Back to our regularly scheduled smut- I mean programming. Minor warning for violence and dub-con for those who need it. Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts!
Visaera lost count of the days, but at the rate she was healing, she guessed it had been weeks since Aemond had carried her in from the beach. The violet spattering of bruises along her cheek quickly faded away. To his credit, the prince cared for her dutifully, helping her visit the privy; bathing her in a small copper tub. The pair rarely spoke as he did this; Every time Visaera opened her mouth to speak, she closed it again.
Luke was dead; Daeron was dead. There was no common ground to be found and Visaera was nothing more than a hostage.
When her second bleeding came, Visaera realized it had been more than a full month since she had arrived; the thought left her sinking into a deep depression. She wondered what Jace was doing; how her mother was coping with her being held captive again.
The maids who cleaned her room whispered and, occasionally, Visaera was lucky enough to catch bits of their conversation. According to one of the black-haired little things, Daemon was still occupying Harrenhal, but no further actions had been taken by the blacks, at least to the Green's knowledge.
Visaera knew that both Stark and Baratheon had already sent ravens to her mother, settling terms, and she wondered how long it would be until the Greens realized winter was coming for them. Her mother may not be openly attacking, but agreements had already been set into motion and she knew that, somehow, her family was still working behind the scenes.
When Visaera opened her eyes, she realized Aemond was, in fact, asleep in the chair beside the bed. She dressed in silence, resolved to get out of her room for a while. The door cracked open and Visaera stepped out into the hall.
"Princess, you are to remain in your quarters," Ser Arryk informed her.
"I wish to see my aunt, Ser Arryk. I have no weapon and you are welcome to accompany me, please..." The knight glanced at the door and then back at her before letting out a sigh.
"Very well," Ser Arryk followed a mere pace behind her as she made her way up the stairs and around the corner, her slippers lightly tapping on the stone floor. The milk of the poppy kept the pain at bay, but it also made her mind foggy and she had to lean against the wall for support for a moment. "We can go back, princess," the knight offered. Visaera shook her head.
"No, I'm not going back. I want to see her..." she insisted, pushing herself of the wall and continuing down the corridor to Helaena's room. "Wait here," Visaera ordered. When Arryk made to follow, she sighed. "I will leave the door open," Arryk nodded and remained in the doorway, watching her closely.
The hour was late and Helaena was already asleep in her bed when Visaera sat down on the edge of the mattress.
"Helaena," she breathed, placing her hand on her aunt's. The princess stirred for a moment but did not wake, and Visaera sighed. She leaned forward and kissed Helaena's forehead before rising from the bed. More than anything, she wanted to hear Helaena's voice and listen to her advice, but, for the moment, Visaera let her sleep.
"Is the King awake?" Visaera asked softly, closing Helaena's door behind her.
"I don't know, princess." Pausing, she glanced down the corridor at Aegon's door. Nearly two moons had passed and she had yet to see him once. When she turned heel and made her way toward Aegon's room, Ser Arryk reached out and caught hold of her bandaged wrist, making her wince.
"I would never harm Aegon, Ser Arryk," she said softly. The knight stared into her eyes for a moment, assessing her intent. "Please..."
"Don't make me regret this, princess," he complained, opening the door for her and shutting it behind her. The room was dim and empty; at the late hour, she wondered where Aegon was. Instead of turning around and leaving, Visaera walked slowly through the room, remembering the last time she was surrounded by these walls; remembering the way Aegon smiled at her in his poppy-induced haze.
She ran her fingers over the sheets of the bed, inhaling Aegon's scent and regretting the moment she left. If she had stayed, Luke would be alive...
"What are you doing here, Visaera?" She started at the sound of his voice, her eyes settling on him in the darkness. He was standing at the edge of the window, a cup of wine in his hand.
"Aegon," she breathed his name with relief, in spite of the circumstances. It had been months since she laid eyes on him and yet all she wanted to do was throw herself at him. His arm was still bandaged, as hers was, and she found it ironic that both of them bore similar wounds.
"What are you doing here?" he repeated, finally turning to face her. He looked like he hadn't slept in days and his eyes were cold when they finally met hers; Visaera instinctively took a step back. "What do you want?" he asked stiffly.
"I..." What did she want? She should be alone in her quarters, cursing them all, and yet she was standing in his room, staring at him like an idiot.
"Get out," he told her, turning back to the window.
"Aegon," she breathed, closing the distance between them.
"Don't fucking touch me," he hissed, pulling out of her reach.
"You have no right to be angry with me," she told him, "Did you really think I would just hide away in the keep forever? I wanted—"
"You wanted? Right, you wanted!" he yelled, throwing the cup across the room and making her jump. "Everything is always about what Visaera wants." He closed the distance between them, eyes burning, and wrapped his hand around her throat. "I've done everything you've fucking asked me to. I went to treat with your bitch of a mother and will bear scars for the rest of my life, and for what? A spoiled, selfish cunt who abandons me every fucking chance she gets? Who attacks my fucking family?"
