Chapter 4
The Red Keep was at a standstill.
Word had spread quickly.
It started when one of the maids saw Mellos carrying a tray of tools past as he spoke with the Hand.
She overheard the maester say that the babe was taking too long and that he would need to speak with Prince Aemond, but the Hand had said it would not matter and to go ahead with the procedure to bring the babe forth.
The linens she had collected for washing were spilled across the floor as she ran to the kitchens. Everyone asked what was wrong as she cried they were going to cut open the prince! Just like Queen Aemma! It was denied at first until more people came flooding in, tear-streaked faces, vacant expressions, and anger. It was quickly confirmed, the maester was going to kill the prince just as he had the late queen.
An older man who worked as the kitchen's butcher threw his cleaver and apron to the ground before storming out while saying,
"I won't be here while tha' rat cuts someone open again!" He was the start of the exodus.
The kitchens were emptied, clothes were left to soak in tubs of soapy water, the gardens were left unattended, and the stables were left a mess.
Taverns were filled and the word was spread that another Targaryen was about to be lost the same way Queen Aemma was.
There was a reason why the small folk referred to her as The Good Queen Aemma, she had strived to improve their lives. Even when The Sick King put babe after babe in her belly to the point she was always exhausted, The Good Queen tried to manage the improvements. But when the gray rat cut her open, the improvements came to a grinding halt and were never restarted.
Princess Rhaenyra had tried to have them put back into motion, but she had been chased out of her own home by the Green Queen. And now she was going to lose her son and grandchild the same way she lost her mother and brother.
Cups were raised in memory of the late queen, in sympathy for the Realms Delight, and in sadness, for the sweet prince, they were about to lose.
People told stories about what they remembered about the Good Queen and the Realm's Delight. Then some of the younger members of the staff spoke of Prince Lucerys.
A young girl said he had given her one of his lemon cakes when he heard it was her nameday.
One of the squires remarked that Prince Lucerys had helped him correct his grip on the pommel of his sword when Ser Cole had only scolded him.
A maid spoke up to say she had fallen down the stairs and was limping, Prince Lucerys insisted she sat in one of his chairs to rest as he folded and put his own linens away.
Story after story was told and more toasts were made until the tavern door opened and in stepped a lord.
Everyone looked at Lord Caswell, already believing they knew what news he would bring. But he told them the prince was alive. Sadness turned to shock, which became happiness.
Cups were raised in celebration until the lord told them what happened.
The happiness turned to rage and the entire tavern was ready to storm the palace gates, but Lord Caswell said they should stay away from the Red Keep for now. When the young girl who had shared lemon cakes with the prince shoved her way forward and demanded to know why they couldn't go back and defend their prince. Lord Caswell merely smiled and replied,
"Because Princess Rhaenyra is going to arrive soon. On dragon back,"
The streets were flooded after that and everyone looked to the sky.
Cheers went up when they saw two red beasts and a gold dragon circling the keep. And when someone pointed out the Velaryon ships that were making their way to the docks, the streets cleared so the way to the Keep would be open to the Sea Snake.
Sailors helped quickly dock the four ships as crates and other equipment were cleared away so nothing would hinder Lord Corlys and his men as they began making their way to the Keep.
The small folk peered out from windows and doorways as Lord Corlys passed by. Others crowded in alleyways and between the different stalls that lined the streets, awe filtering across their faces as the Lord of the Tides met The Queen Who Never Was, The Rogue Prince, and The Realm's Delight at the gates of the Red Keep.
But, from a window that overlooked the entrance, was someone who watched without awe, but resignation.
Aemond knew there was no place to hide. He could take Vhagar and fly to the ends of the world and his sister would hunt him down until he was dead. Aemond had no doubt she would manage to claw her way into the Seven Hells just to rip him apart one last time after the Stranger took him.
And it wasn't as if he wanted to hide either.
Aemond would not hide or run.
He deserved any punishment his sister called for.
Any punishment Lucerys called for.
Aemond already knew that if Lucerys asked for his head, Aemond would fall on his own sword before Daemon could retrieve Dark Sister.
The prince stepped back from the window as the doors burst open to allow Rhaenyra and her ensemble into the Keep and Aemond peered over the banister to see his grandfather and mother come out. He rolled his eye at their pitiful attempts at keeping the peace, did they not realize they were staring down the face of three angry dragons? With a small battalion led by the Sea Snake behind them?
