Before the union of Rhaenyra with Ser Laenor Velaryon, an event etched forever in memory took place when Daemon claimed Rhaenyra's innocence in the hidden corners of a brothel, planting a seed of life within the princess rightful to the Iron Throne...
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I feel it coming out my throat Guess I better wash my mouth out with soap God, I wish I never spoke
Rhaella shook as her thin shoes slid across the rustic ground. With each movement forward, a sharp pain shot throughout her body. After dashing halfway through the castle, the young princess slowed her heartbeat at the pace of wild horses.
She looked around with reluctance, the scarce maids and servants scurried about, and each appeared as vulnerable as Rhaella. Nothing felt right. She couldn't place the feeling of abandonment, pain, or sadness. It painted a blur of emotions.
The young princess wrapped her arms around herself as if to soothe the heartache of being nearly taken advantage of, a gut-wrenching sensation that made the hairs on her neck stand.
Rhaella thought back to her time in King's Landing. Since her arrival, she witnessed the deaths of a few men, was almost raped twice, tried to kill herself, and watched as her mother's decapitated head stared back on a platter.
The worst of it hadn't been discussed. The girl wouldn't be believed Prince Aegon's dangerous actions. Her biological mother proclaimed her stance as being desensitized to the feelings of her firstborn, nor had the Queen been anything but cruel since her arrival.
Of course, telling Aemond was always an option. Yet, she feared the man's potential actions against the future King to be detrimental and fatal. If anything, Aemond Targaryen was the most unpredictable and callous man, and regardless of blood affiliation, Rhaella hadn't a shred of doubt of the younger prince's untamed rage.
Rather than cause a scene, Rhaella held her head high and strutted down the servant's headquarters with a plastered smile. Her gaze shifted amongst the herd of female servants, from young to old, those attractive, while others lacked a bit.
Then, it became apparent. The young princess hadn't been the first nor the last to be assaulted by the Queen's oldest son. No, she believed there were others. Poor Helaena, such a sweet girl, bared children with the horrid man and must abide by his one-sided rules.
Today would be different than before. There are no more tears spilled over the actions of another. If all within the castle were to turn a blind eye against the vile prince, then it shall be. Aegon would suffer for his sins, but there would be no mercy this time.
Rhaella looked at the sky outside the castle windows and surmised the time to be a bit before the evening. She knew Dorothy and Cecilia would be frustrated if she hadn't returned for a daily scrub, wardrobe change, and preparation for dinner.
To save the young ladies from the harshness of the Queen, the young princess rushed back in the direction of her chambers, which, thankfully, were quite far from Aegon's.
Upon Rhaella reaching her chambers, the slightly cracked door snapped something deep inside. Could Aegon be inside? She swung the door open without hesitation and flew through the doors with tight fists.
Instead of catching the furrowed eyes of Aegon, she met the soft, wide gaze of Aemond. The man sat on the edge of her giant bed with his beloved dagger in one hand as he twirled it with ease.
Her eyes widened upon seeing Aemond sitting casually in her chambers while spinning a knife. She was somewhere between impressed and disturbed by the man.
The prince took notice of Rhaella stiffening upon entry. "I heard a word from one of the servants that you decided to rest after our little adventure. As your concerned, affectionate betrothed, I, too, decided to pay a visit," he spoke with sarcasm.
"How long have you been here, Aemond?"
Without warning, Aemond dropped the dagger onto the bed and clutched the wooden knobs of the bed frame to ease his tension. "I assure you, niece. I am not following your every move, but this castle has dangerous individuals, and I intend to keep you safe from them."
His eye scanned the young princess for injuries, knowing how clumsy the girl could be. Suddenly, his gaze stopped at the prominent purple-brown bruise in the shape of a handprint on her neck. "Your neck," Aemond gestured, "what happened?"
For a moment, Rhaella considered exposing Aegon's misdeeds to the merciless man who sat on her bed. Yet, the truth could rip the Targaryen dynasty apart. At this moment, I decided some truths are better left unheard. She forced a smile and lied, "Oh, this? I—uh, I tied my cloak too tightly around my neck. I suppose it may have left a mark...."
In a self-soothing manner, the young maiden began fidgeting with the lace cuffs of her sleeves—an awfully textured layer to a more simplistic dress. She looked up from her sleeves to Aemond, who stared back with a subtle smirk.
Unbeknownst to Rhaella, the one-eyed man was more observant than she could have ever imagined. Since meeting the young princess, he gathered one of two things: she fidgets with jewelry or dresses when she becomes nervous and uncomfortable, and above all, she avoids confrontation by running from it.
With a knowing gaze, Aemond took the dagger from the bed and placed it back in his holster. Slowly, he rose from the bed and smiled at Rhaella once more before leaving the room.
Like many others within the castle, the Queen's youngest son was fully aware of Aegon's actions against the women of the kingdom. Perhaps it was intuition or the subtlety of Rhaella's unconscious actions. Still, Aemond was determined to find the servant from before, the one who lied about the young woman resting in her chambers.
Aemond strode with confidence from Rhaella's chambers and walked toward the servant's headquarters to find the man who may have known more than he confessed. His eye scanned for the brooding man with dark hair and bright eyes before making his next move.
For a split second, the young prince considered turning back as the servants scattered around were predominantly female, but then he saw it. The man he spoke to earlier in the day sulked with a peculiar walk as he held a large hay bale.
As Silas looked up from the hay bales at Aemond, he immediately grew tense. Could the man know of his involvement with the oldest prince or even the Queen? He couldn't be sure.
"You," Aemond spoke coldly, pointing at Silas. "I want a word with you."
The servant's crystal blue eyes widened like a moon, and he dropped the hay bales onto the ground. With reluctance, he took small steps toward the one-eyed prince.
Smirking, Aemond snatched the man by his collar and held him close. Between the two, the prince was significantly taller than the servant, adding to his fright of Silas.
"P-please, your majesty! I swear I wanted nothing to do with Prince Aegon! H-He forced me to help him!" the man croaked out as his eyes blinked rapidly.
Aemond's lips curled into a wicked smile. "I mentioned nothing of my brother, Aegon. Tell me, servant, and hold nothing back—had my brother tempted or caused my Rhaella harm?"
The servant grew weak, his legs trembled, and he felt his blood run cold. "Prince Aegon told me to usher Rhaella to his chambers based on knowing the information of Princess Rhaenyra. I did as told, but I meant no harm!"
"Had my brother confided in you of his plan?"
Silas shook his head violently. "N-No, your majesty! He mentioned nothing of it. Please, I would never betray Rhaella's trust in such a manner...."
Without another word, Aemond released his grip on the man's collar and stormed back towards the chambers, where he was certain Aegon would be, as the man did nothing but sleep and drink.
While Aemond knew of his older brother's self-indulging and arrogant tendencies, he could not imagine his older brother making a move on the man's future wife.
