Come Back To Me

Chapter 1

"There you are!" Princess Daena smiled as she bawled her skirts in her hands and dashed over to her uncle, Prince Aemond. He didn't look up at her as he picked at his nails with his head hung. She plopped down on the base of the Godswood tree and saw the puffiness of his eyes he failed to hide from her. "What is it, Aemond?"

"Have you not heard?" His voice was small with a crack in it. She cocked her head, confused on what could've happened to cause him such heartache. "Your brother's egg has hatched at last. Another dragon."

"And that is bad? He's a beautiful little thing too. Mother named him Arrax!" She smiled, but saw the small eye roll he gave. "Why does that sadden you?"

"It's not fair! You and I both know what he is and even he has a dragon now. Both your brothers. Everyone else's egg hatched except mine." Finally his voice grew, but with a sour bitterness that only made Daena scowl.

"And mine." She arched her eyebrow at him and pursed her lips. "But you do not see me whimpering on and on about the matter."

"Well, I'm glad it doesn't bother you not being accepted." He turned slightly from her with his arms crossed. She sighed and took his hands into hers, forcing him to looking back at her.

"It does bother me, but that does not mean I will not ever have a dragon. Yes, Jace and Luke will have a dragon they will have known their whole lives, but my egg never hatched...that only means I can claim one of the older dragons." Now it was his turn to cock his head in confusion. "Grandfather claimed Balerion, the greatest and largest dragon ever in history. He was not gifted with such an honor by simply sitting and waiting for an egg to hatch. So yes, it would be nice to have one that hatched, but it doesn't mean it is hopeless for me...or you, for that matter. Now stop sulking and tell me which dragon you'd claim."

"W-what?" He fully turned towards her with more optimism growing in his eyes. He'd never considered claiming a dragon.

"I did not stumble on my words. I was quite clear. Which one?" She smiled as she watched him consider her, finally seeing him cheer up. His cheeks flushed when one came to mind, only making her nudge at him more. "Well don't make me wait all da-."

"Vhagar!" He finally blurted out. His lips pursed as he anticipated her laughter, but instead she simply smiled. He let out a small laugh of relief when he realized she wouldn't tease him. "I know our aunt has claimed her already, but she is the dragon I dream to have. I want a fierce and strong dragon. One no one would ever dare to jest against."

"Hmm." Daena smiled to herself as she laid her head on his shoulder, holding onto his hand tightly. "I shouldn't be surprised you'd go for the largest of the dragons. She's magnificent and hearing grandfather talk about her stories is just...I understand, that's all."

He leaned his head against the top of hers and chuckled to himself. "And what about you, princess?"

It was like she'd been waiting her whole life for someone to ask her that question with the way her face lit up. Aemond snuck a peak down at her, noting the crimson of her cheeks and the way she nibbled at her lip as she got giddy. "I can't decide."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well...I can't decide...there's two, but..." She sat up straight, looking up at the sky longingly. "It's hard to decide between majestic and fearsome."

"Who says you have to choose between the two?" He laughed, but she just shook her head.

"A Targaryen's dragon says a lot of them. Syrax is gentle and caring, but strong when needed to be. Caraxes is odd, but easily one of the most dangerous dragons to ever live. If I am to choose my dragon, that dragon represents me." She explained.

"If you believe I can claim Vhagar one day, then I believe you won't have to choose between the two." The two smiled lovingly at each other before Daena slipped out the book she snuck from the library. She laid her head in his lap and read out loud to him while he laid his head back against the tree with a content sigh.

Aemond began to twirl her silver curls as she continued her book, hardly paying attention to the story. His attention was solely on the girl who always warmed his heart. He studied every part of her face as if she might disappear at any moment. When she finally glanced up at him, her face grew slightly serious. "I wish you would not speak of my brothers so poorly. That isn't something I want them knowing of."

He rolled his eyes with a scoff. "Why? The whole court knows it to be true."

"Uncle." She said sternly.

"I hate when you call me uncle." He hissed.

"Well, I hate when you insult my brothers, even in privacy. It is one thing to jest with Jacerys during lessons or during supper, but it is another to just completely insult him or Lucerys for no good reason." She slammed her book shut and stood up, extending her hand with an arched brow.

He sighed and took her hand, standing up with his face dropped. "Fine. I will never speak on it again."

"Thank you." She nodded with a triumphant smile as the two walked quietly back through the halls of the red keep. Aemond finally worked up the courage when they were approaching the library to finally break the silence.

"Does Jace even know? You know...about...well..." He trailed off awkwardly, looking away from her as he hoped she wouldn't be offended to his genuine curiosity.  But to his surprise, she simply shook her head sadly.

"No, I do not believe so. But he will eventually come to learn it himself...I want my brothers to be happy as long as possible without having to worry about the whispers of others." She hung her head as they walked into a brightly lit, yet empty library. He stayed back by the door while she snuck the book back into one of the higher shelves.

When she returned, something was still off in her eyes the more she thought about how it was plain as day that neither Jace nor Luke had the same father as Daena.
Both of them born with darker features, similar to a certain Commander of the City Watch, were polar opposite to her silver hair and violet eyes. She was the spitting image of her mother, but with curlier hair.

Daena didn't necessarily disagree with Aemond about it being unusual for her brothers to have their eggs hatch. She was brought up to believe that only true and pure Valyrian bloodlines had dragons. Jace and Luke were the bastards of Ser Harwin Strong.

The only difference between where Daena and Aemond stood on the matter was Daena was willing to accept that fact, while Aemond simply couldn't. He wanted nothing more than to finally have a dragon.

They both wanted dragons of their own, but for vastly different reasons. Reasons that would later come to haunt them soon enough.