"Aemond..." His name was the first thing from her lips before she blinked her eyes open and forced herself to sit up. Aemond looked horrid, like he hadn't slept in days.
"Grand Maester Gerardys has kept you asleep for three days, Visaera. He said your body needs the rest. You haven't been sleeping..." He didn't need to say it; anyone who looked at her would have known she hadn't been. She merely shook her head. It didn't matter, none of it mattered. "Visaera," he waited until she finally looked up into his eye to speak again, "Please eat something," he implored in a tight voice.
Then he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, catching her completely off guard. His kiss was soft, gentle, achingly so, with something she couldn't quite discern hidden in it. He didn't look at her as he pulled away and left the room, the door slamming closed behind him.
Visaera sagged with relief to be alone once more. She was tired of putting on a show of strength; tired of pretending she was a dragon. Only she wasn't alone...
"Visaera," He was sitting in front of the hearth, looking nearly as awful as Aemond.
"Aegon," she breathed, shocked to find him in Aemond's quarters. She hadn't spoken a word to him since Aemond had found them in Gerardys' lab and he hadn't so much as looked at her in months. Why was he here, now?
"You look terrible, Vis," he informed her, moving across the room to sit on the edge of the bed. Unused to the proximity to him, Visaera stiffened, unsure of what he was going to do. She snorted at his comment.
"Just what every lady wants to hear..." she muttered sarcastically.
"What are you doing, Visaera?" he asked seriously.
"I'm not doing anything..."
"Yes, you are," Aegon replied, "I know you, little doe." Her chest clenched at his endearment, and she grew lightheaded, her mind already racing with confusion. "Why are you punishing yourself?" Seconds ticked by, minutes perhaps, and Visaera remained silent.
"It should have been me..." she finally admitted, "So many people are dead and it's my fault."
"It's not your fault, Visaera. Everyone is responsible for their own choices in all of this." Aegon replied softly.
"I don't want to do this anymore, Aegon. I'm so tired..."
"So, just tell Aemond—"
"I'm not talking about the betrothal. I'm talking about this... All of it. I never imagined I would have to live with everything I've seen. A year ago, my biggest concern was what dress I was going to wear to dinner. I've killed people, Aegon, and it haunts me. I don't want to be here anymore..."
"Oh, Vis," he breathed sadly, shaking his head. "You need to eat, Visaera, and sleep. I can't just sit by and watch you waste away."
"Is that not what you want? What you've wanted for months? For me to finally be out of your life?"
"Of course, not." Aegon replied, a look of bewilderment on his face. She stared at him, her own brows knitted in confusion
"You came in the middle of the night; I thought..."
"You thought I was going to kill you?" Aegon asked, horror evident in his voice as he realized why her reaction that night had been so hysterical. "Visaera, I told you before, I would never hurt you."
She winced, recalling the way he had slammed her against his table and scathingly ordered her from his room. "I guess I already did, though, didn't I?" he added softly. He stared at her in the dim light of the room. She looked thinner than he recalled ever seeing her; worn around the edges, like a fraying rope in desperate need of mending, lest it snap.
Aegon leaned over and brushed a single finger down her temple, and Visaera's eyes instinctively fluttered closed in anticipation. His lips were warm and familiar, like the feeling of coming home after a long journey. Then images flashed behind her eyelids as his fingers gently knitted in her hair.
It wasn't like her other visions; these were memories, them snuggled together under her sheets, their fingers knotted together in the serenity of the gardens, Aegon's lips on hers just moments before he left Hightide... When they finally separated, Visaera was crying and breathing heavily.
"You're bleeding," Aegon murmured in surprise, fetching a cloth and dipping it in the water basin. Silence filled the room as she wiped the crimson tears from her cheeks; tension growing thick between them.
Aegon had kissed her. After months of refusing to meet her eye, he had kissed her. But the memories she had seen told her everything she needed to know, everything that remained unsaid between them.
