Love and War - Aemond/Aegon Targaryen

Chapter 21

CW - SA, violence, gore, smut

Arlenna couldn't tell if she was running or being dragged for most of the journey from the throne room to her chambers.
Aemond was here.
In the chaos of war, he'd come for her.
Her blood felt electric - skin tingling with the sensation. And she couldn't shake the excitement from her face.
The four guards all pulled her into her chambers, barring the door behind them.
It wasn't usual for them to be inside the room with her and, if Aemond found them here, there would be no saving them.
She doubted there'd be any saving the men who had kept his wife prisoner for weeks anyway.
“We should kill the bitch.” The first man said. He was large with a head of brown hair and cold green eyes.
Arlenna backed up slightly, bumping into the wall behind her.
“Our orders were to keep her alive.” The second man said. He was the youngest of them, perhaps only Arlenna's age... Maybe even younger.
The third man was pacing backwards and forwards, scratching his grey beard, while the fourth man still gripped Arlenna tightly.
The man holding her was the largest of the four, with a bald head and a scar running down his right cheek.
“Maybe we should ask her a few questions.” The grey bearded man said.
“Questions won't matter when we're dead.” Said the bald man. “She's the Hightower whore, isn't she? That's how she should be treated.”
Much to Arlenna's dismay, none of the men argued.
But they all started moving closer. Inch by inch.
The bald man, who already had a hold of her, shoved her face down onto the bed.
Arlenna screamed, trying to kick him or fight back but it was no use.
Her breathing quickened as he gripped her wrists with bruising strength, and slowly began to part her legs behind her.
There was pure, unadulterated, rage burning in her chest. Unable to go away.
This feeling of powerlessness choked her from the inside.
This knowledge that no matter how clever or strong she was, brutes could do this to her.
She reached her fingers under her pillow, clawing to find the hilt of her dagger. All she found was the cold metal blade.
She closed her hand around it, wincing as her blood dripped down onto the white linens.
She was no whore. And if she had to die defending that, she would.
There were hands roaming over her body and it made her feel sick. Hands on her chest. Hands on her throat. Choking her.
The top laces of her dress were being unravelled one by one.
“Guard the door, make sure no one-”
It was too late.
The door smashed open.
Shards of wood crashed against the floor.
Arlenna was yanked up from her position by the hair, her face being pulled back .
The body of one of Rhaenyra's soldiers was tossed through the door, limp and lifeless, like one of Visenya's ragdolls.
There was a silent pause.
And then, from the flickering shadows, Aemond stepped over the man's body and into the room.
His face and white hair was stained red with blood.
His sword was drenched in violence.
And his burning glare centred on the man who held his wife.
The youngest guard and the greybearded man lunged first, charging at the prince.
With effortless grace, Aemond slashed the boy's throat open and sent his sword straight into the older man's face.
They both toppled over.
Aemond yanked his sword back and took another step closer.
Slowly.
Menacingly.
The brown haired man charged next, lunging at him with fury. Aemond dodged the blow, rapidly moving out of the way and instead slicing off the man's sword arm.
He screamed.
Aemond kicked him onto the floor, then ran his sword through the back of the man's skull.
More blood splattered across his perfect face.
Slowly, he turned his head from where he crouched over his victims and looked up at the final man.
He rose once more, every movement deliberate.
He was like some angry god from the heavens above.
Outside, Vhagar roared.
“Come closer and I'll kill her.” The man said, making Aemond pause. He ran his blade along Arlenna's cheek, slicing it open.
She hissed in pain, then looked over at her husband.
He was conflicted. Weighing up the odds. Trying to think of a way to kill the man without anything happening to her.
“Yeah, I thought that might make you stop.” The man said, his hand roaming up her again.
Aemond was twitching with rage, getting ready to lunge again.
But Arlenna shook her head, glancing down at her hand for a signal.
He followed her gaze to the bloody dagger she held tightly in her grip.
And then, before the guard could do the same, she reached up and jabbed him in the hand.
