Jaedys stood in her nightclothes and turquoise dressing gown with her brothers watching as Ser Harwin crouched down to say his farewell to Luke. He tousled his curls as Luke looked up at him sadly, taking his dragon toy in hand.

"Be good to your mother, lads. I'll visit when I can, but that may be some time," he said rising and turning to Jace. Jace walked to where his mother and sister stood. Jaedys stood with her arms wrapped around Rhaenyra who cradled Joffrey. In their conversation the night before, her mother had not blamed her for what transpired in the training yard. She knew Ser Criston had brought about the whole scene and that his malice and resentment toward her had passed to her children. That had not made it any easier when she had informed Jade that Ser Harwin was being sent away to Harrenhal.

"No! But he's my sworn protector. I do not release him from his oath!" her daughter had cried, vowing to speak to the King.

Rhaenyra had shooshed her daughter, bringing her close and rubbing her back as she had cried.

"You know as well as I that would only make matters worse for us and for Ser Harwin," she had said through her own tears, "You and I cannot afford to be fools, Jaedys."

Like her twin, Jaedys's eyes were red rimmed from her night of crying. Ser Harwin walked to them, making his way first to Jacaerys.

"I will return," he whispered holding Jace's gaze, "I promise."

Jace said nothing but nodded sadly. Ser Harwin looked to her next. Jade saw her own pain reflected in his face. Letting go of her mother she threw herself at Ser Harwin, the two holding each other in a fierce hug.

"I'm sorry," she cried into his dark cloak, "I'm so sorry."

He pulled her back by the shoulders and held her gaze intently, "It is I who should apologize. If I had been smarter, I would not be parted from you. I ignored everything I've ever taught you and let myself be taken for a fool."

She shook her head attempting to wipe her tears, "But if I had just—"

"No, Jaedys, No," he smiled sadly, never before having addressed her informally, "It is you who acted as my sworn protector in the training yard. I am grateful for your loyalty, and for the joy we have shared with one another. I will carry our moments together to the end of my days, my Princess."

She smiled sadly at him and nodded, "As will I." He paused for a moment before reaching down to unfasten the buckle at his hip.

"In my final moments as your sworn protector, I should like to leave you with this," he said handing her his dagger, "Perhaps with Ser Laenor you will learn a warrior's patience better than you did with me. I know I shall feel better knowing you have it."

She took the sheathed dagger in hand and observed it closely. The steel on both sides of the hilt curved downward, while the handle was inlaid with three ovular onyx stones with a fourth circular one at the very top. She had seen Ser Harwin with it many times and on occasions he would entertain her by throwing it against various targets for her amusement. Now to leave it with her made his parting feel so final.

"I shall take care of it until you return. Then I will show you what I have learned," she promised.

"I look forward to it," he said caressing her temple softly, "I know you will become something quite remarkable to behold."

He straightened himself up and looked to her mother then. Jace and Jade could see the pain on her face, though she remained silent even before them. Ser Harwin looked sadly at her as she cradled Joffrey, leaned forward and gave the baby a kiss on his brow.

"I will be a stranger when we meet again," he said softly. Jade watched as her mother kept her eyes fixed on ser Harwin's doublet, obstinate to show any of her grief. Finally, her eyes met his, and Jaedys wondered if she would ever again see anything as sad as the look that passed between them. She peeked over at Jace, seeing him observing them as well. The two shared a fleeting glance before looking away. Finally, Ser Harwin took a step back from them. "Princess," he said with a small bow. He grabbed his sword and satchel and, with one last look to Jade, strode out of the room.

She and Jace ran out after him and watched his retreating back turn the corner until he was out of sight. Their mother walked out behind them; her expression more disconsolate at Ser Harwin's absence. She put her arms around her twins, stroking Jace's hair.

"We will exchange letters by raven. Won't that be fun?" she said encouragingly.

"Is Harwin Strong our father?" asked Jace abruptly. Jade looked from her brother to her mother, wondering when the realization had hit him. Rhaenyra looked at where Ser Harwin had been moments before then back to Jacaerys. "Am I a bastard?"

