Banshee ♛ Aemond Targaryen

II. WINTER AND ROGUE

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      Valarr rarely visits the Godswood for reasons only understood by him — and him alone. The King does not grace this corner of the Keep either, but nevertheless, has decided that the weirwood tree is the best location to host the return of Prince Daemon.

He can see his King and cousin indulging equally in wine and conversation while the Queen stood goodnaturedly by their sides. All three matched the crimson leaves of the weirwood tree, dressed in the colours of House Targaryen, save for the King, who wore all black, much like Valarr. He was standing at the end of a long table, picking at a small bowl of grapes, when Rhaenyra came to stand at his side.

"Are they not to your liking, Valarr?" she asked, plucking one from the bowl for herself.

The boy shrugged, placing a grape in his mouth to appease the Princess. He did not want to seem ungrateful, and he wasn't. He was merely alone. Due to the disuse of his voice, no one thought to include him in their discussion. Valarr, despite having opinions, never gave them. Many assumed speaking with him was akin to conversing with a wall, and who would want to do that?

Rhaenyra took his response with stride. "I noticed you were standing next to Father in the Throne Room. Did you not want to play with Aegon instead?"

To this, Valarr shook his head. The whispers had made him too curious about the Rogue Prince. Not to mention, Aegon smacked his hand the last time they played together, though the younger boy most likely does not remember.

He discarded the bowl on the table, not intending to save them for later. When Valarr looked back at Rhaenyra, she was gazing across the Godswood. Following her line of sight, his eyes landed on the royal trio enjoying themselves not far away. The King laughed heartily with Daemon, something Valarr had never seen on him. The look on the Princess' face, however, was. Her expression was that of longing. Realizing their conversation had practically ended, Valarr tapped Rhaenrya's hand, drawing her attention. When their eyes met, he glanced over to his cousins, then back to her before nodding earnestly. The Princess gave him a tight smile before excusing herself, and Valarr watched as she strolled over to King Viserys and Prince Daemon.

After Rhaenryra left, he spit out the grape he had chewed on. No, they were not to his liking. The seeds were large and ground against his teeth, making him wonder why he grabbed them as a snack in the first place.

He was almost happy to be alone once more. When he was, no one kept a close eye on him, aside from some of the nicer Kingsguard, which left him with the freedom to roam. Deciding that he was thoroughly bored with the day's events, Valarr dashed towards the exit of the Godswood, heart set on returning to the hidden passages below the Red Keep. And he almost made it too, had it not been for the King calling after him.

"Valarr!"

Halting in his tracks, the young boy felt himself suck in a breath like someone had caught him stealing from the kitchens. Slowly turning in his spot, Valarr saw both Viserys and Daemon eyeing him, one with kindness and one with question. The Queen and Rhaenrya were nowhere to be seen, which left him no means of escape.