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AEMOND SPENT THE ENTIRE MORNING patrolling the clear skies above King's Landing.
Vhagar was starting to grow rather irritated with her rider's behavior. He didn't seem to know when to stop. Her sporadic complaints didn't go unnoticed, though he was confident he was bound to see her sooner or later. It had been years since the last time he came across Blackfyre, but he imagined he had gotten a lot bigger by then.
The little girl he used to know wouldn't pass up the opportunity to show off her dragon, albeit, when compared to Vhagar, he wasn't nearly as fearsome.
"Why do you think he has been doing that all morning?" inquired Alicent, stepping closer to the window of Princess Helaena's chamber.
She glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Vhagar flying in the distance, which brought a small smile to her lips. "I believe he hopes to see his betrothed and her dragon."
Alicent blinked in surprise. She hadn't thought of that possibility. "Perhaps he hopes to scare her off with that gigantic beast of his."
Helaena laughed. "No, he hopes to impress her."
All the color drained from Alicent's face. How anyone could be positively impressed by that monster went beyond her comprehension. "Impressed she shall be, I suppose."
Aemond caught sight of a black blur approaching the capital and ordered Vhagar to switch directions with the intent to follow the ridiculously smaller dragon. The petty side of him wanted to give Naerys a good scare, no doubt, but with Vhagar's already sour mood, he decided it was better not to risk it. The last thing he needed was for his dragon to make a meal out of his future wife.
Blackfyre wasn't too fond of having a monstrous dragon fly right behind him, but he was kept calm by his rider's gentle whispers. He grumbled in distaste, but ended up making a graceful landing close to the shore upon the Targaryen girl's request. Vhagar landed a few meters away from them, grateful for the opportunity to finally get some rest. They had been flying for too long.
"What in the seven hells was that?" she demanded as soon as she climbed down Blackfyre's back.
Aemond slid off Vhagar's back and sauntered over to her. "It was just for fun. Lighten up."
"You are lucky Blackfyre did not lash out at Vhagar," she told him. "I would love to hear you explain how you managed to get us both killed."
"Relax, niece," Aemond laughed, the High Valyrian rolling off his tongue smoothly. "Vhagar would never harm either of you."
"I am relaxed, uncle," she hissed in annoyance. "But you should be more thoughtful. Your little joyride could have gone sideways."
Aemond lifted his hands up in fake surrender, taunting her. "I see you are still as agreeable as ever. Nice to see some things have not changed."
Aemond had certainly changed. He was much taller than she remembered, his white-blond hair had grown a lot and was now straight — it made her wonder if it was as soft as it looked — and he had started wearing an eyepatch to cover up the eye he had lost. What surprised her the most wasn't even his appearance, though she hated to admit that he looked very handsome. His behavior had changed drastically. He seemed more confident and sure of himself. It pleased her to see him like this.
Blood rushed to her cheeks, but Naerys refused to acknowledge it. "Some things have."
Aemond didn't notice, or if he did, he chose not to comment on it. Instead, he paced towards Blackfyre, who was watching them quite intently. "You are right, some things have changed. Blackfyre, for instance. You have grown a lot bigger, have you not?" The sound he released suggested that Aemond's compliment had pleased him. "Will you bite my head off if I touch you?"
Naerys chuckled before she could stop herself. "If you are nice enough, he will not bite."
Aemond smirked at her. "Hmm. I was wondering if it worked the same way with you."
"Aemond—"
"I am merely jesting, dear niece," he interrupted, breaking eye contact with her. He raised his hand slowly, gazing into Blackfyre's golden eyes. "Far be it from me to ever disrespect you in such way."
"You had better not," she uttered, trying to appear unperturbed. "Disrespecting me would be a foolish thing to do, especially in front of Blackfyre."
That earned her another chuckle from him. "No. See, I think he likes me a little bit."
"He likes being praised," she corrected. His fingers grazed the scales of Blackfyre's neck and he closed his eyes, letting out a soft growl of appreciation. Aemond grew more confident and gave him a gentle pat. "Alright, that is enough. I feel somewhat betrayed. I thought we were friends."
"I might just steal him from you."
"I would like to see you try."
His demeanor shifted slightly when he realized how close they had gotten to one another. It reminded Aemond of their past and made him take a few steps back. "The fact that you are here means two things. You have come because of your brother and his claim to Driftmark. And I am certain you have been informed of our betrothal, as I have."
Naerys swallowed hard. "Yes, I have."
"And what might you have to say about it?"
"What is there to say? We do not have a choice."
Aemond blinked at her, unfazed. "One can never deprive the Queen of her wishes, can they?"
"One should at least try," Naerys answered, crossing her arms over her chest. "And who better to do it than her favorite child?"
Aemond cocked an eyebrow. "Is that what you want? To get out of this arrangement?"
"Don't you?"
"I do not want this any more than you do, believe me," Aemond scoffed, bitterness seeping through his tone. "But I know my mother. She has the King's approval. She will not change her mind."
Naerys expelled a frustrated breath. "It seems to me that we are trapped, then."
Trapped in a loveless marriage. A farce. Precisely what Naerys had tried so desperately to avoid.
