Innocence// AEMOND TARGARYEN ✔️

Chapter Thirteen

To say Eirlys was nervous to meet Aemond at breakfast would be the understatement of the century.

She couldn't believe how she'd lost control over herself and let him kiss her. It annoyed her, the fact that it made her heart race when he captured her lips with hers like she was the only one in the world who mattered.

Yet she wasn't fully okay with the fact that Aemond hadn't told her about him being at the whorehouse before, or that he'd bedded someone during his most recent visit. It made her question what other things he could have been hiding from her.

She wanted to hate him, but things like that don't just happen when the person you wish to resent is your closest friend, who also happens to be your betrothed since childhood.

As usual, Aemond was present in the dining hall, standing at the head of the table with his one hand behind his back and the other lazily resting on the backrest of his chair. Aemond always stood at the far end of the table and only took his seat after Eirlys arrived and he'd pulled her chair for the princess to be seated before him.

This time however, she walked over to the chair in between Helaena and Daeron; leaving a very confused looking Aemond still standing, with her usual chair that he'd pulled out for her.

He didn't know why she was upset this morning, especially since they'd kissed only yesterday.

He awkwardly pushed the chair back in and sat at his usual spot after Eirlys had sat down.

Alicent, along with the others too noticed the sudden reluctance in the young princess to be seated next to her betrothed.

"Is everything alright, dear child?" The queen asked, sensing the tension in the room.

"Of course, why do you ask" she sweetly replied, trying to sound as oblivious as possible.

"I think you've forgotten where you usually sit" Daeron mumbled, stuffing his mouth with toast as if he was afraid someone would steal it off his plate "Aemond seems upset"

"Shut up Daeron" Aemond quickly responded without looking up from his plate.

"Oh he's really upset" Aegon joined in, enjoying the opportunity presented to make fun of his little brother "look Eirlys, you're making him cry"

"Aegon, enough" Aemond warned.

"All she did was sit somewhere else at the table" Aegon continued anyway "why does that bother you so much that she's finally grown tired of y-"

"This is all your fault!" Aemond suddenly stood up while slamming at the table, causing everyone to silence at his outburst.

He didn't wait for his older brother to respond, knowing well enough that he would say something stupid and infuriate him further. He took long strides toward the door and walked out, not caring that he'd made quiet a scene in front of his family.

"Am I missing something?" Viserys asked clueless and confused as to why Aemond was so upset.

Aemond made his way straight to his chambers, constantly muttering insults in his head aimed at Aegon. He regretted listening to Aegon that night. If he hadn't given into his brother's stupid advice, Eirlys wouldn't be so distant and he sensed that this sudden rift in between them wouldn't mend so easily.

He reached into his pocket and held the handkerchief with the embroidery that Eirlys had decorated it with.

"Aegon, you cunt" he mumbled before he walked into his quarters and slammed shut the door.

Eirlys avoided any further eye contact at the table, now feeling responsible for the scene caused at breakfast. If she'd just sat at his side instead of making a big show about her being cross at him maybe they others wouldn't sense the tension brewing between them.

She excused herself a few moments before the others had finished their food, the silence in the room making it unbearable.

She decided to take a walk through the gardens, just to clear her mind and be away from the prince, before her history lessons.

She took small steps, taking her time to look around and bask in the sunlight.

The princess momentarily glanced at her jewellery she was wearing, her rings to be exact. She suddenly didn't like the placement of her rings; the two on her left hand were on her middle and index finger while the ones on her right were on her middle and ring finger.

She wanted to shift the one on her right from her middle to the index finger.

The ring wasn't as easy to remove. It was a size smaller than the rest of her rings but she wore it because she liked the iridescent gem it bore.

Eirlys struggled a bit as she tried to pry it off her finger before it finally slid off but because she was pulling on to it, it flew out of her grasp and fell somewhere in the muck that the gardener had just watered that morning.

"Fuck" she huffed in annoyance as she walked closer but didn't actually try to search for it because it might ruin her dress. She squinted as she glanced through the mud, hoping to spot the ring.

"Looking for something, princess?" Criston asked as he walked toward her, noticing the princess from afar focusing her gaze at the wet mud.

"I seem to have lost my ring" she told him as she pointed toward the patch of muck "it's fallen somewhere in that"

"I'll look for it, the septa is looking for you" the knight assured "allow me to walk to back inside"

Eirlys walked back inside, now wishing she hadn't fidgeted with her jewellery to begin with. She was distracted the entire time during her lessons, hoping that Ser Criston had found her favourite ring which was a gift given to her by Aemond on her five and tenth name day.

The septa took notice of the princess who wasn't fully attentive and eventually gave up on trying to teach her for the day. She excused the princess with the task of reading the few chapters she was trying to going over with her presently.

Eirlys was quick to take her leave, not too keen on prolonging their her lesson. When she'd reached the hallway that lead to her chambers, Ser Criston called out to her as he jogged up to the princess before she could enter her quarters.

"Your ring, princess" he smiled before he handed it to her in the palm of her hand.

"You found it" she broke into a smile as she looked at the now-clean ring "thank you, I truly appreciate it"

"I mean I- well" the knight cleared his throat "I'm just simply returning it to you"

He took his leave before the princess opened the doors to her chambers and walked in to retire for the afternoon.

Aemond watched from the far end of the hallway, not wanting to approach her when she'd made it blatantly obvious she didn't wish to speak to him.

He huffed a sigh before he too made his way to his own chambers to change out of his clothes that were now caked with mud.