The Dragons and Their Sun (aemond/oc)

aemond VII

"Have you calmed yet?" Aurora's voice sounded from behind him.

He rolled his eyes and turned to face her, "And if I haven't?"

Silverwing's head picked up at the sound of his voice. Aurora sighed, "I don't like when you're upset."

Aemond smiled scornfully, "I know. You won't shut up about it."

He ignored the lurch in his chest at the sight of her face falling. She's not real. She's not here.

"That's mean," she scolded him.

He ignored her as he walked through the trees. He stopped when he came across a town. The smell of salt lingered in the air. He quickly flicked through his mind to his studies as a child. They flew not too far East, so they had to still be in the Riverlands. He would imagine they were closer to the Vale than before. There was no castle. A town resting on the shoreline with no castle and no sigil. The Saltpans.

Not yet searched according to the map. Though, most parts northern of the realm weren't searched yet. Aemond, himself, had been busy plowing through the Stormlands and checking them off.

"I'm not there. You know that," Aurora's voice sounded from right behind him this time.

Aemond rolled his eyes again, "I need to search it."

"You're wasting time. I'm not there," she told him. Her eyebrow was raised as she pinned him with a knowing look.

"How do you even know that?" He asked her. She's not even real.

"Because you do," she countered.

Ah, yes. His subconscious. She had mentioned that when she first started appearing. She hasn't left him since she was taken. It was cruel. To have her so close, but not actually be able to touch her. To hold her. It was downright torture.

"Who goes there!?" A shout brought him out of his thoughts.

He sighed, slightly lifting his hands so they wouldn't pierce him with arrows, "Prince Aemond Targaryen. Looking for someone."

He ignored the sigh from the vision of his future wife. The guard's eyes widened as he hurriedly motioned behind him. The arrowhead that was aimed at Aemond disappeared. A man sheepishly came out and bowed at the waist, "Apologies, my prince. I didn't know it was you."

"I'm looking for a woman. Short, black hair, yellow eyes," said yellow eyes flashed in his mind before he could stop it. He couldn't ignore it.

"Sounds like quite a woman. Shame we haven't seen her," the head knight told him.

He hummed at them and ignored the noise of satisfaction that came from behind him. He eyed the small town behind them.

"You're more than welcome to look, Your Highness," the knight told him.

Again, he ignored the protests from his subconscious as he trekked forward.

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She wasn't there.

He knew she wouldn't be, but searching helped. He stalked back to Silverwing, his anger rising once again. At least, Aurora wasn't there anymore.

His sword was in his hand before he even realized it. Channeling all of his rage into the steel blade, he swung and swung and swung at a tree. When his sword wasn't doing enough damage, he threw it to the side and began punching at the shredded bark. He kept punching until his knuckles were bloodied.

He only pulled away because Aurora appeared behind him with a worried look, "Please! Stop!"

He had to stop. Vision or not, he would do anything she asked him to. Even if the pain felt good. Even if it made him feel something other than blinding anger. The fake Aurora didn't touch him. She couldn't. He didn't bother saying how that only made everything hurt so much more. She was his mind; she already knew this. So why appear now only to torture him like this?