⎯GILDED DRAGON'S BREATH
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For the coming moon cycle, every other night Prince Aemond would enter her chambers and push her to her knees as he took her for her marital duties, when the moon cycle had passed, she received her blood and had denied the Prince from coming in the eve. She spend her day with books of the Keep's library as everyone had returned to their home and left her behind in King's Landing, and whenever she wasn't reading, she joined Helaena for embroidery.
"How—" Aurora one day tried to ask her closest friend. "How long did it take before you were with child?" she asked when she looked up the twins, babbling away at the feet of their mother with the wetnurse. "Very fast, they quickened soon after" Helaena said as she looked at the twins. Aurora had not spoken much to her husband, only when he asked her if she had eaten already when she saw him in the garden or when he asked her if she was ready before he took her in their marital bed. "It will come" Helaena said when she saw the look on Aurora's face.
"Will it stop once they have their son?" Aurora asked and Helaena furrowed her eyebrows, she knew Aemond was more than fond of Aurora, she had seen them thrive in her dreams but now Aurora's sadness and words confused her.
None had been truly Aemond's fault. He did what he believed he was supposed to as a husband, when Aegon took him to the Street of Silk and showed him how men took women to bed, he had done the same to his own lady wife, and he had no one to tell him what he did was not loving or proper perhaps.
"Are you unhappy?" Helaena asked, wondering why Aurora asked what she did. "No!" Aurore immediately said, although it didn't convince Helaena. "Tell me" she said, taking hold of her good-sister's hand as she looked at her. "Before the wedding—" Aurora started thinking of the proper words. "he seemed so more attentive, kind even" Aurora said as she looked at Helaena not wanting to insult her brother, but Helaena seemed to understand. "But now?" Helaena asked. "Now, I feel like I'm some brooding mare that he leaves after receiving what he wants" Aurora said frustrated. "He barely looks at me, why choose me if he doesn't like me?" she asked as she looked at Helaena confused.
"I wish I could explain Aemond, but there is nothing that does explain him" Helaena replied although she kept it in the back of her mind as they all joined again for supper. Just as it had ended, Aemond reached out his hand to his wife, before he was stopped. "Actually, brother, I wish to speak with you before you leave" Helaena said, standing up and linking arms with her brother which panicked Aurora slightly as she left for her room.
Helaena took Aemond to her own room and closed the door. "What is it you wished to speak to me about, sister" Aemond asked, his hands placed behind his back as he looked at Helaena who walked over and suddenly slapped him on his shoulder, before pushing him. "Why are you being a complete arse!" Helaena shouted as she hit him again, confusing the Prince who had never seen his sister this emotional and rather violent for her character. "I—" Aemond stuttered as he looked at Helaena confused. "I? I? what are you, a bloody pirate, at least you have the eyepatch to match" she shouted before she huffed.
"I am sorry, I went too far there" she immediately apologised when her own words settled in. Aemond, however, wasn't even mad like he would have been with anyone else. This had been Helaena, his precious older sister who was never angry not even when she was forced to wed Aegon and birth his children, she had loved them anyways. "What have I done to upset you so?" he asked as he looked at her.
"It's not what you have done to me, it's what you are doing to your wife" Helaena said looking at Aemond. "She is sad, I see it in her eyes, you are hurting her" Helaena cried out and Aemond took a shocked step back. "I didn't know" he said confused, wondering how he had been hurting his lady wife so much she had confided in his sister. "Why are you bedding her like a brood mare and leaving her after? I thought you cared for her" Helaena said. Aemond fell silent, had he done something wrong, had it not been as satisfying to Aurora as it had been for him.
"I am confused" Aemond said, sitting down on a chair as he looked at Helaena. "How are you confused? You spill your seed and rush away, what loving husband does that" Helaena asked. "Not even Aegon leaves after, yes he falls asleep but still" Helaena rambled as she looked at her brother. "It was Aegon who thought me how—" Aemond said before he held his tongue. "What—how?" Aemond asked as he looked at his sister. "For one, don't treat her like an animal, get to know her, properly love her like you meant to do" Helaena said looking at Aemond. "She is a smart and beautiful young woman, trapped in an arranged marriage the same as you, make the best of it I know in time you can learn to love one another" Helaena said and Aemond nodded before leaving her room.
Aurora had prepared for her husband to come and visit her chambers but as she waited and waited, he had not come and eventually she was met with sleep. The morrow came quicker as she was shaken by Percia that she had missed breakfast already. "It doesn't matter" Aurora had dismissed as she dressed herself in one of the new silk dresses the Queen had gifted, but they had all been tighter on her body than her usual dresses she wore in Highgarden. She opted to wear an old dress, as she took Percia to the gardens, dreaming back of Highgarden.
