CHAPTER FIVE ─── dinners

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          "𝕴 do believe that you look more like mother when you wear your hair like that." Jace stated simply. "What say you?"

"That is because she is the only one of us who looks like mother." Luke snarked back. "Of course she will look like her, whether she wears her hair up or down."

Alaelanna laughed, sitting in her chair calmly. Her brothers were crowded around her, shielding her from the sight of her uncles and aunt, who were watching the Thorne children carefully. Their mother was watching her children with a soft smile, rubbing her bump carefully as she waited for her husband to join them. 

Malkym had gone to visit Syrax, which had caused much uproar with the children. They wished to visit their own dragons, but were not allowed, yet Malkym was able to visit Syrax and somehow that was alright?

"Yes, but you all look like father." Alaelanna pointed out. "It is like seeing five of them all around, not to mention when we are with our cousins and then I am the odd one out."

Jace gave her hair a gentle tug.

"You are too much a Targaryen."

"Not so much so that I will not stab you." Their father chose that moment to walk past, pausing to stare down at his children.

"If there are any daggers pulled at this dinner, I will be training with that unfortunate soul." All four Thorne children hoped that their daggers were not noticeable on their bodies. Training with their father as a partner was not something any of them willingly wanted to subject themselves too. He was the best fighter of the Thorne family, and was incredibly hard to beat. Even their uncles struggled. "You all clean up very well."

"How are the dragons?" Luke questioned, turning to look up at their father. "Arrax?"

"Littlewing?"

"Vermax?"

"Mine is still but an egg, but I assume that it is still well back at home." Camryn huffed, folding his arms as Malkym ruffled his hair gently.

"From what I saw, they were fine, but I was only there to see Syrax. Your three do not let me too close." Malkym pointed out. "Come, let us enjoy our dinner as much as possible."

"You know that we will not." Jace hissed, as the four Thorne children glared daggers towards the other side of the table. A cough caused the four to turn to their mother, who was shaking her head slowly.

"You saw your mother, be good." Malkym replied, before kissing Alaelanna's hair and ruffling the boys hair. They watched as he brushed past them, appearing at his wife's side to kiss her hair gently and help her to her feet as the doors opened once more.

The king was brought in, his chair being carried as he had now grown too feeble to walk. Jace helped Alaelanna from her seat, as Luke and Camryn hurried to sit at their own. It took a moment or two for him to be brought round, where the family was motioned to sit once more. The four Thorne children watched on, all dressed in blues and silver of the Thorne house for tonight's dinner, refusing to be associated with their Targaryen side of the family.

"How good it is to see you all tonight together..." Their grandfather took a deep, shuddering breath as he looked between the two families.

"Prayer before we begin?" Alicent questioned, as Alaelanna turned to her mother, a look of displeasure marring her features. She cocked an eyebrow, in question that she should even have to do this.

"Yes." Rhaenyra shook her head, as all four Thorne children merely watched on as Alicent began to speak. Their mother was the only one of the family who bowed her head, the remainder merely watching.

"May the Mother smile down on this gathering of love and may the Smith mend the bonds that have been broken for far too long." Camryn yawned, earning a swift kick from Luke in response. 

"This is an occasion, for celebration it seems." Viserys muttered, turning to look at Alaelanna, who fought to keep a scowl forming in displeasure. "My grandaughter, Alaelanna..."

He shot her a warm look, and Alaelanna smiled at the man.

"...will marry her uncle, Aemond, further strengthening the bond between our houses." She knew that her grandfather was not as with it as he once was, so she would allow him to believe that she would marry her uncle if that was to make him happy. Of course she would be doing no such thing. "A toast, to the young princess and her betrothed."

Aemond seemed to scowl at the reduction of his title to Alaelanna's betrothed, and the girl took some pleasure in that.

"It seems they've finally been able to marry you off, Alaelanna." Aegon's hushed voice reached her ears, as Jace put his glass down and sighed. It was not truly a family dinner until the arguments started again.

