ᴘᴜʀᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅᴇᴅ : ʜᴏᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ

Ch. 10: An Eye For A Daughter

"Enough." Viserys ordered the fighting continued to grow. "Enough!" He commanded again, louder than the last. "Silence!" He hit his cane against the ground and the room went quiet again. "Aemond, I will have the truth of what happened."

"Jacerys brought a blade to the ambush, he meant to kill our son." Alicent interrupted her king. She tried to please with the King but he would have none of it.

"It was my sons and daughter, who were attacked!" Rhaenerys put her arms out in front of her children as almost a shield. Daemon moved his hands from Alaesys ears and brushed down her hair away from her face. Baela and Rhaena had went to stand beside their grandparents but Daemon asked them if they too were safe.

"The legitimacy of my sons birth were put into question." Rhaenyra continued to explain. "My children are in line to inherit the Iron Throne, your grace. This is the highest of treasons. If Aemond had not started the fight, my children would not have had to defend themselves. My daughter would not have to bore such large and visible scars for her entire life-"

"My son has lost an eye." Alicent stated but she looked over at Alaesys who ran her fingers over the bandage around her neck. "Where's their father? I would like to have his input on the matter."

"Leave him alone, he didn't do anything!" Alaesys  defended her father but the outcry made her throat ache like coals being shoved into her mouth. A maid rushed over with a glass of water and urged her to drink to soothe the burn.

"Yes, where is Sir Laenor? Aemond," Visery hobbled over to his son. "Your King demands an answer. Who spoke these lies to you?" Aemond just stared at his father for a few seconds but didn't speak. His eyes drifted back and forth between his mother and the king. The tension in the room was at a peak and Alaesys could not stop her leg from shaking. Luke sat his small hand on her leg and Alaesys put her non wounded hand over his.

"Aegon." Aemond looked to his older brother who was in a state of shock.

"Me?!" Aegon was baffled by the accusation. Aegon swallowed stiffly as his father cornered him like a wolf.

"Where did you hear such filth?" Viserys put his face inches from his sons ear. "Aegon!" He shouted into his face. Aegon looked to the ground and then back up.

"Can you not see it father? Everyone knows," Aegon leaned in closer to his father. "Everyone. Look at them, the only one who he could've possibly fathered is Alaesys." Ally glared at the older boy with disdain.

"He is my father." The girl spoke loud and clear this time. Being a father had nothing to do with blood, in her eyes. While the boys may have had Ser Harwin, she had her father. The one who would play dolls with her or who took her on her first ride dragon back.

Laenor was her father.

Viserys rubbed his head again and coughed. "We're a family! We will not tear each other from the inside out. You will not have us mocked by outsiders. Now make your apologies and show good will to one another." Alice t went to Aemond and kneeled down to him, cupping his face. His missing eye made the hatred bloom again.

"Our son is permanently injured, he will not grow back an eye, your Grace." Alicent gave her son a small smile and stroked his hair.

"I know Alicent-"

"There's a debt to be paid." Alicent turned to Rhaenerya's children. Her line of sight was on Ally and Lucerys specifically. "He is your son, your blood. If you do not seek justice, the Queen will." Rhaenerys shielded her children again and Alaesys took Luke and Jace's hands, wincing at the way she could barely moved her hand. Blood soaked through the bandage and onto Jacerys's fingers but he did not move.

"Ser Criston, bring me the eye of Lucerys Velaryon, and the hand of Alaesys Velaryon. I will take what my son started."

"You will do no such thing." Rhaenerya's voice seemed to entice Alicent, almost begging her to try and harm her children. Aemond look to Alaesys who was locking eyes with Cole. If he tried to even come near her brothers, she would rip him limb from limb.

"Stay your hand." Viserys ordered.

"You are sworn to me!" Alicent voice was raw when she screamed. The Knight looked her up and down.

"I cannot do that, your Grace." Cole looked at the ground and put a hand to his sword hilt. Alaesys relaxed back in her seat and tried to ignore the fact that blood was leaking down over her chest and into her dress.

"We shared our blood." Aemond spoke up. The room, for a the first time, was filled with everyone talking amongst themselves. Rhaenerya turned and kneeled down to Alaesys height, wiping the blood from her chest and trying to keep her voice as unnerved as possible. "We claimed Vhagar together and then we exchanged our blood, as is the way of Old Valyria." Viserys stood in front of his younger son and put both hands on his cane.

"My sweet Dove, is this true?" Rhaenerya tried not to cry infront of her daughter.

"We rode Vhagar but we did not exchange blood, he's lying!" Alaesys's voice was shaking. Why had Aemond spoken such a lie? She was staring right into Aemond's soul now. Aemond gave her a look of sympathy.

"If you were to look at our blood, it now runs in each of us. I wanted her to be my betrothed." Viserys pinched the bridge of his nose and mumbled something under his breath.

"Aemond, blood is sacred to us. You cannot just spread your blood to any pretty girl you want." Aemond stood from his chair and walked over to Alaesys. Daemon stood to his full height in front of Ally with his hands folded in front of him.

"What do you think you are doing?" Daemon questioned with a raised brow. Aemond walked to the side just enough to see the cowering Alaesys.

"I have claimed her as I have claimed Vhagar. She will be my wife." Daemon nearly laughed in the child's face but settled on just chuckling and rolling his eyes. Alicent took the opportunity of the distraction, grabbing the blade from her husbands belt and charging for the Velaryon family.

"Alicent, stay your hand!" Aemond tan out of the way as his mother rushed the family. Rhaenerya met Alicent halfway and held her arms back, looking up at the gleaming blade of the knife. Luke screamed and cling to his sister for safety. Daemon met Ser Cole as he tried to defend his queen. Two other knights stopped the dark haired man first but it did not stop Daemon from mocking him.

"You've gone too far." Rhaenerya's arm shook with the strength she used to hold back the knife. Otto ordered his daughter to drop the blade from the background.

"Now you take my sons eye, and your daughter takes my son from me. To even that you feel entitled." Alicent was close to breaking down. Aemond scurried back to the other side of the room but was sure to keep a close eye on Ally who cradled Luke into her. "Where is duty? Where is honor? Where is sacrifice?" The jealousy that had been building inside of Alicent all these years boiled over.

"What have I done except but what was expected of me, forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law, while you flout your duty?" Alicent spoke with bitterness on her tongue.

Rhaenerya looked around the room and locked eyes with Alicent. ""Exhausting wasn't it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness? Now they see you as you are." Rhaenerya whispered to the Queen. Alicent pushed the Princess off of her and the blade cut into her arm. Rhaenerya stumbled back, holding her bleeding arm.

Corly's is the first to come to Rhaenerya's aid. The room was completely silent except for the sound of pitter-pattering of blood on the stone floors. Daemon returns to the family, place a hand on Luke's shoulder and one on Alaesys head.

Alaesys looked to Aemond who could not even look her in the eyes. He instead stared down at the hand that was stained in Ally's blood.

Blood was something so pure and powerful that nothing would come between it.