𝓐𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓣𝓪𝓻𝓰𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓮𝓷
In the months since Jacaerys and Aegon's death, Dragonstone had never been so quiet. One would almost assume the Queen had taken what family she had left and run... but the truth was that all who dwelled within mourned in festering silence.

As if it couldn't get any worse there was no sign of Viserys. Not his body, not his dragon egg, nothing. The best-case scenario was that he'd gotten out alive one way or the other, but I wouldn't fill Elaena's head with false hope.

My older brother was picking off Elaena's loved ones as if it was nothing and if he kept outsmarting us it would continue that way until he got what he wanted.

Her.

We'd fallen right into his hands, our fleet sailing into an ambush led by Daeron and Tessarion themselves.

Luke had done well hiding his mourning when around Elaena but behind closed doors we plotted revenge, going out to the dragon mount nightly to claim a new dragon in the name of his older brother.

"We've been at it for over a month, Uncle. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm meant to ride another dragon," he huffs, pushing his dark brown curls out of his face.

"I wouldn't say that, Lord Strong. Claiming a second dragon has never been done before, it'll take time." I reply, my gaze fixated on Vhagar and Seasmoke who flew together in the night sky just above us.

Elaena hadn't flown but once since the arrival of our son. If we hadn't had Aelyx I'm not sure she would've been able to pull herself out of the pit of heartbreak she'd endured.

I could only do so much as she cried herself to sleep but I would do all I could, holding her to my chest until the sobs broke to quiet whimpers as she eventually faded to darkness where even her nightmares haunted her.

"We don't have any more time, Aemond. We've been torn apart. Our family won't survive like this." He pulls his hood up over his head as he follows me up the hill toward the castle.

Nodding my head I glance over my shoulder at him, "I know, Luke... I know. How have Rhaena and Baela been holding up?" I ask, changing the subject before he realizes I've agreed with him.

With a deep breath, he looks up toward the handful of lit windows and frowns, his downturned gaze saying it all.

"They're doing as well as expected. I think it's our mother and Elaena they mostly worry about. Aelyx might've been this family's saving grace." He admits, taking a deep breath.

Elaena had always been the eldest child, looked up to by all of her siblings. She'd been a pillar of strength they've followed but how much more could a single person take?

"Hmm, one can hope, but only time will tell I'm afraid... the one thing we're lacking."

Daemon had been pressing to take Kings Landing the moment he'd heard of his son's death and I of all people agreed with him. If we wished to stop the spread of the snake's venom, we should cut its head. It was the only way to ensure our safety from here on out... but Elaena, Rhaenyra, and Corlys had disagreed petrified that we would fall into yet another trap.

The Blacks were at a loss, crippled by the death that struck us over and over again but the longer we waited, the more time Aegon had to plan and convince the Lords of the realm we were weak.

Because right now, we were.

Saying our goodbyes we part ways at the fork of the hallway, him to Rhaena's apartments and I to the boy's chambers hoping if I was quick enough I could help Elaena put them to bed.

Approaching their cracked open door, Elaena's soft melodies feed into the corridor and I hesitate at the knight guarding the door. It's been months since I've heard her sing and the mere sound even from down the hallway was enough to make me fall at her feet.

Gods, how I've missed her sweet song.

I worried it would be gone forever.

"Oh little dragons, you'll grow so strong
You'll soar the skies and write your own songs
Sharp as the steel that you'll wield when you're old
Wit like your strength that you'll sharpen with stone.

Born in a storm but in flames will you thrive
The darkness won't keep you, and your fire won't die
Sharp as the steel that you'll wield when you're old
Wit like your strength that you'll sharpen with stone,
Wit like your strength that you'll sharpen with stone."

As I sneak into the room my sword knocks against the table and I cringe looking up to see Jaehaeryn snap his neck to see me approaching, Elaena however rolls her eyes with a soft giggle granting me a gracious half smile.

Regaining my balance I count my blessings I haven't woken the baby, tiptoeing to my wife and nephew in the dimly lit room.

"Uncle Aemond!" He points excitedly jumping up out of bed to run into my arms.

