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

F I F T Y - N I N E

Cordelia's P.O.V.

This is out of my element. No one can tell me otherwise.

Aemond had flown us on his private plane to the edge of King's Landing where his parents' home is located, under the notion that traffic would be too bad for us to drive there. When we landed at a small private airport, a black sleek car was there, waiting for us with a chauffer. The four of us are sitting in the back of the dark-tinted car at this very moment, with the driver taking us through the grand iron gate of the Red Keep Mansion.

Daeron texts his girlfriend from his seat, probably messaging her about how we got here safely and how he will call her later tonight. Aemond is on a phone call with some lawyer for Iron Throne Interprise, and apparently he screwed up something because Aemond is raging from where he sits in the car. Aegon snores with his head nestled on my lap; he decided to take a nap the second we got into the private car, and has been using my thighs as a pillow ever since.

I glance through the very dark windows of the car, my fingers gently tapping on Aegon's shoulder, incapable of staying still from what the sight ahead of me. The moment I laid eyes on the enormous entrance gate, I was breathless, and I'm helplessly overwhelmed by every new thing I see through the windows. None of the boys thought to warn me, to even prepare me for this, and I perceive their only thought was making sure I was with them.

... But they should have given me a heads-up about what I would see on this trip.

I'm greeted by a sight that leaves me awestruck, while the boys don't even bother or care to look out the car windows, like the surrounding sight is nothing special. Towering walls of ancient stone surround a sprawling courtyard adorned with meticulously maintained gardens. Through the windows, I catch glimpses of ornate fountains, their cascading water sparkling in the sunlight, and flowers of all colors.

The architecture of the mansion itself is a masterpiece, with intricate carvings and detailed craftsmanship adorning every surface, and I quickly come to realize that this is no mansion. It's a freaking castle. Without being aware of my actions, I hold my breath and roll the window down to truly see what lies ahead.

The exterior walls of the mansion, made of sturdy gray stone, rise high into the sky with vines creeping up it. The courtyard stretches out before us, paved with ancient cobblestones and lined with rows of sturdy oak trees. Statues of long-dead Targaryens stand sentinel along the pathways, their stone faces weathered by centuries of wind and rain.

The car comes to a smooth halt in front of wide stone steps that lead to massive oak doors, to the main entrance of the Red Keep Mansion. As the chauffeur steps out to open the door for us, my heart pounds in my ribcage from the sight of this opulent place. My skin burns with the knowledge of being a mere outsider thrust into a world of privilege and grandeur.

When the chauffeur opens the door closest to Aemond, all the brothers halt what they're doing, only now realizing they're home. Aegon jumps awake, bolting up from my lap, while Aemond finishes his phone call with the lawyer, and Daeron returns his phone to his back pocket. Mesmerized by the mansion, I open the car door near me by myself and practically fall out, feeling as if I'm in a dream.

Flowers of every hue bloom in riotous profusion, filling the air with their sweet fragrance, and birds flit from tree to tree, their songs echoing off the stone walls. I hear someone open the trunk of the car, probably to grab my bags for this trip, but my gaze stays true on the mansion in front of me. I take a cautious step toward the stone staircase leading to the mansion when a warm hand rests on my lower back and Aemond's voice finds my ears.

"You alright, baby?"

"Y- Yeah." I mutter, my voice wavering, before I turn my head to look up at him. "It's just not what I imagined..."