ELLIPSISM, aemond targaryen

[026] solving old disputes

"YOU NEED TO attack a little faster, Jaehaerys," Aemma said as she deflected his wooden sword away from her with her own. "Try to attack the enemy's legs, it is usually a vulnerable spot."

Helaena looked away from the mirror while putting her earrings on her ears and shook her head with a smile. "Aemma, Jaehaerys is little, he probably doesn't understand you."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm sure he understands," Aemma scoffed. "I'm just trying to spend time with my cousin."

"Maybe you could do something else. Play with toys or paint," Helaena suggested.

Both Aemma and Jaehaerys gave her an irritated look.

"I'm just saying that explaining fencing is perhaps too complicated," Helaena finished.

"If your and my brothers could understand it, then anyone can," Aemma insisted and turned her attention back to the boy. "Now, Jaehaerys, let's try again and try to think about what I told you."

Helaena watched with amusement as Jaehaerys clumsily swung his sword and Aemma parried all the attacks without any problems. Still, she had to admit that Jaehaerys was indeed able to learn something despite his young age and seemed to know what he was doing.

"Well done, you're doing better than Jace," Aemma clapped her hands and Helaena snorted.

Looking at Aemma and her children, Helaena finally felt the peace she longed for. Unlike Aemma, as a child Helaena always dreamed of her future with a loving husband and children, making her a beautiful little family. However, Aegon was not the man of her dreams, and Helaena knew that before she married him, yet she did not listen to Aemma and run away. She stayed in King's Landing and did her duty. She married him with his arrogance, drunkenness and cruelty, and thus accepted eternal sadness and loneliness.

However, when her children were born, Helaena made a decision and was glad that her desires were at least partially fulfilled - she may not have had a loving husband who would worship the land she walks on, but she has her children and the best friend her children love and she loves them more than their father Aegon. This was her little family.

"Jaehaerys, come with me, it's time to go to sleep," Helaena said, reaching her hand to her son.

The boy obeyed her but Aemma frowned in confusion. "It's still early."

Helaena nodded. "Yes, but I won't have time to do it later, I have to go to the council meeting."

"Then leave it to me, I'll put him to bed," Aemma suggested.

"That would be nice, but you'll have to be at the meeting too, Aemma," Helaena said quietly.

Aemma looked at her, naively searching her face for any sign of amusement, but found none. "Why?"

"It will not be a normal council meeting. It's just that my mother and the other lords want to welcome the guests who have come to decide the inheritance of Driftmark," Helaena explained. "Including you."

Aemma looked down at her hands. "I guess I can't avoid it, can I?"

Helaena smiled softly. "No. But I promise we'll only be there for a while, then we'll leave."

Despite her rather obvious reluctance, Aemma nodded and waited in Helaena's room while the Princess put her children to bed. Although Aemma wanted to appear confident, she still didn't leave with Helaena until she checked her appearance in the mirror and made sure she looked good.

And deep down she hated the effect her own fears had on her again when she came to King's Landing.

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