DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING
A/N: Big thanks to Ramzes for reviewing
That night Aemon's dreams were filled with screams of dying men and dragonfire, like a symphony of despair ringing through his head louder and louder until eventually he realized that the screaming was coming from himself and he suddenly woke with a jolt in his bed covered in sweat while Alerie sat beside him trying her best to soothe him.
"It was just a dream sweetheart, Shhh it wasn't real." cooed Alerie as she tried to get him to lie back down. Aemon was breathing heavily as he tried to shake the smell of sulphur from his head and the metallic taste of blood from his mouth. After laying back down he began rubbing his race to try and stop his racing thoughts.
"Are you ok?" she asked as she pressed herself against him, placing her hand gently over his chest as if she could stop his rapid breathing by holding it down.
"It was so real….the smells of men roasting in their armour…..blood splashing over my face…Gods…" he whispered in a hoarse voice that was raw from screaming. He pinched the ridges of his eyes together before turning to look at Alerie. "I'm sorry I scared you."
Alerie smiled faintly at that and caressed his cheek softly at that. "There's no need to apologise, now go back to sleep my love."
He nodded absently and tried to let his swirling thoughts go but found sleep would not take him so he settled for laying in the comforting embrace of his wife for a few hours before he finally decided to get up. He carefully unlatched himself from Alerie's grip and softly walked over towards the curtains and could see sun just about ready to rise from the east. I suppose I best get ready for Edric's riding trip…
Moving as quietly as he could, Aemon quickly procured a pair of riding clothes and swiftly began to dress himself before leaving his chambers and heading downstairs to the courtyard. On his way down he came across the familiar sight of Duncan lazily peeling himself an apple in the hallway. "Fancy a slice brother?" he asked cheerfully.
"No…I never have much appetite in the mornings, and certainly not an hour as early as this." Replied Aemon as he walked with his brother to the stables.
The two of them found their respective steads soon enough and after Duncan had finished feeding the remainder of his apple to his horse they made their way out of the courtyard and up to one of the hill's just outside of the castle where Edric and Steffon were waiting for them.
Duncan was the first to voice his surprise at their nephew's presence. "Will the lad be able to keep up? Perhaps he'd prefer to sleep in?"
Steffon would have none of that. "No, no please I want to ride with you uncle!" complained the boy looking from his father to Duncan to Aemon and back to his father again.
"We won't be riding fast anyways, he should be fine. Besides, I have much to tell you." Put in Aemon trying to be amiable.
Duncan seemed intrigued by that so conceded and allowed Steffon to join them and after galloping through a few of the open fields the three men slowed to a trot while Steffon went on ahead, Edric occasionally keeping an eye on the boy. Once Aemon saw that his nephew was out of hearing range he began to tell them.
"The Blackfyre pretender Maelys and his band of misfits have taken Tyrosh."
Duncan looked at him carefully from his horse and an unreadable expression came over his face and he began to grind his teeth slightly as he slowly visualized something in his head before he finally looking at Aemon with a frown. "Father won't let that bastardspawn get far; he's kept the realm in peace for twenty years now, I think he can handle himself."
If Duncan showed some doubt then Edric seemed completely optimistic and with a booming laugh announced that "He can come and try! I don't care how many swords he has to buy, I'll throw the bastard back into the ocean and he can swim back to whatever shithole he crawled out of!"
Duncan laughed a little at their good-brother's boasts yet Aemon still didn't feel right about it. "These people have been trying to destroy our dynasty since the time of my grandfather and because of them the realm was split in two…I'm not sure that they're ones to take lightly."
Edric gave Aemon a slap on the back for that. "Many times has the black dragon raised himself in rebellion and every time your family have beaten them back. Have a little faith my friend."
Aemon was about to reply when young Steffon came riding up to them in a hurry, a large grin on his face. "I found the tree! I found the tree that Mother told me about! It's just up ahead!" said the boy excitedly before racing off, expecting that his father and uncles would follow which they did readily enough.
Eventually they found Steffon dismounted from his horse and trying to scale a grand oak that lay nearly dead in front of them, it's large branches having been so burdened by their own weight that they had sagged down unto the ground, providing excellent footholds for the young Baratheon to climb over. Finally the boy stopped and pointed at a large series of carvings cut deep into the wood. The names "DUNCAN, AEMON, RHAELLE" still carved boldly into the oak, large enough for even the three riders to see from the ground. There was a time when I would have joined the lad up there thought Aemon fondly.
"Boy, come down here now." called Edric more than a little too firmly.
"Yes Father…" and with a pout he scrambled down the branches and slowly walked back over to his waiting horse. Once he dismounted he slowly trotted beside Aemon as they began to return to the grounds of Summerhall. "How come Uncle Jaehaerys doesn't have his name written on the tree?"
"Because he seldom came outside with us, he was too sick for such things." replied Aemon honestly without taking his eyes off of the horizon.
"Didn't that make him sad? Not being able to play with the rest of you?"
