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lxdyred · 1 year

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Among snakes I shall dance, ch. 5: Not dead yet

Aemond Targaryen x Velaryon!Targaryen!Fem!Reader

Previous Chapter // Epilogue

Summary: Rhaenyra's firstborn finds herself surrounded by the greens and, to her misfortune, betrothed to one of them. So she begins to plan how to take them down, one by one, from the inside.

Word count: 6.3k

Warning: Allusions to incestuous relationship, use of obscene language, mentions of sexual assault, dub-con and graphic possible death. some characters might be a bit out of character.

A/N: THE LAST CHAPTER IS HERE!

Feedback is always appreciated! ❤️

"You are with child.” These were the words Grand Master Orwyle blurted out.

"I don't understand..." was all that the peincess managed to say.

She was in a state of complete shock after all that had just happened with Aegon in her chamber, not more than an hour ago. An unparalleled anxiety had come over her at the ultimatum her husband's older brother had given her. She felt dazed and overwhelmed, fatigued and exhausted.

"The maid who came to fetch me has spoken of your behaviour these past few weeks," the Maester spoke, trying to make her feel more at ease. He spoke, trying to make her understand her situation.

"Dyana is not my maid, she is the king and queen's maid.” The young woman spoke with a somewhat lost look in her eyes. She was totally lost in herself. "She can't make these conjectures. I cannot be expecting a child."

"Servants tend to talk among themselves, that's why she'll be aware of your situation."

"This has to be a mistake."

"Princess. When was the last time you bled?" The old man ran a cloth dipped in aromatic waters over her forehead and neck, to make her feel better and help her calm down. "Have you had any unusual symptoms lately?"

"I have been fatigued, but that is because my Lord Husband and I have been-" she paused before continuing. "We've been spending a lot of time together, doing things."

"That's something we have all noticed." The princess put her hands to her head at the comment, "Tell me, have you bled this past moon?"

"No." That was when the young Velaryon realised that Orwyle was possibly right in everything he said. "I haven't done it in two moons, actually."

Aemond did had an excellent aim, then.

"During the first few moons it is normal for a woman to seek intimacy with her husband. It is another symptom, the appetite for intercourse, due to the new state the body is in."

"My breasts feel fuller." The woman commented, looking at the Master, who gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Then it is a fact, Princess. Congratulations, you will bear the prince a heir."

"Could we keep it a secret for a few days?" the young woman asked nervously, as she rose from the bed and pulled a blanket over her shoulders. "I would like to tell the prince first, before anyone else lets him know."

"Of course. I won't say anything." Nodded the man as he prepared to leave.

"Grand Maester, if the maid is still outside, could you ask her to come in, please?"

The Grand Maester nodded again before heading out the door, but not before bowing his head. "Princess."

The young silver-haired woman put her nails in her mouth and began to pace the room, nervous, once the shock was beginning to wear off. Her head began to spin, a lump formed in her throat and her chest felt heavy.

"Princess." Spoke in a whisper the young maid, Dyana, as she entered the room.

"Close the door, please." Said the woman, standing and looking at the other woman. She was not much younger than she was.

"Are you all right, my lady?" the young woman asked, her hands clasped in front of her. "Is there anything I can do to make you comfortable?"

"How could it be that moments after the king left my chambers, one of his maids came into my room and found me in the state I was in?" She asked, the young woman just stared at her in silence, thinking of an answer. "Did he send you, by any chance?"

"No, of course not, princess." The young woman shook her head, vigorously.

"Then?"

"I... I followed the king here. I saw him come in and noticed how he was slow to leave... then I heard you crying and screaming." The young woman spoke nervously, fiddling with her hands and with her head down. "I just wanted to make sure you was alright, that's all."

"A servant girl shouldn't get into trouble that doesn't concern her, Dyana. If the king had come to see you, he might have-"

"He began to tell me what he planned to do to you, princess. A few days ago, when I was serving him wine. He was very drunk, I think he mistook me for someone he shouldn't have." The blonde woman took a step forward, unsure of the reaction the Velaryon might have. "I wanted to make sure he didn't do anything to you, nothing more. I'm so sorry for intruding."

"Why would you want to do that for me? Aren't you supposed to be one of the queen and king's most loyal servants?" The princess's voice trembled, not quite able to reach why that specific maid would care about her. The young woman said nothing, only giving her a quick tear-filled glance, before looking away and lowering her gaze.

