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It was the third anniversary since Aegon had gotten Sunfyre and the halls were celebrating with joy. Food was scattered on tables, banners were held high and laughter could be heard all around.
Expect Aemond.
He stared into the distance from his seat. Beside him was Helaena who muttered quietly to creatures on her hand which looked almost invisible to see with the naked eye. What could possibly be so interesting about insects?
In front of him sat Luke and Jace whispering cryptic stuff into each other's ears and outwardly looking at Aemond.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Mother urging Aegon to stop being, well, himself.
Aemond couldn’t care less about this celebration and neither could Aegon, so why was it happening? He assumed it was just a ruse to bring all the family together, though Aemond disliked his family. He rarely spoke to Lucerys, Jacaerys, Baela or Rhaena yet he was forced to communicate with them.
In fact he believed he was the only one who was left out if there was a secret meet up or talk, even Helaena was involved at some point.
So for that very reason was why he stayed alone most days when family came over. No other adult noticed but his mother, and this time round it would be the same.
————-—-—--—-⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆———---————
“Why don’t you stay with your cousins and nephews?”
Aemond had sneakily fled the dinner so he could sit on a windowsill to stare out at the stars shining in the dark night and ponder. He wondered how his mother was able to find him so quickly.
“They don’t want me there.”
Alicent scoffed, “Nonsense, of course they do, they’re your family-”
“They don’t.”
Aemond turned around to face his mother silently whilst rolling his eyes.
“Why do you think that?”
He shrugged sheepishly.
“You have no valid reason, Aemond. I want you to go back down there and try. I want to be able to see you there with them, follow them if you must, I don’t care.”
He gasped at that, “But mother-”
She walked up to him and held his hand softly whilst stroking his face.
“Please. It’s what your father wants, it’s the least you could do for him and I. My relationship with Rhaenyra relies on it.”
Aemond didn’t understand why it was desperately needed but he nodded his head miserably.
“Good.” She smiled at him, “Let’s get you down then.”
Aemond jumped off the windowsill with the help of Alicent and they proceeded to walk back to the dining room.
“I wish it were just you and I in the whole of Westeros.” Aemond muttered before opening the doors.
Alicent’s gaze softened at his phrase, she kissed his forehead slowly, “I wish it were too.” She whispered.
Aemond found himself walking back to his seat with his eyes glued towards the floor, he could feel the pairs of eyes analysing his every move. It only became lively again when Viserys began jabbering about another speech.
“Hey, brother, where did you go?” Aegon snickered in an obvious mocking tone.
Aemond glared at him, “None of your business.”
“He probably went out looking for a dragon that he doesn’t have!” Luke giggled quite loudly, this proceeded to make Aegon burst into a fit of laughter.
All he could do was shift uncomfortably in his seat and wait until it was all over. It didn’t feel like it was over, though— Aegon kept kicking his shin under the table.
“Stop it.” He whispered, proceeding to kick him back harder.
Aegon thought it necessary to shout ‘Ow!’ and double back in pain, he hadn’t even hit him that hard. His eyes caught Alicent’s across the table and she glared at him angrily with her eyebrows raised. Aemond quickly looked away and grumbled.
“I think it’s about time to let the children leave.” She said to the adults.
Aemond’s face fell when he realised that now was the time he had to socialise. He watched as Baela and Rhaena said their goodnights to Daemon and Laena. Even Luke and Jace to Rhaenyra. Why was everything so perfect for them?
————-—-—--—-⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆———---————
It had been five minutes of trailing behind when he knew he wasn’t wanted, the girls kept whispering, apart from Helaena who had a safe pass to stay in her bed chambers. Luke, Jace and Aegon were together and Aemond was all alone.
“You want a dragon?” Jace randomly asked out of thin air, Aemond didn’t answer immediately as he wasn’t sure if the question was directed at him.
“Aemond?”
Everyone stopped walking and looked at him.
“It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted.” He muttered, fidgeting his fingers constantly.
