Ghost Of It All»» Aemond Targaryen

Chapter Three

Tessa's Pov
That day so many years ago was a haunted memory to remind anyone how tainted our family was. Cousins and nephews fighting. Watching the madness drive into everyone all at once. I was a young girl back then. Foolishly watching with a broken nose as Alicent cut Rhaenyra leaving a scar permanently on her arm.

You could see it in grandsire Viserys eyes he just wanted peace between all of his family. So much was going on, that I never got to spoke of the arrangements my mother wanted so desperately for myself. I never could forget Aemond's words that night, the final night I ever saw wind of him with a hug and a matter of goodbyes and sorry.

Do not mourn for me mother an eye for an eye, I got a dragon and I protected Tessa.

In the many years from that I grew into a woman. Age of a teen my father married Rhaenyra and had two sons with her, they were expecting their third quite soon. I watched everyone grow between my eyes. I grew distance. Rheanyra was a loving mother figure and treated us all fairly. I always felt like I was avoiding my father like he was a sickness gone mad. I only saw my sister's every so often. Baela deciding to go with Rhaenys which was a wise idea.

I fluttered my eyes a few times hearing the loud grumbled coming from Jace. I do suppose high Valyrian is hard to learn when you weren't taught it young. I found my eyes facing the flaming sparks of the fire. I could hear the deep rumble in my mind of Stormflare. He was always a grumpy old thing when ever I was thinking in my thoughts.

"They are questioning Jace and Luke's legitimacy over Driftmark?" I snapped my head over at the sudden sound of Rhaenyra speaking with Daemon. He shook out his hair a couple times muttering a few words to her before stroking at her bump with a chuckle.

"To kingslanding then." I felt my entire body tense up for just a moment deciding to speak up firmly away from the flames.

"Father may I speak with you alone for a matter?" He snapped his head up towards me, sending a nod my way, he gave Rheanyra a kiss across her cheek, gently guiding himself around her. Her footsteps leaving me and him in front of the flames.

"I know its been some time since we've had one in one talks with one another. I never like to disturb you seems you are busy." He frowned gazing into my eyes before cupping at my face in a deep motion.

"Sweetling I'm always here, I know over the years we've drifted apart you've become a woman look at you." He chuckled quietly moving to move my braids from my view.

"A splitting image of your mother." A saddened like smile formed in my face tilting my head down for a moment digging through the bust of my brassiere. I grabbed the aged out letter, I carried it around without for ages always studying her handwriting.  Like it would come back to me, his eyes watching me closely.

"I meant to tell everyone about this as soon as I could but it never was the right time. Everyone was just hating one another." I chuckled handing it over to him watching him unravel it.

"Mother wrote me this right before she died it's the last thing I have of her. As much as a gasping rumor it may be. She wished for me and Aemond to be in a marriage when we were older."

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My father wasn't named the rouge Prince for nothing. He never hid his emotions well, and protested this letter with everything in his fiber. Of course my cousin was a mad man in his own. I haven't seen him in years but it was a final wish. Leaving Rheanyra and him to be greeted by Alicent so they could break the news to her. I found myself following after Jace and Luke who were rushing off to the training grounds. It's truly hadn't changed that much.

"It hasn't changed at all, look at it Tessa." Luke exclaimed at me lightly tugging on the edge of my blue dress to bring me toward over the musky like dirt ground.

"I see the Dragonpit is still here, that's were we broke our noses." I declared out snickering with amusement. Changing my head in the direction, towards where Jace was looking, rubbing at his trousers in place.

"Someone's training." The two had pulled me between everyone in a rush of a heartbeat. I watched the figure in curiosity he moved the sword with grace almost. Moving back the surface of his long blonde hair flying back. It took me a moment to watch his head whip up exposing how one eye was covered in a black eye patch. That I realized I was staring at a much grown Aemond. He had grown in his beauty and was indeed handsome. This was my husband to be.

"Nephews did you come to train?" He snapped out looking in their direction, before looking towards me with an empty expression at first, before a faint smile grew in place.

"Tessa is that you?" He questioned sliding his sword roughly back in place on his hip, stepping towards me in a few steady strides. My own light laughter sounded out, folding my hands to rest in front of me in that moment gazing up at him.

"Why if it isn't my favorite cousin Aemond. I almost didn't recognize you, you've become too handsome." I teased to him, watching him step forward to lock me into a warm greeting hug. My arms lifted up to hug at the warmth of his back inhaling his scent of leather.

"It's really good to see you." He muttered into the side of my head with a chuckle pulling back for a moment to gaze at me.

"It's always lovely to see you, even this time shall be different for us both." I informed him watching the way he stared at me in confusion. I found myself chuckling looking down at my shoes for a moment.

"We are to be married you and me."