Tourney To Love | Aemond Targaryen and Eowyn Velaryon

My sweet little Luke

The Princess woke up to another empty bed, but it didn't seem to bother her so much. She was finally getting somewhere with Aemond and maybe their lives wouldn't be so miserable after all.

 She called in Belladonna who helped her change. "You seem happier today, Princess. I've missed seeing you smile." Eowyn smiled softly at her as she held onto a column as the corset was tightened.

"Maybe this is a new me?" She chuckled softly and soon another handmaiden came to join them. This one was new, and Eowyn had never seen her before. Her hair was a beautiful red and she introduced herself as Juliet. "It's nice to meet you, Juliet." The conversation died down a little, she had a feeling she was sent by Alicent, so she didn't want to reveal any secrets she wished to remain hidden. Once she was dressed, they both braided her hair, and she went to go for a walk. She didn't feel like eating breakfast this morning, she just wanted some fresh air.

When she was out in the gardens, the sun warmed her face and she sighed happily. Maybe seeing the world from a new light. She was interrupted though by one of the guards who had brought her a message by raven. When she opened the scroll and read what was inside, she just fell to the floor, a deafening scream leaving her body. Lucerys was dead. Her little brother had died. The letter didn't say how or why. The guard ran off to try and fetch help, he didn't know what to do with the sobbing mess that now laid in the gravel.

Minutes passed when they had brought Aemond to her, he moved to kneel beside her. Letting her lean against him and just cry. "I'm sorry, Princess." She didn't question how he knew; she was too broken to even think straight. He just held her and let her grieve but then it's like she saw the world clearly as she thought back to his apology.

"How did you know? The raven just this second arrived." Eowyn looked at her husband through tearful eyes, his face gave him away. He knew something. "Aemond. How did he die?" His grip on her tightened a little, like he was preparing himself for her attack.

"It was an accident. I didn't know what would happen." She felt sick, his face matched the same reaction he had last night. Did he kill her brother then decide the best thing to do would go home and sleep with his sister? She started to hit his chest, her fists pounding against his shirt as he tried to calm her. "Your mother had sent him to storms end too. I told him I wanted payment for my eye. I was being a jerk. I know I was. He left and I decided to give chase on Vhagar. I couldn't stop her. She didn't listen to me."

Her heart felt like it had been ripped open. Her brother must have been terrified. He spent the last moments of his life in fear. "No. You wouldn't. Even you wouldn't be so stupid." Her punches seemed to stop, her energy draining as she just dealt with this loss. But she was angry. She hated herself for letting him have her. She had slept with the person who murdered her brother. Whether he meant to or not. "And you decided the best way to deal with it was to sleep with me?"

"I didn't mean for it to go that far. I just saw how much you cared about me in that moment, and I just needed to feel something. Something real. I'm so sorry, Eowyn. If I could trade places with him, I would." She didn't know what to believe, this was probably the rawest she had seen Aemond be with her, but she couldn't get the sick taste out of her mouth. She pushed down on the ground, finally finding the strength to stand and he took a step back, but ready to catch her at any moment.

"You started a war." It was all she said as she pushed him away from her and returned to their chambers. He was smart enough not to follow her. He was giving her space.

For months Eowyn didn't leave her room, she sat and cried over her brother. She still felt sick that she had been so stupid to trust Aemond. She was barely eating. But Juliet brought her food and water to the room all the time. She assumed it was Alicent making sure that she didn't die while being a prisoner, but it was Aemond. He didn't want to be the reason another family member died.

"Princess, I know I shouldn't bring this up right now. But when was your last bleed?" There it was again, the sickness. Had her body betrayed her that much that she now carried his babe? Juliet had been around for two months now and has clearly noticed the lack of blood when changing the sheets.

"I need you to find Prince Aemond. Please." She was so drained; she could barely climb to her feet. She was a mess, her hair was knotted and matted from the lack of self-care. But if she was with child then she would have to start looking after herself again, for the babe's sake. As much as she didn't want to be around her husband, she needed his support right now. She sat in a stool and started to brush at her hair, working out the knots before he arrived.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me." He stood in the doorway, like a child about to be scolded by their parent. She moved from her seat, grabbing at his hands to pull him inside before she closed the door behind him. She had to make sure they were away from prying eyes and ears before she spoke.

"I'm with child." She said those words calmly, maybe because she had an hour longer than him to process this information. His eye went wide, it looked as if he was going to smile until he realised what that meant. He had got her pregnant the same night he took her brother from her.

He stood there in silence for a moment, trying to process what this meant for them. "All I can do is apologise for your brother, but I won't apologise for this." She laughed loudly, the audacity of this man. "No, hear me out. We were growing closer anyway, this would have happened at some point."

"I want you to send a raven to my mother, I want you to explain what happened that night. I don't want you to be known as a kinslayer. And eventually we can tell them about the babe. When things have settled down. So please, for now. Keep this secret." She sighed softly; she didn't want this to be happening right now. But it was no secret that she wanted to be a mother. "You can't tell anyone."

He listened to her and nodded his head. "I'll send one right away. But you have to do something for me. You need to eat; you need to get in that milk bath and just relax. Try and take it easy, for the both of you." He was right. She hated him and the fact he was right, but he was. She had to care for the babe, give them the best start to life. She glared at him as she bit a big piece of the bread from the last meal that was brought to her.

"Happy now?" He wasn't forgiven, in the slightest. But she had to think of their child now. "Now go send that message so I can undress in peace." He let his left-hand brush against her stomach, there was no change to her body physically yet, but the small gesture let her know he wanted this too. Regardless of the horrible circumstances.

When he left, she finally undressed and climbed into the warm water, it felt amazing against her skin. She hoped her mother would understand what had happened that night. She wasn't unreasonable. But she was a devoted mother, she would kill for her children.