Karma // Criston Cole // Aemond Targaryen

21. Focus

"You need to focus on your betrothed, what happened between us can't happen again." 

Daelia felt murderous. 

She tried to convince Criston otherwise but he was standing firm, he was still a child and he was a man and although unions had been made greater age gap than their own he was her sworn sword, he could not do this with her. 

"Go to Aemond, he is to be your future husband." Criston reminded her. 

Daelia stabbed into her supper, Daeron watched her cautiously. Stab, stab, stab, Criston felt like the food before her was supposed to be symbolized as himself and he cringed with each stabbing blow. 

"Dael's?" Daeron questioned. She looked up from her stabbing, her gaze dark until she saw Daeron, really saw him. 

"Yeah honey?" Daelia questioned. 

"Are you okay?" Daeron questioned. Alicent figured what had happened, she wasnt going to say it or question it out loud of course but she figured Criston set some boudaries and Daelia was upset. Alicent didnt like that Daelia didnt come to her, talk to her more about this. Alicent loved Daelia so much, they were family and soon Daelia would wed Aemond. It seemed right that Daelia had this talk with Alicent. But Alicent wasnt going to push for information. 

"Does she look alright?" Aegon questioned. "She is murdering her supper. What did you do Aemond?" 

"Me?" Aemond squeaked. "Nothing! What? Me?" Aemond's eyes darted to Daelia and she moved her chair closer to him. 

"You didnt do anything." She assured pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth, she let her lips linger and Aemond was in heaven. 

"Okay," Aemond agreed, breathlessly when she pulled back. 

"I'm just not... you want to dance Aemond?" 

"Yes." Aemond agreed. 

"Music!" ALicent clapped out happily. 

Criston stared back at them from the corner of the room, watched the show Daelia put on how she draped her arms around Aemond, how she whispered in his ear. How Aemond's hand twisted her hips. How her body brushed against his. Alicent was so thrilled. A wedding was surely coming. 

"You are good dancer." Daelia purred. 

"You are a good partner." Aemond assured his lips trailing over her jaw. She turned around and it was like they were the only two in the room. Aemond held her to him, kissing her neck as her arms snaked back into his hair. 

She slithered up and down making Aegon droll in the process. 

"Can't you be sexy like Daelia?" Aegon questioned Helaena. 

"Can't you be charming like Aemond?" Helaena countered. 

"I am charming." Aegon sassed. 

"To whom?" Helaena pondered. 

"Whatever." Aegon grumbled looking at Daelia still. He licked his lips and ALicent whacked him over the back of the head. 

"Dont." 

"She is dancing like that in public, she wants an audience." Aegon corrected. Criston knew he was right too. Daelia wanted Criston to see her moving on and in someone else's arms. She wanted him to regret his decision to pus her away and let her go. 

Aemond hated when the night came to an end, but as his family cleared out and Daelia and himself finished out the bottle of wine, he knew he had to be a gentleman. 

"I will walk you back to your chambers." Aemond suggested. 

"I would love that." Daelia agreed. "My betrothed." 

Daelia was sure to ignore, or at least try to ignore Criston's lingering presence. She used to love him following her, watching her every move but not anymore. He pushed her away and she was going to listen to him. She was going to focus on Aemond. But she didnt like how her body reacted to him when she caught his stare out of the corner of her eye. 

"Goodnight, my beloved." Aemond kissed her gently before heading off. Daelia moved to close her door but Criston's hand shot out and blocked the door. Surprised she turned sharply to him. 

"Criston-" Daelia tsked. But her heart fluttered past her objections. 

Criston spins now, all fire and brimstone. Daelia loved the darkness in his eyes. The fire that reflected her own. 

 "I think I can't get you out of my head, no matter how hard I try. I think you're too damn tempting and that I'm too damn complicated." Criston informed her, yes it was but she didnt care and hoped to the heavens he would push past his confusion and complications and just love her.  "I think you smell like him, and I can't fucking stand that." 

Daelia blinked back at him, letting her eyes scan his red cheeks under the stuble forming along his jaw, the flare in his enchanting brown eyes, the way his nostrils rise and fall under the weight of his labored breathing. He was intense, he was ready for this, he wanted her. But she couldnt let him win. 

 "The gall. The absolute gall to complain that I smell like the man you shipped me off with, who by the way was nothing but a gentleman." Daelia snapped back. "You pushed me away criston. Not the other way around." 

With that she gave him a shove and closed the door on him. She knew as the door sealed no matter how much she wanted to pull him into her bed, she couldnt. Right now she had the upper hand. He wanted her. If she gave in right now, he would have the upper hand. She had to play this right. 

If she gave in now he could push her away again and break her heart so easily. But if she made him love her on her terms then he wouldnt push her away at a whims.