3RD PERSON
With all of the other family members otherwise 'occupied' no one noticed the so called twins slip from their beds to followed the Velaryon boys and Targaryen twins out of the castle and down into the caves. Everyone called them twins even though they were two years apart because Alysanne was so small, and you never saw the two of them apart; they even rode twin dragons.
"What are we doing?" Alysanne asked grumpily.
"Someone stole Vhagar." Baela filled them in.
Madoc blanched and would have stopped walking completely if it weren't for Alysanne dragging him by the front of his shirt. "What, how do you steal a dragon? I don't think it works like that Baela."
"Vhagar was my mother's dragon, she would have wanted me to claim her." Both Pendragon's shared a look but kept their mouths shut. Rhaena had already had plenty of time to claim Vhagar already, they thought, so how could she be mad that someone had beat her to it.
Alysanne was squinting into the dark torchlight passageways as the outline of a person started to make itself known. The Pendragon 'twins' shared a look once more, though this time in suprise, as it became apparent that Prince Aemond had been the outline Alysanne had been squinting at.
Though it wasn't his presence or him having been the one to claim Vhagar that surprised them, that was was least suprising, it was the confident way he now held himself that perplexed them. It was if that by claiming the old she-dragon, she had somehow shared with Aemond parts of her own personality.
"It's him." Baella pointed out the obvious as she looked angrily at her cousin.
"It's me."
"Vhagar is my mother's dragon." Was, Madoc thought. She was your mother's dragon.
"Your mother's dead, and Vhagar has a new rider now." He had a point, though Alysanne didn't think he had to be so rude about it. It kind of made her cross and she crossed her arms over her chest to show that fact.
Rhaena tried to say that she had wanted to claim Vhagar, but when Aemond told her she should have then, Alysanne and Madoc couldn't help but agree. He was voicing their own thoughts from mere moments earlier and just like then, they now kept their silence about that fact.
"Maybe your cousins can find you a pig to ride. It would suit you." Aemond spoke tauntingly to the young Princess. But Rhaena was the blood of the dragon, the daughter of the Rogue Prince, Daemon Targaryen himself and she would not take this slight.
Although usually an observer of the chaos he usually created Madoc acted when Aemond pushed a charging Rhaena, although he himself mischievous and liked to tease the girls, he knew it was wrong to actually hit a Lady.
He rushed forward and without thinking punched the Prince in the face; an offense punishable by death or enough to at least cost him the offending hand. Baela came up beside Madoc and was the one who ended up taking the punch to the face from Aemond that had beem meant in retaliation for him.
Aemond looked shocked at what he'd done but it was only for a split second before he kneed Madoc in the crotch. "Come at me again and I'll feed you to my dragon!" He tried to threaten, but it only worsened Madoc's temper and he gladly joined in with the Velaryon boys when they ganged up on the young Targaryen Prince.
Jace was pushed away, Luke was punched straight in the face, and Mads took one to the jaw. Jace was the quickest to stand back up, to shove the Prince back and start blindly beating at him. All of the other children quickly joined in as well, except Alysanne whom just stood there wide eyed and wondered how everything had happend so fast.
It took a few moments but soon enough Aemond got the upper hand again, pushing and throwing the assailants off of him and choking Lucerys. Madoc's eyes widened and he froze in place when Aemond picked up a rock and held it up in preparation to hit him.
"You will die screaming in flames just as your father did! Bastards." The rumors. The Strong boys.
Luke cried that his father was alive, and Madoc felt his mouth drying at Aemond's amusement lurking in his eyes and on his face. Poor Luke, everyone seemed to realize the truth but him.
Madoc wanted to stop him as Jace drew a blade, but his feet were stuck to the ground where he stood. Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion. The rock. The sand. The knife.
Vhagar let out a roar that threaten to shake the very foundations of the Earth.
Alysanne was the one who had run off and snitched to the Kingsguard, dragging Harrold Westerling by his hand to the cave where a scream of pain was suddenly piercing the air, accompanied by the roar. It brought tears to her eyes and a fear that sank into her bones.
Through her blurred vision she saw the young Prince on the ground and her mouth gaped open as she saw blood pouring endlessly from between the fingers covering his eye. She tried to bolt with Madoc but another guard grabbed her. "Not so fast, little missy. The King and Queen will want to hear what you have to say about this." All they could think was 'Oh, shit. Mother and father are going to be so mad.' They didn't understand the extent of what had been done or how bad the consequences would be in the future.
