Summary: People would remember their story. Even decades after they were gone, Septa’s would tell young children about the one-eyed dragon prince and his sweet wife as if they were a part of a fairytale, too good to be true for the harshness real life possessed.
Aemond meets a young girl who quickly becomes his most cherished friend and changes the course of history.
Word count: 6 K
Warnings: you know the drill, its fluff and angst
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7
~~
Amond startled awake, his bloody and violent nightmare fading as his eye adjusted to the dark room around him.
He instinctively reached out beside him, searching for his beloved wife, but when his hand met nothing but soft sheets, he sat up abruptly. His heart that had been slowing as he relaxed from the reality that his vicious nightmare had been just that, a nightmare, began to race once more.
His eye searched the room frantically, his breathing becoming heavy as fear gripped him tightly.
Remnants of his nightmare, thoughts of Daemon ambushing his home to enact his bloody revenge, lingered in his mind and suddenly, all he could think of was his damned uncle ripping his family from him.
He sprang out of bed and raced out of their chambers. He stood still, his chest heaving as he took in the calm stillness of the night, no guards shouting or racing towards danger, no screams of terror, no smell of smoke from destructive dragon fire, nothing that signaled an incoming fight.
Yet his heart still raced.
His feet moved quickly, taking him to the room across the hall.
His throat was tight with worry as he rushed into the room, his gaze immediately locking onto the small body curled in bed. He let out a ragged breath at the sight of his daughter unharmed and sleeping peacefully.
He looked around her room, inspecting for danger, his thoughts not yet derailed from the possibility of an impending threat. He let out a harsh breath when he realized there was no intruder, no one that dared to hurt his precious daughter.
He stepped towards her bed slowly, trying not to make a sound and disturb her sleep.
He felt his lips twitch upwards, a smile growing as he looked down at the sleeping angel before him. His beautiful daughter, his perfect little Valia.
She was the perfect mix of him and his wife, with her long silver hair and eyes that sparkled with delight like her mothers.
She certainly gained her mother’s mischief and was seldom seen without a toothy grin that never failed to bring a smile to those that passed her. At only two years old, she had changed his entire life.
His entire heart beat for her and her mother.
They were the ones that got him out of bed in the morning, that brought him a smile every single day, that made him feel joy and love he couldn’t have ever comprehended.
He gently tucked a stray strand of hair away from her face, his heart aching just looking at the life he helped to create, the life he cherished more than his own. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and pulled her blankets up higher around her, protecting her from the chill in the room.
With one last, loving look to his little girl, he left her room, no longer feeling as though his lungs were constricted with fear. All he needed was to see her safe and sound to soothe every one of his worries that lingered from his nightmare.
Now he needed to find his wife.
With his nerves no longer haywire, he knew exactly where she would be.
He had to fight his growing smile as he made his way down to the kitchens.
It wasn’t unusual that she would wake him in the dead of night, pleading with him to bring her honeycakes, but it was the first time she hadn’t woken him and gone herself.
He slowed his pace, quieting his steps as he approached the kitchens, peeking his head around the corner, his eye softening in an instant at the sight of his wife.
Even after their years together, she never failed to make his heart race in the best way possible. He felt as though every ounce of his worry and fear dissipated into nothing as he looked at her, as he was reminded of what he’d been able to create in his once miserable life.
“I don’t know why I bothered to worry. I should have known you’d be down here instead of in our bed.”
She startled slightly at the sound of his voice, placing her hand over her chest as she narrowed her eyes at him in silent admonishment for sneaking up on her.
“Do you have so little faith in me, my love, you didn’t task me with bringing you your midnight snack?” He asked as he leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest, attempting to keep his expression neutral and not melt as she smiled at him sheepishly.
“Sorry.” She mumbled through her large bite of honeycake. It was the sight of crumbs falling over her lip that finally broke him, smiling and shaking his head as he laughed. “I didn’t want to wake you again, but I was starving.”
