Bäahal ran her hand over her tummy to self-soothe. She was nervous, especially since her fate would be discussed by the high council. She petitioned the queen, her sister Daenerys Targaryen, to allow her to travel the seven kingdoms like she used to do before the Redwyne's betrayal and the siege against her. She spent almost a year locked in the Red Keep both because she needed to heal but also because Jon and Jaime had devised a plan to force the Redwyne to out themselves as the instigator of such a treasonous act. They had to believe that the princess was dead otherwise they would have kept to themselves. While she understood the reasons for her situation, the silver head resented being locked in the castle. If anything, after the Last War and the crowning of her dear sister, Bäahal spent a long time trying to figure out what her role would be in this new era.
She wasn't a politician, she wasn't a counselor either. She wasn't meant to stay in a castle and look pretty. She was meant to go as she pleased and talk to the common folks. Her desire for freedom led her to become her sister's ambassador among the commoners and led her to travel the seven kingdoms. She wanted to meet people, to show them that the crown cared about them and would provide their basic needs. While the beginnings were difficult, she managed to win the hearts of her people and represent her sister the best. Daenerys appreciated the efforts her sister made to represent her to the commoners and noticed a behavior change when she walked the streets. There was more than fear or intrigued looks on their faces. She could see gratitude and admiration now and always made sure to thank her sister's hard work whenever she could.
The siege changed everything. Daenerys didn't want her sister to take unnecessary risks. She refused to even consider the topic when they discussed it in private much to Bäahal's chagrin. Part of her understood her sister's reasons for refusing but another one was growing impatient. She needed to leave, she needed to travel the realm. She needed to escape the suffocating walls of the Red Keep and Daenerys should have understood it better than anyone else. Since her private supplications didn't work, then a petition to the High Council might certainly help her. She could see her sister's despair in her eyes, a silent plea for Bäahal to withdraw her petition and stop trying to leave the safety of the castle. Her own eyes exposed how mortified the princess had been because she knew her decision to leave would open freshly closed wounds but Bäahal could not help her true nature.
She wasn't made for the walls and the gardens of the Red Keep. She wasn't meant for a sedentary life, spent withering like a flower in a vase. No! She was meant to ride her horse outside. She was meant to meet the people and care for them. She was meant for the life she built before the siege. If anything, that unfortunate event showed her just how important her work was. After all, wasn't she turning the people into Daenerys followers? Still self-soothing, the princess wasn't paying attention to the raised voices in the war room. Her eyes were staring at Daenerys as if the two of them were having a conversation of their own. She looked at her fingers, at how hard they clenched to the fabric of her dress, at how bruised her fingers were for flattening her dress to soothe herself.
It felt as if the world didn't exist but Daenerys understood her sister's motivation for leaving. She understood the first time Bäahal came to her and requested she become her ambassador. She understood why it became vital for her to leave the confines of the Red Keep. She was a free spirit and Daenerys couldn't possibly keep her contained in the castle. It would cause more harm than good. So she stopped the ongoing arguments and looked at Bäahal straight in the eyes. Her lips trembled but she firmly spoke, granting Bäahal the right to resume her role as an ambassador. That sentence alone elicited a sigh of relief from the princess who stopped self-soothing and looked at her sister with tears in her eyes. Finally, she was granted freedom again!
However, the conditions were different from the first time. The queen refused to let her go with just two guards. It had to be at least five of them, vetted by Jon himself. She was requested to be more vigilant this time and to become more familiar with the noble houses and the history of Westeros so she would notice if something went wrong, unlike last time. She could do it, after all, Jaime had started to teach her and she could improve her knowledge with the help of the Red Keep's maesters. A smile graced her features and she stood up and bowed in front of the queen, thanking her for her generosity and understanding. She was free, at long last!
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