The Marriage Pact

Justice

Ser Cole, it transpired, had come to the courtyard to do more than be the bearer of ill tidings. Alicent had sent him to summon her children.

"The Queen awaits you in her chambers," he informed them. "She bids you come to her at once so that she might explain everything."

Daeron didn't need to be told twice. He shoved past his brothers and practically sprinted up the stairs. Aemond and Aegon exchanged a look. This was exactly what they had feared: that the moment Rhaenyra took power she would start picking them off, one by one. It seemed their grandsire would be the first to fall.

But Aemond knew that at least in this instance, the charge brought against Otto was true. He himself had never formally agreed to any plan, but it had been generally understood for as long as he could remember, that when the King died, they would challenge Rhaenyra's claim in favor of Aegon in order to protect their family. What would happen to him now? Would he be arrested too?

After bidding somewhat distracted farewells to their respective paramours, Aemond, Aegon and Helaena followed Daeron up to their mother's chambers. They were relieved to find her looking much as she always did, apparently unharmed.

"My darlings," she cooed.

She opened her arms to them and Aegon flew into her embrace, as though he were still only a child. He would not waste the precious opportunity. Alicent, though a loving mother, rarely hugged any of them. She was not one for physical displays of affection, but she would give her life for any of them without hesitation.

Helaena joined him, but Aemond hung back by the door, paralyzed by anxiety. Alicent needed only to glance at his face to perfectly comprehend his feelings.

She did not press him to come any closer, but only requested gently that he close the door so they might have some privacy. Aemond managed to make his limbs work enough to comply with this request.

Alicent came directly to the point. She told her children just what had occurred: how she'd discovered that her father and several members of the small council had been plotting to murder the King, Rhaenyra, Daemon and all their children, in order to secure the throne for Aegon; how this conversation had been overheard by Daemon and Rhaenyra, and of the arrests that followed.

All her children were naturally appalled, but Aemond was beyond furious. He'd never felt so betrayed in all his life; not even when Luke cut out his eye and his father did nothing. After everything he'd done for his grandsire, and how hard he'd worked to make him proud, this was how he'd planned to repay him?

He imagined what it would have been like to awake to the news that Visenya, his own sweet, beautiful, perfect girl, had been murdered.

"I'll kill him myself," he announced, eye flashing dangerously.

"No Aemond!" Alicent hurried across the room to him as he turned and opened the door. "Wait, we must talk this over. Do not do anything rash."

"He would have taken her from me! Visenya... He would have- he would have-" he couldn't even get the words out. His chest constricted painfully. He could scarcely breathe. He felt as if he'd been stabbed.

Alicent clasped his arms. "Breathe Aemond. Just breathe. No one is going to hurt Visenya."

"I can't believe he would do this," whispered Helaena numbly. "To murder my Jace, and father... and Rhaenyra and her unborn child, and all of them..." each of their faces flashed through her mind while her stomach tied itself into knots.

"Wait a moment. We're still getting married, aren't we?" Aegon blurted out, panic stricken. "Rhaenyra doesn't blame us all, does she? I never wanted to be King! Mother, you have to tell her-"