Preparations for the Royal Wedding
The most recent grand royal wedding between a Targaryen and a Velaryon had been a complete disaster. A murder during the opening feast and vows made in haste as the servants cleaned the blood of the floors. It had not been the wedding Rhaenys had pictured nor planned for her son and heir.
Laena’s wedding had not been grand either. Her marriage to Daemon Targaryen had not been one Rhaenys nor Corlys truly agreed with. However, it was a better match than her previous and Daemon proved himself to be a good husband to their daughter.
When the betrothal of Jacaerys Velaryon and Baela Targaryen had been announced, Rhaenys wasn’t ready to feel excited about an upcoming wedding. Corlys was still missing, some presumed him dead, her grandsons’ parentage had been called into question once more, this time by her brother-in-law, who had lost more than his tongue for his spiteful accusations. Rhaenys knew what people thought. Rhaenys knew that there might be a possibility that the boys weren’t Laenor’s. But Laenor had claimed them as his sons and Viserys had claimed them as his grandsons. And as they aged, Rhaenys saw more and more of her own Baratheon heritage in the boys.
As the years passed and mourning and worry, turned to fond memories and acceptance, Rhaenys began to look forward to being a part of another royal wedding. When Rhaenyra had fought for her sister’s wedding to happen only once her sister was of age, Rhaenys was pleased to learn that the same would apply to her grandchildren. She was after all the grandmother of both the bride and the groom. While that wasn’t uncommon in the Targaryen family, where brothers had married sisters for generations, this was slightly more different as the bride and groom were first cousins and now stepsiblings. Rhaenys was glad she didn’t have to explain the family dynamics, it was complicated but filled with love.
Rhaenys had driven Corlys and almost Rhaena to the edge of insanity with her requests as they prepared for an extended stay at The Red Keep. Due to her condition Rhaenys could not fetch the crates and chests from far of rooms, as she looked through both Velaryon and Targaryen family heirlooms. She wanted to find something special for both bride and groom. And they needed to have the wedding cloak aired out and looked through for loose seams and missing beads.
Upon arrival at The Red Keep, Rhaenys made use of the bedroom that ought to Corlys’, but they had always shared her bedchamber. The room had been used intermittently as a study, as a makeshift nursery when Laena and Laenor were small, and again when they were older and refused to share rooms. Now Rhaenys had made sure it was set up as a second more intimate sitting room, where she and Baela could discuss wedding plans without interruptions.
Rhaenys was excited for Baela to see the various items she had brought with her from Driftmark, but she was especially exited to show her the headdress Corlys had commissioned for Laena’s wedding feasts, which Laena had said should go to the daughter who married first. Laena had thought ahead, even before the twins were born. Back at Driftmark in another case waited another headdress for Rhaena for her wedding feasts. Rhaenys knew Daemon might gift Baela with other headdresses and did not expect Baela to wear this specific one in the Sept of Baelor, but hoped she would use it for one of the feasts in the weeklong wedding celebrations.
“Will someone see if Lady Baela is on her way, kostilus?” She asked of the maids as she rose and walked up to the Velaryon and Targaeryn wedding cloak. She had worn it, Rhaenyra had worn it, Laena had worn it. Now it was time for Baela to wear it. Rhaenys had bought it to Dragonstone with her and had asked Helaena to mend any rips and missing bits. It looked immaculate now and as she waited, Rhaenys reached out, stroking the embroidered hippocamp fondly.
A starter for: @moondancer-rp