CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
❪ devils tongue ! ❫

"I take your studies went well?"

"Well of course," Aenemera smiled at Gareth. He was less chatty than most people in the castle, which made their time together more appreciated. "I'll be heading straight to my chambers for the rest of the evening. Care to follow me and guard me the whole ten steps that it takes to get there?"

Gareth rolled his eyes. "Very well, I'll turn in for the night. Enjoy your evening, princess."

"As should you," the girl grinned and watched her knight turn away, slipping into the darkness of the halls.

Lyra had already turned in for the night and returned to the maid quarters. Aemond was still busy poking around with his brother to plan the next long nights ahead, leaving Aenemera to rest by herself for the evening.

Private alone times like this were the only time Aenemera felt safe enough to send letters to her mother and father.

As she turned down the quiet hall that led to her chambers, a shadow began peaking its way out from around the corner before grabbing the princess by her arm, and forcefully shoving her against the nearest wall.

Aenemera let out a jagged sharp breath from the sudden attack, followed by a soft grunt of discomfort.

It wasn't until she opened her eyes after wincing through the pain did she realize a knife was hovering over her throat — with Genevieve being the one on the other end.

The princess narrowed her eyes at the maid and her lip curled with disgust. "You ought to put that blade away, if you know what's best for you. And i'm not just talking about the guards."

"You don't scare me princess," the brunette whispered. "I've so longingly waited for the right moment to get you alone. All it took was a little bit of patience."

Aenemera tilted her head back as the tip of the blade just barely grazed the right side of her jaw. Genevieve still had a firm grasp on her upper arm, surely leaving a few bruises behind from her finger tips.

"Is that so?" The princess muttered angrily. "Then what are you waiting for?"

"Careful, don't tempt me." She sneered in response. "I got you right where I want you — but not yet. These sorts of things take time. They take careful motives with the right amount of leverage."

"Motives?" Aenemera raised an eyebrow curiously. Genevieve had her eyes burning holes through the princess' head while holding a firm grip on the knife. Her knuckles were turning a shade lighter than her skin color due to the lack of blood flow. That's when things began to add up for the princess and the corner of her mouth twitched upwards. "Oh. You speak for my husband don't you?"

Genevieve shook her head and pointed the tip of the blade right under her chin as a warning. "It's not your husband I want."

"Is it not? All those times you desperately wanted to be alone with him when I wasn't around?" Aenemera refrained from laughing at the pathetic girl but couldn't keep herself from holding back a smile. "When you heard about my separation with Aemond, I bet you couldn't wait to get him alone. The joy of having a prince all to yourself — too bad while you were busy flaunting your chest and flashing your bare legs trying to get him to crumble — he was too busy writing love letters to his wife and fantasizing the day he would get to touch her again."

Genevieve began shaking her head in distaste as she forced Aenemera against the wall even harder. Her hands were shaking now and the tip of her blade had just pierced through the princess' skin, creating a small dot of blood.

Aenemera quickly grabbed the maids hand that was grasping the knife and held onto it forcefully while holding eye contact. "And while you waited to fill his bath with warm water and dreamt of the day you could see his chest bare — he made love to me in the other room so you were forced to hear us creating a sin." The princess dangerously leaned closer to Genevieve now with her voice falling down to a whisper. "You're nothing but a freak — an obsessed little girl pining over a married man. You will never take my place."

Genevieve reacted instantly by back handing Aenemera across the face then pointing her blade down by her stomach.

The princess let out strong breaths through her nose while her gaze narrowed down at the knife before looking back up at Genevieve. If the maid had a few bad idea's running up her sleeve — this was one of them.

"Easy now," a sudden voice appearing in the distance by the end of the hall. Aenemera turned to who the voice belonged to, squinting in the dark while Genevieve kept her eyes glued on the princess.

"She's very determined to get what she wants. Trust me." The voice got deeper as the footsteps got closer and Maverick's face was being shown by the torch flames hanging on the wall. "I would know — she's my advisor."

"Get the picture?" The brunette raised an eyebrow at the princess.

Aenemera felt herself flooding with so much anger and confusion, she felt herself becoming lightheaded due to all the sudden stress. Her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest — she had been betrayed.

"Don't look so confused princess." Maverick stood behind Genevieve while tucking his hands behind his back in a less intimated stance. "Surely you knew something was coming. All those lies building up and you thought you were the only one that knew?" He tsked at the girl with a small shake of his head. "Do you think Genevieve and I were randomly picked? Due to what — our charismatic and devotion to the king?"

"He's dumber than we anticipated him to be," the maid muttered.

Aenemera still gazed between them both like she hadn't had a clue as to what they were articulating. It was beginning to sound like a blur and all of her strength was slowly slipping until Genevieve reached up with her freehand and wrapped it around her throat forcefully. "Keep up princess, we don't have all night."

Aenemera gagged slightly from the pressure of Genevieve's hand before reaching up to clutch on her wrist tightly. "You're saying you two have known each other the whole time? Plotting what? To kill me?"

Maverick sighed heavily like he was beginning to grow bored at how slow Aenemera was comprehending the information.

"Maybe you're not as smart as we thought. Then again, you are the one that purposely made your way back to kingslanding as if that would save you."

"You don't know what you're talking about," the princess spat.

"You don't truly understand, do you?" Genevieve laughed heavily, now pressing the blade further towards Aenemera's stomach. "You've been doing your mothers bidding but what about your father? Haven't heard a word from him have you?"

Aenemera looked between the two and felt the urge to start fighting back, but she caught between a knife and the truth. Was she being lied to this entire time? Was something going on behind her back that she wasn't made aware of with her family?

Maverick placed a hand on Genevieve's shoulder and the brunette finally released her grip on the princess. She stepped away as Maverick stepped closer, gently brushing her blonde hair off her shoulder. "Don't worry, you were never part of the original plan but that's why we're so good at our jobs — to be spies you have to move quiet, like a mouse." He then moved closer with his warm breath hovering over the princess' lips. "And mice love cheese."

He slowly stepped backwards as Genevieve tucked her knife away under her skirts. "Keep a watchful eye around every corner princess, you'll never be truly protected. Not even by your own guard."

Aenemera quietly watched them both disappear down the hallway. Shock and confusion plastered all over her face while her mind fought hard to piece all the information together; but it was still too blurry.

As of right now Aenemera was no longer the only person plotting with her mother. She knew her father well enough to know he craved vengeance and war — but to what extent would that take?

Suddenly bells in the distance began to chime as a warning while heavy armored footsteps ran down the hallway with a quick pace.

The princess immediately snapped herself out of the confused trance and started following the guards out into the main hall. More and more began to collect like bees racing towards the hive during the summer.

A loud bang went off in the distance followed by a low dragon-like growl. It shot a chill up the princess' spine as she realized what might've been happening.

She picked up the ends of her dress and rushed after the guards as she slipped out onto the balcony and was immediately met with fire.

Her fingers gripped onto the castles wall as her panicked eyes watched the castle walls be broken down by large boulders being thrown by catapults. Broken screams and cries could be heard far into the city followed by more bangs.

There was no longer any time to plan for the safety of kings landing. The war was now at their back door — and the sea was flooded with ships.