𝓔𝔁𝓬𝓮𝓻𝓹𝓽 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 '𝓫𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓼'
𝐴𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑓 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑡. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑡. 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡, 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑟. 𝐴𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑎𝑤 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙. 𝐴 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓-𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠. 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑, ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑡.
"𝑌𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑑𝑜 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛? 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑜 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒."
𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮31 𝗔𝗖. 𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 '𝗕𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀', 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗲𝗻. 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝘀.
Aurora had to admit that her nervousness didn't decrease as the day went on, but rather increased, knowing that in a few hours she would have to face her worst nightmare in the form of Otto Hightower.
She had been afraid of him as a child, and now, a few years later, that hadn't changed. She had hoped that she would be above things, but it seemed as if she was just like the scared little mouse back then, who was only too happy to hide in a dark hole as soon as she had to be exposed to his gaze.
"What are you writing, sister?"
Besides Otto Hightower, there was someone else who made her weak in the knees. A look at Aemond and that added up to three. Aemond looked down at her uninterestedly while Aegon leaned forward and snatched the book from her hand faster than she could see.
Aurora gasped in shock as Aegon took a curious look at her little book. He laughed as she jumped up and grabbed it, hopping like an idiot in front of him to reach for the book he was holding way too high.
His laughter embarrassed her and she felt her cheeks begin to glow. Nothing sounded more disgusting than Aegon's laugh, which immediately reminded her of her childhood and showed her what status she had in this family.
"Give it back to me now," she demanded. She had hoped to sound forceful and exalted, but instead her command sounded bleak and unimpressive.
"What? You don't want to share your thoughts with me?" Aegon asked mockingly with a pout and turned to Aemond, who still didn't make a face. "I think our sister doesn't trust us."
Then he looked at her again. "If she doesn't trust us, we can't trust her either. Let's see what our Little Robin writes about us."
Stop calling me that.
Aurora couldn't stop herself from looking at Aemond, who looked back at her and took her back to a time in her life where everything had gone from difficult to catastrophic.
"Trust me, Aemond, I didn't know anything, I-"
"You're a traitor, Aurora. I don't trust you one bit anymore."
Aurora reached for the book again in panic as Aegon flipped through it in amusement, wincing as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him, the closest she had ever been to him.
"Careful, sis," he warned, scorn still in his voice. "I could get the impression you're writing about me."
His gaze was searching, intimidating and meaningful. She felt his breath on her lips and the nervousness made her heart pound wildly against her chest. She swallowed and saw Aegon's eyes move to her lips. He opened his mouth, but before he could address her again with any painful comment, Aurora saw a hand reach from behind for the book, which Aegon held up in the air and snatched it from him.
Like her, Aegon looked surprised in the direction of Aemond, who only gave Aegon a disparaging look before holding it out to Aurora. She took it as quickly as possible and held it tightly against her chest. Protected it like a treasure, because that's what it was for her. Her very own personal treasure.
"I thought you'd be old enough to not act like a little boy, but obviously you skipped that part."
Aurora looked at Aemond in surprise, who only commented on her expression with a cool look before he turned around, obviously intending to leave, but none other than Qyl Martell, accompanied by his two sisters, blocked his path and looked disparagingly at them two Targaryen princes.
His gaze went to Aegon's hand, which was still wrapped around Aurora's wrist.
He raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Well, dear prince. Bullying helpless girls again?"
Despite the high temperatures that prevailed in Dorne, the air between them could hardly be colder. Aegon furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at his hand before surprisingly pulling it to his chest and throwing an arm around her shoulder. Every muscle and fiber in her body stiffened and she had to force herself not to run away screaming.
Aliandra gave Qyl a disapproving look, but didn't reach out.
"Bullying? I'm just spending time with my sister, who always sneaks away from me when she sees me."
Aurora refrained from denying it. Nothing was more true than these words.
"There's definitely a reason for that," Qyl scoffed, lifting his chin. "I would do it too if I had to see your grimace."
"Careful," Aemond warned, stepping forward. "He is still the Prince of this realm."
"Exactly," Qyl commented. "This realm. Not mine. As far as I know, we're still independent." Her fiancé approached, deliberately provoking her brothers, but Aurora didn't bother to believe that Qyl was doing it to defend her. He has always been rebellious, although she was only now getting to know his argumentative side. She didn't know he had such a dislike for Targaryens.
