Cutting a slice of her peach, the princess absently listened to whatever the queen had to say. Alicent had organized another family breakfast and Aemma was awfully missing her own family.
Seated in front of a reading Aemond, and next to a mumbling Helaena, she was trying not to fall asleep.
"Will you be joining us, princess ?" Alicent suddenly said, and Aemma raised her head to look at her when she realized that she was the one the queen was talking to.
"Joining you ?" She asked, forced to admit that she had not been paying attention.
"Yes, the seamstresses have brought the gowns you've chosen, we'll make some adjustments, will you be joining us ?" She repeated and Aemma's mouth flew open, trying to find a suitable excuse.
"No, I... I will extract Bloodfyre's eggs and fly them to Dragonstone." She said with a small smile.
Alicent frowned. "Can't the dragon keepers take care of it ?"
"Not if they want to remain whole." She replied, making Helaena chuckle at the memory of Aemma telling her how her brother had nearly been eaten alive by the Red beast.
"Aemond can relate." She said, putting a grape in her mouth and her betrothed directly rose his head, as if the mere name of his brother had made him sober up instantly.
"What ?" He asked, as he reached for a strawberry on the tart in front of him and ate it, making his mother scold him for his behavior.
"Aemond tried to steal the eggs." Helaena explained and all the eyes turned toward the young prince who sighed.
"You told her about that ?" Aemond asked his niece pissed that his whole family would know about this event.
Aemma frowned, raising her eyes toward her uncle. Of course she had told her about that, she was her best friend. "Shouldn't I have ?" She innocently asked, she knew telling his sister about his attempt to study her eggs would piss him off. Of course, being saved by his little niece was not worthy of the terrifying Aemond One-Eye Targaryen.
"Why did you try to steal her eggs ?" Alicent asked before her son could reply.
"I did not try to steal her eggs." He replied, eye locked on his stupid annoying niece who kept cutting small slices of peach and eating them.
"No, he was studying them." Helaena said, in a false attempt the defend her brother before laughing again, Aemma quickly followed her laughter.
"Well," Aegon started, taking another strawberry. "If our beautiful niece will extract the clutch today," He put it in his mouth and said, with a filthy smirk. "Aemond should go with her, to study the eggs." He said, unabashedly eying Aemma's breast.
Aemma's laughter instantly stopped.
Aemond's eye darted on his older brother.
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind that." Aegon continued, with an even filthier smirk.
She would, actually. She knew Bloodfyre would too. But she was also a proud woman, and she had not been unaware of the suggestive tone his uncle had used, she would certainly not let him humiliate her again. So, she kept her chin high and with a innocent smile, she replied. "I wouldn't mind that, Bloodfyre might, but I can control her."
Aemond's fist clenched around his book when he heard the reference to their last conversation she had slipped in her response. That little cunt. He closed his book. "Very well." He only said, deciding not to let her win this stupid contest even if he did not care about that stupid clutch anymore. "If you'll excuse me." He finally stood from his chair before walking out of the room without waiting for an answer.
"Don't be late, dear brother." Aegon spoke up before he was gone, "I'd hate to learn that you made our sweet niece wait." He said glancing at the door and both Aemma and Aemond rolled their eyes, even though they couldn't see each other.
Aemma quickly excused herself and left the breakfast room to go to her chambers and ready herself for her eggs hunt.
On Dragonstone, Aemma would either go extract her eggs alone or with Daemon. Most of the time alone. This was why Trystane was surprised to see her authorize her uncle to go with her, especially after what happened the last time the prince had been near Bloodfyre.
"I couldn't let that drunken uncle of mine humiliate me, that's why." She replied to her friend after he had asked her about her decision. "It bothers me as much as it does you."
"I don't trust the prince with you." He said, in a whisper as they started climbing tue many stairs that separated them from the heiress appartements. "I don't trust any of the princes in this castle with you." He rectified after a moment.
"Neither do I." She replied, gathering her blue skirts in her hand to move more easily. "Allowing him to come with me doesn't mean I trust him, I just don't want to make more enemies that we already have."
Trystane didn't reply anything, he just escorted her back to her chambers and waited for her to be ready.
