Violent Delights (House of the Dragon- Aemond fanfic, Ewan Mitchell fanfic)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Episode 7 part 3

"Maela." she heard as her shoulder was shaken. "Maela get up."

She groaned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked up into the startled faces of her sisters. She hoped they had not woken her for no good reason, it had taken her long enough to quell the panic inside her to actually fall asleep. Which felt like only a moment ago.

She yawned, "What is it?"

"Someone's stealing Vhagar."

Instantly she was awake and flinging the covers off her as she followed the twins to the window. In the distance the large silhouette of their mother's dragon lumbered across the dunes before the she-dragon took flight.

"Should I follow on Moondancer?" Baela asked.

"No!" Rhaena smacked her arm, "We should get father."

The three of them hurried to their father's chambers only to find it empty. The bed was still made so it was unlikely their father was there. He might not even be in the castle.

"We should split up and search for him." Rhaena suggested and her sisters nodded. "I will fetch Jace and Luke, they can help us look."

"Good idea. Baela and I can check the castle. When you find the boys meet us in the Hall of Nine."

Rhaena nodded and took off in the opposite direction, leaving Baela and Maela to try and determine where their father might be.

"He could be on the roof drinking. That was his refuge in Pentos." Maela suggested.

Baela nodded, "Or the library. He always read when sleep evaded him."

Neither one knew how to get to the roof so they first searched the library. It took them a fair amount of time with how big it was – much bigger then the single room in Pentos, though nowhere near as grand as the royal library in the Red Keep. Although, Maela did enjoy the way the walls were decorated with seashells pressed into the mortar on the walls, and let her hand trail along the rough surface.

After going up and down every aisle fruitlessly they searched for the rooftop, or any high balconies. Again to no avail.

"Where do you think father could be?" Baela asked as they wracked their brains for where the Rogue Prince had disappeared to.

Maela did not answer, honestly, she was not eager to speak with or even see Daemon so soon after supper. When the silence carried too long Baela brought her hand to Maela's, where they had been intertwined as she picked at her cuticles. Baela pulled her hands apart and took one in her grasp as they walked. Even two years her younger Baela was smart and knew what was troubling her sister.

"Father is harsh." She began, "He always has been."

Maela nodded, not meeting her eyes.

"Mother had a way about her that seemed to keep him calm." Baela continued.

"But not happy."

It was not a secret from any of them how Daemon had behaved in Pentos. How their mother would dismiss them from the room to speak in private. How often the three of them waited by the doors with their ears pressed to the wood listening to mother's calm words and Daemon's short tempered responses.

Baela sighed, "No, not happy." She tugged their joined hands, "And now, with mother gone, he has more to be unhappy about. . . Nothing's more hateful than failing to protect the one you love."

They both sighed.

"I suspect he was hoping seeing you claim Vhagar would give him a brief moment of joy he could hold onto. Until we all adjust." Baela continued.