For two years now, Lady Rhea wore the King's gifted chain-mail over her dresses, choosing to honour her House by almost exclusively wearing its colours, Red and White. For two years she had made progress in the reinstatement of her House as one of the great ones, and she would not feel ashamed in the same room as a Stark or Tully Lord, or even Dornish princes. For two years she had flown on dragonback to Craw Isle, to Dragonstone and all over Westeros. She had seen Princess Rhaenyra once since her nameday celebrations two years ago, when her second son with Prince Daemon was born. She had named him Viserys and cared so, so much for the boy. Resentment had grown even stronger between the King's Landing Targaryens, at the exception of the King, who were now called the "Greens" in honour of Queen Alicent's most worn colour, and the Dragonstone Targaryens, who were nicknamed the "Blacks" for Rhaenyra's dress she wore many years ago at the tourney held for the King and Queen's fifth wedding anniversary. Lady Rhea felt torn between the two parties, but, as the King's health grew weaker and weaker, and questions about his succession arose, she was sure of one thing. The King had proclaimed his daughter as his heir, and her own father had bent the knee to her, so she would do the same and support her claim to the Iron Throne if the need ever arose, although she was sure it never would, given how Prince Aegon did not want not care for the Iron Throne, as he often said he would not challenge his sister's position as heir and future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Aegon and his sister-wife had welcomed another boy in their family, Maelor, who was a true joy to have around the Red Keep and made his mother truly happy.
The King's health caused his wife and Hand great worry, as they now sat the Iron Throne in his stead. King Viserys' glory days were far behind.
Lady Rhea, who now resided on Craw Isle half of each month, had just celebrated her nineteenth nameday, along with her Celtigar cousins and felt confident her House would also bend the knee to Rhaenyra should she give them command to do so. She had flown out to Old Town with Prince Aemond once or twice a year to visit the young Prince Daeron who was enjoying his time away from the capital. Her and the King's second son were still as close as they were before, keeping their relationship and the very thin line between lovers and friends just as blurry as it had always been. For the prince's last nameday, Rhea had bought him a new dagger to replace the one he had gifted her. It was Valyrian Steel and could cut through anything in a second. She had sapphires encrusted in the handle, which was shaped into a dragon's head, modelled after Vhagar's. Upon receiving said gift, the Prince had to refrain from proposing to the young woman right then and there, and took her in his arms for a good minute before showering her with kisses and whispering sweet, delicious words in her ears.
The young lady had made it known across Westeros she was now looking for a husband, as she started to receive pressure from her Celtigar relatives to marry, so as to secure her position as Head. They claimed the Head of a House couldn't rule properly without being married, especially now that she was more than of age to marry. They claimed it did not send a proper image to the other houses and she reluctantly had to admit they were right. Questions were being raised as to why the King's ward had not already been married of to some lord, to form some sort of profitable alliance to the Crown. Questions regarding the young lady's virtue, which, as hard as it had been for her to resist the prince, was still intact, questions regarding her temper, and all sorts of unpleasant topics were thrown at her face almost daily, even with the Queen's tries to shield her from all of them, she was well aware. Prince Aemond had suggested she married him and be done with it, but she refused, claiming she was not a good enough match for a prince, that he would settle for much less than he deserved. He would not hear of it, but his lady made it clear she would rather love him in the shadows than to have him be married to her, however bad she might have wanted it.
Lady Rhea had made an effort to be much more patient with matters regarding her House, seeking advice from her relatives, and some times from her prince, listening to their opinions, in contrast to the beginnings when she would do as it pleased her. She had grown more and more suspicious of the King's Hand, as she found herself colliding with him almost every time she left the King's quarters, or the Queen's.
This particular day, Lady Rhea was to meet with two of her suitors, the young heir to House Baratheon, Jorhen, and a handsome Dornish Prince, Tobias Martell. She was still trying to make her mind up, as the two of them were suitable matches and they got along perfectly fine, but none of them compared to what she felt for the prince. She had always been fascinated by Dorne and its customs, the fact it had never been conquered as well, she thought it was a wonderful place and enjoyed her stays there. She would be sure to be happy and her children would be beauties.