"You killed my brother!" she answered with a glare. Aegon laughed coldly, shaking his head. Visaera had always known he had a cruel streak, just as his brother did, but she had never felt the brunt of it before. Now it was written all over his face.
"I didn't kill Lucerys. Your idiot brothers attacked the fleet and, as King, I defended my people. How could you expect any less of me? I may just be the usurper in your familiy's eyes, but I still have duties to the people. Your fool of a brother flew beneath a falling mast that knocked him and his dragon into the bay. It's funny... I nearly dove in to help him... for you... Now I'm glad I didn't." he sneered. Her jaw dropped and she slapped him clean across the cheek, her blood burning like fire at his words.
Aegon snarled and gripped her hair in his fist, spinning her about and pinning her over the table, scattering the contents and slamming the side of her face into the wood.
"Aegon—" she gasped, shocked that he would ever handle her in such a manner; the side of her face aching.
"Why are you here?" he hissed. "After two months you finally deign to visit me? Have you grown so bored with my brother?" Visaera struggled against his hold, fighting the tears that sprang into her eyes. That wasn't it at all; he hadn't come to visit her, either...
He leaned over her, pressed his nose to her neck, and inhaled deeply. "You still smell like citrus," he breathed in her ear, nuzzling her temple. "Is that why you're here, Vis? You want me to touch you, is that it?" he sneered, running his free hand over her shoulder and down the side of her ribs.
Visaera shook her head frantically, but already Aegon's words were making heat pool between her legs. Seven hells, what the fuck was wrong with her? The grip on her hair softened as he continued to trace the contours of her jaw with his nose. "None of this would have happened if you had married me all those months ago..." he whispered. Tears welled in her eyes as the words sliced through her. And then Aegon released her completely and stepped away.
"Get out, Visaera. If you enter my chambers without invitation, you will find yourself back in the black cells, do you understand me?" There was no bluff in Aegon's eyes and the princess backed away, nodding. Out in the corridor, Visaera walked blindly, guilt weighing heavy on her heart. Every time she found herself alone in the Red Keep, she felt like she had as a child, weak, lonely, melancholy; this time was no different.
Ser Arryk followed her all the way out to the Godswood, where she knelt in front of the tree, recalling a time when her visions were the worst thing about her life. Now, she was worrying about which one of her family members were going to die next, all over an iron chair and seven kingdoms that couldn't care less about who ruled them, so long as their own interests were seen to.
Her arm was beginning to bother her, but she remained kneeling, staring up at the crimson leaves of the Weirwood tree and wondering how the gods, were they real, could ever be so cruel. Eventually, the pain in her arm became too much to bear and she returned to her rooms, feeling weary.
"Where were you?" Aemond demanded, rising from his chair the moment she stepped into the room. He took one look at her teary-eyed expression and sighed. "Aegon?" Visaera merely nodded, kicking her slippers off and turning so he could release the clasp of her dress.
The moment the dress slipped from her shoulders, Aemond inhaled sharply and traced a finger down her spine.
"Aemond, don't..." she breathed, shaking her head. Her mind and body were in no condition to be intimate with anyone.
"Vis," he murmured, pressing his chest to her back; looping his hands around her waist and kissing the side of her neck. "It's been so long..." She shivered at his touch. "Marry me, Visaera," he whispered in her ear. Whipping around, Visaera gaped at him.
"How can you even ask that after everything that's happened?"
"I think it's the best idea we have, now more than ever," Aemond replied. "Once you're my wife, Mother and Grandfather won't dare to touch you. Your family will have to come back into the fold."
"Or," she offered, "You can convince Aegon to abdicate and my family will come back into the fold, regardless. The throne belongs to my mother, Aemond. That fact has not changed. Eventually, my family will come for me."
"I will speak to the King," he answered softly, pushing her hair back off her shoulder. "I promised to keep you safe, I intend to keep that promise. Until my last breath, remember?" He held up his palm and Visaera grimaced.
"I don't think mine matches anymore..." she said, holding up her bandaged hand. Aemond chuckled.
"You're a Targaryen, a dragonrider, Visaera. I think it would be strange if you didn't bear a few scars." Visaera stared up at him and ran her fingers over the scar on his face.
"Yes, I suppose we all have some now, don't we?" she asked, thinking about how Baela, Aegon and Helaena all carried wounds from the war. Visaera was still standing naked in front of him and, when his eye wandered downward her breath hitched in her throat.
"I don't care about who you've killed or what you've done, Visaera. I want you; I've always wanted you." Aemond closed the short distance between them and pressed his lips to hers, enjoying the way she sighed into his mouth. Scooping her up around her thighs, Aemond carried her back to the bed and deposited her gently on the mattress.
"Marry me, Vis," he asked again, unbuttoning his tunic and tossing it onto the floor. Watching Aemond undress, his eye trained heatedly on her, made Visaera's pulse quicken.
