A week flew by rather quickly for Elyana. After the little scolding in the gardens, Prince Aemond had been rather stern on the girl yet he barely called on her. She would mostly only bring him his meals to his chambers, and stand outside until he needed something. He was always cold and stoic, and most times he would barely even look at her. It was the best thing she could ask for, to fly under his radar.

Life at the Red Keep could have been worse for her. It still was not at all ideal but as she was mostly ignored by her master, she spent most time helping her own mother or Darra with their chores. Darra was a good girl, and just four years younger than Elyana so the pair had gotten closer.

They had bonded tremendously over just a few days as Darra always helped Elyana serve Prince Aemond's meals and whenever free she would follow Elyana around the Red Keep. She always had something new to tell Elyana, as Darra was rather keen on gossip. And boys. Darra loved boys.

"Yesterday I watched Ser Criston Cole spar with Prince Aemond... I must say it. The prince is a fine piece of man." Darra breathed out as she entered Elyana's quarters uninvited. Darra was the kind of person to make herself feel at home anywhere. Elyana rolled her eyes playfully as she folded some rags over her small desk.

"That fine piece of man is a pain in my ass." Elyana huffed out as Darra laughed loudly.

"He's so good to look at though, even if he's the worst human alive." Darra contested as Elyana gave her a look of disapproval. Aemond was terrible and cruel.

"Darra... I am tired. Why are you here?" Elyana asked annoyed as Darra shrugged her shoulders, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"I happen to be bored." The girl answered, making Elyana sigh. She had never had a little sister, but she was sure it must be just like this. Although even if annoyed with her, she greatly appreciated the young Darra. She had taken Elyana's mind off her father and off the terrible prince.

"Well... I am going to sleep." Elyana stated as Darra grunted and left the room all dramatically.
Elyana smiled at her antics and shut the door behind Darra. The girl got ready and slipped into her bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

-

"Young lady." Elyana was slightly shaken awake. Her eyes opened to find an armored knight hovering over her. Elyana shrieked as she rushed covered herself with her bed sheets. Her chest rose and fell as her breathing became uneven, she was terrified of the strange man towering over her.

"I am sorry to startle you, my lady, but it is the prince." The knight informed Elyana as looked at her little window. The moon was still out. What could the prince possibly want? He should be asleep by now. Elyana wanted to scream profanities at the knight, and maybe at the prince too. How could they be so unconsiderate?

"What does he want?" Elyana asked as she stood from her bed as fast as she could. She engulfed herself in a flimsy coat she had brought to the castle and slipped in her small slippers unto her feet. The knight watched her every move, although he tried averting his eyes a few times. The girl was beautiful.

"He is drunk. He needs tending." The knight said simply as Elyana huffed. Just what she needed, to tend to a drunk prince. Elyana and the knight walked quietly to Prince Aemond's chambers, and as they walked she could feel the knight staring at her. So she looked at him too.

"Is the prince drunk a lot?" Elyana asked quietly as the knight shook his head in response. "Not at all. He barely does drink, but he made a bet with his brother. And unfortunately he lost." The knight informed her as she sighed and nodded her head. How dumb is that?

As the pair approached Aemond's door, Elyana could feel a sense of doom and nervousness engulf her entire body. The knight could sense her fear, and he almost felt badly sending her into the dragon's den. But he knew Prince Aemond would never try anything, he was not like his brother.

"If anything happens... I will be standing right here." The knight stated as Elyana looked up at him, giving him a tired smile.

"Thank you Ser..." Elyana realized that she did not know the man at all. "Ser Erryk Cargyll, at your service." The always serious knight would tell Elyana with a genuine smile. She returned the smile and went into Aemond's apartments.

He was seating on a cushioned seat by the fireplace, with his head thrown back. As Elyana approached him, she realized he was asleep. The girl took a breath and nudged the prince slightly, not getting any kind of reaction from him. Elyana rolled her eyes. She could not believe she truly had to do this.

