audacity || aemond targaryen

chapter 5: feast

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CONVINCING PEOPLE that they had truly developed feelings for one another, was easier than either of them had thought possible. they started with small gestures, like smiles, progressing to exchanging books and seemingly engaging in friendly conversation when walking past other people.

if you were to ask anyone except the two, they would tell you that the prince and the lady had set aside their differences, replaced with affection, perhaps even love. this got the queen off their backs, but added the problem of teasing comments from aegon and curious questions from helaena. both were avoided like the plague, concealed with the shyness that came with fresh love.

surprisingly it also sometimes lead to peaceful moments between the engaged couple, when they were exchanging new ideas to fool others, or stories and gossip that were spread about them. for the sake of both their sanities, they moved all their afternoon meetings to the library, that they had to themselves most of the time. it did not only become their refuge, but also the battlefield for all their fights, and there was surely no shortage of things to fight about. from differing opinions about philosophy and politics, to quarrels over food or history, the two always found something to disagree on.

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SIX DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING, aemond was watching with growing annoyance, as as maelina nervously fiddled with her rings while they were waiting for her father to arrive in front of the palace doors. after some time, he couldn't take it anymore and grabbed her hands, pulling her towards him.

"you are getting on my nerves, stop fiddeling." maelina smiled sarcastically at her betrothed who wore a fake smile as if he had just told her some lovely sentiments.

"i am trying!", she hissed, "it is just that i'm nervous, because i cannot wait to see my father and lupin again!" aemond furrowed his brows in confusion.

"lupin? i do not believe you have ever mentioned a lupin?" maelina rolled her eyes and glanced towards the entramce gates, trying to spot her father and his riders.

"if you ever actually listened to me, you would know."

"i would, if you ever actually had something interesting to tell." aemond ignored the shove the redhead gave him with her elbow, merely gracing her with a smirk, "so who is this lupin then?"

"he is my dog." aemond scoffed.

"how sweet, the lady has a little puppy." maelina was about to respond when the first riders of her father's entourage entered through the gate. before the young lady had time to make out her father amongst the men, a black shadow sprinted past the horses and ran towards maelina, effectively leveling aemond to the ground on his way.

"oh yes, lupin is very sweet." maelina laughed at aemond's dumbfounded expression, as he got up trying to regain his composure. the supposed "puppy" turned out to be a black hunting dog, who's shoulders easily reached aemond's waist, his golden brown eyes bore into him, seemingly knowing that his owner did not like the prince.

"maelina!" the girl's head immediately turned towards the direction of her caller and she practically jumped in his arms, her betrothed following her calmly. her father looked very similar to his daughter, not only the red hair, but, as aemond noticed, also his freckles and the way his nose crinkled up in pure joy at the sight of maelina. as he and maelina exchanged affectionate words, the targaryen prince noticed another man making his way towards the duo. he had black hair, blue eyes and high cheekbones and his attire consisted of simpler clothes than those of the people around him. there where some herbs hanging out of the leather bag he had slung over his shoulder, so aemond assumed he must be a maester's apprentice. maelina's eyes went wide as she recognised the man and she hugged him tightly, his arms wrapping around her back as he lifted her slightly off the ground.