Dreams, Dragons, and Deceit || Aemond & Aegon Targaryen

Tea Time

Aemond reached Visaera first, ripping the cup from her hand and dropping it back on the table, but she had already swallowed.

She stared at them in wide-eyed shock for a split second before the prince gripped her around the neck and shoved two fingers forcefully down her throat. The experience was both painful and unpleasant, Visaera gagged repeatedly, her stomach clenching and her ribs aching, but Aemond continued to press his fingers to the back of her gullet until she finally fell to her knees and violently vomited up the entire contents of her stomach, sobbing from the pain.

"What... the fuck?" she finally gasped, dry heaving as her stomach flipped once more, reacting to Aemond's violation. She scooted away from the puddle on the floor and glared up at the prince. Aegon had already summoned one of the servants who hurried in to scrub the mess away.

"Are you alright?" Aemond asked, kneeling down in front of her and staring into her eyes as he gripped her chin and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief

"I don't know, are you trying to kill me?" she breathed out, glaring at him with watery eyes. Aemond's snort of amusement only added to her confusion.

"Kill you, little dragon? If I wanted to kill you, I would have let you finish that cup..." he replied. Visaera's gaze settled on the cup on the table; her stomach rolled again and her mouth dropped open.

"You didn't call for the tea, did you?" she asked Aegon in a shaky voice. If she hadn't already been on the floor, Visaera's legs would have given out as Aegon shook his head at her. "Merilde brought it," Visaera added, "she wouldn't hurt a fly..."

"Someone instructed her, that much is certain," Aemond told her, finally offering his hand to help her up from the floor. "Summon her, Aegon." While the trio waited for the maid to return, Aemond sat on the bed and stroked her hand, apologizing for hurting her. "Do you still want to eat something?" he asked softly.

Visaera had effectively lost her appetite and shook her head. If the tea was, in fact, poisoned, the princess knew whose command it was. She only hoped Aemond wouldn't take Alicent's side yet again. She had given Aemond enough chances and her patience with him was already running thin.

Merilde returned, offering a polite curtsy and waiting for someone to speak. Visaera watched her closely, but nothing about the maid's demeanor indicated that she had any clue what she was serving the princess.

"Merilde, my sweet, I was just wondering who sent you word for the tea?" Aegon offered in a voice far too kind for Visaera's liking as he smiled at the girl. Immediately, she recalled the afternoon, not so long before, when Aegon had been talking with Sheila and the feeling of jealousy had burned through her. Watching Aegon flirt with Merilde made her feel the same way...

Visaera wondered if that's how Aemond felt when he watched her with Aegon and she glanced over at him. The prince, however, was focused pointedly on the maid. The expression on his face told Visaera he would be willing to torture the girl for information, if it came to that. Visaera realized Aemond was livid; moments away from shedding the calm façade he was so skilled at keeping.

"It was prepared and ready with the food, my king, sent by Gladys. I merely assumed you had asked for it yourself." Aegon shook his head at her but his polite smile remained.

"Will you be so kind as to fetch her for me?" Aegon asked. Gladys was one of the cooks, and Visaera doubted she would willingly send poison to Aegon's rooms, but somebody had requested it. The princess began to gnaw on one of her cuticles, wondering if the trail would lead back to Alicent herself.

"Is Gladys in some sort of trouble, your grace?" Merilde asked softly.

"Of course not, my dear. Just fetch her for me, please." Aegon replied. While they waited for Gladys, Aegon finally joined the pair at the end of the bed, wrapping an arm around Visaera. "You should have some water and eat something, my love. You look pale."