the silent sisters had been the ones to prepare the body but vaela had requested a moment after their work was done to preside over some prayers for the princess regent, accompanied by the dragon keepers that haunted the dark corners of the dragon pit ─ she was certain that word would reach the ear of the lord hand sooner rather than later, painting her as some pagan priestess still clinging to the ways of old valyria, but while many might have forgotten that the princess regent had been of the blood of the dragon, vaela had not and she found it a sore oversight that nothing had been done to return viserra targaryen to the ancestors. the humming lilting of high valyrian echoed through the sept as she whispered prayers of gratitude and blessing, followed by wishes of peace and rest, and she ended it with a soft promise of vengeance, whispered against her aunt's cold forehead. long after the dragon keepers and well wishers had left, vaela remained, seated before the statue of the stranger, picking at the bits of dried skin along her nailbeds. the humidity of dragonstone, coupled with the sulphurous air, did little for her skin and her fingers were often left bleeding after she had pulled at the hangnails. the shrouded figure of death haunted her, had been haunting her since she was a child but with so few dragons left, she worried that death would soon come for those she loved, the damning sickle carried by her own hand. lifting a finger to her mouth, she tugged at the irritating piece of skin, unaware that another had joined her in quiet contemplation.
closed starter for ... olynna tully @audacioussly .













