CHAPTER TWENTY
❪ devils tongue ! ❫

"I want to visit Baeselyx before I start the rest of my day."

"Of course." Aemond smiled down at the girl, his thumb gliding across her cheek bone. "I'll search for you at the castle in a few."

Aenemera smiled after Aemond as she watched him disappear into a line of guards and a carriage to bring him back to the castle.

The princess made entry into the dragonspit and made her presence known to some of the dragon tamers, fetching one of them to have Baeselyx brough to her. She wanted to discuss possibilities of allowing him to roam free; now that his size was becoming too much to be underground.

"It's good to see you princess," one of the keepers spoke. "I should let you know, he's been restless. He fights most of his sleep."

Aenemera rested her hand against her heart with a frown. Her eyes were centered on the entrance for the dragons, waiting for Baeselyx's arrival. "I want to request that we have him removed from underground and give him the same perch as Vhagar." She turned to the man with her hands folded together. "He's grown too big and he hasn't stopped — he needs space to move around."

"I believe we can make arrangements for that soon."

A loud dragon screech came from the tunnel and Aenemera's head whipped around with delight as her dragon made an appearance.

She quickly ran towards him as he rushed out of the den once he recognized her scent.

"Baeselyx," she sighed happily once they were together. Her hands rubbed at his sides and her head rubbed against his jaw in content. "You look handsome," she whispered to him.

The keepers stood close by but waited in silence as she took the time to greet her dragon.

Baeselyx nudged his head ever so gently against her body, almost making her fall over but her response was filled with laughter while she smiled wide at him. "I missed you too, my boy."

Baeselyx silently sniffed her out closer with his nose nudging at the center of her body. The keepers watched intensely with curiosity, heads tilting but admiration spreading across their face at the same time.

It had been a long time since they watched a dragon bond so well with its rider.

"I'm afraid I must leave you again," she whispered sadly. "But we will go out for another ride soon I promise. We'll find a good perch for you to rest and you'll no longer be confined to these chambers — I swear it."

Baeselyx stared at her with soft blinking eyes, sadness weighing over his huge heart as he watched her begin to back away.

Aenemera turned back to the keepers. "Please take good care of him."

They nodded in sync and began to guide Baeselyx back underground, but the dragon put up a bit of a fuss with a low whimper as he watched Aenemera exit the dragonspit.

As she made her way towards her own carriage, two large guards dressed head to toe in armor came walking straight up to her.

"Princess Aenemera, your presence is being requested."

She stopped in her tracks and raised a curious eyebrow at the men. "By who?"

The men took one shared glance at one another before quickly grabbing her upper arms and forcefully pulling her towards the carriage without another word.

Aenemera yelped from the sudden pain as she tried to remove herself from their grip. "Unhand me right now!" She snapped her jaw in each other's direction, her feet kicking out now as they continued to fight with her.

"You tell me wants going on right now or I swear by the God's I'll cut your nuts off!"

One of the guards yanked her against his armored chest, his large hands cuffing onto her arms with force as he leaned forward. "The king is dead," he whispered to the girl with a small grin rising on his lips.

Her heart sunk deep into her chest but she barely had any time to react as they continued to pull her towards the carriage.

She immediately started thrashing about and used the strength in her legs to kick the men just as they were about to shove her into the carriage. "Get off of me!" She gritted out while spinning around and kicking one of the guards in the chest.

He ended up falling back into the second one and she took the opportunity to jump from the carriage and began to run from the dragonspit and towards the city of kings landing.

"Stop!" The guards shouted out to the girl.

Aenemera refused to look behind her as she continued to run towards the city. Going back to the castle was the last idea on her mind, afraid other guards would be searching for her to do god knows what.

Cristin entered the room where Alicent was currently pacing against the floor with Aemond sitting in a chair next to the fireplace.

His head hung low with a small shake. "Prince Aegon's not to be found within the castle walls, Your Grace. Your father has sent Ser Erryk into the city to find him." Cristin moved towards the center of the room, his eyes flickering at Aemond briefly before looking towards Alicent again. "As for the princess — there's been no sign of Aenemera."

