Innocence// AEMOND TARGARYEN ✔️

Chapter Fifty-one

!! Spoiler alert: Contains book references!!

Eirlys was practically outrunning the guard escorting her to her queen mother.

To say she was eager to tell them about Luke would be an understatement.

She landed at Dragonstone a few hours after she'd met her brother, who had a hard time speaking to her at first. She made sure he was at the very least able to fly back atop Ember.

The villagers helped him climb into the saddle and Eirlys thanked each of them, promising that their hospitality toward her brother would not be forgotten and the queen would reward them for their kindness during this troubling time of war.

She fidgeted with the sleeves of her coat, as she walked faster and faster toward the queen's study.

She barged into the room before the guard could even announce her. She didn't care that she was not following her mannerisms, damn those manners.

"Eirlys!" Rhaenyra's face lit up after days of pure agony. Seeing her daughter amidst the chaos lifted her spirits . She ran toward her and engulfed her in a hug, holding her close "you esca-"

"Lucerys lives!" she pulled away slightly to look at her mother and practically screamed, as if the septa was asking her a question about philosophy to which she knew the answer "he's alive"

"What" Rhaenyra seemed stunned. Even Daemon, who was in the corner looked at her absolutely confused.

"He is not dead" she repeated

"From what we've gathered, Lucerys was murdered at storm's end, by your husband" Daemon emphasised the last bit "and he carved his eyes out of his corpse to take as a gift to his mother, earning the name 'Kinslayer'"

"What- No!" Eirlys was taken aback by the brutality associated with her husband and how the story was twisted in such a harsh manner to portray her husband as such a villan "no, he well- he did go after him, to antagonise and scare him but he did not mean to kill him. Aemond would never-"

"You are defending a green?" Daemon sharply asked.

She wasn't defending Aemond's chase that left the younger boy traumatised. That was something she would not justify but the accusation of murder, now that was a mess that she took upon herself to clear up.

"That's not the point, my brother is alive" she yet again reminded "gravely injured but alive and breathing, present here with me"

"Well that is great news indeed, though this uh.." Daemon cleared his throat, suddenly tensing up "this does put us in a terrible situation"

Eirlys took a deep breath and was desperately hoping he did not make any impulsive decisions upon hearing the news of Luke's death.

But knowing her step-father and his ever-short temper, there was a high chance that he had already planned a scheme to get even.

"What have you done?" Eirlys hesitantly asked.

Daemon took a minute to heave a sigh as he walked toward her.

Maybe he did need to think rationally instead of with anger.

"I ordered for the head of one of Aegon's boys" he gravely told her "a son for a son"

"What-" Eirlys took a step back. She loved those children to pieces. The thought of them being butchered had her frightened at how cold and heartless her step-father could get.

"But the order has only been sent, not yet executed" he tried to reassure. Keyword: tried "I can-"

"You ordered the murder of an innocent child?" Eirlys was astonished that he mother too, had agreed to this "the children are innocent of this!"

"Lucerys too was a child but that didn't stop your lord husband" Daemon reminded.

"Call off the mercenaries" Eirlys circled back to the topic at hand.

"It would take a day by the time the news reached them" Daemon admitted "contacting mercenaries takes a lot longer and I can't send a raven for the job"

"Then I'll go" the princess announced "I can reach the Redkeep in a few hours time on dragonback"

"You will do no such thing" the king consort commanded "you've only just gotten away from that place, you think I-"

"If we do nothing, an innocent child will die" she urgently told him "I will not stand here and do nothing while one of my nephews is put to slaughter for absolutely no reason. Lucerys lives and this assassination need not happen"

Rhaenyra was queit the entire time, afraid that if she spoke she would wake up from this dream. Because that's what she took this to be:

A dream.

With a deep breath, and a pinch to the arm to yet again confirm that she was not asleep, she managed to find her voice and ask "Where is he?"

Eirlys told them he was escorted back to his room where the maesters were tending to his injuries. She told them about the fishing village, how he looked when she found him, all wrapped up in bandages. His prior hesitation to speak to her about at first. How he was afraid to return on dragon back, silently crying and clutching on to her arm while he constantly looked above his shoulder, as if on the look out for Vhagar.

"Oh and there's one more thing.." She went on as they neared his chambers "he-"

Rhaenyra was not interested as she pushed open the door and immediately tears streamed down her face when her eyes met with his.

She used to visit his chambers almost every hour, as if by some miracle she would find him peacefully sleeping.

And now, here he was, just as she had pictured. His soft brown curls and deep brown eyes. His pink tinted cheeks, now even more flushed from all the crying that even made his lashes seem longer, something Eirlys used to complain about as children.

"He has longer lashes" she'd pouted as she let Rhaenyra braid her hair "why don't I have lover lashes like his?"

"Oh, my sweet boy" she rushed to his side but the boy seemed slightly startled and shifted away before he turned to look at Eirlys.

"Its alright" she smiled before she turned to look sadly at her mother, who had a pained expression on her face due to his reaction.

"Lucerys" the queen called out as she gently took his hand in her's "you're home"

The boy did not speak. He had grown very quiet since the attack and he only seemed to be comfortable around Eirlys. He eyes always wandered back to her's.

He once again glanced at her as he gulped, then he looked at Daemon for a few seconds before turning back to Rhaenyra. He furrowed his brows and tilted his head as he examined her features. Pale skin, lavender eyes and the most beautiful platinum hair, just like his sister's. She had a gentle gaze, and she looked absolutely ethereal.

He offered a timid smile back and said something that left the queen absolutely shattered.

"Who are you?"