The Dragon & The Wolf

IV

After dining with her father and brother in their chambers, Alysaria began to head back to her room, before a rough hand pulled her arm into the nearest alcove. Just as she went to scream, the girl's mouth was covered and her back pressed up against the cold stone.

"Shh, Ria, 'tis me," a familiar voice hushed her quietly. Aemond? Why would he pull her away so sneakily though?

Sure enough, his blond hair and light, freckled face came into her view. When Aemond saw his friend would no longer yell in panic, he let go of his hold on her and removed his hand from her mouth as well.

"Ow!" He yelled in pain, grasping his arm where the young girl smacked him. "What's that for?!" The prince whisper-yelled, making sure to keep his voice low.

The shorter Stark looked up to him with grey eyes glaring and she scolded him, "For scaring the shite out of me, that's what!"

Aemond shushed her again and put his fingers up against her lips, his eyes traveling down to them for a moment as he did so. He imagined as a boy of thirteen, it was normal to wonder what it would be like to kiss a girl. Especially when said girl was very pretty. Shaking the hormonal thoughts out of his skull, Aemond talked softly to Lady Stark, "We must be quiet. I have something of importance to discuss with you."

After keeping her mouth sealed and giving the boy and expectant look, Aemond continued, "Did you hear from your father or brother of the ordeal in the training yard today?"

"Oh, you mean while I was locked away stitching until my fingers bled?" Alysaria asked sarcastically. "No, they did not mention anything out of the ordinary. Although," she mulled in thought, "Cregan did look a bit bleak and merely picked at his food as though he were a bird." Her grey eyes grew brighter with curiosity as they locked onto the prince's violet gaze. "Tell me," she ordered.

Aemond went on to recall how Sers Harwin and Cole hashed it out in the training yard, with Cole forcing the two princes Aegon and Jacaerys to duel each other. After, Aemond heard Cole's treacherous insinuation to Harwin Strong, of the Princess Rhaenyra's sons all being bastards.

"Holy hell, that's an accusation!" Alys exclaimed, yet again being quieted by her friend. "I don't know, Aemond," the girl looked down at her feet and walked over to slump on one of the boxes strewn about through the room, "if somebody overhears you saying this, or anyone else for that matter, it'd be considered treason."

"But it's the truth, Ria. I've heard my mother speak of the matter. She always goes off when our father isn't around and tells Aegon that he should be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, not Prince Jacaerys," he spat the name as though it were poison on his tongue. Alysaria looked at her friend in concern. She hadn't seen this side of him, yet it did not leave her with a good feeling.

"Well, I suppose that's one way of seeing it," she began.

"What other way could there be?!" He quietly demanded from the girl. She met his fierce gaze with one of her own and refused to back down, refused for her friend to speak to her in such fashion.

"Princess Rhaenyra is the rightful heir to the throne, my father and house bent the knee when King Viserys named her as such. Those children came from her womb, so they're her blood. Damn whoever the father may be, it doesn't matter to me. They are her flesh and her blood, so I will acknowledge them as the true heirs and not get caught up in this nonsense!" Lady Alys proclaimed to Aemond before storming out of the alcove and hurrying back to her own quarters. Leaving the Targaryen prince to stew in his own ire and the feeling of his friend not having his back.

***

Word came not even two days later that Ser Harwin Strong, along with his father, the King's Hand, had perished in a fire when visiting their home. Alysaria's heart went out to the three boys, who were close to the knight, and who had potentially been sired by Ser Strong too. She tried not to dwell over the matter along with her argument with Aemond, who had still not talked to her. Her mind could not wrap itself around the fact that there was a group of those in the Red Keep, who felt Aegon should have claim to the throne as Rhaenyra had birthed so-called bastards. The adolescent prince Aegon was a cunt and she could not ever imagine him being a just and peaceful ruler.