Aemond was up from his chair within an instant. "What do you mean?"

Alicent looked back at her son then towards Cristin with furrowed eyebrows in mass confusion. "Princess Aenemera? She's not in her chambers?"

"She went to visit Baeselyx earlier," Aemond stated.

"She hasn't yet returned." Ciriston added before his eyes closed in fear, his head dipping down again. "A few guards stated that she disappeared from the dragonpit."

Aemond took a vicious step towards Criston. "Disappeared?"

"Aemond." Alicent held out her hand for her son, holding his arm while using her free hand to rub her face. "I don't understand. She's gone?"

Ser Criston nodded in silence.

"Where the seven hell's is her guard?" Aemond bit out. "Where the fuck is Theo?"

"I do not know, he hasn't been seen since this early morning at sunrise."

Aemond didn't hesitate to snatched his grip from his mother and walk past Criston. "I'm going out to find her."

Alicent pressed her hands to her mouth in deep frustration. "Aemond, that would not be my desire. Aenemera, your brother — "

"Is exactly why I need to go." He replied sternly.

"I'll go with him," Ser Criston added. "We'll travel together and try to find witnesses for both."

Alicent looked after her son with sadness, a small nod of her head as both men left the room.

Criston tried to keep up beside Aemond, but his strides were much longer than his as he was filled with determination. "My prince, where would the princess run off to?"

"I'm unsure, but I'll make one thing clear – " Aemond stopped and turned to Ser Criston with a stern look and a promise. "If anything happens to her, I will burn this city down."

Aenemera currently had her back pressed firmly against a brick wall. Her braided hair was more frazzled than it ever was last night. The sleeve of her dress was ripped in half from the neverending grabbing of the guards and her face was now covered in grime and sweat from the constant running.

By now she was out of breath, winded and could feel her heart beating rapidly against her chest. But every time she had a moment to stand still, she would notice the same guards in the distance asking witnesses.

The princess ran her trembling hands down her face in exhaustion, preparing herself to sink further into the city before she could find an outing. So far her presence wasn't known to the world — or at least most people were taught to mind their own business.

"Have you seen Princess Aenemera run through here?"

Her body visibly tensed against the wall and she mumbled a string of curses before picking up her dress and quickly rounding the corner.

Her body collided into someone else's along the way, a younger girl with brown curly hair who dropped her basket of fabrics.

The princess jumped backwards and quickly looked behind her to see where the guards were. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The girl picked up the fabrics from the floor and tilted her head curiously. "Princess? What are you doing out here?"

Aenemera saw the guards across the street, looking both ways with hands weighing over their swords. "I'm so sorry," the princess whispers. "I have to go. The guards, they — " she frantically looked at the girl, realizing they had to have been the same age.

"Come with me," she whispered. "I know a place you can hide."

Aenemera quickly shook her head, shifting to the other side of the building so she couldn't been seen and pleaded with the girl. "No no no. If the guards find out you helped me, they'll hurt you — "

The girl, who had long forgotten about her basket now, gently held Aenemera's hands with a plea. "You're the people's princess, my dear. If they find out the guards hurt you – there will be riots."

The princess swallowed nervously but easily accepted her request of help, allowing the girl to guide her down a back alleyway and towards a wooden door. There were crates and pots of flowers out front, telling Aenemera it must've been her own home.

Once they snuck inside, Aenemera pressed her hands firmly against the door with her eyes squeezed shut — silently pleading to whatever fucking God was up there that the guards didn't see her.

"My princess," the girl whispered. "How can I help?"

Aenemera shook her head with a heavy inhale. "You cannot. I can't have you risk your life for me. I just need to make it back to the castle."

The girl looked around her small home frantically, insearch of a dark cloak she had kept for herself during cold nights. "Have this," she insisted while holding it out to the princess. "It should at least keep you masked. Your blonde hair is too noticeable, my princess."

Mera turned to the girl and smiled weakly, accepting her gift. "Thank you — "

"Myra," the girl smiled.

"Myra," the princess repeated gently. "I won't forget about this good deed. I intend to repay it soon."

