𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 | 𝗮𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗲𝗻

Chapter 21: under the tree

"You knew, didn't you?" Aemond said as he sat himself at Shiera's side by the shadow of the weirwood tree.

The godswood was bare of servants and guards as they prepared the keep for the upcoming ceremony. The silence was deafening.

"I did," Shiera answered as she moved to rest against Aemond's shoulder. "But I know he is not lost forever."

Sometimes Shiera liked to say riddles instead of straight answers as was common from Helaena. Aemond prided himself on being the cleverest son of Viserys but sometimes even he couldn't understand what Shiera said.

"And how is that? Do you think he has turned into a ghost? Like Visenya?" He asked, now more intrigued. If Shiera said she believed in ghosts then he would. Even if he found the idea stupid if it came from other's mouths.

At the ridiculous idea, Shiera couldn't help but laugh. Although Aemond was a serious and taciturn boy, more now  after the events in Driftmark, she always found his comments witty and funny. He had a dry, twisted humor that she loved. And that few understood, many times judging him as cruel and insensitive.

"No silly. I believe that all this is a facade and that he is far from here. Somewhere warmer and without so many political feuds." It was funny how a girl of six could be so clever. Her words ran true and he knew it.

"Well then he will be happy. There, where he is, must be what he desires."  Aemond desired his own disappearance. On Vhagar's back, with Shiera at his side and with no specific destination. Only his desire to see the world together and never be apart from each other.

"He will be. I know." She said as she snuggled closer to him. It had been a hard day and sleep was beginning to take over her.

The constant dreams did not help her rest either, so lately she was even more tired than normal.
As Aemond noticed the drop of her eyes and the tiredness in her voice he decided to lower them both so they were laid one next to the other.

"Do you want me to tell you again the story of Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives?" He asked softly. Now that his eye had been taken he found himself having difficulty reading. So he completely depended on his memory as he told Shiera the stories he had read before. "It was after the doom. Everything had been covered in darkness and the siblings had been able to escape thanks to Daeny's dream..."

His voice carried by the wind was heard only by her. The tranquility and peacefulness that emanated from him was enough to make her sleep easily.

It was said that if someone fell asleep easily in your presence, it meant that their inner child felt safe with you.

There was no doubt that where Shiera felt safest was next to him.

When he was sure that she wasn't going to wake up he stood up carefully and made his way to the wall that separated the courtyard from the rest of the godswood.

"You can come out. I'm not mad that you were eavesdropping." As he said this a male figure appeared from the shadows.

Daemon had been so busy planning the murder and making up for lost time with Rhaenyra and Shiera that he had forgotten about his nephew.

Even though Rhaenyra had told him she could trust Aemond, a part of him couldn't believe that someone of the green leech's blood could have any good intention with his daughter.

At last, after so much time wasting time, he had gotten the perfect opportunity to talk to him in private. Without eyes and ears that would then spread what had been said.

"I see that what they tell me is true. You are smarter than I expected." Daemon said with a certain mocking tone. "It seems that all that training is working for something more than just killing straw dummies."

"If you have come here with the intention of getting a rise out of me you are wasting your time. And mine." He said with caution. He knew Nyra loved him too much for Daemon to dare do anything to him. However, he was not going to be so foolish as to lower his guard. Ater all Daemon was known for his rogueness. "State what id that you want and go away. Shiera is sleeping and I don't want you to wake her."

No matter what he thought of his sister-in-law, his nephew was a force to be reckoned with and he liked that. He liked even more that he seemed to put Shiera's interest before his. He believed that a man should always put the best interests of the woman he loved before his own.

"I was just passing by you little rascal. But now that I'm here let me tell you something." Daemon said as he lowered himself to Aemond height. "Even if we don't really know each other too well I'm thankful for what you have been doing for Shiera. It must have been difficult for the both of you. It must be hard to believe but I love my family and now you are part of it. Know that if you find yourself in need of sword training or just someone with a little more knowledge in the real world you can always come to me. I know my brother tries but he has never been really good with kids. Even less his own."

"Right" Aemond said. His eyes wide open. "I will"

"Good." Daemon stood up and sent a last look towards Shiera. "When she wakes up could you tell her that I require her presence?"

At a loss for words, Aemond could only nod his head as he watched.

And as fast as he had appeared Daemon vanished from the gardens. Leaving behind a surprised Aemond and a clueless Shiera.