The Rise of A Dragon - chapter 6: Masks

Two Days Later

Aerea sighed as she walked through the halls of the Keep, trying to calm her nerves and gather her courage, her grip tightening on the bouquet of white lilies that she held in her hands.

Two days had passed and now it was the final day of the King’s Tourney, Aerea had asked her father if she could skip this final day so she could give her condolences to the Glovers.

Luckily for her, Aerys had allowed this, more focused on his deteriorating relationship with his Hand. After Aerys had insulted Joanna with his comment about her body, Tywin tried to resign from his position as Hand of the King the next morning. Aerys had refused to accept, and so Tywin still remains Hand, but the two have been far colder with each other than ever before.

Aerea stood straighter as the door to the suite that the Glovers were staying in came into view, two knights stood guard on either side of the doors.

“I am here to see Lord and Lady Glover. Lord Stark had told me that they would be taking visitors this day.” Aerea told the guards once she reached the door.

One of the men knocked on the door and entered the suite, the second knight closing it behind them, waiting with Aerea outside. It was only a few short moments before the first man returned and allowed Aerea to enter, both men bowing to her as they let her pass.

When Aerea entered the suite, she found three people standing before her, a man, a woman, and a boy who was a few years younger than herself.

“You humble us with your presence, Your Grace.” Lord Albert Glover said as he and his family bowed to the princess.

“I wanted to give my condolences, to you Lord Glover. I did not know Lord Torrhen, but he seemed like a good man.” Aerea replied, actively having to fight not to fidget.

“He was not a man, he... he just a boy. Now, he will never grow to be one.” Lady Bethany Glover spoke, her voice a whisper, but was loud enough to be heard in the quiet room.

Aerea did not know what to say, her gaze falling to the floor as she thought about Torrhen Glover. The young lord was only two years older than her brother, a year short of reaching the age of maturity.

“I apologize, Your Grace, please, forgive my rudeness.” Bethany quickly said as she realized how she had just spoken to a member of the royal family. 

“There is no need, my lady. I understand.” Aerea said with a small smile on her face, walking up to the noble woman and handing her the bouquet that she had bought.

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Bethany said, hugging the bouquet to her chest. “We greatly appreciate what you have done.”

Aerea nodded her head and was prepared to leave before catching the eye of the young boy in the room. His eyes were bloodshot, undoubtedly from crying and his body was hunched over, making him appear smaller than he was and causing his brown hair to fall over his eyes.

“So-sorry, Your Grace.” The young boy said, his voice scratchy and horse, apologizing because he thought that his staring offended the princess.

“You did nothing to offend. What is your name, my lord?” Aerea responded.

“I-I am Galbert Glover, Your Grace. Torrhen was my older brother.” Galbert answered.

Aerea’s face fell when she heard this, “Then I must apologize to you as well. I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose my own brother, and for that you have my sympathy.”

Galbert stared at the ground, willing himself not to cry again, his heart aching at the princess’ words. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Aerea smiled gently as she turned and left the suite, leaving the Glovers alone in their grief once more. Her smile quickly fell once she left the suite behind her and was now alone as she walked back to her chambers. While giving her condolences and apologies to the Glovers alleviated some of the terrible feelings swirling within her, it did not stop the shame or the sadness that had continued to build.

The feeling that she had not done enough, that she was failing the realm, the Glovers, her family, and herself, continued to build as she walked.

~X~

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen knew the burdens of being a Targaryen prince, of being Crown Prince from the moment of his birth. He also knew the burdens that came with being the child of Aerys Targaryen II, and now he could see that burden being to appear and weigh his sister down.

Since the King’s Tourney had begun, Rhaegar had seen the change in his sister, the events of the first day causing Aerea’s eyes to be forever open to the truth of their world.

Now Aerea has seen our father for the man he truly is; a selfish, entitled, cruel, and small man. Rhaegar thought.

In his eyes, it was only a matter of time, their mother's efforts to persevere Aerea’s innocence, nothing more than a fruitless endeavor. Rhaegar did not know what to say to his sister, knowing that whatever sweet words he could try and give her would be ignored, no longer being able to hold any weight with his sister.

It was also the reason he was currently standing in the shadows, watching Aerea as she sparred with Robert, Ned, and Stannis.

For the first time in days, a genuine smile had graced Aerea’s lips, her features showing her joy and happiness even as Robert and Ned had bested her in each bout. So, despite his desire to go out and give the young lordlings a piece of his mind each time their blows landed on his sister, Rhaegar relented, keeping himself from ruining his sister’s fun.

The prince figured that allowing this small reprieve was acceptable since the three boys would soon be leaving court, their influence over his sister going with them.

