𝔗𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐒𝐇
VI. THE VULTURES NEST

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⋆｡˚﹕121 AC ⎯ 𝖣𝖱𝖨𝖥𝖳𝖬𝖠𝖱𝖪

"AEMMA MUST MARRY," Viserys concluded with a sigh, his hand rubbing at his temple. "The matter of who does not concern me. It is her duty. Aegon is more than a fitting suitor. I do not see how the matter must be pressed if it is her choice. Aemma and Aegon share the Blood of the Dragon."

Rhaenyra stood before her father with a great amnesty that she would not show. She had to find the right way to tell her father how much it worried her, the gnawing feeling that she might lose her children in this horrific bloodied dispute. How could it be so jarring coming to face the fear of losing her daughter to a fate she could very much protect her from?

"Father, my daughter - your granddaughter is a child. Years younger than I when I was betrothed to marry. . . this brashness in this sudden need to unite the two families is absurd. Aemma is my second born, her duties are to⎯⎯"

"Marry. As any girl, princess or not, she must marry. May I remind you that Aemma is very same age of when I wed your own mother, my beloved late lady-wife Aemma Arryn."

"No. No! Do you want my daughter, your own flesh and blood to have the same fate as my mother? There must be terms. The ceremony may occur whenever you see fit. I plea to you that the marriage cannot be consummated until Aemma is of age."

Viserys coughs, forcefully wheezing air into his lungs. Rhaenyra ignores the worry that pools in her stomach, but in the formality and expectations she drowns in everything has to be casted aside. She must push him, weld and shape her father to see her, clearly and unrefined in the loss of this unbearable accident.

"Aemma must retire as heir to Driftmark. Lucerys shall take her place, it is fitting. It her sole duty to be to produce heirs. After all, if anything is to happen to Jacerys, Aemma is to inherit the Iron Throne, her succession must flourish and unite our house."

"Father, who has poisoned your council? Aemma is a child. Her duty is to be heir to Driftmark, it is both Lord Corlys' desire and of her very own father," Rhaenyra spits, the untamed fire burning in her veins. The facade she had held for so long wavers and the pools of concern only grows in her father's tired eyes.

Growing exhausted, Viserys falters in his words, confusion lingering in his withered featured. "I do not know what you refer to Rhaenyra."

"Your Hand father! I see that vulture has finally rooted his nest and tore his way into your flesh. You are nothing but a puppet for his desires."

"Enough! I-I am not well, Rhaenyra. I-I cannot deal with this. We can discuss this more when we return to Kingslanding. I need to rest."

"Yes father. My apologies," Rhaenyra spoke softly, the words tumbling out of her mouth in a fierce string of thought and perception. "I shan't push it further. Thank you for your council, your grace."

Rhaenyra could see her father settle with relief over what had come to light. He seemed more contented, the pale sheen slipping away for a moment. Yet, it was evident that he would return by ship to Kings Landing. The stresses with his illness fatigued him greatly ⎯⎯ even more so than it used to. Her father was slipping away, his mind slowly succumbing to the poison in his veins. There was slowly less and less control Rhaenyra had in the matter of her future, her father relentless in his choices and decisions mulled by others in this vile act of power and dominance. As the years passed Rhaenyra grew to the revelation that she had no one but her children and her dragon to turn to.

Turning out of the hall, Rhaenyra found herself stilled to the core with panic and unease. She had found herself instilled with the memory of the previous night at the sight of her daughter shrouded in black and green. Rhaenyra longed for understanding upon the desire to protect her children and her claim to the Iron Throne as Heir Apparent. It seemed that now more than ever, she was the only protector of the legacy of not only her house but her father.

"It was easy to expect the worst," her only daughter said aloud, her voice willowy and soft. Aemma had been looking through a gap in the double doors, Aegon behind her whilst Helaena was on lookout in the opposite direction. It seemed the two were trying to spy on the conversation at hand, but alas there was not much to listen to no longer.

