Midnight Rain // Aemond Targaryen // Aegon II Targaryen (1)

11. Wait

''This one has 60 rings... and two pairs of legs on each. That's 240.'' Helaena remarked looking down at the creature crawling over her hands.

''Yes, it is." Alicent agreed

''It has eyes... though... I don't believe it can see.'' Helaena told her softly completely captivated by the creature.

''And why is that so, do you think?'' Alicent questioned her daughter, she was bored, motherhood didn't suit her, being a wife to Viserys didn't suit her either.

''It is beyond our understanding.''

''I suppose you're right. Some things just are.'' Alicent agreed. She didn't understand her daughter, she was a strange girl, but all of her children were a bit odd. The door opened catching her attention.

''Your Grace. Aemond.'' The kings guard announced as Alicent's son entered.

''What have you done?''

''He did it again.'' Aemond murmured

''After how many times you've been warned, must I have you confined to your chambers?!'' Alicent questioned incredulously.

''They made me do it!'' Aemond told her innocently.

''As if you needed encouragement. Your obsession with those beasts goes beyond understanding.'' Alicent was not a Targaryen she didn't understand dragons, she never would. But it was dragons that ruled. She could dress her children in green but that didn't stop them from being Targaryen and having dragon blood.

"They gave me a pig!" Aemond declared.

''A what?''

''They said they found a dragon for me.'' Aemond told her.

''The last ring has no legs at all." Helaena went on.

''But it was a pig.'' Aemond told his mother.

''You will have a dragon one day.''

''He'll have to close an eye.'' Helaena continued talking to herself and her little creepy crawly.

''I know it.'' Alicent assured

''They all laughed.'' Aemond told her with a big pout on his face. "Aisha said she would hit him for me but I dont think she really will." aemond admitted. 

"Aisha wasn't a part of their little... pig." Alicent offered. 

"No. Never. Aisha has a heart. Unlike them!"

+

"Why did you do that to Aemond?" Aisha hissed. 

"What?" Aegon asked innocently. 

"You gave him a pig?"

"Did I?" Aegon questioned. 

"Aegon." Aisha whined. "You he looks up to you. He used to. You treat him badly. You are going to push him away."

"I don't care if I push him away. I want to pull you closer." and with that look Aisha's anger faded as Aegon kissed her. 

"We can't." Aisha told Aegon as she blushed taking a step back.

"Why not?"

"I can't risk getting pregnant. We are not married-'

"Yet." Aegon reminded her.

"Aegon we can't. Not until we are wed." Aisha told him sternly but he pulled her closer.

"Come on..." he begged kissing her neck.

"Aegon we can't." Aisha repeated. He groaned pulling at her dress. "Aegon-"

"Don't you want me? I want you." Aegon told her.

"I do. But we can't. not yet." Aisha reminded him and Aegon flopped back into the bed. "We could do other things..." Aisha offered and Aegon lifted his head up from the pillow to look at her.

"Other things?" He sat up a hand sliding under her dress but a knock at the door startled her. Aisha rose immediately and moved to the window. "No, don't go."

"Alone in your room,' Aisha whispered is not a good sign. ''Your mother would be-"

"I don't care about her. I want you."

"Ruin both our reputations." Aisha reminded him as she stepped out the window floating down on a disk of water. Aegon stared down at her.

"Come back tonight!" Aegon called down to her as she made her way to the shores.

+

''They made wings for it, apparently, and a tail.'' Alicent remarked.

''The lad shouldn't have been so credulous.'' Viserys told her nonchalantly.

''He's a child." Alicent reminded him

''He thought they'd happened upon some wild unnamed dragon and lured it to the Dragonpit?'' Viserys countered with a laugh.

''Your grandsons are a menace.'' Alicent spat.

''They're more children than he is.'' Viserys assured.

''Th-They're savages. And it's not surprising.'' Alicent muttered swirling her drink in her hand

''Are you sure it wasn't our Aegon who put them up to it?''

''It's a wonder to me their eggs ever hatched.''

''And why is that?'' Viserys asked innocently.

''You know why.'' Alicent hissed.

''I'm afraid I don't.''

''Don't!'' Alicent inhaled a tight breath before letting it out ''Viserys.''

''We shall continue this afternoon, Eddard.'' Viserys declared and he nodded moving away from the replica he was creating and heading out.

''I have raised this matter before and you forbade me to speak of it, so I held my tongue." Alicent reminded him and Viserys sighed. ''To have one child like that is a mistake, to have three is an insult, to the throne, to you, to House Velaryon and the match you battled so hard to make for her. Not to mention decency itself.'' Alicent told him stiffly.

''I had a black mare once. Black like a raven.'' Viserys told her calmly. ''One day, she escaped her pasture and the neighboring stallion sired a foal on her. The stallion was as silver as the moon on a winter's night and the foal, when it was born, chestnut.'' Viserys told her with a chuckle ''Just the most unremarkable brown horse you ever saw. Nature is a thing of mysterious works. ''

'How do you know?" Alicent countered. ''The silver stallion. How do you know it was him? Did you witness the act itself?'' Viserys banged a hand down on the table silencing her, he wouldn't hear this again.

'The consequences of an allegation like the one you toy at would be dire." Viserys said with a deep sigh, his shoulders sagged as he turned away from her. ''Do not speak of this again''.

''Have I lost my sanity, Ser Criston? Do my senses lead me astray? Or is everyone else asleep, dreaming the same woolly dream?'' Alicent questioned as they walked

'Sometimes seems so, Your Grace.'' Criston agreed.

''She flaunts the privilege of her inheritance without shame. She expects everyone in the Red Keep to deny the truth our eyes can all plainly see. And the King, her father...'' Alicent sneered

''He knows.'' Criston offered cautiously.

''Of course, he knows." Alicent hissed ''Or did once, but has convinced himself otherwise. He'll do naught but make excuses for her. The Princess Rhaenyra is brazen and relentless. A spider who stings and sucks her prey dry.''

''A spoiled cսոt.'' Criston agreed and a smug smile pulled at Alicent's lips. ''That was beneath me, Your Grace. I apologize.'' But Alicent just smirked. ''I have to believe, that in the end, honor and decency will prevail. ''

''We need to hew to that and to each other.'' Alicent agreed.