Bringing the Dawn

LXXIII.

Aemon Targaryen

The Kingswood, 301 AC

Darkness.

That was all he could see out of his once good eyes. When he had first started to lose his vision, it had been difficult. Yet now, he had come to appreciate everything so much more. Not only was he suddenly seen as weaker due to it which in turn meant people weren't as careful around him, his other senses had heightened massively. It was a debated topic in the Citadel. Archmaester's were mostly against the idea whereas some simply theorised that the other senses only seemed to have gotten stronger because they were being used for more than they ever were previously.

Where beforehand hearing was used for listening to people, it was now used to hear someone's breathing or how many people were nearby from the clicking and thuds of their boots and shoes. Where touch was previously simply fingers or skin grazing something, it was now to get an idea of the shape of something. Where scent was before used to determine which perfume a person was wearing or what their food smelled like, it was now to figure out where he was. The only one that never really changed was taste but that one wasn't much of a bother.

So whilst Aemon Targaryen could no longer physically see everything around him, he was so in tune with his other senses he had an idea.

They were in a clearing for where else was there large enough space to fit wheelhouses and at least ten horses? Not to mention the amount of people there were. Two sets of footsteps where there was more of a click and almost a jingle which confirmed these people were armoured. This allowing him to determine that Aegon also had a Knight with him. Whether the Knight was a Kingsguard he could not say though. The softness of the leaves under his feet was something he hadn't felt in a long time. Recalling times long past where he had played with his siblings in thickets of woods and forests before he had been sent to the Citadel to become a Maester.

He felt a slender arm loop around his own and despite her not wearing her signature fruity scent, he knew it was Margaery. His goodniece now, he had to remember such a thing. Either way she would've been a niece to him in some way. If her grandmother had wed his own nephew as decreed then she would've been a part of their family in blood and not simply by marriage. Realising why she was not wearing what she typically did. There was no need for excessive propriety here, and she was also nervous. It wasn't a secret she had married his nephew mostly for the position it would give her. Aemon knew that, Margaery knew that, Jaeron knew that, and Olenna certainly knew it. Yet they at least seemed compatible and didn't dislike one another. Mayhaps somewhere they would grow truly fond of one another and if luck was truly on their side they would grow to love each other.

It wasn't common. For an arranged marriage to bear fruit as such. The few that did usually had some scandal tied to it. Remembering fondly the story of Lady Samantha Tarly marrying her deceased husbands son who she had loved after he had died. Then there was the entire scandal with the Good Queen and the Conciliator. Even his own nieces and nephews had their own fair shares. Duncan absconding with Jenny of Oldstones, Jaehaerys and Shaera going against his brothers wishes by wedding one another secretly, Daeron and Olenna breaking their own betrothal. It was a good memory. Before everything had truly soured and the fruits that would go sour were simply only beginning to bud.

"Tell me, my dear. Are they doing anything?"

He spoke as he was helped to sit down and only realising then just how painful his joints were. Yet somehow, not as painful as they had always been. It was strange what was happening to him and he hadn't spoken it to anyone yet for fear of being considered senile. Ever since Lyrax had bonded with him, he swore he didn't feel as bad as he had before. Of course, he still couldn't see and he couldn't walk very far. But his joints didn't hurt as bad anymore, and it wasn't as difficult for him to take deep breaths. There was nothing in texts about such a thing from what he recalled but perhaps it was something that just wasn't shared outside of their family.