The Dance of DragonFire -

23

Aemma's feet had dragged her towards the gardens, the Dowager Queen Alicent had requested to meet her there. The woman's face appeared saddened when she eyed the girl, a tight feeling forming in her chest, trepidation almost. "Princess Aemma." Whispered the Dowager Queen while patting the chair next to her. Gesturing the girl to take a seat besides her.

Aemma gave her a tight lipped smile, before taking place upon a chair, opposite of the Hightower woman.

"It do is lovely to see you truly."

Alicent reached our her hand as if to try and offer the girl some comfort. She didn't lie when she said it was Lovely to see Aemma. It was to her, her heart silently ached, she had loathed Aemma, because she had loathed Rhaenyra, more specifically her sons and the torment they put Aemond to as a child and though Aemma resembled her father Leanor more than she did Harwin Strong, Alicent had often claimed her a Bastard too and despised her for it. But now as she eyed the girl before her, her usually tan skin seemed gray and her eyes low spirited, the bags under her eyes casting a melancholic shadow over the Princess' once enthousiastic personality. Alicent knew Aemma was no Love struck girl when she had followed Aemond around, flying on dragonback, or visiting Fleabottom, she had simply been a young girl wishing to have a taste of adventure, and Alicent knew both Aemond and Aemma had always felt drawn towards eachother. Neither of then would ever dare speak it out loud, but everyone knew, always had. But marrying Aemond? Aemma had no wish to. She wanted to return home, to her mother and be with her brothers.

Yet Alicent feared that the circumstances Aemma had been put in, mainly by her father, the Lord Hand, had ruined the Velaryon Princess her chances at happiness and love. Life wasn't that simple, regretfully. Still Alicent wished the conditions in which her son had married the girl had been different. She mirrored them to her own, being married to King Viserys had been dreadful for Alicent, she was young and full if expectations about life, only to be sucked into a world of fears and dread when she became Queen. Everyday she feared for her son's their lives, knowing they were a threat to Rhaenyra, and she feared for them still. Often as a young girl, when she had just been wed, she had been dreaming about what could have been.

But dreams were futile devices, they held no power, only temporarily comfort and hope. Only to be shattered whenever one awoke. And though Alicent wished she could spare every little girl from the Ill fate of Marriage, she was no god, and Women were pawns, in wars and money and land, heirs and pleasure. All for men.

Marriage became greed, but to her also safety, Princess Aemma was a needed asset, she needed the Princess married to her son, in other to provide more safety for her children, If they wished to enlarge their chances to avoid war, then Aemma was a perfect way to subtlety threaten her mother the Princess Rhaenyra with. Aemma would be a sign of their family's untiy, were Rhaenyra to bend her knee and swear to the King Aegon. Would Rhaenyra refuse, then Aemma could be a hostage or a way to get the Velaryon fleet on their side. It was a near perfect move. Securing the Velaryon princess through marriage seemed almost too perfect a advance.

"One of my handmaidens have informed me you spoke to the Maester about your health?" Questioned Alicent the Princess, observing the girl's cold exterior.

"Did she hmhm." Mumbled Aemma, as she dared not meet the dowager Queen's eye, both in anger and in fear of her cheeks turning crimson.

"You are expected to have bled this week, yet you have not." Exclaimed Alicent, her voice stern, though her gaze softened when she noticed Aemma fiddling with her long sleeves. Both the Princess and her handmaiden had lied about when the girl was expected to bleed.

"Yes." Aemma's voice was barely a whisper. "Though it is normal for me to be late, for any woman, besides, I have been terrible ill at ease, it doesn't worry me. I don't suppose I could be with child this soon."

"It should, you could be Princess." Retorted Alicent Hightower, while sipping from a cup of wine that a servant had poured her.

"You have heard more of the conversation? I could assume, but I'll simply wager you do." Questioned, or rather stated Aemma as she placed her hands upon the table and eyed the queen, vexation in her eyes.

"You were expected to bleed more than a week ago Aemma, why did you lie?"

"Why wouldn't I, I have no wish to be here. I wish to be with my family, I don't want to bear children." Exclaimed The Princess. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, a deep sigh leaving her throat. "You must understand." Whined the girl. Hoping the queen would her offer sympathy if Aemma came off as a young scared little girl. She tried not to smirk when the Queen's gaze softened. 

"I do, Aemma I do, but we are your family too, it is best to... acclimate."

"Is it?" Questioned Aemma softly, her voice barely a whisper.

"Aemond leaves for Storm's End tomorrow night. We shall announce it at dinner tonight." Spoke the Dowager Queen softly smiling down her lap, feeling a bit victory of Aemma still coming off as a young girl, she would be easier to manipulate. "Are we to have dinner together then?" Aemma pressed her lips together and tried really hard not to look displeased but she couldn't find a way around the ugly scowl that sat on her face.

"Aemma, I supppose, I relate to your feelings of discomfort." Started the Queen as she sipped from her cup. Her eyes eyeing the plants behind the two rather than the young girl in front of her.

"I hadn't wished to marry someone that many times my ages once, and though it was hard at first, I love my children, and may the gods rest his soul, I loved my husband."

"Though your mother was not upsurped and the marriage was expected, you weren't tricked into it."

The Dowager Queen sighted and tried not to show her annoyance when she spoke, "Aemond is around a year older than you, You could have married a much older man, though he misses an eye he is still handsome, he cares for you, he always has, you could have had much worse, you should recognize this Aemma."

"I suppose I should." Whispered the girl, pressing her fingernails deeply into her palms. "Though if you hadn't betrayed my mother, then I would be back at Dragonstone, and if you asked me to marry Aemond in a few moons rather than within a day, I suppose Iwould have happily obliged, I care for him too, or atleast I did, I am befuddled."

Alicent stood up from her chair, annoyance rose in her chest, though Aemma had a point, Alicent wished the girl would see in what a fortunate marriage she had found herself in. "I am simply trying to protect my family Aemma, that includes you, and your mother. And soon it will include your future child, which I dearly hope, your mother will see as a way to reconcile."

"I-" started Aemma, though her mind halted at the sudden realization. If she truly were with child, which she did not think she would be, then the child would be Aemond's. Which would not change much for the usurpers, besides them having a finer claim on the Velaryon fleet, and her mother's sympathy.

"A child to unite us." Whispered Aemma in disgust, her voice so soft the dowager Queen must have pretended not to hear it . "I suppose I hadn't given it thought." Aemma also rose from her chair and angled her head a bit, as if to challenge the Hightower.

Aemma knew that the Hightowers must have not thought this entirely through. Aemond protected his own family above all, cared for them above all, and though Aemma wasn't entirely part of that now that they had married, her being with child would ensure it. He wouldn't dare kill her, and his unborn child. She knew it, she would swear on it, before all of the gods. Aemond wouldn't lay a finger on her in the upcoming war.

So unquestionably Aemma's next step became her escape.

She'd become a shield.