The Art of Love & Hate

Chapter 5

 Rhaenyra talks to her children and is worried about Darya being too close to Aemond. Darya listens to a conversation before confronting Aemond. I hope you guys like it 🥰

"What are your plans for the day?" Her mother's voice made everyone at the table look at her. "I hope you will not get into trouble."

"Jace and I will be training," Joffrey said with a smile. "We visited the training grounds yesterday and saw Uncle Aemond fighting."

"He was just showing off." Jace's voice was annoyed. "He is not that good."

Darya snorted into her cup before placing it on the table. She looked up and noticed the way everyone at the table was looking at her. "What?"

"Do you have a different opinion?" Her mother asked with a frown.

"About Aemond's fighting style?" She knew that was what her mother was asking, but was not going to make it so easy. Her family's dislike for Aemond was legendary and she was not going to feed into it, at least, not much. Her mother nodded and Darya shrugged. "Jace was right, he is not that good."

Jace shot their mother a bright smile. "See?"

"He is great, one of the best fighters I have ever seen." The smile was wiped from Jace's face and he stared at her like she had betrayed him. She loved her brother and the rest of her family, but she was not going to pretend to make them feel better. As far as she was concerned it was best to know the enemy as well as possible. "I say he is at Daemon's level, just not as experienced."

"You think that cunt could take me in a fight?" Daemon asked with an amused look.

"I am not sure." She shrugged, thinking about it for a moment. "I am sure that you can win, but only because you have more experience. In a few years, I am sure Aemond would be able to beat you without trouble."

"We will see." Her stepfather looked annoyed and intrigued at the same time.

"Darya, I do not want you near Aemond." She popped a grape into her mouth and looked at her mother, who was giving her a worried look. "You know that Aemond hates you and I do not want him to get the chance to hurt you."

"I was not near Aemond." Her mother had never attempted to control her, but she could see how worried she was. "I went to the training grounds with Jace and Joffrey, we were only there for a few minutes."

"That is true." Jace before taking a bite of his ham. He chewed for a moment before speaking again. "We saw when Lord Vaemond arrived, he came with several guards bearing the Velaryon seal."

"Well, he wants people to believe he has power." Darya stole a piece of ham from her brother's plate, earning a glare from Jace. "He is meeting with the queen and Otto right now."

"What?" Daemon looked at her mother before turning to glare at her. "How do you know this?"

"Because I heard Larys Strong talking about it." Darya had always found it amusing how Larys Strong walked around, listening to people's secrets while people did not pay him any attention. So she had decided to copy his strategy, after all, he was her uncle, and she should borrow some of his tricks, especially if it benefited her family. "They were supposed to meet this morning."

"He is going to offer them something in exchange for them giving him Driftmark." Her mother said.

"Ah, before I forget Rhaenys and Baela arrived last night." She took another grape from her plate before standing up. "If any of you have need of me, I will be with Helaena and her children."