The Realms Rose | Aemond Targaryen / Daemon Targaryen

XLIII

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It was an uneasy silence that hung over the Tyrell family at the dinner table, every member seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

Lorent sat stiffly in his chair, his eyes never leaving his plate. He seemed distant and preoccupied, his usual charming demeanor nowhere to be seen.

Aurora picked at her food, her mind awhirl with thoughts of Daemon and their impending escape. She kept her head down, avoiding the gazes of her family.

The tension at the table was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words and unaddressed feelings. Lorent and Aurora avoided each other's eyes, while their mother and father exchanged concerned glances.

Finally, her father cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. "Aurora." He said quietly, "You have been awfully quiet tonight. Is everything alright?"

Aurora stiffened at her father's question, her hands tightening around her cutlery. She forced herself to look up, meeting his gaze with a shaky smile. "Everything is fine, Father." She replied, her voice tight. "I'm just... a little tired, is all."

Her father studied her for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if he sensed something amiss. He opened his mouth to press further, but her mother laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"Leave her be, my love." She murmured. "She has been through a lot lately. Let her be."

Her father relented at her mother's words, but his gaze lingered on Aurora for a moment longer before he turned back to his meal.

Lorent watched the exchange quietly from his seat, a calculating gleam in his eyes. He seemed to sense something brewing beneath the surface of Aurora's behavior, but he remained silent.

As Aemond placed his hand reassuringly on her thigh, Aurora's breath hitched at the unexpected touch, her body tensing for a moment before she forced herself to relax. She glanced over at Aemond, giving him the most subtle hint of a smile.

Aemond's lips quirked in response, his fingers giving her thigh a gentle squeeze beneath the table. He could sense her nervousness, the way her hands trembled ever so slightly on her lap.

Aurora pushed her food around her plate with her fork, her stomach too twisted with nerves to eat. Every moment that passed felt like an eternity, her mind fixated on the plan to leave the city with Daemon.

She shot a furtive glance at Lorent, who was still engrossed in his meal. She couldn't help but wonder if he suspected something, or if he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice her turmoil.

Lorent chose that precise moment to glance up from his plate, catching her eye. For a moment, their gazes locked, and Aurora saw a flash of something in his eyes - suspicion, anger, hurt, she couldn't be sure.

He quickly looked away, his expression shuttering closed as he returned his attention to his meal.

Aurora's heart skipped a beat as she watched Lorent look away, a wave of fear and guilt washing over her. Did he know what she was planning? Was he onto her and Daemon's scheme to escape the city?

She tried to discreetly wipe her sweaty palms on her dress, her mind racing with panicked thoughts.

Aurora shivered as Aemond's breath ghosted across her ear, his voice barely a whisper. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly, his hand finding hers under the table, lacing their fingers together.