She immediately leaned back into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, sighing heavily in relief as his hands cradled under the large swell of her belly, giving her back a rest from the weight of the babes she carried.
At only 6 moons pregnant, she felt like she was already minutes from popping. The Maesters were sure it was twins this time around, something she wasn’t as thrilled about as Aemond. It was easy for him to be excited when it wasn’t his back that was constantly aching.
She could easily let herself fall into her husband’s arms, but despite his loving touch, she couldn’t help but worry, as she always did, about the dark circles under his eyes, about why he was awake yet again in the middle of the night.
“Did you have another nightmare?” She asked quietly and the moment she felt him tense behind her, she knew she had her answer.
She let out a long breath, her hands moving to cover his, gently caressing over his knuckles, admiring the strong hands that held her and her daughter so gently, that protected them so fiercely.
“It’s been years. Rhaenyra knows what will happen if she dares to threaten you.”
“It is not Rhaenyra I worry about.” He admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, as if saying the words aloud, speaking his fears of his uncle’s retaliation into existence, would summon him.
“Do you think he would risk his Queen’s reign to get revenge?”
“I think his bloodlust overrules anything else he deems to care for.” Aemond replied bitterly, the mere thought of the man enough to rattle him and ruin the peace he had created for himself. “He is reckless and stubborn. If he decides he wants revenge he will stop at nothing until he gets it.”
Her heart jumped at the thought. The notion of the last few years of bliss they’ve had dissipating back into a violent and bloody war that left no survivors was enough to spring tears to her eyes, ones she tried desperately to hold back.
Aemond noticed the shift in her immediately and held to her tighter, his lips pressing soft kisses along the slope of her neck.
“You know I would protect you. You and Valia would never face any danger as long as I live.” He whispered, assuring her of his lifelong purpose to never let another wound mar her body, to never let his daughter know of any pain.
He took her hand in his, his eye tortured as his thumb caressed the scar on her palm, the vicious reminder of that night and what they had lost. A shuddering breath escaped him as the memory of that night and the months of agony that followed wreaked havoc on him yet again.
They seemed distant yet not far enough away to let him breathe easy.
She turned in his arms to face him, her hands now cradling his jaw as she looked at him intently.
“I have no doubt that you will protect us and every single person on this Island.”
He looked bashful yet prideful from her comment, as if it were exactly what he needed to hear, but he couldn’t handle it. He looked at her lovingly and leaned forward, kissing her deeply.
She melted into him, holding him closely, feeling his body unclench, finally letting his fears drift into the back of his mind.
A kick against his stomach had him pulling away, his eye wide with surprise. He laughed in delight as he placed his palm against her growing stomach, feeling his little dragons kick against him.
“There are my loves.” He mumbled as he looked down at her belly in wonder, already counting down the days until he could hold them in his arms. “Don’t give your mother too much trouble, my dragons.”
She hummed and leaned into him.
“If only they listened to you.”
Aemond smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, pulling the plate of honeycakes closer, the only salvation he could give her in this state. She rolled her eyes with a huff of laughter as she took another dessert, hoping it would calm her growing babies enough to let her sleep for the rest of the night.
As Aemond held her, feeling his babes kick against his hand, knowing his precious daughter was safe in her bed, his thoughts drifted to those that were left of his family that resided in King’s Landing.
He knew if they ever dared to threaten his family he would show them no mercy.
~~
She let out a louder than intended groan as she sat on the bench that overlooked the water, blowing out a deep breath as she finally gave her feet some well needed rest.
She rubbed at her swollen belly, dreading that she had many more weeks of this state.
“Momma!”
She looked up, plastering on a wide smile as she waved to her daughter who was splashing in the waves. She shared a knowing look with Helaena, who nodded in silent assurance that she would grab her rambunctious daughter if she waded out too far into the water.
She appreciated Helaena’s watchful eye, but with her daughter’s faithful cousins at her side, she knew she had little reason to worry.
