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[helaenasdreamfyres]

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Character Promo:

Helaena Targaryen - princess, mother, dreamer 

@helaenasdreamfyres - Part of A Song of Golden Fire and Black Blood RP

At 27, Helaena Targaryen is a beloved figure within the court, praised for her nurturing nature, uplifting spirit, and creative talents. She is known for her constant smile, which stems from both nervousness and genuine happiness. Helaena finds immense joy in sewing, frequently creating new garments and items for her family. Her love language is gift-giving and words of encouragement, though she cherishes receiving physical touch in return. Despite her nurturing disposition, Helaena is often perceived as socially awkward and avoidant, especially at large gatherings. She prefers the intimacy of family or solitude over the bustling environment of courtly events, often seeking refuge with her mother, Alicent, or her husband, Aegon, during such occasions. This tendency has led to rumors of her being rude and unladylike, with some labeling her as strange and unnatural. Internally, Helaena faces a conflict of loyalties, as she deeply admires both her sister Rhaenyra, and her mother Alicent. The differences between the two women she looks up to create a silent struggle within her as she strives to honor both relationships despite their opposing desires and ambitions. This duality has led to whispers about where her true loyalty would lie if a conflict arose between Rhaenyra and Alicent. Despite the rumors and misunderstandings, Helaena’s genuine love for her family and her desire to uplift those around her make her a cherished presence. Her creative pursuits and nurturing spirit define her, even as she navigates the complexities of her relationships and the ever-shifting dynamics of the court.

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[helaenasdreamfyres]

Helaena Targaryen is searching for Jaehaerys Targaryen

The eldest child of Prince Aegon and Princess Helaena, Jaehaerys is 10 years old, the twin of Jaehaera, and a prince of the realm. As Prince Aegon's heir, now expected to inherit Dragonstone, his upbringing is under close scrutiny by the court, and indeed all of Westeros. Jaehaerys is bonded to the dragon Shrykos, who hatched in his cradle, though his mount is not large enough to ride yet. He is known for his shy nature and intelligence, but has a tendency to become rude and emotional in stressful situations.

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[helaenasdreamfyres]

“It’s so nice our children get along, it’s something I’ve always wished for…” The reason for that was left unspoken, but it was something Heleana thought a lot about.

Helaena felt lucky she ended up being close with her siblings. Aegon and her were not at first, but still in the end they became closer than ever. She’d always hoped her own children and her siblings children would be the same way. That they would love each other, and not hold harsh feelings towards one another, as some of her other family did. The said family members were clearly hostile towards one another… but she would not ever speak of that out loud.

Helaena blushed at her older sisters compliment. “Oh… I try my best. Aegon and I both try our best with our children. I’ve always looked to you for help, for guidance, as somewhat of a role model for motherhood. You do it so well with the large amount of children of your own!” Helaena beamed at her sister. “Baelon is such a sweet boy, watching him get along with Maelor makes me so happy. They’re quite funny together when you listen to their conversations.”

“What a precious boy Luke is, and Jace such a gentleman. Joffrey as well, I know you are so proud. It feels as they were just babes in the cradle…” She finished, thinking of the Rouge Prince who was just mentioned. She continued to listen to her older sister, keeping Daemon in the back of her mind. She felt incredibly rude for not even mentioning Rhaenyra’s husband with all this talk of family.

Helaena paused for a moment, trying to come up with the words to respond to her sisters question of her own well being. “Oh, I always find support in Aegon, though I think he’s having a harder time than he’s letting me believe…” she paused once again, questioning if she should continue talking about her worries for her husband. She ultimately decided against it and carried on with the conversation.

“Aemond and my mother have been there for me too. We’re all meeting together, speaking about everything. I do wish things were happier, but, I’m glad to spend the time with them.” She looked down at her hands. “You’ve always been a supportive sister, and I thank you for that.”

Helaena blushed once more at her sisters compliment. “I’m… happy at Dragonstone, I would say. I never thought that would be my home, that I would ever be the Lady of Dragonstone. But I’m glad this is how things have turned out.” And she left it at that. She decided to switch the topic now.

“How fares Daemon? I realized I have not truly spoken to him. Or about him, yet. Rude of me, I apologize. How are you two doing?”

House of Memories

(Closed starter for @helaenasdreamfyres)

The hours that sat between dusk and true night hung long in the transition from spring to summer where the seasons had been sitting for nigh on half a year. Helaena, Aegon, the rest of Rhaenyra's younger half siblings, and their whole household arrived back at the Red Keep the day before; returned to King's Landing for the first time since they were officially named Prince and Princess of Dragonstone by the Princess-Hand's own decree. The latest, and largest, show of good faith in the long string of promises, compromises, and peace offerings she'd orchestrated in the hopes her efforts would sate those who wished to go against her father's will and seat Aegon on the throne no matter the cost to The Realm.

It was no secret Rhaenyra missed Helaena most when their family split apart once more after all sharing a roof for nearly a decade since their father made her hand, not to either of them, the rest of their house, or anyone in the court not too distracted by spreading rumors about how they must loathe each other behind the scenes; because of course, isn't that what all women do? Rhaenyra let out a quiet laugh at the thought, contemplating how much she truly had missed her sister in their time away, and now they're here, and all she had to do was wait for Helaena to see her own children off to bed before they'd have a chance to speak freely with one another—as the pair had agreed earlier that day—her patience for waiting has seemed to vanish into thin air.

If the new Targaryens of Dragonstone had only returned to the Red Keep for some celebration or event, to celebrate Queen Alicent's name day, Jacaerys' wedding, perhaps even another babe she's all too aware her siblings were unlikely to have—but hoped they may have decided to pursue after all, as the comfort of their family island had inspired in her what now felt like half a life time ago—the only thing testing her patience would be the giddy nerves that catalyzed her whenever events and visitors descended upon King's Landing. However, the circumstances of their father's rapidly deteriorating health, what it meant for the realm, and the swarms of nobles all crowding into the capital expected to mourn the fall of a King and celebrate the rise of a Queen in equal parts have created countless more complicated emotions to eat at the Rhaenyra's resolve.

Persistent, pounding, perpetual worry for their father, their family, Helaena as much, and perhaps more than all the rest, was the fruit of the tree grown by all those inarticulable, awful feelings; Rhaenyra would never hesitate sing her sister's praises, but she was never good with handling stress, even less so at negative emotions, and though she'd never admit such to her, the older Princess had lost sleep in the past few days caught up in the anxiety of knowing grief was not a pain her sister could be protected from any longer, no matter how hard she wished it.

A knock on the door finally roused the Rhaenyra from her worrying. "Sweet sister!" Rhaenyra stands as soon as the guard stationed outside her chambers announces the younger Princess' arrival. She wrapped her arms around her sister gently before she'd barely crossed the threshold, before lead her back towards the sitting area with a gentle smile she hoped would at least conceal her nerves to ensure Helaena wasn't sent scurrying away by her own anxieties. "How are you faring, my love, and the children? I wish you were all returning under happier circumstances but I...I am happy to see you."

[helaenasdreamfyres]

“Your parties back on Dragonstone were… lovely. I think Rhaenya has less of a love for gatherings, like me, I suppose.” Helaena let out a breath. She’d been to every one of those parties, and left early every single time. She loved how happy it made Aegon, so she at least would be there for a time.

