She was sat beneath the heart tree, mortified tears streaming down her face as Aemond sat beside her. After the scene in the training yard, Jaedys had darted away before she could be swept into the Holdfast by Ser Erryk. Aemond had followed after her soon after, quiet for a while before informing her that Ser Harwin had been taken to the Tower of the Hand.
She shook her head as she gave a frustrated breath. "I shouldn't have done that."
"No, you shouldn't have. It wasn't smart," he replied. She looked at him incredulously.
"Are you not meant to be cheering me up? Instead, you're agreeing with me?"
"I thought you like when I agree with you," he said giving her a small smile. She laughed slightly despite herself.
"Only when I'm right about something I'm happy about," she said shaking her head, "I didn't help things, but I just couldn't help it."
"Neither could he," said Aemond, "It's not surprising you defended him as you did. You're very alike in temperament."
"I suppose that's not much of a coincidence, is it?" she said sarcastically. She huffed again leaning back against the trunk of the giant tree. Aemond turned to her, placing his hand on her forearm.
"Jade, I thought what you did was the bravest thing I've ever seen. You didn't hesitate to defend him," he paused trying to catch her stubborn gaze, "But you need to be smarter than that. You can't let yourself be so obvious again."
She did not return his gaze, instead staring stubbornly ahead. But she knew he was right and nodded her assent. She had sworn she would be smarter and had failed. Her grandfather's court was not a place she could allow such dangerous lapses again.
The sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention. Ser Laenor Velaryon entered the courtyard, looking relieved to see her. He strode across the lawn and crouched before her as she went into his arms. The security of her father's embrace had her emotions on the verge of crumbling once more.
"Ser Qarl and I have been looking for you everywhere. Your mother's just told me. Are you hurt?" he said softly as he held her face in his hands looking her over for injury. Oh gods, her mother!
"No, I'm alright. Is she angry?" she whispered. He stroked her hair and shook his head.
"No, just concerned is all. Did you really aim an arrow at the Kingsguard?" She gulped and nodded her head slightly, noting the hint of wine on his breath.
"I'm sorry. It's just that it all happened so fast and they were seizing Ser Harwin…" she paused looking up at his face for any sign that she had wounded him, "Are you angry?"
He shook his head and pecked her forehead, "You are my daughter, Jaedys, and I'm glad the gods made you to be such a loyal creature." She felt herself tear up slightly as she leaned her head to his. Aemond watched the scene from behind them where he still sat against the trunk of the tree. He felt a twinge of jealousy watching as Ser Laenor held Jade and shared his pride of her for defending her flesh and blood father in the training yard mere moments ago. Two fathers had come to her defense in the last hour while he vied with his siblings for Rhaenyra's scraps. He looked away.
"Where is Mother?" she asked pulling away.
"She's gone to a meeting with the Small Council. She's likely to be there for some time," he replied.
"Are they going to punish Ser Harwin?" she questioned.
"I doubt it, my dear, but surely he will not remain Commander of the City Watch after attacking a Kingsguard," he reasoned. She muttered under her breath that Ser Criston had deserved it. "You have my thanks, Prince Aemond, for consoling the Princess."
"It was my pleasure, Ser Laenor, but I think maybe she can do with some sweets," Aemond replied.
"I heartily agree," Laenor rose helping Jaedys to her feet as well, "To the kitchens then back to your own chambers to wait for your mother. Understood?" She nodded and followed Aemond out of the courtyard and back into the palace.
"I don't really fancy sweets right now, Aemond—"
"Don't be simple," he cut off, "We're not going to get sweets. We're going to hear what they're saying in the Small Council meeting."
She eyed him widely, "But how?"
"Do you remember those tunnels we found leading to the head of Balerion the Dread?" he asked as they made their way around a corridor and down a set of stairs.
"Yes, the creepy tunnels built by Maegor the Cruel."
"Yes, well I've been mapping them out from time to time and I found one that leads us behind the chamber where they meet," he said taking her hand and pulling her into a passageway.
She laughed and held his hand tighter as they came to the dimly lit tunnel, "Oh I could kiss you! This is brilliant."
He blushed a little, thankful she could not see, and continued leading them through the secret tunnels. As they approached their destination, Aemond slowed his pace and implied for her to do the same. They were on the other side of the wall from the Small Council, near enough that some of the sunlight from the tall windows filtered into their narrow hiding place. Slowly they walked until they came to a space in the wall where a textured blind offered them better advantage of hearing the conversation within the chamber. The two children sat beside one another underneath the opening as the Council discussed conflict in the Stepstones.
"To trust a Martell is to be disappointed," she heard her grandsire mutter.
"And where, I wonder is our Prince Daemon? Or I suppose I should call him King, as he styled himself when he won a battle there…once," they heard Lord Wylde reply derisively.
"That was a decade ago and he has since left the region undefended," the Queen replied.
Aemond leaned to Jaedys and whispered, "Is that not the war your father fought in?" She nodded.
"We have left it undefended," she heard her mother say, "There should have been fortifications built: watchtowers, a fleet of ships, a garrison of soldiers sent to hold our ground."
"We cannot afford it," Aemond's mother argued back, "Our coffers are great but not infinite. We must consider the cost to our subjects…"
Aemond leaned to her again, "I think if they were going to discuss Ser Harwin, they might have done it by now."
