Led By Fiery Passion (currently being revised)

Part 79

With a heavy heart, Aenyra approached Arryk from behind and plunged her weapon into his back, piercing his heart. He gasped, blood choking him, and died in an instant. Ser Erryk embraced his brother one last time, tears streaming down his face, before gently laying Arryk on the ground, his trembling hands stained with crimson resting on his knees.

"Ser Erryk..." Aenyra began, but he remained unresponsive, lost in a haze, grappling with the enormity of the moment. "Ser Erryk..."

Silence enveloped them.

Desperate, she sank to her knees. "ERRYK!" she called out urgently, almost pleading, as she cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. At last, she had his attention. "You didn't kill him... I did. So whatever you're thinking, don't! You will not leave my side or Aemon's, am I understood?"

His expression crumpled under the weight of her words, anguish flooding his features.

"You are sworn to me. Now, Am I understood?" She repeated.

"Yes princess." He replied weakly with a nod. Aenyra's shoulders visibly relaxed, just then there were a few guards along with Rhaenyra flooding through the room.

"Impeccable timing," Aenyra remarked, her voice laced with rage as she glanced at the guards. "If it weren't for Ser Erryk, my son and I could very well be dead right now!"

Rhaenyra rushed past the guards, her breath catching in her throat as she spotted Ser Erryk's twin lying lifeless in a pool of blood on the floor. Overcome with emotion, she pulled Aenyra into a tight embrace. "I want the castle searched immediately. Make sure he was alone!" she ordered the knights, her voice steady and authoritative.

"Yes, your grace!" the knights chorused in unison, their voices echoing the urgency of the moment. They exited the room with determined strides, the weight of their mission heavy on their shoulders.

That evening, tension hummed in the air as everyone gathered in Rhaenyra's chambers, each face a mask of worry. The flickering candlelight cast shadows that danced across the walls, mirroring the anxiety gripping them all as they awaited the outcome of the castle search.

Rhaenyra paced the length of the chamber, her emerald eyes sharp and focused, betraying none of the turmoil within. When the guards finally returned, a hush fell over the room.

"Anything?" she demanded, her voice steady but edged with an unmistakable strain.

The lead guard stepped forward, his forehead glistening with sweat. "Nothing, your grace." he said, shaking his head.

Rhaenyra's heart sank at his words. "So it's safe to assume it was just Ser Erryk's twin, Ser Arryk." She sighed, releasing the tension that had coiled tightly in her chest. With a weary grace, she sank onto the plush couch, the fabric cool against her skin. Her fingers brushed lightly against the embroidered cushion as she stared off into the distance, lost in thought.

Rhaenyra frowned slightly, her brow furrowing in concern. "It makes sense," Jacaerys began, his voice steady but laced with fatigue. "He would be the only one able to slip past our guards unnoticed."

Aenyra looked down at Aemon, who was fast asleep in her arms, the blanket pulled snugly around him. The late hour weighed heavily on everyone, the exhaustion palpable in the dim light of the chamber.

"Can we return to our chambers now, if there's no longer a threat?" Aenyra asked, her eyes glancing toward Rhaenyra for confirmation.

Rhaenyra's demeanor shifted, and she offered a warm smile that lit up her weary face. "Yes, but from now on," she said firmly, "every one of you will have a guard stationed outside your chamber doors." Her tone left no room for argument, the promise of safety anchoring them amidst the uncertainty.