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THREE;
『 THROUGH THE GARDENS 』

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ㅤ     "I HOPE YOU FIND YOUR CHAMBERS COMFORTABLE." Helaena says with a smile. She's shown me my chambers, which are more than comfortable. Back at Dragonstone, I have one large window. At the Red Keep, I have many. The fabrics of the bedding are silkier and the cushions on the sofa are more plush. The bath chambers are much larger and the painting on the walls are much more detailed than the ones back home. I turn to Helaena as I push open the doors to the balcony, allowing in the nighttime air.

      "It's wonderful, thank you." I reply with an easy tone. She dismisses herself and exits through the double doors of the room in a hurry. Once the doors shut, I find myself standing on the balcony with my hands draped over the rails. I look down at the city below. I try and imagine the number of people down there going about their lives, but the number seems impossible.

      My first dinner here had been nothing short of tense. Alicent made multiple remarks about my parents, whilst Aegon almost made me stab myself with my fork with all the talk he was spreading about himself. He spoke of how of his knighthood brothers, he was the top soldier. He told me how he's tamed his dragon. He even spoke to me about how he's declined multiple marriage proposals from multiple houses just because he's waited for the right person— me. Although, I know I'm not the right person, I'm the right fortune and the right power.

      Everytime Aegon said something else insufferable, I found myself looking at Aemond. He'd just turn his head away, despite the fact that he has already been looking at me. I'm still furious about that fact that Aegon has brought me here for his benefit and not his brothers. It's a filthy lie that makes me shudder at the thought. A knock on my door echoes around my room.

     "Come in." I announce. The door swings open and Aegon steps inside. Speak of the horrid. He slams the door closed behind him. I stiffen my posture at the fact that we're alone together- in my chambers.

     He stands next to me on the balcony, staring down in the direction of the town. I keep my head facing the same direction, but my eyes wander to him. I watch his jaw clench and unclench, perhaps in preparation for the words he's about to fire at me.

      "I had every intention of making the offer of Aemond's marriage true, but when I saw you heading down to the coast, I..." He trails off, at a grab for words. I run my tongue over my teeth. I still cannot fathom that he lied to me in order to get me here.

      "The boy in me took over." He finishes his thought. "I decided to be selfish and claim you for myself." He explains. I blink at his words. Claim me. I stop myself from pulling the dagger from inside my boot and shoving it into his heart. The thought brings a smile to my face, but only for a moment.

     "You can't claim me, Aegon. I came here for Aemond. You will allow us to be friendly and get to know one another once again, understood?" My tone is firm and harsh. I'm in no position to be making orders, considering he's the one with the army large enough to take over Dragonstone in a night, given the right timing and resources.

      "As you wish, Alerhya." He bows his head then walks back inside my chambers. I follow him with my eyes, making note of his posture and his sympathy. He exits the room in a swift motion. The doors rumble shut behind him. I breathe out a sigh of relief, which turns to a fogged breath in front of my eyes.

I step back inside and close the doors to the balcony. I strip off my riding gear and change into a nightgown which I pulled out of the sack. I'll get to unpacking eventually, or perhaps I won't. I'm only here for a short amount of time, therefore what is the point in unpacking just for me to shove everything back in the night before I leave?

I untwist the braids of my hair, which has turned my usually straight hair into an ocean of white waves. I blow out the flickering candles around the room and pull back the sheets of the bed. I crawl under the warmth of the blankets and rest my head on the feathered pillow. I must admit, the furnishings in this chamber are much more lush than the ones I have back home.

As my eyes begin to flicker closed, I find myself thinking of Aemond and the brutal stares he gave me at dinner every time I spoke to Aegon. The way his eye narrowed and his jaw clenched has been engrained in my mind.

༻❁༺

      I AWAKE BEFORE THE DAWN BEAMS ACROSS THE VALLEY. The first colors of the morning have yet to reveal themselves when I awake. My dream had been exciting and a thrill, so now I lie in the bed wondering why I was awoken. I flip over in the bed, although I can't seem to close my eyes again. I grab the candle from the bedside table and light it with the rush light in the drawer. My chambers appear to be just as I had left them, aside from the open doors of the balcony. I swear to the gods I had closed them.

     Candle in hand, I trek over to the doors. On the railing of the balcony, I see a crow resting there. His eye stares at me widely. I blink and stare for a moment, then push the door closed. When I hear the click, I allow myself to climb back into bed. I haven't yet put out the candle whenever I hear a noise. I look up from my spot on the pillow to the doors, which have been pushed open yet again.

     I grab the dagger off my bedside table as well as the candle and storm back to the doors. I scan the balcony. There is nothing to be alarmed about. The crow has gone. Nothing else remains. The wall to the left of the balcony has dirt trickling from the stones. I slowly guide my eyes up to the top of the wall, which has a man resting at the top, crouched with a devious grin. It's the one-eyed Aemond.

     "Leave me alone. I'm trying to rest." I snap at him. He jumps off the wall, which is at least five feet, and lands directly in front of me. He wears a white tunic matched with brown bottoms that knights usually wear to train in, if they have chosen not to wear their armor or chainmail.

