THE DOOR CREAKED as she pushed it open, signaling her presence as she entered the dimly lit room. Her eyes traveled to the crackling hearth that cast a golden light across the room, illuminating her uncle before the model of King's Landing he was always working on. He leaned against the table, clearly struggling to keep himself upright as he placed something in the city.

"You called for me?" Valaena made her presence known as she stepped further into the room, the door shutting firmly behind her.

Viserys didn't look up at first, his gaze entranced by the model before him.

"Viserys?" Valaena repeated as she stepped up to him, hesitating before reaching up to touch his arm gently.

It seemed to draw him out of his trance as he turned his head towards her, as if noticing her for the first time. His eyes were clouded, distant, like his mind had wandered too far for anyone to follow. Valaena assumed it was the milk of the poppy that made him so distant. Easing the pain while making him a shell of the man he once was.

"Valaena?" he asked, voice layered with confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"You sent for me," Valaena responded softly. "Remember?"

Viserys blinked, brows furrowed as he seemed to be trying to remember. Then slowly, he nodded, realization spreading across his features.

"Yes," he murmured. "Yes, I remember now."

He glanced down at the model again as Valaena dropped her hand from his arm, concern growing inside her at the condition of her uncle.

"I thought..." he trailed off as he turned back toward her. "It's been so long since I've seen you."

"But not since we've spoken," Valaena reminded him. "I receive your letters often."

"Yes, my letters," Viserys nodded as his lips lifted into a soft smile. "And you've received the books I sent you?"

"I've read every one," Valaena told him with a faint smile. "They're beautiful stories."

"Good, good," Viserys nodded. "It's important to know our history, all of it."

He was cut off as his body seized with a sudden coughing fit, sending him into the edge of the table as he doubled over. He held his hand up to stop Valaena as she reached out to help him, pushing away her help as he stumbled to a nearby chair and collapsed into it with a groan.

"You should rest," Valaena told him firmly, crouching beside the chair to check that he was already. "Let the maesters bring something-"

"No," Viserys shook his head firmly.

"Viserys-"

"The gods mock me," he rasped as he lowered his head. "A king brought to his knees by a simple cough."

He released a raspy laugh with a shake of his head, ignoring the concerned look Valaena sent his way.

"The gods are cruel," Valaena agreed with a soft voice. "They always have been."

And it was true. This man was nothing like she remembered from her childhood. The Viserys she knew had been tall and sharp-eyed, with a laugh that would fill the corridors. She remembered the warmth in his eyes when he taught her to read, emphasizing the importance of their histories. Instead, all that was left was the shell of a man barely clinging to life.

"There's a book on the shelf," Viserys said, motioning weakly toward the tall bookshelf at the edge of the room. "Red binding. I think you'll quite like it. It's one of my favorites."

Valaena hesitated to leave her uncle's side, but the way he looked at her with gentle eyes made her comply. She stood back onto her feet, crossing the room until she reached the bookshelf. She couldn't help but be mesmerized by the old books that littered the shelves, its spines worn with age. Her fingers moved across them as she resisted the urge to steal them all away to read back in her rooms, eyes glancing over the titles in Valyrian and Common alike. They stopped at the red spine, the one she assumed her uncle wanted her to take.

Valaena pulled it out carefully, running her hand across the cover as she felt the roughness around the edges. She held it close for a moment, eyes trailing across the gold lettering on the front, before turning back toward her uncle.

Viserys had sunk deeper into the chair, his breathing uneven as he gripped the arm of the chair tightly. His eyes were half-closed when she approached, opening only when he felt her presence beside him.

"I found it," she said softly as she crouched beside him again. "Would you like me to read it to you?"

"Hmm?" Viserys seemed pulled out of his daze as he looked up at her. "Oh, yes. That would be lovely."

Valaena forced a strained smile onto her face as she sat down in the chair beside him, carefully opening the book in her lap. She traced the paper with her fingers, the pages wrinkled and bent from years of use. She turned to the first chapter, releasing a silent breath before reading aloud with a steady voice. No longer was she the young child who struggled to read a simple sentence when she arrived in the Red Keep, thanks to the teachings of her uncle.

She was only a few pages in when she glanced up to find Viserys had fallen asleep in his chair, the milk of the poppy overtaking his body as he released soft snores.

Valaena closed the book gently, as if afraid the sound alone might wake him. She watched him for a long moment before reaching forward, gently reaching out to grab his hand gently in hers. He remained unconscious as she gripped his firm grasp, sorrow weighing her heart as she stared at the half of his face not covered by the mask he now regularly wore to hide the damage sickness had done to him over the years.

She retracted her arm and stood slowly, careful not to disturb him as she tucked the book under her arm. Her soft steps echoed through the silent room as she made her way to the door, sparing one last glance at the man who had once taught her the name of every ancestor in their history. He remained slumped in his chair, his mask catching in the light to showcase his decaying body for her to see.

She turned away as she reached for the handle, pausing before she could push open the doors. She exhaled a deep breath before slipping out of the room without another word, letting the door close softly behind her.

Valaena didn't say a word as he sworn knight followed her down the corridor, feeling suffocated by his presence and the weight of being trapped in the Red Keep.

The cold air brushed across her skin as she stepped outside, allowing her to feel like she could finally breathe as she stepped out into the gardens. It made her feel like she was no longer confined to the cold, stone walls of the Red Keep as she stopped before the outskirts of the garden. She reached down, placing the book on the edge of the path before slipping her shoes off beside it.

Valaena veered off the main path, her feet brushing against the grass as she moved around the hedges of the royal gardens. She glanced over her shoulder, where Ser Donnel remained standing on the path where she had abandoned her belongings. His feet remained firmly planted where he stood as he looked on, and Valaena knew he was giving her the space she so desperately needed.

Relief washed across her face at the gesture before she turned away and broke into a run.

The grass was cool and wet beneath her bare feet as she sprinted between the hedgerows, winds tugging strands of her hair loose from its braid. She ducked beneath the branches of the apple trees and kept running, her breaths sharp and uneven. The gardens were never-ending, and she had no reason to stop as she allowed herself to run until her feet grew tired.

She slowly came to a stop in the middle of the gardens, allowing herself to catch her breath as she glanced up at the darkened sky. The scent of rain clung to the air as the first drop hit her face.

Another followed. Then another.

The rain poured down on Valaena as she stood unmoving, staring up at the sky. Her dress was soaked within moments, her hair clinging to her skin as she released a breathless laugh. The cold sank into her bones, but she welcomed it.

She tilted her head back, eyes closing as the rain hit her face. She lifted her arms as she embraced the storm, the thunder drowning out the thoughts that echoed in her mind.

For now, it was just her and the rain.