"Mother is gone!" Aemma commented much more loudly, her voice now echoing down the lavish hallway. "The maesters are helping grandsire."

"Oh," Aegon muttered at Aemma's commentary. "What a shame. There is nothing else we can do here. Let's go for a walk shall we?"

"Oh hush Aegon," replied Aemma and it seemed that she relished in that she could now tell him what to do. Although, evidently, either way he would not listen to her. "We are not going to fetch any wine or refreshments. We have fly on dragon back all the way home."

"May I suggest a walk on the beach, perhaps?" Rhaenyra replied smoothly, clasping her hands together by her front, smiling at her daughter and her two younger half-siblings with great amusement. This feeling was not something as a sister, Rhaenyra had felt. There was little to no connection between them, any sort of ability to know one another was tarnished by Alicent Hightower.

Alicent had been older than Rhaenyra by a few years or so, but not by much. The two girls had been close once, treasured friends even. All of it had been severed the day she had married her father and forevermore the day Aegon was born. In those years, Rhaenyra grew closer to Lady Laena Velaryon. As Aegon grew older into a little boy, the more and more Rhaenyra grew to know the cruelty in the Queen consorts words and actions.

The isolation from her father grew by the King's Hand and Rhaenyra found that in the Small Council her words did little to nothing in the honey-ed words of Alicent Hightower. Words and whispers in court had grown by the time Rhaenyra had birthed the twins and the question of the Heir Apparent arose.

It was evident that the children before her in some form that they had attempted to listen to her conversation with her father. This strange agreement had changed the way Aegon now treated Aemma. It was plain to see, even moments after the arrangement being made by her father.

Rhaenyra could not help but see it how it was. Her children were desparate to get along with their uncles and aunt and to weave their way into the companionship of family. Her sons played along with the pranks and games caused by Aegon, willing to play the part to earn laughs and earnesty. It was always a competition with Aemond who had to compensate for the only one of the children not have a dragon and saw her sons as rivalry rather than kin.

Aemma had at ease gotten along with Helaena and it was not uncommon to see the two Princesses arm in arm walking the halls of the Red Keep or down in the gardens reading books or hunting for Helaena's bug collection. Neither Aegon or Aemond had much to do with Aemma. Aegon, was known to Aemma for his cruelty and drunken nature and rather her unwillingness to be tossed aside.

"Mother!" Aemma spoke, joy lining her round face rather than embarrassment or surprise. Beside her Aegon looked to his future lady-wife with great humor. It was like he was entertained by the predicament of the situation or it was some joke that only he could simply have the comprehension to understand. It took a moment for Aegon to look to Rhaenyra and his sharp face shifted to a smugness and distate so suddenly Rhaenya knew that his look was a product of his mother.

Aemma had looked between her mother to Aegon and it seemed by the shift in her gaze that she noticed. Her children were not as blind in their innocence Rhaenyra believed but all she wished was that they knew the tireless efforts that she condemned to herself. Rhaenyra had tried to be a sister to Ageon in those early years after her mother died and her father remarried. She would never admit it aloud but she could see that in his birth was why she had lost her mother. Aegon was a product of father's everlasting dream of a son.

"Hello sister dearest," Aegon spoke bitterly whilst Helaena had a warm smile stretch upon her pale lips.

Rhaenyra found herself ignoring the snide tone in her half-brother's voice, her voice firm, "Aren't you three meant to be preparing for the journey home?"

"Yes," Aemma began looking to her mother with complete sincerity. "But I. . . we got distracted."

"That walk sounds lovely now does it not?" Aegon muttered towards Aemma knowing that the three of them were most certainly in trouble.

A delicate and intricate smirk grew upon Aemma's lips at his words. It had never been like this before and Rhaenyra could see it. Yet, she could finally see through the eyes of her father, the King. She could see the benefits in the match that Aemma and Aegon would bring their house. The ability to fuse the two families as one and ease the disruptment forever. In some ways Aemma had the entire weight of her house rested upon her shoulders in the way forwards ⎯⎯ more so than in some ways than Jacaerys who had the many eyes of the court upon him.