With a yell, he released the blade from her skin and stumbled backwards.
Aemond took the opportunity to move, ready to strike him down.
But Arlenna was not done.
As the man lunged for her again, Aemond connected his fist with the man's jaw.
Arlenna stabbed him in the shoulder.
They took it in turns, beating and stabbing him until he was on the floor. Bloody, bruised, begging for death.
He was weeping, sobbing into the stone floor.
Aemond kept punching him. Beating his face in over and over and over again until it was unrecognisable.
Until it was nothing more than a mush of blood and brains on the floor.
Arlenna couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight as Aemond slowly, and brutally, beat the man to death.
When he was done, when the man was wiped away from the face of the earth, Aemond turned to look up at her.
She was trembling. Still holding that little dagger with a shaky grip as she stared back at him.
He stood, closing the distance between them with ease, and touched her cheek with his bloody hand.
She closed her eyes, melting into his touch.
“Aemond.” She whispered, tears in her eyes.
He leaned down, capturing her lips with his.
No kiss had ever been quite as sweet.
She could taste the blood on his lips.
Somehow, it stirred something inside her.
Distantly, a chorus of screams echoed through the Keep.
Arlenna pulled Aemond back with her, her back hitting the wall.
They parted, his pupil dilated as he looked down at her, and Arlenna breathed out shakily.
Slowly, she lifted her skirt.
“I've missed you.”
His lips moved to her jaw, running down her neck where he kissed and sucked and left a trail of small bites.
“I've missed you too.” He whispered into her skin, his voice a deep rumble.
“How did you-” Her breath hitched as his hand trailed between her legs, softly exploring how quickly he could get her to make a sound. “How did you retake King's Landing?”
“By force.” He murmured, his touch making her arch into him. She rocked her hips against his hand, whimpers passing her lips as he kept kissing her. “We've burned every traitor we could find.”
Arlenna moaned, nails digging into his shoulders. “And how- how- how many did you have to kill?”
His movements stopped, making her squirm against him.
“Hundreds.” He said, undoing his trousers.
Arlenna kissed him as he pushed against her entrance. He was holding her thighs, wrapping her legs around his waist, and slowly sinking into her.
“And their leaders-” She asked, her voice little more than a breathy whimper.
Aemond had his head in the crook of her neck, moving into her with soft noises of his own.
“I will take their heads and lay them at your feet.” He promised, gaining another moan in response.
She bit down on his lip, her fingers in his hair with every thrust.
“I thought of you while you were gone.” She breathed out, moving with each thrust to give him better access to her. “Every night. Every time I needed- gods- every time I needed some relief.”
That did it.
It undid him.
Every movement grew erratic, his pupil had blown so wide that his eye was more black than violet now.
“Can I watch you?” She asked, trying not to fall apart so soon. “Can I watch you kill them?”
Aemond groaned against her neck, holding onto her with all his strength. “You can have anything- anything you want, my love.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” He moaned before finishing.
He lowered himself onto one knee, looking up at her bloody, hungry, face. “Anything.”
His tongue quickly found the spot that had her clawing at the wall behind her.
She pushed against him as he found every way to make her scream.
And then, finally, after a few moments, she found her climax too.
Aemond rose slowly, kissing her again and letting her taste herself on his tongue.
He picked her up, carrying her over to the bed and laying her down.
His thumb ran along the cut on her cheek.
It wasn't deep but the knowledge that someone had hurt her stirred a visceral rage within him.
“I am never leaving you again.” He told her.
She smiled up at him, turning her head to kiss his palm.
“I love you.” She said, her voice so delicate and gentle that it was hard to believe five corpses still lay across the room from them. “I knew you would come for me.”
Aemond kissed her, savouring the moment and holding her close. He never wanted to let go. Never wanted to be parted from her again.
“I love you too.” He whispered, kissing the top of her head. “I have loved you my whole life. And I will love you long after my death.”