The Rogue Princess

Chapter 4

Aerea wandered the darkened halls of Driftmark, hoping she'd eventually grow tired but nothing came. She had laid in bed for hours, but couldn't find sleep. At this point she was just mindlessly exploring her father's home. Her pretender of a father, that is.

His last words to her burned through her mind. He had never been cruel to her in all her life, but for some reason he took his rage out on her at that moment. Rage she could feel was pent up from over the years. Rage she feared she was the source of.

Screams rang through the tunnels she found herself in, causing her to run. The screams grew louder and louder the closer she got until there was only silence. She finally ran towards the faint fires at the end of the tunnel where she saw her brothers and cousins standing back in horror. Her feet came to a halt at the screaming silver haired boy, covering his eye as blood gushed down him.

"What happened?!" Aerea gasped as she knelt down to Aemond. "Shh, Aemond, stop! Let me see."

Aemond opened his good eye and saw the panic in her face as she knelt over him. His blood was boiling with rage, but his breathing softened slightly at the sight of her. Slowly, he removed his hand and she let out a harsh gasp.

"Jace, get the maester! Now!" She ordered, but never looked away from Aemond. She lifted her fingers to the side of his face with her fingertips just barely grazing his cheek. His breath slowed at the feel of her touch. He glanced at her fingers then back to her and she weakly smiled with fearful eyes. "It's going to be ok, Aemond. I promise."

Without another word, she slid her arm behind his shoulders while the other under his knees and lifted him up. She struggled, but she powered through and carried him until Ser Harrold found them. He took the child from her and rushed him away. The other guards found them all frozen in the halls and escorted them away to face their families.

They were escorted into an empty room where the guards said their families would join shortly. Aerea turned to her brothers and cousins with her hands on her hips and eyebrows furrowed. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"He stole Vhagar, sister!" Jace exclaimed. Aerea's eyes widened at the comment.

"And we fought and he tried to kill Luke and Jace! He almost beat both their heads in with a rock!" Baela added.

"How did he lose his fucking eye then?!" Aerea hissed and they all went silent. They'd never seen her so vicious in her words nor heard her swear. Her eyes went to each of them, then she stopped when she saw Luke hiding behind Jace. Realization hit her that it was Luke who took Aemond's eye. He was cowering in fear from what he had done and from what his older sister might do. A small sob broke through her as she knelt down to him. "Oh, Luke."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! He was going to kill us all! Jace was on the ground and Aemond was coming near him with a rock and I panicked! And now they're going to kill me! I'm sorry!" Luke sobbed, but she immediately took him into her arms.

"It's alright. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." She whispered into his ear as the room filled. Aemond was escorted to a chair on the far end of the room and his blood was boiling once again. The sight of Aerea comforting the person who took his eye made him want to order Vhagar to burn them all.

Aerea paid no attention to what was going on as their mother joined them in a panic. She held Luke close to her as he hid his face in her stomach. Her attention was on her baby brother, who couldn't stop shaking.

Guilt filled her as she thought about if she had been there. She'd learned enough to protect them all from what happened. Or maybe if she hadn't taken Aemond to see Vhagar earlier, he wouldn't have stolen her from Rhaena and none of them would've been in that tunnel.