The Realm's Fright

Chapter Twelve

Dragonstone

When she left for King's Landing, Alysanne had thought there was no returning to Dragonstone, the only place in the world where she finally felt at home. A part of her thought she was never going to ride a dragon ever again once she was wed to someone who she hates with a passion and who hates her with the same intensity in turn. She thought herself to be imprisoned in the Red Keep for the rest of her life, a bird in a golden cage, expected to breed dragonriders for the rest of her life. Nothing more and nothing less.

She had never ridden a dragon bigger than Sitharax before, and if she did, there was only the affirmation of her mother that she  rode Syrax while she was still carrying her and Jacaerys in her belly. Vhagar ruled the skies and was aware of it. Ofttimes, she would not obey Aemond's commands. Maesters from the Citadel claimed dragons were akin to their riders, but not Vhagar, Alysanne had thought as much. Queen Visenya Targaryen's dragon carries with her an age of nearing fifty and one-hundred, a dragon who has seen many a war from Aegon's Conquest to the War Of A Hundred Candles. It had wisdom and pride, both of which most humans are not able to attain without reaching old age.

"Why did you bring me here, Aemond?" Alysanne asked him after they had climbed off of the humongous dragon. "This isn't like you."

"What do you mean?"

"You're being good." She said quickly.

Taking off his black leather gloves, he walks over to her and his eyebrows creased in curiosity. "I am good to my family. It matters to me very much, even if it is hard to believe. I protect those I love and find ways to make them happy."

"But not my brothers and I."

"You started it with the pig." His voice deepened.

The Pink Dread!

The laughter of frolicking boys remains crystal clear, hidden from the back of her mind.

Alysanne doesn't know what he's talking until her mind brings her back at the Dragonpit several years ago, when they were still in the process of forming a bond with their dragons, and Aemond was always sulking from afar because he was dragonbane.

"I had no part in that, nor for any of the antics my brothers and yours had done to you." Alysanne said, remembering. "But remember, Aegon made fun of you as well?"

Aloof, Aemond turns to the Valyrian architecture situated on top of the steaming island. The castle towers were shaped by Valyrian magic to look like dragons to make the castle look fearsome, and they placed a thousand gargoyles upon the walls.

"He remains to make fun of me." He said after a long time. "It is normal among brothers, you should know. You have brothers yourselves."

The topic of brothers causes Alysanne to think about Jacaerys and Lucerys before they left the feast. Her mother said they are to return to Dragonstone after what happened at the supper, and it was their decision to leave. Jacaerys always swore he would protect and never leave her alone, yet why did he act the way he did, not once have they spoke a word to each other since his dance with Helaena.

"I couldn't help but notice the way your brothers looked at you." Aemond said as if he just read her mind. She gives him a surprised look which says it all. His menacing smirk returns, ridding him of his aloof demeanor. "You've switched sides now, Alysanne. You've married the worst person in the world, to them, and they assume you can no longer be trusted, which is why from this day forth, you are their enemy."

The brunette shakes her head. "You're wrong. We will talk through ravens, I'm certain of it. Mother said that they will. And they are my brothers, not yours. I know them better, and I know that they will never leave me to fend for myself."