Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? / Aemond Targaryen / House of the Dragon

38. Grieving

"Your queen?"

"She is grieving." Rhaenys answered sitting beside rupert leaning against her dragon . "It was a raven that brought me news of Laena's death." Rhaenys reminded him.

"It was an awful day" rupert agreed. "One daemon was responsible for ."

"I existed for weeks in torment... refusing to believe what I'd been told. It was only when I saw my daughter's mortal remains that I could begin to mourn her."  Rhaenys admitted. "A raven has told Rhaenyra that her son is dead. She needs to know it for certain. "

"Im sure if i had someone i loved that much i would need the same... i worry about you when you leave." Rupert admitted. What he felt for davina was passion and power but this bond he had created with rhaenys in her husbands absence that was something more.

"Dont. But i should be going." Rhaenys realized. "Get some real rest for once."

"My kisses are not a reprieve?"

"Take your mount again. We're flying out." Daemon demanded as Rhaenys climbed down from Meleys.

I hold no allegiance to my brothers grandson, rupert had assured her. I hold allegiance to you and whats yours.

"I alone patrol over a hundred miles of open sea," She corrected pulling at her gloves. "endlessly, to hold the blockade. Meleys must gorge and rest, as must I."

" We're going to King's Landing." Daemon corrected.

"To what end?" Rhaenys begged. She had taken a small reprieve from flying to meet with rupert hightower. How she wished he held a different last name.

"Killing Vhagar." Daemon decided. "I cannot face that hoary old bitch alone. With my dragon and yours together, we can kill Vhagar and her rider. Make it a son for a son."

" Was this the queen's command?"

"Its come to work with daddy day!" Aegon declared.

"The prince is in his lessons-"

"This is more important." Aegon corrected. "And im king!" He picked up josh throwing him into the air before leading him to the council room.

"I saw my brother with... Joshua." Aemond remarked. Maeve nodded. "You still love me right?" She glanced back at him.

"The guards. I dont like them. I dont trust them." Maeve corrected. Aemond lifted a hand sending them away.

"They are for your protection."

"No they are here to scare me." Maeve corrected. "Otto thinks im going to run back to my mother."

"Are you?"

"My brother my little brother is dead and i dont get to grieve him." Maeve whimpered.

"Of course you can-"

"No. I cant. Im not allowed because they are traitors." Maeve hissed. "Im a traitor."

"M'lord." Alyn of the hull answered as corlys approached. Carmen hated that her sons wanted to know their father. Their father was a man of no honor. He left them. He left her. He had a family of his own and didn't want them.

"It's a marvel she was able to return from the Stepstones at all." Corlys remarked looking at the ship.

"Barely done, but done." Alyn answered. He knew when he saved corlys from the ragged waves that his mother was both angry and grateful. No matter how much she hated corlys for what he was a liar and a cheater she didnt want him dead because he was the only man after her sons that she loved. "Seven more ships put out to sea this morn' to fortify the blockade." he went on following a limping Corlys. "The Gullet is vast, and we're not like to have the numbers to cover all that open water."

"I must have my ship back at sea" Corlys remarked. "to lead the effort." Alyn held back a laugh. Corlys couldnt lead a war. He could barely walk without help.

" It'll be many weeks yet, I'd wager." Alyn corrected. "But I'll have a word with my brother... to see what reinforcements the shipwrights can muster." Alyn assured. "The smithy delivered this earlier." Alyn held out a blade for him. "M'lord?" Corlys carefully took it.

"I had this commissioned for Prince Lucerys." Corlys remarked.

"I was very sorry to hear about your heir's death." Alyn agreed. "'Twas the blackest of treacheries. Pardon, m'lord, if it'll please you, much to do."

"They tell me that you are the one that dragged my body out of the sea.' Corlys countered. Alyn remembered his mother face when he said he met his father. Met the great lord corlys velaryon and pulled him from a drowning death.

"It was only my duty."

"I am indebted to you, Alyn."

If only he had been indebted to my mother, alyn thought as he headed off. He didnt have the silver velaryon hair. He had dark skin and honied eyes like his mother. His brother wore his hair long while he kept their hair cut short shaved to the scalp most of the time fear that one day the silver locks would show and someone would make a mockery of their mother for sleeping with a man she thought was hers to keep not hers to lose.

"The Stormlands should be ours after Prince Aemond's marriage pact to the Lady Floris Baratheon. I anticipate their sworn declaration." Otto added.

" My brother is raising the strength of the West to mass at the Golden Tooth, but we... Yeah, thank you, my prince." Tyland added taking the ball from joshua. "That's, that's very helpful." Arthur yawned out. "Right arthur? My nephew is here as leading  voice from casterly rock."

"Yes my lords. We are-" he stifled another yawn. "Raising our armies and strengthening the west to prevent attack."

"My nephew, Lord Ormund, musters his forces to sally forth from Oldtown." Otto went on. Joshua reached for the ball again. "They expect to march quickly, meeting little resistance, until they reach the Riverlands."

"My letters to Rhaenyra. Has there been any answer?" Alicent questioned.

"An apology for her dead son?"

"Luke is... dead." Avalon whispered.

"Aemond killed him i heard." Robbie added.

"Oh poor rhaenyra-"

"No. Do not feel sorry for the enemy." Morgana corrected.

"Its her son! My nephew!" avalon objected.

"And she is still a monster."

"Shes still my sister." Avalon corrected

"If you want to win this thing," daya remarked stepping forward. "You cant show weakness."

"Compassion isnt weakness." Avalon countered.

"Compassion is the reason we are in this war. If rhaenyra was dead. Aegon would rule and we could handle one army. But both? The north is only so large most of it nothing."

"But the land beyond and the narrow sea..." morgana countered. "I have men sailing. It will take time but what we need now is dorne on our side." 

Robbie looked to his mother.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"Talk to tommen martell."

"Yeah." Davina agreed. "I know. I know."

"Whats the problem?" Jeremy questioned.

"Tommen martell prince of dorne has the hots for mum." Robbie answered.

"And shes scared of commitment and love." Brandon agreed.

"Lets get dorne then."