⚔⚔⚔
Maexes was almost finished when suddenly he heard a gasp coming from his right. His hand paused around his cock and he locked eyes with the family's serving woman, Lyrra. She knew who's room this was and she knew what he was doing. He saw it, her throat bobbed nervously and the quick way she tried to hide her disgust. Everyone knew the rumors about their family and its traditions but to actually see it was something else entirely and had the woman literally biting her tongue so as not to say anything that would end in her own demise.
"Something has happend with the young Prince's and Princesses. Your younger siblings were involved and your parents wish to see you in one of the private halls." Neither one could meet the others eye, and he quickly nodded, taking his hand out of his pants and going off to find a guard to escort him. He was red faced and embarrassed, hoping that she didn't tell his sister. He wouldn't let her tell anyone, he decided, he'd find her later and insure it. But speaking of his sister, in his embarrassment at being caught he'd completely forgotten what he'd been caught jerking off to.
Lyrra paused with wide eyes when she saw the little Lady on her knees, practically bare before the prince. His cock deep inside her throat, his head thrown back against the chair in pleasure as he thrusted into her mouth. Lyrra was stuck standing frozen once again in a span of mere seconds catching a scandalous event created by the younger members of the family she served. She only snapped out of it when the Prince let out a loud groan to signal his finish and told Aelthea to swallow it. She did.
"My Lady!" Both teens turned with wide eyes and Aelthea had the decency to turn away to cover her nakedness. Aegon, after putting himself away, moved to stand protectively infront of her.
"What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, as if she hadn't just interrupted him ruining the girl she'd practically helped to raise. It made her see red and so she pushed passed him to help Alethea pull the straps of her dress up. "There's been an incident, everyone is being summoned to the parlor." She dragged Aelthea rather roughly from the room and yelled after Aegon without turning around, saying that it'd be best if he came along to.
Jonquil watched as her two eldest children entered the room and tried not to let her eyes widen to much when Aegon entered side by side with Aelthea. She saw the look on Lyrra's face and she knew, she knew her daughter had done it again and could only pray that it didn't go any farther than it already had.
Aelthea on the other hand didn't even see her mother, her eyes drawn to the small screams and groans of pain. She gasped and covered her mouth, stepping back into Aegon at the sight before her. Aemond was saw in a chair screaming and missing an eye whilst his mother petted his messy pale hair. Her sweet Aemond who made her laugh, and gave her gifts, who loved histories and reading just like her. The boy was her peace whilst Aegon was her chaos. And now someone had hurt her peace.
She ran forward and crouched beside him, clutching at his hand. Tears pricked at her eyes and she couldnt look anywhere else but him, and yet she wished she could. "Someone do something." She wanted to scream, but her words came out low and wobbly, spat out from between her teeth. She couldn't, she couldn't do it. She let go of him and backed away, thankful that a maester was quick to take her place so that it looked like she'd just backed up to get out of his way and not because she couldn't be around Aemond in this state.
Aegon put an arm around her as the younger siblings, led over by Maexes, came to her call. Aelthea quickly took to taking her younger brother's face in her hands, turning it this way and that to check for any injury done to him. A little bruised but he would be fine, she was thankfully Alysanne appeared to have no injury done to her at all. She missed the look that her eldest brother continued to stare into Aegon's figure. The anger, the hatred...the envy.
Jonquil, seeing all of her children now grouped together made her way around the room to get beside the fire and take the younger ones into her arms. She dragged Aurelius after her and barely spared a glance when Viserys asked how Ser Harrold could let this happen. They were all at fault she thought, not the Commander, they were the children parents after all and had been to ones neglecting to pay attention to their whereabouts.
When the two did get over to them both children ran into their parents arms. Madoc was clinging to her right side, Alysanne was clinging to both her and Aurelius on her left, and Maex made his way over to stand beside Mads and his mother. Aelthea was the only one who stayed in her place infront of the fire, Aegon so close behind her that their shoulder were touching. She knew Aurelius had taken note of it and was glad that he decided to wait until later to lose his temper.
"The young Prince was attacked by his own cousins." Ser Criston informed the room after Viserys continued to try and find one of the Kingsguard to blame. Jonquil actually felt sympathy for her old friend the Queen when she saw how distraught she was. She was also quiet proud of Alicent's restraint because if that had been one of her children, heads would literally have rolled.
"You swore oaths to protect and defend my blood!" Jonquil could only close her eyes and kiss the tops of her children's heads, thankful that there blood had not been spilt. Aurelius was quite the same though less affectionate, only running his hand soothingly up and down his young daughters back.
Harrold expressed his apologies, but Cole only said that they'd never had an issue of having to protect Prince's from other Prince's before. It only deemed to make Visery's temper worsen.
