Tarley stood in front of Ser Criston as they practiced some drills. He noticed the knight being rougher today but the boy paid no mind to it. His brothers were set to come soon and he would rather the knight take his frustrations out on him.
"You're weak today," sneered the knight.
Tarley was panting, his chest heaving fast.
"My apologies Ser Cristion." he replied.
The knight just stopped and stared at him.
"Practice with the dolls," he tells him.
Tarley nods and walks away. Repeating drills he had been taught throughout the years. An hour passes and the boy is resting against a beam, waiting for his brothers.
"Congratulations on your new younger brother Ser Tarley."
Tarley looks up to see Ser Harwin.
"Thank you," he replies. "How is my mother since you last saw her?"
The knight nods his head, "She's resting."
The boy hums.
"Are you happy to have another brother?"
"Ah I suppose," he says. "Mother would love a daughter."
The knight smiles at the boy, "She would."
He hears them before he sees them. His brothers run to him, asking for help with their chest plates. Tarley smiles goodbye to the knight and walks away from the beam. He does Lucerys's first, the boy always impatient. When he finishes he sees Jacaerys has his on.
When he looks up again, he notices Aemond and Aegon are in the courtyard too. He looks up at the stands and notices the king. He bows his head down at him and helps his brothers with their drills. Criston comes down the steps and gives the older boys pointers. He can hear him telling Aemon to soften his knees and harden his arms. He ruffles Lucerys' hair as the younger boy walks away from the dummy.
"I hear sister went into labor," Aegon tells him.
Tarley raises an eyebrow at him, "Yeah."
Aegon nods his head and goes to practice with the dummy, stopping when handmaidens pass by. Tarley makes a face of disgust and turns away from the older boy.
"Aegon," reprimanded the knight.
Tarley stayed back, observing the knight and Aegon watched his brothers and Aemond. There was always something odd about the oldest boy, he would down his cups and stay back. Yet sometimes, Tarley could feel his gaze. As if he was watching him.
Perhaps he was just being paranoid. Queen Alicent didn't like her children around Rhaenyra's anyway.
(but where did that leave him?)
He turned back to the knight and watched him practice with both Aegon and Aemond. He went to his brothers and guided them through their practice. He corrected their stance and watched as the two of them sparred with each other. It isn't odd, the knight having stayed with the princes and Tarley with his brothers. It was almost a routine at this point. Known to everyone at the Keep that Tarley was the one who helped his brothers with their studies.
They are sweaty when the day ends. He sent his brothers off to take a bath before dinner and he made his way to Aemond. Aemond, who had been glaring at his brothers throughout the rest of the day.
"Do tell me, uncle," Tarley says softly. "What has you bothered today?"
Aemond turns to glare harshly at Tarley, the older boy does not flinch. He seems almost amused by his friend's attempt to look intimidating. They were silent as they walked towards the godswood tree. Neither boy made the first step to sit.
This was unusual. Aemond was always the first between the both of them to sit down after their lessons with the knight, not used to the harshness.
"Aemond?" Tarley asked carefully.
"Your brothers played a cruel prank on me today," Aemond said.
Tarley tilted his head slightly as he kept his eyes on the younger boy.
"They gifted me a pig." he continued.
"I fail to see-"
"They said it was to be my dragon," Aemond snarled. "They named it the pink dread."
Tarley's eyes hardened as he looked at Aemond, his posture straightening out as Aemond talked.
"It is quite cruel don't you think Tarley?" Aemond asked rhetorically. "I truly wonder though, what they would do to you if they found out you weren't their brother."
"Excuse me?" Tarley asked.
"There are... rumors about you," he continued. "That you are not your father's son, just like your brothers."
"I would watch your accusations Prince Aemond." he hissed out. "For if you question my brothers' legitimacy it calls for high treason."
Aemond scoffed out a laugh as he looked at Tarley. His own gaze hardened as he looked at the brown-haired boy.
"I guess it makes sense that you have no dragon," Aemond continues. "You are not of old Valryin blood."
Aemond's words were cruel and they cut Tarley, somewhere he did not want to be hurt. He, of course, heard rumors about his brothers' parentage but he paid no mind to it. His grandmother Rhaenys had brown hair with some Targareyon silver and he shared his coloring with his brothers.
He bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at Aemond.
"You are angry," he tells him. "I understand this-"
"You do not understand anything."
"But I know my brothers are not malicious Aemond, perhaps it was your own brother that orchestrated this... prank you are so sure my brothers did."
"I would watch how you talk about my brother to me," Aemond reprimanded. "You are no prince."
Tarley clenched his jaw as he fully took in Aemond. Aemond who was tense and brewing in his anger.
"I will leave you be," he hissed out. "You have an attitude I do not care for, not really. I will leave you to your thoughts and perhaps when you come to your senses you will come to apologize to me Prince Aemond."
AUTHORS NOTE: word count 966 words
srry for the chapter being late, had a massive migrane yesterday i cldnt stare at a screen to edit this chapter lol ! anyways can i get a whoopwhoop for the canon !! pink dread prank always irks me sooo bad it's insane! free him
also vv much totally get aemond for lashing out on tarley for his brothers mistakes, like yeahhh but also why u have to basically call him a bastard bro.
there is also smth so silly abt tarley calling aemond uncle, due to the silly fact that bc he's rhaenyra's brother and he sees nyra like a mom, and his brothers are his so therefore.. this man is his uncle.. technically in the eyes of the law and all that (hence the pseudo-incest tag in act i). another thing !! him going from calling aemond to prince aemond is so silly to me bc.. he's angry. behind the scenes aemond has always told tarley to call him by his name. never liking when he called him prince bc they're close friends, lol
hope u enjoyed this chapter! next chapter next thursday
(ps lmk if yall r interested in a jace x m!oc x baela fic.. i have thoughts ok)
DU LIEST GERADE
the great war
Fanfiction"WHAT DO WE KNOW about Tarley Velaryon?" Arya hummed, flipping the page and looked at what could he described as a portrait of the boy. "Tarley Velaryon," she said. "was Ser Leanor's firstborn from his first marriage. It is said that he was loyal...