“We’ll show you how to get one.” Jace expressed. The girls glimpsed in his direction slightly and Aemond narrowed his eyes.
“It’s not a trap, right?”
“Of course it isn’t, brother.” Aegon quickly responded not letting Jace have a chance to. He put his arm around Aemond and ruffled his hair. At that moment he thought about what his mother said about family and he trusted them.
He peered into his brother’s purple eyes and smiled softly.
“Fine. Show me.”
“Great, we’ll check if the dragon is still present, walk with Baela and Rhaena and meet us at the cave.”
“It’s in the cave? But mother said-”
“Stop being a babe, brother.” Aegon chuckled while walking off with Luke and Jace.
He dared look at Baela but she just shrugged.
Turns out talking with his cousins wasn’t so bad, he learnt more about them than he ever had in his ten years of living, for example, Baela loved bonding with Moondancer everyday and Rhaena loved dancing and reading.
The cold wind hit them furiously making him shiver slightly. The caves entrance was deeply disturbing, the pitch black night made the cave appear bleak and unwelcoming.
“I think we should stay here, Aemond.” Baela shuddered. He didn’t blame them.
“Are you sure they’re down there? I—”
A roar could be heard making the girls cry out, Aemond gasped and clenched his fists in anticipation. He slowly wandered the cave holding the spiky stone walls for support. His eyes could barely work in such darkness but he made out a small frame and then he heard a grunt. An animal of some sort. However, it wasn’t a dragon, but a pig.
“Surprise!”
Aegon, Jace and Luke screamed at him with a torch in Aegon's hand. The pig snorted again and rapidly ran past Aemond causing him to stumble onto the ground.
“You liars. I hate you all, I hate every single one of you.” He spat out but they just laughed in his face.
His face scrunched up in anger as he lunged towards Aegon. They fell on the stones, making the torch go out, he began punching and slapping Aegon below him, the blows were weak but constant and filled with fierce fury.
“You’re my brother! You’re supposed to be on my side, yet you mess around with these bastards! How dare you!”
Jace audibly snarled, he heard Luke ask what ‘bastards’ meant. Jace didn’t hesitate pulling Aemond’s long hair harshly and attacking him, Aegon held him down as Jace struck his stomach and face multiple times.
“Let me go!” Aemond piercingly screeched. Aegon annoyingly put his hand over his mouth so his screams were muffled. He tried so hard to get out, his legs hurt from kicking and his hands hurt from scratching.
The attack seemed to be endless but it finally ceased when someone bigger than Jace dragged him off Aemond but Aegon still had his claws dug into his arm.
“Get off him, Aegon.” A voice said sternly, it sounded like Daemon but Aemond couldn’t see as he purposefully shut his eyes. The pressure on his arms finally reduced and Aemond carefully opened his eyes.
Everyone watched him, it was worse since they held torches so the damage inflicted upon him was clear. He looked weak.
Rhaenyra held her sons, his cousins stood beside Laena and Daemon, Aegon was off in some distant corner and Alicent looked like she was resisting the urge to comfort him right then and there.
She gave up.
In a minute she crouched beside him, examining the bruises, blood and tears on his face whilst caressing his disheveled hair.
“They gave me a pig!”
He knew no one understood a word he said.
“He called us bastards!”
Rhaenyra made a sound of protest at that.
“You’re a twat—”
“Enough!” Alicent shouted. Aemond jumped surprisingly.
Aegon shut his mouth.
“What occurred here?” Daemon questioned, “One person at a time.”
Once the stories aligned it was pretty clear who the victim was, however Rhaenyra thought otherwise.
“He called my sons bastards. I want him punished too.”
Alicent scoffed in amusement, “If your sons didn’t trick him we wouldn’t be here.”
Chaos erupted once again as the two fought back and forth.
“Alright!” Daemon shouted and raised his hands.
“Everyone is confined to their chambers for three days except for training.”
“Uncle! I was supposed to do something tomorrow—” Aegon began speaking.
“Don’t care.”
