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It was the first year that Helaena was old enough to go door to door for trick or treating on Halloween night.
“I think we need to tone down the decorations in the yard this year, love,” Alicent whispered offensively to her wife. Helaena was obliviously eating her cereal, not paying attention.
Over the years, Rhaenyra had proudly built up a collection of Halloween decorations.
“It’s just that this year, since she can toddle around and she’s more aware of her own surroundings – those Halloween decorations might scare Helaena.” Alicent never stopped fretting about overwhelming Helaena now that they knew their baby was on the spectrum.
Rhaenyra understood, really, where her wife was coming from. The giant robotic werewolf that tore off its shirt and screamed had frightened even some adults that accompanied their little trick or treaters. However, lots of kids loved the way this house went all out with festivities. They also gave out full bars of candy, so they were a popular spot.
Plus, Helaena wasn’t a typical child. She loved things that many kids found scary, like millipedes. She had come home from preschool with one in her backpack and was very upset when Alicent kindly told her that it needed to go play outside where it belonged.
“Just let me try to test the waters? We don’t have to use
everything
we have in the past, but we have some tamer ones. I’ll show her those. She might like them.”
Alicent was not convinced. She stuck by as Rhaenyra decided to test the waters by taking Helaena into the garage to go through a bit of their storage.
She carried her little one up to one of the smaller boxes, using one hand to remove the spare rotting wooden graveyard boards that a bloody skeleton would burst through out of the ground. This was just the boards, though, and underneath were some fuzzy rats with red eyes.
“Look, it’s like one of the mice from your cartoons.” Rhaenyra cooed and picked one up for Helaena to look at.
Her baby was terrified.
Helaena screamed and grabbed at her mother’s shirt, clinging desperately as she cried. Rhaenyra’s heart broke for causing her distress. She swiftly retreated back into the house where Alicent gave her a stern look that said
I told you so
before her wife came and took Helaena.
“Shh, darling girl, your Mummy’s going to get rid of all those scary things. We don’t have to decorate the house. Please don’t cry, we’ll make it all better. Mama’s going to make sure Mummy gets rid of all of them.”
In the end, Rhaenyra donated everything but the light up pumpkin string lights and a giant inflatable light-up dragon.
Rhaenyra was determined to fix her young child’s perception of her favourite holiday.
While Alicent was out getting her nails done with Orwyle one day, she took initiative to take Helaena on a special adventure to help her enjoy Halloween. They would pick out family friendly Halloween decorations together. Rhaenyra had already swung by that store the other day, so she knew the aisles to avoid with her precious girl.
She was tingling with excitement as she buckled Helaena into her carseat, explaining where they were going.
After putting Helaena’s headphones on, to protect her from the busy sounds that overwhelmed her, Rhaenyra carried her daughter into the Halloween store. She took special care to avoid the big automatic shrieking skeletons and giant werewolves.
Helaena was playing with her fidget toy, popping the rainbow bubbles back and forth in their rubber case.
“Oh, sweetling, take a look at that,” Rhaenyra cooed softly, pointing at a giant happy inflatable pumpkin. It was cheerful and child friendly – definitely the kind of thing the Targaryens should have in their yard, instead of her (dearly beloved and years enduring) collection of realistic decorations which horrified sweet children like Helaena.
Helaena gave it a wide-eyed stare and smiled innocently, reaching out a tiny hand towards it. Rhaenyra smiled and resisted the urge to squeeze her little girl with a bear hug. She walked closer to it so Helaena could feel the fabric. She poked it and giggled.
Rhaenyra made a mental note to add this to her shopping list as they reworked this year’s yard layout, delighted that Helaena was interested in Halloween again.
“Oh, Helaena! Your friend Snoopy is here. He wants to have a Halloween party with you.” Rhaenyra gently rocked her as she moved on to a giant plastic Snoopy figurine holding a bowl. It would be perfect to put candy in by the door for trick or treaters to take from while they walked around the block with Helaena. Or they could put fruit punch in it and keep it inside for their family Halloween party.
Rhaenyra took her time letting Helaena explore and play, patiently holding her little one up so she could reach it. Rhaenyra adoringly watched as her child gently touched the plastic Snoopy’s nose and patted his head until getting bored.
“Put down,” Rhaenyra’s tiny princess pleaded, so her mother stooped down to gently set her on the floor, making sure that Helaena was standing steady.
Helaena toddled down the row of spooky decorations in the Halloween store, holding onto Rhaenyra’s hand to help her keep her balance. Rhaenyra’s heart swelled with pride for her daughter. It was in fleeting moments like this that she wished she could relive over and over again. It felt like only yesterday that Helaena was beginning to crawl. She was growing up so fast.
