CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
❪ devils tongue ! ❫

When Aemond and Aenemera entered the council room, they were greeted by several faces unfamiliar and ones Aenemera has known since her grandfather was still alive. But none of these faces were welcoming — most scowled with frustration and exhaustiveness. While others — Alicent and Aegon — seemed more particularly pleased to have the couple in the room.

Aegon only enjoyed stirring things up with his brother Aemond while Alicent was always overfilled with joy having another woman in the room other then men.

Aemenera and Aemond stood side by side in front of the large crowd that awaited their assistance towards war. Aenemera was more displeased that she had to get pulled away for something she didn't particularly care for, especially if it was for Aegon.

"I am most pleased to see you again, my dear niece." Aegon waved a hand, beckoning them to come closer and take a seat but neither of them moved. His smile dropped quickly.

"I apologize for having your time reunited cut short — for it's a matter we must discuss heavily while we still can." Alicent placed her elbows upon the table and folded her hands together. Aenemera's eyes grazed across the table until she met Otto's who was staring back at her coldly.

Aemond slowly tucked his hands behind his back. "If this is about our child — "

"Ah yes, when did the Maester say that little devil would be born again? You can understand my excitement that our Aenemera will be giving birth to a dragon, yes?"

Mera took a daring step forward, which caused the guards in the room to start reaching for their swords. Aemond responded quickly by shoving his jacket to the side and reaching for his blade. "You may be king brother, but any foul word towards my family will surely end in a fight."

"Enough," Alicent sneered between her boys, her eyes glaring between them both from where she sat at the table.

Aegon rolled his own eyes before waving his guards off. He only enjoyed getting a rise out of the couple — it was far too easy.

"Pardon my frustration, queen Alicent, but I would much like to know why we're here." The princess remained hovering towards the table, ready to chuck one of the marble balls at Aegon's head if he was willing to joke about her pregnancy once more.

"There's a war making its way to kingslanding," Otto spoke up beside his grandson. Aenemera's eyes pierced through him now with a dark scowl. If it had to do with anything about her family — "We believe after recent visits with house Lukka, they're likely planning an attack due to several disagreements on our supply shipments."

"House Lukka?" Aemond questioned. "My last word with them was a promise that if they didn't follow through with their own loyalty, I'd make an appearance. But they were never to be trusted since the very beginning."

"Yes, it seems House Lukka has always been on our list of disloyalty but with recent events, we believe they have found it a good time to react."

Aenemera raised an eyebrow at the group. "Then we must start planning a defense. If they're coming across the cost, they'll be here in no time — "

"We need Baeselyx, princess." Alicent agreed with a simple nod.

"Aenemera cannot ride, mother. She due any day now." Aemond replied strongly, now standing closer to the princess again with worrisome.

Aegon shrugged his shoulders like their weighed barely nothing while taking a large sip from his goblet. "So we let someone else ride the dragon to war."

Aenemera's shocked reaction was written all over her features as everyone at the table turned to the girl for an answer. Not only did she find Aegon absolutely humorous to believe someone else could ride her dragon — but to think Baeselyx would willing allow it to happen. "Forgive me, my king, but nobody is going to touch my dragon even with a 50 foot pole. He rides with me only — me alone."

"But you cannot ride to battle, Aenemera." Aemond hissed softly to the girl.

She looked up at her husband now with her eyebrows knitting together due to frustration. He desperately wanted to run his thumb over them to get her face to relax, but the subject was touchy — he knew their bond was too close to break.

"If I'm not riding my dragon then there won't be an appearance from either of us." She raised an eyebrow at Aemond now then turned to the council with  one finger pointing at the table. "Baeselyx does not gain another rider while under my care. They cannot handle him and do not know his weaknesses and strengths."

"Forgive me princess but I can assure you — "

"I do not want your assurance, Otto Hightower. Because I'm not asking you — I'm telling you all. Baeselyx will not be ridden."

"Aenemera please remember who you're speaking to, I did not raise you to have these kinds of manners."

The princess bit down on her tongue cautiously to keep herself from exploding and getting herself into trouble with Alicent or Aegon. Aemond was very displeased with the comments being made towards wife and placed a reassuring hand over her back before speaking sternly. "We leave Baeselyx out of the war. I will ride with Vhagar and watch the skies — we have other dragons for use like Sunfyre and Dreamfyre. We are stronger with our numbers and resources, I will handle the tiny ships that sail this way. Now excuse us, please, my wife needs to rest."

Aenemera was the first to exit the room with Aemond trailing closely behind. Gareth was waiting patiently nearby for her return and decided to hover back while she walked with Aemond.

