Chapter Text
During our time at Storm’s End we heard tales from courtiers and servants of the ghosts that haunted the ancestral home. Of the final Storm king who still walks the ramparts, even after Aegon’s conquest. Of the supposed witches that used to rule the woods. Of those taken by the storms that gave the home its name. What they didn’t tell us was how our hallway would be haunted by Lady Cassandra Baratheon.
Upon climbing the stairs, I was greeted with the annoyingly familiar sight.
“If I may.” She turned at the sound of my voice and frowned. “I believe subtlety is a virtue not given enough attention. However, I know my Maester and those in King’s Landings have preached from time to time about the sin of lusting after another’s.”
“You dare slander me within my own home.” The eldest Baratheon girl crossed her arms. Her chin tipped up to a haughtier angle.
“Is it slander when my eyes and many others have witnessed it?”
Her nose twitched. Her mouth flattened. “You think you are protected? Whispering in the princess’s ear green flame propaganda?” Her grey eyes very much mirrored the storms currently whirling beyond the walls.
“My family never claimed the Greens. Not unlike yours.” She huffed like the Targaryens’ dragons. I kept going before she could. “Our liege lord might have been the grandfather of the pretender, but they were not our blood. I fear your betrayal must have cut deeper. Was not the late Princess Rhaenys of Baratheon blood? And yet her grandson died above your lands.”
“The bastard?” Lady Cassandra’s laugh was short and sharp. “I would have thought you would be more thankful. You wouldn’t be so close to the throne.”
“How can one be thankful when our queen’s son is dead. Our future king’s brother. Though I am surprise,” I slowly walked around her, causing Lady Cassandra to spin on her heel to keep me in her line of sight, “I would have thought your family would be more forgiving , seeing as your line was given its position and power because of their blood ties to the Conqueror. Don’t you often boast of that shared blood?”
She lifted her chin again to look down her nose at me. “Our shared blood comes from marrying into the Targaryen family. An honor yours will never know.”
I shrugged. “The higher you are, the harder you fall. Or so the old saying goes.”
Lady Cassandra lunged forward. I held my ground, even when she was a breath away from our noses touching. “A saying you will learn first hand soon enough,” she hissed. Then with a smile she backed away, looking like the cat who had gotten to the cream. I refused to give her satisfaction and kept my expression blank. Though, I enjoyed having her watch as I turned and entered the royals’ room.
“You should not have provoked her.”
I twisted to discover Princess Jaehaera through the open doorway, at her vanity. She continued to brush the ends of her hair. “I could not stand another day of watching her so obviously lust for your husband.” Standing behind the princess, I held my hand out, ready to accept the hairbrush.
“You must stand it. Do you understand?” She watched me through the glass, waiting for my nod before handing me the brush. “Confronting her only gives her validation. It shows you truly are fearful Aegon will be unfaithful. It gives her hope to continue her quest. And that gives her power over me.”
“She could never have power over you, my princess.”
“She may now think she does. And you are lucky the prince is still out hunting, unable to hear the comment you had made.”
“I am sorry,” I whispered, bowing my head over my work, braiding her silky hair for the evening.
“I know you meant well.” She offered a small rare smile through the glass. Immediately it was gone. “But I need you to trust me. To trust the prince. We have talked and we are in agreement on how we wish this tour to go. Neither of us will do anything to harm it. But I need you to trust us too.”
“I do. And I promise to show my trust better going forward.”
Jaehaera twisted around, forcing me to drop the partially completed braid. “Thank you.” She grabbed my hands. “You have no idea how much you being here has made all this bearable.”
My lips pulled into a smile, unable to suppress it. Jaehaera twisted forward again as I said softly, “I will always —”
“There you are.” Through the glass I stared at the finely embroidered dragons upon Prince Aegon’s tunic. “You were missed during the Hunt.”
