Blood of Old Valryia (Aemond Targaryen FF)

Chapter Thirty Six

AEMOND

"I will not mourn you, Viserys," he whispered, his voice filled with pain and anger.

Aemond stood before the unburned pyre of his father, his eyes fixed on the wrapped body.

"You were blinded by love for your daughter, for far too long. You couldn't see past your love for her, to see the ruin she would cast the Realm into." His voice was barely above a whisper. Aemond was furious at the unfair treatment he and his siblings had received at the hands of their father. He couldn't believe that Viserys had been so biased, so blinded by his love for Rhaenyra and her illegitimate children, that he had completely disregarded his own wife and legitimate offspring. The anger and resentment boiled within him.

"You tore apart Mother's friendship with Rhaenyra and then isolated her from everyone," Aemond spat out, his voice filled with anger. "Once she gave you what you wanted, a Queen worthy of the realm, you tossed her aside like she was nothing."

"You placed such favoritism on Rhaenyra's illegitimate offspring, to the extent that you were unconcerned about the permanent injury I suffered at their hands. Your lack of proper paternal conduct, even in the face of such a grave injury to your own flesh and blood, is unacceptable." Aemond hissed, his voice dripping with contempt.

Aemond's heart ached as he spoke, his grief and anger raw and palpable. He was devastated by his father's betrayal. He had always hoped that Viserys would see the error of his ways and come to his senses, but it seemed that was nothing more than a pipe dream.

"You will no hear prayers of peace nor see any tears from me, Viserys. And when your favoured—preferred—daughter lives and dies on that cold island without knowing another kind word or gesture from the Realm you died for, you will know what comes from rejecting the family my mother built for you."

Aemond stepped away from the wrapped body atop the pyre, his heart heavy with grief and anger as he rejoined his family, mere feet from the pyre. He turned to Vhagar and said, "Dragonfire."

Vhagar reared her mighty head back and breathed fire onto the pyre. Aemond stood frozen, watching as his father's body was consumed by the flames. He felt a mix of emotions coursing through him - resentment for the way his father had treated him and his mother, pain at the loss of the man who had once meant to serve as a guiding presence in his life, and grief at the realization that he would never have the chance to tell Viserys exactly what he thought of him. When the ashes were finally swept into an urn, Aemond turned away, following the maesters in a daze.

But before he could take more than a few steps, his mother, Alicent, stopped him. "While you are welcome to grieve in your own way, I must as that you act as Helaena's sworn shield, if only for the day, and escort her through the city," she said, her voice firm. "Ser Criston will act as Aegon's."

Aemond nodded, understanding the importance of his role, to his family and the Realm. And so, he set aside his grief and anger and focused on the task at hand.

Aemond rode on horseback beside Helaena as they made their way through the bustling streets of King's Landing. The crowds cheered and celebrated Aegon's ascension to the throne, but Aemond couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of his stomach.

He knew that Rhaenyra still posed a threat to their rule. Until she submitted to their authority, the throne would not be secure. And yet, here they were, parading through the city as if they had already won.

"Why do they cheer?" Aemond muttered to Helaena, gesturing to the crowds lining the streets. "The war is far from over."

Helaena gave him a sad smile. "They want to believe that there is no war. They want to believe that our half-sister simply gave up her birthright in favour of the law of the land. Can you blame them for wanting to find a moment of joy in all that's to come?"