The two white-haired boys found in each other's arms a home and a comfort that could only exist there. Aerglo had left the room after saying goodbye, it was almost time that Aemond needed to introduce himself, for his first celebration.
Aerglo was running and jumping down the hall, a magnificent smile on his lips. He was in a dance walking through the corridors, when he noticed that he had completely missed the path, so more focused he headed to the throne room.
His smile lessened more and more, each time he took a step towards the place, his mouth became a straight line, so when he entered, his lip was kept in a serious look. Aerglo swept his gaze around the hall. Seeing at least five vertical tables, crammed with people, all in support of celebrating Aemond's day. It was the first time they would hold a tournament in his name, so the strongest houses were excited to show their power to the king's second son.
Aerglo narrowed in order to pass through the absurd amount of people and noticed that the royal family had not arrived yet, but with the passing hours they certainly would. He passed a few tables, shaking hands with anyone he recognized. He had already found the two occupants of his house who stood out with their yellow colors. Nymeria and Blane were at the end of the table, as close as they could get to the iron throne, which stood in all its glory behind the table where its occupant would sit.
"Good Morning!" He wished, as he watched Blane get to his feet. They answered him with a tone above their voice, due to the noise that circulated in the room. A song was already sung by the bards, it told about a gentleman who loved too much. His faithful squire offered his place to Aerglo, who saw confusion under his gaze.
"We are not in OldCastle anymore, brother." Nymeria reminded him, Aerglo offered a grimace and took Blane's place, the same resting his hand on top of the white haired boy's shoulder.
"I'll be on some table, anything screech like an owl, twice, three like a bird and a roar." Blane teased, drawing laughter from Aerglo, who kissed his sister's cheek and thought about trying to make up for the time that was gone.
"No problem, I'll remember for sure once Aegon walks through that door." He nodded towards the door behind the throne and Blane tightened his grip on his shoulder and whispered 'Good Luck' in his ear and withdrew, leaving the two siblings at the end of the table. To their left Jason Lannister and Tyland were talking quietly. Aerglo waved to the two and was received equally.
The music had stopped before he tried to talk to his sister. He looked across the table at her and raised an eyebrow, the two quickly turned their faces towards the door. The conversation dwindled further and further, and quickly the room fell silent. The king walked with great difficulty to the middle of the table, his wife at his side, helping him in disguise.
It was the first time Aerglo had seen him, with a golden mask, which covered half of his face. The boy couldn't help imagining that a war was much closer, Otto's greed wouldn't let Rhaenyra take the throne. His father, Maegor, had sworn his allegiance to the Crown Princess, if the hand really took that course, the boy would have to say goodbye to King's Landing, because their loyalty was as great as that of a Stark.
Aerglo rose quickly, being pulled by the arm by Tyland, when he began to wander in his thoughts and had not been respectful to the royal family. Aemond was coming in behind his father when he saw Perzys' wide eyes and he opened a small smile, which was quickly removed and the whole family sat down at the table.
Aemond to his mother's left, his father to the right, Otto Hightower and his brothers in sequence, when the boy finally sat down, everyone sat down too. The hand of the king and his grandfather, rose.
"We are kicking off Prince Aemond's Nineteenth Day celebrations, the Royal Family would like to thank everyone for attending." He spoke, and sat down again, received by a round of applause throughout the hall. The king hit his golden cup with a fork, loud and clear, and food was placed on the table, which was met by another round of applause.
Aerglo smiled looking at the food and his plate. Nymeria looked expectantly at her brother, urging him to do what he always did for her, cutting and placing food on her plate. In the presence of the royal family, both because of it and the distance between the two at the table, she didn't choose to ask Aerglo, but she assumed he didn't even remember anymore, for the time he had left her alone in the kingdom, but she was surprised, when without looking at her sister he was cutting the meat in front of him and putting it on his sister's plate.
"Are you going to participate in the tournament today?" She asked when her brother had put the food on both plates and started to prepare to eat.
"Of course, my little sister. I must honor Aemond's day." Aerglo replied before putting a fork with food in his mouth. Nymeria repeated the act, but much more cordially, on account of her time at court with Helaena.
"Don't you think it's a little dangerous? I always saw you fighting, but I never liked it." She commented, picking at her food. Aerglo noticed the curious gazes of the twin brothers beside them. Smiling at her sister's futile concern.
"I feel that we are in a very long time of peace, I don't know if it will last. It's always better to be prepared and tournaments help me with that." He answered his sister and rose a little to place his hand on his sister's shoulder and did a comforting gesture. "Don't worry." He sat back down and eyed the plate of food longingly.
"Princess Helaena has been saying for a few days now about a dragon getting hurt, and I'm trying to decipher her lines. As soon as you pay attention, they are very important, you know?"Nymeria questioned, after a few bites on the plate and that was when the Lannister brothers stopped paying attention to their conversation.
No one ever paid attention to the princess's lines, Aerglo searched the table by her gaze and saw that the girl was playing with food at the end of the table, while Aegon was getting drunk. Aerglo rolled his eyes and resumed looking across the table. King Viserys was drinking, his plate set aside, not comforting to know that he didn't feel like eating. Alicent was carving the meat on her plate and finally Aemond was watching him, which took the not-so-older man by surprise.
Ten and nine was an age to consider yourself a man, but Aerglo went back to calling himself a boy every now and then, he still thought of himself that way. They are only men, when they finally fight a war, he thought. But what about the war of stares that waged under Aemond's own lunch, he broke down, receiving a kick from his sister under the table.
"Hey." He complained and saw from the corner of his eye, Aemond smile with the grimace he expressed. Aerglo rolled his eyes and tried to remember what his sister was saying before getting lost in the prince's eyes. "I think Princess Helaena has the dragon dream, it's good that someone tries to decipher and not just ignore her, but of dragons hurting each other, we have a lot in the Dragonpit, I can ride Zaldrītsos tomorrow and hurt him or anyone." He tried to comfort his sister and went back to taking bites of the food on his plate.
"I wish I had a dragon." Nymeria commented, playing with her food. Aerglo smiled at his sister, trying again to comfort her.
"It's never too late, Zaldrītsos is riding very comfortably with Sunfyre. If they mate, I promise to give you an egg, but that means you'll start getting the tattoos, are you ready?" He questioned with a loving tone, looking at his sister under the plate, Nymeria smiled and nodded a few times with her head.
"Just don't make me have a ring through my nose, the tattoos I manage." Nymeria, excited, replied, and went back to eating.
Helaena's words, conveyed by her sister, affected him. He was afraid of how accurate the girl's lines were, spending time with her he realized that some were bullshit and others were incredibly accurate, so he kept a little away from her. He didn't want to know her future, now he didn't know if something happened it would be because of the effect of the words, or because something would really happen. Aerglo took a deep breath, looking at the family table, he found Aemond talking to his mother and Helaena exchanging glances and smiles with his sister.
The feast did not take long, Otto said goodbye to the guests. At least now he looked like a mouthpiece for the king and not one. Aerglo felt satisfied with that and with a look at his sister, he said goodbye and began to guide himself through the sea of people, moving away and dispersing, to go watch the tournaments. They would take a while to start, just by the distance between where they would occur and where the king looked like he could walk, he knew it would take much longer than just a little.
He found Blane at the exit of the room, leaning against a wall, Aerglo smiled at him and the two walked side by side out of the castle, where tents were placed for the participants to dress in their armor and his were already placed inside.