Surviving

Chapter 10: The Girl Who Was Still Mourning

Naerys was thrown onto their bed with a grunt from Aemond, but she scrambled away from him holding her dagger up so he would keep away from her. He froze, but then he noticed the blade itself and his anger started to bubble inside.

"You kept it?" He scowled.

"My father gave me this dagger." She gritted through her teeth as he clenched his jaw.

"Which one?" He smirked.

"Ser Harwin Strong." Naerys pushed herself up onto her knees, still holding the dagger between them. His eyebrows raised slightly when she didn't even hesitate to openly declare she was a bastard. "You'd be wise to remember what happened the last time this blade was in my hands, uncle."

His upper lip curled slightly in irritation, but he let it go when he turned to leave their chambers, slamming the door loudly behind him. None of this was going as he planned. He should be relishing in his victory, yet he felt stumped ever since their wedding.

If this was how his revenge would play out, then he didn't really care to have it anymore. His patience was running beyond thin at this point.

Aemond burst through the doors to his mother's chambers, frightening her and Lord Larys as they sat at the table eating lunch together. Alicent looked up at her son with concern while Larys looked intrigued as to what could possibly have the prince so angry just one day after his wedding.

"Aemond, what is it? Has something happened?" Alicent asked as she set her teacup back onto its plate.

"That bastard girl just openly attacked her brother, and then proceeded to threaten me!" Aemond scoffed, though it was almost like he was ranting to himself.

"I wouldn't pay her any attention. She's all talk, just like her mother." Alicent mumbled with an eye roll.

"She wasn't with her brother, that's for sure. Where did she even learn to fight like that?" Aemond asked.

"My guess would be her first husband, my prince." Larys answered, gaining the attention of the fuming prince. "I've heard whispers from Dorne over the years."

"And what whispers would these be, Lord Larys?" Aemond scowled down at the weasel of a man that followed his mother around everyday.

"Well mostly about her marriage and children, but I also hear-." Larys started, but was quickly cut off.

"Children? What children does Naerys have?" Aemond scrunched his face in disbelief, but then saw the grim look in his mother's eyes.

Alicent looked down at her lap and sighed. "She had a son...and if my memory serves me correctly, she would've had a daughter as well."

"What are you talking about?" Aemond looked between the two of them like they had fifty arms growing out of their heads.

"Her son died with her husband in a shipwreck a few moons ago. A terrible attack, unforeseen by us all of course, but...it claimed the life of them both." Larys went on to explain and Aemond's mouth parted just slightly at the news. "The princess was in Dorne when the attack happened, and was with child when she heard the news. Poor thing lost the babe later that evening. And yes, your majesty."

Alicent raised her eyebrows cautiously at Larys.

"It was a daughter she lost." Larys gave his usual small, creepy smile.

Aemond didn't know what to even think about this news. He especially didn't know how to feel. He could feel something growing inside of him, weighing him down heavily. Was this...was this pity he felt? For her?