"Aemond. Say something."
She begged him, pleaded with him, surrendered her soul for his before the seven, and still he turned from her, his head bowed.
"Do something!" She cried out
The one-eyed prince sat, steadfast beneath her iron muzzle.
Nothing.
How could he expect her to marry him and still do nothing to defend her?
The Velaryon had had it, and in an instant she moved to stand to her feet, ready to throw every morsel of food to the ground, scream at her family and to make her grand exit, but something stopped her.
A hand.
Aegon's hand was upon her own in an instant, squeezing it the way he hadn't since they were children. His touch was familiar yet confusing and destroyed her plans in an instant, his skin a mosaic of her past. She dared not to look at him, and instead her eyes fell upon her knife, wondering how many of her family she could take out at once with the instrument.
"It both gallants, and fills my heart with sorrow to see these faces around the table." Viserys stood, his body almost crumbling beneath him. "The faces most dear to me in all the world, yet grown so distant from each other in years past."
The dying king's eye stole upon his granddaughter as his golden mask fell to the table with a clatter. Lae felt sick at the sight of him, and yet guilted into a corner, her reaction unjustified and marrying her uncle seemingly not so bad. Her mother's response to her marriage suddenly felt justified.
Guilt in its most unadulterated form.
"Tonight I wish for you to see me as I am. Not as your king, but as your father, your brother, your husband, your Grandsire. Who may not seem to walk for much longer among you."
"Let us no longer hold ill feelings in our hearts. The crown can no longer be upheld if the house of the dragon is divided. Set aside your grievances, if not for the crown then for the sake of this old man! Who loves you all so dearly!"
"I toast for the queen." Laenora's mother stood in a heartbeat, speaking for the queen she claimed to hate. "I love my father but I must say no one has stood so loyally by his side as his lady wife. For that she has my gratitude and my apology."
"Your graciousness moves me deeply Princess. We are both mothers and we love our children, we have more in common than we sometimes allow. I raise my cup to you and your house. You will make a fine queen."
Jacaerys was next to stand, following in his mothers footsteps the way he always had. He clutched his goblet tightly in his fist as his saddened eyes fell upon his sister like an infection.
"To Prince Aegon and Prince Aemond, we haven't seen each other in years but I have fond memories of our shared youth and as men I hope we may yet be friends and allies. To your marriages, and your families health dear uncles." He slapped a hand upon Aegon's shoulder roughly before seating himself once more.
"To you aswell." The fair prince mumbled.
"I would like to toast Baela, Rhaena, and my dearest niece Laenora! They will be married soon. It isn't so bad... mostly he just ignores you, except sometimes when he's drunk!"
The weight of Helaena's words felt heavy upon Laenora's shoulders and even heavier when she witnessed Aemond's eye flicker between his brother and his betrothed. It was almost as if they knew of the wrongdoing being committed beneath the table, guilt seeped in like a blinding light, guilt for an aunt she dearly loved, and guilt for a betrothed she no longer knew, and in an instant she dropped Aegon's hand, turning from him just as Aemond had turned from her. Despite the loss of his hand she could still feel his eyes at the side of her head, yearning.
Aemond slyly smiled to himself.
"Let us have some music." Viserys declared
A soft melody played in an instant upon the king's request and Jacaerys was the first out of his seat once more, eyes upon his lady Aunt.
"Excuse me." He kissed Baela's cheek with a gentle graze.
He stood before Helaena with an outstretched palm, inviting her to dance the way her husband never would have. The pair were ablaze beneath the grasp of the music instantly, laughing and swinging side to side, Luke couldn't help but watch and he too decided that another woman at the table deserved her moment in the sun; his sister. And so he excused himself before his betrothed and made his way around the table, taking his kin by the hand before she could speak to protest.
"Lucerys you have two left feet." She beamed upon him ever so proudly, her woes slowly becoming but a long lost memory.
"I have never danced before!" His smile brightened her mood immensely.
"Rhaena is so lucky to have you small one."
"Do not call me that." He groaned, jumping to her left as she reached to ruffle his hair. She watched Jace and Helaena laughing together with a smile of warmth.
"I will never stop."
Luke wove her beneath his arm expertly, his hands clearly betraying his feet in terms of skill, but when he turned once more Aemond was stood over them, halting his movements.
"What do you want?" Lucerys clenched his fists beneath his cloak.
"Lucerys, allow me to take my betrothed's hand."
"Could you not ask your betrothed herself?" He snapped
"Sit taoba." Boy.
The Strong boy glanced uneasily between his dearest sister and most hated uncle before silently returning to his chair. Aemond was quick to resume his position, eager almost, as he interlaced his palm with hers, an action which he had not committed to since they were small and would scurry away to his chambers together for late night talks.
"Why must you embarrass us both by asking for a dance which you do not want?" Lae whispered
"I was afraid if I didn't that Aegon might just devour you whole." He smirked, sweeping her beneath his arm. "You are promised to me now after all."
"And what makes you think that is a permanent fixture?"
"Do not amuse me, Laenora. We both always knew this would be our end."
"I will change my mother's mind, I can assure you."