Aelthea stood on tiptoes and wanted to take a step closer to Aemond again as his eye was being sown up, but Aegon's hand on her waist kept her from doing that, as if he'd read her thoughts. So, she turned to wrap her arms over his shoulders to find any form of comfort, and then removed one arm to hold out a hand to Helaena. Aegon actually appeared worried if not slightly grossed out by the sight of the damage done to his younger brothers face, Helaena seemed to have no reaction at all to which Aelthea put down as shock, and that's when she noticed the practically shaking Daeron who was holding himself and pulled him back into her embrace; affectively releasing her hold of Aegon and letting him hold her instead whilst she offered his other sibling comfort.
It worried both her parents, her mother in particular. This is exactly what she hadn't wanted to happen when she'd refused a betrothal between her Aelthea and Alicent's Aegon, on the ground that the children were to young. And now it had come to pass anyways, no matter her attempts to prevent it, her attachment to the greens created a rift between her and her family who were strictly for the Blacks.
"It will heal, will it not Maester?" The Queens question had everyone on their toes. His answer would change either everything, or nothing.
His answer was not the one that anyone had wanted. "The flesh will heal, but the eyes is lost, your Grace." It was the answer that no one wanted to hear.
Aelthea found herself clutching the two younger greens closer whilst turning to look into Aegon's deep purple eyes for comfort, receiving a long kiss to her forehead when she whispered out his nickname. Jonquil held her children close as well almost suffocating Madoc and certainly cutting off circulation in Maexes's arm.
"Alicent!" Jonquil found herself yelling to at woman as she took her grief out on her eldest son, smacking him hard across the face and making her her eldest daughter jump back, all of her children jumped infact. Aurelius was left staring, wondering if that's how crazed he'd looked when he had struck Thea. Aelthea herself was shocked and couldn't believe that she had done it so publicly, now hiding slightly behind Aegon as she clutched a blubbering Daeron to hide his view of the abuse and had turned away herself; her grip on Helaena, who turned away as if she herself had been struck, was left long forgotten.
"What was that for?!" The Prince questioned, bringing his hand up to clutch his stinging cheek.
"That was nothing compared to the abuse your brother suffered while you were drowning in your cups, you fool!" Alicent berated, clutching the front of her sons shirt. Jonquil had had enough.
"The boy is not at fault, your Grace, you should not punish him for something he could not control!" She saw the fury on the Queen's face as she turned her fury on her. She was preparing herself, readying for any abuse about to be thrown her own way, content to take it as long as Alicent then left her Mischeif alone. But it was at that moment that the Lord and Lady of Driftmark stormed in and demanded to know what was happening in their own hall. Daemon and Rhaenyra also took that moment to enter. Together. And Jonquil couldn't help but scoff and roll her eyes since apparently everyone had been out doing dishonorable deeds in the night.
Next thing everyone knew the children were screaming insult at eachother loudly across the room, placing blame wherever they could, and playing a game of he said she said. Even Alicent joined in, much to Aurelius's amusement.
"Silence!" The Kings voice finally broke over the clamor. "Aemond, I will have the truth of what happend. Now."
Alicent was quick to speak up, pointing out how her son had been maimed by Rhaenyra's. Jonquil and Aurelius couldn't help but share a look of contempt as Rhaenyra referenced to it as an accident, knowing damn well that neither she nor they would stand for anything less than payment in blood should it have been any of their own children whom had been maimed.
"The Prince Lucerys brought a blade to the ambush, he meant to kill my son."
"It was Jace who brought the knife." Madoc whispered. Jonquil shushed him and only told him okay, she had no desire for her own children to be questioned because she would want them to be honest. And their honestly might put them openly at odds with either of the two sides. No, it was best to keep their silence and Aurelius agreed, shooting her a discreet nod.
"It was my son's who were attacked and forced to defend themselves."
"But Rhaena-" Sh. It was Aurelius this time who was shushing Alysanne.
"Vile insults were levied against them." That caught the Kings attention more than anything else that night. They all knew exactly what had been said and yet the King still chose to play coy and ask what she meant. And she told him, the rumor of the boys legitimacy. Though it's not really a rumor is it Nyra; Jonquil found herself thinking.
"My sons are in line to inherit the Iron Throne, your Grace, this is the highest of treasons." Aurelius scoffed and had to turn away in anger as she told Viserys that Aemond must be sharply questioned. Jonquil's mouth dropped open in anger, knowing full well that that was just code for torture. A little boy, her own brother.
