Born to Die

Chapter 36

TW: Mention of SA

Aemond watched Aemeryn from his spot on the bed silently. Her baby bump caused his shirt to barely cover her bottom anymore, but she didn't seem to care. She laid down next to him and snuggled up to his chest. Aemond took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around her for comfort before he told her about one of the darkest days of his life.

"It was my thirteenth nameday. Aegon was convinced that I truly needed to become a man in something other than age only. He had given me my first drink the year before, and I had hated it. But he promised me that I would enjoy this surprise thoroughly. He took me to that brothel and paid for that same whore." Aemond shuddered and gripped Aemeryn tighter. She simply pressed a kiss to his chest and wrapped her own arm around his middle. "I didn't want it. I told her I didn't want it, and she didn't listen to me. She didn't stop until I came, Em. Of course it was a lot, it was my first time fucking a woman. I hated it. I hated every fucking second of feeling her hands on me, feeling her hands grip at my fucking dick trying to make me hard enough to fuck. I begged her, Aemeryn. I begged her to stop, and she simply sat on my fucking dick." Aemond huffed out a laugh, and Aemeryn moved enough to look at him. Seeing the tears run down his face made her want to kill the cunt all over again.

"She's gone, Aemond. I'm sorry that happened to you," Aemeryn whispered as she wiped the tears from his cheeks. Aemond blinked and looked down at her.

"You were the first one since that night. You've been the only one since that night. I just wish you had been the only one period."

Aemeryn ran her fingers along Aemond's ribs until she felt him jerk with sleep under her. She didn't start crying for him until then. How could someone do that to a child? She didn't care how much gold was thrown at her, the bitch should have stopped. Aemeryn had no idea that Aemond had been hiding a trauma that horrible. He hadn't deserved that. He hadn't deserved anything bad that had happened to him in life. Aemeryn hoped that he knew that.

                                                                                           -------

Aegon was greeted with a shitshow that morning. The council room had more people in it than just members of the small council, and he stared between Alicent and Criston for an explanation.

"Your Grace, our men were murdered in the night in Flea Bottom," Criston said as he nodded his head in the direction of the few Lannister and Highgarden men that were arguing around the table.

"What has that got to do with me or the small council? Gentlemen, if this is a matter of leaving, then you are more than welcome to. At least tell me who was killed?"

Alicent looked at her son like he had lost his mind. She knew that he had lost all desire to win this war and rule with the death of Jaehaerys, but was he truly giving up now?

"The generals," Criston muttered as he watched Aegon take his seat.

"It had to have been that bitch Rhaenyra," one of the Lannisters sneered.

"Rhaenyra doesn't have a violent bone in her body," Alicent said almost immediately. Aegon looked at his mother with an arched brow, but she didn't even look his way. He couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a small red ring with two green stones and had been since Aemeryn and Aemond's wedding. He kept meaning to ask her about it, but never did.

"It was either her or her bastard whore daughter." Aegon jerked his head to the Lannister and glared.

"What?" The one word was quiet, too quiet, but everyone in the room fell silent anyway. Alicent looked from Aegon to Criston in a panic.