𝒴ᵒᵘ ⠀ are ⠀ 𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔩.

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐎𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐑𝐀 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑, given she hadn't seen much of him consistently. he would come see her, perhaps spend time with her, & then disappear for a little while. when asking her mother she simply said that their father was busy, that he had much on his shoulders & he could not do all of it himself. that he would come--jaehaera believed her dear mother, but today she felt some sense of urgency in her small body. a need to see aegon, to spend even a few minutes with him. ( if she went to him, would he accept her company ? would it be accepted with him as king ? the little princess did not know, but her feet move on their own. her knight & caretaker maid rushing after her. telling her to stop, to not go inside the council chamber. yet, she does anyways. ) her head of silver hair is hardly seen over the tall table, feet taking her to the head where she tugs on aegon's shirt sleeve. ❛ kepa. ❜ she calls softly, ❛ may i ... sit at the table ? ... with you ? ❜

arbor red wine has allowed for a comfortable warmth to settle within his blood , a welcome distraction from the voices that drone on around him. he hardly pays them mind anymore ; he does not particularly like the way they all seem to exchange knowing looks with one another whenever he speaks , as if silently mocking him , laughing at him. they do not truly listen to him despite the conqueror's crown sitting upon silver tendrils , so he often finds himself drifting off into his own thoughts while they discuss matters amongst themselves.

a tugging at his sleeve is what draws him back from his thoughts , and his hand nearly raises in what might be a strike because who the fuck is tugging on the king's sleeve when his eyes land on mirroring pools of violet , her head tipped slightly to the side in a way that is so utterly childish that it draws forth an unwanted , almost heavy emotion he doesn't care to examine.

jaehaera was a tiny thing when she came into the world , weeping and wailing as if she had already felt the burden that would be settled on her shoulders. he remembers fearing he would drop her and she would shatter into thousands of jagged pieces , another thing broken by his careless hands. he remembers the first time she had smiled at him too , a single tooth visible from where it had begun protruding from her gums. she was . . soft , all childish innocence , and carefree in a way he longed to be once more. in that moment , he thinks he understood his father's own favoritism towards rhaenyra ⸻ finally understood why his mother had only ever looked upon him with disgust and showed him a mother's love through the sting of her strikes , whereas she'd cradled helaena as though she were something precious , something too good for the world. he understood , and it terrified him. he found himself wanting to see less of her after that.

he blinks down at her once , twice. it is the first time he has truly looked at her in longer than he can remember. she is growing into her mother's features at an almost rapid rate , and it makes him uncomfortable in a way he doesn't quite understand. she has his nose , though , and the realization makes the smallest hint of a smile tug at the corners of his lips. he seems to process her request almost belatedly , too swept up in his own thoughts and the pleasant buzz of the wine.

HE ALMOST WANTS TO REFUSE. THE SMALL COUNCIL CHAMBER IS NO PLACE FOR A LADY , A CHILD NONETHELESS , BUT HOW CAN HE POSSIBLY DENY HER ?

“ i do believe the princess has expressed her desire to sit at the table , ” is all he says as his head suddenly shoots up to look at the lords expectantly. they stare back at him for a moment , seemingly shocked by his decision to indulge such a request. he does not look nearly amused as they do. “ it would be unwise to make her wait. ”

it's good to see me, isn't it?

no need to respond. that was rhetorical.

because there has been so much rumor and speculation... innuendo, outuendo... let me set the record straight.

why does wickedness happen?

that's a good question.

like every family, they had their secrets.

one thing led to another, as it so often does.

i'm right here. i always will be.

you want to see something wonderful?

what have you done this time?

now you've made your sister cry.

you see... it couldn't have been easy.

as you can imagine, i have much to attend to.

is it true you were her friend?

you must understand, it was... a long time ago.

remember, it's not goodbye, it's farewell.

they're going to miss me so much.

you know what i believe? strangers are just people i've never met.

what? what are you staring at? do i have something in my teeth?

let's get this over with.

i for one am sorry that you're forced to live with this.

it's my intention to major in sorcery.

perhaps i could help.

offering to help someone you don't know with a skill you don't have. i'm sure everyone's duly impressed.

i could care less what other people think.

i doubt that's true.

i'll miss you.

if anything should happen to her...

you can of course come visit me whenever you want!

