Tourney To Love | Aemond Targaryen and Eowyn Velaryon

Blood and Cheese

Their chambers were relatively quiet, the babes only waking up a couple of times through the night, but Alicent helped feed them. Eowyn would be strong enough to do this after her rest. When dawn broke there was a bloodcurdling scream heard throughout the keep and all three of the adults in the room bolted out of bed. Alicent's first initial reaction was to check the babes who were fast asleep. Amongst the growing screams they could hear the heavy armour of the guards as they marched to the disturbance.

"Stay here. Both of you." Aemond quickly grabbed his sword, holding it close to his side as he reached the door. "Don't follow." He warned them both, but he should have already known that Eowyn wouldn't listen. They were a team. He went to investigate the noise and even through all of the violence he had seen in his lifetime he nearly threw up at the image. His sisters' children were dismembered and killed in cold blood; a hysterical Helaena knelt before them. He rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her and trying to hide the haunting images from her. In the corner hid the bodies of two men, hired mercenaries who were no doubt sent by Daemon. As he was holding his sister to try and calm her there was another scream from the castle, he nodded to the guards to go and as they left the room Eowyn entered.

Her heart broke, her eyes instantly filling with tears as she saw the absolute carnage in that room. She rushed over to hold Helaena too. All three of them sitting on the blood-stained floor. "Princess Helaena. I'm so sorry." Aemond seemed to subtly nod over at the bodies of the two men and Eowyn realised this was a second strike from her parents. The room fell silent until a guard arrived with Beth Baratheon who was crying and covered in blood too. Another heart ache as she felt her husband tense too.

"My son. He's been killed." She cried and was inconsolable. The maestors had to give her and Helaena some milk of poppy to just calm them down. But nothing could compare to a mother's loss. Eowyn took a hold of Aemond's hand and walked them outside of the room, away from listening ears.

"They're trying to wipe out the lineage. They must have assumed I'd have given you a child by now and sent those men to wipe out any child with silver hair." She closed her eyes, letting out a sigh at the dark turn this war was taking. "I can't lose any more children, Aemond. You shouldn't have to either." Even if he didn't know Beth's son, it was still his child and now Daemon had been the cause of two of his losses. "We need to strike now. We can't give them another chance."

His jaw clenched as he tried to burn the image of his nephews slain from his mind, thankfully he hadn't seen the corpse of his bastard child. "There are rumours that Daemon is planning to overtake Harrenhal. If I go now, with a few men - I will arrive before him and launch a counterattack."

"You can't. We haven't even named our children yet." Her innocence, it helped bring him back to the light. With a gentle touch of her face, he smiled softly at her.

"You need to go into hiding, take the babes and when I've killed him and taken Harrenhal for ourselves I will come and find you." She shook her head quickly. She wouldn't leave him, if anything she should be helping him – fighting by his side. She knew her father better than everyone. If he saw her appear in a middle of a fight it would be enough distraction for Aemond to get the upper hand.

"I'll send them with your mother. We should do this. Together." Now it was time for him to shake his head, not even letting her try and convince him. "Fine, you go to Rooks Rest, and I'll go and see my father at Harrenhal. They won't expect two attacks at once."

Her words spoke some truth, but he didn't want to send her to her father. He would strike her down without a second thought. "He will kill you. He will kill you when he sees your swollen belly. You still look like you're with child, Eowyn." He wouldn't let her die. Not over a stupid war his siblings had started by Aegon taking the throne, his hands moved to take a hold of hers. Raising her hands to kiss the back of them gently. "Stay with the babes, we can't both risk our lives."

She smiled softly at her protective husband. "We do my plan or none of us go, Aemond. The children need their father. I need their father." He let out a defeated sigh, he could never say no to his wife for too long. She had him wrapped around her little finger and she knew it. "But tonight, we spend it as parents – not warriors and we name our children."
When they finally returned to their chambers, Alicent was still there. She was stood by the babies with a blade in her hand in case anyone tried to attack them. "Thank you, Mother." Aemond was glad to have her in that moment. "But Helaena needs you tonight. I'm sorry, they killed the children." Alicent instantly started to cry but it was Eowyn that stepped forward to comfort her, holding her gently as she cried.

"Don't worry. They will be avenged." The hug eventually broke and Alicent forced a smile before going to sit with her innocent daughter who never deserved any of this pain or bloodshed. When they were alone, Aemond locked the door and made sure guards remained stationed outside of their chambers. Eowyn was stood by the cribs, looking down at their beautiful children. "They have no idea what cruel world they were born into." She whispered softly, just admiring their twins.

"Hopefully they will never know war. Only peace." His index finger gently trailed his daughter's arm. "I think I can convince Aegon to ride into battle with me. Maybe some unfortunate accident will happen. Then we offer your mother terms for the throne. Our lives, our place in Kings Landing for the throne. Do you think she will listen?"

She sighed softly, listening to her dear husband. "I think she will want your head regardless; I cannot let that happen. We could hand deliver her the throne, but she will still want vengeance for Luke. Even though the children had already paid that debt a hundred times over. Our child should have been payment enough." Her eyes were fixated on their children, she would bend the knee – swear allegiance to her mother if it meant their survival but she would want Aemond by her side too. "What do you think about the name Aemma? After my grandmother, I hear she was a remarkable woman."

He smiled at her suggestion, naming her after the last peaceful Queen before Helaena sounded like a good idea. Maybe it would remind everyone how innocent a child was, and no more Targaryen heirs had to be slain. "And for this little guy?" He spoke as his fingers trailed his son's tiny hand now. He still couldn't quite believe that he was a father, especially since she had birthed him two children. "How about Baelon?" She smiled softly, moving closer to her husband to share a gentle kiss.

"Sleep. Tomorrow, we have a war to end."

Sleep proved difficult that night, even wrapped up in each other's arms. Eowyn was nervous about seeing her father, he had killed her unborn child the last time they met. Aemond had the easier job, to secure Rooks Rest. Or so she had assumed. No one would have been prepared for the bloodshed that was going to occur.

The following morning before they left for battle, Eowyn and Aemond changed into their riding armour and strapped their weapons to their sides. Then they prepared to say their goodbyes. Helaena was a broken shell, but she had agreed to go with Alicent and take Aemma and Baelon to safety. Eowyn hugged Helaena first but it was like trying to comfort nothing, there was no affection from the young princess and it was obvious the death of her children would never heal. Aegon had used this as an excuse to slip into his cups and whores. Alicent was next to hug her son and daughter in law, her hug was comforting and full of warmth which was different to the experiences Eowyn had with her own mother.

"Once we have achieved what we need to. We will send a raven to our mutual friends in Old Town and they will let us know where to find you all." Aemond forced a smile, but it quickly disappeared when he looked down at his tiny babes.

"Don't worry little ones, we will find you again. Just always remember that we love you more than you could ever know." Tears threatened to fall from Eowyn's eyes but Aemond held her hand and she managed to find the strength to stop them from falling. Both parents had their time to say their goodbyes to the children, giving them gentle kisses and just holding them as they slept peacefully. But when it came to handing them back to Alicent and Helaena their hearts broke. But maybe this is the strength they needed to see this plan through. When they left the castle under armed guards Eowyn finally turned to her husband, hiding her hurt as she gently cupped his cheeks between her hands. "Please, come back to me." They shared a heartfelt kiss before Eowyn made her way to the dragon pit and Aemond went back to the castle to get Aegon ready for their retaliation.