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shesjustanothergeek · 3 months ago

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The Gods We Can Touch Chapter Eight: The Lord of the Tides

Masterlist of Series

Summary: The older twin of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, you were a picture of the maiden, untouched and untainted by man's sins. At least, that was what Alicent Hightower believed when she held you in her arms moments after her old friend's labors. You were her shining light, her dream. Though you were never hers, she believed you were meant to be.

What will become of you as time passes and the Queen's shining light grows within the blackened darkness? Will her eldest son's morbid fascination with the light burn the realm? Or will her second son's obsession with the only daughter of Rhaenyra Targaryen change the course of the Seven Kingdoms as we know it?

Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I'm posting a chapter within two weeks and not a month? What sorcery is this? Anyway, thank you for staying with me through these chapters. We're getting to the juicy stuff here soon, which will be very angsty. I also want to remind everyone that this is a dark fic that deals with suicide, SA, and severe mental illness. You'll hate some of these characters and their actions and have questions about them as the story progresses, but everything has a reason, and it'll all tie together eventually. Just have faith, babes.

Chapter Warnings: misogyny, eugenics, mentions of and trauma related to COCSA, suicidal ideations, severe mental illness, self-deprecating thoughts, and sexual harassment.

The Great Hall echoed with the clamor of anxious voices. The petition summoned all the court members, seemingly attempting to embarrass your family publicly. Although hearings like these did not necessitate the presence of all the Lords and Ladies, they were all there, rendering the open space oppressively stuffy and cramped. The Iron Throne commanded attention with its imposing presence. Fashioned from the melted swords of Aegon the Conqueror’s enemies, it formed a seat that threatened anyone who ventured too close to its pointed metal surface.

Daemon was conversing with your mother, and his strong fists clasped over his stomach as he leaned in to speak into her ear. Luke stood by her side, picking at his slender fingers while cowering beneath his cloak. You felt sorry for your younger brother. He didn’t want to be the Lord of the Tides and despised the idea so much that it became a fear of the sea. Part of you believed that Jace should inherit the Driftwood Throne since he was the second-born, but your mother’s advisors pressured that if Jacaerys married you, he wouldn’t be able to rule the Seven Kingdoms and High Tide, so Luke was next in line.

Your stepsister Rhaena was seated on the other side of you and Jace. You glanced at her slender form, noticing her white hair knotted into thick, cylindrical locs piled atop her head. She nodded toward your brother, who looked at his shoes with an undignified pout. You stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Jace’s body. He tried not to show how your gentle actions comforted him in front of the onlookers, subtly leaning into your side.

The hairs on your neck prickled as if someone was watching you closely. You caught a glimpse of your eldest uncle’s sullen face meeting yours. Aegon’s looming stare was fixed on you and your connection with your brother, his lips curving into a frown. Some of you wanted to return his stare with mockery for his audacity, but you held your decorum, fearing what his anger could entail if you went too far. Years ago, you experienced his kindness, leaving an irreparable scar on your soul.

You sensed the anxiety rising at the mere thought of having to confront your eldest uncle once more. Despite six years having passed, the wounds still feel fresh. Clutching Jace tightly to your side, you battle the overwhelming temptation to seek solace within his luxurious robes as a torrent of memories came rushing back as the petition commences.

“Though it is the great hope of this court that Lord Corlys Velaryon survives his wounds,” Otto Hightower spoke, his voice booming across the Great Hall, “we gather here with the grim task of dealing with the succession of Driftmark. As the Hand, I speak with the King’s voice on this and all other matters.” You couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“The Crown will now hear the petitions.”

Aegon felt a surge of frustration as he watched you avoid making eye contact, unable to bear the sight of you being affectionate with someone else. You had been his closest ally until Aemond’s actions shattered everything. With a scowl, he directed his gaze toward the ground and decided to converse with you about the years past. The eldest Prince was resolute in his determination to make you see that he was not the one at fault.

“Ser Vaemond of House Velaryon,” the Hand spoke, announcing the challenger to the room.

The individual accountable for this incident stepped up, adorned in an opulent doublet of rich velvet in a deep navy shade, almost black. He briefly acknowledged the presence of Lord Corlys’s wife. As he drew nearer, you found yourself in the presence of Ser Vaemond for the second time in your life. His facial hair displayed a striking blend of salt and pepper, evidence of the many decades of life experience that distinguished him from you.

“My Queen,” he greeted with a nod, “my Lord Hand.” Luke visibly bristled at his Great Uncle’s voice, retreating further into his cloak and your mother’s comforting presence.

If the Gods were fair beings, they would strike Lord Vaemond down where he stood for daring to spout treasonous lies before the Court. The mere petition was a ploy to publicly embarrass and cast doubt upon your mother’s claim as heir to the Iron Throne. This was why he chose to pounce like a lion in wait for its prey onto the opportunity of his older brother getting injured. It was as if Lord Vaemond had already declared his brother dead before he returned to his bed. You were raised by a second son and understood too well of their lusts for what the eldest sibling had.

As you tightly gripped Jace’s hand, you made a solemn vow to take the necessary action, not just to protect your family but also for the greater good of your kingdom. This would be the first time you would employ your extensive knowledge of herbs and medicinal practices for a malevolent purpose, but you were willing to do whatever it took for their sake. Throughout history, many distinguished individuals have fallen victim to choking on wine or food, which has proven fatal for even those of lesser stature.

“The history of our noble houses extends past the Seven Kingdoms to the days of Old Valyria. For as long as House Targaryen has ruled the skies, House Velaryon has ruled the seas. When the Doom fell on Old Valyria, our House became the last of their kind.” You glanced at your mother while Vaemond droned eloquently, her regard downcast with a disapproving smirk. “Our forebears came to this land, knowing they would fail; it would be the end of their bloodlines and name. I have spent my entire life defending my brother’s seat. I am Lord Corlys’ closest kin, his blood,” the second son petitioned.

Out of the corner of your vision, you spotted Princess Rhaenys, her stare boring holes into the back of her good brother’s skull. Your worries that the Queen Who Never Was would not side with Luke and his claim lessened as you noted the irritation on her face, the fury at Vaemond’s claim that he had the right to be Lord of the Tides and not her, as if her rule during Corlys’ absence meant that the Driftwood Throne was not in safe hands until Luke was ready.

Otto stared at the man with a neutral expression, but his eyes betrayed his genuine emotions. Arrogance and pride shine through, revealing his bias. “It’s a true, unimpeachable blood of the House of Velaryon that runs through my veins.”

“As it does in my son’s, the offspring of Laenor Velaryon,” your mother interrupted, causing everyone in the room to direct their attention to her. “If you cared so much about your House’s blood, Ser Vaemond, you would not be so bold as to supplant its rightful heir. No, you only speak for yourself and your own ambition-”

You sucked in a nervous breath, your gaze flickering to your mother as you scratched at your scalp. She knew better than to interrupt during a petition to the Crown. She would have scolded you for such an act. Perhaps since it wasn’t her father, she felt the ability to speak out of turn was appropriate. Even the daughter of the King wasn’t allowed such liberties.

“You will have a chance to make your petition, Princess Rhaenyra,” the Queen interrupted, causing your simmering vexation to spike into a rolling boil. “Do Ser Vaemond the courtesy of allowing him to be heard.”

You understood Queen Alicent’s opinion but couldn’t quell the rise of frustrated tears at her words. It was not her place to order your mother. She was a wife to the King, a consort, and whatever jurisdiction she had was given to her by a man. She held no real power, and remembering that would do her well.

As if Alicent heard your thoughts, her amber eyes flicked to you. You felt your stomach lurch as the bread you had earlier threatened to decorate the stone floor. You did not like the Queen after what she did to your mother and her obsession with you. Her possessiveness was something you never understood, nor did you want to. Whatever the Queen had twisted and distorted you to be inside her mind was not something you desired to give fruit to, disregarding her pleading looks as you focused on the Lord before you.

Ser Vaemond turned to stare smugly at Rhaenyra, continuing with his rant of blood purity and superiority. “What do you know of Velaryon blood, Princess? I could cut my veins and show it to you, but you still wouldn’t recognize it.”

A tugging at your bell sleeve brought your attention to Jace, noting how you unconsciously scratched at your scalp. Suddenly, you realized that in the moment’s intensity with Aemond, you had dropped your headpiece in the hall. Swiftly nodding that you were all right, Jace began to stroke the back of your clenched knuckles in a silent gesture of support. Your hand had long forgotten its comforting touch as it blanched from ire.

“This is about the future and survival of my House, not yours,” Vaemond finished, staring hard at your Luke as you cringed.

Jace did not let the Lord or the three people frighten you for long, subtly shifting to block him and all other stares from view like the moat of iron spikes surrounding Maegor’s Holdfast. Why were they all looking at you? The Lords and Ladies. Alicent, Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena. You silently willed them to stop, but it was for naught.

The Lord turned from Luke, his prideful grin duller as he addressed the Queen and Hand. “This is a matter of blood, not ambition. I place the continuation of the survival of my House and line above all. I humbly put myself before you as my brother’s successor,” Vaemond finally concluded, taking a few steps back, “the Lord of Driftmark, the Lord of the Tides.”

“Thank you, Ser Vaemond,” Otto concluded atop a throne that was not his as the second son gave one last grimace toward your family.

With the retreating of the Lord, you were given the perfect view of the Green children, the eldest still very much disinterested in what was happening around him, shifting on his feet as if he was itching to leave the room, which you supposed was true. The second child was attempting to dissociate from the world around her, uncomfortable with the animosity between the two houses, her golden dress the opposite of her appearance. The third and final member seemed to match his Mother and Grandsire, an air of superiority radiating from his toned body that sent shivers to your core.

“Princess Rhaenyra,” the Hand called, “you may now speak for your son, Prince Lucerys Velaryon.”

Your mother approached before the steps of the Iron Throne, her body language openly depicting her ire at the whole matter. Her complete disregard for the seriousness of the situation caused you to crack a smile, looking at Jace in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“If I am forced to grace this farce with some answer, I will start by reminding this court that nearly twenty years ago in this very room-”

Your mother’s remarks were cut short by the creaking of hinges, the grand doors to the Great Hall opening to reveal the rhythmic tapping of a cane.

“King Viserys of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, King of The Andals, the Roynar, The First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm.”

Gasps echoed through the expansive room as all eyes turned to your mother. She gazed in astonishment as her father appeared in public for the first time in years. The King of the Seven Kingdoms, half his face concealed by a golden mask, made his way across the grand throne room, causing a stir among the onlookers.

You recalled that six years ago, there was only a tiny sore on his cheek, such a minuscule gash that festered and grew to eat away at his flesh until you could see the rotting teeth within his skull. Tears pricked at your eyes as you listened to the steady tapping of your Grandsire, your heart unable to watch the hunched figure.

The Hand seemed more shocked than any. His stoic face of pride morphed into one of stunned surprise as your Grandsire made his way to the bottom steps of the Iron Throne.

“I will sit on the throne today,” the King rasped, his entire weight resting on the dragon head of his walking stick.

“Your Grace,” Otto reluctantly acknowledged, gaping wide as he took his place next to his daughter and her children.

A kingsguard quickly rushed to the side of his ruler, briefly assisting before Viserys weakly shoved him away. You couldn’t watch this—watch someone once so full of joy and love for his kin struggle to walk the stairs of his ancestors as you nestled your face into Jace’s shoulder. The sound of fallen metal echoed in the room, bringing your attention upward. Your Grandsire’s crown had fallen onto the stairs before the throne as a quiet grunt of discontent puffed past his chapped lips. Daemon was behind his brother before anyone was the wiser, assisting the last remnants of his late parents’ love to his ruling seat and placing the golden Crown of Jaehaerys on the remaining tatters of silver hair.

While you indulged in a lavish meal of quail and lamb on the breathtaking island of Dragonstone, you could aid him, but unfortunately, you were unaware of his plight. Overcome with remorse for not setting aside your troubles to support your Grandsire, you shed tears uncontrollably.

“Sister, you’re crying,” he whispered below the shell of your ear. You nodded silently, whipping away the stray water that collected on your warm cheek.

Jace knew your strong aversion to displaying any hint of vulnerability through tears. He recognized that you viewed it as a manifestation of a perceived girlish weakness that you deemed incompatible with your role as heir to the Seven Kingdoms. He felt helpless as he witnessed you, unable to offer the solace he longed to provide.

Staring at both of you with a fierce scowl across his narrow pink lips, Aemond believed you deserved to experience pain. However, he struggled with his emotions, attempting to quash the pang piercing his dark heart. Aemond envisioned himself as the unyielding pillar, braving the tumultuous waves during a tempest at sea. He saw himself as your shelter from the salty waters, ready to wipe away any tears that adorned your skin. Jacaerys was far from being a man deserving of a princess, unlike…

The Prince’s chest rumbled with a grunt of discontent as he resisted completing his thought despite knowing the truth in his heart. Upon hearing the sound, Aegon glanced at his brother with a perplexed expression and followed his line of sight with a mix of understanding and bitterness, forming a frown on his face.

“I must admit my confusion,” your Grandsire spoke, his frail voice reverberating through the high walls of the hall. “I do not understand why petitions are being heard over a settled succession.” You did not need to look at Vaemond to see his outrage. You could sense it from where you stood twenty paces away, your tears slowly drying as you gazed at the disappointed Queen. “The only one present who might offer keener insights into Lord Corlys’ wishes is the Princess Rhaenys.”

Everyone turned to the woman as she processed her cousin’s words. “Indeed, your grace,” she nodded, taking a moment to look at her brother-in-law.

Eyes followed the Queen Who Never Was as she spoke, her voice so smooth and elegant you felt envy for it at the back of your mind. “It was ever my husband’s will that Driftmark passes through Ser Laenor to his trueborn son, Lucerys Velaryon. His mind never changed.”

The atmosphere in the room was charged with a tumult of emotions. Anger, betrayal, shock, and relief swirled around the Great Hall like a powerful storm. Ser Vaemond was furious, deeply hurt by his good sister’s words. To him, being a true Velaryon meant everything, and he couldn’t bear the thought of his bastard nephew, born from a woman pretending to be virtuous, tarnishing his family’s name and the honor of the realm. He was resolute in his refusal to accept this situation. Vaemond’s bloodline was solid and pure, unyielding like the sea.

“Princess Rhaenyra has informed me of her desire to marry her son Jace and Luke to Lord Corlys’ granddaughters, Princess Baela and Rhaena. A proposal to which I heartily agree.”

The speed at which your head whipped towards Jace was almost otherworldly, nearly causing you to stumble. His face reflected your shock, his mouth hanging open like a fish before he turned to glance at your mother. A serene smile graced her pink lips, and she quickly lowered her gaze while placing a protective hand over her swollen stomach.

Apart from your mother, no one else seemed to share the same sense of pride. The Queen’s expression soured even more than you thought possible, and the Hand remained stunned by the sudden turn of events as you withdrew your hand from Jace’s.

Aegon had suddenly perked up at the revelation, uncharacteristically grinning as he watched the drama unfold while Aemond observed your misfortune with barely concealed satisfaction. You couldn’t pinpoint why he had an abrupt interest in the conversation. He no doubt enjoyed the misfortune of others, even if it was his kin.

“Well,” the King spoke, his breathing now calmed, “the matter is settled. Again. I hereby reaffirm Prince Lucerys of House Velaryon as heir to Driftmark, Driftwood Throne, and the next Lord of the Tides.”

The entire family breathed a sigh of relief, their shared sense of burden and responsibility slowly dissipating as they watched the weight of the future shift onto the Greens. In that moment, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt for not shouldering the load yourself. Princess Rhaenys, with an almost irritated yet dignified stride, stood beside her eldest granddaughter, her presence exuding a complex mix of annoyance and pride.

Though you hadn’t moved from your spot beside your twin, you felt like a league away from him, gaping blankly at the glistening steel swords running over the steps like a river. The longer you studied them, the more they began to contort, seeing viscous crimson liquid melt down the blades. The future you had planned with your brother was impaled to the hilt.

A scoff cut through the moment of joy, your head directed to the sound. “You break the law, centuries of tradition to install your daughter as heir,” Vaemond spoke, venom laced within every syllable. “But you dare tell me who deserves to inherit the name Velaryon. No. I will not allow it.”

Your brown orbs flickered from the man to the King. “Allow it?” Viserys echoed, testing the word on his dry tongue. “Do not forget yourself, Vaemond.”

The thick, oppressive silence enveloped the scene, defying even the sharpness of Darksister’s blade. Every individual present held their breath, their anticipation palpable as they waited to witness the outcome.

“That is no true Velaryon and certainly no nephew of mine!” the second son shouted, causing everyone to jump in fright.

“Go to your chambers,” Rhaenyra ordered you and your brothers before swiftly turning her attention to Vaemond. “You have said enough.”

None of you obeyed.

“Lucerys is my true-born grandson,” your Grandsire declared. “And you are no more than the second son of Driftmark.”

“You,” Vaemond stated, taking menacing steps forward, “may run your House as you see fit, but you will not decide my future. My House survived the Doom and a thousand tribulations besides.”

He turned to your family, feet firmly planted with the grip on his longsword. Your look stared fire at his, jaw clenched as he spat his vitriol. “And Gods be damned, I will not see it end on account of this…”

You arched your head to the side, eyes widening in defiance as you silently urged him to speak the words that yearned to escape his lips. However, he disregarded you, considering you nothing more than a mere girl in a world dominated by men, a lost cause. You resolved to shed any lingering guilt about your intentions at that moment.

“Say it,” Daemon’s soft and menacing timbre whispered.

Onlookers scrutinized with bated breath as Vaemond considered his words, his gaze flickering from your father to you, Jace, your mother, and Luke. A sneer slowly pulled his lips, righting his posture as he bellowed.

“Her children are bastards!”

You inhaled a near-inaudible growl from your throat as you took a charged step forward, only to be yanked back by Jace before you could do something you would regret. Soft murmurs sounded, the Greens all sharing the same look of begrudging disappointment. Jace seemed just as furious as you, his lips curling into a snarl.

“And they,” he glared at you, then at your mother, his jaw tensing, “are whores.”

Your gaze immediately flicked to Aegon and then Aemond, your body independently moving as the crowd gasped. Aemond’s eye was no longer bright purple but a near black, shining like dragonglass shards. Despite this window into his soul, his outward appearance reached an unusual sereness. Thin lips parted as you noticed the faintest twitch, a tic you realized indicated his rage.

“You have said your piece, Lord Vaemond,” Queen Alicent declared, fists humbly clasped over her clothed emerald green stomach. “The king has affirmed his decision, and you will do well to respect it without saying lies about the young princess.”

Did people know of what happened between you and Aegon and that of your brother?

They couldn’t have. You took steps to ensure your image to the public aligned with their ideals. You studied in the Citadel, for Seven’s sake! Your mind raced with the possibility of your secrets being discovered, the chance that the realm would know of your sins before marriage. At the time, it did not seem to be a mistake as you and Jace believed you would be married, but now, just as it seemed like all things did, it slipped through your fingers like the sand that lined the shores of Blackwater Bay.

Aemond watched as you mindlessly attempted to run toward Vaemond like a combat-trained man. He thought it would be entertaining to watch you claw the Velaryon Lord’s eyes out and contemplated in admired silence how reckless you could become when enraged, wondering how far that wrath would take you.

You were unable to hear the sound of raised voices expressing articles of treason, threats of violence, and the unsheathing of a sword until you felt blood splatter on your cheekbone, seeing the sliced head of Vaemond Velaryon laying a few paces from your feet. Jace pulled your face to his chest as you gasped in shock, clutching his arms like he was the only thing keeping you grounded in this moment of grotesque insanity.

“He can keep his tongue,” Daemon declared, looking at the limp corpse below.

Studying his uncle in brief awe, Aemond’s violet eye flickered from the decapitated corpse to that of the assailant. He moved to see Jace’s feeble attempt at protecting you from the gore that lay leaking into the stones, mouth curling in disdain as he scoffed. Your brother was to be the one to protect you from harm, physical or emotional, yet he was incapable of doing that.

Momentarily, Aemond thought of coming to your side, knowing that he was a worthy enough man to be what you needed, and if not that, then only to spite Jacaerys. He shook the fleeting thought away with a grunt, scorn filling his heart.

“Disarm him!” The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard yelled, his fellow members drawing their weapons.

You chose who you thought worthy that night on Driftmark when you stood by idly as Luke ripped his eye from the socket.

“No need,” your stepfather cooly protested, wiping the blood of his kin from his blade and exiting the room.

Your eyes could not leave the bleeding form of Vaemond Velaryon, the top half of his dreaded white hair discarded as the crimson liquid pooled around him. Viserys groaned above, collapsing onto the Iron Throne like a sack of bones from the effort of living. Alicent and your mother ran to his aide.

“Niece.”

You expected to see Aemond come and continue his taunts from before, but instead, you saw Aegon standing before you, his square face etched with worry. You would have thought him handsome had he not done what he did and become the man he had become as you merely stared at him, your mind blank and body numb.

How could he show you such concern, knowing how much pain he caused you? What could you say to him after everything that transpired? After he effectively distorted the pure view of your world into betrayal and anguish. He most likely wanted to use you as he did to the maids of the Keep. You thought you might as well let him. That was how you felt now that the one man you willingly gave your body to with the expected outcome of marriage was bound to another. That same disgusting sensation you had the following days after your assault came rushing back as if you were that scared little girl again.

You did not want to feel that weak again and parted your lips to speak the venom he deserved to hear. Suddenly, you found your throat too dry as you swallowed the air instead. Aegon extended a hand to yours in what you believed to be a comforting gesture, fingers brushing each other as terror surged through your limbs.

Your sights glanced at the corpse as the hilt of Vaemond’s sword glinted in the light. You could end this here and now. End the torment. End the constant uncertainty that would be your mother’s secession. Your demise would be of no consequence.

“Sister,” Jace called, his tone clipped and brown eyes wide. The same eyes you had looking back at you. “Mother wants us in our chambers to prepare for supper.”

You recoiled as if your limb was scorched when you swiftly pulled it away from Aegon. With a curt nod to your twin, you allowed him to take you. Walking out of the Great Hall, you made a conscious effort not to glance back, keenly aware of the intensity of Aegon’s piercing stare as it followed the contours of your womanly form. You were sure that this encounter wouldn’t be the last, and the prospect of it propelled you to seek solace in the comforting embrace of your twin.

The twilight had descended upon King’s Landing, casting the city in a hazy glow. Despite the late hour, the flagstone streets teemed with activity as revelers roamed for company, their laughter mingling with the clinking of coins. Meanwhile, you found yourself clutching a goblet of fiery spirits, hoping to steady your frayed nerves as you sat between your imposing eldest uncle and your sweet twin.

The dining hall exuded an air of palpable tension, with hushed conversations among family members punctuating the room as servants bustled about, preparing for the day’s last meal. Everyone waited in quiet anticipation for the arrival of the King, their faces adorned with joyous and restrained smiles, marking the festivities of new beginnings. However, amidst this atmosphere of hopeful anticipation, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of disquiet. In mere hours, it seemed as though everything you had worked for was unraveling before your eyes.

You were intended to enter into matrimony with Jace just as Visenya married her younger brother Aegon. As twins, you shared an unbreakable bond, with one heart and one soul inhabiting two bodies. No other individual in existence was as ideally suited for you.

As you watched your brothers’ interactions with their betrothed, you couldn’t help but notice the sour expression on your face. Each brother was dutiful and respectful, engaging in hushed conversations with their betrothed about the future and what it might hold. You felt a mix of confusion and offense as you pondered why Jace had swiftly embraced being bound to another after spending years with you as his unspoken wife.

Your eyes locked with Aemond’s from across the opulent room as he conversed with his brother, a sly smirk on his lips. He seemed to revel in your displeasure at taking your brother from you. With an exasperated sigh, you leaned back in your ornate high chair, surveying the sumptuous spread of food before you, each dish tempting you with its rich aromas and vibrant colors.

Growing increasingly impatient for your Grandsire’s arrival, you couldn’t resist the allure of a plump, purple grape sitting on the nearby platter. As you reached for it, your mother reprimanded you.

The air was heavy with the scent of wine as you had already consumed three cups before the arrival of the King, his face wearing a grim expression. Your Grandsire was brought into the grand hall, seated on a makeshift throne, and everyone in the room rose in respect for his position. His crown, a symbol of his authority, had been long forgotten as he was placed between the Queen and your mother. You noticed sores on him that you hadn’t seen before, standing out more prominently in the grandeur of the dining hall. The sight made your eyes prickle with the threat of tears, and your stomach churned with unease.

Despite being seated, he leaned heavily onto his cane, the weight of his extravagant Targaryen robes bearing down on his frail body. You fought back tears, refusing to show any vulnerability in front of those who held little respect for you.

“This is an occasion of celebration, it seems. My grandsons, Jace and Luke, will marry their cousins Baela and Rhaena, further strengthening the bond between our Houses,” your grandfather began, a thick rasp to his voice. “A toast to the young Princes and their betrothed. May you find yours yet, granddaughter.”