Actually, after years in Sunspear, it shouldn't surprise her. He never truly liked her.
"But maybe we can work this out another way," he said suddenly and Aurora watched as her best friend's eyebrows rose while her little sister's eyes only reflected anticipation. Aurora also had an idea in which direction this would go.
"A man-to-man fight," Qyl struck, then looked past Aemond, straight to Aegon, who didn't seem very pleased. "Unless you're afraid and only dare to fight against defenseless girls."
Aegon snorted derisively and his grip on her wrist tightened. Whether intentional or unintentional, she didn't know, but as she winced from the pain that shot through her wrist, her brother immediately released the pressure.
"We-" Aemond began, but before he could say another word, Aegon took a step forward.
"We accept the challenge." Then he looked at Aemond. "Aemond will," he said, making a meaningful gesture that was met with a raised eyebrow from Aemond and a laugh from Qyl.
"How beautiful," he said, leaning forward slightly. "I'm curious to hear what you were taught in King's Landing, Prince Aegon."
Aegon's attitude became dismissive. "Me? My brother will fight."
"But I'm not challenging him, I'm challenging you." Qyl then looked at Aemond, who did nothing but eye him coldly. "It's your little brother's turn if he wants to restore the honor of the Targaryens after I am done with you. It would be worth a try."
Qyl's mockery was like poison to her ears because she knew it was dangerous. Her brothers were dangerous men, each in their own way, and just because Dorne and the royal house had a pack dating back to Aegon I, that didn't mean they wouldn't take up arms if they dared to shame. Aurora looked at Aliandra warningly, but she didn't seem to notice her at all. Or didn't want to, because she obviously relished the prospect of a fight. Aurora, on the other hand, felt only despair.
"I don't think-" she began.
"Agreed."
All eyes went to Aegon.
Aurora saw Aemond give him an incredulous look, clearly not pleased that Aegon had just agreed to fight. Aemond turned to Aegon, seemed to want to say something, but before he could say a word, Qyl clapped his hands joyfully. "Fantastic."
He looked at Aliandra, who also had a twinkle in her eyes. Aurora swallowed and looked worriedly at Aegon, who didn't know what he had gotten himself into. Qyl was one of the best fighters in Dorne. Although he had no real fighting experience, the men praised him for his fighting skills and talent. Even without Aurora being able to judge, she knew that her brother Aegon couldn't keep up.
"I think we should let this happen another time, we-"
"Aurora, be quiet!" Aegon interrupted her and she looked at him with her mouth open. "The men are talking now."
Okay, forget it. She hoped Qyl would finish him off. Stomped him as far into the ground as he could and buried him there forever.
Qyl gave her a meaningful look and signaled to Aegon which direction they had to go. "This direction, Targaryen Prince."
Aegon lifted his chin and straightened his back. His gaze was snide and mocking, but Aurora saw something else in it as he glanced at Aemond for a brief moment.
They all followed Qyl and Aegon to the training ground and gathered around the area separated by a rope for the two to prepare for. Qyl drew his weapon and Aegon looked at him in shock.
"Real weapons?"
Qyl raised an amused eyebrow. "In Dorne only children fight with practice swords. Are you a child, Aegon?"
The humiliation was deep and Aegon blushed with shame. Aurora saw in his face that he wasn't going to take this insult lying down. Aurora watched as her brothers exchanged regular glances, and from the look on Aemond's face, she knew that Aegon was not a good fighter and was a complete contrast to her fiancé.
Qyl seemed to enjoy Aegon's discomfort and obviously sensed that the eldest son of King Viserys was no match for him.
They faced each other and when Aliandra opened the fight, they stood around the ring and watched as Qyl took pleasure in humiliating Aegon.
Aegon wasn't a bad fighter. But he wasn't particularly good either.
He struck again and again at Qyl, his wild and uncoordinated blows a complete contrast to that of the Dornish young man, who parried all his attempts almost bored and underwhelmed.
Aurora knew that Qyl could have ended the fight within minutes and was just enjoying humiliating Aegon. She twisted her mouth. Even though she didn't like her brother, she didn't like the portrayal.
"You see, Aurora," said Aliandra, leaning over to her. "My brother fights hard. But don't worry. He's supposed to be gentler in bed," she joked and Aurora blushed. She turned in shock to her friend, who looked at her with amusement, and ducked as Aurora swung at her. She laughed loudly, and although Aurora was mortified by her words, she laughed with her.
