ELLIPSISM, aemond targaryen

[065] be very quiet

WARNING: This chapter includes mature content (smut.) If you don't feel comfortable with reading it, you can skip this chapter and go to the next chapter, [066] the coronation of the usurper (at this time nonexistent, most likely posted this week.)

• • •

THE RED KEEP WAS still in deep darkness and silence, interrupted only by the light of lightning and the sounds of raindrops falling against the windows and roofs. The majority of the population in the castle and the city beneath were in a deep sleep, with the exception of a few people who were working or trying not to succumb to the effects of the alcohol they drank. Overall, Kings Landing looked almost abandoned that night, and if some member of House Targaryen or Velaryon flew above the city on their dragon, it would be possible that they wouldn't even notice it in the dense rain.

There was no sign of life. No sound. No warmth.

With the exception of one specific part of the secret tunnels of the Red Keep, in which Aemma Velaryon and Aemond Targaryen have been still exchanging heated kisses. That place was a complete opposite of the rest of King's Landing.

It started just the same way as the storm that's been raging above their heads the whole time; a few dark clouds collecting above the city, hiding the sun and cooling the air, the fact that it would rain was obvious from the moment the first cloud appeared. Despite the obviousness of the entire thing, however, it didn't start raining immediately, and the women of King's Landing spent a couple of minutes staring at the sky, thinking whether they should hide the clothes that was being dried outside right away, or if it was a waste of time and no rain would fall at all.

The observant part of them hid everything inside as soon as they saw the dark clouds, and the less observant part of them at least hid their things after hearing the first rumble of thunder and seeing a flash of lightning in the sky. Of course, there were a couple of women and even men who determinedly insisted that there would be no storm, simply because 'they could feel it', and their frowns were the polar opposite of smirks on the faces of people who were later watching them run to find a shelter from the rain from the comfort of their own homes.

As for the storm itself, the rain was not as heavy and dense at the beginning. No, the storm that bothered King's Landing that night began with a few droplets of water falling on the dry floor on the streets, painting small circles of shade slightly darker than the original colour of the floor. Eventually, the circles started spreading around the streets until there was not a single lighter spot left, leaving the floor dark and glistening from the raindrops which were larger and faster with each second, loudly falling on surface of anything that got in their way, accompanied by even louder rumbling of thunder and bright lighting as the storm finally freely revealed just how much strength did it possess.

The kisses between Aemma and Aemond were exactly like the storm. At first Aemma's kiss was not passionate, or eager, but despite being quick, there was no way to deny that the kiss was, indeed, firm. It was almost as if she wished to tell him everything she couldn't say out loud through that kiss, to tell him that she accepts his feelings for her, to reassure him that she feels the same, to calm herself down by feeling his lips on hers and remind herself that he was alive and he was hers. To finally be able to kiss him without fearing the disappointment of her mother, her brothers, or herself.

Aemma never cared about anyone the way she cared about him, and it terrified her. It terrified her to the point where she was determined to push him away and make them both miserable instead of accepting it and allowing him, allowing herself, to be happy.

But she was done with it now. Done with being miserable, done with denying her feelings, done with living for her family and not for herself. She deserved more than that, and if nobody will give it to her, then she will simply take it herself.