Dragonbound

chapter two

"Come again, mother?"

"You are marrying Aelys Velaryon in 10 days." I look at my mother like she just told me the most humorous thing I have ever heard. I start laughing, because what else am I supposed to do?

"Very funny, Mother. What's the real reason you summoned me?"

She doesn't laugh. She doesn't even smile. Her expression remains stern, and my laughter dies in my throat.

"This isn't a jest, Aegon. The arrangements have been made. You will marry Aelys Velaryon in ten days."

I was too shocked to speak and when I finally do scramble some words together she interrupts me.

"You have no choice in the matter," she replies coldly. "It is already done."

"She is the heir to the Iron Throne Aegon" my mother said, her voice like steel. "When you marry her you will be king, isn't that what you want?

I shake my head, trying to wrap my mind around this. "What about Aelys? What did she think of this?"

"I care not what she thinks, it is Rhaenyra who she decides."

"Why would Rhaenyra agree to such a thing? What have you said to her?"

"Rhaenyra wants to ensure the stability of her reign, She knows that uniting our houses will quell any lingering discontent. I just convinced her that this marriage will help achieve that, with a few tears and motherly grief."

I look at her, stunned by what she just said.

"Of course you would do that!'

"Regardless of any motives, you will do your duty," my mother insists.

I can feel my anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"You don't care how Aelys must feel right now, when you were once just like her? Are you truly that cold hearted?"

My mother steps closer, her eyes boring into mine. "Don't ever speak to me like that again, do you understand? You're no king yet."

I clench my fists, resisting the urge to lash out. "Yes, Mother," I finally say, my voice tight with barely contained fury. "I'm sorry."

"Good," she says.

As I leave the room, my mind is a whirlwind of emotions. I have always admired Aelys from afar. I love the way she can't hide her emotions because her face reflects them so perfectly. She has always been beautiful and she moves with a grace that captivates, her presence a gentle symphony in a world often too loud. Her kindness is a quiet force, unassuming yet powerful. She carries herself with a dignity that commands respect, yet she offers warmth and compassion to all who cross her path. In her presence, there is a serenity that soothes, a sense of belonging that one can find nowhere else. She is both the calm in the storm and the gentle rain that nurtures growth. Every interaction with her, no matter how brief, is etched into my memory with a clarity that time cannot dim. My feelings are a secret I keep closely guarded, a treasure I hold in the privacy of my heart.

I can sense the resentment she holds towards me and my mother. For all those stolen glances she had always looked away. Conversations were brief but for me they were life changing.

"We will all meet this afternoon so dress well." and with that my mother left.