"Let us toast also toast Princess Alaelanna's title, future Lady of Alterwoode." Viserys shot his granddaughter another warm look.

Rhaenyra had once explained that Alaelanna looked the most like Aemma, her own mother, so for Viserys, it had been like seeing a ghost. Her mother had told her that, when Alaelanna had been young and they had first moved from King's Landing, Viserys had asked for Rhaenyra to fly back with Alaelanna as often as she could, to allow him to dote upon his only granddaughter at the time. It had been one of Alaelanna's favourite memories when she was young.

But, when Viserys had become more addled with milk of the poppy, and when the Hightowers had begun to exert more authority over King's Landing, their visits became less frequent. Soon, Rhaenyra stopped taking her daughter altogether unless their entire family was going, feeling far better protected that way.

"Hear, hear." Her brothers and father all cheered, and the girl was met with pats on the back from both Jace and Luke. Rhaenyra chuckled at that.

"You do know how the act is done, I assume?" Aegon's voice reached her ears once more as he leant over Jace to try and speak with her. "At least in principle."

"You see the lack of manners they teach in King's Landing, sister." Jace turned to his sister with a grin. "Apparently, they do not even teach them how to properly talk to a lady."

"No, I do believe this is his first time talking to a woman who was not a whore." Alaelanna replied. "It is sad, the quality of men is fast diminishing brother."

"I would actually say that this rudeness is more from the way that they are raised." Jace and her hummed in agreement. "It is most unbecoming."

Aegon scowled, backing off as the Thorne siblings nodded to themselves. If they were not allowed to stab anyone, then they would hold themselves back to words of insults, something the twins were very good at. In fact, they were merely warming themselves up.

Viserys cane tapped on the ground, as the man struggled to pull himself to his feet, his hand holding onto the table as he looked around the assembled children, taking deep, heaving breaths. Camryn, who was still only eight, shuffled closer to their father, to hold onto his hand as they watched the man.

It saddened all of the Thorne's siblings hearts to see a once great king reduced to this, and in some ways, it scared them too. They did not like seeing him so, and it worried them for what would happen to their own parents. Would they be reduced to this?

"It both gladdens my heart and fills me with sorrow, to see these faces around the table. The faces most dear to me in all the world," He stuttered, looking between the younger ones on the table, "yet grown so distant from each other in the years past."

Eyes bored into the side of Alaelanna's head, and she turned minutely to see that Aemond was watching her. She turned back to stare at her grandfather, watching as he reached to unbuckle the mask that covered half of his face. It clattered to the table, as Viserys looked up.

His own children did not flinch, but Alaelanna's hands found both of her brothers, clinging to Jace and Luke as she stared at the hole in her grandfather's skull where his right eye had once been. She was used to injuries, having seen it in training, but something about seeing her grandfather so much like a skeleton was worse.

"My own face is no longer a handsome one, if indeed it ever was." He laughed at his own joke. "Tonight, I wish you to see me as I am, not just a king, but your father, your husband and your grandsire, who may not, it seems, walk for much longer among you."

Camryn was trying his best not to whimper, clinging to his father's hand as Malkym tried to soothe him gently. He was not used to this, to seeing someone like this.

"Let us no longer hold ill feelings in our hearts." He banged his mask onto the table, shaking his head. "The crown can not stand strong if the house of the dragon remains divided. Set aside your grievances. If not for the sake of the crown, then for the sake of this old man, who loves you all so dearly."

He took a deep breath, dropping the mask on the table and slumping back down as Alaelanna sighed. It hurt to see the man like this. Their mother stood swiftly, stepping minutely forward as their father pulled Camryn's seat closer to his.

"I wish to raise my cup to her grace, the Queen." Rhaenyra nodded her head. "I love my father, but I must admit that no one has stood more loyally by his side than his good wife. She has tended to him with unfailing devotion, love and honour and for that, she has my gratitude and my apology."