Aemond would not be surprised if he saw more soldiers of House Velaryon lining the walls of the Keep before nightfall.
One of Helaena's servants, Dyana, came running down the stairs as she called for Rhaenyra,
"I'm to take you to Prince Lucerys!" Aemond lurched at the young Beta's words and gripped the railing tightly.
He'd known. Aemond had known before his grandfather had demanded his daughters be handed to him.
Aemond had known since he saw his first daughter in Helaena's arms as she walked in into their mother's rooms. He'd known the moment he saw Lucerys, (His husband. His mate! His!) bloodied, shaking, and sweating with his youngest cradled to his chest as the twin guards held him up.
They were his!
His daughters!
They were not bastards!
They were his!
His mother, grandfather, and Cole had all been wrong.
He'd been wrong!
And then Lucerys let out that pained noise, Aemond gave in to the instincts he had been fighting for the past months.
He rushed to Lucerys, his, his Lucerys, his husband, his mate, wanting to hold him close, protect him-
Helaena moved in front of him. He nearly growled until he smelt it.
It being a toxic, putrid, acrid, smell that Aemond knew well.
He'd smelt it the few times he and Lucerys were left alone during their 'courting' months, on their wedding night, when he visited Lucerys for his first heat after their marriage, and when Lucerys entered Aemond's chambers for his rut.
Lucerys, his Omega was afraid.
Of him.
His hands trembled in the effort to hold himself back from reaching for his mate.
Aemond wanted to, gods, he wanted to hold Lucerys until that disgusting smell was gone and his Omega stopped shaking. But Lucerys was afraid of... him.
Then he heard what Helaena said.
Traumatic.
The midwives his half-sister had sent were kept out of the room.
Mellos forced Lucerys into the hall to make the trek to the queen's room seconds after giving birth.
His mate gave birth to their second daughter in the middle of the hall where anyone could see!
Aemond's blood raged until he realized that Helaena was having the Cargyll twins help Lucerys out of the chair so that they could leave. And Aemond...
He would follow. At a distance, to keep watch over Lucerys, but make sure he would not be seen by the Omega.
Then, Otto demanded Aemond be allowed to hold the pups while throwing a veiled reference to his daughters imagined bastardy, which earned him a harsh glare from Aemond.
But then-
Then-
He was looking at one violet eye and one hazel eye.
His daughter.
Aemond gently ran a shaking hand over the whisps of pale hair on her head as he blinked suspiciously at the wet blurs at the edge of his vision. He cupped the back of her head and she yawned while nestling her face against his thumb. (His daughter. His oldest girl, who had no name, and no dragon egg. The things he and Lucerys had spoken animatedly about, his daughter had neither of.)
He pressed his lips to her forehead, smiling slightly as she cooed, and a clumsy hand smacked against his chin,
"Rytsas jorrāelagon, byka zaldrīzes," He blinked harshly and held out his pinky so that his daughter could grab it as he hoarsely whispered, "Nyke sorry nyke istan daor konīr skori ao istan welcomed ezīmagon bisa vys,"
Hello love, little dragon. I'm sorry I was not there when you were welcomed into this world.
"Ziry deserves tolī than nykeā dorolvie udra, valonqar, se ziry iksos daor se mērī mēre qilōni deserves tolī," Helaena said in a cold voice.
She deserves more than a few words, brother, and she is not the only one who deserves more.
Aemond looked at his sister and then glanced at Lucerys. The Omega was still shaking and seemed to have become paler in a matter of seconds,
"Aemond, may I-" He quickly passed his daughter back to Helaena who accepted her with a relieved sigh while his mother stared at him, her expression and arms falling.
When he had been given the younger twin to hold (His daughter. His daughter who had been born on a dirty floor and was wrapped in a used kingsguard cloak. His! His and Lucerys') Aemond hadn't had the chance to hold her before his husband had fallen over in the chair Helaena had set him on. His mother had demanded that the maester be called while Helaena shrieked that Mellos was not going anywhere near Lucerys,
"He was going to cut Lucerys open!" His sister shouted.
Aemond snapped his eye toward Helaena and his mother while Otto tried soothing the princess by saying that Mellos was suggesting what would have been necessary to make sure the children were born.
