Blood of Old Valryia (Aemond Targaryen FF)

Chapter Thirty Eight

The door to Lady Aesira's room—cell—swung open, and Gyda, a silent server of Lord Otto's, stepped inside with the evening's tray of food.

Aesira was standing by the window, her arms wrapped tightly around her body trying to warm herself while greedily inhaling as much outside air as possible. They'd taken all of her clothes and left nothing but her small clothes that she'd worn beneath her dress. The room had seemed to shrink more and more each day that she had been confined, and she yearned for the freedom of the open sky.

Gyda approached Aesira and placed the tray of food on the small table in the corner of the room. Despite Aesira's attempts to engage her in conversation, Gyda remained stoically silent, her expression never changing from its usual blankness. It was as if she had been strictly prohibited from speaking with her prisoner, or perhaps she simply had no desire to engage with Aesira in any way. The only time Gyda had spoken was on the first night of Aesira's imprisonment when she had introduced herself before disappearing into the corridor outside. Since then, it was as if Aesira was trying to hold a conversation with a lifeless object, her words bouncing off Gyda's unresponsive demeanor.

Aesira let out a sigh and made her way over to the table, her stomach rumbling hungrily at the sight of the food. The portions were small, consisting of only a few pieces of bread, a shallow bowl of cranberries, and a bit of cheese, but it was better than nothing. Despite the minimal offering, Aesira was grateful for the sustenance, as it was the only thing that kept her energy up throughout the long, monotonous days of her captivity. She sat down at the table and began to eat, savoring each bite as she tried to push thoughts of her limited freedom out of her mind.

"Gyda, can I ask you something?" Aesira said, her voice soft but determined. "Why do you allow Lord Otto to treat you this way? Don't you deserve better?"

Be it the question or exhaustion but Gyda looked at Aesira, her expression pained. "It's not so much an allowance as it is obedience," she said. "Lord Otto has been good to me, and I don't want to anger him. You could have been sent to the squat tower for your disobedience."

Aesira shook her head, hiding her surprise at actually receiving an answer. "This isn't about obedience, Gyda. It's about subservience. Lord Otto doesn't want us to be obedient, he wants us to be submissive. He wants us to cower before him and do his bidding without question."

Gyda looked down at the ground, her shoulders sagging. "Maybe so, but subservience is the better alternative. I know what Lord Otto wants from you, Lady Aesira. Forgive my boldness, but had it not been the Prince Aemond he wished to wed you to, he would have already sent the man into this very room to put a babe in your belly. But the Prince is too addicted to duty to do what needs to be done."

Aesira gasped, shock and disgust washing over her. "What kind of woman would perpetuate the violation of another woman like that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Gyda looked up at Aesira, her eyes sad. "A woman who knows what's at stake. Rather your violation than the thousands of lives lost in a war that need not be fought. It's a harsh truth, but it's the reality we live in."

As Gyda shut the door behind her, Aesira returned to the window with the bowl of cranberries. She stared out across the city, her heart heavy with despair. She was too high up to be heard, and if she tried to call for help, the guards were instructed to come in and beat her. Her chest still hurt when she breathed in too deeply, a reminder of the first and only time she'd tried to escape in the three days she'd been locked up in there.

Aesira longed to be out of the cell, out of the tower, out of the damn Keep. She wished she had listened to her instincts and left with Rhaenyra or, at the very least, left with Aemond weeks ago. They could have just left a note and fled to Volantis, far away from the politics and danger of the Seven Kingdoms.

As she watched the sunset over Blackwater Bay, Aesira made a decision. Tonight would be her last night in this cell. She was going to fight her way out, no matter what the consequences. She would rather die than let the Alicent's party use her against Rhaenyra.

She pulled out her dagger—from its hiding inside her mattress—and kept her hand steady despite her fear. She knew that she had no skills with the weapon, but she would do whatever it took to escape. If she was caught, she would turn the dagger on herself before she let anyone use her as a pawn.

Aemond would forgive her. When they met in their next life, he would forgive her. He will have understood that she had tried and that this was the only way out.

As the room grew dark, the sun no longer above the horizon, the door swung open again. Two guards stood in the doorway, their expressions grim.

"You can tell Lord Otto to go to hell," Aesira hissed, her voice fierce with determination, the dagger in hand. "I won't be a prisoner any longer."

The guards hesitated, clearly taken aback by Aesira's sudden display of courage. But before they could react, Aesira lunged forward, her dagger at the ready. It was time to fight for her freedom.

Aesira swung at the first guard, determined to escape. But the guard caught her wrist, his grip strong and unyielding.

"Wait," he said, his voice firm. "I'm not here to hurt you. Prince Aemond sent me."

Aesira was taken aback, her heart racing with confusion. The guard reached into his pocket and produced a dagger, one that Aesira recognized immediately. It was the same dagger that Aemond never took from his belt.

"The Prince asked me to give you this," the guard said, offering the dagger to Aesira.

She accepted it cautiously, her grip tight on the hilt. "If this is a trick, I'll drive this dagger through your head," she warned.

The guard nodded, his expression serious. "The Prince made me the same promise. Now, come with me. We don't have much time."

Aesira hesitated for a moment, her mind racing with indecision. But in the end, she knew that she had no choice. She followed the two guards her heart heavy with fear and hope.

They led her through the twisting corridors of the tower, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Aesira was on high alert, her senses sharp and her body tense.

Finally, they reached the chamber of the mosaic dragon, and Aesira's heart skipped a beat as she saw Aemond waiting for her.

Aemond's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Aesira make her way toward him, her steps slow and cautious. But when she finally reached him, he pulled her into a fierce embrace, his lips crashing down onto hers in a desperate, longing kiss.

Aesira melted into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck as she returned the embrace with equal passion. As they kissed, a hint of anxiety lingered in the back of her mind. She knew that they were in danger of being caught by Lord Otto or his private knights.

As they finally pulled away, panting and breathless, Aesira whispered against his lips, "I thought I had lost you."

"You could never lose me," Aemond replied, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I will never mistake your silence for rejection again."

And with that, they sealed their reunion with another passionate kiss, their love, and devotion for each other burning brighter than ever before.

Aemond felt the thin slip of the gown she wore and shrugged off his cloak. He wrapped it around her shoulders with a tenderness that took her breath away. "Thank you," Aesira whispered, shivering in the cool underground chamber.

Aemond smiled at her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Turning to the knights who had helped them escape, Aemond nodded his thanks and then ordered one of the to take off their boots. Confused, but not willing to anger their prince, a pair of boots were removed and handed to Aesira. As she laced the too-big boots up onto her feet, Aemond holstered one of the daggers and then returned her one, to her.

"We have to report her missing, my Prince," one of the guards—the one who still wore his boots—said gravely. Aesira knew that they were risking a lot by defying Lord Otto's orders, but she couldn't help but feel grateful for their loyalty and bravery.

As Aesira paused to thank the knights, they thanked her instead. "We are returning the favour," one of them said with a bow.

Grasping Aemond's hand, Aesira allowed him to lead her out of the castle.