The Flames We Bear

Chapter 2 - Aemond

The flames from the hearth danced across the stone walls, casting flickering shadows around the chamber. I stood, unmoving, by the fire, watching the blaze as though its chaos might offer some clarity. My thoughts churned with the words I had just heard from my mother and grandsire. They had gone behind my back, sent a letter to Dragonstone offering my hand to Visenya Velaryon—Rhaenyra's bastard daughter. The girl who had been part of the night I lost my eye. The irony wasn't lost on me.

My gaze was drawn to the golden flame as though it mirrored the fire burning inside me, an inferno I couldn't extinguish.

"You should not have done this without consulting me," I said, my voice cutting through the low murmur of my mother's and Otto's conversation. Surely he had a hand in this, I was no fool to how my grandfather influenced my father's choices in matters especially if grandfather and mother did not object this proposal it meant there was a deeper act in play.

Alicent approached me, her brow furrowed with worry, though there was resolve in her eyes. "Aemond, please. This marriage will not only unite the two halves of House Targaryen but secure your place in the line of succession. Your position will be unassailable."

I turned to face her, letting the anger I had held back surface. "Secure my position?" I spat. "Do you believe they will accept me so easily? Do you think that Rhaenyra, Daemon, and her bastards will ever see me as anything but an enemy? Visenya herself is likely sharpening her dagger for my throat even now."

I could feel Otto's calculating gaze on me from where he sat. He wasn't a man who spoke much unless he needed to. But when he did, his words were like a sword's edge, precise and deadly.

"A marriage with Visenya strengthens our claim, Aemond," Otto said, leaning forward slightly in his chair. "Her legitimacy is questioned by many, but once she is wed to you, her claim becomes ours. And through her, we can lay the foundation for our house's future on the Iron Throne."

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn't a fool. I knew my grandfather too well to believe he was simply acting for my benefit. His gaze was always fixed on the Iron Throne—and not just for the glory of House Targaryen. This was for House Hightower, for Aegon.

I let silence hang in the room for a long moment, weighing my words carefully. "You mean this marriage will serve Aegon," I said coldly. "You think by uniting me with Visenya, it will remove her from the game, and you will use Aegon as your true piece. Isn't that your plan, Grandfather?"

A flicker of something passed across Otto's face, but it was gone just as quickly. He smiled, the kind of smile that never reached his eyes. "Aegon is the firstborn son of the king. His claim is unquestionable. Your marriage to Visenya only strengthens his claim by removing Rhaenyra and her children from any legitimate path to the throne. Once you are married to her, the realm will see that Rhaenyra's ambitions are futile."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "And what of me, then?" I demanded, my voice low and sharp. "You expect me to wed a woman who would see me dead, and for what? To clear the path for Aegon?"

"Aegon is meant to sit the Iron Throne, Aemond," Otto said firmly, rising from his chair. His gaze was piercing now, commanding. "You are meant for something greater. With Visenya at your side, you will wield more power than any second son ever has. While Aegon rules from the Throne, you will control the future of House Targaryen through this union."

The ambition in his words was unmistakable, but it wasn't for me. It was for his own bloodline. He wanted Aegon on the throne, yes, but he also wanted me tethered to Visenya, ensuring Rhaenyra's branch of the family was chained to his plans.

I looked at my mother. She was silent now, her face taut with worry and the burden of the decisions they were making on my behalf.

"Why Visenya?" I asked. "Out of all the women in the realm, why her?"

Alicent's voice was soft, almost pleading. "Because Visenya's claim is the strongest threat to Aegon's. She is her mother's daughter, bound to Rhaenyra's ambition. By marrying her, you bind that ambition to us. You would nullify it, even bend it to your will."

I scoffed, stepping away from her and turning my gaze back to the flames. "You speak as if she would simply fall in line. Visenya is no pawn. She will never bow to me, and she will certainly never yield her mother's ambitions."

"Then you must make her," Otto said, his voice calm but commanding. "She is young, and though she carries the blood of Old Valyria, she is not invincible. You will marry her, and in time, you will bend her to your will. You will control her, and through her, you will control Rhaenyra's claim."

The idea of controlling Visenya, of breaking her spirit to suit our needs, stirred something dark within me. It was both satisfying and disturbing at once. A part of me loathed the thought of being shackled to her, but another part—one forged in the flames of ambition—saw the opportunity.

"What makes you think I can be used so easily?" I asked quietly, staring into the fire. "What makes you believe I will bow to this plan, just as you've envisioned?"

Otto stepped closer, his voice lower now. "Because, Aemond, you are not like Aegon. You have always understood the game. You have ambition, drive, and the will to take what is rightfully yours. You will not sit idly by and allow others to shape the world in their image. With Visenya at your side, you will secure the future of this family. Your future."

His words were like a blade cutting through my hesitation. I had always known that I was different from Aegon. He was weak, distracted, more interested in pleasures than power. I, on the other hand, craved the throne—not for glory, but because it was mine to take. This marriage, as loathsome as it seemed, could be my way to seize control of everything.

And yet, I couldn't help but feel as though I was walking into a trap. Otto wanted to tie me to Visenya, to Rhaenyra's bloodline, but the true prize was Aegon's rule. I would be a means to an end.

"Marry her, control her," Otto continued. "And when the time comes, when the realm looks to you for leadership, you will have a claim stronger than any man in the Seven Kingdoms."

I exhaled slowly, my mind racing with the possibilities. This marriage could serve my purposes, but it would not be for Aegon. It would be for me. If I were to marry Visenya, it would be on my terms, and I would ensure that neither my mother, nor my grandsire, nor even Visenya herself, would stand in my way.

I turned to face them both, my decision made. "I will consider the proposal," I said coldly. "But understand this—I will not be a puppet in your schemes. I will marry her, and I will make her my ally, but the throne will be mine."

Otto smiled, his eyes gleaming with pride and ambition. "Of course, Aemond. The throne will be yours... when the time is right."