how tragically beautiful you are.

i just need to find my room.

this was my chance. my new start.

magic is merely the mind's attempt to wrap itself around the impossible.

i shall tutor you privately.

thank you for covering for me.

how long have you had this talent?

if you can learn to use your powers in the right way...

do you really think this is fair?

i'm just shutting the door.

i saved you some space, by the way.

how did you do it? tell me.

i can keep a secret.

some of us are different.

we cannot escape the past.

the past helps explain our present circumstances.

who is responsible for this?

it's all right. i have no friends.

once you learn to harness your emotions, the sky's the limit.

this is much bigger than just some words on a chalkboard.

is this how you go through life, running amok, nearly trampling anyone in your path?

i guess there's a first time for everything.

were you looking for something? or someone?

i met the rudest person last night.

what do you do for fun around here?

i would do anything for you.

it was nothing. i love helping others.

i'm about to have the happiest night of my life!

i don't follow.

what's in the punch?

i don't feel sorry for you! you're great!

my personal opinion is that you do not have what it takes.

i hope you prove me wrong. i doubt you will.

i can't watch.

it's not like it's your fault.

may i cut in?

that was your very first party?

you tell me a secret.

you really don't have to do that.

i can't wear things like that anyway.

pink goes good with green.

i'm afraid it's out of our hands.

you're not being told the whole story.

somebody's got to do something!

you think i'm really stupid, don't you.

you don't need to be scared of me.

you think i want to be this way?

so i should just keep my mouth shut? is that what you're saying?

you're bleeding.

this is your chance to make good.

i've heard so much about you.

i am changing my name.

don't you cry. you're going to have the wonderfullest time.

something bad is happening to them. they need you.

what did i tell you?

you've known all along... from the moment you met me.

you must trust me.

that's why i need you.

𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒. all these sentences come from a search on goodread's keywords for royal court, intrigue, arranged marriages and politics. please change names, locations and pronouns as you see fit.some of these might be suggestive.

“Ten years of shadows, but no longer. Light up the darkness, Majesty.”

“You don't know a woman until you've met her in court.”

“A queen keeps a court that is spoken about. A goddess keeps a court that is never forgotten.”

"And you, lady? Are you a woman of conscience or of ambition?"

"That's a question rarely asked here at court."

“Some people will hate you for not loving them.”

“Court games aren't fair. They don't judge men by their worth, and they aren't about what's just. Guilty men can hold power their whole lives and be wept for when they pass. Innocent men can be spent like coins because it's convenient.”

“I hated him but I ached for him. I hated him in the way that you could only hate someone you had loved.”

“I think there’s a part of me that calls to you. And a part of you that calls back.”

“Now the Court's heart is yours and yours alone. Let's break it.”

“People can't be changed by writ or transformed by court decree.”

“There is no playacting in this court. If you stay your hand, they will cut it off.”

“He was a man with a vision- and an extraordinary vision it was..”

“I'll never miss a chance to remind you of what a brat you were. A gloriously beautiful and very spoiled brat. I was utterly charmed by your complete self-absorption. It was rather like courting a cat.”

“Power does not pardon, power punishes.”

“Listen! The court jester's cap and bells. The King is coming!”

“They all come innocent in court.”

“Is that how you get propositioned at the court? 'Mylady, would you be so kind as to allow me to put my manhood in your vagina'?”

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

"A lion does not concern himself with the opinion of sheep."

"The crown must always outweigh the heart."

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown."

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

"A wise king never seeks out war, but he must always be ready for it."

"The council exists to serve the realm, not the other way around."

"True power lies not in who wields the sword, but in who commands it to be drawn."

"A king is not his crown, nor his throne, but the strength of his people."

"A court full of whispers is more dangerous than a battlefield of swords."

"Loyalty in politics is a fleeting mirage, shimmering brightest when least sincere."

"A ruler's greatest enemy is not the assassin’s blade, but the silence of their allies."

"Do not mistake a bowed head for submission; it often conceals sharpened fangs."

"To rule is to lie as artfully as one builds castles."

"A crown’s weight is not measured in gold, but in the decisions that haunt the wearer."

"The wolf who thrives in the court learns to hunt without claws."

"Victory in politics is not in silencing enemies, but in convincing them to cheer your name."