And then she understood where the girl's concern was coming from.

"He did the same to you, as he did to me." It wasn't a question, more of a fact. The Princess felt anger gnawing at her insides at what he had done to the girl. "You're just a child, you must be the same age as my brother Luke, and he-" she stopped herself before turning her back on the girl and walking over to the dresser by the window, pulling out a small bag.

"Princess?"

"You need to get the hell out of here." Said the Valyrian-featured woman, walking over to where the young servant stood and taking her hand, then resting the bag she had just taken on top of it. "I want you to get out of here, right now. You're not safe, and I won't let that depraved, son of a bitch do anything else to you."

"I can't leave, I have obligations here. My family depends on my work here and-"

The princess took Dyana's face, and made her look into her eyes. "Fuck those obligations. You have to do it and you will do it, you have to be safe, all right? There's enough gold in that bag for you and your family to start over far away from here, anywhere. I refuse to put you through this."

"What about you, princess?"

"It's complicated." The princess spoke. "But at least I'm relieved to know that I've been able to help someone escape this nightmare." She smiled sadly at her. "Don't look back and try to live a life away from here."

"Princess..." Dyana's lower lip began to tremble, but she nodded at the words she had just heard.

"Thank you, Dyana. For caring about me. Now, go." The young maid stood still where she was. "Go." The Red Mermaid insisted.

Dyana nodded and left, but not before giving to the Velaryon princess a glance. "Finish him off." The young woman encouraged her, before bowing her head and leaving the place.

It was moments later when the silver-haired woman fell to her knees in defeat and burst into tears. She put one hand to her belly and another over her mouth to silence her cries.

What could she do now, in the situation she was in?

Such was the mental, emotional and physical exhaustion she felt at the position she was in, that she didn't even have the strength to get up from the floor and go to her bed. She felt the weight of the world on her, and she didn't know what to do.

She needed Aemond. Without him, her danger was inevitable. She just wanted him to hold her and reassure her that everything was going to be all right, that she could get out of all of this.

"What am I going to do?" she asked in a whisper, as she closed her eyes and caressed her lower belly, now lying on the floor. In a fetal position. "I can't let anything happen to you. I-I... I can't let you be born into a world like this."

She gave no more of herself, she collapsed and gave up, let sleep overtake her, on that cold, uncomfortable floor. Thousands of questions and fears haunted her, so that even in her dreams she was chased by them.

"My love..." was the first thing she heard when she slowly opened her eyes the next day. "My love..." a soft caress ran down her back.

Confused, she looked around. She saw the light coming through the windows, but noticed that it was not the light of dawn, but rather the light of dusk. She turned and realised that she was on the bed, not on the floor, and Aemond was lying next to her, watching her silently as he gently caressed her figure.

"You're back." She whispered moving closer to her husband's body and hiding her face in his chest, inhaling his fragrance for comfort.

"Here I am." He murmured into her hair. "I found you on the floor, asleep, when I arrived a few hours ago. I thought you needed rest, so I didn't wake you."

She looked up and stroked his cheek, as she watched his face, her expression hard for him to read.

"Has something happened in my absence?" Concerned he asked, frowning slightly.

"No." She lied to him, before giving him a weak smile and hiding her face in his chest again. "Nothing for you to worry about, hm?" Then she remembered why he had to leave the day before, unannounced. "How did it go at Storm's End? Did anything happen?" She asked him, now sitting up in bed, waiting for an answer from him.

"Things got complicated, they got out of control." The sapphire man answered her, as he sat down next to her.

"Did Lord Baratheon say anything to you? Are you all right?" the young Velaryon woman asked worriedly as she took his hand.

"Borros is a complex man, but yes, I'm fine." Her husband looked down at his hands, unsure how to tell her what had happened at Storm's End last night. "It has to do with your brother Lucerys, my love."

"I don't understand, Aemond. What does Luke has to do with any of this?" she shook her head in confusion. "Has a raven come for me in my sleep, by any chance? Has something happened to my baby brother?" She got out of bed as she felt the panic and anticipation wash over her.

Couldn't the young princess catch her breath at least? Fucking hell, because what a twenty-four hours she had been up to.