A few minutes later, Aemma came back, wearing her flying leathers, free of any jewelry but her Arryn ring and her hair was gathered in a lone plaited braid from the right side of her skull to the left side of it, falling on her neck, partly covering her scar.
"Will you come to Dragonstone with me afterwards ?" She asked, as they made their way to the stables where the prince would hopefully be waiting for them.
"Will you sail to Dragonstone ?" He asked in response and the look she send him made him chuckle. "You have your answer." He said, having decided long ago not to get on that wriggling beast of hers ever again.
"Very well, I might stay there until tomorrow." She spoke up, smiling at the group of ladies that was walking through the halls.
Aemma had never wanted any more friends than she already had. She was contented with her army of brothers, her sisters, her dragon and sworn protector, however, she had been forced to keep her distance with the knight since rumors were quickly to rise here in king's landing. And she knew that people would most likely imagine whatever they could to undermine her mother and family, she herself, as a girl, loved to imagine all sorts of things happening in common lord's lives. She was not unfamiliar with the impossible, forbidden and sinful secret love story that silly ladies loved to imagine between the most beautiful woman in the realm and the mysterious and beautiful Ser Trystane Lyle.
She had even heard once in the gardens lady Alina Ashford, one of Helaena's ladies in waiting, saying that it was a shame that Ser Trystane was a knight of the king's guard, because she would have loved too marry him.
Aemma was glad he would never marry and leave her. He was like a brother to her, and she knew she was like a sister to him as well. The sister he had lost as a child, and the older brother she had always needed. Aemma loved to have many siblings, but being the eldest was no easy thing. She had to look after each one of them, neglecting herself sometimes. Rhaenyra had never wanted her daughter to have that responsibility, she was her darling daughter, her first born child, and she only wanted her to be happy. But despite all her efforts to allow her daughter to be a child, she had eventually leaned on her for help in raising the youngest. Without even realizing it.
They eventually arrived in the stables and as she had thought, her stupid uncle was not here yet.
"Stupid cunt." She whispered to herself when she mounted her horse and Trystane chuckled.
"It was expectable." He said, holding the reins to keep the horse in place until the prince would arrive. "You forgot it in your room." He continued, taking out the princess' dagger in its case.
Aemma scoffed. "You really think I'm going to need it ?" She asked, taking her blade anyway.
"He won't hurt me." She rolled her eyes and Trystane didn't seem convinced. "Even if he tried, he'd be dead before he even realized it." She promised but still, the man was not fully satisfied with that answer. He knew Aemma was a great fighter, she could handle protecting herself, but so was Aemond. He had seen him fight with Ser Criston when she was in Driftmark and had to admit that he had been impressed by his swords skills.
He was not reassured to let the girl he considered to be his little sister with the man who had tried to kill her five years ago, especially with the knowledge that that very same man could rather easily overpower her. They would have to train more. He would have to train more.
"He already has tried to kill you. And I wasn't there to protect you." He pointed out and Aemma didn't reply anything so the knight spoke again.
"Though the prince doesn't seem foolish enough to attack you near your dragon." He added and the princess made a disapproving face.
"He was foolish enough to try steal her eggs." She replied and the knight nodded.
"I did not try to steal her eggs, little niece." A recognizable voice echoed in the empty stables and the princess turned her face toward the intruder so fast that her neck snapped.
"My prince." Trystane bowed respectfully when he noticed his presence.
Little niece.
She didn't liked that... whatever it was.
She was his niece, and she was younger than him, this was accurate. But she didn't like it. "Don't call me little niece." She said, frowning as she attached her dagger to her belt.
"Then don't call me a thief." He replied, mounting his horse.
The princess rolled her eyes and looked down at her friend who was still standing next to her horse, holding the reins. "You may go, Trys' " she said leaning to grab the reins for his hands and the prince's eye had trouble avoiding the curve of her back when she did so.
Sinful girl.
She lives in sin.
Don't let a sinner get me, Mother. He internally prayed as he swallowed hard and finally managed to look away.
But when his brother's voice echoed in his ears, and the air in the stables became irrespirable, Aemond chose to make his way out of them.
