Love Is The Death Of Duty • Aemond Targaryen

8.

Two months. It took Rhaenyra two months to finally give in and accept Daemon's decision to send their son to fight against the Triarchy. They argued a lot, but at the end of the day Rhaenyra knew getting the Stepstones under their command was critical, not only for what it meant as a strategic point but also to silence the bad mouths that were ill talking about her right to the Throne.

Everything else did not matter now that Maegor is finally atop of his Saagael, gliding above the clouds as they make their way to prove themselves. He could close his eyes and bask in the peace if it weren't for the violence that he would engage in at the destination.

"How much left do you think?" Maegor's temporary peace is ended quickly by his elder brother's shouting, but he pretends he does not hear him.

The biggest inconvenience about his departure is that Jacaerys accompanied him after two months of constant arguments and hostile sparring sessions. The eldest couldn't stand the thought of being outshined by his younger brother seemingly. So he begged his parents until they relented in the end. Daemon was supportive of the idea, it was about time for the eldest to show his strength, but Rhaenyra gave in the hardest. She did not want to hear anything about her firstborn going to war.

In any other context, Maegor would have not minded Jace's company that much, but now it is different. They are going to fight in a war with no experience of real battles. Jacaerys even less as he is less skilled in swordmanship than Maegor from all the training sessions he either skipped or was not focused enough on. And Vermax too was only a young dragon with no previous fighting experience compared to Cannibal, who has probably been in hundreds of them, be it with his own kin or humans alone. Maegor's job just became more difficult. He had to watch his brother's back besides his own like he swore he would through clenched teeth to his mother.

Rhaenyra made him swear an oath before her, that he will bring back Jacaerys alive and in one piece no matter what. It hurt. She did not even try to hide how much she favored her dark-haired sons, and every time Maegor witnessed this, he seethed. Daemon always seemed to lean on Maegor's side more, going as far as becoming his mentor, especially as a child, naturally he was his firstborn son. Maegor always felt that, although Daemon favored him more, he was still cold, unpredictable and out of reach, even more so with everything that happened. And for the young Prince this kind of uncertainty coming from his own family was frightening. Maegor was scared that he could be very well cast aside, disposed of when there was no longer a use for him.

Sure, aside of all the cruel pranks he endured from his brothers, Maegor had a good childhood, his mother and Laenor made sure he never lacked anything be it books, toys or clothes, when Daemon came into the picture he trained Maegor to be a warrior, raised him into a true Targaryen man and taught him his ways about the world. Although he never lacked in material needs or skills, Maegor scarcely received any glimpse of love or affection from either of his parents. Of course, he did not expect it as much from his father, Daemon simply did not show love and affection in the traditional way to anyone around him, save for the rare occasion when Maegor caught the fleeting glimpse of gentle gestures between his parents. Rhaenyra should have been the one to shower Maegor with affection the same way she does with her dark haired sons. It pained Maegor that his own mother could not treat all her children equally and he did not understand why. Did he wrong his mother with anything? Did Maegor remind her of the Rogue Prince so much that Rhaenyra thought that, alike Daemon, he did not need such trivial matters? Perhaps he would never find the answer to his questions.

What Maegor knows for certain is that Aemond is the very first person who showed him affection and made him feel loved and wanted in the fleeting moments they got to spend together. He yearns to feel it again. To see Aemond again.