𝓐𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓣𝓪𝓻𝓰𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓮𝓷
At first, I'd sworn I hadn't heard her right. It must've been my imagination but I lift my lips from Elaena's chest and her blush has consumed her, her beating heart erratic beneath my mouth.

It was true, she felt the same way.

Taking her face in my hands I try to memorize her beauty, along with every detail of this moment that would forever be etched into my soul.

"In love doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about you, ñuha vāedar." I reply softly and her bright smile is back and I can't help myself.

Leaving a thoughtful kiss on her plump lips she grips the black leather jacket I wore, almost matching her dress.

"I want nothing more than to take you right now." I murmur against her ear bringing my hand down her body to caress her breast where she rose to meet me.

"Take me how, my prince?" She urges me on, pulling me closer so my building erection is stroking against her.

Taking a sharp breath at her movements I struggle to respond but I manage, "To bed, to wife, to the ends of the world. All of it, Elaena, I want all of you."

"Then let's go, let's go right now." Taking my hand she begins to lead me down the hallway but a figure steps into our path blocking the way in the darkness.

Bringing her behind me I take a step forward as he does and I'm face to face with my grand sire, Otto. His aging accusing eyes bore into us, lingering on Elaena in disgust and I suddenly have the urge to cut out both of his eyes.

How long had he been standing here? What all had he heard?

"Your betrothed is awaiting your return, Princess. I think it best you rejoin the feast."

Elaena looks to me, unsure. Taking a deep breath I nod, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

At first she hesitates, unwilling to leave me and I don't blame her we were almost free, our escape slipping through our grasp.

"I'll find you." I whisper, making sure to lock eyes before she leaves through the door we came.

Crossing my arms over my chest, Otto sighs in disappointment.

"Whatever threats you're here to make, make them." I mumble, growing impatient.

The old man narrows his eyes taking a step towards me and I see my mother's quiet rage beneath his features but I was a man now, I wouldn't be manipulated, not when there was so much to lose.

"This affair with that bastard girl will stop-"

"She's to be my wife and you'll speak of her with respect or you won't utter another word."

"She's a whore, promised to another but having late night excursions with a prince? Do you not expect her to do the same to you?"

Pressing my arm against his throat I back him into the door, the sound from my overwhelming force echoing through the empty halls. I see red, every demon within me telling me to end it, take out every single person who would stand in between Elaena and I.

"Say another thing about her and I'll leave you a kingdom of ash to rule." I seeth coming within inches of his face.

"Look at you, Aemond. You're crazed, irrational. That girl has turned you into a monster-"

"You must've not been paying attention, grandfather. I've always been the monster." Staring down at him wild eyed my fingers twitch eager to reach for my dagger and show him just how serious I was.

"Aemond, what are you doing?!" A woman's gasp comes from behind us and I don't want to turn around, already coming to terms with the heartbreak I'd see on her face.

Dropping my grandfather I give him one last look of warning before turning to my mother.

He's done this on purpose.

"This is about her isn't it? Elaena?" Rushing towards us in her Oldown green dress she takes my grandfather in her arms, looking to her son in horror. Usually it was Aegon who did all the disappointing they never expected something like this from me.

"Are you meaning to start a war with the North over something so trivial? Daemon himself even?" Looking to me in shock I chuckle at the thought of 'war' with the North.

I'd annihilate them with Vhagar alone, taking not only Cregan Starks desired wife, but his home as well. I'd go to battle for Elaena time and time again, and I'd win.

"I'll kill him before he has any chance of a rebellion." I grumble, my thoughts drifting to the very thought. I'd already imagined how I'd do it watching him dance with her, looking at her as if she was his to devour. How wrong the son of a bitch had been.

"You have duties, Aemond. You're to marry when the time is right-"

"When the time is most beneficial to you, you mean?"

"Most beneficial for our house, yes. You've always known this was to happen. She will marry the Stark lord chosen by her parents and you'll marry as we see fit." She says calmly and I realize this speech had been rehearsed. There weren't her words, they sounded that of my grandfather.

Had he put her up to this too?

"No, I've always wanted Elaena, only her. I've deprived myself of many pleasures in this life but she is the one I won't resist." Giving the both of them one last glance I push through the door, my senses immediately overwhelmed with the music and the crowds of people.

Scanning the many faces none of them are her or Cregan and an unsettling feeling washes over me. If they weren't here, where the fuck were they? 

Pushing through the drunks I make my way to the front table but even that is barren, the Strong boys danced with their betrothed, while Rhaenyra and Daemon seemed to be in a heated discussion, everyone distracted in their own way. 

Coming up behind Aegon I lean down to Healena, "Have you seen her?" Looking up to me she shakes herself from her own world, thinking for a moment she knows exactly whom I'm referring to. A worried expression crosses her face and I know that my gut was right.

