The Realms Rose | Aemond Targaryen / Daemon Targaryen

XLVIII

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The walls of her chamber felt like a prison as Aurora stalked back and forth, her mind filled with worry and fear. The silence in the room was deafening, punctuated only by the sound of her restless footsteps and the thundering of her heart.

It had only been a day since her husbands departure. Yet it felt like an eternity to Aurora. Every hour that passed without word was an agony, a torment of the soul. She worried for Aemond, for the dangers he might be facing on his quest for information.

She tried desperately to recall the events that led up to her miscarriage, but to no avail.

Frustration and desperation grew with every failure. She racked her brain, trying to remember even the smallest detail, but the memories eluded her. The harder she tried, the more elusive they became, slipping away like sand through her fingers.

The helplessness was maddening, a weight on her chest that threatened to smother her. She felt like she was drowning, suffocating under the weight of her own ignorance.

A sharp knock on the door jolted Aurora out of her thoughts, her head snapping towards the sound. She took a shuddering breath, trying to steady her nerves as she went to answer.

The sight of her protectors, standing tall and stern, should have been a source of comfort. Yet in her current state, all she felt was suffocation.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice strained.

"We have a message for you, Princess." One knight spoke up. "From Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon."

Aurora's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Daemon. His name carried a gravity she couldn't ignore.

"Well go on." She urged, her curiosity warring with her anxiety. "Out with it."

"They send their good will, Princess. And the news of their departure from Kings Landing, for the Princess Rhaneyras labours, we presume."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Daemon was leaving. The prince who haunted her dreams was leaving her behind, taking with him any hope of reconciliation. She felt vulnerable, exposed.

"Departure?" She echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. "When did they leave?"

The realization hit Aurora like a wave. Not only had Daemon departed, but he didn't even know about her condition. A pang of disappointment mixed with despair washed over her. She had longed for his support, needed it. And now he was gone, unaware of her plight.

The memories flooded her mind, bittersweet and painful. She was supposed to meet him that night, their escape looming on the horizon. Instead, destiny had intervened, almost stealing away her child in a cruel twist of fate.

"They leave on the morrow, Princess." The other knight explained.

The news weighed heavily on her. The morning. Daemon would be gone by the morning. A pang of sorrow gripped her heart, but she pushed it away. There was no time for such sentimentality.

With a new determination, Aurora decided that she would not let this opportunity slip through her fingers. She needed to see Daemon before he left, to at least try and tell him about her condition.

However, the reality of her situation hit her swiftly. The heavy guards outside her chambers were there for a reason. Aemond had made it clear that she was not to leave the confines of her chambers until he returned.

Her heart sank further. Aemond's commands were clear, and his guards were loyal. Trying to leave unnoticed would be a perilous endeavor. The thought of going against her husband's wishes filled her with anxiety. But she had no choice.