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

28. Meant To Be

That everything Ara 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. 

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.

Aemond's eye went wide before he pulled her closer. Hand wrapped around her waist as their lips mingled. It was nothing like her kisses with Jace. It was more, more. Ara didnt know how to explain it. It was just more. More touch, more lips, more kiss, more passion. 

Alicent's heart fluttered when she saw them together. Her ara got love. Real love. With a good man. Ara pulled back smiling up at Aemond. He kept a hand around her, not wanting to let go, not wanting to lose this moment in case he was dreaming. 

Aemond opened his mouth to speak, he didnt even know what he wanted to say. He had so much he wanted to say but a guard at the gates interrupted his train of thought.

"The Prince Jacaerys and Prince Lucaerys Velaryon." Was announced. Ara spun around. Aemond paled, damnit Jace he thought bitterly. 

"ARA!" Jace declared dropping his bag and running towards her. 

"J-Jace... you're here." Ara rasped.

Flustered and filled with emotions she didn't know what to do. Aemond saw her mental dilemma and hated seeing her so distraught.

"I wont say anything." Aemond whispered and ara stared back at him. "It's okay... just a lapse in sanity." Aemond offered and ara felt awful. Her shoulders slumped as she watched him walk away.

"Aemond!" Ara called after him. "Its not like that. It wasn't-" what was it though.

"Ara!" Jace declared running towards her and hugging her tight.  "I missed you. I missed you so much!" He never wanted to let go. 

"I missed you too." Ara held tight to him. 

"Wow Ara, looking really pretty." Luke remarked. 

"Luke, look at you, so tall!" Ara declared kissing his forehead. 

"No kiss for me?" Jace countered and Ara looked back to him a small smile on her lips. 

Ara wasnt one to kiss and tell but two boys within a moment. Gods her brain was going to explode. Jace kissed her and it was different. Not like before and not like Aemond. Just different. A good different but her guilt was eating her up too much to enjoy it. She hugged tight to him. 

"Oh Aemond." Alicent coed hugging him to her. 

"Jace is back." Aemond grumbled. 

"I see." Alicent agreed. 

"He did say he wanted to come now that I'm thinking about it." Aemond offered. 

"Dont lose the moments you two had because Jace is back for a day or two." Alicent urged. "Your love is stronger than that boy." 

"I dont know." Aemond countered. "You know Ara was in love with Jace- still is apparently." Aemond glanced back down at them. 

"She loves you. I see it. I see it Aemond." Alicent countered. 

"She still loves him." Aemond corrected. "I cant compete with her first love." 

"What if Jace is a first love but you are her true love?" Alicent countered. 

+

"Fun spot." Jace remarked as Ara got down the ladder. "You made this?" He questioned as his gaze shifted up. He didnt even see it at first but then he saw the beauty that was the tree house Ara had wrote him about. 

"Yeah, Aemond and I made it. We spend a lot of nights here." Ara remarked and wished she hadnt said that. 

"You sleep here?" Jace questioned. "With Aemond?"

"Yeah, just a little sleepover." Ara offered innocently. 

"Can we sleep here?" Luke questioned as they followed Ara up. "This place is awesome!" Luke declared when he got up. "Can we stay forever?"

"Aemond I saw Ara going to the tree house, I figured you were with her." Helaena offered when she found him with her children. ALicent was right. She didnt love Aegon but she could love her children. 

"No." Aemond answered shortly. 

"Jace and luke being here really throwing off your game huh?" Helaena mused. Aemond glanced back at her as he put Jaehaera down. "You love her."

"Of course I love her." Aemond agreed. 

"Then fight for her." Helaena demanded. "You get a chance at love Aemond. Real love. You need to fight for it. Fight for her."

"How? How do I fight for Ara when she doesnt want me?" Aemond countered. 

"Do you know that for a fact?" 

"She's with Jace right now, so yeah." Aemond agreed. 

"Do you know that for a fact?" Helaena demanded. "Because I know for a fact that she does like you. I also know that she kissed you. She made that first move."

"How do you know?" 

"Mother told me. She was gushing with delight that you two might be wed." Helaena remarked. 

"Ara did kiss me." Aemond agreed. "Then jace came and she looked like she was about to have a panic attack. As though kissing me was the worst thing, the worst decision she ever made."

"Thats a lie and you know it." 

"Do I Hela?"

"If its meant to be, it will be."