Dynasty of Flames//Aemond Targaryen X Reader

Chapter Twelve

Aegon was circling around Aemond like a hawk for the entirety of the evening and the younger prince did not like it one bit. Not only was he ruining his evening by chaperoning his every move but he was barely letting him and Alys have a complete conversation, always interrupting to say something stupid or unrelated to the topic at hand. He also didn't let Aemond touch a single beverage that evening, afraid that he might drink something containing the love potion; something he had been trying his best to keep from happening in hopes that the effects of the previous dosage might wear off. At one point, he even snatched the chalice of wine out of Alys' hands, that she brought for Aemond, and ended up 'accidentally' spilling it onto the floor. By the looks of it, she seemed just as annoyed as Aemond when he did that.

"Will you excuse me for a minute?" he leaned in to whisper to Alys, lips brushing against the shell of her ear. He had lost his patience with Aegon and his antics. He pulled his brother away from the lady and further away from the crowd.

"What are you trying to do?" he snapped in a hushed tone.

"Me? Why I'm spending my time with my favourite person in the whole world" Aegon joked, acting absolutely oblivious "oh, have you seen Y/N this evening? She looks absolutely breathtaking-"

"Gods, will you give this a rest?" Aemond heaved a frustrated sigh "I- this entire feast is to celebrate the announcement of her betrothal"

"She hasn't agreed to anything of the sort" the older prince reminded as he turned to scan the crown to find Y/N "in fact, I will be bold enough to propose the idea that she is waiting for you to ask for her hand"

"Please" Aemon scoffed, as if the idea suggested was the most moronic thing he'd ever heard "Have you lost your-"

"When has she ever made you feel like she doesn't want you" Aegon's tone changed from playful to serious "when has she ever given you reason to doubt her fondness for you. Or perhaps I ought to ask you, when has Alys ever shown you any signs of affection until now?"

Aegon had watched his brother grow up as the odd one in the family. The boy without a dragon, then the boy without an eye. He was told he would never be able to fly his dragon, never be able to ride on horseback, never be able to wield a sword or shoot an arrow. He would simply be a maimed boy with a title and nothing more. No place upon the council, no place even as a knight, no place at court except to merely exist within the walls of the keep; thus leaving him with not much to inherit from his family's wealth.

But Aemond would not give up; no, he fought twice as hard to prove everyone wrong. He earned his recognition as the prince to ride the largest dragon in the world and the best swordsman in the realm. The prince who's presence itself demanded respect.

And it upset Aegon knowing that Aemond wasn't really known among the others as a man desirable for his looks but solely for his title and wealth. Something that would give people like Alys a motive to try to pursue him, simply to rise in station.

"I cannot explain what I'm feeling exactly" Aemond gave an honest response. Since he hadn't had the next dosage of the love potion, his thoughts were all muddled up "it's like, I want Alys, I truly do but then there is one part of me that wants her to want me. That wants Y/N to want me and I do not know from where this desire has awoken"

While Aemond and Aegon argued back and forth, Helaena was having a similar conversation with Y/N.

"How long is this going to go on for?" she asked Y/N "how long are you to pretend that-"

"That I am not bothered by Aemond supposedly courting someone?" Y/N interrupted, keeping her voice down "it is not pretend. I truly am h-happy for him"

"You don't have to lie to me. I have watched you both grow up and I know that you care for him, too much to let him go" Helaena linked arms with her "and I know you are hurt. Pretending will only make things worse until its too late to do anything"