The Moon Behind the Tower

Ten Years Later

Amata was reading a report on Aegon's schooling. The twenty-seven-year-old Empress sat in front of her nephew. Aegon was standing before his aunt, his fear of her harsh correcting. But surprisingly, she hummed in satisfaction and placed the report on her desk. 

Amata: Very good; I see you have improved your Polish. 

Aegon: Thank you, Aunt. Before I go, I have something to report to you.

Amata: Yes?

Aegon: Mother spoke of the traditions from ten years ago and that the Iron Throne is mine by birthright and law. By not saying anything, I would be committing treason. I feared that by telling my father, my mother would be punished severely, so the only person I could think of reporting this was you. I am torn, for I know I am betraying my mother, but I also understand the grave dangers of her plotting. I can only hope to stop her and restore peace to our family. 

Amata: Is that so?

Aegon: Please forgive me.

Amata: No, you are a filial child and an honorable subject in your country. There is no need to apologize to me. I am grateful for your courage and trust in me, and I promise your mother will not be severely punished. 

Aegon: May I ask a personal question? 

Amata: You may.

Aegon: I understand from a young age that you and my mother never got along and that I was separated from her at a very young age. And that your father has never been spoken about, I wish to know why.

Amata exited her chair and walked to her nephew, her belly round with her fourth child. She stood before Aegon, her face a soft look of sadness. 

Amata: It's time for you to know and another lesson for the path you walk on. Ten years ago, your grandfather chose to kill the late Queen Aemma so that your mother would take the crown, but what he didn't know was that I was investigating the matter. When I brought the evidence to the king, it was only a matter of time before your grandfather would lose his life. And for our house to fall in the pages of disgrace and lose all of our dignity and honor. As an Empress and a servant to the house, I killed your grandfather, brought the house under my control, and worked for many years to bring it back to the honor it once had.

Aegon looked at his aunt in sadness but with an understanding of her situation back then. What was done was done. He knew why she had to do it, but it didn't understand why he had to leave. 

Aegon: I can see why father hates mother, and is distance from me, that is understandable, but why must I leave Westeros? 

Amata: Your mother's house and mine are a disgraced house, a house that has no support to give you if your older sister were to meet an untimely death. In your father's eyes, you are not worthy of the throne, and to carry the name of Targaryen. What house would support a house that had committed a grave crime, and not fear the same happening to them? Here, you are the grandson of a criminal, even with me helping you still will not have much support. Your mother would have lost her status and honor, and who would marry a woman that was rumored to have helped her father kill the late Queen so that she could be the next Queen. I will not lie to you, your mother never wanted the title, not even marry your father. This was all forced on her, and the missteps lead you here. To protect you, I have to marry you far away, to a place that will accept you despite the family drama. I wish to always keep you and your siblings by my side, but there is only so much that I can do. The lesson in this story is that no matter what you do here, you will never have a stable life here, you must go to build yourself a name, and build your power. Make yourself a strong and wise man. But remember, your family, your wife must come first. You are the man of the family, your everything must be for the children, your wife. If you fall then who will protect them? All that I did, was to protect the future of my children, and my sister's. 

Aegon: I understand. 

Amata pulled her nephew into a warm hug, the sadness taking over the moment. Amata never wanted this life for her sister's children, but she will do everything in her power to make sure that they were prepared for the life that they would live. 

Amata: Your uncle will be watching over your sword training, and we all will have a family dinner. I expect to see you in a timely manner.

Aegon: I obey your command, Empress. 

Amata: I will see you soon. 

Aegon walked out of the room, and Amata called her maid over, to ask her to bring the Queen to her.