You sat there, forcing back your tears and lifting your glass as the joyful cheers filled the room. The dreams you had shared with Jace seemed to shatter with each sip of wine. Despite the celebratory atmosphere, Jace’s fleeting smile towards Baela deepened your sense of loss. It wasn’t their engagement that bothered you, but rather the uncontrollable circumstances that had brought it about. Still, some of you couldn’t help but resent the pair.

A sudden rancid sweetness wafted into your nose as you saw Aegon lean over you, wrapping his hand around the back of your chair and whispering to your twin.

“Well done, Jace. You’ll finally get to lie with a woman,” he teased with a lopsided grin. You observed him with wide eyes that danced from your uncle to your twin, hyper-aware of every breath and twitch of his limbs.

Jace stiffened beside you as he clenched his fist atop the table, barely containing his ire. It was only a matter of time before he lost his patience. You saw his hand move to connect with yours like always when he was stressed, but you moved to place it on your lap, instinctively turning your face away from his.

“It seems your twin doesn’t share the same sentiment,” Aegon softly declared so only the two of you could hear, lips moving into a downward smirk as he watched the silent dispute between siblings, victoriously sitting upright in his seat.

“Let us toast Prince Lucerys as well. The future Lord of the Tides,” your Grandsire continued as you felt the touch of another. Your posture became stiff as Aegon’s fingers wrapped around yours in a vice-like grip, no doubt only to spite Jace as you struggled to break free without causing attention.

Taking advantage of the momentary quiet, your eldest uncle mocked Jace again, moving your hand so he could see it. “You do know how the act is done, I assume? At least in principle. Where to put your cock and all that?”

Rage welled inside your chest at Aegon’s words, and you feared as you looked into your brother’s eyes that he would spill your affairs in anger. Without thinking of appearances, you dug your nails into Aegon’s hand, causing him to yelp as he released you.

“You can play the jester as you wish, but hold your tongue before my betrothed,” Jace noiselessly snapped in return as your uncle hummed in acquiescence, cradling his injured hand and wounded pride.

Aemond’s eye was trained on the scene before him as he intently observed the three of you. His face remained a practiced impassivity; the only sign of his inner emotions was his finger wrapping on the table. Aemond took a sip of his wine to disguise his chuckle. His brother should know better than to test you. Even as children, you were not one to take things idly.

“It both gladdens my heart,” the King spoke, his voice straining without much effort, “and fills me with sorrow to see these faces around the table, the faces most dear to me in all the world.” Viserys looked toward his left, your mother, stepfather, and brothers in his sight. Your hand gripped the stem of your glass, ignoring the heated glares from across the table. “We’ve grown so distant from each other in years past.”

You forced yourself to hide the scoff at his words, taking another long drink. And why would that be? Perhaps it was because of the Queen’s unwavering grudge against your mother that festered into a hatred of her mere existence, his son raping you at such a young age you didn’t understand what it was, or the permanent injury of a young boy that never received the justice he deserved.

Viserys paused his speech, wheezing and supporting his weight on the table as a hand came to remove his mask. The sight was nothing you could have imagined. The space where his bright purple eye should be was a hollow hole of partially healed and rotting flesh. The wound on his cheek had eaten away at the skin and muscle, revealing his decaying grey teeth.

“My face is no longer handsome if it ever was.” Phlegm was stuck within your Grandsire’s throat, creating an almost repulsive noise as he spoke. “Tonight, I wish you to see me as I am. Not just a king, but your father...”

Aegon met the regards of a man who was his father only in name. His glare was dark, filled with anger you had never seen before, yet Aemond couldn’t bear to look at what he became—his father’s desperation, his mouth curling into a sneer.

Pain radiated suddenly from your lap, stare snapping to see your eldest uncle’s hand unexpectedly gripping your thigh, his digits digging into the flesh. It was in retaliation as you attempted to pry him off, but it was useless as Aegon secured his grip, no doubt leaving bruises in his wake. You bit your lip, concealing the painful scowl that curled your lips and arched your brows. It was hard to focus on anything other than your skin aching to be free of your body, not wanting to cause a scene.

“...who may not walk for much longer among you. Let us no longer hold your feelings in your hearts. The Crown cannot stand strong as long as the House of The Dragon remains divided.”

Aemond’s single violet eye turned to you, your stares locking with thousands of unsaid emotions, unsaid truths as you fidgeted, trying in vain to remove Aegon.

“Set aside your grievances!” Viserys declared passionately, startling those at the table and causing you to break your revere momentarily. “If not for the sake of the Crown, then for the sake of this old man who loves you all so dearly.”

Silence fell across the table as the King stumbled into his seat, the metal of his mask and cutlery clanging as Alicent dutifully came to his aid. Your mother stood abruptly, not giving the room to process the King’s words as her chair scraped against the stone floor. With a goblet in her hand, all eyes turned to her.

“I wish to raise my cup to her grace, the Queen,” she started, her eyes downcast. You watched your mother skeptically, brown orbs flickering from her to Alicent. “I love my father, but I must admit no one has stood more loyally by his side than his good wife.”

The Queen stared at her old friend, so full of emotions. Years of harbored pain and resentment from events you did not know, bleeding from her chest and onto her finely tailored green dress.

“She has tended to him with unwavering devotion, love, and honor; for that, she has my gratitude. And my apology,” your mother concluded, returning to her seat.

You felt like you were intruding on an intimate moment between lost lovers, the happy moments of their history flashing before each of their minds’ eyes. Turning to Aemond again, you realized he did not remove his stare from you. His ametrine eye was a glassy pool, yet his face was stoic to everyone. You were sure you mirrored him, though you were not as skilled at hiding emotions, your chin slightly quivering.

“Your graciousness moves me deeply, Princess. We’re both mothers, and we love our children. We have more in common than we allow,” Alicent confessed, her voice barely stuttering. “I raise my cup to you and your House. You’ll make a fine Queen.”

Otto’s disapproving stare did not go unnoticed by you, and Aemond reflected on his expression. Each person raised their goblets individually, taking sips in honor of their current and future Queen.

Aegon threw his drink back twice, going for a third time, but stopped once he caught sight of you. Droplets of Arbor Gold slipped past your lips, and you lurched forward to see the liquid before it ran down to the aperture of your chest. The Prince swallowed audibly, his throat clicking as his trousers grew tight.

Memories from your childhood of meals spent with your eldest uncle where he would wipe whatever remnants you had on your mouth came flooding to mind. You realized then that these gestures were not ones of kindness but a sick, disgusting act that he used to groom you and take pleasure from. Gripping the pristine knife that rested atop the fine mahogany table, you dreamed of having his blood spewing from between his lips as you plunged it into his neck.

Taking another swig of your wine, you felt nothing but dry air hit your moist tongue. Aegon noticed it, smiling in an almost feline nature as he took the glass from you.

“Worry not, niece. May your mouth never run dry in my presence,” he declared and went to the pitcher between Baela and Jace. “I regret the disappointment you will soon suffer,” you heard him whisper into your cousin’s ear. “But if you wish to know what it is to be well satisfied, all you have to do is ask.”

The clatter of cutlery sliced through the air as your brother stood, all eyes turning to him. You tried to placate Jace as he clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white and ignoring your kind touches. Everyone watched with keen eyes as on the other end of the table, Aemond stood, seeming to size up with your brother like a cat arching its spine. Placing your cup of wine in front of you, Aegon sat, dragging his fingertips across your neck and making you shudder in disgust.

Realizing that Jace had captured the attention of everyone surrounding the table, he cleared his throat, stalling for time. You glanced at him with an uneasy feeling, looking back to Aemond as he refused to sit.

“To Prince Aegon and Prince Aemond. We have not seen each other in years, but I have fond memories of our shared youth,” Jace began, and you struggled to keep your incredulous expression at bay. “And as men, I hope we may be friends and allies. To you and your families, good health, dear uncles.”

He concluded the toast as he and the rest raised their cups to their worried lips. Playfully, albeit awkwardly, Jace punched your eldest uncle in the shoulder as you struggled to keep your laughter at bay, sinking your teeth into your lip.

“To you as well,” Aegon begrudgingly replied, and you flicked a mocking look at him. He refused to meet you.

The screech of a chair sounded in the dining hall, and you turned your head to see your sweet Aunt Helaena abruptly standing with her cup in hand. “I would like to make a toast to Baela and Rhaena. They will be married soon. It isn’t so bad. He mostly ignores you, except sometimes when he’s drunk.”

Daemon’s chuckle pierced through the unease, the three full goblets of wine gone to your head as you stifled one of your own, hiding it behind your digits. Aegon refused to meet anyone’s gaze, finding his half-eaten plate much more interesting than the people before him. Helaena looked to you for support, ensuring that what she said was good as you smiled. You forgot how much you cared for your aunt and admired her thinly veiled jab at Aegon’s lack of duties.

Supper commenced, and you wasted no time feasting, eating the savory vegetables cooked in butter and smothered in rich spices. Smoked cheeses, both hard and soft, found their way to your plate, nearly moaning at their hearty combination with slices of meat. The frigid environment from before left and was replaced with the warmth of laughter and music. Even the old King himself wore a smile on his cracked grey lips.

You ignored the piercing regard burning your face, focusing on your mother and stepfather. Daemon whispered something into your mother’s ear, gently grasping her lithe fingers as she giggled, and a blush bloomed. The sight caused an ache to rise in your chest. The hollowness of your heart knocked on your ribs. You longingly desired to find a love like theirs. Your brother was stolen from you to secure all your inheritances, and while you understood it, nothing could make the hurt lessen.

Ignoring the fist cinching around your lungs, you downed your half-empty goblet of Arbor Gold, summoning a servant to refill it. You did not want to feel like this anymore—the ache, the throbbing in your head and heart. It was too much to bear. In the times of your melancholia, days were spent with a swirling storm of thoughts and memories of your childhood in the Keep—the bullying, your rape, to that of Driftmark filled with blood and boyish screams. They plagued your mind like a disease, culturing into an amalgamation of sadness, rage, guilt, self-mutilation, and isolation until you no longer wanted to live.

Jace rose from his seat with a groan from the wood and excused himself from his betrothed. You thought he might offer you a dance; he knew how much you loved to do so, but the idea sank like the food past your lips as he went to Helaena, extending a hand. Aegon stared at the pair as they went to the open space, his face one of surprise as you brought your cup to your lips, swallowing a smirk. It served him right. His treatment of Helaena, or lack thereof, was appalling. Though he may not be in a marriage of love, she was still his sister and the dreamy-eyed Princess deserved more.

A glimmer of gold suddenly drew your gaze, jolting you from contemplation. Viserys' magnificent mask gleamed in the flickering candlelight, his head tilting to one side as he visibly battled a wave of pain. Without hesitation, Queen Alicent signaled for the guards to accompany him back to his chambers. You observed with a concerned expression trailing behind as they carefully took the ornate wooden throne out of the grand dining hall.

You caught Aemond’s gaze. It was impossible not to as it flicked from Helaena dancing to you. He looked like a barely concealed storm about the burst, as if he debated whether to slit your throat because of your existence or continue what he had started in the corridor. Your uncle had changed so much within six years that you didn’t recognize him, and you supposed it was the same for you. Two people who grew so close were suddenly torn apart by an unfinished tragedy where anger was left to decay until its rot took control.

You worried that things would never be able to be put aside like your Grandsire wished if this wall of silence and grudges was not destroyed. Hate between your families would stay the same and cause the successful usurpation of your mother’s rightful throne. Deciding to swallow your pride and hurt, you stood, wanting to extend the broken branch of goodwill to Aemond, but Aegon refused to let you move. His arm pushed you back down into your seat with a look that sent tears of shocked terror into your eyes. You felt helpless under his gaze as a thinly veiled look of madness replaced a toothy grin gleaming in the candlelight.

“Won’t you give the courtesy of a dance, niece?” he asked with a dangerous lilt that hinted at something more. There was no room for refusal as he hoisted you from your chair. This was undoubtedly a jab at Jace for inviting Helaena as you watched your twin halt his movements.

Ever since Aegon was a boy, he has been awful when sharing what he thinks is his. You recalled the many times you would ask to play with his wooden toys only to get smacked in the head with it or worse. It was as comforting as it was unnerving that parts of him were still the same.

Eyes flicking at Aemond, you pleaded for him to stand and make good on his promise to protect you from your eldest uncle, but he remained still, unmoving like the statues you compared him to. You were right here, mere steps away and by his side. He could insert himself and put an end to Aegon’s torture. After all, you would be indebted to him if he did, and what more could Aemond possibly desire than to have his bastard niece that he so despises at his mercy?

“Aemond still hates you for what Luke did,” Aegon softly declared as you moved your attention to him. “I’m not. My ire is directed at those who caused this hatred to fester between us. You and I were friends once.”

“Indeed, once. ‘Twas long ago now,” you quipped with venom like the pit vipers in Dorne.

Your uncle was a skilled dancer despite the plethora of alcohol he drank, twirling you with a grace you did not possess as you stumbled from nerves and firewater. Aemond did not know where to focus, gaze flicking from Helaena and Jace to you and Aegon so fast that he felt disoriented. He didn’t understand why he was so concerned. It wasn’t like he could do anything to separate you and his brother without acquiring Aegon’s jests hours later, yet he couldn’t control his anxiety as his finger nervously tapped the wooden table.

Bringing you close as you tripped, Aegon pressed your body against his as you felt the real reason behind his words, swaying to the music that made you want to scream and pull your hair from its roots.

“Things could return to how they were before. We could ride our dragons together, visit far-off lands, and spend our days in the Godswood eating those orange cakes you like. We’d be friends and even more so. Would that not be splendid?” the eldest Prince suggested with a grin.

There was nothing for you to do but endure this for the sake of appearances as you caught sight of a pair of amber eyes watching you, a slight upturn to her plump lips. Queen Alicent knew what her son did to you yet observed with a smile that you could interpret as one of maternal love. It enraged you. She was no better than her son. You hated her beyond words for the times you ever thought of her more than another Lord who cared not for the struggles of women.

Aemond no longer held his attention on you but that of Jace and Helaena, seeming to be unbothered by your childhood rapist and bully putting his hands in places that would be a sin. He would not save you now. It was up to you to defend yourself once more.

“You ended whatever smidge of camaraderie we had when you debased me at the top of Maegor’s battlements,” you spat as you moved away from him, only for Aegon to bring you back into another elegant dance. The Prince rolled his purple eyes, the indigo circles underneath them becoming prominent.

“We seem to have different recollections of that night,” he exasperatedly sighed as if you were nothing more than a child bothering their parents with unfounded fears. “I recall how we as children laughed and drank beside each other and how you said, yes, as I slipped my hand betwixt your thighs.”

Gasping, you shoved Aegon away as his hands traveled past your navel, suddenly hearing a chair screech in response. Aemond stood with his body squared toward the two of you as the room went silent. All twelve faces turned to him. You stared with bated breath as Aegon slipped his hand across your back, returning to his chair and taking a nonchalant sip of his drink.

Would Aemond finally stand against Aegon for all the wrong he committed to the both of you?

Pleading wordlessly, your body flushed as he stared unabashedly, tears of intensity pricking your eyes. The light of hope inside your chest was snuffed out as the servants brought a roasted pig onto the table. Luke could not contain his immature giggles as it was placed before Aemond, reminding him of the cruel jape he, Aegon, and Jace did. Whatever anger Aemond felt at his older brother soon turned into one of injustice for what Luke did all these years ago. You thought your younger brother knew better than this and sighed in defeat, all prospects of an amiable future between the Greens and Blacks disintegrating.

“Final tribute,” Aemond began, a lethal sway to his words. “To the health of my niece and nephews. Jace, Luke, Joffrey, and the Gods’ Light.” Your uncle’s single eye traveled to each of you, a stare so severe you felt yourself recoil inside of your being as you ran an unconscious hand through your scalp. “Each of them is handsome, wise, virtuous, and…”

Aemond stuttered as he came to you, making the fatal mistake of losing himself within the depths of your comforting irises. He could see the water collecting at your lashes as your eyes turned into murky pools, threatening to drown him if he stared for a moment longer. He directed his attention at Luke, his ire becoming apparent as memories of your brothers and Aegon’s laughs bounced off the Dragonpit walls, soon turning into screams and red covering his vision. He felt the pain of losing an eye as if it was happening again and tightened his fist around his goblet, forcing the pain to fuel his rage.

“And strong,” Aemond concluded as you released a disappointed sigh, focusing on anything but your uncle. “Come! Let us drain our cups to these four strong children.”

You understood what he was trying to do without speaking. His hurt was so fierce that it blinded all sense, leading him to react rashly. Aemond was forcing you to choose between your family and your affection for him, a situation that the Prince knew would play out as before. You knew what was expected of you; it was the same as last time. You would always choose your family over him. Duty was a sacrifice; you must sacrifice the memories of a bright-eyed boy with freckled cheeks and a love for reading and stolen kisses. The Aemond was no longer there, and you needed to accept that.

“I dare you to say that again,” Jace proclaimed, his chin held high and shoulders back. Your brother was ever the picture of a strong king, sending a warmth to your heart that was crushed with reality.

“Why? ‘Twas only a compliment. Do you not think yourself strong?” Aemond jabbed back as your head snapped to him. He could make whatever cruel taunts he desired at you but would not bring your brother into this.

“A man lies dead for spouting such lies. What do you think will happen to you?” you snapped a vicious clip to your words. Before Aemond could respond, your brother stormed to him without a second thought, chest to chest, as his fist slammed across Aemond’s cheek.

Gasping in surprise, you went to the two of them as you saw Luke’s face become one with a plate of food, hesitating for a moment until your twin was shoved to the ground. You marched toward Aemond with fire in your veins and an intent to harm as shouts erupted from your mother and Queen Alicent for everyone to stop. You all ignored them, Aegon swiftly coming behind you, lifting and swinging you by the waist as if you were no more than a doll. Jace tried to reach for you, but your uncle spun around, giggling in your ear at your attempts to break free as you became nauseous.

You realized this was all a joke to Aegon. He truly did not understand that what he did to you as children was wrong.

Aegon couldn’t hide the excitement in his stomach at having you so close once more as you squirmed in his hold, burying his nose into your neck with a grin. He wondered if you would writhe like this if he had you naked between his bedsheets.

Soon, the guards draped in metal armor and red robes pulled Jace and Luke away from their uncles as Aegon came face to face with Daemon. Unlike Aemond, your eldest uncle was not one to challenge others to fisticuffs as his laughter ceased. Your stepfather need only to flash your uncle a look for him to let you go, raising his arms in surrender as Daemon observed you to ensure you weren’t hurt.

“Why would you say such a thing before these people?” you heard Queen Alicent hotly scold Aemond, looking behind his lithe shoulder to where your mother held your body close to hers.

Scoffing, your uncle cocked his head, staring down at his mother with a challenging look. “I was merely expressing my pride in my family, mother. Though it seems my niece and nephews aren’t quite as proud of theirs,” he enunciated pointedly, glancing to where the three of you were restrained.

“I’ll cut out your tongue!” you shouted as Jace broke free from the guards, coming behind you in support. Daemon halted you in your tracks, his touch gentle yet firm as he placed a hand on your arm. As you paused to regain your composure, you couldn’t help but notice the deep creases on his forehead, a sign of his genuine concern. You shrugged off his touch, refusing to succumb to paternal overtures because he intervened when Aegon was rough with you.

Your mother looked to the floor, a dejected expression on her porcelain features you couldn’t understand before she spoke to the three of you. “Go to your quarters. All of you, now.”

As you and Jace made your way out, you couldn’t help but notice the tense standoff between Daemon and Aemond. Your stepfather, casually leaning on his hips with one hand resting on the hilt of Dark Sister, exuded an air of calculated confidence.

Standing in the doorway, you felt a flutter of anxiety in your heart, wondering what would unfold between the two men. You were curious to know if the two Targaryen men decided to brawl and whether you would go to your uncle or stepfather. There was a palpable sense of anticipation as Daemon glanced at where you stood, expressing a knowing look deep within his lilac eyes. He had already sent one person’s loved one to the Stranger. What was one more?

Sharing a look of frustration from you to your stepfather, Aemond grunted in displeasure, following your steps out of the dining hall. Jace checked himself into your shoulder as he forced you forward, refusing to let you dwell on the scene behind you.

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I know we're upset with Aemond's behavior, but it'll make that character arch much sweeter. We can only have the enemies-to-lovers trope with them being enemies first! I feel bad for the poor MC. First, she's forced to return to the scene of a traumatic experience, forced to see her rapist, and then finds out the man she thought she was going to marry her whole life is engaged to someone else! Baby girl is going through it. Let's get this girl some therapy. (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)

We're starting to see how Aegon and Alicent might have begun to harbor some unhealthy traits regarding our reader. Don't worry. It'll get much worse from here on out! Thank you so much for reading!

Tagged Peeps: @millies0bsimp , @britt-mf , @marvelescvpe , @haikyuusboringassmanager , @discofairysworld , @lottiemsgf , @nessjo , @fiction-fanfic-reader , @qvnthesia , @hotvillianapologist , @p45510n4f4shi0n , @theendlessvoidofdarkest , @readerselegance , @gothamgurl2024 , @aleemendoza2425-blog , @vaylint , @ln8118 , @prettyduckling22 , @primroseluna , @baybaybear1

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notyourhetloki · 6 months ago

Text

good for you (Daemon x Hightower!Reader)

Reader: she/her (Fem!Reader)

/NSFW Daemon Targaryen x Hightower!Reader/

A/N: Hello hello hello! I present to you my newest obsession… another morally grey character yaaayy but for real, I love this show so much and I hope you like the premise of this fic! I must admit that this is not an original idea but I hope it's different enough from the other fics I saw… anyway! Requests will be open soon (and this time I mean it) ok byee xoxo Also, I used this site to translate my Valyrian texts, and all Valyrian dialogue will be written in bold.

Warnings: Use of (Y/N), age gap, reader is described as shorter than him, reader has long hair, praise kink, masturbation, handjobs, the timeline doesn't make any sense sorry, Daemon is not married.

Word Count: 4.8k

—

You were only twelve when you first met the Rogue Prince, the uncle of your best friend Rhaenyra. He asked for your name and when you told him, he immediately scoffed.

You were a Hightower, youngest daughter of the Hand, Otto Hightower. Daemon did not care for that, holding a strong grudge for your father that naturally extended to you and your family.

But Rhaenyra loved you, you were inseparable and no amount of prejudice could change that. Trying to separate you both was of no use, Daemon realized... so he coped.

You and Rhaenyra were studying at the library, she insisted on teaching you Valyrian but you were struggling a bit with the pronunciation. "Ziry iksos iā gevie tubis." (It's a beautiful day.) You repeated, and after your second attempt, you heard a foreign voice coming from behind you.

"Ȳdra daor sesīr sylugon, riña. Ao sagon quba rȳ ziry." (Don't even try, girl. You're bad at it.) It was Daemon, strolling in your direction.

"Uncle! Don't be mean!" Rhaenyra exclaimed, putting one of her arms around you as you both turned to look at the man.

You managed to understand most of his words and did not appreciate them. "Doesn't hurt to practice, my prince. I'm still learning after all..." He scoffed once more.

"It's time for your lessons, niece. And I wouldn't like to have your little friend around." The prince said without much regard for you. He tutored Rhaenyra in Valyrian, but this time she objected to it.

"Please, uncle! Let (y/n) stay for the lessons! She is learning as well..."

With much insistence, he complied... but he did not seem happy.

Because your father was busy with the king and tending to his favorite daughter, Alicent, he never cared enough to know about these tutoring sessions. So a year went by and you still accompanied Rhaenyra in her lessons, for Daemon's dislike.

He would make sure to choose the most complicated texts, dense with words he knew you wouldn't know. But to his dismay, you would only get better and better. Your almost perfect pronunciation caught him off guard one day, taunting him in a sarcastic tone.

"Skoros tembyr kessa sagon hembar, ñuha dārilaros?" (What book shall be next, my prince?) Your soft-spoken words made his blood boil in anger, not liking to admit you were getting good at the language. A Hightower... speaking Valyrian... that was absurd.

But with time Daemon grew accustomed to it, challenging you with new texts and harshly correcting you once you made an error. You were making progress, and deep down that satisfied him.

Another year would pass... and another. Your tutorship with Daemon only served one purpose: to show off to him. He began to enjoy your witty responses and overall demeanor, scolding you if you missed a lesson. He would never admit it, but he grew fond of you.

And he would make your life a living hell because of it.

One night, on your 15th birthday, you couldn't sleep. Escaping from your chambers, you moved swiftly to the library once more in search of more Valyrian texts. You wanted to impress your tutor, prove yourself to him, and you would make big efforts in order for that to happen.

"Skoro syt issi ao kesīr?" (Why are you here?) A familiar growly voice echoed through the empty halls. Daemon was hiding in the shadows, standing still in between shelves.

You responded in Valyrian, proud of your clear pronunciation. "I could not sleep."

