Chapter 31: Clutch Onwards
110 AC, Driftmark
Laena Velaryon had known for a very long time that she would be overshadowed by her brother. It was often the case with male heirs born after female children. Lords were often overjoyed at the thought of finally gaining an heir that they often overlooked the eldest child, a girl. Her parents had not done this, thankfully; her father was largely absent from Driftmark in her youth, both to set up trade routes and then to fight the war in the Stepstones. Her mother had not shown any preference to either of them, which, given the way that she had been usurped by Viserys just because she was a woman, was natural.
And yet, all of this did not change the fact that there was something about Laenor that was… different.
Many in the realm spoke of her brother with a certain awe, for he was the youngest knight in the Seven Kingdoms; he had also defeated one of the most infamous pirates in a duel and brought House Velaryon a Valyrian Steel sword. However, while true, that was not what truly made Laenor remarkable; he was a builder, a creator.
One only needed to look around her, specifically in the town of Hull. What had been a small town became something that rivalled even Spicetown in both beauty, function, and cleanliness. Gods, even Spicetown had grown better with most of the manufacturing of goods moving to Hull, which was built with a purpose in mind.
Hull, on the other hand, became a town of wonders, organised and paved with roads, where its residents lived in stone houses, and not huts, where the most advanced ships in the Known World were being manufactured, and so much more.
It had taken Laenor much to convince their father to go through with this, and it had worked marvellously. Both Spicetown and Hull were growing, and more gold flowed through the coffers of House Velaryon.
Even then, Laena knew that her brother had much more planned for the town, wanting it to be the beginning of something… more.
He had shared with her his plans regarding new places of learning, this time, not unlike the Citadel, but focused on a certain profession. He had tried it for Shipwrights, and that alone greatly expanded the production of ships all over Driftmark. Each one who had finished their apprenticeship was written down in a registry, so that their qualifications may be verified by anyone in the Seven Kingdoms, should they only request a raven.
He hoped to eventually do the same with different trades, such as blacksmithing, woodworking, glassblowing, sailing, and so much more. It would all be concentrated on Driftmark, ensuring that a worker that had been taught there would be better than five others combined. It was something that she knew would change the Seven Kingdoms forever.
And yet, for all that Laenor was the talk of the realm, it was his attractiveness as a potential match that seemed to matter. Laena had seen the many offers that they had received, where every maiden hoped to become the Lady of Driftmark, something that often soured her mood.
Of course, she disliked the idea of some opportunist marrying her brother, but it was because none of the realm seemed to truly care for what he had accomplished, what he would build in the future, only an alliance with the Sea Snake and the thriving Isle of Driftmark. No one cared about what he was creating, the changes that he would bring onto the world, the wonders that he put into being, and that made her angrier than she likely should have been.
Speaking of Laenor, he was at the end of her path, wearing nothing more than a tunic and breeches, as he stared at workers who were repairing a very large ship with great efficiency, in a large empty stone basin. Dry docks, Laenor had called it, a very simple idea that, from the looks of it, was working quite well.
He seemed completely and utterly absorbed, watching the fruits of his labour, his plans that had been drawn on parchment, be before his eyes. And so, she smiled and spoke up, “Laenor! Is this where you’ve been hiding yourself?”
Her brother turned towards her, slightly startled as his concentration broke, before relaxing when he recognised her. “How did you find me?”
She snorted at that, “I am your sister. I know you better than you even know yourself.”
Well, she knew his habits, and it was how Laena knew that he would be in this place. After all, it was common that Laenor went to observe his creations being in use when they were relatively new. He ensured that he would not be noticed, knowing that his presence often intimidated the commoners. She knew that he paid them far more than any other lord, but it was not as if he could not afford it; she did not know his full wealth, but she knew that he likely had more gold than most Great Houses.
Laenor claimed that this was because they were working on sensitive projects, but she did not believe it. The look in his eyes when he had first gone to Hull and seen the state of its residents told her that he simply wanted to help.
Her brother gave her an unimpressed look, which she ignored. “The more important question is why do I need to skulk around this town to speak with my brother?”
“You do not need to skulk around,” Laenor protested, “We can meet in my solar any time you like.”
Laena frowned at him, “Then tell me why you were not available the last four times I went to visit you?”
Laenor cringed at that confrontation, but she remained resolute. He knew that she was right, after all. The truth was that ever since her father’s victory feast, Laenor had been quite distracted. Her mother had noticed it as well but chose to wait for Laenor to deal with it in his own time, and Laena had agreed at first, but not anymore.
At first, she had thought that it was because of the feast itself, that Laenor was annoyed that their father was treating it as his victory, when it had been Laenor that planned and executed it, who had destroyed the Triarchy without spilling a single drop of blood, without fighting a single battle.
However, it was not truly something that he would care about, and Laenor’s sudden focus on studying Wildfire of all things was quite worrying, even if he claimed to have made many advancements and uses for it.
Finally, after some time, Laenor spoke up, “I will admit that my research has taken much of my attention, as of late.”
“Good, which is why I will be going to King’s Landing with you,” Laena proudly proclaimed.
It had been a surprise when she learned that Laenor had planned on going to King’s Landing. He had informed them of his plans, of course, which mostly revolved around the alchemists in the Capital. Laena knew how much he disliked politics and his general discomfort during the tourney when the royal family came to Driftmark. And so, the benefits from this must be great, for him to weather the politics of the Capital.
She did not know exactly what her brother aimed to accomplish, much like she did not know what he planned with Braavos, though that time, secrecy had been especially important. However, this time, she would not let him do it alone. And she also wanted to see the world outside of Driftmark.
