Of Duty and Love

Not a matter of duty

Orya followed Aemond through the halls, while they walked, she could see that some servants and some nobles looked at them in a funny way, just as if they were hiding a secret. Aemond surely was noticing it too, but he did not say a thing, in fact, neither of them did. When they arrived inside the library, two Maesters were teaching young boys, but as soon as they saw the expression in the prince's face, they knew the class was better be over sooner than later. They quickly packed their belongings and left the place, but Aemond said not even a word. He went by the window, and looked outside, avoiding looking directly to the woman. Orya waited, wondering what the prince could possibly be thinking, was he deciding finally to ask Meriah as a bride and wanted her approval? Thinking of that, Orya felt a tremendous emptiness thinking about that scenario, she couldn't yet understand why, for she was as blind on her feelings as the prince was in his own.
- Lady Orya - Aemond finally turned to her, leaving the light of the end of the day shine on his back, on his silver hair glowing- I must apologize at first, I had plans with you I did not attend, on my free will, and I left no message or explanation of it.
- It's fine your grace, you don't need...
- No, I wish to be direct, let me speak it all, then I 'll listen to what you have to say - Aemond interrupted her, and Orya respected his wish, not insisting on it again, now she was indeed very intrigued by what he had to say - Some servants and nobles, have seen our friendship with evil eyes, spreading rumors that were untrue, compromising your virtue and mine. Aegon was the one informing of it, I dealt with it on my own terms, and dismissed the ones responsible for spreading it. However, in the later days I've confirmed that it's web was bigger that what I thought, but I cannot dismiss all the servants and nobles that look or speak of us, I hope at least I punished the ones that came up with the false stories. I hope I stopped it before it brought damage to you or your cousin. But if every evil has it's good side then... then I think this rumors had made me more introspective and eager to decide on the marriage with Lady Meriah. I truly am found of your company Lady Orya, truth is I care not for your cousin. I don't wish her any harm of course, but I don't spend my time with you for duty, or for her, I do it because I truly appreciate your company, I look forward for our meetings, for my own pleasure. Tell me Lady Orya, tell me your truth, how much of your time with me is duty, and how much of it is of your own and only pleasure?
Orya was shocked, she was not prepared for the direction the conversation had taken...the rumors, yes, she could tell, even before he confirmed it, but the rest? It came as a surprise, a good surprise, but still not expected. Something in Orya flourished right there, when he established as fact that he enjoyed her in is own pleasure, out of obligation. She walked two steps closer to him, and then she said:
- I must thank you for dealing with the rumors first your grace, but indeed I had perceived something of that order, I hope it's taken care now. As for the rest... well, if I am totally and purely honest with you, I must say that aiding my cousin with getting to know your core better as been nothing but an excuse, as I see now. Truth is I treasure our time for the sake of it, I am selfish, I enjoy our time not thinking on how I might use it to get Meriah closer to you, because maybe I don't wish to do it...
Aemond blushed, he was glad his mother was right, it seemed that Orya's emotions were indeed deeper than duty, they were pure. He steeped closer to her, reaching for her hand.
- Lady Meriah doesn't love me any more or less than I love her, she has no feelings for me I'm sure. If I settled the matter, If I made it clear that a marriage between us is not happening, would you stop seeing me as well?
- Only if you wished to, I believe now that's not the case your grace....
- You are correct, I would not wish that.
- Then I wouldn't. Every step I took was to bring myself closer to you, even if I masked it with something else, even to myself. But I must trust you something your grace... you need to promise me to not talk about it with your mother queen Alicent, at least for now.
- You have my word lady Orya.
- You're right, Lady Meriah has no feelings for you, however, she has a lot of feelings for your land, I mean, at least Kings landing and your court. She doesn't want to go back to Dorne, she wants to stay here by all means, so, in fact, she does want to marry you actually. Her father is interested in the union too, but not too found of it, because he wanted a marriage with love for his only daughter, and he can see clearly that it does not exist between you two, he doesn't know the true reason for her to be so eager to marry you, it would be devastating for him I think. She does believe she could come to love you one day... so, before you make that decision, let me talk to her, let me see if she remains faithful to this desire.
- I see... I was not expecting that indeed... the dornish are usually so found of their lands, I didn't think about that scenario. The Starks will be here in two days, there's a male heir searching for a future wife with them, but there's also my younger brother Daeron, in case Meriah's true love his this castle and court. My grandfather, the king's hand, will try to set the match between my brother and the young lady Stark, but she's just a child... I'm thinking that maybe Daeron could be the answer to Meriah. He's certainly more into her taste as well, and only one year younger than her.
- Then I'll talk to her... I'll speak about Prince Daeron, I'll tell her that he's also available to marry and that it can be an option... but I'll keep the rest of our conversation private.
- Why not share your feelings with her? She doesn't love me, I don't think it would hurt her, it's a groom for a groom, isn't it?
- I'm afraid of what she will think.... she trusted me to bring you closer to her, but I could only bring you closer to myself...and I enjoyed it...I want to ask you something, deny it it if you want, but I will ask it anyway, it has been bugging me since I met you. Your eye, the one that you no longer have, what happened your Grace? I apologize, but Meriah gossips so much, I already heard three different versions of the event, I want to know it from you, I want to know you...
Was it another person, Aemond would probably have denied, he rarely spoke about it, but right there he felt eager to share it.
- My young nephew Lucerys slashed it out when we were kids... I claimed Vhagar that day, and bragged about it to them and to the kids of her later rider, in the same day as her funeral. I know now I was also in the wrong. It didn't end up well. Truth is I was always made fun of for not having a dragon, for Lucerys, Jacearys, and my brother too. I was shy, not very strong either, naive, and of sensible nature I suppose... I don't remember much of that night. When the maester was stitching my wound I could ear my mother crying and asking for justice, however justice never came. My father, the King, blamed me for calling them bastards, which was a truth that must not be spoken of, but I was just a child...I lost my eye that day, and he had not a single word of kindness, I heard no apology from Rhaenyra or her kids either. Only my mother cared, she was going mad actually, so I told her that it was a fair exchange, losing an eye for a dragon. After it, during the recovery, my sister and her were the only ones kind to me... I must admit that most recently you lady Orya have been reminding me of such kindness.
Orya's eyes were watering, she felt the prince pain as her own, and took his hands in hers- You did not deserve that your grace, you deserved to be protected, cared for, loved, nothing less than that, you were only a child. I'm sorry your grace, I'm so sorry, if no one said it before I say it know. You were just a child, just like the one that took your eye, the adults in your life should have known better, protected you...the past is the past, we can't change it, but I feel your pain, your sadness... I wish to help you grow from your pain, truly.
Aemond took one hand of hers, and with it, took the eye patch off, finally letting the sapphire eye visible to Orya - After it was healed, I decided to place a sapphire eye it it's place, trying perhaps to make an attempt to reconcile with what happened, to make it look fierce, a battle look, rather then seeing myself every day for the victim I was...I'm sorry so show it, I now it looks quite frightening, that's why I always covered it, except it real duels and battles, but I need you to see it... I need to..
Orya hugged him, tightly, surprising the prince in a glimpse and interrupting what he was saying. Her head was on his chest, and her eyes closed - I can listen to your heart like this, it's beating very fast and loud, are you scared? Anxious? You can share it with me... I don't think you look frightening at all, you look so beautiful to me, and that sapphire suits you so well your grace - She lifted her head from his chest looking directly into his eyes, the healthy and the jewell one - You don't need to fear my reaction, be vulnerable with me, if you can't afford to be it with anyone else than at least be it with me. Thank you so much for sharing it with me, I know it's something very private for your. I'll keep it to myself, I won't share anything with Meriah - After she was done, Aemond's healthy eye was so watery he was almost crying. That truly settled it for him... he could not deny what he felt, and yet, still felt to soon to declare or take further steps. All that was already a step further than he had taken with anyone else before. They shared a couple more words before leaving the library, Aemond kissed her hand and told her he needed to go find his brother in the city, so he would not attend dinner with the rest, but that she could meet him the next day in the morning for train.
- Be careful your grace, you know what the maesters have said, the rats... have been spreading illness among people. I hope that Prince Aegon was not affected by it.
- It's not contagious from person to person, only the rats spread it, so, I'm betting my odds that it should be ok.
And so they parted ways... Aemond went to find Aegon with Sir. Criston, and Orya went to see her cousin. As for the Starks, they were a little more than a day away from arriving in kings landing.

