the ballad of elissa swann (a.t.) (UNDER EDIT)

four

The next events passed in a blur of sleep deprivation. Guards moved to grab Elissa's arms, but Aemond glared at them and they fell back, instead prodding the two of them into the hall, where the dowager queen turned heel and marched forward at the head of the group.

"Ser Criston," she said to the guard beside her. "Wake the small council. We will convene within the hour."

"Yes, your grace," he said, and broke off from the group. As he continued down the hall, he barked commands to the posted guards, who nodded and moved to enter the doors they stood vigil at.

Elissa looked at Aemond to gauge what was happening, but he only stared straight ahead, silent as a tomb.

The dowager queen was queen militant, practically leading the small battalion to whatever mêle they were on the path to - but Elissa could see her hands shake, despite how she balled them into fists at her sides.

Guard stepped apart and opened a door as your group approached it, but moved to block her. Aemond looked at them and said, with sudden authority, "The girls stays. Let her enter."

One spoke, "Are you certain, your grace?"

"I would not have spoken if I were not." He said, leveraging his height to look down at the guard. They stepped aside, and permitted her to enter.

With the door closed soundly, the dowager queen turned to face her son. "What is this, Aemond? A raven arrived not two hours ago informing the small council that you threatened Lucerys Velaryon at Storm's End - and you were sent to view Borros Baratheon's daughters!"

Aemond shifted on his feet, his anxiety palpable for the first time since he had wrestled Elissa to the ground in the great hall.

"You may slander him as you please within closed doors, but he is a boy and your nephew!" Alicent continued, jabbing a finger at him. "All the while your grandfather, the hand, has been sent to Dragonstone to negotiate with the Princess Rhaenyra, and you would sabotage his efforts to settle a score from your childhood? You are a man grown!"

Aemond pursed his lips. The dowager pulled her hand back. "What is it? What do I not know?"

For the first time, she looked to Elissa, seeming to register the strange girl's presence in the most private of conference rooms. She looked back to Aemond, her face paling.

"What have you done, my son?" She said quietly.

Aemond took a deep breath and said at last, "Lucerys Velaryon is dead."

"No." his mother said, barely above a whisper. "No, no, no..."

"Yes." Aemond affirmed solemnly.

"Who knows of this? Who has seen it?" She demanded.

"None saw." Aemond said, then gestured to Elissa. "Lady Elissa Swann encountered me returning to Storm's End in secret - and I could not leave her there with what she learned."

Alicent looked, barely seeing, to Elissa and nodded. "She cannot return." She said.

Elissa looked frantically from the dowager to the prince.

"I am sorry you had to be entangled in this, Lady Elissa," Alicent said cooly, "but you must understand the precariousness of this situation."

"Your grace -" Elissa squeaked, looking again to Aemond.

Aemond nodded. "You will be a guest in the keep," he said to her, "but you must stay here, for now."

"What of my lady grandmother? my grandfather?" She said, panic twisting her stomach.