Tales Of The Heart [Aemond Targaryen]

CHAPTER NINE

It feels bad...very bad.

When you have been trying to overcome a past trauma this entire time, and you're finally seeing the end of it...but suddenly something triggers it for you.

You feel as if someone has grabbed you by your arm, dragged you to that particular day, and then shoved you to the ground to again go through those dreadful moments. And that too without even realizing it...completely unintentional.

So yeah...it feels very bad.

I knew that I would not be able to ever get past my mother's death...nonetheless, I was trying, not to get past it but to live with her other memories. Like her smile, her habit of stroking my hair, and...those forehead kisses.

She told me a lot about life, about its fortunes and misfortunes, about happiness and sadness, about how light will find you in your dark days.

I had to use her life lessons to live a better life...not in my past life.

So what I am doing, confining myself to just between the four walls of my chamber for the last three days.

I have been eating whatever Aiday fed me. I have been wearing whatever she helped me into. I have been sleeping whenever she lays me down and strokes my hair.

What I have not been doing is talking.

But sometimes it feels better not to talk. At all. About anything. To anyone.

That day at the tourney, I felt so much at once, the good moments, the bad moments, and the bitter farewell. I felt everything at once but now...I feel nothing. Blank.

Every once in a while, I bring my hand to my chest to feel my heart throb.

I missed a significant amount of festivities. It wouldn't surprise me if someone told me I missed the wedding. However, Aiday tries to converse with me. She tells me what is going on in the castle, and who has asked about me or visited me, though she failed to get any answer out of me.

I just want to go back to Driftmark. I wanna sit by the sea which still has my mother's sarcophagus, which is a frightening yet comforting sight to my eyes. My mother's home.

My lack of sleep and abundance of thoughts kept me awake. But I opened my eyes when I felt a presence near me. My gaze fell on him as he stood near my feet, by the end of the bed.

Aiday mentioned a lot of people to me but he never made a single appearance in her speech nor did he come to visit. I pulled myself off my pillow and sat up straight.

"Did I startle you?" He moved a little further and sat on the bed to my right. "How are you now?"

Firstly, he didn't come to see me, and secondly, now he is being cautious. "Looks like I scared you. I didn't want you to see that but the nerves got the best of me." Daemon Targaryen is explaining himself. That's new.

"Maenya...you need to talk. You cannot be like this." My lack of response annoyed him.

He intently watched me and after a long sigh, he said what I had been waiting to hear. "Tomorrow is the wedding. You'll be free to leave by evening." My eyes shined the brightest they could.

"Really?" I uttered in a hushed whisper.

"Oh so now you're talking?" he glared at me but his features were very soft for a serious glare. "Yes. You can leave King's Landing by the morrow. Happy?"

"Yes." I couldn't contain my smile so I foolishly grinned at him.

"Now sleep, you don't want to look like a ghost at the wedding." He left his place and walked towards the door but not before softly stroking my hair.

"Goodnight, Father." I increased my voice a bit so that it could reach him, and it did since he stopped near the door.

"Do I scare you?" He queried without turning toward me. "Now that you have seen, how brutal I can be." His voice seemed guilty.

"You didn't scare me...the blood did." I lay down on the bed again but this time hopefully to sleep.

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When he said I'd be free to leave King's Landing, I didn't think it would be with him.

He said that I could go to Dragonstone when I wanted to, but now he is forcibly taking me there. And he didn't even have the guts to tell me that himself. If Baela hadn't blurted, I would have never realized it and would have only found it after arriving there.

Dragonstone is not the problem. The problem is the people living there, the problem is that I don't know how they are or what they think about me. I have never had a proper conversation with Jace, Luke, or even the princess. She has tried to talk to me on a couple of occasions here in the Red Keep but I only ever gave her a short answer. It's not my fault...I am socially awkward.

The royal wedding was...a wedding, I guess. It looked like a compromise to me. Neither Helaena looked thrilled nor Aegon, he seemed to care more about the wine than any of this. While I sat beside Baela waiting for it to get over.

I would never get married if being married looked like this. Like this political arrangement. I will not fall under the hands of politics. I would like to run away rather than stand out like a sore thumb in front of so many people.

Everything was going smoothly until Baela decided to express her excitement about visiting Dragonstone and how we three sisters would have fun there.

I am currently on the way to confront him about his sudden decision. Aiday told me I'll find him in the Great Hall as all the guests were now enjoying the feast arranged in the garden.

The guards opened the gate while I rushed inside. "You cannot do this to me," I questioned him loudly as I thought he was alone.

I thought.

My words stuck and my eyes widened as multiple eyes shifted to me. Right now my father was standing in the presence of Princess Rhaenyra, Ser Cole, Queen Alicent, and her second son...Prince Aemond.

I was contemplating what to do now when Father took a step toward me and asked. "And what exactly am I doing to you?"

"I didn't mean to barge in here like this. I didn't know you had company." I tried to look apologetic.

Almost immediately right after me, Princess Rhaenyra spoke. "It's alright. No worries." She smiled at me.

Daemon Targaryen gave me a questioning look when I glanced at him. "You know what I am talking about," I mumbled.

"Baela can't keep things from you, can't she?" He sighed and plastered a smile on his face. "Well, I hope you have prepared for the journey?"

"Yes, I have. For my journey to Driftmark, Father." I argued.

"Your journey is only going to end in Dragonstone, daughter." He argued back.

I glared at him. "I am not coming with you, I have already told you." I didn't want to be angry at him. At least not in front of all these people.

"And I am not leaving you here, not after your sleep-'' He stopped himself.

"You are not leaving me here, I am going back to Driftmark with grandmother. You can take Baela." I softly muttered. "And grandmother will also be alone. So let Baela go this time and I'll go another time." I further added.

"She wants you to go with us. Your grandmother." My stepmother responded, stepping near me.

"Did she?" I inquired about my father.

He stroked my hair. "Even if she hadn't...I would've taken you to Dragonstone anyway." He mumbled. "Can't you come with me just because I want to keep my daughter near me, Maenya?" Soft tone, soft eyes...why does it seem like he is requesting?

I keenly watched him and pressed my lips together. "Only if, you let me go back when I want to," I stated.

"Of course. I am not taking you there as a prisoner." He chuckled while patting my cheek.

I faked a smile.

Pentos took my mother.

Driftmark took Vhagar.

Let us see what Dragonstone is taking from me.