"No, no raven has come." The Red Mermaid relaxed slightly at those words. "You see, last night when I arrived at Storm's End to negotiate with Borros, I-"

Strange coincidence that someone knocked on the door just as Aemond was about to tell his wife what had happened at Storm's End and what Luke apparently had to do with it.

"Come in." Said the prince with the long silver hair and one eye.

"Good evening, my prince, my princess." Announced a servant boy entering the room with two small papyrus. "They are for you."

The young princess took the note the kid brought for her, while the Targaryen took his, respectively.

"My brother wants us all to gather tonight for dinner, to celebrate how the negotiations with Lord Baratheon went." Aemond read aloud, as he walked over to where the flagon of wine sat and poured a cup for himself and another for his wife.

'In the throne room, after supper, I will await your response to my offer.' That was what was written on the note from her, who, after reading it, threw it into the fire in the hearth.

"Why are you burning it?" Aemond asked her, arching an eyebrow at the silence in which his wife found herself.

"No reason, darling. It wasn't for me, they must have made a mistake." She replied, taking the glass of wine he offered her. "Thank you."

The man with the blue sapphire embraced the red mermaid from behind, resting his chin on her head and bringing his hands to her waist. He closed his eye and tried to find the strength to be the one to tell her what happened the night before. He didn't want her to find out from someone else.

"Aemond." The silence was broken by the young woman, catching his attention. "There is something I must tell you." The young woman turned on her heels, and rested her hand on his chest.

It was obviously not simply something she had to tell him. There were two of them, and they were huge issues to address. And honestly? She didn't want to do it alone, because she was terrified to the core.

"I..." the young woman gasped. She didn't have the strength to tell him everything that had happened in her absence. "I don't want to spend a minute without you by my side, even when you have to go. If you must leave the Red Keep at any time, I want you to take me with you." I don't want to be in the same cage as the beast, she omitted to say.

"All right." Was all the prince said before placing a kiss on the Velaryon's temple, who closed her eyes at the warm gesture.

His story was going to have to wait.

She definitely felt like a competition pig, about to be executed at any moment and served on a platter. Those words were exactly how she felt under the predatory gaze of Aegon, who gave her a malicious grin as he munched on his dinner. She glared hatefully at him, clutching the knife with which he was cutting into her steak, so tightly that her knuckles were completely white.

"Is it me or is the atmosphere tense tonight?" spoke that excuse of a King, as he looked at his brother and sister-in-law. "We should be celebrating."

"Aegon, please." Alicent spoke, giving his daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law a fleeting glance, trying to stop his son from doing something stupid.

"Don't worry, Mother." Aegon spoke, rising from his seat, then picking up his goblet and raising it. "I want to make a toast, so please raise your glasses."

"Aegon. Don't." Alicent knew what was coming.

"A toast to my little brother, Aemond, who has secured the loyalty of the Baratheons in our favor.” All present, Otto, Alicent - who looked relieved - Helaena, and even the couple, Aemond and the princess raised their glasses. "The kingdom is grateful to you, Aemond. Your king is."

"Hear, hear." Said Otto with a smile on his face, he seemed satisfied.

Everyone drank from their cup after that toast, but Aegon was not finished yet. "By the seven hells, how could I have missed it. How tactless of me, how insensitive I am." Aegon lowered his glass and forced a look of sadness onto his face.

The young Velaryon, looking with confusion at her husband, who sat tense in his seat, gave her a look he could not decipher.

"I would like to say a few words for our nephew, Lucerys Velaryon. For your brother."

The young woman's heart began to beat violently against her chest, she felt suddenly breathless. "What?" was all the young woman managed to whisper.

"I would like to honour his memory by saying, that it comforts me to know that the boy was very brave until his last moments, even when he was unfortunately pitted against Vhagar. He also showed himself to be very... Strong, like his father, with whom I hope he is resting in peace right now."

The princess let out a short nervous laugh. "I don't understand. Luke is fine, he's not dead. Why would you say something like that?" the young woman asked angrily at the last part, rising from her seat, though she was still confused by her uncle's words.

"I am sorry, dear niece. Has your husband not told you the tragic news?" The silver-haired girl looked at Aemond, who was rising to his feet, and extended a hand in his direction.

"Don't touch me." The young woman mumbled, feeling her eyes burn from the accumulation of tears. He remained silent, but tried to touch her again. "Luke is fine."

