Elseyris' Rooms

Elseyris, returning, breathless, from the Sept, immediately flopped, face down, onto her bed, feeling like her lungs would burst from running all the way.

After a while, her breath slowed, and her heart ceased to thunder in her ears. However, it still quivered with excitement.

Free. I can be free!

She thought on that a moment, then turned over onto her back, her heart sinking a little, as she wondered how she was going to tell her mother.

No turning back now. Destiny awaits me. She can't keep me here any more than the King can now. Better to die free than live a hundred years a prisoner.

She sat up on the bed, and looked around her room, trying to gather her thoughts about what she would need.
In pride of place, against one wall, like a shrine, hung her forest green scale armour, accented with a scarlet dragon painted over the heart. Hung next to it was her flail. The chain, as twice as long as she was tall, was forged of Valyrian steel, but it's curved, cruel claws were gilded.

She got up, walking over to them, touching the flail's chain, feeling it's pleasing coolness. She placed her other hand over the armour's breastplate.

Give me strength.

She opened her bedroom door and stepped out a little way into the solar, looking for her mother. She called out, not wanting to leave the threshold of her 'safe space'.

Elseyris greeted her mother with a long embrace.

"I'm fine, Mother, though I've had an eventful day. Would you come in? I'd like to talk."

She stood aside, to let Jeyne enter the room, then closed the door behind them, making her way to sit on the bed, next to her mother. She had difficulty meeting her mother's gaze at first, instead choosing to take hold of her hands, and focus on those.

"Mother, I have something to tell you, and it may be a shock, but I want you to know that I love you dearly, and I am speaking with you now because I owe you my honesty."

She took a deep, shaky breath;

"The Crown Prince and I have been speaking about my future. He has successfully petitioned the King to allow me to leave here, not immediately, but soon, under his command, and prove my worth & loyalty in battle, with Nenyan. There are details, but that is the main of it. I am to ready myself to be called upon at a moment's notice."

She held her breath, as she braced herself for the response.

"NO!" she shouted, grabbing her mother's arm with a surprising strength for someone of her build.

"Mother, control yourself! I confided in you because I felt it more honest than simply disappearing, which I could easily have done, and will do, if I have to."

She stared intently into her mother's terrified face;

"This is my chance to win my freedom, mother, perhaps even win it for all of us. Please, for the love you bear me, don't take that chance away from me. Visenya may be content to stay here and be married off, but I'm not. I will not go gently into the oblivion the King wishes for us. I swore a vow of loyalty to Aegon before The Seven today, and I will not be an oathbreaker."

She wasn't letting go of Jeyne. Her teeth gritted, her eyes flared with defiance, and a deep fire within her heart began to roar.

"I am serious, mother. I must do this."

Elseyris pulled her mother close, embracing her again, trying to calm her down.

"Mother, it's ok, I'm not going to die. Aegon is not like his father, I promise you. Please calm down. Or if you can't, at least don't bother the King with it, that would not help matters. It's not even his decision anyway, it's mine."

She slowly loosened her grip, watching her mother closely.

"Please. I can't change how you feel any more than you can change my decision, but if you won't trust Aegon as I do, then trust me, Mother. Please don't talk to the King... or Visenya."

"I understand, mother, I do. But nothing will change if we just sit here and wait for the one of them to tire of our presence. The Prince has taken responsibility for my honour as if it were his own, so it would not be in his best interests to allow me or my family to come to harm, lest I retaliate upon the crown, so I am not without protections. I will also ask Lord Darklyn to keep a closer eye on things here while I am away. Everything will be alright. I am not afraid. Dragon-riding is in my blood, and I swear I will replace your fear with pride when I return."

Elseyris' expression was compassionate, yet resolute.

"As for the dowager. If that is her wish, she will not have it. If anyone tries to hurt any of you, I shall know of it, and I will protect us."

"I will, Mother. I promise."

She watched her mother leave, still tearful, looking on flatly, as she slipped through the doorway. When the door shut, Elseyris lay down on her bed again, pulled the blankets over herself for comfort, and allowed herself to weep softly.

/////////

Lord Darklyn arrived promptly. As Master of Whisperers and a member of the king's Small Council, he was a man whose time was in high demand. Nonetheless, he always came when Elseyris called, doting on the young girl as if she were her own. He wore a sad smile, eyes filled with concern as she opened the door for him. Considering his position, he had likely been the first to hear of the unfortunate accident at the Dragonpit.

"Nonesense." he said earnestly, taking the offered seat. "You are one of my spies, remember?" he asked, with a conspiratorial wink. "Speaking to you is my business."

"You can't blame yourself for that, my dear." he said in a soothing tone, placing a hand on her shoulder. "The Stranger works in mysterious ways."

He stroked her head gently, expressing without words that she could cry against him. It would not be the first time he had dampened his doublets with her tears.

"Hubris runs in the blood, my dear. Mortals are plagued by it and perhaps Targaryen as more gods then men suffer for it more." he mused, trying to assuage some of the guilt.

"They will think the same as I think of you: that you are blameless." he said with conviction. "None could believe you wanted the young lord hurt."

"We all liked Lord Toyne." he said softly. "However some men aren't meant to fly with dragons. Mortals shouldn't soar with gods."

"You still have me, my dear." he added, with a smile that he hoped would brighten her spirit. "I'm not going anywhere. Now what did you want to speak of?"

"I am honored to be considered such." he replied, fondly.

His smile faltered as she explained her desire to go to war, concern furrowing his brow.

"The only way to make war safer is to avoid it altogether." he replied, seeming to contain his emotions well enough to leave it at that.