"Married off, I mean I suppose you were." peter offered.
"Aemond has always been my favorite brother, I dont like him giving up the chance to find someone like you." Helaena remarked.
"I am a one woman kind of man." Peter assured. "And Aemond is not my type. Although he has nice hair."
"You know what I mean!" Helaena declared slapping a hand at his chest.
''I'm Princess Lucarys Velaryon. I bring a message to Lord Borros from the Queen.'' He remarked as he got to storms end. They brought him inside and he built up his courage.
''Prince Lucarys Velaryon. Son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen''. They introduced and Lukes gaze went to Aemond Targaryen.
''I brought you a message from my mother. The Queen.' He corrected.
''Yet earlier this day I received an envoy from the King. Which is it? King or Queen?'' he countered smugly. ''The House of the Dragon does not seem to know who rules it. What's your mother's message? Where's the bloody maester?'' they waited as the maester stepped forward grabbing the scroll. He read it over with distaste. ''Remind me of my father's oath. King Agon at least came with an offer. My swords and banners for a marriage pact. If I do as your mother bids, which one of my daughters will you wed?'' He looked to Aemond, he was to be married as part of their agreement if he sided with Targaryen, Hightower. ''Boy?'
''My lord, I'm not free to marry. I'm already betrothed.'' He answered honestly.
''So you come with empty hands.'' He chuckled ''Go home, pup, and tell your mother that the Lord of Storm's End is not some dog that she can whistle up at me to set against her foes." Luke stared back at him before nodding.
"You think everything will go according to plan?" Alicent pondered as she paced.
"Nothing ever goes according to plan." Otto countered. "You should have let me kill her, killing them-"
"I won't hear it!" Alicent demanded.
''I shall take your answer to the Queen, my Lord.' Luke headed out but Aemond spoke up moving towards him.
''Wait. My Lord Strong. Did you really think that you could just fly about the realm, trying to steal my brother's throne at no cost...' Aemond offered the smile on his face was nothing less than vicious.
''I will not fight you. I came as a messenger, not a warrior.''
''Fight would be little challenge." Aemond agreed. ''No; I want you to put out your eye. It's payment for mine. One will serve. I would not blind you.' He removed his eyepatch and a gem was revealed where is eye used to be. ''I plan to make a gift of it to my mother.''
''No.''
"Aemond doesnt have a vendetta against Luke does he?" Peter questioned as he bounced Benjen in his arms.
"No, its ancient history." Helaena assured.
''Then you are craven as well as a traitor.' Aemond remarked smugly as Luke backed up
''Not here." Lord Borros demanded.
''Give me your eye, or I will take it, boy." Aemond threatened spinning his blade in his hand.
"Aemond is a man of honor." Helaena went on. "He is a good brother, now Aegon I would suspect violence."
''Not in my hall." Borros demanded ''The boy came as an envoy. I'll not have blood shed beneath my roof.'' Aemond smirked back at him as he put his blade away but his glaze was vicious still. ''Take Prince Lucerys back to his dragon. NOW!"'' The storm ragged on outside and Arrax was unsettled when Luke approached him.
"Focus!" Luke demanded. ''Pay attention, Arrax!" Luke begged trying to settle him. ''Be calm! Listen! Obey!''
Thunder and lightning struck around them, ragged waves beating against the shores.
''focus focus and be calm Arrax.'' Luke pleaded as the storm raged on. ''listen...'' he climbed on his back sailing through the storm "Fly ARRAX.'' Wind whipped around them his wings flapping aggressively as he tried to go to vicious winds thunder and lightning echoed around. The storm only picking up moving faster gaining speed, when he saw aemonds dragon vhagar came flying right at him. His dragon was the largest dragon in the world, would've eaten him in a moments notice this giant jaws.
"Then Aemond will be home soon enough." Peter agreed. "Yes, uncle Aemond and- hey when does Benjen get a dragon egg?"
"Next batch that comes in he gets the first pick." Helaena remarked.
"You claimed your dragon." Peter remarked. "What dragons are there? Could he claim one if it doesnt hatch?"
"He could claim silver wing, grey ghost, Cannibal!" Helaena informed him.
"I dont like that name." Peter decided.
