The Rogue Princess

Chapter 32

Aerea snuck out of her chambers, careful not to wake Aemond who was fast asleep. She made her way down to the sands where she just casually strolled, occasionally throwing rocks she found out in the ocean. It was a huge relief to finally be home within the safety of her family, but she knew that was not the case for Aemond. Now it was his turn to be on enemy territory. She feared for what their allies would think, fearing they'd see her as a traitor or worse demand his head.

She had no intention of making him her mother's prisoner after what he had told her the night before. He was pure in his words and in his heart. And gods help anyone that planned to take him away from her.

A loud pitched screech rang from the skies above, pulling her attention from the next rock she had ready in her hand. A familiar, long red neck appeared from the clouds, quickly approaching the fields next to the castle. Daemon.

In that moment, it didn't matter why they were estranged. The one face she had yet to see since her return was finally back on Dragonstone. She'd missed her father deeply and wanted nothing more than to see him. So she dashed back up to the castle in search of him, but to her surprise he was nowhere in sight. She sighed, lowering her head at the thought of maybe he didn't want to see her. After all, their last conversation was when he struck her.

"Aerea." A low voice gasped from across the hall. She turned with her eyes widened, finally seeing her father standing with bloodshot eyes and sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Father!" She cried out as they ran towards another, tightly embracing each other in an instant. Aerea felt sobs tearing through her as he shut his eyes tightly and breathed a sigh of relief. 

"I'm so sorry, my dear." He whispered into her ear, but then she shoved him off of her.

"How could you murder those children? Little children, father!" She hissed.

"I had seen Vermithor in the dragonmount...he had stayed in the same spot for days, not eating or flying...the greens had already murdered your brother and once I'd noticed Vermithor...I thought they had murdered you as well." He confessed, but she crossed her arms.

"Prince Lucerys' death was an accident, father. His death was no one's to avenge."

"And is that what your precious Prince told you?" His eyes narrowed as he slowly approached her.

"Aemond wasn't lying." Daemon took one last step towards her, but she wielded her sword out to put some distance between them. "My husband didn't murder my brother. His dragon went against his command."

"Husband?!" He was seething with rage, stepping closer to her, but she pressed the blade up against his neck, stopping him from taking another step.

"I'll not have you speak ill or harm him, father. Just as he is, I won't allow the same towards you after the crimes you've committed. Do you understand?" Her eyes burned right through his smirk. Until she pressed the blade just deep enough to draw a bit of blood, his face finally straightened up. "Do you understand, father?"

"Gods, I keep forgetting how much of me I see in you." He muttered before walking away from her with his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Daemon stormed off to his shared chambers with his wife, where he found her sitting by the fire reading over a parchment. "Did you know our daughter married that one eyed kinslayer?"

"What?" She snapped up to her feet. "That's impossible."

"Not according to our daughter...who also claims Lucerys' death was just a mere accident." He scoffed, but then narrowed his eyes when he noticed a thousand thoughts running through his wife's bewildered face. "Do you know something I don't, dear wife?"