She started to let her mind wonder where her husband had been, as he visited her every night since the start of their marriage. She dared not ask Percia if she knew, as she eventually joined the Crown for luncheon as Aegon had dragged himself out of bed as well and slumped in a seat at the table as the Queen started to speak about some upcoming festival for the Seven, the Day of the Mother, it had been called, which was more celebrated by women, often married women praising the mother for their marriages and their children.
"It will be Aurora's first Day of the Mother, I had hoped as a new wife, you could help me" Alicent said as she looked at Aurora, and the young lady was flabbergasted at the request. She was never asked to help with anything in Highgarden, not even with setting the table or deciding on her own clothes. "Of course, Your Grace" she replied as she blinked a few times. Helaena smiled at her friend, while Aemond had looked down not responding to the joyous news about his wife.
While Aurora had set her mind to asking Aemond if he had been alright, she was quickly swooped away by the Queen as she explained how the day would look which had been in about two weeks' time. The day would start with prayer, led by the Crown as Helaena would also join them, and then a celebration through King's Landing was held blessed by the High Septon as they would decorate the city with pastel-coloured flowers and a festival in the streets for children, as well as giving money to the orphanages who cannot celebrate with their mothers on such day. Aurora silently wondered about the unmarried women who did have children, if they would be celebrated as well, but knowing how the Queen reacted to the dark-haired children of Princess Rhaenyra, she highly doubted it.
Alicent explained everything, from the clothes they would wear to the street decorations which she placed Aurora in charge of. "A lady of Highgarden would know her flowers better than anyone in King's Landing, and Aurora had immediately chosen some of her favourite which were common enough to use for a celebration, and ones that would fit the theme and keep with the pastel colours.
As Aurora returned to her room to prepare a bath and dress for supper, she found a bouquet of flowers, she assumed it had been the florist she worked with to give her the celebratory flowers of the festival, but these had been different, they had been the flowers she had requested for her own wedding the rare beauties she caried to the alter before she was wed. The original bouquet had died within a week of the wedding and now nearly 7 weeks after, she had missed them.
A small note was attached to the beauties as she looked at the card. 'For nothing in the entire Keep, in the entire Seven Kingdoms, smells and looks as good as you my love' had been written in beautiful cursive as she blushed at the words. She had never had someone admire her, and she recognised the handwriting, the feast before the betrothal had the same handwriting which made her belief one of the servants of the Keep must have written it. She quickly grabbed her jewellery box and hid the card in the hidden floor of it, where she kept some of her memories from home.
She placed the flowers in a vase as she saw Percia walk in. "What dress would you wear tonight?" she asked as she opened the closet while Aurora looked at the flowers. "Something pink" she said as she turned and saw the light pink dress, which flowed around a bit more and looked proper enough for dinner as she still wore the sapphire necklace around her neck. Percia nodded and helped the lady in her evening dress, as Aurora held the beam of her queen-sized bed, she felt Percia tighten her corset before someone walked in unannounced. Before Percia could shout that her lady had not been dressed properly she held her tongue when she saw Aemond. Aurora blushed as she kept looking at the wall behind the headboard of her bed as Percia tightened the dress more.
"Stop" Aemond said before walking over, taking the strings from Percia who quickly bowed her head as she stepped back. Aemond grabbed the silk strings and loosened some of the corset. "My Prince, ladies are—" Aurora started when she noticed the corset loosening. "My wife is supposed to breath" Aemond said and he tight off the strings in a neat bow. He had placed his hands on her waist, his fingers touching the fabric of the corset. He didn't believe something of such contraption was comfortable.
He moved her hair back over her shoulder down her back, waves appearing as she stood straightened before she turned around. Aemond's hair had been half tight away as usual, and he wore a dark green tunic with black trousers as she saw rings around his finger. One bore the sigil of House Targaryen and had been silver in colour on his right hand's middle finger, and a silver ring with a blue sapphire on his left ring finger. She held her breath slightly at the sight of him, before Percia walked over again, offering her dress. "Wear green" Aemond said, touching the fabric of her dress as Percia presented it to her. Aurora looked at the dress, swallowing thickly. "I apologise, my Prince, but I will not" she said furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at him, somewhat as a challenge as Aemond looked back, placing his hands behind his back as he watched her.
"Why not?" he asked pushing his shoulders back to straighten himself out more which made him appear taller. "I may be your lady wife, but I am still me, I will not fall and wither under your families' rules" she said as she nodded at Percia who placed the dress over her head, it fell perfectly in place as she adjusted it. Aemond softly gasped, she had looked ethereal, a true image of a woman sculpted by the Gods, and all for him. She had been his, and only his, and he would do anything and everything to proof that to anyone, including her, as he had been equally hers. His body, his passion, his very being had all been hers, held in her pretty little hand as she raised her head slightly.