I hold a finger to my lips in an effort to keep him quiet but with Joffrey's twelfth name day just a few days away, Elaena and I had been using it as an exciting distraction to keep up his spirits in light of all this death.

"Shh, little one. You need to get some rest, hm? We've interrupted Aunt El's song," Tilting up my head I shrug off my hood, kneeling next to his bed to let him down softly.

He was growing larger by the day, looking more like his father every time I saw him. The way he smiled mischievously, even the glint of mischief in his eye. He was indeed growing into a mighty seven-year-old.

I feel Elaena's gaze lingering on me, watching as I tuck Jae back into bed and the heat from her stare about boils the blood in my veins, the heat prickling at the back of my neck.

"Did you ride on Vhagar, Uncle? Did you take her without me?" He asks sweetly, inching up to look out his window but I latch both hands around his waist.

"No, no, little one. Perhaps I'll take you tomorrow, hm? But you must go to sleep if you wish to have a big day tomorrow," I tell him quietly, and to my surprise snuggles up beneath the covers, closing his light lavender eyes to the world.

Elaena giggles softly, holding her hand to her mouth to cover the adorable noise.

For a lingering moment, our eyes connect, waiting for the moment our little dragon settles. Once his breath slows and we're sure he's fallen asleep we both rise walking slowly towards the door when I feel her fingers slip into mine.

Wandering towards the door I take a peek into Aelyx's crib, fighting the urge to run my fingers across his wisps of white blonde Valyrian hair.

"He's growing quickly. Not like me when I was a child. I hated being so much smaller than my brother," I tell her, slipping my arm around her waist to bring her into my chest as we make our way to the door.

I can't be sure for how long, but Elaena seemed to be settled in the bit of happiness we'd had left, finding her purpose in these boys at least for the time being.

"It wasn't only Aegon you had to look up to," she giggles, not needing to remind me of our slight height difference when we were children and the mere sound of her laugh sets me ablaze.

How I've missed that sound.

"Only for a few years, my love. It wasn't long before you returned to Kings Landing, stuttering over your words and blushing under the faintest touch." As I speak I tilt her head only slightly to trail my lips down the side of her neck and a bit of the tension she holds in her shoulders fades.

Reluctantly I reach for the door handle but she reaches out to stop me, melting back against my chest with a sigh.

"I wasn't expecting you to be such a..." she trails off looking for the right word to use as the motion of my lips fog her train of thought.

Without a word I continue my assault on the pebbling skin of her neck, leaving little bites down to the arch of her shoulder. When she doesn't finish her sentence I grin, my deep chuckle reverberating through her.

"Such a what, Princess? A man?"

Giving her hand a tug I spin her around to face me, pressing my hips against hers to trap her against the door earning a whine-like whimper from her lips in response.

"Aemond, not in the boy's rooms-" she sighs but her body says the opposite, grinding her core against my thickening erection.

In a split-second decision, I hoist Elaena up around my waist looping one arm under her ass, using the other hand to quietly pull open the door and shut it behind us.

Earning a quirked eyebrow from the guard Elaena's soft cheeks darken with an embarrassed blush.

She hides her face away in the crook of my neck but I grace the man with a nod of acknowledgment continuing on our walk to our chambers.

"I've quite missed being manhandled by you, my Prince." She tells me breathlessly.

"Hmm, I've missed manhandling you," I growl against her ear tightening my hold around her ass to press her closer to me but she has other plans.

Elaena uses one hand to hold onto the clasps of my cloak but she uses the other to work the buttons of my trousers like she's done a thousand times before.

In moments she's undone my pants reaching a hand down the front of my cock and wrapping her slender fingers around me.

My knees buckle, my footsteps slowing to a stop as I hiss a sharp breath through my lips.

Backing us up against the wall her back collides with the stone the moment my mouth collides with hers and the moan that leaves her mouth is primal.

I wanted to fuck her against this wall, hear her pleas echo through these halls.

I hike her skirts further up her thighs, my sword an annoyance swaying at my side but I ignore it plunging my tongue into her mouth.

I'd have her here and now.

"Aemond," she breathes and as I grow desperate to hear her sweet sounds I trail my lips down her chest sucking lightly at the tops of her breasts.

