ELLIPSISM, aemond targaryen

[007] rhaenyra's desperate proposal

SINCE AEMMA WAS not paying attention to what she was doing during the training, she did not get a chance to properly focus on the pain in her hand as she repeatedly stuck the needle into it. However, now that her brothers had taken her back to their chambers where they found Laenor, every time Laenor removed the needle from her hand it hurt twice as much as before.

Aemma hissed in pain and looked down at her hand.

"Don't look at it," Ser Qarl Correy said while holding Joffrey in his arms.

"I don't know where else to look," Aemma replied through gritted teeth.

Jace, standing next to her, squeezed her right hand tighter, which he had been holding since he found her after training. He had an absent expression, still thinking about something he heard in training, something that couldn't leave even his little sister's mind . . .

"Would you like to play with me?" Luke asked, tugging on her sleeve. "So you can focus on something else?"

Aemma looked uncertainly at Laenor who was staring intently at her hand. "I can't stand up, Luke . . ."

"I'll bring you toys here!" Luke decided and ran away.

Qarl smiled at the interaction between the siblings and with a gentle expression he came closer to the chairs where Laenor and Aemma were sitting.

"At least the pattern is nice," he pointed out earning a cold look from Laenor.

Aemma nodded with a grin. "Probably the best I've made so far. But the septa didn't like it."

Laenor stopped working. "The septa saw this?"

"It's not like I wanted to show her. But we met her in the hallway and she wanted to see what I had created, so . . . I showed her," Aemma explained with innocent eyes.

Qarl snorted while Laenor sighed and shook his head. "How many times have I told you that when you work with a sword or a needle, you should concentrate?"

"Forgive me, father, but the comedy they were playing was too interesting to tear my eyes away from."

Laenor was not amused, but Qarl raised an eyebrow and asked in amusement, "And what exactly did they play?"

"It's a story about two young princes who bravely fight for their pride despite the hatred of the people around them, played by my beloved brothers, of course," Aemma smirked as Luke ran back and spread several wooden dragons at her feet.

"Any villains?"

"Only two. One of them is a proud prince who thinks that no one can defeat him."

"Prince Aegon, I presume," pointed out Qarl and took the toy from Luke that the boy was showing him.

" 'My opponent sues for mercy!' " Jace and Aemma quoted with identical grins on their faces and Qarl shook his head with a smile.

"Fortunately, Prince Jacaerys shows up, brave, handsome, though not so intelligent--" Aemma ducked when Jace tried to hit the back of her head. "--and heroically defeats the arrogant Prince. However, the Prince's mentor, Ser Christopher--"

"Ser Criston," Laenor corrected her.

"--cannot bear the fact that he was defeated and so he forces the arrogant Prince to challenge Prince Jacaerys to a duel again. From the beginning, the courageous Prince loses, but thanks to the verbal support of his brother--"

Luke's head perked up. "And advices of his sister!"

Laenor frowned. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Aemma waved her hand with a smile. "The important thing is that Prince Jacaerys is able to defend himself until Ser Christopher convinces the arrogant Prince to throw the other Prince to the ground."