For almost her entire life, Daella Targaryen has lived as Mellara Rivers, the bastard daughter of Arnold Arryn and cupbearer of Lady Jeyne Arryn. First and trueborn daughter of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Daella had but slight contact with her fami...
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F I F T Y - T H R E E
Go and stretch out my arms Long as they need to be ─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The flight from Kingslanding to Riverrun took the better part of the day, and by the time Daella and Heleana caught sight of the red sandstone walls of the castle, the sun was already setting. Looking below her, Daella took moment to take in the castle's defences. It was entirely surrounded by self-made ditches, which in times of danger could be flooded like a moat so that Riverrun was surrounded by water from all sides. Taking note of this, she made Vermithor land just outside the port-cullis, Silverwing and Dreamfyre with Helaena on top soon following after. Seated on top of Vermithor, she was at the same height as the men standing watch on the port and she smiled politely at them.
"My Queen," one of the knights said, bowing deeply while his eyes remained plastered on the Bronze Fury in awe. Though his fellow men seemed to be just as mesmerized by the dragons as he was, they did not appear to have the same type of respect for the woman sitting on top and the knight got dunked in the head mid-bow.
Daella hid her annoyance at their open display of support for Rhaenyra behind a joyful grin and wondered if perhaps Elmo Tully's influence had poisoned the entire castle already. "Though our journey was swift, the Princess Helaena and I would like to warm ourselves at your hearth," she said. "If it is not too much to ask."
"It is, in fact, too much to ask, Princess Daella," a voice suddenly called out. A man probably ten years Daella's elder suddenly entered the bridge, taking a stance among his men and folding his hands behind his back. He stared at Daella long and hard, the colour of his eyes stale and grey and the muscles of his face pulled taut. "We have pledged our alliance to the true Queen on Dragonstone, to whom all swore oaths of loyalty over twenty years ago. It would be a sign of treason to accommodate the usurper."
"You are in the presence of Daella the Delicate, the first Queen of Westeros and the Three-Headed Dragon," Helaena said, her voice ringing out loud and clear. For all her dreamy appearances, the princess wore an expression of determination and there was a menacing glint in her eyes. "You will regard her with respect, or not at all."
"It is quite alright, sister," Daella said, holding up her hand in a dismissive gesture. There was a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth despite the brewing fire of annoyance in her heart. Suddenly reminded of her grandmother's words about Elmo being a vain boy with a runny nose, she realised that not much had changed in the decades past. "It is obvious that our presence is not wanted here and so we shall fly a little further to the Iron Islands to seek shelter for the night there. Tales of how the great Lord Elmo Tully turned away not only two royal ladies, but a pregnant one as well, will surely be told in all corners of the realm."