She was wearing trousers. She had worn trousers as a child, too often to his mother's liking who liked to say that ladies should not show the curve of their legs, even hidden under a thick fabric. Himself being a child at the time, didn't understand why his mother put so much importance in the way his best friend was dressed, thinking that he and all the boys always wore trousers, it was no big deal if Aemma, who was with them most of the time, wore them as well. But Aemond was not a child anymore. Neither was she.
Yes, she had worn trousers during her excursion in the stepstones, but Aemond had been too focused on the arrow in his shoulder to even care about it.
And now Aemond understood why his mother had given that much importance to the way she was dressed. As a woman, a lady, a princess. The image of the crown. It was.. unladylike, indecent.
With that thought, he made his horse accelerate, choosing that he didn't not need to be near her for the ride.
Aemma watched him getting farther and frowned at the sight of his perfect hair reflecting the sunlight. He should have braided it, she thought, knowing that there was a viscous dark liquid within the clutch, and that it would most likely splash when she would open it.
She also knew that this liquid was almost impossible to wash on their gold-silvery hair, and that she only way to get rid of it was to cut the hair. She herself had to cut her hair the first time she had extracted eggs. But she didn't say anything, she even smirked and caught up to ride by his side.
Once they were out of the keep, people caught sight of their silver hair, unwisely not hidden bellow a hood, and seeing that they were not surrounded by any guards, decided to come near the princess. Aemond was feared by most, so when he put his hand on the pommel of his sword, she was not surprised to hear small gasps and see people halt. Coming instead to her who was known for her generosity and kindness.
"Princess, princess." A little girl came to her and Aemma frowned when she recognized the child who's brother she got liberated.
"Lerra, how are you sweet child ?" She asked, wanting to dismount her horse, but knowing that it would anger the prince who had never like crowds, she stayed on her mount.
"You remember me?" She asked, eyes filled with stars.
"Of course I remember you, how's your brother ?" She smiled and the little girl smiled in return. As soon as she had felt better, she had had the girl's brother, little Coren, freed and made sure he could have a job in the keep so that he could handle taking care of his sister without having to steal.
"He's fine, your highness. He loves his work and.. and he sees so many knights ! He always says that he wishes to squire for one !" She said, without breathing and Aemma chuckled making Aemond glance at her.
She was weird, he thought. He had heard people praise her for her kindness and devotion toward the needy and the poor and mostly everything that was weak. As a child she had even started a fight with her betrothed after he had killed one of Helaena's bug. But after what she had done, he had decided that she was just a great actor, an actor who played the part of the gentle character, the always sympathetic, the caring one. The good one.
Leaving him the part of the villain. The heartless one, the dangerous, the evil one. The monster.
The bad one.
A part he had embraced since he had realized how much of a manipulating whore she was. Let her play, he thought. As long as I'm not fooled again.
They were all wrong. All those peasants. All those who loved her. They did not know her. They did not know. They were all fools. He was not.
As he glanced at her, leaning toward the black haired child she had been talking to for most of the ride, he regretted flying south to help her destroy the triarchy. This had been.. unseemly, unwise. Uncontrolled. Worst, it had been stupid of him, to put his dragon in such danger.
To put himself in such danger, taking a arrow, for her ? No. It had been a mistake.
Aemond was the tempered one, the clever one. He even thought that, if she had died, it would have all been simpler. Be done with all this bother. Be done with her existing, breathing his air, in his city, hanging out with his sister, in his home, reading in his library. Mocking him.
She was a cunt.
A stupid, infuriating, little cunt who did not know anything. A manipulating whore.
He hated her.
He wanted to go the other way. Dammed be the eggs, dammed be she, he wanted to turn his horse and leave. To go home. Where he was safe. Safe from the sight of her, from the sound of her laughter, her infuriating laughter, from her scent that had been filling his lungs since she had joined him to ride next to him. Today it was different, the jasmine was still dominating, but he could smell hints of vanilla and.. there was something else. Something he did not like. Something he wanted to avoid for the rest of his life.
He wanted to avoid her for the rest of his life. He could, go the other way. But he would seem weak. The fearsome Aemond Targaryen scared of his niece's perfume.
