(Baelon's POV)
It was the following morning and I was sitting at the table where servants were serving me food. I imagined the others were still asleep since I was the only one there. I was eating a piece of bread as I drank wine from a cup.
Elinda, Rhaenyra's maid, walked up to me, "My Prince, the others are still asleep, is that okay?" She asked, "Princess Rhaenyra will join you, however."
"Hm? Yes, that's fine." I said as I set the cup down
Almost in cue, I hear Sister's voice, "The kids won't wake up, Elinda, see to it that they're woken and bathed." She said as she walked in
I looked to her and saw that she was wearing a red dress, her hair neatly braided in her usual style, "Oh, sister." I said, "Good Morrow to you."
"Baelon." She said as she walked over to the other side of the table
Elinda bowed slightly and walked away silently, going to do what she was told.
"So." I said as Rhaenyra sat down, "Did you give it any thought? What I said last night?"
"Yes. And frankly, I suggest you don't do anything." Rhaenyra said, "Father is still King and he'll punish you severely if you do something reckless like that."
I shrugged, "Has to be done." I said, "That man that I killed was Skagosi, if it's related to the recent attacks, I have to know."
"It's a coincidence." Rhaenyra said, "That is all."
"Hm." I said as I drank wine from my cup, watching her eat as she looked down, "Is that so?"
"You stress Father and Alicent plenty enough." She said as she looked at me, "You don't need to go and burn Skagosi now."
I rolled my eyes, "Well, whatever you say." I said, "Fine, I guess I won't act."
"We just got a raven back. The Queen thanks me for keeping her daughter safe." She said, "She expects all of you back today. So do yourself a favor and go back while she still has her patience."
"Hmm...." I said, "Fine."
Rhaenyra looked at me, "Is that all? Fine?"
I nodded, "Yea."
"You came all this way here, brought our siblings along, to speak to me about the man that you killed in the North? And that's all?" She asked
"I wanted to see you." I said
"See me?" She asked
I nodded, "Yea."
She narrowed her eyes, "I don't believe you." She said, "What are you scheming?"
I shrugged, "Nothing."
"Hm." She said, "Very well. I trust that I will be invited to your wedding then?"
I frowned, "You're my sister, of course." I said, "I mean, my soon to be bride is also your Sister. But oh well. You're going to be invited, I guess."
"You left halfway through mine." She said with a slight smile, "Went off to spend time with Balerion."
"Yea, well, your wedding was unbearably boring." I said truthfully
"You're unbelievable." She laughed, "Ah...well, no matter how boring it was, it would've been courteous and princely to stay through it all."
"I had a better reason, though. Balerion, The Black Dread." I chuckled
She looked at me, her eyes piercing right through me. There was something about Sister's eyes, anyone would be entranced in Rhaenyra Targaryen's eyes. They were inhuman, like another being was looking right at me. Helaena's were so sweet and gentle, so beautiful, yes, but Rhaenyra's were just something else. Whenever she gave me those looks, like she was carefully studying my features, it made me freeze, not knowing how to react.
"What is it?" I asked with a raised eyebrow
"You look like her, in certain lights." She said softly
"O-Oh." I said with surprise
"Maybe that's why Father is too overprotective with you." She said as she looked down at her plate, "Because he wants to cling onto her."
"You're her daughter. If anyone looks the most like Mother, it's you." I said, "I'm merely his son, his Heir. You're the one that-"
"We're both hers." She said, "Both of us. You may have been raised by Alicent, which I greatly appreciate, but you are her Son, Baelon. Don't you forget that."
"I haven't." I said seriously, "It's hard to remember a mother that died when I was born, but.....I won't forget that."
"You're right, though, you are the Heir." Rhaenyra said, "Father wants you safe, he doesn't want you to die due to some reckless adventure you embark in. The future of the Realm rests with you and he knows that. So do everyone a favor, reign yourself in. If not for the Realm, for us, your Family. Me. Helaena."
I frowned, "Yea, where's the fun in that?"
"Fun...." she chuckled, "You always want to have fun, huh?"
I sighed, "If the future of the realm lies with me, why am I not allowed to act when-"
"To keep you safe, my brother." she cut me off, "Enough of this, she shall not speak of it any longer."
Well, good. I didn't want to speak of that because all it'll cause is an argument. And after who knows how long of not seeing Rhaenyra, I didn't want to have a fight with my beloved sister.
I looked down, "You really are Mother's old friend, huh?" I muttered
"What's that?" She asked
"Nothing." I said as I drank wine from my cup, "So, why didn't Aemma greet me? I figured she'd be excited by Balerion's sight."
"She was." She said, "But I guess seeing Aemond made her nervous."
"Doesn't it bother you? Marrying off your daughter to your brother?" I asked her
"Not really, they're close in age." She said as she looked at me, "It's to preserve the bloodline."
"Of course it is." I said, "I hear Aegon might be married to a Blackwood."
"Well, he's just the second son, and he can choose his own bride." she said, "I convinced Alicent to let him."
"Oh and a River Girl was his choice? He didn't tell me that." I said with a raised eyebrow
"That's between you and him." She said
"So much for preserving bloodlines." I said
"You're marrying Helaena, the other female targaryen is my daughter, who is already marrying Aemond when they come of age." She said, "All we have is sons, I suppose. But I imagine if you have daughters with Helaena, you'd offer them to my boys?"
I was drinking wine when she said that and I ended up spitting it out, "W-What?" I said, "What did you say?"
She chuckled, "A Jest." She said, "I know Helaena is skeptical in having children, that is her choice. Which I know you'll honor."
"Y-Yea...." I said wiping wine off my mouth with a cloth napkin, "I would...."
She looked at me, "I am happy for you, for the both of you." She said, "I never imagined that our Family will be happy like this, so peaceful."
I nodded, "Yea...." I said, "Anyways...I came here to to pick up the rope."
"Rope?" She asked with a frown
"You know." I said, "Didn't Ser Laenor leave like who knows how many meters of high quality rope that the Velaryons use in their ships? I'm here for it."
"What do you want rope for?" She asked
I sighed, "Oh my beloved, beautiful, unimaginative sister.." I shook my head, "Of course, someone who rides such a tiny dragon like Syrax wouldn't understand my struggles....The rope is to make the ladder to climb atop my Dragon, my precious Rhaenyra...."
"It's about time I redo his saddle."