Blood of Old Valryia (Aemond Targaryen FF)

Chapter Sixty One

AEMOND

Aemond was mesmerized as he watched Aesira rise from the bed, her arms extending in a slow, graceful stretch.

The morning sun beamed through the window, bathing her in its golden rays and illuminating her skin with a warm, radiant glow. As she turned to face him, his eye was immediately drawn to her swollen belly, a physical symbol of the love they shared and the life growing within her.

Overcome with emotion, Aemond reached out with a hand trembling as he placed it tenderly upon her belly. The weight of the moment seemed to press down on him and a single tear rolled down his cheek. This was never a life he'd ever imagined to envision for himself and yet, presented with it, he wanted it. He yearned for it. He burned for it.

His voice was thick with concern as he asked, "How far along are you?"

Aesira's musical laughter filled the room, chasing away Aemond's worries and bringing a smile to his face. Her joy was contagious. Enough so that the sound and sight washed him clean of any doubts, worries, or concerns. Aesira hadn't laughed that easily, that care-free, since their days at the Inn. For her to do so now, meant the war was over. 

"Just three moons to go," she replied, her smile wide and full of joy. The anticipation of their impending parenthood was written plainly on her face, and Aemond felt a surge of love and gratitude for this incredible woman.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips against her belly in a kiss, eliciting a giggle from Aesira. Her playful response only added to the warmth of the moment, and Aemond felt grateful for the lightness and joy she brought into his life.

He was struck by how beautiful Aesira was. Her skin was a canvas, reflecting the radiant energy of life within her. The morning sun cast a warm glow upon her, highlighting the curves and contours of her form and lending her an ethereal beauty. He drank in the sight of her, reveling in the knowledge that she was his, that they were starting a family together.

She swatted him before slipping out of the bed and striding behind the room divider, leaving Aemond to bask in the warmth of the moment.

As Aesira strode away, the room grew darker and darker until she disappeared completely and the room was engulfed in a heavy and ominous hue of red and smoky black. The silence was shattered by Aesira's blood-curdling scream, sending shivers down Aemond's spine.

He sprang from the bed, his heart pounding with fear as he raced around the room divider. When he cleared the divider, he was horrified by what he saw. Aesira was leaning against a figure whose face he could not see. Aesira's once beautiful gown now drenched with sweat and splattered with blood. And in her arms, she cradled a tiny, wailing newborn with a tuft of white hair matted to its head, covered in a mess of mucus and blood.

Aemond fell to his knees beside her, concern etched upon his face as he reached out to touch her. "My love, what happened?"

But his hand met an impenetrable wall, one he couldn't see but could feel. He pounded on the wall to no avail. He could only watch as Aesira held the baby close to her cheek, tears streaming down her face as she tried to calm the child. The faceless figure tried to soothe Aesira but she shrugged the hand off as she shuddered, still wailing. This moment wasn't a happy one, she was sad.

Aemond pounded on the wall, calling out her name in desperation. The sight was too much for him to bear, and he felt his heart break as he watched her tears fall, knowing that he was powerless to help her. She couldn't see or hear him. Aesira was alone in the one of the most important moments of their lives.