Ashes In The Castle ||| Aemond Targaryen

twenty-five

One raven was dispatched from the rookery before the entire garrison, and Lord Staunton, was put to death.

The raven was sent for Harrenhal. It was the only place they could send the message. A warning, about what happened at Rook's Rest.

It found Prince Daemon a day later. He knew there was a battle, knew there were reinforcements. But didn't know who.

When he read the contents of it, he became enraged. The man mounted Caraxes and flew for Dragonstone that very hour.

***

"Your Grace, Prince Daemon has arrived on Dragonback—"

Said man burst forth through the doors before he was even announced. He gave Rhaenyra a look and nodded to Jace.

"Clear the room."

When they were alone with Jace, he finally spoke.

"Rook's Rest. Did you send Naerys?" He asked, looking at his wife. He needed to know first.

"No. I sent Rhaenys. I had Naerys confined to her quarters. She climbed out of her window and went anyway. Why?" Rhaenyra realized that if he was asking, he must have received news.

"Rhaenys is dead. Meleys too. It wasn't just the kinslayer there. Vhagar showed up. She fell upon them."

Rhaenyra felt her heart drop. Jace looked unbelievingly at his uncle. His grandmother was dead. That meant...

"What of Naerys? What happened to her?" Jace was the one to ask it, he was unable to take it. How slowly Daemon was explaining it. He had to know if his sister was dead.

Daemon tossed the note onto the table. "They say Vermithor flew out without her. She was alive when the message was sent. Said it seemed that they were taking her with them."

The Queen almost shook with the force of her rage. They used everything they had to attack Rook's Rest. And they took her. Naerys. Her only daughter. Her rightful heir.

She should have listened to her. Ignored the council and sent more dragons.

"No. No, I can still go after them. Get her back. They can't do that..." an arm from Daemon stopped Jace from getting himself killed.

"You don't stand a chance against Vhagar. You know that."

Jace shook his head and balled his fists. "I can't lose another sibling! I can't. I can't, not after Luke."

And he broke down.

***

Naerys did not wake on the back of Vhagar. Maybe it was the loss of blood, the rush to her head. But her body kept her unconscious through it all, even as Aemond landed them in King's Landing.

There were soldiers waiting for him, waiting to take their King to be treated by maesters. They took him on a stretcher first, leaving their interim ruler with the girl he took prisoner and his own guards.

He carefully climbed down the side of Vhagar, holding Naerys as he went. And when he dropped onto the ground, he put her back over his shoulder. No one could know what he felt for her. Someone would have her killed.