The Gathering Storm | Aemond Targaryen

Chapter 9

When Haera finally crawled her way back into the conscious world the sky was still dark, the only light coming from the full bellied moon hanging low above the Black Water. Her head was throbbing as were several other parts of her body as she slowly dragged herself to her feet, using an arm to brace herself against the alley wall.

She was going to destroy Aemond.

Wincing as a wave of sharp pain shot up her leg with her first step she slowly limped out of the alleyway, eyes sweeping over the empty streets to make sure she was alone. Once she knew it was safe she adjusted the hood of her cloak and turned east towards Aegons High Hill and the Red Keep that sat nestled atop it.

It would take much longer getting back, the combination of the incline and the pain in her leg she would be lucky to get back before sunrise.

But that's not what worried her. No, what worried her was how she would explain the hurt leg and bruised cheek to her family.

She passed by sleeping houses and vacant stalls all the while planning how she would knock Aemond down several pegs. How she could give him a taste of his own medicine without stirring up trouble.

Haera managed to sneak back into the Red Keep just as the eastern sky was beginning to lighten. Using Maegors endless network of tunnels she was able to enter unseen, though it took several stops and pauses for her to avoid the ones that had been made with traps built it. In her youth she had studied her mothers nap of the passages, know which tunnels to favor and which to avoid.

She was somewhere underneath the Godwood when she decided not to go to her room. Banking a sharp left, she dodged a mangled knot of white roots. It was one of the only indicators that told her where she was besides the rich smell of dirt in this section of tunnels.

She slipped off her boots right before she opened the hidden panel into Lucerys's chambers, her bare feet padding silently over the polished floors and lush woven rugs as she limped through the dark.

Her younger brother looked so small nestled in the vast bed, even though he was thirteen and stood level with her shoulder, all she could see was a tiny little boy. The same one she gushed over when her mother had first showed him to her. Lucerys embodied all that was good in the world and being around him made her wild and stormy soul settle. He understood her better than anyone else. Better than Daemon. Better than her mother.

Though she would never utter the words aloud, Luke was her favorite of all her siblings.

Haera was gentle and quiet as she pulled back the covers and crawled into bed next to him, the youngest Velaryon shifting slightly as he rolled over.

"Haera?"

"Go back to sleep Luke, dawn will be here soon." She whispered, folding her hands underneath her cheek as if they were a pillow.

"Why are you here?"

"I needed to be in the presence of someone who doesn't make me want to pull my hair out."

Luke shifted once more, propping himself up on his elbows as he looked at her. "What happened?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Your face is bruised." He spoke softly, head tilting ever so slightly as he looked at his sister through the dim light of his room, the lightening sky just beyond his windows enough to give him a clear view of her face.

"Don't worry Luke, I left a pretty deep bite mark in my attacker."

There was a pause.

"Who was it?"