When Aemma arrived at Harrenhal during the night, Harwin was confused to see her. He knew that she would not be allowed to leave by herself at such a time.
"Aemma, what are you doing here?",
"I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill Aemond for what he took from you and cousin Rhaenyra as I should have done sooner".
"You should go back to King's Landing, it isn't safe for you here",
"It may be safer but I will not sit and wait for the people i care about to die. I must do this".
"How do you think they will feel if you die, they will suffer",
"But they would be alive, they can learn to live and be happy once more. I have made my peace with dying and I have given them my goodbyes".
They heard shuffling from around the corner, when she turned Aemma saw a woman. Her hair was in thick black waves, her face grim as she looked upon Aemma.
"Aemma, this is my sister Alys",
"Sister?".
"I am a bastard born daughter of Lord Lyonel, little lady",
"Does Nyra know you have a sister?".
"No but I have not known long myself, she is a wet nurse here at Harrenhal and has been majority of her life. My father informed me before his death of who she was",
"Yet you did not share it with Rhaenyra?".
"I did not think I had to",
"I always thought people who love each other share everything?".
"That is very inspiring but perhaps wishful thinking",
"The mind of a child works wonders", Alys added from beside them. Aemma gave the woman a judgemental look for calling her a child.
Alys wanted to figure out why Aemma came to Harrenhal and so she lingered in the room, she needed to know more about the girl in hopes of triggering a vision.
"I shall take my leave", Alys announced before leaving the room abruptly. She gasped at the vision in her mind, she saw the gruesome battle between Aemond and Aemma. The two were engaged in a fight, flashes of green and bronze as their dragons lashed at each other. When Vermithor began to succumb to his injuries, Aemma jumped from her dragon onto Vhagar who thrashed at the intrusion.
"I told you once and I am telling you again, you are a coward. A cowards life you lived and a cowards death you die".
She swung her dagger into Aemond's right eye going through the back of his head then Daemon standing infront of Shaera telling her of Aemma's fate, the woman screamed. The heartbroken sound mixed with the deep shriek of Aethalrax who felt Shaera's pain. Rhaenyra and Alyssa with cuddled up against her whilst she cried. The vision suddenly changed once more, Shaera stood with her head held high before she spoke.
"I was lenient before but now I will not be, we must paint the floor with their blood. For my daughter whose life they stole".
When the image of Shaera faded, Alys shook her head as she entered reality once more, she rushed to send a raven to her lover. Aemond was infuriated when he read the letter, if he was to retaliate it would surely backfire as it did when he killed Lucerys. He knew Rhaenyra was hesitant of what to do, as queen she had to do what was best for the realm. Daemon however would kill Alys and his unborn child and then him, if Aemma died there would be hell to pay. His mind was in turmoil, Aemond was determined to have the greens succeed but everything pointed against it.
~
Suddenly, she was brought into a second vision. It was different from the first, like the outcome was undecided. Alys watched as she saw Aemma jump from Vermithor onto Vhagar but this time Aemond was quick enough to block Aemma's dagger and pushed the girl to fall to her death in the sea below. A high pitch roar was heard, a red dragon flew into the large green dragon to Aemond's surprise.
"You have lived too long, uncle",
"On that much, we agree".
Alys gasped when she saw Daemon lifted Dark sister to point at Aemond before jumping from Caraxes and driving his sword down through Aemond's eye. Vhagar and Aemond crashed down, Dark sister embedded in his eye. Alys knew it would be too late. By the time a second raven got to Aemond, even if the first one did, Daemon would already arrive to Harrenhal.
~
Daemon flew on Caraxes, his face filled with anger as he approached Harrenhal.
~
Shaera paced around the room as she worried for her daughter and husband.
"Aunt Shaera please sit down",
"I can't, dearest. My mind is a dark place to be in, my fears almost cost me my family and now they feed on my worry. Tis consuming me wherever I turn".
"Which is exactly why you should rest",
"I cannot rest Nyra, we are in the midst of a war. I swore to myself, to your father. I swore to your mother that I would take care of you for whole life and I refuse to fail either of you for the sake of myself".
"You have raised me and loved me my entire life, she would be proud of you for stepping into the role when she could no longer fulfill it. I am not a child anymore, I will not break if you step aside to rest",
"Thank you but I do not think my mind will let me rest knowing they are out there".
"That is precisely why you must rest, for them and your other children".
After pondering her words, Shaera knew Rhaenyra was right but every time she tried to relax, the aching need to know if Aemma and Daemon were safe.
"If they die, what am I to say to my other children? I would be broken, my heart would be empty. I would slaughter every green where they stand but it would not fix the missing part of my life, it would serve as a reminder that I cannot share the victory with them",
"I am not broken after all I have lost. My entire life is filled with loss and the reminder of the people I cannot share it and yet I have stayed strong as I know you can".
Shaera laughed at a memory that played in her mind.
"Why are you laughing?",
"I just remembered a time when Daemon and I were arguing, I told him he was behaving a child and now I see I am behaving the same as he did. I need not to lose myself".
"I always remember father saying he hoped that I would not learn to behave like uncle Daemon. He always said if you are going to take after someone let it be your mother, she doesn't act impulsively towards everything",
"Your mother was a gentle soul, when we were girls she reminded me of our mother. I wanted to keep her safe after I failed to do so for my mother".
"You were a child yourself, you always see the need to protect those around you but don't focus on what would happen if you were to-",
"I am going to die someday Rhaenyra, we all will. There is going to be a day when I am no longer here to worry about you all but that day is yet to come, hopefully in a time far away from now when you don't need me anymore".
"We will always need you. Aunt Shaera, you are the brightest star that shines in the night sky. You hold a fire within you but you also guide us everywhere. We will always require your presence, we need you forever",
"I would crawl from the depths of my grave if it meant that I could protect and love you all again. Not even death could truly separate me from my family. That being said, you all must learn accept that I won't always be here when you need me even if I want to be".
"I do not believe that we could ever accept that",
"You will have to. The stranger will take me when my purpose in this world is fulfilled. I will see my mother and Aemma and Viserys and Rhaenys. I will see Laena and your boys, I will take care of them until, after a long, long time you join us and my children".
"Where does uncle Daemon fit into that?",
"As much as I want him to live along side our children, I believe he will be by my side when I leave this world. I used to be scared of death but now I welcome the prospect because it is inevitable".
YOU ARE READING
The Pyre for a hero
FanfictionShaera Arryn x Daemon Targaryen. The realms desire and the Rogue prince was the love story that everybody wanted for themselves. Chaos runs in their blood, they were drawn to the fire in the other. Many tried to keep them apart but they were drawn t...