She breathed in heavily with annoyance still lingering over her skin like a bad summer day where she couldn't get herself to cool down. The movements within her stomach was causing her to start feeling nauseous and anxious, her time was quickly running out.

"Aenemera," Aemond called out for her gently.

She stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to her husband with her hands hovering over her belly. Aemond had already cooled down the moment they left the room, and seeing the princess again helped him regain a calm sense of mental state that he didn't normally have when it came to politics and war strategies. But he knew Aenemera well enough to know her mind was brewing with something and he would have to start locking things down.

"Your place is not on the battlefield my love." He reached for her with caution and softly moved a strand of blonde hair away from her eyes. "Not today, not tomorrow — not while you carry our child."

She hummed quietly. "I'll be in the library for awhile, Gareth will watch over me while you go over plans with the king."

Aemond leaned down and planted a gentle kiss at the crown of her head. "Read well, my love." He then slowly knelled down to the floor on one knee with both of his hands caressing her stomach. "As for you, be easy on your mother. I need her." He whispered to the child before kissing her round bump.

"Princess, i'm becoming worried about you," Lyra frowned while settling down in front of Aenemera after collecting several books of her own. "You haven't slept much, these times are dangerous — "

"Which is why I prefer quiet time with some light reading in front of the fire place."

Lyra frowned as she watched Aenemera make herself comfortable on a large cushioned chair with her feet propped up on a small stool. Lyra made it as comfortable as possible for the princess so she had down time to herself.

Gareth was outside the library on guard — as always. And Aemond hasn't been seen since this morning when he made it back home. He was still stuck by his brothers side planning out the next few days before the upcoming battle.

"Princess?"

Aenemera hummed without taking her eyes off the page.

"Are you ever going to tell him?" The maiden anxiously flexed her fingers while shifting in her own chair across from Aenemera. "Your mind is all over the pregnancy but I think it might be better if Aemond had an understanding — "

"No." She responded sternly. "No one needs to know, Lyra."

"But you're suffering — "

Aenemera quickly shut the book and leaned forward, as much as her stomach would allow her, and whispered to the girl. "We are very good friends and I've always respected you as a person but we still have boundaries in this friendship. Aemond can't know. My plan failed, it backfired right in front of my face and now I'm the one paying for it. It's too dangerous."

Lyra cautiously gazed around the library before moving her chair closer to the princess. "We've spoken this before, yes? When you needed my help and you felt like you were falling apart — it's because you trust me. I've always dedicated my time to you, you are my queen, I have the upmost respect for you." She inhaled heavily then took the princesses hands into her own as she whispered softly. "But i'm afraid we can't trust anyone here behind these walls besides your husband."

"Aemond has enough on his plate already, I cannot add to that stress during this time."

"But your brother — "

Aenemera quickly placed the book down on the table and gave Lyra's hands a harsh tug so she was pulled closer, until their faces were just a few centimeters apart. "If I tell Aemond that my mother sent me here to be her spy and report to her about any findings I have here — he will never forgive me. My brothers death was my fault."

Her teeth sank down into her bottom lip as she squeezed harder onto her hand maidens hands with a plea. " — it was never supposed to end that way. I pledged my loyalty to Aegon to protect myself and my family — but every day I am in danger."

"If Aemond finds out then I lose him and I lose the only person who can protect me behind these walls. Do you understand? He mustn't know that I've betrayed his trust."

Lyra's head tilted slightly to the left with worried tears in her eyes. "But you love him right?"

"More than the moon loves the stars. More than the flowers need rain to breathe — he is my life."

Her handmaiden nodded nervously at her words, giving her hands a gentle squeeze until they pulled away. Lyra would never be able to recover if anything happened to Aenemera. Even if the birth of her child didn't kill her — someone else will. Betrayal and disloyalty didn't get passed off kindly throughout the years of Targaryen's.

As the women went back to their studies in complete silence this time, a secret door to the far back managed to softly close without a sound. Genevieve slipped away from the library through the secret hall where she couldn't be spotted from Gareth and other guards.

She had the information she needed — all she had to do was wait.

❪ dylan ! ❫
just so everyone knows and we don't have to speculate what's going to happen — Aemond will NOT cheat on aenemera with alys nor will he ever. it's not his character at all and even if it wasn't aemond, i hate the cheating trope so badly. it's extremely unnecessary and over used for "drama." as someone that has actually been cheated on, it's not fun to read about lol. so please don't ever worry about that happening on any case.

so... mera being her mothers spy huh? keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer. ;)