𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 || Aemond Targaryen

Chapter Fourteen

The morning air was crisp, brushing against my cheeks with a slight chill as we stood at the grand entrance of the Red Keep. The atmosphere buzzed with the excitement of the hunt, a sport so beloved by the men of the court, especially Aemond and his faithful companion, Ser Criston Cole. I watched, a forced smile painted on my face, as they mounted their horses, the clattering of hooves against stone punctuating the air with promise and peril.

Aemond, clad in his hunting greens, looked every bit the gallant prince as he reined his steed close to where I stood. Leaning down from his saddle, he caught my hand, pressing a warm kiss to my fingers. "I'll return by dusk, my love," he assured me, his eyes searching mine for any sign of the unease that fluttered like a trapped bird within my chest.

"And I will be waiting, as always," I replied, managing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. There was a tightness in my chest, a foreboding sense that something was amiss, but I could not, would not burden him with such vague apprehensions as he headed out for the hunt.

As Aemond and Ser Criston rode off, their figures gradually shrinking in the distance, I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. Clutching my stomach discreetly, I turned to find Queen Alicent observing me with an astute gaze.

"You don't look well, Lyanna," she commented softly, her tone laced with genuine concern as the last of the hunting party disappeared from view.

Drawing a deep breath, I nodded slightly. "It's nothing serious, just a slight indisposition. I should have told him," I murmured, more to myself than to her, regret threading through my words.

Alicent stepped closer, her expression softening. "You are with child again, aren't you?" she guessed astutely, her eyes dropping to my hand still resting on my abdomen.

The directness of her observation made me pause, and for a moment, I considered denying it. But the futility of such a lie, especially to someone as perceptive as Alicent, stayed my tongue. "Yes, but it's very early days yet. I didn't want to worry Aemond before anything is certain."

Alicent's hand came to rest supportively on my shoulder. "A mother knows these things," she said, a smile touching her lips. "But you must take care, Lyanna. These early days are precarious, and you shouldn't be alone."

Her concern was a balm to my unsettled thoughts. "Thank you, Mother. I—I appreciate your care. It's just hard, keeping this a secret, even if it's only for a little while longer."

"Secrets have a weight, especially those carried close to the heart," Alicent acknowledged, her voice low. "If you need anything, remember you're not alone here. We are women bound by similar duties and, perhaps, similar fears."

Her words, meant to comfort, did soothe some part of my trepidation. As we turned back toward the safety of the castle, I felt a little less isolated with my secret, buoyed by the unexpected solidarity found in Alicent's company.