PYROPHILIA ▸ Aegon the Conqueror

21. ( And I am Sorry )

Chapter 21

" And I am Sorry "

2 years later

Who knew that all chaos could break loose with four single words. Four meaningless little words that still held so much power after 2 years. "The King is coming to the Eyrie."

Ronell's words had shaken Lyarra, who took her gaze from their son for the first time. "What?"

"You heard me." He spat out. "The King is coming." Ronell returned his attention to the documents in front of him. The two of them were sitting together at their Hall, Ronell worrying as usual and Lyarra playing with their now two-year old son. It was a habit the two of them had picked up. Almost 3 years in their marriage and the two had not grown closer, but farther, colder and indifferent. They shared a son, a common family but there was no string connecting the two of them alone. After that night, Ronell had never tried to pursue her or be intimate to her again.

"Do we know why?" Lyarra tried to sound as calm as she could, but she was certain she had failed. How could she not after all? Even though Aegon's name was one she heard often, it still wasn't pleasant to her and if that was not enough, she would soon have to see him as well.

"What do you think?" Ronell shook his head. "It is an army he wants. He started a war with Dorne that now he cannot finish and we have to pay the price."

"Is he attacking Dorne?"

"He might." Ronell grinned. "Our King is rather insatiable, even six kingdoms are not enough to him."

"But his wife just gave birth." Lyarra tried to argue, the thought alone disgusting her. Devotion, he had said. His Rhaenys, he had said and yet Visenya had now given birth to yet another son, another heir, another asset for the mighty Aegon the Conqueror. So much for his devotion to Rhaenys.

"Those are small things to a King, Lyarra."

"Will you give it to him?" Ronell looked up to her. "Your army, I mean."

Ronell's features softened for a blast second, before going back to his usual blank expression. "He gave me you." He said. "I have to give something back."

"I thought the Queen arranged our marriage."

"One and the same." He shrugged her off. One and the same, I thought. How ironic to think she once considered her and Aegon as one.

"When is he arriving?" Lyarra had now completely disconnected with her environment, not even paying mind to her son. "We need to start the preparations."

"In two weeks." Ronell said, leaving his quill down and focusing on her. "Are you happy to see them again?"

Lyarra's eyes turned wide at his statement, something that surely didn't go unoticed by him. "What do you mean?"

Ronell grinned at her. "The Targaryens, I mean." Lyarra was able to draw a breath again. "You lived with them for a long time, you must have missed them."

That was a question Lyarra would never dare to answer. She had yearned for him, prayed for him, thought of him so much, that even his existence had now turned into a distant and unreachable memory, something she could only have in a dream or a prayer. She had cried for him, she had felt her skin burning where he had once touched her. But missed him? She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to come near him, to breathe the same air as him, to go back where she was all this time ago. She was vulnerable when she was around him and she had promised not to be vulnerable anymore.