"No, my dearest. Your brother is dead, and your husband is the one who can confirm it. After all, he's the one who killed him."

Without a word, the young woman rose from her seat, and with a completely neutral countenance, so as not to give Aegon any satisfaction, she looked at everyone present but Aemond. She did not even deign to address him. To him, for his part, having had no reaction from her to the news, he knew perfectly well that she had given him up for dead, that he was so insignificant that he did not deserve even a look of contempt.

"Niece..." whispered Helaena, with immense sadness, as she watched her friend leave the room. They all stood and watched, silently as she left, while Aegon smiled to himself before sitting back down and taking a drink from his goblet.

"Someone put some more wine in my cup." Was what he said, satisfied with the damage he had done to the couple.

His plan was working, indeed.

With firm, quick steps, the young woman made her way to her chambers. Once inside, standing in the middle of the room, she burst into a rage and began to ravage everything within her reach. Between screams and cries of desolation, she tore down the curtains, threw the cups against the wall, tore the bedclothes, threw the table and everything on it.

The Valyrian looking woman put her hands to her head and let out from between her lips the most heart-rending scream ever heard in the Keep. "Fucking monsters! You are filthy snakes, all of you! May you rot in fucking hell and die the worst fucking deaths!" She screamed at the top of his lungs. "Fuck you all!" Between shaky, angry breaths, she did try to wipe the tears from her beautiful eyes.

"My love-" her husband's voice was heard behind her.

There he was, the person she had fallen in love with and married, much to her fucking disgrace now. The person who had been, nothing more and nothing less, the one who had ended her brother's life. "What the fuck do you want, kinslayer?" she said venomously to her husband, clenching her jaw.

He tried to approach her, but she pointed her finger at him, causing him to stop in his tracks. "I have to explain to you exactly what happened. Please."

"You disgust me." She said to him with bated breath. "I don't want you anywhere near me, do you hear me? DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

Aemond held up his hands in response. "Let me tell you exactly what happened. Please, darling?"

"Seven hells! Don't call me that!" She shouted at him as she came up to her husband. "I should kill you for what you did to my brother." She said between her teeth, tears of rage and anger forming in her eyes. "You made me trust you, Aemond! You told me you would protect me! And that means you would never let anything to hurt me, that goes for you too! Fuck!"

"Listen-"

"NO! I have nothing to listen to! I'm not going to let you tell me lies, I'm not going to let you trick me." The Velaryon brought her hands to her face and let her air out through her nose. "You're no better than any of them, not even Aegon, and that's saying a lot. You're all fucking, filthy snakes."

Aemond stood still, not moving, just watching as his wife paced up and down the room, shouting at him - and rightly so. At that moment he felt like the world was closing in on him, a suffocating pressure preventing him from breathing normally, his own racing heart pounding in his ears and chest. His eye was beginning to burn from the tears that were forming.

But he could do nothing, he could say nothing. He could only stand there, still and silent. Watching it all fall apart.

"I want you to leave." She said after she had been silent for a few moments. "I never want to see you again in my fucking life."

"You know I can't do that."

"You will. Or I swear on my soul I'll kill you, but not before I gouge out your other eye!" Then she let out a laugh full of irony. "Seven hells, that would be poetic to see."

"Please-" tears slid down his face.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Aemond nodded only once, then left the room, but not before giving his wife one last pain-filled look.

"I love you..." he whispered to himself.

After that, once completely alone, the young princess with angsty features, sat down in front of the fireplace and began to drink the wine that remained in the jug. As she stared at the fire, she could feel the reflection of it within her, it burned her, or rather motivated her to do what she had to do. She knew she could not stand idly by and do nothing, do nothing for her family. For what was left of her, at least.

Once she was drunk enough to have the confidence and the little courage she lacked and needed, she went to her dresser and dressed in what she considered to be the best nightgown she had.

If she was going to do what she was supposed to do, she had to do it properly. After all, as Aegon had said the night before, there should be no impediment to the two of them making something profitable out of the situation.

She set off for the throne room. It was already dark, and there was almost no one in the cold, dark corridors. Aegon was smart to tell his niece to meet in the huge, now empty room.

"You are late." He said once he saw her enter the room. "I thought I was going to have to send for you, to have my guards drag you out."

