Dreams, Dragons, and Deceit || Aemond & Aegon Targaryen

Sleepover

Visaera joined her family for supper and tried to enjoy the company, but her thoughts were still focused on the conversation she had heard in the corridor. More than anything, she wanted to run to Aegon. Instead, she forced herself to eat until her stomach threatened to return her meal. Hugging her sisters and kissing Rhaenyra and Daemon, she made her way back to her rooms, where Ser Jaunton was posted outside.

"Have you seen Alarya tonight?" she asked with a grin, noticing the flush of his neck.

"Not since you went to supper, princess," he replied.

"Mm, I'm sure she'll come by later, to check on me, of course."

"Of course," he replied, biting back a smile.

"Goodnight, Ser Jaunton,"

"Goodnight, princess." She shut the door and bolted it closed, tugging at the laces of her dress. Alarya had been increasingly absent in the evenings and the thought that she and Ser Jaunton might be in love made her smile. Love for a Kingsguard was forbidden, but what the crown didn't know wouldn't hurt anyone.

By the time she was ready for bed, exhaustion had seeped into her bones. Still, as she lay in bed, her mind would not settle. The spymaster's words repeated in her head, making her stomach churn and her heart race. Throwing the covers off, she paced the floor of her room.

With one final sigh of frustration, she made for the wall beside her bed and pushed it open, wondering if her handmaiden or knight had noticed that she had moved it. Grabbing a candle and stepping into the passageway, she counted her paces to Aegon's rooms, pausing just in front of the wall sconce.

Aemond had said he was just a call away; she wondered if she should call on him now. Visaera knew where his chambers were, she could guess how far she had to go. Continuing to estimate how far she had already gone, Visaera kept her fingers on the wall, looking for the next entrance.

Just as she reached for the wall sconce that she prayed opened to Aemond's rooms, Visaera felt a chill creep down her spine. Her skin prickled and she held her breath, glancing around in the darkness. She swore there was a slight shuffle in the distance and terror filled her as she pressed herself to the wall, dropping the candle and losing her light. Remembering that Larys Strong had easily recommended her death only hours before, she stood frozen in fear, listening for any sound besides the pounding of her heart.

Nothing moved in the darkness, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Her fingers trailed the wall behind her, desperately seeking the metal bracket she knew would open the door. With a tug on the sconce, the door opened beside her and she threw herself into the room, scrambling away from the passage door. She didn't care whether they were actually Aemond's chambers, she just knew she had to get away from the darkness and the crawling feeling that refused to leave her skin.

When her back met the legs of a chair and she could go no further, she remained on the floor, panting and staring at the dark tunnel.

"Vis?" A mix of concern and confusion decorated Aemond's face. "Are you alright?" The princess continued to stare into the darkness, convinced somebody was going to jump out at any given moment.

"There's someone in there," she finally said. Aemond raised an eyebrow and grabbed one of the candles from the wall. "Aemond, don't!"

"There's no one here, Vis," he informed her, holding the candle out, and peering into the dimly lit passageway.

"I'm not fucking mad, Aemond! Someone was there!" He stepped completely into the wall and Visaera's stomach turned. "Please, be careful!" The light receded and she waited, growing concerned when he didn't come back. "Aemond?" she called. Then the passageway was illuminated once more and the prince stepped back into the room.