CHAPTER FOURTEEN

TW: ATTEMPTED RAPE

COLD. The night was cold and damp, rain trickled down the stone of the castle, leaving the air to feel cool yet musty.

After their departure from the library, Daemerys walked down the hall to her chambers with a smile on her face, Criston raised an eyebrow at her but she scoffed and invited him in for tea.

Before he could refuse, the woman burst into her chambers and grabbed him to force him inside — keeping the door open so they couldn't be accused of any informalities.

"I simply cannot believe you threw my father off his horse", Daemerys giggled as she poured tea into two cups.

Criston rolled his eyes as he sat opposite her by the fireplace, a smile of his own stretched across his features, "Well believe it, Daemerys, it is true and he was awfully angry about it".

"Of course he would be, that man is angry by nature. Though I must say, I have never been on the receiving ends of one of his many temper tantrums", Daemerys sipped her tea quietly as the man hummed.

It was true, her father had never raised his voice at her even when she broke his favourite vase.

"That is because you're his favourite", Criston laughed when she scoffed.

"That is not true", Daemerys furrowed her brows with intrigue — was she Daemons favourite?

Criston jested about her time with Aemond and wondered if she was excited for their wedding. Daemerys thought about it for a moment, "When I proposed our marriage I was doing it for the alliance, my vision of our families destruction stopped after that. But now I've actually spent time with Aemond, it's different. I didn't expect it to, I thought I hated him and suppose I did for a short while but I can't find it in myself to now. I find myself wanting to marry Aemond".

The man smiled at that, "Well, I suppose a congratulations are in order. To Daemerys and Aemond", he toasted and sipped his tea as she laughed.

"You cannot make a toast with tea", she continued to laugh and Criston started after he placed his cup down — their enjoyment of each others company bouncing off the walls.

The night went blissfully on until thunder began crackling outside, Criston bid his goodbyes and stood post outside her chambers.

Daemerys laid in her bed, eyes closed as she dreamed of dragons burning down castles and warriors fighting each other — the violence of it kept her asleep, it wasn't often she woke up from such nightmares that plagued her mind unless it was a vision of her family.

It hadn't been expected, a secret passage to her chambers. Thunder crackled the night sky — Criston Cole stood outside the woman's chambers still with tired eyes yet he clutched his sword with a tight grip from his side.

How was Daemerys supposed to know? Lifting the covers unconsciously over herself as the wind picked up from outside her window that was left slightly ajar.

The footsteps, timid and quiet that made it's way toward her — the glint of a knife bouncing off the stone walls from the moonlight. Her breathing was slow and peaceful until a hand gripped her mouth — her eyes shooting open.

A man, dirty with yellow teeth that smiled down at her with hunger. A knife pressed to her throat as she gasped into his muddy hands. Her eyes grew dilated when he got on the bed — straddling her body.

Daemerys felt the covers get thrown off from her as she hit his chest, trying to get free from his tight grip to shout for her knight just behind the doors but alas the man didn't give up.

She felt cold. Dirty. His free hand roamed her body under her night dress — harsh tears burned her eyes. She choked on nothing as she tried to free herself.

This was it. She knew it. Nothing had prepared her for this moment because she never thought it would happen. Her mother had always said, never let a man who is not your husband touch you, and if he is your husband he is to have your absolute consent.

She thought of her mother then, her family. She knew that once the man had succeeded he'd mostly likely kill her.

Then she thought of Aemond, his arms wrapped around her as he read to softly, their library and garden trips over the last week and his expression of looking forward to their wedding even when he tried to hide it. She brought out the true emotions within him when he treated everyone else coldly.

And so, he leaned down to her ear, "He send his regards", he whispered, holding her hands down before using his knee to shift her legs apart. She felt him shift between her legs and let out a chocked sob.

Her eyes looked to the ceiling, praying to anyone who would listen that he'd let her go — that this was all nothing but a nightmare and her father, Criston or even Aemond would burst through the doors and save her when she couldn't save herself — not this time.

