(This chapter contains chapters 12 and 13! Enjoy!)
Chapter 12: Quiet Moments.
Aemond walked into the healing room, quickly making his way over to her. One maid and the junior maester were the only ones there. She was emptying a basin, and he was cleaning up the room now that all the activity was done. Aemond swiftly snatched opened the curtains that separated the two parts of the room. Urgently wanting to see for himself that she was well. His lone eye only softened only once he watched her chest rise and fall, breathing softly in her sleep.
She was laying in the very middle of the bed and seemed to be well into her rest. Her hair had been quickly braided to the side to keep it out of the way, by one of the midwives, he guessed. Her hands were folded over the top of her belly. Her blankets seemed to be the only thing that were covering her, as her shoulders and neck were bare. A bit of anger and frustration raised in his chest at that.
"... She needs a nightgown for now, and other clothing for the morrow. She is uncovered and without." He said to the attending maid in firm tone. She turned to look at the girl for a moment, before her eyes widened in realization.
"Right away, my prince…" She bowed quickly, before rushing out.
How it hadn't occurred to them before, Aemond would never know. Had they been planning on leaving her in that state? Oh No, no, no. Not to his charge, they were not. He would make sure she was properly cared for and had what she needed.
He took a quick look around the room, noting a few things. He turned and walked to the door, opening in to see two servants nearby.
"She needs a fresh basin, a pitcher of water, and two more blankets. Can you see to that?"
"Yes, My prince, right away."
He now felt assured her needs would be seen to. He went back to her side. Sitting down on the bed next to her, right next to her hip. He couldn't stop himself from pausing just to look… At her face, at the bump, even at the sickening collar…
Before he had even realized it, his hand was reaching out. He placed it softly on the swell of her belly, the very top. When Heleana was pregnant with her twins, he had done the same. The two seemed to kick and wake one another up constantly. Keeping one another active. He could always expect a kick, punch, or something else. As he put his hand on Haelemys's belly, he hoped to feel movement from this little one as well...
He believed she referred to the babe as a boy. Did she somehow know? Or was it just a gut feeling or guess? If she held magic like her family was rumored to, it might be possible. He'd ask her when she woke… For now, he would just wonder and his eyes remained trained on the babe.
"What a surprise you are, Little one; Both you and your mother" Aemond spoke lowly, unconsciously leaning closer to speak to the bump.
"We had no idea ether of you were out there… Things would have been different if we had. But we know now. You're both safe now… No one will dare try to harm ether of you now that we're aware..." Aemond said, his thumb now brushing the blanket softly, almost petting the belly.
He felt a shift under his hand, and knew it was the babe. He froze for a moment, keeping his hand still, wondering if he would feel the child move again.
A chuckle from his left side caught his ear, and his head snapped over. Aegon was leaning against the wall a few feet away, smirking. Aemond's face fell instantly at the sight of him.
"Sorry. Did I interrupt some bonding time?" Aegon quipped, and Aemond glared. He removed his hand from Haelemys' belly.
"Do not sneak up on my blind side." Aemond bit at his brother.
"Using your blind side is the only way one CAN sneak up on you." Aegon Deadpanned. Aemond's glare narrowed, but he wouldn't refute the claim. Or the small glow of pride.
"… She is a Beauty; I'll give her that... And she comes with a Dragon. Not much of a dragon, but a Dragon none the less." Aegon said, offhandedly. Aemond immediately felt his hackles raise.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Aemond near-growled in his low, articulate voice. His lone eye now shooting fire at his older brother.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. Night, brother!"
The loud crashing, breaking, and smashing of items was now over.
The floor, the wall, and the fireplace were littered with Debree. Broken glass and porcelain mostly, with two or three clay busts also destroyed. The fireplace was smokey and blazing from the extra items it was now burning.
Daemon had now exhausted himself and was sat on his knees Infront of the fireplace. His beath now leveling out as his blood and temper cooled, as he looked into the flames and smoke. The rage had been holding back, that itching and burning under his skin for hours... He had let it out, and now he could think clearly…
The first question he asked himself; What the fuck had been happening on the other side of the Narrow Sea?
An Entire Valyrian family had been captured then slain. Murdered in cold blood by fucking slavers. Their line nearly wiped from existence…
A Dragon chained and tortured… Nearly Broken.