As for Jorhen Baratheon, it would gladden the King to see Baratheons and Valyrian Blood be united again, as Orys Baratheon, founder of the House, was King Aegon I's bastard brother. The man was a good looking one, and heir to a rich and prosperous house. He was nice and made her laugh, but her eyes never sparkled quite like they did when she was with the Prince. His House Seat was closer to King's Landing and her own House's seat than Dorne, but the man had a fear of dragons and would not let Sapphire near his home, which Lady Rhea hated the idea of having to leave him behind.
She stepped outside and into the gardens, the weather much cooler than it had been the past years. Clutching her arms in an attempt to give herself more warmth, she made her way through the gardens towards her suitors who were waiting for her, chatting with one another. Both of them held out their arms for her to grab onto, but she took none.
"My lady," the both greeted her.
"My lords, how nice it is to see the both of you," she spoke joyfully. "I wish the weather would have been nicer, I'm afraid we might have to cut our walk short," she signalled as she pointed to rainy, grey clouds above them.
The three of them let out a gasp when they discerned the shape of an enormous dragon flying above them.
"My lady, whose is it?" The Dornish Prince asked enthusiastically.
The young woman squinted and smiled as she recognized the beast, and its rider.
"It's Vhagar," she revealed. "Prince Aemond's. Here, you can see him if you take a closer look," she added, climbing the small wall next to her to point at Aemond's long hair. Tobias Martell followed her and climbed the stone wall, standing next to her, while Jorhen Baratheon tried not to look as uneasy as he did, his fear of dragons clearly rendering him awestruck.
"Yes, I see him", Tobias said in a Dornish accent. "Vhagar is a beautiful dragon, don't you think, my lady?"
Lady Rhea turned to look at Tobias and smiled sincerely at him.
"Would you like to meet mine, Tobias?" she asked and had to contain a fit of laughter as she caught a glimpse of Jorhen Baratheon's terrified face.
"You are a dragon rider?" Tobias asked, visibly impressed. "Truly a remarkable lady, you are."
Rhea smiled as she watched Vhagar and her rider inch closer to them.
"My apologies, my lady, Prince Tobias, I shall make my way back to the Red Keep," Jorhen Baratheon said and left in a hurry, right before Vhagar touched down near them.
The wind from the beast's wings made Rhea loose her balance and she almost fell off the small wall the was still stood on, had it not been for the Dornish prince's rescue. He slid a strong arm on the small of her back to steady her, bringing her closer to him than what was proper. For a second, she looked disorientated but quickly bounced back to her usual demeanor and thanked the prince, steadying herself and smoothing her burgundy dress. Prince Aemond, who had seen her loose balance and quickened his step, caught up to them just as Tobias's hand reached for his lady friend's hair, placing a loose strand of it back behind her ear. A gust of anger overtook his mind as he finally got close enough to her to offer her his hand to help her climb down the wall. She must've seen understood, by the look of her face, how angry he was, as she stepped away from the dornish man and closer to her prince, subtly, only to be noticed by the latter who seemed to quiet down the instant he caught whiff of his lady's enchanting smell.
"Prince Aemond, it is an honour to meet you," Tobias exclaimed, extending his hand towards the prince as he climbed down the wall as well.
Aemond's eyes shifted from the man's hand to his face, then his hand again. He did not seize it, nor did he shake it, rather he left it hanging in the air, barely even looking the man in the eye, his hand in his back. He appeared cold, distant here. The dornish man looked unsettled for a second but, deciding he would not let the Lady he was courting see it, asked her about her dragon again.
"I was just about to fly there, Lady Rhea, do you want to fly with me?" Aemond asked her, defying the dornish man openly, a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
"No, I'd rather walk with Prince Tobias, my prince," Rhea answered, not bothering to even look at Aemond to see his reaction.
She knew how he'd react, his jaw clenching and his fists balling up. He'd swallow hard and grunt before returning to Vhagar.
"Please, my lady, I don't mind you flying with the Prince, I will meet you there," Tobias asserted with a warm smile.
