Midnight Blades [Aemond Targaryen x female!reader]

Part 20

It was not the next night either.

In fact, Aemond spent many nights just watching his daughter sleep, the act still so precious that he savoured every moment. When he wasn't engrossed with her presence, he was training to regain the muscle mass he had lost during his time in captivity. After each session with Ser Negan he would return sweat-drenched and breathless but his recovery was quicker each day.

Not even two full moon cycles after his arrival back in Scythe, Aemond bested Ser Negan and then each of his contenders that followed. The soldiers had chanted his name as they beat their swords on their shields and Aemond had closed his eye as he savoured the sense of belonging. He was ready to do what he needed to.

You rushed through the halls above the training yard as Aemond's name reached you and you stuck your head through an arched window, adding your name to the raucous. Though it should have been swallowed by the soldier's chant, Aemond turned and followed the sound that called to him and found you waving desperately for him. Fear flared in his eye before he sprinted for the stairs, sword at the ready as he reached you.

His eye darted around the hall searching for what had your eyes wide and your chest heaving and he did not move until you placed a hand on his, dragging the sword in his hands down. "There's no enemy," you said as you guided the sword into its scabbard. "You're needed in the nursery."

Aemond frowned, wondering what could require his presence. He could not feed Aedira and though he could gut a man from neck to navel, he could not stomach the change of diaper. "What is wrong?"

"The egg, Aemond!"

He took off faster than you could blink and you raced to catch up, just seeing the tail of his cloak slip into the nursery as you rounded the last corner. The breath in his lungs froze as he looked into the crib and expected to find the egg turned to stone. He could remember the bitter disappointment of being reminded his own egg had turned to stone rather than hatch and he did not want that for his daughter, but that was not what he found.

Nessa was clutching Aedira to her chest on the far side of the room, the nursemaid's eyes unblinking as she stared at the crib. "It's a...it's a..."

"Dragon," Aemond stated as he turned back to the grey dragon with black wings unfurling from the shattered egg. Though it did not have as many spikes along its ridge, there was a perfect ring atop its head - almost like a crown. He had just reached into the crib when you arrived, running his fingers over the soft body and plucking some of the shell from its wings. "It will not hurt Aedira."

"Are you sure?" you asked as you reached Aemond's side and watched him pet the baby dragon.

"The spikes and scales don't begin to harden until they are older."

You nodded your head to Nessa and she reluctantly carried Aedira back to her bed that had been cleared of the shell. If Aemond had any doubt with his daughter's safety he would not allow her back in the crib but he was relaxed and grinning as he took Aedira from Nessa and placed her onto the mattress.

"Kilexys," Aemond murmured as he gently moved the dragon closer to Aedira and it curled up at her feet with a yawn. "A strong name for a strong dragon."

Aedira barely stirred that night as she slumbered with her dragon, Kilexys, the two bonding just as Aemond said they would.

"It's time, isn't it?" you asked as you slipped into bed beside your husband and turned to face him. "I can feel it."

"We will need the dragon keepers soon," he said with a small nod. "Dragon's are not easy to raise or train, even with the right facilities which we do not have here."