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

F I F T Y - O N E

Cordelia's P.O.V.

"Come on, you will love Dragonstone. I swear it." 

Baela assures me once again while showing me pictures of the island and her family's home on her cell phone. The two of us are in the library of our college campus, allegedly to study and work on our assignments. We're sitting at a table tucked away in the corner of the opulent library, surrounded by towering bookshelves and spellbinding paintings. The Andal's college library spans two levels high and is in unnaturally pristine condition, easily making it the most magnificent library I've ever visited.

"My parents will love you, I promise... And I will even pay for your plane ticket!" 

"I don't know." Sighing and fidgeting with my pinkie finger, I glance away from the laptop screen in front of me to face Baela. "I would feel like I'm imposing... And don't get me started on the idea of you paying for my flight."

At the moment, I'm using one of the library's laptops to write my essay for our class, while Baela should be reading an assigned book from a week ago. Typically, I rely on the home office computer at home to draft my essay, given my lack of a laptop. However, being in close proximity to Aemond makes me cautious, hence my presence at the library using their laptop.

"Well, what else would you do then?" With a frustrated gaze and attitude bubbling to the surface, she blurts out her words in dread. "You can't spend Thanksgiving alone. I won't let you." 

"I probably will spend it at home with the guys." Shrugging my shoulders with an amused crooked smile on my lips, I admit with a guilty expression. "I haven't really thought about it, since I don't usually do anything for Thanksgiving."

Thanksgiving is something I never really celebrated, since I could never afford a dinner like that growing up. It was never a big holiday for me, a holiday that came and left like a passing thought to me. Though, clearly it's a serious holiday for Baela and she won't let me spend it like a normal day as I would do in the past.

"Your boys always go to the Red Keep Mansion for Thanksgiving." Baela points out with a flick of her hand while leaning back in her chair and setting her feet on the table. "Christmas is when everyone goes to the Red Keep Mansion though."

"What do you mean everyone?"

"So... Like... Everyone in the Valeryon and Targaryen dynasties celebrates Thanksgiving separately." She explains while using hand motions to separate the luxurious families into small pieces in the air. "Rhaena and I will spend it with our parents in Dragonstone, but Jace will go to Harrenhal to spend Thanksgiving with his parents and brothers. While your boys... Aemond, Aegon, and Daeron... Stay here at King's Landing in the Red Keep Mansion to be with their parents for the holiday."

"Huh."

I mumble in surprise, not knowing there is this entire system for their holidays, while picking at my pinkie nail and fidgeting to get more comfortable in my chair. The Targaryen brothers never mentioned, or have yet to mention, how they will spend Thanksgiving at their parents' house. Though to be fair, the three brothers have a track record of never telling me anything until it's the last minute.

"Yeah, but everyone in both families will go to the Red Keep Mansion to spend Christmas together. Even my uncle and grandparents on my mother's side fly all the way from Driftmark to stay at the Mansion for Christmas... It's always chaotic and intense when everyone gets together, but it is kind of a big deal to my uncle, so everyone always goes for the holiday."

"Your Uncle? Why is it a big deal to your uncle?"

"The uncle on my father's side, not from my mother's side." Baela instantly answers from seeing my confusion about why it matters to him. "He is Aemond, Aegon, and Daeron's old fart of a father... And he's the head of Iron Throne Enterprises, which is why-"