After taking Dragonstone and putting Aegon and Aemond under care of Maesters, Daemon sends news to Driftmark. Daelys has denied to leave Aemond alone even when the Maesters asked her too. The others are processing that they have been able to rescue Aegon and Aemond.
"So, it's true?" Rhaena asks once she lands at Dragonstone.
"Yes." Luke answers quite disbelievingly. "I cannot believe it myself."
"It seems impossible." Rhaena agrees.
Inside the castle, Helaena paces outside Aegon's room trying to work up the courage to enter and talk to Aegon. She doesn't know what she should say.
"Just go in." Jaehaerys tells Helaena. "There is no point in overthinking it."
Helaena sighs and nods. "You are right." She takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. Waiting a moment, she opens it.
Inside Aegon is lying on his bed covered in bandages. He looks alarmed at the door opening but seeing Helaena, he relaxes again. Helaena notices the cautiousness in Aegon's eyes as he watches her movements.
"Hi." Helaena says at the lack of anything else to say.
"Hi." Aegon replies. He notices that Helaena is still standing by the door. "Please sit." He motions at the chair beside his bed.
Helaena raises her eyebrows slightly as she sits down. "'Please'?" She asks a little surprised.
Aegon sighs. "I am sorry." He says ignoring Helaena's question. "For what I put you through during the time we were married."
Helaena is thoroughly surprised by Aegon's statement and wonders if Aegon is in his right mind. Noticing the confusion and surprise, Aegon continues.
"For ten years, I had nothing to do but look out a small window which only shows a small portion of the sea, talk to Aemond and plan how we will try to escape and wait for the night so that Jacaerys comes and we would see what new torture he had planned for us." He stops to take a deep breath. Helaena doesn't know what to say to that. "That puts everything in perceptive. I know what I did was wrong. And I am sorry."
Helaena stays quiet thinking about what Aegon just said. She reaches out and takes Aegon's hand. He flinches slightly but relaxes even more on Helaena's touch.
"I am sorry that we didn't find you faster." Helaena says quietly.
"It's a good thing I was with Aemond." Aegon mutters. "He wouldn't have let me lose hope."
"He never loses hope when it is about Daelys, does he?" Helaena asks.
Aegon scoffs. "No, he doesn't." He agrees. "And it is irritating sometimes." Helaena snickers a little and a moment later, both of them laugh. "Did you marry again?" Aegon asks after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
"No." Helaena answers. "Raising six children didn't leave time for nothing much."
"Six?" Aegon asks surprised.
"Our three and Daelys' three." Helaena answers. "Sorry, I forgot you didn't know. She had twins soon after. She named them Aemma and Aemond."
"Aemond?" Aegon scoffs. "Of course she named him that."
Helaena shrugs. "Aemma looks exactly like Aemond surprisingly. It's like seeing a ghost sometimes."
Aegon scoffs. "I will have to meet them. But first tell me about my own."
"Jaehaerys and Jaehaera remember everything between us. Jaehaerys is still mad at you about it while Jaehaera tries to remember only the good parts. Maelor was too young to remember that much but he still missed you." Helaena tells Aegon.
"Can I talk to them?" Aegon asks.
"They are your children." Helaena tells him. "If they want to meet you, then I won't stop them."
Aegon slowly gets out of bed with Helaena's help. "I must confess something else." Aegon says as he gets dressed. "I always wanted Daelys to leave Aemond and marry me."
"I know." Helaena admits. "It was fucking clear. Even Daelys and Aemond knew. Daelys made sure Aemond didn't kill you."
"I am sorry about that." Aegon says. "I want to try and fix our relationship. If you want that."
Helaena takes a deep breath trying to decide if she will agree to it. She remembers what Aegon was like ten years ago. She's certain that Aegon has changed but she is still unsure.
Finally Helaena nods. "One chance only." She says and Aegon smiles for the first time.
"Thank you." He says.
Helaena nods. "Don't mess it up."
"I won't." Aegon says hurriedly. Helaena smiles a little.
While Aegon and Helaena talk, Daelys sits beside Aemond's bed, waiting for him to wake up. She hadn't left his side since they found them. She gazes at his face. Aemond doesn't have any facial hair, he didn't grow any. His hair is longer than what Daelys had ever seen. And his face shows that time has passed and also contains signs of what he has been through. Daelys doesn't want to see under the bandages again.
Daelys' sighs and looks away. For ten years, she had wanted to be reunited with Aemond but she never imagined it would be like this. A groan makes Daelys turn back to Aemond.
He moves a little and his eye opens and immediately falls on Daelys. Daelys moves to take his hand but stops remembering Daemon's warning. No one knows what his mental state is. He might be scared by the sudden movement.
"Daelys?" Aemond asks still considering that he is imagining it all.
"It's me." Daelys confirms. "You are not imagining it. I am here."
