The Dance Of Sapphires

3 - The dragon pit

Jaerionna

He gazed at me with a look I was unable to read, almost numb. I never understood why he hated me, I was always nice to him, but of course when he began to act mean and talk rudely, I did the same. We both didn't have a dragon, so you would think we would be great friends, but we never were.

Although there were a few times, where the war slowed down, if not even stopped, almost as if turning into a dance. In particular, I remember on my 7th name day we had a small, but cozy feast, just our family. And per my grandfather's wish, we were sitting beside one another. We didn't fight and we didn't sit in silence, we actually had sweet conversations about books, history and dragons.

After the feast everyone went to their bedrooms, but I sneaked out to the gardens. When I got there I noticed a small, fragile figure with hair the same color as the moon, laying in the grass, watching the stars. I went to him and without saying a word lay beside him on the warm soil, he didn't turn to me, or even acknowledged me, but I swear to all the gods, I saw his lips curve and shake a bit, almost as if supressing a smile. We layed there for a second, then he turned to me and stared into the deep depths of my face, tracing every curve and every spot with his eyes. "I got you something" he said. "Really? What do you have?" I asked, turning to look at him. We both got up, but still sitting on the ground. He brought his hand to his leather cloak's pocket and took out a beautiful, tiny, black, velvet box in a shape of an oval. He brought the box towards me and gestured with his head for me to open it. I opened the box and inside I saw the most beautiful, silver necklace with a giant oval shaped, blue sapphire, a silver dragon with mighty horns and lean wings curled around the gem reminding me of Silverwing. "It's beautiful Aemond" I whispered. He just nodded his head. I took the necklace in my hand, turning it around with my fingers and promised to never take it off.

And I never did. I always wear the necklace, even when I shouldn't, I can't take it off, I promised him not to. Of course after that eventful night in the gardens, he ignored me the other week.

It was only like that on mine and his name days. Only then our fights and banters would stop and even grow into something lovely. But the other day the peace used to always grow into another war. And so we fought and fought, almost as dancers, who would lead who.

As our eyes met I stopped in my tracks and took a deep breath in. I didn't know why he made me do that, almost every time. I hated it, I hated him after all. But he still made me lose my breath, maybe that was my anger, hysterical scream getting captured in my throat and returning to my heart.

When I started walking again, my other uncle noticed me. "Ah, Jaerionna, you wanted to see how real dragons look like? Not the ones written in ink?" Aegon laughed, making a hurtful remark about me not having a dragon and thus making me spend all my time differently than them. But I was used to that, it was just Aegon, he made comments such as this all the time. So I just shook it off, like any other time and smiled at my brothers.

I walked into the dimly lit dragon pit and stood beside my younger brother Lucerys. He was adorable, a little black lamb, I wanted to play with his curls all day, my hair was almost as curly as his, so he would braid mine and I would play with his. When I got close enough, Lucerys hugged my waist and buried his head in my shoulder. I laughed at his movements, the boy was clearly bored, watching his brother give orders to Vermax.

We watched as Jacaerys told his dragon to roast his lunch. When the dragon keepers left, Aegon started walking in front of his brother and Luke went with him, I knew it would probably be some prank, or mean joke to Aemond, because of him not having a dragon and despite me hating him, I couldn't stand seeing him like this. I knew that he didn't want anyone to see what will be done to him and I knew I couldn't stop Aegon and his mean mind, so I did the only thing that made sense to me, I left.

I acted stupidly, but I didn't want to be there, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop them, their game has already begun and once Aegon starts something, even if it happens rarely, cause he's always rather busy with other silly things, he always finishes it. I lived around him for too long not to know that, so there was nothing for me to do about the situation. So I went to the gardens and beside the pond to sing to the swimming swans.

As I finished my 5th song I decided to go wading in the pond. I took off my boots and lifted up my dress to my calves and stepped in the chilly, still water, making small waves around my feet. I loved the water, I loved the little fish that swam in it and I loved the white, snowy swans that looked like they flew here from some poem about lovers. As I was walking in the water, a white haired prince ran to the gardens. I turned my head to the sound of cries and running feet and saw Aemond covered in dirt and ash. He did it again...

I walked out of the water and picked up my boots to my hands, dropping my skirt and getting the ends wet. I walked to the prince barefoot. I dropped my shoes to the ground, behind the sitting Aemond. He held his legs close to his chest and hugged them with his arms, his head was hung low and lay on his knees. I sat down next to him and put my hand on his back. I didn't really know what to do, I didn't know how to comfort people, but for some weird reason I wanted to comfort Aemond, even if I knew he would never do that for me. "Go away" he mumbled. "No" I said firmly. "I said go away, I don't need you here" "For a prince you don't act much like a gentleman, I'm trying to comfort you and you're pushing me away" I almost joked, but at the same time I meant it, "You're pushing away a lady, you know" "You're no lady!" He yelled angrily. "Yes I am!" "Well you don't act like one!" He picked up his head and looked straight to my soul. "No lady acts like you. You act like a wild person" "Well then I'm not a lady, I'm me". Aemond rolled his eyes and shoved my hand away from him, I had no other choice than to leave him be. I stood up, put on my shoes and walked back to the castle. He was mean, always mean. I knew I wasn't good at comforting, but I mean, I wasn't that bad, was I?

I didn't know what my brothers and Aegon did, but they were cruel to him. Even a boy as rude as him didn't deserve that.