The Fire That Burns Within US - Aemond Targaryen

Queer Customs

138 - Harrenhal

"I must thank you for inviting me, Your Grace,"

"Visenya," Rob calls out to Visenya, gaining her attention from the food she is staring at on her plate.

Visenya looks away from her food; she had been staring at it, hoping that the meat would magically cut itself and that the bread would rip itself apart. Visenya didn't want to ask Aemond or Ben to do it for her, not feeling comfortable enough in front of Rob's wife, Alla.

As soon as she looks away from her plate, Aemond pushes his plate to the side and takes her, doing what she wants without her having to ask. Aemond knows Visenya well enough that she would not bruise her pride and would sooner go hungry than ask for help.

"What?" Visenya asks as she looks between Rob and his wife.

Alla is a beautiful woman, maybe a year older than Rob himself, but she doesn't look like she is. Unlike the four other people sitting at the table, it is clear that she has had a life away from violence and war and that she had also grown up where the sun shines and people spend time outdoors.

The new lady of Riverrun is beautiful but not Visenya type and far from either Aemond or Bens.

"Alla was speaking to you," Rob answers Visenya as he notices that Ben puts more vegetables onto the plate in front of Aemond, who approves of the knight's actions.

"Oh," Visenya says before she looks at the frightened lady, offering her a kind smile. "Sorry, I am not very used to people addressing me by those titles,"

"Should get used to it," Ben tells Visenya as he moves across the table to pour more mead into Visenya's cup, even past the look both her and Rob give him. "All those highborn fuckers will be calling by them soon,"

"Ben," Rob warns, he doesn't mind that kind of language when it is just them, but he doesn't think his lady wife would appreciate such language.

Alla ignores her husband's tone. Instead, she watches as Aemond moves Visenya's plate back in front of her, and instead of his hands going back to eat his food, Aemond's hand goes behind Visenya's neck; she watches as a genuine smile graces Visenya's face as she looks at Aemond.

Rob and Ben have a little stare-off with one another, waiting for the other to back down, and Ben gets Rob to break eye contact as he swiftly kicks the lord's shin. Rob jumps a little in his seat before looking at Alla, who is watching Visenya and Aemond, with a smile on her face; it is obvious to anyone who even glances at the two that they are in love.

"Sorry," Ben apologises to Alla, pulling her attention away from the Targaryens. "Forgive my language, my lady. My parents died before they could teach me any manners, and both of my siblings have far worse mouths than me,"

Visenya sniffles her laugh as she watches the colour drain from Alla's face at Ben's words, and Rob just sighs as he looks down.

"You do not need to call me by my titles. Visenya is fine," Visenya tells Alla, gaining her attention. She wants the lady to feel welcomed and knows it will take some time for the lady to get used to the trio dynamic, just like it had taken Aemond some time to get used to it.

"Are you sure?" Alla asks, not wanting to offend Visenya and there forth Aemond as well.

Like many others, the prince scares Alla, always quiet and watching. Alla has heard the stories about what is under the eyepatch, how he has no eye and only takes it off in a battle to scare and shock his enemies. Aemond has only spoken to Alla a handful of times, often when he has come to relieve her of watching his children, but each time Alla is quick to leave the room, not to anger the man. The one time she had stayed in the room longer than usual, Aemond seemed to be a different person with his children, and now Alla can see that he is the same as Visenya.