Jacaerys is pacing around his cell, bored with having nothing to do. He had been counting the days and knows that only two moons has passed. He believes he still has to wait for one moon more before Rhaenyra returns from the Progress. He is ready to wait patiently because he knows once he gets out he will get what he has wanted for a long time. The Iron Throne.
He suddenly stops pacing and looks at a particular shadowed region. "I wasn't expecting anyone so soon." He says calmly. "Then again it has been two fucking moons. It seems like a long time to keep me waiting, Sister."
"What gives you the right to call me Sister?" Daelys asks stepping out of the shadows.
"Let's see." Jacaerys begins sarcastically. "We share the same mother." He answers.
"Calling me sister is a privilege." Daelys tells Jacaerys. "One which you do not have anymore."
"You think you are someone whom the Seven Kingdoms will accept as their Queen. But look around, Daelys, they hate Mother because she is not a man. Why would it be different for you?" Jacaerys smirks.
"Because they will sooner put a woman on the Iron Throne than see a bastard sit on it." Daelys replies.
"And you are not?" Jace questions.
"Atleast I look like a Targaryen." Daelys says. "You, on the other hand, look like a Strong."
Jacaerys' smirk is replaced with anger as a smirk forms on Daelys' face. He slams his hands angrily on the bars of his cell. "You should watch your mouth. When I become king-"
"Not when, if." Daelys corrects cutting across Jacaerys. "You will never be king."
"So go ahead and kill me. It will be much easier." Jacaerys says.
"That is too quick a death for you." Daelys replies. "I will much rather leave you here to rot."
Daelys turns to leave but Jacaerys' words stop her. "The night Aemond lost his eye, you promised you will always protect us." He takes a few steps back as Daelys turns back to him and gestures all around him. "Is this what you meant?"
"What I meant was completely different but after everything, I will never protect you again." Daelys says. "Goodbye, Jacaerys."
Jacaerys' face falls. In their entire lives Daelys has never before called him anything except Jace. But now she has and whatever Jacaerys had done, he still loves her. Hearing his full name from Daelys' mouth breaks his heart and at that moment he vows to destroy Daelys' life.
Daelys comes up the stairs to find Aemond waiting for her. "How did it go?" He asks simply.
Daelys glances at him once. "It's a surprise I didn't kill him." She states as she starts to walk outside with large strides.
Aemond runs over to catch up with her. "Where are we going?"
"For a ride." Daelys answers. "I need to clear my head."
They don't say another word until they reach Blaze. Daelys approaches her dragon but Aemond stops. "Nobody has given me a few answers." He says.
Daelys looks over and realises she hasn't told him about Vhagar. "Vhagar hasn't been seen in the last ten years." She says slowly.
"I can't feel her too." Aemond tells her.
They stand there in silence for a few minutes. "Let's go." Daelys says finally getting on her dragon.
"I don't have a dragon, Dae." Aemond points out.
Daelys smirks. "I know." She says extending her hand. "But this will be a lot more fun."
Aemond scoffs but grabs Daelys' hand and swings himself onto Blaze. "As long as he doesn't try to eat me."
Daelys laughs before Blaze spreads his wings and starts flying. Aemond, not expecting it, gasps and wraps his arms around Daelys.
"Scared?" Daelys shouts over the wind.
"Never!" Aemond replies, a huge smile on his face. They are both laughing as Daelys guides Blaze to go to 'their island'. Aemond scoffs silently. "I should have expected."
"If you want to we can go back." Daelys offers innocently.
Aemond glares at her. "Shut up." He says playfully. Laughing Daelys walks over to him and takes his hand. "Have you been here?" He asks.
Daelys shakes her head. "I didn't know what I will do here without you, so... I just kept putting it off for a later date."
Aemond rolls his eyes. "You can just admit that you didn't want to come here without me." He says. Daelys laughs with him but Aemond misses that it isn't Daelys' usual laugh. But she quickly shakes it off.
They spend the entire day having fun and just being carefree, something they haven't done in a long time, not since they married.
"Time to go back then." Aemond sighs.
"It never becomes... desirable." Daelys says bitterly and they laugh.
"I remember the last time we had come here and when I returned Mother had scolded me for not telling her where I was going." Aemond tells Daelys as a sadness comes in his eye. No one has told him the exact reason for Alicent's death.
"Daemon had confronted me too though I had told him to fuck off." Daelys says and the two laugh a little. But Daelys knows that there is more on Aemond's mind at the moment. "What is it?"
"How did Mother die?" Aemond asks looking over. "No one will tell me the reason and I am hoping you will tell me the truth."
Daelys sighs and takes Aemond's hands. "She was sick after everything." Daelys answers. "Grandsire's death was expected but Otto's wasn't and neither was your and Aegon's disappearance. She... was heartbroken."
Aemond stays silent. He already hated Jacaerys but he thought that atleast he hadn't killed anyone. But he was wrong. He has killed someone. His mother.
"What does Daelys think?" Rhaenyra asks Daamon once he gets back to Dragonstone.
"She doesn't want to go to war." Daemon answers. "As far as I know, she will wait for now."
"We need to get Jace out." Rhaenyra says. "Without him we won't win."