A single girl, near the same age as his own twin Daughters. Now the last of her line, alone yet pregnant… having been breed like cattle. Both not even fed nor given them enough water. Even as the girl grew the child. A child they were planning to take from her in the end anyway... Having to escaping on her own, because no one here EVEN KNEW WHAT WAS ANYTHING HAPPENING TO HER.
Things like this should never happen… Not to Dragons. Not to Valyrians.
It was WRONG. So unbelievably WRONG.
These were Crimes, Sickening Crimes. Crimes against ancient blood, against humanity, against fucking nature itself…
And what burned him even more? Those bastards were still fucking out there. Eating, Drinking, Going about their pathetic lives unpunished. All without a care…
Oh, No…. Oh no, that would not do. He knew from the moment he laid eyes on the Dragon; someone would pay for it. After just looking at that girl… The girl with eyes so similar to his mother's…
He got up and near ran to his desk. He would send a Raven straight away to his brother. Then one to Corlys. He had a few to his contacts in Pentos, Bravos, and some old soldiers he knew were now living near Slaver's Bay... He would contact Misery as well; she also had contacts across the Narrow Sea…
He would use them find out who and where those people were. As well as how the slavers had managed to hatch an egg… What they were planning to do with the dragon, girl, and babe once it was born. Were they going to sell the girl and Dragon? Or wait and raise the boy, kill the girl, and hope he bonded with the Dragon? Who would buy them? Who would have the funds to buy them? Who would RISK be buying them?
The Dornish? The Bravosi? The Triarchy?
It was time to shine to light on what had been happening behind their backs.
He needed to know so he could be the one to make this right. He would lead this raid and watch these fuckers burn with his own eyes. They thought they could inflict this amount of damage and pain, and not suffer the consequences. Did they think their actions would go undiscovered forever?
No, No. No… They would BURN for this. He would see to it himself.
Daemon knew of them now… He would find them.
He would put faces and names to the sick fucks who committed these crimes. He would make them suffer so much, the rest of the world would hear of it and NEVER try anything of this sort EVER again…
Off to the side, having quietly watched from the slightly opened door, was the Crown Princess. She had waited a few moments after his rage had ended to check on him… Now seeing him at the desk, seemingly well and no longer in a dragon's fury, Rhaenyra almost let out a sigh of relief…
Until she saw the gleam in his eye as he rapidly wrote his letters.
She watched for a moment, before her own eyes hardened just like his, her hand protectively gripping at her own belly. Her own Dragon fire burning behind her throat and heart.
She then quietly closed the Solar's door.
She'd wait for him in their shared bedroom… They would talk then.
Daemon: Planning more war crimes in private.
Rhaenyra: … and I ain't seen a damn thing.
Chapter 13: The first day on Dragonstone.
Daemon sent off his letters and ravens with the Maesters before heading to his bed and his wife. They talked for maybe half an hour before the sand hit their eyes. Husband and wife were on the same page on the matter of seeking justice. For the Girl and for her fallen family. That was all that mattered to Daemon at the moment.
In the morning when they woke, they were greeted by ravens of their own from King's Landing. One asking after the two princes now roomed in the white tower. The second near demanding their return if they were there. He decided he'd let Rhaenyra handle that reply later. It was obvious they had yet to read what he had sent just 7 hours ago, they would already know the boys were here. Deamon's temper had been tried enough the past day and a half.
Breakfast followed, and it was a strange affair. Luke and Jace looked frazzled. Luce, nearly in tears the entire time with his head down. Jace looking half confused, half guilty. Their eyes darting to the door every few moments, as if expecting Aemond to burst though at any moment.
Rheana was also unhappy and worried. Not sad nor angry, just... Concerned?...
But Baela was the oddest. She looked half infuriated, half anxious. Her eyes went to the door even more then the boys. Daemon wasn't sure why, the two heirs could handle themselves. (Well, maybe Luke would need help…) Rhaenyra seemed to pick up on it.
"Just so you all know; Aemond and Aegon will not be joining us. They are here as guests of the white tower for the duration of their stay."
It was only after that Luke and Jace seemed to relax. Daemon's eyes stayed on his daughters, and the strange look they gave to one another. He knew his girls… and he knew that wasn't like them… What in the seven hells was going on with them?
"And… How long will they be staying?"