But her laughter was short-lived as her gaze caught Aegon's and before she even understood what had happened, Aegon was lying on his back with Qyl's sword tip at his chest.
"You have lost, Targaryen Prince," Qyl revealed the obvious, smiling smugly down at Aegon, who had shame evident on his face. "If everyone among you fights like this, it was no wonder Aegon I failed to conquer Dorne."
Aegon's face turned dark, so dark red that she was afraid his head would explode, but before Aegon could say anything, Aemond suddenly stepped forward and all eyes turned to him.
"I heard in Dorne you are ridiculed for refusing challenges," he said calmly, picking up a sword and examining it for a moment before turning it on Qyl. "But I wouldn't tell anyone if you'd rather not experience humiliation, boy."
Aurora's heart pounded against her chest and she looked nervously at Qyl, who was still smiling, but it was clear in his eyes that he liked Aemond even less than Aegon.
She didn't know why Qyl had such a dislike for her brothers, but she knew it wasn't her fault. She knew that she meant nothing to him and didn't have any hopes that would eventually burst like a soap bubble.
Aegon stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants before glancing at Aemond and then walking out of the ring. His eyes landed on Aurora and she winced as she saw them narrow into slits. It was clear to her that she had caused annoyance, she just didn't know why. Would he now transfer his feelings about the humiliation he experienced at the hands of Qyl to her? Aurora tried to suppress the fear that spread through her and instead looked at Aemond and Qyl, who were getting ready.
Their fight was far more evenly matched than Aegon and Qyl's. Aemond parried Qyl's blows with ease, which was impressive considering he only had one eye left. Aemond's movements were elegant and smooth, and while he was a bit slower than Qyl, he seemed to anticipate his opponent's every strike. Aurora was impressed with what he had developed into. He seemed like a worthy opponent, no, he was a worthy opponent and Qyl seemed to have understood that, as beads of sweat now stood on his forehead.
A look at Aliandra confirmed that she was also thinking the same thing as Aurora. Qyl Martell was about to lose to Aemond Targaryen. A few seconds later they got confirmation when Qyl tripped over his own feet due to a push from Aemond and landed with a crash on the ground, just like Aegon before him.
Aemond's sword point at his chest.
"You have lost, boy," Aemond revealed the obvious, smiling smugly down at Qyl, who had shame evident on his face. "If everyone among you fights like this, I suspect that Dorne will soon humbly bow the knee to their true ruler."
"That will never happen," Qyl hissed, trying to sit up, but Aemond extended his sword further, forcing him to stop. His face was red, just like Aegon's before, and she knew him so well by now that she knew that the shame of losing the battle would remain for a long time.
"Then at least we hope the manners will improve."
"That's enough," Aliandra hissed and stepped onto the battlefield. She pushed herself between him and her brother and looked at Aemond with hostility. "You won, that should be enough."
Then her gaze moved to Aemond's arm. "You should treat your wound. My brother may have lost, but if this had been a real fight, your arm would be off by now."
Aurora followed her gaze and winced when she noticed the bloody cut on Aemond's arm. Shocked, she stumbled a step forward. She hadn't even noticed how Qyl had caught him. He had shown no reaction. Not even a second. Aurora hadn't once taken her eyes off him during the entire fight and hadn't noticed.
She figured if you had to experience the loss of an eye, a cut on your arm was a joke.
Aemond followed Aliandra's gaze as if he too had missed the injury. He said nothing else and carelessly threw his sword on the ground, then turned around and left the place without a word. Aegon followed him, but his eyes were on Aurora, who was sure that the topic was far from over for him.
Aurora felt her fingers tingle with excitement and her whole body tense, knowing she wasn't welcome, yet she couldn't stop herself from banging on the door in front of her and listening to her heart raising wildly against her chest.
For a moment she feared that no one was there, or worse, that he was deliberately ignoring her, before the door opened and her mouth fell wide open.
She didn't mean to stare, and it certainly wasn't the first time she had seen a man's naked torso, but seeing Aemond like that was something else. She swallowed and took a deep breath.
"What do you want?" Aemond's voice was hard, as was his toned upper body, which was covered with muscles. Aurora tore her eyes from his bare skin and looked at his face, which in retrospect turned out to be a worse choice.
