we light the way

The Night Before

As the seasons shifted and the days grew longer, Daena found herself caught in a tangled web of anguish and submission, ensnared by the relentless grasp of her husband, Aemond Targaryen. Each passing moment seemed to stretch into eternity, a never-ending cycle of pain and despair that threatened to consume her whole.

In the dim light of their chambers, Daena surrendered herself to Aemond's embrace night after night, seeking solace in the arms of her tormentor. With each dusk, she hoped against hope that he would show her mercy, that he would offer her a brief respite from the agony that plagued her every waking moment. But Aemond was unyielding, his demands unrelenting as he claimed her again and again as his own.

As the months slipped by, Daena found herself retreating further and further from the world outside their chambers, her existence becoming increasingly entwined with Aemond's desires and demands. It was a gradual transformation, imperceptible at first, until one day she woke to find herself isolated, her world confined to the walls that enclosed her with Aemond.

An unhealthy bond began to form between them, forged from the crucible of suffering and manipulation. Despite the torment he inflicted upon her, Daena found herself unable to resist his allure, unable to sever the ties that bound her to him. She began to love him, to defend him fiercely against the disapproving glances of their siblings, even as they whispered behind closed doors of Aemond's cruelty.

To others, Aemond's actions were nothing short of abusive, a display of power and dominance that bordered on madness. Yet for Daena, he was her savior, her protector in a world fraught with peril. She worshipped him as if he were a deity, his every word and deed a divine decree to be obeyed without question.

And Aemond reveled in her adoration, basking in the glow of her unwavering devotion. Finally, he had everything he had ever desired—a wife who worshipped him as if he were a god, a woman who would bear his child and cement his legacy for generations to come.

When Daena finally fell pregnant, Aemond's joy knew no bounds. He watched over her with a possessive gaze, his fingers tracing the curve of her belly with a reverence reserved for the divine. In her swollen form, he saw not just his wife, but the embodiment of all his hopes and dreams, the promise of a future that he had longed for with every fiber of his being.

--

Alicent found herself standing in the dimly lit chambers of her daughter, Daena, her heart heavy with a mixture of regret and concern. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across the room, adding to the somber atmosphere that seemed to envelop them both.

Daena sat on the edge of her bed, her posture slouched and her eyes distant, as if lost in some far-off place beyond the confines of their reality. Her once vibrant aura had dimmed, replaced by a sense of weariness that seemed to weigh heavily upon her slender frame.

"Daena," Alicent began, her voice soft yet laced with a tinge of apprehension. "I've come to check on you, my dear. How are you faring?"

Daena's response was a mere shrug of her shoulders, her gaze fixed on some invisible point in the distance. "I am as well as can be expected, Mother," she replied, her voice devoid of its usual spark. "Just tired, that's all."

Alicent's heart clenched at the sight of her daughter's resignation, the fire that once burned brightly within her now reduced to a mere flicker. She longed to reach out and offer comfort, to banish the shadows that haunted her daughter's eyes, but she knew that words alone could not mend the wounds that had been inflicted upon her.