What she never told him, though, was that she was awake every time he came back to their chambers from one of his parties. He wasn’t quiet at his drunken attempts of opening their door, but that wasn’t the reasoning. She’d always stayed up just to be sure he came back okay. That he hadn’t drunkenly fallen asleep somewhere in the hallway, or some other strange place. She always pretended to be asleep, knowing he’d feel guilty for keeping her awake, but she felt she needed to. At least today she would come back with him, and she was able keep an eye on his alcohol consumption.

The sound of voices grew louder as they walked towards the gathering, and Helaena’s heart beat pounded along with it. She held onto her husband tighter. “Lemon cakes? That is what you want? Let us go find some!” She blurted out of nervousness. She said it to herself more than Aegon, in truth. Her eyes frantically searched the room for a table of sweets, and when they landed on one, she dragged her husband over to it.

“Okay, let me see…” she trailed along the table, looking for the cakes. “Oh! Here they are!” She picked the small pastry up and presented it to her husband. “Here, try one, tell me if it is any good!” Without even thinking, she practically shoved the lemon cake in his mouth herself. Only after doing so, she realized how strange that must have looked to everyone around them. How improper others must think she is now. Her eyes widened and she took a step back from him.

“Terribly sorry, so sorry… you’re a grown man, you can… feed yourself.” She looked into his eyes and frowned. She held her breath, waiting for something to happen. What she was waiting for, though, was a mystery to even herself. Was she waiting for someone to come up to them? For Aegon to react to how mere moments ago she had forced food down his throat? I can’t even be normal in front of my own husband, it seems. She thought to herself, sadly. And we had just talked about this… about being less nervous…

An Anxious Beginning to the Night

Part of @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood

( Starter with @goldaegontargaryen )

Greetings were said, hugs were given, love was shared. The Targaryen family was reunited. That was how things had gone once Aegon and Helaena had come to Kings Landing with their children. The heavy cloud of Viserys’ illness hanging over everyone’s heads was still there, but made lighter and bare-able by their shared bonds. Everything was pleasant, nothing could possibly go wrong, Helaena had thought to herself. That was until she unfortunately remembered it was time to prepare herself for the gathering being held this night.

Pacing around her and Aegons chambers, Helaena looked for something, anything, to do to forget the upcoming gathering. Something that would help someone, something to look at, just anything. Her outfit was already prepared, her hair done, all of the gifts she had made for her loved ones finished. There was nothing to do but wait, and waiting made her more anxious than she already was.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see everyone, she was more than happy to talk to her family members. It was that there were more than just her family members coming, people she didn’t know. People who would look at her, stare at her, expect a response when they asked a question. Even when she’d practice talking to others by staring in the mirror and pretending her reflection was someone else, it never worked. Helaena would mess things up, become tongue tied, and embarrass herself every time.

She knew hiding behind her husband wouldn’t be an appropriate way to present herself at this event, but it was appealing nonetheless. She continued to move from place to place in the room, looking at every detail, brushing away any small amount of dust, moving any item that didn’t look quite right where it was.

She had almost forget Aegon was there with her, when she felt his presence next to her. “Oh! Husband, is there anything you need me to do for you?” She smiled big, but didn’t quite look him in the eyes. “I just finished getting ready, can I help you prepare?”

[helaenasdreamfyres]

It had been a peaceful day so far, and Helaena was more than happy to spend some time with her youngest son, Prince Maelor. He had come to her wanting to hear a story about her dragon, so she was currently walking with him, speaking softly, recounting the first time she had ridden Dreamfyre. He had already heard this story many times before, but he always loved to hear it again.

As she spoke, her and her son walked the halls of the Red Keep. The small Prince had a hard time sitting still, so Helaena decided they would take a stroll. Hand in hand, they made their way through the halls, until she suddenly heard footsteps behind them.

She watched as a small boy, seemingly Maelor’s age, approached them and asked to play. Helaena smiled, but quickly wondered who this child was. She looked up to see someone she recognized walking towards her.

Sabitha Frey, the Princess realized. She was friends with her Lady in Waiting, Alysanne Blackwood. The two had only met briefly before, and Helaena could already feel the uncomfortableness of speaking to someone new creeping up. It wasn’t that Sabitha was unkind, it was only that Helaena was always this way with unfamiliar people, and now Sabitha had come up to her when she had not even had time to prepare a conversation.

She held on tighter to Maelor’s hand. “Oh, Maelor has no illness, I can assure you... But it is smart to be safe, so, Maelor, stay by me…” Helaena trailed off, feeling as if she couldn’t get the right words out. What could Sabitha want from her? Had she offended house Frey in some way? Had she done something wrong unknowingly? The questions were endless, and the anxieties built up inside of her.

“Yes… I have no important duties at the moment… Maelor, go find your father, I must speak to Lady Frey now.” She crouched down and kissed his face. “I promise I will tell the rest of the story later, and I’ll even tell you more this time. Be good. I love you.” She watched him as he walked away, a servant taking him to Aegon.

She looked Sabitha in the eyes, but quickly looked away. “Tea… yes, I do enjoy tea…”

The Red Keep, 129 AC

With: @helaenasdreamfyres

Princess Heleana was rumored to be socially awkward, avoiding almost all social gatherings around the Red Keep. Sabitha wasn't sure how to approach her. The Princess felt like a ghost that disappeared once Sabitha managed to find her. « Why do I want to meet her? What could we even talk about? »

Walking around the hallways of the Red Keep, Sabitha found her answer: Princess Heleana was in the company of her youngest son, he look around Theo's age. « She may have some advice. » Her mind started to scheam a way to talk to the Princess without scaring her. Little Theo had different plans.

Her boy walked towards the young Prince —Maelor— Sabitha recalled, and asked if he wanted to play with him. Sabitha smiled at her little one's confidence before realizing how inappropriate that could look. Her son wasn't Prince Maelor's official playmate, so the Prince might as well reject him.

—Theo! —Sabitha lifted her skirt and ran towards her son, suddenly anxious how the Princess might react. —I told you to not go far, I don't want you to get sick again.

That was half a lie. Theo hadn't gone too far, but she was still worried his sickness would come back. Evan after all the maester's treatments.

—Princess —Sabitha bowed and collected her thoughts before speaking— I hope we didn't interrupt anything important, would you like to talk somewhere? Maybe we could drink some tea?

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Character challenge for @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood

Challenge: Write a scene in which your character is preparing for Viserys’ funeral.

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The day was a dark one, and all Princess Helaena could do was cry. Her heart felt constricted and her eyes burned with tears as she made sure she looked perfect. Perfect for her father, the King, whose funeral was so soon, too soon, in fact.

Was she crying because she was sad he was gone? Or that he was gone and he’d never truly known her? Or maybe because others were going to be sad this day, the ones she loved and cared for the most? She knew all of the answers, yet didn’t want to admit a single one. A million questions ran through her head as she pulled her arms through the long, black sleeves. The dress widened towards her arms and felt heavy. More weight to carry as she battled through this day.

Once the dress was on, she reached for the black veil she chose for this day. A day she dreaded ever since she came back to Kings Landing. She looked to herself in the mirror, trying to fit the headpiece on her perfectly. Her eyes stung, they were red and bloodshot from the tears, and it was hard to see.

It was too many emotions, to many buried feelings, too many things she needed to do. All of this had built up to her tearful preparations now. Helaena clumsily put her veil on and stepped back, taking her whole attire in.

