𝓔𝓵𝓪𝓮𝓷𝓪 𝓥𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷
The afternoon seemed to drag on watching the many men fight amongst themselves when the match that truly mattered was waiting in the wings, the tension felt even amongst the crowd.

Slight mumbles are exchanged between my mother and father regarding the Stepstones. My mother's earlier words echo through my mind about being respectful so I bite my tongue, but only for now.

Swirling my cup I take a sip of wine my gaze finding Aemond speaking with a squire. That must've meant his time was near.

Peeking over my shoulder I notice Helaena walking over, leaving Aegon to his many emptied goblets of wine.

Taking the empty seat next to me I'm relieved to see a friendly face, her presence almost as calming as Aemond but even gentler than that of Daeron their youngest sibling whom spent most of these years at Oldtown as a squire.

"Beautiful day for a wedding," she whispers clasping her hand with mine excitedly and I almost choke on my mouthful of wine.

"I suppose it is," I say, double taking to look back at her but I don't have time to ask what she means, the announcer starting the final rounds.

"Prince Aemond will now choose his opponent!" The crowd roars for their prince, me alongside them.

At the mention of his name I'm at full attention, eyes glued to Aemond who's already staring straight back at me, a smirk toying at the corner of his lips.

Mounting his horse he passes by each of them until he stops right before Cregan. Unsheathing his sword he points to him, the tip of his sword sending the Stark Lord back a step.

Small gasps can be heard through the stands, quiet unease blanketing the field like a late nights snow.

Jace looks to me, his unease (though unintentional) only meant he knew what Aemond was capable of. His little friend would be sent back to Winterfell wife-less and bruised black and blue if my soon to be husband had anything to do with it.

"Prince Aemond Targaryen has chosen Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell as his opponent!" The man announces and everyone begins to applaud hesitantly, knowing now that the rumors about the prince and princess were true.

Aemond was to fight his nieces betrothed, taking her as his own but the Lord of Winterfell wouldn't go down easily.

Cregan swats away Aemond's sword, glaring at him before taking his place at the opposite end of the sand.

Noticing Cregan's irritability Aemond's full faced grin makes its appearance. There wasn't a doubt that Aemond was going to make a show of this, using his stage to its full advantage.

Turning his horse around he makes a point to walk by me, nodding in promise of victory not only for him but for us.

Riding up to the squire he retrieves his lance and assumes the position.

With every breath held no one knew which man to keep their eye on, the both of them glaring down their weapons at one another waiting for the moment they can launch themselves at one another.

I almost miss the moment the signal is given, wanting to close my eyes like a coward.

Aemond's black steed is charging full speed at Cregan on his white horse, both of them bracing for impact before Aemond's black lance splinters apart hitting Cregan squarely in the chest but not without him landing a smaller hit to Aemond's side.

With sounds of appreciation coming from my father behind me I can only hope that it was cheers for Aemond and not his opponent.

Struggling to stay upon his horse Cregan straightens himself rounding the corner with great speed, Aemond reaching his even faster leaning down swiftly to retrieve a new lance. Before I know it they're both circling back coming at one another faster than before, anger and grit visible on their faces even from our seats.

Aemond crouches lower, giving Cregan a smaller target his horse barreling towards Cregan. This time, Cregan manages a better hit but Aemond sticks his lance in front of Cregan's horse sending him flying into the sand.

Everyone stands from their seat to see what'll happen next but I just wanted it to be over.

Aemond leaps from his horse, his blazing violet eye set to kill as Cregan gets to his feet pulling out his sword. They exchange a few words and whatever Cregan says only enrages Aemond more, twirling his sword in his hand while gearing up to strike.

Their swords finally clash and their swings are fast, Aemond dodging one blow after the next before landing a powerful strike against Cregan's shield sending pieces of it through the air.

Throwing the shield aside, both of them stop for a moment to reassess and then they're back at one another, neither of them giving the other an opening until they do.

Cregan's swings become relentless in hopes of breaking Aemond's shield as he did his. Inevitably Cregan tires himself out leaving himself open for Aemond to shove him back.

Stumbling backwards onto his back, Cregan curses and Aemond takes the opportunity to push his knee into his chest plate, bringing his blade to his throat.

Leaning down, he growls something through grit teeth.

Before I can call out in warning I watch in horror as Cregan reaches for a dagger hidden at his side. Jumping from my seat, I scream out Aemond's name but it's too late.

Cregan swipes the blade at Aemond's face throwing off his helmet, and his eye patch with it revealing his scar and shimmering sapphire.

Those who've never seen it gasp while Alicent and I shoot up from out seats. Clutching my stomach I'm close to throwing myself over the railing to shield him from all of their accusing stares.

