrothed." Adela remarked when she saw the Darklyn heraldry.
Thea's curiosity about the ship was soon forgotten in favor of something else. A large crowd had gathered at the docks. As the ship got closer, Thea could see two wheelhouses, and two of three knights of the Queensguard on horseback. The knight who was standing at attention at the dock was with an older couple. They were both facing the ship bearing the Darklyn flag.
Also standing at the dock was Thea's father, Lord Bartimos Celtigar. Upon seeing her father, Thea began jubilantly waving to him as her smiling mother watched her. Bartimos could not contain his joy upon seeing his wife and daughter, and he waved back to Thea. When they finally reached the dock, and the gangplank was lowered, Thea ran down the plank and into the arms of her father. It had been over a year since Thea had felt her father's embrace, and she relished the feeling of his warm, strong arms wrapping tightly around her.
"There's my little princess. How I have missed both you and your mother." Bartimos said. His embrace softened when he saw his Lady of Claw Isle walking down the gangplank. Taking hold of Thea's hand, the two walked over to greet Adela.
"My lady wife." Bartimos said and he took Adela's hand and kissed it. "It has been too long."
When her father kissed her mother's hand, Thea heard some voices coming from behind and she looked over her shoulder. The Queensguard knight and the couple were talking to a young girl who had disembarked from the Darklyn ship with a septa. She appeared to be younger than Thea, and had long, straight brown hair, and was wearing a dark magenta dress.
Thea could not help but notice how distressed she looked. Despite the adults talking to her, the girl, Myrine, was looking around nervously, her eyes dark with nervousness. She would tug at her skirt and shuffle her feet, her eyes looking from the adults, to her feet, and the horizon and back. When her eyes fell on Thea, the girl looked away quickly. Thea could not help but think that Myrine was odd, but at the same time, she thought that it was the girl's way of coping with her new surroundings.
Shortly thereafter, Bartimos led his wife and daughter to their wheelhouse. Flurries began to fall when the family was shut inside the carriage, and the driver urged his horses to move. Thea had the window seat and she opened the shutter to look out through the woven reed screen. She was amazed by the number of people, how close the buildings were in the streets, the noise, and the smells: sweat, sewage, and even the faint scent of baking bread, causing Thea's stomach to growl. The city scenes were so different from that of lonely Claw Isle, and Thea could not wait to write to Beatrice to tell her about it.
As Thea looked out the window, Bartimos and Adela were catching up with each other. Thea felt her mother's hand on her shoulder, startling her from her daze.
"Sweetling, your father wants to talk to you." Thea looked from her mother to her father.
"Yes, papa?"
"Are you excited, my dear?" Bartimos asked. Thea nodded.
"Yep." She said, causing Bartimos to smile.
"I saw you looking at that girl who came off the ship from Duskendale. Do you know who she is?" Bartimos asked, and Thea nodded. "That was Lady Myrine Darklyn." Her father said anyway. "She is the youngest daughter of the Lord of Duskendale.
You two will be seeing the queen in the throne room once we arrive at the Red Keep. Both your fiancés will be present too. That is quite exciting itself is it not, my sweet?"
Thea nodded, but she felt nervous about it. Meeting her royal fiancé was one thing, being introduced to the queen in her court was another. Her father's letters had described the queen as being charming as well as curt and stubborn. The pressure of making a good impression on the queen weighed down on Thea, increasing her anxiety. The rest of the ride continued on in silence for the rest of the way.
Approaching the Red Keep gates, Thea held her mother's hand, who gave it a gentle squeeze. Looking out the window as the wheelhouse rounded the courtyard, Thea was in awe of the great castle that loomed over her like a giant. The red sandstone that the keep had been built with stood out against the steel grey sky, like blood on a polished blade. The door opened, and a courteous servant helped both Thea and Adela out first before Bartimos exited last. Behind the Celtigar's wheelhouse was the one containing the Darklyn party, and just like with the former, a servant helped Myrine, and the couple and septa out; the Queensguard knights had ridden ahead of the procession.