She brought a hand to her lower belly, caressing it, and sighed, turning her back to him as she closed the Throne room’s door. "As you can see, that won't be necessary." She said forcing a smile for her uncle.

"Come closer." He commanded, sitting on the Iron Throne. "I don't bite. Well, it depends on the occasion." He joked darkly.

With a cold, determined gaze, the king's niece walked to the stairs leading to the throne, where she stopped, and watched him silently. "Here I am." She said.

"Do you not intend to bow to your king?" Aegon asked, resting his face in his hand.

"My mistake, uncle." She curtsied to him, but never took her eyes off him at any point.

"That's better. Though... you should be taught manners, taught your place, dear niece."

"You are right, my apologies." She whispered with a certain air of innocence.

The usurper king let out a small laugh. "You do learn quickly..." he said, rising from the throne and descending the stairs slowly. His footsteps were loud, echoing in the wide hall. "That really turns me on, you have no idea."

She gave him a smile. "I... I wanted to apologise, Aegon. For my hostile behaviour towards the crown, towards you." She ducked her head. "But now I know you were right when you told me yesterday that we could both profit from our... situation."

"Hm... I forgive you, don't worry." He cupped her hand, cool to the touch, and then grabbed her chin gently, lifting her face so that he could look her in the eye. "I'm glad you made the right decision."

"I'm grateful to have been encouraged to do so, Uncle."

"At last... I can admire your scar up close." He said, moving her face to get a better view of her old wound. "What's the real story behind it?"

"A man tried to rape me, and I wouldn't let him."

"Surely he wouldn't have satisfied you the way I would."

"Surely not." She whispered, closing her eyes. He nuzzled her neck, and felt her pulse in it. "I hope you don't dislike my scar."

"Not at all, it fascinates me."

"That relieves me to know." The Velaryon opened her eyes and made eye contact with him, even with her face cocked to one side.

"You've changed since the last time I took you." The short, silver-haired man brought his face close to her hair and sniffed. "You're a real woman now, all thanks to me." He whispered in her ear.

"Let me show you what a real woman can do, please." She implored, as she gave him an innocent look and bit her lower lip.

He turned away from her, and walked back up the stairs to the throne, where he took a seat and watched her.

"Undress." He commanded her. She silently and slowly removed the only garment she was wearing. "Come over here and kneel." He said spreading his legs apart, making room for her.

As her nightgown landed on the cold floor, she climbed up those stairs, then positioned herself between his legs, kneeling and placing her hands on his knees.

"Hm." He cocked his head to one side as he reached for her face with one hand. "Now kiss me." He moved his face slightly closer to hers.

She lifted up a little, and sought support by resting her hands on both of his thighs. Then, that's when she kissed him. It was quick and shy.

"Surely you can do better, eh?" She nodded, and hesitantly took his face and kissed him again, but now more violently and heatedly. "That's a hell of a lot better, dear niece."

She blushed and averted her gaze. "Well, thank you." she murmured.

"Yes, much better than the first time, no doubt." Said the man with satisfaction in his voice. "Good, now I want you to feel me. I want you to feel the reaction you've caused in me." Aegon blurted out as he lowered his gaze to his own crotch, where she knew what she would find.

The princess, without a sound, moved her hands from his knees to the buttons of his breeches, slowly and sensually caressing his thighs, causing Aegon to pull his head back and bite his lip, trying to stifle himself.

"May I?" she asked, pointing her head towards the buttons of his trousers. He nodded, and she proceeded, unbuttoning them and pulling the trousers afterward, thus leaving the king fully exposed. "It's... impressive."

"You like what you see, little one?" she nodded her head in reply.

"Aha." She moaned as she brought a hand down to his crotch, and then began to massage the area, and started kissing his thighs and lower belly, which caused him to bring his hands to her hair, and clench his fists in his grasp.

"Put your mouth to better use."

"Whatever you order, Uncle." She began massaging his shaft, then massaging his balls.

Aegon let out a moan, full of pleasure, causing him to roll his eyes. His knuckles turned white as he felt her lips on his balls. But what had started as a moan of pleasure soon turned into an agonised cry, filled with a pain unimaginable for a man, as he felt a sharp, wrenching bite coming from that area.

