To Take What Is Rightfully Ours

Chapter 31. Taking A Leap Of Faith

Diane woke up to the sound of thunder. It was heavily raining outside and flashes of lightning lit up her rooms from time to time. She sat up. Her heart was pounding somewhere in her throat and despite the memories of her dream quickly disappearing, she knew what it meant. She had to go.

Now.

Diane hastily climbed out of her bed. Aliyah was right. When the Gods called for you, their message was pretty fucking clear. She was glad that Aliyah gave her the heads-up if she was honest because she didn't have to waste time on packing a bag now or scramble to put her affairs in order. Everything had been packed and done for a few days now and the only thing Diane had left to do was to say her goodbyes.

After getting dressed, Diane went right to the cot where Aemond was sleeping. He didn't seem to be disturbed by the lighting or thunder and Diane was grateful for it. She kneeled before the cot and gently stroked the boy's hair so as not to wake him. She wished he was awake so she could hug him one last time but it was better that he was sleeping.

Aemond was too young to understand where she was going or why, and even though disappearing in the middle of the night seemed cruel, it was the best of two bad options.

'When I come back... if I come back, you won't even remember who I am,' she whispered, feeling the tears swell in the corners of her eyes. She might not have birthed him but she was there for him ever since he took his first breath and leaving him now felt like ripping her heart out. Diane knew Rhaenyra would look after him and it brought her comfort but it didn't mean she didn't want to weep at the sheer thought of how much of his life she was going to miss.

The thunder roared again as if urging Diane to hurry up, so she got up and leaned down to kiss Aemond on his forehead. The boy made a sound in his sleep. 'Be a good boy, Aemond, and remember then no matter where I am, I will always love you,' she whispered. Then she left the room to get Frella.

***

Diane tried to stay focused, going through the corridors of the Red Keep, but it was hard to do that while tears kept running down her face. She knew how to suck it up and keep going. She had to do it plenty of times before, but it didn't mean it didn't feel like absolute agony every fucking time.

Frella willingly came to look after Aemond till the morning. Diane had told her before that one day she would have to hastily leave and that she needed her help with Aemond. She hadn't told her where she was leaving but it seemed like Frella figured it was a sensitive topic because she didn't ask even though she had the chance. And now Diane was going to the servants' quarters to get Athelstan because she could really use his assistance. Also, the boy had been a good help and a great friend to her so she couldn't just leave without saying goodbye to him first.

Diane probably wasn't paying as much attention as she usually did because she ran right into someone as soon as she turned the corner. Two hands immediately steadied her by her shoulders.

'Lady Diane?' Otto sounded surprised and fuck, of course, it was him. Who else would she run into when she really didn't want to run into anyone?

She glanced at him and nodded, 'Lord Hand,' before making an attempt to walk past him. He didn't let her.

'Are you alright?' Otto asked, his eyes searching her face. She knew he could see she was crying. She hated the fact that he didn't seem to be willing to just let it go.

'Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Now, excuse me,' Diane wiped away a tear and walked past him. For a few seconds, she thought she got rid of him but, of course, she did not. He was not a man to give up so easily.

'Wait,' he called after her but Diane just kept walking. She didn't have time or energy to talk to him right now. She was following her plan because it was the only thing that didn't let her fall apart. She always did that in a crisis. And Otto was interfering with this process.