Midnight Blades [Aemond Targaryen x female!reader]

Part 18

Rook's Rest (north of King's Landing), Westeros - House Staunton

Lord Staunton had declared his support for Rhaenyra. That was enough of an insult to King Aegon that he was sending his Lord Commander Ser Criston Cole to march on the castle. There had not been the progress expected as the people barricaded themselves within the castle walls and no matter how many soldiers Ser Criston had, they could not defeat an enemy that refused to come out.

Ser Criston had ordered the dry fields to be razed, burning the city's food supplies and grain as they prepared to wait out the siege. They had not noticed the ravens taking to the smoky skies, especially the one heading east to Dragonstone begging assistance.

Aemond had prepared to meet Meleys and her rider across the Stepstones that they patrolled but he was alone in the sky. He quickly came to understand why the small islands had been forgotten as he reached the coast where Rook's Rest stood. The fields surrounding the city burned as far as the eye could see and beyond the flames two armies collided.

It was not the fire or the battle on the ground that had him urge Vhagar to fly faster, but golden Sunfyre and bloodred Meleys warring above the city.

" Sōvegon, arghugon, ossēnagon! Dohaerās ." [High Valyrian: Fly, hunt, kill! Obey.]

Teeth, talons and fire ripped through the air as the two dragons tangled but Meleys was far larger than Sunfyre and the golden dragon was already badly injured. Aemond could see the older dragon circling back to take the kill but then Vhagar was there with a roar that shook the heavens.

Meleys' talons ripped Vhagar's wing as he intercepted the beast from killing Sunfyre and Aegon. Aemond felt her struggle to remain airborne as the mammoth weight began to sink beneath the smoke clouds. Circling back for another attack, Aemond rose on his saddle, unsheathing DragonBane. His last thought as he raced along the spiked spine towards Vhagar's tail was an apology, he was sorry he lied. To save his brother, he would give his life. Aemond was not coming home.

Aemond leapt from the clubbed tail, narrowly missing the open maw that gnashed for him before he slammed into Meleys' neck and buried the sword deep into the scaly skin. A great roar deafened his ears as blood began to rain down on the soldiers below and he gritted his teeth as he climbed the dying beast.

"Meleys!" Rhaenys screamed for her dragon but there was nothing to be done to save it as she bled out.

Aemond looked to the sky, seeing his own dragon's shadow and felt his chest ache as he cupped his hands around his mouth to give his final order, " Jikagon lenton , dohaerās! Dohaerās" [High Valyrian: Go home, obey! Obey!]

The ground was quickly rising to meet Meleys, her descent losing control with each drop of blood that flowed from her body, and Rhaenys sat despondent on the saddle. "Was it worth it?"

There was no need to lie when he was facing certain death. "No."

She seemed to appreciate the honesty as she looked to the skies fading as the smoke thickened closer to the ground. "One day Westeros will welcome a true queen, but it is not ready to accept such a thing as yet."

"You should have told Rhaenyra that."

"She was willing to cede the Iron Throne for the peace of her nation." Rhaenys pinned him with a glare. "It is not the throne she fights for, but her son. Every death in this war is your fault." Aemond had heard enough and lunged for the saddle with his dagger in hand. "Blood on your hands..."

Rhaenys died with a smile on her face as Meleys crashed to the ground, throwing Aemond from the beast and the world went black.

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