Surviving

Chapter 7: The Boy Who Was Getting Impatient

Aemond waited patiently in his chambers that evening, expecting a storm of rage to burst through his door at any moment. He wouldn't let Naerys get the best of him or have the upperhand for one second while she was here.

No, that wasn't any good at all to him.

So instead, he did the one thing that he knew would send her right over the edge and back into her pathetic pit of misery where she belonged.

"I don't care if he's occupied! I'm going in!" A familiar voice shouted from outside his door and a smirk grew on his face. Right on schedule.

The door swung wide open and he barely turned his head to look at her from his seat by the fireplace. He gave a slight nod of his head and spoke calmly. "Oh, niece, it's you. Eager to consummate our marriage already?"

Naerys' eyes were wild with outrage as she glared at him with her hands resting on her hips. "YOU MOVED THE FUCKING WEDDING UP?!"

"Did I?" He playfully asked before returning his gaze back to the fireplace.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! What is your problem?! Why the fuck do you even want to marry me so badly?! Are you that vile of a man you can't find someone who actually wishes to be with you?!" She ranted, raising her voice with each insult as they came, but none seemed to even bother him one bit.

"Who said I even wanted you?" He rolled his eye. Was she really this daft? Did she really think he'd let her get away with taking his eye, but essentially ruining his life? He was a monster because of her, yet she was off living her silly fairytale with no consequences.

"Then why even marry me in the first place?! Or are you just as sick and twisted as your fucking brother?!" She threw her hands up in the air and his head snapped towards her the second she mentioned his brother.

Without a word, he slowly stood from his chair and paced over to her. His footsteps were the only sound aside from the cackling of the fire, but it didn't scare her. If anything, she looked angrier the quieter he was about the whole thing. He thought about sending his sword straight through her neck, but that wouldn't do anything for him. Perhaps more silence would drive her into madness?

He left hardly any room between them as a sinister smile slowly formed on his face. "I guess you'll just have to find out tomorrow in front of the Septon, wife."

"I am not ma-." She gritted through her teeth, but his giggle cut her off.

"Oh, but you are, princess. After tomorrow, you belong to me...and there is nothing you can do about it, so I suggest you start to learn to behave yourself around me." The taunting in his eye slowly faded as he narrowed his violet eye at her. It was amusing for him to watch the way her nose crinkled through her frustration, but he saw more anger than he did misery. No, that wasn't what he wanted...he wanted her pain more than anything else. "Your dead husband might've put up with your little tantrums, but I won't."

Slap.

His cheek was met with great force from her now stinging palm, but it was enough to rile him up and shove her against the wall by her throat. His fingers wrapped harshly around her as she fought for the faintest bit of air.

"Not so strong now, are we, princess?" He teased with his eye darkening as he watched her try to fight back.

Her brown eyes flickered up to him, but instead of the panic he once saw in them so many years ago, he saw fire in them. It caught him off guard, just enough that she managed to reach for his throat and squeezed as hard as she could.

Aemond's hold on her loosened significantly as he too struggled to breathe. What was she doing? She never fought back, not even as a child. When did she get so...so...strong?

"Let...me...go..." She managed to get out as her nails dug into his flesh with just enough force to cut into him.

So he did. He threw her to the ground and they both reached for their throats, gasping for air and soothing their tender skin. She coughed roughly as she slowly got up, but then finally composed herself enough to look up at him with the corner of her eye twitching.

"I was wrong to slice through your eye, uncle..." She glared at him, throwing him off just slightly. "I should've just stabbed through it when I had the chance."

Without another word, she stomped out of his chambers, leaving him confused and ready to break anything in his sight. How dare this bastard put her hands on him, but to also flaunt her vicious assault in his face had him seeing red.

"Viserys? Are you awake?" Daemon nudged at his brother's weak body as he laid in bed. Viserys woke with a slight stir, but then his face lit up when he saw his little brother sitting beside him.

"Daemon...what is it..." Viserys asked in a dry, raspy voice.

"Brother...you need to stop this wedding from happening." Daemon didn't want to waste any time tiptoeing around what he wanted. Right now, he wanted his daughter safe and she wouldn't be soon enough.

"W-w-why? Aem...Aemond....Aemond says he's...quite taken with...with..." The words sounded like poison to the younger brother. Of course it was that little one eyed prick behind this.

"He is taken with nothing but a petty desire for his revenge and you know he is, brother. Do not play the fool with me." Daemon arched his eyebrow as Viserys groaned slightly, shifting under the blankets uncomfortably.

"Aemond is a good lad...he will treat Naerys...right." Viserys tried shaking his head, but it just hurt him too much. When would the pain finally end?

"Yes, I'm sure he's absolutely smitten with the girl who took his eye." Daemon rolled his eyes. As much as he loved his brother, he hated Viserys' blind optimism. It was the very thing that would keep Naerys as a prisoner in the Red Keep if she were to marry Aemond.

"Why so...so much...why so much concern, brother? She will be safe here..." Viserys blinked up at his brother and couldn't understand why both he and Rhaenyra were so against this union. It would've shown strength and unity in House Targaryen. Aemond was practically begging for her hand, this was a good thing...wasn't it?

"Surrounded by nothing but leeches and vipers..." Daemon muttered under his breath. "...and a cyclops."

"Daemon." Viserys said sternly.

"Brother, if not for her safety, will you at least consider her sanity?" Daemon finally snapped, having to look away for a moment. "She just lost her husband and children just a few moons prior...give her time to grieve and we can revisit this marriage another time."

"It doesn't matter if it's...a day...or decades...you and I both are familiar with such loss...she will never stop grieving them." Viserys could feel his eye watering as he thought of his late wife, Queen Aemma, and the many times they'd lost a child. The gods were cruel to give him such hope, such love, just to rip it away in an instant.

"Yet you throw her into a den of vipers to drown in their poison." Daemon stood from the bed and let out a defeated sigh.

"Daemon, please...you are overreacting..." Viserys said.

"Forgive me, brother, but your daughter and granddaughter would have to disagree with you on that...I'll see you at the ceremony." Daemon huffed before he walked out of the room with his head hung in defeat. He'd have to keep some of his gold cloaks near Naerys. Daemon wasn't a fool to trust a single one of the greens for one moment. He needed eyes on her at all times to make sure none of them brought any harm to his stepdaughter.

No one would ever hurt any of his children.

***Sorry this is such a short chapter, but next chapter is the wedding and it's gonna be LONG***