"Over an insult?" Funnily enough, this was the first time in years that the Pendragon family had felt the Queen was in the right. An eye for an insult was not a fair exchange. "My son has lost and eye."
The King again began to question Aemond but was distracted only for a moment at the question of where Ser Laenor might be. Though it had little to do with what was happening right now Aurelius thought as he leaned over the fire. Of course Alicent took that opportunity to bring up another rumor about Rhaenyra's family, about her husband's sexuality, again Aurelius though it pointless to even bring up. He laughed silently when the King told Aemond to look at him, looking up at the ceiling in attempt to compose himself and receiving a punch from his wife.
Aelthea couldn't help but glared at the King with Aemond when he treated him as if he was in the wrong when it was clearly those bastard. He even addressed himself as Aemond's King instead of his father, though she supposed he'd never truly been much of a father to his children with the Queen Alicent. He did no more than spill his seed inside her and that was it. "Who spoke these lies to you?" She bit her lip so that she might hold her tongue and had to stand up and walk into her best friends arms once more, hoping he could calm her or at least help her to dampen her rage that licked at her from the inside and threatening to force its way out into the open for everyone to see.
A silence passed and Aelthea suddenly felt a cold realization shoot through her as she turned her gaze to the Queen, their eyes met, she was the only one whom he would have believed if he heard these...truths. So she was extremely shocked when Aemond named the brother she was currently clinging to instead. She gazed up at him in shock and fear of what might happen next and he pushed her to the side so that she was left clutching onto his arm instead of his torso. In truth, Aemond had named his brother partly to protect his mother and partly because he didn't like how, who he deemed his now bride to be, kept placing herself in his embrace.
As Viserys loudly demanded answers from his eldest son, Aurelius quietly did the same with his own. He had see the pair come in together, he had seen them dragged from those fucking stairs as he was leaving, he knew that they had the lust of teenagers...and he knew how Maex liked to spy on his younger sister. So now he gripped the boys arm tightly and squeezed.
"Do you have something to tell me too, boy?" Maexes flinched and knew his father had seen him staring at the pair, his father now stared to and Maexes fear of his father outweighed his love for his sister and so he told him the truth.
"He touched her." He could practically see smoke radiating from his father. "He didn't deflower her but...he touched her and she touched him." Aurelius was now also filled with the same bloodlust that the Queen felt and his mind was made up about certain things that concerned his daughter and her future in that moment.
"Aegon!" The King screamed at that moment, drawing every set of eyes in the room over to them and making every person jump. Maex was thankful that it made his father let him go, though he regretted betraying his sister as she held tighter the Prince who had now signed her fate without her even knowing it. It would only be worse for her later on the closer she stayed to him now. "Tell me the truth of it!"
"We know, father. Everyone knows. Just look at them." Everyone did know, the Strong boys was whispered behind the whole families back and they just chose not to hear it. What truly concerned the Lady of Camelot at that moment was the way that Aelthea glared at the "bastard" boys. Would she soon look at her own base-born siblings like that because of this, because of the Greens, the Queens Party.
Terribly aware of everyone's silence and regretful agreance the King lashed out once more. "This interminable in-fighting must cease! All of you! We are a family!" The Lord of Camelot thought darkly that they weren't all a family yet, but also felt a pit of guilt in his stomach when he saw how tired to King truly was, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. "Now make your apologies and show good will to one another. Your father, your grandsire, your king demands it!"
But Alicent couldn't do that, her heart was broken at the loss of her sons eye and it just shattered as she saw her husband refuse to defend his own son, one of the sons he had hoped so desperately for over the years and had killed the former Queen for. Now he had his sons and he would not protect them. No, that was her job, and hers alone. And so she did what she believed her job to be.
"That is insufficient. Aemond had been damaged permanently, my King, goodwill cannot make him whole." He tried to sympathize with her, he did, he tried to tell her that he knew. But he didn't know, no he could never know in Alicent's eyes. She was calm and collect and Jonquil knew that it meant a great storm was about to break out of the girl, she could only keep it all bottled up for so long. "There is a debt to be paid. I shall have one of her sons eyes in return."
"No, Alicent. I understand that your angry, I would be as well, but this is not the way to go about it." Lucerys was a child as well, she tried to reason, but it made no impact in the Queen heart which was currently made up of the hardest stone.
"He is your son, Viserys. Your blood." She tried one last time, if only for the tiny bit of sway that her girlhood friend still held over her. She would try one last time to make him see, to acknowledge for once that he loves their children just as she did, or that he loved them at all.
