The Fire That Burns Within US - Aemond Targaryen

Sleepless Nights

138 - Harrenhal

Ben watches Aemond with a close eye. The prince had not left Visenya's bedside since he and the maester had finished patching her up, refusing to listen to either Ben or Rob about taking a break and getting some rest. Aemond had not changed his clothes on the day he had taken his spot, only whispering in high Valyrian as he held on tightly onto Visenya's hand, gently tracing the matching scar they share on their palm.

Ben had taken the job of taking care of the children, spending more time with the twins and having to make excuses as to why Aemond was not putting them to bed like he had started doing. Ben simply told the twins that Aemond had been taking care of Visenya, but then that made the twins ask if she was back and if they could see her.

Visenya had not woken up from the sleep the medicine Ben had given her put her into. The castle's maids had washed her under heavy watch by Aemond, so gone all the blood that littered her body. Ben can tell that she is doing better from the small amount of colour she had gained back and the wound to her stomach seemed to be doing better from when he changed her bandages that morning. The cuts to her wrists were still a worry for him, not knowing how badly it would affect her ability to use her sword.

Ben no longer worries that Visenya might die, now fearing that Aemond would kill himself from not taking care of himself. When he had tried to talk to the prince about leaving Visenya's bedside in the morning, Aemond had snapped at him and threatened to feed him to Vhagar if he attempted to remove him from her bedside.

Ben sighs as he picks up the still-full glass of water that he had put on the bedside table in the morning for Aemond to drink. Ben doesn't let the water go to waste as he gulps it down before he sits on the bed, careful not to touch Visenya or hurt her. Ben waits to see if Aemond will look at him, but as the prince continues to whisper in Valyrian and hold Visenya's hand, Ben knows that he has to do something.

"Aemond, you need to rest," Ben whispers to Aemond as he tries to gain the prince's attention, but Aemond just shakes his head at the knight's words.

It takes Aemond a few seconds to understand what Ben said. His mind had only focused on Visenya, the prayer he had been reciting. Not a prayer of the Seven but the one Visenya had taught him when they were children, the fourteen prey of the Valyrian gods. Aemond doesn't know why he had chosen to pray to Visenya's gods and not his but hoped that she would wake up and correct him on his pronunciation or the order of the prayers as she would when they were kids.

"I have slept here-"

"You are starting to smell, and the twins have been asking for you," Ben cuts him off, hoping that the mention of the twins would gain his attention, but Aemond doesn't look away from Visenya. "They don't understand what is happening or why their parents are not seeing them,"

"I'm not going to leave her again," Aemond tells himself more than he tells Ben as he brings Visenya's hand up to his lip, gently kissing her palm.

"I can take your place while you bathe and change," Ben tells Aemond, hoping that if Aemond thinks that Visenya is being watched over by someone he trusts, he would be more welcoming to the idea of leaving her side. "Maybe while you also see the twins and Aenar,"

"I need to be here when she wakes up," Aemond whispers to himself; part of him worries that Visenya will disappear if he leaves her again or that her condition might worsen.

"She won't be for a while. The dosage I gave her will keep her asleep for the day and the next," Ben assures Aemond.

A white lie won't hurt him. Ben doesn't know when Visenya will wake up, it could be within the hour or the next day, but he cares about ensuring that Aemond leaves the room and freshens himself up. Aemond wouldn't be a shell of the man he once was when Visenya wakes.