The Prince and His Flower

O N E - H U N D R E D - T H R E E

Three Weeks Later

Tonight.

Prince Aegon and Viserys will be on a boat to Bravoos by daybreak. There are many magisters eager to assist the boys on their trip to Pentos. They will be well taken care of. 

-M

Daemon nodded to himself as he read the note, counting how many weeks it would for the boys to reach Bravoos. It would take well over a month, but avoiding the Triarchy at all costs was safer. Mysaria had one of her spies dye their hair black and dress them plainly to ensure nobody recognized them. To anyone else, they would just be the children of some trader. 

It wouldn't be long now before Rhaenyra noticed her sons were missing, but no matter how hard she searched, she'd never find them. Not until he wants her to. Not even Aemma would be able to hunt them down, despite her hound-like bloodlust. 

Jace had flown to Harrenhal as soon as it was discovered that Aegon and Viserys were missing, wasting no time in bringing Aemma with him as they scoured the nearby lands. After a day and a night passed, they decided to expand their search to the open waters of the Narrow Sea.

"Let me come with you." Aemond had already donned full armour and was waiting for Aemma in the courtyard. 

"Speak again and I'll cut your tongue out." Jace snapped. Vermax screeched and jerked his head wildly, smoke pouring from his open mouth. It looked like he was controlling the urge to spew flames. 

"If your brothers are already sailing the Narrow Sea, how long do you think it will take for them to run into the Triarchy?" He asked, glancing at Aemma for approval.

"Don't mention my brothers!" He saddled Vermax, who was twitching wildly, small flames escaping from his mouth. He truly was a hot-tempered beast. "Aemma, let's go."

"Come with us," she turned to Aemond and grabbed his hand. "Three dragons will cover more ground."

"Aemma." Jace hissed. "No."

"Jacaerys!" She approached, ignoring Vermax's screeching. "I understand your grievances, but please, put them aside for our brothers' sake. He can help us, and if we run into the Triarchy I fear Ser Criston will show no remorse for us." He couldn't have taken her desertion easy, he was the one always vowing for her loyalty. 

He scoffed and shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek. "If he even comes near me, I'll kill him." Then he took off into the sky.

Aemma and Aemond followed him, leaving a large gap so Jace didn't have the chance to make good on his promise. She wasn't sure if she was more worried about her brothers' safety or more hellbent on making Daemon pay for all the pain and suffering he had caused in the last two years. It was odd how someone could change so drastically in such a short amount of time; it seemed only yesterday he was chasing her on the beach with her brothers, and a millennium since he nearly killed her. Twice. 

She often wished things were the same as before; visiting Dragonstone all the time, spending time with both of her families, and doing what she wanted when she wanted to do it. She wasn't bitter about the war, it was bound to happen, she just wished it had a different start. At times she felt bad about what she was doing, all the somewhat innocent people she killed didn't kill her brother, but almost nothing was as exhilarating as taking a life. 

Was she mad? Certainly not, if killing were unenjoyable then nobody would do such a thing. Even her sweet, gentle Aemond was a killer and a ruthless one at that. He wasn't sweet and gentle with anyone else, so maybe it wasn't right to think of him as such. Perhaps his true self is the cruel, brutal man that everyone else sees, but perhaps so was she. "Kind" hadn't been a word used to describe her in a long time; "brutal" came out of people's mouths more than anything now. Even that stupid maid was shaking like a wet rat in her mere presence.