Aemond's sapphire disarms Cregan for a moment and my beloved's maniacal laughter sends chills down my spine showing a side of him I hadn't seen in years.

Though stunned, Cregan doesn't stop wreething from Aemond's grasp managing a cut across Aemond's cheek and I flinch feeling the sting across my face as well. The crowd can't decide whose side to be on, some cheering some booing when Cregan makes his return to his feet, running for his sword.

Just reaching his weapon he doesn't have long before Aemond grips the back of his armor turning him to land a punch square in his face sending blood waterfalling from his nose down his face.

Almost unfazed Cregan wipes the blood from his mouth yelling out a warcry before their steel is singing again, in a battle I was beginning to think would last all evening.

I hadn't expected Cregan to fight so desperately for a woman he barely knew that loved another at that, but I was afraid to admit that he'd impressed me.

With blood soaking both of their faces it's hard to determine who was winning but Cregan throws a punch in between sword swings knocking Aemond back making him trip over shield remnants and falling to the ground.

While dodging Cregan's swings one barely misses him, cutting of a bit of his long white blonde Targaryen hair in the process and I'm just glad it's not his face again.

When he disarms Aemond I could scream out in agony at our hopes slipping away from us.

On his knees before him, Cregan tips Aemond's chin up to look at him with his sword.

"Yield!" He demands but Aemond chuckles, his handsome smirk pulling at his lips.

"No," Aemond rasps, spitting blood at him. "You'll have to kill me if you want her."

My lungs suddenly don't know how to work properly and everything begins to shut down, no air pumping in or out of my body as it goes cold watching the scene unfold before me.

My body moves before I have a chance to think and I'm taking steps to jump over the railing when I feel a hand grip my elbow.

Turning back to look at my father I'm stunned but he shakes his head, 

"Sepār umbagon, byka zaldrīzes... urnēbagon." *Just wait, little dragon... watch.

Cregan hesitates a few moments and those moments are what costs him.

Aemond pulls Cregan's own knife from his person and slices straight across the top of his legs sending him straight into the sand onto the ground and silence strikes the masses like lightning watching their champion change before their very eyes.

Aemond struggles to stand, all of the strength leaving his body at once but not before saying one last thing to his opponent.

"I'll have my bride now." Dropping Cregan's blade into the sand besides him, squires and Winterfell Lords alike run to their Lord's aid as the announcer brings the arena to their feet everyone cheering for their Prince whose focus lied solely on me.

Now there's no one to stop me from going to him. Pushing myself up and over the railing I land harshly in the sand but still on my own two feet.

Running to him I crash into Aemond's chest and he's ready for me taking me into his arms.

Resting his forehead to mine his cut looks even worse up close,  "You're hurt." I breathe but he only laughs at me, "It's nothing, I would've withstood far worse to get you back... far worse, Elaena."

***

"Fuck," Aemond curses, closing his eye when the needle pierces through his skin.

The cut Cregan made across Aemond's cheek wasn't a deep one so it would heal quickly, nothing compared to what Aemond had been used to in his past.

The maesters patched him up nicely but they weren't the gentlest. Watching from his bedside, Aemond had suggested I join the family for dinner but I insisted on staying with him.

He tries to show no pain but I feel it with every squeeze of his hand as the maester finishes sewing up his wound.

The old man reaches for the wash cloth but I stop him, "I can take it from here Maester, thank you." Smiling politely at him he nods, finally leaving us both alone for the first time since earlier this morning.

The sexual tension between us was a usual occurrence but after watching him fight for me, fight for us and so courageously I'd wanted to jump his bones from the moment he'd rode out on that black horse.

Taking the wash cloth from the warmed water I ring it out before bringing it to Aemond's face still bare of his eyepatch.

Wiping away the excess dried blood, he closes his eye in comfort, all of his muscles relaxing for the first time in hours.

"Come here," he rasps, his voice husky from exhaustion.

When I don't immediately climb into bed with him he opens his tired eye, giving me a look of pleading that I would never have the strength to say no to. 

Climbing onto the bed I carefully straddle him, treating him more fragile than he'd like. 

Resting both of his huge man hands on my hips he brings me closer and a giggle escapes me, doing my best to focus on cleaning around his wound.

Humming in contentment his eye drifts shut once more, "Much better." 

Dunking the cloth back into the bucket of water, Aemond's grip on me tightens slightly and I can feel him hardening beneath me. Pretending not to notice I continue with the washcloth down his bare chest wiping clean areas that hadn't seen a smudge of dirt.

"You fought well today. Maybe you can start training me again like when we were children." 

Afraid to breach the subject of the Stepstones I start off small. 

Taking a deep breath, Aemond nods still distracted by my movements on top of him.

