Inviolable Bindings | Aemond & Aegon II Targaryen

Chapter 42

The limitations of her body and the binds around her wrists were the first thing Viserra noticed when she regained consciousness. The dark canopy overhead blurred into focus and she suddenly realized that she was bound to a bed. Attempting to somehow sit up, her body protested with a sharp pain splintering through her ribs. She let her sore muscles relax again and closed her eyes, letting out a cry of frustration as she realized she was someone's prisoner.

An amused chuckle filled the room. "I thought you might be joining us soon. You have been quite restless for the last hour," said the voice of a man she did not immediately recognise.

Viserra shifted in that direction, her blood turning cold when she laid eyes upon the face of the very man who should have been dead by Aemond's hands.

Daemon was arrogantly lounging in a chair with an ease that did not match her own panic. He met her eyes with a wide and unnerving smile. "I would not move about so suddenly, my dear. Your ribs took the brunt of your fall," he remarked, slowly rising to his feet.

The realization that Daemon was very much alive in her presence sent a wave of nausea to her stomach. She only let the feeling linger for a moment before it quickly morphed into an uncontrollable surge of rage. Aemond, she thought, her teeth clenched and feeling hot tears fighting their way to her eyes. "I will kill you." The words flowed from her mouth as if they might do the job right then and there.

Daemon's laugh filled the room once more. He seemed to find amusement in both her words and her suffering. "Such fire. It's a shame, really, that you chose to waste it on a usurper and his kin." He did not divert his eyes even once as he approached her. "Though I do not know if it is bravery or stupidity to threaten a man's life when you are the one bound and imprisoned in his castle."

His words made her realize that she would need to play her next moves carefully. Her initial reaction was impulsive, raw, and reasonable for the circumstances she found herself in. But if she wanted to come out of this not only alive but ahead of her captors, she needed to change her approach.

"My loyalty was never a choice," she growled as her demeanor softened slightly. "I was locked in my rooms when the King passed and threatened. I was given no freedom to choose where to place my allegiance if I cared for my life."

Daemon's face contorted from amusement to consideration as he seemed to weigh her words. "Quite interesting," he finally responded. "If you choose to behave yourself, things will go much...smoother for you. Attempt anything foolish and you will most certainly end up paying for it. You can understand the precautions." He gestured to the binds on her wrists.

"And where is my dragon?" She asked, not willing to let him leave her there without knowing if Rhyn had survived the fall.

"He is in the Dragonpit," he informed her, willingly giving her the information. "He will heal, just as you will. But do not hold onto hopes of reuniting with him, we have no intention of letting you near each other."

Viserra felt his words tear into her heart. Of course Rhyn had been injured by the fall, in fact, she was surprised that either of them came out alive. Things were becoming much more clear. Both the depth of this situation and the stakes involved were extremely high. She was being forced into a corner, recognizing that her survival and the possibility of escaping depended on her ability to gain any sort of trust of those around her. Though this too, might come with consequences if Aegon had successfully fled the city and word reached him that she had sympathized with their enemies.

"Someone will be by in a few hours to help you dress," Daemon explained. "Somehow, even with my attempt at dissuading her, the Queen has requested you attend dinner with her tonight." He did not wait for her response, turning to leave her to the silence of the room.