What I Did, I Did for Us | Aemond Targaryen

Nine

The Godswood was the closest thing they had to nature within the walls of the Red Keep — a favorite place for Helaena to be. The gardens were more public, not what she wanted, plus the Godswood was peaceful — thick walls to shut out the clamor of the castle where she could hear birds sing and the murmur of crickets.

Helaena sat amongst the fallen red leaves and ran her fingers through the grass. When she found something, the princess held it in her palm, examining it in the daylight.

Aegon stood like a sentry just inside the arcade — he'd been observing her often as of late, trying to get closer. His eyes rarely strayed from his sister-wife except to survey their surroundings.

With a content sigh, Helaena placed the object back in the grass and laid back, her hair fanning around her head.

"Aegon," she called — it was a lovely sound, joyful. "Come, sit with me."

His expression revealed a surprise — Aegon wouldn't deny her his company but he was shocked, nonetheless. "Very well," he acquiesced.

The prince obeyed the request and sat beside her in the grass, resting his forearms on his bent knees as he looked around the Godswood.

Helaena knew better than to try and coax him into laying down, but she did reach out her hand to him, which he took in his, allowing her to rub tiny circles into his palm with her thumb.

"Do you think anyone else hears it?" she asked him softly.

Silence — it took Aegon a moment to understand her meaning. He knew she was speaking of the gift, her gift of being a dreamer.

"No, Helaena," he answered, looking down at her sweet face. "The gods only gifted that to you — the rest of us aren't favored by them as you are."

He said it confidently, but he was none the wiser — the prince knew nothing of powers or prophecies, only what he'd read about Daenys, which wasn't much.

Helaena hummed a reply, still smoothing patterns along his skin. "I wish I didn't need to see," she admitted quietly.

Aegon nodded his head. "I know."

He had quickly come to understand how much of a burden his sister-wife carried being able to see glimpses of things before they happened — unwilling or unable to articulate them in anything other than riddles.

Aegon risked a glance back toward the keep. The sun was high, bathing the coarse red stone in a warm glow.

When he looked back at Helaena, she was lost in thought, so he let her absentmindedly stroke his hand as he watched the arcade around them.

Helaena didn't know how long they had been in the Godswood — her mind skipping unconsciously through thoughts like a stone across the water — but when she finally sat up, she was stiff.

The princess waited, watching as Aegon stood, stretching before offering his hand to help her up. She took it willingly and let him pull her up, gently removing a few leaves from her hair as she dusted off her skirts.

"The children?" Helaena suggested, hopeful.

As if he'd been waiting for her invitation, Aegon nodded, smiling at his sister-wife — recently he'd been indulging in all her moods.

Helaena slipped her hand inside his elbow and began to walk back inside. They moved gracefully together — Aegon walked straight while she flowed through each movement like a breeze. It should've been awkward, but he was her anchor.

"What are you thinking about?" Aegon noticed she'd gone quiet, her thoughts elsewhere.

The princess blinked. "White smoke rises, the air turns to dust, and a betrayal shall cause a rise in immorality."