Rhaenyra seemed shocked at Jacaerys's sudden interrogation, caught even more off guard at the loss of Ser Harwin. She looked desperately back into the room to make sure Lucerys could not overhear. Seeing the distress in her mother's face, Jade put her hand on her twin's shoulder.

"We are Targaryens. That's all that matters," she stated coolly. Jacaerys looked to his twin, realization dawning in his eyes. He looked to his mother, who nodded with a nervous smiled, before walking back through the room and to his chambers. Rhaenyra looked appreciatively down at her eldest.

"Kirimvose. (Thank you)" she said softly. Jade nodded.

"He will need time," she replied.

"As you did?" her mother asked.

"I still need time," Jaedys said feeling tired, "I will miss him. It will not be the same without him here."

"No," said Rhaenyra thoughtfully, "It will not."

Jaedys looked to her mother curiously. "What are you thinking, Muña?"

Her mother looked intently at her then. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes…" said Jade hesitantly.

"Pack your things," replied her mother decidedly.

"Why? Where are we going?" she asked.

"We leave for Dragonstone," Rhaenyra said turning back into her chambers. Jade blanched and followed behind her mother shutting the door. Luke looked up from his spot on the floor at the sudden intrusion.

"But why? We can't leave. We live here," she said trailing behind her mother as she handed Joffrey to one of the maids.

"No longer," said Rhaenyra absentmindedly, "It won't be as safe for us anymore."

"Are we going on vacation?" Luke asked.

"Yes, my love, to Dragonstone. Won't that be such fun?" said Rhaenyra as she started to gather items around the room and order the maids to pack.

"We can't leave! What about Grandsire? Our whole lives are here, she paused, "What about me and the betrothal with Aemond?"

Luke laughed, "Ooh! Jade loves Aemond!"

"Shut up!" she yelled.

"No, you shut up!" he sniped back.

"That's enough," commanded their mother. She turned to look at Jade, face flushed at yet the latest crisis to present itself just after losing Ser Harwin. She fingered her daughter's loose wavy locks and lowered her gaze to her. "You and Aemond might continue your friendship through ravens and even visits. I do not know if the Queen will consent to the match or not, but I do know that we are not safe here. My duty as your mother is to keep you safe."

"I won't leave," she hissed defiantly. "I won't let you ruin my life just because you and the Queen can't get over whatever girlhood squabble you had years ago."

Rhaenyra squared her shoulders and straightened her back, "Pack your things, Jaedys. Make no mistake, if I must order Ser Steffon to carry you to the ship kicking and screaming I will." The two princesses glared at one another before Rhaenyra readied herself to find Ser Laenor, asking the maids to see to it that the children's things were packed despite what the young princess might order them otherwise.

Jaedys gave a great huff before leaving the chambers, still clad in her dressing gown and holding Ser Harwin's dagger. She didn't know where she was going, had no destination in mind, but found that her feet carried her onwards. At some point along her walk, she decided it was rather silly to hold the dagger rather than wear it, so she strapped it to her side as she strode on.

Aemond found her sitting on their bench in the library beneath the stained glass window of The Conqueror and his wives. He had heard that both Lords Strong had left the Keep just after daybreak and knew it would be hard for her. As he walked forward tentatively, he took in how peculiar she looked: she was still in her turquoise dressing gown and slippers, a dagger strapped to her side, turning over what looked like a sapphire in her hand as she looked out the window to the courtyard below.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he sat down on the other side of the bench.

"So, you know Ser Harwin left then?" she asked without moving her gaze.

"I meant how funny you looked just now," he said teasingly. She looked over at him and then down at herself.

"In my haste I was a bit upset," she said simply.

"That's a fine dagger," he said nodding to handle at her left side.

She nodded looking down at it. "Ser Harwin gave it to me just before he left."

"Did he also leave you that sapphire?" he asked. She looked down at the sapphire she was turning over in her hands. She shook her head looking at the stone.