She could feel that something had changed; he didn't love her, not anymore. She felt it in the very core of her being, the war had changed everything, for both of them. Visaera had lost the one person who had promised to love her unconditionally, and she had no one to blame but herself.
Visaera wasn't completely clueless, if Aegon was here, it was because Aemond asked him to come. It wasn't enough that he had manipulated her into choosing him, now he was manipulating her into staying, despite knowing how much pain she was in. The realization should have made her angry, but she couldn't find the energy to be angry.
I'll stay for you... The words echoed in her head, and she fought the urge to burst into tears in front of the prince, loathing the way her broken promise haunted her. Instead, she swallowed the heavy lump in her throat as she realized just how alone she truly was.
"I'll eat today," she offered, unable to look at him any longer. After a long silence, Aegon nodded, kissed her forehead, and left the room...
True to her word, Visaera did eat that night, as much as her stomach would comfortably allow. Her parents watched her, their concern slowly easing away as she talked softly with Rhaena and Baela as they ate. Even Aemond was surprised at how well Aegon's visit had seemed to help improve her melancholy. His hand remained on her knee during the duration of the supper and occasionally, she would place her own on top of his, making his heartbeat quicken.
Before she retired, feeling exhausted, Visaera hugged Jace tightly, committing his embrace to memory, then following suit with her aunt.
"I'm so pleased for you both," she told them softly, watching he way they glanced at one another with bashfulness. "I think you're going to be very happy together."
Aemond walked her back to her chambers in silence, but Visaera let him hold her hand the entire way, offering him a weak smile just outside her door.
"I want to see you get better, Vis," he told her earnestly, cupping her face in his hands. She nodded, fighting against the tightness in her chest, pulling the air from her lungs.
"I love you, Aemond Targaryen," she offered softly, standing on her toes and pressing her lips to his. The kiss was desperate, laced with sadness and something else that Aemond couldn't quite pinpoint. "Goodnight, my prince." Visaera said with a small curtsy, closing the door between them and sagging against it. Her head fell back against the wood, and she desperately prayed that the moment would be enough. She wanted Aemond to remember that moment, not the fact that he had sent Aegon to her, not how thin and tired she had grown...
A strange stillness settled inside her as she sat down at her desk and began her letters, tucking the corner of the stack beneath her pillow when she had finally finished. It gave her comfort to know that her aunt and brother were both wonderful people; the realm would be in good hands. After a mere hour of sleep, Visaera woke and donned her riding leathers.
"Are you sure you should be flying when—"
"I'll be fine, mother. I love you." She pulled Rhaenyra into a hug, letting her embrace linger far longer than usual. The queen closed her eyes, basking in her daughters rare and unprompted show of affection. Then, it was Daemon's turn to be hugged.
"Fly safe," he bid, squeezing her tightly and planting a kiss on her forehead. Visaera was out of the gates and galloping toward the Dragonpit before an escort could be summoned.
Aemond woke feeling lighter than he had in weeks. It seemed that Aegon had finally been able to get through to Visaera and they could all start to heal. Hoping she was already awake, Aemond took a deep breath, knocked once, and opened her door. Shocked to find the room empty, the prince turned to leave, pausing when he caught sight of the stack of parchment on her bed.
Flipping through them, Aemond found them each painstakingly folded, with names written on them, one for each family member. Suddenly the prince realized what the lingering feeling in her kiss was... Finality. Aemond's fingers trembled as he dropped the stack of letters on the floor and rushed from the room, panic filling him.
As he was saddling his horse, Aemond heard Carrion's desperate roar echo over the city as the black dragon took flight. Eye trained upward, Aemond watched as they disappeared into the northeastern sky. While he mounted Vhagar, the only thing Aemond could do was hope he wasn't too late...
