Luring the Dragon • Aemond Targaryen

Dining with the Snakes

"High in the halls of the kings who are gone"

The dinner with The Greens was the most awkward encounter I have ever attended. The tension between us was crystal clear and impossible to get over. It was visible that nobody wanted to be there. Therefore, the entire interaction consisted of plenty of mendacious compliments or general discussions between my mother and queen Alicent. The only one who was grateful for our gathering was my grandsire. But, I would not consider him an impartial adjudicator since he was never able to acknowledge the rivalry between our families, and he preferred to live in a self-indulged manner. My father once said that being a king was not his greatest strength, and I thought he was mean at that moment, but he only spat the truth. The king was indubitably a good man, but he made questionable decisions over time in his position.

I tried with all my powers to control my expression and avoid meeting Aegon's gaze. Anger still railed through my veins after our deplorable interaction. I slightly noticed a bruise on his jaw, and I struggled not to grin in his direction. He well deserved that punch, and I will not regret that. He forced himself on me and ignored my rejection, no matter how explicitly I demanded to let me go. Aemond, on the other hand, was the most arduous presence at the table. He did not exchange any comments and barely touched his food. Instead, he analyzed each of us and drank his wine with small sips. He was like a predator, trying to find the right time to attack. He rarely nodded to Helena when she murmured something to him. But all his socialization stopped there.

'Aelyza, If I am not mistaken, you are at the perfect age for marriage. Do you consider any potential man?' that question made me almost choke on my drink. Some people might think it was a pathetic attempt to start a casual conversation, but this man never asks things just for courtesy. Otto Hightower has the most exasperating ability to bring political discussions in inappropriate moments. Of course, he did not give a damn about my little brother's death, and he only wanted to find out who would inherit Driftmark since Luke was the rightful heir. His intervention was motivated only by prejudice and hate. I was so pissed off by his lack of empathy and vicious manipulations. Even though I promised my mother I would refrain from making insolent comments, I snapped.

'No, but I consider a few women, if that matter. I believe that women can do a lot of things better than men. I mean, a lot.' I said that, waving my eyelashes quite dramatically, then taking another sip from my goblet of wine. It was disgraceful and unsuitable mentioning something like that in front of the king and queen. Alicent was stupefied by my statement, moreover that she was so religious, devoted to Faith of the Seven. But I have always despised her hypocrisy. Her children were vile and vulgar, her ways were always cruel and treacherous, and she still had the nerve to preach in the name of the Gods. I didn't need to look at my mother to distinguish that she was infuriated while my father burst into laughter, making the king join him. But I was proud to show my disobedience towards the rules and customs in front of all those people.

'She is jesting, your Grace. Sometimes she has a twisted sense of humor. I beg your pardon for her juvenile behavior. Perhaps, this is the justification, the motive that indicates why she is not ready to find a husband yet.' I rolled my eyes after hearing the consistent discourse of my mother. It is bothersome that in a world dictated by men, women are also against each other. Women are not defending other women. It feels like we live only to satisfy the desires of men. Our sole purpose is to obey and please them, acting in a standardized demeanor. What was most alarming was the fact that my mother chose to live according to men's rules. I took another sip from my booze while my father gave me a warning look. Even though he covered my bullshit, most of the time, to get drunk and ridiculous at this official dinner, it is something that even Daemon Targaryen could not suppress.