"Do not allow your temper to guide your judgement." But she would, she would let her temper drive her judgment for once in her life because it was out of love for her son and pain at her husband's lack of that made her do what she did next. For once she was the once made of fire, though hers burned a bright green.
"If the King will not seek justice the Queen will." And with those word she ordered Ser Criston to bring her Lucerys Velaryon's eye, and when he refused she decided at that moment to take matters into her own hands.
Viserys very sternly told her that the matter was at an end. "And let it be known, anyone who's tongue dares to question the birth of Princess Rhaenyra's sons...should have it removed." Jonquil felt something tearing at her gut. Was it fear, pity, anxiety? She didn't know but never the less she chose to rub Alicent's arm comfortingly before stepping back to pull her young children to her as she shot Aurelius a look to try and convey her feelings.
Then all hell broke loose.
"Alicent!"
"Stay with the King!"
"Hold your ground!"
Alicent had take Viserys's blade and lunged for Rhaenyra. All the young children began to wail, Aegon grabbed Aelthea and turned her away towards to fire so that he might shield her from any incoming danger headed their way, Jonquil rushed for Alicent and Rhaenyra, and Aurelius with his blood still boiling shoved his way to Daemon and Ser Criston to land a blow to the White Cloaks jaw.
"You've gone to far."
"I? What have I done but what was expected of me, forever upholding the Kingdom, the family, the law, while you flout it all to do as you please." Jonquil sympathized with Alicent, she had been manipulated and controlled by her father her entire life, never really had a mother to get her through womanhood, had no choice in husband, wasn't ready to be a mother, she'd lost everything and now her son his eye. She knew that her anger about Aemond was a reflection of her own anger at what had happend to herself. But Rhaenyra was right, this was to far, no matter that any mother might react the same if it had been their child.
"Alicent, let her go, please. I know your hurting, that you just want to make it stop, but this is not the way!" Jonquil screamed, her voice raising from a mumble to a roar word after word.
"Where is duty, where is sacrifice?" She questioned without looking at the woman, Viserys screaming for her to let Rhaenyra go in the background, all the red haired woman could do was shake her head in shock and sadness. "It trampled under your pretty foot again."
"Release the blade, Alicent." Her own father urged. But she wasn't done yet, no, she had to get it all out.
"And now you take my son's eye. And to even that you feel entitled."
"Exhausting wasn't it?" Rhaenyra finally spoke up, looking the crazed woman up and down. "Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness."
"Sisters please." Jonquil pleaded, tears filling her own eyes as she saw her childhood wither up and die once more infront of her, she remembered walking through the castle, arms locked together and refusing to part. Now they refused to part because the second someone let go, blood would be spilt.
"Now they see you as you are." It was the finally staw and Jonquil found herself looking down and holding her wrist as blood began to seep from it. Rhaenyra and Alicent both looked at her in shock, and Alicent dropped the blade. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as it all settled in. She hadn't meant to hurt her, she had just gotten caught up in the crossfire, but even knowing that fact it didn't stop the guilt from starting to eat at Alicent from the inside out, dimming the once brilliant green to a cold dying ember of ash that left a bad taste on her tongue.
Aurleius quickly shook from his own shock and left the two men to rush over to his wife, holding her bloody wrist in his hand. This only reminded him of who's side he was on and he cast a deadly glare on the Queen.
He had chosen the Greens as his enemies and now he would marry his favorite daughter to one, but she had done it herself, she'd chosen her side and sealed her fate with that pathetic boy Prince his mother one day hoped to crown as King. Only Aelthea hadn't chained herself the Prince she'd thought... she'd hoped for.
The daughter in questioned turned away from the fire and stared with tearful eyes and shaky breaths at the scene before her, shaking like a leaf herself. Maexes was very much to same as her and held Alysanne and Madoc to him in a corner as they cried.
"Do not mourn me mother, it was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon." Aelthea felt a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips and her chin raising in pride for his words.
"This proceeding is at an end."
Once the other Kingsguard let go of both him and Cole he stormed over to his daughter, whose head rested on Aegon's chest, and yanked her by the arm, not caring who saw.
"And it appears so is your girlhood, come. Now. We must make haste in arranging your marriage to the Prince..." He spoke low enough so that no one heard but his daughter and the Prince Aegon. And so as to clarify and make it hurt worse for the both of then he added. "Aemond."
"What?" She questioned sounding as if she'd gotten the wind knocked out of her. Aegon could only stare after her, frozen, stuck in place watching as the rest of her family went after him because while they didn't hear what was said, they had an idea. That's when he remembered his brothers words, about marrying someone else, he had wondered who and now he knew. He turned his head slowly to look at his now one-eyed brother and saw a small smirk dancing on his face as he stared right back.
