Dynasty of Flames//Aemond Targaryen X Reader

Chapter Ten

In the days that followed after the tourney, Y/N and Aemond had grown just as close as they used to be when they were children, perhaps even closer.

Aemond had grown a little too fond of her company. There were times he found himself craving even the smallest of touches like when her fingers brushed against his hand whenever she took a book from him. Or when his fingers touched her face, when he reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. How she sometimes laughed so much that she subconsciously placed her hand on his bicep, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

He used to kiss her hand each morning when he greeted her before she could break her fast and she would kiss his cheek as she bid him goodnight before they headed off to bed.

And many times, a similar thought had crossed both of their minds- though they never acted on it.

"How would her lips feel on mine instead of my cheek?"

"How would his lips feel on mine instead of my hand?"

They still often snuck off to bathe together, playing and splashing around in the warm water- all pure and innocent fun, before slipping outside the bath discreetly; both of them smelling of the same bath oils.

This was perhaps the first time in years that Alicent saw Aemond genuinely this happy. Of course, he used to have his moments where he sulked for hours on end whenever Y/N used to have to walk through the castle grounds or have tea with the young lord Greyjoy; a courtship of pure formality.

In all honesty, Daemon was not too fond of Dalton Greyjoy but he was even more repulsive of Aemond, ever since that boy had stolen Rhaena's chance of claiming a dragon and making Vhager, his sweet Laena's dragon, his own. Perhaps if Y/N truly never got along with Dalton and stayed adamant about marrying another, he would quite surely give in to her wants; she of course his darling ember. The only reason he was having her publicly court Dalton was for the sole purpose of annoying Aemond.

Presently, princess Y/N was sitting on a little bench by the courtyard, along with Dalton. Aemond as per usual, was taking a walk around the place, simply so that he could keep an eye on his friend.

Y/N was well aware of this. When Dalton wasn't looking, she shot Aemond a playful look, rolling her eyes to show how bored she was and Aemond chuckled. But then he saw her attention quickly snap back toward Dalton, as if after so many days he'd finally managed to say something that caught her interest.

And by the look on her face, it would seem he did. Her eyes lit up and for the first time, she smiled at him, genuinely. She then asked him something to which Dalton responded in an instant; a response that seemed to be rather humorous since it caused Y/N to laugh.

Aemond clenched his jaw at the sound of her laughter. He liked her laugh, it was almost like music to his ears but for some reason, he did not appreciate that the person who caused her to laugh was someone she was falsely courting and not him.

Perhaps because growing up, they always had each other without the interference of anyone else.

Aemond never thought himself to be a jealous man, and he most certainly wasn't jealous in that moment. Why should he be? She was his best friend, nothing more. Right?

'Do best friends bathe together?' A voice in his head asked 'Do best friends kiss your scars, igniting a fire beneath your skin at every instance of close contact?'

Still, he felt as though if he had to watch them both so happy with each other's company for even another moment, he would march right upto them and drag his Y/N away from that arseling.