Jaehaera and Jaehaerys loved their cousin fiercely and they were seldom seen without the little two year old following them wherever they went.
She watched the children play with a wistful smile, eagerly anticipating the arrival of their two babes, the growing number of children in the castle a salve to the torment they had endured just years ago.
It seemed like a lifetime ago, what they faced in King’s Landing.
Some days were easier to live, where the memories did not rear their ugly head, when the loss of their first babe did not make her want to bury herself beneath her sheets and pretend the world outside her door didn’t exist.
The days the memories sought to destroy her, all it took was one look at her precious daughter and she was powerless against the love that bloomed for her child, healed in a matter of seconds with one look at her sweet smile.
She couldn’t deny that she held the same fears as her husband, that she sometimes found her eyes skyward, seeking out the familiar figures of dragons headed their way, ready to burn Ixtal to ash.
She could only hope her threats to Rhaenyra just mere years ago were enough to hold her off. Surely, she treasured her position as Queen more than she longed for revenge.
“My love.”
She was broken from her thoughts, turning to see her husband approaching with a smile. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead before he took a seat next to her, his hand immediately laying over her belly.
“How are you feeling?”
“Sore.” She answered quickly, her reflexive answer to the question he asked many times a day.
Aemond moved his hand to her back, rubbing in soothing motions, wishing he could take her aches away, wishing she didn’t have to go through so much pain to bring their precious babes into the world.
She leaned into him, soaking up his touch. She let her eyes fall closed, her heavy thoughts dissipating with the continued motions of his hand.
Despite the ache in her feet and back, despite the nausea that had yet to leave her since that morning, she couldn’t help but feel as though she was in absolute bliss to be in her husband’s arms.
“Where’s Valia?”
“In the water.” She told him without opening her eyes.
Aemond felt as though his chest bloomed with love as he watched his daughter stomp in the waves. Her hand held tightly with Jaehaera, their loud squeals of laughter every time a wave crashed against them bringing a smile to his lips.
He wished he could have known all those years ago that the sound of his daughter’s laugh would soothe every wound within him, that she would heal every slight he ever experienced.
His eye narrowed, his stomach flipping as he watched his sweet daughter begin to climb along the rocks at the shore.
“Be careful!” He called out loudly, startling his wife out of her daze.
“She’s fine.” She assured him, placing her hand over his.
“She could slip.”
“I was younger than her when I began climbing those same rocks and I was fine.” She told him, waving off his concerns. Her daughter’s wandering nature was a harsh reminder of the torment she had put her own parents through at her age.
“Isn’t that how you got this scar?” Aemond asked, his finger trailing along the faint mark on her forearm.
“No, I got this after falling out of my tree when I was five.”
Aemond huffed and rolled his eye, his heart already aching for the stress his daughter would surely put him through over the next decade.
His wife giggled, earning her a playful scowl, which only made her laugh harder.
“Breathe, my love. You’ll be gray by the end of the year if you do not relax.”
He scoffed, his fingers just barely grasping at her waist before she jerked away, latching onto his wrist before he could tickle her.
“Don’t you dare.”
Aemond smiled cheekily, the sight making her stomach twist. Her raging hormones swept over her, the mischief in her eye suddenly turning to desire. He noticed immediately, having seen that look enough times over the years to know exactly what she wanted and his own eye darkened in realization.
“Later.” He promised, though he couldn’t deny that it took all of his self control to not drag her to their chambers right that second.
But he had been stuck in a council meeting all morning and he longed to be with his family for the afternoon.
He could at least wait until his daughter was put down for her nap to ravish his insatiable wife.
Aemond let out a sigh, a sound of pure contentment as he watched his daughter play, his wife in his arms, the warm breeze of Ixtal adorning his skin.
It was paradise, everything he had wanted since he was a boy.
He was content to stay in that moment forever.
Suddenly a faint noise sounded that raised every hair on his body, the quiet trill one he recognized, but couldn’t quite put his finger on. He stiffened and sat forward, his keen eye surveying for a threat. He almost thought he had imagined the noise when he heard it again, this time louder.
