22. Unlocked

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"Okay, this is amazing!" Ara declared as they climbed up the ladder looking around their tree house. "I'm so excited! We are going to spend so much time here!" Ara decided. 

"I would like that." Aemond agreed. She grabbed his hand pulling him to a seat. She wiggled her butt on the ground before looking to Aemond. "What?"

"We need blankets and pillows and books for you and candles at night... oh... maybe not fire." Ara corrected. "Oh Aemond this was such a good idea. You are brilliant."

"You are brilliant." Aemond corrected. "I didnt do much. You did all the heavy lifting." 

"You made it beautiful." Ara corrected running her hand over the detailing. "I didnt know you could carve like this." 

"I remember seeing Eddard craving you dragons a while back and I wanted to learn so I could make you something too." Aemond remarked. 

"Oh Aemond thats so sweet." Ara coed, kissing his cheek as she hugged him. "You are so sweet." She sighed happily as she looked around. "But we need blankets or my flat ass is going to hurt in five minutes." 

"You dont have a flat ass." Aemond corrected as they headed down the ladder. 

"Are you staring at my ass Aemond?" Ara teased and Aemond stuttered out but she started laughing. "Of course you are, we are going down a ladder." 

"You never cease to make me smile Ara." Aemond remarked as she leapt off the ladder into his arms. Ara smiled up at him. She thought for the briefest of a moment that he was going to kiss her and she swallowed the lump in her throat as she turned to the castle. 

"Come on, lets go get those blankets." Ara decided pulling his hand leading him back. 

+

Daeron came home. Ara barely recognized him. So much time had passed. Ara stared back at him as he approached.

"Aranyani." Daeron remarked. 

"Daeron the not so darling." Ara answered. 

"Someone's looking murderous today." Daeron remarked.

"Am not. Well I wasnt until you got here." Ara mused.

"Missed you too killer." Daeron agreed giving her an awkward hug.

"Goodness Daeron look at your hair-" Ara declared ruffling his hair.

"Whats wrong with my hair?" Daeron countered running a hand flat over his head.

"Its tinted with warmth from those Hightower genes." Ara informed him. "Careful wouldnt want anyone calling you a bastard." Ara purred in his ear. Daerons face dead panned as he stared back at her.

"Now im murderous." Daeron mused.

"You couldnt win in a fight against me even if I wasnt in peak condition." Ara boasted boldly. 

"Peak condition my ass Ara." Daeron countered. "I'm a man, I was-"

"Being our cousins bitch." Aegon hollered out. 

"Fuck you too." Daeron agreed. 

"Wow, the language on him Petal." Aegon teased wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

"Never be talking like that if he lived in the capital." Ara agreed. 

"Still ganging up on me I see how it is." Daeron huffed glaring back at them. Aegon moved forward arms opened wide to hug him before putting his head in the head lock. 

"Twats! The lot of you!" Daeron declared trying to get out from Aegon's arm. "I was training, I was learning. I'm amazing." Daeron informed them. 

"Daeron, honey!' Alicent declared happily. "Welcome back my darling boy." 

"Darling." Aegon mused. Daeron hugged Alicent resisting the urge to flip Aegon off. 

"Gods your eye!" Daeron shouted when Aemond came up. Ara thumped her thumb to his forehead. "I forgot how nasty it was." Daeron added shuffling away from Ara. 

"Yet I'm still better in the training yard than you are with two eyes." Aemond assured him. 

"Lies, you havent seen me train in ages." Daeron corrected. 

"A duel then!" Aegon declared happily. "Petal gets winner."

"Like she could take me without her powers." Daeron sneered. "She would cheat and I would lose."

"I am one with nature. It's not cheating." Ara corrected "It is part of me."

"Part of you." Daeron rolled his eyes as Criston came up, Ara glanced back at him noticing how he put a hand on Alicent's back, how she leaned into his touch, smiling back at him. It made her happy to see her parents together. 

"Aemond helped me unlock it." Ara agreed. "Scared Criston to death too but I met out cousin Davina. She is my role model!" Ara declared. 

"Unlocked what?" Daeron countered. 

"Be careful my prince." Criston warned. "Aranyani is quite dangerous."

"Still playing with vines?" Daeron questioned. "I have a sword, valyrian steel. Got it for my name day. I have the power!" Daeron declared swinging his blade around. 

"Ohh so you wanna talk about power?" Ara pondered "Let me show you power." Daeron waited for her draw on the vines and flower, the stones even but she held her hands together, forming fire between her hands. Smoke sizzled from her fingertips.

 Smoke sizzled from her fingertips

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"This is my favorite part." Helaena whispered coming up behind them. 

Firey butterflies burst into the air, hot embers and ash burned down on Daeron's clothes and tainted his skin and hair. 

"What the hell?" Daeron demanded. 

"I told you. I have been unlocked." Ara declared. 

"What in seven hells!" Daeron shouted. 

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