"Why, yes," Aemma mumbled, side stepping and reaching for Helaena's hand. "Helaena and I will do just that."

Rhaenyra could see the devilish look on Aegon's face ⎯⎯ the surety of relishing in every moment she had made a fault. Instead of Aegon's eyes, all Rhaenyra could see was the ghosts of her past gnawing at her. Could Aegon see right through her facade of relentless strength? Even more so, how much did he know? And how had things become so twisted and cruel?

"You mustn't be long Aemma!" Rhaenyra called out to her daughter who now wandered down the hall, seeking the freedom of the water.

"I won't!" Aemma mumbled, already chatting with Helaena, the two shrouded in giggles and gossip. The two girls were forever unbothered by the division of the families, the companionship and friendship had run deeper than most.

Aegon turned to Rhaenyra for a moment, almost as if he had something to say before he turned on his foot, a black shadow and disappeared before Rhaenyra could utter a word. For a moment, Rhaenyra almost saw that Aegon could see all those ghastly phantom of memories too.

THE SALT AIR brought a wave of relief to Aemma alike no other. It was freedom that differentiated from soaring the skies on dragonback. The roll and crash of the waves soothed the two young Princesses as the two walked barefoot across the damp sand.

"Hel, do you think I was wrong to have accepted?" Aemma asked with serene uncertainty. "I am still so smothered in disbelief by it. What you do think of it?"

"Hm?" Helaena mumbled, her purple eyes casted off towards the skies.

"Did it happen again? Are you having one of your episodes?"

Aemma knew Helaena was a dreamer or at least believed in it. Afterall, it was reknown in their histories that it was Daenys the Dreamer who saw the end of Valyria. Why should Helaena's words and visions be ignored?

"I'm not sure I-I what were you saying?" Helaena sheilded out the sun with her hand as she shifted her gaze towards Aemma.

"I feel lost," Aemma spoke softly into the wind, eyes ahead towards the ends array of ocean. "Our families hate one another. And Aegon⎯⎯"

"I don't hate you Aemma," Helaena whispered softly, cutting off the younger girl.

"I know," Aemma whispered back, giving Helaena's hand a squeeze.

"I am glad we will be sisters," Helaena mumbled. "And you won't be going far away to a miserable cold and lonely place. You can remain with your family and at your home."

"That is true. . . but I am marrying Aegon," Aemma admitted trying not to sound bitter about it. She had not had the time to reflect or process it. There would never be love or care in her marriage ⎯⎯ and that was very hard for Aemma to stomach. She did not know what she wanted in her lifetime but she knew that there must be some semblance of love or affection. But why did Aemma have the right to complain? She was luckier than most. She should find comfort in that.

"I always thought Aemond would be your Prince if you were to marry one of my brothers," Helaena mumbled softly. "You both train under the sword, continuously read the histories and such, adore dragons. . ."

Aemma found herself riddled with laughter at the suggestion.

"Aemma?!" Helaena mumbled, fighting a smile. "Stop laughing this istant! I can read your mind. You are thinking something horrid."

"No no. I am thinking that Aemond is in love with you. He'll write you poetry and send for luxurious gifts!"

"Shhhh," Helaena mumbled but she was fighting a smile. Aemma knew Helaena had often dreamed of someone simply loving her well above all else. Title or status was not on the forefront of her mind. Although, in both families the two girls were the only daughters and the pressure to marry and secure matches that strengthened House Targaryen itself was evident.

Aemma didn't know what she wanted if she was entirely honest. Although, now, Aegon fitted somewhere into the equation. It was suspected they'd marry and have children. Aemma did not want to think of that right now. She had so much she wished to accomplish beforehand. She dreamed to soar the skies upon Firedancer. Aegon was merely an afterthought in it all.

Under the warm sunlight and roaring crash of the waves, Aemma knew that it would only be so long for it to stay that way. It was merely a matter of time.