Slowly Daelys reaches out for Aemond's hand and notices how Aemond's eye is on her hand. She takes his hand and notices how Aemond relaxes. Both of them are quiet not knowing what will be the most appropriate thing to say at the moment.
"I don't know what I am supposed to say." Aemond says after the silence has stretched on for too long.
"Me neither." Daelys admits, a smile forming on both of their faces. "Never really considered what to say afterwards." They laugh slightly.
"We need to figure something out or it will get more awkward than it already is." Aemond points out.
Daelys exhales slowly. "True." She sighs. "How about you ask me something and I answer. It's better than trying to come up with topics."
"I guess." Aemond agrees. "How many... children?" He asks not thinking about it.
"Three." Daelys answers keeping a careful eye on Aemond's face. "Daena and then twins. I named them Aemma and... Aemond."
"Of course you named the boy after me." Aemond mutters closing his eyes, a smile still on his face.
"Honestly it would have been better if I could have just named him Daelys." Daelys says trying not to burst out laughing.
"Now you will tell me you should have named Aemma Aemond." Aemond laughs a little.
Daelys chuckles slightly. "You should just see her."
"That isn't ominous at all." Aemond says and they chuckle again. "Do I even want to know who married who?"
Daelys sucks on a deep breath. "That will be a bit hard to explain. Maybe meet them yourself?"
"From the way you are talking it makes me not want to meet them." Aemond chuckles.
"What I meant is- I don't care what I meant at the moment." Daelys laughs. It's the most either of them have laughed in the last ten years.
A knock on the door puts a stop to their laughing. Daelys feels Aemond become tense. She gives his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Mother, can we talk?" Daena's voice is heard and Daelys rolls her eyes.
"Daena." She tells Aemond who relaxes immediately. "She can't give me a break, can she?"
Aemond smiles a little. "Can I meet her?"
"Fine but remember that she is a storm." Daelys warns getting up and walking to the door. She opens it to find a very nervous Daena standing outside. "Yes?"
"Is he awake?" Daena asks.
Daelys glances at Aemond with a knowing smile. He gives a nod and Daelys opens the door wider. "See for yourself." She says.
Daena enters and stops when she sees Aemond sitting on the bed. "Go." Daelys gives Daena a gentle push. Still in a state of awe, Daena walks to the chair beside Aemond's bed and Daelys looks outside the room where Jaehaerys stands.
"Have you talked to Aegon yet?" Daelys asks in a low voice so that the others are not disturbed.
Jaehaerys shakes his head. "He wants to meet us but... I don't know if I want to."
Daelys sighs. "Jae, I know what he was like but it's been ten years. Give him one chance to prove himself. If he doesn't..." Daelys shrugs.
Jaehaerys sighs. "Fine." He says half-heartedly. "Daena will kill me if I don't. So... I will go now." Sighing Daelys closes the door. It's going to be a long day.
While inside to Dragonstone castle families reunited, outside Daemon and a few others are getting ready for the approaching war.
Daemon stands at the cliff with Criston, Caron, Aegon, Luke, Rhaena and Baela. "We need to give them a day." Baela argues.
"We don't have time." Daemon points out. "Unless the news is controlled, Rhaenyra will go to war for Jace."
"Then a few of us needs to depart." Andar says approaching the group, Dyanna with him. "The Royal Progress isn't over and I am still supposed to be in Runestone. If I get there in time, Rhaenyra will suspect nothing. And if we send word to the Hightowers, then they will keep quiet for now."
"If you don't join Rhaenyra, then no one will question it. You hate the Vale after all." Baela points out.
"Then I will stay in King's Landing." Daemon says. "But if we are to get this done, we need to leave now. I won't be surprised if Rhaenyra has already set out for Runestone."
"I don't have a dragon." Andar says and the group either rolls their eyes or sighs in frustration.
"I have one." Baela says.
"We will tell them what happened here. Daelys will understand." Luke says as everyone steps back as both Caraxes and Moondancer fly up to the cliff.
They watch as Daemon, Baela and Andar fly away. "Daelys will be mad." Caron says in the silence.
"Agreed." Dyanna states. "Maybe I should tell her?"
"Let me accompany you." Luke offers. "She's less likely to kill me than you."
Now no one can help themselves. They burst out laughing. "Atleast let's allow them to enjoy the day. They will certainly kill us if we disturb them." Criston states.
"That they will." Rhaena agrees. "Luke and I will travel to Driftmark and bring Rhaenys here."
"Okay." Aegon says. "We can handle things for a day."
"We will meet tomorrow." Caron says. "And then tell Daelys exactly what is happening."
"Okay." Everyone says and they all separate.
The day is a happy one for everyone except Jace and Rhaenyra doesn't even know what has happened in Dragonstone. But it won't be long before she learns of it. And then the real war will begin.