      "I figured that since Aegon came in here earlier, I would too." He explains. I watch as he walks to the balcony rail overlooking the city. He takes a seat on the railing, which is thin. One gust of wind or push to his chest and he'll fly over the edge.

     "What did he speak to you about, anyways?" He asks with a deep hint of interest in his voice- or perhaps jealousy. I place the candle on the table just inside my chambers then stand near the door, facing Aemond. He's straddling the rail now, with one leg over the side and one nearly touching the ground of the balcony.

"I told him that he isn't welcome to marriage with me anymore, since he did lie to me in order to get me here." I explain with a flush of anger. Even the thought of his actions makes me want to tip myself over the balcony for being so foolish. Obviously Aegon is too selfish to ever think of anyone but himself, even if he had claimed that he would offer a true proposal to me with Aemond.

"But you will stay here still?" He asks, tilting his head to me. I recognize that motion. That's the same way he always craned his head as a boy when he really wanted to know something.

"If I leave, your family's army will storm upon my home and keep my family as something of prisoners." I reply with a surprisingly cruel tone. Although, he does not seem to be phased by my bitterness. In fact, I think he understands, in a way.

"To be clear, if Aegon proposed himself to you, you would not accept. But when he proposed my hand to you, you accepted?" He asks, raising an eyebrow in my direction. The freezing air outside suddenly seems a lot warmer. I feel my breath hitch in my throat before I can manage to answer.

"Yes." I keep my answer short to avoid saying anything that I perhaps should not.

Aemond swing his leg back over the rail and rises to his feet. He approaches me with long strides. For a woman, I may be considered above average height, but as Aemond stands over me I feel shorter than I ever have. He stares down at me. The candle burning just inside illuminates the top half of his face, brightening his crystal blue eye. The warmth that trails off his body can't be much less than my own.

"You flatter me, Alerhya." His voice is playful and his smirk is slight, but noticeable. I roll my eyes. He steps around me to inside my chambers. He kicks my undergarments aside, which I had stripped out of during peak exhaustion and forgot I had left them there. As he walks toward the door, he nods down at the garments.

"You may want to tidy up your chambers before the morning." I see a glimmer of mischief in my eyes. My blood runs even warmer at his voice and his words. A wave of embarrassment should wash over me, but the tide never comes. I do pick up the garments and shove them back into my sack, as per request, although I don't feel even a glimmer of shame that Aemond had seen them, even though I should in all honesty.

I don't climb back into bed, I can't. The feelings of floating are too present in me. I instead pick up a book from the shelf and begin reading it. I don't read much of it, though, instead I find my mind wandering mostly to Aemond.

༻❁༺

AS I REACH HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK, THE SKY BECOMES A DUSTED ROSE. I finally tear my eyes away from the pages to look through the windows which present a pastel sky. The colors mix together in a whirl, a beautifully breathtaking whirl. I close the book and toss it on the desk in which I've spent the last few hours. Finally, the morning has come, which means I'm free from my chambers.

I dress into one of my favorite dresses- a blue fabric layered with details of silver flowers. My mother had told me often how much it compliments my eyes as well as my figure. I take it upon myself to twirl my hair into one long braid, from the crown of my head to the midst of my back. I dot only pigment to my cheeks and lips to give my snowed face a bit of color. Once I've finished slipping on my shoes and sliding my dagger into my boot, I make my way out to the hall, which is bustling with servants and a number of knights. This place is much more crowded than Dragonstone.

I feel eyes linger on me as I pass, confused, judgement-filled eyes. They are clawing to know me, to know who my true parents are and why I am here. I twist and turn through the halls until I arrive to one of the center courtyards, where I find Ser Criston Cole standing, having a conversation with a knight. He sees me and waves the knight aside. His eyes scan over me.

"Oh, Alerhya, how you have grown." He comments almost as a proud father might. I haven't seen Ser Criston in quite a while, as many of the others here at King's Landing. He too has grown. Not so much in size, but in his face. There are thin lines around his eyes now and lips, and his eyes seem even darker. He now has a beard, well perhaps the start of one.

"Indeed," I say with a smile. "Do you perhaps know where I might find Aemond?" I ask without wasting a second. If I don't find a way out of the conversation now, we will be standing here until someone finds us and drags us away. Ser Criston loves to talk in his free time.

He nods in the direction of the training yard. "He and Aegon are training. If you wish to join them we have spare armor near the stables." He says. I thank him then begin my walk to the stables. It's been a very long time since I've sparred with both Aegon and Aemond. Aegon always beat me, since he had more training, seeing as he was a boy. Aemond and I both won and lots spars together, although usually I'd be the one to win because he would give up and stand down.

I lock myself in the hay room and tug off my dress then change into the armor. The only thing I'm wearing beneath the armor are a thin white top matched with thin pants which I wear in the winter for layers. I grab my dress and begin the haul to the training yard, walking hurriedly with a blue gown in my hand. I probably look mad.