The prince took slow steps towards you, the lit fires from torches illuminating his angled face. He looked intimidating, but you weren't scared of him. You were intrigued, fascinated by his nature... even though he clearly disliked you, you couldn't bring yourself to pull away.

"A young girl such as yourself shouldn't be wandering around the castle at this hour. What will daddy do if he finds out?" Slowly getting closer, Daemon taunted you with his words. Your heart hammered in your chest, too nervous at the fact you were alone with him for the first time.

"He won't." You retorted. He was at arms reach now, looking you in the eyes, hands behind his back.

"Be careful, Hightower. You don't want to get into trouble, do you?" His sarcastic tone and the way he called you by your last name made you extremely angry.

"I'm just here to get a book. Any recommendations, my prince?" You retorted harshly. Completely eloquent in the language, you made Daemon stand in shock, defeated.

"You really turned out to be good, didn't you, girl?" His voice a mere whisper, staring at you as you felt your heart skip a beat. He had finally acknowledged you somehow, and that was a victory you would cling to.

"I got something for you." Daemon continued, not caring to speak in Valyrian anymore. He turned around and reached for a book up on a shelf and handed it to you. It was a storybook, perhaps fictional.

"A children's book?" You asked in confusion. "My Valyrian is not so basic, my prince."

"You will see this is no basic book, Hightower. The Valyrian in it is quite complex." You looked through the pages and admittedly, it was quite a difficult read.

"Rhaenyra has spoken the language since she was an infant and still hasn't read this book." You looked at him in alarm, not knowing what to make of his words. "Take it as a challenge... Hightower."

And after those last words, he marched out of the library, leaving you alone.

You managed to read the book in one week with much research, and you were feeling exceptionally proud. But when the time came to have your tutoring session, Daemon was nowhere to be found. Rumors had begun circling the Red Keep, saying that he had been exiled or that he was fighting in a war... you couldn't know for sure.

It was true you felt a certain unease around the prince, he made sure you knew how much he despised your family and belittled you at any opportunity... but you couldn't help but feel a little enthralled by him. He was a handsome, intelligent man with a bad temper, and deep down you craved his attention. So for him to disappear like that was, indeed, quite an unfortunate event for you.

────୨ৎ────

Years had passed and you had just come of age. Turmoil had risen inside the Red Keep, and when you heard the news, you felt your breath hitch.

Prince Daemon had returned from the war victorious, and the king was very content. Rhaenyra couldn't hide her excitement and neither could you, giggling with your friend about her uncle's expected return.

You didn't see him for the first few days, not until you crossed paths in a secluded hall. His white hair was short then, wearing red and black clothing as he seemed lost in thought... but when he saw you, he immediately stopped his walk.

The way he looked at you... he examined every inch of your body, slowly making his way up towards your face. It made you feel things you couldn't quite decipher, made heat spread through your whole body.

"My prince." You bowed and then proceeded to maintain eye contact, but it was proven to be quite difficult.

"Hightower." He wasn't accustomed to saying your first name and you were used to it at that point, but the way he called you always felt like an insult.

"I'd like to congratulate you on your victory." You offered, and he slightly lowered his head in response.

"You've changed." The change in language caught you off guard, suddenly aware of your past tutoring sessions, you would make sure to show him you hadn't forgotten. "You've... grown. You're not a little girl anymore, (y/n)."

Your name finally coming out of his lips like that made you shiver. Trying to ignore the heat growing inside, you looked at his face in awe. His intense eyes pierced through you, his parted mouth breathed deep slow breaths. He looked predatory, and that made you spiral into feelings you had never felt before.

"You barely changed my prince, aside from the hair. It looks hideous." You dared to say, trying to provoke him in some way... and it worked. He lowly chuckled, the sides of his mouth forming a grin you were sure you had never seen before. It made your heart skip a beat.

Before Daemon could respond, your father Otto walked in from behind him. "Daughter?"

The prince didn't even turn around to greet your father, instead, he gave you one final look and kept walking, passing by your side.

You sighed, not knowing you were holding a breath. "Yes, father?"

"Why were you talking to... him?" He tried to maintain composure, but you knew he deeply disliked Daemon just as much as the prince disliked him.

"I was congratulating him." You didn't lie.

"Please, (y/n), try to maintain distance from him. That man is certain danger and I don't want him corrupting your mind with foolish conversation. Understand?" Otto said while holding the sides of your arms gently, voice full of worry.

"Yes, father." You assured him... but it wasn't a promise.

He looked at you and sighed in relief, taking a moment before speaking what he had in mind.

"Soon you'll be wed to a good lord and you'll make me very proud, my child. The time has come, I'll begin preparing your courtship tomorrow."

You stood in horror, eyes watering at his terrifying words. "But, dad-"

"Please do not contest, (y/n). You're already a woman, you must get married soon. Now, off you go... I have many tasks to tend to."

────୨ৎ────

You didn't tell anyone, not even Rhaenyra, but that night you planned on fleeing.

Gathering some clothes, food and water, you sneaked out of your chambers and managed to get into the stable. As you were about to get on your horse, you heard his voice.

"Where do you think you're going, Hightower?" Daemon was right behind you, his voice startling you. Quickly turning around, you angrily confronted him.

"You followed me?" Confusion took over you, not knowing what to make of that situation.

"You are easy to follow. Stealth is not your strongest ally." He was just trying to irritate you at that point, and you couldn't help but shout at him. "Why?!"

"I was interested in knowing why the daughter of the Hand was trying to flee the castle? Perhaps you're a little traitor, that wouldn't surprise me." His words cut deep within you, making you boil with rage.

"I'm not a traitor! I just don't want to marry an ugly old lord and doom my life forever! And be sure, my prince, I'm not going to let that happen." You rose on your horse swiftly but Daemon was quicker, getting a hold of the reins and holding the animal in place.

"Get down. Now." His stern and severe demeanor sent chills down your spine, but you weren't going to give up so easily.

"Pardon me, my prince, but I must remind you that you don't own me."

Daemon didn't enjoy that, even though he appreciated your wits. He took a deep breath and continued. "Get down now, girl. Or you'll regret making this stupid decision."

You knew he was right, you were going to regret it. In reality, you were terrified... you had nowhere to go and the Red Keep had been your home since you could remember. There was no escaping your fate, and that brought tears to your eyes.

You slowly descended your horse, trying to hide the tears falling down your face. Daemon promptly turned you towards him, directing his hands to hold the sides of your arms and holding you in place. He squeezed lightly, the pressure of his touch grounding you.

When you finally made eye contact, the prince had a certain fury in his eyes. "Your cunt of a father wouldn't dare to sell you to an ugly old lord." Daemon whispered, mostly to himself. He was towering over you, incredibly close and intimate... you stuttered on your next words.

"You of all people know well of what my father is capable of."

He looked fierce, enraged as he clenched his jaw. A sudden wave of incredible anger washed over Daemon, but he wouldn't dare to acknowledge his feelings.

"Go to bed, Hightower. It's late already." Was what Daemon said before distancing himself, the ghost of his touch remaining for a few moments. "Search me tomorrow night in the library, I'll be waiting." And with that, he was gone.

You embraced yourself, trying to mimic the pressure of his grasp. The ghost of his hands lingered as you realized, he had never touched you before.

That night you went to bed crying.

────୨ৎ────

You put on a pretty dress just for the night, and you weren't quite sure why. Your excuse was that you had to be a good student and respect the presence of your tutor, but inside you knew... you just wanted to look good for him.

After descending the stairs to the library, you found Daemon already waiting for you.

"At least you’re on time." His voice reverberated in the room, dominating it with his presence.

"My prince… I brought something for you" You offered, closing some distance between you. When you showed him the object you brought, he immediately recognized it. It was the book he had given you as a challenge, many years ago.

"This book... did you manage to read it?" Daemon looked at you with curious eyes.

"Countless times, I already know the meaning of every word in it." Your proudness stamped on your expression.

A grin appeared on his face, he seemed very pleased. "Sȳz riña." (Good girl.) He hissed.

The words had a surprising effect on you, heat spread all over your body... especially in between your legs. Feeling your face turning red, you rapidly turned around and leaned on a shelf, your back facing the prince.

You heard him chuckle lightly and realized he was moving closer, standing right behind you. He moved one strand of your hair that was falling in front of your shoulder and pulled it back gently, the light sudden touch sent shivers down your spine.

Heat was pooling at your core, breathing was quick and erratic... it was useless to deny the effect he had on you.

Deamon whispered in your ear, his deep voice holding you in place. "But there are still many things to learn, Hightower." Moving another strand of hair, he continued. "I could teach you so many things..."

His last words felt like venom spreading through your body, and you were curious to know his intentions.

"Like what, my prince?" You said softly, innocently.

"Whatever you'd like." Another whisper, this time even closer. His lips barely touched your ear, and you shivered.

The possibilities were endless, he could teach you anything, right? So you finally turned to face him, his tall frame towering over you... he was especially close.

"I-I’m… I would… I would like to know more informal language. Words not often used in the texts." You tried to maintain a silent tone of voice, due to the nature of the encounter... and because you suddenly felt extremely shy in his presence.

Daemon smiled, matching your tone while bringing his hands behind his back. "I see… do you have specific words in mind?"

"Hm… insults like… scoundrel or bastard or…" You couldn't bring yourself to say it, but you knew what type of words you truly wanted to learn... you just hoped the prince understood what you meant.

"Or...?" He pressed with an amused expression.

"T-The word you usually use to refer to my father." Offering in defeat, you looked at your feet in shame.

Another chuckle came from the man's mouth, you could hear the satisfaction in his voice. "You mean... cunt?"

You looked up at him, he had a terrible grin splatted on his face. You nodded, confirming his suspicion.

He stood victorious while staring at you with much intensity, head turned to the side like a puppy. "Very well."

────୨ৎ────

You couldn't shake that feeling away, the feeling of being surrounded by Daemon. His brief touches lingered on your skin even after they were gone, desire burning away at your core.

The way he spoke to you, saying such dirty words in Valyrian and expecting you to enunciate them right... you repeated them again and again just to make sure you were correct, and he seemed to be enjoying himself way too much.

You left the lesson with a scarlet red face, embarrassed at the things he made you say... but with heat between your thighs.

The next night you were expected to meet at the library once again to continue your studies, but you had other plans in mind.

That heat was too much to bear, imagination running wild leaving you distracted throughout the whole next day. You needed release.

So when the time came for your encounter, you decided not to go. Instead, you stripped bare and hopped on your bed. You put a pillow between your thighs and started to ride it, seeking sweet relief.

In the meantime, Daemon was growing impatient... so he decided to go after you. He was irritated at your absence and wanted to scold you for it.

But after what he saw when he slowly opened the doors to your chambers, he was left speechless.

You had your back facing him, bouncing on top of a pillow and moaning softly. Your bare back and ass were a delight for his eyes, hair loose and following your movements.

Daemon sat on an armchair directly behind you and continued watching and admiring the view, his growing erection tight in his trousers.

You were almost there, tension building up and tightening your core. You couldn't hold yourself back, all of your mind was taken by visions of him. "D-Daemon... Daemon..."

The prince couldn't help but chuckle, ecstatic at the sound of his name coming from your mouth. An exceptional and welcome surprise that left his mouth agape.

His laugh caught you off guard, making you turn with a shriek. You pulled the covers to hide your chest but he had already seen too much, making you turn red with shame.

"W-What are you doing here?!" You breathlessly said, trying not to scream. No one could see you in that situation, especially with Daemon in your room.

"So that's what you've been up to... a good reason to skip lessons indeed." His predatory eyes stared at your exposed legs, traveling up to meet your eyes. "Touching yourself... thinking about me... how indecent."

"I wasn't- I was not touching myself!" You protested, hiding yourself in shame.

"Oh, alright. You were humping a pillow... serves the same purpose, does it not?" Daemon mocked you, gesturing at the pillow you abandoned next to your legs. "Probably made a mess..."

"Why are you in my chambers?!" You deflected, not wanting to admit your doings.

"I just wanted to confirm the reason why you decided to avert your lesson tonight." He lifted his hands in defeat. "But I see you have more important matters to tend to."

As the prince lifted his hands, you were able to catch a glimpse of his crotch. He was hard, you could see the bulge of his member through his pants.

Daemon caught you staring and gave you a vicious smile. "See something you like, Hightower?"

You swallowed as your mouth started to water, fantasies of him running wild inside your head. You wanted him, and apparently, he wanted you just as much.

"For someone who used to despise me, you seem very content to see me." You decided to taunt him. Even though you were ashamed of being caught in such a manner, you wanted to get what you could from that situation.

"I don't despise you." Daemon admitted. "You irritate me, yes, and your father is a cunt, but..." He seemed to consider carefully his next words. "you were always my favorite."

Electricity ran over your body, a wave of shock immobilizing you. His words... hearing him say you were his favorite filled you with pride. But you didn't feel completely victorious, but curious at best.

“You never treated me as your favorite.” You retorted, remembering the times he would scold you and insult you during lessons.

“Let me make up to you then..." Daemon looked especially predatory, eyes fixated on your body... he was up to no good. "come sit on my lap.”

You softly gasped, surprised at his command. Of course, you wouldn't obey him so easily... but your body betrayed you, wetness pooling between your thighs at the thought of getting on top of him.

“I’m not one of your whores, Daemon.” His name rolled out of your tongue mistakenly, and you soon regretted it when you saw the prince's expression.

“If I wanted to take you as a whore I would have done so ages ago. I had plenty of opportunities.” His stern tone of voice made you shiver once again. He was right, he did have many opportunities... maybe he just needed to know that you desired him.

So you decided to show him how you truly felt.

Slowly, you got up from the bed, letting the blanket that hid your body fall to the floor. Carefully you approached the prince, who observed you in awe.

"Come straddle my thigh, dear. It will feel much better than a pillow..." Daemon muttered, patting his left thigh as an invitation.

You gladly obeyed, mounting on his thigh like a pony with your face facing his. Daemon could already feel your wetness through the fabric of his pants and that made him smile.

"So eager for me, aren't you?" He brushed his rough hand on your cheek, then neck, then one of your breasts. You moaned softly at his touch, never imagining Daemon could be so gentle. His other hand stayed behind your back, grounding you. "Move now, ride me."

And you did as you were told, starting to grind on his upper leg. The friction felt delicious on your pearl, heat building up at your core. You moaned and moaned, not able to maintain eye contact. It felt like too much, a sense of satisfaction and shame ruling at the same time.

"Ñuha gevie riña..." (My beautiful girl...) Said Daemon while exploring your body with his hand. "Ao sagon sīr sȳz syt nyke." (You're so good for me.)

His praise went straight to your sex, you wanted to hear more... wanted to be a good girl for him.

"D-Daemon." You moaned softly, and he couldn't resist any longer. Grabbing a fistful of your hair, he pulled you into a rough, bruising kiss. Your tongues danced in each other's mouths as you tried your best to maintain rhythm.

You took the opportunity to feel his hard member, still trapped in his trousers. He groaned in your mouth, pulling back slightly to speak into your parted lips. "You enjoy my praises, girl? Would you like to hear more?"

"Y-Yes... please..." You finally looked at his eyes, pupils blown wide with desire. His hair was disheveled, lips plush from kissing... he looked so good.

"Take my cock out." He ordered, and like a good girl, you obeyed.

Freeing his member from the layers of fabric, you realized how big he was. Soon your imagination started to go places, fantasizing about how it must feel to have him inside you.

"Now stroke me... like this." His big hand cupped yours and made its way around his cock, guiding you on how to pleasure him.

Soon you found a rhythm, grinding on his thigh while stroking him, and you soon found yourself close to orgasm once more.

"Good girl, just like that." He would say, and with every thrust of your hips you felt it growing, the energy that built up inside you.

"Daemon... Daemon..." You pleaded while looking him in the eyes, knowing how close you were just then.

"Come for me, dear... come for me, (y/n)." Your name coming from his lips was what you needed to finish. Waves of pleasure washed over you as your climax reached its peak. You shouted his name and soon realized how loud you were being, face red in shame and bliss.

Daemon held you in place, anchoring you as you recovered from your high. Your breaths were still frantic, and soon your dizziness started to fade.

"Are you well?" He asked, you nodded. "Go onto your knees, then." His direction was clear, but you didn't know the reason for such a command.

You slowly made your way onto your knees, slotting yourself between his open legs, the mess you made on his thigh in full display now.

His member was close to your face then, and you couldn't hold yourself back. Enveloping your hand around his cock once more, you looked up at Daemon's face before you started to stroke him.

His mouth was slightly agape as he was deeply breathing, almost panting at the sight of you. "What an obedient girl you are for me, (y/n)." Again, the sound of your name made you feel things.

"I-I just..." You felt like confessing, emotions taking over you. "I just want to be good for you, my prince..."

Daemon smiled wickedly, stroking your cheek gently as he leaned down to face you. "Open your mouth, then." You immediately complied, tongue darting out obscenely as you maintained eye contact. "Oh my..."

His thumb traveled to your mouth and pressed on your tongue, you instinctively sucked the digit and he hummed in approval.

"That's my girl... now, keep moving." Your hand worked fiercely on his member, but the friction slowed you down... until you had an idea.

You stopped for a moment and Daemon looked at you in disapproval, but you quickly made your way into your sex. You smeared your wetness into your palm and only then continued to stroke him, coating his member with your slick.

"Ha..." Daemon let out an approving sound, then chuckled darkly in satisfaction. "Vaogenka riña..." (Dirty girl...)

You smiled slyly at him before opening your mouth again, showing him how ready you were.

"So needy, huh?" He teased, making you blush fiercely. "So eager to swallow my seed..."

And with that, he finished with a groan. Strings of his cum made their way into your tongue and chin, and you swallowed his taste like you'd been starving.

"Sȳz riña... sȳz riña." (Good girl... good girl.) Daemon panted, caressing your hair and smiling at you.

"Kirimvose, ñuha dārilaros." (Thank you, my prince.) You whispered, leaning up and joining your lips into a kiss. It was slow, passionate and he could taste himself in your tongue.

"Hmm." You whimpered into his mouth as his hands made their way to your ass, grabbing at the soft skin of your cheeks there.

Daemon pulled back slightly, only enough so he could talk into your lips. "I'll fully take your maidenhood, one day... hear those sweet sounds you make while buried deep inside your cunt."

His obscene words made you gasp, heat spreading inside your core again, To even imagine that... made you feel hot all over.

"You'd have to wed me before that happens." You teased, but Daemon had a serious look on his face.

"I'll see what I can do." Was his response, and a sense of urgency hit you like a brick. Did he actually mean that?

Marrying Daemon... the prince, your tutor, your best friend's uncle! Not even in your wildest dreams you had thought of that possibility, but now...

No, you couldn't have your hopes up. He was only taunting you, right? That was what you thought.

────୨ৎ────

You would never forget the somber expression on your father's face when he told you the news. You were officially bestowed to Prince Daemon, as per the request of the king himself.

"You asked your brother for my hand in marriage?!" You exclaimed in shock, questioning the man you would soon call 'husband'.

"Would your father accept me if I didn't?" Daemon said calmly, contrasting your agitated self.

You were still a bit stunned at the news but deep down felt a happiness you couldn't hold back, smiling at Daemon with true contentment.

He grinned back at you, lifting his hand to hold your chin gently. "Aderī kesā sagon ñuha ābrazȳrys." (Soon you will be my wife.)

Lowering himself to your height, he kissed you slow and tender. When you finally let go of each other, you whispered to him. "Se kesā sagon ñuha valzȳrys." (And you will be my husband.)

—

#daemon targaryen #daemon x reader #house of the dragon #imagine #fanfic #fanfiction #headcanon #self insert #y/n #fem!reader #notyourhetloki

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elodieunderglass · 1 month ago

Note

🎀

Fanfic ask game: https://www.tumblr.com/elodieunderglass/769295248269705216?source=share

“🎀 how do you decide when something is done?”

That’s such a good question, thank you! I know where I’m going with my (recent) fics because they’re all mechanisms.

They’re like a little clockwork item that I hand to you, and when you wind it up, it Does Something. It opens up to show you something inside, or it unfolds to be something else. Or it’s a puzzle box with something exciting. Sometimes it mostly just shows you how it’s made. Sometimes it’s a jack-in-the-box and the surprise is just that it goes “pop” and makes you laugh.

It’s important that the construction be witty. In addition to the overall mechanism working properly, it’s important to me that it be done in a stylish way. Even if I don’t pull this off, I know it’s done if it’s managed to meet the goal of the mechanism and also be a bit collectible and stylish.

This is how the jokes are supposed to go off in your brain:

Anyway, I know they’re done when the mechanism works!

Sharpe’s Daemon is a very quick character study set up so the last line hits like a punch: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58673878 It’s supposed to be satisfying and funny and make you go OH NO. I knew it was done because it does this! All the writing before the punchline is there to make the punchline happen. It was written with the ending in mind: once the ending was achieved, the fic was done, and ready to be served!

The absurdly ambitious Strange Pilgrims (Good Omens) is many things, but one of them is “two interlocking spirals, one black and one white. It is about how the universe, the depicted ship, and all the small things are also in this shape - the love between the characters being the same geometry as the underpinning physics of the galaxy etc etc etc” https://archiveofourown.org/works/19368694/chapters/46082842 so it SLIGHTLY bothers me that the earlier-written chapters are weaker and unbalanced it! Also, when they announced there was going to be a Good Omens season 2, I was so disgusted that I had to scramble madly to finish the damned thing early ( it initially had a shape that could support the development of a sequel. They would have been very pretty next to each other but MY 123k baby is a Pratchett love letter, not advertisement for some other guy.) that’s why it has the absolutely unhinged Choose Your Own Adventure multiple-ending mechanism, where you select a glitchy tarot card to get “your” ending, and you can choose to stop there or interlock it further. I have not seen that done before and I CAN SEE WHY PEOPLE DONT DO IT.

His Delicious Materials (Dungeon Meshi) https://archiveofourown.org/works/56658973/chapters/144024799 is a work in progress and actually has me puzzled because the intention of the mechanism may have changed! It was scoped as a gift, but - I am so touched by this - other people like it too, and I may have to do one route for the original recipient and another for the other readers. Like the person it’s for would enjoy a cuckoo clock, but the people reading it are going “oh this is a GREAT music box” and I’m like oh dang, it WOULD be a very effective music box.

Weasel Heart in Defiance (Dungeon Meshi but as an argument with Tolkien) https://archiveofourown.org/works/60074548/chapters/153284221 is going to be 125k in order to set up an ending scene in which - having spent 125k with these idiots in their silly world - you cry. And you go THANK YOU ELODIE I GET IT. And it sets off a Halfling Revolution in your heart. That scene’s already written, and the rest of it is just colouring in. That one is already done, basically.

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lokisprettygirl · 8 months ago

Text

Rain to his Fire (Modern! Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Non Canon 80s Au) (18+)

Read chapter 3 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 4

Summary: Things heat up between you and Daemon.

Warning: 18+, smutty scenarios, crude language, discussion of mental health (it's a fic based in a mental health facility), mention of physical assault, the fic would contain several mentions of several disorders like mpd, did etc, if something triggers you don't read, smoking.

“American avocet…nope” you mumbled under your breath as you flipped through the pages of the book All birds in the world. You often didn't find yourself in a library so this was new for you as well. You were trying to match the feathers Daemon had given you with an existing bird but so far you had failed to accomplish your goal, and not to forget that you were still hung up on the letter A and it would take weeks to finish researching the book.

At first, the thought of simply asking Daemon what type of bird the feather belonged to had crossed your mind. But then you remembered that he believed himself to be a dragon, and he'd continue to claim that the feathers belonged to him.

You folded the corner of the book to bookmark the page as you didn't want to lose the progress, then you got up and placed the book back on its designated shelf.

As you approached the librarian Corlys he gave you a small smile and you couldn't help but feel sheepish.

“Finished reading?” He asked you so you chuckled, Corlys knew your mother really well, most of the older employees did so he was really always kind and warm to you.

“Ummm can I ask you a question?” You asked him with a tinge of hesitation so he looked at you curiously, his brows raised in anticipation.

“Of Course..anytime dear”

“Uhhh you have been around here for decades so I was wondering if you knew anything about this area habituating exotic birds around here because I found this feather on my window and it made me curious” you gave him the black streaked feather Daemon had offered to you as an apology, of course you didn't tell Corlys the truth. For some reason you didn't want to show him the pure silver one he had placed in your palm last night, it just seemed too precious.

“Let me see” he mumbled under his breath as he pulled up his glasses to inspect the feather and you could tell he was confused,

“I would have said that it resembles a pelican but you won't find them here, besides it's too large to be a pelican's. Are you positive that it's a genuine feather and not a decorative item?”

He asked you and you didn't really have an answer for that because honest to god you didn't even know where the feather had come from or if it was genuine or not.

“You can buy these in shops?” you asked him with a puzzled look on your face so he smiled.

“You can buy anything these days” you nodded as he said that before you mumbled a good day to him and stepped out of the Library.