The girl tried lifting him up from the seat but the prince was too heavy for her. There was nothing she could do to move him. Elyana sighed and walked to the door, peeking her head to the corridor where Ser Erryk stood dutifully.

"Could you help me move the prince? He is far too heavy for me to move." Elyana asked shyly as the knight chuckled slightly and nodded his head. The man approached Aemond and easily carried him to his bedchamber.

It was a rather hilarious scene to watch. It was almost hysterical watching the mighty one-eyed prince being carried to his bed. Not so scary now. Elyana thought and then thanked Ser Erryk and sighed, moving to unbutton Aemond's doublet. The girl grabbed a thin linen shirt from his wardrobe and threw it on him hastily. Then she looked at his pants. No way was she touching his pants.

Elyana blew out the candles in his room and took a breath. Did they really call her just for her to change his shirt? Couldn't the knights just do it themselves? Elyana gave the prince once last look as he slept. He looked almost angelical as he slept, and the thought made her roll her eyes.

How can someone that looked so angelic be so evil when awake?

-

The next day Elyana got Prince Aemond's breakfast as she always did and then she brought it to his chambers. She entered his apartments to find him reading in his desk, as he always was. She approached him and set the plate down before him quietly, but this time it was different than the rest. This time Aemond had looked up from his reading.

He eyed Elyana, his one eye seemingly boring into her soul as it went over her body. It was like he had noticed something he had never noticed before. And he did. He noticed her beauty. The lady was beautiful. After a few seconds of his eye scanning her face, he glanced away from her and back to his reading.

"Did you change my clothing yesterday night?" Aemond would ask as Elyana nodded her head slowly.

"I did. A knight came to get me at my chamber. He said you needed tending." Elyana responded, as softly as she could. She knew that anything could set him off, and she really didn't feel like being treated like shit on that day.

"You left my pants on. I was uncomfortable all night long." Aemond said bitterly making Elyana scoff, and then she instantly mentally cursed at herself for scoffing.

"Did you just scoff at me?" Aemond asked as he stood from his seat, towering over Elyana in an almost menacing manner. Elyana wanted to run and hide, to leave the castle and never come back. Why did she scoff? Why was she so dumb?

"I asked you a fucking question. Did you scoff at me?" Aemond asked once again. Elyana thought this was just ridiculous. He was complaining over pants, and then he wondered why she would scoff at him.

"I did." Elyana should have probably minded her sharp tongue, but it was too late to take those two words back. She would regret them.

"You were doing so good. You were being so good. It's too bad you have such a bitch tongue." Aemond told her as he eyed her. Then he brought himself closer to her, his mouth only an inch apart from her ear. "Do not make me remind you of your place." Aemond whispered into her ear.

The proximity sent her into an inner turmoil, making her take a few steps backwards and away from the prince. He was staring at her with a cruel smile on his face, it was like he enjoyed watching her squirm in fear. And he did.

"Stand there in silence." Aemond ordered as he sat back down. He grabbed his silverware and dug into his food, instantly spitting it all out.

"What the fuck is this?!" Aemond asked Elyana as she frowned. "It's food." Elyana muttered under her breath as Aemond rolled his eye.

"This is disgusting. Get me another plate. This tastes like shit." Aemond said coldly and shoved the plate away from him. Elyana wished for nothing more than to take the plate and slam it on his head. But instead she just took it in her hands and left his chambers hastily, going to the kitchens.

"Fucking cunt." Elyana whispered to herself as she entered the kitchens. She served him a new plate of the same food and left to his chambers once more. Elyana entered his chambers and set the plate of food in front of him once more.

Aemond looked at her and then glanced at the plate of food. He grabbed his fork and brought the roasted ham to his mouth. The food was perfectly fine. It was neither good or bad. But Aemond was in a wretched mood because of Elyana's defiance, so he wished to torture her further.

"This tastes like absolute shit! How can you bring this to me?" Aemond asked coldly as Elyana simply stared at him stoicly. She was not going to answer, she did not wish to piss him off further.

"I should punish you for even daring to bring this to me." Aemond spat as Elyana frowned. This man was so ridiculous.