Aemon was stumped by that and suddenly found a deep guilt well up from within himself. He, Duncan and Rhaelle had often written their other brother of as a bore, as too old despite his years. Could it be that by not being able to enjoy childhood with the rest of them he had been forced to grow up sooner? Did we forget about you big brother?
"I suppose it did." replied Aemon faintly.
They arrived back in the castle around noon and found that there was a bizarre silence in the castle, especially after the last few days of preparation and the housing of various guests and lords. Duncan didn't seem to be overly concerned and merely stated that Jenny would probably be in the Summerhall library and after he dismounted and went off in search of her Edric sniggered to Aemon. "I didn't even know she could read!" he joked loudly.
"Perhaps he taught her?"
"With that brother of yours anything's possible!" laughed Edric before putting his arm over Aemon's shoulder. "Care to join me for an afternoon drink? I think I brought a few casks of the stuff those Summer Islanders drink, what do you say? Care to give it a try?"
Aemon considered it for all of two seconds. "I'd love to, but unfortunately I must needs see my wife."
Edric didn't seem the least bit deterred by that. "All right then, more for me!" and happily marched off with young Steffon while Aemon went through the court yard in search of the rest of his kin.
After a bit of exploration around the castle grounds he found Alerie sitting in the garden having lunch with his niece Rhaella, Jaehaerys daughter. Alerie was chatting away animatedly as she explained how Lord Tyrell's last ball nearly ended in a grand fire whilst Rhaella sat in rapt attention, hanging off every word.
"And then by the time Lady Fossoway's myrish dress had begun to catch ablaze we-Oh hello Aemon." She said as she noticed him.
"My two favourite ladies, do you mind if I join you?"
Alerie just waved him over and he pulled up a seat beside Rhaella who blushed furiously and began playing with the end of her braid as Aemon helped himself to a collection of fruits that was lying in the centre of the table.
"So where is everyone?" he asked as he picked up a large peach.
"Well his grace took the entourage and left for Kings Landing early this morning not long after you and Duncan went out for your ride." She said as she went about spreading jam over a piece of toast.
Aemon shifted uncomfortably in his seat at that. If his father had thought it necessary to drop what he was doing and go right back to Kings Landing after a day's travel then things must have been more dire than he had originally thought. "Did you speak with him? Was he….distressed in anyway?"
Alerie gave him a confused look and shook her heard. "To be quite honest I only awoke just as they were leaving."
"What about Jaehaerys? Did he leave too?"
This time it was Rhaella who answered. "Father's in the library….I don't expect him to leave for a while though." There was a hint of sadness in his niece's voice and he wondered if perhaps Jaehaerys ought to spend less time at study and more with his own family. Though of course father encourages it, ever since Duncan gave up the crown… "Well since he's going to be so busy how would you like to sup with me and Aunt Alerie tonight?"
Rhaella perked up in her seat at the idea, a smile forming across her face despite her futile attempts to hide it. "I'd like that very much uncle."
"Excellent, though I'm afraid it may come down to a fight to the death if you try and deny your Aunt the last lemon cake." replied Aemon, only to receive a swift kick in the shin from under the table from Alerie who smiled sweetly back at him.
After that they ate in relative peace for a while with Rhaella occasionally asking Alerie questions about her pregnancy and what names they were planning on. He quickly grew tired of all that talk and rose to his feet.
"Is something wrong?" asked Alerie.
"No…I just think I'll go for a walk." He told them before flashing a smile at Alerie. "Maybe I can find some rare flower that matches your beauty." He teased lightly before leaning over to taste the sweet warmth of his wife's lips.
Just as Rhaella had said, Aemon found his brother busy in the Summerhall library sitting over on a table by the windows with his head buried in some dusty old book, his brows furrowed as if he was having trouble deciphering some passage. "What do you need Aemon?" he asked without looking up.
"Do I need a reason to see my big brother?"
"Yes." Again without shifting his gaze from the page in front of him.
Aemon frowned but then pulled up a seat across from Jaehaerys, tilting his head to the side in an attempt to read the title of the ancient tome that his brother seemed to find so interesting, from what he could tell it was about the war between the Valyrian Freehold and the Ghiscari Empire.
"Has there been any more news on the Blackfyres? I mean father wouldn't just take his entire entourage to Summerhall and then just march them straight back without reason would he?" asked Aemon, the doubt quite apparent in his voice.
Jaehaerys finally looked up at him then, great bags sitting underneath his big violent eyes and his silver hair dishevelled. It was then that Aemon noticed all of the other books piled around the table, had his brother been here reading all through the night? "Father has to be very careful here. Trying to get seven kingdoms to declare war after two decades of peace is easier said than done, that's why he's called an emergency small council meeting."
Aemon felt a jolt of fear run down his spine at Jaehaerys words. "What are the chances that the pretender will cross the sea?"
Jaehaerys looked at him with a grim expression and exhaled deeply. "If….if the report reports coming back from our spies are true then it is likely that they're getting their forces ready for another attack. If they manage to take Pentos or Gods forbid, Braavos, then there is a very real possibility that they could launch an attack on Westeros."
