#but just to be safe feel free to blacklist HOTD to not see it

[goddessofroyalty]

Summary: Aemond and Lucerys drink too much one night and reveal some hidden truths in both their branches of the family tree.

Notes:

Still don’t go here but gods this fandom has such potential to talk about blood lines and inherency and duty.

Pairings: Aemond/Lucerys, Aemond/Helena (only for child conception purposes)

Warnings: incest (uncle/nephew; sibling/sibling), secret-children-having

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“What I don’t get,” Lucerys new husband says, with probably more alcohol on his breathe than is necessarily smart for them to be alone together considering their families are still at odds, “is why your father, not your true father, the one that we all pretend is your father, even claimed you in the first place. He of all people must have known you were not his.”

“He was our father,” Lucerys corrects because no matter what the matter of blood says Laenor was still his father. “And we were his children.”

“And if we were not,” Lucerys adds quietly, revealing a secret that even the night cannot hear, “it is not my mother’s fault.”

Aemond gives a hum at it, swigging down another mouthful of the wine they had taken back to their room with them after the feast. “Was he unable or unwilling?”

“I-“ Lucerys had been aware of the talk about his father as much as he was the talk about his mother but never had put as bluntly around him. He steals the cup from Aemond’s hands to take a drink of his own only to have it snatched back as soon as it leaves his lips.

“I asked my mother about why he claimed us back when this was all set,” Lucerys says with a gesture around the room. It was back when he was confirmed as Lord of Driftmark he had snuck into her bed that night and confessed all his fears of not being deserving of it and questioned whether his father would have even wanted him to take it. “She said that they had tried together and nothing had come from it.”

His mother had confessed that they possibly had not tried as hard as they could before turning to the alternative solution. Aemond doesn’t need to know those details though.

“An heir was still needed for them both and the arrangement worked for all involved. So we are his and he wanted us to inherit as such,” Lucerys finishes, looking over at his husband only to see that Aemond hardly seems to be listening anymore. Instead staring off over the wine cup into the distance. “Is that a problem for you?”

Aemond glances at him out of the side of his good eye before looking back away.

“My brother suffers from a similar shortcoming,” he says, after a moment. Just as quietly as Lucerys had started. “Which I suppose we should be grateful for or else we would be dealing with silver-haired bustards all through King’s Landing.”

It is clear he is not finished so Lucerys lets him have his time to find the words.

“There was also the requirement of an heir for him as well.”

“Did he not perform?” Lucerys has a feeling he knows where this is going.

“He tried. Many times. And the more it failed the more he drank, and Helena, she hated the whole thing.”

“So the children-“ Are Aemonds. Not that Lucerys dares finishing that question from the glare Aemond gives him for even starting it.

Aemond drinks what remains in the cup before getting up and taking it over to the window, staring out. “Perhaps if my uncle had been around the situation would have been neater for you as well.”

“Perhaps.” Lucerys can’t help but be glad his step-father wasn’t around. It is not that he dislikes him, he is as fond of Daemon. But he still misses Harwin, as foolish as that is.