“Sister, you look well.” Rhaegar drawled, inwardly smirking when he saw Aerea jump.

The sparring session had just now ended, as Aerea waved the boys goodbye and was preparing to return to her chambers when Rhaegar appeared from the shadows, scaring the young girl.

“Rhaegar! What are you doing here?” Aerea said timidly, knowing that Rhaegar had seen her.

“Watching you do what I told you not to.” Rhaegar replied.

“Are you going to tell mother and father?” Aerea asked.

“No, I am not going to tell our parents.” Rhaegar sighed, “But only this once, Aerea. Do not make a habit of acting so recklessly.”

Aerea smiled, reaching forward, and holding Rhaegar’s hand as she walked in pace with him. “Thank you, brother.”

The prince only shook his head in response, knowing that his warning would be ignored by his younger sister.

“So, where are we going?” Aerea soon asked.

If he were not taught to be a proper prince, Rhaegar would have snorted at how quickly his sister changed the topic of conversation. “ You are going to your chambers to take a bath; you are covered in sweat and dirt. I am going to the library to continue my research.”

“Fine.” Aerea whined as a pout formed on her lips, “You still have not told me what this research is for. What is so important that you are spending even more time in the library?”

Rhaegar questioned if he should tell Aerea the truth, about the thoughts he had regarding their family's history and role, and about the letters he recently started writing to Maester Aemon Targaryen.

But he decided against this, “My research is for myself, sister. It is not for any grand reason.”

Aerea’s eyes narrowed, she knew that her brother was lying. “Fine, don't tell me, I will find out myself.”

Rhaegar only hummed in response, further annoying Aerea. The princess hated it when her brother would act like this, making her feel like she knew nothing and was being looked down upon.

Rhaegar could see the hurt gleaming in Aerea’s eyes, but pressed forward, if the prophecy of the prince who was promised was indeed true then secrecy would be needed to ensure that it happened, that he would be able to end the second coming of the Long Night.

“I shall see you at dinner, sister.” Rhaegar said as the two came to the entrance Maegor’s Holdfast, the two now heading in two different directions.

“See you at dinner.” Aerea said solemnly, her head hanging downwards as she walked into the holdfast.

Rhaegar waited until Aerea disappeared from his view before turning and walking towards the Keep's library.

Now that the Tourney was ending and the many lords and ladies of the realm that had come for the celebration were leaving, Rhaegar no longer had to make constant appearances and could return his attention to looking for more references that proved he was indeed the legendary savior of the world reborn.

~X~

“When will we see you again, father?” Cersei asked, keeping the whine from bleeding through into her voice.

The young girl and her family were preparing to leave the capital and return to Casterly Rock now that the King's celebratory tourney had ended. The Lannisters had stayed an additional week in the Red Keep, capitalizing on Tywin's position as Hand.

“Your father will be returning to Casterly Rock by summer's end, as he always has.” Joanna answered as she continued directing their household's servants.

Cersei was about to argue but the stern look that her father had given her had kept her quiet, a fierce grimace then took root on her face.

“Do you think we will be able to come back to King’s Landing soon, father?” Jaime asked.

“Are you hoping to see Princess Aerea again sometime soon?” Joanna asked, smiling when he saw the blush that appeared on her son’s face.

Joanna was happy for the growing friendship between her son and the princess, but was surprised that Tywin encouraged the relationship as well.

“It is a good thing that our son is forming a friendship with the princess, being as close as we can to the royal family is a good thing. Besides, we can use their developing bond to have Cersei and Prince Rhaegar become closer.” The Hand said in response to his wife’s questioning of his behavior.

Joanna still had her reservations about a marriage between their daughter and the prince, but could not deny that having closer relations to the Targaryen family was a positive.

“I do not know when you will be able to return, but I am sure that you can maintain written correspondence with Princess Aerea until then.” Tywin said in response to Jaime’s question.

Jaime’s smile had widened a bit, glad that he would not lose contact with Aerea.

I could ask Cersei to help me figure out what I should write to the princess about, but I know that Cersei will ask for something in return. Jaime thought to himself, already imagining the ridiculous demands that Cersei would tell him that he to fulfill in exchange for her help.

Although, Jaime figured that Cersei would agree to help him willingly if he asked Aerea to write about her brother in each letter.

It was this thought that caused a bitter feeling within Jaime’s core, the young boy did not understand what was so great about Rhaegar Targaryen that his twin had so infatuated with him, that caused Cersei to ignore him and only speak of the prince since their father had put in her head the idea of her becoming Queen.

