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Velaryon Chambers, 26th day of the 4th moon, 131AC, Winter

As dusk spilled lavender shadows across the floors of the Velaryon chambers at The Red Keep, Princess Rhaenys knelt on a pillow beside the bathtub, guiding fleet of toy ships through water. Her young daughter, Nyssie, giggled, her cheeks flushed with delight as her tiny fingers sent ripples across the water’s surface, making the little vessels dance.

“See Mua. Sea Snakey!”

“Yes, tala. That one does look like Kepa’s Sea Snake,” Rhaenys said with a gentle smile. Nyssie was ten-and-six moons now and Rhaenys was pleased that she babbled in both High Valyrian and Common Tongue.

“Sea Snakey go wooo!” Nyssie said with a wide grin towards Rhaenys, which make Rhaenys laugh softly.

“Yes, The Sea Snake is Kepa’s fastest ship.”

As the water cooled, Rhaenys scooped Nyssie up into her arms and wrapped her up in thick cloths to dry her. As Nyssie protested Rhaenys reminded her that Joffrey was coming by to spend time with them.

“Goff-goff?” Nyssie said and tilted her hair.

“Yes, your Goff-goff is coming. I’m sure he’ll want lots of kisses and help you build towers with your blocks, before bedtime,” Rhaenys said tenderly as she dressed her daughter.

Rhaenys knew she had been breaking standards for a royal mother’s duties, but she couldn’t care less. She didn’t want to miss a single thing when it came to Nyssie. She had breastfed her for ten moons and unlike royals of the past she did not make use of the shared nursery. Instead, she had had one of the chambers they occupied transformed into a nursery for Nyssie.  

Once Nyssie had been dressed Rhaenys put her down and straightened her own clothes before she joined her husband in their sitting room. “Has he arrived?”

One of Visenya known habits was walking into rooms and silently taking a seat in one of her parents’ laps. Something she had seen her muña do with her kepa and something mumuña Rhaenys did with kepāzma Corlys, though the adults usually did it in theprivacy of the family livingrooms.

Being told no, was not something that happened often to Princess Visenya. It had started when she was very young, due to her being sick, but it was also because she very rarely asked for outrageous things, nor things her family wouldn’t do for her.

After her classes ended, Visenya wandered through the hallways of The Red Keep. Her classes had ended earlier than usually and none of her nannies or carers had known, which allowed the princess a rare moment to herself, but Visenya wasn’t very fond of being on her own. Visenya was often seen with her mandia Rhaena, following her around like a shadow or reading to her hāedar Aemma, when she wasn’t with her parents.

Her steps led her the familiar route to her kepa’s office. The door was ajar and Visenya paused, listening for activity inside. She could hear someone talking, though it wasn’t her kepa, sounded like one of the guards. Visenya looked inside and spotted her kepa in his seat by his ornate desk.

Without a word, Visenya pushed the door open wide enough to slip through. The guard paused, briefly, and bowed to her, before he continued talking. Visenya climbed into her kepa’s lap with practised movements and leaned against him. She knew not to repeat words she heard in private meetings, though truly she rarely paid attention, but simply enjoyed the proximity to her parents or grandparents.

Only when the guard left did Visenya speak. “Kepa? Will you tell me about when you were little? About you and mumuña Rhaenys and your Lēkia Viserys?” She asked, toying with a button on his waistcoat.

Loreza took a moment to stretch her shoulders and back out when she woke up. Her temporary residence was so unlike her chambers at home in Dorne, but everything was different in King’s Landing, especially because of the winter. Her muscles slowly warmed, despite the chill in the air, thanks to the fire roaring in the hearth. A cup of steaming mint tea stood on the mantle and Loreza rose and wrapped her fingers around it. At least they still had mint in the capital.

Loreza had fought the decision, or as she recalled it, the summoning, to King’s Landing for the Winter. Why would they leave Dorne for a colder harsher climate. The only one she hadn’t fought was Aliandra, allowing her eldest, the Ruling Princess of Dorne to make the final decisions for her. She had, however, declined staying within the walls of the Red Keep and had found accommodation just outside the palace walls. Nothing grand, nothing rich, but it suited her needs. The fact that she could easily slip off to The Streets of Silk was an added perk.

The mint tea refreshed her and cleared her mind. She got dressed in her usual silks, though she added a fur lined cloak, a gift from Qoren many years ago, before she braved the winter roaring outside. The sun had yet to rise, despite it being morning, but the winds were less harsh than the night before with only a hint of snow.

With practiced steps Loreza made her way to Obella’s rooms, but stopped in her tracks as she saw the door opening, yards before she reached it. At least it’s a Velaryon, Loreza thought as she saw Prince Lucerys Velaryon, heir to Driftmark step out of Obella’s room. She raised a practiced brow but curtsied respectfully to him. “Good Morrow, Prince Lucerys.”

