The Rogue Princess

Chapter 24

Aerea's eyes opened to a darkened cell, with a hint of light coming from down the hall. Her head rang as she tried to piece together what had happened and where she was. Then she remembered. Leo. Luke. Maelon. Aemond.

She felt tears pricking at her eyes as she recalled the cheering from Aegon over Aemond murdering her brother. It was the first she had heard of the news in that hall, but that strange knot in her stomach made sense finally. He was gone. She would never see him rule Driftmark. She would never see him marry their cousin, Rhaena. She would never get to see him raise children of his own. She would never hold her baby brother again.

And Leo. Leo had lost his lover to the cruelties of her family. Guilt sank deep within her heart as she remembered the screams emitted from her husband. Perhaps if she had never begged him to come to King's Landing in the first place, Leo would be happy and traveling the world, finding love and adventure of his own. Instead he faced pain and sorrow and loss. All because of her.

She slumped back against the wall, steadying her breathing when she noticed a light approaching her cell. Her eyes turned to see Aemond standing just outside the bars with a grim look on his face.

"Get...out...now." She growled, ready to pounce at any moment.

"Aerea, please. Just listen to me." He pleaded.

"I have nothing...to say to you." She turned away from him with her knees pulled to her chest.

"Please, I swear to you I am not the monster you think I am." His fingers intertwined with the bars as he looked around him to make sure they were alone before leaning his head forward. "It was an accident, I swear."

"An accident?! How do you accidentally kill an innocent boy?! Huh?! Tell me, uncle!" She screamed, snapping her head back to him with her teeth barred and eyes blackened with fury.

"He wasn't supposed to die!" He snapped, slamming his palms into the bars in frustration before he sighed. "I only meant to taunt him...but Vhagar..."

"Vhagar?! You killed my baby brother with your fucking dragon?!" She was up on her feet banging her fists against the bars, sliding one arm through the bars to grab his tunic. Before he had a chance to react, she had pulled his body with great force against the bars. His head slammed as well, causing him to tumble back. Once he regathered himself, he looked up to see her catching her breath as nothing but murder read all over her face. "And for what?! Because you lost your eye to him when he was a child?!"

"I was a child as well in case you had forgotten! A fact you don't seem to care to remember."

"So that justifies you taking his life then?" Silence. She was practically foaming at the mouth with rage as he just stared down at her with his jaw clenched tightly. After many moments of silence, she went back to the corner of her cell and slumped down with her head between her knees. Letting out a humorless laugh, she threw her head back and stared up at him with a somber look. "When my mother takes her crown back, and she will after what you've done, just know your head will be the first she takes. And know that when that day comes, I will smile and celebrate with the entire realm that the one eyed, second son is no longer breathing."

Her words cut through him like a knife. He would've felt less pain if she had carved his heart straight from his chest. But his childish pride kept him from showing it. Instead he just straightened up and cleared his throat. "Then I look forward to greeting the Stranger who is all too familiar with your precious brother."

Her eyes blackened at the snide comment, but he had already turned to leave. Her body finally allowed her to let out a sob she held deep within her.

Aemond had just reached the end of the hall when he heard a sniffle coming from her cell. He froze, feeling his chest tightening up as her cries echoed through the darkened cells.