it is not her fault she has her mothers eyes

AN EYE FOR AN EYE

DRIFTSMARK

"Young prince was attacked by his own cousins, your grace" lord commander westerling claimed as the three velaryon children stood huddled together as the grand maester tended to aemond's eye. the room deadly silent as people only stood and watched the young boy have his face stitched together again.

"you swore oaths to protect and defend my blood!" viserys yelled as he used his cane to help him walk, turning his anger to westerling and ser criston cole.

"I'm very sorry, your grace. the kings guard has never had to defend princes from princess' and princes, your gr-" ser criston cole explained before viserys cut him off in anger.

aemma only stared from her spot with her brothers at the mess made, her small hands having a firm grip on the two boys hands. her face still stained with aemond's blood and her night dress on show covered in dirt and sand.

"the flesh will heal. but the eye is lost, your grace" the maester said solemnly in response to alicent's question. a tense wave washed over the room as viserys sighed, he had avoided his grandchildren's eyes the second they stepped in the room.

lucerys' whimpers from aemma's side caused the girl to stroke his head, his probably broken nose was now a ghastly red.

doors from above opened and lord corlys and rhaenys rushed down the stairs "what is the meaning of this?" the man demanded seeing everyone and his grandchildren gathered.

"baela, rhaena? what happened? what happened?" rhaenys said gathering her granddaughters into her arms, the small girls cries escaping softly.

lord corlys began walking forwards towards viserys as another set of doors opened and rhaenerya and daemon joined the crowd together "aemma, jace, luke!" their mother yelled rushing to her children's aid.

"show me, show me" she badgered her youngest in the room as she tried to remove his hand from his nose. aemma only stared at the man her mother entered with, a look of emptiness adorning her face.

"who did this?" rhaenerya spoke loudly as she turned her attention to her other children, blood coating both of her faces and bruises forming on their cheeks and aemma's arms.

"they attacked me!" aemond yelled from where he sat, aemma and jace's attention turning to the boy.

"grab me a cover for the princess" lord corlys said to a random guard as his eyes turned to the young girl, realising no one had assisted her.

aemma only stared at her grandfather with thankful eyes as a cloak was passed to her, the red and blue bruises and torn and dirty night dress hidden from everyone's sight. the damage done to her face however was more than visible.

"he attacked baela, mother!" "he broke luke's nose" aemma and baela began yelling as all the children involved started to argue.

"he stole my mothers dragon" "he punched jace" "he pushed aemma" no ones voice was recognisable as they went back and forth. daemon looking with amusement at the situation from the door.

"enough!" viserys' weak voice spoke, but no one payed attention.

"he was going to kill jace!" luke yelled before aemond yelled in retaliation "I didn't do anything!"

"enough!" viserys yelled once again, but it was not enough.

"he called us-" jace began before viserys gathered enough power in him to silence his family, with one last "silence!"

aemma felt her fists clench as she stared at the blonde in the chair who sent her and her brothers menacing looks, if she were mistaken she would've said it looked as though he were smirking.

"he called us bastards" jace whispered down to their mother, rhaenerya looking to aemma for confirmation, the oldest only nodding to support her brother.

"aemond. I will have the truth of what happened" viserys said to his son as he began to hobble towards the boy. "now" the king told the boy who screwed his face.

"what else is there to hear. your son has been maimed. her daughter is responsible" the queen said with what sounded like sadness, but aemma knew better.

"it was a regrettable accident" rhaenerya said as she pulled her daughter closer to her side, not willing to risk anyone getting to her.

"accident? princess aemma brought a blade to the ambush. she meant to kill my son" alicent yelled in protest.

I should've, aemma thought to herself as she stared at the auburn haired woman she had heard tales of from her mother. tales that she would not believe now if she were to just have met alicent.

"it was my children who were attacked and forced to defend themselves. vile insults were levied against them" aemma knew her mother would always be at their defence, for rhaenerya knew her love for her children would outweigh any wrongdoings.

"what insults? viserys asked, raising his head with confusion written on his face.

"the legitimacy for my children's birth was put loudly to question" aemma knew the truth of her birth, but it did not mean that to the question their legitimacy was an act nearly greater than murder.

"he called us bastards" jace spoke up answering viserys' question, alicent sighing as her head slightly dropped. a quick look of panic washed her face knowing she were the one who had told aemond that.

"my daughter is in line to inherit the iron throne, your grace. this is the highest of treasons" rhaenerya said pulling aemma forward with her by the hand. "prince aemond must be sharply questioned so we might learn where he heard such slanders"

"over an insult? my son has lost an eye" alicent's voice now argued, her rising anger was obvious as she pointed at the boy in the chair who had somehow now began to look poorly.

"you tell me, boy. where did you hear this lie?" viserys demanded, the insult not being taken lightly.

"the insult was training yard bluster. the lot of boys it was nothing" alicent quickly came to her sons defence knowing what he spoke what put her in trouble.

"aemond i asked you a question" the room was silent, aemma noticed how viserys had no emotion when talking to his son, as though he didn't consider him his kin.

"where is ser laenor, i wonder? the children's father? perhaps he might have something to say in the matter" the queens words making aemma leave her mothers side to step forward, not being able to control herself.

"my father is grieving the life of lady laena. his sister!" her small voice yelled in defence of the only father she's ever truly known, as she herself knew he had no part to play in the rumours.

