Come Back To Me

Chapter 37

The night when Aemond, Aegon and Helaena returned from Rook's Rest.

"I ask you to take care of her and you keep her locked away in that shithole cell?!" Aemond shouted at the top of his lungs at his mother while his sister played with a thin, long legged spider between her hands. "Like she's some fucking animal?!"

"If I sent her to the comforts of her former chambers, your brother would have no problem finding his way in there. You certainly didn't when she was last here." Alicent matched his fire. She was so sick of everyone, her children included, treating her like she was nothing. She was the one keeping the realm together as best as she could. She was the reason Aegon never chose Vhagar into battle. She was the reason Daena still breathed. "She is guarded at all hours, away from Aegon, and under constant care from the maesters. I did this to protect her! If you expect this to work, you had better start fucking trusting me! You are not the only one here with something to lose!"

"The strong, little dragons will find their way home." Helaena hummed mindlessly to herself. Aemond winced at the word strong. Still haunted with nightmares of that night.

Alicent glanced between her children and sighed. "I've spoken with Aegon on what he truly desires to do to her, dead or alive...and if that means keeping her in a cell for a short while to keep any of those vile..."

She took a deep breath, remembering every last detail her eldest son rant for hours while the maesters tended to his wounds.

"I need you to just play along as if you are your brother's faithful servant of the court. He still has many allies at court and outside of court..." Alicent looked over at Helaena with tearful eyes. Helaena hadn't really spoken to her mother yet. She'd spend time near her, but never say anything aside from her usual riddles. But even then, they weren't directed to anyone. They never warranted conversation, just odd or irritated looks from those around her.

Well, most of them.

"So I have to sit there and do nothing? Are you serious right now?" Aemond narrowed his eye, scoffing at his mother's ridiculous plan.

"Until your vows are spoken, yes. After that, Aegon will not come near her. As long as he thinks she's suffering, he will not do a thing in the meantime." Alicent smoothed out the front of her deep blue gown before folding her hands over each other. "I will keep Ser Arryk by her side at all times. I suspect he still keeps contact with his brother."

"She won't do it. You know she'll refuse." Aemond clenched his jaw, irritated that another man was protecting her. That was his duty.

"If what Daeron said about her brother is true, then she won't. She'd never put her family in harm's way." Helaena sweetly said, never looking towards the two of them. They both turned with their eyebrows furrowed together, but Helaena just smiled. "Restored with blood, united at last."

"Ser Arryk, isn't that your name?" Daena finally asked as she slumped her head back against the stone of her cell. She looked up at the knight with a surprisingly soft look on it.

He looked down at her and nodded with his eyebrows knitted together. "Yes, princess."

"Hmm...your brother swore himself to my mother." She pulled her eyes away from him and stared ahead blankly.

"Aye...he did, princess." Arryk tensed up at the mention of Erryk.

"Yet here you stand...serving the usurper..." She sighed weakly to herself. Then she gave him a sincere look. "Your brother is still alive by the way."