Innocence// AEMOND TARGARYEN ✔️

Chapter Twenty

As soon as Aemond left the dining hall he headed straight for the study that Eirlys used to visit to study history with the septa.

He wished to speak to her before she could begin with her lessons. He knew that now was perhaps a bad time, but he refused to wait any longer.

Eirlys too, was keen on speaking to Aemond and was headed back toward the dining hall to have a word with him before she was lost to her busy schedule for the day.

The two of them, who paced rather quickly through the castle, nearly ran into each other as they rounded the corner of one of the hallways.

"Apologies" Aemond quickly spoke as he took a step back after almost colliding into her.

"I was on my-"

"I wanted to-"

They both looked at each other awkwardly before a little smile crept to their lips.

"After you" Aemond held his hands behind his back.

"Well, I was just on my way to find you" Eirlys clearly her throat "I uh wish to speak to you"

"Likewise" Aemond nervously glanced at her "I was hoping to talk to you before your history lesson"

"Walk with me" Eirlys promptly replied as she took a few steps forward and Aemond followed alongside her. She didn't wrap her hand around his arm like how she used to, something Aemond took notice of. He wanted to reach out and hold her hand but decided against it.

"I suppose it's rather evident that I still have not put everything behind me" Eirlys spoke "though I will admit handling this situation with ignorance toward you and basking in my own sorrow was not the best way to clear the air"

"I do not blame you, Eirlys" Aemond stared at the ground, unable to meet her gaze "I did something that I was influenced to believe was part of my duties. That's all I've ever known growing up, doing whatever duties were expected of me. And since I was made to believe that this too was part of those same expectations, I did it merely out of obligation. If I knew that.. that..."

"Go on" Eirlys softly prompted, now slightly curious after he'd mentioned that this was the result of someone else's influence on him.

"I felt it improper and perhaps even a perverse conversation to have with you. If I knew how much it meant to you, or more like how little you cared about my inexperience in being able to bed you, I wouldn't have given into it" he admitted "And it was never a troubling concern until I was made aware of it. So it never quiet crossed my mind about hearing how you felt about the whole thing, all I knew was that I was expected of something and out of force of habit, I made the decision to not fail you in that aspect.

"I see" The girl simply nodded in acknowledgment, feeling slightly relieved that Aemond never acted on his own accord, influenced by his lust or desires.

She couldn't deny that only days before that incident occurred, both her and Aemond were in fact rather oblivious about the topic of intimacy. And so if Aemond was indeed made to believe by someone else that it was expected of him to please his wife in bed, she knew he would just instinctively cave in and oblige.

She knew the prince since he was a boy, he never questioned nor rebelled against the responsibilities bestowed on him. He simply did as he was told and tried his best to excel at everything expected of him. If he was convinced that this too was part of his princely obligations, then she knew he wouldn't question it.

"But we used to tell each other everything" she mumbled after a long pause "no matter what it was"

"I know. I was hesitant to discuss with you about this particular subject though" he truthfully told her "I never imagined the distress I would cause you by choosing to carry out the actions I did. You are my dearest friend and I swore to myself to protect you from anything or anyone who would inflict any pain on you. I never thought that I, the person who was to keep you from torment, would be the one who you would need protection against"

"It just felt like you seemed to find more comfort in conversing with a stranger at a whore house about your desire to gain familiarity with.. you know.." Eirlys trailed off, avoiding getting too descriptive with her words "rather than me, someone who has stood at your side for years now. And then after we sort of grew apart, it just got worse for me... or us I suppose"

"I could never replace you with any one else" Aemond turned completely to look at her, bringing their walk to a momentary halt "granted I did do something that made you think otherwise. But you know that my heart only burns for you, that's something that will never change. No matter how distant we grew in the past couple weeks. If anything, that only left me yearning even more for you"

Eirlys reached out to hold his hand and Aemond instinctively squeezed her hand gently, not taking his gaze away from hers.

"No more secrets" she looked up at him pleadingly "please"

"No more secrets" he caressed her cheek with his other hand.

The both of them stared a while longer, each one unsure of what more to say. Aemond hesitantly leaned in, craving a kiss that he was deprived of for so long.

Eirlys' lips formed a slight smile as she cupped his face. Yet when they were only inches apart she placed her thumb on his bottom lip, making him halt  and turn his attention from her lips to her eyes. He gently kissed her thumb as he awaited for what she wanted to say.

"I'm late for my history lesson" she informed as she stepped back, feeling a tinge of satisfaction after teasing him "the septa is going to kill me"

Aemond chuckled to himself as he watched her quickly turn and run down the hallway.