"entertaining his young squires, I would venture" alicent's words causing rhaenys and corlys to glare at the girl.

it was never discussed what escapades her father would go on with other men who he seemed closer than close with. it was something aemma never seemed to care much about. he would always return happy, so it never posed an issue.

"aemond, look at me" viserys says as aemond is only able to glare him down with one good eye. "your king demands an answer, who spoke these lies to you?"

aemond was silent still as he looked to his mother who's breaths had grown in volume, viserys turning to look at his wife before turning back to his second born son.

"it was aegon" he finally answered. aemma looking to the older blonde with confused eyes. she knew it was not him and was confused why his brother had said that.

"me?" the older targaryen himself seemed confused as he stared at the ground.

"and you, boy. where did you hear such calumnies" viserys asked hobbling towards his son who stood still with his hand crossed behind his back.

it was an odd sense that washed over aemma, as she inspected the scene. she felt bad for aegon knowing it was alicent who said the vile things about them but aegon would take the blame as he had done time and time before.

"aegon! tell me the truth of it!" viserys yelled in the boys face as he only shook.

"we know, father" as quick as aemma's sympathy arrived it was taken back "everyone knows. just look at them" he said with a small amount of disgust lacing his tone.

everyone's eyes turned to the velaryon family, luke shying into his mothers embrace as aemma stepped back to join her family. rhaenerya felt tears prick her eyes at the moment but said nothing.

"this interminable infighting must cease! all of you! we are family!" the poor old men yelled as he looked over his family in the room. "now make your apologies and show good will to one another"

"your father, your grandsire, your king demands it!" he continued, rhaenerya pulling her daughter closer, knowing nothing good will come of his demand. viserys began to walk away expecting all to be resolved.

"that is insufficient. aemond has been damaged permanently, my king. "good will" cannot make him whole" alicent's voice broke out with tears coating her cheeks.

the king turned to his wife with the smallest amount of regret on his face "I know, alicent. but i cannot restore his eye"

"no, because it's been taken" aemma wanted to roll her eyes at the woman's statement. it better his eye than his life.

"what would you have me do?" viserys demanded seeming to have no option.

"there is a debt to be paid" the words causing aemma to freeze. she knew alicent could be cruel but this was bone rattling. "I shall have her daughter's eye in return"

murmurs began amongst the crowd as rhaenerya pushed aemma behind her, her daughter frozen from shock. she had not wanted to take his eye, and she did not wish for the same fate to hit her.

"my dear wife" viserys began to plead but it had already been settled

"he is your son, viserys. your blood" but so was she, aemma wanted to yell out from behind her mother. jace had stepped back to join his big sister, though she were only a year older than the boy, he was ready to protect her.

"do not allow your temper to guide your judgement" the man told her firmly, thinking all be settled. how little he knew the serpent that was his wife.

"if the king will not seek justice, the queen will. ser criston.. bring me the eye of aemma velaryon" the guard only looking at the woman then the young girl. he was sworn to protect alicent, but harming a young child, especially aemma was not something he could bring himself to do. the hate he had for her mother did not stretch to her.

"she can choose which eye to keep, a privilege she did not grant my son" the queen demanded as though this were something so simple.

"no!" aemma yelled as she pulled her mother back in front of her. she may have been older than the children of the targaryen name but she were still a child at the end of it all. a scared child.

"you will do no such thing" rhaenerya told ser criston, a hand slowly reaching back for her daughter.

"stay your hand" the king demanded ser criston, but it seemed he were not to move anyway.

"no, you are sworn to me!" alicent yelled over viserys' not caring that she were going against the king. the kings guard not saying anything in reply.

"as your protector, my queen" ser criston said, returning to his previous position.

alicent's face had changed in that split second, no one had noticed it but her eyes had darkened. "alicent, this matter... is finished. do you understand" a look of defiance crossing her face.

"and let it be known: anyone whose tongue dares to question the birth of princess rhaenyra's children should have it removed"

"thank you, father" rhaenyra thanked the king before turning to her daughter.

all seemed to have finished before alicent rushed forward to grab the blade from viserys side turning to aim for the child.

"your grace" ser harrold tried to stop her going after the queen.

"hold your approach!" ser criston yelled as it seemed the velaryon children as well as rhaenyra had not noticed what had occurred behind their mothers back.

the unsheathing of knights swords caused rhaenyra to turn around coming face to face with alicent lifting a sword to her daughter. a scream left luke's throat as he watched his mother grab the woman's arms.

"mother!" aemma yelled as she tried to move forward to stop her mother from being harmed but the arms of rhaenys found her as she pulled the young girl back.

guards rushed forward, ser criston going to protect alicent before daemon stepped forward and held the man back. aemma too small to see anything in front of the iron clad men in front of her. her body thrashed as she tried to escape her grandma's hold.

it was though time sped up as a slice through skin was heard and both women were pushed back. her mother ending up in lord corlys arms, drops of blood escaping her forearm to mark the castle's floors.

no one dared to speak a word until aemond rose from where he sat and walked forward. something overtaking aemma as she stared at the boy.

"do not mourn me mother. it was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye... but I gained a dragon" his words causing the adults to stare at the young prince.

"this proceeding is at an end" viserys announced before leaving the room. his dagger staying on the floor. aemond joining his mothers side as daemon joined hers.

not knowing what to do, aemma just clutched the mans sleeve as she stared at the damage done to her mother, due to her.

if this was what to become of her family she thought at that moment, she want no part in it. there was a time they were all civil even considered to be friends. it was clear to her at that moment that whatever bonds they once had now been seared.