Midnight Blades [Aemond Targaryen x female!reader]

Epilogue

18 Years Later

The Princess of Dragonstone woke suddenly and peered around her dark room to find what had disturbed her sleep. She could hear the sea meeting the shore beyond the castle walls but nothing else seemed amiss as she pushed the blankets away and climbed from the bed. The curtains billowed gently with the breeze that carried the scent of salt and she opened them to step out onto the balcony.

The silhouette of Vhagar lay down on the sandy beach with the smaller body of the Princess' dragon, Fenrys, not far away. Moonlight cast a glow over the sea and the stone cliffs that surrounded Dragonstone but still she could not see what had disturbed the night.

Her older sisters, Queen Aedira of Westeros and Queen Selaena of Scythe, had flown off on their dragons after celebrating the Queen Mothers' Name Day so she knew it wasn't their jovial songs, that they enjoyed after a few casks of wine, that had woken her. At a loss, she turned back to her bed and spotted him.

"You shouldn't be here," Megaera said quietly, lest her guards outside the door overhear and come to investigate.

"You said that last time," he said with a smirk as he stepped out of the shadows.

"If anyone catches you in my chambers, I-"

"No one will catch me, Meg, but if it comes to it I can always use my charm."

"Charm?" Megaera laughed. "You Dornish Princes are so deluded."

He took a seat in her chair and picked up the book she had left on the side and flicked it open as he spoke, "You wound me with that wicked tongue, princess."

"Jesper," Megaera groaned as she reached for her book and tried to pluck it from his hands but he moved quicker and moved it from her reach so he could pull her across his lap instead.

"Yes, my sweet?" he asked innocently as his lips caressed her neck.

"My father would have your head if he knew what we were doing."

Jesper groaned and tipped his head back. "I do not want to think about your father right now."

Megaera reached up to stroke the prince's dark hair that fell in waves to his shoulders and savoured the scent of cardamom that wafted from the silken strands. "You can't come here anymore, I'm serious. The Lords of Westeros will be arriving with their son's for the tourney next week, my mother expects to find my betrothed among the winners."

Jesper's hand dropped from her hip in shock as he realised the dreaded day had come and it sent the book tumbling to the side table, clattering into the tea cup loudly. Meg jumped from his lap as the door handle rattled the lock and her guards called out.

"Run," she whispered quickly as she pushed him towards the balcony. Jesper reached the railing and looked over to the drop that would easily kill a man and he turned back. "What are you doing?"

"If i'm going to die, it will be at your side," he said stoically as he stood beside her, the guards finally shoving the spare key into the lock and turning it.

"Stars, forgive me," Megaera pleaded as she pulled Jesper's sword from his scabbard and stepped behind him as the door burst open. She pressed her knee into the back of his and he fell down hard on them before she held the blade to his throat.

"Well done, your highness," Ser Pollick praised as he sheathed his sword and smirked at the Dornish Prince on his knees. "Your mother will be proud."

—

You woke in a cold sweat as you dreamed of the night you had almost died, or perhaps you had died for a brief moment. The gentle wind blowing through the curtains seemed to whisper the echo of Grammy's words with each swish of the sheer material, Three Queens.

It had been a long time since you thought of the prophecy but you felt them now as if they were close enough to touch. Unable to go back to sleep, you untangled your legs from Aemond and slipped a thin robe around your body to keep the chill at bay.

You could never have pictured yourself living on Dragonstone after finding Aemond half dead in the dungeons and the brutal deaths that were lost to the island. Yet somehow it had become home in the years since you and Aemond abdicated the thrones for your daughters.

The Iron Throne had become Aedira's not long after her 21st Name Day. She had been gifted time in a way that you and Aemond had not - she had the years to find love, marry and raise a child of her own before the responsibilities of the crown were placed on her head. Now she ruled justly with the King Consort, Viserys II, and had the support of Princess Jaehaera and Prince Aegon on their council.

You had then ruled Scythe with Aemond until Selaena matured and you both decided to retire to Dragonstone so that neither Queen was far away on dragon back. Selaena had yet to marry but she was content to rule on her own though she still hoped to change her title to King one day.

Your thoughts drifted to your youngest daughter, a woman in her own right and no longer a child. You could see the longing for adventure in her violet eyes every time you caught her staring out across the sea from her balcony. She was most similar to you, though like her sisters she looked like her father, and that was perhaps why you weren't ready to unleash her on the world just yet.

The clash of armour pulled you from your thoughts and you were already opening the door to your chambers as the guard ran towards you.

"The princess-"

You didn't wait to hear anything else as you sprinted to Megaera's room, swiping the soldier's half sword as you passed him. The door to her room was already open as you shoved the guards aside and found your daughter with a blade to the throat of the Dornish King's eldest son.

"Meggy," you sighed in relief as you saw she was unharmed.

"Thanks for waking me, love," Aemond growled with a sleep-laden voice as he caught up a moment later, his breeches callously buttoned and his shirt missing as he rested the flat edge of Dark Sister on his shoulder. "What trouble do we have here?"

"Prince Jesper of Dorne by the looks," you said as you saw Megaera's hand tremble as it held the blade over his skin. "You're certainly a long way from home."

Megaera's eyes darted around the room that had been filled with armed guards and you saw her breaths coming in short bursts as panic creeped in.

"You can let the sword go, sweetheart," you said softly as you took a step closer.

She shook her head and the prince hissed as the sword nicked the skin above his clavicle. An apology formed on her lips but she bit them back and Aemond chuckled as he mistook the refusal to release the blade as bloodthirst to end the prince herself.

"The punishment is yours to give," Aemond said. "You captured him in your chambers, not even the Dornish King could refute the claim for his life given this situation."

Meg was close to tears as she looked to you for guidance.

"The choice is yours," you assured her with a nod, "whatever you choose to do with the Prince, we will support you."

She let out a shaky breath as she dropped the sword, the metal clanking loudly as it hit the stone floor. "Mother," she whispered as the prince looked up at her, not an iota of retribution in his eyes. "I wish to marry him."