Black, black, and more black. It was unusual for the Princess to wear such a color, and she did not like it. It made her feel melancholic, the opposite of everything she tried to represent every single day of her life. The dress was large and stiff, different from her usual flowing and wispy outfits. It had flower patterns on the inside of the sleeves and down the middle, something she had chosen to make it somewhat happy, but it had not worked.

Nothing could make this day happy, she knew, but she had to show up positive for others. She needed to support her family, make sure they’re not suffering alone. She wiped the tears from her face and took a long, deep breath. She swallowed, trying to stop her crying. It was time to leave her chambers, and time to face the day. She would smile and make others a bit less sad, she decided, even if she felt awful. Even if she wished she wasn’t there. It was what she always did, and this day would be no different.

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Helaena smiled brightly, as she often did. Her beaming this moment was caused by her younger brother. Aemond had more knowledge on bugs than anyone else she knew, and that made her feel so fortunate that the two of them were close.

She happily held his arm and the two siblings continued to walk side by side. As they strolled further through the gardens, the Princess looked towards the ground to see if any more passing insects were visible. Different ones than the usual ants, she hoped. But, when Aemond finally finished asking his question, Helaena’s eyes went wide, the search for bugs forgotten.

This topic was not widely discussed among her and her siblings. Whether they were uncomfortable with speaking of it, or just didn’t care to, did not matter. The five of them, excluding Rhaenyra, kept the topic of their father unspoken about on Dragonstone. She was surprised her little brother came to her to speak of this, and though it made her feel a pang of anxiety in her chest, she also felt a wave of protectiveness towards him.

He was her little brother, after all. Though he’d grown into a man now, she still couldn’t help but remember the small boy he used to be. The soft, shy, sweet boy who would hold her hand.

Long ago, Helaena felt the closest person to her was Aemond. They spent lots of time together, finding it was easy to speak to each other even when other people in the world were mean and difficult. She remembered the day he lost is eye, how horrifying that was, and how much it opened her eyes to who their father truly was. Who their father truly cared about. She realized that, unfortunately, it was not her and her siblings, but her half sister. Aemond speaking so casually about him not being a father to them made Helaena sad. It was not something the Princess liked to admit out loud, and something she didn’t want her brother to feel was true, even though it absolutely was.

She’d tried her best over the years to be a positive figure in his life, make up for the lack of love from other family members. She didn’t know how good of a job she had done, yet she tried. The Princess quietly reflected over his words. She wanted to keep being positive, say something that would make him feel good.

The Princess had only told her husband the truth of her own feelings. She’d somewhat told their mother, but not fully. She didn’t want to reveal to Aemond that she wouldn’t miss their father, but she would mourn the fact that they could have spend more time together. She didn’t want to reveal that being back in Kings Landing had only made her feel almost… angry. Angry at their father, and angry was never an emotion Helaena wanted to feel.

Only Aegon knew the full truth, which, yet again, brought difficult feelings up to the surface. Thinking of this made Helaena realize that Aemond was no longer who she felt the most comfortable with, but now that person was Aegon. The two of them had flourished in their marriage, and while it did take a while, it had happened. Had she left her baby brother behind in that development? The two were still close, yes, but things were not the same. They never were, she supposed. Things changed, and Aemond hated change.

She let go of his arm, letting him pick up whatever he had found in a bush. When he presented her with a large caterpillar, she gasped, forgetting their father for a moment. “Wow! This caterpillar is so large, it will soon be ready to become a butterfly. How beautiful that will be. I wish I could see it…” she drifted off, thinking now about how to respond to his question.

“Well, sweet brother, you don’t have to go through the change alone. We are so lucky to have family who loves us. Aegon cares for you, maybe he doesn’t say it, but he does. Mother is here for us too. Whatever you need, just ask it.” She played with the caterpillar in her hand, gently feeling its texture. She picked it up and looked at its underbelly and legs.

“I, myself, am… sad. Yes, sad that he will be gone. Well, I’m happy to be back, but I did enjoy our little world away on Dragonstone. Oh, this caterpillar will be an orange butterfly…” she danced around the topic of her own feelings. She felt ashamed of them, so why burden her brother with that?

She sighed, finding the same bush her brother had picked the small creature up from and putting it back. She watched it inch away, putting her head on Aemonds shoulder.

Helaena looked up at Aemond, smiling at him. “You’re my brother, and I love you. I hope you know this. We have more family than just the King. We’ll get through this together. You have nothing to dread. Nothing to be afraid of. We’ve come so far…”

Quality Time Together

A part of @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood

( starter with @aemond-one-eyed )

The two walked through the gardens together, Helaena guiding the way while Aemond followed closely behind. Being back in Kings Landing had brought all sorts of new responsibilities to the two, so they had barely seen each other as of late. They had thought a walk through the gardens would be fun and would give them some time to talk, just the two of them.

Of course, Helaena couldn’t help but bring her passion of bugs into the conversation. So, the Prince and Princess decided that as they walked they would look for bugs. Maybe they would even find a new one for Helaena’s collection.

“Oh! Look, Aemond, look! See, right there, look to where I am pointing. A dragonfly! But don’t speak loudly or move suddenly, or it will fly away…” The dragonfly was sitting on a leaf, facing away from them. Helaena studied its colors closely, noticing that it was the darkest green she had ever seen in that kind of insect. It was also larger than usual, and its wings were black.

Helaena tried to take note of every detail, knowing she would write them down later. She became engrossed in studying the small creature. She had almost forgotten her brother was beside her when the dragonfly flew away, leaving the two alone again.

“Wow… I’ve never seen a dragonfly such as that one. Wasn’t it just beautiful, brother? Such a funny name, dragonfly… I don’t believe it looks much like a dragon, but to someone who’s never seen a dragon, I suppose it does.” She smiled as she spoke. She was happy she had a brother like Aemond, who was always so kind and listened to her without judgement.

So distracted by the bugs that surrounded them, Helaena forgot the true purpose of their walk. They wanted to spend time together, yes, but Aemond had brought up wanting to talk about something with her as well. That something had not yet been discussed.

Helaena crouched to the ground and let a passing ant crawl on her hand. She stood up and presented it to her brother. “Look at this one! He’s a tiny ant, for sure, but he has an important role in his colony. I’ll let him get back to that now.”

She turned away from Aemond, putting the ant back on the ground and watching it crawl away. “So…” Helaena began, walking slowly . “What did you want to talk to me about, brother?”

[helaenasdreamfyres]

“I’m so happy you like it, mother! It brings me so much joy.” She looked into her mother’s eyes. As a child, Helaena used to wonder why her mother looked so different from the rest of their family. She had beautiful brown eyes, while Helaena had dark purple ones. Her brown curly hair stood out amongst family gatherings. It was obvious to her now, her mother wasn’t a Targaryen. She was a Hightower, the Queen Alicent Hightower. But that made no difference to the Princess. Targaryen or not, her mother mattered to her dearly. That was why she had chosen to give her mother her gift first. Why she’d put the most detail into it. Why she had been so adamant on making the green dress look absolutely perfect.

“I have only made ones for a few others, here, let me show you! I want to see what you think!” She reached inside the bag, first pulling out Aegons small portrait. It was him over a dark red background, his hair clearly choppy and his outfit plain.