"Someone could see us,"

"If I were you I'd be more worried they'll hear you, sweet girl but then again I'm counting on that."

Using the wall for support I slip my fingers between her soaking wet folds and she jerks against my hand her high-pitched whines proving my point instantly.

"That's it, love. Use me for your pleasure," I pant, watching her rock herself back and forth on my hand and it's a captivating sight. My rock-hard erection was already slick with precum, dripping at her fingertips.

Fuck, I won't last long but I need to be inside of her.

Already I feel her muscles tightening around me and I know she's close but I need her just a bit longer.

"A-Aemond, I'm so close," she whispers, her voice light and breathy.

"I know, sweet girl but I need you to take me. Can you do that?" I ask her, waiting until I see her nod but her eyes are rolling to the back of her head, already surrendering herself to the pleasure.

Lifting my hips I'm inside of her with one graceful motion, and at the deep connection, both of us reach for the other. I couldn't get close enough to her, I wanted to drown myself in her.

Her moans, her taste, her feel, I could never get enough.

Growling against her mouth my thrusts aren't at all gentle and her tight pussy milks me for all I'm worth, my pace both of our undoings as her nails dug into the back of my neck.

"I'm coming, Aemond. I can't stop-"

"Don't stop, Elaena, gods please don't stop," I beg against her parted mouth and my words are all it takes for her to fall apart, her already tight muscles demanding every last bit of me and she would have it.

My body goes rigid and I clench my teeth, bracing myself as I come apart inside of her, filling her with my cum with each of my last languid thrusts and I'm in complete bliss.

Holding her tight against me I don't move until I catch my breath, using my free shaky hand to move the sweaty stray hairs out of her face. 

I rest my forehead on hers when I notice a vulnerable look blanketing her eyes and press a tender kiss to her lips before someone wanders down the hallway.

"Come. I think it's about time I put you to bed now," I chuckle.

Shifting my hold on her I bring both her legs up to carry her like the princess she was treating her more gently than just moments ago.

"You know, I think you can put me down now. I'm quite capable of walking." She giggles but I smirk knowingly down at her.

"If you'd like to walk with my seed dripping down your pretty thighs be my guest,"

Elaena looks at me for a moment before leaning back into my chest in response, giggling softly into the crook of my neck.

For hours she sleeps peacefully until I feel her stir against me, her fingernails digging into my arm.

Unsure whether or not to wake her I watch her for a few extra moments, silently pleading that her nightmares would spare her if even for just one night.

"No, no, please-" Her murmurs are so soft I almost miss it. Tugging her back against my bare chest she struggles against me, pulling out of my hold.

"Shh, my love. You're safe, it's me," I whisper but she pulls away from me, saying something under her breath I can't quite understand.

Grabbing hold of her arm I yank her back before she falls from the bed and turn her to face me. Still trapped by her nightmares I have to shake her to break her out of it.

"Elaena, come back to me- hey," As her eyelids flutter open her last thoughts are spoken aloud, her lavender eyes in a wide panic like I haven't seen before, "Don't take him- please, take me!"

The two of us are locked in our gaze, her eyes softening with recognition.

"The boys?" She asks timidly, embarrassed by her outburst but I only smooth her hair away from her face, reassuring her in every way that I can. "They're safe and sound down the hall. We just put them to sleep not long ago, remember?"

Her breathing finally slows and I rest my forehead on hers. I fight the urge to ask her what her nightmare was about but I can guess at the horrors from the first words that left her lips when she woke.

My heart ached that I couldn't do more for her, even more so that it was my brothers who were the cause of her pain.

"We should check on them-" Elaena throws the sheets off of her but I grab her wrists.

"You're practically naked, Elaena. I'll check on them, sweet girl. Stay put, hm?"

To my surprise, she agrees but by the time I've returned she's strewn about across the bed having no regard for my side and I can't help but chuckle to myself.

Just when I thought she couldn't be more adorable...

***

"Gods, look at him! His eyes are the darkest violet I've ever seen," Balea exclaims, rocking Aeylx back and forth by the fireplace of the great hall.

