ℒove always wakes the dragon (Aemond x OC)

In the Darkness of the Cave

Lia is standing at the cave entrance, resting her back against the wall. Her eyes are shut, her breathing slow and face relaxed, and from afar it looks like she might've dozed off. But when Aemond gets closer, despite his attempts to move quietly, her gaze finds him nearly instantaneously. She doesn't seem surprised — or at least he's not sure that she is. But then again, he's not very good at reading her emotions. He wonders if Daemon succeeded in that.

"Helaena was right behind me," Aemond quickly explains, almost apologetic about his early arrival. "She prefers taking the carriage but it lacks pace."

"Seems like it would be harder to maneuver through the streets," Lia agrees, her fingers mindlessly tapping on the stony surface. "Hence why I'd rather walk the city."

"Even with all the trouble it can bring?" Aemond's voice is impish, and she takes the hint.

"I don't get into fights as often as you assume."

"But you don't avoid them either, do you?"

"Why avoid something you excel at?" Lia retorts with a merry twinkle in her eyes.

Aemond chuckles — not in disbelief but more so in amusement. There's a tone of peace in his demeanor, an inkling of relief. Not arguing comes easy to them both, and their whole appearance indicates that they do enjoy it, however sheepishly for now.

He wants to say something else but his eye darts to the side, and within a second all emotions drain from his face, letting in sheer bewilderment, his mouth left open.

"Is your dragon —" Aemond pauses, searching for words, silently stumbling over them. "There is a light coming out of his cave," he looks like he can't believe his own eye.

To add to his perplexity, Lia shows no sign of concern.

"It will be easier if I show you," she says, then moves away from the wall and comes inside, motioning for him to follow.

When Aemond walks in, he instantly gets his guess confirmed but in a way he could've never predicted. Olwen is asleep, his head laying on his bent paws, edges of his wings tucked under his belly, and in the all-consuming darkness of the cave the dragon... glows.

The yellow-ish sheen comes from his body, faint but noticeable — it's trembling and soft, wrapped around him like a cocoon, his scales delicately outlined. Aemond is so fascinated by the sight, he comes closer to stand right next to Lia, and while he's gawking at the beast, she glances at the prince. His excitement is so pure, evident, boyish, it makes her wonder if that's how he looked like when he approached Vhagar for the first time.

"Why is he... How is this even possible," Aemond hesitantly turns to her.

She enjoys his expression for another moment, then says:

"It's not actually him — these are fireflies. He likes wallowing in high grass every time we fly to the mountains, and I guess that's how they get in. Most of them he shakes off on his way back, but some stay stuck under his scales. That's where the glow comes from."

Aemond lets the details sink in, then casts a glance at Olwen again, his puzzlement slowly disappearing. And then a smile breaks out upon his face, so sincere and wide, Lia sees that he has dimples. It's remarkable how it changes his face, and it's a pity that he smiles so rarely, she thinks. Aemond's excitement fades when he notices something else.

"Where does his scar come from?"

Lia scowls and sighs at the mention of it. He instantly regrets asking.

"Dragons are not welcomed where I come from," she tells him, her eyes on Olwen's sleeping snout, on the dark stripe left on his neck. "We learned it the hard way."

"Dragons are to be respected and treated with caution," Aemond argues without comprehension. "Hurting one would be a terrible crime."

"In here, I have no doubts," she corrects him, her voice more sad than dissenting. "But there are other places outside the realm that do not comply with its laws and orders."

"Seems like the wound was deep," he's examining the scar too. "An agony of that kind can make any beast unruly."

"It was a painful experience. But he would never harm me."

They are standing side by side, her shoulder almost brushing his, and it feels like her sorrow streams into his body, reaching his heart, making it ache. Aemond stops himself from taking her by the hand, his fingers are within an inch of hers, but the need to comfort her at least in some way is overpowering.

"It is cruel and unforgivable," he says quietly. "I am terribly sorry you had to go through that."

Lia looks at him, her gaze mellow and grateful, her irises are blooming lilacs. At this very moment, he can't remember why he was ever angry at her, he can't think of a reason to be. Was it actually anger? Or was it something else, something harder to accept, to cope with? Could it be that he —

"The dragonkeepers did not lie about him glowing in the dark!" Helaena cheerfully notes, making Lia and Aemond turn around.

His sister is dressed in light green, with her usual kind smile, her benevolent gaze laid on the white beast already. Helaena is easily amazed and naturally buoyant — but she is also rarely surprised by anything. She springs to Olwen with no questions asked, and the dragon wakes up at her petting. He takes a loud breath, his eyes hooded, and it encourages her to pet him some more.

It doesn't take long for Olwen to get fully awake, and he signals it by a low roar, stretching his neck and taking a look around. Helaena excitedly leaves to bring Dreamfyre out, Lia and her dragon following soon after, with Aemond accompanying them. Olwen is docile and enthusiastically fast-paced, peering at nothing but the light ahead, seemingly inattentive to the prince. But when they are a dozen of feet away from egressing, the dragon makes a noisily inhale, and his snout touches Aemond's shoulder, making him and Lia stop. Olwen slowly sniffs him up, his green eyes looking the man over. And then he turns his head to the exit again, while Lia and Aemond look at each other in bemusement, searching for answers they don't have. She eventually moves on, and the dragon eagerly follows, and his glow gradually dissipates in the daylight.

He and Dreamfyre turn out to be an eye-pleasing duo, her pale blue wings looking brighter in contrast to his white skin, and they race through the sky like two kids competing. When Olwen flies above the Dragonpit, his belly in full view, Aemond catches himself thinking that the shade of it is familiar to him, more bronze than green upon closer inspection. He ponders over it on his way to the beach, and the tenuous hunch grows stronger when he remembers yesterday morning, loud roaring, Vhagar's searching gaze. He sees her approaching from afar, her body bursting through the light clouds — she is massive, intimidating in her steadfastness. She is greenish bronze.

And then his hunch turns into a full-blown, startling realization.