The Dragon and the Rose // Aemond Targaryen

Chapter 15

Warning! Self Harm

The wedding should have excited Viserra but it felt more like a chore than anything. She was far more excited about Dawn, her dragon. Newly hatched and as tame as a cat Dawn was holed up in Viserra's rooms while she was here. She felt Dawn's absence like vice around her throat. She hadn't has a dragon for so many years so now she was half the time worried that Dawn would fly away from her any second the she-dragon got. 

"A fine day for a wedding is it not princess?" Tristane asked his words offering brief reprieve from her intrusive thoughts. "Hmm? Oh yes indeed, fine weather it is." she said blankly. Viserra hopped from one foot to another trying to subdue the ache in her feet from standing for so long. She knew Aegon and Helaena's wedding would be a long affair but certainly not so tiresome. 

Part of Viserra's ill countenance came from her family or rather lack thereof. Since they'd come back from Laena Velaryon's funeral a huge rift had formed between her family. So much so that her sister Rhaenyra hadn't even bothered to reply to her letters. Viserra for a sick moment imagined her sister tossing those letters with their floral stamps into the hearth. 

Viserra forced her eyes towards the ceremony, she smiled a little glancing at the dais where her brother and sister stood facing one another. Helaena's gown was a beautiful ivory and gold that Viserra herself had picked out. Aegon's clothes were a deep emerald so dark it was more black than green. A gold chain adorned his cloak to his shoulders. Viserra glanced to her right where Aemond stood in a similar shade of emerald. His face was cold and his eye showed no sign of humanity. He stared straight forward, glaring at Aegon.

"Stop glaring" Viserra whispered, her voice barely perceptible over the sound of the High Septon's preaching. "I am not glaring" Aemond replied coolly not taking his eyes off the dais. Viserra wondered what exactly he was looking at.

Was it the way Aegon cloak shone in the light of the sept, or the way Helaena's gown glimmered. Did he cringe at the looks of envy and awe in the faces of the gentry. Did he envy his own siblings for the attention they got simply for standing around looking pretty? Or perhaps he envied the look of contentment and satisfaction laced on their grandfathers' face, as if all his dreams were finally coming true. 

"Whose glaring now?" Aemond chided, Viserra forced her eyes away from the dais her staring caught the stares of quite a few nobles nearby. Vultures that lot. "I was not" she replied. 

"Liar" Aemond smirked, glancing down at her. Viserra swallowed thickly looking away a blush creeping across her neck and cheeks, she hoped Aemond would be gentlemanly enough not to say anything. 

Finally after what seemed like a very long time the High Septon finished his speech "Now you may cloak your bride and bring her under your protection". Viserra watched on with a broad smile as Aegon took off his cloak and placed it onto Helaena's shoulder. When they were practicing (after the Hand persuaded their father Viserys) Helaena constantly cringed when Aegon tried placing the cloak on her shoulders. When she did not flinch away Aegon would mess up, either by tripping on the long garment or placing it so that it would fall off Helaena's shoulder. 

Viserra understood quickly that Aegon did this on purpose. Neither him nor Helaena wanted this marriage. She knew that they did not make a good match but was too scared to mention it to her father. Aegon was stalling as much as he could. But their grandfather had swiftly put an end to it with a few strikes to Aegon's face. 

Viserra cringed recalling how she'd try to stop it, Aegon and Helaena's awkward kiss as husband and wife faded away as the memory made bile rise to Viserra's throat. 

She sat in the Small Council rooms waiting for the meeting to commence. Viserra watched lazily as one by one the  lords came filing in. She stood up in greeting reaching for the jug of wine to pour for them when her grandfather the Lord Hand came in with Aegon in tow.