The Wild Dragon

Chapter 7 - Delivered

Prince Aemond Targaryen was full of hope. It wasn't his natural state to be optimistic but his own decision and Alaera's tacit acceptance had given him more hope than he dared admit. Maybe they wouldn't be all he wanted them to be, but as long as she was there, he was content. So he walked more spirited the halls of the Keep searching for her presence but not finding it. Again. Was she ever where he expected her to be? Probably not. But that made her even more fascinating then he already thought her. Not finding her in any of the common places, he resolved to think her bathing in her own room and went about his day without worry. Later he stopped by Helaena's hoping to find their elder sibling there.

"Helaena, how are you today?" he asked, looking around the room more than at his sister.

"Looking for someone, brother?" Helaena asked in response, a rare smile on her lips. She was more insightful than people gave her credit, Aemond admitted to himself.

"Have you seen Alaera today?" he asked, deciding to be honest.

"We broke fast together earlier, but she has other things to do," she answered.

"What other things do you mean, sister?" he asked, intrigued by the notion that Helaena knew the whereabouts of Alaera better than he did.

"Pale dragons born of green, red their salvation, stone their escape," she said thoughtful, going about her needlework. He then noticed she was, maybe for the first time in his recollection, embroidering a dragon. Helaena was the only one of his true born siblings that had quietly rejected the Hightower green and had settled years ago on wearing mostly blue and therefore showed no overt allegiance to either of the two sides of the Targaryen family.

"A red dragon, Helaena?" he asked, drawing closer and watching her hands move with intent.

"Red the blood of the dragon flows, red is unity," she went on looking Aemond straight as if what she was saying was common knowledge, easily understood by all, not just by her.

"Helaena, I don't..." he started to say but his mother came in and he decided to go before she questioned him on the one subject they did not agree upon.

His steps took him by his fathers rooms just as Alaera was exiting them. She stopped as if awestruck by his presence there and he had time to look her over. She wore a simple red dress that was still a bit loose on her body, her long silver locks falling freely around her head and shoulders. She had much improved since her return but was still leaner than she had been before leaving two years ago. He noticed her face relax and a shy smile appear only to then realize it was a mirror of his own reaction to seeing her. He extended his right hand toward her and she froze for a moment not knowing what to do. The smile reappeared and she laid her left hand in his and he couldn't resist the temptation to bring it to his lips. He bowed slightly to brush his lips over her knuckles but didn't refrain from looking at her from under his lashes and noticed a slight rosy hue color her cheeks. He knew what kind of thoughts he would have liked to inspire her but he had decided to be patient about it, to go wherever she decided and at her own pace. He then straightened his back and entwined her left arm around his right one, not letting go of her gaze for even a second.

"Where to, Princess?" he asked softly.

"Where were you going?" she asked in the same intimate tone, still smiling.

"I don't seem to remember," he answered, returning the smile.

"The Godswood then?" she offered.

"With you, anywhere!" he replied, starting in the suggested direction, enjoying the feeling of her warm body close to his right side.