The fearsome Aemond Targaryen fleeing a stupid cunt like her.
He knew what she would think, that he was scared of Bloodfyre, her stupid beast, that he did not want to be near her, that he was afraid. He was not. His dragon could kill hers without even thinking of it. He had claimed Vhagar when he was eleven. What could Bloodfyre do to him ? To his dragon ?
What could she do to him ?
Nothing. She could do nothing to him.
She was nothing. No one.
He would not flee her.
He was no craven.
On that thought, he made his new horse, a black mare, gallop and leave the princess with her people.
Aemma watched him accelerate his way out the city with a frown. He was strange. He was the one who had agreed to come with her, why was he bothered now ? If he did not want to come, he simply could have stayed in the keep. She rolled her her eyes, stopped her horse and looked down at the children surrounding her before smiling. "Little loves, I am greatly sorry, but I have to find my dragon and—" a small golden haired boy interrupted her.
"Will you come to see us in the orphanage ?" Aemma smiled at the joy and leaned to caress his beautiful hair.
"Of course I will, but I must first go to Dragonstone, see my mother, our future queen." She stated and the children's eyes widened in admiration. "Afterwards I will come and take you to a ride on my dragon." She whispered to the children and they all laughed.
She was glad the people loved her. The small folk was too often forgotten by those who played in a higher ground. But it was them who fed them. They were the many, and Aemma knew they were more important allies than any house if the Hightower cunts were to threaten her mother's ascend.
"Are you going to wed prince Aemond ?" A red haired girl asked, eyes filled with stars and Aemma's face dropped. What ?
"No !" The same blond boy intervened. "She's going to wed me !" His small voice almost able to cover her mind frenetically racing.
"The prince flew south to rescue you, and took an arrow during the fightings ! ... and, and i heard someone say that you've promised him your hand as a recompense for his bravery !" She explained and Aemma chuckled at that.
"I did not.." She struggled to breath so she was laughing. "I won't marry him. For my heart is already taken." She said and the children quickly went disinterested by her potential promise to her uncle.
"By whom ?" The boy, Dorian, asked, disappointed that the beautiful princess' heart would never be his.
"You sweet boy." Aemma smiled before urging her horse out of the city, leaving the giggling children behind her.
She was still chuckling when she passed the Iron gate and arrived in the shore where her uncle was impatiently waiting for her.
"You took your time." He said, when she dismounted her horse.
"And you missed the show." She said, approaching the cave without glancing at him.
"And what show would that be ?" He asked, frowning. He had heard, and seen her smiling and giggling like a silly little girl, and the infuriating sound of it almost made him gouge out his remaining eye.
"Our incoming wedding." She said and the prince stopped walking frowning when he heard how serious she was.
"What do you mean ?" He hissed, grabbing her arm and immediately cursing himself when her body jolted back in front of him and that sickly scent of hers filled his lungs once again.
Aemma was not moved by his reaction, she had expected him to act this way, for he was a brainless and easily angered boy. "I mean, that I have apparently promise you my hand as a recompense for your exploits in the stepstones." She said and the prince was voiceless. So she spoke again after a moment. "Though I think Vhagar is the one I should thank, since she did most of the work." She smirked, looking right into the prince's eye who felt his heart flatter, from anger.
This ungrateful cunt.
Yes, he should have let her die.
"Vhagar did not fly on her own, little niece." He hissed, squeezing her wrist without even realizing it, the princess, however, had felt it and her satisfied smirk widened. He was so easily upset, it was almost pitiable.
"Then I guess I should offer you my hand, how ungrateful of me not to have thought about it the second I saw you." She tilted her head and Aemond scoffed.
"It's bold of you to assume that I would even accept your hand." He said, lowly as he leaned toward her and stared at her disdainfully.
The princess smile did not flatten out, no, Aemma exposed her infuriatingly perfect dentition and took a step toward the prince, before asking in a perfect Valyrian. "Then why you seem so determined keep my hand in yours, uncle ?"
Aemond only seemed to realize that he was still holding her hand, and dropped it as if it were fire. As if she were fire. Maybe she was, he thought, maybe she was because he was certain that if he had held her hand a second more, her flesh would have left a mark on his skin.