It was raining when Visaera and Carrion touched down on Dragonstone, sliding from her saddle with ease. The few household servants that had remained seemed shocked to find her there unannounced, but she paid them no mind as she made her way through the keep. It seemed like years since she had last been home, and yet almost nothing had changed. In her quarters, she traced her fingers slowly over her belongings, from the blankets to the tapestries, remembering a time, long ago, when Dragonstone seemed like a prison. It had grown on her in the years since and she found herself filled with nostalgia.
When she was finished, she made her way down the long hall to Luke's room, sitting on the edge of his bed, remembering the nights that she and her siblings had ended up in a pile on his floor, laughing until the sun was nearly up. His dark eyes and curls resurfaced behind her closed eyelids and tears finally broke free, sliding down her cheeks. His laughter echoed in her ears as she recalled all the times he had abandoned flights with Jace and Baela to go to the hot springs with her and Rhaena. Her sweet, little brother.
I can't wait to see you again. I'm coming home, Lucerys... With nothing left holding her back, Visaera closed the door to her brother's room and returned to Carrion down on the beach. Resolved in her decision, she reached beneath his belly and released every buckle on his saddle. With a great tug of the straps, the leather slid from his back, landing in the sand with a thump.
"Īlē dōrī naejot sagon mirre, ñuha jorrāelagon. Ao gūrogon naejot sagon dāez, hae iksan." You were never meant to be kept, my love. You deserve to be free, as I am.
She wasn't needed any longer. Aemond would survive without her; he would help her mother, just like Daemon did. The loss of Aegon's love left her feeling relieved, knowing he would not miss her when she was gone. Visaera hoped that Helaena and Jace would tell her baby siblings only the good things she had done. She didn't want to be remembered for killing Daeron or burning the Hightower. She wanted to be remembered the ways she had been before the war...
With a deep breath, Visaera thought about her aunt Laena, who had ended her life the way only a dragonrider could. Channeling that courage and reminding herself that it would only hurt for a moment, she took another deep breath of the salty, rain-filled air.
"Carrion, Dracar—"
"Don't you dare fucking say it, Visaera!" The princess whipped around in surprise as Aemond charged across the sand toward her. She had never even heard Vhagar land; where had he come from? Chest heaving, Aemond paused only a few paces from her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked with a frown.
"No, what are you doing here, Visaera?" he retorted angrily, taking another step toward her, "How could you? Your family... Do you have any idea how fucking selfish your being?"
"My family? In case you haven't noticed, no one needs me, Aemond. Jace had Helaena have eachother. My parents are quite content ruling together. If anything, it's selfish for me to stay! All I do is fuck up everything I touch." Aemond stared at her in disbelief. "Don't you see, Aemond? I've finally figured it out. There's a reason I claimed a wild dragon instead of having an egg hatch. The Gods knew I wouldn't be here long enough to need a life-long bond. Carrion was meant to be free."
"Do you hear yourself, Visaera?" he yelled, "Have you truly gone mad this time? How could you even think such a thing about yourself?" Aemond saw it in her eyes, the acceptance of the end, and it terrified him.
"Aemond, it makes perfect sense. I've never been good at anything in my whole life. Why would the Gods make me without a reason to be here, unless they were planning on bringing me home?" Aemond laughed, an emotion-filled, unrecognizable sound as he closed the distance between them.
"For a dreamer, you really are the blindest person I've ever met, Visaera. Don't you see, sweet girl? They made you for me..." he told her softly, cupping her face with his right hand, and pressing his rain-soaked forehead to hers.
Visaera could feel the remaining pieces of her heart break at his words, and she swallowed back her tears. "Your egg did not hatch because you were meant to ride the blood of Old Valyria, as I ride Vhagar." He held out his scarred palm, waiting for her to look at it. "Safety, love, and loyalty, until my last breath. Do you think I made such an oath blindly, Visaera? Until my last breath, mine, not yours."
