A Spoil Of War || Aemond Targaryen

III. Betrayal

AEMOND STOOD WITH HIS FAMILY AT THE FUNERAL.

As Vaemond Velaryon spoke... Aemond could not focus. He had to bite back the urge to smirk every time he remembers he got to kiss her. His eyes would move over to the Velaryons where Aerea stood beside her mother... But she never met his gaze.

He wondered if she was angry at him for what he did... Yeah, they share a two-year age gap but that shouldn't matter, his mother married his father when she was 15...

Aerea was fully aware of Aemond's glances. But she kept her eyes on Laena's coffin with sad but conflicted eyes. Half of her mind was in mourning mode but then there was this piece of her that happens to just... Can't stop thinking about Aemond. What he wants is not what she wants. She likes him... She just doesn't... She doesn't know.

She listened to her Uncle Vaemond's speech as she could hear the snide comments about Rhaenyra's children. The rumor that they are bastards... She didn't care if it was true. As her step father always says; its not blood that is remembered, it's names.

She just shook her head at his words when Daemon himself begins to snicker from it.

Aerea stares at him in shock, did he just seriously laugh at that at his late wife's funeral?! Her sister's funeral!? She wanted to yell at him right there but to be honest it'd be like a little fish yelling at a dragon.

Soon they released Laena to the sea as Aerea felt tears fall, thinking of her sister, now reality setting in and hitting her like a brick.

Aemond kept noticing her pain get greater, no one was comforting her, all he wanted to do was comfort her but if was to go over there... That'd be not what he's supposed to do. But.. At the same time? Why should he care? She will be married to him one day.

Aerea closes her eyes looking down tears streaming down her face when a hand grabbed hers.

She looks over to see Aemond, he had walked over there in a matter of a minute, and caught some attention. But he didn't care, that was evident on his face. He just sent her a kind smile.

She forgot all her distress about him and was just happy to have him here as she smiles back.

Corlys and Rhaenys seemed worried as they knew they would have to talk to her after this.

"AEMOND," after the funeral everyone was talking at the wake as Aerea stood with Aemond, "thank you."

Aemond nods, "of course, my Princess."

Aerea gives him a look biting back a laugh as Aemond smirks mischievously.

Aerea then glances over at her cousins, Laena talked so much about them, her two daughters... She just nods to herself, "I'm going to go introduce myself to Baela and Rhaena... Wanna come?"

Aemond looks over, not being the most social person when not with her, he just shook his head, "you can go ahead."

Aerea nods and lets go of his hand to go over there.

Baela is the first to notice her, Rhaena then follows, Aerea sent a kind smile to the girls, "good morrow, I don't know if you know who I am... We never met, but um, I'm-"

"Aerea," Baela nods, "we know you... Mother... She... Talked about you a lot. Mentioned your letters."

Aerea smiles, "good... So you are Baela, right?" Baela nods, "and Rhaena?" Rhaena sends a quick sad smile, "is it okay if I ask for a hug?"

Baela and Rhaena look at each other but then Rhaena jumps up and hugs her, Baela follows her twin, it was a nice moment.

Aerea wanted to help her nieces as much as she could.