Eye of The Dragon, Aemond Targaryen

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𝐀 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝.

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐃 on the painted table, moving pawns from one house to another. Her mind had found itself conflicted in-between allies. The girl had trouble focusing, her mother's face kept popping up in her thoughts. She raised the pawn of house Baratheon, twisting it between her fingers. She had sent three ravens there already with no response back. She thought about flying there herself, but they had kept her from doing so. Aelora placed all her trust in her brother's hands, and she was sure he would fulfill his task. But there was still an unknown feeling gnawing in the back of her head, a feeling that she could not shake off.

Aelora hit the side of her head with her hand. Rhaenyra's face appeared and then quickly disappeared, leaving the Princess standing confused and angry. She lowered her head between her arms, her eyes pressed shut. And then she screamed. Her scream sounded through the whole castle, the stones shaking underneath her feet. She had never felt so defeated as she does now.

"Aelora?" The Princess turned her head to the soft voice. Baela had taken place next to her, placing her hand on Aelora's back. "Are you alright?" Aelora scoffed at her sister, did she look alright to her? She hadn't slept in days, her complexion had turned grey and she saw her mother's shadow everywhere she went. "Can't you see? I'm having the time of my fucking life." The Princess walked to the other side of the painted table, her eyes crossing over the board. Baela looked down in defeat, her hands fidgeting with each other. "I did not mean to offend you." Aelora slowly shook her head, "it is I who should apologize, I shouldn't have snapped at you." But Baela could only chuckle at Aelora's words. "You don't have to apologize to anyone. You are allowed to act on how you feel."

You are allowed to act on how you feel. She replayed that sentence a few times in her mind to truly understand the meaning of it. What she was feeling right now was chaos. Pure chaos wrapped in fury coursing through her veins. "I feel like I'm going mad, Baela," Aelora whispered. She could hear Baela's soft sigh, but she didn't dare to look her in the eyes.

"When my mother died, I thought the world had died with her," Baela spoke. Aelora slowly raised her head at her younger sister's words. "If it hadn't been for Rhaena I would have not only lost myself but also the people who I hold dear." Baela swallowed before continuing. "The pain eased as I got older, but it never fully left me. You kind of learn to live with it in a way."

"I don't think I will ever make peace with it," Aelora admitted. Baela nodded her head, understanding her. "I never did too." The Princess pulled her lips into a sad smile. Hearing Baela talk about her own grief reassured Aelora in a way. It reassured her that there was hope for her soul. Baela had grown up into a beautiful young woman, sharing much resemblance with their father. They were alike in a way too. All of Daemon's children had his main trait: anger. It was their most prominent character flaw, as their enemies would call it.

Perhaps there was a meaning to all this. All that has happened and all that will happen later on. There was a purpose, but Aelora couldn't quite figure it out. She felt embarrassed at the thought, what purpose could possible hold Rhaenyra's death? Baela cleared her throat as she noticed Aelora's silentness. She knew the Princess had only lost her mother not that long ago, but she needed to understand that the realm was now counting on her. It was something that Aelora needed to accept, and rather soon than late. "Rhaenyra named you heir, right?"

The Princess nodded, "the minute I was born." Her sister smiled at the thought of it. Baela had always felt excited at the thought of having a woman sitting on the Iron Throne because of the unfairness to her grandmother. She had placed all her trust in Rhaenyra, the woman that she looked up to. Rhaenyra had welcomed her and Rhaena as if they were her own. From that moment on Aelora was no longer her cousin, she was also her sister.

It comforted Baela knowing that Aelora was Rhaenyra's heir. Aelora was her firstborn, but Jacaerys was her firstborn male. But Rhaenyra herself knew what it was to be questioned for the role of Queen just because of her sex. She would've been a hypocrite to name Jacaerys her heir just because he was a man. No, Rhaenyra was a woman of honor. She respected her daughter too much to rob her of her birthright.

Baela slowly traced her fingers from Dragonstone to King's Landing. "It looks so easy," she snickered. "If only it was as easy as it looks like." Baela shifted her eyes to Aelora's. "All of this is yours, sister." Aelora looked away, breaking eye contact. "What is it?"

Aelora's breath trembled as she turned the ring on her finger around. "I don't know if I even wish to be Queen." She took her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down on it, hard. "I mean, what do I even know about being one? I have no clue where to start." But Baela was not in the mood to hear any of this. "You're the Black Queen's daughter. Trust me, you know." Aelora's heart started racing at the thought of her mother's leadership. "My mother was Queen for not even a day when she was killed, Baela. What am I even doing?" She moved her hand across table, shoving all the pawns off it. She turned around to make her way to the door, but Baela's voice stopped her.

"You're running." Aelora turned around, very slowly. "I am angry," she spoke truthfully. Baela walked over to her, placing Aelora's hands in-between hers. "You are running on emotion right now, use that. Use it to your advantage to claim your rightful place in this Realm and honor your mother."

Aelora's lip trembled in anger as she pushed all her anger to the surface. It was all too visible in her eyes, she was ready to take her place. Not only for herself, but mostly for her mother. She would avenge Rhaenyra, and after she will rule in her name and place. She would bring honor to the Targaryen name, for Rhaenyra.

"War is coming for all of us, Baela," Aelora declared. Baela had already felt it, and she was ready to take place next to her Queen.

"Then we cannot hide from it. We are dragonriders, Aelora. Like our father and our mothers. And if they want a war, then they will be answered with fire and blood."

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