As you entered your room, the first thing you did was open your drawer to look at the silver feather again. It was soft to the touch and didn't feel fake at all. You couldn't stop thinking about Daemon and his mysterious ways. You felt like he was messing with you and must have bought these feathers to add to his mysterious image. Why didn't you think of this in the first place? Perhaps a part of you just wanted to believe that he was something special, something that was too good to be true.

It was your day off so you hadn't really seen him all day, not even a glimpse. After what he had done last night and as much as you had enjoyed him touching you like that, you were afraid he'd make a habit out of it. So when you laid down in bed at night, your ears remained perked for any sign of movement outside your door but fortunately you didn't hear anything.

And unfortunately it did make you feel a bit disappointed.

As you entered Daemon's room the next morning, you noticed that he was still sleeping. Wanting to turn on a lamp, you reached around the bed and felt something under your feet. Looking down, you saw a pile of hair matching Daemon's hair color. At first, you thought he had cut his own hair, but then you realized that his hair was still the same length as it was yesterday. You were confused and couldn't understand where this hair had come from. It was long, at least 12 inches, which could easily be used to make a proper wig.

Every other day this man had something in his store to mess with your head.

You were in the middle of collecting the hair from the floor when you heard him roll around in the bed and turn on his back, as his eyes met with yours, he raised his non-existent eyebrows and gave you a smile.

“What is this?” You asked him as you picked up a lock of the hair so he rubbed his eyes,

“Well good morning to you as well lady” he mumbled in his groggy ‘I just woke up’ voice so you sighed and got back to cleaning.

“Don't get up if you're not wearing clothes underneath the sheet” you warned him so he chuckled in response.

“Yes mam, anything else?”

He asked you politely but your mind was still confused about the long silky beautiful hair you had found just now.

“What is it? Daemon? What is this?” You asked him again, agitation visible in your voice so he propped himself on his elbows and stared at you. You could see his abs flexing as he craned himself up but this wasn't the time for you to get distracted, there was no time to get distracted by a patient anyways.

"It's my hair... they grow longer when I am able to fully shift into my natural form which I did somehow last night. I have to cut them off with my own nails afterwards.” he mumbled as if he hadn't said the most unbelievable thing ever so you stared at him for a moment in complete disbelief. What were you expecting anyways?

“Okay ..why can't you just keep the hair, why do you have to cut it?” You asked him a follow up question instead of dismissing him like you had done previously so he smiled.

“It's a bit of a hassle..look at it” he told you nonchalantly.

“You're a weird man Mr. Daemon–” you mumbled in disbelief so he chuckled in response.

“Bonkers..innit?”

As you took the broom to the other side of the room you found a few more feathers and sighed. At this point, you had narrowed down the possibilities to two main scenarios. One theory was that he purchased these items beforehand and he was just playing a cruel prank on you. The other possibility was a lot more outrageous to consider. What if he really was a dragon or humagon or a Draman? That would explain the feathers, the hair, and so many other things that didn't quite add up.

But that was just crazy, right? You sighed and shook your head, trying to dismiss the thought from your mind.

Later on, Daemon was taken to see Doctor Lisa for their session. He couldn't believe that Vis had allowed it, but he had a feeling that the bastard was watching from the other side of the mirror. He was then escorted to the middle of the room and was told to sit. A guard cuffed his hands behind the chair while Doctor Lisa took a seat just a few feet away from him.

“You can leave Jacob” Lisa said to the guard so he nodded before he left the room to just two of them.

“So Daemon, good afternoon, how are you feeling?” She asked him as she gave him a warm smile so he chuckled in response.

“What is this, what's going on?” Daemon questioned her so she gave him a comforting smile again.

“You have been making good progress and I just wanted to speak with you about how you were feeling”

She mumbled politely so he looked at her up and down, his gaze intense, piercing into her soul as if he was trying to read her intentions.

“How am I feeling while I'm cuffed like a criminal? You tell me darling, how am I supposed to feel?” Daemon spoke, with a rough and husky tone, almost challenging her. His sharp eyes peered intensely at her, making her squirm in her seat, for a psychiatrist she sure seemed easy to manipulate.

“What's bothering you the most right now?” His lips puckered as she questioned him,

“Come closer and perhaps I'll humor you” he leaned forward to stare at her and she opened her mouth to say something but she felt at loss of words, there was something about him that made her speechless, the glint in his eyes made her uncomfortable but also drew her in..

“Doctor Vis told me that you have always had trouble with your sense of identity and-” before she could finish her sentence he had cut her off,

“Uhhuh when did he tell you that? While he had you bent over his desk this morning or???” he continued, his eyes flashing with anger. Lisa flinched at his words, taken aback by his sudden outburst.

“Daemon you're being inappropriate” she intervened but he cut her off immediately.

“Mmmm but I'm speaking the truth. Am I not? You're married but here you are fucking another man and at the same time so willing to spread your gorgeous legs for a patient sitting in front of you-”

He was amidst his contempt-filled speech when he was dragged up from his seat and punched right in the face but instead of cowering down he let out the sort of laughter that made Doctor Lisa scared. Quickly, Lisa grabbed onto Vis's arms, trying to calm him down as he stood over Daemon, his fists still clenched in anger.

“Let it be.. he's not well, it's not his fault” she said to him so Vis glared at him as he called in the guard to take him away.

“Everytime I think he's making progress he goes on and does something like this” Vis said as Daemon was taken away from the therapy room but Lisa seemed upset with Viserys instead. How did Daemon know of their affair?

“What? He must have seen the wedding ring and made a baseless assumption, that's what he does, he's very observant..always has been” Vis clarified to her but she was so furious that she walked away from him.

As you stepped out of room 390 after cleaning, you noticed Jacob dragging Daemon to his room. As they came closer you realized that his cheek was bleeding. What had he done now?

As soon as Jacob was gone, you looked around carefully before entering Daemon's room. He was already on the bed with a towel pressed against his bleeding cheek, his eyes closed and his body tensed up, clearly in pain.

“What happened?” You asked him as you approached him so he looked at you sharply. His eyes seemed dark and brooding, moments of such intensity always gave you a weird sensation in the pit of your stomach.

“Why do you care?” He asked you so you shrugged in response.

“Because you're bleeding and I'm concerned about your well being as a patient” you told him so he chuckled in response.

You watched in shock as Daemon got up from his bed, tossing the towel into the corner of the room before approaching you like a predator. Instinctively, you took a step back, your heart racing as you kept moving behind until you had hit the wall.

As Daemon reached closer to you, his fingers wrapped around your waist, and he placed his head between the crook of your neck. You could feel the blood from his cheek smearing against your skin, but that was the least of your concern. The proximity was affecting you in more ways than one, and you weren't sure how to react. You were on duty, after all, and it would have been inappropriate to touch him.

But then he seemed so hurt and distraught, his breathing heavy as he sniffed you constantly, you remembered him telling you that it was calming for him, your scent. What was this man made of? You had never met anyone as animalistic in his approach as Daemon was.

And to prove your point further he let out a purring noise as you curled your fingers around his neck and scratched his scalp. You had never heard a man purr like this, how was he doing it?

“Calm down..” you mumbled softly so he pulled away and glared at you as let out a small growling noise, using the sleeve of your cardigan you wiped the blood off his cheek before you grabbed his forearm.

“How can I be calm when my thoughts are filled with images of you in compromising positions” he smirked as he spoke so you rolled your eyes even though his words made you feel aroused.

“Come with me” You dragged Daemon by the arm as you led him out of his room and down the hallway. As you passed by the other patients and colleagues, you noticed their shocked expressions. You didn't care, though,he was hurt and in need of medical attention, you didn't care about whatever he had done to receive this treatment.

As you reached the clinic on the second floor the nurse took one look at him and made him sit down to patch up his wound.

“Are you hurt as well?” She asked you as she looked at the blood on your neck so you shook your head and asked for a medical wipe to clean the blood and you constantly felt his eyes on you, he kept staring at you and a part of you wanted him to look away, you didn't like it when he was looking at you like that as if he wanted to devour you whole.

Once he was patched up, you asked him to walk with you, it was lunchtime and you had to be in the cafeteria for your duties but on the way you bumped into Dr Vis instead and it instantly raised your blood pressure up, and definitely not in a good way.

“What is going on here if I may ask?” He questioned you, his voice strict and tone authoritative.

“The patient seemed wounded so I took him to the nursery” you answered him so he smiled but his smile never felt genuine, it never really reached his eyes, everytime you looked at him these days you felt a sense of foreboding wash over you.

“Where are you taking him now?” he asked as he crossed his arms behind his back like a school teacher.

“Cafeteria..it's lunch time for patients” he let out a small laughter as you answered him.

"No need for that. His lunch privileges are revoked for the day, and he will spend it gardening instead," Dr Vis declared, his tone firm and unrelenting. You looked at him in disbelief, not understanding why he was being punished so severely. "Once you have completed your duties, I want you to supervise him as he plants hundred hydrangea seeds in the back garden," Dr Vis ordered. "Any less than that and he will not be served dinner tonight," he warned, his eyes still locked on Daemon's as if he was taunting him

“Why me?” You asked him and that made him turn his head towards you

“Pardon me?” He glared at you so intensely that you didn't want to elaborate and question as to why he wanted you to watch him suffer when a guard could have done this job more appropriately.

“Nothing..I'll be free in an hour doctor” you mumbled politely so Doctor vis gave you a smile and watched you walk past him and Daemon..

“You really think I'd make your life easier while you're acting up?” He asked Daemon as he grabbed his arm to lead him to the back garden.

You turned to see Daemon one last time before he was escorted away, his gaze fixed on you with a mixture of confusion and hurt. You took a deep breath and made your way to the cafeteria, feeling a sense of unease settle over you. You couldn't shake the feeling that punishing a man of that size for so many hours without food was cruel and not to mention extremely inhumane..

Once you were free of your duties, you went to the pantry and wrapped up a sandwich carefully before placing it into the pocket of your cardigan.

As you reached the back garden, he was on his knees digging small holes for the seeds and it made you want to hug him and comfort him. You looked around and didn't find anyone else there, not even Dr. Vis.

“Why are you being punished?” You asked as you sat down on the nearest garden chair so he looked your way and took a few sniffs “Asks the one breaking the rules herself”

You looked at him confused as he said that.

“What do you mean?”

“That sandwich in your pocket can land you in big trouble darling” he mumbled as he got back to work so you sighed. How was he able to just guess these things? Perhaps he had some sort of psychic intuition or maybe he was just observant like that.

“What did you do?” You asked him again so he chuckled in response.

“Pissed off someone and got punched”

“Why do you do it Daemon, it's not going to make your life any easier?”

“I can't help it, when I feel something.. I say it.. subtlety isn't in my nature”

As he spoke, a realization dawned on you, he was really honest and straightforward, even if it got him into trouble.

“Don't you miss your family out there?” You asked him a personal question so he shook his head

“Why not?” you questioned again hoping to get more information about his life before he got here.

“Lost mum when I was 4, father was never around, older brother raised me but I'll never satisfy him, I'd never be what he wants me to be” his voice sounded heavy with sadness and perhaps under different circumstances you could have offered him a hug.

“I'm sorry, I know what it's like to lose a parent” you mumbled as you picked on your nails again so he turned his head to look at you.

“Your mother wouldn't want you to fuel that nasty habit”

And you stopped picking immediately

”She worked here, didn't she?” He asked you so you nodded in response, he must have heard about it somewhere.

“How did she die?” He asked you so you sighed, you never liked thinking or talking about it.

“She died here.. heart attack they said”

“And you believe that?” He asked you so you looked at him confused

“What else should I be believing?”

“I don't really know yet”

“You're so strange you know that” you couldn't help but smile.

“Is that a bad thing?

“No ..it's not” he gave you a warm smile as you said that. You watched as he spent the next hour diligently planting 100 hydrangea seeds. After he was finished, you had to report it to Dr. Vis before Daemon was allowed to go back to his room and rest.

“Eat this, there's still time for dinner” you passed him the sandwich so he looked at it with a mixture of gratitude and curiosity before taking a bite and savoring the flavor.

Later that night as you finally got in bed you had even more puzzling questions than you had a day before. The feathers, the hair, how he was so intuitive, how he was burning so hot all the time, nothing made sense to you. There was something wrong with him but you weren't able to figure it out.

You had almost drifted into sleep when you heard a knock on your window and your heart went still. As you sat up you couldn't really believe your eyes, Daemon was on the other side of the window, standing so daringly on that narrow ledge. He was absolutely crazy, you couldn't even deny it anymore.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” You asked him as you pulled your window up and pulled him inside carefully so he won't fall down to his death.

“Everything” he mumbled as he cupped your cheeks and you froze in your spot, how did he even get up here? Sure you lived a floor up but one would have to know how to walk on walls to directly reach the window.

“How did you get up here?” You asked him sternly so he placed his forehead on yours to calm down, his jaw clenched in anger in frustration.

“You ask stupid questions darling”

He pulled away from you and walked past you so you glared at him.

“Stupid? Is it stupid for me to want to know how you climbed up a floor and ended up outside of my window in the middle of the night?” You crossed your arms so he tilted his head as if to mock you.

“It's common sense really which you don't seem to have or perhaps denying it all makes you feel normal about yourself”

You glared at him in bewilderment as he said that.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” You asked him so he approached you and grabbed your hands on his own before he locked them behind your back, you were starting to get used to how physical he could get with you.

“Denying the truth makes you feel sane, it makes you believe that you're different from these people you tend to all day long. Am I wrong, hmm?” He asked you so you looked up at him

“Are you calling me crazy?” You asked him so he snickered in response.

“No no no no..I'm merely suggesting that perhaps you're gullible, only capable of seeing things from a shallow perspective, despite my numerous attempts to show you the truth”

“And what is the truth? That you're a half fucking dragon?” your voice raised in a mix of anger and confusion.

For a moment, you thought he was going to lash out at you as his grin faded into a scowl. Instead, he answered calmly,

“Perhaps i am”

“Then show me, become one, right here right now” you challenged him and his jaw clenched

"It's not that easy," he snarled, his jaw clenched in anger.

"Why not?" you pressed him, your voice shaking with frustration.

"It's not," Daemon repeated, his tone barely above a whisper, as if he were ashamed of his inability to show you the truth.

"Well, then you need to stop with your bullshit," you snapped, your anger evident in your every word. "And stop coming into my room like this, you'd make me lose my job,”

Your breaths were getting heavier as you spoke angrily, it was part anger and part your close proximity with him.

“Is that what you really want? Want me to leave you alone?” he asked you with irony dripping from his voice.

“Yes” you mumbled sharply so he let go of your arms and instead of using the window he used the door to step out, he didn't give a fuck about being caught honestly.

Next morning you didn't even attempt to clean his room but when he didn't come out for lunch or tea time in the evening you couldn't stop yourself from checking up on him.

So, after taking a shower and changing into a dress, you cautiously made your way to his room and knocked twice on the door before stepping inside.

As you entered the room, you found him sitting upright on the bed in the darkness like a creep, with the only light coming from the bathroom. He had his elbows placed on his thighs, his chin situated on his clasped fingers and he was staring into the bathroom even though he was clearly aware of your presence

“I thought you didn't want to see me anymore” he mumbled as he kept staring into the bathroom so you approached him and stood in front of him, blocking the only source of light, you kind of looked like an angel to him with the glimmering shine of light surrounding you.

“Go downstairs, it's dinner time” you mumbled softly so he looked up at you and smiled.

“I'm sorry I got so ..heated last night” he mumbled softly as his eyes raked over your figure, your shift was over and he noticed the green dress you had worn, he brought his hand forward and ran it over your shin so you stepped back a little as his touch sent a shiver down your spine.

Despite the tension between you two, it felt like there was an unspoken bond that had developed over the past few days.

“Can't stay away from me can you?” he asked, smugness palpable in his voice. You could feel your hands clench into a fist but definitely not from anger.

“I'm just worried about you as a patient” you mumbled softly, almost seductively, he was such a bad influence on you.

“Mmmhmmm” he mumbled as he trailed his fingers up your bare skin but as soon as he had touched your bare thigh under the dress, you slapped his hand away.

“You're being inappropriate” you looked him in the eye as if to warn him but as his hands went under your dress again you involuntarily placed your hands on his shoulder, fingers digging into his flesh, eyes rolling back into your head.

“I have been inappropriate with you since the very first day” you let out a moan as his fingers danced back n forth, caressing your soft flesh near the inside of your thighs, his touch almost made you want to lose it all, every nerve in your body felt altered.

Your opened mouth and the look on your face only turned him on beyond belief,

He placed his other hand on your waist and pulled you closer to his face and then he pressed his nose against your clothed intimate area, your fingers curled around his neck as you let out a deliciously tortured moan that you had been suppressing all your life.

“Ohh you smell good enough to eat darling”

He breathed in deeply and let out a growl as your arousal filled his senses, fingers trailed under your dress again and this time he caressed the back of your thighs, his fingers moving upwards slowly to caress those plump cheeks but he was holding back. It took everything in him to not throw you onto his bed and make you belong to him, he had to control for your own sake.

He wanted to ruin you very slowly, more and more every passing day, make you so desperate that you'd beg for him to touch you.

Suddenly the intimacy of the situation was too much for you, and you felt the tears welling up in your eyes, that's when you backed away from him, pressing yourself against the wall so he got up and approached you. He didn't want you to feel afraid of feeling things, he didn't want you to be so scared of feeling intimacy.

“Calm down sweet girl” he mumbled as he grabbed your chin to make you look him in the eye.

“I can't..I can't breatheee” you mumbled quietly so he kissed the tip of your nose,

“You can..keep looking at me”

“No this is wrong ..it's so Wronggggg..I'm being so bad and so wrong” he could tell that you were feeling overwhelmed so he cupped your cheeks and caressed your cheek with his fingers.

“Shhhhhhh darling shhhhh” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around you and finally pulled you into a hug, a proper hug, his body felt hotter than the sun as you got on your tip toes and placed your head between the crook of his neck, but it did calm you down a little. You had never been embraced this way so you couldn't even decipher what you were feeling in the moment. Once your breathing had calmed enough you pulled away from him to look at him.

“What's bothering you more, the fact that it's forbidden or just the idea of being touched by a man?” He asked you as you pulled away slightly, his thumb ran over your cheek as he wiped your tears, he found you adorable when you acted this way, the urge he had felt to protect you that night only became stronger in that moment.

You couldn't bring yourself to answer immediately, feeling your mouth go dry but then you responded meakly.

“Bothhhhh”

“When was the last time you touched your cunt darling?” You raised your palm up to plant it on his lips as he asked you such a dirty question like that.

“Shut up ..you can't talk to me like that” you had intended for your voice to come out as a warning but then it sounded as if you were teasing him instead.

“What about dirty movies hmm? Ever seen one? Ever watched a man fuck a woman? Or a woman sucking a man's cock?” he mumbled as he grabbed your hand and placed it on his bulge, your heart almost stopped beating at the gesture, he was so..hard and huge, it made your head spin.

“Please Daemon” your voice barely came out in a whisper so he smirked in response.

“Why are you so timid hmm? Did you get caught? Mumma caught you touching yourself as a teen?” You slapped him lightly on the cheek so he snickered.

“Once she did..but that's not the reason” you told him honestly as you didn't want to play games, you didn't know how to do it. Him on the other hand, you couldn't tell if he was really interested in you or just plain bored. His gentle touch felt both soothing and alarming at the same time, like he was trying to lull you into a false sense of security.

“Tell me the reason then” his voice was firm as he questioned you.

“I don't feel it..i have never felt sexual attraction before” he looked at you as if he was not surprised but at the same time he seemed curious.

“To a man?”

“To anyone.. I don't feel attraction, i don't picture myself kissing anyone or doing other things with them..i haven't done it all my life” you had never told anyone about this, and you knew you shouldn't have been revealing such personal things to him, a patient nonetheless, but you couldn't help yourself, you were so painfully aroused right now that it hurt.

“Then what do you think of when you're grinding your pretty cunt against a pillow at night? Hmm?” His breath was hot against your face as he murmured and you were only able to moan in response.

“You haven't thought about anyone in your life..Until I got here, you have been thinking about me since then and I know that” he mumbled confidently so you shook your head even though you looked stupid doing it. You had to control yourself, you knew you had to.

“You're so full of yourself” you mumbled like a bratty child, making him smirk

“Uhhhuh and don't you want the same? Don't you want to be so full of me as well?”

“No.”

“Very convincing..Fucking is in human nature darling, that's how we have evolved, and you want to get fucked i know” he told you as he brushed his thumb over your lips “But that's not enough for you is it? It's not.. you want to be loved, you want to be swept off your feet and serenaded, you need a man to show you what romance feels like” you couldn't help but smile genuinely as he said that.

“Too bad you're a dragon”

As much as he wasn't expecting the quip when he was trying to seduce you he did appreciate the humor.

“Half dragon. Half man. Don't fool yourself sweet thing”

You got on your tip toes and kissed his bruised cheek before you pulled yourself out of his grip to leave his room.

On the way out you noticed that the bars on his windows were pulled apart, making you stop in your tracks and you turned around to face him once more. You knew he was strong, but only someone with a level of superhuman strength could have done that.

“Make me believe that you are what you think you are, if you care about me, make me feel it, if you think my eyes are closed then open them for me, if you want me to be your friend and believe your truth, show me the truth, show yourself to me” you said to him confidently and a smile curved the corner of his mouth.

“Aren't you afraid I'd drive you as insane as I am?” You chuckled as he said that, there was a touch of threat and intimidation in his voice.

“You scare me but I like it Daemon” you gave him a sultry smile before you finished your sentence “That's what I think about when I'm pleasuring myself at night”

😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏

Taglist

@anukulee @ammo23 @littledark11 @stupidthoughtsinwriting

@daenny-t

#daemon targaryen x female reader #daemon targaryen x reader fluff #daemon targaryen #daemon targaryen x reader smut #daemon targaryen x reader angst #non canon au #modern day au #modern daemon targaryen

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rhymeandrythm · 5 months ago

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Making an on going list of all my fics on ao3 for easy acess

Finished:

A Soul Indebted: Rating: M | Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Main Paring: Lucemond (Aemond Targaryen/Lucerys Velaryon) | Short Version of Desc: Aemond feels guilty about killing his beautiful nephew, so he lets Luke come to collect his debt.

The Death of Creation: Rating: M | Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Main Paring: Lucemond (Aemond Targaryen/Lucerys Velaryon) | Short Version of Desc: Lucerys becomes Aemond's obsession, his muse, and his fantasy.

Fire, help me forget: Rating: E | Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Main Pairing: Lucemond (Aemond Targaryen/Lucerys Velaryon) | Short Version of Desc: Aemond is in Harrenhal, everything plays out the way it did for Daemon, except it's his nephew who watches him from within the cursed stones of this horrible, horrible, place.

Lead Me Back Home: Rating: T | Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply | Main Paring: No Romantic paring. | Short version of desc: The ghosts in the pit of her belly were acting up again. Twisting and churning and weaving together until they became too much for her body to hold, and they erupted through her throat. A oneshot in the series connected to Devil's Maker.

But there was no sound: Rating: T | Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply | Main Pairing: Lucemond (Aemond Targaryen/Lucerys Velaryon) | Short version of desc: "Now that I think about it, it is quite fitting. A collar would look good on you.” Aemond had shrugged him off after that and punched him in the nose. A one short in the series connected to Devil's Maker.

In Progress:

Bitter Sweet: Rating: M | Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Main Pairing: No main focus ships but there is Rhaewin (Rhaenyra Targaryen/Harwin Strong) | Short Version of Desc: Everybody around Aemond is magical, and Rhaenyra swears magic runs through his blood just as thick as the rest of them, yet he his the only one in his family without any abilities. He deems it unfair. Until he is given a book of Dark Magic.

Devil's Maker: Rating: E | Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Main Pairing: Jacegan (Jacaerys Velaryon/Cregan Stark) | Short version of Desc: Jace is a vampire, Cregan is a cannibal, and they kill people in a small town using cattle farming as their cover. What's the worst that could happen?

----

This will change over time! Bother me with any questions or comments

#house of the dragon #aemond targaryen #jacaerys velaryon #aemond one eye #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #hotd aemond #ao3 #ao3 author #fanfic #rhaenyra hotd #lucemond #lucerys valeryon #helaena targaryen #ao3 link #jacegan #cregan stark

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gwenllian-in-the-abbey · 7 months ago

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What are some pro-team green fanfics you would recommend?

Ohh I've been meaning to recommend a few! Most of these are Aegon-centric because I'm generally more interested in him than Aemond, but there are a couple Aemond fics in here as well, and at least one that's Alicent centric.

a poison tree by @branwendaughterofllyr is a Dance retelling in which Daemon and Viserys' younger brother Aegon lived and had a daughter, and that daughter ended up being raised with the green children. Branwen tells a compelling story with great attention to historical detail, and although the story is green leaning, I feel it is fair to both sides. It has many POVs and really tells the story from many different angles, some some reliable than others.

My co-author @aifsaath's series The Skies Are Always Red Above Valyria is an entire Dance retelling that starts with Alicent as a lady at court before her marriage but eventually will progress to the Dance itself (and involves our beloved Baela/Aegon pairing). Aife's fics always feature impeccable worldbuilding and lush descriptions, so check them out.

