(Please do not ghostread)

Aelyna's presence had begun to unnerve the green council. Just as when she was a child, she remained a recluse. Though this time by choice. A shadow of conspiracy and paranoia circled the halls of the Red Keep. Whispers surrounding the nature of her visit. Some speculated it was as simple as a niece visiting her sick uncle, but Otto Hightower believed it was an unnerving plot. To keep their plans at bay, to delay the process of Lucerys Velaryons true claim as Driftmarks heir. To the hand of the king, her arrival seemed to perfectly curated. 

Aelyna allowed nothing and no one close, the only exception being Helaena and Ser Erryk. When she wasn't in the kings chambers, reading to the bed ridden Viserys tales of old Valyria, she spoke in riddles with Helaena in the gardens. But even in a castle as large as the Red Keep, it always seemed like she was lurking in their shadows. 

Rumor of dark forces loomed the castle. Aelyna, the girl with to shadows. 

"The girl knows." Otto said seated across his daughter in his chambers. The chamber lit dimly, only the flickering glow of candlelight casted amongst the stone walls.

"No, she does not." Alicent replied taking a sip of wine "She has spent a great deal of her time with Helaena. The girl has never cared for court politics, nor does she now." Alicent sat back in her chair

Otto's jaw clenched. For a moment he saw a glimpse of naivety in his daughters eye, one that considered unbeneficial to them "Is that what you think? How can you be so sure of this?" he scoffed

Alicent leaned forward, her brows knitted together as she calmly answered her father "You think you are the only with little spies, father?" She rhetorically asked "Aelyna has barely left this castle since arriving, and if and when she does- it is only to see a former maid that used to work in the Red Keep."

"The girl is a spy!" Otto slammed his fist to the table "And you are a fool if you think otherwise." He argued back "She has been sent by both Rhaenyra and Daemon to keep us at bay- why else would the girl spend hours of the day by the kings bedside after having been missing for so many years."

"You think she means to align with Rhaenyra?" Alicent rolled her eyes "After the betrayal she suffered through Daemon and Rhaenyra's marriage- she wouldn't."

Otto shifted back in his seat "Bastard or not- she is a Daemons daughter. You know as well as I she was raised to believe anyone who is not one of them is an enemy- and we, my queen, have and always will be outsider." 

"Be that as it may, you know I am right in this father." Alicent replied "You have seen those boys of hers. They are not true Velaryon." Alicent quickly countered back "The succession of Driftmark should be rightfully handed to Vaemond Velaryon. Both the king and the Seasnake have disillusioned themselves into believing into Rhaenyra's lies. To have one son, like hers is a mistake." Alicent paused the disdain in her tone clearer than daylight "But three, is an insult to the crown."

"You will hear no argument from me." Otto answered "But what of the girl. With her here, there is no room for mistake. Everything we have planned must be done accordingly."

"So what would you have me do?"

Otto nodded "Let her believe she is welcome. Allow Aelyna to think she has gone unnoticed." the hand of the king instructed "But her every step, every whisper- even in the company of no one- must be shadowed."

"And if she is to move against us?"

Otto allows the question to settle in the air before speaking, his voice cold and calculated "She won't have the chance to do so."

On Dragonstone, the light casted over a heavy table filled with ancient tomes and scrolls. The scent of parchment and melted wax lingered as Rhaenyra entered the room. Her belly swollen with another child as her hand soothed it as she heard her eldest son, Jacaerys study Valyrian. The indistinct chatter between the young prince and his tutor became more clear to her ears 

"The Conqueror and his sisters sailed with a great army." Jacaerys translated 

"Se Blakutata Rasho dranot vilinio viartis."

"And landed... at the Blackwater Rush?" The young prince questioned himself as he answered "Dr a not. At the end?"

"The mouth." Rhaenyra grinned, her eyes crinkled at the corners as she let out a warm chuckle.

Jacaerys turned, surprised by his mothers visit as a sudden blush crept on his cheeks "Mouth! Ah, come on Jace, you knew that." Jace scolded himself repeating the Valyrian tongue twisters over and over until they would stick.

"Perhaps that's enough for this morning." Rhaenyra suggested as she rounded the table 

"No, I- I want to keep going." Jacaerys encouraged himself "Maester?"

"Guesi misenakson Aegon undas."