"Winter winds howl at the doors, brother." She whispers though I can barely hear her.

"She's been going on about it all night." Aegon mumbles, bored of his wife, our sister. 

With no time to waste I leave the throne room in search of her. The halls are dark and vacant, most if not all of the capitals inhabitants at the feast knee deep in Westerosi wine.

My quick footsteps fill the silence and when I can't find her right away my walking turns to running. My thoughts go from bad to worst and I wished I was better armed, turning every corner in hopes she'd be on the other side.

Like a siren, a voice reaches out to me in the darkness, something small and soft. I'd recognize the sound anywhere. Following it into the dimly lit corridor her voice is clearer and I take off in a sprint. 

If he put a fucking hand on her I'd murder them all, wipe out the line of Starks if I have to.

"STOP- get the fuck away!" There a smack of skin on skin contact and I find her just in time to watch her land a solid punch across her attackers jaw. 

He recoils from the hit, still clinging to her dress, ripping a sleeve clean off from her shoulder as he falls to the ground and I can already taste the man's blood. He might've not been a Stark, but he'd bleed just the same.

Moving swiftly I come from behind the drunken fool bringing my blade to his throat. He reaches for me but it only brings the blade deeper his blood dripping down his neck making him wail out in pain.

"You fucking bastard. You touched her? You touched the princess." I don't even recognize my own voice but it felt so liberating to let the dragon loose.

"You waited until she was alone? You followed her?" I growl, my heart beating in my ears begging me to tear this motherfucker limb from limb for touching what was mine.

Squirming away I throw him to the ground digging my knee into his back until his face is cracking the floor. 

"I'm so-sorry my Lord. It w-won't happen again-" He grovels his northern accent thick when he finally speaks but it only fuels my rage. 

Taking a fistful of his dark hair I yank up his head, "You're right, it won't." 

Slicing open his throat his blood blankets the stone but the gratification is fleeting, my attention shifting immediately to Elaena. 

"Aemond," She breathes, her shaky voice an arrow to the chest.

"I'm here, I'm right here." Bringing her into my arms silent tears are falling from her eyes and my heart breaks into a million tiny pieces. 

I should've gotten here faster, I should've never let her out of my sight.

"He snuck up on me, I didn't have my knife-" She cries, clinging to me for safety and I wish I hadn't kill the fucker so I could kill him again.

"He's gone, you're safe now." I promise, holding the back of her head.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Both of our heads snap to the end of the hall were her parents, with my mother, Otto and Cregan himself along with a couple of the knights guard make their way towards us. 

Noting Elaena's bareness I remove my coat, draping her in it as they approached.

Without hearing a word Cregan draws his sword when he notices it's one of his men that I'd butchered. 

"He followed me back to my chambers, he tried to..." She pauses unwilling to say it, "Aemond got here just in time." Elaena puts herself between Cregan and I, pride swelling in my chest that now she felt the need to protect me.

Daemon and Rhaenyra share a look before her mother rushes over to check on her daughter, finding her ripped dress beneath my cloak.

Looking between the both of us she seems pained to say it but that doesn't stop her. "Thank you for protecting her, Aemond." The last time my half sister uttered a word to me was the night her son took my eye. Never did I imagine I'd hear a pleasant word directed towards me again.

"Always," I reply simply but Cregan isn't satisfied.

"He's of the North he should've been brought to me, not murdered in cold blood." He growls, stepping to me with his sword still drawn.

"He attacked her. Would you have not done the same?" Narrowing my eye at him I notice the left over rage begging me to feed the monster again, death still lingering in the air.

"He was to have a trial and be executed-" Another step.

"I tried him, and I executed him." I seeth through my teeth as they all watched.

 We're face to face now, his sword pointed at my chest and I wished I'd armed myself but I was still confident in my own abilities. Despite my earlier spat with my mother and Otto they still seem worried whether it be for me or themselves.

"That's enough." Daemon steps between us, eyeing the dead body still bleeding out on the floor.

"It was out of defense for your betrothed Lord Stark, I would thank the man and be done with it. You two can swing your swords at one another in the morning." 

The tourney. How had I forgotten?

Spinning around to look at the silent crowd Daemon waves his hand at Otto impatiently, "Well? Deal with this then. Ser Erryk, see to it my daughter makes it safely to her chambers, and that no one makes any... unwarranted visits." Daemon glances at me in warning as if a knight on guard would be able to stop me.

Ser Erryk nods, leading the way with Elaena trailing behind. 

Going to remove my cloak I shake my head at her, "Keep it." Gracing me with a small smile, she walks off and I'm already wondering how on earth I'll be sneaking into her room later this evening to see her.

***