⚔⚔⚔
In their parlor of their guest rooms, after making sure that Alysanne and Madoc were really in there rooms this time, Aurleius laid down the terms of what Aelthea's life would now become upon their return to Kings Landing.
"No more parties, no more Aegon, no more sneaking around the castle day and night as if I don't know, no more parading about the Red Kee like a cheep little whore from the Street of fucking Silk." He paced back in forth in front of her, now more mad at himself for not having put a stop to it sooner.
"Father-" Maexes tried to interjected but Aurelius would not have it.
"And you, you want to go to the Citedel so badly then go, you will leave from here immediately to go start your training in Oldtown!"
Aelthea looked at him defiantly with a temper to match his own, angered even more at the fact that he was also taking away her favorite sibling and the only place she'd ever felt entirely safe. "So, what, your just going to keep me locked up in my chambers as a prisoner?"
He let out a humorless laugh. "Yes. Until your wedding to Prince Aemond is finalized. If you so much as think of leaving our apartments when we return home I'll-"
Jonquil had had enough of him threatening their daughter because Aelthea was just like him when she was his age. If this was Maex he'd congratulate him, but Aelthea was a girl. She stormed closer and banged her hand on the back of Aelthea's chair, the loud sound of her rings meeting wood making the girl flinch and Aurelius jump to meet her gaze. "You'll what?!" He kept his silence, shocked that she would be going against him when he knew she'd reacted the same to news about Rhaenyra and Daemon all those years ago. And it was because of that moment that Jonquil was doing this now, she wouldn't stand for her daughter to be called a whore by someone who claimed to care about her. She saw him start to simmer down but Aelthea had other plans, standing abruptly she began to voice her own opinions. And she had something very different then her marriage on her mind.
"You can marry me off as you wish, but just know that I told you this was going to happen!" Something snapped in him and it made him turned around and smack her hard across the face. Jonquil let out the loudest scream she ever had, frozen in place at the abuse she had never thought to witness coming from her own husband being directed at her daughter. "You do not see thing that have not happened! You don't see it, Thea, it just a dream!"
Maex rushed to pick his sister up of the floor and glaring at his father with such hatred his mother was surprised that Aurelius didn't burn to a crisp where he stood; it was the first time she'd seen her son as the golden dragon he truly was. The only thing holding him back was the broken and crying girl holding onto him so hard her knuckles had turned white as she screamed "okay" at her father's words. Her knees had buckled and the only reason she was still standing was her brother's arms around her waist. Blood trickled down her chin as it poured from her now split lip.
"There just fucking dreams..." Aurelius mumbled to himself now, he wasn't even looking at her now, seemingly more focused on the carpet than anything else, swept up into his head by his own memories.
Jonquil looked around at everyone in the room, focusing on her children. Maex had gotten to his knees and was rocking a shaking Aelthea in his arms, kissing her hair and whispering into her ear. Madoc and Alysanne were crying loudly, clutching at one another while the youngest girl stood covering her ears, both of them being woken to stumble in at the commotion. Seeing all of her children in such distress sent her over the edge and she snapped so suddenly you'd think she was the dragon instead of her husband.
"She picked up a pitcher of wine and chucked it right at his face. "Out! All of you!" It only increased everyone's cries but she needed to talk to him alone. She watched them as they all shakily made their way to their chambers and took note that Maex went with Aelthea so that she knew where to go after she finished up her conversation here. When they were all out of sight she took a deep breath to calm herself, not wanting the children to hear anything that they might not need to, but her eyes still remained alight.
His face, that look that he held directed at the backs of Maex and Thea sent her surging forward again. "You monster. Aelthea is my firstborn daughter, do you really think I'll just stand by and let you call her a common whore. Do you really thing I'll let you sell her off as I was sold to you?!"
"She is my daughter! And I will do with her as I please, you have no right!" And sadly enough he was right. She was his daughter, he was the head of their house, and she was only a woman. It broke something in jer that she couldn't help hee daughter when every instinct in her was screaming at her to do just that.
Finally she asked in a broken voice. "Did you have to hit her?"
"She did it to herself! Her and that-that drunken fool of a Prince!"
Jonquil scoffed, their reunited bliss was at and end, and she struck out her hand to take him across the face so hard that he spit blood and looked at her with a a split lip to mirror the one he'd given their daughter.
