Inviolable Bindings | Aemond & Aegon II Targaryen

Chapter 29

Quickly scanning over the letter, she noted that the content was mostly about the sellswords that her father gifted to aid them in their war. At the bottom, Viserra found the words that were intended for her.

My daughter will soon fly to war carrying your King's banners. Within the crate of Volantene wine lies yet another sealed box. It is a gift from her late grandmother who entrusted me to determine the right moment to bestow it upon her.

Viserra felt her heart skip a beat as she read and reread her father's writing. Looking up to Aemond, she took in a shaky breath and handed the letter back to him. "You cannot begin to comprehend what this means to me."

He tucked his hands behind his back and smiled at her unusual display of emotion. "I can see that it means a great deal," he observed, "I understand your grandmother was a force to be reckoned with and I can only imagine that she saw the strength of her blood that courses through your veins."

Moved by his words, she reached forward and pulled him into an embrace. She knew her grandmother saw her for the Targaryen she was. It was like she knew Viserra would be the one to return to the family that she had once held so dear.

Aemond wrapped his arms around her and held her until she was ready to let go. When she finally pulled back, he noticed that the overwhelm of emotion had now changed into fiery determination.

"Are you ready?"

She smiled, giving him a quick nod. "Would you help me dress?"

It did not take long for the armor to be secured to Viserra's body. She placed the new blade on her hip and let Aemond walk her down to the front of the Red Keep. Waiting there with a dozen knights, was the King and his Hand on horseback. Aegon was also dressed in dark armor, the black and rubied crown glinting in the morning sun that had just begun to rise on the horizon.

Looking to the sky, she saw two dragons circling around the castle. The beautiful gold and salmon coloring of Sunfyre was quite the opposite of Rhyn's black and red. Her sense of purpose and determination was only heightened when she took in the sight all together. But suddenly, she felt nervous.

As if he could feel it radiating off of her, Aemond placed a hand on her shoulder to ground her. "The next time you are riding out into battle, I will make sure it is by my side." His voice was low yet determined. "Duskendale should fall easily. Consider this practice."

His words brought a small smile to her face, and the realization hit her that there was no time for dwelling. With a nod, she left him behind and swiftly mounted her horse. Glancing one last time in search of Aemond, she noticed he had already begun retreating into the castle. Her attention was brought back to the departing party, finding that Aegon was watching her, a gleam of wild determination in his eye.

"Ready?" he asked.

"More than ever," she affirmed, taking the reins and directing the beast to follow the others.

The ride to Robsy took a day and a half, their pace quicker than planned as everyones' spirits were still high and they had yet to be drawn into battle. Aegon and Viserra took turns every few hours mounting their dragon and circling the skies to look for unexpected visitors.

As predicted, Lord Rosby did not hesitate to bend the knee again under the threat of bloodshed. The turncloak reaffirmed his loyalty to Aegon, offering him more soldiers for his army and inviting the King and his party in for supper and a place to sleep for the night.

They moved on to Stokeworth the next day and were pleased to find that the house bent the knee just as easily as Lord Rosby. With even more soldiers added to their forces, their numbers now reached almost three-thousand.