"The king's younger brother. A prince of the Seven Kingdoms. Jaehaerys Targaryen," the herald announced. The man entered the hall. Dozens of lords stared at him as he passed. He smiled modestly as he looked at them.
The House of the Dragon shared a single table. The king sat with his two wives, Elia and Lyanna. Viserys was seated with his betrothed, Margaery Tyrell. The young heir, Aegon, sat with his wife, Myrcella of House Lannister—the eldest daughter of Jai Lannister and Catelyn Tully.
Tywin Lannister's reward for his services was, "A Lannister will be queen."
Rhaenys remained unmarried, though rumors in the city said her destiny lay in Dorne. The princess greeted him with a cheerful smile. They had not spoken since his arrival in King's Landing.
Another unbetrothed princess is Visenya, who just turned nine. She is the youngest daughter of Rhaegar and Lyanna. She is a young girl with dark hair streaked with silver and purple eyes. If the rumors were true, she was wild and constantly repressed.
Daenerys looked like a porcelain doll; her beauty was enormous, almost unreal. "The purest Valyrian woman in generations," an Essosi rchant said when he looked at her. She was the sa age as Sansa.
Queen Rhaella was seated behind Daenerys. The prince was expected to take a seat between his betrothed and the queen mother.
"Begin the banquet," the king said, not acknowledging him with so much as a nod. As always, he seed more focused on his duty than his family.
Jaehaerys took his seat as servants began serving the most exquisite dishes available at that ti.
"Mother, you look beautiful today. Princess Daenerys, may the gods bless
to be at your side," he said, flattering both won. Both smiled at his words, but the princess seed on the verge of tears.
The princess opened her mouth, but no words ca out. Music and murmurs filled the room as Daenerys drank a whole glass of wine to wash down the bitter pill.
'Shit,' he thought. He knew that ignoring his betrothed was the best way to maintain his family's image.
That image would be shattered the mont Daemon interrupted and shouted, "I'm going to kill you." Jaehaerys looked at the door as he waited, glancing behind the table at the entire royal guard except Dayne. 'He must be with Daemon,' he thought. 'Sir Barristan will lend
his sword if I ask him, won't he?', he wasn't a swordsman, he prefers other weapons.
"Princess, would you grant
this dance?" A bold man approached the royal family's table, ignoring all decorum, and asked a woman to dance right in front of her betrothed.
Darkstar, the dangerous n in Dorne, or that so whispered the KingsLanding voices. He was a tall, handso man who appeared to be physically fit. Jaehaerys wondered if he was as good as the rumors said.
"Of course," the princess murmured as she ran to take the Dornishman's hand. He smiled as he looked at Jaehaerys. Jaehaerys looked at his mother in disbelief. She wasn't even looking at him; her eyes were digging holes in Viserys's head.
'A little fish from High Hermit wouldn't act like that unless he had backing,' he thought, annoyed.
"I wish to dance with my betrothed," he said, standing up. He took Daenerys's hand, which was trembling. 'She just wanted to escape from ,' he thought sadly.
But if she ran into the arms of another man to start the dance, it would damage his image.
He didn't know how to calm the young woman down. She looked like a fawn caught by a hunting party.
"She doesn't seem comfortable with the idea," Dayne said, frowning. "It is my duty as a knight to protect maidens."
"Does that an my son intends to harm his betrothed?" the queen mother interjected.
The Dornishman searched for a polite way to respond to the queen mother. His gaze faltered as he bowed his head in defeat. He looked for Viserys, but he seed to ignore him in favor of his betrothed: Margaery.
"I apologize for my words, Your Majesty."
"It is my son whom you accused of those vile actions," she said, not relenting.
He clenched his teeth as he replied. "My prince, I apologize for my comnts," he said, turning on his heel and leaving the hall. He could feel everyone's eyes on him.
"Co, princess. We must start the dance." Many lords continued eating, but the situation warranted an exit. "In a world of appearances, we are not allowed to cry in front of others," he whispered as they walked. She simply clenched her teeth and nodded. She was a dragon, not just any lady.
As they danced, many lords and ladies comnted on how Jaehaerys and Daenerys seed to have been born for each other. They communicated in a secret language with their eyes. However, others pitied the princess, who had to endure the touch of a man she did not love
-----
Daenerys looked at her betrothed's face.
Like everyone in the Targaryen family, he was handso and charming. He had purple eyes and white hair, a rare color even in the dragon's family. Viserys and Rhaegar were handso, yes, but not masculine. They could easily pass for princesses in a dress. It wasn't the sa with Jaehaerys, though. His face was masculine, like a warrior's. However, according to the lords, he was far from being one.
Daenerys thought of Daemon, her love. The night before, they had argued. He had asked her to spend her first night with him so he could talk to her father. She refused. It wasn't because she didn't want to; it was out of respect for Jaehaerys and herself. She was a princess, not a prostitute like the ones Viserys frequented.
She did not want to marry Jaehaerys. However, she also did not want to dishonor herself or her betrothed by doing so. She knew of Daemon's plans: a duel. She was against it, of course. She tried to persuade him not to cancel the fight.
At the very least, she wanted to spare his brother's life. She didn't want to make her mother sad, nor did she want her brother to die, even if he was a stranger. In the end, Daemon promised to spare his life. Under certain conditions.
"The Free Cities are beautiful," she said. Her voice, though nervous, was as soft as the whisper of silk against skin.
"Do you want to go there? After the wedding?" her brother asked, his voice thick. She was captivated for a mont. "Baratheon still alive there. It's not safe
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