His chest heaved with nervous breaths as he looked to the sky, his wide eye darting between the clouds.
“Aemond?” She asked, having felt him tense beneath her.
Her own fear began to rise as she noticed the look in his eye. Her gaze followed his own, her stomach dropping as dreaded anticipation fell over them.
Suddenly, a lithe red dragon descended from the clouds, a shrieking whistle sounding across the Island.
Caraxes.
Aemond felt as though the blood in his veins froze as his nightmare played out before him.
He was on his feet in a second, his hands holding tightly to his wife as he helped her stand. He barely heard her call out to him fearfully as he started to run, screaming for their daughter.
Helaena’s eyes were wide with fright as she yelled for her children, frantically gesturing them to her side.
“Go!” Aemond yelled to her as he ran past her.
There was a ringing in his ears as he sprinted, his gaze locked onto his daughter who was trying to get down from the rocks, her face twisted in fear. It was like a dagger in his heart.
He cared little for his boots that were now soaked as he raced through the waves to get to her. His arms were out the second he was close enough.
“Daddy.” She sobbed as he made it to her. She practically fell into his arms, her little body that shook with her frightful cries tearing away pieces of him.
“I’ve got you, my Sweet. You’re ok.” He assured her, cradling her to him tightly as he ran out of the waves.
His heart was in his throat as he approached his wife whose eyes were locked onto the approaching dragon.
“Get inside.” Aemond ordered, mournfully passing Valia into her arms.
“Aemond-”
“Go, now!”
“Aemond, please-”
He kissed her fiercely, the moment entirely too brief before he pulled away, his wide eye betraying his terror. He placed his hand on his daughter’s back, watching as she clung to her mother who looked equally as terrified.
A lump grew in his throat that made it hard to breathe. His eye met his wife whose tears brazenly fell down her cheeks.
“I will come back to you, I promise.”
He spared one final look to his daughter before tearing himself from their side, racing desperately towards Vhagar.
She could only watch as her husband left, her chest heaving, her hands clutching to her daughter who cried into the crook of her neck.
The distant screams of townsfolk and guards broke her out of her daze and she moved as quickly as she could while heavily pregnant with twins into the safety of the castle.
Helaena was immediately by her side, taking Valia from her, who only cried harder at being separated from her mother, but she couldn’t hold her for long in her state.
“It’s ok, darling.” She assured her shakily, her hand running through her silver hair as she clung to her waist, her fingers tangling in the fabric of her dress.
“I didn’t see it.” Helaena’s voice caught her attention, sounding despondent, as if trapped in a daze. “I didn’t see Daemon coming. I didn’t dream of this. I should have dreamt this, I should have known.”
“Helaena, this is not your fault.” She told her sternly, grabbing onto her hands tightly. “We all knew this was a possibility.”
Helaena didn’t looked assured by her words, the furrow between her brows deep, her eyes still wide with horror.
“Come on, we have to get the children to safety.”
It was chaos within the castle, guards rushing outside, as though there was anything they could do to defend themselves against dragonfire. Townsfolk were corralled in, the mass of people crying in fear.
Their home had never seen conflict, every other house in the realm was smarter than to attack their house, knowing what dire consequences they would face.
Apparently Daemon defied even the barest of logic.
She heard her name called and turned to see her father approaching, the worry palpable in his expression.
“Where is Aemond?”
“He is going to Vhagar.”
He nodded and reached for her hand, the only comfort he could give her.
“What do we do?” She asked tearfully.
“We pray Aemond wins. It is all we can do.”
~~
The fury was burning within him like wildfire.
Adrenaline thrummed in his veins, forcing him to have to steady his trembling hands as he gripped at the saddle as Vhagar took to the skies.
While Vhagar was slow, she was bigger than Caraxes and through their bond, she could feel his anger, the pure protective rage that radiated from him, leaving her equally as bloodthirsty as her rider.