“Here is Aegon. His hair is shorter in this than it is now, I started this a while back when it hadn’t grown so long… oh, and he’s wearing simple clothes, like he does in real life! You should have seen when we were packing our clothes to come here, he almost left behind every lovely thing he has! He knows how to dress well, he just never makes the effort!”

Helaena looked down and smiled, trying not to laugh. The memory was a fond one. She ran her fingers across the portrait, looking at the other details. “But I’m trailing off. I added small sword details around the border, they are supposed to look like Blackfyre. He cherishes Blackfyre… well, here is the next one. I made this one for Rhaena!”

The next portrait the Princess presented to the Queen was a shiny one. It had a clear image of Rhaena in all pink dress, with the silver background being a nod to her dragon, Silverwing.

“I added small pearls to this one. I hope she likes it. We have a shared appreciation for embroidery so I knew I had to make her one!” Helaena stopped there, knowing her mother wasn’t very close to Rhaena, so she wouldn’t have much to comment on it.

Helaena paused, realizing who the last portrait was for, and how it might be a reminder of more tense feelings. It was for the Crown Princess Rhaenyra… her sister. Helaena was no stranger to their rivalry. I’ll quickly move through this one, that will be fine. Helaena thought, but wasn’t sure if she believed it fully.

She slowly pulled out the last portrait, showing it to her mother, but keeping it closer to her. “This one is for Rhaenyra. She loves purple, so that’s why I chose purple for the background.” The details on the hair almost matched the amount of detail on the Queens portrait, but not quite. The Crown Princess always wore extraordinary hairstyles, and Helaena wanted to capture that. Her dress was red and black and her earrings red. Everything seemed to display Rhaenyra and Alicent’s rivalry, the way the two ladies used colors to show their differences. The Princess had not done so purposefully, but even in these small embroidery portraits, it showed.

She quickly put it back. “So, those were all of them. I’m excited to give them out, I of course brought other gifts for everyone, but these ones are special…”

Just Us Two

( A part of @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood )

Starter with @alicenthightowerrp

Helaena sat in her mother’s chambers, patiently waiting for her to arrive. This was where they had agreed to meet, so they could talk privately, yet Helaena had come a bit too early. Her nerves prompted her to do so.

She had left the children with Aegon for the time being, and she knew that they would be fine. What was causing her anxieties at this moment was her mother. She had not seen her mother in quite some time, and the reason for their visit now was because her father was dying. Helaena couldn’t imagine the state her mother would be in when they finally talked, just the two of them.

Helaena loved her mother with every inch of her. It pained her that their father would be gone soon, and it pained her to think of how her mother would be left a widow soon. There was no one Helaena had missed more than anyone while living on Dragonstone.

As a child, the young Princess had followed the Queen around everywhere she went. She had tried to imitate her courtesies, her elegance, her sternness. Maybe Helaena didn’t try hard enough, as she had not turned out quite like Alicent, her mother. While she was stern with her children, when it came to anyone else, she was meek. While she tried to be courteous, she failed to be with strangers. Helaena couldn’t say if she herself was elegant or not, and she knew what others said about her, that she was not as striking or beautiful as most Targaryen women were.

But her mother never commented on any of that. Yes, she had tried to get Helaena to be more outgoing, less awkward, and more stern, yet it never felt out of hatred for the way she was. She knew her mother wanted the best for her and loved her regardless. She found it funny how she followed around her mother as a child, and now her own daughter Jaehaera was the same way. She wondered if her own mother did the same thing when she was young.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Alicent entered the room. “Mother!” Helaena beamed. She walked over and hugged her mother tightly. “I’m pleased to finally have a moment with you, just us.”

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Princess Helaena peacefully strolled through the gardens, not a worry on her mind. This was highly unusual, as she was prone to constant anxieties about the smallest of things. But today her walk had seemed to calm her, leaving her smiling as she looked around at every beautiful flower and interesting insect.

She was happily humming a tune while walking when she heard footsteps, silencing her. She stood still, waiting to hear them again, yet only heard the sound of the leaves swaying and birds chirping.

Was someone following her? She quickly turned around to look behind her, yet there was no one there. Anxiously, the Princess took a few steps forward, her eyes darting from place to place, searching for the unknown person. She heard the footsteps yet again and felt her heart race.

Her mind quickly ran through the list of people it could be. Well, Aegon likes to tease me… but I thought he was meeting with some noble lord at the moment…

“Aegon? Is that you?” Her voice quivered as she spoke. The fact that someone was able to hide so well and seemed to be watching her was what built up her anxiety. Why was someone doing this? She wondered.

When no answer came, she began to panic. She spun around, seeing if she could once again catch a glimpse at the person, but this time she was successful. The difference this time being that Helaena looked down instead of straight ahead of her, to now discover the person following her this whole time had been only a child.

Ah, a child playing games. How adorable! The smaller person had a brown wool cloak on… and a pink dress… strange, that. Silver hair peeked through the cloak, and Helaena suddenly realized who this child was.

Wait, this is my child! “Jaehaera! You naughty girl!” She reached out and grabbed her daughter from under her arms, swooping her into the air. She was currently ten years old, but still at a weight to where Helaena had no problem holding her.

She couldn’t possibly be mad at her, so she laughed. “It seems your little game is over! You scared your mother, I hope you know. What has you following me in the gardens today, my sweet love?”

A little escapade, with: @helaenasdreamfyres

JAEHAERA TARGARYEN wasn't fond of numbers, really. Her tutor had been on and on about math, he hadn't shut up during the last three hours even though Jaehaera had even fallen asleep during the last twenty minutes. The Targaryen princess looked relieved when the tutor left the room, Jaehaera got up and left. Jaehaera began walking towards the halls, she took slow steps and tried to be as discreet as she could.

Some of the nobles that walked past her bowed and made a courtesy, Jaehaera only nodded and continued to walk.

Jaehaera had memorized which corridors were more movimented and which ones were not. Jaehaera's purple eyes catched a glimpse of an exquisite yellow gown and long silver locks, almost identical as to Jaehaera's silver treads. Jaehaera decided that she had nothing better to do and, probably, at this hour the guards were probably searching for her. She quickly hid into her bedchambers, grabbed a brown wool cloak. She tugged some of her silver hair onto the fabric, hiding most of her length and put the hood on. Jaehaera then waited about half an hour, after knowing that the guards didn't seem to be searching for her, she left.

Jaehaera followed the hall the maids usually walked in, no one noticed her presence yet, even though her pink dress combined with that simple wool probably seemed odd to anyone.

Were they just letting her pretend?

Perhaps, she would get away with it. Besides her father had done a lot of his mischief during his youth, the maids always giggled as they recalled his past. Although, Jaehaera didn't understand why that would be funny.

The sun rays touched softly her face covered with small freckles. Certainly, with the heath her freckles would become more pronounced. As it was the usual during the winter. Jaehaera finally spotted her mother in the royal gardens, and she immediately began to walk after her.

It was just an innocent walk in the gardens. What could go wrong?

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Helaena hugged her beloved cousin tightly. “It feels it has been too long since we’ve seen each other. I’m so overjoyed!” Helaena beamed brightly, still holding onto the other girl.

She studied Rhaenas face. She seemed to glow, looking so much more mature than the last time they’d seen each other. It sometimes felt as if she was still that nine year old girl who Helaena had taken by the hand and called her own sister. But now, seeing her in real life, that image in her head faded away. Time went by much too fast for the Princess of Dragonstone to handle, it seemed. She felt a wave of emotions build up inside of her.

