𝙺𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽 ° aemond targaryen

Act Two, Scene Eleven

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"𝙸𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙳𝚘𝚘𝚖"
𝟷𝟸𝟾 𝙰𝙲 - 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚍 𝙺𝚎𝚎𝚙
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     THE KING WAS DEAD. THE news had been brought to the sleeping couple by their mother's guard, prompting them to hurry up and get themselves dressed before exiting their chambers. The halls were silent and dark, as if the castle itself was mourning the loss of Viserys the Peaceful.

     They followed Ser Criston through the Red Keep to the Princess  Helaena's chambers. When entering through the open doorway, Aemond stopped, standing tall as he watched his mother and elder sister sitting on the cushioned bench. The girl, when stepping to stand beside her husband, could see the queen's puffy eyes as she looked at the couple.

     Neither had realized that the knight escorting them had left, more than likely to run another errand for the queen. Vaella let her eyes scan the room, noticing the lack of a certain drunkard man in the chamber.

     "Where's Aegon?" She questioned, turning back to the queen as she stepped further into the room. Alicent stood as she got closer, allowing the younger girl to sit beside a confused looking Helaena.

     The Hightower woman sighed, moving forwards to grab her son's arm and pull him away from the door. As he had made his way over to the two Targaryen girls, the queen stepped out into the hallway, checking for any lurkers, before shutting the four into the chambers.

     "I am not sure," She said honestly to her children, moving back towards them. "I have sent Criston to see if he can locate him, but he could be anywhere by now."

     The younger princess sighed, leaning back slightly as she rubbed her slightly swollen stomach. She could feel Aemond move closer, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze. The action had her smiling ever so slightly. The boy leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of the girl's head before he moved away, taking a seat beside the fireplace.

     Beside her, Vaella could hear her good-sister mumbling to herself as she toyed with the stitching in her hands. The girl shifted closer to her, knowing Helaena was far too absorbed into her thoughts to notice her listening in.

     "There is a beast beneath the boards," She whispered to herself, tugging at her needle and string harshly. "An eye for an eye, a son for a son."

     The words blended together, but Vaella heard it clearly, and her brows furrowed as she tried to process it all. She knew better than to brush off her sister's words; she had been right far too many times. And this was the second times those words had passed her lips.

     "One lost to the sky, one lost to the sea."

     Her heart dropped. Something about it all did not feel right to her, as if there was this impending doom hanging over the heads of the entire Targaryen house. Everything was happening so fast, with Viserys' last words and a manhunt ensuing to find her cousin. It was all bound to come firing back at them.

     The closing of the door brought her back into reality, seeing Ser Criston coming back into the chambers. The queen was quick to rush up to him, impatient to hear what he had to report.

     "Prince Aegon's not to be found within the castle walls, Your Grace," He said in a hushed tone, though everyone in the room could still hear his words. "Your father has sent Ser Erryk into the city to find him."

     This caused Vaella to sigh, rising from her place on the sofa and moving towards the fireplace. Their plans were slowly crumbling around them; if Otto gets to Aegon before his mother did, there is no telling what he would whisper into the young man's ear.

     "I'll come with you."

     The sound of her husband's voice caused the girl to quickly turn her head, seeing Aemond rise from his seat beside her and take confident steps towards the door. Alicent looked at him with wide eyes, shaking her head as she intercepted the boy.

     Placing a hand on his arm, she stopped him in his tracks. "That would not be my desire, Aemond. If anything has happened..." She trailed off, both knowing what she was referring to.

     "Cole needs me, mother," He replied, glancing over at his beloved as she moved closer to the pair before looking back into his mother's eyes. "Ser Erryk isn't the only one who knows Aegon's doings."

     Knowing that she truly had no other choice, the queen dropped her arm, letting her son continue on his way. Before he made his way to the knight, however, he stepped over and placed his lips against his wife's forehead.

     "Be safe, please." She whispered to him, tilting her head up to meet his eye as he pulled away. "You never know what could happen."

     The boy smiled slightly, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, running his thumb gently along her scar. "Have faith in me, my love. I will be back before you know it."

     With those words, Aemond finally made his way over to the awaiting man, his white hair flowing behind him. And at the sound of the wooden door closing behind the pair, it was clear that all that was left to do was to wait.

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     The hour was getting later when the doors opened again, causing the three inside to jump with a start. Vaella, who had been pacing nervously beside the window, stopped in her tracks and turned just in time to see her husband shoving an angered Aegon into the room.

     "Welcome home, brother," The taller of the two said, shutting the door behind him and moving to his wife's side.

     Her arms wrapped around him once he was close enough, exhaling a sigh of relief into his leathered chest. He returned the gesture, his strong arms engulfing her small frame, one of his hands moving to rest of her hip with his thumb brushing against her stomach.

     "I was worried," She said softly, lifting her gaze so that she could look at him, her chin resting against his chest. "I know you can handle yourself, but..."

     His lips met hers, as if trying to assure her that he was, in fact, perfectly fine. The girl seemed to relax further, kissing him back for a moment before he pulled away.

     A teasing smile fell on his lips. "Being with child has made you soft, Ābrazȳrys." He joked with her, causing her to smile softly at him, pulling away slightly and placing a hand over her stomach.

     "Maybe it has," She joked back.

     Neither had noticed that Alicent had left until she returned to the chambers, storming in with an unmatched determination in her eyes. She looked around at all of her children before resting on her eldest son, who sat hunched over on his bed, his bloodshot eyes locked on his mother.

     The woman sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "The preparations are almost complete," She told them all. "We must hurry."

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