audacity || aemond targaryen

chapter 12: recovery

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THE DINING ROOM was aemond's first stop, given that it was the only room besides the entrance hall and his and maelina's bedrooms he knew the location of. when he reached it he stopped dead in his tracks. there maelina was, sitting next to ser gabryael at the breakfast table, wrapped in a blanket and more awake than she'd been in some time. aemond tried not to look fazed when she smiled at him, turning the attention of everyone towards him.

"aemond!", ser gabryael exclaimed happily, "join us for breakfast." the prince ignored the usage of only his first name, no title. it was something he had gotten used to. the people in lothraet were much less formal in the way they spoke than the ones in king's landing. he nodded his head and walked to his place at maelina's left side. merther and arlaen sat across from her, as well as ser laendo and gabryael on maelina's right. another thing he'd gotten used to was how close the strabrons were with members of their household, treating them as family. (though if you believed the rumours, one actually was a member of the family.)

"i already thought i was finally rid of you.", aemond said when he reached her side, gently resting his hands on her shoulders from behind.

"apologies for disappointing you, my prince.", she joked and he couldn't help a small smile gracing his lips, as he planted a kiss on the crown of her head and sat down. an affectionate gesture to upkeep the illusion of their marriage, he told himself. maelina blushed, all just for show, she told herself. lupin who lay before maelina's feet growled at aemond, but settled back down as if he didn't view him as threat.

"maelina's health is much improved. she still needs a lot of rest, but perhaps a walk would be good for her.", merther said with his mouth full and a short nod to aemond. arlaen slapped his arm and started lecturing him on etiquette, much to the amusement of the other breakfast participants.

after eating, maelina, who insisted she was perfectly healthy again, and aemond, who highly doubted that, excused themselves to go on the proposed walk, leaving the dining hall arms linked, lupin not far behind. they wandered up the hill the castle was built against, through trees and past blooming hedges. the hill, apparently housing an old mine, was about twice as tall as the castle itself, so it was no wonder when maelina suddenly plumbed down onto a tree stump to rest. aemond meanwhile, remained standing and took in the lands sprawled out beneath them. lupin found amusement in running between the trees and chasing anything that crossed his way. the paths that led through the woods surrounding the castle ended in villages, some close and some that aemond could hardly make out in the distance. he had never seen so much untouched nature, having grown up in a big city with bustling streets and buildings as far as his eye could reach.

"not as impressive as king's landing, is it?", maelina said, following his gaze and aemond shook his head.

"a different kind of impressive."

"it's prettiest when the leaves turn yellow once it gets colder. then, when the sun touches the horizon the lands look like they were bathed in gold." aemond hummed, and kept scanning the skyline, hands joined behind his back. he stood straight and unswerving even now that they were alone.
"you need to relax more." aemond turned to maelina confused.

"pardon?" maelina sighed and stood up, dusting off her purple dress, a small cough escaping her mouth.

"you're a stiff. there is no need to be so formal and aloof here. I don't know who you're trying to impress."

"perhaps your father or your friends, so they do not kill me for harming you.", maelina rolled her eyes as she slowly started to descend the hill, aemond following.
"i am in an unknown environment.", he added and that was something maelina understood. she too had put up an act in king's landing, trying not to let her guard down. the only difference was that she had already been to king's landing and the red keep, while aemond was in lothraet and helmsey hall for the first time and most of his time had been spent in her room. she supposed this was the first time, outside of the journey, he even saw the lands properly.