I'm The Problem, It's Me (Aemond Targaryen)

PART 1 - MIDNIGHT AFTERNOONS

Alicent Hightower had tried her best. She had given her children her all, attending to all their separate needs. Yet none of them seemed to turn out how she'd intended.

Her rival, Rhaenyra, had spurned the duties of a noble woman and was rewarded with bastards who were every inch the image of little princes. While she, having done everything expected of her, bore Aegon — a lecherous drunk, Aemond —an aloof boy and Haelena — who seemed to always speak in nonsensical riddles. This, however, wasn't the worst of it.

Few moments after the birth of her firstborn son the Queen felt a pressure in her womb again and let out a great scream.

"There's another one, my Queen" the Maester informed her.

With another bout of strength the Queen was given the second of her twin babies.

This girl would be named Gwenivyra.

...................

Gwen, as she was nicknamed, was Aegons twin in every way. They played together as children, often looked over by their father in favor of Rhaenyra. They shared a nursery, toys and trinkets, they shared everything, and eventually when they grew older, they shared their love of drink.

As an infant, the princess had been betrothed to the toddler Lord-ling of of House Aryyn. She would one day be the lady of the Vale. This assurance of marriage granted her many freedoms to which the young princess indulged fully.

Gwen and Aegon often times drank their fill then went looking throughout the castle for their younger siblings and nephews to bother. Gwen, at first, would mostly find herself picking apart little Healena, calling her all kinds of names that the other ladies wouldn't dare to call a princess. This bored her after a time since Haelena didn't respond or react. So Gwen would turn her full attention to shy Aemond.

"Aemond, I'm taking Athraxes for a ride later, would you care to join me?" Gwen would ask at the breakfast table, all their family present.

"No" He mumbled

"No? Well, why not?" she pressed, knowing what she wanted to hear.

Alicent would glare at her daughter "Enough of that, Gwenivyra"

"I'm only asking a question, mother" she would say with faked confusion before turning back to her brother "Why can't you go with me, brother?"

"Because I don't have a dragon yet" Aemond said through gritted teeth.

With hearty, ill-natured laughs Gwen and Aegon would down their wine as Aemonds face would burn hot with shame.

...........

'If you want to kiss me, just do it'

Aemond hated Gwen.

She would mock and humiliate him before others, push him to the ground and laugh when Aegon tripped and flicked him.

Yet in the quiet moments, when it was just the two of them, she could be kinder.

She would speak to him about the in's and out's of her mind, entertaining him with all her strange and funny thoughts and he would listen. How he loved to listen to her.

She would listen too although he hardly had much to say. Well, that's not true, he had much he wanted to go on about but he feared that she would grow tired of him, sigh and go back to her wine like she did when the Lords in the castle would prattle on for too long.

He wanted to impress her.

..........

On one quiet evening, she lay halfway drunk by the window in Aemond's room as he read by the fire.