Black Embers Burn
Haemon POV
"How may I help you Aemon?" I was in my solar writing letters to lords and going over reports from Bloodstone. I should visit there soon, maybe bring Aemon with me.
"I want to know why we are here." I stopped writing for a second, then continued.
"I don't understand what you mean?" He only closed the door and walked over to sit down in the chair across from me.
"You can't expect me to think you're siding with Rhaenyra after everything she's done to us." I gently put my writing quill into the ink bottle. I leaned back and folded my arms across my stomach.
"Oh? What has she, done to us?" He's fidgeting but still held a firm expression.
"She allowed Jace to remain unpunished. He should have lost his eye as well!" His eyes were burning and his fists were closed.
"An accident that happened years ago." I waved it off. I was not in the mood to get into this.
"A slight on our family!" He slapped the table and stood up. I just stared at him. I wouldn't entertain his outburst.
"I understand your frustration…" I tried to sooth him.
"Yet you do nothing! Like a craven!" I stood up slowly to tower over him, and he looked like he regretted saying that, but he still held his head high.
"If you think, I do not share your anger then you are wrong." I hissed at him.
"All you do is sit behind a desk, nothing to bring honor to Rhaena. Your daughter!" He pointed his finger at me at that.
"A smart man waits until all the pieces are in his possession to act. Now sit down and listen to what I have to say." He only crossed his arms glaring at me. "Sit. Now." I whispered, and I glared into his eyes. He was stubborn but we would not win this match. Not yet. He sat with a huff. "You may be smart for your age, but a child you still are." I grabbed two cups and filed one with wine and one with water. I gently pushed the one with water to him.
"I have been planning for many years. Plans laid out; plans you couldn't even comprehend. Layered over one another, sometimes I get lost in them." I took a sip of wine as a breather and looked at him. Looking to see if he was going to respond. "Plans your mother doesn't even know about. Your grandmother does though. I could never hide anything from her." I snorted and took another sip.
"What are these plans?" He didn't look angry anymore. His mind was clear. Good. I needed smart Aemon, not angry Aemon sworn to vengeance.
"Plans of retribution. Plans for our family to be safe for hundreds of years. I cannot tell you all of them for your own safety. But I will tell you this. The crime committed to your sister will not remain unpunished." He looked satisfied. "I could not do anything while my father was alive. Even if I hated him, I still respected his wishes as he was my King and father." He looked confused. "I might have been Hand, but ruling the kingdom is far different then running the court. The true court, where men wore green and black to show their allegiance, and spoke in hushed whispers behind each other's backs. No, Otto was the puppeteer. Always creating conflict for both parties so we could not stand as one for the betterment of the Kingdom. Eyes were always on me, Acting the tired loyal dog was crucial." I took another sip, and he did the same. He looked a little overwhelmed. "House Targaryen are the true rulers of the Seven Kingdoms, and I won't let some shit like Otto Hightower rule through Aegon. Nor will I let Rhaenyra burn it to the ground." As I said this, he looked in my eyes, and I saw a hint of understanding. "You understand. I trust this conversation will remain between us two. Princess Rhaenys will be informed of your knowledge. Tell no one of this Aemon."
"Yes father." He rose with a bow and made ready to leave but I stopped him raising my hand.
"You will return to Bloodstone when your sister heads to the North if Lord Stark agrees to marry her. It will be months until that happens. Lord Corlys will be arriving soon, along with your mother and brother. You will continue your squiring under him upon his arrival. You may leave now." He bowed and left and I sat down with a sigh and downed the rest of my wine. Gods be good. I looked at the letter on the table and sighed, before pulling out the quill and continued writing.
Aemond POV
Being Commander of the Gold Cloaks was surely a position that someone of lower status could take up. No. Haemon said that for men to follow our orders we must show them that we are strong enough to enforce them ourselves. It was smart, but a loyal second son of some lord could work as well.
I took to the position with a ruthlessness my Mother prayed about. Saying that a knight should not act in such a manner, which I only responded with 'If a man has done the crime, surely the gods will understand their punishment'. She never gave me a response, just left with a huff. If a man has been caught raping, then he lost his cock and a hand, shipped to the wall. If he is caught stealing then he loses his hand and gets branded a thief, shipped to the wall. If a man gets caught with murder, then it's an immediate execution. The wall has no place for murderers.
I was off duty right now, and the time I had off was spent with Helaena and her children. The twins, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, and little Maelor. The twins were six so still young enough to be under the watch of their mother, and Maelor was just two. He would always look around the room and laugh as I put him on my shoulders to see what it looked like from up there.
"Greetings Sister." I said softly as I closed the door. It was evening, but the royal family was kept in their rooms for fear of assassination since Aegon's crowning.
"Hello Aemond." She had a soft smile on her face, as she brushed Jaehaera's hair.
"Uncle Aemond!" Jaehaerys crashed into me and wrapped me into a hug. "Why have the guards not let us out?" He looked up at me with soft eyes. I just smiled and kneeled to look at him.
"It is not safe yet. You'll be free to roam the halls soon, I promise." I ruffled his hair and memories of Haemon doing the same to me flashed by.
"Haemon has gone to Dragonstone." Helaena said, and I just looked confused at the timing. "Black embers burn" She said before glancing at me and then turning back to continue to brush Jaehaera's hair.
"How are you Sister?" I walked around to sit on the chair across from her, she just had a gentle smile as she brushed the hair.
"I am well. Mother hardly visits me. She says she is helping Aegon. I don't really care." I nodded and looked to Jaehaera who had a peaceful look on her face with her eyes closed.
"And you Princess?" She popped an eye open to look at me.
"I'm fine, uncle." She closed her eye and fell back into the brushing. Jaehaera has always reminded me of Aemon when he was little. Always calm, and never bothered by anything.
"That is good." I leaned into the chair and looked around the room. Everything was organized, all clean. "Has Aegon came to see you, since his crowning?" The brushing stopped for a moment then continued.
"He has not. He has many things that he is busy with, as mother says." I hummed. Bullshit really. Grandfather was the King without the crown, and mother whispered his words to Aegon.
"He should make time to see his Queen."
"It is fine. Your visits are enough." She glanced into my eyes for a moment and continued to brush Jaehaera's hair. I sighed. I loved her, ever since I was a boy. I told Haemon this. He wasn't pleased but understood my situation. He told me that I couldn't act out on my desires. That I would be used to strengthen the Crown's connection to the other Kingdom's as a second son. I cried that night, and the next. For many nights after.
I knew that she loved me, or at least enjoyed me more than the rest of our family. I never judged her on her riddles, or broken ways of speaking. We had a strange connection. One that was too hard to explain.
"As you say, my Queen." We sat in silence then. The rhythmic brushing filling the room and Jaehaerys playing with a wooden sword. I don't even know how he got one into the room.