The Vengeful Ghost

80. Alternate Ending Part 2

Eight Years Later

"Extend your arm," Aemond called over the sound of metal clashing. "You will hurt your shoulder like that."

"Tired of fighting?" Jaehaerys smirked at his cousin.

"You wish!" Maegor groaned and pushed Jaehaerys back.

Aemond watched his son and nephew taunt one another, making sure the taunting never went too far. He looked up at the same stoop his father and Lord Strong would watch as Aegon, Aemond, Jace, and Luke would train. His father had thought they were all training as friends and brothers, picking each other up as one would. But his father never paid enough attention to know the truth.

So Aemond made it his duty as a father and a teacher to be hands-on with his children's training and lives. He made sure Maegor and Jaehaerys were like brothers, and that he led every lesson. Only one thing came between the two boys during training.

"You call that fighting?" Laenora giggled as she stood behind her father.

He rose a brow and looked at her. "And you call that a hemline?"

She looked down at her failed attempt at a dress. "The Septa said the sooner I finished the dress, the sooner I got to come out here."

"Laeny, I have seen your mother stitch better than that and she usually stabs herself more times than she stitches."

"Well, it is good that Queens are not required to stitch. Training, however, if my brother is to fight like that when he is king, he will need me to defend him."

"You know the rules."

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the table, putting on a padded chest plate. He handed her a tie for her hair and she groaned. "If you would let me cut it off, I would not need to braid it."

"I told you that decision was up to your mother."

"Let Maegor have the pretty hair, Papa, short hair is easier to ride in anyways."

"Laenora, stop arguing and just do what he asks!" Maegor sighed.

Laeny finally pulled her hair back and looked at her father for approval. He nodded and called for Jaehaerys to let Laenora go against her brother.

"I swear we birthed another Alyssa and Baelon," Visenya said behind him. He looked at her with a smile and nodded.

"It seems we did. Not shocking, but still proud. Maegor acts like he struggles but he is quite exceptional for his age. And Laenora is just wild."

"She will be Queen Consort, she may be as wild as she likes as long as she may balance responsibility."

"Would you just let her cut the damn hair?" He whispered.

She sent him a glare and looked at her eldest children. Maegor's was just above shoulder length, just as Aegon's was before the war. "As long as it is no shorter than Maegor's. The two are already so similar."

Aemond kissed her forehead and kept his eye on her while the twins sparred. "Anything worth noting ?" He asked in reference to the small council meeting she had just left.

"Maybe if you had attended, you would have known."

"I clearly have more important matters,"  He raised a brow.

"Clearly. Cregan is departing for Winterfell on the morrow, he said his time here is over and that I am ready to make do without his council."

"I never understood you wanting his council in the first place."