Their mother had always advocated to be the bigger person, even if the rest of the Thorne family normally wished to be spiteful.

"Your graciouseness moves me deeply, Princess." Alicent mumbled, as Alaelanna wondered, with all the people giving speeches, if she would also have to. "We are both mothers and we love our children. We have more in common than we sometimes allow."

The queen stood, as Alaelanna looked at her cup. With the rate that they were going with speeches, she would be wine drunk before the hour's end.

"I raise my cup to you, and your house." Alicent looked around at the Thorne children, before turning back to their mother. "You will make a fine queen."

"Hear hear." It was her father's soft voice who broke the silence, squeezing his wife's hand and nodding to his children as they all took another drink of the wine. Alaelanna caught her mother's eye and winked, as the woman chuckled at her childrens antics.

Aegon stood as the conversation started up once more, brushing in between Jace and Alaelanna to reach over her and grab the wine. Alaelanna's face dropped, a hand drifting towards the dagger that she kept on her, as Jace and Luke both tensed.

"I...uh." Aegon trailed off, causing Alaelanna to hope that he had thought better of speaking to her. "I regret the disappointment you are soon to suffer, being married to my brother. But, should you ever wish to know what it is like to be satisfied, all you have to do is ask."

"I do believe that I would rather fling myself from a high window." Alaelanna turned. "I have standards, uncle, and you barely meet the lowest of them."

"No wonder no man has ever dared marry you with that mouth." Aegon replied, as Alaelanna chuckled. 

"What would you know of my marriage options? Just because you had none, and had to resort to marrying your sister does not mean the same for me." Alaelanna looked ahead, with a straight face as she caught her father's eye. He was hiding a laughter, hurrying to chew on his food as Rhaenyra seemed to poke him.

"Come now, sister." Jace turned, patting her hand. "It is merely because there are far too many tales of what he is riddled with, it scared all of the highborn ladies off, so unfortunately his poor sister got shackled with this burden. You know this."

"How could I forget?" Alaelanna nodded, before sighing. "I must apologise to her for the obvious trauma that I am sure she suffers. Please remind me, brother."

"Of course. I will be there with you, we must offer our condolences."

Luke snorted quietly from beside her, turning away to look at Camryn as Aegon grumbled and backed off. Jace took that as his cue to stand, pushing his chair into Aegon's legs and grinning as the man spilled his wine. 

Aemond had also stood, causing Alaelanna to turn and cock an eyebrow. If he dared to open his mouth, as she knew he would, she was more than happy to take some of her anger out on him.

"To Prince Aegon and Prince Aemond." Jace's hand clamped down on Aegon's shoulder, squeezing harshly as he grinned. "We have not seen each other in years, but I have fond memories of our shared youth."

Alaelanna fought a smile at that, sharing a conspiratorial glance with Jace and Luke.

"And, as men, and women, I hope that we may yet be friends and allies." Jace nodded. "To you and your families good health, dear uncles."

Alaelanna and Luke both took a deep sip as Aegon seemed to unfortunately find his voice, grinding his teeth together.

"To you as well." Aemond finally sat, as Helaena muttered under her breath.

"Well done, my boy." 

"I would like to toast to Alaelanna. She'll be married soon." Alaelanna was growing steadily tired of this growing focus on her marriage. She was not even formally betrothed to Aemond, yet they were treating it as if their marriage was in the upcoming days. Her mother must have spotted her sour face, shooting her a warning look. Alaelanna could not allow her displeasure to be so clear. "It isn't so bad. Mostly he just ignores you, except sometimes when he's drunk."

That took Alaelanna by surprise, her and Jace turning to shoot concerned looks at their aunt. She had been merely joking when she had suggested apologising to the teenager, but now Alaelanna feared that she should truthfully go and apologise to her. 

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Hiya,

So, we have the first part of the dinner scene and Alaelanna and Jace live to cause chaos and only chaos, nor do they like any of their family that much. The Thorne siblings are sweethearts, and I just really love their family.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx