[ She opens her mouth to quickly reply, but instead, Rhaenyra holds herself back, eyes trailing down to their hands on a heavy exhale, letting her head hang forward.
Of course she wants it. It is hers. A selfish gift from Viserys but a gift nonetheless. She had tried to give it back before (what if she had insisted then?), but he refused to reverse his decision, doubling down on the words spoken before all the realm's liege lords that she was his choice as they all kneeled before them, united as one, and then later cheered and feasted in her name. It's all she can think of when she is loneliest, this idea that she is the embodiment of the power and future of their house (of the entire realm, if what Father has shown her is true), worthy of being more than just a bodily conduit the way that all other queens had been before her.
Her thumb, so used to twirling the rings on her fingers, delicately brushes against his hand. ]
It would be a hard sacrifice.
[ To lose that feeling of importance, of destiny, to continue living in this Essos fantasy.
For you.
Back to Common, speaking as a queen would, trying to sound as convincingly firm as possible: ]
But I will not beg you to have me.
[ She had frustratingly tried that before.
Right on cue, Jace has roused from his slumber and found his mother amidst the rest of the crowd, clinging onto Rhaenyra's skirts, and she immediately dives down to scoop him up and into her arms. She gives Daemon one last look to allow him to say somethingβif there is anything left to say for nowβbefore she will start to make her way out of the party. ]
no subject
Of course she wants it. It is hers. A selfish gift from Viserys but a gift nonetheless. She had tried to give it back before (what if she had insisted then?), but he refused to reverse his decision, doubling down on the words spoken before all the realm's liege lords that she was his choice as they all kneeled before them, united as one, and then later cheered and feasted in her name. It's all she can think of when she is loneliest, this idea that she is the embodiment of the power and future of their house (of the entire realm, if what Father has shown her is true), worthy of being more than just a bodily conduit the way that all other queens had been before her.
Her thumb, so used to twirling the rings on her fingers, delicately brushes against his hand. ]
It would be a hard sacrifice.
[ To lose that feeling of importance, of destiny, to continue living in this Essos fantasy.
For you.
Back to Common, speaking as a queen would, trying to sound as convincingly firm as possible: ]
But I will not beg you to have me.
[ She had frustratingly tried that before.
Right on cue, Jace has roused from his slumber and found his mother amidst the rest of the crowd, clinging onto Rhaenyra's skirts, and she immediately dives down to scoop him up and into her arms. She gives Daemon one last look to allow him to say somethingβif there is anything left to say for nowβbefore she will start to make her way out of the party. ]