───  ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅  ───

 ‿̩͙‿ ༺ ♰ ༻ ‿̩͙‿

King's Landing streets were filled with drunk people swaying around, as if in a trance. The pale moonlight mingled with countless flickering fires throughout the city, casting a dim, chilly glow. The rhythmic sound of music combined with hysterical laughter, stifled screams and moans echoed in Aemond's ears. Though he had ventured into the city before, never had he witnessed such chaotic and overwhelming crowds.

How can I find her in a city of two million people? Aemond felt extremely irritated, he wanted to slice his way with his sword through people.

He followed the spontaneous flow of the crowd, and found himself in a square where a play was taking place. He scrupulously searched for her face in the mingle of hundreds of blurry features. Amidst the sea of people, Aemond found himself spotting long black hair multiple times. For a fleeting moment, he believed he had caught a glimpse of her eyes, but he came to doubt his own senses.

The laughter grew louder and louder as more people poured into the square, pushing Aemond from all sides.

"And who will take the throne? The whore of Dragonstone? The drunk prince? Or will it be...the one eyed prince?" said a man on the stage with a theatrical, mocking voice.
Actors with caricature masks took the stage and started fighting. A fat woman with a white wig and her breasts showing was jumping around in an awkward manner, following after a man with a short white wig and a wine-stained shirt, who failed multiple times in his attempt to run away by tripping on his own feet. The spectators bursted into thunderous laughter. Suddenly, a third actor appeared on the stage, his face distorted by scars and his head adorned with a long white wig. Screaming, he swung a wooden sword at the other two actors, who fell to the ground. The crowd clapped and shook with laughter as the third actor exposed his penis and pretended to urinate on them.

Aemond's rage boiled over as he watched this spectacle. He wanted to see them all burn, every last one of them. For a moment, he considered taking Vaghar and incinerating them all right then and there. But then an old man violently bumped into his shoulder, causing him to turn his head towards an alleyway. And there she was - this time it was really her.

He pushed his way determinedly through the crowd, following her with caution, ensuring he maintained enough distance to avoid detection. Nyla slipped into a narrow alley, disappearing into an entrance that emitted a faint glow.
Aemond followed suit a few minutes later, entering the same passageway.

Descending a long staircase, he found himself entering a labyrinth of underground alleys and rooms teeming with prostitutes, vendors of all sorts, fortune tellers, performers, and inebriated minstrels.

Why would she venture into such a vulgar and dangerous place? Aemond's confusion was soon overshadowed by his concern for her. Overcoming his hesitation, he resumed tracking her steps.

He saw her entering one of the rooms, transformed into a makeshift brothel, and heading straight for a man who appeared heavily intoxicated, entangled within the arms of several prostitutes. Swiftly, she seized his hand and pulled him away, giving coins to the startled working girls.

"For the disturbance," she declared, before guiding the bewildered man out of the room, struggling to support his taller and larger frame.

Aemond fought against his impulse to intervene and forcefully separate that drunken bastard from her. But he needed to understand the nature of their relationship.

Ascending the stairs, Nyla carefully led the man back into the dimly lit alley before relinquishing her grip, leaving him sprawled on the cold ground. Aemond positioned himself discreetly near the entrance to the stairs, ensuring he could eavesdrop on their conversation without being detected.

"Evin," she called out in frustration, shaking him.

"Mh..." He struggled to open his eyes. "Arlis..." he mumbled, a smile etched upon his face.

"I'm not Arlis. I'm Nyla," she responded, her voice conveying a mix of hurt and resignation.

"Oh, Nyla..." he seemed momentarily confused, but then his smile stretched even wider. "My sweet, sweet little Nyla." Aemond felt a knot twist in his stomach upon hearing those words.