Maybe she was, because the sound of their mother tongue, perfectly rolling on her tongue, sinking into his ears and curling around his lower belly felt like it.
And he did not like it. Surely it was a sign from his gods, a warning, they were warning that she was a sin, that Aemma Velaryon would end up burning in the seven hells. That he should stay away from her if he didn't want to join her.
A whore. She was a whore. That was the warning.
He would not sin again. No, he was stronger than that.
Aemma did not try to understand what was going on on in that messy mind of his, and turned toward the cave before walking into it. She knew that Bloodfyre wasn't there, for she had seen her flying west, probably for a hunt in the king's woods. So she did not mind her uncle taking his time to follow her.
Aemond's long legs rapidly carried him next to her, he frowned when he saw that the clutch wasn't where he had seen it last. "She hid it." Aemma spoke up. "She does this in Dragonstone to protect her clutches from the cannibal." She explained and the prince nodded.
He wished he could visit Dragonstone, to see the dragons he had only read about. He found himself envying her for living there and be able to see them, to live among them. He was stuck here, in the capital and had never traveled far from king's landing. Except for the times he visited his brother in old town. But he never liked it there. "Have you seen him ?" He could not help but ask. "The Cannibal, have you ever seen it ?"
Aemma nodded slowly. "Once. I was looking for a clutch and I saw him fly to the top of the dragonmount." She said and knelt before the clutch after spotting it. The prince followed her and imitated her. "I'm glad he did not see me as well."
What was he like ? Aemond wished to ask, but he chose not to. He did not want to look too interested in her life.
"He was black, as black as coal and his wings had green reflections, a magnificent beast." She said, as if she had known that he wanted to know. Her hands were palpating the clutch to find were the eggs were located and not destroy them by piercing through the clutch.
"Mh." Aemond said, looking at the princess' hands, studying the surface of the clutch. Her eyes were wrinkled and he understood that it really had been stupid of him to come in here, hoping to extract the eggs without an ounce of knowledge of how to do it.
"Here," she suddenly said and without a warning, she suddenly grabbed his hand to put it where hers was. "See, I believe she has laid three eggs at least." Aemond's eye was locked on their hands traveling across the rough and warm surface of the clutch.
"How many had she laid ?" He heard himself ask.
"Seventeen. She is fertile, I'm very happy." She replied and Aemond managed a smile. A genuine one, but it did not last long, the second her eyes rose to meet his, he was back to his usual neutral face. "Some have hatched." She confessed and the prince frowned.
He thought that they needed dragon blood to hatch a dragon. Why would have she lied ? He knew she was not to be trusted. "You said—"
" I know what I said." She interrupted him before he could confront her. "But out of the two eggs who hatched, no dragon lived, without a rider they don't live long. So it's like no egg hatched at all." She explained as she took out the small pickaxe she used to pierce through the thick clutch and handed it to her uncle.
"What do you want me to with that ?" He asked with a dry tone and the princess smirked.
"You wanted to study did you not ?" She tilted her head and the prince took the tool. "Here," she pointed the spot she knew no egg could be harmed. "Hit until you can get through easily." She said and the silver haired boy nodded before doing as he was told.
As she had predicted, the moment he managed to pierce through the clutch, a warm, sticky, black jet flew directly onto the prince's hair. "Fuck !" He yelled, falling backwards and Aemma laughed. "Your could have warned me !" He said using the palm of his hand to wipe off the liquid but he only spread it all over his hair.
"Don't !" She yelled, trying to reach out to him to stop him but it was too late. He would have to cut it. Short. Very short. And she found it in herself to feel guilty. She would have apologized, if her laughter was not keeping her from breathing. "I— Sevens fucking hells Aemond... you're g—"
He directly interrupted her. "Carry on, It is just a bit of dirt." He hissed and she tried her best to stop her hysterical laughter.
Aemond hated her.
He hated her. All of her. The longer he looked at her, the more stupid he felt, for ever having wanted to be her friend. Her laughter was ringing in his ears, echoing inside his head and... and he hated her. How could she, kneel here, in front of him, thighs parted to have a better access to her clutch and laugh ? And look so.. so cruel.