"Why me? It's not like I cooked it." Elyana huffed out as she crossed her arms over her chest. She regretted the words but she believed them. She was not going to get punished by something she didn't do.

"No, you didn't. But what am I supposed to do? Go to the kitchens and seek the cook out?" Aemond asked with a dry laugh. He was such a cynical man that it almost made Elyana sick.

"No, my prince. I apologize if the food is not to your liking." Elyana mumbled, making Aemond smirk at her. He loved control, and knowing he could control her was exhilarating in a sense.

"Thank you." Aemond said as he continued eating. Just when she thought Aemond wasn't looking, she rolled her eyes at him. It was an expression that would cost her a lot, especially because he saw it vividly.

"Some people never learn." Aemond huffed as he stood up slowly from his seat, turning to Elyana. He stalked towards her, making her heart race as fast as it ever had.

"When will you learn to respect your superior?" Aemond asked her gruffly as he towered over her. His eye was cruel, almost too cruel as it went over her face. Elyana took a step backwards but Aemond grabbed her sides.

"I do respect you." Elyana whimpered as her gaze lowered to the floor. She was terrified of this man.

"It does not seem like you do. It seems like you need a little lesson." Aemond whispered as his fingers trailed down her arms. What would he do to her? His touch was gentle, but then he squeezed her arms tightly.

"Kneel." He whispered as he leaned into her ear. Elyana gave him a look of confusion as her breath hitched in her throat.

"W-What?" Elyana asked with a fear stricken meek tone. "Kneel, Elyana. Kneel now." Aemond ordered as she slowly complied. She felt her eyes prickling with tears as her knees touched the ground, scared of what was coming to her.

Aemond looked down at the girl with amusement clear on his expression. He had the girl at his mercy, and he could do with her as he pleased. Aemond's eye went over her features. She was stunning. Too bad she was a lowlife servant.

Aemond drew his sword from the scabbard that hung from his waist, the sound making Elyana flinch. Elyana whimpered as tears fell from her face. Aemond smirked as he brought the sword to her face. Elyana was looking at the floor as she sobbed quietly. She didn't want to die.

"Look at me." Aemond ordered as Elyana complied, her breathing growing more wild as she eyed the sword that was an inch away from her face.

"Why do you cry, child?" Aemond questioned, a smug grin crepping unto his face.

The servant looked up at him, tears falling from her eyes as his sword came just a tad bit closer to her face. It was just millimeters away from actually touching her.

"Speak!" The Prince demanded as Elyana took a breath, her eyes filling with rage at her master.

"Who would not cry when a sword is pointed at them?" She spat at him with clear disdain in her tone, making him raise a brow.

The girl was brave.

"Stand up." Aemond ordered as Elyana complied, lifting herself up slowly. Her legs were wobbling underneath her, she was a mess. Aemond brought the sword to her neck, the tip of it slightly gracing her skin.  Elyana was crying quietly, her small sobs could be heard through the prince's chambers.

The prince looked at his handmaiden and something within him shifted. His condescending demeanor vanished. He looked at Elyana with a slight hint of mercy in his eyes.

This was something that he seldom showed, but right now he saw the need, even if she did not deserve it. "I will remove this blade from your neck if you give me respect, and behave." He kept his sword against her skin, pushing with just enough force to make it hurt but not to draw blood.

"I will be good. I promise it." Elyana mumbled in between cries.

"As long as you are a good girl we will have no problems. Is that clear?" Aemond asked, his voice was soft this time around.

"Yes, my prince. It is clear." Elyana answered. Aemond lowered his sword and tucked it away into it's sccabard.

"Good girl. Now sit with me whilst I eat." Aemond ordered as Elyana frowned, her face stained with her wet tears. Sit? Aemond sat down and looked up at Elyana expectantly. The girl sat down next to him whilst she wiped away her tears.

Elyana had ignited something within him. Something new.

-

Hey guys! Why is Aemond so mean??? This book will be led by book Aemond who is just a demon and I think one could tell.

Thank you for reading! x