Caraxes roared and even with the distance between them, Aemond could see the hatred on Daemon’s face, his expression twisted with derision as he commanded his dragon forward.
Aemond straightened his shoulders, his jaw clenching, a brief thought of his wife, daughter, and unborn children flashing through his mind, only fueling him forward.
“Vhagar, attack.”
The roar Vhagar let out was enough to shake even the most hardened of soldiers, but it did little to stray Daemon from his vendetta.
Aemond vowed it would be his uncle’s last mistake.
~~
The crowd of people crammed into the throne room cried out in unison as the screeches of dragon were heard, shaking the very foundation of the castle.
Valia whimpered and held to her tighter, her daughter’s fear like a lance to the heart, striking her fiercely.
Her heart was racing, her hands shaking. They felt like sitting ducks, waiting for their turn to face the slaughter.
She thought of her husband, fighting alone, fighting a battle no one but him could fight, and it turned her stomach.
She placed her hand on her chest, as if she could will her dangerously racing heart to slow.
“You need to breathe.” Her mother told her, holding tightly to her hand. “This stress isn’t good for you or the babes.”
“I don’t think breathing will deter my stress.” She responded sharply. “I can’t take this. I cannot just sit here doing nothing while my husband risks his life.”
Her mother clicked her tongue and looked at her fiercely.
“Unless there are spare dragons laying around waiting for your claim, there is nothing else you can do.”
She let out a shuddering breath, burying her face in her hands, fearing she was only seconds away from breaking. Another deafening roar shook the castle, causing another wave of screams and frightened cries to ring out among the room.
She looked around at the faces of those around her, the fear palpable. She couldn’t stand it.
“Stay with Valia.” She told her mother, pressing a quick kiss to her daughter’s cheek before hurrying forward, pushing her way through the crowd.
She dimly heard her mother calling out to her, but she ignored it, moving forward with haste.
The halls were sparse, leaving no one to question her journey.
She moved slower than she would’ve liked with the two babes she carried, but she eventually made her way up the stairs to their chambers. She didn’t exactly know what she was doing, she didn’t know what she’d gain from this, all she knew was she couldn't stay in that room as she worried for her husband.
With a heavy weight settled on her chest, making it hard to breathe, she opened the balcony doors, her eyes immediately landing on the two dragons in the sky locked in battle.
She blinked rapidly to stave off the tears that brimmed in her eyes, threatening her faint vision of her husband.
She watched as Craxes and Vhagar fought, as the two mighty dragons threw brutal blows, claws slashing, teeth tearing, and fire burning in a deadly stand.
Caraxes claws slashed against Vhagar’s belly and the sound the ancient dragon let out made her stomach twist, threatening to bring her to her knees. She held tightly to the railing in front of her, the only thing that kept her upright as she watched the dragons tangle viciously.
She flinched at every pained sound the dragons made, every swipe that hurt Vhagar, every snap of Caraxes’ jaws that were too close to Aemond.
“Please, please, don’t leave me.” She whispered into the wind. She hoped the gods were listening, she hoped they would show her mercy, that Aemond would be victorious, that their peace would not equate to only a matter of years rather than the lifetime they longed for.
“What are you doing up here?”
She jumped, turning to see her father approaching her worriedly, his hands latching onto her to pull her back, but she struggled, refusing his advances and stood strongly, her gaze never leaving her husband’s dragon in the sky.
“No, I can’t leave!”
“You are torturing yourself. This isn’t good for you.”
“I need to see him.”
“You don’t need to see any of this. If Aemond were to perish-”
“Then I need to be here. I need to be with him until the last second, even if he cannot even see me. I will not let myself waste a single second I have left of him.” She sobbed, her heart aching at the possibility of her husband failing, of this being his final day.
Her father’s shoulders sagged, looking at her devastatingly and he quickly pulled her into his arms, holding her as she cried into chest.
Another cry of pain from Vhagar had her flinching, burying herself further into her father’s arms.