And.. the sound her laughing, not just chuckling with his sister, or mocking him, no, her laughter, the way it so easily made its way to his heart and squeezed it hard enough to make him want to throw up. The way it irritated his whole body and made him want to shove a knife through her throat to make her stop. Or wrap his hand around her neck and squeeze it, the way she was squeezing his heart, just to get rid of the sounds coming from those fleshy lips of hers.
Yes, he needed it to stop, he needed her to stop. To stop laughing, stop looking so cruel, stop breathing his air, stop existing.
She eventually managed to steady her breathing and sighed shakily as she used her dirty hand to wipe off the salty pearls that had escaped her eyes. "Apologies." She muttered, her hands now grabbing her knife to open the clutch, releasing a warm smoke.
Once the clutch was opened enough for her hands to reach for the eggs, she
just took out her ring and plunged her hands inside of it without even frowning when the liquid dirtied them nor when her skin met the burning warmth of the inside of the clutch
Aemond decided to help her, using his gloved hands to break through the thick clutch and was amazed by the sight of her unbothered by the warmth protecting the eggs which he felt through his gloves.
"That's it." She smiled when she caught sight of a beautiful pink egg. She took it out and admired it before putting it in the leather back she had brought.
"There's three more in there." He said, grabbing a dark green egg. He wondered if Vhagar was borne from an egg like this. He handed it to Aemma and the princess took it, before smiling. "You can keep it." She gave it back to the prince who frowned. "What ?"
"You can keep it."
"Why ?" He asked, a bit too harshly. He did not understand her. She was being kind ? Now ? After everything she had done ? She was being kind ? To him ? Why ? Why would she give him an egg ? A fresh egg, one that had chances to hatch ? Was she mocking him ? Of course she was. She was a mean, cruel, and stupid little cunt. Surely, she wanted to remind him that his egg never hatched, that he had not enough dragon's blood in his veins to hatch any. "I already have a dragon." He added, still holding the egg. He did not want it.
"I know. But it reminds me of Vhagar. Keep it, I mean it. Consider it your recompense for flying to my aid." She teased tilting her head, and did not wait for him to reply that she took out a dark blue egg and a golden/white one and put them in a the bag.
"I don't need payment." He spat, holding the egg out to her. "Take it." He added and she shook her head, pushing his arm to him. He frowned when he felt the egg's warmth against his clothed chest.
"Then consider it your name day present." She spoke and stood, now holding the bag with the three other eggs.
Aemond stood, still holding the egg and felt stupid. He did not want it. It would not hatch anyway. And even if it did, he had no use for a baby dragon. He knew he would never have children to give it to. He guessed he would put it in his chambers. And give it to Helaena's when she would get pregnant.
A small, "Thank you." escaped his lips, he did not know why he had said it. He was not grateful, but he guessed he had to treat her well, this was what his mother had ordered him. This was just well behaving. Nothing more.
He was however grateful that the princess did not reply anything, she only put her grandmother's ring inside a small pocket of the bag and left the cave.
Bloodfyre landed near her den when he emerged from it. And as he had thought, she was not happy to see him again, especially holing one of her eggs. "Daor." (No.) Aemma stood between the prince and her beast. "Sagon gīda." (Be calm.) She said, reaching to the dragon's snout with her dirty hands. "Ñuhe qybor issa."(he's my uncle.) She softly said, but the she-dragon didn't seem to care. Bloodfyre did not want her offspring near him, she did not want her rider near him. She whistled without looking at Aemma and the princess chuckled. "Vhagaro kipas." (He rides Vhagar.) She added, hoping that the mention of her new friend would help her calm, and it worked. Finally, Bloodfyre lowered her face to greet her rider properly and she smiled. "Let's go home. I'm sure Caraxes misses you." She whispered pulling her forehead against her rough scales. Bloodfyre whistled, in contentment at the idea of returning home, to her friend and Aemma smiled as well.
Without a glance for her uncle, the princess climbed on her dragon and Bloodfyre didn't even need her rider to give the order that she took off and flew east.
Flew home.
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Update on Bloodfyre's growth :
I added Aemma and Aemond as a reference (she could eat them both at the same time really (really) easily)