I arrive at the training yard not long after getting changed. There are a number of knights training and sparring. Aegon has a bow in hand and he shoots a dummy made of hay. Aemond spars against a red-headed knight. The two of them circle around one another. I toss my dress onto a short stack of chests then grab one of the swords laying around. I weigh it in my hand before stepping into the training area. As I walk onto the sandy grounds, Aemond catches my eye. He shoos of the knight he had been training with and instead walks over to me, swinging his sword like he used to as a boy.

      "Second day and she's already clawing for a sword." He remarks. I twist my fingers tighter around the handle and raise an eyebrow.

"What can I say," I shrug. "The blade calls and I answer." I grin.

Suddenly his sword is pointed in my direction and the tip of the steel threatens to touch me. I barely manage to scuffle away before my armor is hit. He shakes his head and makes a clicking noise with his tongue. We fall into the familiar shuffle of circular scoots dancing around one another. His eye daunts into me, threatens me, studies me. He watches every movement I make. Every step and every time I tap my finger on the handle. Though, the alertness never leaves his eyes. He never, not even for a second, has a break in his guard. He continues to dance around me and I around him.

I stab in his direction but his blade cuts mine off. He twists his sword around and breaks my attempt to cut him. He grunts and stabs back in my moment of weakness. His blade clashes with my armor. His cut would have sunk into my arm, from my shoulder to my elbow, but because of the heavy armor strapped on me it only puts a dent in my ego. I see a glimmer in his eye when he steps back. I inhale a cloud of icy air which refreshes my lungs. The circle continues again with the both of us stammering around, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

In a split second his blade tries to cut at my chest. I manage to block it with a quick swipe of my sword, pushing his blade away back to his side. He throws his head up in annoyance which I use as a chance to strike. His eyes depart from me for only a moment, but a moment is just enough. I slam my blade into his chest. He staggers back, breaking the circle. I gain ground by breaking the few feet between us. My blade rises to his neck. He backs up until he hits one of the pillars in the courtyard. His icy blue gaze glares at me violently.

      I press my blade to the soft skin of his neck. All of a sudden, I feel something poking into my back. I look down at his hands. One is pressed against the pillar whilst the other wraps around my back. He's pushed his sword against my back. If I slice him, he'll slice me.

      "You wouldn't stab me in the back, would you?" I ask in a soft voice yet questioning voice. He licks his lips and continues gazing at me. Although the height difference may make it appear as though he has the high ground, I'm the one who has him pinned against the beam.

      "Never." He replies in a whisper. His voice echoes around me. I've missed his voice in all these years. His hand grabs my back and suddenly I'm flipped around. Now my back is presses to the pillar and Aemond's blade stretches across my neck. I lift my head slightly, to refrain from his sword puncturing my skin.

      "I'd stab you in the heart instead." He teases, drawing the tip of his blade from my neck to my chest, which is faithfully hidden away by a layer of protecting armor. I won't let him win this fight that easily.

      "Only if you can catch me." I say as I duck under his arm. Due to the difference of heights, I can easily burrow out from under him. I drop my sword, as it weighs me down. I make a beeline for the dragon pit, which isn't far away.

      I look over my shoulder for a moment as I run through the gardens, which have become frosted from the snow. A blur of white hair and tall structure is just feet away from me. I extend my pace even longer which allows me to gain more ground. I think of when we were careless children, rubbing and playing as though we had no worries in the world. Once, we were close friends, before Aegon as well as my brothers turned Aemond into a quiet and reserved boy. I turned away from him, which I shouldn't have, but I was afraid to be peculiar as he was.

      I cut a corner and immediately feel my body being dragged downward. I grab at the air. My body twists and falls. I brace myself for the impact of the stone path, but it doesn't come. Instead I land on Aemond's chainmail chest. He protected me from the fall. I scoot off his chest and lie next to him on the ground. He grins. Grins. I haven't seen him smile for so long.

      "Since you caught me you'll have to kill me." I continue along the story. He looks to the sky and then at me. Our heads are both turned to one another, just inches away. The gardens are full of people usually, but since it's the winter season they're a deserted place. We have this space all to ourselves.

      "I can't do that, I'm afraid," he says. "I dropped my sword back at the training grounds." I turn back to the sky, shaking my head. I feel his eye linger on me. I've always had a sort of feeling for when he looks at me when I'm not looking at him.

      "Shame." I sigh. He gets up in a moment notice, hovering over me with a hand extended down in my direction. I take his hand. He pulls me up quicker than a bird gliding across the sky. My mind swirls for a brief moment.

      "You better start running again," he pulls a sheathed blade from his boot. "I won't go so easy this time." He warns. I squeal and begin running through the gardens again, this time at a pace in which he could never catch me at.

      Perhaps I had wanted him to catch me before, to give him the sense that he could. Now my feet slam against the ground with no sign of slowing. I hear his pants behind me, slowly growing deeper and further away. A grin takes over my face, a sheepish grin. I must look like an imbecile, running through the gardens wearing armor, grinning, whilst being chased by the prince bearing a dagger at me.

      Although, I don't care who sees me. The only glance I care about is Aemond's. That much I know.

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