Sobs shook her body as she silently prayed for Aemond, for their family, for the babes within her. She wouldn’t survive if she lost him, if her babes never got to meet their father who already loved them so deeply.
A bloodcurdling screech had her looking back to the sky, her eyes widening as she saw Caraxes neck trapped within Vhagar’s jaws, blood pouring from the wound, falling from the sky like poison rain.
She heard the shouts of the guards that lined the castle walls as the dragons writhed in the sky, plummeting fast to the ground.
She flinched as a scorpion bolt shot through the air, dangerously close to Vhagar. She grit her teeth and looked down at the row of guards, a scream of rage bubbling in her throat for their carelessness.
A second bolt tore forward and hit true, striking Caraxes in the wing.
She almost stumbled over her own feet as she watched the dragon fall. Turning on her heel, she was racing out of the room before the dragon could hit the ground.
Her father sighed as he watched her quickly retreating form, knowing it was useless to stop her.
He looked out to the dragon that now lay on his shores and, as Vhagar landed with a mighty roar, he turned, content to not watch the slaughter about to unfold and overtaken with relief that his good son had triumphed.
Across the castle, with tears steadily falling down her cheeks, her breath leaving her in heavy, frantic pants, she pushed past the line of guards, ignoring their warnings to step outside.
“Aemond!” She screamed the moment she was outside, holding tightly to her belly as she descended the stairs down to the beach.
The first thing she saw was the body of Caraxes laid out on the sand, pools of blood blooming, staining the sand red.
She then noticed Vhagar next to the dead dragon, her maw bloody.
She could have collapsed from relief, but the absence of her husband kept her moving forward. She called out to him again, sounding more desperate.
Among the wreckage that was the fallen dragon, a lone figure emerged, limping forward slowly. Her breath caught in her throat and before she could realize, she was racing forward, little care given as to who she was headed towards, but she already knew.
She would’ve felt if it were Daemon, if Aemond had been the one to succumb to the battle. Her heart would’ve given out the moment he ceased to breathe, she was sure of it.
The closer she got, she could make out the eyepatch, the tall form of her husband, the figure so familiar it healed every ounce of despair that had been so close to overtaking her.
She sobbed and cried out his name again.
Aemond limped forward quickly, his brows furrowed at the sight of her, his stomach flipping with a mixture of relief yet annoyed that she was so close to such a violent display.
His arms opened the second she was close, allowing her to fall into his embrace. He hissed as a wave of pain washed over him, making him stumble against the weight of her crushing hug.
She pulled away, looking at him worriedly, her hands hovering over him, unsure of how to help him as he stumbled to his knees.
“W-what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“It’s my leg.” He choked out. She slowly got to her knees, wincing with effort, noticing the gash in his pant leg and the dark blood that stained his calf.
“Daemon-”
“He’s dead. I made sure.” Aemond told her, his voice void of emotion, making her nerves rise once again in a quick second.
She cradled his face in her hands, forcing his head up to face her, noticing he was in a shocked daze, his eye hazy and distant.
“Look at me, please.” She spoke gently. “You are alright. You won. You protected us.”
“I protected you.” He repeated weakly, as if it were now just registering to him, his victory, his triumph over his famed uncle.
He practically shuddered, a trembling exhale falling past his lips.
“It was- he almost- he could have-” He rambled brokenly, unable to piece together his words, unable to say outloud how close he had come to succumbing to his uncle. Dark sister had pierced his leg, but if it had not been Vhagar swerving at the last second, his sword would’ve torn right through his eye.
“He didn’t. You did it, Aemond. You defeated him. You saved us all.”
Aemond looked to her, as if just now realizing she was real, that she was truly before him, alive and breathing, just as he was.
He let out a choked breath, tears falling down his cheek as he suddenly lurched forward, wrapping her in his arms, holding to her so tightly it stole her breath away.
Her body trembled just as he did, the two lovers locked into an embrace that held the franticness of a brush with death.
“I’ve got you, Aemond. You’re safe now, we all are.”