Thea could see that Myrine was looking around in awe of her surroundings. The people that were chaperoning her had sandwiched the child between them in a protective way. The sound of feet landing on the ground could be heard, and Thea looked to her left to see that the three Queensguard knights that had been standing at the dock earlier were now walking towards the Darklyn party. Curious as ever, Thea reached over her mother and tugged at her father's sleeve to get his attention.
"Papa," Thea whispered, causing her father to lean his head down a little to hear what his daughter was saying, "who are those knights?"
"They are Sers Steffon and Robert Darklyn, and Harrold Darke." Bartimos answered. "Steffon is the Lord Commander of the Queensguard. All three men are kin to Lady Myrine. Steffon is her great-uncle."
A man wearing Targaryen livery then came outside.
"My lords and ladies, on behalf of her grace, Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen, I, her royal steward, thank you all for coming. The queen wishes to see you all now. Follow me."
The two families steeled themselves as they walked through the main door. Two ushers opened the door leading to the throne room as two trumpets sounded. A crier announced the arrival of Houses Celtigar and Darklyn as they began walking into the throne room. Courtiers filled the room, and their eyes were rapt on the two girls, the future wives of Princes Aegon and Viserys Targaryen. Up ahead was the royal family.
Queen Rhaenyra was sitting on the Iron Throne while her family and household flanked her below on both sides. King Daemon, his middle daughter, and two of his stepsons were all absent from the Red Keep since they had flown out to the Reach to marry Prince Joffrey Velaryon to his bride at Honeyholt. The queen's relatives who were present at the Red Keep were her three youngest children: Aegon, Viserys, and Visenya (who was being held by her wet nurse), her cousin once removed, Princess Rhaenys, and stepdaughter, Princess Baela. Both grandmother and granddaughter were holding babies in their arms, with Rhaenys holding her great-granddaughter, Princess Alysanne Velaryon, and Baela holding her son, Prince Baelor Targaryen. Most of Rhaenyra's small council and her Queensguard also surrounded the Iron Throne.
Thea got a good look at Aegon the Younger. He was dressed richly in black and red with golden thread accents, had straight, shoulder length, silver-gold hair, and, even though he was far from her, Aegon without a doubt had purple eyes, the trademark features of the prince's pure Valyrian heritage. He looked familiar... The royal steward stepped away from the front of the entourage he was leading. As he stepped away, he bowed respectfully to the queen and gestured towards the Celtigar's and Darklyn's.
"Your grace, the maids of Houses Celtigar and Darklyn."
Thea could see the queen looking at her, her silver-gold braided hair shimmering from the lit winter clouds outside. Thea froze as she felt Rhaenyra's purple eyes looking her over. The examination was over quick for then the queen was looking at Myrine. A moment later, the queen spoke.
"Ladies Thea Celtigar and Myrine Darklyn, come forward."
Adela and Bartimos began to follow their daughter until the queen spoke again.
"Just Thea and Myrine." She said curtly.
Feeling vulnerable at the idea of walking towards the queen without her parents by her side, Thea remained stationary and she looked at both her mother and her father.
"It is alright, sweetling." Adela said comfortingly. "You will be fine. Walk up."
"Yes, go on dear." Bartimos encouraged.
Strengthened by her parents words, Thea made her first tentative steps to towards the Iron Throne. She could hear speaking coming from behind her and when she looked back, Thea could see that Myrine wasn't walking. Both her chaperone and the old woman, possibly her grandmother, were holding her hands and trying to encourage her to walk, but Myrine would not budge. She looked distressed and on the verge of tears. She needed help.
Acting impulsively, Thea walked away from her shocked parents and towards Myrine. The courtiers stared incredulously at what Thea was doing, a future daughter-in-law of the queen blatantly disobeying a direct order from her royal grace. Rhaenyra cocked an eyebrow at the sight, but she did not say anything. Standing in front of Myrine, Thea offered the girl her hand.
"Take my hand. We can walk up together. Would you like that?"'
Myrine, who's lower lip was quivering, slowly nodded her head, and her chaperones let go of her hands. Silently, she extended her hand and gently grasped Thea's. Without a word, the two girls made their way to the queen. The air of incredulity that initially fallen over the crowd soon softened into that of a heartwarming realization. The two walked past a smiling Lord and Lady Celtigar who were immensely proud of their daughter's kindness.
When the two were about ten feet from the Iron Throne, the queen raised her hand.
