please, someone! anyone!
let me know if something similar exists:
among all these time travel!AUs there has to be at least one where Lucerys gets captured by the Greens and there (Aemond’s watchful but only eye failing to keep up) due to some ✨weird-magical-valyrian-magic✨, he swaps places with his past self who lived in the Red Keep ten years ago
because just imagine the untouched comedic goldmine (and the potential for character exploration) that opens up
chapters could alternate—events in the present (future) from Aemond’s POV, and in the past from Lucerys’ POV
instead of a teenager who fears him, he gets a five-year-old. and little Luke at first is scared of the 'one-eyed stranger', maybe even sniffles a bit, then starts threatening with 'terrible punishment for offending the beloved child of the crown princess and the most beloved grandson of the king' —at that moment Aemond wants to strangle his nephew even more than when he was grown-up. but then Luke recognizes 'uncle Aemond' and with totally unjustified excitement starts: 'wow, and where’s your eye? did you lose it in a battle with enemies? are you a great warrior now? with one eye you look so cool! oh, and what’s that, a real sword?' and then Aemond already wants to strangle himself
the small council is in shock. Alicent scolds Aemond again and worries 'how is this to be explained to Rhaenyra now, on top of everything else?' Aegon laughs for a very long time. long-long time. only Helaena suggests taking Luke to the twins and Aemond values this proposal immensely. because kid has already overheard that he’s now Vhagar’s rider and besides the eye-questions now also pestering him with stuff like: 'do Vhagar and Arrax like each other?'
Luke only thinks to ask about where his family is at the end of the day, when Helaena puts him to bed together with her children. obvious, she answers truthfully that his family 'is no longer here. they live on Dragonstone now, and until recently, you were there too, but you are back with us. more precisely, Aemond brought you back'. falling asleep, Luke decides this means he and Aemond are betrothed or sort of
so the next day Aemond Targaryen gets his just deserts: now Luke doesn’t leave his side at all, asking about when and how he proposed to him and when the wedding is set. what’s worse—Aegon is present for this (choking, wheezing and falling off his chair in hysterics)
Alicent risks an aneurysm, because the third threatening letter from Rhaenyra has already arrived (and that’s with her still not knowing her son is five again), but no one else seems to be concerned
to distract Luke at least somehow, Aemond takes him to Arrax. Luke, of course, is delighted by how 'bighuge' his dragon has become. but sulks when he isn’t allowed to fly (because Arrax is injured, and Luke is five), so Aemond has to compromise again and take him for a short flight on Vhagar
after this Luke calls him 'the most wonderful ever' and that surely 'adult Luke' is very much in love with him, because he’s the 'bestest and nicest'. this temporarily breaks Aemond—poor boy gets cognitive dissonance and an identity crisis. but, naturally, the words of this child mean absolutely nothing to him. nothing at all*
if only someone would inform the child, because Luke tells everyone and anyone how 'bestest and nicest' his 'fiancé' is
it only gets messy when Luke realizes they address Aegon as 'your majesty', which can only mean Aegon is king. Luke may be small, but not stupid. and he forces Aemond to explain and accuses him of lying, and Aemond has to weasel out of, feeling guilty. Aemond really doesn’t like feeling guilty. But somehow his nephew manages to make Aemond feel it over and over
Lucerys' chapter I:
meanwhile 'adult Luke' in the past. the past, which he remembers only vaguely (since almost all memories before Driftmark got repressed due to trauma). He just has to show Rhaenyra some birthmark or tiny scar, and she immediately believes he really is himself and declares to everyone that they must help him get back and return their little Luke (yes, as simple as that)
he’s stunned and touched meeting Laenor and Ser Harwin Strong, and also a bit amused how serious Jace already was, even back then
what Lucerys is a little bit not ready for is meeting his uncles. Aegon just annoys and Aemond… seeing him with both eyes again… still… feels strange—and somehow embarrassing. only when meeting ten-year-old Aemond does Lucerys realize that he has never really apologized
so when Aegon casually mocks Aemond for not having a dragon, Lucerys gets into an argument with him and even reprimands Jace for supporting 'such stupid jokes that they will be ashamed of later'. although Jace was silent at that moment. and Aemond is confused by this unexpected defense and takes it suspiciously
overall, being in the past, Lucerys can now see some of the reasons for the conflict between their families. luckily no one dares insist he talk about the future, and he’s not sure if he should say anything about the looming war and everything else. but maybe he could prevent some of the worst?
it turns out gaining young Aemond’s trust isn’t so easy, but if you say 'Aegon’s an idiot, you’ll have a dragon, and it’ll be insane huge', then that sort of becomes an icebreaker. Lucerys is genuinely thrown off by realizing what a sad and lonely boy his 'terrifying stoic uncle' once was
about idiots. Aegon, who obviously doesn't like being put in his place, starts prying at Lucerys why he defends Aemond so much: 'what, are you two in your future such good friends? or maybe you’re a sweet little married couple?' clearly, Lucerys couldn't tell the truth and, irritated, snapped something like 'and if we are, it’s none of your fucking business'.
nothing would be wrong with that, except it happens at a family dinner. (good (or unfortunate) thing Otto Hightower was exiled from the Red Keep at that time, otherwise he would’ve inevitably had a heart attack). Alicent chokes on her wine, while Viserys was actually quite pleased. and from the rest of the family he received many very expressive questioning glances—all of them he ignored. or almost all of them
Aemond couldn't disregard his nephew's words. if they were truly engaged, married, or something of that description—it would be a logical explanation for why 'future-Lucerys' is so nice to him.
so maybe Lucerys also has his moment of crisis when young Aemond, a bit shyly, says he doesn’t know if he’s a 'good mate' for Lucerys, but hopes so. because Lucerys 'seems wonderful' for him, and he’s glad that 'our families have agreed to the engagement or whatever it is'
Lucerys’ guilt is no less than Aemond’s in their time
* i’m deeply convinced that even in canon, Aemond spent all those years busting his ass to become 'the best-at-everything prince' first and foremost so that no one (especially Luke, because traumatic fixation) could ever laugh at him again. to simplify: he really just wanted to prove to that five-? six?-year-old who cut out his eye that he’s cool and awesome. and if he got even a small bit of obvious respect (better yet—admiration), we’d have avoided almost all that drama
okay, honestly, out of context, I’m just obsessed with the scene where baby Luke makes adult Aemond do a pinky swear… about whatever. I don’t know where it came from, but I saw it as vividly as the brightest dream, and now it keeps making me toss and turn
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