"And you did that you yourself, you and you fears and your anger and your mouth." All he could do was stare after her in shock at the fact that his wife had just hit him, as she went off in the direction that Maexes had taken Aelthea. She had wanted to talk but she couldn't, she couldn't even be around him, she couldn't even fucking look at him right now.
Both had been stuck in silence for the entirety of the time they'd been in the room; Alethea sat on the bed stuck in her own thoughts with a distant look clouding over her eyes and Maex standing beside her with a look both of pity and guilt. He was worried at her silence, usually it meant trouble but now, now he didn't know what it meant and so he called out to her. "Little sister." His was was soft and careful, as if he was trying not to spook her or was afraid that any noise above a whisper would cause her to bolt or break. He was thankfully when she did neither and instead talked to him, snapping out of her trance.
"Must I marry, Maexes?" The boy walked slowly towards her and sat so close he was almost ontop of her.
"You do not have to. You can commit yourself to the faith as I am, you can become a silent sister." They both knew that wasn't a real solution. Aelthea would never survive it and would grow full of hatred and resentment that would drive her to insanity should she be forced to make that choice. None the less her mother heard her let out a sad and almost humorous laugh through the open doorway.
"So be it, I shall become a sister...tonight. I shall say my vows whilst holding you close beside me."
She took that moment to step through the threshold and when she made eye contact with her son she nodded her head towards the door in silent dismissal. He grudgingly did it, placing a last kiss to the top of his sisters head before walking out of the room, offering a small nod and mumbling "mother" as he passed the matriarch of the family.
Once he was out of sight and down the hallway the mother took her place sitting on the side opposite the one her son had previously taken. Her eyes immediately locked onto her red and angry cheek and the blood spilling from a split lip that had not been wipped away yet. Her hand raised to do just that, using the sleeve of her dress as a cloth. "I love you." It was all she could say, she didn't know what else to do to make it better and that fact physically hurt her.
Aelthea's hand raised to grasp her mothers and she shook her head, not disagreeing that her mother loved her but more of a way of expressing just how much she didn't want to do this. "Then don't make me marry."
Jonquil's hand stopped and unclenched to place her hand to Aelthea's cheek instead. She remembered saying those same exact words to her own mother many, many years ago when she'd been told she was to be married off to Aurelius Pendragon, and it broke her heart and filled her eyes with tears as her daughter was now forced into the same predicament that she had been. Unlike her own mother though, she offered comfort and warmth, using her hand to pull her daughter into her arms.
"Oh, my sweet girl." They stayed like that for a long moment, both of them letting silent tears pour out in unending streams down their cheeks. Both of their minds replayed what had just happend in the foyer. When they pulled back mother tried to explain to daughter gently about the situation. "I'm sorry, but your father has already left to finalize the betrothal with the King and Queen. There is no reason for them not to except it...the offer was made by the King himself before I even left for Dragonstone."
Aelthea looked away and shook, her lip quivering as she tried to angrily fight her tears. She looked at her daughter with pity ad she stroked her plantain hair. "Is it truly so bad, if you were to be married to Aemond? I know he is not who you would choose but he is kinder and smarter and he would make you very happy, I think so anyways."
"It's not-its not..."
"It's not what, my dear."
She finally looked her mother in the eyes and the woman couldn't help but think of how beautiful the firelight looked dancing in the reflection of her daughters golden eyes. "It's not bad, I should be very happy being married to Aemond. I just thought that when the time came for me to be married it would be of my choice. Because that's what you told-told me."
"And it would be if I'd had any say in the matter myself." She sniffled and stood from the bed, smoothing out her skirt before pushing the girl back to lay down. "Rest now, we leave early on the morrow. There is nothing we can do about it so the best thing you can do is not dwell on the fact, due to him being so young you can hope for a long engagement." She tucked her daughter in, kissed her head, and left the room to find a place separated from her husband to sleep for the night. She had started out happy to get to be with him again but now, even though she would miss her eldest children dearly, she couldn't wait to get away.
⚔⚔⚔
Jonquil stood infront of the blazing fire, never averting her gaze, still in the same clothes from the other night though a long and thick coat now rested over her shoulders to shield against the bite of the cold stone. Her hair tumbled down to her waist just as it had been when she'd received the now stitched up cut that she subconsciously kept running her fingers over.
Aurelius finally returned as dawn was breaking and she barely even spared him a glance. He looked like shit. He clearly hadn't slept, his hair looked and smelled like it had dried up ale or wine or both in it, and he stank up to the Seven heavens. He took the seat closest to the fire place, the same one Aelthea had sat in the night before.