"You two may stop now. That is close enough."
Thea let go of Myrine's hand to curtsy, and the latter followed suit. Rhaenyra looked over the two girls again. She was miffed that Thea had not listened to her command at first, but her displeasure melted away when she saw that it was for a good reason. Thea was kind, and that was an excellent quality to have in a spouse. However, Rhaenyra's displeasure remained, but this time it was aimed at Myrine.
She seemed to be an emotionally fragile girl who was incapable of doing anything without someone being there to hold her hand. Rhaenyra realized that she was being too harsh on the child. After all, Myrine was only six years old, and she had just left her home and family to come live at an unfamiliar place with strangers. Most noble daughters went through that when they were in their tens, not when they were still young children. This thought made Rhaenyra feel some sympathy for Myrine.
To ease the tension, Rhaenyra spoke.
"Welcome to the Red Keep, Ladies Thea Celitgar and Myrine Darklyn." The queen's voice echoed, her courtiers and household silent. "You two have had a long journey, so I will make the introductions brief."
She then went on to introduce her available family members. When the queen introduced Aegon the Younger, Thea noticed how the prince had turned red and was pretending to be interested in the blades that made up the towering dias of his mother's throne. It seemed quite rude, until Prince Viserys gleefully said, "Aegon, isn't that the girl you saw during mother's coronation tourney? You know, the one who you turned so red at?"
"Viserys!" Aegon shouted indignantly, his face becoming a deeper shade of crimson. Chuckling and people saying "aw" could be heard from the gathered crowd. Even little Visenya was smiling broadly with a toothless grin and she spouted off sweet little giggles. Prince Viserys simply sported a malicious and triumphant grin after successfully embarrassing his older brother.
Furious at his Viserys, Aegon was about to punch him when their mother intervened.
"Aegon, don't you even think about it." Her voice was truly menacing, and Aegon immediately ceased his actions. A smug Viserys stuck his tongue out at Aegon when he looked away. Unfortunately for him, Rhaenyra caught this.
"Viserys." She growled. "Stop acting like a pest and more like the prince you were born and raised to be. One more thing out of both of you and I will discipline you two myself. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Yes, mother." Both Aegon and Viserys said quietly in unison, their gazes fixed submissively on the floor.
Thea was surprised by her fiancé's attempt to strike his brother. She hoped that the punch was simply an impulse from passionate anger rather than something born from a bad temper. After that interesting event, Rhaenyra finished the introductions, discussed the betrothals, and brought up Thea and Myrine's lineages, which greatly impressed everyone; after which, with nothing else to do, the queen dismissed everyone, and the Celtigar's and Darklyn's departed for their rooms. Before they left, Myrine expressed her gratitude to Thea for escorting her to the Iron Throne earlier.
"Thank you." She said softly, the first words Thea had heard from Myrine.
The two parted ways when they reached a hallway that had residential quarters. Bartimos had to leave his wife and child to attend to a small council meeting with the queen, and he bid his family farewell after they had settled into their bedchambers. As Thea watched the servants unpack her belongings from her bed, another servant, an old woman, arrived asking for her.
"Yes?" Thea asked.
"The queen has mandated that both you and Lady Myrine will meet your future husbands face to face during separate, private meetings. If you come with me, I will take you to Prince Aegon. He is waiting for you in the Queen's Ballroom."
Thea dutifully did as told and she followed the woman out into the hallway. The Queen's Ballroom was a beautiful place. Torches on the walls were held by beaten silver mirror sconces that intensified the light from the fires, elaborate wood carvings depicting scenes from history and mythology decorated the room, and natural light poured in from large windows on the south wall. Prince Aegon Targaryen was sitting at the large table tracing the loops and grains of the wooden surface with a pale finger out of boredom. When he heard the door open and saw his fiancée entering with the servant, Aegon sat up straight in his chair and put his hand on his lap.
When they approached the prince, the servant bowed.
"Milord, here is Lady Thea Celtigar." The woman said. She then pulled out the chair that was beside Aegon and gestured for Thea to sit in it. Saying a quick thank you, Thea sat down and was pushed into the table. The servant resumed speaking. "I will be outside the door if you two need anything."