“I fear that is a half-lie. Don’t you think, Roseline?” I offered a small smile, but kept my head down, looking as though I was focusing on my work. Princess Jaehaera continued with her usual dead-pan tone, though I recognized the hint of mockery woven between her words. “The men missed the women. Missed having someone to show off to. Although, it would have been still pointless even if we did go.”
“And why’s that?” The prince leaned against the doorframe, his arms and legs crossed.
“The rain would have driven us to the tents. And if we had braved the storm, I doubt we would have caught your heroics.”
The prince’s laugh was as warm as that time Prince Viserys had insisted I tried the warmed mulled wine for the Winter Solstice. Shivering, I had to backtrack on the braid I was working on.
“Right as ever, my lady. And now I must go see where my man has gone with my bath. I fear I will shiver through supper if I do not warm up soon.” Straightening, he bowed, then departed into the hall.
My fingers slipped from her hair as the princess slumped with a heavy sigh.
“Things seem… good?” I said slowly. Carefully. I might have grown up alongside the royals, but only a few I considered knowing truly. Or as truly as possible when living at court. And Prince Aegon has always been apart from the rest of us. Kept closer to his mother and her council.
Before the princess could respond, the door opened, flooding the room with the other ladies-in-waiting’s giggles. When my gaze returned to the mirror, I found the usual expressionless mask back on.
I braided the princess’s hair in the faint grey morning light. Though there had been waving moments of brightness, finally promising a storm-free day.
“Jaehaera,” the prince greeted, startling both of us. Through the glass I caught the flutter of the other girls curtsying. His focus was solely on the princess. “I…” He licked his lips. “I was planning on going to the beach this morning. Since it's not storming. And… and…” For the first time, I watched the prince appear uncertain. He shifted his weight. I glanced over at the others who were obviously dithering. Lady Elinor fluffed and straightened the gown she had laid out for the princess while Lady Priscella fidgeted with the remains of our breakfast. Elinor had least kept her head down. Priscella meanwhile watched unabashedly. Sucking in a breath deep enough to straighten him, Prince Aegon said, “And I —”
“I would love to come,” Princess Jaehaera interrupted. Possibly, smartly, to prevent any gossip from spreading.
Aegon nodded. “I will be writing to my mother in the other room while you finish dressing.” For a moment, I could have sworn I saw a pinch of color to his pale cheeks, but he spun on his heels too soon for me to tell.
With the prince in just the other room, the ladies at least were smart enough to hold their tongues. Though it did nothing to stop their questioning looks as we finished preparing her highness. With a few tweaks, she was ready to face the chillier, seaside air.
When Jaehaera emerged, Prince Aegon immediately stood, offering a wan smile and his arm. Neither said anything as they emerged from their room with us and the guards trailing respectfully behind them. The silence did not become apparent though until our path crossed with Lady Cassandra’s and her sister, Lady Ellyn.
“Your highnesses,” they sweetly greeted with a low curtsy. Lady Ellyn directed a smile to both the prince and princess. Lady Cassandra unsurprisingly stared at only his highness. Standing beside her younger sister made her age more pronounced. In turn, it made her desperation look not too dissimilar to the look the elder Prince Aegon had when the queen briefly attempted to curb his drink. The desire etched aging lines.
“Are you off anywhere fun, your highness?” Cassandra asked, her smile achingly sweet.
“A walk along the beach.”
“Oh, how lovely. We shall join you then.”
Even though I could not see Prince Aegon’s face, I could have sworn I watched him bristle at Lady Cassandra inviting herself, overstepping her place.
“Perhaps another time, Lady Cassandra.” For a moment the prince nearly mirrored the princess’s usual muted tone.
It did not go unmissed by her either, as her smile faltered before straining back into place. She opened her mouth to say something, the seven knew what, but was left looking like a fish as the prince and princess brushed past her. It took all my willpower not to toss a look back. At least until the icy wind whipped my cheeks.
“Sevens,” Lady Priscella cursed under her breath before muttering, “Couldn’t we have stayed behind?”
