AEMOND TARGARYEN//𝕯𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖘✔️

Chapter Seventeen

A momentary silence filled the room as soon as Aemond and Adira left, leaving their parents in a rather confused state of mind.

Neither of the young Targaryens were in a rush to agree upon the idea of being wed and yet, within the matter of few hours they had already gotten engaged.

"Did Adira tell you anything?" Daemon whispered to his wife Rhaenyra who simply nodded a 'no'.

"I suppose Aemond agreed to it because of the king's wish for it to be so" Alicent sighed "he tends to put aside his desires to perform his duty"

"Perform his duty? Agreed to it?" Daemon scoffed, making quiet a show to indicate he did not appreciate Alicent making it seem like her son was doing a favour "it was not up to your son to agree. That decision lied with Adira while your son made the proposal"

"You don't seem to want this union to happen as much as the king" Rhaenyra questioned "why is that?"

"I have nothing but love for dear Adira" the queen assured as she proceeded to ignore Daemon rolling his eyes at her statement "but if you must know there is still the question of her legitimacy that makes me a bit hesitant to give my blessing"

"You still doubt Adira's legitimacy? Over some gossip and stories that servants used to whisper about in the castle?" Rhaenyra raised her voice slightly with irritation "Adira is the true born daughter of Daemon and the late lady Rhea"

"I do not care for gossip but I have my own doubts" Alicent spoke with a certain venom in her tone "the stories I can overlook of course but the prince's constant complaints about his disinterest in his wife along with him leaving his daughter here at court when she was barely a year old does seem to hint she might not be his-"

"Adira is as much of a true born princess, as Aegon is a drunkard" Daemon stepped forward, quickly continuing before the queen could interrupt "I'm aware my marriage to lady Rhea was a failure but Adira is my first and only daughter I had with the lady Royce. After my marriage with lady Royce became unbearable, we used to sleep in separate chambers. She had a constant fear that I was hoping to end her life and claim all that was to her name. She wanted an annulment of the marriage but since we'd already had a child the chances of that happening were low"

Daemon sighed, not enjoying one bit about having to recite this entire situation that he'd put behind him.

"She loved Adira, but her hatred for me managed to overpower that love. She wanted that annulment more than anything to a point where she was willing to have her only child killed. I brought Adira here so that she may keep her life and I left her here at court until I- I felt it was safe"

"Why not come back to bring her to Runestone?" Alicent crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry, but I thought the reason I told you all of this was to let you know she's no bastard" Daemond was getting frustrated "not for you to completely ignore it because it's not what you expected me to say and then proceed to ask a moronic question that has absolutely no relation to-"

"What my husband is trying to say" Rhaenyra interrupted before things could escalate "is that Adira is the legitimate child of Daemon and Rhea"

Alicent had nothing against Adira nor did she feel like Daemon was lying. Right now the only thing holding her back from being completely okay with the engagement was the fact that she could see Aemond slowly getting himself wrapped around the princess' finger.

Aemond had always been the thoughtful, obedient one. He rarely ever left the castle let alone going past the wall and the reason he went at all was because of Adira.

Alicent loved her son because he never gave her a chance to doubt his loyalty to her. This was something she was clinging on to and something she knew would eventually wither away after his marriage to Adira.