his eyes had remained locked downwards for much of the day, and even now he only darts upwards to look at mother for a moment for as long as she speaks, before he looks down once more. he ought not to be surprised by the words the king had spoken, and he was not, in truth. if he were aemond, he would hate to see him at his home, after the injury he had inflected. it made most sense to tell them to leave it. it is the thought of mother not seeing her father which gawks at him, however. dragonstone is his home in all the ways that matter, and so he cannot say he is terribly upset about being confined to the island, at being told to leave king's landing and take to dragonstone after departing driftmark. if anything, he thinks he will welcome the smoke filled air and the sounds of the dragons soaring their skies, rather than handle court and those in it. he steps closer to her, eyes set resolutely at the folds of her skirts, one of his hands reaching to grab at it, rather than look up as he thinks on it. “ but won't... don't you need to see the king, mother ? he is your father, ” he questions, voice low and worried. his eyebrows furrow, as he imagines that mayhaps she shall need to travel. oh, but he is not allowed to go, and she cannot go alone to court. not when court seems to have teeth, she needs someone with her, and they should all go, for it to be done properly. he cannot see an answer to it, however, the thought an endless circle as he considers it and turns it over in his mind. mother is still crown princess, is she not ? ( the king had said nothing of that, and he thinks he would have heard had he done so ) “ and won't we need to return to the city, then ? you cannot go alone. ”