The Wrath of the Queen by @florisbaratheons has just started but is very promising, featuring a more proactive Alicent who gets a cooperative if reluctant Aegon on board with her plan to put him on the throne following Driftmark, as well as fully fleshed out versions of the Baratheon and Lannister sisters. After seeing Cassandra Baratheon and Jason and/or Tyland Lannister cast as antagonists in dozens of Dance fics it's nice to see them get a fair shake.

The Dog Days Are Over is a Aegon/Helaena fix-it by @franzkafkagfn which they escape to Essos to start over with the kids. She also has another Aegon/Rhaenyra fic that is I'd say slightly more green slanted simply because much of the rest of the canon black faction doesn't exist per se.

This one has been on hiatus awhile but In The Ripe and Ruin by @kingsroad will forever have my heart as the first OC fic I ever got into, featuring gorgeous worldbuilding and one of my favorite iterations of Aegon. He's awful but also incredibly endearing. According to the author it's not going to be super canon divergent, and OC is Aegon's mistress through the Dance! Crossing my fingers that the author returns soon!

Would That They Were Not is a one shot by @navree that deals with Blood and Cheese and Aemond's feelings of guilt in the aftermath. It's heartbreaking! Blood and Cheese happens here the way it does in the book so if the show ends up changing it and you want an idea of how it might have gone down, this one is very faithful.

1968 is a modern AU by @inthedayswhenlandswerefew In which the wife of presidential candidate Aemond Targaryen, who is running against Richard Nixon in the 1968 election, forms a connection with the family screw up, his older brother Aegon. This is technically a readerfic (hear me out!), although I'd really call it a 2nd person POV because the "you" is a fully fleshed out character more so than a reader insert. I do not usually go for readerfic but opened this on a whim because the history teacher in me saw the premise and went "what on earth" and proceeded to be blown away by delicate character work, symbolism, and gorgeous prose. I actually got several friends who do not usually enjoy Dance fic OR readerfic fully invested in this one. Is it pro green? I guess? It's not set in Westeros and Aemond is a real POS but Aegon is lovely and the blacks don't really feature so I think it counts.

#asks #fic recs #team green #alicent hightower #aegon ii targaryen #aemond targaryen #i've read all of these fics personally #i have more recs but some are more neutralish #these are more pro green

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celinamarniss · 9 days ago

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Year in Review

In 2024 I posted 4 fics at 53,035 words.

Previous years:

2023: 4 fics at 58,153 words

2022: 4 fics at 45,096 words.

2021: 3 fics posted, 55,788 words.

2020: 7 or 10 fics posted, 125,738 words.

2019: 7 fics posted, 72,149 words.

2018: 7 fics posted, 87,752 words

2016: 9 fics posted, 51,643 words

2017: 9 fics posted, 115,336 words

2016: 9 fics posted, 51,653 words

In total, 52 fics posted to Ao3.

Thrones, Dominions

31,420 words, explicit, Thrawn/Mara/Luke

I finally wrapped up the Triumvirate verse with a big flashy finale (and bound it, too). I started Triumvirate in 2019, which means I've spent six years on this series, and that blows my mind a little. (a lot).

Will there be more Triumvirate stories? I genuinely hope that other writers will take up the torch and write more fic for all fans of the series. I’m not sure if I’ll write any more myself. It could happen. But for now, I’m happy to let this series rest.

An Oral History of the Ewok Bikers of Endor

4,115, gen, an Uncommon Hazards fic

I pitched three story ideas to the From A Legends Point of View fic collection, and this is the concept they accepted. It takes an idea from the Uncommon Hazards series, that post-Endor, Ewoks have immigrated to Coruscant and started an illegal swoop racing industry.

As I began to write it, I realized that the fic challenge required 5k and this story wasn't much more than a 3k concept. I stretched it out to 4. I'm not sure that this story was exactly what the mods had in mind, but it was fun finding ways to bring in characters and reference different types of media.

A Smuggler’s Guide to Joining the Rebellion

14,355 words so far, gen, the sequel to The Things You Find on Tatooine.

I wanted to get this fic through all of ANH by the end of the year, but my brain didn't cooperate and I ran out of time. But Smuggler's Guide has been a fun distraction to carry through into 2025.

The Coruscant Job

3,145, gen, Fenig Nabon/Ghitsa Dogder

Who? you may ask. Why, the super obscure con artist team that appeared in three short stories in the 90s. AKA the Fenig Nabon/Ghitsa Dogder fic literally no one asked for, because no one even knows who these characters ARE. This was another idea I pitched to the FALPOV challenge, and while it wasn't selected, I wanted to write it anyway. It turns out that was a good decision, because what I wrote wouldn't have followed all of the FALPOV rules. (My idea moves their timeline forward and retcons the story “Credit for Your Thoughts.”)

GOALS FOR 2025

Finish A Smuggler’s Guide to Joining the Rebellion (teen, Luke/Mara) The ongoing project. Progress: five chapters posted, uhhhh lots of scraps and and partial drafts in a doc.

Lando Calrissian and the Jewel of Andara (gen, Lando/Karrde, Luke/Mara) The Lando and Mara heist romcom I’ve been promising forever. Will 2025 finally be this fic's year??? at this point, I don't even know. Progress: three chapters drafted, but in need of heavy revision.

Experiments (teen? Luke/Mara) I honestly started to think this fic was dead dead, but this year I dusted off the old files and finished drafting the first two chapters. What happens next? I'm not really sure. I feel like this period/setting (Mara on Coruscant post TTT, pre Yavin) has already been well-worn by other fics recently and I don't know if there will be any interest in it. If I keep going, I'll have to come up with a outline and figure out what I want to do with the fic. Progress: two chapters drafted, but they may need to be merged into one chapter.

Other fics on the backburner:

Courtship remix

Daughter of the Rain and Snow (dead???)

More daemon fic! (I always want to write more daemon fic)

#year in review #my stuff

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thebigbadbatswife · 1 year ago

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Kinktober 2023 Masterlist

Welcome to my Kinktober 2023 masterlist! Beneath the read more you find the list of days/prompts and, as the month progress, I'll add links to its respective day. Happy reading and hope you enjoy! Obviously as this is kinktober ALL fics are 18+ only, please respect that!

Day 1 - Pegging (Bruce Wayne x F!Reader)

Day 2/4 - Titfucking & Prostitution (Daemon Targaryen x F!Reader)

Day 3 - Hate Sex (Arkham Knight!Jason Todd x F!Vigilante!Reader)

Day 7 - Virginity (Knight!Bruce Wayne x F!Reader)

Day 10 - Praise Kink (Oliver Queen x F!Reader)

Day 12 - Somnophillia (Bruce Wayne x F!Reader)

Day 13 - Size Difference (Jason Todd x F!Thief!Reader)

Day 16 - Double Penetration In One Hole (Bruce Wayne x Oliver Queen x F!Reader)

Day 19 - Exhibitionism & Voyerism (Diana of Themyscira x F!Reader)

Day 24 - Sex Toys (Bruce Wayne x F!Reader)

Day 26 - Masturbation (Bruce Wayne x F!Reader)

Day 27 - Double Penetration In Two Holes (Bruce Wayne x Selina Kyle x F!Reader)

Day 28 - Body Worship (Bruce Wayne x F!Reader)

#bruce wayne x reader #jason todd x reader #daemon targaryen x reader #oliver queen x reader #wonder woman x reader #selina kyle x reader #kinktober #kinktober 2023 #masterlist

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itsgameofthronesimagines · 2 years ago

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Strong Dragons (Part Four)

(Gif not mine)

Fandom: House of the Dragon

Masterlist Here

Pairing: Daemon x Fem!Reader x Rhaenyra

Warnings: NSFW! 18+ only! Smut, mature themes and language, P in V, dirty talking, breeding kink, fingering, arranged marriages, unprotected rough/raw sex (wrap it before you tap it), incest, oral (female receiving), dom!rhaenyra, graphic depictions of pregnancy and labor, threesomes, death, depictions of both the books and shows, etc.

Word Count: 7,563

Tag: strong dragons hotd fic

Summary: Y/n’s pregnancy progresses as well as her reputation on Dragonstone. Daemon and Rhaenyra are enthralled by their Mother of Dragons.

Requested by: @ivy-targaryen

Taglist:

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(I do not consent my works to be reposted/copied)

A/N: Tumblr kept deleting this as I worked on it so now I’m frustrated to the point I’m in tears. I’m definitely taking a break from this series as I’m too exhausted to bother right now after all that stress.

The following week upon Y/n's arrival was a busy one, to be sure. Dragonstone was filled with activity as Rhaenyra announced to her staff that both Prince Daemon and Lady Y/n would act as every bit the lord and lady of the keep as the princess and her own husband. The servants, loyal to Rhaenyra and loyal to her secret arrangement, welcomed Y/n with open arms, each individual introducing themselves while Y/n tried her best to remember all their names for their devoted kindness. It appeared as though the idea of a child excited the entire island -not just her lovers- as they helped their new lady feel at home.

Gerardys, Rhaenyra's head maester assigned to Dragonstone, confirmed what Y/n already knew, that she was, indeed, with child. He suspected that she was, at the very least, three moons along, since she hasn't even begun to show through her dresses. Now that her pregnancy was confirmed, Rhaenyra made sure to provide the best servants for her female lover, even introducing her to her own handmaidens, including the most loyal, Elinda Massey. Elinda was the youngest of Rhaenyra's ladies-in-waiting and the most devoted to House Targaryen overall. She was sweet and caring, a pretty young woman who pulled at Y/n's heartstrings. After meeting Elinda, Y/n pats Rhaenyra's arm and assures her that she would get along beautifully with her handmaidens.

Y/n had been aware of the fool, Mushroom. She knew of him only by reputation in court, a three-foot dwarf with a large head and a lackwit of intelligence, but nevertheless, a devoted, loyal servant to Rhaenyra, who has known him for the entirety of her father's reign. Mushroom tended to favor the princess over King Viserys and therefore followed her back to Dragonstone. Once introduced to all the handmaids at her disposal, Y/n was then greeted by a particular servant Rhaenyra had promised would make her laugh. Mushroom was delightful to Lady Y/n. A little crude, perhaps, but he did indeed earn a hearty laugh out of her and a silent trust to always rely on him with her secrets, as many have gained with Mushroom over the years, whether it was earned or foolishly given.

While Rhaenyra was in charge of Y/n becoming acquainted with her staff, Daemon charged himself with helping his new wife feel more comfortable with the island itself. He took her on many walks along the beaches and gave her plenty of cautionary tales about the volcano looming over their new castle. He made sure Y/n was aware of the many caves surrounding the island of his ancestral home, and informed her of what to do should she ever accidentally stumble upon a dragon. Daemon wasn't entirely worried about the tamed ones, as long as Y/n didn't try to ride them without their respective companion... he was more or less bothered by the idea of his pregnant wife accidentally coming across a dragon with no rider.

"How many are there?" She had asked one night over dinner, "Which dragons are without a rider?"

"Vermithor and Silverwing are castle dragons, beasts who had been tamed before but over the years have lost their riders," Daemon explained from his seat beside her, one of his arms draped over the back of her chair, "They once belonged to King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne, my grandparents. Then there are the wild dragons, beasts untamed and have never known the bond of a rider. Grey Ghost, the Cannibal, and Sheepstealer are the ones you should be most careful of."

"That doesn't mean to be less cautious of the other dragons, like Vermithor and Silverwing," Rhaenyra had cut in with alert eyes captivating Y/n's, "They may have known human companionship in the past, but that doesn't mean they will be familiar with you. It's been a long time since they have been ridden, therefore it's best to just give them their space and they will give you yours."

"Our dragons might be the most decent towards you," Laenor assures Y/n, "Caraxes, Syrax, and Seasmoke have more experience with human interaction and are smart enough to realize that you are a friend to them. But I wouldn't suggest seeking them out unless you were with one of us."

"Which reminds me," Rhaenyra beams, avoiding the less dreary topic while setting down her fork excitedly, "With our new prince or princess on the way, we will need to pick out a dragon egg for them."

One of the many topics that made Y/n feel like a stranger in her new home. She had nearly forgotten the prospect of a dragon baby in her belly, "To place it in their crib, right?"

"That is the custom, yes. Usually, the parent chooses the egg, and you are welcome to come with us."

"Into Dragonmont?" The woman's dark eyes widen, looking around at the three dragon riders before her, sheepish and possibly worried, "I have no experience with dragons let alone their eggs."

Daemon nods in agreement, addressing his wife but exchanging a glance of approval with Rhaenyra, "It's best if we get you and the dragons properly acquainted then."

Rhaenyra nods in response, "Perhaps you should ride with one of us on our dragon."

Laenor bursts out laughing, startling everyone including the servants as they bring silverware and food to and from the table. Y/n recognizes the jest and found herself in the mind of a child as she grabs the nearest thing, an apple, before aiming and throwing the fruit across the table at Laenor's head. She had missed pitifully, but the attempt made the Velaryon lord laugh, even more, clutching his midsection when his ribs began to hurt. Y/n could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment, but even the corner of her mouth turned up into an amused smile.

Rhaenyra, however, looked baffled while turning her gaze between her husband and her aunt, "Have I missed something?"

Y/n had barely heard her over Laenor's laughter. One look from Daemon slowly shuts him up, but a grin is still plastered on his face, eyes twinkling at Y/n as she bashfully ducks her head, "I didn't fare very well at sea. I doubt I'd fare well on the back of a dragon."

The princess grasps her meaning and relaxed her furrowed eyebrows, flashing a heatless glare at Laenor and causing him to cough to cover the last bit of laughter within him. Y/n playfully glared at her niece's husband as well but didn't even try to fight the smile this time.

"Well, the choice is yours, my love. You may not want to be familiar with dragons now, but perhaps you can learn and grow alongside our child's dragon when their egg hatches."

Her smile sparkles, "That would be lovely. I will start out small, just as our child will with their lifelong companion."

~~~~~~~~~

Getting used to kisses on her belly would be a bit of a challenge for Y/n, but not something she would likely grow tired of. Despite not showing through her dresses, it's clear to her lovers that her body has already begun to change in order to accommodate the child. Rhaenyra blatantly kisses Y/n's abdomen one night, after already shedding the Lady Strong of all her layers, and feels the slowly forming bump beneath her pale lips. Rhaenyra smiled into her female lover's flesh, biting back a moan when Daemon involuntarily thrusts into her at the sight before him, Y/n sprawled over the edge of the bed while Rhaenyra bent over her. Daemon stood behind Rhaenyra, lined up against her backside as he continued to pull out and slowly ease back into her heat. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra continued to kiss Y/n's belly before leaving a wet trail down to her already glistening cunt, the princess softly blowing cool air over the heat and sending shivers up the lady's spine. Y/n arched her back, whimpering without any friction to satisfy her needs, trying her best to remain still with her hands fisting the bedsheets near her head.

"Rhaenyra--"

"My apologies, love," the princess kissed the soft inside of the lady's thigh. Y/n could feel her smirk against her trembling skin, "I was merely doting on our child."

Y/n scoffs up at the ceiling, "Perhaps you should dote on me first, or else I'll pray to the gods for our child to bear my reputation of holding a grudge."

"We best be careful with this one," Daemon cuts in, still thrusting his hips against Rhaenyra's arse while whispering into her ear, amusement stitched into his low voice, "I'm beginning to think her bite is worse than her bark."

Rhaenyra hums in agreement, closing her eyes and pulling her head back in bliss when his cock hits that certain, perfect spot inside her, "I think she's becoming more of a dragon the longer she's here. Perhaps it is both a blessing and a curse."

"It'd be less of a curse if you would stop talking and touch me, Princess."

The female Targaryen is startled out of laughter, gasping up to the ceiling of her chambers when Daemon's hip jerks forward unexpectedly, out of rhythm. Both uncle and niece are clearly affected by their Strong woman's demand, both equally shocked and aroused by her sudden boldness.

"If pregnancy brings out this side of you, I think we'll have to keep you full with our children all the time."

~~~~~~~~~

High Valyrian proved to be a difficult language to learn. Y/n had asked one evening if one or both of her lovers could teach her so that she might be able to communicate with them and any children they'll have in the future. Daemon and Rhaenyra were delighted to teach Y/n their mother tongue and tried their best to teach her when any free time was given. Much like the times Y/n and Daemon would spend time together by the hearth in King's Landing, the three lovers now spent the same time by the hearth together on Dragonstone.

"Ñuhon lenton Targārien jorrāelza issa?" She tried reciting one evening, her nose scrunching up as even she doubted the way she phrased the sentence, "'My love is for House Targaryen?'"

Lounging on the other end of the couch, fondly watching her female lover, Rhaenyra faintly smiled, a breath of laughter escaping her lips, "You were close, my love, though I believe there's an easier way to phrase that."

Y/n's eyebrows scrunch together in frustration, scowling, "It doesn't help that there are half a dozen ways to say your family name and half a dozen ways to say 'my'."

"We can continue learning words before having you recite full sentences." When Y/n nods in agreement, Rhaenyra straightens her posture to be fully facing her, "Mountain."

"Blēnon."

"Mountains?"

"Blēna."

"Iron Throne." Their male lover cuts in from the chair across from them, wine goblet in one hand and an open book in the other.

"Daemon."

He shrugs in response to Rhaenyra's reprimand, "She'll likely be saying that more often than 'mountain.'"

Y/n's expression turns devious, her eyes shining with mischief while purposely staring Daemon directly in the eyes as she spoke in confidence, "Āegenkon Dēmalion."

The fire blazing in the hearth casts a dark shadow over Daemon's silhouette, but Y/n's figure is ignited by the flames, glowing softly, driving the Rogue Prince into silence. He stares right back, the essence of a gentle smirk beginning to form as he stands from his seat, "Very good, lady wife."

She beams with pride, tilting her head up to him, carefully watching his every move as she responds in kind to his praise, "Targārien kostōba Āegenkon Dēmalion issi."

{Targaryens are powerful on the Iron Throne}

Even Rhaenyra's stomach jumped with delight at Y/n's powerful phrase, complementary to the way Daemon sinks to his knees in front of the woman as if her words weighed him down. He was short of breath, strong hands reaching out to caress her legs beneath her skirt, reaching up underneath until they graze the inside of her thighs, "Excellent. And how would you say 'my son will sit upon the Iron Throne?'"

Y/n shivered under his touch, her eyes fluttering shut as she willed herself not to move under his ministrations. She had nearly forgotten her husband's question until she felt Rhaenyra's hand in her hair, bringing her back down to the mortal realm. By now, Daemon's fingers were already reaching into forbidden places in the eyes of the gods, while his forehead leans into her growing stomach. Rhaenyra was placing soft kisses into Y/n's shoulder, over her dress until the princess decided to move the sleeve aside and continue the kisses along her bare skin. Y/n licked her lips, forcing herself to remember her lessons, hesitant compared to the other two phrases as she stutters out a response,

"... Ñuhon trēsy Āegenkon Dēmalion dēmagon."

~~~~~~~~~

"My love. We have a gift for you."

Looking up from her book, Y/n spotted Rhaenyra standing in the open doorway of her chambers, Daemon following close behind the princess as they entered their expecting lover's apartments. Smiling, Y/n closed her book and carefully stood from her chair, one arm sticking out for balance while the other held onto the more prominent bump around her middle that has grown significantly in the last few moons. Peering back at her lovers and noticing their appalled reactions, Y/n flashed them a devious look. They had recently become more possessive than usual and dote on Y/n almost religiously, worried by every step she takes. Normally, they are right by her side when she has to stand up, and even Lady Strong could admit that they're helpful in that aspect. Sometimes it's hard to get back up on her feet. If it weren't for her silver-haired dragons, Y/n would have likely found herself stuck in place until someone would eventually came around and find her there.

Daemon rolled his eyes at his wife's antics, stepping forward to take her hand in his while looping his free arm around her lower back, and walking alongside her toward her tea table. Y/n directed her gaze to the door again when two figures emerged, carrying a rather large item.

A large urn, heavy enough that two dragonkeepers must lift it together. It was round and likely made of iron, with padded handles the dragonkeepers used to carry and refrain from burning themselves. They place the urn on the tea table, hot steam billowing out from beneath the lid. When Rhaenyra nods her head, one of the dragonkeepers removes the big lid, slowly to further express its weight. Inside, without being told, it wasn't hard for Y/n to guess that the gift was none other than a dragon egg. She had never seen one before, but the rounded shape and the light green, scale-like shell surrounding it was a dead giveaway. Heated coals and embers surround the object, acting as a portable incubator.

Daemon announced the egg with pride, "A gift fit for the Mother of Dragons."

Y/n reached her hand out but refrained from touching the egg, feeling the heat coming off around the scales. Her smile was faint, eyes sparkling in awe as she breathlessly stated, "It's beautiful."

Rhaenyra beamed proudly at the praise, "I picked it out myself."

Daemon moved to stand behind Y/n, hands gently holding her shoulders as he kissed the back of her head, "A dragon egg sired from Syrax and Caraxes. There could not be a more perfect choice for our future prince or princess."

Rhaenyra reaches out and Y/n gladly takes her accepted hand. The princess brings her female lover's hand over to the egg, unafraid and showing the lady that the egg was not too hot to the touch. It was considerably warm, forming sweat in Y/n's palm almost instantly, but Rhaenyra appeared unbothered by the heat, "Hold this against your womb tonight, my dear. And when the baby gets here, we will leave it in its crib."

The expecting mother nods in understanding, taking the instructions to heart. She straightens her posture, addressing the dragonkeepers standing across the table. Y/n nods to them, trying to best to perfect her accent as she spoke, "Kirimvose." {Thank you}

The dragonkeepers nod back, eyes widening in acknowledgment of her proper pronunciation. Rhaenyra radiates pride for Y/n's High Valyrian before she also addressed the dragonkeepers using the same tongue. They leave at her behest and Daemon moves away from Y/n and circles the table, placing the urn's cover over the egg again.

Y/n takes her hands back and places them on her new perch over her belly. A thought enters her head and she hesitates for only a moment before addressing her lovers, "Speaking of the baby's arrival. I have made arrangements with the midwives for when I begin my labors." Both Targaryens tilt their heads in attention to her and she continues, "I will have four attend to me along with Maester Gerardys and Elinda Massey."

"Do you not want us there?" Daemon questions with a small raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't ask that of you," she explained gently, "Traditionally, husbands don't accompany their wives to the birthing bed. I would be content if the two of you accompany each other on dragonback while I go into labor."

"That's not what he asked, my love," Rhaenyra countered quietly, "He asked if you did not want us there for the birth. If that's what you truly want, then say the word and we'll respect it. But I doubt it." Her suspicions were correct, as Y/n appeared troubled, a crinkle forming between her eyes when her eyebrows scrunched together, "What is it?"

"It's just..." Y/n sighed heavily, her weight shifting with the pregnant stomach clearly weighing her down, "Both you and Daemon have suffered the horrors of childbirth. You might not have experienced it personally, but you have suffered through both of your mothers. Aemma and Alyssa suffered and perished due to complications of childbirth, did they not?"

Neither of them answered, but their eyes appeared haunted at the reminder, nevertheless. Y/n shook her head as her voice slowly began to crumble, "... I couldn't possibly ask you both to sit and watch something like that happen to me."

The Rogue Prince appeared skeptical, "And you believe something like that will happen to you?"

Rhaenyra changes direction, addressing Daemon in defense of Y/n, "Childbirth is a woman's battlefield, Uncle. Many women, even the strongest, sometimes never survive it. It is the way of things... at least that is what my mother told me."

The princess turns back to Y/n, rounding the table to draw closer to her. A mist forms in Rhaenyra's eyes, clouded by distant, unpleasant memories, "I wasn't there when my mother died. I wish I was. Perhaps I could have been a form of comfort for her. I could have held my brother for however long he lived. I won't make that mistake again." She slowly moved her hands up, placing them on either side of Y/n's face to gently force their eyes to meet, stepping closer until their unborn child was snug between their bodies, "It would hurt me more if I was not there for you. Riding on dragonback while you faced this alone would not give me peace of mind. Please, allow me to stay with you."

Y/n hesitates, opening and closing her mouth but couldn't find the words she was searching for. Instead of refusing, she nods, letting out a shaking breath as Rhaenyra pulls her face in and kisses her cheek lovingly. They share that moment of silence, past ghosts still fresh in their minds before they both take a deep breath and turn to their prince, awaiting him.

Daemon moves around the table to join them, his pale eyes fixed on Y/n, "My mother was strong. Stronger than most of the women in my family... and my brother, they named him Aegon... he didn't survive long after she... I was too young to remember much, but I know that if I had the power, I would have taken my mother's pain from her. In a heartbeat. If I could somehow pull it from you, I would. Let me try."

Even if she was unsure of accepting the offer, Y/n didn't want to necessarily worry her lovers more by arguing further. She knew that if she wanted to refuse, she could, and they would respect her decision, no matter how much it would concern them. However, she couldn't bring herself to do so, nodding to Daemon in acceptance.

