Midnight Blades [Aemond Targaryen x female!reader]

Part 7

Aemond's silhouette stood at the end of the dock, the flaming torches behind him making him appear even larger than you knew his frame to be. The ripples of the evening breeze across the water seemed to radiate from him as if the rage he held had erupted into the physical universe and you absorbed it all as you stood at the bow, holding the stare you knew was fixated right back at you.

"The prince, is he a good husband to you?" Ser Negan asked quietly as he stood beside you, the place where you had grown accustomed to being filled by Aemond. "If you fear his retaliation for this day, tell me now, before we dock."

"No, I do not fear him." You patted his hand that was resting on the pommel of his sword, the other holding the scabbard and he let them fall to his side with a nod. "He is not like the rest of them; I have freedoms that others do not and he accepts me for who I am."

"He would be a fool not to, princess." With a pat to your shoulder, Ser Negan walked back to where the sailors were preparing to dock while the rest of the fleet anchored in the harbour and rowed long boats to the camp erected along the shore.

As the ship was moored beside the waiting prince you placed your boot on the rail and accepted his silent hand, letting him keep you stable as you made the small jump to the dock. "I hope you enjoyed your adventure, my love," he said quietly as he tucked your arm into his elbow. "You should say your farewells, I am not sure you will be able to make the ride down here any time soon."

You held your head high and walked away from the ship, refusing to address him as you heard the clear threat in his words. He would not break you, that was the promise you made yourself and your father, so you took your place on his stallion with dignity and raised your fist to the stars - the night erupting with cheers from the ships before Aemond spurred his horse away.

He could probably feel your stomach rumbling for food as you sat in front of him on his horse, the silence tense. You decided he did indeed possess the knowledge you were hungry when he took the long route through the city to the Red Keep, ensuring he passed by the street vendors with the most delicious smelling food.

"Clever of you to learn High Valyrian," he broke the silence first and you smiled to yourself in triumph at the small win. "But there was nowhere to land Vhagar. I had already given the order for her to return to the Dragon Pit."

"That is good news, my prince," you said sweetly, not believing a word from his mouth, "it would be a shame to have lost control of your dragon, not once but twice."

"Be serious for one moment," Aemond growled, exasperated by your attitude that had easily regressed back to those early days after arriving in King's Landing. "My brother forbade your visitation with the Scythian army. I am trying to balance protecting you and keeping you happy but you continue to spit it back in my face. You dove from my fucking dragon, Y/N."

You flinched at the sound of your name on his lips and looked down at your lap where his hands lay with the reins, just as it had been on Vhagar. The emptier streets were silent save for the rhythmic clip-clop of his stallion's hooves on the stone and a pit settled in your stomach as you realised the position you had put him in.

"You terrified me." His fists tightened around the reins at the admission and you would have welcomed the pain if he had decided to thump them down on your thighs. "I couldn't breathe. I couldn't fucking breathe knowing I killed you too."

His words were barely a whisper by the time he finished and he silently crossed under the open archway into Red Keep, dismounting the moment the stable boy appeared. You felt sick as the light of the sconces shimmered in his eye with unshed tears and you didn't feel worthy of his touch as he helped you down with his hands on your waist.