We'd taken a break in our planning when the maids brought Aelyx for a visit and the women were circling my son like Vhagar did her dinner on a late afternoon.

"He'll steal many a lady's heart when he grows older. They'll be sending in betrothals from all over the realm that's certain." My sister agrees, finally leaving her chambers for an afternoon with her first grandson.

Elaena and I both cringe at the idea of our son being betrothed when he hadn't even been a year old yet. 

The both of us were lucky to have escaped the expectations of an arranged betrothal and I could only hope that when Aelyx came of age he could also marry for love, for who wouldn't want to live their life with the love of their dreams?

"He'll have his choice, and just as his father before him it will be for love," I say from afar, crossing both my arms over my chest, watching over my wife and son fondly, and then the peace is shattered.

"They're calling him Daeron the Daring, singing his praises from dusk to dawn, Mother!" 

Luke bursts through the double doors, his face red with rage as he charges toward us.

"If they march for Harrenhal I want to be front and center with Daemon. I want to be the one who drives a sword through his heart! Let me fight for you as Jace has," Luke pleads with my sister, but she shakes her head her lifeless eyes not leaving the boy-turned-man before her.

"Brave they were but dead they are, Lucerys. Caraxes can handle Tessarion and the Greens won't be expecting our additional numbers from the North."

Cregan Stark.

Of course, he'd come to our aid after hearing of his close friend's death. Perhaps he would be of some use to us after all.

"Then I won't be in any danger. Send a raven to Daemon, and ask if he'll have me." Luke is relentless in his pursuit of revenge, a backbone growing seemingly overnight.

"Luke," Elaena warns looking to me for help but I won't stand in his way. Lucerys had never been so sure about anything than avenging the death of his brothers, and if Daeron and Tessarion were... removed from the equation it was possible Aegon would surrender, ending this once and for all.

I open my mouth to voice my support for the boy but Rhaenyra is already glaring at me in warning until I cross my arms behind my back in surrender.

"You won't send the raven because you know Daemon would agree, is that it?" He asks, and the room becomes more uncomfortable by the minute.

Rhaenyra's silence only further angers Luke and I can't be sure I've ever seen him angry before, especially with his mother.

"Father hasn't always made the best decisions, Lucerys. He can be reckless-"

"Then perhaps it's what we need! If we had listened to Father from the very beginning Aegon and Daeron's heads would be on spikes by now!" He roars, aiming his anger at Elaena but Baela and I step in front of her giving him a shove back.

"And we will have their heads, but not if we fall into another one of their traps!" I shout but he shakes his head in defeat turning to look at all of us.

"Our fear is what will lose us this war, Uncle. You know that just as well as I." Turning to leave Rhaenyra calls after him but it's no use, he's already out the door and slamming it behind him as he goes.

At the loud sound, Aeylx begins to cry in Elaena's arms and my sister rests both palms on the painted table, hanging her head in an effort to hide the tears welling in her eyes.

"I'll speak with him... but I'm afraid to say he might be right."

Elaena and her mother share a look and when neither of them disagrees I leave a kiss on Elaena's temple and leave in search of Lucerys.

It doesn't take me long to catch up to Luke and his short legs but he's at least calmed down, lost in his thoughts as he stares out the window at the dragons resting on the beach.

Once he looks up to see me walking toward him he rolls his eyes, meaning to turn and walk the other way.

"Strong," I warn and my gruff tone is enough to stop him in his tracks.

"If they've sent you to tell me I'm wrong I don't want to hear it-"

"You're right. There does that make you feel better?"

The poor boy is too stunned to speak staring back at me with wide eyes.

Holding my hands behind my back I approach the window to stand next to him but he's still bewildered.

For a few moments, we stand in silence until he takes a deep breath, joining me at the window.

"Elaena used to be so impulsive. I miss the sister who ran off the Stepstones to save our Grandfather. She would understand,"

"She's become a mother, Luke. Elaena still understands, she wants revenge just as badly as you but she doesn't want to pay the ultimate price to get it." I explain but he already knows that.

"If I had a dragon they'd let me go." He grumbles and I'm reminded of his age.

