Enchanted | Aemond Targaryen

6

"Īlon join tubī rȳ se seat hen embar naejot commit se riña laena hen lentor velaryon naejot se eternal waters, se dominion hen merling dārys skoriot kessa guard zirȳla syt mirre tubissa naejot māzigon. Ziry sets ezīmagon se embar syt zirȳla mōrī voyage, se riña laena tēmbi lanta true-born daughters va se rāenion. Though pōja muña kessa daor return hen zirȳla voyage, kessi mirre umbagon bound hēnkirī isse ānogar. Lopor courses rȳ velaryon ānogar. Īlvon dakogon qumblie. Īlvon dakogon drēje. Se īlvon ēdruta dōrī vasrie."

Daemon can't help but chuckle at the words of Vaemond Velaryon, who seems very keen on insisting that Jace and Luke do not have salt coursing through their veins, and thus are not true Velaryon blood. He draws the attention to himself and creates a disrespectful scene at his wife's funeral. The little Princess Aelara has tears streaming down her face as the cool winds of Driftmark blow through her hair. She had hardly known Laena Velaryon, and yet her death stings nontheless.

As the somber atmosphere envelops the funeral procession on Driftmark, Aemond stands beside Aelara, offering her a comforting presence amidst the chaos that ensues. The sudden interruption by Daemon only adds to the turmoil of emotions that already weighs heavily on Aelara's young heart.

Aelara wipes away her tears, her small frame trembling with a mixture of grief and confusion. She had expected the funeral to be a solemn affair, a time to mourn and pay respects to a woman she hardly knew but felt a connection to nonetheless. The words of Vaemond Velaryon, questioning the legitimacy of Jace and Luke as true Velaryons, had stirred discomfort and disbelief within her.

As the winds of Driftmark sweep through her hair, Aelara takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She looks up at Aemond, her eyes filled with sadness and a touch of defiance.

"Aemond, why would they say such hurtful things?" She asks, her voice quivering, "Laena was family, and they're disrespecting her memory."

" It was not the appropriate time for such words," Aemond nods, " But they are true."

Aelara's brows furrow in confusion.

" No, they're not," She states, " Jace and Luke are our nephews."

" Aelara," Aemond trails, the words of his mother ringing in his mind, " They are--"

" Our nephews," Aelara interjects, her eyes wide and soft.

Aemond pauses, taken aback by Aelara's unwavering conviction. He gazes into her eyes, searching for a glimmer of doubt or uncertainty, but finds none. Aelara's belief in the bond of family and her refusal to accept anything less resonates deeply within him.

He takes a step closer to Aelara, his voice filled with earnestness and a touch of vulnerability.

"But, sister, you must understand. Mother said..."

Aelara interrupts him again, her voice gentle yet resolute.

"I know what Mother said. I heard her words too," She says, "But I refuse to believe that Jace and Luke are anything less than true Velaryons. They are our blood, our family."

Aemond cannot deny that Aelara tends to view the world with a filter of optimism, and her views often make him smile. He knows the truth about the strong boys, as does most of the realm, and if Aelara wishes to continue living in a world of fantasy... so be it.

News of Aegon and Helaena's betrothal is kept as a secret to none but Aelara. The realm allows her to exist within her bubble, and Helaena is under strict instructions to not share the news to her sister. They do not wish to burden the Light of the Realm with the unpleasantries of politics.