𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 / 𝐀𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐞𝐧

Grief

Daenera took a deep breath and straightened her back as she stepped out of her chambers. It had been a few weeks since the death of her son, Aenys, and she had been sequestered away in her room, grieving and mourning in private. But now, she knew that she had to face the world again, even if it meant enduring the painful memories and condolences that would surely follow.

As she walked down the hallway towards the dining hall, she could hear the sound of voices and laughter, and her heart began to race. She clutched her skirt tightly in her hands, trying to steady her nerves.

When she entered the dining hall, she was greeted by the sight of her husband, Aemond, and his siblings and mother. Alicent, Aegon, and Helaena were all seated at the table. They looked up as she entered, their expressions shifting from joviality to concern as they saw her pale face and trembling hands.

Aemond rose from his seat and walked towards her, taking her hand in his. "Danny," he said softly, "are you sure you're ready for this?"

Daenera nodded, her eyes fixed on the table in front of her. She took a seat, trying to ignore the sympathetic looks and words of comfort that were being offered by the family.

"How are you, Daenera?" Saera asked in a taunting tone.

"Fine." She whispered.

"Well, I know it's soon, but you can always have -"

"Saera I swear to God if you don't shut the fuck up." Aemond growled.

As the meal began, Daenera tried to focus on the food in front of her, but her mind kept drifting back to the horrible memory of her son's death. The clanging of silverware and the chatter of her family members seemed to grow louder and more oppressive with each passing moment until she felt like she was suffocating.

Desperate to distract herself, she dug her nails into her thigh, feeling the sharp sting of pain as she broke the skin. She tried to hide her discomfort, but Aemond noticed her distress and placed a hand on her arm.

"Daenera," he said gently, "are you alright?"

She shook her head, unable to speak as tears began to well up in her eyes. Aemond quickly rose from his seat and led her out of the dining hall, his arm around her shoulders.

As they walked down the hallway, Daenera leaned into her husband's embrace, feeling the warmth of his body and the steadiness of his heartbeat.

_____________

Aemond entered Daenera chambers and found her sitting on a couch, staring blankly at the wall. He had been busy planning an ambush with Aegon and Ser Criston Cole, hoping to drown the sinking feeling of his son's death.

He noticed that her dress was slightly hiked up, revealing a glimpse of her thighs. As he drew closer, he saw the scars on her skin, indicating that she had been sinking her nails into her flesh until it bled.

He was taken aback by the sight, as he had never seen Daenera behave this way before. He had always known her to be strong and determined, but seeing her in such a vulnerable state was unsettling.

"Danny," he said softly, approaching her. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him, and Aemond saw the emptiness in her eyes. She didn't say anything, but he could tell that she was in pain.

Aemond sat down beside her, and she flinched slightly as he touched her hand. He could feel the tension in her body, and he knew that she was struggling to keep her emotions in check.

He gently lifted her dress to get a better look at the scars on her thighs. He felt a pang of guilt as he realized that he had been so consumed with his own grief that he had failed to notice what was happening to her.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I should have been there for you."

She didn't respond, but Aemond could see a tear rolling down her cheek. He knew that he needed to do something to help her.

He took her hand and held it tightly, hoping that his touch would provide some comfort. He didn't know what else to do, but he knew that he couldn't let her suffer alone.

As they sat there in silence, Aemond could feel the weight of their loss pressing down on him.

As Aemond sat beside her, trying to comfort her, they were interrupted by the sound of someone entering the room. It was Daeron. He had been trying to get his mother to come out of her room and spend time with him, but she had been too consumed by her grief to respond.

"Mother," Daeron said, his voice trembling as he approached her. "Why won't you talk to me?"

Daenera couldn't bring herself to look at him. The pain of losing Aenys was still too raw. She felt shame for choosing one child over the other she didn't want to lose two sons. She felt a sense of guilt wash over her as she realized that she had been neglecting her other son in her grief.

Aemond sensed her discomfort and stood up, gently taking Daeron's hand.

"Come on, Daeron," he said softly. "Let's give your mother some space."

Daeron resisted, pulling away from Aemond's grasp. "No!" he screamed. "I want to stay with her!"

Daenera felt a surge of emotion as she watched her son cry. She wanted to hold him close and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Aemond crouched down beside Daeron, trying to calm him down. "It's okay, Daeron. Your mother just needs some time to grieve."

She turned her head away, unable to watch as her son cried. She knew that she needed to be strong for him, but she felt like she had nothing left to give.

As Aemond led Daeron out of the room, she was left alone with her thoughts. She felt a deep sense of sadness and regret, knowing that she had let her grief consume her to the point where she couldn't even comfort her own son.

She cried silently, her body wracked with sobs as she tried to come to terms with her loss. She knew that she couldn't stay in this state forever, but the thought of moving on without Aenys was almost unbearable.

As the tears continued to fall, Daenera realized that she needed to find a way to pick herself up and keep moving forward, no matter how hard it was. She couldn't let her grief consume her, not when she had a son who needed her.