Prince Aemond is rudely awakened by his chamber doors being thrashed open. He springs to action and draws his sword, ready to fight off whatever threat may be, only to find his darling wife being carried in by a member of the Kingsguard. Aemond drops his sword in an instant, but as he rushes to her aid, he notices dark red blood dripping down from between her thighs and staining her cream-colored nightgown.

Suddenly everything stops for the prince. His body freezes as does his mind, and in his eyes ignites a flaming inferno. He's enraged. He's pissed.

Aemond leaps for the knight, grabbing him by the armor and throwing him against the nearest wall, where the prince towers over the innocent man.

" How could you let this happen?!" He shouts in a fit of pure anger, " You're supposed to protect her!"

" I-I found her in the dragon pit, my prince," The knight utters, " She was already bleeding when I got there-- I swear!"

" Then you are not fit for your job, are you?" Aemond menacingly ponders, " Perhaps you are not fit to live at all."

In a matter of seconds, Aemond has a small dagger in his hands and uses it to slice the poor knight's throat, allowing him to bleed out as he falls down to the ground beneath his feet, and in an instant, Aemond turns around and rushes to his wife who leans against the bedpost.

" Ñuha jorrāelagon ( My love )" He whispers as he cups her face with both of his hands, " What happened?"

Vaemyra looks up into her husband's eye as her own are filled with tears, both real and not, and takes a shakey breath as her mind comes up with words that are not technically untrue.

" Īles daor meant naejot sagon ( It was not meant to be )" She utters as the blood continues to drip down her thighs and onto the floor.

Aemond then wraps his arms around his wife, bringing her into his embrace to console her, as well as himself. He stays strong for her, but Vaemyra just stares blankly as he hugs her. Her eyes have a glimmer in them, a hint, a sparkle, and it all disappears the moment Aemond pulls back to gaze upon her solemn face. He first kisses her forehead, then leans down and gently kisses her lips.

" As long as I have you... nothing else matters," He whispers as his thumb rubs against her cheekbone.

" Nothing?" She questions.

" What would possibly be more important than my wife?"

" The throne."

Aemond is somewhat surprised by her words, and though he certainly does not value the Iron Throne more than his own wife... it is certainly something he holds near and dear to his heart.

" I see the way you look at it... and I see the way you look at Aegon," She states, " You think he's unworthy... you think you'd make a better king."

" Careful... your words could be counted as treason," Aemond corrects, his face still inches away from hers, " Your sister is heir... not our brother."

" Do you deny it?" Vaemyra questions.

Her words give him pause. She knows the truth, she knows exactly what she wants.

" No," He answers simply.

And she finds it difficult to hide her smile, yet still manages to do so. Vaemyra brings her hand up to her husband's head, where she brushes through his luscious silver hair. She leans forward and kisses his lips, starting out soft and getting more and more passionate as her hands continue to move around his body. She props herself on the bed and raises up the end of her dress. She reaches down to remove Aemond's cock from its confinements whilst their lips are still locked.

But it does not last for much longer. It's in the heat of the moment, and afterwords he focuses much more on her needs.

Aemond kneels over the tub as his wife sits inside, and uses a wet rag to clean her soft skin as the water steams, not as though she cares. His hands work up and down her arms to ensure they're free of blood. Vaemyra then steps out, wrapped in a beautiful robe by her husband, who kisses her shoulder before walking off and finding a dress for her to wear.

He picks out a beautiful black and gold dress and helps fasten it over her body. He has her sit down, and he brushes through her gorgeous locks to make her hair as straight as his, only for them to be interrupted by a knight in search of the eldest prince.

But neither Vaemyra nor Aemond has seen Prince Aegon since the night before. Their minds quickly work together and in an instant, they both bolt out of the door and down the hall, where their eyes catch a hint of green.

They follow the queen to Helaena's chambers and walk inside as Otto walks out, where they find Alicent attempting to console her only daughter. Alicent looks up as her son and his wife enter the room, and based on his mother's tear-stained face, he's able to come to a conclusion fairly quickly. His hand reaches back to grab Vaemyra's, whose eyes are filled with an artificial sadness as she pretends as though she didn't know.

She pretends she didn't know the king had passed until this very moment.

Meanwhile, Otto decides to take matters into his own hands. He deploys Ser Erryk and his brother Arryk out into the city of King's Landing to find the prince, even if he doesn't want to be found.

Even if Aemond doesn't want him to be found.

And especially even if Vaemyra doesn't want him to be found.

Princess Rhaenys ends up getting locked away in her chambers while all the servants get locked away in the dungeons, all by order of the Hand. All by order of Otto Hightower with the supervision of Larys Strong.

But the queen still mourns the loss of her husband. She mourns. She's anxious. Her son is nowhere to be found, and he is to be king. She stands in her chambers with Aemond and Vaemyra, who's playing the game all too well. Vaemyra's hand is placed on her husband's shoulder as he sits by the fire. She even manages to produce a single tear and have it stain her cheek.

The queen is no fool. The queen knows where her loyalties lie, but perhaps all Alicent needs is a little bit of persuasion.

" I am sorry for your loss, my queen," Vaemyra utters as she stands before the red-headed woman, " Truly."

" Thank you, princess," Alicent nods, but then attempts to brush her off.

" Is it true? What the king said?" Vaemyra questions, " Aegon's dream?"

The question catches the queen off guard as she looks up at the princess with a shocked expression.

" How did you--"

" I have my ways."

Closer and closer does the queen get to the web that the princess is spinning.

" I pray that Aegon will live up to his namesake," Vaemyra starts, " And be a fine king."