The stern look I threw over my shoulder went unnoticed. Priscella was too busy frowning while adjusting her cloak that appeared to be designed for its style rather than substance. If this was a taste of how the next six months was going to go, I pray for some divine intervention. Or more patients.
Between shifting my gaze between the back of the royal highnesses’ silvery heads and keeping my footing on the uneven terrain, I was startled when Lady Elinor linked her arm through mine.
“This is more than a simple walk along a beach?” Elinor inquired, keeping her voice low. Almost too low as it was nearly lost to the wind and waves crashing.
I glanced around. Most of the guards had flared out, keeping an eye on the open surroundings. Though one was helping a pleased Lady Priscella down the hillside. “It is. From what I have gathered, the prince likes to honor his lost brother whenever he visits Storm’s End.”
“And he wished to share this with her highness.” Elinor’s warm smile was directed ahead of us. “It seems spring shall be arriving soon.” She tipped her face up to the sun crawling out from behind the cloud.
“We all pray so. Possibly things may thaw along the tour.”
Elinor huffed a small laugh. “Let’s hope so. The northern regions can be unforgiving.”
“Ah, but you are used to its temperament. Perhaps you may help us in preparing for what to expect?”
Tipping her chin down, she met my eye and smiled. “It would be an honor. And thank you.” I nearly stumbled over a loose rock, Lady Elinor’s arm still linked with mine kept me upright. Despite my obvious surprise, she continued, “For welcoming me. I was afraid it would take longer to prove that I only wish to help.”
“I am sorry it appeared you needed to prove yourself.”
She shrugged. “I would have done the same. Times are still trying. There is dust still not quite settled. But this,” she was looking forward again, “This is a good sign for a promising future.”
“I believe so too,” I whispered, watching as the princess tipped her chin up to give Prince Aegon her full attention. Her mask slipped. Possibly it was the trick of the light, now free from the clouds. But I could have sworn I saw her mouth and eyes pull down into a moment of sadness.
When the royal highnesses stopped by the shoreline, the rest of us halted too, giving them as much privacy as we could.
I tried to ignore Priscella giggling behind me. A sound inappropriate for the moment. But was grateful the prince and princess could not hear it over the waves and the wind. I no longer heard her when the princess reached for Prince Aegon’s hand. Bowing his head, he offered her a small, but tired smile. Perhaps this all may not be as trying as we had assumed.
Another peal of ear-piercing giggling had me grimacing into my wine cup. Either Lady Cassandra was cunning enough to maneuver herself to be consistently seated so near Prince Aegon, or perhaps her mother was encouraging this nonsense. The latter was beginning to seem possible. Since we arrived, the seating arrangement has been …. bold.
Seated at one of the lower tables with the rest of our party, facing the table of honor, I should have been thrilled seeing Prince Aegon leaning closer to the princess. Talking to her more. Their silver hair gleaming under the candlelight. Heads bowed close, as though they could not hear the laughter and chinking of silverware and chatter of the banquet around them. But with each passing night, it felt like Lady Cassandra grew more determined. Her laughter became more and more like a needle under my nail. I knew Jaehaera was right to encourage no reaction, but Sevens it was hard. I could not understand how she tolerated it. It was driving me towards the edge.
Soon , I told myself. Two more days and then we move on .
“Would it be fine if I excuse myself?” Lady Elinor leaned into my shoulder, drawing my attention back to our table.
I lowered my voice to match hers. “Is something wrong?” It was a pointless question once I looked into her pale face. A fine sheen was exposed by the candlelight. Her color more wan.
“Please do not fret,” she reassured, except her smile turned into a grimace. Tipping her head closer to mine, she whispered, “It is simply my monthly. Sometimes they cause me terrible pain. But I promise it will not hinder me. I can still assist the princess. I just need a moment to lie down.”
