Ashes In The Castle ||| Aemond Targaryen

thirty-seven

Despite Naerys' pleas, her brother was taken from her shortly after they reunited. They cuffed the boy and took him to the dungeons under Dragonstone. He was still their hostage and leverage against Naerys.

She made a point to check on Baela, who'd also been taken captive. Naerys learned from her step-sister that Moondancer was killed when Aegon took the island. She'd been injured but was recovering confined to her quarters.

There were no plans Naerys could make, no schemes to devise. To survive, she would become a hostage. Her brother needed to survive.

And Naerys still had to grieve. She did it on her own, in her room that reminded her of Rhaenyra. Everything did. The image in the mirror, the dresses.

Naerys spent the first night at Dragonstone sobbing. Aemond was attending to things, securing his position by his brother's side. He tried to visit her but there were always people watching.

No matter what quarrels Naerys had with her mother, the fights they'd gotten into, she was always there. Rhaenyra loved her more than the sun and the earth. And to know her mother died in such a horrific way was hard to swallow.

All Naerys had left of her family was Aegon. The boy stuck in the dungeons to keep Naerys compliant. Her entire family had been eradicated.

It took many nights and weeks stuck on Dragonstone to mourn it all. Every person she lost. To even feel like she could function again. She was nowhere near "getting over it".

Aegon was planning his return to King's Landing. Word came that the city had been taken over by pretender Kings. There were even claims of Aegon's own bastard being proclaimed king.

His main advantage was the one dragon. Vermithor, possessed by Naerys. He lazily brought up the prospect of killing her and having Aemond try to claim him but that was shot down immediately.

While on the island, though, they received word from the Baratheons. That Borros Baratheon was marching against the city to try and take it back from the main pretender, Trystane Truefyre. He was established in the Red Keep, meaning he had the most power.

The boy was said to be a bastard of King Viserys, which gave him the most claim. But they were all committing treason. Not many knew if the King was even alive.

While they waited to hear word of the capture of the city, Sunfyre died. Aegon had been hoping she would take flight again but his second battle with Moondancer killed him after he refused to eat.

Weeping, Aegon demanded that Baela be executed for her crime. He would have her fed to Vermithor.

He was convinced otherwise by many of his advisories. Dragonstone was surrounded by a Velaryon fleet. Killing Baela would most certainly anger House Velaryon and set the fleet upon them.

It officially meant Naerys had one of the last few dragons in Westeros. Nettles hadn't been seen since Maidenpool and it was entirely likely she was still alive, and Rhaena hatched a dragon in the Vale.

Vermithor was by far the largest. And a needed staple to instil fear on the smallfolk when they returned.

And then the news came that the city had been secured for Aegon. He could return to the City and take his place back on the Throne. To plan how to finish the war.