Myra shook her head with a wave of her hand, a soft smile weighing on her lips. "I'm glad I could be of some help – although I do wonder what this chase is about? Did something happen?"

Aenemera's lips dipped into a deep frown as her gaze centered on the floor. The death of her grandfather, the castle guards having clear intent on hurting her — or handing her off to someone else that will.

She turned back to the girl and gave her a brave yet small smile. "No need to worry. Please take care of yourself."

She then shrugged the cloak over her body and fixed the hood over her head before slowly slipping out of the house and onto the busy streets again.

She cautiously looked around her surroundings before beginning to walk amongst a crowd of people, trying her hardest to blend in.

But as the crowd entered the busy mainstreet of the city, Aenemera noticed the guards just a few feet in front of her still frantically looking around — clear determination to capture the princess.

Panic settled into her chest again as she spun around and began walking in the opposite direction. The hood hid most of her face but her panicked steps caused her pace to quicken as she shoved past several people.

"Hey! Wait!" She heard someone call out from a far.

The princess briefly looked back, her eyes widening with fear as they made eye contact with one of the guards.

"Stop right there!"

Aenemera gripped onto the hood of the cloak and began running down the graveled path, almost tripping over her own two feet and the trash thrown around. Her body collided with several others as she would apologize in a rush tone.

When she rounded another corner of the street with her eyes looking back to see the guards fighting against large carriages full of fruit, her body collided into another but this time her shoulders had been forcefully grabbed to steady her.

A startled scream left her lips until she looked up to see Aemond staring back at her in disbelief. "Mera?" He grabbed her face in confusion but she furiously shook her head, clasping her hand against his mouth to silence him.

She watched both guards run down the street and completely miss the alley. A shaken sigh leaving her lips as Aemond watched the guards run past as well.

When it felt like she was in the clear, she dropped her hand from his mouth but he was quick to grab her arms and have her spun around against the wall. "I've been looking for you everywhere — "

He paused mid sentence while his eye anxiously took in her stressed and flustered appearance, worry washing over his face instantly. "Who did this to you?"

It wasn't a question — Aenemera was a hundred percent sure of it, but there was no way she wanted to face those men again. "I'm sorry I — I meant to come back to the castle, Viserys is dead, guards were looking for me and — "

"We've been looking all over for you," Criston suddenly spoke up from the distance as he had been watching the entire scene unfold. "They made word that you had not returned from the dragonpit."

Aenemera looked at the man and slowly shook her head before turning to Aemond again. "I'm fine, I'm not sure what's going on — "

"We're looking for Aegon as well," Criston stated in a hushed tone, stepping closer to the couple.

Aemond shot him a quick look in silence, his hands coaxing her arms gently. "I've been worried sick," he muttered after.

"We should get you back to the castle." Criston muttered, glancing around the area himself to keep watch. "It's not safe out here."

"I don't want to go alone — "

"She stays with me," Aemond ordered Criston with a stern look in his eye.

Criston's gaze shifted between the couple before slowly nodding. "Very well, stay close. We still need to find your brother, the hand is closer than we are."

Aemond slowly turned back to Aenemera, her gaze fixated on him already. "The hand?" She whispered to him in confusion. "I don't understand what's going on."

Aemond's eye flickered towards the floor as he was unmoving, silently praying Criston would keep his mouth shut — thankfully so, he was only determined to find Aegon for the queen. Aenemera's was truly the least of his worries currently.

"I'll tell you back at the castle," Aemond promised the girl, gently adjusting her hood over her face. "My brother isn't safe out here."

Unknowingly to the truth and blinded by trust, Aenemera nodded her head and quickly followed the men behind; in search for the future king.

"We're following Arryk and Erryk," Ser Criston informed the girl. "We caught wind of his location from the White Worm. Just don't make your presence known."

"I won't," she mumbled, occasionally checking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed again.

When they reached a large building that was practically empty and free of others in Flea Bottom, Criston instructed the couple to stay hidden just until the twins would come out with Aegon in their grasp.

