The Prince and His Flower

T H I R T E E N

It had been well over an hour since Aemma and Aemond had commenced their search for Vhagar, and Aemond grew more frustrated by the minute. Sand kept building up in his boots as he stumbled up the great sand hills. Aemma was lost in thought as her mind drifted back to Ser Harwin.

Aemma wondered if she had any of his features. She doubted it, everyone always told her she was the spitting image of her mother. The more she recalled his face, she thought of her brothers. Jace and Luke had the same curly black hair and brown eyes. Luke's nose resembled Harwin's. Aemma felt sadness as she thought of her face. Never had she wanted to look any different, but now she wished she looked like the man who gave her life. 

Noticing her mood change from contemplation to melancholy, Aemond frowned. He wondered if she was thinking about her lost father. 

"Are you thinking of your father?" He asked tentatively, for fear he was wrong in his assumption. Aemma pursed her lips together as she nodded.

"Yes. But he is not my father, Ser Laenor is. Harwin was a good man, with a kind heart, and he gave me and my brother's life. He trained us, played with us, protected us, and I did love him, but my father is the one who reads me to sleep, gave me my sword, and told me I was his one true love. I loved Harwin so, and it pains me to say this, but I love Laenor more." Aemma felt guilty for speaking those words aloud, but she knew in her heart if she had lost Laenor instead of Harwin, she would have been broken. In truth, she felt sorrow for her brothers, who were closer to Harwin than she was, and it broke her little heart to think of their pain.

"You do not have to choose your father, you know? I was never in your position, but Ser Harwin was still fatherly towards you, even if it was from a distance." Aemond paused as he bent over to tear off his boot and dump the sand out. "And it is not as if nobody noticed." 

"What do you mean?" Aemma asked.

"What? It was obvious for years. The only thing that quelled the rumors was your appearance, though after the altercation between Ser Harwin and Ser Criston all but confirmed it." Aemma's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "My mother told me for years that your brothers were bastards, but for some reason, she never mentioned you. I wonder why that is."

"The Queen has taken a liking to my presence, I suppose. Perhaps she does not wish to estrange me the way she has my mother." Aemma shrugged and the pair continued to walk in silence for a few minutes.

"Sometimes it feels as if my mother prefers you more than any of us," Aemond said, breaking the silence between them.

"I suppose so. Does it bother you?" Aemma asked. She was glad she was not the only one to have noticed Alicent's obvious feelings towards Aemma.

"Sometimes. I often feel... cast aside. It seems many others favor Aegon over me, even though he could quite literally drink his weight in wine and fuck every maid in the Keep." Aemond glanced sideways at Aemma, who did not react to his impolite words. "Sorry. I know it must not have been enjoyable being betrothed to him, even for such a short period." 

"It was almost nice at first. We often walked around the Keep together, and he was kind enough. Sometimes we would take to the sky together, just him and I, with our dragons. Those were my favorite days with Aegon, it was when he was most bearable. Then as the months went on, he cared less and less about how he appeared to his betrothed. More often, he was drunk in my company than sober, and he seemed to fancy bedding women at every whim." Aemma simply shook her head. "Only when he was drunk did he ever attempt to be unbecoming towards me, and when he was, you were always there to save me."

"I am simply rather observant and happened upon you by chance whenever Aegon was in his moods." Aemond lied. He would follow them as they walked, trying to listen in on what they were saying without getting caught. When Aegon had tried to kiss Aemma in the halls that day, it made Aemond so angry he thought he would throw his brother out of the window he used to pleasure himself in. Aemond knew he could never harm Aegon, lest he is heavily reprimanded by his parents and grandsire, so he often took his anger out in the training yard, even though it appeared Aegon would beat him there as well.