In his opinion Rhaegar was quiet, solemn, and boring, lacking the charming and personable attitude that a prince should have. The young boy lost even more respect for the prince once Robert revealed that Rhaegar had no martial training and had no interest in correcting such a travesty.

Jamie knew that one of the responsibilities that a man had was to protect his family, but how was Cersei supposed to remain safe when her future husband lacked the ability to do so!

I don't care if he has the Kingsguard, what if someone tries to her Cersei and they're not there to safe her?!

But truthfully, Jaime had been under the belief that they would always be the most important people in each other’s lives, and it hurt him that this no longer seemed to be the case for Cersei.

“Good marrow, Your Graces.” Jaime turned at the sound of his father’s voice, seeing that the Queen and princess had entered the courtyard, stopping in front of them as two Kingsguards trailed a few feet behind them.

“Good morrow, Lord Tywin. My daughter and I have come to see your family off.” Rhaella said.

“Good morrow, Lord Tywin, Lady Joanna.” Aerea said immediately after her mother, bowing her head to the two adults before turning to the twins. “Hello, Jaime, Lady Cersei.”

“Aerea!” Jaime exclaimed before sputtering as his father leveled a glare at him. “G-Go-good m-orrow, my Queen, m-my princess.”

Cersei had to keep herself from yelling at her brother for embarrassing them in front of the Queen, figuring that she would have to continue making a good impression for both of them. “Good morrow, Your Graces.”

But Rhaella was not offended, smiling brightly at the pair. “Good morrow, Jaime, Cersei.”

Aerea then moved forward, grabbing one of Jaime’s hands, “We will write to each other, yes? I want to hear all about your life at Casterly Rock.”

“Ye-yes, of course, princess.” Jaime said, content with knowing that Aerea also wanted to continue their friendship.

“I thought I told you to call me Aerea, not princess.” Aerea japed, smiling wider when she saw the blush on Jaime’s cheeks in response.

Cersei glowered as she watched the two interact with each other, hating how close they had become in such a fleeting time.

“Will the King and Prince Rhaegar be joining us?” Tywin asked the Queen.

Rhaella's smile dimmed at the mention of her husband, “No my lord. My husband is still resting, and my son is still completing his daily lessons.”

Both of these statements were not lies, but did not fully tell the truth. Aerys had decided to visit the Street of Silk with a few other men of the court and had not returned to the Red Keep until a few hours ago.

Meanwhile, Rhaegar did have lessons that he was supposed to attend each day, but had decided to continue his studies instead of going with his mother and sister to see the Lannisters off.

It is for the best that Aerys is not here. Knowing my husband, he would undoubtedly say something demeaning and rude to Tywin and his family. And while I wanted Rhaegar to come, to become close with Joanna and her children, I cannot force him to do something that he does not want to do. Rhaella thought to herself.

Tywin’s expression remained passive, but Rhaella noticed a sharp glint in his eyes, “That is unfortunate, but understandable, Your Grace. The King and the prince must continue to uphold the realm through their various responsibilities.”

“Of course.” Rhaella said simply, but she could feel the deeper meaning, the insult hidden within the Hand’s words.

Joanna placed a hand on Tywin’s arm, silently communicating with her husband as she turned to Rhaella, “This will not be the last time we come to King’s Landing, dear friend, so there will be other opportunists for our families to bond .”

While the adults continued to talk, Aerea had dragged Jaime off to the side as the two talked amongst themselves, ignoring the blonde girl that followed them.

“You can write to me about all the things you do at Casterly Rock! I want to know what it feels like to be a Lannister!” Aerea exclaimed, excited at the prospect of learning about a new place, in her mind it was the closest she would get to leaving King’s Landing.

“Well, the cliffs near Lannisport overlooking the Sunset Sea are the best view you’ll ever see!” Jaime said, matching his friend’s intensity.

“You have got to be joking.” Cersei said under her breath as she rolled her eyes, but was not low enough as both Aerea and Jaime turned to face her.

“What was that, Lady Cersei.” Aerea asked, wanting to know what the other girl was thinking.

Cersei turned her glare towards the princess, “My brother does not know what he is talking about, the best place go is Casterly Rock itself. It is where real Lannisters live.”

Jaime glared at his sister, “And what would you know? You have only gone to Lannisport once and said it was plain.”

“It only took the one trip to know that Lannisport is plain compared to Casterly Rock, Jaime! Casterly Rock is full of our family’s history and wealth, everything else will always be second!” Cersei argued, returning Jaime’s glare with twice the ferocity.

It was quite a sight to see the Lannister twins, who have always been close, each other’s better half, arguing with each other. The golden twins were now ready to fight each other, and for what reason, neither was sure of.