"Do you really think that a foreign force could invade the Seven Kingdoms?" asked Aemon in disbelief.
"We're living proof that it can be done! Aegon the conqueror did it, and while Blackfyre may not have dragons he has a considerable army and with just the littlest bit of luck he could break through and gain a foothold in the Seven Kingdoms and once that happens it's only a matter of time before he seduces lords away from their liege and then it'll be civil war without end, on and on until everything that the Targaryen dynasty created will be reduced to ashes…. Mother have mercy, I should have read the prophecies more closely."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Aemon angrily.
Jaehaerys looked up Aemon as if he had forgotten that he wasn't alone and pinched the ridge of his nose in frustration. "…..look, it's likely that Father will want us by his side for support. We are blood of Dragon after all and with that comes a responsibility to protect the people of the realm, I need to know I can count on you."
"Of course, I'm not the laughing fool you and father think me to be." replied Aemon briskly.
His brother however just gave him a look of pity and for a moment seemed as if he was going to say something but then the moment passed and he went back to his books, trying to find the place he had last been on before Aemon arrived. The younger Targaryen watched his brother lose himself in the dusty old book and found himself feeling saddened. You've always had books haven't you brother? Books don't break bones or get you sick, and books never make you feel like an embarrassment …
Aemon spent the rest of the night in a sullen mood as he went over what Jaehaerys had told him. Things were only made worse during supper when, despite his wife and niece's best efforts, the most conversation they could get from him were single word responses as he absently chewed his food without tasting, nodded his head without listening, his brother's words ringing throughout his head. Everything the Targaryen dynasty created will be reduced to ashes…
Whatever lady like manners that had been drilled into Alerie's head her entire life, they didn't stop her fury as she and Aemon returned to their chambers. As soon as the door was closed Alerie turned around and began hitting him over and over until finally he had to grab her wrist to restrain her.
"What in the name of the Gods are you doing?" he asked in confusion as she struggled to break free of his grasp.
"Ohhh so there is a person in there after all and not just some automation! You were completely rude out there! Not just to me but to Rhaella as well, and you know how much that girl looks up to you! What has been going on with you?"
Aemon flinched at her words and said nothing. He merely sighed and tried to look away in shame only to find her hands on his face forcing him to look at her, this time her expression was not that of anger. "Is….is it me? Are you…unhappy with me?" she asked in an unsure voice.
"What? No, no never. I could never be unhappy with you my love." he said as he took her hands from his face and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "What on earth has given you that idea?"
Alerie looked down for a moment as she tried to contain her undoubtedly racing emotions. "Every time we talk…you're always hiding behind jokes or flirtations but whenever I want to talk, really talk you put up walls; you don't let me in, I thought…I thought perhaps you were regretting…us." she said miserably.
Have I been blind to her insecurities all this time? he thought sadly before bringing Alerie into his arms, gently caressing her. "I have been distant lately, but none of that is a reflection of you my love, it's….something else, something has been brewing in my mind and honestly I'm not sure how to deal with it."
"That's why you have me, to help share the load. I am yours and you are mine." replied Alerie with a fierceness he had not known that she could possess.
He was silent for a moment as he considered whether or not to speak about what had been troubling him lately out of fear for how she would take it in her current state, but finally he relented when he saw the determination burning within her. "My dreams, the last few nights I have been dreaming of death and darkness. Things have just felt, well, wrong…and then last night at Ser Duncan's party…the reason why my father left so suddenly, the reason why he is now on his way back to Kings Landing, is because the Blackfyres have returned." He paused for a moment to gauge Alerie's reaction yet to his surprise she had merely frowned a little and urged him to go on.
"They've already taken Tyrosh and Jaehaerys thinks that there's a chance that they could be readying an army from the Free Cities. He thinks that they plan to invade." He said finally as he uneasily watched for her reaction.
"We'll defeat them." She said in an assured voice, forcing herself to smile. "The Seven Kingdoms will not suffer this and with your father they'll stop these pretenders."
Part of him wanted to agree with her, or at least pretend he did for her benefit but he knew in his heart that he couldn't afford to lie to her or himself anymore. "I don't think so. Edric, Duncan, they seemed certain that father and his bannermen could defeat any enemy and that it'll all be some grand adventure but I can't help but feel that what's coming will be something worse. What if my dreams aren't just dreams? What if they're warnings? Or perhaps the bane of ancestors is on me and I've inherited my family's madness…."
Alerie said nothing but took his hand within her own and held it tightly. There was something in that simple gesture that was just enough to warm his very soul and invigorate the fire within him, stirring the dragon back into life. "Whatever is coming, whatever the horrors Maelys Blackfyre is bringing with him from across the sea….I'll make damned sure that you, and the entire realm that our child is about to be born into will be safe."
Alerie smiled up at him and began to lead him over to their bed. "That is most brave of you, but for now I think I'll settle for lying in the arms of my dragon."