Her whispered words had a sob escaping him as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. It all hit him so suddenly, the adrenaline fading, leaving him with the reality of how close he had been to losing it all, how close his family had been to danger.
“Valia, where is she? I need to see her, I need to make sure she is ok, that she didn’t-”
“She’s fine, Aemond.” She assured him. “She’s frightened, but she is unharmed.”
He nodded, breathing out heavily, the dragon blood pumping through his veins singing, leaving him shaking in her arms.
“You’re ok.” She whispered.
It was as his wife held him tightly, her hand stroking through his hair, that the pain in his leg faded, retreating into the back of his mind, as he let himself be enveloped in the love his wife freely gave to him.
He was victorious. He didn’t feel it as he drove his sword through his uncle’s heart as he lay broken and bloody beneath his dead dragon.
He only felt it in the arms of his wife, feeling the babes in her womb kick under his hand, knowing he would see his daughter safe inside.
They made it real. They made the title of Kinslayer twice over bearable and more than worth the price.
~~
Barely a week later, she sat in the council chamber, her hand latched in her husband’s. He had scarcely left her side since the attack, he had barely slept to keep an eye on her, commanding Valia sleep in their bed so he could watch them both, ensuring their safety.
During the day, he was insatiable, taking every moment they had alone to ravish her until she screamed, his grip on her tight and desperate. He took her with a fervor as if they were newlyweds again.
He could barely keep his eye off of her since he feared he would lose her.
“We have received word from Rhaenyra.” Her father announced from his seat at the head of the table. “It appears Daemon had acted against her orders. She has sent her deepest apologies for any harm he caused.”
Her eldest brother scoffed at the news.
“She’s trying to save face so we do not storm King’s Landing.”
“Is that really something we want to do?” She chimed in fearfully.
“No, I do not wish for war.” Her father assured her. His gaze then turned to the silver haired Prince, noticing he had yet to speak a word.
“Rhaenyra does not deserve the throne. Especially not after this.”
“Aemond should sit the throne.”
“We can rally our allies.”
“Rhaenyra might just abdicate when she sees the support we garner.”
The voices in the room overwhelmed him, overlapping in a barrage of noise that only seemed to aggravate his already pounding headache.
“Aemond, what is it you wish to do?” His father by law’s voice cut through the cacophony of chaos, silencing everyone else in the room.
His words seemed to startle him out of his thoughts and his hand involuntarily squeezed hers, as if he needed comfort in that moment.
“This is your family. It is you who defended our home. Whatever you decide, we will respect.”
“I do not want the throne.” Aemond finally spoke, his voice terse. The mere thought of the throne, yet another war over that stupid chair, turned his stomach. “It has caused enough trouble. Rhaenyra can have it.”
“So we let this insane attack go unpunished?”
She winced as one of her father’s advisors pointed his glare towards her husband.
“Daemon is dead. I’d say that is punishment enough for his actions, don’t you?” Aemond countered, eyeing the man across the table with vitriol.
The atmosphere in the meeting was awkward, with few words spared as they adjourned. She was slow as she stood, her gaze on her husband as he made no move to stand from his seat.
She spared a look with her father, nodding to him, silently assuring him that she would soothe her husband.
Only when the others left and it was just the two of them in the room, did she face him, leaning against the table and taking his hand in hers, stopping his anxious fidgeting.
“Is this truly what you want?”
“I do not wish to fight in a senseless war.”
“Even for a throne you deserve more than her? A throne you could easily win.”
Aemond let out a deep breath, his mind a mess of thoughts. He once desired the throne, before he truly saw the trouble it caused and the crushing weight of responsibility and sacrifice that came with it.
Now it was the last thing he desired.
“I am not going back to King’s Landing. I will never take my daughter to a place that holds nothing but pain. I will not take you back to the place I almost lost you.” He told her reverently, looking up at her deeply, as if he was desperate that she would feel the same way.