“Oh… my dear, you look so beautiful. I’m doing well, and you? How is Baela? I fear I haven’t had the time to truly talk with her on everything.” Helaena guided Rhaena to sit next to her.

“Have my siblings talked with you? My husband? Aegon is not much of a talker, but you know that well. I promise he is happy to be back and to see everyone.” Helaena said, not knowing if those words were completely true, but hoping they were.

The older Princess looked over to her bag that held her embroidery projects. All of them finished and ready to give as gifts. She had already given her mother her designated portrait, and Rhaena would be the next. She decided to let the conversation go for a bit more before she would present the gift.

“I myself am happy to be back, yet there is a lot of sadness here as well... but seeing you brings me joy. Seeing my bug collection I left here has brought me joy as well! Oh, I’ve been wanting to tell you about some of the new ones I have added to my collection back on Dragonstone. I have lots of embroidery work to show you as well! We have so much to catch up on!” Helaena danced around the topic of the Kings illness, trying to avoid any negative topics. She wanted this to be a happy meeting.

Helaena smoothed her dress out and let out a soft sigh. She had so many things to say, she did not know when to start and when to stop. She looked over to Rhaenas dress, which was pink, unsurprisingly. It was something she loved about her cousin, the way she wore her favorite colors constantly, always looking adorable. She reached out to hold Rhaenas hand.

“I’ve missed seeing your lovely pink-self around the castle.” Helaena laughed softly.

Venus Fly Trap

(Closed starter for @helaenasdreamfyres)

Rhaena was walking as quickly as she could while still maintaining her grace as she made her way through the winding halls of the Red Keep to Princess Helaena's chambers. The Prince and Princess of Dragonstone's household had arrived back in King's landing only a couple of days previous after a year and a half away on their new seat and her older cousin had finally found time to invite her for tea now the other half of the royal family had begun to settle back into a routine in King's Landing. The pair had been close for as long as Rhaena could remember, or at least very close to it, since she came to live at the Red Keep when she was only nine. The palace in the capital was all at once strange, fantastic, and terrifying to a little girl like herself, but on her first full day there Helaena had taken her hand and called her haēdar, little cousin, little sister, and guided her through the Keep's main thoroughfare and down that grand staircase which at the time felt so monstrously large, and in a way it felt like they'd never let go of each other's hands since.

Helaena had the twins that same year, and her Muna had Visenya only a couple moons after they came to the Red Keep; the days long labour and week where no one was sure if either would survive was still seared into her memory, or more precisely, the feelings of dread it had caused, and how Helaena had held her through most of it when her father, Prince Daemon, needed to attend Rhaenyra and her baby half sister. She'd sat with Helaena too, half a year later when Jaehaera and Jaehaerys came, one of the only times Rhaena took a page out of her older sister's book--and came close to biting anyone who tried to make her leave--until her surrogate older sister actually had to push and everyone was made to leave. After such a tumultuous year it would perhaps have been more of a shock if Rhaena and Helaena had not developed such a strong bond. What shocked most people, she knew, was that it had sustained for so many years hence. Even as Jaehaerys and Jaehaera had grown older, Rhaena's hoard of younger half-siblings continued to grow, and Helaena had Maelor as well, their shared responsibilities for some of the Keep's youngest occupants, growing maturity, and shared interests only served to bring them closer. It had been some time since she last saw her older cousin, but not terribly long, Helaena had bid her to visit Dragonstone whenever she wished and Rhaena had been sure to make good on the promise. The flight to their ancestral island was relatively short, and she would never turn down the opportunity to spend those hours with Silverwing or the Princess and her children, visiting the island half a dozen times--every three moons or so--their household first moved there.

Now, though, she'd be seeing her mandia for the first time in as many moons with a gift, which was a large portion of what fueled Rhaena's current excitement as she walked to Helaena's chambers with the parcel tucked under her arm, wrapped in dyed pink paper and wrapped with a golden-yellow ribbon. Both women's greatest shared interest had always been embroidery, and while her stepmother was quite adept in the skill as well, Helaena had taught Rhaena nearly everything she knew about the more delicate, finer techniques of the art form. It was a pleasant creative outlet, something that made them both happy, and allowed them to spend time together, and now she had something to show for it as well. This would hardly be the first embroidered gift she ever gave older cousin, but it was one she felt particularly proud of, and hoped would come across as meaningful as the thought she had put into it; A pair of pale gold silk slippers, dragonflies and honey bees sewn into the front of one shoe, and a mix of azalea flowers and Venus flytraps into the other. A few of the many flowers and bugs she knew Helaena adored so much, and something she hoped could be a bit of a good luck charm, made to wear under formal gowns and hopefully give her a touch of the comfort and confidence Rhaena always gained at the celebrations she knew caused Helaena so much anxiety.

The Princess' drawing room was brightly lit in the early afternoon sun when Rhaena was announced by the guard outside the door, the room mainly decorated in shades of light yellow and gold, with small accents of pale green and similarly pastel pink. That was another fondness the pair shared, while their favorite colors to decorate with varied, both of them had always gravitated towards the same delicate, brightly colored, fine but not lavish, and--whenever possible--sun-drenched decorations, and the site of it made her smile just like always. "Mandia!" Rhaena's grin grew even wider as she walked in to greet Helaena, placing her gift quickly, but gently, on a side table, then rushed over to her cousin and wrapped her arms around her in an enthusiastic hug, "It's lovelier than ever to finally see you." Rhaena placed a peck on her cheek before inquiring, "I've missed you, how are you, truly?"

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Helaena blushed at her husband’s teasing, even though she was the one who had started it in the first place. “I’m sure the loud noises and the drinking will cause everyone to have a headache.” She smiled at the ground.

They were nearly out the door when Aegon stopped. Helaena held onto his arm tightly, confused why they were not leaving. Had they forgotten something? Or was he stalling, as she was previously doing?

She looked at him as he spoke, her eyes moving to his own eyes, his hair, his outfit. He looks handsome, she thought as she listened. She listened to him speak about being herself and talking about her own interests. He spoke about Targaryens and their strangeness to others. He surely looks as others say a Targaryen prince should, her thoughts trailing off again. But then, the last thing he said had caught the Princess off guard.

“Aegon!” She knew what he meant by that, and knew he wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for her, even if his words weren’t appropriate. She couldn’t help but grin, though she was trying to be serious. “Don’t say that, you don’t need to cause trouble for me, it’s alright. If someone is mean, we can just… ignore them, I suppose. I’ve grown accustomed to ignoring such things.” She sighed. Her husbands protectiveness was appreciated, but the last thing she wanted was to cause problems with other courtiers at an already stressful time such as now.

“But, you are right. It is true that I have been wanting to talk about the new bug I added to my collection. You know, the spider I was just telling you about! The very small one, I love it dearly. Oh, and my embroidery projects. They came along so nicely, they…” she trailed off, not wanting to reveal that one of the projects was a gift for him.

“Well, anyway, you are right. I’ll try my best. Just don’t leave my side! I am curious to see if our other siblings will attend tonight.” Helaena wondered out loud. She had serious doubts she would see all four of their siblings there. It wasn’t uncommon that at least one wouldn’t show up, and Aegon and her had almost been those ones this night. One of them was always trying to stir trouble with their mother or possibly another family member.