"A kingdom divided by ambition is a kingdom that bleeds."

"Every courtier is an actor; every throne room, a stage. Trust no applause."

"The dragon chooses the ruler, not the other way around."

"Only a fool thinks the crown is the prize; the crown is merely the burden."

"The gods grant kings their thrones, but it is their people who keep them seated."

"Beware the court jester; behind his laughter hides the sharpest dagger."

"The council meets not for the king’s wisdom, but to manipulate his ignorance."

"A queen with no enemies is either very cunning or already a pawn."

"The throne does not demand blood; it demands souls."

"A mage’s loyalty is never to the crown, only to the power it promises."

"The crown’s shadow stretches far, but it is often the brightest light that blinds the ruler."

"Kings die, queens fade, but the spider’s web of politics endures."

"A court without ambition is a garden without weeds—an illusion of peace."

"The strongest alliances are forged not in loyalty, but in shared hatred."

"A ruler’s greatest ally is their enemy, for it is they who sharpen the blade of ambition."

"Never trust the man who smiles too much; his tongue is as sharp as his knife."

"A kingdom ruled by fear is a kingdom waiting for rebellion."

"The moment a ruler ceases to listen is the moment they begin to fall."

"In the court, truth is a rare currency, spent only when lies will not suffice."

"The scepter may command armies, but it is the ink of treaties that conquers kingdoms."

"A wise ruler keeps their enemies closer not out of trust, but out of necessity."

"The court is a sea of masks; those who wear none are either the wisest or the most foolish."

Arranged Marriages and Political Unions

"Marriages are not made in hearts but in treaties."

"A wedding is but a battlefield draped in silk and flowers."

"To wed for love is folly; to wed for power is survival."

"The altar is the throne’s crueler cousin, binding hearts to duty, not desire."

"They said 'I do' with chains in their eyes and kingdoms on their lips."

"A marriage forged in politics is stronger than any love match, for ambition is eternal."

"She was a queen in name, but a pawn in her husband’s game."

"A crown weighs heavier when shared with someone you cannot love."

"A union of kingdoms is worth a thousand broken hearts."

"The dowry may buy the match, but it cannot buy loyalty."

Tournaments and Honor

"In the lists, honor gleams as brightly as gold, but only blood wins the crowd."

"A knight who rides for glory often finds himself galloping toward ruin."

"The tilt is not for love or honor, but for whispers in the court that outlive the day."

"His lance shattered in her name, but his heart broke for another."

"Tournaments are not won in the lists but in the favors of those who watch."

"Every lance broken in the tourney echoes as a promise in the court."

"The champion wears the laurel, but the king claims the victory."

"He fought for her token, but she gave her heart to another."

"Beneath the clash of swords lies the unspoken battle of alliances."

"The arena smells of sweat and steel, but the court reeks of treachery and roses."

Arranged Marriages and Political Unions

"Marriages are not made in hearts but in treaties."

"A wedding is but a battlefield draped in silk and flowers."

"To wed for love is folly; to wed for power is survival."

"The altar is the throne’s crueler cousin, binding hearts to duty, not desire."

"They said 'I do' with chains in their eyes and kingdoms on their lips."

"A marriage forged in politics is stronger than any love match, for ambition is eternal."

"She was a queen in name, but a pawn in her husband’s game."

"A crown weighs heavier when shared with someone you cannot love."

"A union of kingdoms is worth a thousand broken hearts."

"The dowry may buy the match, but it cannot buy loyalty."

Tournaments and Honor

"In the lists, honor gleams as brightly as gold, but only blood wins the crowd."

"A knight who rides for glory often finds himself galloping toward ruin."

"The tilt is not for love or honor, but for whispers in the court that outlive the day."

"His lance shattered in her name, but his heart broke for another."

"Tournaments are not won in the lists but in the favors of those who watch."

"Every lance broken in the tourney echoes as a promise in the court."

"The champion wears the laurel, but the king claims the victory."

"He fought for her token, but she gave her heart to another."

"Beneath the clash of swords lies the unspoken battle of alliances."

"The arena smells of sweat and steel, but the court reeks of treachery and roses."

Forbidden Matches and Love

"Their love was a spark that could burn kingdoms."

"He kissed her in shadows, where neither crowns nor duty could find them."

