The Passion of a Thousand Suns | Aemond Targaryen

Eight: of sad tales & histories

KING'S LANDING 

Despite months passing, the warmth of Aemond's hands still lingered on her skin. 

After their dance Hira was left confused and mildly irritated at the foreign emotions triggered by Aemond and yet they only grew with these passing week. So she did what she knew best, she bottled every bit of it and locked it away. 

Yet moments before she drifted to sleep, Aemond's face appeared behind her closed eyelids and Hira found herself falling asleep to the sound of his voice, right beside her ear. 

It must be the work of poisons, she concluded. That, or worse. The work of their Westerosi gods, playing tricks and wreaking havoc on her. Hira knew she was being silly, but no one had plagued her thoughts until Aemond Targaryen.

Helaena was of no help. Oftentimes she invited her younger brother to their weekly flying sessions. 

Lately, Hira found it difficult to say no to her, so Aemond joined when he wasn't busy learning philosophy and the histories, or at the yard with a sword in hand. Hira went through great attempts to avoid him, making sure not to frequent the library when he had his lessons. 

Her Sapphire Guards had taken to training in the gardens rather than the actual yard when their princess wanted to practise her daggers. Shouta wasn't impressed with her at all, Hira recalled the trademark frown and crossed arms. Despite being a few years older than her, Shouta perfectly embodied the Elders back home, the disappointed look suited his face well.

The goal was to dwindle the emotions festering inside her whenever Aemond made an unwanted appearance. Yet Helaena was sneakier than she let on. 

Here she was in the girl's room with Aemond perched on the sofa next to her, close enough to touch if she dared, with her ladies plotted around the chamber.

Helaena wanted to try Lengii traditional gowns, to which Hira's ladies eagerly agreed. Being the overachievers they were, all four girls stitched a beautiful yellow baro't saya for Helaena. It was their project of the month, completing the piece in a little under three weeks. They even went to the markets outside the Keep and bought different materials and thread to produce it. 

Jade was adding the finishing touches to Helaena's face, applying a bit of kohl to the outer edge of her eyes, making them appear bigger.

"It's lovely, isn't it Hira?" Helaena beamed, her face a replica of sunlight.

The baro't saya was floor length, lined with a flowy skirt paired with a blouse. The kerchief draped over Helaena's shoulders had embellishments of a blue dragon inspired by Dreamfyre.

"It's the person wearing it that makes it so lovely," Hira answered, pleased at the wide smile Helaena was sprouting.

"Yellow compliments you well." Linh said. "Hira chose the colour for the material."

"It reminded me of the kerria we have back home."

The tilt of Helaena's head was adorable, much like a confused puppy. "What's kerria? I've never heard of it."

"Kerrias are deciduous, yellow-flowering shrubs that belong to the rose family. Native only to Leng, often found on mountain slopes," Ming replied.

"Wouldn't it be lovely if we grew them here, Aemond?" Helaena mused to her brother.

"A piece of Leng would surely please the princess and her household," he replied amicably, turning to gaze at Hira.

"It would." She held his stare. bewitched for a season, before logic reared its head and chided her. "A pity it wouldn't grow in such conditions here in King's Landing."