"Prince Aemond has orders from the crown, The girl is his charge. He intends to honor his orders. So, he will be staying until he can escort the girl and her Dragon to Kings landings himself. It will be two weeks, at the very least. Aegon requested his wine skin be re-filled for his flight home after lunch. Don't worry, both will be watched. Carefully."
The girls wide worried eyes once again caught Daemon's attention. The fact that Jace also added his own look to them mix. He met the eyes of the twins, with guilt and worry.
Daemon's eyes narrowed. He'd been a father long enough to know when something was not right… and Something was DEFINITLY not right here.
Aemond had stayed in Haelemy's room for few hours after eating dinner. He woke up to maids bringing in breakfast, and after eating, went back to her room. Aegon was passed out, star-fished on his bed, every time Aemond checked on him.
He did NOT Like being away from them, nor having them out of his sight. Not here, not on Dragonstone. Aegon, the Sheep with Dragon's color, seemed like he could have cared less. Aemond wondered if his older brother had any situational awareness. or sense of self-preservation at all, for that matter.
Aemond wasn't an idiot. He knew Rhaenyra and Daemon were having them watched. Every move would be reported, post haste.
The guards had been doubled over night. The maids were far to alert and watching every move. He also noticed Ser Goode, the Kings guard, stopping by over and over. Kings' guards were not really needed nor normally stationed near the white tower...
Well, let them. Maybe he'd have some fun with it later, but right now he could only feel aggravation at their newly appointed shadows.
He sat in the chair facing her as the girl was starting to wake. She had woken, moved slightly, then fallen back asleep. Now she was stirring more and more and the time she stayed in-between sleeping were less and less. He was sure that she would be fully awake and aware soon.
When he saw her moving again, this time with more purpose, he got up from his chair and walked to the bed. He sat on mattress, on her right side. Soon, her purple and green eyes fluttered open, and she turned to him. In a Half-dazed and half-dreamy state.
"Good morning, Lady Peverell…"
A warm, sweet smile beamed up to him. She wiped the sleep from her eyes with one hand, as her other hand went to her belly. Assuring herself the child was still there.
The first two days on Dragonstone were odd and broken up into different tasks. Aegon did leave after lunch to return to King's landing. Aemond written a letter before then to take with him to his mother. He was somehow NOT surprised the coward took of the first chance he got. But being left behind on his own not only stung but was infuriating.
He stuck to his charges' side, kept a sharp eye on every guard and maid that came near them.
Haelemys stayed in bed most of the time, under the watch of midwife and Maester. But she still took her two walks that she was allowed. One earlier in the day, after breakfast, then other before dinner. Both of those walks had started by going straight to the Gate, to the waiting Lumi.
Lumi refused to be far from the tower where her rider was. She had, in fact curled up and sleep on the other side of the Tower wall the entire night. She also stayed walking beside her or behind her during her walks. Aemond had never seen a Dragon more attached to his rider. Aegon and Sunfire were always very close. He and Vhagar were independent creatures on their own. But they enjoyed the company of one another more than any others.
These two, though... They had been though darknesses and fire together, and it showed. They worried over one another and cared for one another.
The Dragon keepers had managed to get the chains off of the white dragon's legs and wings. But she had refused to let them do anything else. Only when Haelemys was there did Lumi let the Dragon keepers treat her wounds, or even eat a full meal.
The removing of the chains from around her neck, though… That would have to wait. Lumi would let them nowhere near her neck. The flesh was far too red and raw. Some were semi-embedded into the skin itself. Haelemys would near burst into tears and become frantic at the first pained cry of her 'Poor Girl'. None on Dragonstone; not Royal, Dragonkeeper nor Maester was willing to distress the dragon or the expectant mother any more than necessary.
They would have to come up with a different plan to remove those chains, and quickly. The Maesters and Dragonkeepers brainstormed with Haelemys and Aemond.
Soon the idea to use a numbing herb to coat the area before removal was fine-tuned. Then it was greenlit by the crown princess, an order for about ten pounds of the herb was sent to spicetown by raven. It would be arriving from Driftmark in the next day or so.
The rest of the day was spent in relative rest and peace. He stayed by her side, while avoiding his sister, her spawn, and anyone else on Dragonstone he did not wish to see.
Except, of course, Daemon… Who always made himself the exception.
They were just returning from Haelemys' after-breakfast walk when the Rouge Prince made his presences known. Full to the brim with both questions and insults.