"Love born in defiance is the most fragile and the most dangerous."

"They spoke vows in secret, knowing their houses spoke oaths of blood."

"Their love was an act of war, their union a rebellion in itself."

"No gate is high enough, no lock strong enough, to keep out a desperate heart."

"She gave him her heart, though her father demanded her hand for another."

"They met under stars they could never share."

"In the court of lies, their love was the only truth."

"He was her greatest sin, and she his only redemption."

Enemies and Betrayals

"She married her enemy, and yet the battlefield never left her mind."

"He took her hand in marriage but held a dagger in the other."

"A kiss from an enemy is sweeter when it hides a blade."

"The wedding feast was a truce; the bridal chamber, a battlefield."

"Two houses united, two hearts divided."

"His bride wore a smile, but her vows spoke treachery."

"They danced at the feast, each step a calculated move in their game of thrones."

"To wed an enemy is to hold a viper to your breast."

"The crown decreed their union; the gods wept in protest."

"She called him ‘husband,’ but he called her ‘traitor.’"

Duty vs. Desire

"A prince must follow duty; a man must follow his heart. Rarely do the two paths meet."

"She wore the crown, but her heart wore chains."

"The court demanded heirs; the heart demanded freedom."

"A ruler has no time for love, only alliances."

"She longed for the knight, but the crown chose the king."

"His heart burned for her, but his hand burned for power."

"To love her was treason; to lose her was death."

"The heart’s rebellion is the crown’s greatest enemy."

"He gave his life for his kingdom, and his heart to the wrong woman."

"Love is the luxury of those who do not rule."

Mystery and Magic in Romance

"Her kiss was a spell that no mage could undo."

"The stars themselves envied their forbidden love."

"The prophecy foretold their love would unite the realm, or destroy it."

"He wore the amulet she gave him, a reminder of what he had lost."

"Their love was cursed by gods and envied by mortals."

"The magic of their love defied the will of kings."

"She dreamed of him every night, though her magic forbade her to touch him."

"Their hearts spoke a language even dragons could not silence."

"In her eyes, he saw the storm that would reshape the realm."

whatever happens, you can't fall in love with me.

promise you'll come and save me.

we need to make the most of the time we have... to live our lives the way we wanna live. every minute, every moment, matters.

i'm glad i met you, [name]. i really am.

i'm grateful for all the words we've shared, for all the moments and the memories.

you've made me more happy than you know.

there's a much bigger threat.

i just want to do everything in my power to help.

can i come?

then it's a date!

a long time ago i used to sell flowers here.

go. follow your heart.

i'm not some princess who needs to be coddled.

sorry i'm late.

this calls for a song.

this is a one time gig. when it's done, we're done.

survival can be a matter of luck or skill. and you can't rely on luck.

if it feels wrong, don't do it.

i'm a light sleeper.

when we were kids, everybody wanted to be a soldier. by the time i made it in, they didn't need heroes anymore.

i'm not cut out for this crap.

quit acting like you know me.

you have to look at the bigger picture here.

nothing worth fighting for was ever won without sacrifice.

hold onto this.

a good man who serves a great evil is not without sin.

i'm a man of modest dreams.

answer me!

would kill for a shower.

i'll be fine. you've seen how much ass i can kick.

it's kinda funny. us going our separate ways, thinking that must be it... that we'd never meet again... and then here of all places we do.

deep down, you're a pretty nice guy.

they took everything from us. again.

i don't care! i don't want anyone else to die, please!

we should totally celebrate!

i'm sick of this! i'm sick of all of this!

are you ignoring me again?

what's with you all of a sudden? like you're losing that hard edge.

you can't do this.

you gotta be better than this if you're gonna play the hero.

is it our destiny to defy destiny?

i am what you see before you. nothing more.

you are too weak to save anyone. not even yourself.

those who look with clouded eyes see nothing but shadows.

that was then, this is now.

you have failed again.

through suffering you will grow stronger. isn't that what you want?

do you fear me?

do you dream of me?

you're not real. you're dead.

you should rest up while you can.

can't sleep?

i heard footsteps.

sorry. didn't mean to wake you.

it kinda feels like i've gone back to my childhood home.

everyone dies eventually.

do i get a say in all this?

i'm coming for you.