Aenemera still was unsure what the issue was and why they were being so secretive about finding Aemond's brother. But she didn't want to ask questions and push Aemond into a corner on top of his noticeable stress.

When one of the twins came out with a firm grip on Aegon, Criston jumped out from hiding with his sword pointed and Aemond immediately stood from his hiding place with Mera.

"I do regret this, my friend." Erryk let go of Aegon and retrieved his own sword.

Aemond, who stood on the other side of the staircase, held his arm out in front of Aemenera protectively.

Aegon suddenly took his chances and released his grip from Erryk, leaping towards the stairs as Aemond quickly followed after him.

Criston and Erryk swung their swords at each other with a short clash. Aemenera quickly spun around to follow after Aemond who chased his own brother, but the guards from earlier made a sudden appearance and had the princess cornered.

She looked at Criston in panic then searched for Aemond just as he dove to the ground to retrieve Aegon. "You're coming with us," one of the guards ordered — particularly the one that made her skin crawl.

"Aenemera!" Aemond shouted from across the way, throwing his own sword towards her for self defense. He so badly wanted to fight off the two men that brought her so much fear but he knew if he had let go of Aegon, he would never find him again.

The princess quickly picked up his sword from the ground and weaved it at the guards just as the one retrieved his own in defense.

Both metals clashed together roughly and she quickly pushed the hood back of the cloak so she could see the man better. She wanted to get a good look at his face before she tried to get him begging for mercy on his knees.

The guard grunted out deeply as he pulled his sword back and swung it towards her again, aiming for her body to injure but she was quick to jump backwards in retreat.

Aemond was still busy fighting against his brother on the ground, yanking his leg towards him and wrestling with his fists while trying to watch Aenemera. He had half the mind to let his brother free but didn't want to witness his mother's heartbreak — but if Aenemera was injured he wouldn't ever be able to forgive himself.

"Come here!" The guard growled out.

Aenemera swung the blade again, almost tripping on a weak stone in the pavement but regaining her balance again with a heavy breath. It wasn't like she was a trained sword fighter, Aemond only taught her a few things.

But it was enough to give her self defense against a larger man willingly wanting to hurt her.

"Is father really dead?"

"Yes. And they're going to make you king."

Aenemera whipped her head towards the boys in disbelief. The news of Aegon's crowning was unsettling in her stomach but she had to quickly return her focus back to the guard in front of her.

"Let go of me! I do not wish to rule!" She listened to Aegon shout while Aemond held him in a firm headlock. "I'm not suited!"

"You'll get no argument from me," Aemond muttered to his brother.

The anger and betrayal rising in Aenemera's chest had her fighting harder against the guard although she was weakened and eager to drop the sword in defeat. But the heart and determination from her father kept her fighting.

With one last clash of their swords, Aenemera swiped it to the left with a strong erring sound before bringing the blade down across the mans wrist that worked his own sword.

The metal fell to the ground and the princess was quick to kick it off to the side. Sweat ran down her temple as she shakingly kept the sword pointed towards both guards.

"You lay a hand on her and you deal with me!" Aemond shouted out with a warning.

Both guards turned to the direction of the voice and recognized Aemond holding onto his older brother. They both stepped down and slowly retreated from the scene — almost like it never happened.

Aenemera turned to Aemond with her chest rising heavily.  A mixture of exhaustion and anger drained her entire body as she turned to the man she loved.

Aemond caught a glimpse of her stern glare briefly before frustratedly yanking Aegon back against his chest. "You don't know what you've just done to me," he spat into his brother's ear in a throatful murmur.

"You let me go and I will find a ship and sail away, never to be found," Aegon begged as he managed to turn in Aemonds grasp, holding onto his younger brother's face with a plea. "Take the throne – make her your queen."

Aemond stared down at Aegon in silence as Criston grabbed the prince's shoulder. "The queen awaits." He pulled Aegon away once he willingly accepted defeat.

Aenemera stood in the distance with no word but her grip on the sword tightening.

Aemond couldn't find it in him to look at her – knowing that if he did, he would surely miss the way she looked at him last night.

❪ dylan ❫
you guys ... i might actually cry