She stayed in place, "I want to hear a little while longer. Do you mind?"
He shook his head, "No I don't mind." He scooted closer to her as they continued listening.
"Let us be finished," they heard the Queen say. The sound of chairs scraping was interrupted by her mother announcing her wish to say something before the Council.
"Be seated," ordered the King.
After a pause, the Princess said, "I have felt the strife between our families of late, my Queen," at this Aemond and Jaedys looked to one another, now listening more intently, "And for any offense given by mine, I apologize. But we are one house. And long before that, we were friends."
A momentary silence hung in the air. She and Aemond knew their mothers had a history, but it had never been a topic that either the Princess nor the Queen had ever indulged their children in conversation. To hear it spoken of now so openly before the Council was startling. Whatever, it was Rhaenyra was about to say, her daughter knew she must be desperate if she was willing to bring up their shared past.
"My daughter Jaedys will inherit the Iron Throne after me. I propose we betroth her to your son Aemond," Jade took Aemond's hand at this, "They are already so fond of each other. With him as her consort we can ally ourselves once and for all. Let them rule together."
"A most judicious proposition!" her grandsire declared happily. There came no reply from the Queen, so Rhaenyra continued.
"Additionally, if Syrax brings forth another clutch of eggs, your son Aemond will have his choice of them as a symbol of our good will."
Jaedys could almost feel Aemond's heart quicken at this. The two of them smiled at each other at the proposition her mother had laid out. It seemed their plans and schemes were finally manifesting.
Whatever awkward silence hung in the air, neither Jaedys nor Aemond knew what had caused it. At hearing the Queen say that they would consider the offer, the two of them scampered quietly back through the tunnels talking excitedly to one another. Rather than go immediately back to her mother as she had agreed, Jaedys and Aemond spent the next several hours on their platform down by the beach, dreaming up what their rule would be like.
"And obviously with us on the Iron Throne ruling together, this Triarchy wouldn't dare test us in the Narrow Sea," laughed Aemond as he threw a stone into the water. Jade sat smiling watching him.
"I hope your mother says yes. It would be nice to know I was marrying you and not some leather-faced lord who is twice my age or some stranger from across the Seven Kingdoms," she said as she redid the braid in her hair. Aemond turned to look at her. In the afternoon light, the Sun picked up flecks of gold and copper in her brown hair giving her a warm glow.
"I would never let that happen. I would fly into the sept on dragonback and steal you away," he promised.
She looked up at him, "That sounds awfully gallant."
"Well," he said, "That's what best friends are for."
She nodded, "You are my best friend, you know. Thank you for making me feel better than I did this morning. I think it's time that I go face my mother though."
He gave a small hmm sound before agreeing, "Yes, I should probably go talk with mine about your mother's proposition. The sooner we settle the matter, the better."
She eyed him skeptically as they began making their way up the stone steps, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're more excited about the dragon than you are about me."
He shook his head, "No, I'm definitely more excited about the dragon." She shoved his shoulder as they broke into laughter.
When Aemond came to his mother's chambers, her maid Talya was cleaning the dining table. His mother sat on the couch with a glass of wine gazing out the open window.
"Hello, dearest. Have you eaten?" she asked extending her hand to him. He came over and sat beside her.
"I will in a moment," he replied, "I wanted to discuss something important with you."
"Leave us, Talya," she called. When her maid had left, she caressed his hand in hers, asking, "What is it?"
"I wanted to discuss the proposal that Princess Rhaenyra made to you and Father." She ceased her caress and let go of his hand, bringing her own up to rub her temple.
"What of it?" she was too tired to feign ignorance.
"Well…will you agree? Can I marry Jade and have a dragon?" he asked simply.
"My lamb," she crooned, "Do you believe that I love you?"
He paused at this. "Yes."
"And do you believe that it is my duty to protect you?" she asked.
"Yes, Mother, but what—"
"Then do not ask me to consent to this proposal," she said abruptly.
"But I don't understand," he said, rising from his seat, "I have wanted a dragon for years, you know this!"
"There will be other ways, other dragons—"
"And I want to marry Jaedys! I want to rule the Seven Kingdoms with her," he countered, his voice growing louder.
She rolled her eyes at this shaking her head. "I know you think this is what you want, but you are young. There will be other girls to turn your fancy. More suitable choices."
"No, there won't," he flared, "I love her and there won't be other options. There can be no one more suited—"
"She is a bastard!" his mother shouted with a feral look in her eyes, "I will not give my beloved son to marry the plain-featured bastard of that–that…"
Aemond was taken aback by his mother's loss of control, something he had never before seen even when she had been at her wit's end with Aegon.
"Leave it, Aemond," she said softly, "Do not speak of this again."
After a moment of contemplation, he felt like chancing what was on his mind, "Her mother is the heir to the Iron Throne, and whatever you say she is next in line. She will be Queen one day, Mother, and I intend to be there beside her. Besides…it's not really your decision to make." The look on Alicent Hightower's face paled as if her son had slapped her. She followed his back as he walked quietly out of the room with his head held high. Aemond was no longer a child. At nearly thirteen, he was confident he knew his own mind. This infatuation with Jaedys Velaryon had always been dangerous, she knew, but as her son neared manhood it was becoming more perilous. The Queen poured herself another glass of wine and drank deeply.