Her nightdress was lifted to her thighs, Daemerys looked down when she heard his bottoms ruffle, he was letting it out to ruin her. She shook her head and kicked her legs, trying to push him away.

The man grew frustrated and slapped her in the face before covering her mouth again. Daemerys laid hardly affected by his timid slap but her eyes grew closer before she breathed deeply through her nose.

No. This wasn't going to happen. Lifting her hand from his grip just as he went to enter her, she twisted his arm back that was covering her mouth — sending the man flying into the space on the bed next to her.

He gritted his yellow teeth in a hard clench — to keep himself from screaming. Her body launched up but he grabbed her foot that sent them both flying onto the floor by the fire pit.

"No, get off me!", she yelled to him and kicked him in the face. "Criston!".

Her painful yells made the knight's tired eyes fly open, he turned and barged through the door to see the woman in distress on the floor and a peasant man naked trying to get to her.

Criston grabbed his sword and marched towards the man with wide eyes — finally seeing him before his throat was cut. Daemerys watched from the floor, elbows behind her — keeping her upright, the man fell to his knees before her. Blood sprayed from his jugular to all over her white now red night dress that was still bunched up to her thighs.

She watched in horror as the man fell back, eyes wide but dead. Her heart pounded in her chest — she failed to see Ser Criston holding her as she cried, the bloody sword used to kill her attempted rapist resided next to him as a few more knights came through her chambers — assessing the scene before them.

"Get Prince Aemond and the Queen", Criston ordered his fellow men, he received quick nods before they scrambled out the room.

"Oh my gods", Daemerys whimpered, clutching cristons shoulders as she laid against his chest — his hand soothing her back with his chin on top of her frazzled hair. "H-he tried—".

Blood trickled down her cheek, he had cut her and she hadn't realised until he wiped it from her, "It's okay, I've got you".

Criston held her close and she cried, loud sobs echoed the room and hall from the open door — her eyes were trained on the body of the man still on the floor even when Aemond and Queen Alicent came flying through the door.

Aemond watched wide eyed at the scene, Alicent looked horrified. Daemerys saw the pair move forward and clutched Criston tighter, "No! Don't come near me", she cried and the pair stopped in their tracks.

Alicent gulped and looked to the knight, "Was she?", asking a silent question that had all the meaning that was define Daemerys for the rest of her life. Criston shook his head and looked to Aemond when he heard the prince sigh in relief.

That was the worst thing that could happen to a woman, he knew that, and he hurt for her. Aemond grew angry and turned to his mother, "Did you have something to do with this, mother?".

Alicent turned to her son, appalled by the accusation, "Of course I didn't", she gave one last glance to her son and Daemerys before leaving the room to the guard outside. "Send word to Dragonstone, request her family come at once".

Aemond stood by a chair by the fireplace, mere steps from his betrothed that hadn't let go of Criston, her tears had now stopped, a red mark was left on her cheek — wet tears were drying on her face, making it sting but she simply felt numb to it.

She didn't see Aemond kneel before her, "Daemerys, my love", he whispered, Criston looked down at the woman, she looked so cold, empty — eyes looking forward before they slowly flashed to Aemond. "Are you in any pain?".

Daemerys shook her head, "I told you", she whispered herself. Her body shivered in disgust and because of the cold that was seeping through the crack in her window, "I told you they were up to something. Don't you see? If I am ruined, we cannot be wed".

Aemond stared at her, the clogs in his brain ticked until he blinked. He nodded his head sharply before caressing her face, the hand print was starting to form into a bruise — he sighed when she didn't repel from his touch but instead grabbed his hand and rested it on her stomach but still used the other to clutch onto Criston.

The knight hadn't minded, it was his job to keep her safe, Criston looked away from her and to the dead body, he should've known sooner — should've gotten their sooner.

"I'm sorry", he said but Daemerys shook her head.

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, whoever did this will pay", she grumbled, Alicent watched from the door with sharp features but sighed in defeat — she'd find out who was responsible for this, but she had a feeling she knew who was behind this, and she was never going to be prepared for the consequences of her actions.