Sickly Sweet / Aemond Targaryen

4. Collecting Cats

"Hi Aemo-" Tully let the word fall from her lips as he kept going talking with his buddies. 

"Hey boys," Mallory purred pushing through their little herd. Tully glanced back at them, Mallory caught four out of five of the boys gaze, their heads snapped around, Aemond was not one of them. 

"Maybe he is a pillow biter." Mallory decided. 

"What?" Tully questioned. 

"A miscreant?"

"What?" Tully demanded. 

"What did mother call them?" Mallory tapped a perfectly manicured finger to her chin. "You know likes boys." 

"What?" 

"I'm starting to think you forgot all other words." Mallory mused. 

"What are you talking about?" Tully questioned. 

"aemond, maybe he likes boys." 

"No, never!" Tully shouted. "He's to be my future husband. He can't like men. That would- Tully felt like her brain had faulty wiring and she couldnt think. "I'm malfunctioning at the thought of Aemond not liking my species as a whole. He's too handsome to-." 

"He's got the whole one eyed thing working for him." Mallory agreed. 

"I'm a failure. I should just start collecting cats now. I'm never going to be like you. I'm too tall, i'm too awkwardly shaped, no one liked black hair apparently, I should just give up now." Tully accepted her defeat. After years of pining over Aemond, this was the breaking point. 

"Nonsense, you just need to find a new man to satisfy your need." Mallory purred pulling her along but Tully's feet were sluggish.

"I'm a failure, take me to the streets, I will find a cat, larys wont mind. We will be alone together for... forever." Tully sobbed out. 

"Nonsense, Aegon and Helaena are alone together forever. Thats the most fucked up marriage in the world." Mallory corrected. 

"I suppose." Tully agreed halfheartedly. 

"What about him?" 

"Ser Criston?" Tully questioned confused. 

"Yeah, sexy older man." 

"I think he's older than my brother." Tully corrected. 

"And?"

"And he's like really old." Tully declared. 

"Ouch, thanks Tul." Larys countered as he approached. 

"Not you, him." Tully pointed down at Criston. 

"Ah yes, he is really old." Larys mused. "Why are we calling Cole old?"

"I am trying to find her a new boy to obsess over." Mallory declared. "If Aemond is going to be a COCK SUCKER! Thats what my mum calls them." Mallory recalled. "Then Tully is going to find herself a better cock." 

"Ummm," Larys lips pursed, brow furrowed as he looked between them. His gaze stuck on tully though. 

"I dont want any part in this, I thought we were looking for cats." Tully countered. 

"Cats?" Larys countered. 

"Because she thinks she is going to die alone." Mallory agreed. "You two will die and your cats will eat your hearts out." 

"Dark." Larys agreed. "Lets get a few cats then so they can feast upon our bones quicker." Mallory gaped back at him but TUlly giggled out. 

Tully silenced herself as Aemond approached them, he nodded to them as he passed. Tully's jaw dropped, her brain stopped. He looked at her, he saw her. Larys tapped her chin and she closed her mouth. 

"Oh no," Mallory murmured. 

"I dont know what I was thinking?" Tully declared. "Of course I will wait for him, as long as it takes for him to realize i'm the love of is life!" Tully squealed out. "Did you see that? He nodded to me! Thats like basically a whole conversation!" Mallory opened her mouth to object but Larys gave her very blonde hair a tug.

"He saw you, that is something." Larys agreed. "Come on lets go celebrate this moment." Tully continued to squeal the whole way home. 

"I think Tallulah has a little crush on you." ALicent remarked. Aemond stared back at her confused across the table. "She is such a sweet thing, she loves reading too. She was reading a... thriller. Something you might like, you should talk to her, I'm sure you could give each other recommendations." 

"Who?" Aemond countered. 

"Tallulah Strong."

No recollection appeared on Aemond's handsome face. 

"Tully. Larys little sister. Thick black hair, always with that annoying blonde girl." ALicent offered. 

"Oh Lannister, yeah and her friend." Aemond recalled. 

"Tallulah." Alicent agreed. 

"yeah, right." Aemond agreed absentmindedly. 

"Have you given any thought to marriage?"

"Because it worked out so well for Aegon and Helaena?" Aemond countered. 

"Fair enough." Alicent grumbled. 

Meanwhile Tully was at home picturing her life with Aemond and he had already forgotten her name.