"I wouldn't be so quick to make a fool of me niece, after all what other options do you have? My youngest brother Daeron, your youngest brother Joffrey, or maybe even one of Aegon's sons."
"Do not speak such disgusting words."
"Then do not suggest otherwise."
"You do not want to marry me Aemond."
"Perhaps not, you are but an object to me dear niece. As I said the only reason I dance with you was for your own sake."
"I do not need protecting from Aegon."
"I will be your husband now..." he leaned into her, his fingertips danced across her jaw and his breath on her ear. "And if anyone shall devour you, it will be me. That is my toast to you, wife."
Their dance was quickly forced to an end upon something as simple as a groan of pain from Viserys, and then the music was halted and the king was taken away. Each of the Targaryens seated themselves once more, no longer caring for the kindred spirit that had filled the room.
"Laenora, come sit by me." Alicent asked, the princess didn't dare to move.
Was it a trap? It usually was when it came to the green queen.
"Laenora?"
Servants scrambled across the room, laying plates upon plates of luxurious foods before them, baked sweets, and game, soups and spit roasted pigs.
Spit roasted pig.
The platter was placed before Aemond before anyone had chance to tell him otherwise, his bad eye turned to it and his good focused on his soon to be bride. Laenora cracked a smile before she could stop herself, and before she knew it Lucerys had caught her gaze and things fell apart quickly from there.
In an instant the boy was laughing uncontrollably beneath his breath, smirking across at Aemond with plagued smite and in return Aemond's blood boiled beneath his skin, heated by dragon flame, and he rose to his feet, like a corpse from its grave. His eyes on nothing but Lucerys Velaryon.
"A final tribute. To the health of my nephews. Jace, Luke, and Joffrey. Each of them handsome, wise... strong."
"Aemond."
"Aemond sit now." Laenora warned, standing before him.
"Come! Let us drain our cups to these three strong boys!"
Aegon too raised his cup with a grim smirk.
"I dare you to say that again." Jace challenged
"Why? Twas only a compliment. Do you not think yourself strong?"
The blonde walked towards Jace with a vengeance but it seemed Jacaerys was the only one with a vengeance to prove, and so he raised his fist and brought his knuckles down upon his uncle's sharp jaw.
Aemond took the hit with a deep laugh and threw the young Prince to the ground, all the while Aegon pinned Lucerys to the table, and Laenora stood, draining her cup, readying herself for what must be done.
"That's enough!"
"Why on earth would you say such a thing in front of all these people?" Alicent hissed
"I was merely expressing how proud I am of my family mother hm... Though it seems my nephews aren't quite as proud of theirs!"
Laenora nodded upon her step siblings and Aunt, politely excusing herself from the table before she manoeuvred her way through the bloodshed and towards her dearest future husband.
Aemond greeted her with an outstretched arm, shocked that for the first time in all the eternities they'd spent together that she was finally, finally, on his side.
He was wrong.
The future Queen placed her hand upon the older boy's shoulder, tearing him towards her, and she too raised her first to knock his jaw from his mouth, only to be met with a harsh grip around her waist and a locked hand entrapping her fist,
Aemond let out a laugh. "It seems Cole only makes fire burn hotter."
Jacaerys rose from the floor in an instant, a second wind in his lungs, and he all but sprinted at Prince Aemond, ready to defend his dearest sister whatever the price, but it was Daemon who halted him.
All it took was one raised finger, and both Jacaerys and Luke backed down.
"Go to your quarters, all of you, now, go." Rhaenyra commanded and both the boys and Baela and Rhaena trudged away to the safety of their featherbeds
Laenora stood, steadfast, still entranced in Aemond's heavy grip as she struggled against him, beating upon his chest like a woman gone mad.
Daemon was at her defense in an instant, as always, and stared Aemond down smugly, challenging him. If looks could kill then Aemond Targaryen would have been six feet under, Daemon would've made sure of it.
Their dance went on for almost a minute before Aemond finally swallowed the pill of his loss and let out an annoyed huff. In his silence, he snatched his bride's hand, dragging her behind him away in the direction of both of their quarters.
"You dare lay a hand on my brothers again then I shall take your good eye Hightower." Lae spoke once they found themselves crouched beneath the arch of Aemond's chamber door.
"And I shall take your hand niece. Whether you oppose it or not." He smirked, laying a chaste kiss upon her knuckles before his door was slammed behind him.
Laenora stood alone in the hallway for what felt like an eternity, her back against her door, pondering what her life had come to and where it would end. As a girl she'd always wished for her king to be Aemond, but as a woman grown she found it hard to pick anyone, let alone her uncle.
A soft echo met her ears and as if sent by the gods himself she found her elder uncle, Aegon. His blue eyes burnt her beneath the cloak of darkness, watching her, having listened to every syllable spoken upon hers and her betrothed's tongues. She suddenly felt exposed before him.
That snake.
Slowly, the Prince backed away into his chambers and locked the door quietly behind him, laying to bed beside Helaena but his mind never leaving Laenora.
And for the first time that night the heir stood alone, taking breath into her lungs, feeling the smite of the evening she'd faced before too turning into her chambers.
An object? Truly?