House of the Dragon Oneshots

Your Fingers in My Hair

A/N: To be totally honest, I struggled to write Aegon, but a commenter inspired me and I wanted to follow through! I hate him so much but he's also so funny and so sad? I want to punch him and then cuddle him after??

Description: When Aemond gives his offensive "Strong" toast and Aegon slams Lucerys into the table, his older sister, Maerys Velaryon, takes matters into her own hands—literally.

Pairings: Aegon x Strong!OC

Content warnings: incest; horribly cheesy; a dash of angst

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"Let us drain our cups," Aemond declares, raising his chalice, forging ahead with his speech despite his mother's attempt to stop him, "to this dark-haired beauty and these three strong boys."

The alluring illusion of peace was shattered as the room grew tense once more. All joy and merriment that had slowly crept into their hearts were halted at Aemond's subtle accusation. Both families grew quiet.

"I dare you to say that again," Jacaerys snaps.

Helaena pauses mid-clap, startled by the aggression in her dance partner's voice. Aemond doesn't miss a beat, having anticipated (and hoped) for a hostile reaction.

"Why? It was only a compliment," Aemond says, tauntingly, "Do you not think yourself strong?"

Anger courses through Maerys at her uncle's brazen toast. It was painful enough dealing with the whispers and judgemental stares of the court, but to hear it from their own family? It was the height of disrespect. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to lunge across the table and pluck out his one good eye. But her brother, unsurprisingly, was the one to act first.

Jace marches up to their uncle and throws his whole body into a punch. Aemond takes it without spilling a drop of his wine.

At her side, Lucerys stands to back up his brother, but Aegon was quicker. He grabs Luke by the back of the neck and slams his head against the table, whispering some cruel insult into the young boy's ear. Immediately, Maerys leaps out of her chair. She snatches Aegon by the hair, fisting her fingers in his unkempt silver locks, and yanks him hard. She tears him away from her younger brother.

"The fuck? Unhand me!" Aegon shouts.

A guard pries her and the prince apart while two others hold back her brothers. Behind them, Rhaena grabs her sister, Baela, to stop her from charging into the fight. Finally relenting, Maerys goes still in the guard's grasp and shakes off his hold once he loosens it. She marches over to the table and snatches the first full goblet she sees.

She raises it high and shouts over the erupting chaos, "And to you, dear uncle, after all these years, still keeping an eye out for us."

That snaps Aemond away from his mother's lecture. His one eye flares in rage and he looks about ready to lunge at her. Instead, Jace breaks free of the guard holding him and charges after his uncle again. Daemon finally steps in, stopping his stepson in his tracks with a single look.

"Maerys," Rhaenyra scolds, "All of you, to bed, now."

Taking the chalice with her, Maerys storms out of the room, not waiting for her brothers to follow.

~~~

Later, alone in her room, she is still worked up from the dinner fiasco. She paces before the fireplace, ruminating on the insults hurled by her uncle and the hostility between their families. As an adult now, she understood there had never been goodwill between them, but she still mourned the misperception of a loving family she had as a child—back when she could still call them close.