Helaena did a little dance as they arrived by the fake cobweb section, letting go and running ahead as she squealed excitedly. “Spider! Mum, spider!”
Helaena was looking right at a giant hairy tarantula made out of wires. It was the size of her head.
Rhaenyra hummed, a bit surprised, but not wanting to discourage her child from getting more excited about this
objectively
conventionally ugly decoration instead of the cuter ones aimed at children. “This is a great one, sweetheart. It’s perfect!”
Helaena’s fingers reached at the air helplessly as if to grab it. She was too little to reach it. Feebly, she tried to jump, but she was still falling short by several feet.
Rhaenyra stepped in to take it off of the rack where it was hanging, crouching down to help her hold the heavy metal statue.
“Love,” Helaena giggled, hugging it.
“Then we’ve got to get it. I love shopping with you. Isn’t Halloween fun?”
“Spider!” Helaena cheered.
“Yes, it’s a perfect spider for our house.” Rhaenyra’s heart warmed. Maybe Helaena would enjoy Halloween, after all, despite her earlier scare.
They returned home with a bounty: pumpkins in plenty, the Snoopy figure holding a bowl, the giant wire spider, fake spider webs, plastic figures of ghost puppies that lit up in the dark, happy looking bats, and lots of candy. Rhaenyra gave Helaena the idea for their first mischievous
trick
of Halloween: hiding the spider statue in the sink of the bathroom to scare Alicent.
“We’re going to trick Mama into thinking there’s a big bug. She’s going to scream because she’ll be so surprised. Halloween can be scary, but it can also be fun. Don’t you think so, sweetling?”
Helaena cooed and giggled.
When Alicent got home later, Rhaenyra had kissed her on the cheek and admired the wildflower design on her acrylics.
“While you were gone, I trapped a bug in the bathroom. It should be under a cup in the bathtub. Can you take it outside, love?”
Helaena laughed up a storm as Rhaenyra grinned and picked up the little one so they could both follow Alicent as she headed towards it.
Alicent pulled back the shower curtain and
shrieked
and jumped backwards, almost falling into the sink, hand clutched over her heart. After a half second, a flicker of annoyance passed over her face before she let out a breath of relief. Her brain caught up to her eyes and processed that the giant spider was fake.
Heleana was belly-laughing, hugged close to Rhaenyra like a treasure. It was hard for Alicent to stay mad at the sight of the two of them being so cute.
She rubbed the back of her neck, “You two got me.”
“Trick!” Helaena squealed.
Alicent joined them in smiling at that. “Oh? And where’s my treat?”
“It’s trick
or
treat, love.” Rhaenyra teased. “Not
and.”
“Oh, you’re so mean to me.” Alicent feigned hurt.
Halloween night crept up quickly.
Their front yard was less intimidating than future years: with ghost puppies and happy bats lining the walkway to their porch. The giant inflatable dragon was by Alicent’s garden plot, looking over it almost protectively. Pumpkins were scattered across the grass of their lawn and the three of them had worked on painting their makeshift
Pumpkin Patch
sign. Their front porch was adorned in fake spider webs. Snoopy was offering up candy in his bowl by the door.
The giant wire spider was notably missing.
Helaena had begged and pleaded to be allowed to have it in her room. Her mothers found it impossible to say no to such an earnestly adorable request.
Alicent and Rhaenyra loved handing out candy themselves to their neighbors, but were more excited to be able to experience trick or treating with Helaena. This way, anyone who came to their house still got candy.
To their little girl’s delight, Alicent and Rhaenyra both agreed to wear bug-themed costumes. Rhaenyra was Spider-Mum, as Helaena called it. Alicent was in a ridiculously elaborate bright green praying mantis costume.
Helaena had never gone trick or treating before, and they worried that she might get a sensory overload or just get scared if they took her out after dark during peak hours of activity. So they took her out right after dinner, before even the sun had started to set.
Helaena herself was dressed in a caterpillar costume – “the very hungry
for candy
caterpillar,” she cheered as she danced around the house, showing off for her moms.
Helaena’s blue plastic pumpkin bucket filled up with so many sweets that Rhaenyra had to carry it home for her as it made her daughter’s little arms get tired.
“Okay, sweet bug, you can have three pieces before bed and you can enjoy the rest later.” Rhaenyra said as they poured out what was essentially a dragon’s hoard of treasure.
Alicent checked all of Helaena’s candy to make sure it was safe.
Helaena picked out her pieces and happily enjoyed them. She pretended to feed one to the giant wire spider.
Helaena insisted on being tucked in with that thing, to Alicent’s bewilderment, but she indulged her quirky sweet girl. Alicent read Helaena a bedtime story about a pumpkin that had two mommies while Rhaenyra braided her hair.
Helaena fell asleep cuddling with her new beloved toy.