Ashes In The Castle ||| Aemond Targaryen

thirty-three

"You are aware of the Queen's order? Aemond Targaryen is to be spared and brought back to King's Landing."

Daemon looked Naerys in the eye. And he vowed it.

"I vow to bring the cyclops back alive."

Naerys trusted him. Because he'd raised her in Dragonstone, taught her all he knew. He knew of her feelings for him. Daemon wouldn't do that to her.

So she saw him and Nettles off. From the Dragonpit, she watched them fly for the Riverlands, to try and stop Aemond and bring him back.

She suspected nothing. Maybe Naerys was a fool. Maybe she was blind.

But she hadn't seen their relationship develop. Naerys hadn't heard him call her "Netty" fondly. She knew nothing of it. Because she trusted him.

And so, Naerys did her duty as heir and served her mother. She flew Vermithor around King's Landing to keep watch.

One very important thing she did, though, was gain rapport with the smallfolk.

Naerys had long inherited Rhaenyra's title of the Realm's Delight. Because she was the firstborn and looked so much like her, the smallfolk lumped them together.

Many weren't happy with the constant war. The taxes, lack of supplies and imports. Naerys spent time trying to build a good foundation with the smallfolk. They were more important than many tended to recognize.

If all of King's Landing turned into a mob, even dragons wouldn't be able to save them before they were killed. Naerys needed the people to trust she would be a good Queen for them.

Her effort did not go unnoticed.

The Green supporters called her the "good" apple in a bad bunch. She wasn't really a bastard, she had the hair! She could marry Aemond and become a good Queen.

The Black supporters tended to support her because of Rhaenyra anyway. But they liked her bite, the way she could use a sword. A leader should be on the battlefield.

It was halfway through the time Rhaenyra would sit the Throne that they reached a high point.

Ser Criston was ambushed on the road, while he was marching south to meet with Lord Ormund. Rhaenyra's supporters disguised themselves as rotting corpses and attacked the marching army.

The knight was killed in the fighting. And after he was dead, hundreds and thousands of his men died in the rout.

Because of how bloody it was, the battle became known as the Butcher's Ball. It was one of the most decisive. And it would mark the height of Rhaenyra's fortunes.

After, things would begin to deteriorate.

Aemond continued to strike in the Riverlands, taking out Lords in the style of Naerys. Day after day, Sheepstealer and Caraxes would search for Vhagar. And day after day, they would remain unsuccessful.

Naerys wanted Rhaenyra to send her. They'd already established Vhagar wouldn't attack her, Aemond wouldn't. But Rhaenyra didn't trust it fully; feelings could change.