"I'll kill anyone you want dead, my love, but I'd be lying if I said the thought of you besting me in combat didn't make me rock hard." On que I feel him beneath me and it stirs the deep familiar fire that only he could light. 

Slowly circling my hips into him a moan like sound comes from his throat and I'm losing my train of thought almost unable to recover it. 

"And I think you'd like to know, my mother's given us her blessing." 

Freezing beneath me he grabs my wrist stopping me from washing him, staring into my eyes with shock. His sharp eyebrows knit in almost in disbelief. 

"We can marry?" Sitting up he cups my face in his hands gently and I hadn't realized I'd missed his touch so desperately all afternoon. 

Lacing my arms around his neck I nod. Taking my bottom lip between my teeth nervously he can't look away.

Bringing his face closer the air in the room thickens. His mouth is just a whisper away from mine when he whispers, "Let's go. Right now," 

His violet eye searches mine for any indication of what I'm feeling but he can't pinpoint it, a million different things running through my mind at once.

"What of our families? The maesters, the ceremony?" I ask but he silences me with the sweetest kiss we'd ever shared and all of the voices give way to an all consuming love.

Pulling away he rests his forehead against mine, "Anything in this world you want is yours, my Queen. Anything." His gaze shifts between my eyes and my mouth, still hungry for more but I'm stuck on what he just called me. 

"Queen?" 

"That's right. I'll serve you until my last breath and even then, no grave will keep me from you." There's no sign of a smirk on his chiseled face only sincerity and his promise of loyalty and love brings tears to my eyes. 

"Are you swearing me your sword, my prince?" A lone tear streaks down my face. 

Softly he brushes it away with his knuckle, nodding without hesitation. 

With one last look of longing Aemond lifts me sitting me on the bed while he goes for his sword propped up against the chair. Pulling the sharp steel from its scabbard he kneels before me.

"I swear toward you Elaena, with all my strength and give my blood for yours. I shall guard your secrets, obey your commands, ride at your side and defend your name and honour. I pledge to you my life and honor, until the day that I die. I swear it by the old gods and the new."

Any doubt I could've possibly had was banished into the deepest corners of my mind until all I could see was us ruling side by side, raising our children with compassion so that our families and all of Westeros would live in peace as it was meant to. 

Climbing out of bed I kneel in front of him, taking a deep breath before exchanging an oath of my own.

"I vow that you shall always have a place at my table, and pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new." Our voices are quiet but every word is heard clearly and deeply.

Searching my eyes a small smile graces his face and he drops his sword, sweeping me into his arms. 

Locking my legs around his waist he only needs one hand to hold me up, the other tangling in my hair as he collides his kiss to mine. 

Aemond's mouth is demanding and desperate releasing every bit of his pent up aggression, fanning the embers that have been crackling all day long. 

Carrying me over to the bed his hands begin to explore every inch of me leaving a trail of white heat behind and I'm already pounding for a release, more eager now than ever.

"Aemond," I plead and he answers by tossing me into the soft pillows, climbing on top of me leaving kisses in his wake.

Pushing up the skirts of my dresses we didn't have enough time to take everything off we wanted one another now and nothing would stop us.

Pressing the pad of his thumb to my sensitive bud I throw my head back and close my eyes, but Aemond growls taking my chin between his fingers. 

"I want you looking at me, Princess. I want to see those eyes staring back at me," He demands and I have no choice but to oblige squirming under his touch. 

Slowly he uses one finger, than a second, picking up the rhythm in way I wouldn't be able to control teetering off the edge of ecstasy. 

"Not yet, my love." Kissing the inside of my thigh the pounding heat was slowly drifting but was quickly replaced by him filling me in one sweet stroke making us both gasp, holding onto anything we could reach including one another.

Closing my eyes at the pure bliss I half expect him to tell me to open them but he grips the headboard instead bringing our pace faster and my moans louder.

"Fuck, Elaena. You're all I think about, every moment of every fucking day." He confesses losing his breath the deeper we lose ourselves in one another.  Digging my fingernails into his back I can feel my climax approaching like thundering hooves coming over the hills.

Keeping his mouth by my ear I hear every small grunt, or growl he makes meant entirely for me and when the world explodes around us with fire raining from the skies Aemond's sweet kisses down my neck keep me grounded just as he does.

For a few moments we lay beside one another trying to catch our breath until he breaks the comfortable silence with a fresh fucked grin. 

"Now, let's make you my wife." 

***

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my wonderful readers! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Poor Mom tried to find an Aemond Funko Pop for Christmas and couldn't find it anywhere. Bless her lol. 

ANYWHO; I made a soundtrack/playlist for the book if anyone's interested! Here's the link <3 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2a8qxOFSW1OmeRyI3hzIhR?si=e2e80f2062794fae