Donna smiled as she walked across the Great Hall, her arm wrapped around the Prince's. She had gotten very skilled at ignoring the pain from her lower body. She figured soon enough she would get used to it like all other women. On his part, her husband seemed to be far away in his thoughts. She remembered one of the ladies mentioning that they had seen him and the Queen Consort walking in the gardens.
As they neared the Dowager Queen, her smile felt more sincere. It had been clear that she was there to support her daughter, a sentiment that made Donna miss her own family. It was, however, a relief to see such support towards the Crown Princess after hearing the angry whispers spat by Queen Consort and her ladies.
"Ma'am," Donna greeted, slipping her arm from the Prince's to give a curtsy, "are you enjoying your stay?" she asked, feeling the man next to her tense. She knew he had hoped to continue on, ignoring the woman. His hand gripped her elbow, tightly but Donna ignored it.
Her previous time spent at court had afforded her a number of opportunities to learn the intricacies of many who dwelt among its walls. The Prince had not been a mystery before her departure. Azarni found that he was no mystery now. Viserys had been a cruel and jealous boy even in the early stages of his youth. Time had not changed such tendencies.
There was a great deal of Aerys in the Prince, something that the Crown and the Realm could do without.
Even from where she stood, the Empress could tell such a thing. Confirmation was given by the barely murmured greeting that he offered in return and the flexing of his fingers against his bride's elbow. Her mulberry colored eyes lingered a beat longer than necessary upon the boy before turning to look at the girl beside him.
For a moment, she felt a wave of pity for the girl. She wondered if the girl's family had any true knowledge of what they had ensnared her in when they had married her off to Viserys.
"My stay has been quite pleasant, Your Grace," she answered, giving the girl a kind smile. "The King and Dowager Queen Betha have been most gracious in their hospitality." Azarni knew that it had been Betha Blackwood's doing that had seen such hospitality extended to her. It had certainly not been the current Queen Consort.
"Spending time with my daughter has been quite joyous," she went on. "Coming to know her husband has been as well. Lord Stark seems to be completely enraptured with my daughter. And, she seems much the same with him."
Azarni could think of no better way for her daughter to unsettle the Small Council and the King's Hand. A happy and loving marriage with her Northern Wolf Lord was a most fitting revenge for what had nearly occurred.












