Throughout the Dance of Dragons - House of Dragon

Part XIV - Because I care

Daenaera pushed Aemond away as if he was a plague when somebody knocked at the door. Her heart was still beating fast in her chest, it seemed that it could burst at any second. She looked at Aemond as his eye was focused on her, face unreadable as he himself was in a daze. "Princess, may I enter, it is I, Naela." The voice behind the door announced and took both of them out of the short staring contest. Aemond let out a grunt as he left the balcony and moved further into the room, scanning it with his eye as if he could find a way out. He knew he could enter the secret passage ways but the problem was that he did not know where was the secret door at Daenaeras room.

He could not be seen, not at this hour, not at her chambers, not when she was wearing a nightgown. Somebody finding out about this incident would bring question to Daenaeras honor, it would not do greatly as already similar whispers were about her mother. If the incident with Darrion was swept under the rug, then this definitely wouldn't. Oh and how the crowd loved scandal, him being in her room and being caught would feed the gossips for a long time. Not to mention the explaining they would need to do against the King, against Alicent, against Otto and against Daenaeras family. It was sure that after such Daemon would call it that Aemond compromised the princess and would declare him traitor or such.

Daenaera quickly made her way to Aemond, she needed to hide him. If it were only Naela behind the door it would be fine. But those two had an agreement in any cases that Naela would only introduce herself behind the door that way when she would lead someone other to the princesses chambers. "You need to hide. At once." Daenaera whispered to Aemond as she tugged his hand. The prince only nodded as he once again scanned the chambers with his eye. "There is a passageway in this room. I just don't remember where exactly." He said as he went to a wall near the fire place, placing his hands on it and searching for a click in the wall.

"There is no time to remember. Go to the bath quarter, there is no need for them to go there." Daenaera whispered as she shoved Aemond "Them?" Aemond raised an eyebrow and a click of the doors was heard. "Shit." he muttered and quickly hid behind the wall separating the bath and bedroom. "Princess." Naela said entering with a bow "My deepest apologies for the disturbance so late." the girl said bowing her head as behind her Alicent walked in with her own servant. "Your grace." Daenaera said as she bowed towards Alicent.

The princess did not miss the teary eyes of Alicent, the nervousness, the picking of fingers. "Is something the matter that I received your visit during the hour of the bat?" Daenaera said as politely as she could. "Indeed, Daenaera." Alicent said and made her way towards Daenaera taking her hands and squeezing them lightly. This sudden action surprising Daenaera as she looked at the queen before her puzzled "You seem disturbed, your grace. Would you like to sit down?" Daenaera said as she motioned Alicent to sit "No, sweet girl" the way she acted and addressed Daenaera was a lot different than she normally would, something was out of place and Daenaera knew it. She felt her stomach turning, the visit and the sweet talk could only mean that something of no good has happened or will.

"We need to make our way to your grandsire, he is feeling greatly ill and has requested to see you." Alicent said her voice trembling just a bit. Alicent would not be happy when Daenaera spent time with the King so this invitation had taken the princess of guard. And Otto had urged Alicent not to invite Daenaera, not to tell her anything about the health of Viserys. But Alicent was not completely rotten, she knew how Viserys loved his daughter, her once best friend, and she knew how he loved his first born granddaughter. She would have been a fool if she did notice how her husbands eyes would always spark up when he saw Daenaera and never the same they would spark up when he would see children from Alicent. She had long lived with this truth and it did not hurt as much. The queen has grown to love Viserys in her own way, seeing him ill on a death bed was not what she wished for him, she actually wished him to leave this world in peace and if that peace could be brought by bringing him his granddaughter instead of one of his sons or Helaena, then she would bring Daenaera to him. It could have also been strings of a long lost friendship pulling at her heart as she would look at Daenaera and see her similarity to Rhaenyra.