"YOU FUCKING WHORE!" he shouted, before kicking her and sending her tumbling down the stairs. He brought his hands to her between her legs and watched as blood gushed violently.

"No more bastards nor rapes… from Aegon the Ball-less." Then she let out a laugh, the scene was so comical to her, her whole body ached from all the laughing. "Did you really think I would do any of this? If so, you were not paying attention, HA!”

The usurper came awkwardly down the stairs, staggering as he tried to pull up his trousers as best he could. "Your pathetic existence, and that of your entire filthy family, ends today." He said as he reached where she was lying, and began to kick her stomach and head. Hard.

She tried to protect herself from the blows as best she could, but with every blow she received she felt more dazed and less strength was left. Once he was satisfied, with all the kicks he had given her, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to where his sword was resting against the throne.

"I should give your fucking head to your mother. And maybe one of your eyes, or both of them, to my brother." He said, bringing the blade of his sword close to her neck.

"That would be a very nice gesture on your part, Uncle." She mocked, giving him a defiant smile, while showing her face full of blood, both his and hers, in equal parts.

"The first thing I'll do is cut out your filthy tongue!" He exclaimed between his teeth, with fury and contempt.

"Do it." She retorted, and then he swung a blunt punch at her face, he gripped the sword tightly and pressed it against her neck, causing a flesh wound, but only a superficial one.

"And to think I was going to give you a chance to make things right." He prepared to slit her throat, but she stepped forward and spat in his face, which caused him to pause for a few moments and caused her to gain enough leverage to elbow him over his freshly made wound, where his balls had once been.

"Rot in the seven hells." She sentenced, as she rose to her feet, in all her naked glory, and gave him a parry on the hand, thus causing him to lose his grip on the sword, that once belonged to Aegon the Conqueror.

She took a firm grip on the sword, and taking advantage of the fact that he was lying on the ground, she took the opportunity to thrust it into his abdomen, causing him to let out a groan.

Without giving him a second glance, she started her way towards the door of the room, but her legs gave out and she ended up falling to the floor, being in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness. It wasn't until a few seconds later that saw the doors open and two figures emerge.

Ser Criston and Aemond.

She tried to say something, but by the time Aemond knelt down beside her and took her by the face, to check on her, and seeing also how Ser Criston covered her with his white cloak, she completely lost all senses, and so, she was plunged into darkness.

"With wounded pride, the beast will roar. The dragon will rise up and claim what is his."

"Shh... shh..." she felt a warm hand on her cheek, which made her try to open her eyes, still with difficulty, due their sore and swollen state.

"Aemond...?" she whispered as she caught a glimpse of long, silver hair, similar to hers, out of focus.

"Hey, hey my darling..." She heard a voice, on her other side. She turned her head and there he was, sitting in a chair next to the bed she was lying on. "You had us worried sick." he whispered as he took her hand and kissed it gently.

"Sissy." She heard a childish voice at the foot of her bed. She lifted her head awkwardly, and saw her little brother Joffrey, who was giving her a sweet, expectant look through his brown curls. He was not alone, beside him was Jace and, to her surprise, Luke as well -who was covered in some wounds, but nothing fatal.

"You're home, sweetheart." Said the first voice she'd heard before, she turned her face again, and there she was. Her mother.

"Mama..." she sobbed as she saw her mother kneeling beside her. Rhaenyra's eyes were filled with tears, but she still smiled at her, relieved to see that her daughter was well and back by her side. "Am I dead?" she asked in disbelief that the people she loved most in the world were in her presence.

"No, no." Her mother replied, as she stroked her hair tenderly, while crying silently.

She gave then, her husband a look. "You came back..." she whispered, squeezing Aemond's hand, with what little strength she had.

"Yes." He nodded, as he continued to place kisses on her hand. She noticed that he wasn't wearing his patch, and it was noticeable that he had been crying as well.

"You came back." The princess said again, Aemond placed a kiss on her forehead. "I can rest now... I can rest now..."

"Wha-What? What, darling?"

"I'm dying... I know I'm dying."

"No, no. Hey, you gonna be fine? Can you hear me?" Aemond pleaded, as he stroked her bruised cheeks.

"Take care of them, please..."

"Listen, I didn't come here for that, eh?" He told her, trying to control his urge to cry. He closed his eyes and found the strength to try to steady himself for her. "You're going to be fine, they're going to take good care of you. I promise you, you'll be fine, yes?"