“Perhaps you can show me, should I ever visit the Westerlands, Lady Cersei.” Aerea said as she stood in between the siblings.

“Me?” Cersei asked incredulously, her green eyes widening at the prospect.

“Yes, you. Who would be better to show me the greatness of Casterly Rock than someone like yourself? You embody true Lannister traits, Lady Cersei, it's what I most admire about you.” Aerea replied, her kind smile never wavering in the face of Cersei’s disbelief.

Cersei soon pushed past her stupor, grinning as she processed what the princess had said, smugly crossing her arms. “Of course! No one else would be better than I to show a princess the greatness of the Lannisters.”

Aerea only continued to smile, “I look forward to it, my lady.”

“Cersei.”

“Hmm?” Aerea’s head stilted sideways as she stared at Cersei in confusion.

“You are friends with my brother so you can refer to me by name.” A small blush then appeared on Cersei’s face as she turned her head to the ground, breaking eye contact with Aerea’s piercing gaze. “Your Grace.”

Aerea stared at Cersei for a moment longer before grinning, “Then you can call me Aerea. No more ‘Your Grace’ or ‘my princess’.”

Jaime stood in shock as his stubborn and opinionated sister was replaced by this shy and flustered girl standing before him. Usually, Cersei was haughty around other children, it did not matter if they were younger, the same age, or even older than the twins, she treated them all with barely hid disdain.

Anyone who has not a Lannister was beneath them, it certainly did not help that the noble children they meet where from families that held less power than their own since the House Lannister were the Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and their father was seen as the second most powerful man in the realm due to his position as Hand of the King.

Mayhaps it is different since here in the capital we’ve met other children of Lord Paramounts. Then there’s Aerea who is member of royalty. Jaime thought.

“I would like that.” Cersei answered.

Aerea laughed, a light airy bell sounding thing. “Great.”

Aerea was not expected to become friendly with Cersei, their time during the first and second days of the tourney had given the princess a less than ideal impression of the other girl, but she now stood surprised by how pleasant she could be.

She reminds me a bit of Robert, as crazy as that sounds. They are quite different people, inside and out, but they both don’t care about etiquette or people's opinions of them to different extents. Aerea thought.

To her, Robert was the most obvious with often not using proper titles when speaking to others, his loud and boisterous voice, his utter lack of manners, and most importantly; his powerful temper. Aerea secretly found it hilarious how Robert and his brother Stannis could have the same parents and come from the same place yet be so drastically different. 

Her own explanation for this was either Robert had always been like this from the moment he was born, or his personality changed once he left Storm’s End and became a ward of Jon Arryn.

Cersei, from what she had observed, was still the perfect image of a Westerosi girl of nobility, at least on the outside. She dressed in the finest clothes with never a hair out of place, she knew how to dance, sew, and sing, and her curled blonde hair, bright green eyes, and fair skin made it clear that she would grow to be one of the most beautiful maidens in the realm.

But Cersei’s perfect appearance hid her true nature. Despite her youthful age, those who had known her or had met her knew that she was willful, stubborn, impatient, quick tempered, and easily slighted. Even when she spoke gracefully, Cersei was terrible at hiding how she truly felt or thought, still maintaining an air of arrogance.

Unless you were a member of her immediate family, you were seen as lesser in Cersei’s eyes.

Time would tell if these traits would continue to grow within the young Lannister as she aged.

“Did you enjoy seeing Jaime and Cersei off?” Rhaella asked her daughter as the two watched as the Lannister party disappeared from view.

“Yes mother. I hope it won’t be long until I see them again.” Aerea answered.

“We can speak to your father about it if you wish.” Rhaella suggested, hopeful of the blooming friendship between her daughter and the Lannister twins. It was not just because they were the children of one of her dearest friends, but because Rhaella wanted her daughter to have friends her own age.

While Aerea never seemed bothered by this, the Queen worried for her children who spent most of their time with either each other or grown adults.

“No, it’s fine. We do not need to bother my father.” Aerea said timidly, she did not know how Aerys would react to her being friends with the twins. It was hard for Aerea to tell how Aerys felt about the Lannisters.

One moment he could be complimenting Joanna and the next he could be insulting Tywin, the man he claimed was his friend.

Pity and sadness shined in Rhaella’s eyes, having an idea of what her daughter was thinking. “Alright, sweetling.”

Aerea continued to stare into the distance, trying to ignore her mother’s gaze.

She felt worse about how oblivious she had been for so long. Aerea did not know how she could return to living the way she once did now that she was aware of what everyone else around her knew.

Aerea could feel a numbness enclose her heart, feeling more alone than she ever had before.