She sighed in exasperation. "You told me to meet you at the inn near the old gate, but when I went there, the innkeeper told me you had come here..." She paused for a moment, frustration evident in her voice. "I honestly didn't expect to find you, after so many years, drunk in such a rundown brothel. What on earth are you doing here?" Her words carried a tinge of anger, and perhaps a hint of jealousy. Aemond couldn't quite grasp her true emotions, but the entire situation was undeniably irritating.

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind about meeting you," Evin replied nonchalantly, his attempts to sit up straight proving challenging.

Nyla appeared stunned, momentarily at a loss for words. "You left three years ago for war, and I received no news from you or Terren. For three goddamn years, I thought you were dead. And now you say you didn't feel like meeting me? What does that even mean?"

He shrugged. "What's the fuss all about? It's not like you were eager to see me either. I know it's not me you hoped would come back." He spoke with a roughness, as if holding back a sob.

"That... that's not true. You know it well. You know how much I care about you," Nyla retorted, her voice filled with a mix of frustration and tenderness.

He let out a soft laugh. "It doesn't matter how much you liked me back then. I can't compare to your brother," Evin hesitated briefly before continuing. "Terren... I could never measure up to him. He's always been braver, stronger than me. He was meant to live, he was supposed to come back..." His voice cracked, and a sob escaped his lips. "Not me... him... him," he uttered, his gaze lifting to meet Nyla's eyes.

Kneeling down to his level, Nyla gently caressed his hair.

"Both of you deserved to come back, Evin," she stated with a firm but tender tone. "I don't care about your flaws. I don't care if you're not as strong or brave as Terren. I don't care if you visit brothels or drink yourself into a stupor. Even if you were useless, I would still care. Do you understand, Evin?" She cupped his face in her hands. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Aemond felt his heart being violently struck.

"Do you still feel the same way about me? Even back then... I'm sorry, Nyla..." Evin's voice trailed off, filled with self-doubt.

"It's not like that. I was just a kid back then, and even so, I don't regret a thing. If I could go back, I would do it all over again," Nyla assured him.

Aemond couldn't clearly see Nyla's expression, but her words spoke volumes about her emotions.

"I knew all along that you liked my sister more than me. It's only natural. I would have felt the same if I were in your shoes. But you were kind to me. You gave me what I wanted. I don't hold it against you. I never felt used. But now things are different. I've left those silly feelings behind. I don't care who you kiss or sleep with. Do what makes you happy. It's okay. Just... don't leave me alone, alright? I remember when it was the four of us, that was the happiest time of my life. But now, it's just the two of us. We need to stick together if we want to survive," Nyla's voice quivered, tears welling in her eyes. "The truth is, I'm incredibly lonely, Evin. Don't you want me to survive?"

A moment of silence followed, but then Aemond's heart sank as he witnessed Evin leaning in and kissing Nyla. Surprisingly, he couldn't feel any anger. Instead he was filled with sadness, discouragement, and powerlessness. But most of all, he felt betrayal. Aemond knew he had no real reason to feel that way, but at the same time it was undeniable that in the past six months they had grown closer. It couldn't be just his distorted perception: they had shared both physical and emotional intimacy. Sometimes she had touched him with affection, and he had seen a flicker of desire in her gaze. He knew it wasn't just his imagination, but now he couldn't comprehend her actions. This version of Nyla seemed completely beyond his control.

Perhaps it was a mistake from the beginning. After all, he didn't need her. She was just a maid. Aemond convinced himself that he had been perfectly fine on his own before. It would be better to forget all of this. With a heavy heart, he averted his gaze and retraced his steps, immersing himself once more in the intricate underworld of brothels and alleys.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 🌑 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ───

Author's note:

Hi guys! Sorry if I haven't posted in a while, I've been very busy with school for the past weeks.
I hope you liked this chapter, I know this is pretty slow burn but the plot is starting to develop :)

Here's the new character!

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Evin Kell, 23 yrs old
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Q1: What do you think about Evin?
Q2: Do you think Aemond has any right to feel betrayed?

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Thank you so much for reading and commenting, it really means a lot!!
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/ づ♡ I love you