The Red Mermaid could no longer contain herself, and began to cry. "Aemond, I'm scared. I’m so scared.”

"You're going to be alright, sweetheart." Aemond whispered before placing a small kiss on her lips.

"I'm so sorry, for everything I said to you." She sobbed as she apologised to the man she loved. “I’m so deeply sorry, Aemond. I crossed the line by saying all those awful things. It was not fair…”

"Don't worry, my love. It's okay, it's all right, okay?" he murmured, she nodded relieved to hear him say that. “There is nothing you can do that is impossible for me to forgive you for, alright? I forgave you of anything you ever could do the day you said you trusted me."

“I love you.”

“And I, you, my precious love…”

She smiled softly. "Mom, I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise." She whispered giving a glance to her mother and younger siblings, who approached her.

"Sweet girl, you've done well, okay? All that matters to me is that you are back home, with your family." Rhaenyra said, as she gave her only daughter a reassuring smile.

Luke placed his hand on hers, and soon after, Jace and Joff did the same, resting their hands on his in a sign of bonding and support. "It's going to be alright, sister."

"We're proud of you." Jace said with a small smile.

“We love you, sissy.” A Joff with no front teeth said, sweet.

Someone knocked on the door of the room, it was Daemon, the closest thing she had to a father, who was accompanied by the Maester of Dragonstone. "The Maester has arrived, he's going to take care of her."

And that was the signal they needed for everyone present to leave, except Aemond who stood by the young Velaryon. She gave a glance to her family, and finally to Daemon, who gave her a smile and a nod. "I'm glad you're back home."

"Will you stay?" She asked Aemond, once they were alone, save for the Maester who nimbly began to prepare his things to attend her.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'll never be away from you again." Aemond said, as he continued to stroke her hair. "And may the gods save anyone who tries from my wrath."

"What has become of Aegon?" she asked fearfully. She felt her body begin to tremble after thinking of all he had put her through since she was a child. "Does my mother know anything of what he did to me?"

"No, she doesn't, I haven't been able to tell her. It was not my place to do so, you must be the one to make the decision as to whether she should know or not, and I must not be the one to tell her." The Targaryen prince spoke as he ran a hand through his hair, which was loose from its usual updo. "And about Aegon, I don't know. I don't know if he lives or not, we'll soon find out, I assume."

"I see." She closed her eyes and let a halting sigh escape her split lips. Suddenly she opened them as she remembered that it was not just Aemond who had come to her aid. "What happened to Ser Criston?"

"He is dead." Her husband confessed with regret. "He stayed behind, fighting so that we could get to Vhagar and Scarlex... He gave his life so that we could made it here."

"Oh, I-I see." She whispered, feeling inwardly conflicted emotionally at the news of her biological father's death. "I'm grateful to him, then, for giving us this opportunity."

"So am I." Aemond smiled at her, resting one of his hands on her belly. She stared at him in disbelief, speechless.

He knew about the baby.

"There's something you should know. I'm-"

"I know. Don't worry, I know." The smile he gave his dear wife, the woman he loved most in the world, radiated a tremendous warmth, one that made her melt with tenderness. "I've known it for some time, in fact. You haven't bled in two moons, basically most of the time we've been sharing a bed."

"But I only found out yesterday. It's still too early for you to figure it out." The woman was to stunned to speak.

"Do you remember what I said about wanting to keep abreast of all matters concerning you?" he asked in a slightly joking tone.

She nodded. "And... what do you think about it?" she asked expectantly.

"I hope the babe has your beautiful, radiant smile. I hope they have your wit and your kindness, my beloved." He said before lowering his face to hers and kissing her tenderly.

"I love you, very much."

"I simply adore you."

"You won't regret it, will you? Choosing me over your family." she asked as she admired his face, and caressed his exposed scar.

"YOU are my family." He said, pressing his forehead to hers. "And I would choose you over all things, again and again."

Perhaps the princess's plan to destroy the greens had failed miserably, but the relief she felt, despite having gone through that dark and macabre nightmare, was in some ways worth it. And she knew that if given the choice to go through it again, she would accept, because she knew she would find him in her arms at the end.

He was definitely her safe space, her husband, her lover, her confidant, her friend.

And above all, her person.

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