C U R I O S I T Y | Aemond Targaryen

F O R T Y - O N E

Aemond's P.O.V.

Something... Happened here.

Leaving the garage and stepping into the livingroom, I instantly sense something off about the aura in the house. Daeron is in the kitchen, actually cooking dinner instead of looking at takeout menus, while Aegon is sitting at the dinner table writing a report for school. Peering around aimlessly, I find all three dogs sprawled beside the backdoor like they want to go out, but don't actually need to go out.

It's quiet... Too quiet.

My brothers only offer me a single glance before going back to what they're doing; even the dogs hardly acknowledge me. Today was one of my busy days; all morning I was in classes, then all afternoon I was at Iron Throne Enterprise. I haven't seen Cordelia since this morning when we woke up and got ready for the day, but I saw my brothers during our break lunch and they didn't seem this distant then.

It's been a few days since the night Cordelia and I went to see the Rhoynar Symphony on the other side of the city. Nothing changed since then, besides Cordelia spending every night in my room, but that means I'm doing something right. However, this scene is the house doesn't seem right at all, and I can't pick up on the reason for it.

I stare at my older brother for a long moment, watching him do his school assignment with a surprised expression on my face. Usually, he's only doing schoolwork when Cordelia is nagging him or partially helping him work through it. Though, by the look of his messy work space on the dining table, it appears she isn't helping or nagging him because she usually tidies his school clutter as he makes it.

"I don't know if you saw the calls from our mother today." I speak up to Aegon then, while stripping off my jacket and resting it on a bar stool. Sending him a pointed look, I say what she's been telling me to remind him. "She's wanting you to go into the office this week."

My oldest brother only grunts in acknowledgement as he continues to work, and I roll my eye before turning to see what Daeron's cooking for dinner. Aegon doesn't want to recognize it, but because he's actually passing classes now, our mother wants him to come into the office and help around with the family business. He's putting off the talk with our mother, which I completely understand and respect, since I did the exact same thing my second year of college until I finally caved to my mother and took the job she demanded me to take.

"Where's Cordelia?"

I hum while shuffling around the kitchen and peering at the mess Daeron's making with our food. My youngest brother is making brown rice on the stove right now while putting homemade enchiladas into the oven. Frowning at the meal for tonight, I note how it's one of Cordelia's favorite meals, but we don't usually make it, instead we'll go out to eat for her to get it.

"She's outback."

Daeron mumbles under his breath while stirring the rice in the pan, not bothering to glance my way. Raising a single eyebrow at his thin tone and short answer, I become sure of how something happened here while I was working. Pulling at my tie and walking through the kitchen, I plan on talking to Cordelia and figuring out what's going on when something catches my gaze.

Seeing a single ripped letter beside a stack of unopen mail from today on the island, I scrunch my brows before picking up both the envelope and folded paper. When I open the letter and see the address, I realize the letter is from the writing challenge Cordelia entered over a month ago. Skim reading through it, understanding what it's insinuating and feeling my heart sink, I peer up from the letter with a tight jaw.

She didn't win.... Didn't even get in the top ten slots.

Everything happening in the kitchen and dining room makes sense now to me, and I let out a slow, cautious breath. Daeron is making Cordelia's favorite meal to cheer her up, and Aegon is doing his work on his own so that she doesn't have to worry about him. Staring at the letter for a long moment, I wonder why didn't text or call me after seeing this letter; she could have told me at any time and talked to me about this.