Lines Drawn in Flesh

Haemon 121, Hightide

Laenor's funeral was a somber event. Vaemond, Lord Corlys' brother was chanting in High Valarian over Laenor Casket, glancing between my children and Rhaenyra's. Daeron found it funny and laughed only to be stooped by the queen with a glare. Laena was first next to the casket weeping. Our children by my side, Baelon in my arms. Corlys was standing away from the main group, Rhaenys with him garbed in black and her face covered. The King stood leaning heavily on his cane, he looked worse since his arm had been removed but he never complained about it. Alicent by his side with Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron. Following down the line.

Once his body had been sent to Sea everyone seemed to leave for the higher courtyard looking over it. Laena stayed still watching the waves.

"My love, we must go."

"I want to stay a little longer" I sighed. Handing Baelon to Aemon, giving him directions to go to his grandmother, Rhaena leading the way.

"He should not have ridden in the tilts. Swordplay was what he was better at." Laena said monotone.

"The gods work in mysterious ways." She snorted.

"The gods who give life to my son but take my brother's." I sighed and looked back at the Courtyard, meeting Corlys' eyes.

"I have nothing to remember him by. Not even his 'sons' are his."

"But our sons need you. So does our daughter." She looked at me then, dried tear marks on her face.

"I do not want them to see me like this. To see me in this state of distress. I want to be free of court for the day." I nodded and held my arm out to her. She grabbed it and leaned into me.

"Then please. Lead us to our destination my fair lady."

We walked for quite a while, not talking. We could hear Seasmoke's cries in the distance, followed by the other dragons. All the dragonriders we're present in this moment. Even Sunfyre, and Dreamfyre are here. We found a small tree on a hill overlooking the sea, where we sat. Laena leaning into me.

"Will the children be fine without us?"

"I'm sure they can handle a day with their grandmother. She needs them as much as they need her." She only sighed.

"What of Baelon? His still not used to being without me."

"My love, Baelon is still a babe, I'm sure he will hardly notice. Corlys and Rhaenys have them handled; tonight, is for you to relax." She just leaned more into me.

"I do not know what I will do without him." I didn't know what to say. My position as hand haven't prepared me for this level of advice.

"You remember what you told me. In terms of Daemon's death?" She shook her head.

"Now is not the time for mourning. Remember him as he would have wanted. With pride. Not regret." She gave a soft hum.

"Even now we have three children. Though they may not be his blood, he still treated Jace and Luke as his children." She looked at me then.

"They don't even look like him, yet you ask me to remember him through them." I shrugged.

"I am simply trying to help you. What do you think they are going through now? The man they saw as their father is dead." Her eyes softened at that. But didn't say anything else just leaned back into me. Soon enough we fell asleep and awoke to a dragon flying over us. It was Seasmoke heading towards the castle. We quickly ran to Hightide.

It took us some time to reach Hightide, when we arrived all the guards were on high alert. A servant quickly bringing us to the main hall, there we saw the king sitting on the Driftwood throne looking defeated. Rhaenyra with her boys behind her being guarded by 2 white cloaks, Alicent, Aegon, and Helaena standing on to the side. Aemon was being held back by Corlys, his target seemed to be Jace. Daeron was standing looking guilty by the Lord Commander's side. Aemond was the closest to the King. Rhaenys was kneeling in front of a chair with a Maester seemed to be stitching up someone.

"Rhaena!" I heard Laena scream as she rushed to the chair. Rhaena sat there with an ugly cut along her eye. The Maester was working on stitching it.

"What happened!" I yelled looking around the room, my hand on Sweetkiss. No one answered me.

"Who did this my daughter!"

"It was Jace!" Aemon yelled seeming to try harder to lunge at Jace. I faltered for a second, before quickly glaring at the boy. He cowered at my stare and Rhaenyra pulled him behind her.

"It was an accident brother" I ignored her.

"Will it heal Maester?" I asked the Maester who looked finished with the stitching.

"The wound will heal, but I fear she has lost her eye. My Lord Hand" Laena gave a sob at that.

"An accident which has cost my daughter to lose her eye, sister" She was getting nervous now. The Queen walked forward then.

"Perhaps the full story could shine some light on this tragedy."

"It was his fault!" Luke yelled. "He stole father's dragon!"

"I didn't steal him! You should have tamed him first!" Daeron yelled. Over a dragon. Rhaena lost an eye, over a dragon.

"This explains nothing! Why has my daughter lost her eye!" Jace stepped forward.

"We went to see Seasmoke, but Daeron got to him first. He pushed Luke to the ground, we fought and Rhaena tried to stop us."

"Jace pulled a dagger on me!" Daeron yelled and the room went wide eyed. No man is accursed as a Kinslayer. Boy or not.

"They meant to kill my son! Why would they have a dagger in the first place?" Alicent yelled to my father.

"He called my children bastards. Your grace." Again, silence flooded the room. Father rose from the throne then. Slowly hobbling towards Daeron.

"Over an insult. You children meant to kill my child. Over an insult?" Alicent then walked forward more.

"You tell me, boy. Where did you hear this lie?" Daeron only looked around the room, looking his mother than at Aegon.

