WILDFIRE○J. VELARYON

²°124 AC: THE DRAGON QUEEN

Vaera barely listened as Vaemond Velaryon spoke in High Valyrian. She partially knew what he was saying, but she was simply not interested.

She shared a look with Jacaerys Velaryon, who was one of her sister Rhaenyra's sons. Although he was technically her nephew, she wasn't much older than him. Not much older at all. The girl was born a mere year before him.

She knew what Vaemond was saying was directed at them simply because they didn't look like their father.

She had heard her mother talking about it with her father, but she didn't see why it mattered. Her mother still considered her an oblivious child, but Vaera knew things. She knew how to listen.

Jacaerys kept his gaze on Vaera. He looked at her dark eyes. One could almost mistake them for being black.

He looked at her silver hair. The hair he wished he had. Maybe then no one would question him being Laenor Velaryon's son.

But he didn't have silver hair. And he knew who his real father was. But that made no difference. Harwin Strong was dead.

As Vaemond was done speaking, her uncle suddenly burst out into a fit of giggles, which she found odd, considering it was his wife's funeral.

Vaemond spoke again before Laena's body was dropped into the sea, which made Vaera look down.

Although she didn't know Laena very well, it still made her sad to think about her cousins, Baela and Rhaena, losing their mother.

They were eventually taken up to the castle, and to say Vaera's mother kept her close would be an understatement.

She didn't know why Alicent was practically squeezing her hand until it turned purple and why her mother was pulling her everywhere she went.

Eventually, Vaera got sick of it and looked up at her mother. "I think I should offer a kind word to Baela and Rhaena."

Her mother looked down and reluctantly let go of her hand. Vaera walked up to her cousins as they sat on a nearby bench.

"Your mother was a kind soul," Vaera said. "I'm really sorry." The little girl didn't quite know what to say to her cousins.

She'd never lost anyone before. She gave them a saddened smile, which the two girls returned. Jacaerys Velaryon soon joined the girls and squeezed Baela's hand without saying a word.

Vaera sat down on the bench next to Rhaena, and she leaned on Vaera's shoulder. As Princess Rhaenys approached, Vaera gave her a smile as if to say sorry and stood up, as it was clear that Rhaenys wanted to talk to her granddaughters.

Jacaerys stood to the other side of the girls and their grandmother when Aemond approached and gave him a small smile.

The boy didn't seem happy when Vaera looked at him. He didn't offer Aemond a smile back, so Aemond simply walked away, taking the unwelcome look as a sign to leave.

Vaera walked over to Jacaerys and took his hand. "Seems you need some comfort, too." Jacaerys looked up at Vaera's eyes once again and gave her a slight smile.

"Thank you." He muttered as Vaera returned the smile and let go of his hand.

As she turned around, Vaera looked at her eldest brother with disgust as he drank wine like it was water.

She walked up to him and, as politely as she could, gave him a dirty look.

"You'll drink the Velaryons dry." He smiled. "You amuse me, little sister." Aegon snorted as he went to pick up another cup of wine.