Innocence// AEMOND TARGARYEN ✔️

Chapter Forty-two

"Ah there she is" Aemond announced as Eirlys walked into their chambers the next morning, still in her nightgown and hair tangled up "I've been awake almost all night, turning to your side of the bed every hour to see that oh, my wife is still amis"

"If Lyra can sleep without her mother I'm sure you too could manage one night without me" Eirlys playfully smirked "didn't you mention only last night that you were four and twenty?"

"What's that in your hair?" he squinted to look at he leaves and petals that were nestled amidst her silver locks.

"Oh its a flower crown"

"Well its a crown of a sort" he made a face that didn't hide the fact that he wasn't impressed.

"My mother made it" Eirlys added.

"Oh" Aemond smiled "it looks lovely"

Eirlys rolled her eyes at him.

"Muña!" came the sound of their daughter, running into the room already dressed in one of her gowns and her hair neatly braided.

"Kepa, you're not dressed" she eyed her father who was still in his sleeping attire "I wanted to watch you fly Vhagar today, can I come? Please? Before I-"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to nuha perzys" (my flame) Eirlys interrupted before she turned to give her husband a sly smile "he has been confined to his chambers for the entire day by his queen mother"

Lyra chortled at this, finding the idea of her father getting scolded and then being punished by his mother rather amusing.

"Finding this funny, eh?" he grinned at the two princesses laughing away at him "perhaps I ought to confine you to your chamber too Lyra"

"I will tell your mother if you do" Lyra stuck her tongue out at her father who pretended to take grave offence to it by placing his hand over his heart and scoffing.

"Well I need to get dressed so," Eirlys patted her daughter's shoulder "take Maelor and go play with Joffrey. I'll meet you near the courtyard with the rest of them"

The younger girl happily skipped away. She would much rather play anyway than attend her lessons. Perhaps her grandmother Rhaenyra should stay, since she hadn't had to attend any lessons since the princess arrived.

"They're leaving already?" Aemond asked, knowing that Eirlys was going to the courtyard to say her farewells to her family "glad I don't have to leave my room, I doubt either of them wish to see me after last night"

"I do hope you lot will get along eventually" Eirlys sighed as she picked a beige gown "though I won't force you to come and see them off if you do not wish to do so. Lyra is leaving with them. She'll stay at Dragonstone for two days and then return with my mother"

"When was this decided?"

"Last night" the princess casually informed "her things are being packed right now"

Eirlys wished her brothers would stay for a bit longer. It had been ages since she last saw them and now who knew when she might see them again. At least her mother was returning with Syrax.

The queen and the princess had finally turned to being friends again. And after last night's fun, Eirlys was looking forward to spending more time with them.

After she said her goodbyes to her family, she went on about with the rest of her day. The castle seemed so empty all of a sudden, incomplete almost.

The queen too felt the sudden emptiness, especially after she'd rekindled the bond of friendship between her and Rhaenyra. It felt as though she'd gone back in time when the princess had told her all she wished to do was eat cake and travel the world with her.

She smiled to herself at the memory.

Before she went to her bed to retire for the day and catch some sleep, to make up for the sleep she'd missed out on the night before, she went to her husband's chambers first to make sure he was alright. The illness was getting worse by the hour.

She poured him a cup of some milk of the poppy, to help ease the pain.

Once she had pulled the blankets over him, she turned to head out to her own quarters until she heard the king murmur something softly.

"Yes?" she politely asked as she walked closer to him.

"It is you" he said, almost as a whisper, thinking that it was Rhaenyra he was talking to "if I believe it to be true"

"Believe what to be true" she asked, confused "my king?"

"Don't you remember?" he spoke with his eyes still shut "Aegon's dream"

"Aegon? Our son?"

"The prince that was promised"

"I don't understand Viserys" she truthfully told him.

"To unite the realm against the cold and the dark" he gasped for breath as he spoke "It is you, you are the one"

Alicent took a deep breath.

After all these years, he had finally claimed Aegon as his successor.

She was a bit hesitant this time, not sure if she was happy for her son or concerned about how her dear Rhaenyra might take the news. They'd only just become friends once again.

But in the end, a king's word was law.

"I understand" she simply told him before she left.

She would have to have him sign a royal decree on the morrow, stating that he had changed who was to inherit the iron throne after him.

Though things did not go as planned.

She was awoken from her slumber at a rather late hour to be made aware of her husband's sudden demise.

The queen was deeply saddened by the news. She might not have loved him as a wife but she did love him as his queen. And now with him not being able to announce it himself about the line of succession, she and her father took steps to ensure that no one in the castle was to be made aware of the king's death.

The servants who did know, were locked away in the cellars until they took further action.

Alicent had sent for Aemond and told him about the king but requested him to speak to no one of this, not even Eirlys. She told him how Viserys had wished for Aegon to be crowned king upon his death bed.

Aegon too was made aware of this, not by his mother but by one of the servant girls who he'd taken to bed earlier. Aegon didn't care for a life led by duty and responsibility, no, all he wanted to do was drink and have fun.

To avoid being handed over the burden of running a kingdom, he quickly made his escape into the city.

Alicent had charged Criston with finding him before her father could.

Otto had suggested that Rhaenyra and her family at Dragonstone should be killed to ensure that no rebellion might rise against Aegon when he would be king. Alicent found the sentence quiet harsh and instead argued that a choice to bend the knee should be given.

"The king did not wish for the murder of his daughter!" She yelled with frustration "and need I remind you that my grand daughter Lyra is presently at Dragonstone as well. I do not want her harmed in any way"

Just so that Otto might not influence Aegon to put his plan into action, she wanted to speak to him before her father did.

Aemond volunteered to go with Ser Criston to help find Aegon, convincing his mother that he knew his brother better than anyone.

While he was away, Otto had ordered for Eirlys and Rhaenys to be locked away in their rooms so that they might not let word escape to Rhaenyra just yet.

Eirlys was rather surprised to wake up and find Aemond missing. Furthermore, she found it odd that she had been locked away.

Was the castle under attack?

Was Aemond alright?

Unbeknownst to the princess, what awaited beyond those doors was a world of hers that was going to be completely changed and who knew if for the better or worse.