The Rogue Princess

Chapter 29

Aerea sat on the ledge of her balcony, staring off into the distance, reflecting on her time locked away in King's Landing. Months had passed and no word was sent for her. She thought about her family and how much she missed them, even her father. So much time had passed, she'd nearly forgotten why they'd drifted apart.

But part of her still held resentment towards him for what he'd done to Helaena's children. He was more concerned with winning the war, but never once sent for her. She wondered if he was relieved she was no longer his problem.

She wondered if her entire family was relieved. There wasn't a single word of her mother or even how the war was going on her end. No word from her brothers. No word from her grandparents. Nothing.

It started to sink into her that maybe she truly did have no one left in this world. Her family abandoned her, even Aemond abandoned her. He'd moved on and married another. She couldn't bring herself to tell him about the loss of their child. She had finally accepted that she was only his history and not his future. He didn't need to know about his dead bastard.

Either one.

She grabbed a parchment and some ink and began to scribble down her goodbyes. With each sentence she wrote it was like a stab to the heart. A couple of tears landed down on the paper when she finished, reading it over until she finally looked up at her balcony.

Setting the paper down on the table, she slowly walked over to the ledge and climbed up. She looked down at the fall and took a deep breath. Everyone's face ran through her mind, but they just reminded her of everything she'd lost. What was her destiny if not to constantly hurt?

She closed her eyes and let out her breath, leaning forward to fall.

"AEREA!" A voice screamed just as her body was about to fall, but the person grabbed her and pulled her back, landing them both on the ground.

"No, let me go! I can't do this! I can't do this anymore!" Aerea pleaded, feeling the person's arms still wrapped around her tightly. She was shoved to the side with the person planting themselves on top of her. It was Dyana. Aerea looked up at the girl with desperate eyes. "Please, Dyana. Let me go."

"I can't do that, Aerea. We have to go. Now." Dyana urged. Aerea furrowed her eyebrows, finally slowly calming down.

"What do you mean?" Aerea asked.

"I don't have time to explain. You must get dressed." Dyana pulled the bag from her shoulder and tossed it beside Aerea's head.

"Dyana, I can't." Aerea shut her eyes with a defeated sigh.

"Then I'm truly sorry for this, princess." Dyana slapped the princess hard across her face. Aerea looked up at the girl with utter shock splattered across her face. "Are you your mother's heir or not?"

"Wh...what?"

"Are you not the heir to the Iron Throne? The Rogue Princess? The Princess who has cheated death, but sent hundreds of men in your place?" Dyana's eyes were full of a rage Aerea had never seen before. She was too stunned to say anything to her. "Because if you are, then I suggest you get dressed and come with me. If not, then you can rot away in these walls as someone completely different."

"Dyana, my family has not sent for me once. I have no reason to return to Dragonstone."

"Your family has sent dozens of men to retrieve you, princess. Aegon has every entrance blocked off by guards so you couldn't escape. They've all been captured or killed."

"Then how are we to escape then?"

"Get dressed and you'll see."

Dyana removed herself from Aerea, who opened the bag cautiously to see what exactly she was getting into. Her eyes widened before she looked back up at Dyana. "Are you sure this will work?"