"Aegon... ordered that the trees should be... killed?"

"Felled." his mother corrected "It was a related word." Jace, I don't expect you to learn High Valyrian in day." Rhaenyra shrugged

"A king should honor the traditions of his forbears." Jace's voice steady and unwavering as he smiled back to his mother "Besides, Aelyna was when she could speak the tongue fluently." A confident smirk on the young prince as he remembered his older sister-aunt

Rhaenyra froze for a moment, her breath hitched as Aelyna's name was mentioned. The princess found a pinch in her heart "Yes..." Rhaenyra said "But that was because it was the only language she could speak, or willing to speak if I remember correctly." 

Rhaenyra reminded as she remembered the hours she spent with her younger cousin. The tiny babe on her hip as sung Valyrian songs to the child to get her to sleep at night- all a distant memory now. "Besides, unless you plan to depose your own mother, you will have plenty of time to study."

The door creaked on its hinges, faintly at first. When Rhaenyra turned her eyes softened as she caught the figure of her husband approaching them. She turned to Jace, excusing him from the room. Rhaenyra's face a mixture of weariness and serenity at the sight of her husband, but Daemon's was unreadable to her. 

His gaze fixed on her as he stopped before her, his hand gentle placed on her stomach as he handed her two parchment.

Taking it from his hand as she read over the parchments, with each her eyes widened "He means to call into question Luke's legitimacy?" She stood frozen as the papers stuck to her hands "And by extension Jace, by extension my own claim to the throne."

"Vaemond cares only about Driftmark and the Velaryon line." Daemon reasoned "Not about our politics. Rhaenys has flown to court."

"Surely, she cannot be planning to back him?" Rhaenyra's eyes darted between the letter and her husband "Whatever disagreements we may have had, she is not cruel enough to do that?"

"Disagreements?"

Rhaenyra sighed as she leaned into Daemons touch "She believes we had Laenor killed so that we might marry."

"And yet, she has taken Baela to ward."

"Yes." Rhaenyra replied "It is Laena's memory she honor. She has no love for us. How can we even be sure of these claims."

Daemon hesitated, his eyes flickered to the side. There was difficulty in the answer Rhaenyra wanted "Because-" He paused "Because it was not only Baela that sent warning, but someone else as well." 

Rhaenyra's gaze hardened slightly "Wh-"

"Aelyna is in Kings Landing." Daemon said "She confirmed Baela's warning."

"How..." Rhaenyra's throat fell dry "When did she-"

"Apparently, she has been a guest longer than we anticipated. She arrived on Dragonback after having visited the Winterfell."

Rhaenyra's eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat as it felt the air sucked out of her. Aelyna, who she had not seen since her sixteenth name day, after all this time was so close to them. A single flight away and she never. How many years had gone by? 

The years Rhaenyra felt a sense of guilt for how things ended between her and Aelyna. The regret of having never had the opportunity to make amends. The wandering nights where she could only hope and pray Aelyna was safe as sought to fly as far from her family as possible - and all the while she was always so close. "Winterfell?" Rhaenyra muttered "Last we heard she was across the Narrow Sea- when did she leave? How could we have not known?"

"Aelyna swore Baela to secrecy." Daemon answered "If Baela had confessed, Aelyna swore she would take flight before any of us could make plans to go North. Aelyna was worried for Viserys' health and decided to stay longer, but the longer she stayed, the more suspicious she became of the Hightowers overseeing the council." 

And then Rhaenyra noticed the same hurt in Daemons face. His jaw clenched as both Baela and Aelyna's letters weighed heavily on him. The realization of how far he had grown apart from Aelyna. To the point where he was so unware not only of her movement but also her safety. 

"There is no choice." Rhaenyra placed her hand on top of Daemons

"To Kings Landing then."

☆ ࣪ ִ AUTHORS NOTE :l 𝆬 3

Me after abandoning this for literal months:

So Baptism is back, but after rewatching season 2 I have decided to go on book canon instead of the show because its so clear the writers of hotd are going very far from canon and completely miswriting the characters. There are gonna some elements of the show, but not too many that I am gonna rely on.

Honestly, it has been so long since I have written for this book that I am completely unsure if anyone is even still reading it- but if you are welcome and also I just noticed this book is over 80K and I honestly so happy to see it. Thanks to everyone who has and still is reading <3<3<3.