𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐀 ── house of the dragon

iv | something to prove

ACT II — CHAPTER IV
Sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ Tᴏ Pʀᴏᴠᴇ

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Myra would have been perfectly content if Aemond never reached out to her again. She probably would have been better off for it. But it seemed Aemond had taken her last words, We'll see, as an invitation to try and prove himself.

When letters from him used to be sparse, Myra was now getting letters from him every week, more often than she got letters from Derron. At first, Myra didn't answer, as she was still incredibly angry at him for how he spoke to her.

But, even though they hadn't really been friends in years, Aemond knew her well enough to be able to draw her in.

Myra,

I never told you how impressive it is for you to have claimed the Cannibal. I remember every detail from when news of it reached King's Landing.

My father had been the one to tell us of what happened. That you returned on the dragon after being missing for days and that you looked half dead. My mother was appalled that Rhaenyra would have allowed you to run off on your own like that.

Aegon talked about it for weeks. He was very impressed that you were able to claim a wild dragon, an assumably untamable beast. I am too. I have spent years wondering how you did it. I wonder if you'll ever tell me.

I hope you have been well these past few weeks. If you find the time, write back to me. Tell me about your dragon.

Aemond.

Aemond knew that Myra had always longed for a dragon. It was a pain they had once shared. Perhaps she was foolish for telling him that he was the first person she thought of after claiming the Cannibal. But Myra didn't think about that as she wrote her reply.

She had never told anyone what really happened that day on the mountaintop, that she had not sought out the Cannibal, but he had come to her. Yet, Myra found herself describing every detail of how it happened to Aemond, as well as everything she could remember from the two days she and the Cannibal had been on her own.

However, she did make sure to omit the part about why she was away for so long. She didn't think it would look good to admit that she thought Rhaenyra and Daemon had murdered her father and were planning on murdering her next. No, that would not look good for her mother's claim at all.

And so, their exchange of letters became more frequent. Myra was embarrassed that she had folded so easily, but Aemond never said anything about it or made her feel bad, so she never thought about it for too long.

Myra had a new light about her, and it was noticed by those around her. They couldn't pinpoint what, but she just seemed happier than she had been. Rhaenyra thought that she had not seen her like this since before Laenor left.

Rhaena told Jacaerys that she believed Myra's light spirits were caused by her growing friendship with Derron, but he didn't buy it.

"How many letters has she exchanged with Derron? It wouldn't make sense for her to be in such high spirits after all this time," Jace had said, "It has to be something else."

Along with her oddly cheery attitude, Myra had began attending every event she could. Jace had attended so many name day celebrations and weddings with her that he had lost count. However, Baela and Rhaena were finally able to attend as well, and he was so distracted by them that he never noticed Myra sneaking off with Aemond.

They would sneak off to an abandoned corridor or garden and fill each other in on things in their lives that could not be expressed in letters. They never did anything improper, unless one counted stolen glances and light hand brushes.