wicked games | aemond targaryen

𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎

VALAENA ENTERED THE keep with a soaked dress and puffy eyes. She uselessly tried wiping away the stained tears on her face as she strode through the corridors with Ser Donnel closely behind. They had not spoken since they left the mountain, and perhaps it was best left unspoken.

She turned the corner and resisted the urge to turn and flee when her eyes caught onto the familiar head of white hair that was so prevalent in her family. Her pacing slowed as her cousin caught sight of her, surprise crossing his features as they stopped before each other rather awkwardly. 

Although younger than her, Aemond towered over Valaena's small frame as he stared down at her. His eyes glanced over her rather frazzled appearance before clearing his throat.

"I didn't see you at the funeral," Aemond broke the silence first, watching Valaena's gaze wander everywhere but on him. 

"I didn't realize it had ended already," Valaena deflected as she fiddled with her hands nervously.

"People are simply offering their condolences now," Aemond informed her, watching her head nod in acknowledgment as she glanced down towards the floor.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Aemond blurted out after an awkward silence had passed.

Valaena froze at his words, hands dropping down to her sides as she slowly looked up to meet his gaze. Sympathetic purple eyes met her own as she felt her breath catch in her throat and her eyes began to water again.

Nothing else could be said even as Aemond opened his mouth to speak again, Valaena pushing past him quickly as she ran away. She could hear Ser Donnel giving the prince his apologies before hurrying after her. Valaena paid no mind as she rushed into her room, slamming the doors firmly behind her. Ser Donnel would not enter no matter how worried he was, and that was exactly what she wanted. 

She threw herself onto her bed, shoving he face into a pillow before releasing a loud scream that became muffled.

⁂          ⁂          ⁂

The last thing Valaena expected was to be shaken in the middle of the night to find her bed crowded by younger children. A soft groan escaped her lips as she rubbed her eyes, tiredly opening them to reveal her sisters and cousins gathered around her bed with wide eyes.

"Has something happened?" Valaena rushed to sit up in her bed, releasing a yawn as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"I told them not to wake you," Baela explained, opening her mouth to continue only to be interrupted.

"Mother always said we could go to you," Lucerys butted in, catching Valaena off guard as he stared at her with wide, frightened eyes. She hadn't seen him since he was a baby, and now he was almost seven years of age with dark curls. He probably didn't even remember her, and yet she had fond memories of watching him play in the gardens during her time spent at the Red Keep.

"It's an emergency," Rhaena pleaded, pulling Valaena's attention away as she looked upon the faces of the four children at her bedside. "Someone's stolen Vhagar."

Valaena furrowed her eyebrows as glanced between the children, wondering if she had heard them right.

"Stolen?" Valaena questioned. She was under the impression that dragons could not be stolen, only claimed. Perhaps she had missed a lesson from her father somewhere when he spoke of dragons. She wasn't overly fond of remembering the details he sprouted, only wishing to forget about dragons and their existence. If only to forget that she was a disappointment for not having one.