"Thank you." Aegon said, and the woman walked back out into the hallway. For a few awkward minutes, the two did not say anything, with Thea being a little shy and Aegon the same as well as being embarrassed from Viserys revealing that she was the same girl whom he had become flustered by nearly two years earlier. Just like before, Aegon felt intimidated by the same beautiful girl at the tourney grounds who now happened to be his fiancée. Taking note of her long curly hair, a random question popped up in the prince's mind.
"Um…" Aegon began, "is it hard to brush?"
Thea gave the prince a bemused look.
"Your hair. Is it difficult to brush?" Aegon asked, clarifying his original question.
Thea, embarrassed at first for not getting the obvious question right away, chuckled and said, "Yes it is. I have to get my hair wet before it can be combed. And it is so thick too! The servant who would brush my hair back home would spend nearly an hour combing my curls."
Aegon was surprised by that answer, and it made him grateful that he had straight locks. Now that they were talking, Aegon decided to change the subject from curly hair to Thea's family. Even though he nodded with interest when Thea described her cousins, uncle and aunt, Aegon was more interested in one specific kinsmen from Thea's maternal side, her half-uncle, Ser Minos Bolling.
"What is your Uncle Minos like?" He asked.
"I have only met him a few times, but he is kind to me. My mother said that he is "all man". He is hard to defeat, and he proved that during your mother's tourney when he sparred with Ser Tristan Mormont. He is known as the "Great Stag" in the Stormlands."
"Does he have a name for his axe?" Aegon inquired. "My father wields a sword called Dark Sister. It is one of our ancestral swords. The other is—"
"Blackfyre." Thea finished for him, which she then followed up with an apology. Aegon forgave her and asked again for the name of Ser Bolling's weapon, which the prince soon learned was "Bloodthirst". The thought of the tourney brought back the memory of seeing Thea for the first time, and of Viserys embarrassing him about it then and now for the second time earlier that day. A feeling of remorse began to wash over Aegon.
"Forgive me for what happened today in the throne room, my lady." Aegon began. "It was a very unbecoming way for us to meet. But Viserys was being such brat…"
"It is fine, my lord." Thea said. "Although I wish I had a younger sibling."
"Why?" Aegon asked incredulously. "They can be so annoying. And you have your cousins, my lady. Do they not suffice?"
"They do, but sometimes I wish I had a little brother or sister of my own." Thea said wistfully, before adding, "What about your little sister Visenya? She's just a baby."
"She's…" Aegon hesitated before sighing with defeat, "fine. All she does is crawl around, eat, and sleep though."
"Don't you love both of them?" Thea asked, to which Aegon pursed his lips and hesitantly nodded. The mention of the word "eat" caused Thea's stomach to growl. It was a loud rumble, and Thea went wide-eyed and she grabbed her stomach with both hands.
"Sorry about that…" she said sheepishly. This made Aegon smile. Apologies had come full circle for both of them.
"Don't be. I will arrange for some food to be brought up to us. I take it the fare you had during your voyage was not entirely edible?"
"Yes, it was all tough and salty." Thea replied with disgust at the memory.
Aegon called for the servant outside and ordered for a pitcher of milk and some bread baked with candied orange peel and cherries to be brought up to them. As Thea happily supped on the sweet and fruity bread, which she also washed down with the creamy milk, she continued to bond with the prince. He was exceeding her expectations. The Younger Prince was sweet, soft-spoken, and he had a lovely smile. As they talked, Thea's homesickness began to fade away as her world began to include her fiancé and the Red Keep.
That night, the two went to bed happily anticipating on meeting each other again the next day.
Rewrite Notes: Changes for House Celtigar as follows.
1. Bartimos has been married twice in this verison. I was inspired to have his first wife hail from House Crabbe since their son shares the same name as Ser Clement Crabbe. By the way, I have it in here that Clement is being fostered by his maternal relatives at the time of his half-sister's engagement to Aegon the Younger.
2. Dorian and Beatrice have an older brother named Arthor. He was mentioned FaB. He was killed during the Dance of Dragons alongside Bartimos by rioters in King's Landing.
3. Torreo Haen is from FaB. His daughter, Myrmadora, participated in the Maiden's Day Ball in the book.