Born to Die

Chapter 35

Aemond and Aemeryn were giving Aegon almost twin stares of bewilderment. Aemond wasn't sure when his violet eye was this wide last as he stared at his brother. Aegon began to look between them with growing discomfort and laughed nervously. Had he made a mistake asking for their help?

"What?" Aemond finally broke the silence.

"Why?" Aemeryn asked over Aemond. Aegon let his eyes dart between the two again as he tried to choose which he would answer first.

"I need the Lannister and Hightower generals killed. I've tried to order them and their armies away, but they have remained steadfast under the order of Cole. They are more scared of him than me," Aegon huffed out with a laugh as he shook his head. "I want this war to be over."

"To the point that you are killing your own men? First Baratheon, now them? The Hightower general is your own cousin," Aemeryn hushed out in a frenzy. She hadn't realized that she had been moving closer to him until they were almost touching.

"Three will enter. Three will die," Helaena muttered from behind Aegon. Aemeryn frowned and peered around him to look at her aunt. She was still concentrating on her needlework and hadn't even looked up since she started. Aegon, to his credit, didn't make fun of Helaena in any way like he had always done. He simply pressed his lips together and looked around the room.

"Hel?" Aemeryn asked softly. She attempted to go to her aunt, but a hand gripped her arm and kept her in place. Aemeryn looked up in a fury only to be met by her husband's still bewildered face.

"Where and how are we supposed to do this, Aegon?" Aemond asked without taking his gaze off of Aemeryn. He knew how she reacted the last time Helaena had sprouted some nonsense about dragons dancing and the colors black and green. Aemond had his suspicions that his sister was a dreamer, but their parents had been adamant that she was not. So, Aemond shoved the thought into the back of his mind until she muttered something like she was muttering now. He knew that Aemeryn was completely convinced that Helaena is a dreamer, and it was beginning to seem that she was right.

"It's not the first time I've killed my own family," Aegon whispered softly as he kept his gaze on the floor. "They stay in one of four brothels in Flea Bottom. They drink, fuck, and pass out before stumbling back here at dawn."

Aemeryn stared at the side of Aegon's head. He was right; he had killed his own family before. She had tried to forget what he had done to Luke. She had avenged her brother, but what was avenging him if she was helping his killer? Yet Aemeryn loved Aegon with all she had; he was her favorite uncle. Did that make her a bad person? Did that make her a bad sister?

"Why should we help you, Uncle? You're right- you have killed your own family."

Aegon snapped his head up and looked at Aemeryn. He could see the emotions dancing in her lilac eyes as she stared at him. The rage over Luke; the love she held for him; the confusion of feeling both simultaneously.

"You don't have to help me at all, Em. I would understand. You didn't even have to come here after I sent my message; it could have been ignored." Aemeryn frowned. Aegon was right; she had shown up because she wanted to help him. "Aemeryn, I never meant to hurt you. And I hope you know that I would never hurt you in any way again."

"Why are you doing all of this, Uncle? You killed Luke; I should hate you." Yet Aemeryn couldn't deny how hugging him had felt like home. She was only this confused with Daemon; she shouldn't be this confused with Aegon.

"I want to correct my mistakes, Em. The throne belongs to your mother, not me. This is the only way I know how to make up for Luke's death and taking the throne."