He heard him huff in contempt.
Aemond presumed that "something” involved drinking heavily, womanising, and squandering his time on nothing productive.
The matter seemed somewhat settled so Alicent dragged Aemond up from the floor and stormed past everyone in the cave. The cold air couldn’t be more refreshing at this moment; it starkly contrasted Alicent’s firm grip on his wrist as they walked.
He didn’t understand why.
“Mother— I’m sorry… I know I haven’t made you or father proud but I tried.” Aemond panted, out of breath.
“If you’re mad please understand I-”
She stopped abruptly realising she was practically running and was holding his wrist too tightly.
“Oh, Aemond. I know it wasn’t your fault. I apologise for my manner. It’s the situation that’s infuriating, that’s all.”
Aemond let out a small sigh and sniffled quietly before nodding his head.
————-—-—--—-⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆———---————
He hissed as Alicent dipped water on his wounds. They were in his chambers now, the moon provided a dim light in the room that was deathly silent. His brows furrowed when the cloth wrap was pressed onto his skin to stop the bleeding.
He wanted desperately to say his stomach hurt badly but he refused to do so as it was past midnight and Alicent looked sick from stress.
“Goodnight Aemond, we will talk in the morning.”
“Night, mother.”
The next morning she didn’t come.
He stayed bedridden until noon due to the confinement.
Then it was training, it was his favourite thing to do especially with Criston Cole but Aegon always ruined it. He either had no passion or showed up drunk.
Today was both.
“Stay focused, Aegon.” Criston declared.
Sword training with Aegon was going all wrong— and it didn’t help that right next to them stood Jace, Luke and Harwin.
“I’m doing just that.” He said irritated.
“No you’re not! Keep your feet light, advance on his chest and stay on the attack rather than standing too upright.”
Aegon exhaled in annoyance, it looked like he was ready to snap. Aemond held his sword ready and waiting.
“Look— if you don’t want to be here, then leave, I’d rather—”
He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Aegon had purposefully hit him where he knew it hurt the most. The grin on his face afterwards made him feel all kinds of things.
One of those was proving he was better than him. He was better than Jace or Luke. He knew it.
He advanced on Aegon without Criston’s permission with blinded rage and kept attacking Aegon, the clashing of steel on steel could be heard from miles away. He focused on his footwork the most, making him stumble to the floor in a heap.
He placed his sword on Aegon's chest, standing over him.
“Don’t you dare touch me again.”
Aegon wheezed up and down in pain, combing his hands through his hair.
“Aemond! Out.”
Criston stormed over, ripped the sword from his grasp, and hurled it into the dirt.
“You can’t just—”
“Get out.”
“But—”
“Don’t let me ask you again.”
A snicker could be heard in the distance. He didn’t bother and decided to listen, he left in a hurry, slamming his light defense armour on the floor on his way out.
————-—-—--—-⋆༺𓆩⚔𓆪༻⋆———---————
He was back at the windowsill again but this time he wasn’t pondering or staring at the stars, he was crying.
Crying for not having a dragon, crying for feeling indifferent and crying for not being strong enough.
He huddled against himself for comfort, taking in deep breaths to calm himself.
“Not listening to the confinement rules, are you?”
Alicent had found him all alone again. Her voice softened when she noticed his apparent state.
“What’s wrong? If it’s because I didn’t come this morning, I apologise, I got caught up in—”
He shook his head.
“They all laugh at me!” He cried out.
Alicent tilted her head in confusion.
The sob that came out broke her heart, she quickly held her son in her arms, stroking his hair slowly yet again.
“They always make fun of me, mother. What’s wrong with me?” He shed tears in her pearly green dress, holding onto her tightly.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, there’s nothing wrong with you at all, my son.”
Alicent whispered the words until his breathing finally slowed.
He didn’t entirely believe her. The pain from the bruises and the echoes of laughter solidified that but as the desperate ache in his chest slowly hardened into something quieter he knew that from then and there it would be the last time he would ever let them see him cry.