Helaena once again blushed at her husband’s sweet words. She looked down at her hands, thinking. One of the rings on her fingers was their wedding ring, which she smiled at. She was wearing another ring on her other hand, a golden ring with moons patterned around it. Her gown was blue tonight, honoring her dragon Dreamfyre. It had accents of yellow and gold, some of which she had embroidered herself. She could never go without her favorite color on her outfits.

“Well… if you say so, my love. Let us get going, we have surely stalled enough!” Helaena laughed quietly. She squeezed his arm and began to walk out the door.

An Anxious Beginning to the Night

Part of @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood

( Starter with @goldaegontargaryen )

Greetings were said, hugs were given, love was shared. The Targaryen family was reunited. That was how things had gone once Aegon and Helaena had come to Kings Landing with their children. The heavy cloud of Viserys’ illness hanging over everyone’s heads was still there, but made lighter and bare-able by their shared bonds. Everything was pleasant, nothing could possibly go wrong, Helaena had thought to herself. That was until she unfortunately remembered it was time to prepare herself for the gathering being held this night.

Pacing around her and Aegons chambers, Helaena looked for something, anything, to do to forget the upcoming gathering. Something that would help someone, something to look at, just anything. Her outfit was already prepared, her hair done, all of the gifts she had made for her loved ones finished. There was nothing to do but wait, and waiting made her more anxious than she already was.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see everyone, she was more than happy to talk to her family members. It was that there were more than just her family members coming, people she didn’t know. People who would look at her, stare at her, expect a response when they asked a question. Even when she’d practice talking to others by staring in the mirror and pretending her reflection was someone else, it never worked. Helaena would mess things up, become tongue tied, and embarrass herself every time.

She knew hiding behind her husband wouldn’t be an appropriate way to present herself at this event, but it was appealing nonetheless. She continued to move from place to place in the room, looking at every detail, brushing away any small amount of dust, moving any item that didn’t look quite right where it was.

She had almost forget Aegon was there with her, when she felt his presence next to her. “Oh! Husband, is there anything you need me to do for you?” She smiled big, but didn’t quite look him in the eyes. “I just finished getting ready, can I help you prepare?”

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Helaena studied herself in the mirror, focusing mostly on the necklace. Her gown was a pale yellow, almost white, with gold embroidered flowers. The gold of the necklace complimented the dress well, and the green was a beautiful touch.

“Your mother, my grandmother, must have had an eye for jewelry! Oh, I wish I could have known her…” Helaena stopped, thinking of how her mother rarely ever brought up her own mother. She’d barely ever heard stories of what she was like. It must be painful for mother…

Helaena couldn’t imagine a life without having a mother. In her childhood, the Princess was never far from the Queen, always choosing to follow her lead. Her mother was her most present parent, the King had never truly taken care of her. All of these thoughts made Helaena sad once again, but she decided against saying anything. She’d already made the mood somber earlier.

“I’ll wear it in her memory.” Helaena stated, hoping that wouldn’t make her mother sad, but maybe please her. It was also true. Now that the Princess knew where the necklace had come from, she wanted to honor that memory.

“Oh, of course I would love you to be there, mother. When the King calls to see the children, it will be nice to have you with us. Though the children might pay more attention to you than father.” She laughed, but quickly realized how bad that had sounded. Her kids barely even knew they had a grandfather. She decided to change the subject.

“So, mother, I thank you again for this gift you’ve given me. I have one in return for you! I brought several gifts, actually, but one is for you. I wanted to show you the other ones, though… Yes, let me grab them!” Helaena walked over to the door where she had left her bag of gifts by.

She went back in front of her mother and presented the bag. “So… this one is for you… it’s uhm…” Helaena felt shy all of a sudden. Mother gave me such an extravagant gift, I really hope she likes this.

Helaena had spent a long time preparing these small portraits of her most beloved family members (excluding her children, of course. She knew they would have no such interest in a portrait. Maybe when they got older they would like one, she thought). She’d hoped this was the perfect gift to express her happiness at seeing them again, and show them how much she loved them. She’d made one for Aegon, who she did see every day, but she just couldn’t leave him out. The rest, though, were for that purpose.

The Princess put the bag down and pulled out the Queens small portrait, holding it up to her. “It’s you, mother. I made portraits for a small amount of family, but yours I made the most detailed. I did it by memory, yes, but I have a lot of memory of you, of course! I hope you like it. I want to show you the rest for the others, but this one first, of course.”

The piece was small, the size of both Helaena’s hands together roughly. Alicent’s torso and upwards were sewn onto it over a green background. Her curly brown hair was made clear through the stitches, and green earrings very apparent. Her crown was there too, but the dress was the main focus of this portrait. There was different shades of greens, small flower accents, even the sleeves had a tremendous amount of detail. There was no eyes seen, but her pale skin was portrayed on the face.

Just Us Two

( A part of @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood )

Starter with @alicenthightowerrp

Helaena sat in her mother’s chambers, patiently waiting for her to arrive. This was where they had agreed to meet, so they could talk privately, yet Helaena had come a bit too early. Her nerves prompted her to do so.

She had left the children with Aegon for the time being, and she knew that they would be fine. What was causing her anxieties at this moment was her mother. She had not seen her mother in quite some time, and the reason for their visit now was because her father was dying. Helaena couldn’t imagine the state her mother would be in when they finally talked, just the two of them.

Helaena loved her mother with every inch of her. It pained her that their father would be gone soon, and it pained her to think of how her mother would be left a widow soon. There was no one Helaena had missed more than anyone while living on Dragonstone.

As a child, the young Princess had followed the Queen around everywhere she went. She had tried to imitate her courtesies, her elegance, her sternness. Maybe Helaena didn’t try hard enough, as she had not turned out quite like Alicent, her mother. While she was stern with her children, when it came to anyone else, she was meek. While she tried to be courteous, she failed to be with strangers. Helaena couldn’t say if she herself was elegant or not, and she knew what others said about her, that she was not as striking or beautiful as most Targaryen women were.

But her mother never commented on any of that. Yes, she had tried to get Helaena to be more outgoing, less awkward, and more stern, yet it never felt out of hatred for the way she was. She knew her mother wanted the best for her and loved her regardless. She found it funny how she followed around her mother as a child, and now her own daughter Jaehaera was the same way. She wondered if her own mother did the same thing when she was young.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Alicent entered the room. “Mother!” Helaena beamed. She walked over and hugged her mother tightly. “I’m pleased to finally have a moment with you, just us.”

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Quality Time Together

A part of @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood

( starter with @aemond-one-eyed )

The two walked through the gardens together, Helaena guiding the way while Aemond followed closely behind. Being back in Kings Landing had brought all sorts of new responsibilities to the two, so they had barely seen each other as of late. They had thought a walk through the gardens would be fun and would give them some time to talk, just the two of them.

Of course, Helaena couldn’t help but bring her passion of bugs into the conversation. So, the Prince and Princess decided that as they walked they would look for bugs. Maybe they would even find a new one for Helaena’s collection.

“Oh! Look, Aemond, look! See, right there, look to where I am pointing. A dragonfly! But don’t speak loudly or move suddenly, or it will fly away…” The dragonfly was sitting on a leaf, facing away from them. Helaena studied its colors closely, noticing that it was the darkest green she had ever seen in that kind of insect. It was also larger than usual, and its wings were black.