When she entered Meriah's chambers, she saw her getting ready, and was hesitant to speak, her eyes were so emotional that Meriah could tell something had happened.
- What happened Orya, you look strange, is everything ok?
- I was with prince Aemond... I... I don't think the prince has any kind of feelings for you.
- Oh, it's just that? Oh for the Gods Orya, no need to be so emotional for something like that. Marriages are not about feelings after all. I can tell he doesn't, and I also don't fell any love of that kind for him, but I wish to get married with him anyway, to secure my place here. We need to think of something to make my father or the prince getting this settled.
- Your father always wanted a marriage with love for you... don't you want it?
- I'm sure I can learn to love Prince Aemond, with luck, he can love me too...
- What If you don't? Don't you think the Prince deserves to be loved as well? - Orya was almost annoyed with it, Meriah's ambition made her overlook her feelings, but she was also trying to overlook the prince's feelings.
- What is this talk about Orya?... I... I've listened to things, I've ignored it, but I'm fearing now they might be true... - Meriah said walking around Orya.
- What do you mean?
- You and Prince Aemond... is there something more than friendship between you too?
- No, no there is not - Orya was not liying, they had feelings for eachother, that they admited, but in fact, nothing ever happened between them.
- You can tell me the truth Orya...but I'll not ask you further on that.
- Prince Aemond told me about other option for you... his younger brother, Prince Daeron, he is coming to kingslanding to stay, he will arrive very soon, maybe he can be your ticket out and a love match.
Meriah listened carefully, and entertained the idea, she heard some rumors in court about it, she knew he was coming, but she didn't knew he was seeking a wife - Is he seeking a wife?
- Queen Alicent and Otto are, he wants to suggest lady Stark, a child. The Queen and Prince Aemond are not favorable of this union, so, maybe it could be rearranged.
- Let's look into it when he arrives then...you should get ready Orya, the dinner will start by now.
- I'm not hungry Meriah, if you excuse me, I'd like to just be on my chambers, I'll ask the maids to bring me something later if I want - Meriah agreed, she could easily feel that Orya was emotional, vulnerable, blushed... it was undeniable that something was going on between her and Aemond, but Meriah didn't want to push her, so she did not insist. As for Orya, she spend the night thinking about everything that had happened during that day, but also fearing for Aemond's arrival back from the city. After midnight she saw from her window, Sir.Criston and Aemond, carrying Aegon inside the castle, he could not walk on his own feet. She was happy Aemond was back safe, but her heart was hurting for Helaena too... a marriage without any love, was not something she desired, neither for Meriah, or Aemond.

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