Into the Dragon's Den

Cold (But I'm Still Here)

Laena was growing tired of the fact that she kept waking up in that damn bed, wounded. How many reoccurrences would there be before the Gods finally just let her die? The sun was shining in through her windows when she finally opened her eyes. Aemond was sitting in a chair that had been pushed next to the bed. He was holding his head in his hand and his eye was rimmed red. Had he been crying? Laena sat up and a loud gasp ripped from her throat as excruciating pain seared through her middle.

"You shouldn't be moving," he said softly, his eye blinking open. He sounded... Defeated.

"I'm sure I've had worse," she attempted to joke. He didn't smile and she sighed "Come on, help me up. I need to go see Helaena and the children. How are they doing?" When he didn't move, unease swept through her. "Aemond, I need to see them." Why wouldn't he help her? Was she to be confined again? He still didn't budge. Laena could bear it no longer; she sighed and forced herself up on the pillows, groaning in pain.

"Laena, don't," he scolded, "You need to stay in bed."

"I have to go see them, Aemond." Laena insisted, trying to pull herself out of bed. The prince finally moved, gripping her around the shoulders and trying to push her back into the pillows.

"Helaena is dead, Laena..." he said softly. A hysterical laugh burst out of her at his sick joke. It had to be a joke. She's not dead, I just saw her...

"No, no she's not..." she insisted. She battled and struggled against him, but the prince wouldn't let her up. "She's not, Aemond, let me up, this isn't funny." The sorrow in his eye supported his words but she shook her head. "You're wrong, you have to be wrong. She's not dead!" Laena wrenched herself across the bed, away from his reach, and hurried toward the door, clutching her abdomen.

"Laena, stop!" Aemond gripped her around the waist, catching her wound, and she collapsed in sheer agony. "Stop it, she's gone! She's fucking gone!" When his anguished sob followed, the air was sucked from her lungs. The screams that came from the tower replayed in her ears as she tried to push herself up from the floor. Not her... Not Helaena... Laena couldn't breathe. Helaena was dead. She was dead and it was all her fault...

"I don't... I..." She choked on the words and let out a devastated wail. Not Helaena... Out of all Laena's family members that deserved to be punished by the gods, Helaena and her children were not among them. She had been the only good, untainted, constant person in Laena's life. The princess clung to Aemond as they both crumpled to the floor, mourning their loss. When their tears finally subsided, the pair fell into a numb silence.

"Will there be a funeral?" she asked dully as he set her back in bed. The world had turned grey and cold and Laena pulled the blanket up around her, desperate for a warmth that would not come, desperate for an end to the nightmare she was trapped in. That's it... she reasoned, it's just a nightmare... Surely I'll wake soon...

"There was a pyre." Aemond finally answered, staring blankly across the room. "I'm sorry... You've been asleep for nearly four days." Sorrow filled her to the brim and poured from her eyes and she buried her head in her hands.

"I'm so sorry, Aemond. It's my fault. I tried to save her, I didn't—"

"Don't," he said softly, "Don't you dare blame yourself. My mother told me the entire story. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't been there? They might have all been killed." Further silence followed and, eventually, Aemond got up, kissed her temple, and left the room, leaving Laena alone to grieve.

A few hours after Aemond had gone, Laena was escorted, painfully slowly, to the throne room. Aegon sat on the Iron Throne, hair dirty and disheveled and eyes red. Otto was speaking softly to him when Laena entered. Ser Arryk closed the door behind him and then she was alone with Aegon and his hand.