"So is it done?" She offered no hello, how are you, or anything like that and her voice was cold. She felt towards him just as she had before their daughter had been born. She hated him actually in that moment.
"Yes. Aelthea Pendragon is now officially betrothed to Prince Aemond Targaryen. We will talk about dates at a later time but we think it best to wait a few years until the boy is more mature. Until then she will remain in the Keep ad one of Princess Helaena's ladies."
She hummed and quickly wiped away the single tear that ran down her cheek. He remained quiet and just stared guiltily at her wrist as if he'd been the one to cause it. In truth he felt the guilt was well deserved, he should have stopped it, he should have protected her instead of marinating in his anger.
"I'm sorry for not coming back after. I just needed to get out."
"And your not sorry about our daughter?" Another silence. She chuckled sourly as she thought about how they seemed to not be able to speak without long silences passing between them.
"You know I am." He took off his boots and propped his feet up up, and she couldn't stop the way her face scrunched up or how her brain immediately thought that's he'd been rolling around in a ditch all night. "So it's back to Dragonstone then, I take it?"
Her laughter was void of any humor. "Oh, yes because you have given me every reason to want to stay. Of course of going back to Dragonstone." Her voice suddenly taking on a serious tone.
"Until the wedding then."
⚔⚔⚔
Jonquil sat in the wheelhouse with all of her children except one as they slowly made their way to a ship. Instead of going straight to Dragonstone she would accompany Maexes and the Prince Daeron, who flew about on his Tessarion, to Oldtown.
She looked across to see Maex pouting in guilt and very much trying to fold in on himself. "Oh, sweet boy." She leaned forward and placed a hand his head, before tilting her head down to look at him. "No matter what you said, what happened is not your fault."
He nodded his head but he didn't believe her whatsoever and she knew it.
"Do you think I'll be allowed to Thea's wedding?"
"Of course you will, I'll drag you to it myself if I have to."
"And do you think she'll ever forgive me, for tonight, I mean?"
She reached out and patted his knee. "How could she not, since there is nothing to forgive." He simply nodded and let out a loud sniffle. The rest of the ride was quiet as Maex tried to will the tears and guilt from his very being, repeating what his mother had said to him over and over again like a mantra.
⚔⚔⚔
For the remaining to member of the family, the pack had been tense and full of unspoken anger and the longing to apologize, but both parties were too stubborn to be the one to make the first move.
So they packed up in silence, saddled their dragons in silence, and took of towards King's Landing on dragonback in silence.
She refused to even look at him, choosing instead to remain in her own head. She was so caught up in her thoughts that when the sound of a might roar broke through the skies she jumped and turned around only to smile as she saw the Queen of all Dragons approaching. Her new rider astride her back.
She smiled widely when she saw how happy he was. Not only had he gotten a dragon, but the biggest and greatest dragon alive. She wanted to scream out I told you so, but instead she curbed her dragon go brush it's wings against Vhagar's. The beast roared in protest and moved roughly to get away. Aemond, this being only his second ride on dragonback, clutched the saddle in fear of falling at the sudden movement. She threw her head back and laughed, not at him but in happiness for him, for she could not wait to ride with him through the skies even more after this. There was significant bruising around his sealed eye now, and it still looked terrible and more swollen than the night before if that was even possible,, but she didn't flinch away. She was honestly kind of surprised that the Queen had let him fly and could only imagine that he hadn't let her tell him no. His laughter soon joined hers and they spent the whole ride flying close, side by side with Sunfyre, Dreamfyre, Tessarion and Stormtide.
Aurelius and Aelthea eventually made their peace, forgiving and apologizing through many tears, but the betrothal remained for it had already been signed and sealed so their was nothing that could be done about it. But Aelthea found she didn't mind it very much, and decided that if it was going to be anyone let it be someone whom she liked, and whom was kind to her.
Okay so next chapter is going to be Aemond and Aelthea's wedding and...they're still very young but in line with Asoiaf cannon. And just like I promised Aurelius is back to being a piece of shut but there is a reason which I will explore when season 2 comes out👍. Maex got caught and I left what happens to Lyrra open ended bc I might write some imagines on Tumblr after I finish this to fill in some blanks and time skip and will definitely take requests so keep that in mind. Aelthea glaring at the Velaryon's oof and thinking of them as bastards. Also yep, Daeron had to be there it was to simple. Like it was bs that they "couldn't find a way to fit him in". How do you feel about Jonquil being the one to actually get cut and about aegon, aelthea, aemond? Like they still kids but soon babes, just two more chapters and they'll be grown. Alright send me some feedback and suggestions xoxo