Loreza slipped past the young man and entered Obella’s room, closing the door behind her. “Please tell me, he only came by to wish you Good Morrow,” she said with a soft smile towards her daughter. “Or did you forget you wanted to break your fast with your mother?”

Rhaenys chuckled softly as Nyssie once again manged to untie the string holding her white braid. Nyssie had developed quite the habit of setting Rhaenys’ hair free.

“Now now, little Princess, that won’t do,” she said softly and took the strong from Nyssie’s grip. “It’s muña’s,” she added and leaned in placing a tender kiss to Nyssie’s dark curls. Rhaenys handed Nyssie one of her toys and straightened up again.

They were seated on the bed, Nyssie was due for a nap soon, but Rhaenys was awaiting the arrival of one of her oldest and dearest friends, her cousin and lay in waiting Alyssa. Due to shear bad luck it had been moons since the two of them had had a chance to talk and since Alyssa had seen Nyssie.

Seeing the Baratheon branch of the family tree felt different after the death of her mother. Rhaenys daily debated whether or not she was still mourning, but she had left most of her black mourning clothes behind on Driftmark, only bringing a few, should the winter be as harsh as predicted.

Rhaenys looked around at the crates and chests that still stood side by side along every wall of the main bedchamber of the Velaryon apartments within The Red Keep. Rhaenys had not only insisted on bringing Velaryon and Targaryen heirlooms and sentimental items, but she had also brought along the crates she had inherited from her mother, which she had not gone through since they arrived from Storm’s End. She hoped Alyssa would help her and ease the difficulty they might find within.

Despite the difficult relationship between Rhaenys and her mother when Rhaenys was young, the two had mended their bond in recent years, however, Rhaenys did not know what her mother had left her, other than the Targaryen jewels her dear kepa had gifted her mother over the years.

Rhaenys gave up and let the braid unravel as she watched her young daughter play with the toy hippocamp Corlys had commissioned for her.

Corlys had been surprised when Daeron had asked to meet up with him. Corlys was quite fond of the boy – no, young man – though his princess wife more so. Corlys was known to carry grudges, but his grudge was not towards Daeron and he knew better than to let earlier generations disdain taint the relationship with the newer generations.

Going outside was not strictly necessary to move between the various apartments and chambers, but it was a shorter walk, even in the blizzard. The wind had let up briefly and Corlys stayed sheltered by the walls and towers as he took the shortcut. Slipping back inside the warmth of the castle quickly enveloped him once more. “That’s a blizzard fit to freeze the blood in a kraken’s veins,” he grumbled, before straightening and set off to meet his nephew.

The invitation had been to one of the rarely used sitting rooms in The Red Keep, however with all the Targaryens’ extended family brought together, every room, chamber and apartment were in use. Corlys wondered briefly if this sitting room had indeed been set up to cater to Daeron. The colours reminded Corlys of Daeron’s dragon, the deep blue touches of silk and the copper statues and trinkets on the shelves. He knew Rhaenys had Meleys-coloured décor to remind her of her dragon and even little Visenya had requested a small sculpture of her pink dragon and jewelry with pink gems. Corlys grinned as he brushed the last of the snow from his shoulders. “Prince Daeron,” he said and bowed his head respectfully. “What do you think of this blizzard?”

“Rhaena?” Rhaenys called out as she and Corlys entered the sitting room where they had agreed to meet. Rhaenys knew this was one of Rhaena’s favourite places and she had not been surprised when her granddaughter had suggested this place.

Even as the winter winds blew outside, coating The Red Keep with another layer of pure white snow, the various rooms, chambers and common rooms were warm. The fireplaces spreading their heat efficiently. Only the outmost walls and hallways had a chill to them, but nothing serious, at least not yet.

The cold season and the close quarters the family found themselves in, offered the perfect excuses to embark on preparations, both practical and sentimental, for Rhaena and Aemond’s upcoming wedding. Rhaensy was thrilled to be included in the preparations, having missed most of Baela’s preparations as she had been pregnant with Nyssie. She hadn’t been deeply involved in the planning of a wedding since Rhaenyra had married Laenor, and that wedding had been less than ideal.

Rhaenys placed a few intricate wooden boxes on the small table by the fireplace, before she wrapped her shawl closer around her. As Corlys placed slightly bigger cases beside her own, she smiled up at him. She knew she had asked for a lot before they left Driftmark, wanting to bring as many heirlooms and treasured items as possible, since they did not know when they would be returning home. “Are we early?” She wondered. They had taken Nyssie to Rhaenyra, who had been thrilled to spend time with her youngest sister. Rhaenys had been much the same with her younger aunts and uncles, and when Rhaenyra herself had been a child she had spent as much time at Driftmark with her cousins as she had in King’s Landing. Handing their youngest over had taken less time than expected, Nyssie loved Rhaenyra as much as Rhaenys and Corlys did.