Chuckling under my breath I correct him, "I have Vhagar and Elaena would have my head herself if I left her and Aelyx. She's too fragile to be worrying about me right now, but that doesn't mean I haven't thought about it."

Luke mulls over my words and though he's not happy, we've come to an understanding at least for now.

"Now if you're not too busy being angry I may very well need your help for something."

***

Taking Elaena's hand I led her down the path that we'd traveled many times before but tonight was different.

I'd killed for her, almost given my life own life for hers but in all the chaos of our battles, we'd never had the opportunity to enjoy the simple things.

It might've not been the hills of Driftmark where I'd first realized my feelings for her but it would be special just the same.

"All we've been through and you're going to feed me to Vhagar now?" She teases, looping her arm through mine.

"Hush, you're going to love it," I tell her, the warmth of her body pressed to mine all I could need on a night like this.

At least... I hoped that she'd love it.

With nervous excitement, a bead of sweat drips down my back. The moment we spot the dim candlelight below Elaena lets out a quiet gasp using her free hand to cover her mouth in surprise.

About a half hour ago I'd gathered all of Elaena's favorite sweets and drinks and with the help of Lucerys, I'd set up mounds of pillows and blankets to lay out a private area on the beach overlooking the waves.

"Did you-? This is for us?" She asks, nervous to get her hopes up but I smile down at her tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"This is for you," I tell her softly and the darkness that lingered in her violet eyes practically fades away, replaced with joy as her pink lips tip up into a tender smile.

"Come,"

Leading her the rest of the way she places a hand on her chest fiddling with something beneath the collar of her cloak nervously.

As we approach the lavish picnic I help Elaena down to sit gracefully but she can't decide what to look at first, running her hands across everything as she sees it.

"All my favorite cheeses, fruits... even my books? Aemond," the simple way she breathes my name is thanks enough, the return of her beautiful smile a gift in itself.

"It was a night like this that I realized I loved you." I begin, taking my seat next to her I help her into my lap before I pour her a goblet of wine as she watches me.

"My hope was that one day I would court you as a true Prince should, exactly how you deserved but I was naive for thinking my mother would ever allow such a thing." I chuckle, handing her the goblet as she listens intently.

"But that doesn't mean I can't make up for lost time."

The way Elaena's looking at me makes my mouth dry but she rectifies the problem rather quickly, leaning in to press her soft lips to mine.

Cradling the small of her back I support her weight with my palm but our kiss is short and sweet.

"I love it. Thank you, my prince."

She presses a quick kiss against my cheek and then with a mischievous grin she tips back her cup, draining the contents down her throat and I don't know whether to kiss her or check her temperature.

It doesn't take long for the both of us to settle into one another filling our stomachs and laughing under the stars when she snuggles into my chest, flipping open her leather-bound book.

The comfortable silence between us stretches as she turns the pages and I hadn't felt a peace like this in the months since our return to Dragonstone.

"Valyria must've been such a stunning city. Towers with no ceilings, dragon roads, and sculptures. I can't imagine what treasures of our ancestry were left behind when they escaped." She ponders, dreaming just as she had when we were younger.

This world of Westeros had never been enough for her, she was always meant to conquer it, seeing a better future for all her people even when there was no clear path ahead.

"Grandfather was wrong about many things but he was right about one thing. The house of the dragon can not stand strong divided. The other houses must think us weak if there isn't loyalty even among siblings."

There's a bit of a slur to her words from the wine but despite it, she retains her well-spoken tongue, sounding much like a queen already.

Tipping up her face to look at me the sadness I hear in her voice pulls at the side of her mouth in a frown and I nod my head, reminded of that last night our family had been together as one.

"The realm can be whatever we make it when you're Queen one day, my love. And we'll instill those same values into our children, and our grandchildren after them."

Instinctively I pull her closer and reach for a blanket to drape around us and she leans forward, resting her forehead to mine.

For a long moment, we remain like that, comfortable in one another's embrace when she speaks up softly. "My brothers should've been here to see it. I miss them, Aemond... I miss them so much,"

A lone tear drips down her pink cheeks and her fragile voice is on the verge of breaking. I want to apologize, and tell her everything will be just fine but how was I to know? I couldn't keep making promises that were out of my control.