Aemond held out his hand, and she placed hers in his hand before he placed something around her wrist. It had been a golden bracelet with a green shining stone and a golden flower. "For my house and yours" Aemond said before he took her to supper. She sat with her husband as they ate in mostly silence, with the exception of the music played behind them. Aurora still didn't eat much as she had felt even more out of place. Aemond had noticed but did not want to force her to do anything she didn't want to.
Aurora had secretly been looking around, wondering who had send her flowers as she slowly ate. "Pink lilies in bloom, pink lilies coming soon" Helaena muttered softly to the other side of Aurora, who ignored the unknown words as she turned back to her food. When supper ended Aemond held out his hand once more before escorting his wife to her chambers.
As they walked in, she started to move towards the bed before he stopped her. "No" Aemond said. "I won't lay with you unless you ask me" Aemond said as she looked surprised. "I am sorry" she said as she realised Helaena must have spoken to him. "I should not have told Helaena" she said. "No, do not apologise, 'tis I who should apologise. I have failed you as a husband, to make you think you could not speak to me about these matters" Aemond said. Aurora was silent as she looked at Aemond.
"I wish to get to know you, as a friend before we resume to become true husband and wife" Aemond explained, and she nodded. "I would love that" she said as she nodded at him. Aemond nodded his head. "Good, tomorrow I would like to take you on a walk" Aemond said. "There is someone I think you should properly meet" he said as he bowed before his wife and walked away as Percia walked in to help her with her nightgown. "How did it go?" Percia asked as she looked at Aurora.
"The Prince wishes to get more acquainted before we resume to our marital duties" she said as she changed into the loose nightgown. She went to bed earlier than usual and woke up in time before breakfast choosing a dress more matching of her necklace as it had been a deep blue, with tones of green. She arrived at breakfast and killed the time between then and lunch by helping the Queen before she had a quick luncheon and joined Prince Aemond.
He smiled a little as her necklace gleamed in the sun as well as the green tones in her dress before he offered his arm. "I wish for you to meet Vhagar" Aemond said as he walked with her outside the Keep towards an open clearing not too far. She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked around. "Are the dragons not kept in the Dragonpit?" she asked as she looked back towards the Pit, as they were walking the opposite direction. "Not Vhagar, she is too large to hold" Aemond explained. "She prefers this open clearing" he said as she saw the large green scaled dragon, who raised her head as if to recognise the people walking to her.
"Easy Vhagar" Aemond said, speaking in his mother tongue of High Valyrian. Aurora was in awe of the large dragon, slowly walking closer until Vhagar growled slightly, raising her head as she stalked closer. Aurora stopped before she realised, she had wondered away from Aemond. Vhagar walked closer, stopping as her head laid just an inch before Aurora, blowing smoke from her nostrils. "You can pet her" Aemond said as he stood next to Aurora, taking her hand carefully as he placed it on the snout of the large dragon who hummed in content.
"I didn't think dragons liked non-Targaryens" she said as she looked at the large dragon. Aemond looked down at her. "It's because she knows how much you mean to me" Aemond answered looking down at her as he towered over her. Aurora looked at him, as his head lowered towards her before kissing her.
She took hold of his tunic as if to steady herself from the overwhelming sensation. There had been more love in this kiss than the one quick one before during their wedding and she enjoyed it so much more. Aemond placed his hand on her waist as he deepened the kiss before Vhagar growled at someone. When he looked up, Aurora hid her face within the crook of his neck. "What?" he snapped. "My Prince, the Lady Aurora has been asked by the Queen to help with the festival" ser Erryk said as he turned to Aurora, not enjoying being this close to Vhagar.
Vhagar growled again but eased when Aurora petted her again. "I shall go, I shall see you at supper" she said before she followed Erryk to the Keep once more as Aemond mounted his dragon. Vhagar roared above them as she joined the Queen. "Good, you're here" Alicent said as she took hold of the lady's arm before shoving her to the seamstress. "Helaena has already been fitted and your dress has been fitted as well from when we made your wedding dress" Alicent said as Aurora was changed out of her clothes and into a light green dress with golden flowers to represent the Reach and House Hightower.
As the seamstress tried her best, the dress wouldn't fit right on Aurora, which made herself conscious as she had barely eaten today already. Only fruit and one piece of toast. "Perhaps I have the measurements wrong" the seamstress said as she walked away, as tears filled Aurora's eyes. She blinked them away as she was put into the next dress, which fit even worse.
"Your Grace, the dresses won't fit the lady" the seamstress muttered to the Queen as Aurora tried to hide herself. Her head started spinning, from withholding her tears from falling as well as the barely eaten food she had in her body which weakened her. Before she could even try and suggest a dress of her own, a thud was heard by the Queen. "Call the Maesters!" the Queen shouted as she rushed to Aurora as she laid on the floor, a small pool of blood appeared under her head as she had hit it on her way down.
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