He cupped her cheek once more, as she let out a soft, pain-filled sob as he slowly pressed his lips to hers. Their faces were slick as he kissed her, a mix of rain and her tears mingling on their skin. "The gods made you to save me, little dragon..." he told her, wiping her tears with his thumbs, "You saved me when you encouraged me to claim Vhagar. You saved me again, from myself, by forcing me to forget about hating your brother..." Visaera let out another sob, a fresh set of tears streaming down her cheeks as she felt his words tearing her chest open and forcing their way inside her. "The gods made you for me, my love. Don't leave me, Visaera. Don't make me face a world without you in it." He stared into her eyes, piercing violet to lavender and, for the first time, Visaera found it raw with emotion.
Then she was crumpling like parchment in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably as she and her betrothed fell to their knees in the sand. Aemond's arms remained firmly around her, all the while. They remained on the beach, pain pouring down on them, until her cries finally subsided and Aemond scooped her up from the sand.
The prince was strong, but only able to carry her so far. Once they made it halfway up the serpentine staircase, one of the guards helped carry her into the keep. Wrapped in towels and a blanket in front of the great hearth, Visaera slowly came to her senses as Aemond surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings. Relief filled the prince when Visaera's stomach growled, and she told him she was hungry. It was the first time in weeks he had heard such a normal statement fall from her lips...
"Visaera..."
"Hmm?" The sun was setting and Visaera and Aemond were lying in her bed as Aemond stroked long lines over her hair with his fingers, occasionally skimming them over her temple. The prince knew Daemon and Rhaenyra would be livid when they finally returned, but he didn't want to force Visaera to go home until she was ready.
"Will you marry me? "He asked softly, pressing his lips to the back of her neck. He could practically hear the wheels turning in her head until she finally rolled over to face him.
"I love you, Aemond, I do... But how can I trust you after the lies?"
"Yes, I lied," he admitted, "But I lied for you, Visaera. Every choice I've made was to keep you by my side; all I've ever wanted was you. I'm sorry, that you've been hurt while in my care, but I promise you, I didn't know what my mother had planned, and I swear, I will never let anyone hurt you ever again."
"And what about you, Aemond?" she whispered hesitantly, "Can you protect me from yourself?"
"I will never hurt you, Visaera. I love you. Let the rest of the world burn around us; I only need you." There was no lie in his eye as he stared into hers and she let out a sigh and pressed her forehead affectionately to his.
Her body stiffened as a vision rocked through her and she gasped for air. Aemond could only hold her and watch helplessly as her eyes rapidly danced behind her lids and her breathing grew labored.
"Visaera?" Her name came out a nervous whisper as her body went limp for a moment, before she finally blinked her eyes open and sat up. "Fuck, your eyes..." She couldn't see him through the layer of blood in her eyes, but she knew what he was seeing. Blinking repeatedly, her vision cleared as the crimson tears drained from her eyes and stained her cheeks. Visaera reached over and plucked a cloth from the water basin on the bedside table and wiped her face, dabbing the corners of her eyes. "Do they always do that?" he asked, bewildered.
"It started just before the Driftmark petition..." she told him, wiping her eyes a second time. "It's why I left. It's been happening ever since I had a vision in the Godswood."
"What did you see this time?" he asked, curiosity peaked as she stared at him, like she was seeing something she hadn't before. Instead of answering, Visaera shook her head. Of all the visions she'd ever had, this one she decided to keep to herself, terrified that if she spoke about the vision, it would somehow disappear. When she closed her eyes, however, the image of the silver-haired babe remained firmly planted in her mind.
Feeling uncertain, hesitant, she reached out with trembling fingers and ran her fingers over the scar on his face. Aemond leaned into her touch, his eye falling closed. And then, before doubts could creep into her mind, Visaera leaned down and pressed her lips to his. The prince's sharp intake of breath followed, and then he was clinging to her as if his very survival was dependent on her touch.
Her pulse quickened as their kiss deepened and Aemond groaned when she finally slid her tongue into his mouth. The prince absorbed every bit of her affection ravenously, his hands roaming her body, over her shoulders, down her sides, over her breasts...