“Go,” I urged. “We’ll be fine.” At that, both Elinor and I twisted to look at Lady Priscella. She was farther down the table at her normal spot, but she had not been acting normally all afternoon. Even at that moment, she was picking at her food, nodding her head absently at Malligan Hasty. Not a single flirtatious giggle from her all night. If only I could say the same for Lady Cassandra. Yet, Priscella’s silence had both Elinor and I sharing concerned expressions. “Go,” I repeated. “The princess will most likely retire soon anyway.”
“Oh, well, in that case, I could probably —”
“Go.”
At my frown, Elinor nodded and took her leave.
I was of course correct. The dessert was barely finished when Princess Jaehaera rose to leave. The same time she had every night. And like every other night, everyone else rose, including Prince Aegon, who bowed and kissed her hand. But tonight he did not take his seat until the princess had joined us.
Perhaps we may not have as much time to prepare the princess before bed. The niggling thought drifted through my head like the wisp of smoke from a candle.
“How was your evening, your highness?”
“Fine.” She shot me a suspicious look out of the corner of her eye, but asked, “Where is Lady Elinor?”
“Unwell. She asked to return early.”
“Oh. I hope she is fine.” Then, with a slight tilt of her head, she threw a glance over her shoulder at an eerily quiet Lady Priscella trailing after us.
I smothered a sigh. It seemed I would need to get to the bottom of her situation. There were still too many weeks waiting ahead of us.
“Good evening, your highness,” Lady Elinor greeted us upon entering the royal suite.
Princess Jaehaera glided towards her changing room. As she passed her lady-in-waiting, she reached for her hand.“I heard you were feeling unwell.”
Lady Elinor and I followed after the princess, helping to remove her jewels. A simple glance over my shoulder confirmed Priscella was off completing her task of turning down the bed. “Nothing too serious, your highness,” Elinor confided. “Some pain due to my monthlies.”
“Ah,” Jaehaera hummed. “Maester Carmine makes me a special tincture to aid with my sleep.” The princess nodded at me. I spun away to grab the glass vial I normally prepared for her. “Please,” she continued, “have some. It will help make your night easier.”
“Oh I couldn't, your highness.” Elinor clutched her hands to her chest, the jewels captured between.
“I insist. I know how unpleasant the pain can be.”
Mixed with a splash of wine, I returned with one of the princess’s goblets.
“Thank you.” Elinor accepted the cup. “But allow me to help you undress before I drink it.” She placed it back onto the sideboard.
Princess Jaehaera studied her lady-in-waiting. Finally her lips tugged into one of her rare smiles. “I will agree to this. But know you can not trick me. I would prefer a well-rested lady than a martyr.”
Following their mutual nods of assent, the evening rolled back into its usual pattern. Fluttering about, Elinor and I undressed the princess, replacing her rich green gown with a nightgown. Priscella and Elinor returned all the items to their proper places as I undid her highness’s hair and brushed it out. At least, I was beginning to undo her hair when the door thudded shut.
“Good evening,” Prince Aegon said softly, leaning against the open doorframe.
My fingers slipped from her hair when the princess bowed her head. In the partially lit room, it was hard to tell if I had truly seen her cheeks color.
Just as quickly, she twisted in her seat. “Lady Elinor.” She halted the lady-in-waiting from slipping past the prince with a gown she was to prepare for tomorrow. “Our agreement.”
“Of course, your highness.” Her already gentle voice softened, as though afraid she would ruin something if she made her presence more known. Returning for the chalice, she then went to leave again when the princess halted her once more.
“Elinor.”
A small smile tugged at the lady’s lips right before she drank the tincture.
“And what was that about?” Prince Aegon inquired, moving into the room as Lady Elinor slipped past.
“A —” A thud interrupted the princess.
All three of us rushed from the room. I should have been frustrated by the prince and princess, rushing into a potentially dangerous situation. It did not matter in that moment. Not when we came across Elinor crumpled onto the ground, the princess’s dress spreading like blood across the floor.