All You Had To Do Was Stay // Aemond Targaryen// Jacaerys Velaryon

27. Filthy Fantasy

"Oh, my god. He just looked you up and down like he had a filthy fantasy he'd been holding onto just for you." Helaena declared ara blushed looking back at Aemond

"You think?" Ara countered.

"Hell yes. Aemond loves you. Go for it. Go for it!"

"I'm engaged to Jace." Ara reminded her

"Who you havent seen in years." Helaena corrected. "Don't deprive aemond hes the sweetest and hes always been smitten with you." Helaena begged. 

"You okay, Petal?" Aegon asked, studying Ara with his intense gaze. "You look a little flush." Ara was just about to assure him that she was fine when Helaena spoke for her. 

"She's probably burning from the inside out from the way that Aemond was staring at her. Hell, I'm all hot and bothered." Helaena declared with a laugh. 

Aegon looked over Ara's shoulder, and Ara couldn't resist the temptation—wondering if Aemond was still waiting for her to turn around, to follow through. But he was gone. The familiar disappointment sank into her chest, except this time, Ara was different. This time, Ara knew he was there, carrying the chance of more with him.

~

"What can they do?" Ara had countered a big pout on her face. "They are already sending me away."

"But you will be with me." Jace corrected.

"But why can't you stay? Why are we leaving? I don't want to leave my mother or Hela, Aemond or Ser Criston!"

"I don't know, I don't want to leave either." Jace remarked. "But at least we have each other." He offered holding tight to her hand as she leaned into him.

~

Ara's eyes popped open realizing it was just a dream, a memory perhaps of that day, the day she was supposed to leave... she settled back into her pillow in the tree house, feeling a hand on her waist, seeing Aemond beside her. Jace loved her and she was falling for Aemond. What was she doing? Jace was her soulmate, she knew it, fully and completely. She knew Jace was hers. So why did she look at Aemond and feel that flutter in her chest? Why did she him and blush? Why did she find herself thinking less and less of Jace and more and more of Aemond.

Jace had been her world for so long. She had loved him. WHen did that turn into past tense? When did love become loved? She tried to push her feelings aside for Aemond but it was hard when he was a constant in her life. When he was the sweetest thing. When he truly did love her. But Jace...

But... a different feeling wins out. Something else, something mightier. It punctured through the uncertainty, through the awful memories of losing Jace to the nights spent under the stars with Aemond, going on magical adventures with Aemond and becoming who she was meant to be, building a tree fort in the woods because Aemond knew her so well. 

A ringing loud over the little voice inside her head screaming that this is bound to go badly. When happens when Jace comes back, you are still engaged, dont do this. Dont fall in love with someone else. 

That everything she thought she wanted will crumble and fall, turning to rubble at her feet. Ara stared back at Aemond though and she didnt care. She couldnt seem to care because all Ara saw was a past destined to be rewritten if she kept holding out for Jace. That he would leave her again and all he had to do was stay.

A new beginning. A fighting chance to turn tragedy into magic, catastrophe into hope. Ultimately, Ara thought that's why she did it. Aranyani thought it was because of hope.

She took that leap of faith that if her and Jace were meant to be they would find a way back but her cousin Davina was right all along. Jace was far away and Aemond was right here.

So she kissed him.