Chapter Text
Sometimes Daenerys Targaryen, Princess of The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, wished her life was simple and uncomplicated and far less in the public eye than it was. She looked out the car windows at the people living their normal simple lives and wondered what it would be like to not be instantly recognised and instantly mobbed. She must have sighed aloud because Sir Barristan Selmy chuckled low.
"Is my life so amusing Barristan?" She asked the older man, who had taken on the duty of guiding the young royal through the quagmire of public appearances.
He had earned his knighthood for services to the crown when in his youth he had saved her father from a hostage situation. He had the patience of a saint, which is why he was given the responsibility of overseeing the princess' public relations. She knew she was seen as a hard subject due to her hard head and wild nature.
The tabloids loved to matchmake her with any man she had a five second interaction with, which gave her a bad name, but in truth she had a sheltered heart, she had never had a serious romantic partner, no one wanted to get involved in the mess that was her public image. Not to mention the private hell of royal protocol. There were so many rules it was hard to know what you could and couldn't do. Most didn't bother.
"Sometimes, I do find your life amusing, your highness."
"Why is that old man?"
"You act like the world is against you. How could you ever be happy, with so many blocks in the way of your happiness?" He quoted her thoughts with great drama and amusement.
“It is true.” She nodded to his theatrical mockery of her.
“Your life is not so gloomy.”
“My life is stagnating.” She felt this. Her brothers were both living happily wedded lives and she hadn’t even had a serious boyfriend. She had experienced a bad string of relationships, which her father had sighed about in private and been stoney silent about in public.
In her final year of senior school, she had a weekends relationship with a fellow student, Jhiqui’s elder cousin, Drogo. Drogo was the ultimate rebel relationship he was over a decade elder than Daenerys and had many bad habits the princess tried to fit in with. Aerys ended the relationship by moving Daenerys’ school after Drogo wrapped his motorcycle around a tree while intoxicated. Drogo was fine, miraculously but Aerys did not care, his daughter would stay on four wheels.
Daenerys had thrown a right wobbly about losing Drogo, but the truth was if she had wanted to stay with him, she could have kept in contact after he recovered, but as it was, he needed more than she could or would give. So, as a friend she visited him in hospital, but their relationship fizzled. He went off to more adventure and left the girl she was behind.
She’d had a very short fling with a mercantile tycoon’s son, Hizdahr zo Loraq. Nothing serious, especially after she learnt he had a bit of a sadistic streak, she hadn’t needed her father to intervene that time, she had cut it off quickly. She wasn’t surprised when he was arrested for sexual harassment. When asked what she thought she said she was saddened to hear of the events and wished the woman all the support she needed.
Her last foray with possible love was a flirtation with one of her security guards that never eventuated in a romance because Sir Barristan had seen it as a bad match and had moved the man on. Daenerys had been very angry at her old friend until a few days later while out with friends at a nightclub the princess had walked into the bathroom to catch Daario have unhygienic sex with a random girl.
She decided she was not made for relationships if she had three bad experiences. Barristan said she couldn’t call any but Drogo real relationships, she hadn’t even kissed the last two. Daenerys disbelieved anyone was prepared for the spotlight of dating her, she would probably need her mother to arrange a husband for her.
She, however, wanted the relationships her brothers and parents had, especially Viserys and her parents. Aerys and Rhaella had a deep understanding of each other from years of marriage and they got to move in the same circles as teens, so their love was a teen sweetheart relationship. It was what Daenerys wanted and she could never see it happening.
“My life is not so bright when it comes to love.” She sighed.
“Your life is barely begun, such a delightful and beautiful princess is sure to meet someone.”
“I have lost faith.”
“You are too young to have lost hope of love.” Barristan rubbed her arm. She hoped he was right.
Daenerys sighed loudly, she wished her life was easy and uncomplicated, and she wished she could find someone to spend her life with.