It had been months since they had touched one another and each moment terrified Visaera. She was terrified by the way her body instantly reacted to his touch; terrified of letting him in; terrified of losing him if she did.
Aemond guided her back onto the pillows as his mouth traveled the length of her jaw and planted kissed down the side of her neck. When he reached for the clasps on her top, Visaera shuddered and pulled away.
"Don't... I..." She hadn't been able to look at her body in the mirror since Old Town and she wondered what he would think when he finally saw her destroyed skin.
"Visaera, your scars will never bother me," he told her, as if he could read her mind, "I don't want you to hide any part of yourself..." he whispered in her ear and receiving a watery-eyed smile as he echoed the words she had said to him so many months before.
Visaera attacked his mouth with vigor, the force of her kiss knocking him back and nearly sending them tumbling off the bed. Aemond laughed against her lips, and Visaera pulled back, startled by the sound. She realized she had never heard him truly laugh before, a sound of pure happiness, and it made her stomach flip.
"Aemond?" she chewed on her bottom lip nervously as an idea sprang into her head.
"What is it, darling?" he asked, tilting his head as he took in her anxious expression.
"Stay here with me, on Dragonstone. I'm heir to the throne, it belongs to me. Stay here with me and marry me in the tradition of our house..."
She recalled the ceremony she had witnessed between her mother and father all those years ago, how badly she had wanted someone to share that kind of happiness with. Aemond had seen the very worst parts of her, and he still wanted her.
Aemond didn't need to answer, his response was written all over his face before he thrust his hand into her hair and wrenched her head back. Visaera hissed in pain, and then Aemond smirked, gauging her reaction.
"Skoros gaomagon ao jorrāelagon, ñuha dōna?" What do you need my sweet? He murmured against her lips.
"Be gentle with me, my dragon," she whispered. The had always fucked with desperation or anger, this time, Visaera needed to feel love in his touch. Aemond's hand released it's hold on her hair and then his lips were ghosting over hers and she moaned at the sensation.
With his eye trained on hers, Aemond sat back and reached for the clasps of her leather top once more, releasing each one with deft fingers. With every touch, Visaera's breathing grew heavy with anticipation and, by the time he removed her top, she was trembling.
"Relax, my sweet," he murmured, laying her back on the bed and trailing kisses over her skin. "Let me love you, Visaera." A whimper fell from her lips when Aemond's lips found the peak of her breast and she arched into his mouth, desperate for friction.
"Aemond," she whined his name as heat pulsed through her and she pressed her legs together to relieve the ache building in her core.
"Mm, I love the way you moan my name, Vis," he grinned against her lips as he pushed his hand into her leathers. "I want to watch you fall apart for me, darling. It's been too long since I've seen you come undone beneath my touch." His skilled fingers were strumming over her clit; sliding back and forth through her slickness, making Visaera tremble as the coil in her gut began to tighten to the breaking point.
"Aemond, I'm—"
"I know, my sweet," he acknowledged, pressing two fingers into her tight heat as his thumb continued to dance over her clit. Her skin was on fire, burning, as desire coursed through her. Her hips began to writhe as Aemond's touch drove her quickly toward her climax.
"Oh, gods..." Aemond curled his fingers inside her, sending rippling waves of ecstasy through her.
"You're shaking, little dragon," he whispered nipping the side of her neck just below her ear, "Let go, Visaera. Come for me..." With a pained whine, Visaera shattered, her orgasm crashing through her; nails digging crescents into his skin as she gripped him tightly.
"Hmm, that's my good girl," he whispered, kissing her temple. Visaera watched him with wide eyes as he pulled his hand from her sex, pushed his fingers into his mouth, and sucked, his eye never leaving hers. The burning look in her eye made Aemond grin. "Issi ao ready syt perzys, zaldrītsos?" he asked, just before she launched herself at him...