The Mouth of the Dragon, The Eyes of the Lamb

Chapter 30

Aemond had never left Lucela's chambers. He had found a vase for the flowers he had gotten her and simply sat at the table and waited for her to return. She hadn't been gone long when the door to her chambers opened and slammed shut. Aemond was on his feet with his dagger in hand before he realized that the swirl of brown and blue was Lucela shutting her door.

She turned and arched her brow when she saw the dagger in his hand. "Planning on trying to cut me again?"

Aemond glanced down at his fist clenched around the hilt and quickly sheathed it again. Lucela walked by him and flopped on her bed, face down. He frowned and followed her to make sure she was okay.

"What did Daemon want that was so urgent?"

Lucela froze. She couldn't tell Aemond the truth- well, not the entire truth anyway. "Daemon and Mother simply wanted to ask me why I was around you when you are cruel to me." Aemond frowned. "I told them we are simply trying to rekindle our friendship."

"Didn't want to tell Daemon we're fucking daily?"

Lucela sat up so quickly the room spun for a moment. Aemond was smirking at her while she gaped at him. "Daemon wouldn't hesitate to kill you, you fool."

Aemond's smirk grew into a feral grin. Daemon kill him? It took everything in him not to laugh. Sure, Daemon was the most fearsome warrior in the Seven Kingdoms, but that had been years ago. Aemond doubted he still had any fight in him. "I would like to see him try. Besides, it's not the first time you've given me this warning."

"Aemond, I'm serious." Lucela couldn't keep the fear out of her eyes. Whether it was for Daemon or himself, Aemond wasn't sure. "Daemon won't hesitate to shove a sword through your eye if it means protecting his little girl. Why do you think I keep warning you?"

"His little girl?" The anger in Aemond's voice caused Lucela to lean back. This was going wrong; he had come to finish his apology.

"Yes, his little girl. Daemon Targaryen has raised me for the past decade. I'm just as much his daughter as I am Laenor Velayron's." Aemond arched his brow, and Lucela glared at him. "If he even suspects that you are fucking me, it will be ugly. You saw the look on his face last night."

"Didn't he fuck his own niece in a whorehouse and leave her there long before she ever became his wife?"

Lucela frowned. She hadn't heard anything about this. Daemon had been nothing but a loving husband to Rhaenyra and a loving father to all of the children. In fact, Lucela had never even viewed Daemon in a negative light.

"Didn't he take your mother's maidenhead before she wed the king? All this means is that Daemon can't keep his dick in his pants."

Aemond wanted to be angry. He really did. Lucela had no business talking about his mother like that. Yet, a laugh is what bubbled out of his throat against his will. He slapped his hand against his lips to try to hold it in, and Lucela stared at him with a mix of shock and worry.

The laugh didn't stop, and Aemond flopped onto his back, howling out his laughter. His arm had landed across his eyes, and Lucela moved it gently. Aemond blinked the tears out of his eyes so her amused face came into view.

"That funny, huh?" Lucela's own amusement was thick in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Luce," Aemond coughed out as he tried to catch his breath. "I just never expected that to come out of your mouth."

Lucela visibly relaxed and laid her head on Aemond's chest. He immediately wrapped his arm around her and pulled her even closer.

"I was expecting that to turn into a fight."