The Rogue Princess

Chapter 3

It had been weeks since their departure from King's Landing to Dragonstone. Laenor kept good on his promise to Aerea and practiced every morning with her sword fighting. She was picking up the skill fast, which made him beyond proud. Laenor never really bonded with any of his sons, but he always had a soft spot for Aerea. For many years he would try to convince himself she was his daughter, but he knew better. He knew whose eyes she had.

Those very same eyes rolling across from them at the funeral of Laenor's sister, Laena Velaryon. The very same eyes that stayed on the young Aerea, who held tightly onto her brothers' hands. Aerea knew her brother, Jace, was mourning the passing of his father, Ser Harwin Strong. Luke was still innocent of the truth, but felt the pain of the Lord Commander's death. He was always very protective of all of them, Aerea included.

Aerea's eyes flew up to the man across from her, who couldn't shake his focus from her. Daemon Targaryen. She'd heard stories of his viciousness, but he just seemed like another man to her. There was something about his stare that was unsettling to her. It was like he was trying to tell her something, but he wasn't talking.

Laena's body was sent to the sea and everyone dispersed into conversation. Aerea shuffled over to her Uncle Daemon, but Viserys had beaten her to him. With a huff, she turned and was faced with Aegon, who was already halfway to being completely drunk.

"Prince Aegon." Laenor muttered as he wrapped his arm around Aerea's shoulders, glaring down at the tipsy teenage boy.

"Ser Laenor." Aegon forced a tight smile before returning to his brother in the back. The two stared down at their sister, Helaena, who was on the ground playing with bugs and talking to herself. Aegon scoffed at the odd behavior. "We have nothing in common."

"She's your sister." Aemond muttered.

"You marry her then!" Aegon protested.

"I would perform my duty," Aemond said but then looked up to see Aerea sitting on the ledge looking out to the sea with her father, "if mother had only betrothed us."

Aegon noticed his brother's wandering gaze and chugged the remainder of his wine. A handmaiden walked by with a tray with cups of wine. Aegon abrupty stopped the frightened woman, snatching a fresh cup for himself. "We actually do have one thing in common."

The handmaiden shuffled away and Aemond turned to his older brother. "And what's that, brother?"

"We both fancy creatures with very long legs." Aegon smirked then turned back to Aerea, who was making her way back to Daemon finally. "Not all the time, of course."

Aemond's fists clenched when he realized what his brother meant. Before he could say anything, Aegon wandered away to the steps to continue drinking himself into oblivion.

"Uncle Daemon?" Aerea's voice was soft as she approached the man leaned up against the wall.

"Princess Aerea." He nodded with a soft smile. "Why, I haven't seen you since you were a screaming babe in the cradle."

"Apologies, but the memory is a little foggy for me." She joked, bringing a louder laugh from him than she expected. "I'm sorry for the passing of your lady-wife, uncle. My father spoke very highly of her."

"Your father also speaks highly of your own mother." He winked and for some reason, that just clicked with her. Her eyes went wide when she studied his own eyes. They were the same as hers. The same deep shade of blue. This was her father. She knew it. She just knew it.

But little did she know, Alicent knew as well the second she saw the two converse across the way from her. That's why her step-granddaughter had blue eyes instead of purple or brown. That was the darkness she felt the first time she held the child in her arms.

"Now run along, little one. I must find your mother." Daemon grinned. Aerea nodded and made her way through the crowd. She noticed way off in the distance of the fields a familiar dragon resting and it took everything in her to contain the excitement. And there was only one person she knew would be just as excited.

Aerea rushed over to Aemond, grabbing his hand as she dragged him off with her.

"What are you doing?!" He hissed but she turned to cover his mouth with her hand.

"Just stay quiet. Vhagar is sleeping over in the fields. Let's go see!" She whispered as she continued to lead him down the pathway. Once they were at the top of the hill above Vhagar, they stopped and sat down to admire the large war dragon. "She's beautiful."

Aemond raised an eyebrow at Aerea while she had stars forming in her gaze. It was kind of sweet to see how much she softened at the sight of a dragon and nothing else. "She's vicious."

"Yes, I know but...imagine what it would feel like to ride her out though the skies." She smiled. "Rhaena is so lucky she gets to claim Vhagar."

"What do you mean Rhaena? Anyone could claim Vhagar. Even us." He scoffed. She turned to look at him with her eyebrows furrowed.

"No, that's wrong. Vhagar was Laena's dragon, she should pass to Rhaena, who has no dragon of her own. It's the right thing to do."

"Right thing? Dragons don't understand what the right thing is. They just understand fire and blood."

Her laugh was sharp, almost waking the beast beneath them. "Dragons are more intelligent than you think, uncle."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "And you know this in all your years having one of your own?"

Her face dropped completely before she returned her attention to the Vhagar. "That's what your father taught me...you don't have to be such an ass about it."

"I'm sorry...it just doesn't make sense for only Rhaena to claim Vhagar." He mumbled. He looked at the longing stare in her eyes, wondering if she had thought similar to him. And in truth, part of her did feel the same way as him. She wanted to claim Vhagar for herself, but she felt so guilty even thinking about it. Rhaena was her cousin, her blood. After her recent discovery about her father, Rhaena was even her sister. She couldn't do that to her. Especially right after losing her mother. That would just be adding insult to injury. "Do you think you'll ever claim one?"

Her head snapped back towards him, eyebrows furrowed and mouth parted at his question. "I...I don't know. I guess until then, I'll settle for just seeing them."

She was surprisingly optimistic about her answer. Part of it annoyed him how she could be so cheery about something that burned him every day, but part of him was warmed by her hope.

"Aerea Velaryon! What are you doing?!" Aerea's head turned behind them seeing Laenor stumbling behind them with Ser Qarl trying to hold him up.

"Apologies, father! We were just-!" Aerea began but he'd already yanked her arm away from where they were sat.

"That is my sister's dragon! Not yours!" Laenor slurred. Qarl separated the two from each other and she stumbled back to Aemond, whose hand she immediately grabbed. She'd never seen her father so angry at her nor had he ever grabbed at her like that. Aemond looked down at her holding tightly onto his hand and stepped slightly in front of her, preparing to shield her from her father's scorn.

"Prince Aemond, Princess Aerea, why don't you find your way back to your chambers? Your father isn't well right now, I'm afraid." Qarl sighed as he pulled Laenor away from them.

"Get your hands off me. I don't want to see his daughter claiming my sister's dragon! He's the reason she's dead!" Laenor yelled as he was being dragged off.

And with his words, it was confirmed she was a bastard. She felt tears pricking at her eyes and Aemond noticed her shaken demeanor. He gave her hand a light squeeze and nodded for them to head back to everyone else. By the time they had rejoined everyone, they were being sent off to bed.

Aemond waited until it was properly dark and everyone was asleep to make his move. If Aerea wouldn't claim Vhagar, then he would claim the beast for her. No one would ever try to hurt her if he claimed Vhagar.