CHAPTER TEN
❛ burn to ashes ❜

❪ i swear it is so hard finding blonde child faceclaims! i'm just
using a combination of billie and mckenna ❫

"AS I'VE STATED BEFORE, HER WOUND WILL NOT SCAR. SHE IS FORTUNATE THAT IT DIDN'T PUNCTURE TOO DEEP. IF IT WERE TO, ─ SHE WOULD'VE GOTTEN SURGERY."

Alyssa's wound was patched up by another Maester. Rhaenyra insisted that one of her own trusted ones treat her daughter, rather than the one that treated Aemond. 

The Maester was quick to treat Rhaenyra's arm next, ushering the woman to sit and work on treating the wound. Luke was sitting on Alyssa's lap. The bloody nose he had before had stopped bleeding and Jace was told to rest a bit due to his light dizzy spells. 

"I'm sorry...because of me you got hurt." the poor boy still murmured apologies in her skin. Alyssa held him close as Jace held the back of her chair bowing his head in shame that he couldn't protect his siblings enough. 

When they were alone, Rhaenyra was told the story of what happened. The woman became furious about what his intentions were for Alyssa. 

Although she was pushing for Jace and Helaena to marry, the King had agreed that Alyssa would be allowed to choose who she wanted to marry. A luxury that she was granted to her ( ─ but what happened years ago at the brothel had taken that choice away and married Laenor ). 

Rhaenyra was pleased when her daughter stopped befriending the boy after she claimed Cannibal. She knew that the moment Alyssa was born, he had some obsession with her. Aemond Targaryen was his mother's son, and she would be damned if he'd drag her daughter into a cruel fate. 

"It's okay Luke...It is me that should be sorry. I thought he was

The door to the room opened to reveal Laenor coming running in. His eyes immediately inspect his children, "Oh gods," he rushed forward to inspect his sons, and finally at Alyssa. "What happened to your head?" 

Alyssa nor Rhaenyra didn't get the chance to speak because he was already firing threats, "I didn't think it would be true ─ he tried to kill you with a rock?"

"It was an ─" 

"Do not say it was an accident sister," Jace spoke up also angry, "He gave you the cold shoulder when you claimed Cannibal. When he said that he was going to try to gain your trust again at Aunt Laena's funeral,  he broke it again. I'm sick and tired of you getting hurt."

Laenor clutched Jace and Alyssa, "I will have words with the Queen about how we should treat girls and not hit them with rocks. That f─" he had heard from his mother that Baela and Rhaena had also got hurt and was angry that Rhaena didn't have the opportunity to tame Vhagar as Laena wanted. 

He should've been there instead he wasted away in his cups. Alyssa was always there for him at his worst, and when she needed him, he wasn't there. 

"Watch your language around the children's husband," Rhaenyra ordered and fought back the painful his when the Maester applied treatment to the wound. She looked at her daughter and sighed, "Jace is right, sweet girl. Prince Aemond is nothing but trouble. It seems to me that he's taking your chances for granted. As your mother, you will stop talking to him. "

"As you wish mother" Alyssa muttered, knowing that it was for the best. Rhaenyra gave her daughter a sad smile of sympathy as if she remembered something from the past. 

¨. ༢ ͎۪۫ ༊*·˚

When Alyssa was just about to go to bed. Laenor sat at the foot of her bed tucking her in. 

"I'm a horrible father. What time of father isn't there to protect you?" Laenor's voice trailed off as Alyssa sat up to hug him. 

"Father you've lost your sister. It's understandable. What happened tonight wasn't something you could've prevented. I believe the outcome would've still been the same." Alyssa murmured against his embrace. 

Laenor's heart ached and tucked her back into bed, "You are too mature for your age...I do not want you to grow up too quickly little sea star." 

"I think deep down you knew I wasn't related to you by blood. But listen to what I am about to tell you. A long time ago when I thought I lost my first love, I never thought I'd find love again when you were born." Laenor said Alyssa was his daughter no matter what but felt like he had failed to live up to the task of being her protector. 

"You must've really loved him," Alyssa asked, peering up at him. Ever since her mother revealed her brother's parentage, the girl had refused to know what her true father really is. Laenor was already the perfect father. He was there for her when her true father wasn't. 

Laenor kissed the top of her head and snuck under the bed covers with her. He put an arm around her shoulders and Alyssa wrapped her arms around his middle, laying her head on top of his chest. 