Boarding The Sea Snake was bittersweet. Rhaenys knew they ought to be at King’s Landing supporting Rhaenyra and protecting their family through the winter, but the decision hadn’t been an easy one to make. For the first time in years Rhaenys felt like her and Corlys’ relationship was cracked and bruised from the many disagreements, arguments and misunderstandings. She truly hoped that the journey would allow their relationship to mend once more.

Rhaenys handed Nyssie to Lady Lily Rosby-Fell who was joining them on the trip to King’s Landing, where her daughter Lady Elinda Massey served Rhaenyra. Lily had been the last one of Rhaenys’ ladies in waiting to stay on Driftmark with her. “She should settle soon,” Rhaenys said and placed a tender kiss to Nyssie’s dark curls.

The window seat in the captain’s cabin had always been Rhaenys’ favourite spot on The Sea Snake. The seat was covered in thick silk fabric where Rhaenys’ fingers traced the patterns with familiar motions. Today the view was not an easy one. When would they be back to Driftmark? How long with the most sever parts of the winter take? No one knew the answers to these questions and Rhaenys knew her husband worried he might never return to his beloved home.

Rhaenys shared a light dinner with Lily and Nyssie, before she spent the early evening reading to her youngest daughter and making sure the sleeping arrangements were in order. When Nyssie fell asleep, Rhaenys stayed and talked to Lily, while Lily undid her twists and plaits and brushed her hair.

Corlys was still absent when Rhaenys returned to the captain’s cabin and once more settled on the window seat, watching the darkening sky. She wondered whether Corlys would come to her or keep sailing through the night. She knew he, unlike many other sailors, excelled at nighttime navigation. As the stars brightened Rhaenys felt he ship slowing down.

“We’ve had to cast anchor for the night. The changing currents and thickening of the ice in the night makes travel too difficult and may cause perils,” Corlys said as he finally entered the captain’s cabin. Rhaenys smiled softly, but as soon as he opened his arm, she pressed herself against him, letting all the aches heal.

Each day was much the same. Rhaenys spent the time with Lily and Nyssie, occasionally checking up on the fire keeping Meleys’ eggs safe on the journey. She stayed shielded from the wind and the snow most of the time but knew the Velaryon fleet was following them and could see Meleys keeping close by.

By the tenth moon of 130AC Corlys secures big trades for King’s Landing. By then the journey between Driftmark and King’s Landing could be done in 12-18 hours on The Sea Snake, eight hours on The Danaera, as it had for decades, as it had for as long as Corlys had made the journey frequently.

In the middle of the tenth moon the first failed harvest on Driftmark took place. The weather had turned cold; the nights often cool enough to make still freshwater freeze on the surface. Enough frost to damage the wild rye. One failed harvest was bad, but Driftmark would recover. However, it was only the first of many.

Corlys and Rhaenys’ journeys to King’s Landing in the last days of the tenth moon and the first days of the eleventh moon for family time and meeting in the Small Council took longer than usual, now it took almost two full days. The currents were changing, the weather changed as predicted.

When Corlys’ mother-in-law, Lady Jocelyn Baratheon Targaryen died on the 15th day of the eleventh moon of 130 AC, he journeyed to Storm’s End to join Rhaenys and to carry Jocelyn’s remained to Dragonstone where she was interred beside her late husband Prince Aemon three days later. 

The twelfth moon came with even colder weather. The journey to and from King’s Landing now took three days. There was another Small Council Meeting. More planning. More trades. Securing the Seven Kingdoms. Securing the family. By the middle of the twelfth moon, fishermen caught fewer fish and just days later the first iceberg was spotted less than a league from Driftmark’s shores.

Shortly after celebrating Nyssie’s first name day, Corlys brought his family to King’s Landing for the New Year celebrations and for Visenya’s 12th name day. The journey home took four days due to the ice that made the ocean thick and the changing current.

Before the second moon of 131AC rose Corlys and Rhaenys had dismissed many of their staff, urging them to be with their families. Corlys brought ships up on the dry docs to keep them safe from the freezing waters. The decision had been made. They would spend the winter at King’s Landing.

It had not been an easy decision. They both knew Rhaenyra wanted them there. Rhaenys wanted her family close and together. Corlys felt a duty to Driftmark. However, with time they agreed that they were needed the most at King’s Landing, especially as they could leave their stored food and goods to the inhabitants staying on Driftmark. Corlys’ stewards would stay, as would Kezmya who knew herbs and foreign medicine.

Rhaenys made plans for Meley’s eggs. They still hadn’t hatched, but Corlys hoped they would. As long as the dragon was broody, the red queen was less likely to take flight, and he knew Rhaenys missed the open air. Meleys would fly, would follow the ship with her eggs on board.