tethered by Fate | Lucerys Velaryon | Aemond Targaryen

◇ nine ◇

◇

I spend the rest of the day reacquainting myself with the Red Keep, wandering through its labyrinthine halls and familiar courtyards. The memories feel distant, like a faded tapestry—some threads vivid, others barely discernible.

When night falls, I take supper in my chambers. It isn’t that I don’t want to dine with my family, but it seems they’ve all developed a habit of eating alone.

My newly assigned handmaidens enter quietly, one carrying a tray of food and the other holding a jug of wine.

“Place it on the coffee table, please,” I say with a sigh.

They nod, setting everything down. One of the girls turns to leave, but the other lingers.

“Would you like me to prepare you for slumber, Princess?” she asks, keeping her gaze low.

“Yes, thank you,” I reply. Humor has entirely abandoned my voice, weariness seeping into every word.

I settle onto a small seafoam-green cushion as she begins brushing through my hair. The rhythmic strokes are soothing, almost hypnotic.

“Your hair is very beautiful, Princess,” she says softly.

I glance up at her, feeling a flicker of gratitude amidst my exhaustion. “Thank you. I wonder if it means anything, though,” I mutter before I can stop myself.

Regret follows instantly. She doesn’t need to hear my musings. She’s here to do her job, not bear the weight of my stray thoughts.

Once she finishes undoing my hair, she moves to unlace my dress, but I gently stop her. “Thank you. I can manage the rest.”

She nods, curtsies, and leaves.

Alone, I change into plain white undergarments and sit on the small couch in front of the coffee table. I pick at the honeyed bread, taking small bites as sleep creeps over me. My head dips back against the cushion, and darkness pulls me under.

Not long after, a soft knock stirs me from my slumber. I blink, disoriented, and glance toward the window. The night has deepened; stars glint faintly in the distance.

“Enter,” I call, my voice hoarse with sleep.

The door creaks open, and the figure that steps inside makes my heart skip—not in excitement, but in unease.

Aemond.

He stands in the doorway, tall and imposing, his pale hair catching the dim candlelight.

“Hello, brother,” I say dryly, attempting to mask my discomfort. “What brings you here at this fine hour?”

He steps forward, a small smirk playing at his lips. “I’ve brought you something—for your return to the Red Keep.”

I sit up straighter, trying to shake off the awkwardness that seems to thicken the air. “Oh? What is it?” I force a smile.

He pulls a green velvet box from behind his back and opens it with deliberate care. Inside lies a delicate sapphire necklace, the gem catching the faint light and shimmering like the sea.

“Oh… wow,” I murmur, unsure of what else to say. “It’s very pretty.”

His lips curl slightly, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. “It matches,” he says simply.

“Matches?” I echo, puzzled.

He tilts his head, his single eye—sharp and calculating—boring into mine. Then, with deliberate slowness, he raises his hand to his eyepatch.

My stomach twists.

“Aemond…” I begin, but the words catch in my throat as he pulls the leather away, revealing the sapphire that now resides where his eye once was. The gem glows faintly, a hauntingly beautiful shade of blue that catches the light like fire on water.

For a moment, I can’t look away. It’s mesmerizing and terrifying all at once.

“Do you see?” he asks, his voice low and almost intimate. “It suits me.”

I swallow hard, trying to find the right response. “It’s… striking,” I manage, my voice barely above a whisper.

His smirk deepens, pleased by my reaction. “You think so?”

I nod, feeling a strange mix of awe and discomfort. “I do.”

He steps closer, and I instinctively lean back against the couch. “This necklace,” he says, gesturing to the box still in his hand, “was crafted to match it. Sapphire for sapphire.”

The weight of his words sinks in, and I realize the deliberate thought behind the gift. It’s not just jewelry—it’s a claim, a connection he’s forging between us.

“Stand,” he instructs, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Hesitant, I rise to my feet. He steps even closer, his presence overwhelming. I feel the heat of his hand as it lightly brushes my shoulder, turning me so my back faces him.

“Hold your hair,” he murmurs.

I lift my silver locks, identical to his, and drape them over one shoulder. His fingers graze the back of my neck as he clasps the necklace in place. The touch lingers—too long, too intimate. My thin undergarments do little to shield me from the sensation of his proximity, the warmth of his breath against my skin.

“There,” he says softly, his voice almost reverent. “Perfect.”

I step away quickly, my fingers brushing over the cool sapphire at my throat. “Thank you, Aemond. It’s… generous of you.”

He says nothing at first, simply watching me with an intensity that feels suffocating. Then, he breaks the silence.

“It cost more than you can imagine,” he states, his tone veering toward a boast. “Only the finest for my sister.”

I force a laugh, desperate to lighten the mood. “Well, I hope the treasury survives your generosity.”

His lips twitch in response, but his gaze doesn’t waver. “You deserve it, Daelina. You deserve everything.”

The weight of his words hangs in the air, and I suddenly feel the need to escape.

“It’s late,” I say, clearing my throat. “Thank you again for the gift, but I should rest now.”

“I’ll escort you to breakfast tomorrow,  Princess Rhaenyra and her family are arriving,” he replies, ignoring my attempt to dismiss him. “We’ll have much to discuss.”

Before I can protest, he dips his head in a stiff approximation of a bow and leaves the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

I exhale, tension draining from my body. My fingers trace the sapphire again, and I shiver—not from cold, but from something far more sinister.