"It was Aegon."

"Me?" Aegon looked confused, like he wasn't even paying attention to the conversation.

"And you, boy?" Father hobbled over to Aegon. "Where did you hear such calumnies?". Aegon swallowed not looking at father. "Aegon! Answer me now! Your King commands it!".

"We know father...We all know. Just look at them." Viserys backed up and looked around the room.

"I will have no more of this! All of you! We are a family! Now apologize to each other. Your father. Your Grandsire. Your King demands it!" Silence flooded the room as he hobbled back to the throne.

"And what of my daughter's eye?" Laena asked softly rising to look at father. "An apology will not heal my daughter." Father turned to look at her with pity.

"And what would you have me do, Good-daughter? I cannot restore her eye." Laena then looked at Jace.

"There is a debt to be paid." Alicent nodding along.

"She is right, Husband" Father only looked stupefied. I thumbed Sweetkiss.

"She is your Granddaughter, father. Your blood. What would you do if Rhaenyra sat in this chair and I the carver?" Viserys hobbled over to me. Meeting my eye.

"My son. Do not allow your grief to cloud your judgement."

"Then what am I to do? Let bygones be bygones? No. I will not."

"This matter is finished, Lord Hand. Do you understand?" I only looked at him disappointed. Laena kept darting between me and father with an open mouth.

"Let it be known. Anyone whose tongue dares to question the legitimacy of Princess Rhaenyra's sons, shall have it removed." He sat on the throne then looking at Alicent. "Anyone".

"Thank you, father." Rhaenyra said in all her glory. I only stood there shocked that there would be no justice for my daughter. Laena did not have the same problem; she grabbed my dagger looking to make her way to Jace and Luke. The entire room irrupted into chaos then. The Kingsguard made to unleash their swords to strike her down. I ran forward to pick her up by the waist, grabbing her wrist to drop the dagger. She only screamed and cried in my arms, yelling at Rhaenyra.

"You go too far Lady Laena!". Father shouted being held back my the Cargyll twins.

"My wife goes to far? Our daughter has been maimed and left half blind. Yet you do nothing. I have ran your kingdom and defended our House's honor too many times to count on both hands! Yet my wife goes to far to seek justice! Pitiful words coming from the man who denies it." Laena was beating her arms against mine, trying to be set free.

"I would watch your tongue, Lord Hand." Father said.

"Or what? Shall you have it removed? And leave another member of my family punished for a crime they did not commit?" He didn't have an answer to that, only looked at me and hobbled away with the help of the Lord Commander. Soon the entire room was empty save me, Laena, Corlys, Rhaenys, Rhaena and Aemon.

"Where were you Aemon? Why were you not with your sister?" I asked Aemon after grabbing his collar. Laena was being held by Rhaenys as she cried in her shoulder. He looked down at his feet.

"Answer me boy!" He looked up at that with fear in his eyes. I had never yelled at them before.

"Rhaena woke me when she heard the roars. She wanted to venture, but I told her that we shouldn't. She only laughed and called me scarred and ran. I went to fetch Ser Steffon when she left. We found her, along with the Lord Commander and the Bastards surrounding her. Daeron was trying to stop the blood." I slapped him, he had tears in his eyes and a mark starting to set on his face.

"You are to never leave your sister alone again. Am I understood?" He looked read to cry.

"Am I understood boy?" I growled out and he quickly nodded. I hugged him then. Apologizing for hitting him and telling him he did a good job with getting Ser Steffon. Corlys only looked at me.

"What are we to do now? Haemon." I gave a long sigh.

"The children along with Laena shall stay here for now." Corlys nodded seeming pleased with that answer. "I will resume my duties as hand. Once Aemon reaches of an age to squire he shall come to the Capitol to learn from me and Aemond will train him." He only looked at me funny once I mentiond Aemond.

"Aemond is my squire, I have been teaching him as much as I could. He will be the one to wield Darksister once he's knighted until Aemon comes of age. He is the best to teach him of the sword." Corlys nodded then and moved towards Laena with Aemon by his side. I walked over to Rhaena who looked at the fire.

"Does it hurt, little dragon?" She shook her head. I picked her up and sat on the chair with her leaning against my chest rubbing her back.

"Youdo not have to be brave with me little dragon. I have had my fair share ofscars. None hold a candle to yours." She wrapped her arms around my neck andcried. Cried like I never heard her cry before. Muttering words, I couldn't understandand shaking uncontrollably. I could only hold her. Tears were staring to comedown my face. I wasn't there to defend her. To protect her from this. I failedher. I will not again. I stared into the flames of the fireplace, seeing dragonsroaring and falling from the sky. Lines were drawn and crossed today. The nexttime this happens. Blood will be spilt, and it will be none of my family's.

Author's note.

This was very tricky to write. Like incredibly so. I spent all day trying to figure it out.

Mainly I wanted to create a devide with the three families. Rhaenyra's, Alicent's, and Haemon's.

With the way I was going. Eliminating Ser Criston. There would be no conflict. Nothing to write about. It would be boring. I don't want that. So Rhaena lost her eye. Sad case.