The Dragons and Their Sun (aemond/oc)

rhaenyra XVII

"I take it he's dead," Rhaenyra peeked behind her shoulder to see Aurora standing in the doorway with a silent Aemond and Luke right behind her.

"He is. He won't hurt you again," Rhaenyra promised, getting up to bring them further in the room.

"He took my blood. I still don't know where he put it. I don't know what he planned on using it for," Aurora wrung her hands nervously in front of her stomach.

Rhaenyra smiled, gently stilling her nervous hands, "We'll find it. Let us hope he didn't send it too far."

Truth be told, she hadn't even thought about the extra blood Aurora had given. She doesn't even know if she truly processed that Larys had stolen cups of her daughter's blood.

"We don't need to find it. I don't mind it being used. I would just rather it be used by the right people," Aurora walked over to her window. "Shouldn't they be back by now?"

Rhaenyra noticed she seemed much more on edge than she had before she left. She was about to question where the nerves sprouted from when a freshly bathed Jace entered the room, "Where's Helaena?"

She felt her stomach drop. She looked at each of her children's faces, trying to figure out if they knew where the young woman was. Aurora's face paled as she quickly turned around to face the window again. Rhaenyra gently questioned her daughter, "Aurora, where's Helaena?"

Aurora kept her back turned for a moment before she faced them again. She spoke directly to Jace, "She's safe. I promise."

"She's not here," Jace countered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No. She's not. But she has protection with her," Aurora promised, nodding to emphasize her point.

Rhaenyra stepped in before Jace let his protective side kick in too much, "You can't say where she is?"

She knew what they were discussing on the balcony now. Aurora's wary attitude before she left made more sense now as well. She was never big on lying, so it must've felt bad keeping the secret. That didn't mean Rhaenyra wasn't upset, though. If Helaena didn't tell anyone where she was going, excluding Aurora, then it wasn't that safe. If she didn't tell anyone, she knew she'd be stopped.

"Well, she did say-" Aurora cut herself off, pursing her lips. She shook her head before continuing, "I'm afraid you'll be cross with me if I tell you."

"We won't be, sweet girl. We just want to make sure she's safe," Rhaenyra coaxed her gently. She was exhausted, and another week-long search for another one of her daughters was not something she wanted to take part in at the moment.

Aurora's eyes flickered to the window before she sighed heavily, her entire body relaxing, "They're home!"

She ran out of the room before anyone could stop her. Rhaenyra was glad that even Aemond seemed confused by his betrothed's actions. She nodded after the young woman, and Aemond was out the door next. Rhaenyra glanced to the window to find her husband and her brother flying in. She turned back to her sons gathered in the room, "I'm sure Helaena is fine, Jace. Aurora wouldn't hide it from us if she thought she was in danger."

"Aurora shouldn't be hiding anything from us," Jace grumbled, glaring at the door.

"Sisters share secrets. Baela and Rhaena are the same way. Sometimes, Helaena and Aurora let me join in. It's quite fun," Luke's confession made a slight smile appear on Jace's face. Rhaenyra smiled lovingly at her boys.

"You join the girls for gossip, do you, Luke?" Jace lightly teased.

Luke shrugged, heading for the door, "It's not my fault they like me more than you."