Chapter Text
126 AC
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She is 14 when she sees Daemon Targaryen cut her father's head off with a swift swing of his sword. The rotting King didn't say a word.
Her uncle Malentine immediately tucks her into his doublet and she sobs quietly and curses her late aunt's former husband. He smells like the sea, like her Father, like all Velaryons do. How quickly that man has run off to his whore niece! Laena might not have even reached the deeper end of the sea.
Her mother, Lady Orella Celtigar begs for clemency and proclaims that her husband was a fool to transgress the King's word and law.
Daemon laughs, her older brother Daemion stiffens and her younger brother Daeron frowns at Mother.
Court session ends and people get on with their lives as her Father's blood still paints the floor red. She can see his tongue behind one of the huge pillars. The servants did not do their job properly.
Rhogar, her handsome uncle, the one she dreams about, sneers and spits out words of vitriol,
"She has his cock wrapped around her fucking finger! Look how he slobbers like a dog at her word. Fucking Daemon, led by cunt....to think the Driftwood Throne would be tainted by that pug-nosed little bastard!"
Daemion nods along as sniffles. He can't cry, the burden of being the eldest. Daeron plods along as he tugs at his gold chain while weeping.
They reach their temporary guest room and Mother dismisses any servants lingering by.
("Rats all of them, fucking tattletales", her father used to bemoan)
Her mother, a lanky woman (even taller than Father) with a rambunctious head of golden curls and startling blue eyes was not considered a beauty. Her face, too narrow and skin, stretched too thin. Her cheekbones tend to jut out and her ears were unnaturally attached to her face.
Somehow with the Velaryon genes mixing, Valaena was a passable beauty. She inherited her mother's coloring but her father's features.
Mother plops down on the ottoman chair and twists her rings. She then twirls her hair and scratches her roots.
The room is too silent, they can hear her incessant scratching and her huge pendant earrings creaking.
(Valaena sees a brown rat scurrying by. Fucking King's Landing. She misses home, ugly damp thing it is. Corlys refurbished High Tide and made it into a stunning display of power while he gave the "inconsequential" Velaryons, Castle Driftmark.)
She has seven rings in total and it's not a surprise the huge emerald one snags at her hair
She loses all composure and rips out a good chunk of hair.
Daeron, her mother's favourite, immediately catches her as she stumbles and sits her down on the bed.
"I am not going to hide behind lies, your father and I, we did not love each other. But we did respect each other and he never dishonored me in any way. I gave him two sons and a daughter and he gave me my freedom. Frequent visits to Claw Isle and he did build me that extraordinary library back home. We were good friends and even better political conspirators. That cunning man knew that this was going to be the outcome. Viserys is half dead and his addled mind sees Aemma Arryn in Rhaenyra."
She takes a stuttering breath and continues,
"At most, he thought he would be sent to the Wall. But he did prepare some back-up plans, clever man he is. We will accept this insult quietly -- shut up Rhogar! -- but we will keep this rage inside us. We will root those fucking Targaryens out eventually. It will take time, decades even because of those humongous beasts flying in the air but one day, it will be Velaryon and Celtigar blood sitting on the throne even if the name is Targaryen. We will marry into that wretched family over and over again until they have golden hair."
She grinds her teeth and look at Valaena with tears in her limpid eyes,
"He was already in talks with the Hightower Queen. He knew Rhaenyra had her rabid dog at heel and Corlys was too cunt-struck and power-hungry to keep House Velaryon afloat. He wouldn't go against his darling wife would he! Vaemond had promised you girl, to Aemond Targaryen. Your children would marry back into the main line, either with Jaehaerys or Jaehaera."
The first thing that comes out of her mouth unfortunately becomes a whine,
"Mother! He practically has Father's name!"
Her mother's anger erupts and she raises her ring-clad hand against her. Malentine, thankfully stops her. To be scarred in the face is a curse.
"STUPID GIRL! HE HAS ONE EYE AND THE FIRST THING YOU WHINE ABOUT IS HIS NAME?! THIS WAS YOUR FATHER'S FINAL WISH, FULFIL IT CHILD!" her mother shouts in a whisper.
Valaena sneeks a look at her uncle Rhogar and lets out a long sigh. It has barely been an hour since Father's murder.
Little did she know that just a few floors above them, the Queen and her favourite child were having the same conversation, albeit without the politicking and cursing.