Her brother seemed to almost freeze at that statement, and he shook his head, “I do not think that Father or Mother would agree.”
“Oh, Mother does, and it took some time to convince Father, since I told him that I would be looking for a place in King’s Landing for a merchant to set up a shop that would sell my mirrors.”
This had been the trickier part, convincing her father. Truthfully, he probably knew that she was not really sincere about her motivations but did not want her to defy him openly. After all, they both knew that she would have gone with Laenor, whether he liked it or not, and this freedom was Laenor’s doing.
After all, he had been the one who had gifted her the mirror works of Castle Driftmark, but also so much more.
Her brother had gifted her what was essentially a full foundry near his fortress. Well, he called it a foundry, but to her, it looked halfway between a manse and a small castle that oversaw the sea. He had furnished it, decorated it tastefully, and had even arranged for fresh water to come to it using aqueducts that he reproduced with what he saw in Braavos, and connected it with roads. It was even near a large cave nearby where Vhagar loved to lie around in after a long flight.
She did not know how he had kept all of this a secret until he had gifted her, but it warmed her heart when she realised how much he had planned for her sake. And now, with the sale of mirrors and having something that was truly her own, she became truly independent.
Laena might be overshadowed by her brother, but there was no doubt that she loved him greatly, and that he loved her just as much.
Likely realising that it was his actions that made all of this possible, Laenor shook his head, “You truly thought of everything, didn’t you? But why would you go to such lengths and test Father’s patience for this trip? King’s Landing is hardly a nice place if Mother’s words were to be believed.”
Oh, how dense could her brilliant brother be?
“Because I miss you!” she exclaimed.
Laenor’s eyes widened, and she continued, her voice softer, “How long has it been since we’ve truly spent time with one another? You used to sing me songs, tell me stories, and even come up with games to play with each other. But ever since Father gave you Castle Driftmark, the fortress had been all that held your attention.”
Her brother looked away, and she grabbed his arms gently. “I am not ungrateful, brother. I know that what you have done for me is more than any lord ever did for any siblings. Sacrificing your chance at becoming a Dragonrider for me, ensuring that I would have more freedom than likely any other noble lady in the Seven Kingdoms. And there is no doubt that what you have accomplished here is magnificent, that you will do even more, achieve more, that your legacy would far surpass Father’s greatly. But… But is it too bad for me to wish that I could spend time with my brother, even if it is just for a trip?”
Laenor turned and looked into her eyes and whispered, “I am sorry, Laena. I’ll… I’ll try to be better.”
“Oh, Laenor. You are the best brother anyone could have ever wished for. It is your path that is one of greatness, and thus I worry that you will forget us… forget me… as you walk it.”
“I could never forget you, Laena,” he answered, “Not for anything. I suppose that I will have time to make up for all of this during our trip.”
She smiled widely and joyfully at that, “Truly?”
Her brother nodded, and she jumped to pull him into her embrace, “Wonderful. Oh, and I invited Joff as well. The poor man has been training day and night, hoping that you’d notice and take him as your sworn shield.”
Laenor rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, but then his eyes gleamed, “Vhagar cannot come.”
She scoffed at that, “Why not?”
“Well, for one, flying the largest dragon in the world towards the Capital of the Seven Kingdoms without a warning is hardly a good idea. It could technically be considered an insult, as the only Dragonrider in the Capital is the princess, and her mount is still very young. Besides, the Hightowers have already been quite difficult regarding the reasons for my trip, as I preferred to keep my affairs with the alchemists discreet.”
Laena pouted at that answer but understood the complications that arose with this trip. The Crown, under the influence of Otto Hightower, had recently distanced itself from House Velaryon. For one, they had all but demanded the plans for Laenor’s ships, for the royal fleet. Of course, her father refused, and they were currently in negotiations regarding House Velaryon’s commitment to the fleet and what it would cost them to make it. Her father was being slow on purpose, wanting to fully gain the greatest advantage from the ships as he could before selling them, mostly in securing his trading agreements with the East first.
After all, there was no doubt that the ships would be studied and replicated in a few years’ time, with the designs being leaked all over the world soon after. Laenor wasn’t particularly concerned about the designs being released, but then again, he had likely already come up with better designs in his own mind. Still, the way the crown treated House Velaryon was concerning, and she supposed that Vhagar’s presence would not help matters.
And so, she pouted, “Fine, but it is not my fault if she decides to fly to King’s Landing on her own.”
Laenor snickered at that and teased her, “I do wonder if you’ll be able to handle the journey to King’s Landing on a ship.”
Laena felt one of her eyes twitch. “I am just as much of a Velaryon as you are. Such a short journey will not trouble me.”
“Don’t worry, sister. I’ll find a nice song to sing you as you empty your guts to comfort you.”
“Why you little…”
She chased Laenor as he was audibly laughing, and despite her righteous fury at his mockery, a wide smile appeared on her face; she had truly missed this.
AN: This story is still relatively new, so if you'd like me to continue it, please let me know in the comments what you think of the rewrite so far.
This chapter was pretty slow as well, but I realised that it's been a while since I wrote about Laena, and I didn't want to neglect her character. She's pretty important to Laenor and headstrong, which is what I wanted to show here, especially since her presence in King's Landing will be important.
As I said before, I am planning on uploading more of this story (outside of normal uploads). I have a bit of a backlog of chapter drafts for this story that I’ll try to go through when I can. As usual, I don’t mind rewriting this chapter depending on your feedback, so please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.