𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎 ─ TEAR-STAINED LETTER
❝ 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐩 of 𝐲𝐨𝐮 would be 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞 ❞

𝐀 frown stayed firm upon her face, mood still sour to the events of the previous day. Aemma played harshly with the food that decorated her plate, fork creating marks onto the fine silver. Jace matched his sisters energy, yet, he had yet to pick up his cutlery, instead glaring into his meat. 

Rhaenyra tilted her head at them, a sympathetic look on her face, "My loves, there is no need to be so glum, Ser Harwin will be able to come back and visit us."

"It's not fair." Aemma spoke, a slight anger in her tone.

"Harwin was just defending us." Jacaerys explained, to which Lucerys nodded.

Rhaenyra sighed, "The Queen commanded his leave." her words left her words with distaste, "Still, he will soon return to visit." The children grew silent, returning to play with their food.

Deciding to finally eat, Aemma stook large bites from her mead, before setting her cutlery down, and scrapping her chair against the floor as she got up from the table, "Excuse me, mother."

Rhaenyra nodded to her, as the girl turned and exited the room, her feet carrying her outside to the willow tree.

𝐀emma peacefully laid on a large branch that hung low from the ground, yet high enough that when she stood on the ground, it was a few inches above her head. Her eyes were closed as her arm laid beneath her head, as cushioning from the hard branch. She had escaped her solo lessons with her Septa, and spent her time resting against the willow tree, waiting for Aemond to join her.

And soon, the silver haired boy came, hand holding a a ball of fine silk in his hands. He looked up, speaking to the girl, "I stole some sweets from the kitchen." The girl made no move to look at him. "Look," he unraveled the ball in his hand carefully, not not cause any of the food to fall, "I got jelly tarts, your favorite."

Aemma wordlessly let her arm fall from the branch, holding her hand out in a cup shape, for him to put the sweet in. And so he did, and her arm rose back up carefully, as the girl moved to sit up and hang off the side of the branch, taking a bite out of the sweet.

"Why are you so glum?" Aemond questioned, sitting down at the root of the tree.

"You know why." Aemma answered in a slight snarl, "You were there."

Aemond sighed, recalling the events from yesterday, being a first hand witness to when Ser Harwin attacked Ser Criston. "I'm sure Ser Harwin will come back one day."

"I didn't want him to leave at all." Aemma sadly stated, moving to hop off the branch. She landed with a thud, startling Aemond before he moved to stand up beside her. As he got to his feet, Aemma reached to grab another tart, before moving to the dirt path that led back to the red keep. "Come on, lets steal more tarts before they notice."

𝐓hey had took the whole platter of treats with them into the library. The plate was sat between them as they sat with their book on dragons. Crumbs had gotten onto the pages to which they wiped off, sometimes leaving streaks and stains from the jelly.

They two were reading into the chapters about the Black Dread, Balerion. The dragon last had King Viserys as his rider, before the he fled from Westeros and hasn't been seen again. 

"For the largest dragon in the world, its funny how they lost him that quickly." Aemma spoke, as she chewed on her mouthful of tarts.

"I wonder where he is now." Aemond wondered, looking down at the illustration of the dragon, that was displayed in the corner of the page.

"He's an old dragon." Aemma stated.

"Balerion was around 200 when he went missing." Aemond informed.

"Well I think he went to Old Valyria." Aemma said her assumption, "No one goes there cause the stone people live there, that's probably why he hasn't been found yet." Old Valyria was abandoned after its doom, and it had been turned into the home of the stone people, people that had the greyscale disease.

Aemond hummed at her theory, before questioning, "Do you think he will come back?" 

"He's been gone for so long." Aemma shrugged, "Only time will tell." A silence took over the room, before the library door opened, and the two turned and saw the sight of Rhaenyra entering the room.

"There you are, Aemma." Rhaenyra walked over to the girl, looking down at the two, quirking a brow at the plate of sweet tarts that was between them. She shook her head, before motioning Aemma to stand, "Come child, we must get you ready for dinner," She began to lead her daughter to the exit, before pausing and turning back to Aemond, "I suggest you do the same." The two then exited the room and disappeared down the corner, silence surround them before, Aemma broke it.

"Mother," she spoke.

"Yes, sweetling." Rhaenyra questioned.

"I wish to send a letter to Ser Harwin." Aemma told her.

Rhaenyra faltered slightly before regaining her pace, "Of course, I had heard a letter from Harrenhal arrived this morning, I have yet to open it, you can open it with me, would you like that?" She questioned, smiling brightly down at her.

"I would love that." Aemma smiled back at her.

𝐀emma couldn't wait for their little family gathering to be over. The breaking news of Aegon's and Helaena's betrothal, caused a slight discussion around the table, but it slipped right from her thoughts when her mother finished her supper and excused herself and Aemma, it was not soon long after that Jacaerys and Lucerys joined them, wondering what they would be doing.

Aemma had began to pester them for following them, before Rhaenyra turned back to them giving them a look as she stood before the door of her room. The children stilled and Rhaenyra turned back towards her room as the guards opened the doors.

There inside stood a servant, who held his hands behind his back, before, at the sight of Rhaenyra, his hands went infront of him and showed the rolled up letter, its seal unbroken. Taking it from him, Rhaenyra excused the man and sat down beside the lit hearth.

"Is it from Ser Harwin?" Jacaerys questioned excitedly.

"Not exactly, but it comes from Harrenhal." Rhaenyra answered as the three children sat around her. With a bright smile, Rhaenyra took off the seal and unraveled the paper, her smile vanishing from her face.

Staring up at her, with an unknowing smile, Aemma questioned, "What does it say? Will he visit soon?"

Rhaenyra didn't answer. At her silence and the sight of a frown growing on her face, the three children's' faces dropped.

"Mother?" Lucerys questioned in a small voice.

"Is everything all right?" Aemma questioned, moving to sit on her knees. Rhaenyra still didn't answer, instead held a hand up to her mouth, shaking her head in disbelief. Aemma, against her better judgement, snatched the parchment from her hands, her brothers leaning on her to read with her, though they weren't able to get five words in, before the paper fell from Aemma's hands, with her having seen enough. Jace and Luke took the paper from the ground and began to read it as Aemma broke down into sobs.

"It's not true." Aemma said repeatedly between sobs, as Rhaenyra slid out of the chair and kneeled on the ground, gathering her daughter in a hug, holding an arm out, for her sons to join in, as tears of their own fell from their faces.

Harrenhal had been set aflame, and Lord Strong and Ser Harwin were dead.