Dance of the Empire

Chapter 4 See You Again

Aemond Targaryen's life was a battle, a relentless one against a seemingly inescapable destiny of becoming another insignificant Targaryen royal, riding an ordinary dragon, holding a hollow position in court, accompanied by a mediocre noble woman, doomed to be forgotten in history. Aegon, on the other hand, had everything handed to him, a fierce dragon hatched upon his birth, the prestige and recognition that came with being the firstborn son and the potential birthright to inherit the Iron Throne.

Aemond Targaryen wanted everything and was ready to steal, scheme and slaughter.

But when his mother proposed to invite the eldest daughter of Tyland Lannister to accompany him, he was caught off-guard. Was he, the second son, the spare, truly promised of the "Beauty of Casterly Rock" and an alliance with the house sitting on a mountain of gold? Promise was a stranger to the One-Eyed Prince, as he had always been a taker, just as he claimed the largest dragon in the world.

Although Aemond had never been naive enough to assume that his untimely victory on Driftmark would result in no consequences, having his eye gouged out by his nephew had been a whole another ordeal. Every detail of that fateful night was etched onto his heart: the excruciating vulnerability as he screamed with agony, the scorching hatred for his whore of a half-sister while she suggested he to be "sharply questioned" for speaking the truth, the shame and anger he harboured against himself for not having been more observant of Lucerys' moves and not being a more skilled warrior, the unquenchable thirst for revenge devouring his soul while he had to suppress it for the sake of the situation.

Today, Aemond witnessed his repressed greed and thirst for vengeance manifesting itself in a new form - the dark brown eyes of Katherine Lannister. It was well-hidden behind her facade of delicate and innocent beauty, but something as vile as greed could never be subdued. The way she clung to his arm when Aegon made his depraved remark was almost as if she was him - the One-Eyed Prince himself.
Aemond took a deep breath as he took off his eye-patch and closed his eye, his mind wandering to the pretty face of the young Lannister, the way her sweet voice conveyed subtle calculation and a rare conviction, the way her head held high yet still remained soft and feminine, the way her silky skin touched his, the way her golden dress showed off her curves, the way her dark eyes beaming with raw curiosity, thrill and admiration as he told her he wanted everything.

He had felt lust before, though he didn't like to admit it. The last thing he wanted was to succumb to an abhorrent lifestyle like his wastrel brother, who bedded half, if not more, of the whores on the Silk Streets. Thank the gods his mother married Helaena to Leo Tyrell, the noble and handsome heir of Highgarden, and not Aegon.
But this was like nothing he had experienced. It was no doubt - The One-Eyed Prince desired the Exquisitely Odd Lannister, and with that, he allowed his hands and mind to wander. For the first time for as long as Aemond could remember, a part of his mind that used to be consumed by thirst of vengeance was replaced by hope, because he knew, he will see her again.
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The young Lannister paced in her chamber, contemplating the beginning of the start of her new life in the Red Keep.

Her chamber was wide and majestic, bathed in beige and white, filled with faint scents of orchid and included a grand balcony with a splendid view of King's Landing. Truthfully, Katherine had expected her chamber to be decorated with the dominant Hightower green or the intimidating Targaryen scarlet, implicitly demanding her allegiance and loyalty to the Green faction of House Targaryen. She felt a sense of reassurance as the Queen Alicent must have given the instructions to decorate her chamber with a neutral and elegant palette, intending for her to feel comfortable and at ease by surrounding her with an architectural style that she thought represented Katherine Lannister.

Stepping on to the balcony, she gasp at the bustling night of King's Landing showing before her feet. Closing her eyes, Katherine took a deep breath. She was in King's Landing, free of the vile insults, manipulations and lustful eyes of Casterly Rock, yet she knew she escaped from one prison and entered another. This one, potentially far more dangerous, but it had meant stepping foot into the centre of power, knowledge, adventures and the unknown. Katherine Lannister would rather die screaming in agony as her greed for more burnt her than submitting to fate.

The Lannisters had never been her family. Not now, not before, not ever. Katherine seethed with anger as she trailed her fingers over the roses, still feeling the sting of the thorn. It was like her family, always pricking and hurting her, never showing any affection or care. Everyone at Casterly Rock looked at her with pity, saying that her usual beauty in the House of the Lion was a blessing and a curse. Fuck them all, she
thought.

Tyland never looked at her the way he did with his half-siblings, Alerie Tyrell's children, with affection and warmth. In the Lannister men's eyes, she was a fruit of a failed marriage, of a stubborn marriage, to be used for the gains of their House. They were ready to sell her to the highest bidder, for her to become some lord's breeding mare and trophy. Katherine could not remember how many times she had wished to spit on her father and uncles' face when they lectured her on her duty to their house.
Fuck your duty, she had cursed secretly. The only duty I owe is to myself and my own happiness. She had never felt like she belonged in Casterly Rock, surrounded by a family that despised her. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had always been an outsider in their world. But now, she was in King's Landing, free from their grasp, and ready to make a name for herself.

As she licked the blood from her cut, she chuckled, mind drifting to the One-Eyed Prince. He was just like her, ambitious and unapologetic, not afraid to go after what he wanted. "And what is it that you want, Prince Aemond?" she had asked him. "Everything," his answer calm and simple.

Katherine admired his audacity. How much strength must a man possess to speak of malicious rumours about him with such ease and eloquence? She wondered if Aemond had revealed his desires to anyone else, but the question quickly dissipated. Revealing such ambitions as the second son would've made him appear foolish, unwise, and presumptuous. Her lips formed a slight smile at this realization.

Aemond Targaryen's gaze at his elder brother brought her back to the cruel taunting of her half-siblings: the fire devouring her soul while she decided to maintain her innocent facade, the sentiment of containing a flicker of flame from exploding.
As she went back into her chamber, she sank into the warm, fragrant bathwater, feeling the tension slowly melt away from her muscles. Unconsciously, her mind drifted back to the One-Eyed Prince's beautifully slander figure, deep, resonant voice, his exquisite silver hair, his violet remaining eye gazing through her soul and the scar above his eyepatch, covering parts of himself he kept away hidden from the world, obstructive on his Valyrian ethereal features.

The Exquisitely Odd Lannister knew that they would most likely be betrothed. She bit her lips at the thought. For some reason, she felt hopeful about the future in which they would become partners in this game, for she had never met someone who had sparked her soul as he did at first sight. For the first time in a long time, she felt hopeful, because she will see him again.