Helaena tried to take note of every detail, knowing she would write them down later. She became engrossed in studying the small creature. She had almost forgotten her brother was beside her when the dragonfly flew away, leaving the two alone again.

“Wow… I’ve never seen a dragonfly such as that one. Wasn’t it just beautiful, brother? Such a funny name, dragonfly… I don’t believe it looks much like a dragon, but to someone who’s never seen a dragon, I suppose it does.” She smiled as she spoke. She was happy she had a brother like Aemond, who was always so kind and listened to her without judgement.

So distracted by the bugs that surrounded them, Helaena forgot the true purpose of their walk. They wanted to spend time together, yes, but Aemond had brought up wanting to talk about something with her as well. That something had not yet been discussed.

Helaena crouched to the ground and let a passing ant crawl on her hand. She stood up and presented it to her brother. “Look at this one! He’s a tiny ant, for sure, but he has an important role in his colony. I’ll let him get back to that now.”

She turned away from Aemond, putting the ant back on the ground and watching it crawl away. “So…” Helaena began, walking slowly . “What did you want to talk to me about, brother?”

[helaenasdreamfyres]

She squeezed him tightly before he let go. “I love you too.” She said, with every ounce of truth in her. “Then I will be there with you when he calls for you. I am always glad to accompany you anywhere, you know this.” She then put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him on the forehead.

It was times like these where Helaena could not understand why the pair had not gotten along in the beginning. He was the person she was most comfortable with, and before it was the opposite. They’d spent their childhood unfamiliar with each other, and that time lost had made Helaena sad. But then again, they would be spending the rest of their lives together now to make up for that, and that comforted her. They had the time to spend together, and she would not take it for granted.

But now, it was the time to go somewhere. Helaena was calm, until again she realized where they were supposed to be. “Oh, I almost forgot about the event tonight. Shall we now go now…”

“…my prince?” She added, in a teasing manner. The two were never very formal towards one another, and she wanted to copy his tendency to tease her. She couldn’t help but smile, showing her teeth. She looked towards the ground. “Unless, my prince still has a headache he needs help tending to?” She said jokingly. She wasn’t ready to leave their chambers, and leave this moment, so she stalled.

Their children were being looked after by the maids, playing with their cousins. Their outfits were complete, and their hair done. Their chambers were spotlessly clean. Everything was where it needed to be. There was nothing else they needed to do but bring themselves to walk out the door. So Helaena waited for his response, wondering how many times she would embarrass herself this night. Maybe her jests were to tease her husband, but they were also somewhat to distract herself from the nervousness that crept back up in her.

An Anxious Beginning to the Night

Part of @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood

( Starter with @goldaegontargaryen )

Greetings were said, hugs were given, love was shared. The Targaryen family was reunited. That was how things had gone once Aegon and Helaena had come to Kings Landing with their children. The heavy cloud of Viserys’ illness hanging over everyone’s heads was still there, but made lighter and bare-able by their shared bonds. Everything was pleasant, nothing could possibly go wrong, Helaena had thought to herself. That was until she unfortunately remembered it was time to prepare herself for the gathering being held this night.

Pacing around her and Aegons chambers, Helaena looked for something, anything, to do to forget the upcoming gathering. Something that would help someone, something to look at, just anything. Her outfit was already prepared, her hair done, all of the gifts she had made for her loved ones finished. There was nothing to do but wait, and waiting made her more anxious than she already was.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see everyone, she was more than happy to talk to her family members. It was that there were more than just her family members coming, people she didn’t know. People who would look at her, stare at her, expect a response when they asked a question. Even when she’d practice talking to others by staring in the mirror and pretending her reflection was someone else, it never worked. Helaena would mess things up, become tongue tied, and embarrass herself every time.

She knew hiding behind her husband wouldn’t be an appropriate way to present herself at this event, but it was appealing nonetheless. She continued to move from place to place in the room, looking at every detail, brushing away any small amount of dust, moving any item that didn’t look quite right where it was.

She had almost forget Aegon was there with her, when she felt his presence next to her. “Oh! Husband, is there anything you need me to do for you?” She smiled big, but didn’t quite look him in the eyes. “I just finished getting ready, can I help you prepare?”

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Helaena beamed at the mention of her bug collection. “Oh! Thank you, mother! I’ve been thinking about my collection a lot since I’ve arrived, just another thing I have missed!” She softly laughed. While her family were the most important and the ones she missed the most, she couldn’t help admit that her bug collection was on her mind too. She’d put a lot of work into it over the years, and was sad to leave it behind in Kings Landing.

“I started a new collection on Dragonstone, I want to show you! Just another reason to come visit us!” She said, not noticing how uncomfortable it made the Queen.

She watched her mother as she turned around and walked towards her dresser. When Alicent presented her with the necklace, Helaena’s jaw dropped. “Oh, mother… it’s so beautiful. I am at a loss for words! I would love to see how it looks on me. Thank you... I- just- thank you.” Helaena stopped, knowing she was going to start rambling again. Helaena turned around and pulled her hair away from her neck, silently asking her mother to put it on her.

“Where did this necklace come from? Oh, whoever made it is very talented. I don’t believe I have ever seen you wear it? Is it new?” She asked.

The gift she had received suddenly reminded the Princess of her own gift she had brought for her mother. It was an embroidery portrait of the Queen, made by Helaena herself. She had made lots of gifts for the people she loved, but this was a completely new idea she thought of. Helaena had only chosen a small amount people to make these portraits for, though. Those being Alicent, Aegon, Rhaenyra, and Rhaena. She decided she would give it to her mother after she tried on the necklace.

Just Us Two

( A part of @asongofgoldenfireandblackblood )

Starter with @alicenthightowerrp

Helaena sat in her mother’s chambers, patiently waiting for her to arrive. This was where they had agreed to meet, so they could talk privately, yet Helaena had come a bit too early. Her nerves prompted her to do so.

She had left the children with Aegon for the time being, and she knew that they would be fine. What was causing her anxieties at this moment was her mother. She had not seen her mother in quite some time, and the reason for their visit now was because her father was dying. Helaena couldn’t imagine the state her mother would be in when they finally talked, just the two of them.

Helaena loved her mother with every inch of her. It pained her that their father would be gone soon, and it pained her to think of how her mother would be left a widow soon. There was no one Helaena had missed more than anyone while living on Dragonstone.

As a child, the young Princess had followed the Queen around everywhere she went. She had tried to imitate her courtesies, her elegance, her sternness. Maybe Helaena didn’t try hard enough, as she had not turned out quite like Alicent, her mother. While she was stern with her children, when it came to anyone else, she was meek. While she tried to be courteous, she failed to be with strangers. Helaena couldn’t say if she herself was elegant or not, and she knew what others said about her, that she was not as striking or beautiful as most Targaryen women were.

But her mother never commented on any of that. Yes, she had tried to get Helaena to be more outgoing, less awkward, and more stern, yet it never felt out of hatred for the way she was. She knew her mother wanted the best for her and loved her regardless. She found it funny how she followed around her mother as a child, and now her own daughter Jaehaera was the same way. She wondered if her own mother did the same thing when she was young.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Alicent entered the room. “Mother!” Helaena beamed. She walked over and hugged her mother tightly. “I’m pleased to finally have a moment with you, just us.”