He almost missed Alicent looking at Cole and gesturing for the door. But when the knight began moving, Aemond quickly handed his daughter to Helaena who took her in one arm while still holding the other with the familiar ease that came with holding her own children.
Aemond grabbed Cole by the arm and slammed him against the wall, twisting his arm back until the bone was in danger of snapping,
"My prince-"
"Don't move!" The Alpha prince hissed, "Mellos will not be allowed near any of them!"
"Aemond! Lucerys needs a maester!" Alicent exclaimed as Ser Erryk picked Lucerys up from where he had slumped over, revealing the blood-soaked pillow the Omega had been sitting on.
Aegon, whom everyone had forgotten was even present, vomited at the sight.
Helaena used the distraction to direct Erryk and Arryk out of the room as she followed with both babes in her arms.
Aemond shoved Cole to the ground and followed after them,
"I will go to Dragonstone," Aemond said, his eye fixated on Lucerys who had not made a sound, "I will tell Rhaenyra what has happened and bring her maester,"
"Rhaenyra is already informed. She should be here soon," His steps faltered slightly as she continued, "And Rhaenyra will not be alone,"
Aemond swallowed at his sister's words.
He knew who she meant would be with Rhaenyra.
He could already feel Dark Sister piercing his chest.
The midwives Rhaenyra had sent joined them when they arrived at Helaena's chambers. One of them took the younger babe and unwrapped the white cloak she had been covered in and replaced it with a blanket that had the colors of House Velaryon.
Ser Arryk positioned himself at the door while Ser Erryk gently lay Lucerys onto the bed. When the knight stepped back, Aemond saw that the Omega's eyes were half open. He pushed Erryk out of the way and took his mate's hand,
"Lucerys?" He gently brushed the Omega's curls back and cupped his cheek, "Lucerys?"
For a brief moment, his mate nuzzled into his hand and something like hope sparked in Aemond's chest. Until Lucerys met his gaze.
Fear and panic overtook the Omega and he began to weakly shove at the Alpha while shaking his head,
"No! No!"
Before Aemond could say anything, he was harshly pulled back and practically thrown out into the hall. He tried rushing back in, but the Cargyll twins blocked his path to the door and Aemond growled,
"Move!"
"He is not to enter," Helaena said as stepped into the hall, her arms empty of the babe she had been carrying, "In fact, if anyone who has not been given permission by myself or Lucerys tries to enter, you are to stop them. I do not care who they are,"
"Yes, princess," Ser Erryk said while his brother hesitated before also nodding.
His sister turned to face him,
"If you were wise, brother, you will not be found when they arrive,"
Aemond sighed, his anger turning inward toward himself,
"When they come looking for me, I intend to be found," He responded, "Whatever Rhaenyra has planned, it will be no less than what I deserve,"
Helaena said nothing as her eyes glazed over before snapping back to Aemond,
"Poisoned love and poisoned bond," She closed the door after that.
Aemond was left to walk the Keep, despite the Alpha within him growling and screaming to go back. To protect, to be near his mate and pups. But he grit his teeth, knowing that his presence would be unwelcome.
His mate was afraid of him!
The person who was meant to protect and look after him!
And it was Aemond's fault.
There was no denying it.
Aemond had done this to Lucerys. His daughters.
He disrupted Lucerys' nest, tearing pieces that belonged to him and Helaena from their place in his anger at the rumors.
He left Lucerys to face judgment alone.
His mate was afraid of him.
Aemond believed there was nothing he could do to gain forgiveness.
Even if, by some miracle, Lucerys finds it in himself to forgive Aemond for what he had done, there was no chance for Lucerys to fully trust him again.
What they had been building together during those first moons of pregnancy was gone. They would never get that brief moment of happiness back.
Aemond had destroyed it, burnt it to ash the moment he began to doubt that his daughters were bastards.
And as he watched Dyana lead Rhaenyra, Daemon, Corlys, and Rheanys to Helaena's chambers, Aemond knew there would be retribution soon.
But he would not run from it. He would deny any of his mother and grandfather's excuses that would be made for him. His father would not doubt agree with whatever Rhaenyra demanded, and this time, Aemond would not begrudge him for it. He instead would agree.