~~~~~~~~~

For the majority of her pregnancy, Y/n appeared blessed with easy, healthy milestones. Not to say Y/n didn't have any unpleasant days. She was nauseous toward the beginning and her feet ached when she began to grow round, but the biggest most unpleasant change was her attitude. Daemon and Rhaenyra were not the only ones who noticed Y/n's bite. Servants, maesters, and dragonkeepers alike noticed the change in aggression. It wasn't as though Lady Y/n was violent or unbearable, but if it wasn't for the known fact that she was a Strong, most people of Dragonstone would've initially believed she was born a Targaryen and not just married to one.

Laenor didn't appear to mind this new side of Y/n. In fact, he very much enjoyed it. It was like being back home in Driftmark with his sister, full of spirit and brutally honest.

"Must you always wear that pin?" Y/n sneered as she crossed the gardens to join the Velaryon, holding her stomach as she waddled.

Laenor grinned, standing up to help her into the chair next to him, "My sister gave it to me as a wedding gift. Don't tell me a seahorse makes you nauseous, too."

She groaned as she sat down, "The idea of the sea makes me nauseous."

He hummed in agreement as he settled beside her. They met almost daily in Aegon's Garden so the lady could get fresh air, and more times than not, they would summon Mushroom to entertain them. Today was no different, the fool making his appearance not long after Y/n and going about his newest routine of tricks and mischief.

As the fool performs, Laenor leans into the lady's space, "You're cross. And I doubt it's over my pin. What ails you, good aunt?"

She side-eyes him for the address of her title over him, eyebrows angled in annoyance as she spoke, "Both my husband and your wife have insisted on being with me for the birth."

His eyebrows raise, unsurprised, "And? Are you asking me to join as well?"

"Heavens, no, I wouldn't even play at the idea of you seeing my cunt."

"I appreciate it."

Y/n snorts and smacks his shoulder light-heartedly, "Shut up. I'm just... terrified that something bad will happen and they'll have to... watch the child or me or even both of us die."

"Why must you think about what might happen?"

"Because I'm a realist, Laenor."

The Verlaryon frowns, unconvinced, "You married a prince and secretly planned on carrying his children then passing them off as someone else's. Is that what you would consider being a realist?"

"Don't patronize me. I'm just simply stating that childbirth isn't easy. It's torture. Septas can romanticize it all they want but I wouldn't exactly listen to celibate women who have never borne a child. A wet nurse is likely to tell you the truth and the horrors behind the labors. Many women bleed out, or many of them birth stillborns. I... I've heard rumors of a more recent practice."

"Such as?"

She bites her lip and grows quiet, unsure if she should gossip about what she may or may not have learned. It wasn't a known rumor, and she had mostly heard it between women in the court of King's Landing. But if there was any lord she could trust, aside from her twin brother and her husband, it was Ser Laenor, "Maesters have learned that in order to save the child, they can cut the mother open and pull the infant from her womb. It's not ethical, but the studies show that if they must decide who to save if the threat of losing both is imminent, the maester will turn to the husband to decide."

"That's not even unethical. It's also barbaric!" Laenor exclaims, appalled as rage crosses his features, reminding Y/n that he was half Targaryen as well as Velaryon, "Surely, no one would approve of this method."

"I don't know. All I know is... it's not going to be easy."

"I would suggest raspberry leaf tea."

Both Laenor and Y/n look to the third voice, only to find Mushroom to be the only other person in the gardens. The dwarf fool had since stopped his tomfoolery and just stood there, looking at the pair of them expectedly, head tilted. Both of them looked at him, shocked as if they had forgotten he was there.

Y/n tilted her head back at him, curiosity getting the better of her, "Pardon?"

"Raspberry leaf tea." The dwarf stated confidently, puffing out his chest with pride.

"Perhaps you should properly address the lady before barging into her conversation, jester." Laenor's lips thin out, eyes narrowed suspiciously at the fool.

"It's alright, Ser Laenor." She mocks amusingly at the lord beside her before turning back to Mushroom, addressing the small man sweetly, "Why raspberries?"

"All whores know the ingredients and methods of concocting moon tea. In their line of work, it is essential and necessary." Mushroom flashes a vulpine grin, the corner of his lips stretching from ear to ear, "Not many men would bed a whore with child."

"Get to the point faster, fool." Laenor grumbled, nose scrunched in response to the dwarf's boldness, "I doubt you would talk to his lady wife in this manner if Prince Daemon were here."

"However, there are times moon tea does not work or a whore forgets to even drink it. There are times when children are born and to make the labors bearable, the whores have created a simple concoction, one that makes the birthing easier and sometimes faster. Raspberry leaf tea."

Y/n clung to every single word, awestruck and suspicious all at once, "And this tea does not harm the child?"

"Not to my knowledge."

Laenor stood once he realized that Y/n was actually entertaining the ideas of the fool, "I will speak with the maester to confirm or deny this."

"Thank you, Laenor." She smiled and watched him leave before turning her head back down to the dwarf in front of her, "And thank you, Mushroom."

Bells jingle obnoxiously as Mushroom dips into a bow, overplaying his courtesy with flair, "I am but a humble servant, my lady."

Doubtful but amused, Y/n laughed quietly under her breath, the small noise joining the soft, scented breeze of the garden, "I would hardly describe you as humble if you are to be believed knowledgeable in the methods of whores."

"Perhaps it's humble if I use my knowledge to soften my lady's worries," Mushroom beamed confidently, "After all, it would be a shame if maesters learned how to save the child, but not the mother."

"Well said, my fool."

~~~~~~~~~

Maester Gerardys listened to Laenor's suggestion and then proceeded to intently research before approving the consumption of such tea. He recommended Lady Y/n drink the tea before bed every night, and thus a new nightly routine was born. After such a heavy discussion about the dangers of childbirth, Rhaenyra was visibly relieved when Y/n took to finding solutions and even learned how to make the tea herself to aid her pregnant aunt.

In Mushroom's Testimony, published years down the road, the dwarf stated it was all because of the tea he had recommended to the Mother of Dragons prior to the birth that made the babe slip out so easily. He even spun a small tale about how the tea softened Lady Y/n's womb so much that she had barely noticed she had given birth. Much like a giraffe, Mushroom's tale would have us believe that Y/n had simply gotten up after her child was born and went about her day as if nothing ever happened.

Other scholars who wrote about such historical events did not agree with this, however, despite the fact that Mushroom was the only source to be on Dragonstone when Y/n Strong went into labor. It had been early morning when Y/n awoke in Rhaenyra's chambers, the sun not yet fully rising over the island but the sky was becoming a lovely purple and the stars were disappearing. Daemon had rolled over just as Y/n was trying to rise out of bed, Rhaenyra still unconscious to the world around her on the opposite side of her uncle.

"Careful, wife," Daemon muttered into the pillow, only half awake, "I wouldn't try getting out of bed so fast if I were you."

The responding thud that echoed throughout the room drove Prince Daemon into survival mode, waking every instinct he had as he lunged out of bed to search for Y/n. She had not gone far, having landed on her knees just at the foot of the bed, one hand holding her stomach while the other was placed on the floor below, holding her up.

Chaos erupted that early, quiet morning. Rhaenyra was roused as was the rest of the keep in response to Daemon's demand for the maester and the nurses. When asked, Y/n will look back and have little to no memory of what happened that fateful day. She remembered the labor being quicker than anticipated, given this was her first child, but over time she had forgotten what the pain felt like. Her mind was either not as sharp as it once was or it had purposefully locked away those certain traumatic events.

Needless to say, there were a few small things she remembered that she was able to reiterate in the future when asked. Maester Gerardys had refused to move Y/n from her knees on the floor, stating it was too late to place her in the child bed. The baby was coming quickly and it had barely given anyone enough time to prepare for its arrival. So Lady Y/n was forced to stay where she had landed, but she was not alone. She remembered holding onto Daemon for dear life and he dutifully stood still for her, anchoring her, gripping her arms though not as tight or as fiercely as she held onto him whilst she cried out in pain, resting her sweating forehead on the center of his chest. Rhaenyra had finally joined her as well, pulling her hair out of her face and occasionally rubbing her back and hips. The princess had gratefully taken a pillow from Elinda when she arrived to help and placed the pillow underneath poor Y/n's knees which were already bruised and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

Daemon's heartbeat and Rhaenyra's gentle voice were all Y/n could remember apart from her screams. That, and the weird shifting of her internal organs as everything moved down with her baby and with gravity. After that, the pain subsided and Y/n remembered taking big, sobbing gulps of air, clinging onto Daemon weakly as every part of her body began to violently shake in exhaustion. Her gasps and cries were the only things echoing in her ears as the whole room bustled about, people scrambling and shouting that Y/n was unaware of. Daemon held her close and eventually demanded the maester that they move her to the bed. Gerardys agreed and by the time Daemon had lifted her into his arms, Y/n's hearing returned, and she realized that she was not the only one crying. Weakly, she turned her head in the direction of the baby's cries as Daemon laid her down over the pillows and blankets.

Nurses and maids were working frantically about the room, but one woman remained perfectly still among the chaos and Y/n instantly recognized her by her silver hair. Rhaenyra was sitting in a nearby chair, smiling widely to the point her cheeks had to hurt, her misty eyes staring down at the bloody, crying babe in her lap as Elinda knelt before the princess to wipe down the infant, not having the heart to take the child from her in order to clean it. Y/n's breath had been stolen again, and her gaze never broke from the infant even as a couple of the maids came around to help clean the blood and grime from her skin. She could briefly recollect Daemon's hand in hers and another gently brushing her hair, remaining dutifully at her side while Rhaenyra attended to the child.

With the babe finally cleaned and swaddled, Rhaenyra carefully lifted it into her arms as she stood up, moving toward the bed where her eyes finally met Y/n's, tear tracks of joy cutting through her flawless face, "A son, my love. Our Little Jace is here."

~~~~~~~~~

Jacaerys Velaryon.

Y/n has held babies before, though she might have been too young to remember it, and even then she was smaller. A baby would feel heavy and a lot bigger than they actually were in Young Y/n's arms. But now, fully grown and with her firstborn son in her arms, Y/n was awestruck by how little and fragile he was. He wasn't born early enough to be considered sickly and after fully inspecting him, Maester Gerardys confirmed that the boy was a picture of health and only a little smaller than average. Relieved she had managed to birth a healthy son without much of a risk, Y/n hardly had a care in the world even when she noticed the small tufts of dark, incredibly soft hair her son bore on the top of his little head.

However, the day after his birth, after she had been rested and Laenor was able to meet his son for the first time, Y/n spoke of the future with a shadow over her eyes, "On my wedding day, you said we would cross that bridge should our baby have dark hair."

Rhaenyra looked up from watching Laenor gently rocked Jace in his arms as he slowly traveled around the room, whispering softly to the sleeping baby. Y/n was sitting comfortably in a chair by the window and meets her princess' eyes, expression blank as she continued, "Well, he does. So how do you propose we convince the world that he's yours and Ser Laenor's child?"

"Laenor's grandmother was a Baratheon. She had dark hair." Rhaenyra comments hopefully.

The dark-haired woman shook her head in response, "It won't matter. You know as well as I that the lords of the realm won't see reason in that. They only need one reason, however small, to proclaim you as an unfit heir to the throne."

"We have a fail-safe."

"Which is...?"

Daemon, still watching Laenor and Jacaerys like a hawk, spoke in regards to Y/n's question, "We let the kingdoms whisper."

"Daemon," Rhaenyra chided him, the prince shrugging without a care. His niece sighs, turning back to Y/n with a sheepish expression, "It's only half true. We let them whisper, but we misdirect them. In the public eye, I am Jace's legitimate mother. That will be indisputable. No one could deny that. But his father... it would have to be someone close to you in appearance. Someone who would do anything for you and for the crown. Someone we trust."

Y/n was no fool, but disbelief can be a bitch and it was disbelief that drove Y/n to slowly come to the realization behind Rhaenyra's words. There is a clear, hidden meaning behind how she had phrased this mystery man and Y/n wanted to outright deny it at first before she caught sight of Daemon staring at her expectedly. He trusted her to come to the same conclusion on her own and she did, albeit with a dry throat, "... My brother?"

"Yes. Ser Harwin." Rhaenyra nodded.

A flash of hurt appeared and then quickly vanished over her eyes as she looked between her two lovers, "Why was I not informed about this?"

"Because we knew you wouldn't want your brother to risk himself."

"And yet you still went through with your original plans?"

"Yes, because we also knew that your brother would do anything to protect you," Rhaenyra crossed the room, kneeling down to Y/n and clasping her hands, "He's loyal to Daemon as a soldier of the City Watch, he's loyal to me as the future Queen of Westeros and most importantly he's loyal to you as his sister. He's the perfect ally to have in King's Landing while we establish our family here on Dragonstone."

"And... and he knows about our arrangement? He's aware of all of this?"

"Yes."

A decision is made in Y/n's mind and it physically shows over her facial features, the uncertainty melting into one of petulant acceptance as she gently but firmly pulls her hands out of Rhaenyra's to take a cup of tea from the table beside her, "Next time you do something behind my back that would make me look like a fool, just don't tell me."

Unbeknownst to her, Y/n's lovers will take that promise to heart in the far future.

~~~~~~~~~

Rhaenyra writes to her father first, officially announcing the birth of her and Laenor's firstborn son. Daemon waits a few days after Rhaenyra's raven has gone before he writes a letter to Ser Harwin, inviting him to Dragonstone to visit with his sister. The prince also implied that he would like to have a soldier he could trust to be here while his niece and Ser Laenor adjust to parenthood. He had added this in case the letter was ever intercepted and considered suspicious, in case someone clever knew how to fit the missing pieces of the puzzle. King Viserys' response was joyful, congratulating his daughter and practically begging her to bring his first grandchild to King's Landing when she and the baby are well enough. Following Viserys' letter was another from the capital, announcing Ser Harwin's departure and expected arrival at House Targaryen's ancestral home.

After the letter had been received, Y/n would often find herself in the Sea Dragon Tower, usually in Laenor's chambers, overlooking the sea and waiting for a ship that would likely have her brother on board. Laenor didn't mind the intrusion as long as Y/n brought Jace with her-- or so he claimed. Despite the feigned annoyance, he always made sure Y/n had the chair with the most cushion to be seated at the window and would summon a wet nurse if his good aunt appeared not to have the strength to feed the babe herself. He secretly didn't despise her little visits if it meant getting to know the baby meant to portray as his son. The knighted Velaryon was already full of love for this child, despite the fact he didn't sire him. Nevertheless, he couldn't wait to introduce the boy to his parents and sister.

During one of these visits, Y/n finally spotted distant sails floating toward the island, her heart leaping for joy as she got to her feet, proclaiming her brother's arrival. Laenor had laughed and urged her to take it easy and not exert herself. With the babe in one arm, he offered the other to Y/n, which she took and together they brought Jace down to the gardens where Y/n was to anxiously wait for her twin. Laenor handed Jace over to his birth mother once she had been seated and for extra measure, kissed the babe's forehead and wished Y/n luck before retreating. Y/n spent the time cooing softly to her infant as she waited, trying not to feed the urge to get up and meet her brother halfway up the stairs leading to the keep. She doesn't have to wait long before she heard someone enter the garden. When she quickly looked up, she found Ser Harwin Breakbones, the same man she remembered leaving behind in King's Landing. Only at the sight of him did she finally stand, babe in arms, and scrutiny on her tongue.

"You fool. You stupid, loyal fool."

Harwin laughs joyfully, "Hello to you, too, sweet sister."

"Shut up."

He rushes forward and brings Y/n into a hug, being as gentle as possible with the baby between them. Y/n melted into the embrace, taking the time to breathe in that familiar scent of home and family before the twins slowly pull away. Harwin beams down at the infant in his sister's arms, "I take it that this is what you were referring to when you mentioned an impossible task. I don't know about you, Y/n, but this looks as though you know how to make the impossible possible. He's a handsome one. What do you call him?"

Her smile is infectious as she lifts her son up higher for his uncle to see him, "We named him Jacaerys. Jace for short."

"Jace," Harwin removed his leather glove and gently placed his bare hand over the top of the boy's head, marveling at how it easily fit into his palm, "Strapping young lad."

"Yes... he already has a dragon."

"Are you fibbing?"

"No, I swear!" Her eyes sparkled in awe as she relayed the story to him, "The egg hatched in his crib a few nights ago. Until Jace is old enough to tame it, it will be under close watch."

The amazement and possibly terror lingers for a moment before Harwin's gaze softens to one of worry, "Y/n... tell me how you are."

She tilts her head, "How do you mean?"

"Are they treating you well? Are you cared for? You can tell me the truth. If they treat you poorly, just say the word and I'll bring you and the boy to Harrenhal. You'll never have to--"

"Harwin." Y/n laughs quietly under her breath, holding Jace in one arm while she takes a hand to gently pat Ser Breakbones' cheek, smiling fondly, "I love you, brother, but you truly are a fool. Even if I was treated unfairly, you cannot protect me from dragons, especially not at Harrenhal of all places. But I'm happy to inform you that that would never be the case. Daemon loves me, as does Rhaenyra. They could never harm me."

She sits down on a garden bench and invites her brother to follow, "How did they come about asking for your aid?"

"Originally, they didn't think I would need to take part in this web they intend to spin," Harwin explained, "Prince Daemon assured me that he would only send a letter if your child was born looking more like a Strong than a Targaryen."

Y/n nods automatically, "Daemon is playing his part well, pretending to be Jace's uncle... though he tries keeping his distance."

She had been staring sadly down at the bundle in her arms, drawing Harwin to a worrying conclusion, "Do you think your husband despises the fact Jace does not look Targaryen?"

"No. At least-- I don't think so." She shook her head, unsure, "I want to believe that he's slowly realizing just how hard this whole situation is going to be for us carrying Laenor and Rhaenyra's children. Once Jace and any siblings he might have start growing, Daemon and I will have to stop parenting them and start pretending to be their aunt and uncle. Knowing my husband, he's probably thinking that when that day comes, it will hurt less if he started keeping his distance now rather than later."

Harwin nods in acknowledgment, believing he understood what his sister meant, "Prince Daemon has always struggled with arranged marriages--"

"I may have been an arranged wife to him at the beginning, Harwin, but that is no longer the case." She reminds him, "As I said, Daemon and Rhaenyra grew to love me and I grew to love them in return. That's likely when Daemon realized that this arrangement was going to be hard, knowing he couldn't openly love our children when they get older."

"I understand." He decides to change the subject, leaning over to gently stroke Jace's little face with a single finger, "What is to be done with the King?"

A different kind of shadow falls over Y/n's face, "Rhaenyra and Laenor will fly to King's Landing with Jace and his hatchling."

Harwin peered up, eyebrows raised, "And you agreed to this?"

"My son is a Targaryen, no matter who he was born to. The King's own mother would fly on her dragon's back when both of her sons were infants. While they're gone, Daemon suggests I try flying with him."

"Y/n..."

"I am Daemon's wife. I've never heard of a dragon harming his rider's wife."

"Still, I have seen you grow ill from tall heights and unsteady ground."

Y/n scoffs when she catches the mockery in his voice, nudging him with her elbow, "You embarrass me, brother... Daemon and Rhaenyra call me the Mother of Dragons. I should probably learn to fly with my children someday, don't you think?"

~~~~~~~~~

Harwin stayed in Dragonstone for a full moon cycle before planning his return to King's Landing per his father's summons. With the Hand's request also came the King's, begging his daughter to bring her son to him as soon as possible. Rhaenyra had prolonged this enough and announced it was time for her and Laenor to present the babe to the King's court. They would wait until Ser Harwin had returned to King's Landing, then they would follow on dragonback. The morning came for the heir of Harrenhal to disembark once again, and so Y/n stood on the docks of Dragonstone with her son in her arms in order to watch him leave.

Harwin smiled while placing his hand on Jace's head once more, "It won't be such a tiresome journey knowing that I'll be seeing you again in the capital soon. You behave for your mother in the meantime."

The strong knight then leaned over and kissed the top of Y/n's head, "As for you. Promise you'll write to me. As much as you can."

"Until my wrist falls off," she promised, "Give Father and Larys my love. Tell them I miss them."

"I will. Until next time, Mother of Dragons."

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Kofi account here. Please support if you can!

Next chapter will have time skips. As I said, I will be taking a break from this series after all the frustration I went through just to post it. Please support my kofi and other fics. If you want to check out other fics that are not Game of Thrones related, my ao3 is Po_ta_toes, thank you!

Enjoy an edit I made of our favorite OT3!

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asumofwords · 2 years ago

Text

Smoke, Fire and Ash

AEMOND POV

Warnings: This fic includes noncon, dubcon, manipulation, violence, death and inc3st. Tags will be added as the fic goes on. Thoughts of manipulation and hurt, violence and assault. Obsessive themes and possessiveness.

This is a dark!fic. 18+ only. Read at your own discretion. Please read the warnings before continuing.

Summary: You are the eldest daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. You are forced to navigate the difficult surroundings of your upbringing and the eventual disintegration between your family and the Hightower's relationship. What will happen when your older and estranged uncle suddenly takes a more sinister interest in you? (Dark!Aemond x Reader)

Masterlist

Characters: AEMOND!POV, Aemond Targaryen X Reader, HOTD characters.

Word count: 4k

Note: Two posts in one day? I am spoiling you all... but only because I love you hehe. This is Aemond's POV from Chapters 16 and 17, where the feast of celebrations for Helaena and Aegon's union is taking place. I did have to split this into two parts as it ran over 10k words lol, so here is Chapter's 16-17 and I will be posting Chapters 18-19 very soon. Anyway, enough of me talking !!! ENJOY! <3

AEMOND POV: Chapters 16 & 17

He sat at the table, lined with his family, whilst awaiting for the other half, eye roaming over the empty seats, that would soon be filled by the Blacks.

And how he anticipated their arrival.

More specifically, yours.

Aegon had been sitting nearby, downing cups of wine and ale faster than he should have, becoming red in the face and drunker by the minute.

Aemond was loyal to his older brother, though this did not mean that he had to particularly like him. Despite some brotherly love he had for the eldest, there was the suffocating disgust, and hatred that boiled into his very core.

His childhood tormentor.

His brother.

A man who cared very little for the crown and its duties, or his duty as a Prince to the realm. A man who whored and drank himself into a stupor, and abused the kindness of their sister.

That was something to Aemond that was unforgivable.

Aemond noted that his mother looked anxious, and although her hands found themselves busy amongst the cups upon the table, or holding themselves in her lap, there was the undeniable fidgeting that was there too.

King Viserys sat at the table silently, his son believing it due to the mans ailment, more than his distaste for his other children. In fact, Viserys was never too interested in Aemond, nor Daeron, but showed love regardless, however, more towards Aegon until he had become more, and more drunk, and a love for Helaena that had never dwindled.

Though as his illness progressed, his ability to be present for his children lessened. In fact, his ability to be present at all had declined until soon, Aemond’s mother and grandfather held the realm for him in his absence.

When would the old bastard die?

By the looks of it, the One-Eyed Prince surmised that his father did not have much longer to live. His skin grew paler by the day, and it was a rare occurrence, that had not been seen, for the man to not be placated by milk of the poppy.

Aemond’s distaste for his father did not come from nowhere.

It was years of neglect, no dragon egg in his crib as was tradition, no interception of the bullying that he endured, and no sympathy for the eye that was lost, that led to the rift of their relationship, if any was there at all.

Aemond remembered that fateful night clearly.

He remembered how instead of his father coming to console his son for the loss of his eye at the age of only ten, instead threatened the young boy with removing his tongue for a truth that was spoken by most people in court, and most importantly, his wife.

And eye for an eye, his mother had said.

He supposed the Gods had come late when they had taken Viserys’ for his place in that evening.

But soon he would pass, and a new nightmare would begin. His brother would take the throne and rule over the Kingdom, and once again, Aemond would have to bend to his brothers will.

And as he waited amongst the sea of sounds, Lords and Ladies of the realm laughing and speaking loudly, music playing amongst the sides of the garden, and quiet chatter at his own table between Otto and Alicent, he impatiently asked the Gods to hurry the day along and deliver you to him.

The Gods answered Aemond’s prayers.

At first he saw the silver hair of his half-sister and uncle, both dressed in black as per usual, and both with their heads held high in an almost dangerously proud fashion.

Behind them, were your two bastard brothers, hair as dark as Ser Harwin Strong’s, and eyes as brown as the bark of the Godswood. Beside them their betrothed, and together, a vision of the evening his eye had been taken from him.

Then there was you.

Trailing along at the back, taking your time, with the same posture as your parents.

Dangerously prideful, boastful even.

He was not sure what he had been expecting, but as you walked through the garden, through the sea of tables and Lords and Ladies of the realm, and as their eyes turned to stare upon your form, he could not help but feel a sense of pride and anger.

Another Dornish dress.

You were teasing him.

It looked to him to be two pieces, and those two pieces were fit to your form perfectly, almost painted on. And how he wished to rip it off of you.

