The Snow Princess - Aemond Targaryen

Thirty Four

"You shut your mouth!" Otto commanded his eldest grandson, forgetting that he was the King. "What did you do?!" Otto shook Aemond once more. Aemond didn't meet his grandsire's eyes, he didn't have the courage.

"H-He came as an envoy... I tried to frighten him... I tried to avenge my eye. I got on Vhagar, but I did not intend to kill him. I only wanted the debt he owned me to be paid." Aemond answered, meek and unsure of his words. Alyarra had never seen him like this. Otto let out a strangled curse and pushed Aemond backwards.

"You didn't intend to kill him?! Then what happened?! How did Rhaenyra's child die?!" Otto spat out, and Alyarra rushed to grab Aemond's arm in support of him. She had never felt as perplexed in her life. She hated his actions, but loved him all the same.

"I don't know! I lost control of Vhagar!" Aemond responded, exasperated by the revelation. Alyarra gulped as Otto Hightower's face contorted into an unreadable one. Alicent moved her hands and started praying for repentance, and Aegon just seemed amused by this all.

"You will never repeat that again." Otto growled, making Aemond's face contort in confusion. "When asked, you will simply state that you were defending your brother." Otto instructed, which made Alyarra confused. If it was an accident, why couldn't Aemond just tell everyone that?

"The people will think I purposely murdered my kin... I am not a kinslayer." Aemond stated, his insides felt like they were being ripped apart.

Aemond knew that there was an insatiable hunger inside of him that caused him to murder Luke. He knew he lost control of his dragon.  Yet he also knew something inside of him had shifted when he was chasing after Luke. But it really was an accident.

That is what he believed anyways.

"Would you rather be a fearful kinslayer, or a weak little boy that couldn't control his dragon?" Otto's voice dripped with venom, making Aemond look down at Alyarra. She was shocked at what Otto was saying, very shocked.

"You know how dangerous it would be... for you to admit that you can not control your dragon? For our opposition to learn that our biggest weapon is one that we can not tame?" Alyarra looked away from Aemond and to the Dowager Queen. She was still praying, and Aegon was still smiling like the wicked man he was.

"I can control her..." Aemond contested, but his words were clearly not true. "Not when it matters the most." Otto spat back, and Alyarra had never seen Aemond look so small.

"Everybody lay off my brother! He has won our first battle, we should all be thankful. Ser Criston... get the servants to prepare the Great Hall for morrow, it will be a great celebration." Aegon ordered as the knight nodded once.

"A battle?! This was not a battle to be won, Aegon. Lucerys went as an envoy, not a warrior, and your brother murdered him." Alicent finally spoke up, seemingly disgusted with what had transpired.

"Mother, were you not the one saying that my cunt sister was going to murder me and my brothers because we were challenges to her false claim? If that was true then it is fine that we killed Lucerys." Aegon contested, narrowing his eyes on his mother.

"Murder is not fine! Lucerys was a child!" Alicent slammed her hand on the table, clearly disgruntled by Aegon's nonchalantless over the murder of his own nephew.

"Lucerys was a bastard, and he took my brother's eye. He deserved what he got." Alyarra could not believe what Aegon was spewing, she looked up at Aemond but he didn't meet her eye.

"Do you not understand the graveness of this?! A war of envoys was ended by your brother! He has started the war of fire and blood! Do you not get it?! The blacks will come for us, seeking their revenge. Are you not conscious of what Lucerys' death means?!" Alicent was speaking like a frantic woman, trying to get her son to open his eyes.