Innocence// AEMOND TARGARYEN ✔️

Chapter Sixteen

Several days had past and Aemond could feel his Eirlys slipping further and further away from him.

He had never regretted any of his past actions more. In that moment he'd felt as if he was merely obliging to one of his duties but eventually he'd wished he never listened to Aegon.

Unsure of how to resolve the matter, he decided to go and talk to his mother.

"It would help of you just told me what the problem is exactly" Alicent tried to explain when Aemond refused to disclose a number of details about his and Eirlys' conflict.

"It was just something I did that upset her, something that that can't be undone" he sighed "I'm hoping there's a way of showing her how sorry I am for it. I suppose I didn't think things through before doing it"

"Small gestures to reassure her you won't repeat your past actions" the queen mother tried to find a few solutions "spend some time with her, allow her to see you are working toward being better for her"

"The only time we ever spend together now is when she wishes to publicly show the nobles of our courtship" Aemond sadly admitted "we haven't been the same since that nigh- that incident"

"I see" Alicent hummed in response "I'd say give her time. Do not rush her into forgiving you, she will do it when she finds it in her heart to do so"

"Do you believe that she will?"

"Yes" the older woman smiled at her son "Eirlys might be upset at you but she still loves you the same. You both have grown so close to each other over the years, a little argument won't change that"

"I hope so" Aemond mumbled as he toyed with the hem of his leather vest "it's been a mess lately"

"Have you both had any talks about the marriage?" Alicent inquired.

"None as of late" her son shrugged as he avoided looking at her.

Alicent sighed, now getting slightly worried. She knew the two of them would get married regardless of their situation but she wished for her son to have a happy marriage, not one where him and his wife spent every waking hour avoiding each other.

She hoped in that moment that whatever happened between them would eventually die down so that they might once again go back to how things were.

Aemond went to Eirlys' chambers soon after, unsure if she would accept the invitation he was to offer to her.

He waited patiently for her to open the doors after he'd knocked, softly tapping his foot in anticipation.

"Aemond" she simply greeted in a monotone voice. A complete contrast to how she usually used to react, gracing him with her playful smile and on some occasions a hug.

"I am to circle the skies around the castle with Vhagar" he told her as he avoided direct eye contact "would you like to accompany me with Ember?"

Eirlys took a moment to consider this, tilting her head slightly to the left as she gazed at Aemond before quickly humming in response.

"I need to get dressed" she simply informed, but kept her expression unreadable "I'll see you outside. Have them ready Ember for me"

Aemond, despite her asking him to wait near the pit, had instead sent a servant with the message to saddle her dragon and have him ready along with Vhagar.

The prince waited patiently outside her door while she dressed out of her gown and into her trousers and coat, something more appropriate for riding on dragon back.

Eirlys took her time getting dressed, unaware that Aemond was still outside, waiting for her. She chose a maroon coat that looked almost brown and wore one of her black trousers with a black shirt that she tucked in. She quickly slid into her boots that she still had to lace up. Once she was content with her choice of clothing she decided to fix her hair. Instead of having all of it down she simply tied a braid on one side with a thick lock of hair and brought it over her head to act like a headband, pinning it behind her other ear.

Admiring herself one last time in the mirror, she stood up to head for the doors.

The princess didn't expect Aemond to still be waiting for her, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest while he stared off into the distance.

Eirlys felt the pace of her heartbeat increase when she caught sight of him. The way his jaw clenched and how the sleeves of his leather vest hugged his arms just right.

Aemond had grown taller than her over the years as opposed to when she was a few inches taller than him when they were kids. His height wasn't the only thing that had changed. His physique too was different, him now being toned and slightly muscular; not to mention his good looks that made Eirlys' rather annoyed since she was torn between throwing a chair or herself at him.

"You're still here" she spoke, snapping him out of his daze "I told you to go-"

"I already sent word with someone to ready your dragon" he pushed himself away from the wall and walked toward her, holding out his hand "allow me to walk you there"

"I can walk there myself" the princess muttered as she took his hand nonetheless.

The walk through the castle was rather silent, none of them making much of an effort to hold a conversation.

It was unusual for either of them to be this hostile but neither of them knew what to say while the tension between grew by the hour.

Upon their arrival, Eirlys let go of Aemond's hand to go and tend to her dragon.

Ember was a Persian blue dragon, with hints of teal amidst his scales. He hand a long wingspan and a crown of spikes.

The dragon made a low rumbling sound as Eirlys ran her hands along his scales. Aemond silently and cautiously walked closer behind her. Ember had grown quiet accustomed to the prince and didn't really mind him as long as the boy did not make an attempt to mount the dragon. Aemond knew of this, but he still did not want to put the dragon's tolerance to test.

"You needn't be afraid, Ember only dislikes anything of the colour green that moves" Eirlys joked but kept her face expressionless as she turned to look at Aemond in his green vest "oh, how unfortunate"

The prince grinned slightly with amusement at her comment. He was about to turn, to make his way to Vhagar, when he heard Eirlys swear.

"Fuck" she grumbled "my cloak"

The air was chilly that day and Eirlys had only just noticed she was missing her cloak. If the atmosphere was so cool already she could only imagine how cold it would get when she would be on soaring in the skies on dragon back.

Aemond sighed as he unclipped the little clasp at the neck of his long black cloak, swiftly taking it off.

"Here" he simply stated as he draped it over her shoulders while he stood behind her. He fixed her hair so that it wasn't trapped behind the cloak before he walked away, not giving Eirlys any time to protest.

"Iksan daor iōrves. Ao jorrāelagon naejot gaomagon bāne ñuha dārilaros" ( I am not cold. You ought to keep warm my princess) he spoke as he continued to walk.

"Hm?" Eirlys hummed as she struggled to translate the latter part of his sentence.

"Hm?" Aemond mocked with a playful smile as he turned to momentarily look at her, walking backwards before turning once again to make his way to his own dragon.

Eirlys gingerly fastened the silver clasp at the neck, stealing another glance at Aemond as he walked toward Vhagar.

She wondered if she was pushing it too far by giving him the cold shoulder but she was still rather pressed about what had happened that night and it was something she knew she'd take time coming to terms with.

She mounted Ember silently, fastened the chains around her waist and took hold of the reigns. She turned to see if Aemond was in the saddle as well before speaking to Ember.

"Soves"