As always, Aemond's gaze was cold and condescending towards her, as if she wasn't even worthy of breathing the same air in his presence.
She therefore quickly tried to sort out her thoughts and held out the cream that she had received from the Maester of Martell.
Aemond furrowed his eyebrows.
"What is that?"
"An ointment to help your wound heal better," she explained, looking at his arm. His wound had already been bandaged. "He hurt you, that's why I thought-"
"Stop thinking, sister," he snapped and Aurora winced as he slapped the ointment out of her hand, carelessly falling to the floor and spreading it on her.
Aurora tried to ignore the sharp pain in her chest and held back her tears. This was going exactly as she expected. She was so stupid.
"I'm fine," Aemond interrupted coldly. "Not that you ever cared." She winced at the meaning of his words. She had always wondered if he had forgiven her while she was gone. Since his arrival, however, he had always made it clear to her that his hatred for her and her actions was still as passionate as it had been in the beginning.
"I don't need your help," he continued, pushing past her. "I do not need you."
I do not need you.
No, because she was the one who needed him.
If you thought her encounter with Aemond would be the worst part of the day, you didn't know Aurora's grandfather.
Otto Hightower hated Aurora and had done so since she was born.
He had never tried to hide it. Mostly he'd ignored her and given her disapproving looks, ignored everything good about her and criticized everything bad, and even though he'd never said it, she knew he believed the rumors too.
Aurora herself sometimes wondered if she was actually a bastard.
Although her skin was light, her skin was darker than that of her mother and siblings. Her face had no typical Targaryen features and to date she had not been able to claim a dragon. Her hair was reddish-brown and only shimmered slightly blonde in the sun, but that didn't mean anything. Aurora looked like a Hightower at best, but she had nothing of a Targaryen appearance.
She herself had come to terms with it. Whether she was a bastard or not didn't matter. The only thing she wanted to know was if she belonged somewhere.
To someone.
If there was anyone who might love her just as she was.
When she knocked on her grandfather's door she was invited in, but the voice sounded nothing like Otto and when she entered the room and saw Aegon sitting on her grandfather's desk, she knew there was trouble.
She ignored the urge to turn around immediately.
"What are you doing here?" Aurora asked irritably and although she was sure she was in her grandfather's chambers, she looked around. No, she was definitely in Otto's room. Only he could design a guest room so that you felt like you were being overwhelmed by greenery.
Her brother Aegon said nothing to her question.
"Close the door." His voice had a threatening undertone and Aurora felt the nervousness crushing her. She didn't understand why he was here instead of Otto. He spoke listlessly, menacingly; she felt a shiver run down her spine.
It was almost amusing how scared she still was around Aegon.
She pursed her lips, swallowed hard, turned obediently, and closed the door behind her with a soft clatter of wood. She looked at the entrance, not daring to look at him, knowing they shouldn't be alone in the same room without witnesses.
One was because she was his unmarried sister and the other was because he was her married brother. Even under normal circumstances a chaperone would be present at a two-on-one meeting, but with Targaryen it was a different matter.
She jumped in shock as he rushed towards her, standing in front of her in an instant, grabbing her by the jaw and slamming her body against the door. Aurora gasped and looked panicked into her brother's eyes, which were looking down at her hard and without any sign of empathy or sympathy. The only thing she recognized in his eyes was anger. Anger at her. She felt her heart begin to race as she stared at him in shock. What the Seven Hells? Her whole body was shaking as she stared at him through wide eyes. Her breathing became faster.
Aegon's grip was hard. She stared in shock into his angry eyes, which glared at her uncontrollably. She felt panic rising within her. Fuck. She was alone. With Aegon. Who glared menacingly at her and was closer to her than ever before.
"Did you laugh at me, Little Robin?" He hissed so much that she felt a shiver all over her body and her heart stopped for a moment.
"What?" She didn't understand what he meant.
"I want to know if it was fun to see me on the ground?"
She wondered what he wanted to hear. The brutal truth or the sweet lie. That she had enjoyed seeing him on the ground or that she didn't really care. She knew immediately what situation he meant, but only she knew that her laughter had nothing to do with him. Her lack of reaction annoyed him, he tightened his grip on her jaw and moved even closer to her.
"No, it wasn't about you, I-"
"Do you like being his whore?"
