Led By Fiery Passion (currently being revised)

Part 86

Aenyra closed her eyes, a gentle smile tugging at her lips as she allowed herself to drift into the vision of a future she longed for. She saw them beneath the ancient godswood tree, the very place they had once sat as children—her voice carrying softly as she read aloud, while Aemond lay with his head in her lap, idly twining her hair between his fingers in companionable silence.

Around them, six children played, their laughter ringing bright as they darted through the gardens. She could not see their faces, but their pale white hair gleamed like strands of moonlight as they raced past. Her free hand rested protectively over the soft curve of her growing belly, and for that fleeting moment she felt complete, surrounded, and whole.

It was only a dream.

But it was hers.

Aemond watched her closely, his eye lingering on the delicate curve of her lips and the way her body eased unconsciously against him, tension unwinding from her frame. "You are smiling," he murmured, his voice low, almost reverent, as his fingers continued to weave slowly through her hair. "What are you thinking of?

Aenyra hesitated for a moment, then tilted her head just enough to glance up at him. "Us."

One of his brows lifted slightly, intrigued. "Go on."

She let out a quiet breath. "I see us back in King's Landing, under the godswood tree where we used to sit as children. You're resting your head in my lap, pretending not to listen while I read to you." A fond smile tugged at her lips. "And around us, our children—our family. I see them playing, laughing." She paused, her voice softening. "I see us happy."

For a long moment, Aemond said nothing. His fingers stilled in her hair before tracing down to her jaw, tilting her face toward him. His eye searched hers, as if memorizing every detail of the dream she had just painted but more than that he too had painted nearly the same picture in his mind not so long ago.

"Our family." he echoed, voice thick with something unreadable.

Aenyra reached up, cupping his face in her palm. "Our family." she whispered, her voice trailing off to nothing.

Aemond exhaled slowly, his lips pressing into a thin line. He leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. "Then we'll make it so."Aenyra closed her eyes at the gentle press of his lips against her forehead, savoring the quiet promise in his words.

"You make it sound so simple." she replied softly, her fingers absently tracing the sharp line of his jaw.

Aemond huffed a quiet laugh. "Because it is."

She pulled back slightly, tilting her head. "A war stands between us and that future, Aemond."

His expression hardened, the warmth of the moment dimming just slightly. "Then we'll end it."

Aenyra sighed, her head returning to his chest. She wished it were that easy—wished they could carve out a world where nothing could dictate their fates, where they could just live happily until there dying day. But for now, all she could do was hold onto the dream. There happy days together seeming so far out of reach as the days of war slowly draw nearer.

Aemond's grip on her tightened, as if sensing the unease creeping into her thoughts. "No matter what happens, Aenyra, you and Aemon are my future. And I will do whatever it takes to protect that future."

She let his words settle over her, finding comfort in their certainty. "Then promise me something."

"Anything."

She lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes. "Promise me that when this is all over, we leave the war behind us. No matter the lives that may be lost—those we hold dear—that we don't let it shape the life we build together afterward." She was really speaking about the her oath to herself to take his brother's life, but there was also the deep fear that she could lose someone else she loved dearly in the process. Some part of her feared how that would really affect them but chose to ignore that fear, pushing it down deep into the back of her mind.