The Art of Love & Hate

Chapter 22

Aemond talks to Aegon and Darya realizes Daemon knows something. I hope you guys like it 🥰

To say that he was annoyed would be an understatement. He was also confused and could not figure out what had happened. He had meant to speak to Darya, tell her of his plan, and maybe end this gods forsaken war once and for all. Instead, they ended up fighting, then they were kissing and before his mind could catch up his little niece had been riding him until he could not think about anything but her. The images of her body seemed to play on his head in a loop, he could not get rid of them. Her pale silky skin, her beautiful purple eyes darkened with desire, her pretty breasts, and the way she had moved. Everything had been designed to make him surrender and beg for mercy. He had never felt anything like that before.

Since the time Aegon had taken him to the pleasure house when he was three and ten, Aemond found the whole sex situation distasteful. He had only been with a handful of women and only when his blood got too hot, making him unable to control his urges. None of his encounters had ever felt the way he had felt with Darya. She had made him see stars and he had wanted to stay there with her, forever. Taking her a few hours later had not been in his plans, he had truly planned to leave. Then he had woken up and saw her lying on her stomach, her dark hair spread around her, beautifully naked and he had not been able to resist. Before he knew what he was doing his hands and mouth were on her skin. The way she had given herself to him had been so sweet, she had allowed him to take control and gave herself over without reservations. It had been a beautiful thing to see and he had wanted more, he had wanted everything.

He had been shocked when she had refused to marry him, the fact that she had given herself to him, not once, but twice, and then refused to marry him had hit him harder than he cared to admit. He had never met a woman who did not want to marry after being compromised, but part of him did not blame her. She had spoken the truth, he had not apologized for what he had done to her. He had resented her for so many years, ignoring the hundreds of letters she sent him asking him for forgiveness. He had ignored her when she apologized in person, she had even offered to allow him to take her eye. During the dinner when his father had betrothed them, she had been the only one who jumped to his defense, asking the king to think about Aemond's feelings. She had shown remorse and kindness at every turn and he had responded with derision and hostility.

"I hate being king." Aegon entered Aemond's chambers and threw his crown aside. His hair looked oily and disheveled, and it appeared his brother had not bathed in a sennight. "They will not leave me alone. All I hear is complaints and problems, no one comes to me with a solution only issues they expect me to solve."

"That is what it means to be king," Not that his brother had ever cared about it. "You are supposed to solve the kingdom's issues. They all look up to you and want your help."

"It did not look this hard when it was our father ruling." Aegon sat beside him. "I can't do this."

"Then give up your crown." Aegon gave him a surprised look. "If you do not want it then renounce it."

"And what?" Aegon asked with a sneer on his face. "Give it to you?"

"No," Aemond had wanted to be king, mostly because he did not see his brother as worthy of wearing the crown. Someone who spent most of his time drunk and raping women should not have that kind of power. But for some reason the idea of being king did not appeal to him as much as before, there was something else he wanted, something he would gladly give up the crown for. "You should talk to Rhaenyra, she might be more open to a treaty than you imagine."