At least Laena won't be alone anymore. She'd have Joffrey to keep her company. This made Laenor feel slightly hopeful.

He didn't want to leave his daughter behind. Rhaenyra deserved to be happy and if it was with Daemon so be it. He would get his own happiness by running away and living a new life with his new lover Qarl. 

Alyssa would be well protected by her true father. As much as Laenor despised him, he could see how Daemon seemed to figure out the pieces at the Funeral and has already grown attached to the little girl. 

Daemon was quite furious and boiled in jealousy when Alyssa called him father. Laenor couldn't lie when it brought him some satisfaction, seeing that the man had the audacity to sleep with Rhaenyra on the day of his own wife's funeral, his beloved sister truly did deserve a better partner. 

"I love you so much seastar." 

He hugged her a bit too tight but Alyssa didn't pay much to it. She assumed it was because of what happened moments ago. 

"I love you too, father."

Oh, how Alyssa felt like a fool when she ventured downstairs to find Laenor and Qarl fighting. 

"You have never seen me as an equal. You have only ever seen me as your servant!" A blade had been brought forward causing Alyssa to act on instinct and run forward to elbow the man. 

"Get away from my father!"

Qarl had simply thrown her to the side making the girl yelp. As much as the servant hated hurting her, he needed to keep up his act. 

Laenor had tossed Qarl to the ground, "Take her away now!"

The servant obeyed his words and quickly grabbed onto the girl and dragged her away much to her protest. 

"No!"

She could hear the fighting and screaming of both men in the distance. 

Soldiers that were merely passing by came to a stop at the sight of the disheveled Princess and servant. 

Quickly the soldiers rushed to aid Laenor and Alyssa managed to escape the hold of the servant and follow after. 

She didn't care about her reopened wounds and how blood dripped down the side of her forehead. The room was still lit by the fires and the room had been completely destroyed. 

One of the soldiers that were the first to figure out the dead body had tried to shield the Princess. 

"Princess please...do not look." the soldier that was leading the group had tried to use his cloak to shield away the sight but he was too late. 

Alyssa had picked up on the charred body in the fireplace. 

She let out a blood-curdling scream. Alyssa had pushed the soldier away and ran forward to grab her father from the fire despite his weight. 

"No...no father no you can't leave me here!" Alyssa covered her mouth at the gruesome sight of Laenor's burnt face. She didn't care about the blood or the soldiers in the room, who couldn't help but look away at the sight, but overall pitied the poor Princess.

The young girl was crying and disoriented trying to scramble to her feet. Her arms were covered by the pool of blood on the floor where she had dragged Laenor's body.

She didn't realize her grandparents entering the room. 

Rhaenys let out a horrified gasp and fell to her knees by the body of her son and wailed. She pulled his dead body up in her arms and clutched her granddaughter to her arms. 

Corlys saw red and demanded answers as Rhaenys forced the girl's face firmly to her shoulder. The sound of her grandmother's wails made Alyssa feel worse, it was clear that this was all real. 

Rhaenys clutched her slight flame tightly, borderline painful like it was the only thing keeping her together. 

"How could you let this happen!" he roared in outrage, whirling on the head of his guard. "IN MY OWN FUCKING HALL!"

His granddaughter saw it all and Corlys's heart clenched painfully at the realisation that both his children were gone. Rhaenys, his partner and wife had finally snapped and his granddaughter was caught in the crossfire, witnessing her father's death. 

The sound of his wife and Alyssa's broken screams and wails was enough to send him over the edge by punching the nearest soldier. "I want every fucking soldier to look for whoever did this!"

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𝑰. 𓂃 𓏲࣪ 𖤐 𓄹𓈒 ╱ Alyssa's a complex character. Growing up, she's always been a daddy's girl. Yes, she loves her mother, but she was really attached to Laenor's side since the moment she started walking. He was the one to teach her how to wield the basics of a sword and overall, was there for everything when Daemon wasn't. 

𝑰𝑰. 𓂃 𓏲࣪ 𖤐 𓄹𓈒 ╱ Now Aemond and Alyssa have always had an on-and-off relationship mainly driven by their mother's rivalry. To be honest, I do not even know what I'm gonna do about them because my girl Alyssa is a bad bitch who knows her worth...but at the same time I'm like debating on some romance but idk. 

𝑰𝑰𝑰. 𓂃 𓏲࣪ 𖤐 𓄹𓈒 ╱