Love and War - Aemond/Aegon Targaryen

Chapter 17

Arlenna faced her fate dressed in red. Just like the first time she had returned to King's Landing after so many years away.
Except this time, she was the wife and mother of Targaryens. Red and black were her family colours as much as they were Rhaenyra's.
She waited in the throne room for their enemies.
When Arlenna was a girl, Rhaenyra was already a woman grown. She always seemed so strong. So fierce. So bold and brave.
But now she just seemed reckless. Reckless and stubborn and like someone who would gladly put Arlenna's head on a spike for helping Aegon escape.
And Daemon was worse.
Even as a girl, Arlenna had not liked him. But now he walked beside his Queen like he was the true ruler. Like he was more than just a consort.
Arlenna thought of Helaena. She was so dissimilar from Daemon that it seemed an odd comparison... And yet they were the same. Living in the same role.
Lords and ladies bowed their heads as Daemon and Rhaenyra passed, but they were too afraid to bend the knee.
Arlenna stood tall, her chin up and shoulders back.
She did not look away from the Queen. And did not back down when Daemon looked over at her.
Rhaenyra took a seat upon the iron throne and sighed.
She closed her eyes for a long moment, taking it all in. This victory was long awaited.
But when she reopened her eyes, she looked about the room.
“Where are my brothers?”
No one spoke.
Arlenna continued defiantly glaring the Queen down. 
Rhaenyra glanced over at her and, as their eyes met, she gave a polite, amiable, smile. “Lady Arlenna Hightower.”
Arlenna continued glaring.
“Why is it that you are here and your husband, and your usurper King, are not.”
“I do not know, your grace. Perhaps they grew tired of me.”
Daemon stepped forward, towards her, but Rhaenyra simply rose one hand and he stopped.
She gave out her speech to everyone else instead. A speech about how she was the rightful Queen and how we would all be forgiven for our mistake so long as we followed her now.
Arlenna wondered if Aegon had made it out of the city yet.
Every time she looked at the door, she wondered if a guard was going to bring him in by the collar and throw him down before Rhaenyra.
But no guards ever came.
And the longer she was there, the more she prayed that Aegon had escaped.
He would be angry with her, of course. He always hated being lied to and played for a fool. But that didn't matter to her right now.
She'd kept him safe.
Safe enough to find Aemond.
Safe enough to find his children.
Arlenna had been so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice the room clearing of people.
The moment she did, she turned to leave with them.
“Wait.” Rhaenyra's voice echoed through the throne room.
Memories flicked through Arlenna's mind.
The day of her wedding. The day Rhaenyra and Daemon came to King's Landing. Aegon sitting the iron throne for the first time. Aemond sitting the iron throne... And all they'd done together in that very room.
She slowly turned back towards the enemy queen, eyeing her up and down with barely concealed disdain.
“It has been a long time, good sister.” Rhaenyra said softly. She was trying to get Arlenna to warm to her.
That would work on Alicent.
It would work on Helaena.
But Arlenna would not be easily persuaded or tamed.
“A lot has happened.”
“It has. Such as your husband killing my son.”
“And yours killing Jaehaerys. And trying to have me killed. I was with child at the time.”
“I am sorry for that. It does not need to be this way. I did not want this war. But this throne was left to me by my father. It is rightfully mine. And my brothers are usurpers.”
“As you wish, your grace.” Arlenna gritted out. “Whatever helps you live with the knowledge of what you've done.”
Rhaenyra pursed her lips. She was about to say something else but Arlenna stepped forward. “If you are going to ask me where Aegon is, the truth is I don't know. I know that you know where my husband is... But you're not ready to face him yet, are you?”
“You are very bold considering the fact I chose not to have you killed for the sole reason that you are family.”
“I wouldn't be the first family member you had killed, your grace, so forgive me if that doesn't wholly put me at ease.”
“There have been deaths on both sides.” Her voice was harsher now, angrier. “Jacaerys, Lucerys, Rhaenys.”
“Then we all have blood on our hands, don't we? And we all have reason to hate each other.” She paused for a long moment, taking a deep breath. There was a line between defiance and rebellion and rebellion would get her executed. So, with all the strength she could muster, she forced herself to bow. “I do not oppose you, your grace. The throne is yours. I have supported my husband just as your husband has supported you. But all I ask is to be allowed to stay with Helaena and to live long enough to have my child.”
“You are with child?” Rhaenyra asked. Her voice took on a different tone. Not one of a queen, but one of a mother.
“I am.”
“I am sorry that you have to be alone during this.”
Arlenna plastered on her sweet smile. It was an old mask, one she'd not had to wear in years now. Not since she'd first come to King's Landing. But it still fit her perfectly.
She wasn't sorry.
She wasn't afraid.
It was only a matter of time before she was reunited with Aemond.
Whatever it took.
“I am not alone, your grace. I still have Helaena and my lady mother, Alicent. They are my family.”
There was a small silence, short in length though it seemed to stretch. “We are family too, are we not?”
Arlenna lowered her head, aiming her doe eyes up at Rhaenyra. “Of course, my queen.”
Those eyes didn't tend to work on Aegon and Aemond anymore. They always knew what she was doing and saw right through her.
But Rhaenyra didn't know.
Rhaenyra had only ever known her on the surface - as the sweet girl that had always loved Aemond. As a child that played with her sons. As the rose of Oldtown.
She had no idea that there was a dragon behind that delicate veneer.
Few people did.
She would survive this.
And she wouldn't simply wait for Aemond and Aegon to come and rescue her.
No.
She would help them bring the Blacks to their knees.
She would help them from within.