Her breath hitched. She stared at Aegon in disbelief. Could he sink any lower?
"What?" His question alone embarrassed her.
"He disrespects me, us, our family, and you offer yourself to him like he's your god. Like you're his whore."
They were humiliating words, but it shouldn't surprise her, considering the mouth from which they came.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Aegon, but you're hurting me-"
"Grandfather was right about you. You haven't changed. Mother is a fool."
Just the mention of her mother was a slap in the face to Aurora. Aurora always felt like an orphan, abandoned in Dorne after making a mistake that was unforgivable to her mother, but which she had only made with good intentions. She wasn't a monster and yet she felt like one.
"I wasn't laughing at you."
"Oh no?" he asked, feigning surprise. "Then I must have imagined the smile on your ugly face."
"You're so ugly, Little Robin. No man in his right mind would want you as his wife."
She bit her bottom lip. His words, his insults, his humiliations still haunted her to this day. She doubted she would ever get over it, but she honestly expected more from herself than to still flinch whenever Aegon stood up to her after all these years.
"Well, you still owe me an apology, Aurora. You gave me the impression that you wanted to hurt my feelings. That was very mean of you."
Aurora stared at her older brother in shock. He couldn't have meant that in the first place. What was wrong with this guy that he couldn't just leave her alone? He had gotten what he wanted after all. Her engagement was broken off, she was a thorn in his eye and he had banished her from his field of vision. Why did he care so much what she thought?
"I can't hear you, sister," he brought her back to reality. She hated the mockery in his voice. His antagonism towards her, which didn't seem to stop after all these years. He said it with a menacing frustration that made her throat tighten.
Be brave, Aurora, she told herself, but instead she said:
"Forgive me, brother," she whispered, looking at him pleadingly, hoping that her words would somehow soften him. Actually she had nothing to beg or plead for, but she preferred to please her brother rather than oppose him.
You're pathetic.
Her heart pounded against her chest as she looked into Aegon's eyes.
She saw him hesitate for a moment. He didn't let go of her, breathing heavily and nudging the side of his cheek with his tongue as he looked at her thoughtfully. Aegon had become a handsome young man, but unfortunately his character had not improved.
"What are you apologizing for, Little Robin? I want to hear it."
Aegon had always loved playing games and his favorite game was torturing her.
She swallowed hard and decided there was no point in fighting him. Even though she was surrounded by the Martells, who were kind to her in contrast to her own family, she still knew that in the end only her grandfather's word mattered. Who still seemed to despise her with a fulfilling passion. Aurora had spent her life wondering what she had done to him, but he still owed her the answer to this day.
"I'm sorry I laughed." She whispered softly, her voice like the soothing sound of rain. Aurora felt her like a flag in the wind. Sometimes she was rebellious and fearless, her knees shaking whenever Aegon so much as glanced at her.
He looked at her with a stony expression, as if he were debating whether he should forgive her or not.
"Don't ever laugh at me again, Aurora," he threatened. He spoke quietly but it was still an order, not a request. She swallowed hard and nodded meekly, her gaze warm, her mouth opened in complete submission. She wanted nothing more than to get out of that room and as she took a step forward, her brother pushed her back against the door. Apparently he had other plans. He leaned over her, his hand rising from her jaw and grabbing her hair.
Aurora's eyes widened as his lips pressed wet and hot against hers. Aegon's kiss was brutal, dominant and unyielding and absolutely overwhelming. He did whatever he wanted with her lips, sucking and biting her, making her tremble as she felt a pleasant, unfamiliar throb between her thighs. Aurora stood there, completely rooted and not moving an inch before the door behind suddenly opened and pushed her forward. They both stumbled, he backwards, she forwards as she fell into his arms, her hair still in his hand.
Aegon lost his balance and dragged her down with him. Aurora fell with a crash onto her older brother, who broke her fall by wrapping his arms around her. She pushed her face against his chin and heard him groan in pain, but he didn't push her away, making the fall painless for her.
Aurora raised her gaze and looked directly into Aegon's blue eyes, which strangely captivated her, and if it hadn't been for the throat clearing behind her, she probably would have lost herself in them. But as always, she found herself in uncomfortable situations and when she turned around, she was met by an unimpressed and judgmental Otto Hightower, who looked anything but relaxed.
"Would you be so kind as to explain to me what this means?"
She would like to know that herself.