"Not yet." Daemon says. "We need to lure Daelys into a false sense of security first."
"Jace lied to me." Rhaenyra whispers after a few moments of silence. "He told me that he had killed Aegon and Aemond."
"Whatever he said, we need to think about our next steps." Daemon says. "She will get rid of me the first chance she will get. She won't let anyone who speaks against Aemond live."
"We need to make a plan which Daelys won't see through immediately." Rhaenyra says and Daemon nods agreeing. "We need to gather those on our side."
They believe that most of the Queens Guard and the Gold Cloaks will side with them. But the betrayal runs deeper. There is very few who are truly on Rhaenyra's side. Everyone hopes to achieve something by staying on her side.
While those on Daelys' side are there because they truly want to see her sit on the Iron Throne. And any information from inside the Red Keep is easily available to Daelys. So as Daelys holds a meeting around the Painted Table, a guard walks over to Aemond.
They all become silent as the guard talks to Aemond. After the guard walks away, Aemond turns to Daelys. "Rhaenyra and Daemon are planning how to free Jacaerys."
Immediately shouts of Daemon being a traitor goes up from around the table. "He isn't a fool. He's planning something." Daelys whispers to Aemond.
He nods. "I know. He knows that you have spies everywhere."
Daelys turns to look at those gathered around the table. The rest of her family are trying to get everyone to stop but it isn't working.
"ENOUGH!" Daelys shouts. Everyone stops shouting immediately and all eyes turn to Daelys. "I thought nobles were gathered around the table. I didn't realise it is just the rabble."
They all exchange looks knowing Daelys is correct. They have been acting as the rabble would. "What do you propose we do?" Cregan asks.
"We will wait until Daemon gets here. He knows that I have spies inside the Red Keep. I will very much like to learn what he is planning." Daelys answers.
Daemon lands in a covered cove. He knows that Daelys should have learned of the meeting by now. It is already late night and the castle rooms are dark. He quietly makes his way inside not encountering a single guard.
It makes his suspicion rise and he makes his way to the throne room. He knows that Daelys is already expecting him.
"I must give it to you." A male voice comes from the throne. "You have courage to show your face here after what you did, Uncle."
"It's not your seat." Daemon says.
"I don't see anyone objecting except you." Aemond says getting up and coming down the steps to stand in front of Daemon. "Want to explain?"
"I will explain to the one who should hear it." Daemon answers stiffly.
"Unfortunately Daelys is asleep. And I am not going to wake her up for you." Aemond says starting to walk towards the door. "The guards will show you to your room."
"Going to lock me up like that bastard?" Daemon retorts as Caron and Arryk approach.
"You are planning to free 'that bastard'. Maybe you will like to spend some time with him?" Aemond says smirking.
"You are talking about things you don't understand, boy." Daemon retorts.
Aemond scoffs. "I understand enough to know that you are planning with Rhaenyra instead of against her."
"As I said you don't know anything." Daemon says.
"Then indulge me." Aemond says signalling for Caron and Arryk to step out of the room. They do so. "So you are not planning with Rhaenyra?"
"If I was I would have told her about your plans for the Stormlands." Daemon says smirking.
"True. But then again you may have told her that some time else when you were certain that their are no spies around you." Aemond points out.
"Then there would have been soldiers dispatched for the Stormlands." Daemon answers, his smirk growing.
"Not necessarily." Aemond states. "The Stormlanders will have more than enough soldiers by themselves to take care of the... uprising. In which case all Rhaenyra has to do is send a message. Correct me if I am wrong."
Daemon says nothing mentally calculating what Aemond just said and did. Aemond was just able to beat him in an argument, something he considered impossible by anyone except Daelys.
"You are lucky Daelys loves you or I would have just put you in the same cell as Jacaerys." Aemond says. "Now unless you can provide me with something, I am just going to order them to lock you up and then I will go ahead and convince Daelys that you should be in a cell."
Aemond turns and walks to the door but doesn't open it. "And what would Daelys say when you try to turn her against me?" Daemon asks.
"She will definitely hate me but she listens to reason." Aemond says. "It's better if she hates me instead of everyone hating her."
Daemon laughs. "I will enjoy myself very much then."
"I doubt you will." They turn just as Daelys steps into the light. "My patience with you is this much right now." She holds her thumb and forefinger very close to each other, almost touching. "You have exactly two seconds to explain before I tell them to throw you in a cell."
Aemond raises his eyebrows slightly but composes his face quickly. Daemon scoffs. "Rhaenyra plans to have Viserys married within the next moon and then she plans to lay siege on Dragonstone."
"That can be easily taken care of." Daelys says. "Either give me something useful or..."
Daemon sighs. "Rhaenyra plans to distract you while Viserys frees Jace." He says clearly in a desperate last attempt.
Daelys and Aemond exchange a look. "And what is the great distraction?"
"She hasn't decided yet." Daemon replies.
"As I had suspected." Aemond mutters and Daelys nods.
"Leave." Daelys commands. "And don't come back unless you can give me something more than that." She turns to leave but turns her head again. "The nobles want your head. Fail me again and I will give it to them."
Aemond opens the door and they step outside the room. "I suddenly have a lot of respect for Grandsire." Daelys says.
"I know." Aemond sighs.