Alicent's eyes nearly bulge out of her head as she takes a step forward.

" Vaemyra... are you saying you'll bend the knee?"

" I will support the rightful heir."

Alicent smiles widely as her eyes tear up once more. She's ever so happy and brings Vaemyra into a hug, whose lips are painted with a smirk.

For technically, she uttered no lies.

And not a moment later, Ser Criston Cole enters the chambers, leaving Vaemyra to hide her scowl and hold her ground so she does not remove his head.

" Prince Aegon's not to be found within the castle walls, your grace. Your father has sent Ser Erryk into the city to find him," Criston surmises, then narrows his eyes at the princess.

" Ser Erryk knows Aegon, he has the advantage," The queen states, then approaches the knight and speaks softly as Vaemyra stands by her husband, " I trust again to you, Ser Criston, and to your loyalty. Aegon must be found and he must be brought to me. The very fate of the Seven Kingdoms depends on it. Everything you feel for me as your queen."

" I will not fail you," He whispers.

Vaemyra smiles at his words, finding it to be almost pitiful how much power the queen has over him. It's almost pitiful to see how easy it is to control him.

" I'll come with you," Aemond announces as he rises from his chair.

" That would not be my desire, Aemond," Alicent protests.

" Cole needs me, mother. Ser Erryk isn't the only one who knows Aegon's doings," Aemond states as he holds his mother's arms.

The Prince then turns to his wife. He kisses the top of her head, then cups her face with his ice-cold hands.

" I won't be long," He starts, " Stay inside the Keep, my love."

" Aemond, I--"

" You will do as I say for your own safety," Aemond commands calmly yet strongly, " I will have the knights watch over you."

" Am I a damsel?" Vaemyra questions.

" No... Iksā ñuha tolvȳn ( You are my everything )" He utters as his thumb rubs against her cheekbone, " And because of that, I must ensure that no harm will come to you."

" She'll stay with me," Alicent adds, drawing the slightest bit of surprise from the princess.

Aemond gives his wife one final kiss before he turns around and leaves the chambers to venture off with Ser Cole, in search of the brother he doesn't really want to find. Vaemyra's head then turns to face Alicent.

" Jaehaerys and Jaeheara?"

" Are well."

" And Helaena?"

" Troubled."

There's a slight pause.

" Has she been sleeping better?" Vaemyra asks.

The queen shakes her head.

" Have you been sleeping better?"

The queen shakes her head once more, which prompts Vaemyra to grab her hand and lead her over to the bed.

" What are you--"

" Lay down."

Alicent is slightly taken aback but does as she says regardless. As Alicent lays down on the silk sheet, Vaemyra then climbs into the bed as well. The queen fumbles for words as Vaemyra wraps her arms around her and positions herself so Alicent's red hair is splayed all across her chest.

As Vaemyra wraps her arms around Alicent, a surprising tenderness fills the air, momentarily transcending their years of feuding and rivalry. The weight of their shared burdens seems to dissipate, if only for a fleeting moment, as they find solace in each other's embrace. Alicent's breath catches in her throat, a mixture of surprise and vulnerability, unsure of how to respond to this unexpected display of affection. Yet, a part of her longs for the warmth and comfort that Vaemyra offers, even if it is driven by motives she cannot fully comprehend.

They lie there, intertwined, the silk sheets beneath them creating a cocoon of tranquility amidst the tumultuous world outside. Vaemyra's heartbeat, erratic and haunted by her delusions, syncs with the rhythm of Alicent's steady pulse.

"Thank you," Alicent whispers, her voice tinged with a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty.

Vaemyra remains silent, her grip tightening ever so slightly as if to reassure Alicent that she is not alone. Her fractured mind battles between her desire for power and her genuine concern for the queen beside her. In this moment, the lines blur, and the two conflicting aspects of her being converge.

As the minutes pass, Vaemyra's fingers gently weave through Alicent's red hair, creating a soothing rhythm that lulls them both into a state of calm. The weight of their responsibilities, their ambitions, momentarily fade into insignificance as they find solace in the simple act of human connection.

Vaemyra finds herself caught between her desire to conquer the Iron Throne and her longing for the intimacy and companionship she never allowed herself to fully embrace... especially not with Alicent.

For many years, Alicent was Rhaenyra's partner... yet the older Vaemyra has gotten, the more she sees what her sister once saw.

In this rare moment of respite, Vaemyra's mind quiets, her thoughts momentarily free from the chaotic whirlwind that governs her desires. She gazes down at Alicent, her eyes filled with a mixture of genuine concern and a flicker of the darkness that still haunts her.

Their time together in this delicate embrace is fleeting, for the weight of their ambitions will soon call them back to their respective roles. But for now, they find solace in each other's presence, even as the shadow of Vaemyra's madness looms in the background.

The warmth and comfort gives Alicent a break from her constant state of stress, but does not take away from the truth. The truth that Otto would gladly have Vaemyra killed, even if she's Aemond's wife.

Otto is no fool. He knows that Vaemyra will never bend the knee to Aegon, for she loves her sister too much. He knows that she is too powerful to be kept alive. She has three dragons under her yolk, the same as Aegon when he conquered the Seven Kingdoms.

Princess Vaemyra Targaryen is a threat to Aegon's reign... but more importantly, she is a threat to House Hightower. Her very existence invites challenge. Her very being invites chaos. It was once Otto's idea to marry Aemond to Vaemyra under the assumption that it would gain them an ally, but it has become his greatest mistake... for it has only given them their greatest threat.

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