The top was of the finest leather, folded perfectly to your frame, with a high neck and a cut out space were the soft, pillowy flesh of your breasts were visible. A black skirt with red peeking through drew his attention to your legs and hips, swaying with each step as you sauntered up to the table to join them for the celebrations.

Each step you took, each breath you inhaled, caused your breasts to push against the soft leather, only tempting the young Prince further. He wished to run his tongue along the supple skin showing, in front of all the men and women, and the King be damned.

Aemond used all of his restraint to not jump up from the table and pull you away from the crowd, to fuck you roughly against the castle walls, his bed chambers, your bed chambers, in the dragon pit even. He would fuck you in the garden, and in the roots of the Godswood to show them that you were meant to be his, and under their eyes you would be.

But then as the closer you got to him, the more time he had to let his lone eye gaze at the people who were also watching you. And the bitter rage and disgust flooded him faster than the lust did.

Those mens eyes, even married Lord’s, watched you hungrily, and you did not even care for it.

In fact, he was sure that you enjoyed it.

That you lived for the attention that you were getting from the scandalous outfit. From the way the bodice hugged your form and waist, to how your breasts were softly teased to the garden. And what it made it all worse, was that you were not promised to anyone.

And that made you fair game.

As you came to sit by him and Helaena, and the rest of your family and bastard brothers sat and observed him with wary eyes, he found jealousy in having you greet everyone but him.

Even his drunken brother.

“Princess Helaena, you look beautiful. Gold is a wonderful colour on you.” You had complimented his sister, and oh how sweet your voice sounded.

Those lips which could spout such poison, such vitriol and discontent, which could rip and tear at you easily, were so syrupy with his sister.

And he envied it.

He wished that you would acknowledge him, tell him that he looked good that afternoon. That you had noticed that he had spent time and effort on himself, and had noticed that his maids had brushed gentle scented oils into his long hair, braiding half behind his head.

But you didn’t.

Nor did you spare him a glance.

A short snort came from the pursed lips of Aegon, who’s goblet had not seemed to move from his face. Aegon these days, as closer as their father got to death, had become closer to drinking himself into his own cups.

He had watched as you held your tongue and instead smiled at Aegon, and Aemond wished to launch himself across the table and squeeze the life out of his brother for ever having the privilege of having such a smile given to him.

No matter how insincere.

And then the sweet, syrupy tone of your voice was quickly exchanged with the sour bite of your disdain as Aegon continued to push you to fight, push you to react, and the more Aemond watched the interaction, the more concerned he became.

Aemond was not the only man who had noticed you that evening, nor the Lords of the realm. Instead, Aegon had set his sights onto you, and once again, Aemond was left to feel as though his brother would swoop in to take what was his.

“Has anyone told you how delightful you look today?”

Aemond imagined what it would be like to slip a blade into the throat of his brother and yank it swiftly to the side, pulling his flesh from his bones, to watch the thick blood pour from the wound he would create.

Alicent cringed, and Aemond felt all the more incensed.

How many times did his brother have to cause his mother’s distress? How many times did they both have to pick up after him? To constantly watch over him him? A man grown, and older than he?

Aemond almost sighed in relief as you dodged his brothers crude comment, instead directing the positive attention back to Helaena.

How you always doted on her.

You would be such a good mother.

He could not wait to give you his seed.

As the evening wore on, you had pulled your favourite fruit from in front of you. And he watched, as he always did, your delicate hands begin to pull the juicy flesh apart.

The nectar ran down from your fingers, dripping to your wrist slowly, the afternoon light glinting against it. He watched as you placed chunks of the fruit into your mouth and chewed with half shut eyes in delight of the taste, listening to those around you conversing.

Aemond found that he could not pay attention to the low tones of his grandfather and mother, nor the whispers of Daemon and Rhaenyra. He could only focus on you, and the sounds you made as you chewed.

Sounds you were not even aware of.

Tiny contented sighs and moans fell from your plush lips, so quiet that anyone would have to strain to hear it, and Aemond was straining to hear anything that left your pretty mouth.

What would it feel like for him to brush his thumb against the bottom of your lip, sticky with star fruit? Would you suck his thumb into your mouth crudely? Would you kiss at the tip? Or lick at it gently as you looked at him with your violet eyes.

The thought went straight to his cock, and he felt himself hardening inside his breaches.

And then you began to lick at your fingers, soft, pink tongue coming out to chase the nectar as it dripped from the fruit and made a mess of you, and it took everything within him to not kiss you then and there.

Would you lick his cum from your fingers like that? After to bringing him to release with your hand or mouth? Or perhaps you had scooped his seed from within you, drawing it up to your lips to taste your combined essence?

He knew you would be insatiable.

Or perhaps you would lick at the juices from your own cunt? Tongue wet with your own slick that you would drag from your fluttering hole, up to your waiting lips.

Would he fuck you with his hand, feeling you tighten around his digits and your release coat his palm? Would he bring those fingers up to your mouth to clean? And would you lick them so diligently like the dutiful wife he would make you?

Aemond wished to feel your tongue sliding up his shaft before licking and sucking at the tip of his cock. He wanted to see your hands and mouth coated with his seed, not the nectar of the star fruit.

But then Daemon had cleared his throat, and you had turned to witness Aemond staring at you, devouring the star fruit, and you had become oh so meek, so demure, so pure, and discontinued your ravaging of the Dornish delicacy. Aemond cursed his uncle in his head, and made a note that he was being watched.

You still had not acknowledged him.

Still had not greeted his presence despite being so close. Still had not met him with your usual snark, or attitude, or disgust filled eyes. It was as if he did not exist.

And he hated it.

You had even made conversation with his own grandfather, Otto, who you had made very clear, from your return, of your disdain for. But even still, you met his questions with answers and returned them in kind.

It incensed him.

Why were you ignoring him?

“You look lovely, Princess Y/n.” As the words left his mouth, the young man thought to himself, let the games begin.

You had straightened your back and taken a deep breath in, before you had finally met his own eye. Violet met violet, and suddenly you were facing each other, and he fell straight into your eyes.

A dangerous trap they were, and oh so tempting for any mortal man.

“Thank you, Prince Aemond. You are far too kind.”

The syrup was back.

Was it strengthened by the nectar of the fruit you had made love to?

“I don’t believe I’ve seen such a dress before, at least not in this court.”

Aemond fought to not lean forward to get a closer look, and instead, pushed himself back into his chair to restrain himself.

“It was made specially for an occasion such as this, a tailor in Dorne creates the most wonderful pieces.”

Such a boastful little thing.

So much pride.

“Hmm. Dorne does have many exotic things….”

To his disappointment, at the topic of Dorne you had turned excitedly to talk to Helaena about the exotic fruits and spices there. Animatedly telling short tales, and making promises to your aunt that you would go together.

He felt himself relax as he watched Helaena smile, a rare occurrence these days, and Aemond felt gladdened for it, but then Aegon snickered loudly, and wrapped his rough hand around Helaena, and Aemond watched the sickly sweet air around you turn sour, in a blink of an eye.

“Our niece does know how to talk, doesn’t she?” Aegon breathed into Helaena's face, and Aemond wished to hit the man in the mouth, lest it ever be opened again.

He did not know how his mother allowed for him to treat her in such a manner. He did not know how he could abuse her, and use her, and treat her worse than a commoner.

Than a whore.

How Helaena had sought comfort from Aemond many times after Aegon’s drunken attacks. How Helaena would sob in his arms at first, but eventually as time turned, and the abuse did not stop, she turned silent, and instead of sobs, there would be blinks and small words exchanged, until nothing at all.

Not quite present, not quite absent.

She was simply there.

“And you know how to drink brother.”

Aemond’s eye never left Helaena’s shoulder where Aegon’s hand dug roughly into her flesh.

His gaze was a warning, and Aegon heeded it.

Aegon's grip left your aunt, and reached out in show to grab at his goblet, before lifting it to his lips, challenging his brother as he emptied the cup, before thrusting it behind him for a server to come fill it up once more.

“And you know how to ruin the fun.” Aegon sulked.

The afternoon carried on and he watched as Helaena snatched you up from the table, declaring the both of you would dance, before she dragged you down into the sea of people, celebrating a disastrous marriage.

Even with one eye, even from afar, amongst a sea of dancing and moving people, he could spot you from a mile away. It was not the silver head of hair that gave you away, it was you. The way you smiled, lips pulling apart as your teeth showed to the room, the way your eyes would light up as you grinned and laughed.

It was the way your skin looked so soft, softer than all present. Like you had been made of silk and velvet, but carved from marble and stone. How he wished to touch you, all of you, to feel the soft skin of your flesh against him, to press you harder against him.

To press himself harder into you, rutting against you viciously, feeling the tip of his cock meet the end of your cunt, as you curled beneath him.

All those around you looked dull, and common in comparison.

Plain featured women and men who dared to sometimes grasp his own attention, as if their commonly features would lure him into an allyship, friendship or the warm bed of another.

A bed that was not yours.

Watching both you and Helaena smile was addictive. To see you so carefree, so relaxed and happy in his sisters presence, made him wish to be the one to bring you such happiness. Such elation.

And it soured him to know that he would never be able to, despite his efforts.

The stale yellow hair of Jason Lannister flitted into his view, a man who had no doubt, also been bewitched by the Princess. And Aemond watched in anger as the man was drawn to you like a moth to flame, his feet carrying him hurriedly, yet not too hurriedly under the watchful eyes of his wife, as he made his way to you.

When Jason interrupted you and Helaena, Aemond noted that you too looked disgusted and put off by the mans presence, and as the Lannister leant his face towards you, Aemond shot up from his seat, ignoring the sudden watchful gaze of all at the table, most importantly his own mother, who watched him knowingly as he stalked down to where you where.

The bodies parted for Aemond, like a ship parts the rough waves of the sea, and all he could do was set his sight on you, as you desperately glanced at Helaena for an out.

And Aemond would give you one.

“A union of House Targaryen and House Lannister would be a formidable force.” The slimy Lion suggested, and Aemond took a sharp breath through his nose to prevent himself from declaring treason that this man would even dare to think that he was worthy of you, to even be in your presence, let alone warm your bed.

“I'm sure it would be.” You had spoke bluntly, disgusted by the proposal, and Aemond felt pride, “I think I remember my mother telling me of your offer to her when she was-“

He stood behind you now, and watched as you moved to turn away, lips open to land the last verbal blow at the man before you, but all halted as you collided with him. The young prince felt the softness of your skin, and smelt the sweet oils in your hair as you lifted your gaze to look into his eye.

Your face was either flushed from dancing, or flushed from being so close to him. He could not decide.

But the wild look in your eye, and the way that your lips snapped shut, and your chest rose and fell more rapidly, as though readying yourself for him, gave him all the confirmation he needed.

Aemond lifted his hand and held it out to you, wishing you would put your small little hand in his so he could dwarf it in size, so that he could hold you and squeeze you, and feel you for once in a way that was not sacrilegious.

Aemond did not bother to take his eye from you, nor did he bother to turn to acknowledge the distasteful man beside him, whose gaze felt warm on the side of Aemond’s face.

Pestilent cunt.

“Apologies for the interruption My Lord, but my niece had promised me a dance.”

Aemond delighted in how your face screwed up, in confusion, in anger, in defiance. And as your lips parted to deny him of what he sought out, you were interrupted by the grating voice of the man beside you both.

The pissant Lord of Casterly Rock bowed down to him as a good dog would, and conceded to the Princes uncourtly interruption.

For a man with so much pride, such arrogance, and little intelligence but the knowledge that money held power, and the Lannisters had plenty, the man simply walked away, submissively back to the arms of his wife, and sulked.

It made Aemond feel powerful, and his cock jumped at-

“I don’t recall promising you a dance, uncle.” You spoke lowly, hoping for the music and voices of others around you to drown out your sour tone. But it didn’t, and Aemond had heard you, and Helaena had disappeared back towards the table, noting his presence with their niece.

She knew.

Words were exchanged, and he had purred in your ear and felt your body shiver, and watches as your eyes dilated, and lips wet themselves with your tongue.

He had called you ravishing, and you had accepted it. And it was the truth, you were ravishing. You were what all gazed upon that evening, and all that people whispered about.

The Realm’s Delight had birthed the Realm’s Pleasure.

Pride and jealousy chased themselves in circles around Aemond, as he caught people watch the both of you dance. And how well you had danced, so graceful, so soft and so flowing, like a body of water.

So perfect for him.

“I expected you to be in green for such an event.” You had snipped, and he had not bothered to give you a response.

It would not have been dignified.

He had thought about making a comment about your dress, about the tartiness of it all. Of how you showed far more skin than anyone else in the court, despite being above all else. But he held his tongue in his mouth as it began to feel bitter and sharp.

It would do well to not stir you. He had made a promise to his mother to behave.

Both he and Aegon had.

‘Let them show their depravity to all. Let them be the ones to land the first blow against themselves. Do not give in to their beastly ways.’

But how was he to resist?

He was a man, and there was your fire.

It made him want to hit you and kiss you all at once.

And as you slowed to a stop, you had looked up at him and given him a small smile, which he had prayed for all evening to see. A smile in which he had wished for all day, and craved like a man starved.

For in the Red Keep, Aemond was alone in a desert, walking amongst the sandy hills, heat beating down upon him, and then you had smiled. And it was as if he had tasted the cool, wet of water on his tongue for the first time in years.

Like that smile, such a small one at that, where your lips pulled gently to the side and your cheeks rose, gave him all that was needed to sustain him for life.

“Thank you for the dance, uncle.”

And he knew then, that he would need it again, and again, and again, lest he succumb to the dry desert wasteland and die.

Aemond watched you courtesy and race away back to the table, where he trailed slowly, watching your hips sway through the crowd of people, who also looked on.

They should have their eyes plucked from their skulls.

He committed their faces to his memory for this purpose alone.

The young Prince watched you excuse yourself to the garden. And he thought that if he sat at the table, he could resist the urge to chase after you. He had sat back down, his mothers eyes watching him curiously, and the heat of Daemon’s gaze violating his person.

And he had done such a good job of sitting, he had even pulled his goblet to his lips to sip, before his urges won over, and he stood from the table, excusing himself, to look for you.

Thanks so much for reading along with me, if you wish to be added to the tag list please let me know :) Likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated ! Enjoy <3

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thefangdomcryptid · 2 months ago

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I'm looking for HotD moots, mainly Daemon/Aemond fans (I'm not Team Black or Green, because I'm not into fandom drama, but if you're on either team and you're nice I'd love to be moots, duh!) Fic writers, gif makers, artists all are welcome! I'm in the progress of fic writing myself, but it's been a challenge fitting my OFC (who existed prior to the whole GoT universe and is not a self insert) into Westeros.

#aemond targaryen #hotd aemond #house of the dragon #daemon targaryen #hotd daemon

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aemondsbeloved · 2 years ago

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From The Tides [Part 5]

summary: as you do your best to avoid Aemond Targaryen, you realize you cannot avoid everyone in the castle you distrust. To your dismay a tourney is announced and your luck with avoiding the silver hair prince runs out (8k)

pairings: aemond targaryen x reader, (platonic) lucerys velaryon x reader

warnings: none except Aemond and the reader enjoying hating each other a little too much, lots of foreshadowing to the next chapter if you look close enough...

notes: sorry for not posting for like 2 weeks?? my personal life has been so busy and I've had my spring break all of this week. I've also starting working on a novel so was focusing on that instead of the some fics (don’t worry I literally have no plans to stop writing for hotd hahah)

“Most ladies in the court do not like my friends,” Helaena commented airily besides you from where she sat in the gardens. During the month that followed your interaction with Aemond Targaryen you had scarcely seen him, but had seen much of his sister.

Helaena was right in her words but some bugs would not scare you off. “I am not like most ladies, princess,” you smiled softly in her direction. Today the sun was beating down hotter than usual and it was the shade of the large tree you were under that prevented you from sweltering this afternoon.

Helaena only hummed half heartedly in agreement. In the past weeks you had discovered many things. Most of all, Helaena was kind and unlike her brothers in every way, but was nearly always in her own head. Seeing the relaxed nature of her body right now made you think this was not a truly terrible thing.

“Dragons clash and threads will rip again,” she whispered under her breath as her spider crawled up her arm. You only partly listened to her knowing after a near month that you did not have the knowledge to understand her words at times like these. Suddenly she seemed to fall out of a trance and looked up at you with a radiant smile. “Are you excited for the tourney, my lady?”

And here you were nearly feeling relaxed. Apparently, these tourneys could get violent, if the words you heard were true enough. Jace and Luke were set to compete and you were everything but excited. “It is all new to me, Princess,” you said instead with a weary smile and hoped she could not tell. “I hear it will be quite grand.” There was no other words in your vocabulary to describe what the tourney is set to be like.

Of course you knew about the tourney. It had been some months since Queen Rhaenyra’s reign had begun and the civil war had ceased. With Jace’s nameday this week it was an easy enough decision to host a tourney. A show of unity in the house of the dragon and a new age of strength, her Grace had said. Even Consort Daemon had agreed.

You only thought of your friends competing and who they might face. You had seen Jace and Luke train and while the two had made a shocking amount of progress, slowly becoming warriors under Daemon’s wing, it did not change the fact there were always stronger men. These thoughts were best kept to yourself.

“Prince Jacaerys and Prince Lucerys will be competing!” Helaena recalled brightly, combing the grass below her palms with her fingers. “And the feasts after the tourneys are always the most wonderful part according to my mother.”

There was a certain warmth Helaena possessed when she spoke of Lady Alicent, which silently always made you ask yourself if she was as wicked and scheming as Daemon claimed. Your Queen seemed to look for her at times in between council meetings and Helaena spoke nothing but kind things of her mother. Was this the same woman who had secretly called Jace and Luke bastards for years? Was this the Queen who betrayed the rightful heir?

A slight shadow loomed over both of you, obstructing the shade.

“Mother,” Helaena greeted as she looked past your shoulder. Sure enough, when you craned your neck to look behind you there Lady Alicent was draped in green silks. The only difference between the silks she wore now was that they were not so dark but a lighter green that nearly made her look younger than she was.

Alicent smiled warmly at her daughter and did not yet seem to acknowledge you. “Your brother has told me the children have just left the Septa from their lessons.”

A question seemed to linger in the hot summer air, asking Helaena if she wanted to go and see her sons and daughter. She must have as Helaena got up from the grass, her movements as airy and angelic as she seemed to be most days. “I will see you before the tourney, won’t I?” she smiled at you, already knowing your answer. There was something lively yet relaxing about Princess Helaena and you had not refused her company yet.

“I would hope so, Princess.”

She had grinned, her smile toothy and joyful as she moved to kiss her mother on the cheek before walking from the gardens.

“I have long since wanted to speak to you but you always seem so occupied,” Alicent said as you walked side by side with her. Your silence had her glancing at you with uncertainty before she seemed to push through whatever was on her mind. “You are rightfully occupied, of course. I believe by now anyone in the court can see her Grace trusts you explicitly.”

“I serve Queen Rhaenyra to the best of my abilities,” you said rather monotonously. What was her intent? You looked at her with scrutiny. “I am loyal to her.”

Her steps might have faltered if it were not for the years of being Queen teaching Alicent how to hide shock. “I see Daemon has gotten to you,” she noted, bemused. If she noticed your hardened gaze as you both walked up the stairs to where her rooms were, she did not make it known. “I have nothing to gain that has not already been given to me by Rhaenyra,” she cast a look your way, almost begging you to see the truth of it. “She could have killed me, imprisoned me, exiled me, and done that and worse to my children, but she did not. There were… missteps, guided by the pride and, perhaps, fear of young men, but Queen Rhaenyra has forgiven it all.”

You moved over the words she used, especially missteps. When you both approached the chambers she had been moved to some months ago, you noticed the man in silver armor again. Ser Cole was Alicent’s sworn protector when she was Queen and he was the man who your Queen refused to allow to train Jace and Luke. The only acknowledgement you gave him when you passed by through the doors to Alicent’s rooms was narrowed eyes.

You did not like him and you could not trust her.

“I had tea brought up for us,” Alicent informed you, gesturing for you to sit across from her by the windows. Reluctantly, you sat down. “I have heard you enjoy the rose blend.”

Making a sound of acknowledgement you thanked her in a murmur. The rose tea was the most appeasing of all the ones you had since living in the Red Keep. A servant brought you one in the morning every day before you went to Queen Rhaenyra to ready her. “I enjoy it in the mornings,” you told her smiling. The muscles felt stiff and unnatural when you did it unlike the broad grin paired with laughter you had with Luke nor was it the soft smile of fondness when you were near Helaena.

Like your view of Alicent Hightower’s sons, you did not trust her. She invoked weariness at best. This may have been why you neglected to add how the Red Keep’s fine teas could not replicate the strong black tea your mother made on misty mornings when the sun had barely risen before you would go fishing with your father. She would put too much sugar in it, perhaps to cover the bitter taste when the water was too hot but the cup of tea in the morning felt right enough in its place.

Like the woman in front of you and truly everyone you trusted and detested here, you could only find shattered fragments to remind you of the life you had in your village. Misty mornings and too sweet tea that burned your tongue changed to sweltering days and donning fine silks pretending to be someone you were not born to be. Sitting in front of her made you want to run back to your village, to fish with your father again, but it was the memory of Luke, his brother, their cousins, maybe even Princess Helaena, that glued you to the halls of the Red Keep. It was hard to leave when everyone around you were dear to you.

This did not mean you had to like the games people played or pretend to enjoy playing them. They had never really known survival, at least not like you had. Alicent Hightower is not someone who could survive on the seas you had been sailing on since you were but ten years of age.

But you didn’t tell her any of this, of course. Trust her or not, you did drink the tea when it came and smiled kindly at her, forced your shoulders to not be so stiff, and acted like you did not suspect many horrendous things of her. This was the mother of the Usurper and Kinslayer, you thought, and she could not be trusted. Queen Rhaenyra had loved her father and you doubted the ugliness in his sons came from him. One look at Otto Hightower let you know who they got their foulness from.

“Why did you want to speak to me, Lady Alicent?” you asked after taking a sip of tea. The rose tea was wonderful and it did not even burn your tongue. When a flicker of nerves seemed to pass her amber eyes, you made no move to acknowledge it. She seemed to flounder for words and you were fine with filling the silence. “I would hope you are not as forward as your father in thinking that I can convince the Queen to give you privileges you ought not to have.”

For a moment she did not react to your words at all when she took a long sip of her tea, holding the tea cup to her lips for longer than was necessary. In the back of your mind you were aware your words were harsh and even clunky when spoken. In the months since arriving in the Red Keep your language had changed; You could not speak the way you did to your father to the lords and ladies of the court, so you did your best to learn. Reading books in the library in your freetime was the best way to do this, but even as your vocabulary grew it was times like these, where you were near people you did not trust and anger rose within you that any new knowledge was useless. A bull in a chinashop is how you felt — unnatural, out of place and obscene in motion and practice.

Lady Alicent knew that just as she knew you were a fisherman’s daughter masquerading as someone else but she never said the words. Unlike you, she was clever in surviving at court. If she wasn’t then her entire family wouldn’t have their heads, much less a position in court.

“No,” was all she said in response to your question. Setting her tea cup down, she smiled gently and she almost looked like her daughter. Unlike Helaena, there were years of understanding and knowledge behind her brown eyes that only came with living a life. Gingerly, she placed her hands in her lap and leveled a look at you. It was not harsh but firm nonetheless. “Consort Daemon would like to see my family without air in their lungs. To him seeing them walk the Keep is a slight that should not go unpunished.”

You made no move to correct her. Daemon had been insistent many times on how the Hightower’s treachery should not be forgiven. Otto Hightower had been the Hand of the King and had been planning to usurp Rhaenyra for too many years to count. Aemond Targaryen had nearly killed the Queen’s son. Aegon Targaryen took his sister’s crown. Sometimes you agreed with Daemon, silent as it may be.

You had told Queen Rhaenyra one morning whilst you braided her hair that every day you fished with your father you only killed the fish you needed to survive and not one more. If you did there would be nothing good from it, only the stink of rotting fish that you did not have the stomachs to eat. The words had been clear. What would executing the former Hand of the King, second wife of the King, and King Viserys youngest children do? Queen Rhaenyra had not said anything in response, merely nodding at you slowly in the mirror. The next day when her council had begun planning their journey to King’s Landing to accept peace terms from Alicent Hightower, she had been clear — no Hightowers would forfeit their lives.

Perhaps Lady Alicent knew you had influenced this decision, though you doubted it unless Queen Rhaenyra told Alicent herself. “Consort Daemon does not sit the Iron Throne,” was your response in a voice so neutral and unaffected you could not recognize it as your own. “Queen Rhaenyra has made it clear what she wants. Consort Daemon's wishes are only those desires he will not have.”

From the tilt of her chin as she gauged you, maybe trying to decide if she thought you honest, you knew that she would not tell Daemon what you had said of him. Consort Daemon was someone you respected for what he was. Your Queen was fearsome next to him and his strength had helped her greatly. If it weren’t for him you could not say that Luke and his brother would be progressing so well in training. Yet this desire for violence made Daemon dangerous and too wild to ever trust fully.