"I know my love. You've been so strong for our boys. Jacaerys would be proud of you, I know I am." I absentmindedly trace the curve of her jaw and my sweet song does her very best to smile but still, it's beautiful.

"I could never part from you, Aemond. You've been my strength these past three months," she confesses, her tongue wetting her bottom lip.

I graze the pad of my thumb across the path her tongue just drew and I almost can't focus as her gaze flickers between my eye and my mouth.

Keeping my voice low I bring our lips undeniably close, so close I can feel her breath quickening, "You're much stronger than you realize, my song."

Elaena's the first to break, pressing off my lap to capture my mouth with a passionate kiss.

Once I taste the sweet wine on her lips, I slip my tongue into her mouth and she grants me full access, submitting to my possessive kiss like the good girl she was.

Just as I begin to sneak my fingers up her thigh a rumbling shakes the ground below us and as we both look up a mighty dragon flies overhead, blowing out all the candles and knocking everything out of place.

My first thought is that we're being attacked, that Sunfyre or Tessarion were finally here to rain fire down upon all of us but the dragon in the sky is much larger, even giving Vhagar a run for her money.

"Who is that? It can't be- is it?" Elaena snaps her head to look up unbelieving what she's seeing with her own two eyes. Helping her up we both stand to look at the sky, marveling at the bronze beauty Vermithor who Lucerys was now circling through the sky. 

"It seems your little brother will be fighting at Harrenhal after all," I smirk, snaking my arms around her waist from behind.

"I can't believe it. Vermithor... that dragon is quite the opposite of little Arrax." She chuckles, leaning her head back against my chest. We watch Luke and Vermithor for a few moments when I remember something, Lucerys had said to me long ago.

"The boy he was died along with his dragon. He's the eldest son now, he has to see himself worthy of being the older brother and now he's an Uncle of his own." I explain, never fathoming being one of Luke's confidants but here we were.

Elaena smiles in understanding when her eye catches something at her feet.

Her gasp is so loud I jump out of my skin, pulling her behind me as I go for my sword but she's pushing me away going to her knees where I finally see what it is she's so captivated with.

"Aemond, look! Look!" She waves me over excitedly and I sink to my knees beside her where she's entranced by the glowing markings covering the pages of her book of Old Valyria.

"How is this possible?" I ask her as if she knows but she ignores me, staring in awe to flip through the pages to find even more faint glowing markings littering the pages. 

She looks around for something until she finds it, jumping up to bring over one of the only lit candles left however the moment she brings the candlelight closer to the book the markings fade.

The both of us look at one another in question but as she pulls away the candle the markings return. "Could it be..." Elaena thinks aloud and before I can ask her what she means she blows out the candle, but blocks the moonlight with her hand.

Lo and behold the markings appear and disappear at the simple movement of her hand.

"It's the moonlight," she gasps, looking up at me for my reaction and I'm stunned at how quickly she's figured it out but we still have no idea what the markings mean.

"All this time and we just had to read them under the moon. How do you suppose it's possible?" I ask her, kneeling beside her to stroke my fingers over the faint marks. 

Rolling her eyes at me my sweet wife motions to the sky where Luke still circled above with Vermithor, "How do we ride dragons, Aemond? How do I have dreams of the future? It could only mean blood magic, or perhaps the Gods of Old Valyria want to tell us something-"

"Elaena," I sigh stopping her before she gets too ahead of herself but she plants a palm over my mouth to continue, "Even you have said the gods have destined us to be together, Aemond Targaryen. What if that's true?"

I haven't seen her this excited in months, her frown long gone as she comes to sit on my lap with hopeful eyes and what she says is true, of course, it's true.

What if everything had happened for a reason to lead us here to this moment?

Wrapping my arms around her I smirk against her hand and her smile widens when she feels it. Taking her hand in mine I nod, finally agreeing with her.

"Well of course it's true, ñuha vāedar. Perhaps you're right, but what do you think it means?"
*my song

Sinking back into my chest she blows out a frustrated breath as she thinks about it and I give her the time, letting her smart mind work.

"I'm not sure... but it's something."

***