She smiled back at him and caught up with Aemond who was already sat on Vhagar's saddle. She shot him a dark look and he smirked again, happy with himself. She climbed on Vhagar's saddle and slid her hands around the prince's waist, her legs brushing against his, her feet caressing his legs seductively, almost imperceptibly. But he felt it, and a shiver ran through his body as he gave order to Vhagar to fly back to the Dragonpit. The dornish prince would take a long time to join them there, but Rhea was adamant on waiting for him, it was the first time one of her suitors had actually shown any interest in meeting Sapphire and it meant a great deal to her.
As Aemond and her entered the pit and walked down the stairs to the lower, darker floors, Rhea turned to him, an angry look on her face. She slapped the prince's arm vigorously, her brows in a knot.
"What was that for?" Aemond questioned, amused. He loved to toy with her.
"Did you have to be such an ass to him?" Rhea's voice echoed through the stone halls.
"I wasn't-"
"Don't you dare lie to me, Aemond," she cut him off. "He's the first man in years who's shown interest in getting to know me, getting to know my dragon, and not just wanting to marry me for my damned Valyrian blood!"
"He's not the first," the prince simply answered, his voice monotone and his gaze averted from her. "I am."
Rhea's heart softened as it tugged in her chest, she felt it pounding against her ribs, aching for the prince to hold her.
"You...know what I mean, Aemond."
"I do, and I also know what you are about to tell me. I don't want to hear it, I am not ready to tell you goodbye."
Rhea frowned, taking the prince's forearms in her hands and placing his hands on each sides of her waist. She felt his fists balls up and scrunch the fabric of her dress slightly, clinging to her.
"What did you think I was about to tell you?"
Aemond turned his head away from her, then back as he out his forehead against hers, his fists still clinging to her sides as he pulled her into him. She let her forehead rest against his and wrapped her arms around his back, his smell surrounding her.
"Soon, you will sail away to Dorne and marry the damn man, you'll live away from the Red Keep, away from me and from your House. You'll be happy and your children will be princes and princesses of Dorne. You'll take Sapphire and, once you leave your chambers in the Keep, I'll find my dagger and your necklace on my bed, without even a note to bid me goodbye. He'll love you and treat you as the Lady you are, and you'll forget you once loved me."
Rhea raised her head to look into the prince's eye, cupping his cheek with one of her hands, stroking it lovingly with her thumb. Her didn't even dare to look at her.
"How many times did you think about me leaving, Aemond?" She asked softly.
The prince swallowed, his eyes closed.
"More time than I can count. 'Tis all I think about, lately. The last thing in my mind before I sleep."
She grunted softly and forced him to look in her eyes.
"I am not gone, yet, Aemond. And I will never leave without saying goodbye."
He smiled sadly.
"But you will leave."
"And nor will I ever rid myself of this necklace." She said, holding it in front of his face. "It is mine, a piece of you I carry with me everywhere. Don't think for one second I'm ever taking it off."
He smiled sadly. She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his lips softly, longingly. His lips were hungry for hers and he moved his hand from her waist to the back of her head, fisting a handful of her hair, pressing her against the cold stone wall behind her. She moaned against his lips, which drew a large smile on his face as his hands ran all over her body, warmth exuding at his touch. His kisses were fiery and rushed, almost as if he were trying to make the most of them, to make them count. She raised her hand to his chest and the other one on his neck, pulling him closer and closer to her, pressing herself against him, melting under his hurried touch. Out of breath, he pulled away and left her panting, asking for more.
"How could I ever forget I loved you, Aemond? When you are the only one to make me feel this way? The only one I hold above any one else? All my life you have been by my side, and I by yours. I don't want to marry anyone else."
She took a step away from him, tears in her eyes.
"I will kill anyone who marries you, if I have to, Rhea." The prince spoke softly, yet she could guess the anger behind his word. "I would kill anyone you ask me to."
She kissed him again as a tear rolled on her cheek, and he wiped it away with his thumb.
"I love you," he whispered against her wet lips.