“I see why Queen Rhaenyra trusts you,” Alicent said after a moment, then took another sip of tea. With nothing else to say, you mimicked her actions. “You don’t trust me.”

When she said that you flickered your eyes to hers across the tea cup you sipped from. “Should I?” you asked, tongue quick before you even say your tea cup down again. When you did she almost looked amused, though a tight smile hid that expression well.

“You are strikingly similar to someone dear to me,” she told you after a moment, the hard lines of her smile loosening to something softer. Your silence seemed to make her remember why she brought you here. “You do not trust me but I hope you may trust this to be true — I love my family, my lady. I did what I thought would protect them and everything I will ever do is for their safety.”

You stared at her for as long as you could bear to before taking a sip of tea, setting down the empty cup on the table. “You have a family,” she said, leaning forward. There was a desperation in her eyes for understanding. It was only at seeing the expression so feverish in her brown eyes that had you truly listening to her for the first time today. “Tell me, do you not worry for their safety and well-being, and do you not long for their contentment?”

“Why do you think I am here, Lady Alicent, if not for my family?” You lean back into your chair, the plush cushion of the seat pressing against your back comfortably. For the first time Alicent is seeing you in your casual determination and she seems pleased, if not shocked. Before she can question you on family you lean forward as she had done. Gods forbid she asks you if Queen Rhaenyra’s family is one you see as your own, a question you could not answer yourself. “You are right, my lady. I do not trust you. I do not trust your intentions and I certainly do not trust those sons of yours.” The quiet tone of your voice is by no means soft, each of the words from your lips carefully said and holding a dangerous tone.

Lady Alicent seems determined for a moment and she only falters for but a second before clearing her throat. “My family did what I thought we must do in order to survive,” she swore again and there was a wildness in her eyes that glimmered even for eyes as dark as hers. She was desperate for something, maybe your trust or even for you to just see her perspective. “It was an injustice, I know, but Queen Rhaenyra understands that the past cannot be changed. House Targaryen must be a united front if we wish to survive.”

Survival. The way she used the word made you scoff and turn to look out the window beside you. Biting your lip harshly was the only way to keep the ugly scowl from growing on your lips of what survival meant to Alicent’s family. You had believed you could master constraint against saying what your tongue was desperate to, the truth, but then you looked back to her. There she was again, looking desperate and you thought, for what? Empathy?

“I was raised by the sea in the Stormlands. I have seen the ugliness and the brutality those waves carry,” briefly you thought of your father and the way he would steer your family’s small yet sturdy boat. He always could see past the strong rain that would fall into his eyes. How you never knew. “Do you know why my father was a fisherman?” you bit out the words, not sparring her any niceties now. “Because where I am from people do not have lands and titles to inherit. My father is a fisherman because he had to be. How else does a man feed his family? That is survival, my lady.”

Alicent opened her mouth to speak but much like the sea before an approaching storm, you felt a certain anger rise within you. “Survival is not stealing the throne from the rightful heir. It is certainly not trying to kill your own kin and sending their body falling into the sea below, letting the waves drown your own blood.”

You did not realize when you had gotten up, only hearing the scrapping of the wooden chair legs against the stone floor. With your fists clenched in your fury, you wearily eyed Lady Alicent when she got up. Now she looked at you like you were the one that was too wild to be a lady and acted too frenzied. “My lady,” she began and you could see she had no idea what to say next. It did not matter to you anyways. Moving past the table, you did not curtsey and did not even say goodbye as you moved out of the room. Your silk skirts swished around your legs when you left a dumbfounded and perplexed Alicent behind. Ser Cole’s surprised expression when you moved passed him outside Alicent’s rooms did not bother you. Moving furiously down the corridor it did nothing to bother you.

Later, you stood in the most silent part of the library where no one ever seemed to go. You trailed a finger across the spins of the books in the aisle you stood in front of, contemplating which book you would read next. Months ago you had told yourself you wanted to read the histories of Westeros, in particular the Targaryens, because it was your duty as the handmaiden to the first Queen Regent of House Targaryen and Westeros. The truth was, though, you loved to read histories, which was something you did not know until you came to the Red Keep. Before you only had the old copies of books, the second hand of second hand books if you will, that your sister’s husband had possessed. Now you had a library at your disposal.

Luke was close by but despite his improvement in his studies he would not read for pleasure. If he did it would be of pretend people. What good was learning about the past? He had asked you once, not unkindly but his words had made your face scrunch up in dismay. I’d rather learn about something else entirely. Something that didn’t even exist. If it had not been his improvements and even enjoyment of training and Valyrian lessons as of late, you might have hinted to him his taste in those stories of people who were not real was the yearning for a life in which he was not the heir of Driftmark, or where he was not Lucerys Velaryon at all.

Patiently, he leaned against the wall as you perused the books, taking too long to decide what to choose for your next book. He was staring out the window down at the training yard. If he did not have too much to tease you for after you had disclosed your tea with Lady Alicent, you would have told him he looked like he missed his training session this morning.

“I cannot believe you did that,” he muttered to himself. “You could have just lied and said you believed her. It matters little.”

Huffing a sharp breath, you grabbed the book you would read next. “I will not lie, Luke,” you told him, moving past the bookshelves towards his place by the windows. “I won’t belittle myself and dishonor my family by lying to please the likes of the Hightowers.”

“Do you have to be so you all the time?” he asked, grimacing as he said the words. “I’m not sure being honest all the time is a good thing. Mother says Lady Alicent is trustworthy.”

Rolling your eyes you walked past him, plopping yourself on the chair by the window stood in front of. “Should I lie?” you asked him, ignoring his comment on Alicent. You did not hate her but could not trust her. You opened the worn leather of the book. A Survey of Dornish History, it was called. Remembering the topic of Dorne in the Small Council meeting you felt compelled to learn something of their people.

You heard Luke move in front of the chair you sat in and place himself on the armrest of the chair next to you. “Everyone in court lies one way or another,” he said, voice soft and almost apologetic. Looking up at him you noticed that even hunched slightly and sitting uncomfortably on an arm chair, it was unmistakeable that he had begun to grow. The times you had seen him side by side Jace, the lack of a large height difference seemed to shrink.

“Do you?” you asked him, eyes flickering up to his with a challenging look in your eyes.

“No.”

“Then I see no need to pretend only to please others,” you shrugged and went back to the first page of your newest book.

“What do I have to do with what you will or will not do?” his question drew you back to him, this time closing your book for good. Later in your rooms alone after breaking this evening's fast you would read uninterrupted.

“Everything,” you said simply as if it did not need further explaining. His exasperated face made you smile slightly and it was so different than the one you had tried to give Alicent, this was real. “You have honor and you are kind. Do you not know this is such a rare thing to have in someone as highborn as you? If you tell the truth and are honest in everything you do, why should I act differently?”

He huffed indignantly. “You make me sound much better than I am,” he muttered after a moment. Contemptuously, he moved his gaze away from you to observe the shelves of books nearby you had been standing in front of a few minutes ago. Luke seemed to be contemplating something he did not desire to say aloud but with you he could not hold his tongue. “Mother and Lord Corlys think me incapable of doing any wrong to someone else. To them it is obvious that I am wholly good and I thought they might realize I am not so,” his words grew quieter and finally he looked back at you to see your own eyes imploring him to continue. “Perfect.”

“Perhaps you are perfect,” you teased him, fighting the grin off your lips. “Our perfect prince,” you snickered then and he shook his head, fighting his own laugh at your words.

“Nicely done,” he teased you back in mocking tones so light hearted you could never find offense. “Excellent alliteration.”

Scrunching up your nose you thought over this word he said, trying to place its meaning. When it came to you, you smiled remembering when you had read of alliteration in a compilation of Westerosi poetry. “Accidental too,” you said amused with yourself, resting your chin on your palm as you leaned on the armrest of your chair. “I am starting to truly marvel at myself. I fear there is no one as impressive as myself in the Red Keep.”

He laughed briefly. His amusement could not last, however.

“Such a high opinion of yourself you have, my lady,” a cool voice said, sounding like the water of a stream in the winter, cold to the bone.

You did not have to turn around to know who it was, the rigidity of Luke’s body told you that much already. “Prince Aemond,” Luke greeted stiffly as a person could speak but unlike the past, he was not shaking at the idea of Aemond now.

“Prince Lucerys,” Aemond mimicked, tilting his head down as slightly as a person could. To someone else it might have been a nod. Lucerys knew better.

Finally, you turned in your seat and looked at him. As a habit it seemed his arms were behind his back and to your displeasure, his eye was on you again. “My prince,” you greeted him as cordially as you could but the lack of warmth in your eyes only amused him.

Queen Rhaenyra had told you many times of the importance of being civil with the princes, an impossible task. If you cannot be in their presence without calling them the usurper or kinslayer, then do not find yourself in their presence at all, was what her Grace had told you.

You had succeeded until now it seemed. Even now your restraint was barely there now that Aemond Targaryen was near you. “What are you doing here?” you asked hastily, displeased with how stupid you sounded.

He barely paid you mind, his eye glancing at you before he moved past where you and Luke sat to reach the shelves you had only just been near moments ago. “I am here to find a book,” he said softly, though there was that air of arrogance in his voice. “That is what libraries are for, are they not?”

You rolled your eyes at his words, feeling the danger of your annoyance rising within you again. Luke’s gaze flickered to his uncle’s before looking back at you nervously. “We must head to see her Grace,” Luke said and was already up from his chair before you could react.

You frowned. “It is hardly mid day yet and her Grace has no need of me for another few hours—” You could not finish your thought, not when Luke had taken your wrist closest to him in his hand and yanked you up from your chair before practically pulling you towards the doors of the library. “Mind yourself!” you said angrily at him just as you walked through the doors, or rather were pulled from them.

“I had plans to read, Luke,” you fumed at him. “If you did not then you should not have come with me. You do not get to pull me around like I am some ragdoll.”

He threw his hands up in surrender but had a small smile on his face regardless. “Apologies. It would not have been wise to stay alone with Aemond.”

Your anger faded into the background and your features softened. “You are fearful of being alone with him?”

“I am fearful of being the lone witness of any encounter between you and him.”

You scowled at him and he tilted his head like you were proving his point. “You cannot continue to insult him. One day he will not let it go without retaliation. It’s his way.”

Aemond Targaryen was dangerous, that much you could admit, though it would never come from your lips. “Is it an insult to speak the truth?” you asked him slyly. “And it was only the one time. That is the first time I have seen him in a moon’s cycle, Luke. You worry too much.”

Luke shook his head in disagreement. “You cannot call him a kinslayer,” he uttered the last word in a whisper like he was fearsome of the thick doors being paper thin, allowing Aemond to hear the word. “Mother has spoken of the importance of peace in length with myself and Jace as I know she has with you. She takes your advice, I know this. Tell me this, is goading someone who is essential to maintaining the peace within our family a sound idea?”

With force, you huffed out an air of breath and looked to the curved stone ceiling for a moment. In your contemplation, Luke had reached out and held your hand, circling his thumb in soothing circles over the back of your hand. It is what you had done when coaxing him to wake during his nightmares when he was not a prince and you were only a fisherman’s daughter. When you looked back at him you showed him a smile of gratitude.

“I cannot forgive him for what he has done to you and I cannot pretend I do not hate him more than I have ever hated anyone,” you whispered. Recalling what had happened for you to find Luke, you felt a lump form in your throat. “When we found you I thought you were dead.”

“I know,” he said in a voice as quiet as your whisper. “But you saved me.”

You nodded, the emotion in your throat lessening. “Do not make me save you again.”

“I promise,” he whispered and tilting your head down, you smiled.

The sound of the wooden doors opening again cut through the silence and still holding your hand, Luke looked up. Following his gaze your head snapped up and saw Aemond Targaryen. Luke swallowed nothing, his adam’s apple bobbling, perhaps out of nerves. Was he afraid of the Prince? you wondered as you saw Aemond’s eye looked to your clasped hands before he looked back up at Luke. Or was he afraid of what you may do for Luke’s honor and protection?

Neither options pleased you and it was for this reason you regarded Aemond like he is not someone you might have hated the most within the walls of the Red Keep.

Aemond’s lips were in a thin lip, something that you thought was the natural state of his lips as that is how they always were whenever you saw him. His displeasure was as obvious as yours had been in the library, but he only nodded, to Luke and adjusted the leather bond book under his arm. “Prince Lucerys,” he said, though his words lacked warmth. “I look forward to competing against you in the coming tourney.” He turned his gaze to you merely saying, “my Lady,” and turned his gaze to your and Luke’s conjoined hands before he made the irritating humming sound. Without waiting a reply he turned from you both and strided down the hall.

Your hand dropped Luke’s and once Aemond’s figure was too far to hear anything you may say, you let out a breath you had not been aware you were holding. The arrogant air the silver haired prince held still lingered but he was not the object of your dismay. “You are competing against Aemond in the tourney?” you hissed the words lowly as you looked at Luke who at least had the decency to look guilty. “You could die.”

Recalling the deaths that were common in tourneys had worried you but now they would plague you. “He would not harm me,” Luke protested and you scoffed. “He won’t,” he insisted before you could object. “The rumors of discord in our family must be quelled and the tourney is meant to show the peace of House Targaryen and our newfound strength.”

He nearly sounded like a member of the small council and you withheld every retort you thought of knowing they would be said with anger.

“Aemond understands the importance of this and as long as Lady Alicent seeks peace he will do what he must to ensure House Targaryen has it. The tourney is a show not a competition.”

“He’s going to let you win?” you asked with incredulity.

He chuckled and ducked his head as he smiled ruefully. “I doubt that very much,” he looked back up at you and had a soft expression on his face. “But he won’t kill me. Aemond is not the type of person to make the same mistake twice.”

You sighed. Your worry for him was too strong to be ignored and you could not trust the very person he would be jousting. “Can I be right in thinking Jace will joust the Usurper? First son versus first son, and second son versus second son?”

“No,” he denied. “Cregan Stark has come from Winterfell and will be competing against Jace. They grew close over Jace’s time in the North gaining Cregan’s support. He is rather excited to see him.”

“Very well,” you told him defeatedly because there was nothing else to say. If Luke was hurt there would be nothing to save Aemond Targaryen, you thought. “I should return to my chambers,” you told him, suddenly feeling very tired. Luke seemed sullen to see you go but let you leave wordlessly nonetheless.

You had made your way into your rooms for solitude but the rich burgundy walls did not feel like your own as you sat yourself on the bed, exhaling as you sunk into the plush mattress. The worry for Luke came in waves just like the recent memory of Aemond Targaryen’s long look at your hand holding Luke’s. That prolonged displeased you and you felt your lips punching into a thin line much like the silver haired prince’s at this thought. What he thought did not matter, you tried to remind yourself. Luckily, you had a letter to write to your mother and moved to the vanity to sit in the wooden chair.

You sat and began to write back to your father, making sure to tell him only of the joyful things in your life and most of all Luke. You think that your father missed not only yourself but the boy he hadn’t always known to his prince whenever he would write to you. Maybe this is why you always include so much about your beloved friend. Regardless, your mind seemed to forget Aemond Targaryen and the look he had set upon your hand in Luke’s, and you were happy for it. While you wrote and the creased skin relaxed between your brows and you were no longer frowning, Alicent Hightower was in her solar.

“You may go,” she softly ordered the handmaiden after the young girl had clasped her bracelet on her. She did not need telling twice as she bowed and left, leaving Lady Alicent alone with Tyland Lannister. Alicent did not wait for him to ask her the question she had summoned him for. “Even tempered and amiable is not how I would describe Queen Rhaenyra’s handmaiden,” she said quietly, sitting herself across from Tyland.

“A pity,” he solemnly said and crossed his legs and gave Alicent a look of consideration. “Prince Aemond believes her arrogant. Is this true?”

Alicent laughed humorlessly. “Not in the slightest,” she replied bemused. “Prideful to be sure. Defensive to anyone who has brought harm to the Queen’s family, in particular Lucerys. She loves him and wants to protect him.”

“She does not hide it well, I gather,” Tyland commented. A month later, the interaction between the prince and the handmaiden had not been forgotten by anyone in the castle. It remained a piece of gossip that ladies found amusing because there was no one the likes of Queen Rhaenyra’s handmaiden in the Red Keep before. The fact remained for courtiers like Tyland Lannister, she instilled worry.

Alicent hummed. “She called Aemond a kinslayer,” she commented, looking at Tyland with a heavy gaze. “She has already said that much to his face and called him a killer of kin to myself. It was a moment of anger for her, that much I am certain.”

“She seems to detest him,” Tyland replied with emphasis. “The lady has made no secret of that. But she is illogical. Lucerys lives and that is fact enough Prince Aemond is no kinslayer.”

Alicent was not convinced. “I don’t think it matters to her,” she told him in even tones. “Lucerys Velaryon fell from the skies after my son’s dragon ate his. Rhaenyra’s handmaiden saved him and might have seen him on death’s door for all we know. Aemond not successfully killing Lucerys is of no importance to her and her simple ideals.”

“Does she wish him harm?” Tyland asked her with seriousness.

Alicent was silent for a moment. “No, she does not.”

“Are you quite certain?” he was unsure.

“I am,” Alicent replied and there was no doubt in her voice. “It is strange, Ser Tyland. She detests my son and he finds her disagreeable and yet,” she trailed off, looking to him in hopes of him understanding her thinking. Tyland hummed, none the wiser. “They are similar.”

“She is lowborn,” he says plainly like this was all that needed to be said. “Prince Aemond is of Valyrian blood. There are no similarities to be found surely.”

Alicent looked bemused again and shook her head, knowing that there was no use in explaining to someone else what she had seen that surely no one else has. The handmaiden’s love for Helaena and gentle ways around the ones she loved were strikingly familiar as was the hostility to those she deemed harmful to those loved ones. Such devotion is rarely seen.

A part of Alicent hoped the two might be friendly one day before one of them surely kills each other. Her Aemond who had no true friends and cared for few others might benefit from the company of the handmaiden who could be the only reason behind Lucerys growth of confidence. She would have to be blind not to see and secretly wished you might trust her one day, though she would never say this to anyone and never Tyland Lannister.

As Alicent talked to Tyland, you set your paper down to let the ink set. You smiled, realizing the letter would be dry when you return to your rooms tonight after the Queen's banquet. Hastily you ready yourself for the event as you put on a dark blue dress that is simple yet elegant. Your hair is braided, though not as finely as any of the Targaryens would be for tonight, and your jewelry is minimal with gold earrings and a pendant necklace that sits above your collarbone.

Striding to the door you know the feast is a while away but you give your Queen as much of your time as you can. The thought of getting to her rooms has you opening the door, gleeful at the prospect of speaking to Ser Erryk on the way there.

Your smile drops immediately, though the fact it did not morph into a snarl is quite a feat. Aemond is before you and he is already dressed, the black leathers draped across his shoulders and down to the boots he wore looks pristine as can be. Not even a hair is out of place to your annoyance. “What do you want?”

His face is unamused, lips pinched into a thin line as they always were. “The Septa should teach you lessons on etiquette. You hardly speak like a lady would to a prince,” he muses and your eyes are widening, not at all expecting this and certainly not armed with quips to throw at him. Your mouth opens ajar and something indignant is on your tongue, though you cannot say it for you could not even say what it was. “Matters not. I must speak to you. You can rest assured that it is not for pleasure that I come to speak with you.”

The huff of indignation finds its way past your lips and he doesn’t seem to care. See Erryk is near the door, looking at the both of you with worry. By now everyone has heard that the One Eyed Prince and the Queen’s Handmaiden cannot be near each other without you throwing insults at him. Besides, Ser Erryk had seen it himself.

“I am on my way to see the Queen and I don't have time for the likes of you,” you’re vaguely aware your tone is childish but it is hard to find the will to care. “Her Grace far outranks you, my prince.”

He says nothing and you roll your eyes before you go to move past him. Aemond doesn’t move a muscle, his shoulders in your way. “Move,” you order him and he is amused. “Perhaps I was right when I called you deaf.”

His nostrils flared at your comment and the reminder of your insults to him that month ago. He sighs and moves his body so you might pass him. With a huff of breath and upwards tilted chin, you walk through the threshold of your door. Sadly, Aemond follows you.

“You’re excused Ser Erryk. I will see the lady to her Grace,” he calls out to the guard with an unbothered tone as he strides after you.

“My lady,” Ser Erryk says in a questioning tone, asking for approval.

“Do not trouble yourself, Ser Erryk,” you reply over your shoulder, your facial features pinched into annoyance. He nods and you turn your face away from him. “If Prince Aemond tries something I shall stab him in the leg.”

Aemond chuckles, but it is not a sound of amusement. “My sister sings your praises most days I see her yet you threaten me nearly every time you see me,” he muses. “Am I the lone object of your ire?”

“Your brother is not exempt,” you dryly tell him, trying to walk even faster. It is not good when he meets your strides easily.

“But my mother is not deserving of your ire?” he questions and you almost trip over your feet. He makes a sound of amusement from his throat that does not quite reach his lips, making you turn your head to look at him with narrowed eyes.

You think back to your meeting with Lady Alicent but refuse to give him the satisfaction of your face giving away how you feel for his mother. “She has done nothing to warrant my anger,” you grit to words out and do not bother looking at him. That is a lie but you would not consider telling him the truth. The sight of his angular face might yet make you intent on doing something Luke would begrudge you for. “Queen Rhaenyra thinks highly of her, that is all that matters.”

Your words are final but Aemond seems to want something more by the way he hums. The sound grates against your ears and you begin to wonder why the corridors to the Queen’s rooms feel so long today. “I warned against her wanting to meet with you as the Queen’s handmaiden is most disagreeable,” he tells you, sounding self satisfied. “A terrible liar too. Why my sister seems to trust you I have no knowledge of understanding.”

“Your sister is a friend to me like it or not, Prince Aemond,” you snark and fight the urge to push him hard.

“If you harm Helaena I will kill you,” he says after a long moment in a matter of fact way. He does not even sound threatening, his words a mere fact of what could befall you.

Your lips part out of shock. “No one would ever want to harm Princess Helaena. Unlike like her brothers, she is good,” you emphasize and there is no word eloquent enough to describe her. Your back straightens and you feel as stiff as the oars used to move a large ship. “Trust this when I tell you I am the last person who would think of harming her. A sentiment I cannot share for her brothers.”

His eye appraises you and as your chin juts out and the appearance of defiance is painted over your features, he seems to silently take you at your words. Whats more, he does not pay mind to your insults to him. “A pity that your King Consort does not share this sentiment.” He smiles but there is no amusement but something bitter in the movement of his lips.

The smallest of understanding between you both disappears in the air and if you tried to grab at it, you knew it would slip your fingers. “Consort Daemon is a dedicated to her Grace and the Realm. You should learn to hold you tongue—”

“Dedicated, is he?” Aemond steps into your space and it is too near you for comfort but you refuse to step back. Nor do you find it possible to cower as you match his disdainful tone. “He wanted us all dead, did you know that?” his words are silky and sound like rain falling into the sea. “My mother, my grandsire, my brother, my sister, my niece and nephews. He thought we should be wiped from the world, I have no doubt. And you praise him still.”

You had once seen Princess Helaena’s children, the twins and the young boy who was still learning to walk. “No one would kill an innocent child,” you dismiss the thought and while your words do not shake they do not feel as strong as they once did when you say them.

“Of course not,” he replies and despite the soft tone you can recognize mocking when you hear it.

Huffing, you shoulder past him as hard as you can. Unfortunately, he does not move much. No farewell is given to the prince when you stalk down the corridor to the Queen’s room.

The wooden door is opened by a guard and steady your breath before you greet the Queen. Words are exchanged, though you do not remember them nor do you remember saying anything until Queen Rhaenyra’s hand is on your bicep, asking you, “Are you quite well? You seem like you’ve seen a ghost.” Her touch is that of a mother’s and her eyes are just as touching, making you think of your mother, your sister, then Helaena and the children she has.

You would not dare to say what Aemond had insinuated. War was war is what the members of the small council would say. And this was no longer war, so why would anyone worry about what had already passed?

“I am not one for banquets and court for that matter,” is the answer you give her with a small smile that feels weak on your lips. “I worry for Prince Lucerys at this tourney.”

She nods and smiles in a wry way as she leans back in her chair. “It is necessary but I have a similar weariness. Our house must look united as divided as we are in our own walls.” Her hand eventually drops from your arm and she looks warmly at you. “But there is joy in tourneys and most certainly feasts. Tonight I have seated you next to Lord Cregan Stark at his table. Jace will be nearby I have little doubt,” she looks at you knowingly.

“I will look forward to it,” the words do not sound like a lie to your ears either. While you had known Luke, Jace had been in the North as you had learned in your time at Dragonstone convincing Cregan Stark to their side. The words that Aemond had said seemed to fade from your mind for a time. Besides, Aemond was no Stark who valued honor and he must have lied. Nothing from him can be the truth, you were certain.

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