The Flames We Bear

Chapter 17 - Visenya

The tension hung thick in the air as Aemond and I made our way toward the yard. His long strides matched my quickened pace, a standoff of sorts, neither of us willing to concede.

"Why do you insist on treating me like a child?" I shot back, my frustration bubbling over. "I can handle a hunt. I've been on plenty of them before!"

Aemond merely scoffed, the corner of his mouth quirking up in that infuriating way of his. "Handling a hunt and handling a sword are two very different things, Visenya. You're not ready for the dangers that lurk beyond the castle walls."

"Oh, please," I replied, crossing my arms. "What danger could possibly be more terrifying than spending time with your family? I'd take a boar over that any day."

He rolled his eyes dramatically as we reached the carriage, holding the door open for me with a flourish that felt far too mocking. I climbed in, taking a seat and sulking against the window, arms still crossed defiantly.

As the carriage jolted forward, King Viserys's warm voice broke through the tension. "What's the bother, children?" he asked, glancing back at us with a bemused expression.

Aemond seized the opportunity to share our quarrel. "Visenya wants to join the hunt, but I don't think she should," he stated matter-of-factly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Oh, great, Aemond," I grumbled, leaning back against the seat. "Thanks for putting it so diplomatically."

King Viserys chuckled, but the warmth in his eyes was quickly overshadowed by Aemond's continued teasing. "And I certainly don't plan to spend the entire hunt babysitting you."

I shot him an incredulous look. "Babysitting? Is that how you view me? Like a child you have to protect from the big bad world?"

He leaned back, mirroring my position with a bored expression. "If the corset fits..."

I gasped, feigning outrage. "How dare you! I'm not just a pretty face! I can hunt, I can—"

"And yet here you are, sulking in a carriage," Aemond interrupted, his smirk widening.

"Only because you're insufferable!" I retorted, though a grin tugged at my lips despite myself.

Before he could respond, Alicent interjected, her voice cutting through our playful bickering. "Visenya, dear, you will be far too occupied as a newly married woman. You'll have to mingle with the other noblewomen of the court, not gallivanting through the woods like a wildling."

I turned to her, my smile faltering slightly. "But what if I want to?"

"Then perhaps you should've thought about that before you decided to marry Aemond," she replied, a hint of a smile on her lips. "It's time for you to embrace your role, my dear."

I huffed, unable to fully suppress my annoyance. "So I'm expected to just sit there and engage in meaningless chatter while Aemond gets to play hero?"

"Precisely," Aemond chimed in, shooting me a playful wink or would it be considered a blink?. "You can regale the ladies with tales of my bravery while I slay the beasts. A fair trade, I'd say."

"Hardly fair," I muttered, but a laugh bubbled up despite my irritation.

"Consider it practice," Aemond continued, "for when you have to defend my honor in front of the rest of the court. You know they'll be itching to find something to gossip about."

"Such confidence you have," I replied dryly, looking out the window as the landscape began to shift, the castle walls fading into the lush greenery of the countryside. "I suppose I'll have to keep my ears open for all the whispered criticisms, as usual."

"Just remember, my dear wife," Aemond said, leaning closer, his tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "you've got an entire court behind you. There's no need to cower."

"Cower? I don't cower," I declared defiantly.

"Good. I'd hate to think my wife was spineless," he quipped, a smirk playing at his lips.

And just like that, our playful banter transformed the tension into something lighter, a reminder that underneath it all, we were still learning to navigate this strange partnership. With the hunt looming ahead, I felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation. What awaited us in the woods was uncertain, but if Aemond and I could find a way to laugh through it, perhaps I could handle whatever came my way.