Burn me • Aemond Targaryen

Unite Our Houses

Chapter Twenty-Three~ Unite
Our Houses

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The feast was one set to impress. Music was being played on one end of the room, a fire burning on the other. In the middle was a table with a variety of foods, roasted pork, spiced chicken, honey glazed wafers and sugar strawberries.

"The Dragons, tell me prince Aemond is it true that you are able to bend them to your own will?" Borros laughed.

Aemond chuckled, taking a sip of his own wine. "The dragons are beasts of the gods, my lord. But us Targaryens are crafted from the same cloth." He took Rhaella's hand, stopping her picking at her nails. "My own Dragon, Vhagar is a creature who has seen both the downfall and risings of kingdoms, but without an owner she would be lost."

His words stole Rhaella's attention and she reached her own cup. "You must forgive my husband my lord, he forgets the risks that accompany taking flight." She was drunk, plain and simple. She had drank away her boredom listening to Borros and Aemond exchange stories from hunting. "Dragons are their own mind and soul, they search for someone to share a life with because it is the will of the old gods and that is it, it is not the ambition of man that makes them bend their necks."

Aemond forced a laugh. "Forgive my wife, she enjoys stories of Old valyria and it's forgotten religion." Many frowned upon talk of the old gods.

Baratheon nodded skeptically, but took it as a chance to change the subject. "I love my daughters, each smart and beautiful." Baratheon spoke before sipping on his wine. "But a son is a man's greatest gift! You should know Prince Aemond being blessed with three!" Aemond disagreed. Each and every one of his children were his greatest treasures in life, he would not choose one over the other. "And if I were to ever be blessed with a son, my titles would pass to him, not my daughters, it is not a woman's place!" He laughed.

Rhaella did not share the amusement. The conversation was a mask for it's own true meaning. Baratheon was talking about Rhaynera's claim, not his daughters. In his mess of drunken words, his mask of middle ground has slipped, telling the Prince and Princess that he did back Aegons claim over Rhaynera.

Aemond forced a laugh, he masked it well for a real one. "That's the truth of it!" He laughed. "A son is a gift from Gods, they are the image of us."

Another lie, Rhaella thought, considering it was their daughter who was most alike Aemond. Strong willed and determined and proud.

"My daughters, are young but are soon to grow into women, You My lady Princess were wed at ten and two were you not?" Baratheon questioned, summoning a maester to fill his goblet again.

Rhaella furrowed her brows, the conversation was taking a turn she was unprepared for. "Yes my lord?"

"My youngest daughter is seven years old, one year's senior to your eldest son." He said, but his attention had turned back to Aemond. "The match would certainly unite our houses!"

Rhaella scoffed. Aerys was now technically the fourth male inline to the throne, Borros was thinking only of himself in this situation, and Rhaella would be damned if she would let a plain girl of Baratheon parentage be the wife of her eldest boy. "My Lord,

"An excellent suggestion!" Aemond cheered. "And one we will heartily agree with!"

Rhaella felt rage like no got her wash over her mood. Aemond may of been the fire in their marrige but she was the blood. And it was her blood he had just promised away. How dare he give her son to their daughter. A plain dull girl, dull hair and dull eyes.
She watched her. "Aerys is a boy any girl would be lucky to wed, your daughter,

"Rhaella." Aemond warned.

Ellyn. That was her name. She was fussing to her mother over the food in front of her. Complaining about how she wanted pork over chicken. Spoilt.

Rhaella would not allow it.

"Forgive me Lord Baratheon, I fear the sweetness of your dessert has caused my stomach upset." It wasn't an entire lie, Rhaella's stomach was churning and she felt as though she would bring up the little dinner she had managed to stomach.
But she needed out of this hall. Before she strangled the young baratheon girl her son had just been sworn too.

"Of course Princess!" Borros dismissed her, too busy drowning away in his cups.

She knew Aemond had excused himself and followed her out. But she could not bring herself to talk to him.

She slammed the door to their chamber in his face. Ignoring the groan of pain he let out when it smacked against his nose.

"Gods Rhaella, you almost just cost us the Baratheons!" He exclaimed. "First banging on about how we don't control dragons, then speaking of the Gods of old, and then virtually insulting his daughter at his own table.

Rhaella pulled her hair over her shoulder, still not speaking to him, but needing his help in unlacing her dress.

"They will not marry." He muttered, his fingers loosening the string on the back of her dress. "They would not be wed for another five years, if that, and by then this hardship will be over and we will not need Baratheon any longer."

Rhaella sighed, she forgot Aemond wasn't an idiot. "Aerys will not marry someone he does not wish to." She told him.

Aemond laughed. "I think you forget the circumstance of our marriage."

Rhaella turned to face him. "Are you saying you did not wish to marry me?"

Aemond smirked, "I had no opinion on marriage then, I didn't oppose marrying you, but I didn't know the weight of it." placing a kiss on her forehead before he turned her back and began unlacing her corset. "Even if I did not know it then, I know it now, You are the only woman suited to me." He confessed. "Your flame burns alongside mine as it will forever."

She kissed him then, not a lustful kiss that often led to their acts of intimacy. But a kiss with another meaning. She was his, as he was hers.

And their flaming hearts would burn till time itself had to force them to stop. It was a life together or no life at all, as if a path between them was always destined to merge into one since the beginning of the world.

Wether they slipped into the pits of the seven hells or rose to rule in the seven heavens, it would be the two of them together.

When the sun made it's appearance into the sky, Aemond was already down in Baratheons private rooms discussing dowries and wedding plans.

Aerys was to wed Ellyn on her fourteenth name day. She would be sent to live at kings landing after the disagreement of ruler was put to an end, so that she may learn the valaryian customs.

Aemond had promised Rhaella that the engagement would be broken.

Everything seemed to be going accordingly. Borros would support Aegon. All he had to do now was say it out loud.

Rhaella thought they might be able to leave this place without any blood tainting her name, like her gut had been telling her.

But when the roars of Vhagar and Vermithor rumbled the foundations of Baratheons estate, Rhaella knew that the small peace she allowed herself to feel would soon be cut off at the head.

She met Aemonds eye, the two of them battling in silence.

Rhaella was warning him.

But Aemond never did listen.

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