The Realms Rose | Aemond Targaryen / Daemon Targaryen

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Lorent Tyrell lay in a dark and filthy cell, his body battered, bruised, and beaten. The room was damp and chilly, the cold stones of the room leaching any warmth from the air. Hopelessness etched into every line of his face, despair weighed heavily on his soul.

"House Tyrell have yet to declare our allegiance." He whimpered, spitting a mouthful of blood at Daemons feet.

Daemons gaze swept over Lorent Tyrell, his expression cold and unmoving. The man was beaten, bloodied, and broken, but there was no mercy in Daemon's heart. He spoke firmly, his voice echoing in the stone room.

"I am well aware of that, Lord Tyrell. And yet here you are, broken and beaten. It is a pitiful sight, truly."

Lorent's words only fueled Daemon's rage, reminding him of the near-loss of his child due to Lord Tyrell's actions. His eyes narrowed, his lip curling in a sneer, as he spoke.

"You speak of the usurper, yet you fail to acknowledge your own transgressions. Do not think I have overlooked the part you played in nearly taking my child from me. It is for those actions that you find yourself here, in this cell."

Lorent's astonishment at Daemon's words was evident on his face, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

"You did not expect that, did you, my lord?" Daemon said, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "You thought only of your foolish allegiances and your loyalty to a false king, and you failed to consider the cost of your actions."

With the sudden death of Viserys I Targaryen and the Hightower's crowning Aegon the usurper before the masses, Daemon had seen an opportunity to capture Lorent Tyrell as a prisoner of war. The news of the king's passing had spread quickly, and Lorent and his father Lord Harlen Tyrell had soon mounted an expedition to return to Highgarden.

As soon as they had set out, Daemon had sent his men to intercept them, and Lorent had been taken prisoner, leaving his father to continue their journey back to Highgarden alone.

Lorent was thrown into a holding cell in Dragonstone, his body battered from the journey and the struggles from the capture. The room was dimly lit, only a few torches casting long shadows across the walls. But despite the rough treatment, Lorent was given a small amount of food and water, to keep him from perishing. And as time passed, he began to think that perhaps his imprisonment would be short lived, that perhaps his father, Lord Harlen, would bargain for his release.

"I did what had to be done." Lorent spoke quietly, almost ashamed of his own actions. "If news of my sisters infidelity was to spread, the damage to my inheritance would be irreparable."

Daemon chuckled darkly at Lorent's words, the sound echoing through the stone chamber.

"You speak of protecting your inheritance, my lord, as if that justifies what you did."

He took a step closer to the cell, opening it to stand before him, his eyes boring into Lorent's soul.

"You say you did what had to be done, but what of the lives you risked? The lives of your niece or nephew and your sweet sister? Do their lives mean nothing to you?"

"What will you do then?" Lorent spat. "Kill me?"

A cold smile curled at the corners of Daemon's lips as his boot came into contact with Lorents ribs, causing the boy to yelp in pain.