''Quickly! Turn!'' Luke begged as Aemond laughed out chasing after him. Trying to get out of the way of Aemond and his dragon flying through the storm barely able to see meanwhile Aemond joyously chased his nephew but slipping through the stony cliff sides, luke evaded him. Arrax was small enough to move through, his dragon it just kept going putting the tight spaces in between the mountains. Hidden among the clouds in the storm and darkness.
"Cannibal is a dragon eating dragon." Helaena explained.
"Yeah, definitely not him but Silverwing sounds pretty and not murderous." Peter offered.
"Dragons are dangerous things Peter, even the littlest of dragons." She reminded him as she touched Benjen's little toes.
''You owe me a debt! Boy!'' Aemond shouted but arrax came blasting fire in vhagars face.
"No ARRAX," Luke pleaded, ''save me,'' Luke begged pulling him up into the air. They found clear skies above the storm. But vhagar came faster than Luke could react. Chopping at Arrax again and again Luke screamed aemond couldnt control vhagar, Vhagar was angry and kept at it. Arrax fell broken apart wings severed from his body. Luke nowhere in sight.
+
Downfall was a complex yet it was so simple too. Alicent stared back at Aemond as he remarked what had happened at storms end. Tears in his eyes, as he rasped out the words.
Falling was so easy... if you fall you never stop falling. Until you crash. Thats how it felt, the Hightowers ultimate Downfall was coming.
Alicent had not yet processed all the enormous changes in not only her life but the capital. The king was dead, her father still wanted to kill Rhaenyra and Daemon, their children as well, any and all claims. Then Aemond came in with a new twist of fate that captured her attention entirely.
Aemond was supposed to go storms end and offer Borros a union. Aemond and one of Borros daughters. But he came back with not only a union agreement and a treaty of peace he had become the bearer of death.
"Mother? Mother... Mother did you hear me?" Aemond questioned. "Lucerys Velaryon is dead." Helaena didnt remember the last time Aemond called him Velaryon, he always called him lord Strong.
"Dead." Helaena repeated.
Alicent brought her hands to her mouth feeling like everything she did and tried to do was failing. She tried to be a good mother, a good wife, a good queen and it was all falling apart. She was a bad mother, she forced unions upon her childre, she was a bad wife, but she was a good care taker to viserys throughout the years. Everything she did, she should have known none of this would be easy.
She felt herself wanting to beg for the Mother's mercy. But she knew there was no point. You want something done right, you do it yourself but this was different.
This was the point of no return, this was the moment both sides, the whole realm since Viserys death and Aegons ascend to the throne had been waiting for. Peter looked between them feeling like he was intruding on a personal grief session. He had never seen Aemond so scared before.
This was the false step that would bring war and time and time again, the fault would fall on Alicent Hightower. It would fall upon her children, it would fall upon them all now.
Until that very moment Alicent had thought that war, real war between Rhaenyra and herself was an abstract, distant concept but now... Luke was dead. Aemond had... No. Vhagar had. Dragons were dangerous. They were deadly.
"Vhagar killed them, it wasnt Aemond, not really." Peter remarked as Helaena shook.
"Aemond isnt a killer." Helaena murmured holding tight to Peter. "He wouldnt... Luke can't be..." Peter held tight to her. "They are going to come after him, after us." She realized which only made her shake more.
Helaena was right. Now and always there would be a price to pay. Even though Alicent demanded an eye for an eye all those years ago and nothing came of it, this was different. This was death. Blood always called for blood, and she knew that Lucarys death would soon be avenged trice fold. She just didnt know what was worse, the impending doom or the death already threatening to swallow them whole.
"What have you done, Aemond, what have you done?" Alicent whimpered out tears in her eyes. Fear radiating her voice.
"I did not want to kill him, I did not mean to, Mother, mother, I just wanted to scare him. I didnt... I didnt want to... I never meant to... mother, you have to believe me, I have just lost control of Vhagar and–" Aemond rasped out. Alicent nodded holding him closer, he wrapped his arms around her as she gently ran a hand through his hair.
"It's okay Aemond, I wont let them hurt you. I promise." Alicent whispered.
"They will want blood."
"They will not have yours."