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Headcanons for Helaena Targaryen:

💛- It is known to the people around her that Helaena mostly dresses in the color yellow. Though the Princess has never shared with others why, she has quite a few reasons for it. Besides her simply finding the color beautiful, it symbolizes a lot in her life. The color reminds her of her husband’s dragon, Sunfyre, and by extension him himself. Wearing the gold and yellow colors makes her feel closer to Aegon. The color brings her back to her childhood, the summer days when she would walk through the gardens with her mother, admiring every yellow flower they came across. Picking the yellow flowers and presenting it to her mother, waiting for her reaction. She’d heard others before say that it was a bright, happy color, and that had made her want to wear it even more.

💛- Helaena had gotten into sewing and embroidery when she was quite young. It was a way of expressing a lot of her interests, like when she would make embroideries of bugs or make gifts for her loved ones to surprise them. But another reason she had started this hobby was to escape her difficult feelings she could not express. The feelings surrounding her family that she did not want to speak aloud. Whenever she had felt sad, she would begin to sew. The days she would notice tension in her household, she’d create something. It was a way of coping that she never grew out of, and had turned it into a big part of her life.

💛- The Princess was rarely seen without a smile on her face. It was true that others had commented on her looks before, calling her plain faced, average looking, and not as beautiful as a Targaryen woman should be. But the one thing no one had shamed her for was her bright smile. It was a habit for Helaena at this point grin when speaking to anyone, and some of the time it was not even out of happiness. She smiled when she felt awkward, sad, angry, tired, any negative emotion you could possibly name. It was a way to avoid the harder things she could not process, and make it seem like on the outside she was happy. But this was not always the case, and whenever she was happy, Helaena beamed brightly.

💛- Helaena had typical Valyrian eyes that were purple in color, but unlike a lot of her family, they were a deeper violet. Darker than the usual shades that appeared in Targaryens, but not so dark that you did not notice their color. This was only pointed out further once Helaena had children, whose eyes were all lighter than her own. It was not something she felt insecure about, just something she knew that new people would inevitably bring up during conversations.

💛- While most people did not look twice at the small bugs that littered the ground, Helaena had been one to take notice of them all and cherish them. They were something she had always taken an interest in. She wondered how a thing so small could be a living creature, and loved how different each bug she found was compared to the others before. Some of them had beautiful wings and colors, while some were more plain and had lots of legs. They all had unique roles in nature, and that had always intrigued Helaena. To be so small, yet live an important life, it was beautiful. To be so harmless (well, some of them not so harmless, but that didn’t matter), yet hated, it was sad. Sometimes, when she found a bug who had passed away, she would keep it. Then, she would place it in frame, alongside others like it. It was a way of honoring the creature and studying its features. Most would consider this extremely abnormal, but for the Princess it was a joy in her life.

💛- Singing was not an activity Helaena would admit she loved out loud. She was constantly memorizing songs and singing them to herself whenever alone, but never in front of others. She was too shy to do so, and felt she would always mess up the words and embarrass herself. While she wouldn’t sing aloud to others, she would always hum while doing tasks. Whether she was dressing, sewing, or simply walking, you could hear her quiet hums.

[helaenasdreamfyres]

Helaena smiled brightly at her sister. “I’m glad you are well. I hope here you can find a little bit of peace. You deserve a rest!”

“Jaehaerys is fine, you know him, always so indifferent. As long as he has a book in his hands he is content.” Helaena laughed. “He may not say it, but he was overjoyed to ride his dragon here. He is also glad to see his family again. He never tires telling the other children about the books he reads! I’m sorry to hear about Visenya’s nightmares, maybe the twins presence will calm her somewhat.”

“Jaehaera and Maelor are also well. Jaehaera had a lot of fun on her journey here like her brother. She is also clinging quite heavily to me, more than usual. Not that I mind, but I wonder if it is because of the events going on are stressing her. I’m sure being back with her cousins will also calm her.”

“Maelor is a sweet child, and he wants someone to play with him every moment of the day. He will hopefully take some of Baelons time, giving you a break.” She quietly laughed again. Even with only three children, it was tiring sometimes. She hoped all of them being together now would grant the adults some time to themselves.

Helaena squeezed Rhaenyras hands. “The poor children, this is all hard on them. I know they’re grateful to have a mother like you, sister. How fares your three eldest? What honorable and kind-hearted men they have turned out to be. You must be so proud of them!” Helaena said, giving her sister full honesty. She had always been fond of her nephews, Jace, Luce, and Joff.

When Helaena had first became a mother, she had hoped she could be a strong and kind mother to her kids as Rhaenyra was. That she could be as brave and stern as Alicent was. She’d hoped she’d achieved this, and tried her hardest every day.

House of Memories

(Closed starter for @helaenasdreamfyres)

The hours that sat between dusk and true night hung long in the transition from spring to summer where the seasons had been sitting for nigh on half a year. Helaena, Aegon, the rest of Rhaenyra's younger half siblings, and their whole household arrived back at the Red Keep the day before; returned to King's Landing for the first time since they were officially named Prince and Princess of Dragonstone by the Princess-Hand's own decree. The latest, and largest, show of good faith in the long string of promises, compromises, and peace offerings she'd orchestrated in the hopes her efforts would sate those who wished to go against her father's will and seat Aegon on the throne no matter the cost to The Realm.

It was no secret Rhaenyra missed Helaena most when their family split apart once more after all sharing a roof for nearly a decade since their father made her hand, not to either of them, the rest of their house, or anyone in the court not too distracted by spreading rumors about how they must loathe each other behind the scenes; because of course, isn't that what all women do? Rhaenyra let out a quiet laugh at the thought, contemplating how much she truly had missed her sister in their time away, and now they're here, and all she had to do was wait for Helaena to see her own children off to bed before they'd have a chance to speak freely with one another—as the pair had agreed earlier that day—her patience for waiting has seemed to vanish into thin air.

If the new Targaryens of Dragonstone had only returned to the Red Keep for some celebration or event, to celebrate Queen Alicent's name day, Jacaerys' wedding, perhaps even another babe she's all too aware her siblings were unlikely to have—but hoped they may have decided to pursue after all, as the comfort of their family island had inspired in her what now felt like half a life time ago—the only thing testing her patience would be the giddy nerves that catalyzed her whenever events and visitors descended upon King's Landing. However, the circumstances of their father's rapidly deteriorating health, what it meant for the realm, and the swarms of nobles all crowding into the capital expected to mourn the fall of a King and celebrate the rise of a Queen in equal parts have created countless more complicated emotions to eat at the Rhaenyra's resolve.

Persistent, pounding, perpetual worry for their father, their family, Helaena as much, and perhaps more than all the rest, was the fruit of the tree grown by all those inarticulable, awful feelings; Rhaenyra would never hesitate sing her sister's praises, but she was never good with handling stress, even less so at negative emotions, and though she'd never admit such to her, the older Princess had lost sleep in the past few days caught up in the anxiety of knowing grief was not a pain her sister could be protected from any longer, no matter how hard she wished it.

A knock on the door finally roused the Rhaenyra from her worrying. "Sweet sister!" Rhaenyra stands as soon as the guard stationed outside her chambers announces the younger Princess' arrival. She wrapped her arms around her sister gently before she'd barely crossed the threshold, before lead her back towards the sitting area with a gentle smile she hoped would at least conceal her nerves to ensure Helaena wasn't sent scurrying away by her own anxieties. "How are you faring, my love, and the children? I wish you were all returning under happier circumstances but I...I am happy to see you."