The Prince and His Flower

T H R E E

"I can't believe you tackled Aegon in his chair!" Luke laughed as he sat on the stool beside Aemma while she brushed out her wet hair. Aemma smiled at Luke through the mirror; she knew Aegon would be laughing with her about it on the morrow, however, she suspected she would most likely be made to apologize to him. Jace had already forgotten that Aemma had ousted him to their uncles and laughed from Aemma's bed. 

"I thought he was going to smash that pitcher over your head, he looked so mad," Jace called out. Aemma set the brush down and turned to look at Luke, who had already washed and dried his hair. 

"I wonder if Ser Criston will hear of this and take it out on us during training." Luke frowned. It was quite obvious when Jace and Luke trained with Ser Criston and their uncles whom he preferred. 

"Do not fret, I'm sure he will see the humor in it." Aemma comforted her brother. She led him back to her bed where they all sat together, giggling about the events of that night. Luke had begun to yawn and stretch; he was getting rather tired. He slipped into his chambers and bid goodnight to his siblings, leaving Jace and Aemma in her room.

"Will you read to me before you go?" Aemma pouted, knowing Jace could not resist. He smiled and went to her bookshelf, picking up a tale of Florian and Jonquil. Aemma nestled herself under the blankets as Jace sat beside her and rested one arm around her shoulder, allowing her to lay her head on his chest. He loved reading to her like this, he felt like her protector, made to keep her safe. 

"Florian and Jonquil were indisputably the realms-" Jace paused as he looked to see who was opening Aemma's door. Laenor walked in with a smirk on his face. 

"I apologize for interrupting, but I wanted to bid you goodnight." Aemma sat up and smiled at her father. Jace nodded and began to get up to leave for his chambers, but Laenor held a hand out. 

"No, no. Sit. I will read to you both tonight." Laenor held his hand out for the book, and Jace handed it to him. Jace and Aemma returned to their original positions as Laenor began to read.

By the time he closed the book, Jace and Aemma were asleep in her bed. Laenor smiled at the sight, his heart warming at the sight of his two children sleeping peacefully. He thought about waking Jace and telling him to return to his own bed but thought better of it and simply kissed their heads and blew out the candles, slipping out quietly.

Blood. So much blood. A woman screams and wails for her lost child. A child lay broken on the floor, his body twitching as his severed head held the same shocked expression he died with, and a mane of curly silver-white hair. The men leave within the walls.

Aemma sat up, clutching at her chest. Her nightgown was soaked with sweat as covered her hands with her eyes, trying to wipe the image from her mind. Jace felt his sister stir and sat up to see Aemma's tear-struck face, illuminated by the moonlight from the window. 

"There are men in the walls!" Aemma wailed and brought her knees to her chest. Jace tried to reach out to comfort her, but she gripped his wrist with so much strength he thought it would bruise. 

"Beware the men in the walls!" Aemma shook her head and cried as Jace unwrapped her fingers from his wrist and took her in his arms. He knew when Aemma got like this there was nothing to do but comfort her. Aemma calmed at the touch of her brother and her wails turned to muffled sniffles and deep breathing.

As the door began to open, Jace looked up and saw Luke, who was staring wide-eyed at Aemma, his face illuminated by the candle he was holding. 

"Did she have another dream?" He asked. He had woken with a start and had a bad feeling something was wrong with Aemma, and when he stopped by Jace's room and found it empty, he had assumed he was correct. Jace nodded as Luke padded towards them and placed the candle on Aemma's stand and crawled into her bed on her other side, enveloping her between her two brothers. They stayed there the rest of the night to comfort their sister as her sniffles turned to snores, and then finally they slept as well.