Burn me • Aemond Targaryen

King or Queen

Chapter Twenty-Four~King or Queen

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Lord Baratheon called his house to meeting on the arrival of Lucerys Velaryon. Rhaella could sense the anger Aemond was mixing in his mind. His temper had always been easy to rile up, he acted on impulse.

It was the one of the few ways they differed to one another. Rhaella was impulsive yes, but she was calculating too. She acted on her first thought but made sure her plan was dragon proof before stepping into the flames.
Aemon however, would dance into the fire without a second to think, nothing to protect him, but by the time he thought things through the damage was already done.

"Aemond." She whispered when Borros sent his guards to escort the prince into the castle. "I advise you control yourself before our nephew joins us, shedding blood under Baratheons house would not do well to win support for Aegon."

Aemond had never forgiven his nephew for that night so many moons ago. Every time he stared upon his own reflection was a reminder of how weak he had been. Bested by a child.

He had given himself a target that night, one that would eventually cost him everything.

"Prince Lucerys Valeryon! Son of Princess Rhaynera Targaryen."

"Lord Baratheon." Lucerys greeted. He sounded confident and sure, but Rhaella could see the way his knuckles whitened as he gripped onto the scroll in his hand, and the small beads of sweat coating his forehead. "I bring a message from my Mother." He cleared his throat, "The queen." His Brown eyes met the purple ones of both Rhaella and Aemond as he said those words, as if he was looking for a reaction.

"The whore of dragonstone, he means." Aemond muttered.
But Rhaella did not care for his comment. She
knew that something would spark off a war, a war which lead to death, death of her children, her husband and herself.
And she could not ignore the way her mind told her today would be the flame that lit that fire.

The thunder from the storm outside drummed along the castle walls like the beginning of a war song. The rain battering down onto the stone steps outside, and the lightning flashing through the air, it was a dark day.

And was soon to grow darker.

"Little, Luke Strong." Aemond jeered. Rhaella took his hand in her own, trying to calm him down. "The bastard.

"Prince Lucareys." Borros mumbled. "Two nights ago I received envoys from the king, which is it?" He asked the young prince. "King or queen?" Rhaella's eyes never left that of the young prince. "The house of the dragon does not seem to know who rules it!" Baratheon laughed. Rhaella disliked him immensely and as soon as she could she would be sure to get rid of him. "What's your Mother's message?"

Lucerys held his arm out, letting of of Baratheons men take the scroll from his shaking hands.
Aemond smirked when he saw how nervous the young prince was, he ignored his wife's warnings and let his thoughts carry him into a trance of hell bent revenge.

"Where's the bloody Maester?!" Borros snapped. Rhaella rolled her eyes, could the ugly bastard not read for himself?

The tension between the Targaryen royals and the young Valeryon prince was thick, even dark sister would struggle to slice through the rivalry.

Lucerys was no fool, he was smart enough to place his hand on the pommel of his sword. He had heard whispers of Aemonds temper on his last visit to kings landing, and his promise to his mother swam around the front of his mind, he would not fight Aemond but he would not stand fool to him either.

Rhaella could see Borros' eyes darken at the hushed words of his maester, whatever the message said, did nothing for Rhaynera's chance at support. "Remind me of my fathers oath!" He snapped. "King Aegon at least came with an offer!" He shouted. "My swords and banners for a marriage pact!" Aemond looked to Rhaella, silently boasting. "If I do as your mother bids, tell me which of my daughters would you marry, boy?"

The confidence which struggled to hold onto Lucerys features faltered. "My lord, I am not free to marry." He confessed, he knew the winds were not in his favor, and he was outnumbered in a strangers home. "I am already betrothed!" He announced, letting his eyes drift to Aemond and Rhaella.

"So you come with empty hands?" Baratheon scoffed. "Go home pup, and tell your mother that the lord of storms end is not some dog that she can whistle up at need to set against her foes."

"I shall take your answer, to the the queen my lord." Lucerys Announced, a final stretch to draw guilt for turning traitor.

Aemond sighed, a game beginning in his eyes. Lucerys turned to take his leave but halted at Aemond voice. "Wait!" He exclaimed, pulling his hand from Rhaella. "My lord strong." His voice was mocking. "Did you really think you could fly about the realm, trying to steal my brothers throne at no cost?" Aemond took a dangerous step closer to the young prince.

"I will not fight you." Lucerys told him. "I came as a messenger, not a warrior."

"The fight would be little challenge." Aemond muttered. "No, I want you to put out your eye." His hand reached for his eye patch, revealing his sapphire. The dynamic turned sinister then. "As payment for mine."

"Aemond not now." Rhaella whispered harshly to her husband, lights of flames and dragons and rain filling her head.

But Aemond's mind had been made up. He pulled the dagger his father had gifted him from his belt. "One will serve." He said throwing the blade across the floor to his nephew. "I would not blind you." Rhaella couldve swore she felt the increase in Lucerys' heartbeat at Aemonds words. "I plan to make a gift of it to my mother."

"No." Was all the Prince said.

Rhaella could feel one of her visions beginning to slip from the cage she had tried to lock them away in, hoping that the key would never unlock the bars so that they could escape into reality.

Aemond was causing it, and she could not stop him.

"Then you are craven as well as a traitor." He jabbed again.

"Not here!" Baratheon instructed, not wishing for any royal blood to taint the floors of storms end.

But Aemond was unable to focus on anything but his revenge. "Give me your eye or I will take it bastard!" He seethed surging forward, lifting the blade and pointing it at Lucerys.

"Not in my hall!" Baratheon roared. "The boy came as an envoy! I'll not have blood shed beneath my roof, take Prince Lucerys back to his dragon now."

Rhaella advanced forwards, snatching her husbands attention back to her. "Must you be so hell bent on revenge that you cannot see the bigger picture here?"

"Go away, If you wish to let the little bastard leave then you should go too, go to the blacks Rhaella, it's what you do change like the wind depending on your course." Aemond shot at her.

"I will never forgive you for this." She shouted after him as she followed. "You still act like the same whiny boy who lost his eye now as a man grown, he's barely twice your sons age yet you seek revenge from him."

"Meaning what?" Aemond said, turning to her. "He should get away with it."

"Can you not see?" Rhaella laughed. "A war is starting and you are focused on childhood scores, you should have took his eye years ago if it bothered you so much, or are you more concerned that he has showed you up?" She said looking up at him, his violate gaze hot and angry.

He ignored her and took a left.
Which would take him straight to his dragon.

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