Her breath caught in her throat and she was suddenly aware of just how much she did not wish to venture back to the place that had almost crushed them.
She nodded, swallowing against the lump in her throat.
“But Rhaenyra-”
“She is already facing punishment.” Aemond interrupted swiftly. “If she loved Daemon even a quarter as much as I love you, then she is facing the worst possible consequence she could ever face with his death. Let her live with it, let her suffer with her broken heart.”
She shouldn’t have felt her heart swell at his words, so dark and harsh against a woman that had caused them so much pain, but she couldn’t deny the swell of emotions she felt for him in that moment.
She reached out, caressing her hand through his hair. His eye fell shut as if her touch brought him more relief than any potion or medicine ever could. His hands found her waist, ushering her forward to sit upon his lap.
He held to her strongly, as if there was still a threat that could rip her away from him.
“Our home is here. Our children belong here and I will never, for any reason, step foot in that place again.”
His words were absolute, leaving no room for argument, not that she had any.
“I have everything I need here. That will never change.”
She smiled and let her forehead fall against his, her lips finding his effortlessly. They kissed sweetly, the gesture one of nothing but pure relief and assurance that they still had each other and always would.
“I love you.” She whispered and Aemond smiled. Those words never failed to stir emotion within him.
“I love you, my sun.”
~~
Thank you all so much for reading! I can't believe this story is over! I'm so attached to these characters and my delusional AU so if you want more, I am more than willing to continue, just give me the word xx
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
↳ Princess Rhaenyra and her she-dragon, Syrax
Rhaenyra Targaryen was a precocious child, bright and bold and beautiful as only one of dragon’s blood can be beautiful. At seven, she became a dragonrider, taking to the sky on the young dragon she named Syrax, after a goddess of old Valyria.
— Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon (A Question of Succession) by George R.R. Martin.
It downed on me during that scene when Steve realizes something's off about Max and runs up the hill that he has probably been the most reliable grown up male figure in Max's entire life. Let that sink in.
He's always watching over and being stern with her because he knows she can be even more reckless than the rest, since limits haven't been properly taught to her by adults. She has had to be the adult of her house and has forgotten how to be a carefree kid. But Steve is all "Nh-huh, no, you stay put kid." (Exactly as he does with Dustin.) Which is probably why when she stares at Steve for me is a sign that she has come to admire him/trust him as a reliable "adult". (He isn't an adult either but you guys get what I mean.)
Then there's Dustin, you can see how much he trusts Steve not only because of how he always goes to him for help or how he blatantly talks to him as if Steve had his age (when you feel comfortable around someone you totally forget age differences) but also when Steve dives in to the lake, Dustin doesn't panic. He gets worried, yes, but doesn't panic and says "Come on Steve", trusting that he'll resurface.
And Lucas! When Steve ran towards Max he didn't follow him, and we know Lucas cares a whole lot about Max, but still trusted Steve to check on her.
Who else has come to trust Steve? Robin, Nancy and Eddie, obviously. You can see it in how they let him dive in without arguing and even more when they're in the Upside Down. There's a moment when the second round of demobats appears that Robin and Eddie rush to get behind Steve and then there's a shot of the 3 of them slightly behind Steve. They trust Steve with their safety.
thinking about the fact that max writes letters to her family members, to the other five members of the party… and to steve. yes sure, steve himself shows exasperation with how he’s ‘always the god damn babysitter’, and the kids all wind him up endlessly; but out of all of the older teenagers, max only writes a letter to him. steve isn’t just an annoying supervising teenager to the kids. he’s their found family, their found big brother, and the reason they’re so comfortable winding him up is because they know that they have this next level of understanding with steve. he’s their friend, he’s the one who looks out for them and cares about them, the one they know they can go to about absolutely anything, and he’s their big brother. and nothing can highlight that more than when max wrote letters to her closest loved ones, letters saying goodbye because she thought she was about to die and didn’t want to leave words unsaid, she wrote one for steve too. just as the party are max’s found family, so is steve.
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