"Perhaps," she finally relented, "when the war is over..." When Aemond had removed his boots, he crawled into bed with her, pulling the sheets up and handing her another vial of milk of the poppy.
"Drink, rest. I will be here." Visaera tilted the medicine to her lips and then settle into his arms. The last thought before she drifted off to sleep was whether she was merely playing her part as his prisoner or whether she was betraying her family, yet again...
Visaera awoke with a shudder, pleasure surging through her body, beginning deep in her core and spreading to the tips of every limb. Her eyes flew open as she fisted the sheets with her good hand, her head rolling back against the pillows.
"Aemond," she whined, shaking her head. She wasn't ready for this; she needed to get her head straight and heal. But his mouth was littering her skin with soft kisses, making her heart pound and her blood race as his deft fingers grazed over her sex. "Fuck," she groaned, trying to pull herself from the haze of sleep and lust.
"I've missed you, Vis," he murmured, gliding his tongue over her collarbones before trailing lower. "I want you..." Visaera raked her bottom lip between her teeth, swallowing back a moan as his mouth finally found the peak of her breast, swirling his tongue around her nipple.
"Oh, gods..." When Aemond shifted lower on the bed, Visaera didn't stop him, and then his nose was caressing her skin, nuzzling her naval, inhaling the scent of her arousal as he brushed over her pubic bone.
"Eyes on me, darling," he commanded, meeting her gaze unwaveringly as he pressed his mouth to her sex. Never breaking eye contact, Aemond's tongue caressed her in long, languid strokes, sending another wave of heat directly to her aching core. He pressed his tongue inside her before making his way back up to draw circles over her clit. "Gods, you taste so fucking sweet, Visaera..." he groaned.
When he pushed his fingers inside her and curled them upward, stars danced behind Visaera's eyes and her head rolled back. "I need to be inside you, princess," he growled suddenly, pulling his fingers from her and sucking them into his mouth as he climbed up over her body. "Do you want me to fuck you, love?" he murmured against her ear.
The tone of his voice made her insides twist with desire and she found herself nodding. With a groan, he rolled her over, pushing a pillow beneath her hips, and she let out a huff of surprise. "Relax, Vis, let me take care of you." he offered.
The moment he pushed his length into her slick channel, she realized the pillow had a purpose. She was arched back against him, without having to use her arms for support, and the tip of his cock was hitting her at the perfect angle, sending waves of pleasure through her. Almost immediately, she was wavering on the edge of her orgasm.
"Fuck, you're so tight, love. I almost forgot how fucking amazing your cunt feels." His vulgar words made her groan and she arched back further against him. "Fuck, Vis...." Aemond gripped her shoulder and increased the strength of his thrusts, fucking her at a brutal pace. With every flick of his hips, Visaera was driven closer to her climax as the sound of her moans and slapping skin filled the room. Aemond made an animalistic sound low in his throat as he gripped her hips.
"Aemond—" she panted softly.
"I can feel you shaking, princess. Let go, Visaera. Give yourself to me..." he encouraged, hitting deep inside her with every thrust, until she finally quickened.
"Oh, fuck! Aemond!" she cried as she shattered beneath him, gripping the sheets until her knuckles turned white. The prince slowed his pace, having yet to come, as she gathered herself and caught her breath.
"Visaera?" her name came out a hesitant question.
"Hmm?" she responded, her breath hitching when the ridge of his cock stroked against the soft, sensitive spot inside her.
"What if you don't drink the moon tea after?' He continued to fuck her slowly as the question sank in.
"How can you jest about such a thing?" she asked in a small voice as his cock continued to send waves of pleasure through her and her pulse quickened once more.
"I would never jest. If I put a babe in you, both our families will see us wed—"
"Are you mad, Aemond?" she panted, even as he reached around her to rub circles over her clit. "You've called my brothers bastards for years and now you want to put one in my belly?" she asked.
"Mm," he agreed, gripping her hip tighter, pressing deeper into her. "We'll marry before the babe is born. It would not be a bastard, Visaera. Nothing would please me more than watching your belly swell with my child." Visaera's head was spinning as she tried to process what he was saying. When she didn't reply, Aemond refocused on the task at hand, increasing the speed of his thrusts as his fingers danced over her clit.
"You don't need to worry yourself about it now, Visaera. It was merely a passing thought" he added, leaning over her and catching the side of her neck with his teeth. Visaera whimpered while Aemond gritted his teeth as she quickened around him a second time, surprised by how quickly he had brought her to climax once more. He collapsed over her with a groan, pressing his lips to the back of her neck affectionately, but her mind was still focused on his words...
She couldn't make sense of it. Aemond had lost his eye after calling her brothers bastards. He had instigated a fight over supper by calling her brothers Strong. His mother had spewed her hatred toward bastards for years... And yet, now, he was suggesting that she carry his bastard? Something about his suggestion felt very, very wrong. Even after Aemond dressed and left the room, Visaera stared at the canopy and wondered what the fuck was going on...