"My father gave it to me. Ser Qarl came back from the Stepstones with a whole sack full of them, all the size of walnuts. I forgot I left it in my pocket until just now," she said looking at it. He gave a small hmm before looking down at the courtyard.

"Don't be too melancholy, Jade. I know you'll miss Ser Harwin, but you and I can still train together," he said giving her a smile. He was alarmed by the distress in her dark brown eyes as she looked back at him. Clearly, she had been crying.

She shook her head, "We can't."

"Have you been forbidden from training?' he asked.

"We're leaving King's Landing," she whispered sadly. He sat there, silently aghast at what she had just said.

"That can't be right. Your mother is Father's chosen heir. She wouldn't just leave."

"She would and she is and I'm going with her," she sniffled. He shook his head.

"I'll talk to the King. Surely, she can be reasoned with—"

"We leave on the morrow, Aemond. My mother sees too many enemies here and without Ser Harwin I think she's scared and heartbroken."

"But doesn't she realize that she'd be breaking someone else's heart? Doesn't she realize that's selfish?" he cried. She looked to him sadly.

"Whose heart do you mean, Aemond?" she asked. He hesitated, realizing what he had said.

"Yours, mine. This is your home, and you are…you're…" he trailed off.

She nodded, taking his hand, "I know."

He leaned closer to her. "I won't stand it if you go. I just won't. There's nothing else for me here. Nobody else."

"I don't want to leave, but I worry there's nothing that can be done," she said sadly gazing up at him.

Perhaps it was their shared anguish. They had certainly been that close before on numerous occasions, yet this time looking at her with her loose, wavy hair and the effect of her leaning toward him in her pretty silk dressing gown, Aemond didn't think about it. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He held his lips there for a moment, eyes closed. In her shock, Jade blinked, frozen in place by what Aemond had done. It was over before she had a chance to react.

Seeing her stunned expression, he asked, "Are you upset I did that?"

She shook her head still in shock. "No, I just wish you would have given me some warning."

"I didn't know I was going to do that to be honest, and really it wouldn't have been very romantic to tell you," he smiled. She brought her fingers to her lips feeling where Aemond had touched them with his own.

"I feel different," she said softly.

"Is that good?" he asked cautiously. She looked back at him and before she could answer, brought her lips onto his quickly.

"Yes, it is," she smiled.

There was no warning when she left. Nobody had sent for him, nor had there been a royal farewell in the courtyard. When Aemond had exited his chambers that morning to break his fast, he was greeted by his Kingsguard, Ser Rickard, who passed him a parcel. In a fine script he recognized was written his name. He went back into his chambers and tore it open. Inside was a letter and a small bundle wrapped in linen. He cracked the blue-green seal of House Velaryon and read:

Aemond,

I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye to you before we left. I know that if I had been made to see your face, I could not have said farewell and that no person living could have forced me on that ship. Please know that I will think of you often and send ravens at every opportunity.

I hope that you will write to me and not be too cross that I did not have the strength to part in person, but after what we shared yesterday, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Thank you for giving me my first kiss. I hope we will have our way and be each other's last as well.

Write to me while I am at Dragonstone. Hopefully soon we will each have our dragons and can venture just across the Blackwater to see each other whenever we have need. Until then, I will look forward to your letters until we can be together again.

Since I am unlikely to be present for your thirteenth nameday in a few months, I have left enclosed the sapphire I held when you kissed me. I hope you will keep it close to you always and think of me when you see it.

Jorrāelagon va moriot, (Love Always)

Jade

Letter and stone still clutched in his hand, Aemond ran as fast as he could through the halls of the Keep, out to the cliffside courtyards, down the stone steps, until he got to the lower platform at the beach. The morning's ocean breeze was cold and salty on his face and blowing through his silver hair, its light still lazy as it crept up the Keep behind him. Across the bay he could just make out the small outline of a ship with black sails drifting further and further out of sight; Syrax, Vermax, and Arrax three serpentine figures fluttering beside it. He did not know how long he stood there watching, but by the time his mother sent Ser Criston to find him, the ship and the dragons had been out of sight for quite some time.