Born to Die

Chapter 22

Two weeks had passed since Aemeryn had gotten ill at dinner. For two weeks, she hid her nausea and vomiting from her entire family with the exception of Aemond. She knew something was wrong, but she was refusing to see the maester. She was sure it was just the stress from the war. Daemon was searching for a reason to make Aegon attack the Velaryon fleet in the Gullet. He was becoming restless with Aegon's lack of attack. Neither Aemeryn nor Aemond liked where this was heading.

"Em?" Aemeryn turned when she heard Rhaena call for her. Rhaena entered the library and quickly shut the door behind her. "Are you alone?"

"Nope," Aemond said as he poked his head around the shelf that Aemeryn was looking at. Rhaena stopped walking and glanced at Aemond before looking at Aemeryn.

"I need to talk to you, Em. It's important."

Aemeryn nodded and took her sister's hand and led her to the other side of the library. Rhaena looked like she was sick with worry as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"What's going on, Rhaena? I've never seen you like this."

"I can't find Silverwing," Rhaena blurted before she went back to chewing her lip. Aemeryn stared at her in shock.

"What do you mean you can't find Silverwing?"

"She won't answer my calls, Em. I can't lose my dragon in the middle of a war."

"Have you looked for her?" Aemeryn asked with a grin. She knew that dragons didn't just disappear and abandon their riders. However, it did give her pause that Silverwing wouldn't answer Rhaena's summons.

"I was hoping you would help me look," Rhaena muttered as she looked down at her hands. "I don't have the bond you have with Vermithor. What if she left because she regrets choosing me for a rider?"

Aemeryn looked at Rhaena in sympathy before shaking her head. "That's not how dragons work, and you know that. Of course I'll help you look, but why do you want me to?"

Rhaena wouldn't meet Aemeryn's eye as she muttered out her answer. "I don't know the song that Father taught you. What if that's the only thing that calms Silverwing if we find her?"

"You don't need me to sing to Silverwing, Rhaena."

"You sing to dragons?" Aemond's voice startled both of the girls, and they looked over to him. He was still across the room sitting in a chair with a book in his hands.

"I hate it when you do that," Aemeryn grumbled as she grabbed Rhaena's hand and led her to the table. Aemond had ridiculously good hearing, and he used it to eavesdrop quite frequently.

Aemond looked up at his wife with a smirk when she stopped in front of him. She was quite adorable when she tried to be upset with him, and he loved it when she tried to be stern with him.

"You sing to dragons?" Aemond repeated as he put the book on the table and pulled Aemeryn into his lap. She groaned and tugged at his hair.

"It's something Daemon taught me years ago when I claimed Vermithor. It kept him from burning me to a crisp."

"All I had was commanding Vhagar to calm when I claimed her," Aemond whispered into her ear before nipping at it. Rhaena scowled at the mention of that fateful night, and Aemond simply stared at her. He felt bad about hitting Baela and Rhaena, but he refused to feel bad about claiming Vhagar like they wanted him to.

"Go put on your riding leathers and meet me in the front hall," Aemeryn said as she struggled out of Aemond's grip. He held on to her hand tightly and stood with her. "We'll search her cave on Dragonmont."

Rhaena nodded and left the library quickly. Aemond wrapped his arms around Aemeryn's middle and rested his chin on her shoulder. Her hair tickled his face, but he wasn't about to complain.